Comments: I was orginally going to have them getting on the train in this chapter, but thought they deserved to have one last fun day before school started.
Chapter Eight: Grimmauld Place Public Pool
The next morning Harry got up around 8:30 and headed down the stairs to Ron's room, half way down he bumped into Amy.
"Hey Amy what's up?" he asked.
Amy flushed slightly and mumbled something about being fine. Harry grinned and then walked past her and down to Ron's room. Amy stared after him and then sighed and shook her head in frustration.
Harry pushed Ron's door open and rolled his eyes at the sight of Ron and Hermonie snogging on his bed. He grinned and grabbed a pillow and threw it at them "Honestly if you two keep that up I just may have to separate you." He said shaking his head. They looked at him sheepishly and Harry grinned. "Come on I'm hungry and whatever your mom's making smells really good." He said to Ron. Hermonie and Ron quickly got up and walked hand in hand down to the kitchen. Harry rolled his eyes and followed. They sat down and quickly dug into their breakfasts. Shortly after they started, Dani and Amy wandered down for breakfast as well. They were followed by Dan and Ginny.
The group all sat silently eating their breakfasts when Tonks and Lupin walked in. The two adults looked some what surprised to see all of them sitting at the table. They had obviously thought the kitchen was empty for they had walked in holding hands. They quickly dropped them when they saw the room was filled with the 8 teenagers who all were watching them. Lupin turned slightly pink while Tonks grinned and then sat down and quickly filled her plate. Lupin did the same, still blushing slightly. Dani and Amy shared a meaningful look then grinned. Hermonie noticed and grinned then nudged Ron and Harry then nodded in the girls' direction. Ginny and Dan also looked up and smiled as well. All of a sudden the two girl started singing "Remus and Tonks sittin in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G, first comes love, then comes marriage, them come Remus with a baby carriage!" before dissolving into giggles. The others also laughed as they watched both Tonks and Lupin turn bright red.
Then Tonks grinned and said "Well guys today's that last day of summer break what you going to do?" the group looked at each other and shrugged.
Lupin continued to look down at his plate but said, "I hear there's a pool near here…why don't you go there?"
"Not everyone has a bathing suit." Harry said mater a factly.
"Well I'm sure we could fix that" Tonks said with a grin.
Dani looked up at her with a frown, "How?"
"Dani are you forgetting that there are adult witches and wizards in this place?" Tonks asked.
A look of understanding crossed Dani's face and she grinned. "Great!" she said and stood up. "So Lupin can deal with the boys, and Tonks can help the girls! Come on!" Dani said her face lighting up. She grabbed Tonks' hand and pulled her from the kitchen and up the stairs the rest of the girls following all whispering excitedly.
The boys stayed where they were and looked at Lupin. He looked up. "Thank goodness it's just your three, I almost feel sorry for Tonks, imagine four girls..." the boys all got glassy eyed at the thought. And Lupin chuckled softly then stood up. "Come on you three lets go conjure up some swim trunks. To Harry's room!" They laughed then hurried up the stairs and into Harry's room.
Meanwhile the girls had gone to Dani and Amy's room to do their conjuring. "Ok so I'm going to assume you all want to torture the boys by wearing bikinis am I right?" Tonks asked with a mischievous grin. They all looked at each other and grinned as well nodding their agreement. "Alrighty then let's see, tell me what color and style you want." Tonks said then pointed her wand at Ginny.
Ginny thought a second then said "Emerald green, string bikini." She said with a grin. Tonks winked at her then waved her wand and suddenly Ginny's shorts and tank top were replaced with the bikini. There was a general oohhing and ahhing of Ginny's suit before they went on. Soon they all had bikinis of varying shades of colors and styles. When she had finished with the girls Tonks thought a minute then pointed her wand at her self and then she was wearing a bikini as well.
"I suggest you get some clothes on over those so that the boys don't know just yet." Tonks said with a wink, and the girls all scurried off to their rooms to grab shorts and t-shirts to put on over their suits.
Meanwhile Lupin had been doing basically the same thing with the boys, except with swim trunks not bikinis. They pulled on t-shirts and put on sandals and Lupin conjured up a bag for each of the boys in which there was a towel and various other swim things. "Hey Remus?" Harry asked.
"Yes Harry what is it?"
"How are we getting to the pool? We can't just appear out of nowhere, the Muggles..."
"We'll walk. It's not that far." Harry shrugged and they walked down and sat on the couches in the living room to wait for the girls.
The girls all gathered back in Dani and Amy's bedroom. Tonks pointed her wand at each of the girls in turn and each got a bag with a towel and various other swim things that matched their suits and then they hurried down the stairs and into the living room where the boys were waiting.
"I thought you were going to get bathing suits on" Ron said stupidly. The girls giggled and looked at each other.
"We do have them on dummy," Ginny said to her brother "They're under our clothes."
"Oh..." and they all laughed again. "I've left a note for Molly and the others so they know where we are," Lupin said as the boys stood up and collected their things. "So we can go whenever you girls are ready."
They all agreed they were ready and then quickly started off for the pool. They walked for a few blocks then Lupin turned and faced an Iron Gate fence and pushed it open. Harry glanced up as he walked in, above the gate written in the iron were the words "Grimmauld Place Public Pool". Harry heard the girls squeal softly behind him when they saw the large pool filled with sparklingly clear water. Tonks and Lupin glanced at each other and then Lupin quickly spoke up before they dropped their stuff where they were and jumped into the pool.
"Ok you guys—and girls," he added when pinned with a glare from Ginny. "go put your bags on the chairs over there," he pointed to a line of lawn chairs lined up along the edge of the pool area, "and make sure you put on your sunscreen before you get in." there was a collective groan from the teens but they quickly hurried over and dropped their stuff on the designated chairs before peeling off their other clothes and helping each other with the sun screen. Lupin and Tonks grinned at each other and slowly walked over and then set their things up. They'd just settled down to sit and watch their charges play in the water and talk when an older woman walked up and smiled at them.
"Hello there, I'm Julia Toner." She said and held out her hand.
They smiled up at her and shook her hand. "I'm Remus and this is Tonks." Remus said.
"Are all...seven of them yours?" she asked after a slight pause in which she glanced out at the group of young adults goofing around in the pool. Then looking back at them and looking at Tonks' ginger hair. Tonks choked slightly on a sip of water when Julia said that.
"All of them?" she coughed out and then looked at Remus who was sitting back watching her with a slight grin on his face. Then glanced at her hair and then her look of confusion cleared as she placed a hand on her head. She shot Remus a smirk then turned back to Julia who had watched them with a slightly puzzled look on her face. "I'm flattered that you think I could still look the way I do after eight children but no, only the red heads are ours." She said with a grin as she heard Remus choke on his water.
Remus grinned then looked and watched Ginny run towards her bag. "Ginny come here" he said. Ginny looked up slightly confused then slowly walked over. "Julia, this is our daughter Ginerva, Ginny for short." Ginny blinked and then looked at Remus and Tonks, and then she glanced at Tonks' hair and grinned.
"Hi," Ginny said to Julia and stuck out her hand. Then she turned back to Remus and asked "Can I go now...dad?" with a mischievous grin.
"Sure thing Ginny." He said and she quickly went back to her bag grabbed something then hurried back to the pool.
"Ron! Harry, Hermonie, come here I've got to tell you something." Ginny called as she slid back in to the water. They swam over, and Harry put his arms on the pool wall and looked at her.
"Well tell us then," Hermonie said as she shook her hair off her shoulders. Ginny motioned them closer then whispered to them. "Tonks and Remus are telling that Muggle woman that Ron and I are their kids!" Harry slipped off the wall and slid under the water in his shock while Hermonie grabbed Ron's shoulder to keep from sinking down as well as she clapped a hand over her mouth to suppress her giggles. Harry resurfaced beside Ginny sputtering and gasping for breath. Ginny giggled as she watched him.
"Ginny..." he said "Did you say that Tonks and Remus are telling that Muggle woman that you and Ron are their kids?"
Ginny nodded and nudged her brother whom had remained silent. "Isn't that funny Ron?"
"More like shocking..." Ron muttered.
"Monie, you got to tell the others...so they play along...ok? I'm going to help Ron get back to his chair...he looks a little faint..." Ginny said with a wicked grin and then started pulling her brother toward the ladder. She struggled to pull him out but was having trouble because he was so heavy. Ginny looked over where Remus and Tonks were still talking with Julia.
Then she glanced and saw Hermonie surrounded by the others who all were giggling and sending glances Lupin and Tonks' way. Ginny bit her lip then called "Dad! Can you help me?" Remus looked her way and grinned then excused himself and hurried over. "I can't get him out...he said he was feeling faint..."
"No I didn't you little brat." Ron said as his ears turned red.
"Well c'mon anyway Ron, you don't look so good." Remus said in a fatherly way.
Ginny bit her lip then whispered "Why are you saying we're your kids Remus?" he grinned "Well, that woman, Julia asked if you all were ours and I was kind of laughing at Tonks so she told Julia that you two were cause of your hair. It matches the way hers is now."
"Ahhh" Ginny said then grinned and pulled her hair back and tied it back with a hair tie then waved and jumped into the pool, and swam over to the others and started a game of Chicken.
Ginny got on Harry's shoulders while Dani was lifted on Dan's. The boys held onto their legs and laughed as the girls started trying to shove the other off. Ron came back in the pool and had Hermonie get on his shoulders and they joined the game. Amy sat on the edge of the pool watching the others and laughing.
She smiled watching the others play, and started feeling a bit left out, then she had an idea. She got up and hurried over to where Remus and Tonks still sat talking to Julia.
"Remus?" she asked. He looked up at her. "Will you come be my partner for chicken? PLEASE! Everyone else has a partner."
Remus ginned and stood up. "If you'll excuse us ladies," he said to Tonks and Julia. "I'm going to join the kids." Tonks ginned and waved her hand, and Remus and Amy hurried to the pool. Amy slid onto Remus' shoulders and they joined the game.
Tonks and Julia watched with amusement as Remus and Amy joined the game.
Tonks smiled and watched as Ginny took a wild swing at Dani and overbalanced Harry causing them to fall into the water. They came up sputtering and laughing. Julia smiled and watched Amy and Remus, then asked "So how do you and your husband know all of the others?"
Tonks frowned, "Remus isn't my husband"
"He isn't?"
"No, not yet at least."
"Yet you have two children?"
"Oh they're not his biological children, they're from my previous marriage."
"Oh, if you don't mind me asking...what happened?"
"I'd rather not talk about it," Tonks said with a slight smile.
"Oh alright, so...how do you know all of them?" Julia asked waving her hand towards the pool.
Tonks smiled. "Through Ron and Ginny of course. The dark haired boy that has Ginny on his shoulders is Harry, Ron's best friend. And the girl on Ron's shoulders is Hermonie, Ron and Harry's best friend as well as Ron's girlfriend. The girl with light brown hair and on the other boy is Dani, Hermione's cousin from America. The boy is Dan, a friend of Dani's from school, and then Amy, the one with Remus, is Dani's best friend."
"Do they all live with you and Remus?"
"Oh no, we're all visiting a...friend."
Julia looked at Tonks' and saw the sad look on her face. "Is something wrong?"
"I just feel bad, you see the friend, was Harry's godfather. And he...disappeared last year, he's really upset about it."
"He...disappeared?"
"He was...is...a...soldier away at war. Anyway, we knew there was a pool here so Remus and I volunteered to bring the kids, today's the last of their summer break you see."
"Oh, what about the ones from America? Are they attending the same school or going back?"
"They're going to hog--, uhhh…Holdovers with the others."
"Holdovers?"
"Their school...it's private."
"Oh, that explains it. How much dose it cost?"
"Uh..." Tonks was saved from having to respond by Remus calling her into the pool. "If you don't mind..." she said and glanced at Julia.
"Oh no go and have fun" Tonks smiled and got up then went over to the pool.
"Oh yay, Tonks is coming!" Hermonie yelled. And Tonks laughed as all the girls crowded around.
"So what are we playing?"
"Chicken still of course." Dani answered
"But I don't have a partner."
"You do to, Remus!" Ginny said excitedly
"Then who's Amy's partner?"
"Justin." Amy said
"Who's Justin?"
"He is!" They all said and pointed to a tall boy with dark hair and blue eyes, who was with the boys and giggled.
"Ah ok, ok" Tonks laughed. Then they all swam over to the boys.
They girls all got onto the shoulders of their partners and started playing. Tonks made a wild grab for Ginny's arm and missed and Remus only just managed to stay on his feet. Tonks shrieked slightly as she swayed on his shoulders then gasped in shock as her shoulders were grabbed and she was pulled back into the water.
She came up gasping and sputtering and looked around for her attacker. When all she saw were the teens laughing Tonks scowled and then got back on Remus' shoulders.
Meanwhile the others had come up with a plan. Hermonie and Ron and Dani and Daniel moved behind Remus and Tonks while the others kept their attention. Then they quickly, well as quickly as you can in a pool, pushed Tonks from behind and then doubled over as she fell in with an indignant shriek. When she came up she whirled around and glared at them. They laughed and splashed water at her. She made a growling noise and they looked at her suspiciously. She grinned and then got back on Remus' shoulders. They continued for a while, pushing Tonks off until she realized what they were doing. Then she grinned and closed her eyes. The others looked at each other nervously and then shrieked when they fell. (A/N: Tonks used some wandless magic there...just to let you know)
They all played around some more until it started to get dark. Then they got out, dried off and put on their various articles of clothing and started back to number 12. When they got back they sat down and ate diner chattering about their day. Then they took turns taking showers to wash all the chlorine off and went to bed ready for the next day.
