~*~ CAMP MUGGLE ch. 15/17 ~*~
"It's just a bit further up the hill," Harry brushed a wayward tree branch out of the way as he and Hermione climbed up the hill. He held it at bay so Hermione could pass safely under it. Harry led Hermione hand in hand to up through wood, and away from the campers below.
"Thank you," said Hermione softly as she ducked under the branch. They'd been hiking for about fifteen minutes. The voices below had long been drowned out by the plummeting waterfall somewhere off to their left.
"Do you think they've noticed we're gone?" mused Harry and they scrambled up the rest of the hillside. He glanced up to notice the sun finally beginning to poke through the trees in front of them.
"Hopefully not," she smiled as the neared the exit of the wood. "Now just where is it that we're going?" A smile played at her lips as the pair stepped into the sunlight.
"Actually, I haven't got a clue," he too smiled as his eyes went into a squint now that they'd been exposed to the bright glare of the sun as compared to the murky wood.
"Harry!" said Hermione with a bit of laughter to her voice. "This better not have gotten us lost!"
"We're not lost...we're," he looked around and noticed the small river plummeting over the edge into a cascade of furry. "We're at the top of the waterfall."
Hermione gasp as she turned and finally took in the sights around her. They had, in fact, hiked quite a fair elevation up and were standing near the end of the line. Hermione meandered over to the edge and peaked down toward the large billows of mists and splashing campers below.
Suddenly, a strong pair of arms encircled her waist causing her to gasp. "Careful, don't fall," Harry smiled into her hair.
"You'd never dream of letting me," she smiled turning square to face him, his arms still around her.
"Never," he leaned down and gave her a soft kiss. As they broke apart, a funny smile played upon Hermione's lips.
"Do you think they can see us down there?" She smiled at their current predicament, looking over her shoulder at the seemingly oblivious crowd below. Harry too glanced at the people below.
"If we can see them," he smiled, sliding his arms out from around her and taking her hand, "we might want to move."
"I second that idea," she let him lead her away from the cliff's edge and over to a small grassy patch near the stream. Very ungracefully, Harry flopped down and yanked Hermione with him. She landed in a thud on his chest causing her to brake into a fit of giggles. Harry smiled at her, rather amused with himself.
"Would you be mad at me if I told you a secret?" he beamed, looking fondly at her glowing face.
"What sort of a secret?" said Hermione suspiciously as her laughter began to subside. She was making an attempt to put on one of her stern faces.
"I seemed to have accidentally smuggled something with me that you'd be rather displeased about.." said Harry averted his gaze, daring to look at her through one squinted eye.
"Harry!" she landed a flat palm against his chest, "this better not be what I think you're talking about!" Her voice had risen to a semi-threatening level. Not enough to be furious, but indeed angry with him.
"Ya, that would be it," he grimaced. He knew he was in for it now. He could feel as she tensed on top of him, preparing to chastise him.
"HARRY JAMES POTTER!!! How could you be so reckless! I cannot believe you! What is some innocent Muggle child had found it! Or worse someone too young to know what to do with it like Colin or Juliet! You never think do you! AHHHHH!" She finally stopped. He could feel her breathing quite heavily as the yelling subsided.
"Are you finished?" he ventured, turning his head back toward her with hesitancy. He was sure the entire camp would have heard her if it hadn't been for the loud noises of the waterfall. She nodded, still to angry to speak. "Good, you're worse than a Howler!" Her eyes grew large at his comment and she gave him a few slaps to the chest. "Okay, I'm sorry, maybe I deserved that." She glared at him still. "All right, I did deserve it. But since you got your yell in, can I at least show it to you?" He waggled his eyebrows at her suggestively until she finally broke a small smile.
"I suppose.." She sighed sliding off his chest and settling into the grass next to him.
"Good cause it's been rather annoying scratching across my ankle this whole time!" Harry beamed and he rolled up his pant leg and produced his wand from its nestled spot inside his sock.
"Ugh," Hermione sighed loudly turning her head in disgust that he'd ignored the multiple warnings she's given him.
"Why are you so upset? No one's discovered it yet!" said Harry and he swished it around it the air, obviously having missed the feel of his wand in his hand.
"At thank goodness for that, but it doesn't mean someone still won't find it out!" said Hermione, still quite cross, with her arms folded at her chest.
"But it might come into handy," he smiled, leaning close so that she'd been compelled to look up at him. She caved and did so, trying to restrain herself from the smile playing at her lips. He was just too irresistible.
"Like how," she ventured, trying to see where he was going with this one. He'd obviously brought his wand along their little hike for a reason.
"Well," he picked up a leaf that had floated over to them in the breeze and held it in his hand. He muttered a few words, pointed his wand at it, swished and flicked, and after a few bursts of sparks, he handed her a bouquet of fresh flowers.
She tried her hardest, but she couldn't stop from letting a large smile float across her face as he handed her the bouquet. "How'd you know that you wouldn't get in trouble for using it?" said Hermione as she took them from him.
"Ron overhead his mother speaking with Professor Dumbledore about precautions after you invited us to go. You aren't still mad, are you?" said Harry, leaning in and cupping her chin with his non-wand toting hand, gently rubbing his thumb up and down her jaw line.
"No," she turned her face in his hand in annoyance. "I can't seem to stay mad at someone so wonderful," she admitted.
"Good," he used his hand still holding her face to turn her gaze back to his so that he could bestow a small kiss upon her lips. "Now how about some fun!?" He smiled devilishly brandishing his wand.
~*~
"This sucks! This is stupid!" Ron angrily hit the water around him. He was away from the main group taking out his frustrations on the cool water's surface. A ways away, Meegan happily splashed around with her campers, seemingly ignoring his existence. "Why does stuff like this always happen to me," he sighed, punching the water again.
Ron had been berating himself for the past half hour. No one seemed to notice he'd drifted away from the group, so he'd taken the opportunity to loudly express his dissatisfaction over the Meegan situation.
Especially now that the pair was the center of attention at camp, he couldn't get a moment alone with her to talk about the upcoming end of camp and what it meant for the two of them. 'I really like her, but it's too soon to let her know I'm a wizard,' thought Ron as he absentmindedly ran his fingers through the water's surface. 'I've heard too many horror stories of witches and wizards scaring off lovers by telling them the truth. But Meegan, there's something about her, something that make me think she'd understand. It's way too soon though. I mean, we've been dating for not even two months yet. That's definitely way too soon. I like her so much though! She's kind, and smart, and just...amazing! I am so lucky to have met someone like her! But why now...?' Ron scoffed and slapped the water around some more. He did truly care for Meegan, he just didn't know how to deal with it.
Suddenly, he felt rather cold standing in the water. A perplexed look crossed his face as he shivered and broke from his deep thoughts. As if on cue, a large piece of cloth suddenly bubbled up from beneath the water in front on him. Curiously, he grabbed the fabric, and then it hit him. The piece of cloth was his swim trunks and that cold feeling he'd experienced was him stark naked under the water!
~*~
Harry and Hermione fell back laughing as they saw their best friend panicking, trying to slide his shorts back on while frantically looking around to see if anyone else had seen. The pair took a few steps back from the cliff's edge before collapsing into a fit of laughter. Harry let his wand fall to his side as he buried his head into Hermione's shoulder, tears streaming down both of their faces from laughing so hard.
"Harry," said Hermione through tears, choking down her laughter, "that was positively evil! He's our.." she stopped to laugh more, "best friend!" She couldn't contain it more as she burst out in another fit of uncontrollable giggles.
"No one saw him..." Harry took a few breaths propping himself up, "but us!" He too burst out laughing again, collapsing back against her.
They stayed laughing for a few more minutes before finally composing themselves.
"Would you like to cause some more havoc?" Harry grinned maliciously, fingering his wand beside him. He'd finally slid off her and was now beside Hermione in the grass.
"Why don't we leave Ron alone for a moment," Hermione propped herself up on her elbow and leaned over Harry. They'd been both lying on their backs in the grass. "There are other things I could think of doing at the moment," she drawled, drawing a hand back and forth across his chest.
"Such as?" Harry released the wand between his fingers and brought his fingers up to her cheek.
"Well, maybe..." She leaned in close, drawing his mouth magnetically toward hers, "enacting my long awaited revenge!!" Suddenly, her fingers attacked his stomach, sending Harry into howls of laughter.
"Hermione!" he gasped. "This is so unfair!" He writhed on the ground as she continued her pursuit of his waist.
"What? What was that? I can't hear what you're trying to say through all this laughing!" She continued, purposefully tickling him harder.
"P...pl..please, I'm sorry I tickled you so much before!" She didn't let up. "Okay, I'll never tickle you again," he breathed a few sighs of relief as she finally eased up.
"Do you swear?" She asked eagerly, her fingers still against his sides.
"You know I can't promise that!" He gave her a dashing smile. She leaned to tickle again, but then gave up, instead turning and flopping down against his chest. His arms immediately came up the circle around her waist.
"What am I ever going to do with you?" said Hermione, wiggling around until she was comfortable in his arms.
"Kiss me?" said Harry, speaking into her hair.
"That's the easy part," she turned, resting the side of her head against his chest. She inhaled deeply, taking in his musky scent. It seemed to relax her, breathing him in like that. "What are we going to do when we go back to Hogwarts?" Both tensed at the mention of the topic.
"I've been thinking about that lately too," said Harry, rubbing her arm in a comforting manor. He kissed the crown of her head, then looked up toward the sky.
"And?"
"The way I see it, we have to choices. One, we can keep it a secret, or, we can tell our friends. And, in my opinion, its seems most our friends have been rooting for us to get together anyway," said Harry.
"That's what I was thinking. But, we might want to at least keep it quiet until we've return to school," said Hermione.
"To avoid Ron and Meegan's plight?" Harry tipped his head back to hers and nuzzled up against her.
"Exactly," she affirmed, closing her eyes and relaxing against his chest.
"Excellent," Harry too closed his eyes, relaxing in the sunlight. "It's smooth sailing until we get back to school. Then we'll see what everyone has to say."
~*~
End of Camp Muggle 15/17
***** Next Chapter....the END OF CAMP DANCE.