Chapter Eight: The Average Pool Party
"Have you seen my nail polish?" Madison called from her bag.
"Which one?" asked Ginny, running a brush through her hair.
"My really bright red one." said Madison.
"Last time I saw it, it was on the nightstand!" Haley yelled from the bathroom where she was changing.
"Oh." said Madison. She walked over to the table, "Hey! I found it! Thanks, Haley!" She settled on the bed and began to paint her nails.
"You know, I don't know why you're painting your nails." said Hermione, "I mean, we're just going to be in the pool. What's the point of nail polish?"
Madison shrugged, "I'm allowed to paint my nails if I want to."
"What time is it, anyway?" said Haley. She emerged from the bathroom in a teal bathing suit with pale blue Hawaiian flowers. A short, matching skirt covered the bottom half.
"A quarter past seven." Luna said absently.
"WHAT? I've only got fifteen minutes to finish getting ready!" cried Madison, and she bolted into the bathroom.
"What are you going to wear, Hermione?" said Ginny from across the room.
"Oh. You'll see." said Hermione.
Ten minutes later there was a knock on the door and the boys entered.
"Hey! We could be changing!" cried Hermione.
"Isn't that what a bathroom is for?" said Neville.
At that second Ginny came out of the bathroom in an emerald green bathing suit. "Hey guys." she said as she walked over to a pile of towels.
"Hey, Gin." said Harry. "You stole my outfit."
"You have a two-piece?" laughed Haley.
"NO! No, I meant the colour." he said, gesturing to his swim trunks. They matched his eyes.
"Oh. Well, I'd hope you didn't have the same swimsuit as Ginny." she said casually, helping Ginny with the towels.
"Where's Hermione?" said Ron, looking around.
"In the bathroom changing." said Luna.
"Oy! Hurry up in there!" called Dean. "We've got a party to go to."
"Go ahead without me. I'll catch up." said Hermione, "Besides, I've still got to finish getting ready."
"Have it your way." said Seamus, shrugging. "Ready?" he said to the rest of the girls.
"Ready." said Madison. She grabbed her own towel and the nine teenagers headed out the door.
At the Pool.
"Ahh! Stop it!" shrieked Madison.
"What? It's just a little water!" said Dean, splashing her again.
"But I can't--ack!" Dean had splashed her full in the face.
"Dean Thomas, you are going to get it!" cried Madison, swimming after him.
"Hi, Harry!" Lavender chirped. She and Parvati had just come in through the door.
"What's up?" said Harry.
"Nothing much. We just got wind of the party and got ready as quick as we could." said Parvati, "Did anything good happen when we were gone?"
"Well, Dean's been splashing everyone in sight, mainly the girls," he added, "And now I think they'll be starting a riot pretty soon."
"As long as he keeps away from me. Remember last night, Parvati?" said Lavender. And the two continued to chat about the previous night at the pool.
"Hey, mate." said Ron, swimming over to Harry and shaking the water out of his eyes, "Has Hermione come yet?" he said, looking around.
"No, but she should be here in a min-"
The door opened and the two looked to it.
Cerena came strolling in, chatting with Hermione.
"Hermione?" said Harry and Ginny at the same time.
Hermione looked over to the pool and flashed them a smile, "Hey guys. I was just talking to Cerena here. She told me the greatest story about her old school!"
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Cerena nodded, "It was so funny. Okay," she got into the pool and drifted over to Ron and Harry, "We were taking our usual boring end-of-the-year finals and--"
"What's going on?" said Ginny, "I thought you two were, like…I thought you hated her?"
Hermione's smile faded, "Man, she can talk." she sighed, seating herself onto one of the chairs. "All she ever does, besides parade around the male population."
Ginny rolled her eyes, "I know. Look at Harry. Smiling and grinning like a daft idiot." she said, scowling.
"I suppose I'm not the only one that was bitten by the jealous bug?" said Hermione.
"Was?" said Ginny, "What do you mean 'was'? You're not jealous anymore?"
"Well, I never had a thing for or with Ron! I mean, he's free to fancy whichever girl he wants to." Hermione said airily.
"Are you sure you're okay?" said Ginny. "Just yesterday you were furious at her crowding up on Ron.
"Look, Ginny. It doesn't matter. I mean, it's not like he liked me, so why would I be jealous or prevent him from it? I mean.. Oh, I don't know what I mean." she said.
Ginny stared at her.
"Are you admitting you like him?" she said.
"Well, I like him as a friend." said Hermione, "You didn't think I liked him, liked him, did you!"
"Well, you sure don't hide it very well!" said Ginny.
"Ginny, that's absurd! I don't, and didn't like him. I mean, we're best friends! How… that wouldn't be right!"
Ginny gaped, "But--but last night… and…and the kiss… and.."
"Ginny, I have no idea what you're talking about." said Hermione, "I hope I didn't lead you to believe I liked him!"
"But, but you said last night that-"
"Ginny, I was tired. I don't know what I said, but we're just friends. Now, I'm getting into the Jacuzzi."
Ginny stared after her. "What the heck is going on?" she cried to herself.
Hermione settled into the Jacuzzi. The warm water felt good on her skin. Soon she was mixed into her thoughts too much to pay attention to anyone else.
'Why did you just do that? You like him and now Ginny is suspicious and you told her you didn't like him and, you're still jealous of Cerena!"
'I am not jealous. Ron…she's good for Ron. If Ron wants her… fine.'
'It most certainly is not fine. You liked him first and longest. Think of the memories. He should be yours. She's like…like a stupid Veela!"
'She just got to him and flirted with him first.'
'And kissed him first! You can't say that didn't bother you.'
'My friends lives are their business, not mine.'
'But--'
"This seat taken?" said Ron, pointing next to Hermione.
"Huh? Oh, no; go ahead. There's plenty of room." she replied.
'Tell him!'
'No! I'll make a fool of myself!'
'Tell-him! Now! Or else I will!'
'You're just my conscience, you couldn't tell him.'
'Fine then, I'll force you to!'
'No!'
'You gonna tell him then?'
Ron settled into the water next to Hermione. "That's cool." he said.
"Ron, I-"
"Harry!" Ron called, "Cerena! She says it's fine!"
"Cool." they said, and hurried over to Ron and Hermione.
"Thanks, Hermione!" said Cerena cheerfully, lowering herself next to Ron.
"No problem." Hermione said through her teeth.
As soon as Harry had gotten into the hot water, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati rushed over, chatting as they joined the others. Ron had already launched into a conversation with Cerena about Quidditch.
"You didn't! Oh, you could've gotten hurt!" she said, clinging to Ron's arm.
"Excuse me." said Hermione coldly, getting out of the water and heading toward the pool.
Only Cerena seemed to notice as she looked after her, a smirk on her face. She turned to Ron again though, to listen to his story.
"I-have-had-it!" she said aloud to no one in particular.
"Cerena, is it?" said Haley, knowingly, drifting over to Hermione.
Hermione nodded. "What does Ron see in her anyway?"
"Lynn." muttered Haley.
"What?"
"No one, just some girl I knew. She could get every guy, all because of her looks. Same as Miss Perky over there." she nodded her head towards the Jacuzzi. She had a look of distaste on her face.
"Yeah, well, she couldn't have been as bad as Cerena."
"No. I wouldn't be surprised if they were twins. Act enough like 'em." she said.
"Who are you talking about?" said Madison.
"Lynn." replied Haley.
"Oh, God." said Madison, smacking her forehead. "That was the absolute worst!"
"What am I going to do?" said Hermione, miserably. "I've liked him way longer and she just flaunts over and--" she gasped and shut her mouth immediately.
"Don't worry. We knew already." said Madison.
"You're secret is safe with us." Haley reassured.
Hermione nodded. "But what am I supposed to do?"
"There's something weird about her alright. And I'm going to find out what it is." said Ginny, sneaking up on the group.
"Ginny!"
"Oh, don't worry. Everyone in school knows you two are too blind to notice the other has the same feelings for each other.
"Yeah, except when Cerena came along." Madison muttered. "Ow!"
"Shut up!" hissed Haley. Madison rubbed her side.
"HEY!" Seamus called. He jumped into the pool. "Let's have a diving contest!"
"Oh, I'm sitting this one out." said Hermione, swimming to the edge of the pool.
"Hey, I just thought of something." said Ginny. "If you can't beat them, join 'em!"
Hermione gave her a puzzled look, then smiled, nodding. "I catch your drift." she said.
Soon everyone had lined up next to the diving board, ready to do a trick off the board.
"First up: Harry!" announced Neville next to Hermione.
Harry walked to the edge of the board and soon plunged into the water, doing a cannon ball.
He came up to the surface, grinning.
"Judges?" said Neville.
Hermione held up a number '7'. Ginny an '8'. Luna also held a number '7'.
"Woo! Go Harry!" said Ginny, clapping with everyone else.
"Next: Ronald Weasley!"
"Yeah! Go Ron!" Hermione and Ginny clapped.
Ron performed two front flips, then nose-dived into the pool. He then came up to the surface and looked over at the girls.
"Eight," said Neville, "Nine!("Go, Ron!" shouted Hermione as everyone clapped.) And another Eight! He's got you beat, Potter!"
Harry pretended to scowl at the end of the line. "What gives?" he called to Hermione, "You only gave me a seven!"
Hermione shrugged, smiling.
Cerena watched from the now second in line. She frowned slightly
Seamus was awarded three sevens for a cartwheel, making a splash.
Cerena smiled down at everyone, then ran and jumped. She did a back flip, then a twist, then a nose dive, gracefully.
"Judges?" said Neville, "Oh! Two sixes and a seven. That can't be fair." he said it casually though, as if commenting on the weather, and paid no attention.
"What?" said Dean, "That was great!"
"I'm glad you think so, Dean." said Cerena, "I probably did that spin to sharp. Darn it! I always forget!"
"It's alright," Seamus assured her, "They're a little odd."
Haley and Madison both did rather a rather odd move. Both of them did a sort of cannon ball into the water, holding hands. They emerged, waving their hands in the air. They were given three eights.
By the time everyone had gone through three times, Ron was in the lead, Harry behind him. Last was Cerena, besides Dean, who wasn't a very good diver.
"You were way better than what they gave you." said Dean.
"Ah, it's no problem. I probably could have done better." she said, dismissing the subject. "Did anyone bring down food?"
Seamus waved his wand and a sheet that was covering a table disappeared, revealing bowls of crisps, sweets, and soda. "Time to get our junk-food on!" he said, leading a conga line over to the table.
"Hey, Ron!" said Hermione.
Ron jogged over to her. "Yeah?"
"You don't think you win and don't get anything for it, do you?"
"Um.." said Ron.
She gave him a guy's Hawaiian necklace from behind her back.
"Cool!" he said, putting it on. "Thanks!" And he sped away to the food.
Ginny rolled her eyes. "'Cool' and 'Thanks' Yeah, that's what you say after you get number one for diving."
"No, that's what you say after you get number one for diving and want to go see a-"
"Madison!" yelled Haley.
"What? She is!" she cried in response.
"Have you guys noticed I've been right here the whole time for you conversation?" said Neville smiling.
"Ugh, not again!" said Hermione, "By this time tomorrow, everyone's going to know, aren't they?"
"Ah, everyone but Ron." said Neville. "I don't see why you like someone so blind."
"Neville!" cried Ginny.
"Sorry, but…well, it's kind of true." he said, and he disappeared into the crowd at the table.
Hermione sighed.
"Don't worry." said Ginny, "I'll come up with another plan."
(A/N: Hey, that's the end. I guess it's longer than I expected. That always seems to happen, doesn't it? Anyway. I don't know what those one guy necklace things are, so sorry. If you know, maybe you'll tell me? The next chapter should be up pretty soon as well. Keep reviewing!)