[Fic]: Harry Potter and the Summer of the Bundling Charm, part 4 (complete)
Harry Potter and the Summer of the Bundling Charm, part 4
A Harry Potter fanfic
By Andrew yclept Aelfwine
Rating: PG. 9400 words
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The characters and situations of the Harry Potter series are copyright J.K. Rowling. They may not be used or reproduced commercially without permission. The use of these characters and situations is not to be construed as challenge to said copyright. They are merely borrowed for this work of non-commercial fanfiction, from which the author derives no financial benefit.
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Harry Potter and the Summer of the Bundling Charm, part 1
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The tension between Mr. and Mrs. Weasley was still palpable during dinner. As soon as they'd helped clear the table, Harry and Hermione and Ginny made their escape across the farmyard to the barn. On the way, Ginny took an old blanket from the hall closet.
Up in the loft, they took off their shoes and made a little nest with their blanket in the loose hay. They snuggled together with Ginny in the middle, on her back. "I'm all right, loves," she whispered. "I don't have to be..."
"But we'd like you to be," Harry whispered back. She snuggled closer, and nuzzled his cheek.
"Yes," Hermione murmured. Ginny nuzzled her cheek as well. Harry took off his glasses and leant forward, so the threesome could rub noses, all together at once.
There was a sweet silence, and Harry wondered if the girls had fallen asleep. Then Hermione said softly "Ginny? Could... could we rub your back?"
"Hmm...?"
"I mean with your dress on, of course. But... your shoulders felt so tense, earlier today. I'd think they'd still be hurting. I... you don't have to, if you'd rather not."
"Oh, Hermione. Of course. If you'd like to. If you don't mind. Would you, Harry?"
"I'd love to. I'm afraid I'll not know what I'm doing, but if Hermione thinks she can teach me--"
"Oh, Harry. I'm sure you'll be fine at it. So... shall we?" They sat up.
It was an hour or two until sunset. The light in the loft was perfect. That was the only way Harry could think to describe it. It came through the little unglazed windows under the eaves, and made the girls' skin and hair glow.
"All right, Ginny," Hermione said, "if you'll lie down on your belly, we'll get started."
"Promise me I'll get a chance to do for you and Harry?"
"Of course you will," Harry said. "But it's your turn first. After all, we made you worry by getting out the Floo at the wrong grate, didn't we?"
"Mm, okay." Ginny laid down, and Harry and Hermione faced each other over her back.
Hermione got to her knees, and Harry copied her. They shared a smile. Hermione brushed Ginny's ponytail off her shoulders. Her fingers looked so nice on the nape of Ginny's neck. Harry laid his hand next to hers, and they twined together for an instant, stroking. "All right, Harry, we'll start like this. Just gently knead her muscles with your fingers... see how I'm doing it? How's that, Ginny?"
"'S wonderful."
"And now we work down her spine, all the way down to her waist. Is that all right, Ginny? It's not... too much?"
"Of course not, loves. It's nice."
"And now back up again."
"Mm... you're spoiling me."
"It's nothing less than what you deserve. And now, Harry, we'll rub along her shoulders... just follow the muscles, see?"
"Okay. Is that good, Ginny? I'm not hurting you?"
"Yes. You... you could even press a little harder, Harry. If you'd like to."
"If that's what you'd like."
"Mm, please... Yes, that's it. You're both so good to me."
"No better than you are to us," Hermione said.
They rubbed Ginny's back for a few more minutes. At last, she murmured "I wish I were a cat, so I could purrrrrrr." Hermione giggled. Harry was almost overwhelmed with love for the girls, so much that it was a moment before he could laugh. "So now," Ginny said, "before I fall asleep, it's your turn. Who's first?"
Harry knew instantly who it should be. "Hermione."
"Are you sure, Harry?"
"Of course I am."
"Mm, I want to do it to both of you, of course," Ginny said, rolling over and sitting up, "but you're the one who's teaching us how to do it. I think you should get the benefits of your instruction."
"Well, if you insist..."
"We do," Harry said.
"And if we run out of time now," Ginny added, "we could always rub Harry's back tonight before we go to sleep."
It was clear that Hermione understood there was nothing else to be said. They paused for a swift three way hug and exchange of cheek kisses before she laid herself down between Harry and Ginny.
"So," Ginny said, "we'll just do what you and Harry did to me, all right?"
"That sounds wonderful," Hermione said. "You know... it was so much fun, doing that to you. I've always wanted to have a friend I could give back rubs to."
"Well, now you have two. So, Harry, let's start with her shoulders, just like you two did with me. Okay?"
Several minutes later, Hermione was sprawled contentedly on the blanket. Ginny looked down at her, looked up at Harry, and grinned. "Doesn't she look pretty like that?"
"Yes, but doesn't she always look pretty? I mean, she is one of the two prettiest girls on the planet..."
"Come you down here, Harry," Hermione murmured. "Boys who say things like that deserve to have their backs rubbed."
"Yes. Before Mum sends my stupid brother out to tell us we should be going to bed."
Having his back rubbed felt almost as nice as rubbing the girls' backs. Harry found himself relaxing, almost to the point of falling asleep. It mightn't be bad to sleep out here. Then again, anywhere he could sleep with Hermione and Ginny would be fine with him.
"That good, Harry?" Hermione whispered.
"Yes, love. Thanks. Thank you both." He rolled onto his back, and the girls laid themselves down on either side of him and snuggled close. The scent of hay mingled with the scent of Hermione and Ginny in a way that he knew he would love for the rest of his life.
"Oi! Harry! Hermione! Ginny! Mum says it's time for bed!"
"Curse you, Ron," Ginny muttered.
"Well, it could've been the Twins," Harry said. "Would that be worse?"
"They'd probably bring Dad's old camera and take a picture of us," Ginny said. "So, yes, it likely would be."
"What's so bad about that? It might be nice to have a picture of us that didn't have Gilderoy Fakehart in."
"Hermione, they'd probably hang it up in the Common Room," Harry said. "Not that I'm embarrassed to be seen with the two of you, but..."
"Yes," Hermione said. "If all the girls knew how sweet you are, we'd have Parvati and Lavender wanting to come to bed with us as well."
"No, thanks," Harry said. "The two of you, that's all the girls I want to sleep with." He didn't quite understand why that made Ginny and Hermione hug him so hard, but he liked it that they did.
"Would you please come down? Mum says we can have biscuits before bed, but not until everyone's in the kitchen."
Ginny cupped her hands round her mouth. "All right, Ron, we'll be there in a minute."
"Just don't take all night, please?"
"Of course we'll not take all night, Ron." She giggled. "At least I don't think we will."
"Wait... you're not doing something... sappy or something, are you?"
"What did you think we'd be doing, Ron?" Hermione said.
"I don't know. More than that, I don't want to know. So don't tell me about it, okay?"
Laughing, the threesome gave each other a final squeeze before getting up and folding the blanket.
#
The next day was bright and sunny and warm. Ginny woke up happy, snuggled in Harry's arms, holding Hermione's hand against her heart. She still had both of her best friends in her bed, and she would be able to sleep with them every night until they went to Hogwarts. Once her mum woke them, they sat up together, the bedclothes still partly wrapped about them. "So, what will we do today?" she whispered.
"The same thing we do every day, darling," Hermione said. "Hug Harry." She did, and Ginny joined them.
"And try not to get roped into playing chess with my brother again. Can't forget that one, can we?"
"Good point. But he is the brother of one of the two most wonderful girls on the planet, so I suppose I can give him one game in thanks for that."
"You're too good to me," Ginny said softly, and kissed Harry's cheek. As always, he kissed hers, and she kissed Hermione's. This time they did it at almost the same moment, and Ginny felt a little thrill run through her whole body at the simultaneous contact, just as she did an instant later when Hermione kissed her own cheek even as Harry kissed Hermione's.
Hearing more stirring, they got out of bed and stretched. "I suppose I'd better take my clothes and go get changed in the bathroom."
"Yes. I suppose you had better, Harry."
When he left, Ginny turned to Hermione. "I really do wish he could change here. It's not as if there's not a Bundling Charm, right? And we could just turn our backs. We'd not peek, would we? And neither would Harry."
Hermione sighed. "I know. And I know that you know, and Harry knows. But I suppose we do have to make sure everything we do is completely proper. For now."
Ginny went to the window and peered out. "It's such a nice day. So warm. Do you think Mum would cast a Bundling Charm on the riverbank so the three of us could go and have a bathe together?"
Hermione laughed. "Oh, that would be so lovely. I... I have to admit I've never actually gone for a bathe without any clothes on, at least not since I was very small. I'd be kind of nervous, I think. But I wouldn't mind trying it with you. And with Harry, if only it were all right for us to do it. I mean, I know it would be all right, and you know, and I'm sure Harry does, but if only other people would understand it was all right as well."
"Yes. We'd not have to worry about Ron bothering us there. When Luna and I were maybe seven or eight, and Mum told him that we were going for a bathe with Luna's cousin Clara, who was in Bill's year at Hogwarts, and said that he should stay away from the river and not bother us, he asked why. And when she said we'd not have any clothes on, he said she didn't have to worry, cos he'd not go within ten miles of any naked girls, most especially Luna and me, not even if it meant the Cannons would win the league. I nearly reminded him that I would be naked in the house every time I took a bath or changed my clothes, just to see if it would make him try running away to Timbuktu or China or somewhere like that."
It was almost a full minute before Hermione could stop laughing. "Ah, that's hilarious, love. But I would like to. If only she could cast a Bundling Charm out there... somehow it just sounds really nice, doesn't it?"
"I wish we could as well. I hope that's not strange or something."
"Of course not, Ginny. But, well, although it's not as nice as a Bundling Charm, my mum gave me a couple of swimming costumes for us. And one for Harry. And another for Ron, so he can go as well, at least if he wants to go."
"Oh, Hermione! Really? Thank you! I hope... I mean, that must be awfully expensive."
"They're not so expensive. There are lots more people in the Muggle world, and millions of them all want swimming costumes, and they've no magic to repair them with, which means most of them have to buy a new one, or maybe even two, every year, especially if they're our age and still growing, and because of that the factories make lots and lots of them. And your family are putting me up for the whole summer. Mum and Dad thought that would be a nice gift from them, just to say thank you."
"Oh, Hermione! Thank you! I love you! I mean, I really like you so so so very much!" She glomped onto her friend.
Hermione hugged her, just as tightly. "I love you as well, Ginny. I mean, I really like you as well, Ginny. So so so very much."
They stood like that for Ginny wasn't even sure how long. At last, Hermione whispered "We'd really better get changed, or Harry might walk in on us before we're done. We don't want to embarrass him, do we?"
"No. After all, one of my brothers might be walking past, and none of them would understand if they saw Harry coming in here and we weren't dressed."
"Yes."
The girls quickly stripped out of their pyjamas and threw on the nearest clothes. When Ginny turned round again, Hermione was smiling brightly, and pulled her into another hug. "Ginny, love, you look wonderful, but you might want to change your shirt. Somehow you've got on the top to Harry's pyjamas."
She looked down at herself. "Oh. I'm sorry. That's very silly of me."
"Don't be sorry. It looks really nice on you." Hermione held her at arm's length for an instant, then hugged her again. "I wish we could both wear Harry's shirts, sometimes. It just sounds really nice, doesn't it?"
"Yes." It felt so nice to hug Hermione. All she wanted to do was wait for Harry to come back and hug them both. For some reason she couldn't begin to articulate, Ginny desperately wished that Harry could see her wearing his shirt. "Well, I suppose I'd better change."
"Yes." Hermione sounded just as disappointed as Ginny felt. "You know... sometime, maybe we might just both put on shirts of Harry's and, well, let him see us in them. If you think it's all right..."
"I'd like that."
Hermione smiled brightly. "In that case, we'll definitely have to do it."
Ginny liked that the other girl was turned towards her as she changed her shirt, talking as casually as if she'd been tying her shoes. I think this might be the kind of thing that sisters do. And it must be just fine that she can see me taking my shirt off and putting another one on again, because the Bundling Charm would stop her if it was naughty, right? That's good, because I like it that she doesn't mind seeing me without a top on.
When Ginny was fully clothed again, the girls hugged. They were still hugging when Harry came in the room and joined in the clinch. And we didn't even have to ask him to hug us! Ginny thought as she and Hermione drew their boy into the embrace.
#
After breakfast, Ginny asked her mother if they could go for a bathe. "The gnomes have been at the carrots again, so I'd be grateful if you'd give the garden a good de-gnoming first, but after that you're very welcome to."
Ron looked delighted. "Want to go for a fly whilst the girls are bathing, Harry? We can go on the opposite side of the house from the river, out over the paddock and the wood, so we don't risk seeing anything that would give us nightmares." Mrs. Weasley had turned her back on them, so Ginny gave him the two-fingered salute. He grinned at her and stuck out his tongue.
"Thanks, Ron, but I was planning on going bathing with them. Maybe we could go flying later on?"
"Ha ha, Harry, very funny. And I suppose when we go back to Hogwarts you'll be taking your showers with them as well?"
Ginny scowled at him. "Harry needs somebody to teach him how to swim, and I don't see anybody else stepping up. Hermione and I will be happy to do the job."
"Go on, Gin. This joke wasn't funny in the first place, and now it's getting really stupid."
"We're not joking, Ronald."
"Mum! Did you hear that? I can't believe you're really going to let Ginny and Hermione drag Harry off to go bathing. Boys and girls aren't meant to go running about in front of each other without any clothes on, right?"
Ginny shook her head. "Hermione's mother gave us swimming costumes. There's even one for you, if you'd like to go along."
"Swimming costumes? Why would anybody wear a costume to swim in? It sounds like something you've just made up as a joke, like shoes for snakes or a wind-up broomstick. And it's bad enough that you're trying to drag Harry into this, Gin. You're not going to get me involved as well."
Mrs. Weasley turned away from the sink. "Don't be rude, Ronald. The Muggles make clothes for people to wear when they're bathing, so that boys and girls can share the same pond or stream or spot at the seaside at the same time. I think it's a very good idea, actually. It would have been nice if your father and I could have gone for a bathe together when we were still at school, instead of having to wait until we were married. Well, at least until we were almost married."
Ron turned pink and hid his face. Mrs. Weasley winked at Harry and the girls. I think I'm starting to realise where our Ginny got her sense of humour from, Harry thought.
"You believe them, Mum? Surely this is just some weird thing Hermione and Ginny made up to drag Harry into doing more weird girly things with them."
"Lydia--that is, Mrs. Granger--showed me the costumes. They're perfectly decent. Not appropriate for shopping in Diagon Alley, I suppose, or in a Muggle high street, for that matter, although I do remember my Auntie Imogene's neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Albinthorpe, showing up wearing nothing but loincloths at the World Cup when I was a girl, because everyone was meant to dress Muggle and they'd once been to some place overseas where that was all the Muggles wore, but in this case everything's covered that needs to be. She gave us one for you as well, if you'd like to spend time with your sister and your two best friends."
"No thanks. Well, good luck, Harry. I'd rather clean the chicken coop." Ron didn't quite stomp away.
Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Well, at least he'll get something helpful done."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. We'll put on our costumes under our clothes and go out to de-gnome, if that's all right?"
"Of course it is, Hermione. Have a wonderful time."
#
The Muggle swimming costume wasn't quite like anything Ginny had ever worn before. It was almost as if someone had sewn a pair of knickers and some sort of a singlet together, except that it had obviously been made in one piece, all of it, even the straps that would go over her shoulders. “Mum thought that shade of green would look nice with your hair and freckles,” Hermione said. “I hope you like it?”
“It's wonderful! Thank you! It's really so nice of her to think about that. Could I send her a note when you write to her?” Hermione's costume was a soft amber shade, a bit lighter than her hair, and Ginny could see it would look very nice on her as well. Harry's shorts--trunks, that was what they were called--were a plain blue, the sort of thing a boy would feel comfortable with, she supposed. He certainly looked pleased with them.
"Wow. Thank you so much, Hermione! I've never had a pair of these that hadn't been Dudley's first. Could I send your mum a note as well?"
Hermione hugged them both. "Of course you may! And thank you, both of you."
"Well, I suppose I'd better go in the bathroom and change, so you girls can do the same."
Ginny sighed. "I suppose you had better."
"Yes." They squeezed each other one more time, and Harry took his trunks and went across the hall.
Ginny wished he didn't have to go, but at the same time she was a bit grateful to have a moment of privacy to ask Hermione a question. "Umm... I'm sorry to sound so thick, but... am I meant to wear underwear under this?"
Hermione hugged her. "Of course you don't sound thick, love. You're our Ginny, and you've never worn a swimming costume before. And no, you're not meant to. There's a lining, and that takes the place of a pair of knickers, more or less."
"Okay." Ginny had a little hint of that strange tingly feeling again. She still wasn't sure if it was really uncomfortable or really nice. Or maybe it was both?
"You can actually wear a swimming costume instead of underwear, if you're out of clean knickers. I've done that, once or twice."
"Oh. Umm... does Harry's costume have...?"
"His one fits looser than ours, but there's something sort of like underpants built into it."
"Right. Well, we should change, shouldn't we?"
"Yes."
The girls turned their backs on each other, and Ginny stripped off, hearing Hermione doing likewise behind her. She was down to her knickers. And then she was wearing nothing at all. She stretched, feeling more than hearing that Hermione did likewise. Reminding herself that she needed to get changed before Harry came back, she reached over, picked up her swimming costume from the bed, and slipped her legs through the holes, first one foot, then the other. She pulled it up around her waist, and then pulled the straps up over her shoulders. "Oh, wait, this can't be right... it's not really covering my front from a few inches above my belly button on up. Not that I've got anything up there to speak of, of course, but does that mean I've got it on wrong?"
"Yes, love. It goes the other way round. Err... do you want me to help you?"
For an instant, Ginny wanted just that. But even as she thought about it, she noticed that there was a lark singing outside. It was a beautiful sound... she should go to the window to listen, and bring her Hermione with her. But wait--she needed to finish getting dressed first, didn't she? "That's all right, love. I think I can get it right now."
She stripped off again, turned the costume round, and got it on. When she turned round, Hermione was wearing her own swimming costume as well.
The older girl was smiling brightly. "You look wonderful, love."
"So do you." They hugged.
"Mm, this is nice, but I think we should put the rest of our clothes back on. I'd expect Harry should be nearly ready by now."
As if he had somehow heard what Hermione said, Harry knocked at the door at just about the same time as Ginny had finished tying the laces of her trainers. "No rush, but I'm ready whenever you two are."
Hermione opened the door. "We're ready. Aren't we, Ginny?"
"I am, loves." The three exchanged a swift hug before going down the stairs and out to the garden.
#
Hermione was quietly delighted as she made her way down the stairs. She was with her very best friends, and after a bit of gnome-throwing she and Ginny were going to start teaching Harry to swim. Even if that hadn't meant they'd all be undressed down to a single garment each, she'd have been looking forward to it. After all, it was just the sort of nice, friendly thing she'd always dreamt of doing with someone. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that she'd always dreamt of having someone who'd do such things with her?
In any case, it was the stuff of dreams. She'd had fantasies of spending long, lazy summer days with Harry ever since they first became friends, and adding their Ginny into the mix had only added another way in which the reality was far better than any fantasy.
Ginny looked adorab... very nice in her green swimming costume. Her hips were definitely beginning to swell a bit, and Hermione had the feeling that in as few as three or four years it might be hard for anyone who didn't actually know to say which of them was the older one. That made her happy. It would be nice to not have anyone thinking of Ginny as their surrogate younger sister who was only tagging along, but as simply Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's very best and dearest friend.
Hermione and Harry already knew that, of course, and so did Ginny, but Hermione liked the idea of everyone else knowing it as well. Ron might have trouble getting the fact through his head, but that was just how Ron was about things. The Twins seemed to understand it, and even Percy showed signs of comprehension, although it was always hard to tell with him as he seemed to be spending most of his time either writing letters or reading the sort of books about political and legal history that even Hermione found dry. She thought she'd seen him talking rather often with Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw girls' prefect for his year, and she wondered if he was writing to her.
That said, Hermione had also heard Padma and Parvati giggling together about how much time Penelope spent with Audrey Smythe, the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch side, but Hermione didn't see why that would stop Percy and Penelope being close to each other. She'd seen Percy and Audrey working together in the library, even when Penelope wasn't with them. They might all three of them be very good friends, much as Harry and Hermione and Ginny were.
If they were, she was very happy for them.
#
Even the garden gnomes seemed to be enjoying the nice warm day. A dozen or so of the ugly little potato-looking creatures were sunning themselves when the threesome stepped out into the garden.
"The sooner we're done chucking this lot, the sooner we can bathe! Let's get them!" Ginny shouted happily as she seized the first one she came to, swung it three times round her head, and launched it over the hedge.
Harry had to pause for a moment and marvel at her. She'd been so painfully shy that first day he met her, squeaking and hiding and not meeting his eyes. It was amazing how much difference getting to know somebody could make in how one saw them. He wondered if he and Hermione would have become good friends with Ginny so quickly if it hadn't been for the Bundling Charm, or if it would have taken months of being at Hogwarts together for Ginny to become comfortable enough to really get to know them. Well, it didn't matter. What counted was that the three of them were the best of friends. Even without the Charm, he felt certain that they would have become this way in time.
He looked over at Hermione, who seemed to be caught up in marvelling at Ginny as well. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other. "Come on, love," she said, "let's join our Ginny."
"Let's." He grabbed a gnome, whirled it in a circle through the air to disorientate it properly, and then bowled it like a cricket ball. Might as well get a bit of use out of all the misery I had to go through in games at St. Grogory's School. He laughed at the absurdity of it.
Hermione looked away from the gnome she was about to throw. "What's funny, love?"
"I was just thinking about how good I actually had to become at cricket in order to make sure I wasn't playing better than a miserable git like my cousin. That's called irony, isn't it?"
Hermione giggled. "It is! And that's pretty fun--ow!" The garden gnome in her hand had bitten her. She dropped it and clutched her wrist.
Harry wanted to destroy the gnome, to obliterate it, to wipe it off the face of the Earth. Nothing and no one was allowed to harm his girls. If he'd had a wand, he was sure he would've been able to cast some ferocious combat spell without even needing to have it taught him. As it was, he'd have to use his hands and feet, which just meant the job would take longer.
But before he could move to carry out his will, Ginny, who was a little closer to Hermione, snatched the beast by the back of the neck and shook it so hard that he wondered if it might fall into pieces on the spot. "You bit of rubbish, you worthless vermin, you hateful little bastard, I'll show you what happens to gnomes that hurt our Hermione." That was just as good
as punishing the gnome himself.
"It's all right, loves. I'm not even bleeding, really. It only surprised me, that's all. See?" Hermione held up her hand. There were teeth-marks on her wrist, it was true, but the skin wasn't broken. "Please don't kill it, darling."
"All right, love, if you'd prefer it that way. But I hope you don't mind if I teach it a lesson?"
Hermione nodded. "Go ahead, love."
Ginny tossed the stunned gnome in the air and caught it. Then she spun in a circle and hurled it into the orchard. Harry couldn't help wincing at the sound of the gnome's lumpy body impacting a tree trunk at high speed. Not that he minded the creature that had bitten Hermione getting hurt, but the sound was much like that of a Bludger hitting somebody during a Quidditch match against Slytherin. "Um... I'm sorry if that was too violent, Hermione."
"No, it's fine. I know they can survive being flung into a tree. Thank you, love. Thank you for caring about me."
Ginny hugged Hermione, and Harry hugged both girls. "Should we get some salve to put on it, Hermione, or ask Mum to cast a charm on it? Even if it doesn't break the skin, a gnome bite still hurts."
"It's all right, love. I'll be fine. No need for any of your mother's potions or healing charms."
"Should I kiss it, to make it better?" Ginny's voice was no more than a murmur, and Harry wondered if she was actually conscious of the fact that she was speaking out loud. She blushed, as if she'd realised they could hear her.
"Oh, that would be nice... I mean, of course you may, love."
Softly, slowly, Ginny took a grip of Hermione's hand and raised the other girl's wrist to her lips. She planted a light kiss on the marks. Harry's breath caught in his throat.
"Thank you." They were alone, but Hermione whispered the words as if they'd been in a crowded room and trying not to draw attention to themselves.
"May I?" He was whispering, himself. It seemed appropriate, somehow.
"If... if you'd like to, love."
"Of course I would." He wasn't sure what the right word was for the little thrill that ran through him at kissing the same spot on Hermione's skin that their Ginny had just kissed, or if there even was a word, but he knew it had something to do with how happy he was, with how happy they all were, and that was all that mattered.
They held each other for a few more minutes. At last, Hermione stirred, and shook herself slightly, not as if she wanted to be separated from her friends' embrace but as if she were trying to wake herself, and them. "Well, I suppose we should finish with the de-gnoming so we can bathe, shouldn't we, loves?"
They kissed each others' cheeks, let go, and went back to work. There was something really enjoyable about de-gnoming with the girls, beyond the simple pleasures of being with his best friends and doing a simple chore that was half a game and didn't carry any threat of punishment if he didn't do it to his relatives' satisfaction. It was nice to watch as they picked up the gnomes and threw them. Ginny was graceful, which was natural as she'd been doing it all her life. Hermione was a bit less comfortable with it, but she seemed to be getting more and more practised at the business of making gnomes dizzy and throwing them out of the garden. It was nice to watch her quiet pleasure in her own improvement. And it was nice to see the gentle smile on her face as she watched him and Ginny. For that matter, it was nice to see Ginny's smile as she watched him and Hermione.
He checked the gnome holes. There weren't any more of them coming out. "I think that's the last of them, loves."
Hermione scrunched up her nose, the way she sometimes did when she was thinking. "I do wonder why they always come out to see what's going on whenever we're de-gnoming. You'd think they'd realise we're throwing them out of the garden, and learn to hide in their holes when they hear the commotion."
Harry shrugged. "Ron says they're, and I quote, 'dumber than potatoes'."
"Then again, my brother hasn't much right to talk." Ginny laced her fingers with his and reached out with her other hand to take Hermione's arm. "Luna thinks they actually like being shaken up and thrown, and her dad says they're using us to help them do some sort of vast species-wide magical ritual that we'll never understand."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's really interesting. Gnomes don't seem very likely to be that way, but I have to admit I'd never thought about whether other sorts of creatures than the ones we recognise as being people, like Goblins and humans and Veelas and centaurs and so on, might do actual, systematic magic."
"Well, Mister Lovegood's kind of, well, he thinks of things nobody else ever would imagine, except maybe for Luna. I suppose it could be, but I don't know if the gnomes are really that... maybe not smart, but organised. Anyhow, Dad thinks none of them can bear the thought of anyone else getting to see something interesting and them missing it themselves. Mum thinks that they're just clever enough to realise that as long as we can catch them and throw them we'll feel as if we're doing something, and that way we'll not get a Jarvey or a Crup and deal with them decisively."
There had been a time when Harry wouldn't have asked, but the girls had a way of never making him feel stupid when he admitted he didn't know something already. "What are those?"
"A Jarvey's sort of like a ferret, only they're bigger and they talk. Not that what they say makes any sense--it's sort of random insults, mostly. Aunt Muriel's got one called Polly, and she once called Ron and me 'Ungrateful badly-bred half-savage blackguards,' but every other Jarvey I've ever seen just swore."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Do you think your aunt taught her that?"
"Could be. Or maybe she just knows that Aunt Muriel would make her into soup if she heard any swears out of her. Which might mean they understand what they're saying, after all. Or maybe Aunt Muriel just made a lot of Jarvey soup, until she finally found one that didn't know any bad words? I could see her doing that, to be honest."
"I hope not. So, a Crup is sort of like a magical Jack Russell terrier, right? I love Jack Russells. One of my neighbours has one, and my cousin and her friend have three Welsh Corgis, and they're brilliant as well. I've always sort of wanted a dog, but my dad's allergic so we can't. One of my books said that people who're allergic to cats mostly aren't allergic to Kneazles. Do you think it might work that way with Crups?"
Ginny hugged Hermione round the shoulders. "I don't know, love, but I'm afraid... well, I'm told they don't like Muggles, so it might be a problem to have one with your family. I don't know if it's really true, but it's what everyone says."
Harry hugged Hermione from the other side. "Some of my neighbour Mrs. Figg's cats almost seem to think they're dogs. They fetch things for her all the time, and some of them even make noises almost as if they're barking. Maybe you could have a cat that's like them. I know it wouldn't be the same, but..."
"Kneazles can act like that," Ginny said. "I'm told my great grandfather had one that even ran with the hounds. One of our Prewett cousins has a portrait of the two of them. We were visiting them last summer, and Ron wouldn't go near it. He said Scabbers was terrified."
Harry couldn't help but laugh, especially given that Ginny and Hermione were laughing as well. "Ron thinks Scabbers can't tell the difference between a portrait and a real live cat?"
"I don't think even Scabbers is that stupid, but Ron can be a bit... overprotective? He'd throw a fit if any of us got one, but I think it would be neat to have a cat."
Hermione turned her head so the girls were almost nose to nose. "I've thought about getting a kitten next year. If I do, you can share him or her with me. And you can as well, of course, Harry."
"And we'll all share Hedwig. Or maybe I should say that we'll all belong to her? I think that's how she looks at it already."
"She and the cat can share custody of us," Hermione said. "She'll take our bacon, and the cat will have all our kippers, and we'll subsist on the eggs and toast and porridge that they leave us."
"I can't imagine a breakfast I'd like better." Harry truly couldn't. A breakfast with his family--Ginny and Hermione, Hedwig and a purring cat--in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, or better yet in a little cottage that would belong just to the three of them, would be perfect. Not that the Burrow wasn't wonderful, but if they had a home of their own he could cook for his girls. He couldn't imagine a better revenge than using the skills he'd learnt at the Dursleys to take care of his best friends. The threesome squeezed each other a little closer, as if the girls were thinking about the same thing.
After a long moment, Ginny stirred. "Well, that's the gnomes done with. Want to go down to the place where Luna and I like to bathe? It's a bend in the river, where the water's nearly still and it's not too deep. It's very private as well."
"I'd love to," Hermione whispered.
"Same here." Harry gave the two witches a final squeeze. They picked up their towels from the doorstep and, hand in hand in hand, went out the garden gate and headed down the path to the riverside.
#
Ginny was trying not to think about what it would actually be like to take her clothes off in front of Harry and Hermione. She knew it wasn't the same thing as if she'd only had underwear on underneath her jeans and t-shirt, of course. The swimming costume counted as actual clothes. She understood that. It covered more of her than her underwear did, and she and Hermione sometimes even talked face to face once they both had that basic layer of clothing on, although of course they went on with putting on the rest of their clothes as they were chatting. But still... it was both a wonderful and a terrifying thing to think about. And there wasn't a Bundling Charm here to distract her from thinking about it.
Maybe it actually would have been better if the solution for the three of them to bathe together had been Mum casting a Bundling Charm on the riverside, instead of Hermione's mum getting them clothes they could bathe in? Ginny didn't know if the walls and ceiling and floor of a room were necessary to anchor the Charm on, or how much space it would cover even if it could be cast out in the open air. But she had noticed that the Charm seemed to take away some of the awkward thoughts along with the naughty ones.
Of course, her mother would never do that. It wouldn't be proper. Snuggling fully clad in their pyjamas was one thing, but two girls and a boy being completely unclothed together was another, even with the Bundling Charm, even if they didn't touch each other. Privately, Ginny knew that they'd not do anything they weren't ready for, and wouldn't have done even without a Bundling Charm. She had a sneaking suspicion that Mum and Dad felt much the same, even if they'd never say it out loud, but it wouldn't look right to other people, especially her brothers.
It was for the same reason that Harry continued to change his clothes in the bathroom. There was no real reason that he couldn't turn his back on Hermione and Ginny and get dressed and undressed just as the girls did when it was just the two of them, but Ron would be horrified, and Percy would think it very improper, and the Twins would never leave off teasing them about it.
Oh well, none of that mattered right now. Ginny and Hermione were going to be teaching their Harry how to swim, and that simple, brilliant, and generally altogether excellent thing made up for all the awkwardness, all the nerves, and everything else. "We're just about there, loves. We'll turn left here, and go down between the trees."
Ginny loved watching their faces, and it was especially nice to see Harry's expression when they'd made their way down the bank to the edge of the river. "This is fabulous! I've only ever seen anything like this in pictures in books, before. Thank you. Thank you so much."
Ginny hugged him, and Hermione embraced him from the other side. She felt her eyes tearing up slightly, and Hermione's looked much the same. The girls rubbed noses, and nuzzled Harry's cheek. "Thank you, Harry. Thank you. And thank you, Hermione."
"Yes. Thank you, Harry. And thank you, Ginny. So... shall we bathe?"
"That sounds good." Harry sounded just as uncertain as Ginny felt. For a moment, Ginny wondered if she and Hermione could take off his shirt for him. And then Ginny and Harry could take off Hermione's, and Hermione and Harry could take off Ginny's. They had swimming costumes on underneath, and the shirts would be coming off in any event, so it would be all right, wouldn't it?
No. That's a little bit too much, right now. Even though it sounds really, really nice. Maybe someday... The threesome gave each other a final squeeze, and turned their backs. "We can hang our clothes on that tree over there, loves. That's what Luna and I usually do." With that said, Ginny slipped her feet our of her trainers. Should she take her shirt off first, or her jeans? She stood frozen for a moment. Was that a rustle as Harry stripped off his shirt, or perhaps it was Hermione?
At last, she reached down and pulled her shirt over her head. You've still got clothes on, silly. Everything that matters is covered up. Harry's the one who doesn't even have a shirt on. And these are your Harry and your Hermione. You're not on a beach somewhere with dozens of strangers, the way Hermione was in those photos from her holiday. If she can do that, you can do this. She unbuttoned her jeans and let them fall, picked them up and folded them. "Is it all right if I turn round, loves?"
"I'm ready when you two are." Was Harry's voice a little nervous as well? She didn't think it was only wishful thinking on her part.
"I'm ready, loves. Let's do it." It made sense that Hermione would be less nervous, since she was used to swimming costumes and wearing nothing more, even when there were boys about. Then again, she'd confessed that the thought of bathing outdoors in the nude, the way Ginny and Luna always had done, intimidated her, even if it were only with girls. We're all nervous, but we're also all together. It will be fine. More than that, it will be fun!
They turned about. Ginny had already seen Hermione in her swimming costume, of course. But seeing her like this, streamside, with Harry beside her, that was a delight almost beyond all bearing. As for Harry, well, he was Harry. He was skinny,
pale, and perfect. Ginny had seen her brothers and father shirtless of course, since on hot days they sometimes stripped to the waist if they were working in the garden. She knew that boys had pink nipples, not all that different to her own ones, or at least to how they'd been up until some months ago when she started to develop little bumps behind them. She knew that eventually boys got hair on their chests and bellies. But somehow she'd always thought that was a thing that only even started to happen when they were grown men, as it wasn't really noticeable on her brothers, except for Bill and Charlie, and that had only begun to be true last summer.
Harry, on the other hand, already had a few strands of black hair around his navel and trailing down to his waistband. Well, of course he does. His hair's black, and his skin's white, so it shows. No doubt Ron and the Twins are much the same, but you can't see it because their hair's red and their skin's kind of pink, or redder than that if they've got a sunburn. And of course you don't really look at them. Why would you? She felt a bit stupid for not realising that at once. But then Harry smiled at her, and she forgot about feeling stupid. She forgot about everything except her Harry and Hermione, and how much she loved them.
Without even taking the time for conscious thought, the threesome hugged each other. "You... you look really nice. Both of you," Harry whispered.
"So do you. Both of you. Well, I already knew you did, Hermione, and I suppose I knew Harry would, but... Oh, sorry, I'm babbling, aren't I?"
"It's fine, love. Just fine." Hermione brushed a lock of Ginny's hair back from her face. "You both look lovely." She giggled. "Although I suppose you might prefer to look handsome, Harry. Which you do, very much."
Ginny didn't think about the fact that she'd just been hugging Harry with only the single thin layer of her swimming costume to separate the skin of her chest and the skin of his until after they'd let each other go. That was fine. It was probably better not to think too much about it right now. Especially when there were more important things, like the three of them getting down in the water.
Holding hands, they waded in. "It's waist deep right here, loves. It only gets to maybe about chest deep at most along this stretch, and that's over there towards the opposite bank. And there's only a little bit of current, just enough to stop the water going stale. Dad says it's because of the shape of the bend."
"That sounds perfect. It was about that deep in the pool I learnt to swim in. I think I started out with learning to float in the water. Does that sound all right with you, Harry?"
"Sure. I can do that, sort of, already. Piers and Dudley didn't get the idea of trying to drown me until we'd started in with paddling about a bit. I don't know if they were too scared of the water themselves before, or if they were waiting until they were sure the teacher wasn't paying enough attention to stop them having their fun."
"If I ever get the chance, Harry, I'd like to teach those stupid vile boys a couple of lessons about the water, myself." Hermione grinned like a hungry wolf. Ginny liked the look on her.
She expected her own expression was about the same. "Fred and George say they're working on making a bar of soap that turns into a shark when it gets wet enough. The teeth wouldn't actually break the skin, being made out of soap, but they'd pinch, and I reckon two or three dozen would give them a nice little scare. I suppose the Statue of Secrecy would be a issue, but as I recall they were complaining that the sharks kept dissolving into a slick of soap after about a minute, which would be just enough time for some fun with no evidence left behind, wouldn't it?"
"It's all right, loves. I'm here, now, and they're in Surrey. It's not worth the two of you getting in trouble for using magic out of school."
"I know," Hermione said. "But someday... maybe when we've finished with school?"
"I'm sure that by then my brothers will have all sorts of interesting things for us to use."
"It's still not worth your getting into trouble, but thank you for, well, for caring."
Hearing that, Ginny had to hug him again. And of course Hermione had to hug both of them.
Some minutes later, they let each other go. It was time for Harry to try floating. "Floating face down was easier than on my back, if I remember correctly, so maybe I'll try that first?"
Hermione smiled and squeezed his hand. "Whatever you want, love."
Ginny took his other hand. "It was that way for me as well." She could tell he was a bit nervous. Of course he is. Anybody would be, if all their lessons in swimming had been in the same pool with a pair of bullies who hated them.
Over the next hour or so, Harry progressed from floating to an adequate dogpaddle. Ginny thought he'd be swimming comfortably before they had to leave for Hogwarts. Afterwards, he sat on the bank for a rest, and the girls took a little time to stroke back and forth across their little bend in the river. It was a delight to watch Hermione swimming, Ginny discovered. She wasn't surprised. It was a delight to watch Hermione doing all sorts of things.
Hermione swam close to where she was standing, chest deep in the water, and stood. The two girls smiled at each other for a moment, and waved at Harry, who waved back. Then Hermione tapped Ginny gently on the nose. "Tag, love. You're it." She spun about and swam away, quick as an otter.
"I'll get you for that, sweetheart!" Ginny dived after her. The girls met under the water, where Ginny tagged Hermione on the knee. Hermione tagged her foot before she was able to get away, but she managed to tag Hermione's arm when they both had to rise for air. That was enough underwater tag for the moment, because Harry was sat on the bank. The girls converged on him and hugged him.
"It was nice watching you. You're both... you swim really well, and you look lovely in the water. The way you move... it's like you're flowing from place to place, almost like how the water moves. I've seen otters move sort of like that. It's beautiful." Harry looked concerned, as if he thought he might have said something he shouldn't have said.
Ginny knew she had to do something, so she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, love. You're right, Hermione swims beautifully."
Hermione kissed him from the other side. "Yes. Thank you, love. Thank you, both of you. And you swim beautifully, yourself, Ginny."
"Thanks, love. And I'm looking forward to you getting in more practice swimming, yourself, because I feel sure you'll have a beautiful form as soon as you're feeling a little more comfortable. After all, you look wonderful on a broom."
"Speaking of which, are you ready to get back in the water, Harry?"
"Sure." He gathered the girls into his arms. Ginny hugged her best friends, feeling almost unbearably happy. She was looking forward to the next few weeks, maybe even more than she was looking forward to Hogwarts.
#
Hermione had Ginny and Harry and herself fully packed and waiting with their trunks ten minutes before Mr. Weasley had said they should be ready. There had been times in the past when Harry had thought she was a bit bossy, but he'd always forgiven her, and somehow he didn't
mind at all anymore. She'd only ever meant to help her friends, and he felt that over the summer she'd learnt to be very kind about how she did it. Harry hadn't been very unpacked, anyhow, so it ended up with the two of them helping Ginny. She pulled them both into a hug before they carried the last trunk downstairs, and kissed their cheeks so enthusiastically that they nearly touched lip to lip.
The twins showed up a minute before, and Percy was directly on time. Then they sat and waited for what felt like a small eternity as Ron and his things dribbled outside in piles and lumps of clothes and books more or less randomly intermingled with Potions supplies, boxes of quills, and broom maintenance gear. By the time everyone and their possessions were loaded into the Weasleys' old Ford Anglia, the same car Ron and the Twins had flown to Little Whinging on their rescue mission in July, they were running late by nearly an hour.
"If we miss the Express, will they even Sort me?" Ginny whispered, so quietly that only Harry and Hermione could hear her. "I don't need to know how they do it--I know it's tradition not to tell, and I know Ron's telling great big porkies when he says I've got to fight a troll--but I'm so worried they'll say I've got to wait for another year. I'll miss you both so much, I don't know if I'll be able to stand it."
"Of course they'll Sort you," Hermione whispered. "And if there's any trouble at all, I'll sneak you into Gryffindor Tower and you'll sleep in my bed, and Harry and I will teach you all the First Year lessons. And if anybody says anything, I'll tell them you're my darling pet Ginny that I got over the summer. I'm allowed a pet, aren't I? I suppose that if Harry didn't have Hedwig we could offer you a choice of whose pet you'd like to be, but as it is it looks as if I'm the lucky one. And it's not as if I'd not let my very best friend and my very favourite pet spend lots of time together as well."
"But... what if they say I'm not an owl or a cat or a toad?"
"Oh, that's easy," Harry said. "Wasn't there a set of cat's ears and a tail with Sticking Charms on in one of the Twins' catalogues? We'll send Hedwig with a rush order. She likes you, so I'm sure she'll have them for us by the time we reach Hogwarts."
Hermione winked. "You'll make an absolutely precious kitten, and I know Professor McGonagall likes cats. I'm sure she'll let you in the tower."
Ginny grinned, blushing a bright red. She squeezed Harry's hand so tightly it almost hurt, and he could see she was squeezing Hermione's hand just the same. "Ron would have a cow if I kissed you here where he could see," she whispered, "and that's the only reason why I'm not. But as soon as we're alone, you're both getting kisses."
"As long as we can kiss you as well, love," Hermione said.
"Of course."
A Harry Potter fanfic
By Andrew yclept Aelfwine
Rating: PG. 9400 words
***
The characters and situations of the Harry Potter series are copyright J.K. Rowling. They may not be used or reproduced commercially without permission. The use of these characters and situations is not to be construed as challenge to said copyright. They are merely borrowed for this work of non-commercial fanfiction, from which the author derives no financial benefit.
***
Harry Potter and the Summer of the Bundling Charm, part 1
****
The tension between Mr. and Mrs. Weasley was still palpable during dinner. As soon as they'd helped clear the table, Harry and Hermione and Ginny made their escape across the farmyard to the barn. On the way, Ginny took an old blanket from the hall closet.
Up in the loft, they took off their shoes and made a little nest with their blanket in the loose hay. They snuggled together with Ginny in the middle, on her back. "I'm all right, loves," she whispered. "I don't have to be..."
"But we'd like you to be," Harry whispered back. She snuggled closer, and nuzzled his cheek.
"Yes," Hermione murmured. Ginny nuzzled her cheek as well. Harry took off his glasses and leant forward, so the threesome could rub noses, all together at once.
There was a sweet silence, and Harry wondered if the girls had fallen asleep. Then Hermione said softly "Ginny? Could... could we rub your back?"
"Hmm...?"
"I mean with your dress on, of course. But... your shoulders felt so tense, earlier today. I'd think they'd still be hurting. I... you don't have to, if you'd rather not."
"Oh, Hermione. Of course. If you'd like to. If you don't mind. Would you, Harry?"
"I'd love to. I'm afraid I'll not know what I'm doing, but if Hermione thinks she can teach me--"
"Oh, Harry. I'm sure you'll be fine at it. So... shall we?" They sat up.
It was an hour or two until sunset. The light in the loft was perfect. That was the only way Harry could think to describe it. It came through the little unglazed windows under the eaves, and made the girls' skin and hair glow.
"All right, Ginny," Hermione said, "if you'll lie down on your belly, we'll get started."
"Promise me I'll get a chance to do for you and Harry?"
"Of course you will," Harry said. "But it's your turn first. After all, we made you worry by getting out the Floo at the wrong grate, didn't we?"
"Mm, okay." Ginny laid down, and Harry and Hermione faced each other over her back.
Hermione got to her knees, and Harry copied her. They shared a smile. Hermione brushed Ginny's ponytail off her shoulders. Her fingers looked so nice on the nape of Ginny's neck. Harry laid his hand next to hers, and they twined together for an instant, stroking. "All right, Harry, we'll start like this. Just gently knead her muscles with your fingers... see how I'm doing it? How's that, Ginny?"
"'S wonderful."
"And now we work down her spine, all the way down to her waist. Is that all right, Ginny? It's not... too much?"
"Of course not, loves. It's nice."
"And now back up again."
"Mm... you're spoiling me."
"It's nothing less than what you deserve. And now, Harry, we'll rub along her shoulders... just follow the muscles, see?"
"Okay. Is that good, Ginny? I'm not hurting you?"
"Yes. You... you could even press a little harder, Harry. If you'd like to."
"If that's what you'd like."
"Mm, please... Yes, that's it. You're both so good to me."
"No better than you are to us," Hermione said.
They rubbed Ginny's back for a few more minutes. At last, she murmured "I wish I were a cat, so I could purrrrrrr." Hermione giggled. Harry was almost overwhelmed with love for the girls, so much that it was a moment before he could laugh. "So now," Ginny said, "before I fall asleep, it's your turn. Who's first?"
Harry knew instantly who it should be. "Hermione."
"Are you sure, Harry?"
"Of course I am."
"Mm, I want to do it to both of you, of course," Ginny said, rolling over and sitting up, "but you're the one who's teaching us how to do it. I think you should get the benefits of your instruction."
"Well, if you insist..."
"We do," Harry said.
"And if we run out of time now," Ginny added, "we could always rub Harry's back tonight before we go to sleep."
It was clear that Hermione understood there was nothing else to be said. They paused for a swift three way hug and exchange of cheek kisses before she laid herself down between Harry and Ginny.
"So," Ginny said, "we'll just do what you and Harry did to me, all right?"
"That sounds wonderful," Hermione said. "You know... it was so much fun, doing that to you. I've always wanted to have a friend I could give back rubs to."
"Well, now you have two. So, Harry, let's start with her shoulders, just like you two did with me. Okay?"
Several minutes later, Hermione was sprawled contentedly on the blanket. Ginny looked down at her, looked up at Harry, and grinned. "Doesn't she look pretty like that?"
"Yes, but doesn't she always look pretty? I mean, she is one of the two prettiest girls on the planet..."
"Come you down here, Harry," Hermione murmured. "Boys who say things like that deserve to have their backs rubbed."
"Yes. Before Mum sends my stupid brother out to tell us we should be going to bed."
Having his back rubbed felt almost as nice as rubbing the girls' backs. Harry found himself relaxing, almost to the point of falling asleep. It mightn't be bad to sleep out here. Then again, anywhere he could sleep with Hermione and Ginny would be fine with him.
"That good, Harry?" Hermione whispered.
"Yes, love. Thanks. Thank you both." He rolled onto his back, and the girls laid themselves down on either side of him and snuggled close. The scent of hay mingled with the scent of Hermione and Ginny in a way that he knew he would love for the rest of his life.
"Oi! Harry! Hermione! Ginny! Mum says it's time for bed!"
"Curse you, Ron," Ginny muttered.
"Well, it could've been the Twins," Harry said. "Would that be worse?"
"They'd probably bring Dad's old camera and take a picture of us," Ginny said. "So, yes, it likely would be."
"What's so bad about that? It might be nice to have a picture of us that didn't have Gilderoy Fakehart in."
"Hermione, they'd probably hang it up in the Common Room," Harry said. "Not that I'm embarrassed to be seen with the two of you, but..."
"Yes," Hermione said. "If all the girls knew how sweet you are, we'd have Parvati and Lavender wanting to come to bed with us as well."
"No, thanks," Harry said. "The two of you, that's all the girls I want to sleep with." He didn't quite understand why that made Ginny and Hermione hug him so hard, but he liked it that they did.
"Would you please come down? Mum says we can have biscuits before bed, but not until everyone's in the kitchen."
Ginny cupped her hands round her mouth. "All right, Ron, we'll be there in a minute."
"Just don't take all night, please?"
"Of course we'll not take all night, Ron." She giggled. "At least I don't think we will."
"Wait... you're not doing something... sappy or something, are you?"
"What did you think we'd be doing, Ron?" Hermione said.
"I don't know. More than that, I don't want to know. So don't tell me about it, okay?"
Laughing, the threesome gave each other a final squeeze before getting up and folding the blanket.
#
The next day was bright and sunny and warm. Ginny woke up happy, snuggled in Harry's arms, holding Hermione's hand against her heart. She still had both of her best friends in her bed, and she would be able to sleep with them every night until they went to Hogwarts. Once her mum woke them, they sat up together, the bedclothes still partly wrapped about them. "So, what will we do today?" she whispered.
"The same thing we do every day, darling," Hermione said. "Hug Harry." She did, and Ginny joined them.
"And try not to get roped into playing chess with my brother again. Can't forget that one, can we?"
"Good point. But he is the brother of one of the two most wonderful girls on the planet, so I suppose I can give him one game in thanks for that."
"You're too good to me," Ginny said softly, and kissed Harry's cheek. As always, he kissed hers, and she kissed Hermione's. This time they did it at almost the same moment, and Ginny felt a little thrill run through her whole body at the simultaneous contact, just as she did an instant later when Hermione kissed her own cheek even as Harry kissed Hermione's.
Hearing more stirring, they got out of bed and stretched. "I suppose I'd better take my clothes and go get changed in the bathroom."
"Yes. I suppose you had better, Harry."
When he left, Ginny turned to Hermione. "I really do wish he could change here. It's not as if there's not a Bundling Charm, right? And we could just turn our backs. We'd not peek, would we? And neither would Harry."
Hermione sighed. "I know. And I know that you know, and Harry knows. But I suppose we do have to make sure everything we do is completely proper. For now."
Ginny went to the window and peered out. "It's such a nice day. So warm. Do you think Mum would cast a Bundling Charm on the riverbank so the three of us could go and have a bathe together?"
Hermione laughed. "Oh, that would be so lovely. I... I have to admit I've never actually gone for a bathe without any clothes on, at least not since I was very small. I'd be kind of nervous, I think. But I wouldn't mind trying it with you. And with Harry, if only it were all right for us to do it. I mean, I know it would be all right, and you know, and I'm sure Harry does, but if only other people would understand it was all right as well."
"Yes. We'd not have to worry about Ron bothering us there. When Luna and I were maybe seven or eight, and Mum told him that we were going for a bathe with Luna's cousin Clara, who was in Bill's year at Hogwarts, and said that he should stay away from the river and not bother us, he asked why. And when she said we'd not have any clothes on, he said she didn't have to worry, cos he'd not go within ten miles of any naked girls, most especially Luna and me, not even if it meant the Cannons would win the league. I nearly reminded him that I would be naked in the house every time I took a bath or changed my clothes, just to see if it would make him try running away to Timbuktu or China or somewhere like that."
It was almost a full minute before Hermione could stop laughing. "Ah, that's hilarious, love. But I would like to. If only she could cast a Bundling Charm out there... somehow it just sounds really nice, doesn't it?"
"I wish we could as well. I hope that's not strange or something."
"Of course not, Ginny. But, well, although it's not as nice as a Bundling Charm, my mum gave me a couple of swimming costumes for us. And one for Harry. And another for Ron, so he can go as well, at least if he wants to go."
"Oh, Hermione! Really? Thank you! I hope... I mean, that must be awfully expensive."
"They're not so expensive. There are lots more people in the Muggle world, and millions of them all want swimming costumes, and they've no magic to repair them with, which means most of them have to buy a new one, or maybe even two, every year, especially if they're our age and still growing, and because of that the factories make lots and lots of them. And your family are putting me up for the whole summer. Mum and Dad thought that would be a nice gift from them, just to say thank you."
"Oh, Hermione! Thank you! I love you! I mean, I really like you so so so very much!" She glomped onto her friend.
Hermione hugged her, just as tightly. "I love you as well, Ginny. I mean, I really like you as well, Ginny. So so so very much."
They stood like that for Ginny wasn't even sure how long. At last, Hermione whispered "We'd really better get changed, or Harry might walk in on us before we're done. We don't want to embarrass him, do we?"
"No. After all, one of my brothers might be walking past, and none of them would understand if they saw Harry coming in here and we weren't dressed."
"Yes."
The girls quickly stripped out of their pyjamas and threw on the nearest clothes. When Ginny turned round again, Hermione was smiling brightly, and pulled her into another hug. "Ginny, love, you look wonderful, but you might want to change your shirt. Somehow you've got on the top to Harry's pyjamas."
She looked down at herself. "Oh. I'm sorry. That's very silly of me."
"Don't be sorry. It looks really nice on you." Hermione held her at arm's length for an instant, then hugged her again. "I wish we could both wear Harry's shirts, sometimes. It just sounds really nice, doesn't it?"
"Yes." It felt so nice to hug Hermione. All she wanted to do was wait for Harry to come back and hug them both. For some reason she couldn't begin to articulate, Ginny desperately wished that Harry could see her wearing his shirt. "Well, I suppose I'd better change."
"Yes." Hermione sounded just as disappointed as Ginny felt. "You know... sometime, maybe we might just both put on shirts of Harry's and, well, let him see us in them. If you think it's all right..."
"I'd like that."
Hermione smiled brightly. "In that case, we'll definitely have to do it."
Ginny liked that the other girl was turned towards her as she changed her shirt, talking as casually as if she'd been tying her shoes. I think this might be the kind of thing that sisters do. And it must be just fine that she can see me taking my shirt off and putting another one on again, because the Bundling Charm would stop her if it was naughty, right? That's good, because I like it that she doesn't mind seeing me without a top on.
When Ginny was fully clothed again, the girls hugged. They were still hugging when Harry came in the room and joined in the clinch. And we didn't even have to ask him to hug us! Ginny thought as she and Hermione drew their boy into the embrace.
#
After breakfast, Ginny asked her mother if they could go for a bathe. "The gnomes have been at the carrots again, so I'd be grateful if you'd give the garden a good de-gnoming first, but after that you're very welcome to."
Ron looked delighted. "Want to go for a fly whilst the girls are bathing, Harry? We can go on the opposite side of the house from the river, out over the paddock and the wood, so we don't risk seeing anything that would give us nightmares." Mrs. Weasley had turned her back on them, so Ginny gave him the two-fingered salute. He grinned at her and stuck out his tongue.
"Thanks, Ron, but I was planning on going bathing with them. Maybe we could go flying later on?"
"Ha ha, Harry, very funny. And I suppose when we go back to Hogwarts you'll be taking your showers with them as well?"
Ginny scowled at him. "Harry needs somebody to teach him how to swim, and I don't see anybody else stepping up. Hermione and I will be happy to do the job."
"Go on, Gin. This joke wasn't funny in the first place, and now it's getting really stupid."
"We're not joking, Ronald."
"Mum! Did you hear that? I can't believe you're really going to let Ginny and Hermione drag Harry off to go bathing. Boys and girls aren't meant to go running about in front of each other without any clothes on, right?"
Ginny shook her head. "Hermione's mother gave us swimming costumes. There's even one for you, if you'd like to go along."
"Swimming costumes? Why would anybody wear a costume to swim in? It sounds like something you've just made up as a joke, like shoes for snakes or a wind-up broomstick. And it's bad enough that you're trying to drag Harry into this, Gin. You're not going to get me involved as well."
Mrs. Weasley turned away from the sink. "Don't be rude, Ronald. The Muggles make clothes for people to wear when they're bathing, so that boys and girls can share the same pond or stream or spot at the seaside at the same time. I think it's a very good idea, actually. It would have been nice if your father and I could have gone for a bathe together when we were still at school, instead of having to wait until we were married. Well, at least until we were almost married."
Ron turned pink and hid his face. Mrs. Weasley winked at Harry and the girls. I think I'm starting to realise where our Ginny got her sense of humour from, Harry thought.
"You believe them, Mum? Surely this is just some weird thing Hermione and Ginny made up to drag Harry into doing more weird girly things with them."
"Lydia--that is, Mrs. Granger--showed me the costumes. They're perfectly decent. Not appropriate for shopping in Diagon Alley, I suppose, or in a Muggle high street, for that matter, although I do remember my Auntie Imogene's neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Albinthorpe, showing up wearing nothing but loincloths at the World Cup when I was a girl, because everyone was meant to dress Muggle and they'd once been to some place overseas where that was all the Muggles wore, but in this case everything's covered that needs to be. She gave us one for you as well, if you'd like to spend time with your sister and your two best friends."
"No thanks. Well, good luck, Harry. I'd rather clean the chicken coop." Ron didn't quite stomp away.
Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Well, at least he'll get something helpful done."
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley. We'll put on our costumes under our clothes and go out to de-gnome, if that's all right?"
"Of course it is, Hermione. Have a wonderful time."
#
The Muggle swimming costume wasn't quite like anything Ginny had ever worn before. It was almost as if someone had sewn a pair of knickers and some sort of a singlet together, except that it had obviously been made in one piece, all of it, even the straps that would go over her shoulders. “Mum thought that shade of green would look nice with your hair and freckles,” Hermione said. “I hope you like it?”
“It's wonderful! Thank you! It's really so nice of her to think about that. Could I send her a note when you write to her?” Hermione's costume was a soft amber shade, a bit lighter than her hair, and Ginny could see it would look very nice on her as well. Harry's shorts--trunks, that was what they were called--were a plain blue, the sort of thing a boy would feel comfortable with, she supposed. He certainly looked pleased with them.
"Wow. Thank you so much, Hermione! I've never had a pair of these that hadn't been Dudley's first. Could I send your mum a note as well?"
Hermione hugged them both. "Of course you may! And thank you, both of you."
"Well, I suppose I'd better go in the bathroom and change, so you girls can do the same."
Ginny sighed. "I suppose you had better."
"Yes." They squeezed each other one more time, and Harry took his trunks and went across the hall.
Ginny wished he didn't have to go, but at the same time she was a bit grateful to have a moment of privacy to ask Hermione a question. "Umm... I'm sorry to sound so thick, but... am I meant to wear underwear under this?"
Hermione hugged her. "Of course you don't sound thick, love. You're our Ginny, and you've never worn a swimming costume before. And no, you're not meant to. There's a lining, and that takes the place of a pair of knickers, more or less."
"Okay." Ginny had a little hint of that strange tingly feeling again. She still wasn't sure if it was really uncomfortable or really nice. Or maybe it was both?
"You can actually wear a swimming costume instead of underwear, if you're out of clean knickers. I've done that, once or twice."
"Oh. Umm... does Harry's costume have...?"
"His one fits looser than ours, but there's something sort of like underpants built into it."
"Right. Well, we should change, shouldn't we?"
"Yes."
The girls turned their backs on each other, and Ginny stripped off, hearing Hermione doing likewise behind her. She was down to her knickers. And then she was wearing nothing at all. She stretched, feeling more than hearing that Hermione did likewise. Reminding herself that she needed to get changed before Harry came back, she reached over, picked up her swimming costume from the bed, and slipped her legs through the holes, first one foot, then the other. She pulled it up around her waist, and then pulled the straps up over her shoulders. "Oh, wait, this can't be right... it's not really covering my front from a few inches above my belly button on up. Not that I've got anything up there to speak of, of course, but does that mean I've got it on wrong?"
"Yes, love. It goes the other way round. Err... do you want me to help you?"
For an instant, Ginny wanted just that. But even as she thought about it, she noticed that there was a lark singing outside. It was a beautiful sound... she should go to the window to listen, and bring her Hermione with her. But wait--she needed to finish getting dressed first, didn't she? "That's all right, love. I think I can get it right now."
She stripped off again, turned the costume round, and got it on. When she turned round, Hermione was wearing her own swimming costume as well.
The older girl was smiling brightly. "You look wonderful, love."
"So do you." They hugged.
"Mm, this is nice, but I think we should put the rest of our clothes back on. I'd expect Harry should be nearly ready by now."
As if he had somehow heard what Hermione said, Harry knocked at the door at just about the same time as Ginny had finished tying the laces of her trainers. "No rush, but I'm ready whenever you two are."
Hermione opened the door. "We're ready. Aren't we, Ginny?"
"I am, loves." The three exchanged a swift hug before going down the stairs and out to the garden.
#
Hermione was quietly delighted as she made her way down the stairs. She was with her very best friends, and after a bit of gnome-throwing she and Ginny were going to start teaching Harry to swim. Even if that hadn't meant they'd all be undressed down to a single garment each, she'd have been looking forward to it. After all, it was just the sort of nice, friendly thing she'd always dreamt of doing with someone. Or perhaps it was more accurate to say that she'd always dreamt of having someone who'd do such things with her?
In any case, it was the stuff of dreams. She'd had fantasies of spending long, lazy summer days with Harry ever since they first became friends, and adding their Ginny into the mix had only added another way in which the reality was far better than any fantasy.
Ginny looked adorab... very nice in her green swimming costume. Her hips were definitely beginning to swell a bit, and Hermione had the feeling that in as few as three or four years it might be hard for anyone who didn't actually know to say which of them was the older one. That made her happy. It would be nice to not have anyone thinking of Ginny as their surrogate younger sister who was only tagging along, but as simply Harry Potter and Hermione Granger's very best and dearest friend.
Hermione and Harry already knew that, of course, and so did Ginny, but Hermione liked the idea of everyone else knowing it as well. Ron might have trouble getting the fact through his head, but that was just how Ron was about things. The Twins seemed to understand it, and even Percy showed signs of comprehension, although it was always hard to tell with him as he seemed to be spending most of his time either writing letters or reading the sort of books about political and legal history that even Hermione found dry. She thought she'd seen him talking rather often with Penelope Clearwater, the Ravenclaw girls' prefect for his year, and she wondered if he was writing to her.
That said, Hermione had also heard Padma and Parvati giggling together about how much time Penelope spent with Audrey Smythe, the captain of the Ravenclaw Quidditch side, but Hermione didn't see why that would stop Percy and Penelope being close to each other. She'd seen Percy and Audrey working together in the library, even when Penelope wasn't with them. They might all three of them be very good friends, much as Harry and Hermione and Ginny were.
If they were, she was very happy for them.
#
Even the garden gnomes seemed to be enjoying the nice warm day. A dozen or so of the ugly little potato-looking creatures were sunning themselves when the threesome stepped out into the garden.
"The sooner we're done chucking this lot, the sooner we can bathe! Let's get them!" Ginny shouted happily as she seized the first one she came to, swung it three times round her head, and launched it over the hedge.
Harry had to pause for a moment and marvel at her. She'd been so painfully shy that first day he met her, squeaking and hiding and not meeting his eyes. It was amazing how much difference getting to know somebody could make in how one saw them. He wondered if he and Hermione would have become good friends with Ginny so quickly if it hadn't been for the Bundling Charm, or if it would have taken months of being at Hogwarts together for Ginny to become comfortable enough to really get to know them. Well, it didn't matter. What counted was that the three of them were the best of friends. Even without the Charm, he felt certain that they would have become this way in time.
He looked over at Hermione, who seemed to be caught up in marvelling at Ginny as well. Their eyes met, and they smiled at each other. "Come on, love," she said, "let's join our Ginny."
"Let's." He grabbed a gnome, whirled it in a circle through the air to disorientate it properly, and then bowled it like a cricket ball. Might as well get a bit of use out of all the misery I had to go through in games at St. Grogory's School. He laughed at the absurdity of it.
Hermione looked away from the gnome she was about to throw. "What's funny, love?"
"I was just thinking about how good I actually had to become at cricket in order to make sure I wasn't playing better than a miserable git like my cousin. That's called irony, isn't it?"
Hermione giggled. "It is! And that's pretty fun--ow!" The garden gnome in her hand had bitten her. She dropped it and clutched her wrist.
Harry wanted to destroy the gnome, to obliterate it, to wipe it off the face of the Earth. Nothing and no one was allowed to harm his girls. If he'd had a wand, he was sure he would've been able to cast some ferocious combat spell without even needing to have it taught him. As it was, he'd have to use his hands and feet, which just meant the job would take longer.
But before he could move to carry out his will, Ginny, who was a little closer to Hermione, snatched the beast by the back of the neck and shook it so hard that he wondered if it might fall into pieces on the spot. "You bit of rubbish, you worthless vermin, you hateful little bastard, I'll show you what happens to gnomes that hurt our Hermione." That was just as good
as punishing the gnome himself.
"It's all right, loves. I'm not even bleeding, really. It only surprised me, that's all. See?" Hermione held up her hand. There were teeth-marks on her wrist, it was true, but the skin wasn't broken. "Please don't kill it, darling."
"All right, love, if you'd prefer it that way. But I hope you don't mind if I teach it a lesson?"
Hermione nodded. "Go ahead, love."
Ginny tossed the stunned gnome in the air and caught it. Then she spun in a circle and hurled it into the orchard. Harry couldn't help wincing at the sound of the gnome's lumpy body impacting a tree trunk at high speed. Not that he minded the creature that had bitten Hermione getting hurt, but the sound was much like that of a Bludger hitting somebody during a Quidditch match against Slytherin. "Um... I'm sorry if that was too violent, Hermione."
"No, it's fine. I know they can survive being flung into a tree. Thank you, love. Thank you for caring about me."
Ginny hugged Hermione, and Harry hugged both girls. "Should we get some salve to put on it, Hermione, or ask Mum to cast a charm on it? Even if it doesn't break the skin, a gnome bite still hurts."
"It's all right, love. I'll be fine. No need for any of your mother's potions or healing charms."
"Should I kiss it, to make it better?" Ginny's voice was no more than a murmur, and Harry wondered if she was actually conscious of the fact that she was speaking out loud. She blushed, as if she'd realised they could hear her.
"Oh, that would be nice... I mean, of course you may, love."
Softly, slowly, Ginny took a grip of Hermione's hand and raised the other girl's wrist to her lips. She planted a light kiss on the marks. Harry's breath caught in his throat.
"Thank you." They were alone, but Hermione whispered the words as if they'd been in a crowded room and trying not to draw attention to themselves.
"May I?" He was whispering, himself. It seemed appropriate, somehow.
"If... if you'd like to, love."
"Of course I would." He wasn't sure what the right word was for the little thrill that ran through him at kissing the same spot on Hermione's skin that their Ginny had just kissed, or if there even was a word, but he knew it had something to do with how happy he was, with how happy they all were, and that was all that mattered.
They held each other for a few more minutes. At last, Hermione stirred, and shook herself slightly, not as if she wanted to be separated from her friends' embrace but as if she were trying to wake herself, and them. "Well, I suppose we should finish with the de-gnoming so we can bathe, shouldn't we, loves?"
They kissed each others' cheeks, let go, and went back to work. There was something really enjoyable about de-gnoming with the girls, beyond the simple pleasures of being with his best friends and doing a simple chore that was half a game and didn't carry any threat of punishment if he didn't do it to his relatives' satisfaction. It was nice to watch as they picked up the gnomes and threw them. Ginny was graceful, which was natural as she'd been doing it all her life. Hermione was a bit less comfortable with it, but she seemed to be getting more and more practised at the business of making gnomes dizzy and throwing them out of the garden. It was nice to watch her quiet pleasure in her own improvement. And it was nice to see the gentle smile on her face as she watched him and Ginny. For that matter, it was nice to see Ginny's smile as she watched him and Hermione.
He checked the gnome holes. There weren't any more of them coming out. "I think that's the last of them, loves."
Hermione scrunched up her nose, the way she sometimes did when she was thinking. "I do wonder why they always come out to see what's going on whenever we're de-gnoming. You'd think they'd realise we're throwing them out of the garden, and learn to hide in their holes when they hear the commotion."
Harry shrugged. "Ron says they're, and I quote, 'dumber than potatoes'."
"Then again, my brother hasn't much right to talk." Ginny laced her fingers with his and reached out with her other hand to take Hermione's arm. "Luna thinks they actually like being shaken up and thrown, and her dad says they're using us to help them do some sort of vast species-wide magical ritual that we'll never understand."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Oh? That's really interesting. Gnomes don't seem very likely to be that way, but I have to admit I'd never thought about whether other sorts of creatures than the ones we recognise as being people, like Goblins and humans and Veelas and centaurs and so on, might do actual, systematic magic."
"Well, Mister Lovegood's kind of, well, he thinks of things nobody else ever would imagine, except maybe for Luna. I suppose it could be, but I don't know if the gnomes are really that... maybe not smart, but organised. Anyhow, Dad thinks none of them can bear the thought of anyone else getting to see something interesting and them missing it themselves. Mum thinks that they're just clever enough to realise that as long as we can catch them and throw them we'll feel as if we're doing something, and that way we'll not get a Jarvey or a Crup and deal with them decisively."
There had been a time when Harry wouldn't have asked, but the girls had a way of never making him feel stupid when he admitted he didn't know something already. "What are those?"
"A Jarvey's sort of like a ferret, only they're bigger and they talk. Not that what they say makes any sense--it's sort of random insults, mostly. Aunt Muriel's got one called Polly, and she once called Ron and me 'Ungrateful badly-bred half-savage blackguards,' but every other Jarvey I've ever seen just swore."
Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Do you think your aunt taught her that?"
"Could be. Or maybe she just knows that Aunt Muriel would make her into soup if she heard any swears out of her. Which might mean they understand what they're saying, after all. Or maybe Aunt Muriel just made a lot of Jarvey soup, until she finally found one that didn't know any bad words? I could see her doing that, to be honest."
"I hope not. So, a Crup is sort of like a magical Jack Russell terrier, right? I love Jack Russells. One of my neighbours has one, and my cousin and her friend have three Welsh Corgis, and they're brilliant as well. I've always sort of wanted a dog, but my dad's allergic so we can't. One of my books said that people who're allergic to cats mostly aren't allergic to Kneazles. Do you think it might work that way with Crups?"
Ginny hugged Hermione round the shoulders. "I don't know, love, but I'm afraid... well, I'm told they don't like Muggles, so it might be a problem to have one with your family. I don't know if it's really true, but it's what everyone says."
Harry hugged Hermione from the other side. "Some of my neighbour Mrs. Figg's cats almost seem to think they're dogs. They fetch things for her all the time, and some of them even make noises almost as if they're barking. Maybe you could have a cat that's like them. I know it wouldn't be the same, but..."
"Kneazles can act like that," Ginny said. "I'm told my great grandfather had one that even ran with the hounds. One of our Prewett cousins has a portrait of the two of them. We were visiting them last summer, and Ron wouldn't go near it. He said Scabbers was terrified."
Harry couldn't help but laugh, especially given that Ginny and Hermione were laughing as well. "Ron thinks Scabbers can't tell the difference between a portrait and a real live cat?"
"I don't think even Scabbers is that stupid, but Ron can be a bit... overprotective? He'd throw a fit if any of us got one, but I think it would be neat to have a cat."
Hermione turned her head so the girls were almost nose to nose. "I've thought about getting a kitten next year. If I do, you can share him or her with me. And you can as well, of course, Harry."
"And we'll all share Hedwig. Or maybe I should say that we'll all belong to her? I think that's how she looks at it already."
"She and the cat can share custody of us," Hermione said. "She'll take our bacon, and the cat will have all our kippers, and we'll subsist on the eggs and toast and porridge that they leave us."
"I can't imagine a breakfast I'd like better." Harry truly couldn't. A breakfast with his family--Ginny and Hermione, Hedwig and a purring cat--in the Great Hall of Hogwarts, or better yet in a little cottage that would belong just to the three of them, would be perfect. Not that the Burrow wasn't wonderful, but if they had a home of their own he could cook for his girls. He couldn't imagine a better revenge than using the skills he'd learnt at the Dursleys to take care of his best friends. The threesome squeezed each other a little closer, as if the girls were thinking about the same thing.
After a long moment, Ginny stirred. "Well, that's the gnomes done with. Want to go down to the place where Luna and I like to bathe? It's a bend in the river, where the water's nearly still and it's not too deep. It's very private as well."
"I'd love to," Hermione whispered.
"Same here." Harry gave the two witches a final squeeze. They picked up their towels from the doorstep and, hand in hand in hand, went out the garden gate and headed down the path to the riverside.
#
Ginny was trying not to think about what it would actually be like to take her clothes off in front of Harry and Hermione. She knew it wasn't the same thing as if she'd only had underwear on underneath her jeans and t-shirt, of course. The swimming costume counted as actual clothes. She understood that. It covered more of her than her underwear did, and she and Hermione sometimes even talked face to face once they both had that basic layer of clothing on, although of course they went on with putting on the rest of their clothes as they were chatting. But still... it was both a wonderful and a terrifying thing to think about. And there wasn't a Bundling Charm here to distract her from thinking about it.
Maybe it actually would have been better if the solution for the three of them to bathe together had been Mum casting a Bundling Charm on the riverside, instead of Hermione's mum getting them clothes they could bathe in? Ginny didn't know if the walls and ceiling and floor of a room were necessary to anchor the Charm on, or how much space it would cover even if it could be cast out in the open air. But she had noticed that the Charm seemed to take away some of the awkward thoughts along with the naughty ones.
Of course, her mother would never do that. It wouldn't be proper. Snuggling fully clad in their pyjamas was one thing, but two girls and a boy being completely unclothed together was another, even with the Bundling Charm, even if they didn't touch each other. Privately, Ginny knew that they'd not do anything they weren't ready for, and wouldn't have done even without a Bundling Charm. She had a sneaking suspicion that Mum and Dad felt much the same, even if they'd never say it out loud, but it wouldn't look right to other people, especially her brothers.
It was for the same reason that Harry continued to change his clothes in the bathroom. There was no real reason that he couldn't turn his back on Hermione and Ginny and get dressed and undressed just as the girls did when it was just the two of them, but Ron would be horrified, and Percy would think it very improper, and the Twins would never leave off teasing them about it.
Oh well, none of that mattered right now. Ginny and Hermione were going to be teaching their Harry how to swim, and that simple, brilliant, and generally altogether excellent thing made up for all the awkwardness, all the nerves, and everything else. "We're just about there, loves. We'll turn left here, and go down between the trees."
Ginny loved watching their faces, and it was especially nice to see Harry's expression when they'd made their way down the bank to the edge of the river. "This is fabulous! I've only ever seen anything like this in pictures in books, before. Thank you. Thank you so much."
Ginny hugged him, and Hermione embraced him from the other side. She felt her eyes tearing up slightly, and Hermione's looked much the same. The girls rubbed noses, and nuzzled Harry's cheek. "Thank you, Harry. Thank you. And thank you, Hermione."
"Yes. Thank you, Harry. And thank you, Ginny. So... shall we bathe?"
"That sounds good." Harry sounded just as uncertain as Ginny felt. For a moment, Ginny wondered if she and Hermione could take off his shirt for him. And then Ginny and Harry could take off Hermione's, and Hermione and Harry could take off Ginny's. They had swimming costumes on underneath, and the shirts would be coming off in any event, so it would be all right, wouldn't it?
No. That's a little bit too much, right now. Even though it sounds really, really nice. Maybe someday... The threesome gave each other a final squeeze, and turned their backs. "We can hang our clothes on that tree over there, loves. That's what Luna and I usually do." With that said, Ginny slipped her feet our of her trainers. Should she take her shirt off first, or her jeans? She stood frozen for a moment. Was that a rustle as Harry stripped off his shirt, or perhaps it was Hermione?
At last, she reached down and pulled her shirt over her head. You've still got clothes on, silly. Everything that matters is covered up. Harry's the one who doesn't even have a shirt on. And these are your Harry and your Hermione. You're not on a beach somewhere with dozens of strangers, the way Hermione was in those photos from her holiday. If she can do that, you can do this. She unbuttoned her jeans and let them fall, picked them up and folded them. "Is it all right if I turn round, loves?"
"I'm ready when you two are." Was Harry's voice a little nervous as well? She didn't think it was only wishful thinking on her part.
"I'm ready, loves. Let's do it." It made sense that Hermione would be less nervous, since she was used to swimming costumes and wearing nothing more, even when there were boys about. Then again, she'd confessed that the thought of bathing outdoors in the nude, the way Ginny and Luna always had done, intimidated her, even if it were only with girls. We're all nervous, but we're also all together. It will be fine. More than that, it will be fun!
They turned about. Ginny had already seen Hermione in her swimming costume, of course. But seeing her like this, streamside, with Harry beside her, that was a delight almost beyond all bearing. As for Harry, well, he was Harry. He was skinny,
pale, and perfect. Ginny had seen her brothers and father shirtless of course, since on hot days they sometimes stripped to the waist if they were working in the garden. She knew that boys had pink nipples, not all that different to her own ones, or at least to how they'd been up until some months ago when she started to develop little bumps behind them. She knew that eventually boys got hair on their chests and bellies. But somehow she'd always thought that was a thing that only even started to happen when they were grown men, as it wasn't really noticeable on her brothers, except for Bill and Charlie, and that had only begun to be true last summer.
Harry, on the other hand, already had a few strands of black hair around his navel and trailing down to his waistband. Well, of course he does. His hair's black, and his skin's white, so it shows. No doubt Ron and the Twins are much the same, but you can't see it because their hair's red and their skin's kind of pink, or redder than that if they've got a sunburn. And of course you don't really look at them. Why would you? She felt a bit stupid for not realising that at once. But then Harry smiled at her, and she forgot about feeling stupid. She forgot about everything except her Harry and Hermione, and how much she loved them.
Without even taking the time for conscious thought, the threesome hugged each other. "You... you look really nice. Both of you," Harry whispered.
"So do you. Both of you. Well, I already knew you did, Hermione, and I suppose I knew Harry would, but... Oh, sorry, I'm babbling, aren't I?"
"It's fine, love. Just fine." Hermione brushed a lock of Ginny's hair back from her face. "You both look lovely." She giggled. "Although I suppose you might prefer to look handsome, Harry. Which you do, very much."
Ginny didn't think about the fact that she'd just been hugging Harry with only the single thin layer of her swimming costume to separate the skin of her chest and the skin of his until after they'd let each other go. That was fine. It was probably better not to think too much about it right now. Especially when there were more important things, like the three of them getting down in the water.
Holding hands, they waded in. "It's waist deep right here, loves. It only gets to maybe about chest deep at most along this stretch, and that's over there towards the opposite bank. And there's only a little bit of current, just enough to stop the water going stale. Dad says it's because of the shape of the bend."
"That sounds perfect. It was about that deep in the pool I learnt to swim in. I think I started out with learning to float in the water. Does that sound all right with you, Harry?"
"Sure. I can do that, sort of, already. Piers and Dudley didn't get the idea of trying to drown me until we'd started in with paddling about a bit. I don't know if they were too scared of the water themselves before, or if they were waiting until they were sure the teacher wasn't paying enough attention to stop them having their fun."
"If I ever get the chance, Harry, I'd like to teach those stupid vile boys a couple of lessons about the water, myself." Hermione grinned like a hungry wolf. Ginny liked the look on her.
She expected her own expression was about the same. "Fred and George say they're working on making a bar of soap that turns into a shark when it gets wet enough. The teeth wouldn't actually break the skin, being made out of soap, but they'd pinch, and I reckon two or three dozen would give them a nice little scare. I suppose the Statue of Secrecy would be a issue, but as I recall they were complaining that the sharks kept dissolving into a slick of soap after about a minute, which would be just enough time for some fun with no evidence left behind, wouldn't it?"
"It's all right, loves. I'm here, now, and they're in Surrey. It's not worth the two of you getting in trouble for using magic out of school."
"I know," Hermione said. "But someday... maybe when we've finished with school?"
"I'm sure that by then my brothers will have all sorts of interesting things for us to use."
"It's still not worth your getting into trouble, but thank you for, well, for caring."
Hearing that, Ginny had to hug him again. And of course Hermione had to hug both of them.
Some minutes later, they let each other go. It was time for Harry to try floating. "Floating face down was easier than on my back, if I remember correctly, so maybe I'll try that first?"
Hermione smiled and squeezed his hand. "Whatever you want, love."
Ginny took his other hand. "It was that way for me as well." She could tell he was a bit nervous. Of course he is. Anybody would be, if all their lessons in swimming had been in the same pool with a pair of bullies who hated them.
Over the next hour or so, Harry progressed from floating to an adequate dogpaddle. Ginny thought he'd be swimming comfortably before they had to leave for Hogwarts. Afterwards, he sat on the bank for a rest, and the girls took a little time to stroke back and forth across their little bend in the river. It was a delight to watch Hermione swimming, Ginny discovered. She wasn't surprised. It was a delight to watch Hermione doing all sorts of things.
Hermione swam close to where she was standing, chest deep in the water, and stood. The two girls smiled at each other for a moment, and waved at Harry, who waved back. Then Hermione tapped Ginny gently on the nose. "Tag, love. You're it." She spun about and swam away, quick as an otter.
"I'll get you for that, sweetheart!" Ginny dived after her. The girls met under the water, where Ginny tagged Hermione on the knee. Hermione tagged her foot before she was able to get away, but she managed to tag Hermione's arm when they both had to rise for air. That was enough underwater tag for the moment, because Harry was sat on the bank. The girls converged on him and hugged him.
"It was nice watching you. You're both... you swim really well, and you look lovely in the water. The way you move... it's like you're flowing from place to place, almost like how the water moves. I've seen otters move sort of like that. It's beautiful." Harry looked concerned, as if he thought he might have said something he shouldn't have said.
Ginny knew she had to do something, so she kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, love. You're right, Hermione swims beautifully."
Hermione kissed him from the other side. "Yes. Thank you, love. Thank you, both of you. And you swim beautifully, yourself, Ginny."
"Thanks, love. And I'm looking forward to you getting in more practice swimming, yourself, because I feel sure you'll have a beautiful form as soon as you're feeling a little more comfortable. After all, you look wonderful on a broom."
"Speaking of which, are you ready to get back in the water, Harry?"
"Sure." He gathered the girls into his arms. Ginny hugged her best friends, feeling almost unbearably happy. She was looking forward to the next few weeks, maybe even more than she was looking forward to Hogwarts.
#
Hermione had Ginny and Harry and herself fully packed and waiting with their trunks ten minutes before Mr. Weasley had said they should be ready. There had been times in the past when Harry had thought she was a bit bossy, but he'd always forgiven her, and somehow he didn't
mind at all anymore. She'd only ever meant to help her friends, and he felt that over the summer she'd learnt to be very kind about how she did it. Harry hadn't been very unpacked, anyhow, so it ended up with the two of them helping Ginny. She pulled them both into a hug before they carried the last trunk downstairs, and kissed their cheeks so enthusiastically that they nearly touched lip to lip.
The twins showed up a minute before, and Percy was directly on time. Then they sat and waited for what felt like a small eternity as Ron and his things dribbled outside in piles and lumps of clothes and books more or less randomly intermingled with Potions supplies, boxes of quills, and broom maintenance gear. By the time everyone and their possessions were loaded into the Weasleys' old Ford Anglia, the same car Ron and the Twins had flown to Little Whinging on their rescue mission in July, they were running late by nearly an hour.
"If we miss the Express, will they even Sort me?" Ginny whispered, so quietly that only Harry and Hermione could hear her. "I don't need to know how they do it--I know it's tradition not to tell, and I know Ron's telling great big porkies when he says I've got to fight a troll--but I'm so worried they'll say I've got to wait for another year. I'll miss you both so much, I don't know if I'll be able to stand it."
"Of course they'll Sort you," Hermione whispered. "And if there's any trouble at all, I'll sneak you into Gryffindor Tower and you'll sleep in my bed, and Harry and I will teach you all the First Year lessons. And if anybody says anything, I'll tell them you're my darling pet Ginny that I got over the summer. I'm allowed a pet, aren't I? I suppose that if Harry didn't have Hedwig we could offer you a choice of whose pet you'd like to be, but as it is it looks as if I'm the lucky one. And it's not as if I'd not let my very best friend and my very favourite pet spend lots of time together as well."
"But... what if they say I'm not an owl or a cat or a toad?"
"Oh, that's easy," Harry said. "Wasn't there a set of cat's ears and a tail with Sticking Charms on in one of the Twins' catalogues? We'll send Hedwig with a rush order. She likes you, so I'm sure she'll have them for us by the time we reach Hogwarts."
Hermione winked. "You'll make an absolutely precious kitten, and I know Professor McGonagall likes cats. I'm sure she'll let you in the tower."
Ginny grinned, blushing a bright red. She squeezed Harry's hand so tightly it almost hurt, and he could see she was squeezing Hermione's hand just the same. "Ron would have a cow if I kissed you here where he could see," she whispered, "and that's the only reason why I'm not. But as soon as we're alone, you're both getting kisses."
"As long as we can kiss you as well, love," Hermione said.
"Of course."