The Murder In St. John

6. Under A Porch Light

She looked flustered trailing after him. Her hands waved about, sunglasses sliding off her nose, and three different sunscreen bottles in her hands. Teddy was promptly ignoring her, his destination being Bill who was waiting a few yards away on a beach blanket, watching his wife with a smile. 

"No, Mommy says bad words all the time." Teddy shrugged, causing a laugh to burst from George's lips. Hermione smiled to herself, grabbing George's steel cup for him, and followed him down the sand to the section the Weasleys had staked out for them.

"You riding some waves tonight, Granger?" Charlie asked, stretching on a beach towel with a strip of sunscreen across his nose.

"Maybe when the sun sets." Hermione shrugged, flopping down on the beach towel Angelina gestured to beside hers. Fred had sprawled out on the one on her other side, and a blue one beside Hermione's lay empty. Hermione didn't have to take very many guesses as to who it was intended for. 

"Attah girl, Percy's already out there trying to show off." Charlie scoffed, pointing out into the water. Audrey was standing in the waves, watching as Percy struggled to stand on his board, he wobbled for a brief moment and just as he caught his balance, the wave jumped up wiping the board out from underneath him. Audrey's loud laughter floated down the beach. 

"He's going to pull a muscle if he keeps going like that." Hermione mused, squinting as Percy's head popped back up. George snorted, amused, as he sat down beside her. Having deposited the cooler next to the blanket Lily had spread out.

Teddy was beside it digging into the sand with a pink shovel. George stretched his legs out in front of him, and Hermione didn't have to turn to notice he had taken off his shirt. Bastard-though she had yanked hers off the moment she had heard George's truck turn down her drive. A daring chance with a warm reward.

She could still feel the warm skin of his wrist against her bare knee, settled there for the short and quiet drive. A small act of affection that she had never received from another person before.

"Waves are better when the sun dips, doesn't he know?" Fred asked, propping his head up on his hands.

It had started back when they were all in school, the first day of surf season the waves were always shit, despite the large crowds that tended to flock towards St. John's. At night though, the tourists would go back to their rentals. Leaving the beaches empty for the locals, just as the sun would set the waves were brilliant. Hermione couldn't recall who discovered this first, but it had quickly become a tradition in their group, and Hermione had grown to adore it.

"My turn! My turn!" Teddy bounced up and down, holding a small bodyboard and pointing towards the ocean, his pink shovel abandoned in the sand. 

"Let's go, Teddy!" Harry called and ran past his son, James on his heels as they raced towards the water. 

Coach and Dorothy barked happily, pouncing in the waves.

"Do you want to go put our toes in?" Hermione turned slowly, tearing her eyes off of Charlie who was trying to do a handstand on a surfboard and pulled her hand out of the bag of chips she was devouring to blink at George.

He only smirked, seemingly amused by her reaction, and clapped his hands together softly. 

"Let's go." George reached over, poking her bicep before pulling himself up. Hermione pushed the bag of chips towards Angelina, despite the fact she was fast asleep, and hurried after George, pulling her shorts off quickly and throwing them back where they landed on his towel.

She trailed him, slightly curious as to why he was asking her-and if maybe he was having one on and intended to throw her in the water. Only too slow, as George had faltered in his footsteps.