A/N: Thanks to everybody who has been reviewing. Sorry this chapter took so long...I am in need of inspiration. More on the way, no worries. Enjoy!
Chapter 7: A Beautiful Morning
Looking around, Hermione took in her surroundings. There were small candles floating in the water and in mid-air, gently illuminating the otherwise dusky blackness. Fresh flowers sprouted from the earth, even though the sun had yet to rise. A large, full moon hung high in the sky, creating a romantic atmosphere. Below a tree, the branches of which reached over the water, lay a blanket with two cold butterbeers resting in a picnic basket. With the stars and the warm breeze, Hermione could think of nothing so perfect as this moment.
"Oh, Ron…" she breathed, trying to look at everything at once. "This is…this is the most wonderful thing anyone has every done for me!" When she turned to face him, Ron could just make out the glisten of tears in her eyes.
"Er, well, I thought you might like it," he said, looking a little uncomfortable at the way she was beaming with adoration, a few salty tears leaking from her eyes.
"I can't believe you went through all this trouble," she said, throwing her arms around his neck in wild abandon.
"Yeah, well…"
"I'm so sorry that I ruined your plan by inviting Harry and Ginny!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed. She broke away from him with a look of absolute horror at what she had done. "You planned all this and I went and…and made it all for nothing! Wait, I'll just run back and tell them not to come, and—"
"Hermione, it's okay! I shouldn't have reacted like that, you know, getting angry and everything. I just want you to be happy. It's okay if Harry and Ginny come." He was looking at her earnestly, disturbed over how upset she was becoming. "Really, I don't mind that this didn't turn out like I'd planned…" He trailed off as her eyes suddenly adopted a look he had not previously encountered.
"Ron, I'm not going to let this be for nothing." She grinned slyly at him and took his hand, leading him into the woods next to the pond, a seductive swagger in her tread. Ron gulped.
They reached the clearing that Harry and Ginny had occupied only hours before and Hermione suddenly stopped and wrapped her arms around the tall red-head. She kissed him gently, though it conveyed more meaning than any kiss that had shared before. It was an almost sacred moment, excepting the fact that they were wearing only their bathing suits.
Hermione brought her hand up to the back of Ron's head and deepened the kiss, taking the initiative. He immediately caught on, however, as he allowed his hands to roam a bit more than usual. He was just playing with the tie that held the top of Hermione's bikini on when she pulled away, gasping a little.
"Ron," she whispered, head swimming slightly from the tumult of hormones within her. "Can you conjure a blanket to cover the ground?" He studied her for a moment, really looking into her eyes. He needed to know that she was okay with where their little encounter was going. He liked what he saw.
Nodding to her request, he fumbled to get his wand out of his bathing suit pocket and then flicked it, never removing his eyes from hers. A red and white checkered blanket appeared four paces away from where they stood, coming to rest just below the large oak in the middle of the clearing.
He leaned down and captured Hermione's lips, a desire welling in him he had long suppressed. She threw her arms around his neck and crushed her body up against his, relishing the feeling his bare skin had against hers. She felt as though she were on fire. Her tongue entered Ron's mouth as his hands succeeded in undoing the knot of her bikini top. She moaned against his lips, allowing him to steer her toward the blanket.
They were down on the ground moments later, Ron fully pulling off the bothersome bathing suit top as he rolled on top of her. Passion was suddenly engulfing them, expelling all thought from their minds other than those that involved that very moment; the feel of the other.
Hermione gasped as Ron slid her bottoms of, feeling slightly embarrassed. But that particular feeling was quickly overpowered by the sensations that followed. She ground against him, reaching down to undo his own bathing suit. It was off the next moment, and Hermione forgot about everything else. This was, indeed, the most beautiful moment of her life, forever to be crystallized in her memory.
Harry rolled to the edge of the bed the moment he heard the footsteps of Ron and Hermione taper off. He looked down to find Ginny, wearing only her underwear and a t-shirt, giggling madly on the floor. He gave her a stern look at first, but then he, too, dissolved into a fit of laughter.
Harry pulled her up onto the bed next to him and gazed at her, just happy to have her at his side. After a moment, Ginny kissed him chastely on the nose and stood to leave.
"I'll just put on my bathing suit, then. Ron and Hermione will begin to suspect something if we don't high-tail it down there." She gave him a rather suggestive wink and then strolled out of the room, leaving Harry slightly mesmerized by the sway of her hips.
They met in the hall a few minutes later. Harry grinned appreciatively at the string bikini his girlfriend had donned. She too, let her gaze linger on his chiseled torso, finally just reaching out and running a hand over his abs.
She really knows how to get to me… Harry thought, greatly distracted by her roaming fingers.
She grinned wickedly at him and then trotted off down the stairs, throwing a teasing glance over her shoulder.
Harry rushed down the steps, catching up with Ginny just as she reached the kitchen.
He put his hands around her waste from behind and pulled her against him.
"You can't do things like that and then just walk away, you know," he whispered into her ear.
Ginny began to tingle where their bare skin met and at the point on her neck where she could feel his warm breath.
"Oh yeah," she breathed, "what are you going to do about it?"
He turned her toward him abruptly and kissed her passionately, his lips lingering on hers even after they broke apart.
"I like the way you think, Potter," Ginny muttered, eyes still closed.
"I hoped you would," he laughed lightly.
Taking her hand, the two of them made their way out of the house and down the path, tracing Ron and Hermione's footsteps. Upon reaching the water, Ginny gasped and Harry felt suddenly as though, perhaps, they shouldn't have come. This was far too romantic to be shared with friends. But the other two didn't seem to be around, so Harry allowed Ginny to drag him down to the pond, shedding towels as they walked.
Ginny climbed onto a rock atop which sat a rope-swing suspended from a tree branch. She grinned wickedly at Harry and then swung over the water, falling in with a not-so-graceful splash that soaked Harry before he could make it into the pond on his own accord.
"Hey," he cried playfully, diving in after her.
Ginny giggled helplessly and then spun around in the water, looking for Harry, who had yet to surface. The grin slowly slipped from her face and she began calling out his name in worry. Just when she was about to really panic, she felt something grab her legs and she found herself soaring through the air, Harry having launched her from below.
She spluttered as she emerged on the surface, scowling slightly and picking sea grass from her hair, which had turned a dark auburn color from the water. Harry laughed in amusement and splashed her playfully.
Well, if he was going to be that way…
Ginny took a deep breath and disappeared in the murky water, leaving Harry to his outlandish amusement over his trick on her. He didn't notice she was gone until he felt a slight tug on his bathing suit bottoms, to which his hands immediately flew in an attempt to keep them up. Ginny slid seductively up his wet body and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, kissing him with a passion that said she was ready to pick up where they had left off.
Harry grinned against her lips, liking her game much better than his own, however amusing it had been. He shivered with longing as Ginny wrapped her legs securely around his waist and moaned against him. He quickly found himself wishing that her bikini top was fastened with a clasp rather than a tight knot, but seeing as Ginny was currently kissing his neck, he wasn't too bothered by it.
He compromised with the finicky top by just running his hands underneath it, cupping her breasts in his hands. Ginny groaned again and Harry couldn't help but wish that they were back in his bedroom where everything was much more accessible and the risk of drowning was less.
No sooner had these thoughts crossed his mind than he heard the soft trample of feet over dead leaves. He and Ginny rapidly disentangled themselves for the second time that morning, making it at least four feet apart before Ron and Hermione came into view. But the new-comers didn't seem at all aware or concerned with their two wet friends, for they were gazing raptly into each other's eyes. So much so that Ron stumbled over a root and would have fallen if he hadn't been holding Hermione's hand at the time. But rather than scold him for not paying attention, as Harry had expected, she just giggled and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Harry exchanged glances with Ginny, who laughed a little and seemed to know something, or at least guess something, that he did not. He was about to ask her when Hermione and Ron surfaced from their stupor long enough to make the discovery that they were not alone.
Blushing a shade to rival his hair, Ron looked as though he was about to step away from Hermione's side, but she merely gave him a hard look and pulled him closer. She appeared flushed, but an expression had crossed her face as she surveyed the scene in the pond that made whatever comments Harry and Ginny might have had die on their lips. She held her head a little higher and then pulled Ron to the water's edge, testing the temperature with her toe.
"Lovely morning, isn't it?" Ginny asked, grinning slyly at her brother. He was now the shade of a tomato.
"Er, yes…no, I hadn't noticed, actually." He didn't seem to know what he was saying as he strategically looked anywhere but at Harry, who was, in an attempt at figuring out why his friends were acting so strangely, glancing quizzically between his the tall red-head and the bushy-haired girl.
Ginny laughed ruefully and was about to say something more, but stopped when Hermione gave her a meaningful look that clearly conveyed the message that she would explain everything later. Ginny shrugged and floated on her back, churning the water with her legs and purposefully drenching Harry. Thus distracted, Harry forgot all about what may or may not have transpired between his two best friends and instead turned toward his girlfriend.
Hermione breathed a slight sigh of relief as she watched Harry disappear under the water and resurface moments later with Ginny struggling comically in his arms. Ron, however, had not moved of his own accord since realizing they weren't alone and he had a distracted look in his eyes.
Hermione knew just the way to remedy this, though it usually just put him in an all-together different type of daze. She kissed him softly on the cheek, causing him to turn suddenly to face her. Catching her eye, he smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. Though his face didn't quite return to its normal shade, the red did diminish noticeably.
"Come on, let's have a swim," Hermione said gently in his ear.
Ron looked at her for a moment before a devilish glint entered his expression. Hermione had just opened her mouth to ask suspiciously what he was on about when he grabbed her waist and tossed her in the water.
She spluttered to the surface and glared daggers at him, blushing as she heard the uproarious laughter issuing from all those present. She huffed and adopted her that-is-so-immature stance, hands on her hips and her jaw set.
"Ronald Weasley," she thundered, only making the laughter louder. Again she huffed and childishly slapped the water. Well, the only way to beat them is to join them, she thought.
Ron didn't know what hit him. One moment he was standing on the shore, almost in tears from laughter, and the next moment he was being tugged head first into the water. This time it was his turn to bear the hardy chuckling and giggling, and he quickly sent a wave in the direction of Harry and Ginny.
The four of them spent the rest of the early morning swimming and diving, coming to lie on the shore to watch the sun make its lazy way into the sky. By the time they returned to the Burrow they were all very wet and very tired.
Harry and Ron were halfway up the stairs with the girls at their heels when Mrs. Weasley's hysterical voice caught them off-guard, nearly sending them stumbling down the steps from surprise. Apparently they had not made it back in time not to be noticed.
"Where have you four been? I woke up to find empty beds and not an explanation in sight. I expect one now, and it had better be pretty good, too!" Mrs. Weasley puffed into the hall from the kitchen and stood staunchly at the foot of the stairs, hair wild, eyes flaming, and hands fixed resolutely on her hips.
"Speak up. Come on. What could possibly have been so important that you would have had to rush out of the house without leaving a note?"
Harry felt guilt and nerves overwhelm him. Even as an adult wizard he was still deathly afraid of the woman bellowing at them from below. Suddenly Dumbledore's letter came back to him. In all the excitement he had forgotten about the warnings, and he had just been outside with the three people that meant most to him without any protection other than their wands, which had been yards away from them on the shore. They had all been in danger because of him and he hadn't even recognized it. His face turned bright red as the gravity of the situation hit him. Just as he felt himself retreating into his worries, he felt a small hand grip his own. Looking down, he met the reassuring gaze of Ginny, and he felt slightly better.
"Well," Mrs. Weasley prompted impatiently.
"Er—you see, the thing is—" Ron began, but Ginny quickly cut him off.
"It's my fault, mum. I had a really bad dream and I woke everybody up. I was too scared to go back to bed, so I suggested that we all go for a swim. We were all really tired, so we forgot to leave a message saying where we were." Ginny's face was quite convincing, even adopting a certain wobbly mouth as if to emphasize her fear.
Mrs. Weasley's face softened a bit as she surveyed the four teenagers. "Well, I guess that's understandable, but you all must be so much more careful these days," she said, looking meaningfully at Harry. "From now on you all have to tell Arthur or me where you are going. Ginny, come to the kitchen and I will make you that special tea. The rest of you, hurry up and get changed for breakfast. I want you down here in ten minutes."
Ron grinned broadly at Ginny, his face full of admiration, and turned to make his way up to his room. Harry followed after giving her a quick kiss. Hermione, however, seemed to be struggling between her disapproval at the lie and gratitude at being let off the hook. She settled on the latter, smiled at Ginny, and then retreated to the bathroom for a fast shower.
Sighing slightly, Ginny stumped down the stairs and prepared for her mother's coddling and prying. Upon entering, however, she found Molly sitting at the table and gazing at her steadily. Feeling unsure of herself, Ginny sat down across from her mother and waited for what was to come.
"Ginny, dear, tell me the truth."
Ginny paled considerably, wondering how she would explain the real reasons behind their venture out of doors. But she need not have worried, for Mrs. Weasley seemed to have been on a different track.
"Were you covering for Harry? Was he the one with the nightmare?" Her eyes were filled with worry, making Ginny feel guilty that her lie had upset her mother.
"Er, no. I just had one of those Department of Mysteries dreams. My screams must have woken the others, and none of us really wanted to go back to sleep so…we went to the pond." Ginny tried not to blush as she reflected on what had really happened after she and Harry had woken up.
"And that's the truth, dear? If it really is Harry, you should tell me. His dreams aren't always just…well, dreams, so it is important that we find out about them." Mrs. Weasley studied her daughter's face as she waited for the reply, which was delayed as Ginny thought about the nightmare that Harry had had. He had said it wasn't a normal dream and Ginny now wondered if it was her place to inform an adult.
"Yes, that's the truth," she finally said, deciding that if Harry wished to share what went on in his head, it was up to him.
Moments later they were joined by Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley, who was dressed for work.
They all sat down around the table as Mrs. Weasley shoveled eggs, bacon, and toast onto each of their plates. Light chatter was exchanged as the meal was consumed, but Harry seemed strangely quiet. Or at least more so than usual. Ginny looked sideways at him and caught his eye. From his look she could tell that he was going to tell the others about the letter.
"Well, I'd better be off to the Ministry," Mr. Weasley announced, making as though to stand.
"Er, Mr. Weasley, could you actually wait a moment?" Harry asked quietly, trying to control his tone so as not to alarm anyone. Mrs. Weasley jerked her head up, suspecting, once again, that it had been Harry who had had the nightmare.
"Yes, if it is important." Arthur reseated himself and turned an expectant gaze on the messy-haired boy a few chairs down.
"Right, er…I got a letter from Dumbledore yesterday…"
"Yes, we all did, remember? You've already told us you got Quidditch captain," exclaimed Ron loudly. Hermione stomped on his foot.
"Don't be a prat, Ron, this is a different letter," Ginny said, rolling her eyes at her brother.
"Anyways, it said that…"
"Go on, Harry," Ginny said softly, resting her hand on his.
"Er, it said that Voldemort was working on finding me and…some others," he glanced around the room at his three friends, "so Dumbledore has arranged for my departure."
"Departure! Where are you going?" Ron had a baffled yet intense expression on his face as he leaned forward on his chair, as if getting a better look at Harry would reveal all information.
"I'm going back to Hogwarts a few weeks early. Someone is coming for me tomorrow, but that's all I know. Dumbledore said that others would be joining me, so I assume that means the three of you," Harry finished, motioning to his friends.
Mrs. Weasley had a stricken look on her face, but her husband seemed quite calm. Contemplative, in fact.
"Yes, I thought something of the sort would happen soon," he mused.
"You what!" demanded his wife, turning oh him. "You mean you knew that this was going to happen and you didn't tell any of us?"
"Come now, Molly, it was only a hunch. You-know-who has been pretty quiet lately and we've been receiving some reports that the Death Eaters are working on finding something. It just sort of fit together." He returned Mrs. Weasley's look squarely, allowing just the slightest tinge of pink to become apparent in his ears. "Right, off to work," he said quickly. He Disapparated moments later, leaving the kitchen in silence.
"Well," Mrs. Weasley said at last, addressing Harry, "I suppose you should pack today so that you're ready to leave." She looked somewhat resigned as she stood to clear the plates.
"What! That's it? No fussing over our being too young or…or worrying over our safety?" Ron asked incredulously, not quite understanding his mother's reaction.
"Don't be silly, Ron. I worry about all of your safeties everyday. But…I know you're not children anymore and…" she appeared to have tears in her eyes, but she blinked rapidly and turned away from them, "…this is for the best. You will be protected at Hogwarts. I trust Dumbledore's decision."
Ron gaped at her back and then opened his mouth to say something but was stopped by Hermione's hand on his arm. She shook her head, thanked Mrs. Weasley for the breakfast, and then motioned them all to porch.
"Ron," she said once they were out of ear shot, "let her be. This is hard for her to hear and she is trying to be supportive." She stopped walking once they reached a large tree and sat cross-legged on a rock under its shade. The others followed suit, though they all spread their bodies out on the cool ground rather than sit on the hard stones.
They were silent for a while, absorbed in their own thoughts, until Hermione ventured a question.
"Could you tell us any more of what the letter said, Harry?" she queried, picking at some grass with her left hand.
"Didn't say much else, really," came the reply. "Just the part about being in danger and Hogwarts being the best place. You three will be coming too, I guess."
"Yes," Hermione agreed. "Maybe more than that, though."
Harry raised himself on his arm to look at her, his interest piqued. "Oh? Who else, then?"
"Well, I don't know, do I? But I would assume that Luna and Neville are in just as much danger as we are. They were, after all, with us at the Department of Mysteries. And I'm sure that word has somehow gotten back to…to Voldemort that we have the DA club. Probably some members are being targeted, as well. I'd imagine that Dumbledore will have all of them in mind."
"Just so long as David Sweeney isn't there, I'll be happy," said Ron, lying spread-eagle in the sun.
Hermione shot him a glare, which he didn't receive, and crossed her arms over her chest. "David is a great boy," she said testily, eyebrows knit.
"Oh, sure. If you don't mind that annoying laugh or his tendency to start reciting the dictionary of spells in alphabetical order. He really knows how to have a good time, that one does," Ron said sarcastically.
"You're just jealous," Hermione accused, anger making her face grow hot.
"Oh, jealous, am I?" Ron rolled over to look at Hermione, ears pink and eyes clouded. "Jealous of what, exactly? His collection of pet rocks or his extensive knowledge of beetle larvae?"
"Jealous of the fact that I went to Hogsmeade with him last year," Hermione snapped back.
"Ha! Someone's a little full of themselves. What's to say that would make me jealous?" Ron was now sitting upright, his face red.
Hermione looked at him for a moment, and all of the anger was gone. Her eyes watered dangerously and she couldn't help but feel mad at herself for letting her emotions show so plainly. She ran the back of her hand against the tears, sniffed loudly, and then turned on her heal and walked swiftly in the direction of the house, banging the door as she entered.
Harry and Ginny sat very still, feeling as though they really shouldn't have been present for that even though they had seen Ron and Hermione fight countless times. Now that they were a couple it was completely different, especially when the topic was jealousy.
Ginny recovered from the outburst first and, standing up, gave her brother a scalding look before running after Hermione.
"I reckon you shouldn't have said that," Harry informed Ron. For some reason he felt angered by his friend's callousness. Hermione was like a sister to him and he didn't like seeing her cry, especially because of one of Ron's thoughtless comments.
Ron sighed deeply and when he looked at Harry, his eyes showed regret and inner turmoil.
"I don't know why I say these things. It's just…in the moment I get so fired up and I can't stand to see her win an argument. I guess it comes from years of constant bickering. I didn't mean what I said, though. I was jealous of Sweeney."
"Don't tell me, tell Hermione. I'm not the one who has to forgive you for your idiocy. Just, try not to screw things up any more, okay?"
Ron nodded and stood up dejectedly, heading for the house.
Harry watched him go, lying back down once he was the only one outside. Sighing deeply, he turned his gaze to the sky and let his thoughts wander to what the next day would bring.
Please review! I need some inspiration! Sorry if this chapter wasn't up to par, but it had been so long since I'd updated that I rushed through it a little. Oh yeah, and that scene with the ice cream a few chapters ago was from The Notebook. I think two or three of you got it. Keep reviewing!
