It was the summer of the intolerably cruel heat. Harry and Hermione had come to visit Ron and Ginny at the Burrow two weeks before the term started and the four of them had kept cool thanks to frozen pumpkin juice and swimming in the nearby lake.
"Jump in!" Ron yelled.
"No!" Hermione and Ginny yelled back in unison, their legs dangling off the pier, leaning back on their elbows.
Ron looked at Harry, who was treading water next to him, and gave him a furtive smile. Harry nodded, grinning from ear to ear, letting Ron know that he understood his intentions.
At once, Harry and Ron grabbed Ginny and Hermione by the ankles and pulled them into the water. The girls' heads immediately surfaced and began yelling at Harry and Ron.
"You git! I'm going to kill you!" Ginny yelled at Harry, then tried to catch him as he swam away from the group.
"You'll have to catch me first!" Harry yelled over his shoulder.
"That was loathsome!" Hermione yelled at Ron, while trying to stay afloat. She tried to yell more, but her head kept dipping underwater and she only managed to sputter a few words.
Hermione grasped onto Ron's shoulder with both hands in an attempt to stay afloat. He slipped his arm around her waist and swam to the shore, towing her along with him. When they reached the sand that surrounded the embankment, Ron and Hermione sat next to each other in silence.
"I'm sorry, Mione," Ron finally said. "I didn't know you can't swim."
Hermione laughed and sifted a handful of sand through her delicate fingers. "I never took the time to learn how. I guess you can't learn everything from a book."
"I could teach you how."
Hermione raised her head and looked at Ron. "Really?" she asked, surprised.
Ron's ears turned as crimson as his hair. "Of course."
"Come on, guys. Lunch is ready!" Ron heard Ginny shout as she and Harry scurried up to the Burrow.
Ron stood up and offered his hand to assist Hermione, which she accepted. Hermione brushed the sand off of her legs and could feel Ron's eyes on her. When she glanced up at him she could have sworn that his mouth was open and his eyes were wide before he had turned his head, pretending not to have been staring at her. Hermione smiled as she trekked up the hill towards the Burrow.
Dinner was interesting, to say the least. Ron sat with Harry to his right and Hermione to his left and he could not help but notice how Hermione looked that night. She was wearing a white linen dress that tied around her neck, fell to her knees, and clung to her body, accentuating her curves. Her hair had dried and framed her face with golden brown curls and her skin had a healthy glow to it.
Hermione was nervous at dinner that night and she could not figure out why. Her heart was beating fast, her palms were sweating, and she could not sit still. Every once in a while, out of the corner of her eye, she would catch Ron looking at her in a way he never had before. It was not long before their legs had found each other underneath the table. Ron jumped in his seat a little after the initial contact, but he did not dare move his leg away from hers. Her legs were as soft and smooth as silk and contrasted with his muscular legs covered in amber hair.
When dinner was over Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all retreated up to Ron's room where they talked, laughed, and reminisced.
"Remember when Lavender punched Malfoy in the face last year?" The room erupted in laughter.
"That was great!" Ron said, still laughing. "Remember when Hermione was all starry-eyed over Gilderoy Lockhart?" Harry and Ginny clamped their hands over their mouths, trying to contain their laughter.
"Oh yeah?" Hermione began. "Remember when Ron couldn't manage to say a comprehensible sentence when Fleur Delacour was in sight?" Harry and Ginny couldn't contain their laughter anymore, and rolled around on the floor, tears flowing freely.
"She was a veela!" he yelled. "I couldn't help it!"
"Anyone remember the Yule Ball?" Ginny asked, knowing that she was treading on dangerous ground.
The room went silent and glances were exchanged between Harry and Ginny.
"No." Ron said abruptly as he left his bedroom.
Harry and Ginny had played a game of Quidditch in the backyard before retiring in the living room. Hermione had lost herself in a book and was about to go downstairs when she looked out of Ginny's bedroom window to the lake. She saw a hint of red hair and a splash emanate from the center of the lake.
Ron was floating on his back with his eyes closed, then he opened them to find a shadowed figure standing in the sand on the side of the lake.
"Bloody hell!" he shouted.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled, placing her hands on her hips.
Ron swam to the shore and walked out to meet Hermione in the sand. He was taken by surprise at her attire. She was wearing a different bathing suit than earlier that day. It was a light blue bikini that tied around her neck and at her hips. Ron was only wearing the dark red shorts that he had on at dinner, with black boxers underneath of them that were peeking out of the top of his shorts.
"Come for a late night swim?" he asked, smiling.
"Sort of," Hermione said. "I seem to remember you saying that you would teach me how to swim."
"Oh, yes. Of course!" Ron responded. He took her by the hand and they waded out into the water until Hermione could not touch the bottom anymore. At that point, Ron picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her out farther until he the water was up to his neck.
"Ready to go out farther?" he asked.
Hermione looked around her at the dark water. "No." she answered.
Ron chuckled. "That's fine, Mione."
Hermione suddenly noticed that he was holding onto her very tightly and she blushed, hoping he could not see her crimson tint from the moonlight.
"Mione," Ron began, "what was going on at dinner? I've never known you to be so…friendly…with me."
Hermione was positive that he could see her intensely scarlet face now. "It was the heat," she lied. "It makes everyone do crazy things."
"I didn't think it was crazy," he said. "I liked it."
"Really?" Hermione asked, sounding excited.
Ron looked into her eyes. "How could I not?" he asked.
Hermione was about to say something that would explain her actions at the dinner table, but she was cut off.
"I've was wondering when I'd finally get you all to myself," he said, staring deep into her brown eyes. Hermione's heart was beating out of control as Ron bent his neck so his face was inches from hers. Hermione pulled herself up with her arms that were wrapped around her neck to bring her face closer to his. Finally, after what felt like hours, their lips met and tingled with the excitement.
"This is better than winning the Quidditch World Cup," Ron thought to himself.
"This is better than discovering the Hogwarts, A History special edition," Hermione thought to herself.
Their lips parted and their tongues mingled together as Hermione readjusted her position so that her legs were now wrapped around Ron's waist. She ran her hands down his shoulders and arms and placed his hands around her waist. Ron pulled her closer to him and she ran her fingers through his silky wet hair and he moaned in pleasure. Finally, their lips parted and Ron threw his head back and closed his eyes.
"That was brilliant," he murmured.
"Ron?" Hermione asked, resting her forehead on his bare chest.
"Yes?" he replied, out of breath.
"I still don't know how to swim," Hermione giggled.
Ron pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. "Alright. Let's start with the basics…"
"Jump in!" Ron yelled.
"No!" Hermione and Ginny yelled back in unison, their legs dangling off the pier, leaning back on their elbows.
Ron looked at Harry, who was treading water next to him, and gave him a furtive smile. Harry nodded, grinning from ear to ear, letting Ron know that he understood his intentions.
At once, Harry and Ron grabbed Ginny and Hermione by the ankles and pulled them into the water. The girls' heads immediately surfaced and began yelling at Harry and Ron.
"You git! I'm going to kill you!" Ginny yelled at Harry, then tried to catch him as he swam away from the group.
"You'll have to catch me first!" Harry yelled over his shoulder.
"That was loathsome!" Hermione yelled at Ron, while trying to stay afloat. She tried to yell more, but her head kept dipping underwater and she only managed to sputter a few words.
Hermione grasped onto Ron's shoulder with both hands in an attempt to stay afloat. He slipped his arm around her waist and swam to the shore, towing her along with him. When they reached the sand that surrounded the embankment, Ron and Hermione sat next to each other in silence.
"I'm sorry, Mione," Ron finally said. "I didn't know you can't swim."
Hermione laughed and sifted a handful of sand through her delicate fingers. "I never took the time to learn how. I guess you can't learn everything from a book."
"I could teach you how."
Hermione raised her head and looked at Ron. "Really?" she asked, surprised.
Ron's ears turned as crimson as his hair. "Of course."
"Come on, guys. Lunch is ready!" Ron heard Ginny shout as she and Harry scurried up to the Burrow.
Ron stood up and offered his hand to assist Hermione, which she accepted. Hermione brushed the sand off of her legs and could feel Ron's eyes on her. When she glanced up at him she could have sworn that his mouth was open and his eyes were wide before he had turned his head, pretending not to have been staring at her. Hermione smiled as she trekked up the hill towards the Burrow.
Dinner was interesting, to say the least. Ron sat with Harry to his right and Hermione to his left and he could not help but notice how Hermione looked that night. She was wearing a white linen dress that tied around her neck, fell to her knees, and clung to her body, accentuating her curves. Her hair had dried and framed her face with golden brown curls and her skin had a healthy glow to it.
Hermione was nervous at dinner that night and she could not figure out why. Her heart was beating fast, her palms were sweating, and she could not sit still. Every once in a while, out of the corner of her eye, she would catch Ron looking at her in a way he never had before. It was not long before their legs had found each other underneath the table. Ron jumped in his seat a little after the initial contact, but he did not dare move his leg away from hers. Her legs were as soft and smooth as silk and contrasted with his muscular legs covered in amber hair.
When dinner was over Ron, Harry, Hermione, and Ginny all retreated up to Ron's room where they talked, laughed, and reminisced.
"Remember when Lavender punched Malfoy in the face last year?" The room erupted in laughter.
"That was great!" Ron said, still laughing. "Remember when Hermione was all starry-eyed over Gilderoy Lockhart?" Harry and Ginny clamped their hands over their mouths, trying to contain their laughter.
"Oh yeah?" Hermione began. "Remember when Ron couldn't manage to say a comprehensible sentence when Fleur Delacour was in sight?" Harry and Ginny couldn't contain their laughter anymore, and rolled around on the floor, tears flowing freely.
"She was a veela!" he yelled. "I couldn't help it!"
"Anyone remember the Yule Ball?" Ginny asked, knowing that she was treading on dangerous ground.
The room went silent and glances were exchanged between Harry and Ginny.
"No." Ron said abruptly as he left his bedroom.
Harry and Ginny had played a game of Quidditch in the backyard before retiring in the living room. Hermione had lost herself in a book and was about to go downstairs when she looked out of Ginny's bedroom window to the lake. She saw a hint of red hair and a splash emanate from the center of the lake.
Ron was floating on his back with his eyes closed, then he opened them to find a shadowed figure standing in the sand on the side of the lake.
"Bloody hell!" he shouted.
"Ron!" Hermione yelled, placing her hands on her hips.
Ron swam to the shore and walked out to meet Hermione in the sand. He was taken by surprise at her attire. She was wearing a different bathing suit than earlier that day. It was a light blue bikini that tied around her neck and at her hips. Ron was only wearing the dark red shorts that he had on at dinner, with black boxers underneath of them that were peeking out of the top of his shorts.
"Come for a late night swim?" he asked, smiling.
"Sort of," Hermione said. "I seem to remember you saying that you would teach me how to swim."
"Oh, yes. Of course!" Ron responded. He took her by the hand and they waded out into the water until Hermione could not touch the bottom anymore. At that point, Ron picked her up and she wrapped her arms around his neck and he carried her out farther until he the water was up to his neck.
"Ready to go out farther?" he asked.
Hermione looked around her at the dark water. "No." she answered.
Ron chuckled. "That's fine, Mione."
Hermione suddenly noticed that he was holding onto her very tightly and she blushed, hoping he could not see her crimson tint from the moonlight.
"Mione," Ron began, "what was going on at dinner? I've never known you to be so…friendly…with me."
Hermione was positive that he could see her intensely scarlet face now. "It was the heat," she lied. "It makes everyone do crazy things."
"I didn't think it was crazy," he said. "I liked it."
"Really?" Hermione asked, sounding excited.
Ron looked into her eyes. "How could I not?" he asked.
Hermione was about to say something that would explain her actions at the dinner table, but she was cut off.
"I've was wondering when I'd finally get you all to myself," he said, staring deep into her brown eyes. Hermione's heart was beating out of control as Ron bent his neck so his face was inches from hers. Hermione pulled herself up with her arms that were wrapped around her neck to bring her face closer to his. Finally, after what felt like hours, their lips met and tingled with the excitement.
"This is better than winning the Quidditch World Cup," Ron thought to himself.
"This is better than discovering the Hogwarts, A History special edition," Hermione thought to herself.
Their lips parted and their tongues mingled together as Hermione readjusted her position so that her legs were now wrapped around Ron's waist. She ran her hands down his shoulders and arms and placed his hands around her waist. Ron pulled her closer to him and she ran her fingers through his silky wet hair and he moaned in pleasure. Finally, their lips parted and Ron threw his head back and closed his eyes.
"That was brilliant," he murmured.
"Ron?" Hermione asked, resting her forehead on his bare chest.
"Yes?" he replied, out of breath.
"I still don't know how to swim," Hermione giggled.
Ron pulled her closer to him and kissed the top of her head. "Alright. Let's start with the basics…"