Day Seven - Ice Skating

Ron and Hermione try to teach Harry to ice skate on the Black Lake.

A/N: I should really have said this in my a/n at the very start, but for all of these one shots I'm just ignoring canon and doing what I want really. Everyone's alive, everyone's happy, sometimes they're at Hogwarts and sometimes they're not. They're all just cheerful, upbeat little holiday one shots (or at least I hope they are!) Happy reading :)

'It's really not that difficult once you get the hang of it,' Hermione told Harry kindly. She and Ron were trying to coax him out onto The Black Lake to ice skate. The teachers had charmed part of the surface so it wouldn't break for the day so the students could go ice skating if they wanted to.

'I just don't think I'll be very good at it, Hermione,' Harry sighed. He was still refusing to do it, though they'd at least got him to put on the skates and head out to the edge of the lake.

'C'mon mate, give it a go,' Ron pleaded. He knew how much fun it was and wanted Harry to have fun at it too. 'It just requires a good bit of balance, and you've got that from Quidditch anyway. You'll have no problem with this!'

Harry hesitated a few moment's more before he hesitantly took a step out onto the lake. He stumbled a little, but Ron was there at his side to catch him. Hermione stood in front of him and held out her arms.

'Okay, just hold onto my arms and I'll drag you forwards so you can get your bearings a bit,' Hermione told him.

He did as he was told, taking hold of her arms and letting her drag him forwards. He felt himself glide over the ice. Ron followed them at Harry's side, ready to steady him if he needed to.

'Ah, so you finally got him to do it!' Harry jumped as Fred Weasley skated past with George.

'Took a while, but yes, we did,' Hermione confirmed.

'Well, looks like he's doing well so far,' George encouraged.

'I know you're lying, but thanks,' Harry chuckled. He was still staring at his feet more than anything else.

'Okay, Harry, let go of my arms and I'll skate in front of you,' Hermione turned to face away from him after he let go. 'Now, just try and copy what I'm doing with my feet.'

She started skating forwards normally. Making sure not to do anything fancy. Harry followed hesitantly, glad that Ron was still at his side. Fred and George had already skated off elsewhere where there was more room for them to be exuberant.

'You're doing well mate,' Ron told him as they continued. Hermione glanced back and saw that he was right.

'Let's pick up the pace a bit,' she said, speeding up a little as she continued to use basic moves to move across the ice.

Harry found that it wasn't as hard as he had expected to follow what she was doing. To start with he had stumbled a little, but his good balance from years of Quidditch was helping him to stay upright, and he was quickly learning how to move so that he was always balanced no matter his feet were doing.

Half an hour later, and Harry was skating confidently across the ice with Ron and Hermione. He wasn't a pro, by any means, of course, but he could quite comfortably skate around easily without losing his balance. Fred and George skated over to them again now they could see Harry wasn't at risk of falling arse over tit.

'Fancy a little race around the edge of the surface, dear boy?' Fred enquired, pretending to be holding a pipe in his mouth.

Harry was so used to the twins being weird, he didn't even question it.

'Sure, why not?' He agreed. Ron and Hermione groaned. They were just having a nice day skating on the lake, teaching their friend so he could join in the fun, but Harry just couldn't resist a competition with the twins sometimes.

'Ready, set, go!' George bellowed, completely unexpectedly.

'That's not fair, I wasn't ready!' Harry shouted as he sped after him. Fred remained with Ron and Hermione, just skating casually beside them.

'I thought you were racing Harry?' Ron asked in confusion.

'Nah, I can't be bothered today. I just wanted to see if a race would get him to finally lose his balance and fall over, and it's easier so see that from the sidelines.'

'I doubt he'll fall, he's really picked it up quite well,' Hermione told him confidently.

'Oh, Hermione,' Fred shook his head in disappointment. 'No one should be allowed to learn to ice skate without falling on their arse at least once. I can guarantee you Harry will fall over.'

'Why did you say it like that?' Hermione stopped suddenly and glared at Fred.

'Say it like what?' He asked innocently.

'Like you know something we don't,' Ron clarified.

'I have no idea what you mean.' Fred was smirking slightly.

'What did you do, Fred?' Ron asked.

'Nothing too dangerous, don't you worry.'

Ron an Hermione glanced at each other nervously. Moments later, they heard a shout of alarm from the other side of the lake surface. They looked over to see Harry was trying his best to stay upright, but his legs were doing everything they could to stop that from happening. They looked back at Fred accusingly.

'Just a little delayed charm,' he shrugged. 'One to make Harry's legs dance around a little uncontrollably for minute or two.'

Ron and Hermione looked back to Harry and couldn't help but chuckled along with Fred. Harry's legs were still flailing about uncontrollably, and it was only a few seconds later that he finally fell, landing on his arse, his legs still dancing away.