In the remaining days before Hogwarts Nat managed to read through Hogwarts a History and play in a few more matches of Quidditch. Hermione had becomes quite good friends with Nat as they both shared a passion for reading. Hermione also helped Nat get used to the different names for some of the spells and the new wand movements. Ron and Harry sulked whenever Nat turned there invitation for Quidditch down for reading.
The last evening at the Burrow Ron and Harry came back in from a late game. Hermione and Nat were playing a game of chess. Nat had was in her usual pajamas but was wearing a pair of glasses too. Harry was wondering how he never noticed them when Ron noticed that Hermione had copied Nat's pajamas. Her shorts were orange and her shirt grey. Her hair was up in a messy bun.
"Checkmate!" Hermione said with her arms up in celebration. She stood and took their mugs. "Do you want another coffee?"
"Please." Nat said stretching. Hermione finally noticed the two boys.
"Have a good game you two?" she asked walking past them.
"Yeah" they replied together Nat looked over and grinned.
"Did you always have glasses Nat?" Harry asked.
"No, I just put them on for fun today." Nat said with a sarcastic flare.
"Tone noted." Harry grinned.
"When did Hermione get such nice legs?" Ron asked Harry in a whisper.
"I expect she was born with them." Harry replied in the same whisper. He gave Ron a shove. "If you're going to start gawking I'm leaving you here."
"Will you play a round?" Hermione asked from the kitchen, she was pouring herself a cup of tea. "You might be more fun to play against than Nat, Ron."
"Hey! I'm not that bad!" Nat whined from her spot. Molly came down the stairs in a dressing robe over her Pajamas.
"Oh good you're back now. Harry, Ron go change into your pajamas. Your father has a bonfire started out back." Molly said with a smile. Ginny was behind her already in her pajamas. "We're going to make some s'mores."
"S'mores?" The two asked together.
"They're a treat we make in Canada in the summer." Nat said. At some point she had stood and was now right behind them making them both turn quickly. "I thought it would be fun."
"Sounds brilliant." Harry said with a grin.
He waited for Molly and Ginny to get off the stair then started to push Ron up them who was still mumbling about legs. Nat grinned happily then took her mug of coffee from Hermione. They followed Molly out of the house and around to where Arthur had started a good camp fire. The twins were there already sorting out seats for everyone. Molly had a big bowl filled with all the stuff Nat had told her she needed for s'mores.
"We'll need sticks to roast the marshmallows." Nat said to Molly as she sat down the bowl.
"To roast the what?" Fred asked.
"Marshmallows." Nat said again. Fred gave George a look and grinned broadly. After a look from their Mother they walked off towards the nearest trees to get sticks. "What was that?" Nat asked Hermione as they sat next to each other on a log.
"They like your accent." Hermione laughed. "You say marshmallow funny."
"I do not." Nat huffed making Ginny and Hermione giggle.
Ron and Harry finally came to join them. Harry wearing some plaid pajama pants and a black t-shirt. Ron was wearing a muscle shirt and some maroon striped pants.
"What don't you do?" Harry asked sitting on the next log over.
"Say marshmallow funny." Nat said. Ron and Harry snorted.
"You sure don't." Harry laughed. Nat huffled again and put her elbows on her knees holding her shin with both hands. The twins soon came back with sticks for everyone.
"How did you get a week off work anyway?" Ron asked taking a stick from George.
"Verity owed us a week." George shrugged. Nat was already after the marshmallows by the time she got a stick and with child like excitement she started roasting it.
"So how does this work Natalia?" Arthur asked roasting his own marshmallow now.
"Well, after you've toasted your marshmallow enough you take it off your stick using the graham crackers with a piece of chocolate on it." Nat said she was slowly roasting her marshmallow.
"Sounds simple enough." Ron said.
"You'd be surprised." Nat laughed still focusing on her marshmallow.
In the end Ron had managed to burn and two of his marshmallows even with Nat's attempt to save it by yelling. "Don't shake it blow on it!" Fred and George got theirs on the first try and from the look they gave each other they new that this creation would be turning up in their shop one day soon. Hermione found that she had just the right amount of patience for making s'mores and ended up making them for Ron as well.
Ginny and Harry watched Nat carefully and soon were s'more making experts. Molly and Arthur had great fun making them as well and it was fun listening to their stories about campfires rather like this one. Soon they had run out of marshmallows and chocolate and settled into sharing stories until they started to run low on firewood.
"We'll go get some more." Ron said hitting Harry who nodded and stood. Hermione and Nat stood up as well.
"Ginny love. Why don't you come help me make some hot chocolates." Molly said standing.
Ginny agreed, happy to to something. Out in the trees the four split into pairs, Nat and Harry and Hermione and Ron. Harry held his arms out and Nat piled it with branches from the forest floor. They could hear Ron and Hermione talk and they both laughed when they heard Hermione tease Ron. They made eye contact when they did.
"Natalia." he said feeling brave in the dark privacy of the trees. Nat looked over at the first time use of her full name by Harry. Harry set his load of wood on the ground and walked over to take both her hands.
"Yes Harry?" Nat asked grateful that the dark covered her blush.
"I just wanted to say that I'm very...happy." he said feeling very lame. "I mean, even when you were just a stranger on that bench a week ago I felt like, you were someone special."
"Thank you Harry." Nat grinned. "I feel the same way."
"Do you?" Harry asked surprised.
"Yes Harry. I don't know how I would have managed all this with out you. I'd probably still be stuck on that bench." Nat laughed and Harry laughed with her. She freed her hands and gave Harry a hug. "I'm very glad to have met you."
Harry hugged her back. Every fiber of his body feeling charged with excitement and happiness. He hugged her a bit tighter before letting her go. They stood like that, still holding onto each others arms until Molly's call of hot chocolate pulled them back to the fire. Nat hoped her stupid grin wouldn't catch too much attention. She thought she had gotten away with it until that night when they all finally got into bed Hermione rolled over to face her. (They had pushed two beds together to make room for the three of them.)
"So." She said. Nat looked over. "Does that grin mean the same thing in Canada as it does here?"
"I wouldn't know." Nat giggled and rolled over. Ginny laughed and tickled her.
"You don't get off that easily." She said. Natalia giggled and squealed as Hermione started tickling her too.
"Girls! Go to sleep!" Molly called. "You've all got to be up and ready in time to catch the train tomorrow."
"Yea stop making out!" came the joined call of the twins.
"Twins!" Molly scolded with a fierce shout. Up in Ron's room Harry and Ron looked at each other.
"Making out?" Ron squeaked. "You don't think..."
"I dunno." Harry shrugged. He started to picture the three girls all down in one bed snogging and tickling each other. "G'Night Ron." He said quickly rolling over before his excitement was noticed.
"G'night Harry." Ron said rolling over so his back was facing Harry's back. They drifted off to sleep in awkward silence.
The next morning when Harry and Ron finally made it down stairs the Twins had already left and the girls were just finishing up their breakfast. Nat bit her lip and grinned at Harry when he entered.
"Harry where is your shirt?" Molly asked. Harry touched his chest and then shrugged. Molly sighed. "Right then, come eat breakfast. Girls go get dressed before Harry's chest has you all in a fit of giggles."
"Yes Mum." Ginny said and the three all raced up the stairs to Ginny's room stifling giggles. Molly poured them both a cup of coffee. Ron loaded his with sugar and cream. Harry took a drink from his as it was.
"Good coffee Mrs. Weasley." He said.
"Thank you Harry dear." Molly said putting a plate of food in front of them both. Harry took one more drink of his coffee before tucking in.
"Good gracious Harry, where is your shirt?" Arthur asked coming into the kitchen. Harry looked up at the man who was already dressed.
"Lost it sometime in the night." Harry shrugged. He was only eating his toast.
"Anyway. I've packed Ginny's trunk, would you two go get Hermione's and Natalia's? Then yours of course."
"Course." Harry said. Ron groaned and took a quick bite of everything on his plate before following Harry. Ginny had just entered the washroom and shut the door as they reached the landing. Harry knocked and Nat answered. "We're here for your trunks."
"Oh is that all?" she said then turned to look back into the room. "Put some pants on Hermione. The men are here to take our trunks."
"Fine fine." They heard Hermione say.
When they entered the room Hermione had their back to them and was buttoning up her jeans. They waited for her to toss the last things into her trunk before taking it one end each out of the room. Nat and Hermione exchanged looks of appreciation as Harry's exposed muscles worked to pick up the trunk.
"Yummy." Nat said after they had left.
"What is?" Ginny asked returning to the room. She was all dressed and ready to go.
"Harry. He's taking our trunks with Ron and he still doesn't have a shirt on." Hermione said.
"Aww and I missed it?" Ginny asked. Nat was pulling on her jeans and tossed on one of her new shirts from Ginny.
"He has to come get mine still. Just wait." Nat said tossing all the things she had left to pack into the trunk.
It was actually an old trunk the Weasley's had as she had forgotten to get one in Diagon Alley. Sure enough as Nat was putting on her eyeliner using a compact the boys came back for her trunk. Ginny tried to look nonchalant as she did a last check of her closet and eyed Harry at the same time. When they had exited the girls looked at each other and all had the same grin. Harry Potter was something to look at, that was certain.
"Did you see them all staring at us." Harry laughed as the two boys got dressed quickly.
"At you you mean." Ron said.
"Come off it." Harry said closing his trunk and ruffling his hair. "Herm was looking at you."
"Hermione? No." Ron said stopping to look at Harry. He shook his head as Harry nodded. "No way, Hermione..."
"Has nice legs?" Harry offered.
"Yeah." Ron said with a laugh. He shut his trunk. "You don't think?"
"I try not to most days." Harry said he lifted his trunk and put it on top of Ron's. "Here let's get them both at once. Save a trip."
Ron and Harry made it down the stairs and helped Arthur put the trunks in the magically expanded trunk of the car. The golden trio and Nat sat in the back with Ginny up between her parents in the front. Natalia watched the country side with interest as they drove to Kings Cross. The rest of the people in the car made small talk about what classes they might be in and who would still be dating who. Thanks to her reading Nat was quite ready for how they got onto platform nine and three quarters. She went at the same time as Ginny. Ron was next, then Molly and Hermione and lastly Harry and Arthur.
"Jeez they meant scarlet didn't they." She mumbled as she looked over the train. Harry took her shoulder.
"Come on Nat. Let's get a seat." He said. Nat nodded and allowed herself to be lead onto the train.
