Quite to Ron's dismay, the next week passed in perfect propriety. Hermione gave him only the most chaste of kisses before going up to bed and only consented to hold his hand on long walks around the countryside near the Burrow.

Ron struggled not to snap at everyone in his mounting frustration. The only thing that seemed to be going right was that he and Hermione had managed to convince Harry to at least wait until his birthday to begin the search for the Horcruxes. Hermione had had a dozen different reasons why it was important to wait, but Ron had convinced her to focus on one. Harry had to be seventeen to get his license to Apparate. In the end, they were triumphant and Harry consented to wait.

Two weeks of breathing room left everyone a bit more at ease. The summer was a hot one and now that the hustle and bustle of preparing for Bill and Fleur's wedding was over, almost every afternoon found the four of them at the pond. This was Ron's favorite part of the day. Although Hermione wore a demure one piece suit, it looked smashing on her, and Ron loved to watch her walk out of the pond with her hair a mass of wet curls and water streaming off her body. Of course, the fun of that was somewhat dampened by Ginny running around in a bikini that was really next to nothing, which Harry certainly didn't mind. Why wasn't anyone questioning their propriety? Ron didn't really want Harry and Ginny to get in trouble, but it seemed so unfair that they were so free and relaxed around each other, while he and Hermione had regressed to awkward and uncomfortable. Ron shifted on the blanket where he was sitting in the shade watching the girls splashing each other and laughing. Especially uncomfortable, he thought.

"Hey," Harry said as he flopped down on the blanket next to Ron. "Why aren't you swimming?"

"Taking a break," Ron grumbled without looking at him.

Harry smiled. "Nice view."

"Watch it," Ron said. "That's my sister you're ogling."

Harry laughed off Ron's threat. "Hermione's like my sister, but I don't give you a hard time about ogling her."

Ron didn't rise to the bait and instead changed the subject. "Have you sent the owl?"

"Yeah, I hope she's quick with her response."

Ron shrugged. He personally hoped Professor McGonagall would say that they had to wait to take their Apparition tests. It's not that he didn't feel ready to Apparate, he just didn't feel ready to begin looking for the Horcruxes.

"Come on," Harry said. "Let's get in."

Ron followed him into the water and they swam over to the girls who were standing in the shallows on the other side of the pond.

"Let's play a game or something," Harry said.

"You mean like chicken?" Hermione asked.

All three of them looked at her blankly. "I learned it over hols last year." Hermione went on to explain that the girls rode on the boys' shoulders and tried to pull each other off into the water. It turned out to be a fairly even match. Ron and Hermione were bigger, but Harry and Ginny were faster. In minutes, they were all laughing as they struggled to remain standing while trying to pull the other team over. Finally, Ron managed to find solid footing just as Hermione got a good hold of Ginny, so Ginny came tumbling off into the water, pulling Harry over with her. Ron and Hermione threw up their arms in victory, which almost sent her off his shoulders, but he quickly steadied her with his hands back on her knees.

"Brilliant game," Ron crowed. "Where'd you learn it?"

"An American boy taught it to us at the club last summer."

Ron paused. An American boy? "What American boy?" he asked, shifting Hermione's weight on his shoulders.

She steadied herself by leaning forward, her breasts just grazing the top of his head. "A Muggle boy, my parents set us—" Her words were cut off with a squeal as Ron dropped her.

"Your parents hooked you up with some filthy American Muggle?" Ron spat the words at her.

Hermione pulled herself from the water red-faced and clearly furious.

"What exactly makes him filthy, Ronald, that he's American or that he's a Muggle?"

"Oh, don't get smart with me," Ron sneered. "Just how much time did you spend with that slimy yank?"

"Exactly how is that any of your business?" Hermione growled back.

"Oh, as much time as all that?" Ron shouted.

Hermione cupped her hand and threw water at his face. "Sod you, Ron." She splashed angrily through the water until it was deep enough to swim, and then she headed for the dock on the other side of the pond.

Ginny glared angrily at Ron and then followed Hermione.

"Hey," Harry said, as Ginny swam away. Then he turned to Ron. "Well done, thanks mate."

Ron just grunted at him.

Harry shrugged and watched the girls pull themselves on to the dock. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but judging from the animated way in which Hermione was speaking, it wasn't nice.

"I don't know why you go on these jealous rages. It's clear she's mad about you," Harry said.

"You don't know what it's like," Ron grumbled. "I've only ever been with Lavender before her, and now, every time I turn around, some other bloke's gone at her."

"Are you mad? The hell I don't know what it's like. I'm with Ginny."

Ron turned on him. "Hey!"

"Hey, yourself. I'm going to try and salvage what's left of the afternoon."

xxx

Ginny had overtaken Hermione by the time she reached the dock. Hermione wasn't a strong swimmer, but rage had pushed her forward across the pond. She was already talking in an angry rush as they pulled themselves up on to the dock.

"…so self-righteous…spends almost all term with his tongue down Lavender's throat and dares to question me about summer hols…if that isn't the most hypocritical…"

"Hermione?" Ginny ventured.

"What?" Hermione shouted.

Ginny stepped back, her eyebrows raised.

"Sorry," Hermione said. "Your brother makes me crazy."

"Clearly," Ginny replied with a grin. "Still," she said. "Not to say that's he's right, because he isn't, but you know it makes him crazy thinking of you snogging some other bloke. Just say you didn't and be done with it."

Hermione looked up sheepishly. "But I did."

Ginny laughed. "Hermione Granger, you tart."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, it wasn't all that. It was only once and not a proper snog, just a quick kiss really. He was very tall, and lanky, and he had red hair."

Ginny laughed. "Well, no one can say you don't have a type."

Hermione shrugged. "He did rather remind me of Ron, except that all he talked about was American football, which I must say, I really couldn't follow, and whenever we talked about school, I had to keep making things up. I'm afraid it turned out rather muddled. He probably thinks English schools are quite mad."

Ginny picked up her towel from the dock and started drying off. "So what do you want to do? It's so hot, I hate to go back to the house."

Hermione nodded as she wrapped her own towel around her waist. "It doesn't seem fair leaving them down here to enjoy the water."

Just then, Harry popped up to cling to the side of the dock. "Fancy a swim, Gin?"

Ginny looked at Hermione.

"Go on. I'm just going to read in the shade."

xxx

Ron was standing in the shallow end of the pond by himself. He could see Harry and Ginny swimming and Hermione reading under a big oak tree. He was furious, furious with Hermione for not telling him she'd dated an American last summer, and furious with himself for getting so angry about it. Why do I care? She's with me now. He sat down in the water and slammed his arms down angrily. The resulting splash covered his head and he spit out water in frustration. He looked across the pond and watched Hermione reading, looking as though she hadn't a care in the world. Finally, he stood and walked until he could swim. He pulled himself up on the dock, grabbed his towel and walked toward Hermione as he dried off. When his shadow fell across her, she looked up.

"I'm a stupid git."

"You're not stupid." She looked back down at her book.

"I'm sorry for saying that American bloke was a filthy Muggle. You know I don't have anything against Muggles."

"I certainly hope not, considering I'm Muggle-born."

Ron ran his fingers through his wet hair and considered his next words carefully. In frustration, he decided to throw caution to the wind and tell the truth. "I can't help it. I can't stand the idea of you dating some American Muggle when we haven't even had a proper snog in a week."

Hermione blushed. "Ron," she hissed. "We can't, not after what happened."

Ron dropped down on the blanket beside her. "I don't care about that. I can't stand it anymore."

Hermione blanched and set down her book. "What are you saying?"

Ron suddenly realized how he sounded. "Not...I just…I miss you." He trailed his fingers along her arm, and to his delight, saw her flesh goose pimple despite the heat.

"We weren't dating, not really," Hermione said softly.

"What's that mean?"

"We only went out a couple of times. I did it to appease my parents. He was visiting from America where he lives with his mum. His dad lives in London and works with my parents."

"Oh, so you didn't—"

"Please don't think another thing about it."

"It's forgotten," Ron said and leaned in for a kiss but Hermione pulled her head back.

"Ron, we're out in the open. Harry and Ginny are just over there."

"So, it's safe, yeah? How much can we do out here?" He looked over his shoulder at Harry and Ginny. He couldn't see below the water but they seemed pretty cozy. "Besides," he said. "Like they'd notice."

Hermione looked over his shoulder at Harry and Ginny. "I see your point."

This time, he cupped her face in his hands so she couldn't back away. Kissing her was lovely. All the frustration of the week seemed to seep away from him along with all of his insecurities about the American, McClaggen, Krum, or any other bloke he'd ever caught looking at her. Her mouth was amazing he decided. Really, it ranked right up there with her mind and her hair for the Amazing-things-about-Hermione list he kept in his head. But as she settled back against the blanket and pressed his chest against hers, he felt her breasts move to the top of the list. He struggled not to let his hands wander, which turned out to be a smart plan as he heard his mother calling "lunch" as she walked down the path to the pond. Ron rolled off Hermione and glanced down at his own rather obvious state of affairs.

"I'm jumping in for a swim."

Hermione followed his eyes. "It must be so embarrassing to be a boy."

"You've no idea," Ron grumbled and walked over to the dock where he dove into the water just as his mother came into the clearing with a tray of drinks and sandwiches.

Hermione noticed that Harry and Ginny had separated but that Harry stayed in the water and that he and Ron were now splashing and pushing each other. Ginny waggled her eyebrows and grinned at Hermione when she came out of the water, wrapping her towel around her waist as she headed for the sandwiches.

"Oh, it's lovely down here in the shade," Mrs. Weasley commented.

"You should have a swim, Mum." Ginny said, pulling a ham sandwich from the stack.

Ron and Harry looked up.

"Oh, no, much too much work to do for the Order. Meeting tonight, you know?"

"Do you need any help, Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione asked reaching for a glass of pumpkin juice.

"You're sweet to ask, but no. You lot enjoy the day. Mind you bring the tray back to the house when you're done. Ginny you need to do another protection charm, you're going a bit pink, dear. Remind Ron as well."

Mrs. Weasley walked back to the house and Ginny found her wand over by the blanket and performed the charm to protect her fair skin from the sun. "I hate this bloody charm," she grumbled, "I wish I tanned like you."

Hermione shrugged. "Actually, I was just thinking I should learn the charm. Tanning's not good for you."

"Neither are loads of freckles and deathly white skin." Ginny countered.

"I'm mad for your freckles," Harry said as he and Ron walked up. "Each and every one of them."

"Please," Ron said. "You'll put me off lunch."

They all laughed as the boys reached for juice and sandwiches. They sat around eating under the shade of the tree for a while before Harry asked Ginny if she fancied a walk. The two pulled on their trainers and headed along the path. Ron was torn between wondering what those two were up to and being happy to have Hermione to himself.

"I'm glad we have some time alone," Hermione said.

Ron grinned. Yes, he thought.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh," he said, the grin fading.

"I don't know what's going to happen once we start the search for the Horcruxes in earnest."

Ron sighed, wishing she weren't so anxious about that. "I know, I don't either but there's no sense—"

"Let me finish, please, this isn't easy."

Ron sat back. Hermione bit her lower lip. She was very sexy when she did that, but he cautioned himself to pay attention. The way she was worrying her fingers told him she was serious and he needed to listen.

"I want to see my parents, once more before we start, and I'd like you to come with me."

Ron's eyebrows shot up. He hadn't been expecting this. "When were you thinking?"

"This weekend. I could owl them and see if we could come Friday and stay through Sunday."

"I don't know, Hermione."

"I really need to see them, Ron. I don't know when I'll have another opportunity, and well, I thought it would be nice if they got to know you a bit."

"But they'll think I'm rubbish," Ron said. "I don't know anything about the Muggle world. I've never used eckletricity and I've only ever used that telethingy once and that was rot. I'll make a right fool of myself and Dad says eckletricity can kill you if you do it wrong."

Hermione smiled. "I'm not going to let the electricity kill you. It's not as dangerous as all that. I just…" she touched his hand and intertwined her fingers with his "I really need to do this."

Her touch was all it took. "Let's go ask Mum then, if she's for it, we'll send the owl."