Hermione had swam away from the other two girls, removed her t-shirt again, and then floated on her back. Ginny and Luna watched her a moment and then Luna floated away on her back. Ginny looked from Luna to Hermione, then swam over to Hermione and surprised her with a kiss.

Hermione forgot for moment she was only wearing her bra and came around to put her legs around Ginny's waist and sighed as Ginny started kissing her neck, "You'd better stop, love, before you're thrown across the lake or something..."

Ginny laughed lightly and kissed Hermione softly.

"You're weren't expecting that...were you?" Ginny asked quietly.

"You, here, now? Or what happened with Luna?"

Ginny grinned, "I was talking about the second but now that you mention it..."

Hermione smiled and kissed her, only stopping when she felt Luna coming over.

"You guys planned that?" Luna asked them, trying to suppress a smile.

Hermione grinned and kissed Luna briefly before replying, "We talked about seeing what the rings would let us do with you...but I don't think either of us thought it would go that far."

"Or feel so good." Ginny added, blushing.

"But it didn't feel weird...a little awkward maybe at first, but as soon as Ginny kissed me all I could think about was what great kissers you guys are." Luna looked at Hermione a moment before continuing, "You have a theory."

Hermione smiled, "I do...but let's go eat, we skipped breakfast, and I don't know about you guys, but I seemed to have worked up an appetite." She kissed Ginny, then Luna briefly, before swimming towards shore.

Hermione reached the shore and turned back when she heard Ginny and Luna laughing.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"You...you're a tease." Ginny stammered out as she swam towards shore, Luna just behind her.

"I can put my shirt on..." Hermione replied blushing as she started to look for it.

Ginny came over and hugged her from behind, "Don't you dare..." She whispered into her ear, "If these damned rings are at least going to let me look, so long as I don't do anything about it, I'd like to look."

Hermione laughed lightly, "Okay...then fair play, right?"

"I suppose..."

"Then step back and take off your shirt...let's see what happens." Hermione said softly as Ginny lightly kissed her neck. She felt her step back and turned around to watch as Ginny slowly took off her shirt, "Now who's the tease?"

"Nope...can't move towards you." Ginny sighed.

"Try to think about just coming over here and hugging me...nothing more." Hermione suggested and closed her eyes, "I'll do the same."

Ginny shook her head, smiled, and then closed her eyes.

She opened her eyes again when she felt Hermione in her arms and Luna laughing nearby.

Hermione put her forehead against Ginny's, "Intent...remember?"

"Hermione?" Luna said and waited for Hermione to look at her, "What the hell are these?" She asked, holding a package of hotdogs in one hand and a package of marshmallows in the other.

"Lunch and dessert." Hermione replied, grinning. She kissed Ginny briefly and walked over to Luna.

"We cook these," she said taking the hotdogs from Luna, "Over a fire and eat them in buns with mustard and ketchup and whatever. You guys find us three sticks, take them from a tree through, so it doesn't burn in the fire. And some wood for a fire...I'll get everything ready."

"And Muggles eat like this all the time?" Luna asked incredulous.

"No...just when they go camping...I've been a few times with my parents." Hermione explained, "Go get some wood, I'm hungry."

Hermione watched as they walked away hand in hand, "The roasting sticks need to be about three feet long!" She called over them, Ginny waved in acknowledgement. Hermione shook her head and started taking things from the picnic basket.

Yes, she had a theory...and if she was right, they really had done something new , but not only today.

She had just finished unpacking the supplies when she saw Ginny and Luna walking back towards her. Luna her arms filled with wood and Ginny carrying wood under one arm and three long sticks in the other.

"Well done, you two...but we don't need quite that much wood." She smiled.

"Well, we weren't sure..." Ginny said as she dropped the wood in a pile a few feet away from Hermione and then went over and kissed her briefly before showing her the sticks she held in her hand, "These do?"

"Perfect." Hermione replied and handed them each a knife, then showed them how to sharpen their sticks before preparing the other wood for a fire.

Once she had a small fire blazing merrily thanks to a prod from her a wand, she reached for the hotdogs and opened them with a knife. She reached for Ginny's stick and put a hotdog on it, handed it back and did the same for Luna. She then put a hot dog on her own stick and placed it in the fire, smiling when Ginny and Luna followed her lead.

"If one of you can hold this for me, I'll make up plates of salads for all of us." Hermione said as she passed her hotdog to Ginny, "Careful not to let them burn."

"Seriously, babe? Muggles do this for fun?" Ginny teased.

"Oh c'mon...give it a chance..." Hermione teased back.

"I suppose," Ginny teased as she playfully slapped Hermione's rear end that was sticking up the air as she was taking something out of the picnic basket, "If you can take flying lessons from me..." But she stopped at the look of indignation on Hermione's face.

"I can't believe you just did that!"

"Sorry..."

"No, I can't believe you were able to..." Hermione laughed.

"Probably because it was just a playful smack...not a sexual thing." Luna said thoughtfully as she looked at her hotdog, "Is this ready?"

Hermione looked over, "Just a bit longer."

"So intent, then?" Ginny asked as she watched Hermione filling their plates.

"I guess..." Hermione replied.

"Guess you guys have some new experiments to try..." Luna teased.

"Speaking of which...you had a theory?" Ginny asked as Hermione motioned for the hotdogs and started placing them in buns.

"What do you guys want on them?" Hermione asked them as she reached for the condiments.

"Not sure...first hotdog...whatever you usually have?" Ginny replied skeptically.

"You okay with that, Luna?"

When Luna had nodded she prepared the three hotdogs with mustard, relish and ketchup and then handed the girls their plates. She sat down beside them and, taking her hotdog in both hands, took a bite.

"Oh, God," She moaned, "I don't remember the last time I had one of these..."

Ginny and Luna laughed and picked up their own hotdog and took a bite.

Hermione watched them as they chewed and then smiled when then each took another bite.

"Not so bad, eh?" She teased them, "Want seconds?" She asked, laughing when they both nodded.

She put three more hotdogs on their sticks and then shoved the other end into the ground so they could cook in the fire without having to be held, while they continued eating. When the next round of hotdogs were ready, Ginny and Luna choose their own condiments and sat back to eat again.

"This was a great idea, Hermione..." Ginny said as she put her plate aside, laid back on the grass, and placed a hand on her stomach.

"I forgot," Hermione said as she reached for, then handed, Luna a bottle of Butterbeer. Placing another on Ginny's bare stomach.

She sat up quickly while Hermione and Luna laughed.

"That's cold..." she stammered.

"That's for smacking my butt earlier," Hermione replied.

"Yeah...but you liked that." Ginny teased and laughed when Hermione blushed, confirming her theory.

"Not the point..." Hermione replied, "You surprised me."

"Speaking of surprises, Hermione?" Luna waited to for Hermione to look at her before continuing, "You had a theory?"

"I do, but first, I think, you and I, Luna, should put our shirts on we're burning." Hermione said, watching Luna as she looked down at her very red chest.

Ginny laughed, "Seriously? You're worried about a sunburn?" She reached over and took Luna's hand, they all watched as the sunburn turned into a very nice tan.

Luna, however, was watching Ginny, "You barely went pink when you took the burn..." She said quietly. She watched as Ginny took Hermione's hand and her sunburn faded and turned into a nice suntan as well.

"It's because of what happened today, I think..." Hermione said thoughtfully as she waved her wand and their three shirts came over to them, "But I don't think we should get anymore tan..." She said to their disappointed looks, "And if I have to look at either of much longer..." she finished, teasing them a little.

Luna pulled her shirt over her head, then teased, "Pity you two will have tan lines..."

Ginny and Hermione laughed.

"Well, we still have the rest of the summer to work on them when we come back...if the weather is nice we can some up here once a week?" Hermione replied, smiling when they both nodded, "It's nice to get away from everything for a bit...a nice break..."

"Ok...so, theory time." Luna reminded Hermione.

"It's about the Sisters...Elise and Fabina met first. What if, like you two, they grew closer than 'normal' friends would...what if it grew physical? Grew into love...but, because they were so young when they met, they probably hadn't gone much further than we did today...And then Fania came along, and she and Elise fell in love because they were soulmates. Despite the fact that she loved Fabiana dearly, what she felt for Fania was different. Fabiana didn't put up a fight...her friend was happier than ever. Eventually she became a physical part of their relationship as well...partially because of the projecting...but also, put three people in a room...two of which are really attracted to the third...things are bound to happen."

Hermione saw the small frown on Luna's face.

"I'm not saying we're not attracted to you, Luna...but it's not that simple either." Hermione said smiling, as Luna reluctantly smiled back.

"But it didn't happen that way for us...today was the first time I've ever kissed her like that..." Ginny said thoughtfully.

"Which is what makes this all so remarkable...time for a game of 'What If?'."

"Thought we didn't play that game?" Ginny replied.

"Today we do...because I want to try to explain why this so remarkable," Hermione smiled, "What if...you'd never gotten Tom's diary? You and Luna were already very close..."

"But I felt something the first time I met you..." Ginny countered.

"True, so did I, but...without the diary, it may never have gone past that point...you and Luna probably would've been together first, just because the nature of your friendship has always been affectionate. You met each other when you were what? Nine?" Hermione asked, and when they had nodded she continued, "Until you got Tom's diary...had you ever even thought about anything sexual? I mean, you were eleven..."

"No...but holding Luna while we slept...it always felt natural...and you're right, it hadn't occurred to me that it might be more..." Ginny replied thoughtfully, "Like you, I guess we didn't really question it...it felt too good."

"Luna? When I kissed you first...it felt a little awkward, right?" Luna nodded, "Then after you kissed Ginny?"

"It felt...right...and you're both really good kissers, by the way..." She replied, blushing, "Padma never kissed me like that."

"Well...I guess you'll just have to show her..." Ginny teased.

"I think," Hermione said, getting their attention again, "It was because, last time, you kissed Ginny first...but after you had kissed her, it felt okay with me too, because we're supposed to together like this with you...or at least we were last time..." Hermione smiled, "Bonding like this...physically...it makes us stronger. Makes the love we all feel for each other, stronger. And, the more skin to skin contact we have...the more we benefit from Ginny's healing and our shared power."

"So what exactly is so remarkable..." Luna asked.

"Because of Tom's stupid diary...we changed up the order...not only did he make Ginny feel things she wouldn't have normally...it's the reason we started spending time together this year...it's the reason Ginny skipped ahead to me..." Hermione smiled, "And because, this time, Ginny and I bonded physically first...we're all a little stronger..."

"He really screwed himself over, didn't he? Tom, I mean?" Ginny asked.

"He really did...because he gave us way more time to prepare and get stronger...and we're getting stronger because of the strength of our love for each other." Hermione replied.

"Maybe dear-old-dad is right...Tom won't know what hit him." Luna said laughing.

"The Tom I knew? He only understood love enough to manipulate me with it..." Ginny said thoughtfully.

"Exactly," Hermione said and kissed her girlfriend before kissing Luna and then continued, "His hate drives him...but love is what drives us...takes a lot more energy to hate."

"You know, Hermione, if you're right...about the Sisters, I mean...it sure explains a lot."

"I know...even though you guys never kissed before today...everything else, spot on...and you and I, though we've never knowingly seen them, probably have the same memories Ginny does, but she saw them because of Tom...but what I said about the Sisters? It feels right to me...and what happened today? It felt right too."

"What I want to know...why could I touch Luna without a shirt, but not you?" Ginny asked Hermione, "And why she couldn't do much more than kiss us back..."

"The Promise Rings...they not only make us keep our promise to each other, but they connect us as well...what were thinking when I started kissing my way down Luna?" Hermione asked.

"I was thinking, as incredibly hot as it was to watch...that you haven't done that to me yet..." Ginny replied blushing.

"You stopped me through the ring...same reason Luna couldn't touch me...you weren't okay with it." Hermione smiled at Ginny's small frown, "It's okay...I was mostly just testing the limits of what we could do, see what would happen..."

"Frankly, I'm surprised the rings let you do anything to me at all..." Luna said thoughtfully and then blushed at the memory at just what they had done to her and what they had made her feel, "How do you guys stand being so turned and not doing more? I mean...I've never felt that way...and you were right, Hermione, I had to do something about it..."

"Well...I had a feeling they would. The rings are a Promise to be together forever and to be each other's first...the rings can sense you're not a threat to that, maybe even that you're a part of that happening...I mean you already are..." Hermione smiled, "And I think we were projecting to you what we both had tried to do ourselves and couldn't."

Ginny looked at Hermione, "When you realised just how turned on Luna was...did you feel your own...I don't know, ebb?"

"I did...I think a combination of the rings stopping us and us realising that we were really turned on despite the rings because of the feedback loop...we blocked what Luna was projecting and stopped projecting to each other...the rings took over and we were already satisfied by what we'd done...it was suddenly enough..." Hermione tried to explain and was pleased when they both nodded, "And unfortunately, Luna, we were siphoning off to you...on top of what we were doing...I'm not surprised." She teased Luna.

Luna looked down at her hands a moment and the looked up at her friends and newfound lovers before she said, somewhat shyly, "After Ginny turns fifteen...I want you both to be my first...even if I'm with someone...I mean...it would only make us stronger, right?"

"Maybe...but I think, if you fall in love with someone before then, and they're your first...I think it would still be the same thing..." Ginny replied but was interrupted by Hermione.

"I've actually been doing some thinking about that," She looked at Ginny, "Wherever we are...Luna, Minerva and my father...should be somewhere nearby...we don't know what's going to happen and I don't want Luna to be alone when it does."

"I agree...and if you had let me finish my thought...I was going to say, even if we're not you're first Luna...I think we should complete that bond shortly after my birthday anyways...even if you're with someone else...I know it'll make us stronger..." Ginny said as she reached for Luna's hand.

"And if that someone happens to be Harry...we should bring him into the circle with us, at least once, to complete that bond with him...hopefully it'll make him stronger too..." Hermione added, blushing a deeper red than they had ever seen, "Not that I'd ever consider sleeping with him, or any other boy, if it weren't for the circumstances..."

"Me neither," Ginny replied.

Luna laughed, "Guess that's another thing that's different between us...I don't mind the thought so much..."

"So the question is...now that we've started this, um, bonding...what do we do about it?" Ginny asked them.

"I still want to be with Padma come the fall..." Luna said.

"We understand, Luna, you need someone who is just yours..." Hermione smiled.

"That and it would feel like cheating, on you guys and on her...right now, cause she and I are barely together, I don't feel so bad about it...but once we are, it wouldn't seem right..." Luna responded.

"Fair enough, Luna...but if you ever need us, like this?" Hermione started.

"Just ask, okay? It's not just about how good it makes us feel," Ginny continued.

"It's about keeping the bond we share strong...when you hurt, we hurt...and the happier you are?"

"The happier we are..."Ginny finished.

"So continue what we have now until the fall?" Luna asked hopefully.

Hermione nodded and was about to say something when a twig snapped in the woods nearby.

She focused in on the noise and slowly got to her feet.

"Stay behind me...focus on projecting your gifts to me. Move slowly...it's already scared." She thought to them as she she raised her hands to show she meant no harm.

She felt Ginny and Luna come up behind her and put their hands under the back of shirt and over her heart. Hermione closed her eyes and focused in on what lay just beyond the edge of the clearing.

"Three...no four...wolves?" She tried to focus more, "They're scared, she's scared, hungry," Hermione gasped and clutched her ribs, "She's hurt...badly."

"Are you okay?' Ginny asked concerned.

"We have to help them..." Hermione whispered, "The mother...she doesn't have long...her puppies won't survive without her..."

"What do we do?" Luna asked.

"You two stay here, get out the rest of the hotdogs and the graham crackers, they're hungry, and four bowls of water...I'm going to try and talk to her...let her know we want to help."

Hermione turned back to the treeline and could just see the animals outline and it's eyes glowing in the darkness. "Call Cara...now, before they come out...ask her to bring Minerva and Luna's potions kit." She thought to them as she slowly started to approach the treeline, her hands up again.

There was a loud crack and she watched the shadow shrink back.

She both thought and said quietly to the frightened animal.

"It's okay..." She said as she knelt down to it's level, "There will be a couple more...it's just noise...it won't hurt you..." She watched as the shadow lay flat to the ground and slowly crawl towards her, jumping a little herself when Cara disapparated again, "We want to help you...you and your pups are safe now."

She felt tears staining her face as she finally took in the wolf's appearance. It clearly hadn't eaten in days, maybe longer. It didn't have the strength to stand and one of it's back legs was dragging behind her at an odd angle. When it was about a foot away, it lowered its head to it's paws and whined softly.

"Call your puppies...we have food and water," She said softly as she reached out to touch the wolf's head, "They're hidden?" The wolf whined. "I'll go get them...my friends are going to bring you food and water."

She heard Luna and Ginny walking up behind her, when she turned she saw that they were crying as well, "Stay here with her...try to get her to drink..." She smiled as she stood, "She stashed her puppies nearby...I'm going to get them." She saw Minerva appear in the distance carrying Luna's potions kit.

"Gin? I know you probably can't heal her...but maybe see what's wrong?" Ginny nodded and slowly moved to beside the wolf, "Luna...maybe you can brew something to ease her pain?" Luna nodded.

"Might not need to...I think I can help enough..." Ginny said quietly.

Hermione reached down and put a hand on Ginny's shoulder, "Be careful...and I'll be right back...they're not far."

Hermione wandered off into the trees as Minerva joined the girls behind her. She entered the trees and closed her eyes, remembering what the wolf had shown her. She smiled and opened her eyes, once her eyes had adjusted to the dimmer light she went to find the puppies.

She found them not far away, huddled together at the very end of a hollow log.

Hermione laid down on her belly and peered inside. She could only see one of them clearly, as it was bright white...despite the other two, shielding it mostly from view. She reached her hand in as far as it was go while still being able to see them.

"It's okay...little ones..." She cooed softly, "I'm going to take you to your Mom," She watched as one of the hidden puppies inched it's way forward, "That's right...sniff my hand...you can smell her..." She smiled as the little wolf reached her outstretched fingers and slowly sniffed, then licked her fingers, "That's right little ones...I have food for you...just come with me..."

She'd have laughed if she hadn't want to scare them. All three little ones had hurried forward at the mention of food. She backed away quickly as they tumbled out of the log. The puppies, at least seemed healthy, though weak and underfed.

She sat back on her knees, "It'll be faster if I carry you," She told them, smiling when they ran as fast as they could to her. She gathered them up in her arms and couldn't help but laugh when they all started licking her face. "Quit it." She teased them and hugged them closer.

She walked back to her friends as quickly as she could and placed the puppies down by the bowls of water and broken up hotdogs, laughing quickly as the puppies started eating. She looked to where Ginny sat, the mother wolf's head in her lap, crying quietly but smiling as she watched the puppies.

Minerva and Luna sat nearby, clearly at a loss as to what to do.

"How is she?" Hermione asked as she knelt beside Ginny who was absentmindedly petting the wolf gently along it's side.

Ginny shook her head and looked down at the wolf in front of her.

"She doesn't have long...I think she wanted to make sure her puppies were safe first...I don't know how she lasted this long..." She trailed off, her voice breaking.

Hermione reached out and rubbed her girlfriend's back with her free hand.

"She had to...she had to keep them safe...they were probably already nearby, a clean source of water...she came out because she smelled the food..." Hermione said, trying to console her, even as the tears fell down her face, "Give me a minute," She said closing her eyes, "I want to see if I can find out what happened."

She put both her hands on the wolf's head and thought to it, "Show me what happened..."

It was difficult at first for Hermione to understand what she was seeing as she was seeing the memory as the wolf had seen it. She gasped when she watched the wolf's mate shot as it defended them.

Hermione opened her eyes a few minutes later and looked to her friends.

"Other side of the mountain, a few days...maybe a week ago. Hard to tell...no real sense of time, but...hunters...they were after the little white one...killed it's mate while it tried to defend her. She and the puppies ran...the hunters following them...They reached the top...passed through some sort of magical barrier but the hunters just seemed to wander away...she got hurt in a rockslide...not far from here I think...the puppies were okay, somehow..."

She looked to Ginny, "How long?"

Ginny shook her head sadly, "I honestly don't know how she's still holding on."

Hermione smiled and leaned down to speak to the mother wolf.

"Your puppies are here...they're safe...we'll always keep them safe for you...we promise." She faltered when she saw her tears hit the wolf's face and it slowly opened it's eyes.

Hermione and the wolf made eye contact and, just as the light faded from it's eyes, she clearly heard the wolf thank her.

A/N Everything make a little more sense now? Sorry if I made y'all cry...I've wiped away a few of my own...I know the chapter title is a little lame...but anything else would have given away the end of the chapter