Summer Days
By Wicked Dreamz
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, and anything related. I own only the plot idea, so do not steal from me or JK Rowling!
The temperature had reached just over ninety-six degrees. To Hermione that had to be against the law... or something of the sort.
"RON!" she cried.
The boy had yet again tried to spill a bucket of cold water over her, but she had moved just in time ("Thank god!") so that the water had soaked up the grass on which Hermione had been sitting.
On a very sunny day in mid July, the temperatures had "gotten out of hand" as so many news reporters had said. To stay inside was a crime, but staying outside was murder. People were sitting in their yards, drinking cold drinks, praying for the weather to have mercy on them and cool down, but to no avail. Town swimming pools were jam-packed full of people who were trying to cool off. Britain had not been this hot since the drought in Surrey six years ago.
Even the ice cream man was complaining that the weather was melting his sundae cones. Hermione's edition of Witch Weekly sported a witch in a green polka dotted bikini, wearing a sun hat and glasses, the headlines reading, "Cool off, with the wizarding world's latest fashions!"
Hermione had been sitting on the ground under a beach tree, in her "tiny" blue bikini as Ron had called it, reading a very interesting book. But now, she couldn't even do that, for the ground was sopping wet. She grumbled, then took up her sun hat, glasses and book and walked over to a lounge chair.
"You're despicable, Ron," she groaned.
Ron just laughed from his spot by the beach tree. "Got you up and around, didn't I?"
Hermione rolled her eyes crankily.
"Whatever," she muttered hopelessly.
"What did you do now, Ron?" The voice of 21-year-old Harry Potter sounded amused as he walked out.
A bare-chested Harry, carrying two ("Wait a minute... why only two?") glasses of cold... very cold... soda, was almost too much to bare coupled with ninety-six degree heat.
He stopped above Hermione on her lawn chair. She looked up at him, trying to seem nonchalant, and failing very miserably.
"Here, this'll help," he said, handing her a glass.
He sat on the edge of Hermione's chair.
"Thanks," she said, gulping down her soda as fast as she could without permanently damaging her brain.
"I'm off, then," said Ron.
"Where are you going?" Hermione asked, though inside she was very glad.
"Home. I'll see you tomorrow!"
The CRACK! Of Disapparition signaled Ron Weasley's departure.
"I seriously doubt he's going home," muttered Harry.
He laid backward, resting his head on Hermione's stomach.
"Off! It's too hot, Harry!" cried Hermione. "And your perfectly black hair doesn't help either!"
"Someone's cranky," grumbled Harry. He sat up, looking very dejected... in a very cute way.
"You would be too if your perfect spot to cool off was soaking wet!" said Hermione, indignantly.
"Come on Herms, lighten up," said Harry.
A sudden memory hit Hermione. It was one of their last day of school, when Harry had said those exact words to her. She'd not thought much of then, but now, looking back on it, she realized that they were the words that had started this emotional roller coaster for her.
"I can't believe I actually made it to this day alive... or even with all of my limbs," said Harry looking up at the skyward castle fondly.
"Don't talk like that, Harry," Hermione admonished.
"Oh, come on Herms, lighten up!" said Harry. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked back down at Hermione. "I wanna do something crazy today!"
"Like...?" Hermione asked.
"I have no idea whatsoever," said Harry.
"That's a good place to start," Hermione said with dry sarcasm.
"Oh come off it, Herms. I didn't mean life-threatening!"
"Then what did you —" She was cut off by ("Is he actually — no, he can't be!") Harry's lips on her own.
One of his lean arms wound its way around her waist, bringing her involuntarily closer to him.
Harry pulled away. "I meant something like that."
"Oh... Harry! You're my best friend! You're... not supposed to —"
"Lighten up, Herms," he repeated, once again successfully cutting her off.
Harry did nothing to move himself away from her, but instead said in a low voice,
"That bikini, babe, is really small," which brought Hermione out of her reverie.
Hermione felt the heat rise in her cheeks, not from the heat, rather from embarrassment. She stood up, claiming she wanted to go inside, but Harry took her seat on the lounge chair and pulled her down between his legs and against his chest. Ironically, Harry was like an icebox.
"How are you so cold?" Hermione said after she got over her initial shock. She shivered at the feel of his cold arms around her abdomen. They sat in comfortable silence for a minute, until Hermione brought up the subject of her reverie. "I was just thinking..."
"You were thinking...?"
"I was thinking..."
"What were you thinking?"
"About the last day of seventh year, back in school," she said, biting her bottom lip to keep from grinning.
"I think I know where this is headed," Harry said, also failing to suppress a smile.
"Do you?" she asked.
"I do."
Hermione unraveled his arms and turned around in his embrace. She put her palms flat against his chest and pushed him back into the seat.
"So what were you thinking about the last day of seventh year four years ago?" Harry asked her innocently.
"Look, Potter," she began nervously. She'd wanted to say this forever and now that the thought had come up, she was going to come right out and say it. Any minute now. Right out and say it. "I've had a crush on you since the moment your lips touched mine, and I don't care whether or not you like me back, but I am a single twenty-year-old woman who I'd like to think can get any man I want. I want you." She finished her mini-speech by leaning forward and planting a peck on his lips.
"Hot days can do crazy things to you, and this is probably the craziest thing I've ever done in my entire life," Harry started, a tad bit stunned, "but I think I like you too, Herms. I'd really like it if you and I could start something."
Hermione could have screamed, she was so excited. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed him again. Who knew that a hot summer day could turn out to be so wonderful?