Harry put her backpack and some of the things he hadn't organized neatly into his sleeping bag, he hoped Dudley wouldn't get snoopy again, but he remembered that he had already looked at just about everything. He wondered if Dudley had read that journal entry, he hoped that he had just skimmed through the journal without paying attention to what it said, since Dudley hated reading. Harry took what he needed with him and set off to the meeting spot. His heart rate quickened as his feet carried him closer and closer to Hermione. Harry reached the forked path, turned right and nearly jogged to the clearing ahead. His throat tightened and his mouth dried when he saw Hermione standing at the waters edge with her jeans rolled up a little so she could wade around in the cool water. Harry quietly placed his things on the sand, took off his shoes and socks, and grinned. He ran full speed at Hermione who had her back turned on him and scooped her up as she let out a gasp and screamed. She kicked her legs until her deep brown eyes rested on Harry's enchanting green ones.
"Harry, for Merlin's sake, are you trying to give me a heart attack?" she asked firmly, giving him a playful smack on the chest with the back of her hand.
Harry didn't reply; his grin widened as he walked deeper into the water with Hermione in his arms.
"Oh no, Harry don't, please Harry, please!" she begged.
"Please what?" Harry asked attempting to look innocent.
"Put me down Harry." She pleaded tugging at the collar of his shirt.
"Put you down?"
"Yes, put me… no wait… no, don't put me down Harry!"
"What did you say?"
"Don't put me down!"
"Oh all right, I'll put you down." He laughed throwing Hermione into the water as she screamed.
She emerged spitting water and brushing water from her cheeks. Her hair stuck to the sides of her face, making her big hazel eyes stand out even more.
"Harry James Potter, that was terribly mean!" she yelled splashing some water on Harry's face as he laughed.
Harry couldn't help but stare at Hermione's breathtaking figure. Her wet, baby blue shirt hugged her curves, sending shivers down his neck
Before Harry realized what Hermione was doing, she threw herself at him, knocking him off balance. Out of instinct, Harry took a hold of Hermione's arm and they both went tumbling into the water.
They both emerged spitting water, gasping for air and peeling hair from their foreheads. Their eyes met and they both broke out in laughter.
"Well, now that we're both wet and cold, I'll go start a fire so we can dry off and stay warm."
"Alright, I'm coming out too."
They both walked towards the waters edge. Hermione lunged at Harry; she decided she wasn't quite even with him. Harry landed on the soft sand where the gentle waves just tickled the shore and Hermione fell right on top pinning him to the ground.
"Gotcha!" she giggled. "Now, we're even."
Harry took a loose strand of Hermione's hair and brushed it behind her ear. She blushed as his hand gently caressed her face, welcoming her to lean forward. Hermione stiffened and her eyes grew wide, Harry could tell she was having a hard time swallowing and by the sound of her breathing, her heart was racing. She rolled over to Harry's side and cleared her throat.
"I'm..errr..fire..cold..start." She cupped her hands to her mouth. "I mean, I mean,"
Harry ran a hand through his black messy hair.
"Yeah, I'll go start that fire." He said.
Harry ambled to the forest edge and began to gather dry sticks and bark while Hermione sat motionless in the water, biting her lower lip, clearly organizing thoughts and trying to make cense of the world around her.
I ruined it, I went too quickly, and she wasn't ready for that yet… But she said she wants me to kiss her in the journal, why are women so hard to understand? Did she get second thoughts and decide that I wasn't kissable, or did she decide she didn't want to waste her first kiss on me? This is horrible! I have to try and regain her trust; I just have to take things slower… she needs time to think, this is Hermione.
Hermione stared at the colors of the sunset. The radiant oranges, the gentle pinks, the dark violets and the strips of yellow all blended together in the sky above her, like spilled paint. She finally pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged her wet jeans.
Why did I pull away? I wanted those soft lips to press against mine, I wanted it to be Harry who showed me first love and to stay my first and only love forever… Get a hold of yourself Hermione, you know you don't want to loose his friendship, and a simple kiss can ruin it all. What if he had kissed you and his face broke into a cringe because he suddenly realized that kissing you… was like kissing a sister. Why would Harry want to kiss me anyways? He's always got loads of pretty girls surrounding him; he can have his pick… There's no way he'd choose the bushy haired, lets think things through before we act, bookworm. I'm sure he's been up in that astronomy tower late at night countless times locking lips with the school beauties, when I haven't even had a first kiss yet.
Hermione's thoughts were broken as two hands rested on her shoulders.
"Come on Hermione, I got a fire started."
He stretched out a hand to her. Hermione's eyes darted from Harry's hand, to his eyes and back to his hand again. She gave a slight sigh and allowed him to pull her back onto her feet. They walked quietly to the fire Harry had started.
"Uurrmm, Hermione… your, your…wet," Harry ran a hand through his hair again and looked at his sandy feet.
"I wouldn't be if you wouldn't have thrown me in the lake." She giggled.
"I'm sorry."
She pulled Harry into a hug.
"Don't be sorry, that was fun."
Harry's heart skipped.
"I… I don't want you to catch cold, so…you're going to have to take your clothes off."
"Harry!"
"No, no… that's not what I meant," Harry's face looked like a radish.
Hermione raised an eyebrow.
"What… I eerrr… I meant that I have some blankets here, and we should take off our wet clothes and let them dry by the fire."
Hermione burst into laughter.
"Harry, I knew what you meant silly… I was just teasing you."
Harry grinned and let out a sigh of relief.
"Well?"
"Well what?" Harry asked confused.
"Are you going to turn around so that I can take off these wet clothes and get under a blanket?"
"Right…sorry."
Harry turned around while letting fantasies of a wet Hermione in her undergarments dance through his head. Harry closed his eyes wishing Hermione would put her hands on his back, turn him around and allow him to kiss her loving, full lips.
"Okay Harry, you can turn around now."
Hermione sat bundled up in one of the blankets by the fire. Harry took off his wet shirt and his soaked jeans and placed them beside Hermione's clothes to dry. His face flushed as Hermione's eyes wandered from the tips of his toes and upwards until they reached his eyes.
Hermione had seen Harry shirtless once before, but he had been wearing pajama pants; now he stood before her with nothing but a pair of black, wet boxer shorts. Her heart couldn't help but briefly stop. She was thankful she was already sitting, because she was sure that if she had been standing, her knees would have buckled and she would have fallen to the ground in a heap. The light from the campfire highlighted Harry's muscular shoulders; she couldn't help but allow her eyes to travel back and forth over his finely toned body. Hermione was fighting the urge to just run up to Harry and burry her face into the side of his neck, to tell him all the emotions she was feeling, to glide her fingers over his bare skin, to tell Harry that she was hopelessly in love with him.
Harry cleared his throat and sat down on the opposite side of Hermione, in front of the fire. He wanted to sit beside her, but he thought it would make her feel uncomfortable and remembered his oath to take everything slowly with Hermione. Harry's eyes fell on her; she was biting her lower lip and had a light frown on her face, as if she was having an argument with her thoughts.
Why did he decide to sit so far away from me? I think I sent him the wrong message, I don't want him thinking that I see him as just a friend. Do I follow my logic, or do I follow my heart?… Hermione it's time to stop thinking and start feeling.
Hermione wiggled to keep her blankets around her as she stood, walked over to Harry's side and settled herself next to him.
"I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable."
"I know, thank you." She smiled and placed a kiss on his cheek.
Harry grinned and reached over to place an arm around her, but stopped himself midway.
Take is slowly Potter, she came over to you, you don't want her going back to the other side of the fire.