Lithium is a soft, silver-white metal that belongs to the alkali metal group of chemical elements. Under standard conditions it is the lightest metal and the least dense solid element. Like all alkali metals, lithium is highly reactive and flammable. Because of its high reactivity, lithium never occurs freely in nature, and instead, only appears in compounds, which are usually ionic. Due to its solubility as an ion, it is present in ocean water.
3. Lithium
30 July 1998
"Hang on. That one's Draco?"
They were lying on their backs in the sand outside Shell Cottage, looking up at the night sky. Harry scooted closer to Ron, pressed their heads together, and closed one eye, attempting to follow Ron's pointed finger along the stars in question.
Harry wrinkled his nose, unconvinced.
"Isn't that a leg of Hercules?"
"Honestly, it's as if you were both stricken with astronomical amnesia..." Hermione sighed. "Or did we not take the same courses for years?"
"You've only got yourself to blame," Ron pointed out, shifting around in the sand and continuing to stare up at the sky. "Pretty sure I completed a total of zero assignments for that class unassisted..."
"That's a lie..." Hermione scoffed.
"The real point here is," Harry cut in, tilting his head fully sideways against Ron's shoulder, "where the hell is Draco?"
Ron chuckled.
"Oh, move over..."
Hermione wedged herself in between them, her head pillowed by Ron's left bicep. She took his right hand, extended his index finger once more, and lifted, closing an eye as she guided him slowly.
"Right... there..." she said, moving his hand along the curve of the constellation.
"Ah, yeah," Harry said, "I think I see him now."
"Go on, then," Ron prodded, nudging Hermione with his shoulder, his finger still pointing up, Hermione's fingers now loosely wrapped around his wrist, "give us the dippers again. We're daft and lost them."
"Honestly?" she laughed, dropping Ron's wrist and turning to face him, her nose brushing his shoulder. "I can't help you if you can't even find those. They barely covered them, first year... expected we had that much sorted-"
"We resent that statement," Harry interrupted.
"Nevermind," Ron yawned, grinning at her. "I've got a better idea..."
He sat up, jostling Harry and Hermione both in the process. Hermione glared at him while Harry straightened his glasses. Clearing his throat, Ron reached for the bottom of his shirt and removed it with a fizz of static.
"I'm right here, mate," Harry announced, as Hermione blushed.
"Sod off," Ron grinned over his shoulder at them. "Harry'll be an old man in-" He glanced at his watch. "-less than five minutes."
"Only catching up to us. So you're calling me old already, then?" Hermione teased.
"You are the oldest..."
Ron stood quickly as Hermione tossed his discarded shirt at his bare back in retaliation.
"So... what does my birthday have to do with you stripping?" Harry inquired, standing and brushing sand from his trousers.
"Don't answer that..." Hermione warned. Ron laughed as Harry shook his head in mock disgust.
"Come on, Hermione," Ron urged... as he reached to unbutton his jeans, "don't you fancy a swim?"
A shaky sort of breath escaped her as Ron unzipped and proceeded to shimmy his way out of tight denim...
Harry, oblivious to her state of mind, shrugged and removed his own shirt, back toward her. Ron took a couple steps forward, to stare down at Hermione where she was still half-lying in the sand. His ears and nose were tinted a delicate shade of pink... and he was wearing nothing but a pair of maroon boxers, at this point.
He gave her a questioning raise of an eyebrow, but she merely responded by raking her eyes down his nearly naked body. He cleared his throat louder this time, as her eyes lingered somewhere close to his thighs...
She stood, then, without looking directly at him. And, in one quick motion, she pulled off her own shirt, following it by sliding off her jeans and walking smoothly past Ron and Harry both, toward the silvery glowing surface of the water... in only a white bra and knickers.
Ron cursed unintelligibly, and Harry lightly kicked him in the shin.
"Didn't think this all the way through?" Harry teased.
It was becoming rather imperative that Ron submerge himself in cool water...
He followed Harry quickly to the shore, shaking himself as he watched Hermione move further out to knee-deep waves.
"Wait for us!" Harry called out to her, glancing back over his shoulder at Ron.
She turned to face them, and, for a moment, Ron's neck burned, having personally put himself directly in position for public humiliation. But Harry passed them both and dived into the waves, ignoring Hermione's shy expression and Ron's slightly dazed path in her direction.
Once they were standing close enough to touch if they reached out, Hermione shrugged at him.
"You've seen more than this," she reasoned, at a notch above a whisper.
"Different when we're alone," he muttered. "Not to mention, it's been a while..."
"Less than a week," she laughed. "But yes. It's rubbish. Things are much better at home now though. Mum and Dad have been coming round to everything a bit. Well, you've seen..."
"Yeah," he smiled in return. "You're not going back tonight?"
"Of course not. Want to stay with you."
"Brilliant."
"Bugger..." Harry muttered, from somewhere farther out to sea, as a wave crashed over him.
Ron licked his bottom lip and glanced at his watch.
"It's officially his birthday," he said to Hermione. "Reckon we ought to help him celebrate?"
She grinned up at him as he took her hand.
They splashed further out, collapsing in the waves as they reached Harry, Ron grabbing him round the neck and dunking them both under the next wave. When they resurfaced, Hermione was brushing soaked curls out of her eyes and the moon was reflecting so brightly off the water that it was nearly blinding.
"Prat," Harry snorted.
But before they could recover, Hermione suddenly splashed them both, catching them off guard.
"Gonna let her get away with that?" Harry spluttered. But Ron was already lunging for her as she screamed, kicking as he grabbed her round the waist.
"Look over there for a second, mate," Ron instructed, vaguely gesturing toward the nothing in the opposite direction.
His hands flattened up Hermione's bare back, her bare leg was sliding between his...
He shuddered out a heavy breath and distantly registered how funny it was to be on the same level with her, floating in the water, just before he pressed the front of his body to hers and kissed her. Skin slid together, slick with salt water, and the cotton of his underwear was billowing a bit and creating basically zero barrier between them. Her hands moved to his waist, pressing against wet cotton. Her hair was cold against his face, and her leg was wrapping around his hips and-
He separated from her, shuddering with pleasure.
"Ruddy... hell..." he breathed, "let's remember exactly where that left off..."
She pressed her lips together and balanced with her hands on his shoulders, staring slightly drunkenly back into his eyes.
"Best idea ever?" Ron suggested.
"You two disgust me!" Harry called out.
"Happy birthday!" they shouted in unison.
