Harry flung himself down onto the porch step and settled his bag besides him. Squinting up the street, he searched the vacant lane for approaching cars. Nothing. With a great sigh, Harry leaned back against the door watching the horizon. This wasn't the most comfortable perch he could've picked out, but since his usual spot beneath the window sill hid the street from view, he'd have to make do with the hot cement beneath his behind burning a hole straight through his tan cord-cutoffs and searing into his flesh. Not like the rest of his skin was having any better luck with the sun, his gray shirt didn't offer much coverage for his neck, arms and legs. He wiped the sweat that was already forming on his brow and exhaled heavily, hoping for a breeze of some kind.
The faint image of cool ocean water cascading around his body was the only thought consoling his poor, frying body. Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the front door, seeing the sun penetrate even the black of his eyelids. There was just NO escape from the heat today.
Suddenly, the door vanished from behind him making him fall flat on his back and bang the back of his head on the hallway floor. Staring up bewildered, Harry found himself beneath a massive stomach and between two large sock-and-sandaled feet. He quickly scrambled to his feet finding that it was Uncle Vernon, scowling at him viciously with Dudley behind him, looking rather amused.
"What the bloody 'ell are you doing leaning against my door?!", Uncle Vernon spat as Harry hastily picked up his backpack and backed away.
"I was just waiting..." Harry mumbled seeing Dudley's amusement increase.
"Wait for your freakish little friends elsewhere, NOT on my doorstep. I will NOT tolerate freaks congregating in front of my house and causing the neighbors to start thinking we associate with that kind."
Harry glared at them as they shoved past him and climbed into Uncle Vernon's new car, causing the tires to groan and sink quite noticeably. A snicker escaped Harry's lips before he could catch it, and it took everything in his power to bite his lip and force away a smile as the two backed out of the driveway and took off down the road. Once out of sigh, Harry set off into a series of loud guffaws and snorts of laughter. Tears were peeking from the corners of his eyes before he calmed down reasonably, left only with the occasional snigger. He wandered down the walkway and scanned both directions of the street. A quick glance at his watch said it was barely eight AM.
"Gah, unbelievable..." Harry muttered to himself as he chanced a peak at the searing sun. A day at the beach was definitely a good idea, it seemed to only be getting hotter.
A loud honk brought him back to Privet Dr. Harry shielded his eyes and squinted in the direction of the horn and grinned. He quickly shoved his bag onto his shoulder and stood on the edge of the curb. A brown station wagon pulled up besides him as he shook out his sweat-dampened hair.
Abruptly the door swung open and Hermione's beaming face appeared inside it.
"C'mon Harry. Lets get going!"
Harry smiled and climbed in, saying hello to Hermione's Mom and Dad in the front seats.
"Hello Harry. We've heard SO much about you. Its about time we actually met," Mrs. Granger said from her passenger side seat.
Harry smiled and nodded," I think we met, but briefly about four years ago at Flourish and Blotts bookstore."
She nodded and turned back around with a smile.
"So, got your O.W.L.'s yet, Harry?" Mr. Granger asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.
"Nope ,not yet, Sir." Harry replied side glancing Hermione, noticing her looking rather nervous.
"Well, I suspect you'll get full marks. What do you hope to get into after Hogwarts?" Mr. Granger continued.
"Well,um..I'd actually like to be an Auror."
Mr. Granger raised his eyebrows and peered back at him as they paused at a stop light," Really?? Wow, I hear that's a particularly difficult career. Lot of schooling and very hard skills testing. Yes, Hermione's mentioned it several times."
Harry looked over at Hermione and saw her turning pink in the cheeks. He smiled lightly at her odd response and replied, "Yes, but I'm up for the challenge. The field always interested me greatly."
"Well. I'm positive you'll become a fantastic Auror, Harry." Mrs. Granger added.
The remainder of the ride back to The Granger's was more or less silent, apart from the occasional question from Mr. and Mrs. Granger had for Harry.
Soon enough, they were pulling into the driveway of a simple,two-story brown house. As Harry got out, he couldn't help but smile. For some reason, the house fit Hermione. It was neat, prim and proper. Wooden shutters adorned each of the three windows facing the driveway, with perfectly drawn back white curtains contained within. The lawn was neatly cut and dark green, with a row of rose bushes separating the Granger's yard from the neighbor's. The door was white and as Harry approached it, he saw a small bouquet of flowers hanging on it with a plaque that read 'Welcome'.
Once in and settled, Harry and Hermione entered the kitchen where Hermione suggested they put together some lunches for the trip. The busy-work was welcomed by Hermione, who thought she'd combust with embarrassment with all her parents had revealed about her knowledge of most of Harry's ventures. She thought the whole Auror thing would make it quite obvious she talked about Harry much more than most friends do.
It didn't take long for them to make several sandwiches, and packed them along with a dozen butterbeer bottles, chips, candies and small pies.
"So, when are they supposed to get here?" Harry asked as he positioned the last pie between a bottle of butterbeer and a sandwich.
"Um, around nine. From there my parents are dropping us off at the train station and we'll take it the whole way to Folkstone." Hermione replied.
No sooner had Harry checked the clock above the stove than a loud crash came from the living room. Hermione, Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Granger rushed into the living room to find three soot-covered figures coughing within the fireplace. Each stepping out carefully, Harry smiled relieved as he recognized the bashful wide grin of his best friend, Ron.
"Um, sorry 'bout that...We didn't expect a grate," Explained Ron, his cheeks visibly red beneath the ash.
"Hey Harry!", exclaimed Dean Thomas as he dusted himself off in an area Mrs. Granger pointed to them would be ok to get dirty.
Harry smiled and caught the eye of Ginny, who was looking rather awestruck.
"Harry?" She inquired, her jaw hanging open slightly.
With a nod from him, the three ashened teenagers stared at Harry shocked.
"Whoa...changed quite a bit, haven't we?" Dean commented as he took off his cloak and placed it on a large plastic bag Mrs. Granger had provided.
"A BIT?! Bloody 'ell, Harry. You never told me you got contacts!" Ron exclaimed walking over to him.
"Well. Its not that big a deal..." Harry tried to add but without much luck.
"I like it. You look good. I mean...They look good.." Ginny stammered, then blushed furiously at Dean's suspicious glance.
"Thanks..." Harry muttered with a smile.
"I hear ya got one of those muggle phones, too?" Ron added as he looked around Hermione's living room.
Harry nodded and produced the cell phone, still unsure why he brought it along in the first place.
The three peered at it quizzically, half expecting it to unfold into some odd green animal.
"Yes, well, we better get going if we're to catch the ten O'clock train to Folkstone." Hermione interjected as Harry started to fidget with all the peering eyes looking over his new look.
Without another word of Harry's newfound style, the five piled into the station wagon with the cooler and Hermione's parents. Within forty minutes they were running through the train station, hurrying to a steaming and whistling train minutes away from departing. They hustled onboard and thankfully found three pairs of facing seats at the back.
Well on their way through the London, the quintet started up a lively conversation that tended to grow louder and annoy nearby passengers.
"So, didn't get your O.W.L.'s, did ya?" Ron asked Harry, who was sitting opposite him.
Harry shook his head reaching up to lay his arm on the armrest, accidentally brushing against Hermione's in the process.
"Well, I did unfortunately. Just yesterday," Ron said gloomily.
"He got grounded for getting only five O.W.L.'s," Ginny added sympathetically.
"Well. Maybe I can just work with Fred and George at their shop..." Ron said heavily.
"Serves you right, Ron," Hermione cut in rather haughtily." You should've studied FAR more than you actually did. You couldn't of expected to get top marks with a studying schedule like you had."
Ron shot Hermione a defiant look and ignored her comment. Much of the train ride consisted of all of them talking about their O.W.L.'s and Apparition tests coming up later that week.
"I studied all summer long. Not that I had a choice though.." Harry added on after Hermione questioned them again about studying.
Much sooner than they had liked, the train came to a halt and a ticket-taker called from down the way," Folkstone funfair! Folkstone!"
The five gathered up their beach bags and Ron and Harry each took a handle of the cooler and climbed off the train.
"We're not SERIOUSLY carrying this thing all the way to the beach, are we?" Ron groaned as stumbled slightly causing the cooler's edge to ram into the back of Harry's thigh.
"Of course not," Hermione snapped as she led the way from the train station through some of the town and down to the beach. The cool breeze carried a sharp scent of salt and seaweed with it and arose goose bumps all over Harry's skin. The smell along with the slight mist was quite pleasant as they made their way down the beach . The further they walked, the thinner the crowds got until eventually no more people were in sight.
"Set it down here you big babies ," Hermione ordered as the group stopped." Harry, you'll have to do it since none of us are sixteen yet."
Harry and Ron gladly put the cooler down .Ron stepped back as Harry pulled out his wand and said 'Locomotor cooler '.
The cooler slowly rose a few inches off the sand and drifted in front of him as they continued down the shore. Harry, growing rather annoyed at how sand kept sneaking its way into his black sneakers, spoke up when it seemed they'd been walking for almost an hour," Hey...this looks like a good spot."
The others agreed hastily but only to groan as Hermione protested, "No, its not. I picked out a spot already. Its just a bit further, c'mon."
All four of them grumbled to themselves and finally took off their shoes letting their feet sink into the hot, soft sand. Soon enough they came round a huge boulder and saw two red-headed boys plunging a beach umbrella deep into the ground. They turned and started to wave furiously.
"'Bout time you showed up!" One of them called.
"Hey Fred, hey George!" Harry called as they closed in upon them and let the cooler settle by one of the umbrellas.
One by one,the teens dropped their bags and spread out their towels beneath each of the five huge umbrellas. Harry noticed they'd taken the liberty of conjuring several boogie boards , two surfboards and some goggles.
"Hey!" Fred shouted as he trotted up to Harry, slapping him hard on the back." Me and George were hoping to talk to you privately sometime today, alright?" He added under his breath to make sure no one heard him.
With Harry's nod, he beamed and shouted at the others, "Well, c'mon then! We didn't Apparate all this way just to LOOK at it!"
The boys all grinned at each other and stripped off their shirts and pants and sprinted towards the water. Harry was just about to take off after them when he noticed Ginny and Hermione settle onto their towels.
"Aren't you coming?" He asked frowning.
"Course not!" Ginny said as she slid on some sunglasses." We are going to sunbathe."
Harry rose an eyebrow and looked at Hermione, "So, you're not going to swim either?"
Hermione shook her head trying her best not to stare at his nicely built body. Thankfully her sunglasses covered the awkward glances downward.
Harry shrugged and took off without another word picking up a boogie board on the way and dove straight into the water paddling his way out to the others. Once he reached them, he sat up on his board like the rest of the boys and pushed his hair back out of his eyes.
"Aren't they coming in?" Dean asked looking over at the girls.
"Nope," replied Harry.
"Shame..." Dean added under his breath.
"Is it just me, or did Hermione...yanno...grow up?" George commented not taking his eyes off the girls on the shore.
They all nodded in agreement, ogling at Hermione as she pulled her flowery sundress off to reveal a simple, black two piece.
Ron whistled softly and shook his head," Viktor's got himself a handful."
Harry frowned and looked back at the four,"What do you mean?"
"With Hermione growing in looks, well...it'd probably be getting harder for ol' Krum to keep a firm handle on our Hermione." Ron went on.
Harry squinted his eyes at the shore and the two girls lounging on it. He didn't really give Hermione and Viktor's breakup much thought .Actually, none in fact. "Well...they broke up..."
"What!?" All four exclaimed so suddenly Harry lost his balance and almost fell off his board.
"They broke up? What for?" Ron inquired, drifting closer to Harry, as did the others.
"Well..." Harry started uneasily. Was it really his place to start telling everyone about Hermione's personal life.
"Oh, c'mon Harry. I swear we won't tell anyone," Ron added on seeing the apprehension in Harry's emerald eyes.
"Well...ok ,fine. They broke up because Viktor was suspicious of Hermione seeing another guy." Harry finally spoke.
They all nodded giving each other knowledgeable glances.
"Is she?" Dean asked.
"Well...not from what she tells me. But she did say she's in love with someone else."
"Who?" Fred inquired leaning forward on his knees.
"She didn't say. I told her to tell whoever it was though that she liked him." Harry went on.
There was a pause as each in turn pondered over Hermione's potential love.
"Well, I don't know about any of you, but I've seen Hermione taking longer looks at our dear ol' Harry here," George commented.
"Yeah, me too," Fred confirmed.
"As a matter of fact, me too. I thought it was just because of Harry's new look, but no. She did a lot on the train and when we were walking here. It wasn't just getting used to your look, Harry. She was checking you out!" Dean added in, rather amused with the idea.
Harry felt his cheeks prickle, knowing they were probably bright red. Hermione looking at him!? He didn't even know exactly how to approach that.
"I say, mate, you go over there and talk to her. Couldn't hurt, right?" Ron advised patting Harry on his wet, bare shoulder.
Harry glanced over wishing Hermione wasn't wearing sunglasses so he could know where her gaze was. Maybe they were wrong. Maybe what they thought was Hermione looking at Harry in more-than-a-friends way was actually Hermione trying to get used to how Harry looked now. Maybe she didn't actually like him, maybe she was looking at something else. A flurry of butterflies took flight in his stomach making his heart leap out of the way and lodge itself into his throat. It stayed there the next hour while he stalled for time and filled it with horsing around with the guys.
Something inside him wanted Hermione to look over and watch him act cool and silly. He wanted her to smile, shake her head and admire his skill in riding each wave almost up to the shore on the surfboard without tumbling off as did the others. He found himself shaking his jet black hair out and making several locks hang in front of his dazzling eyes just to emphasize their color.
Without anymore reason to stall, and growing rather tired, Harry rode a wave in on his surf board and trotted up the beach towards the two basking girls.
To his delight, he saw Hermione adjust a little once he got within view, quickly skipping several pages in her book to make it look like she'd read farther than she actually had.
"'ello," Harry said cheerfully as he dug the board into the sand and stood beside it.
Hermione peered up from behind her sunglasses and looked him over. Ginny couldn't help but have a gander for herself. He was perfectly toasted from the afternoon sun, specks of goldish brown had started to lighten his hair as it hung stringy and wet here and there. His eyes seemed to pop out even more so with his slightly darkened skin. His muscles seemed accentuated by the water still clinging to them as his cords hung heavy with water below the crease of his thighs. His stomach was flat and had an unspeakable need to be touched. Needless to say, the girls went breathless.
Hermione grasped at speech, knowing she'd stared far too long for it not to be obvious. Harry shifted his weight, curiously looking down at them, his eyebrow raised." You two alright?"
"Uhh hmmm," Ginny mumbled, almost as speechless as Hermione. Knowing she'd never be able to speak anytime soon, Ginny quickly got up and walked over to the cooler rummaging in it for a cold butterbeer.
Hermione was still at a loss for words, feeling completely ashamed at herself for losing all mentality around Harry. I mean, he's just HARRY...right? She said to herself.
"Um, well..." Harry started, seating himself down on a towel besides her.
"Oh god",Hermione muttered under her breath. Talking wasn't going to get any easier with him sitting so close. She could practically feel the coolness of his moist skin and smell the seawater melding with his own scent. It was excruciating.
"So, excited about school starting again I bet," Harry finally said. excited about school? Harry said to himself.'god, might as well talk about the weather, too.
"Yeah, actually. Should be a good year..." Hermione replied, eyeing him sideways. To her embarrassment, Harry caught her gaze. Turning bright red, she quickly turned away hoping he didn't mention it.
"Um, yeah. I'm actually looking forward to our Apparition tests. I'm confident I'll pass." said Harry, quickly grabbing the 1st thing that came to his mind.
Hermione exhaled, but all too soon.
"Um, Hermione? I...I wanna...um...Can I ask you something?" Harry questioned, shifting his weight again and leaning back on his palms.
Hermione didn't think she'd be able to continue managing coherent conversation, especially not now that Harry had sat back, exposing his tanned chest."Um..er...yeah huh"
Harry licked his lips and searched for the right words, but what ended up tumbling out of his mouth was totally unexpected," So, do you think we could study together before the Apparition test? I'm actually having some trouble..in..some..areas.."
Hermione looked at him completely bewildered. Help studying? From the sound of his voice, she thought he was going to ask her out.
"Well, er, sure. We'll meet up Tuesday to study. My house? My parent's pick you up even."
Harry nodded, bemused beyond belief. Studying. That wasn't exactly what he'd aimed for, but it was too late to go back. He'd have another chance to ask her what he wanted when they met to study.
Before long, the group ate lunch, swam some more and finally decided to call it a day as the sun started to set. The train ride back home was even more rambunctious than to, thanks to the addition of Fred and George. The ticket taker had to tell them to keep it down five times before he gave up and simply advised the other passengers to move to a different car.
Once back at the London train station, the group parted ways saying their goodbyes and 'see you at Diagon Alley'.
Very much content and thoroughly exhausted, Harry climbed into the Granger's station wagon and watched the city come alive with night-life. As they pulled up to Number Four, Harry turned to Hermione and gave her an extra warm smile.
"Thanks Hermione...See ya on Tuesday," He said, lightly brushing his hand over hers as he gathered up his backpack.
She blushed and grinned as he exited the car, waved a thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Granger and walked up to the front door. With one last small wave, he watched them drive away. Completely satisfied at his day, Harry walked into the house unexpectedly being bum rushed by silence. He wandered into the kitchen to find the Dursleys settled deeply into the living room furniture, watching an evening program on the tele.
Aunt Petunia glanced at Harry, not changing her expressions and said," Post there for you on the counter."
Harry nodded and walked to the kitchen, spotting three envelopes resting against the cookie jar. He snatched them up and trotted upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him with his foot. Setting down his bag and kicking off his shoes, Harry began to tear open one of the envelopes. Inside was his Hogwarts letter and booklist. The next envelope contained a letter from Lupin, checking up on how he was doing and if he had received his O.W.L.'s yet. The third and final envelope was the one he had been waiting anxiously for all summer long.
Harry haonetily ripped open the envelope and unfolded the paper . Scanning it, his eyes caught the only words he needed to see.
"Outstanding." and "Qualifies for Auror Training courses."
The faint image of cool ocean water cascading around his body was the only thought consoling his poor, frying body. Harry closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the front door, seeing the sun penetrate even the black of his eyelids. There was just NO escape from the heat today.
Suddenly, the door vanished from behind him making him fall flat on his back and bang the back of his head on the hallway floor. Staring up bewildered, Harry found himself beneath a massive stomach and between two large sock-and-sandaled feet. He quickly scrambled to his feet finding that it was Uncle Vernon, scowling at him viciously with Dudley behind him, looking rather amused.
"What the bloody 'ell are you doing leaning against my door?!", Uncle Vernon spat as Harry hastily picked up his backpack and backed away.
"I was just waiting..." Harry mumbled seeing Dudley's amusement increase.
"Wait for your freakish little friends elsewhere, NOT on my doorstep. I will NOT tolerate freaks congregating in front of my house and causing the neighbors to start thinking we associate with that kind."
Harry glared at them as they shoved past him and climbed into Uncle Vernon's new car, causing the tires to groan and sink quite noticeably. A snicker escaped Harry's lips before he could catch it, and it took everything in his power to bite his lip and force away a smile as the two backed out of the driveway and took off down the road. Once out of sigh, Harry set off into a series of loud guffaws and snorts of laughter. Tears were peeking from the corners of his eyes before he calmed down reasonably, left only with the occasional snigger. He wandered down the walkway and scanned both directions of the street. A quick glance at his watch said it was barely eight AM.
"Gah, unbelievable..." Harry muttered to himself as he chanced a peak at the searing sun. A day at the beach was definitely a good idea, it seemed to only be getting hotter.
A loud honk brought him back to Privet Dr. Harry shielded his eyes and squinted in the direction of the horn and grinned. He quickly shoved his bag onto his shoulder and stood on the edge of the curb. A brown station wagon pulled up besides him as he shook out his sweat-dampened hair.
Abruptly the door swung open and Hermione's beaming face appeared inside it.
"C'mon Harry. Lets get going!"
Harry smiled and climbed in, saying hello to Hermione's Mom and Dad in the front seats.
"Hello Harry. We've heard SO much about you. Its about time we actually met," Mrs. Granger said from her passenger side seat.
Harry smiled and nodded," I think we met, but briefly about four years ago at Flourish and Blotts bookstore."
She nodded and turned back around with a smile.
"So, got your O.W.L.'s yet, Harry?" Mr. Granger asked, glancing at him in the rearview mirror.
"Nope ,not yet, Sir." Harry replied side glancing Hermione, noticing her looking rather nervous.
"Well, I suspect you'll get full marks. What do you hope to get into after Hogwarts?" Mr. Granger continued.
"Well,um..I'd actually like to be an Auror."
Mr. Granger raised his eyebrows and peered back at him as they paused at a stop light," Really?? Wow, I hear that's a particularly difficult career. Lot of schooling and very hard skills testing. Yes, Hermione's mentioned it several times."
Harry looked over at Hermione and saw her turning pink in the cheeks. He smiled lightly at her odd response and replied, "Yes, but I'm up for the challenge. The field always interested me greatly."
"Well. I'm positive you'll become a fantastic Auror, Harry." Mrs. Granger added.
The remainder of the ride back to The Granger's was more or less silent, apart from the occasional question from Mr. and Mrs. Granger had for Harry.
Soon enough, they were pulling into the driveway of a simple,two-story brown house. As Harry got out, he couldn't help but smile. For some reason, the house fit Hermione. It was neat, prim and proper. Wooden shutters adorned each of the three windows facing the driveway, with perfectly drawn back white curtains contained within. The lawn was neatly cut and dark green, with a row of rose bushes separating the Granger's yard from the neighbor's. The door was white and as Harry approached it, he saw a small bouquet of flowers hanging on it with a plaque that read 'Welcome'.
Once in and settled, Harry and Hermione entered the kitchen where Hermione suggested they put together some lunches for the trip. The busy-work was welcomed by Hermione, who thought she'd combust with embarrassment with all her parents had revealed about her knowledge of most of Harry's ventures. She thought the whole Auror thing would make it quite obvious she talked about Harry much more than most friends do.
It didn't take long for them to make several sandwiches, and packed them along with a dozen butterbeer bottles, chips, candies and small pies.
"So, when are they supposed to get here?" Harry asked as he positioned the last pie between a bottle of butterbeer and a sandwich.
"Um, around nine. From there my parents are dropping us off at the train station and we'll take it the whole way to Folkstone." Hermione replied.
No sooner had Harry checked the clock above the stove than a loud crash came from the living room. Hermione, Harry and Mr. and Mrs. Granger rushed into the living room to find three soot-covered figures coughing within the fireplace. Each stepping out carefully, Harry smiled relieved as he recognized the bashful wide grin of his best friend, Ron.
"Um, sorry 'bout that...We didn't expect a grate," Explained Ron, his cheeks visibly red beneath the ash.
"Hey Harry!", exclaimed Dean Thomas as he dusted himself off in an area Mrs. Granger pointed to them would be ok to get dirty.
Harry smiled and caught the eye of Ginny, who was looking rather awestruck.
"Harry?" She inquired, her jaw hanging open slightly.
With a nod from him, the three ashened teenagers stared at Harry shocked.
"Whoa...changed quite a bit, haven't we?" Dean commented as he took off his cloak and placed it on a large plastic bag Mrs. Granger had provided.
"A BIT?! Bloody 'ell, Harry. You never told me you got contacts!" Ron exclaimed walking over to him.
"Well. Its not that big a deal..." Harry tried to add but without much luck.
"I like it. You look good. I mean...They look good.." Ginny stammered, then blushed furiously at Dean's suspicious glance.
"Thanks..." Harry muttered with a smile.
"I hear ya got one of those muggle phones, too?" Ron added as he looked around Hermione's living room.
Harry nodded and produced the cell phone, still unsure why he brought it along in the first place.
The three peered at it quizzically, half expecting it to unfold into some odd green animal.
"Yes, well, we better get going if we're to catch the ten O'clock train to Folkstone." Hermione interjected as Harry started to fidget with all the peering eyes looking over his new look.
Without another word of Harry's newfound style, the five piled into the station wagon with the cooler and Hermione's parents. Within forty minutes they were running through the train station, hurrying to a steaming and whistling train minutes away from departing. They hustled onboard and thankfully found three pairs of facing seats at the back.
Well on their way through the London, the quintet started up a lively conversation that tended to grow louder and annoy nearby passengers.
"So, didn't get your O.W.L.'s, did ya?" Ron asked Harry, who was sitting opposite him.
Harry shook his head reaching up to lay his arm on the armrest, accidentally brushing against Hermione's in the process.
"Well, I did unfortunately. Just yesterday," Ron said gloomily.
"He got grounded for getting only five O.W.L.'s," Ginny added sympathetically.
"Well. Maybe I can just work with Fred and George at their shop..." Ron said heavily.
"Serves you right, Ron," Hermione cut in rather haughtily." You should've studied FAR more than you actually did. You couldn't of expected to get top marks with a studying schedule like you had."
Ron shot Hermione a defiant look and ignored her comment. Much of the train ride consisted of all of them talking about their O.W.L.'s and Apparition tests coming up later that week.
"I studied all summer long. Not that I had a choice though.." Harry added on after Hermione questioned them again about studying.
Much sooner than they had liked, the train came to a halt and a ticket-taker called from down the way," Folkstone funfair! Folkstone!"
The five gathered up their beach bags and Ron and Harry each took a handle of the cooler and climbed off the train.
"We're not SERIOUSLY carrying this thing all the way to the beach, are we?" Ron groaned as stumbled slightly causing the cooler's edge to ram into the back of Harry's thigh.
"Of course not," Hermione snapped as she led the way from the train station through some of the town and down to the beach. The cool breeze carried a sharp scent of salt and seaweed with it and arose goose bumps all over Harry's skin. The smell along with the slight mist was quite pleasant as they made their way down the beach . The further they walked, the thinner the crowds got until eventually no more people were in sight.
"Set it down here you big babies ," Hermione ordered as the group stopped." Harry, you'll have to do it since none of us are sixteen yet."
Harry and Ron gladly put the cooler down .Ron stepped back as Harry pulled out his wand and said 'Locomotor cooler '.
The cooler slowly rose a few inches off the sand and drifted in front of him as they continued down the shore. Harry, growing rather annoyed at how sand kept sneaking its way into his black sneakers, spoke up when it seemed they'd been walking for almost an hour," Hey...this looks like a good spot."
The others agreed hastily but only to groan as Hermione protested, "No, its not. I picked out a spot already. Its just a bit further, c'mon."
All four of them grumbled to themselves and finally took off their shoes letting their feet sink into the hot, soft sand. Soon enough they came round a huge boulder and saw two red-headed boys plunging a beach umbrella deep into the ground. They turned and started to wave furiously.
"'Bout time you showed up!" One of them called.
"Hey Fred, hey George!" Harry called as they closed in upon them and let the cooler settle by one of the umbrellas.
One by one,the teens dropped their bags and spread out their towels beneath each of the five huge umbrellas. Harry noticed they'd taken the liberty of conjuring several boogie boards , two surfboards and some goggles.
"Hey!" Fred shouted as he trotted up to Harry, slapping him hard on the back." Me and George were hoping to talk to you privately sometime today, alright?" He added under his breath to make sure no one heard him.
With Harry's nod, he beamed and shouted at the others, "Well, c'mon then! We didn't Apparate all this way just to LOOK at it!"
The boys all grinned at each other and stripped off their shirts and pants and sprinted towards the water. Harry was just about to take off after them when he noticed Ginny and Hermione settle onto their towels.
"Aren't you coming?" He asked frowning.
"Course not!" Ginny said as she slid on some sunglasses." We are going to sunbathe."
Harry rose an eyebrow and looked at Hermione, "So, you're not going to swim either?"
Hermione shook her head trying her best not to stare at his nicely built body. Thankfully her sunglasses covered the awkward glances downward.
Harry shrugged and took off without another word picking up a boogie board on the way and dove straight into the water paddling his way out to the others. Once he reached them, he sat up on his board like the rest of the boys and pushed his hair back out of his eyes.
"Aren't they coming in?" Dean asked looking over at the girls.
"Nope," replied Harry.
"Shame..." Dean added under his breath.
"Is it just me, or did Hermione...yanno...grow up?" George commented not taking his eyes off the girls on the shore.
They all nodded in agreement, ogling at Hermione as she pulled her flowery sundress off to reveal a simple, black two piece.
Ron whistled softly and shook his head," Viktor's got himself a handful."
Harry frowned and looked back at the four,"What do you mean?"
"With Hermione growing in looks, well...it'd probably be getting harder for ol' Krum to keep a firm handle on our Hermione." Ron went on.
Harry squinted his eyes at the shore and the two girls lounging on it. He didn't really give Hermione and Viktor's breakup much thought .Actually, none in fact. "Well...they broke up..."
"What!?" All four exclaimed so suddenly Harry lost his balance and almost fell off his board.
"They broke up? What for?" Ron inquired, drifting closer to Harry, as did the others.
"Well..." Harry started uneasily. Was it really his place to start telling everyone about Hermione's personal life.
"Oh, c'mon Harry. I swear we won't tell anyone," Ron added on seeing the apprehension in Harry's emerald eyes.
"Well...ok ,fine. They broke up because Viktor was suspicious of Hermione seeing another guy." Harry finally spoke.
They all nodded giving each other knowledgeable glances.
"Is she?" Dean asked.
"Well...not from what she tells me. But she did say she's in love with someone else."
"Who?" Fred inquired leaning forward on his knees.
"She didn't say. I told her to tell whoever it was though that she liked him." Harry went on.
There was a pause as each in turn pondered over Hermione's potential love.
"Well, I don't know about any of you, but I've seen Hermione taking longer looks at our dear ol' Harry here," George commented.
"Yeah, me too," Fred confirmed.
"As a matter of fact, me too. I thought it was just because of Harry's new look, but no. She did a lot on the train and when we were walking here. It wasn't just getting used to your look, Harry. She was checking you out!" Dean added in, rather amused with the idea.
Harry felt his cheeks prickle, knowing they were probably bright red. Hermione looking at him!? He didn't even know exactly how to approach that.
"I say, mate, you go over there and talk to her. Couldn't hurt, right?" Ron advised patting Harry on his wet, bare shoulder.
Harry glanced over wishing Hermione wasn't wearing sunglasses so he could know where her gaze was. Maybe they were wrong. Maybe what they thought was Hermione looking at Harry in more-than-a-friends way was actually Hermione trying to get used to how Harry looked now. Maybe she didn't actually like him, maybe she was looking at something else. A flurry of butterflies took flight in his stomach making his heart leap out of the way and lodge itself into his throat. It stayed there the next hour while he stalled for time and filled it with horsing around with the guys.
Something inside him wanted Hermione to look over and watch him act cool and silly. He wanted her to smile, shake her head and admire his skill in riding each wave almost up to the shore on the surfboard without tumbling off as did the others. He found himself shaking his jet black hair out and making several locks hang in front of his dazzling eyes just to emphasize their color.
Without anymore reason to stall, and growing rather tired, Harry rode a wave in on his surf board and trotted up the beach towards the two basking girls.
To his delight, he saw Hermione adjust a little once he got within view, quickly skipping several pages in her book to make it look like she'd read farther than she actually had.
"'ello," Harry said cheerfully as he dug the board into the sand and stood beside it.
Hermione peered up from behind her sunglasses and looked him over. Ginny couldn't help but have a gander for herself. He was perfectly toasted from the afternoon sun, specks of goldish brown had started to lighten his hair as it hung stringy and wet here and there. His eyes seemed to pop out even more so with his slightly darkened skin. His muscles seemed accentuated by the water still clinging to them as his cords hung heavy with water below the crease of his thighs. His stomach was flat and had an unspeakable need to be touched. Needless to say, the girls went breathless.
Hermione grasped at speech, knowing she'd stared far too long for it not to be obvious. Harry shifted his weight, curiously looking down at them, his eyebrow raised." You two alright?"
"Uhh hmmm," Ginny mumbled, almost as speechless as Hermione. Knowing she'd never be able to speak anytime soon, Ginny quickly got up and walked over to the cooler rummaging in it for a cold butterbeer.
Hermione was still at a loss for words, feeling completely ashamed at herself for losing all mentality around Harry. I mean, he's just HARRY...right? She said to herself.
"Um, well..." Harry started, seating himself down on a towel besides her.
"Oh god",Hermione muttered under her breath. Talking wasn't going to get any easier with him sitting so close. She could practically feel the coolness of his moist skin and smell the seawater melding with his own scent. It was excruciating.
"So, excited about school starting again I bet," Harry finally said. excited about school? Harry said to himself.'god, might as well talk about the weather, too.
"Yeah, actually. Should be a good year..." Hermione replied, eyeing him sideways. To her embarrassment, Harry caught her gaze. Turning bright red, she quickly turned away hoping he didn't mention it.
"Um, yeah. I'm actually looking forward to our Apparition tests. I'm confident I'll pass." said Harry, quickly grabbing the 1st thing that came to his mind.
Hermione exhaled, but all too soon.
"Um, Hermione? I...I wanna...um...Can I ask you something?" Harry questioned, shifting his weight again and leaning back on his palms.
Hermione didn't think she'd be able to continue managing coherent conversation, especially not now that Harry had sat back, exposing his tanned chest."Um..er...yeah huh"
Harry licked his lips and searched for the right words, but what ended up tumbling out of his mouth was totally unexpected," So, do you think we could study together before the Apparition test? I'm actually having some trouble..in..some..areas.."
Hermione looked at him completely bewildered. Help studying? From the sound of his voice, she thought he was going to ask her out.
"Well, er, sure. We'll meet up Tuesday to study. My house? My parent's pick you up even."
Harry nodded, bemused beyond belief. Studying. That wasn't exactly what he'd aimed for, but it was too late to go back. He'd have another chance to ask her what he wanted when they met to study.
Before long, the group ate lunch, swam some more and finally decided to call it a day as the sun started to set. The train ride back home was even more rambunctious than to, thanks to the addition of Fred and George. The ticket taker had to tell them to keep it down five times before he gave up and simply advised the other passengers to move to a different car.
Once back at the London train station, the group parted ways saying their goodbyes and 'see you at Diagon Alley'.
Very much content and thoroughly exhausted, Harry climbed into the Granger's station wagon and watched the city come alive with night-life. As they pulled up to Number Four, Harry turned to Hermione and gave her an extra warm smile.
"Thanks Hermione...See ya on Tuesday," He said, lightly brushing his hand over hers as he gathered up his backpack.
She blushed and grinned as he exited the car, waved a thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Granger and walked up to the front door. With one last small wave, he watched them drive away. Completely satisfied at his day, Harry walked into the house unexpectedly being bum rushed by silence. He wandered into the kitchen to find the Dursleys settled deeply into the living room furniture, watching an evening program on the tele.
Aunt Petunia glanced at Harry, not changing her expressions and said," Post there for you on the counter."
Harry nodded and walked to the kitchen, spotting three envelopes resting against the cookie jar. He snatched them up and trotted upstairs to his room, closing the door behind him with his foot. Setting down his bag and kicking off his shoes, Harry began to tear open one of the envelopes. Inside was his Hogwarts letter and booklist. The next envelope contained a letter from Lupin, checking up on how he was doing and if he had received his O.W.L.'s yet. The third and final envelope was the one he had been waiting anxiously for all summer long.
Harry haonetily ripped open the envelope and unfolded the paper . Scanning it, his eyes caught the only words he needed to see.
"Outstanding." and "Qualifies for Auror Training courses."