The Sweetest Thing

Chapter 1

Hermione POV
"I can't believe none of you have ever just spend a day at the beach?" I say as I'm running through the water with my best friends Harry and Ron. Ginny also came along but is still to chicken to get into the water with us, I swear sometimes she can be such a baby. I laugh to myself. She's never hear me say that though, she'll probably hex me to bits, for it.

"Well, the Dursley's went, but I wasn't really welcome on their days of fun" said Harry, through breathes. We are now quite deep in the ocean water and it takes a bit out of you to keep yourself above water, with the waves crashing into you from time to time. Harry is looking rather happy today, not his usually grumpy self that he usually is,now that he and Ron are full time aurors. I suppose their job is pretty stressful so I don't blame him, but after all we had been through during the war, its nice to see him enjoying life sometimes.

"Well mate," says Ron, "I don't think a beach day with the Dursleys would've been all that enjoyable, just imagine that fat uncle of yours running around in only swim trunks! "  "Eww, Ron!" I squeal. Harry laughs. "Yeah, you're right, that's not the kind of image I would want to be tortured with. Ever."
"I mean, not to be rude, but even the image of Hagrid in a bathing suite would be less traumatic" Ron says, while picking up some drifting seaweed, and draping it across his chest like a bikini top. Which made Harry and I laugh some more. "Wow, Ron. I never knew u fantasised about Hagrid in swimming attire!" I say and nearly lose my balance in the water. Ron glares at me and splashes me with water. Which ignited a water fight, we had to move closer to shore though as the water was getting too deep for me.

"Guys! Are you just gonna leave me here on the sand all by myself, all day?!" We hear Ginny scream, where she is sitting on a towel. She has on a huge sunhat and shades, and her ruby red swim suite on a pale white skin, makes her look like one of those old time Hollywood actresses, my grandma use to love. "You, can always come can join us, love" Harry calls out to her with a smile. "No way!" She shouts back. "I ain't getting into that freezing water!" "Come on, Gin. You're missing out on Ron's sexy seaweed bikini, that he's planning on wearing for his new found crush, Hagrid!" I say, dodging a rather big splash of salt water, being flung my way, by a now very red faced Ron. "Shut up, Mionie! If she tell George, I'm never gonna hear the end of it!" From the corner of my eye I can just make out a smile on Ginny's face as she shouts "Hagrid's got better taste though, I don't think he'll be impressed!"
We all burst out laughing again and I got so distracted that I didn't notice Ron creeping up behind me. I start singing, "Ronie and Hagrid, sitting in a tree! K-i-s-s-..." But before I could finish Ron, dunked me under the water.

As I got back up, coughing out water and desperately trying to wipe salt water out of my eyes. "Ron! That was so unnecessary!" I glare at him, now very much impressed with himself. I decided to get out the water, but when I passed Ron, I pushed in over, and because we still in the sea, he lost his balance and fell over.

"Aaaww, Ron. How can you do that to Mionie" Harry says but I can still hear the laughter in his voice. He walks over yo me, were I'm still struggling to get out the water and picks me up over his shoulder. I scream at him to put me down, although secretly I'm a bit glad I don't have to walk all the way back now. "She started it, " I hear Ron saying as he too is walking back with us now. "But she's our little Hermione. How can you just make her mad like that? Can't you see how sad her little face is now?" Harry says, while stifling a smile. I was laughing too, but quietly so the other two don't notice."Yeah, yeah. You don't have to baby me like that, Harry." I say before lightly punching him on the back. His back was rather firm though, guess all those hours chasing dark wizards keeps his body in good shape. As I'm hanging, upside down over Harry's shoulder, I kind of have a nice view of his physique. His strong legs and his...maybe its time for my blood to stop running to my head now, "And thanks, you can put me down now, Mr Potter." He laughs and puts me down next to Ginny on a towel. I grab some extra towels from my bag and start drying myself a bit. My head was spinning now.

Ron stares at me with a confused expression on his face. "What is it, Mr Weasley?" I say. I felt its only fitting to continue, addressing Ron all formally since I did the same to Harry. And since I am still a little bit mad at him for dunking my head under water, it added a touch if seriousness to my words. "Nothing, " he says, "I just came to realise something." We all look at him as he continues, "Isn't it scary how the older 'Mionie gets, the more she sounds like, McGonagall." They all start laughing again, even Ginny. I shot Ron one of my best death glares, but in the end the laughter was just too infectious and I had to smile too. Its moments like these that I've come to miss the most. Us all just having fun as a group together. Ever since we've all got jobs, our lives have gotten so busy that we don't just get to hang out like this. It was a Sunday afternoon and we all had the day off, so I decided to get them out here on the beach since they've never been, and just catch up as a group. It was also significant since the Quidditch season is about to start and that means Ginny will be off for months, as she's the starting chaser for the Holyhead Harppies. So today is a bit like a farewell party for her, as well. "Well, Mr Weasley," I say, after their laughter has subsided a bit, in my best McGonagall voice. "I commend your observation. It was rather amusing. 5 points to Gryffindor, for sheer dumb luck" We all laughed and enjoyed the rest of our afternoon together.