A/N: Once again, so sorry that this chapter took so long. I was busy not doing homework.

My class trip was sucky, just in case you were wondering. We never killed the bunnies, though. So I guess that was good.

Well, here's the next installment of "As Told By Granger". Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. The world is too cruel for something like that.

"Ah, Miss Granger!" said Professor Slughorn as he returned from the Great Hall to his classroom. "Early as usual."

I looked up from my book. "Is that okay?" I asked, slightly panicked.

Professor Slughorn chuckled as he straightened some papers on his desk. "Oh, don't be silly. It's fine. You know I always appreciate your company."

I smiled sheepishly and returned to my book. It always was a bit unnerving sitting alone in a classroom with the Potions professor.

"So, did you enjoy your summer?" he asked, reclining back in his chair.

"It was alright," I said, peering over my book. Really, that's all it had been. I had sat at home, read, slept, and wrote letters to Harry, Ron, and Ginny. "How was yours?"

"It was splendid. I spent the two weeks in the United Stated and met up with a former student of mine, Glenda Chittock. I'm sure you've heard of her." I nodded my head politely. "Yes, well, she was there doing a story about Bigfoot. Fascinating beast, that is."

I was relieved when Ron and Harry came bustling into the room. They seemed to be arguing about Quidditch, like always.

"Ron, give it up. The Chudley Canons will never win a game again!"

Ron's face was screwed up in frustration. "You don't know that, Harry."

"Yes, I do know that. Their slogan is 'Let's all just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best'. They have no determination whatsoever and they haven't won a game in over a hundred years because of it!"

"Well, maybe they can't help it," said Ron as he slipped into the chair beside me. "Hey, Mione," he said, trying to brush off Harry, who had sat on the other side of him and was being engaged in conversation by Professor Slughorn.

"Hello."

Ron flipped the pages of his textbook impatiently. "Do you think that it's reasonable to believe in the Canons?" People started wandering into the room.

I had to think. Quidditch was something that I usually avoided talking about with Ron ever since fifth year. "Well, I admire you for staying by them without fail for so long."

Ron smiled lightly. "Thank you. At least someone believes me."

Professor Slughorn cleared his throat loudly. "Alright, let's get started."

"It's so bloody hot!" exclaimed Ron as he fell back onto the soft grass surrounding the lake. His shaggy hair was plastered to his forehead from sweat. He had removed his robe and tie a while ago.

"Well, I'm sorry, Ron, but I can't change the weather," I said, trying desperately to focus my attention to my Transfiguration homework. The temperature had reached a record high today. I myself had shed my robe, tie, and had unbuttoned the top buttons of my school blouse.

"Why not?" he grumbled, more to himself than to me.

I peeled my fingers off of the page that I was reading. I was sweating like a pig. It was gross.

"Harry and Ginny are mad. I don't see how anyone can practice in this heat."

I smiled. I knew they weren't practicing for Quidditch. I just didn't tell Ron that.

Ron plucked a piece of grass out of the ground. "I'm so bored!"

"Do your homework," I said, impatiently.

"It's too hot to do homework."

I glanced at him over my book. "You can't just sit there and whine about everything."

"Yes, I can," he said as he tried to capture a fly buzzing in front of his face.

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, go jump in the lake…"

Ron grumbled something, annoyed. He picked another piece of grass before shooting straight up. "Hermione, you're brilliant!" he said as he started unbuttoning his shirt.

I don't know exactly what I did to make myself so brilliant but Ron was taking his shirt off. So I was not complaining.

Being keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team had done a lot of good for him. Harry, being seeker, was a skinny little thing. A keeper's body, like Ron's, however, is muscular and toned, due to all the movement.

But that's not why I fancy him- heavens, no…

It certainly is a perk, though.

The settling of Ron's shirt on the ground beside me brought me out of my reverie. "I don't know why I didn't think of it before!" he said.

"What?" I asked, thoroughly confused and slightly lightheaded.

He looked up at my through his flaming red tresses as he began to remove his shoes and socks. "Jumping in the lake."

"Do you have any idea how many things live in that lake? There are grindylows everywhere you turn!"

"It's a chance I'm willing to take," he said as he stumbled back a bit after taking off his reaming sock.

"You are mad."

"I'm hot," he said before he dived into the lake. When he emerged again, he let out a loud gasp for air. "Hermione! This water feels great!"

I tried to ignore him by returning to my book. I knew that if I looked up at him I would see how the water ran down his strong freckled chest in rivulets that eventually disappeared into the waistband of his pants, hanging low on his hips. Thusly, I would completely lose all ability to think.

I glanced up at him.

Bye-bye, brain.

"Oh, this water is so refreshing," he said as he ran his fingers through his wet hair to bring it out of his eyes. "Why don't you get in?"

I assessed the situation. I could either stay out in the smoldering hot sun doing homework or I could go swimming in a grindylow infested lake with my crush of 6 years, who, by the way, was looking completely and utterly shaggable.

The latter was looking very good at the moment. So, without giving the situation much more thought, I stepped out of my shoes and socks, pulled my hair back, and walked towards the lake. I dipped a toe into the water and it felt perfect.

"Come on, Mione! You're slow!" he yelled, swimming backwards.

I sighed. "Here goes," I mumbled to myself as I dived in.

I surface and pushed loose fringe out of my face. I did feel a lot better. "Happy, now?" I asked Ron, who was standing a few yards away from me, face as red as a ripe tomato. "What?" I asked, somewhat worried.

He nodded his head downward and cleared his throat, looking away from me. I looked down and noticed that I could see straight through my shirt. "Oh my God!" I said as I threw my arms across my chest.

My face was burning. I glanced around to see if anyone else had noticed. It seemed that Ron, who had taken a sudden interest in the clouds overhead, was the only one. I checked to make sure that no one was looking, waded as quickly as humanly possible towards shore, dived for my wand, and cast a drying spell on myself. That was by far the most embarrassing moment of my entire life.

Just then, Ron let out a yelp. I looked up at him and he was trying to beat a grindylow off himself. I reached for my wand. "Ron, don't move!" I said before taking aim at the creature. "Impedimenta!"

Ron peeled the motionless gridylow from his leg and chucked it out into the deeper water. "Thanks," he mumbled as he came back to shore and started redressing.

Just then, Ginny came running up, stumbling a bit. "Ron! Hermione! I can't find Harry!"

Ron shook out his hair as he pulled his shirt on. "What?"

"I've been waiting for half an hour at the pitch- he never showed!"

I glanced at Ron and he looked back. I hurriedly stepped into my shoes, grabbed my robes, and started sprinting towards the castle.