Disclaimer: Everything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling

Author's Note: heyy guys! Sorry I forgot the disclaimer and whatnot last time, this is my first fic, so I'm new to this whole thing- but I love this story and reviewing what I have for the layout, there will be around 15 chapters and maybe a sequel. Thanks to my one person who reviewed! It helped me want to write this next chapter even more- everyone please please read and review- I wanna know what everyone thinks! And sorry if im leaving some stuff kinda vague, I tend to write more than I have to, so I don't want things to be insanely long... Enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 3: Seaside Activities

The sun rose bright and early on their first day to the South Shore. It peeked and glared through their windows and danced across the horizon of the ocean. The air was warm and dry, and the waves crashed gently on the shore. Few clouds filled the sky, making this day the perfect one for the beach.

Inside, however, sounds could be heard of snoring, stirring, and all around sleeping. Because everyone who got in last night, got in late from the ride up, and were now trying to catch up on their sleep. By 10 o'clock, everyone was awake and headed down to catch breakfast, then outside to wait for the Knight Buses to transport them to the beach. Ron, eating everything in his power so he wouldn't be hungry the rest of the day, was miraculously done first, with the rest of the guys not far behind. The girls ate little, but just enough to get them started. Everyone waited outside for the buses chatting, then boarded them when they arrived there.

They rode the buses for 15 minutes to the South Shore Beach and Boardwalk, where the beach was pure and miles long and the Boardwalk contained only the best shops for souvenirs and beach wear. Once everyone was off the bus, they all broke up into their groups and explored the places they were allowed to visit. But because it was a partial muggle area, they couldn't use magic and signs were posted in wizarding shops to let them know that galleons, knuts, and sickles could be used there.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in a group of course, along with Ginny, Seamus, Neville, Hannah, and Luna. They all enjoyed having a big group, following the motto 'the more the merrier' and also figured the boy to girl ratio was 4:4 so everyone had fair chances. The 8 made their way into a shop, and at Hermione's request, bought disposable muggle cameras, which they would later ask Colin to develop their film for them. Then they all crossed the street and onto the beach, where they dropped their belongings, wore only their bathing suits, and ran into the water, eventually letting the water take them over and falling into it (A/N: you know, like when you're running into the ocean and you keep running and eventually fall).

"Hey, I know something fun we all could do." Seamus announced to them all as he came to the surface after being bombarded with a wave.

"What's that Seamus?" Hermione asked, with a note of uncertainty in her voice, unsure that she even wanted to know.

"Chicken." Seamus said, with a sly grin on his face.

"I've played that before. It's where everyone's in groups of two and someone's on someone else's shoulders and the opposing people try to knock the other people off their shoulders, right?" Ginny asked, but matter-of-factly.

"Yep, that's the one." Seamus said, in Ginny's matter-of-fact tone.

"Alright, let's play. Now, since the odds of guys to girls here are 4:4, let's make it interesting. Every pairing has to be boy/girl. Ok?" Harry said, mischieviously.

"Okay!" Everyone shouted at the same time, clearly excited and grateful someone had said it.

"Ok, everyone, partner up!" Harry said, and then ran over to Ginny.

"Ginny, wanna be my partner?" he asked hopefully.

"Sure, you're strong, right?" she said, with a hint of mischief in her own voice.

"Sure?" Harry said, and the two laughed it off and Harry went underwater and came back up with Ginny on his shoulders.

Seamus and Hannah had paired, as did Neville and Luna. Both couples were ready to begin.

"Uh... Hermione? Since you don't have a- uh... partner thingy, do you um... maybe wanna be... ya know... my partner?" Ron asked Hermione nervously.

Hermione smiled, "I'd love to, Ron" she said. Ron beamed. He went underwater and Hermione hopped on his shoulders, they both came up, Ron carrying her on his strong, broad shoulders.

"Everyone set?" Seamus looked around to everyone and they all nodded. "Alright, then LET'S PLAY CHICKEN!" he shouted for them to hear.

Seamus turned to Neville and Luna and Hannah began trying to get Luna off of Neville's shoulders. They were neck and neck for awhile, until Luna sneak attacked and sent Hannah and Seamus tumbling backward into the water. Seamus, in an effort to regain them, took Hannah back on his shoulders and tried to seek revenge, Neville all the while, beaming proudly.

Meanwhile, Harry and Ginny had taken on Ron and Hermione. Ginny, being the feisty girl she was was taking the advantage and seemed to be getting the better of Hermione. Both guys kept yelling encouraging words up to their girls, and everyone was laughing and having a good time. Then Ginny gave Hermione a playful, but forceful push on her arms and Hermione began to lose her balance, and so did Ron. The two tumbled backwards and into the water, Hermione coming off of Ron's shoulders. The 2 surfaced, but since they were in a sand bar, the water was shallow enough and Ron came up on all fours, and Hermione was sprawled on his back.

The two looked at each other smiling and giggling, Ron turning a bright shade of red. Harry, raising a hand to his mouth, cleared his throat, and they looked at him, surprised and embarrassed. They immediately separated at least 5 feet from the other and turned even redder. Harry was enjoying this, and grinned slyly at them. Then he turned around, Ginny off his shoulders by this point, picked Ginny up with his big, strong arms, and held her over his head.

"Don't. you. dare." She protested. But one smile and a twinkle in Harry's eye gave her an answer.

"Oh I think I just might." He said, and threw her a few feet away into the water. She screamed and everyone laughed and when she surfaced, she looked angry, but in a flirty way. She walked over to Harry slowly in the water, and Harry just smiled at her innocently and sweetly.

Then she dove underwater, swam to Harry, and pushed his ankles with such force, that he fell over. Ginny laughed and Harry splashed her playfully.

"Gin! You know I didn't wanna get wet!" He said while still splashing her playfully and laughing.

"Revenge is sweet." She said, and splashed him playfully back.

Ron and Hermione, however, weren't willing to get any wetter and they wanted to avoid another incident, so they decided to go back up on the beach, where they would sit on a towel to dry off, and pretend like nothing happened.

Ron reached the place where they all dropped their dry clothes and towels first, and he picked up the one he brought from the hotel, and ran it through his hair first, trying to dry it off, but only succeeding in making it even messier. But though messy, Hermione noticed just how great his hair complimented his evenly tanned body and well-defined muscles. She caught herself staring for a minute or 2 when she reached the towels, but snapped herself back to reality when she realized just what she was doing. Great Hermione, real great. He's your best friend. You don't think about him in that way. Remember he's the one with the emotional range of a teaspoon! She kept telling herself. But he does look devastatingly hot in his swim trunks. And I think he's changed. Forget it, he might never change. Not that I want him to it's just... eh I give up. But I don't like him as more than a friend!

Ron saw her stare out of the corner of his eye, but didn't want to say anything. He could already feel himself getting redder, and he knew it wasn't because of sunburn. She wrapped the towel around her waist, and Ron could see as she tried to comb out the knots in her hair. He, too, caught himself looking at her (A/N: like she did to him; it's not like... anything dirty) and he watched as she dried herself off. He brought himself back to reality when she spoke.

"Ron? Are you okay?" she asked, curious and also concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, just fine." He said, now aware that there was a world around them.

He laid his double-sized maroon towel on the sand, smoothed it out, and collapsed onto the left side of it. He lay there, propped up by his elbows, and motioned for her to come sit next to him.

"'Mione? I saved ya a seat." He said, smiling and patting the place next to him, and she smiled, too and walked over to his towel and collapsed onto its right side. She, too, propped herself up by her elbows. They were both dazed at the ocean, and were watching everyone else still in the water. Ron scowled at Harry, who was playing 'tag' with Ginny and flirting in a very obvious way.

"If he lays a hand on my sister I'll knock him senseless!" He said through clenched teeth. His older brother instincts were kicking in again, and Hermione, knowing how he gets, just went with the flow but still tried to talk him out of knocking Harry senseless.

"Ronald, calm down. Ginny likes him. Harry likes her. Can't you just accept the fact that your best friend likes your little sister? I mean, they're not even going out yet!" Hermione said calmly, trying to convince him that what was happening amongst them was for the better.

Ron flinched at the word 'yet' but sighed, not wanting to add to the argument knowing he'd lose against Hermione, and just sat there, still scowling at them but softening his gaze a little as he thought that he would at least back off from them unless Harry tried to make a move on his little sister. Then Harry would be knocked senseless. Ron smiled at the thought of this, knowing he would never actually punch his best friend, but he was having some fun with his mind. It was fun to joke around in your head once in a while, right?

"I think it's sweet that you're so protective over Ginny. It shows her you care about her and you want her to be happy." Hermione said, seeing his expression soften.

"Yeah, whatever. I mean, I trust Harry and I know he'd never hurt her, intentionally. Plus Mum's always telling me I gotta start trusting Ginny's instincts, too. So what better time to start than now." He said plainly. He sighed, clearly not completely alright with this, but Hermione could tell he was trying to be. He smiled to himself as a new train of conversation entered his mind.

"So... 'Mione? You fancy anyone?" he said curiously, raising an eyebrow and winking at her. It was just like Ron to make jokes and tease her about her own personal life so that he could keep his mind off his sister's. She blushed a little.

"Maybe..." she said, winking at him but laughing at how serious he was acting.

"Ooh! You DO!" He said, turning his full attention towards her to try and read her face. "You're blushing!! So, who is it?!" He was getting really excited now, though in his mind, he knew it would never be him.

"I'm not telling you..." she said flirtatiously, now turned toward him, trying her best not to blink.

"C'mon! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!" He said, and she laughed at this. He never whined like this before and she was going to get as much out of this as she possibly could. "Pleasssssssse" he said and pleaded guiltily.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley. Don't plead PLEASE!" she said firmly.

He shrugged. "okay." He said simply and proceeded to ask her normally. She laughed at this, because Ron always made her laugh and she kept answering 'no' to every guy's name he threw her way. At long last she gave up.

"Fine, do you want to know? I mean, do you REALLY want to know?" She asked, exhausted.

"Yes please." He said, smiling so wide he couldn't contain it. When listing all the guys he knew, he hadn't mentioned himself, because he didn't want to hear her say 'no' to him, too. He didn't think he could take the heartbreak.

They inched closer to each other. Their faces were barely a couple inches from the other. Ron could feel the warmth of her breath inching closer to his face, and he could feel himself being pulled forward like a magnet. But it was beyond his control. He closed his eyes and he could see her do the same. She's probably just got a glare from the sun. This doesn't mean anything. I just leaned in too close to hear her whisper his name into my ear. I don't want to know who she likes at this point, because I now know that it's never going to be me. He said, and frowned slightly.

"It's-"She began, but was cut off when Ginny came bounding up the beach towards them. Ron and Hermione pulled away instantly, Ron growing red and embarrassed, Hermione hiding her disappointment.

"You guys HAVE to come back down to the water! It's great! The waves are becoming much bigger now and you can body surf!" She said excitedly, drying herself a little with her own towel, and Harry followed her up. He was dripping wet and when he got up to the towel where Ron and Hermione sat, and where Ginny was trying to get at least somewhat dry.

He grinned mischievously, and then shook himself off, spraying everyone within 10 feet of him with salt water. Hermione and Ginny screamed and glared at him playfully, and Ron bellowed something about finally being dry.

"Gin- we can't. McGonagall told us we have to be back at the buses in 20 minutes. We don't have the time." Hermione said, sounding sincere.

"Damn, you're right. Well, then I guess I'll stay here and dry off for 15 minutes before we have to go back to the buses." Ginny said, laying down her own towel on the sand and laying on her back to catch some sun. She closed her eyes to protect them and lay there still. Ron and Hermione, now separated from the other at least 1 foot, turned to the side opposite the other and got some color too. Harry just played in the and, taking a stick he wrote and outlining the words

HP loves GW

In the sand. He smiled at it when he was done, when erased it and wrote a similar expression. He didn't care much for getting color, because he knew he couldn't sit still for while with nothing to do. And he knew that Ron didn't like it either, and that Ron was doing it just to be close to Hermione. Harry cast his gaze over at them. Ron was laying on his back, and his blue and white swim trunks clinging to his legs from the water Harry had hit him with. Hermione was laying on her back, her head turned away from Ron and he could see that her yellow one-piece suit was drying.

Once 10 minutes passed, Harry announced to everyone that it was time to go back to the buses, and they all got up, packed their things away, and headed across the street to the buses, to the seats they had picked. They all collapsed into their seats, exhausted, and everyone began talking about what was to come later that night, in the night that could possibly make, or break, the future of them all. Things were subject to change that night, and they all felt it within themselves. They just didn't know if things were going to get better, or if they were going to be weird. Everyone hoped or the first, but they knew one thing for sure: they were going to have a wicked fun time.

A/N: that's chapter 3. omg the next chapter is going to be sooo much fun to write! I'm looking forward to it! I'm gonna write it based on my own experiences from a trip which is centered around a lot of this. Please read'n'review!