Author's Note: I just wanted to say a quick thank you to my new friends who have been faithfully reviewing this story, and offering the most amazing words of encouragement. You girls know who are… If I knew how to make a fruit basket out of periods, commas and other various symbols it would so be here… Alas, I only know how to make smiley faces and roses… So here you go: >:-) @}--->---- Thank you so much, I love you guys! Let me know what you think.
Chapter Four: When The Sun Shines, We'll Shine Together
Hermione stopped cutting the sandwiches, took a deep breath then began cutting again. She couldn't help the smile that came to her face at her best female friend's forwardness.
"Could you just tell or did you hear us?"
Luna grinned, removing the remaining earring from her ear and shoving it in her pocket. "Hermione, we've lived together for the past two years, yes? And I've heard sounds coming out of your bedroom many times in those two years… But I've never heard you scream like that."
Hermione laughed and started piling the sandwiches onto a tray and then suddenly turned towards her. "Wait… Did Ron…?"
Luna waved her off. "Oh gods no, he passed out almost immediately. And you know once he's in his drunken coma…"
Hermione let out a sigh of relief, but then looked at her with sad eyes. "So after all that foreplay at the bar, you didn't even get to seal the deal?"
Luna's eyes lit up. "Of course we did…" She stared wistfully at the ceiling. "Best three minutes of my life."
Hermione released a loud laugh and pulled her into a tight hug. "Oh, Luna, I do love you. You're absolutely irreplaceable."
Luna smiled as she pulled away and Hermione started making a pitcher of lemonade. "Thank you. But don't change the subject… What happened?"
Hermione shrugged her shoulders as grabbed an ice tray from the freezer and started plopping them into the pitcher. "There really isn't anything to tell, to be honest. We both just needed the same thing at the same time, and like everything else we've gone through in our lives, we were able to be there for the other… If you're looking for a fairytale ending, you won't find it here."
Luna quirked an eyebrow and tucked her hands under her chest. "So, this was just a one time thing?"
Hermione walked over to open the patio door and then walked back to Luna smirking. "Well, actually a two-time thing… This time."
Luna giggled and tossed a grape at her. "I knew I heard you guys in the shower…" She then looked like she was struggling to tell her something. There was only ever one topic that Luna was sensitive about towards them. "I was pretty sure I knew what you were doing… and Ronald was waking up. He would have heard you guys… I had to…"
Hermione rested a hand on her shoulder, consolingly. "It's okay Luna, I appreciate what you did."
Luna smiled then gasped. "And what do you mean 'this time'?"
Hermione laughed and carried the tray of sandwiches to the patio table, Luna following close behind with the lemonade. "Well, we sort of made this little… agreement?"
Luna playfully slapped her arm and followed her back into the house. "Details!"
Just then Harry and Ron returned to the kitchen, Ron still looking a little sickly, but his sweatshirt and sunglasses had been removed. As Harry bent down to pick up the long forgotten grape, Hermione turned towards Luna and mouthed 'later.' When Harry stood back up, he quirked an eyebrow at the girls. "Having a food fight without us? That's not very nice."
The girls laughed as Ron came over and looked at the fruit, trying to decide which would settle the best in his stomach. He picked up an orange and Hermione immediately smacked it out of his hands. Ron scowled at her and lightly rubbed his hand. "What was that for?"
"Stay away from anything citrus. It will make your throat feel worse. A banana will probably be the best for you. And you may want to grab a bottle of water, we only have lemonade outside. You need to stay dehydrated today, especially with the heat."
He smiled appreciatively down at her and grabbed a banana. "Thanks Hermione."
She nodded, grabbed the bowl of fruit and pushed it into Harry's waiting arms, and then grabbed the picnic set from the cupboard. Walking outside, they all sat around the table and enjoyed a light lunch and a decidedly light conversation.
After Ron finished his banana and two bottles of water, he turned towards Luna, a tired expression on his face. "I think I'm going to go back in for a nap. Are you going to lounge out here with them?"
Luna wrinkled her nose and dismissed that idea immediately. "Oh, heavens no, it's supposed to be blazingly hot today. You know how bad I burn. I'll come lay with you."
Ron smiled and leaned over to kiss her forehead. "You're too good to me."
Luna shrugged and stood up to start clearing off the table. "We'll take this stuff in, it will spoil out here." Together they gathered all the items off the table the headed towards the door. "Happy sunning. Take care of each other and don't burn!"
Hermione turned around just in time to catch Luna's wink, and then they were gone. She stood and turned towards Harry. "I'm going to get my caddy and a cooler for our waters. Do you need anything from inside?"
Harry had a thoughtful expression on his face but shook it away and smiled at her. "No, I'm good. I'll get the towels and our chairs ready." He got up and walked towards the pool while she went to retrieve her items.
A few moments later, Hermione dropped the cooler between their chairs and started removing her clothing. She caught Harry's gaze again and dropped her arms. "What is it?"
His lips twitched into a smile. "She knows."
Hermione laughed and finished removing her shorts and tube top. "Did you really expect otherwise? It's Luna." She walked over and started pulling at his shirt. Taking the hint, he pulled it off, along with his glasses and set them on the table. Pulling a bottle of lotion from her caddy she turned back to him. "Are you laying on your front or back first?" To answer her question, he simply sat down in the chair and pulled her by the hips onto his lap. She laughed and wiggled around so she was straddling him backwards. "You know, if you're lying on your back first, you could probably put this on yourself."
He swatted her on the butt then gently ran his finger over the heart shape cut out that he loved so much. "What would be the fun in that?"
She shivered at his touch, despite the blistering heat, but then popped the top of the tanning lotion and started rubbing it into his legs. Once she reached his thighs, she turned around again to face him. She poured the lotion onto his stomach and giggled when he quivered against the coolness. When his chest and arms were finished, she put his lotion back and grabbed her oil.
Harry looked at her, concerned. "Hermione, are you sure you want to use that today?"
Hermione smiled and leaned towards him, rubbing her nose against his. "If I start to burn you can throw me in the pool." She stood up and piled her hair messily on the top of her head and then laid down belly first on her own chair.
Harry repeated the same process with her, starting at her legs and then moving up her thighs to his heart. He put some oil on his finger and lightly traced it over small area of skin. She sighed against her towel and closed her eyes. "You are obsessed with that thing."
"I just think it's cute. It gives you this little tan tattoo on the small of your back. It's sexy. Besides, it's not my fault you keep wearing it around me."
She cracked an eye open. "Well it's my favorite bikini."
Harry straddled her hips, untied her top and began rubbing the oil into her back. "Mine too."
She smiled and rested her forehead against her towel, enjoying the way his fingers massaged the oil into her skin. "I'll let you borrow it sometime… Oh, your hands are heavenly."
He laughed and tickled her sides lightly before moving onto her shoulders and arms. Convinced she was evenly covered; he hopped off her and went back to his own chair. After a few minutes of comfortable silence, he threw his arms up behind his head and stretched his legs.
"Good god, it's hot out here."
She giggled and turned her head towards him. Poor thing, he never made it very long. "It's okay Harry, you made it as long as you could." He smiled and got up from his chair, planted a kiss on her neck, then dove into the in ground pool. Hermione sighed and stretched her arms above her head, letting them hang over the chair. "Lightweight."
Hermione soon fell asleep to the sound of Harry doing laps in the pool. It wasn't until thirty minutes later when she was awoken by the feel of water drops hitting her back. She turned her head and saw Harry standing over her, staring down. "Hermione, you're starting to burn."
She nodded her head and stretched her limbs. "Okay, I'll flip over."
Harry shook his head and snaked one arm under her waist. "No, that wasn't our deal." Before she could even comprehend his words, he had flung her up over his shoulder with amazing ease and walked towards the edge of the pool.
She squealed and clawed at his back, her bare breasts pressed against him. "Harry, no!" Wait, bare breasts? She frantically looked up and saw her top had gotten tangled in her hair. "Harry, my top!"
She kneed him in the ribs and he emitted a small "oof" before bringing her to rest on his hips. He laughed at the peach fabric stuck in her hair but when she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, he immediately worked on getting it out. When the top was removed, he also pulled her hair out of the ponytail, letting it cascade down her shoulders. She smiled and reached for her top, but he held it out of range with an "honestly, do you really think I'm giving it back?" look.
He tossed the garment over his shoulder then dove them head first into the pool. Hermione came up sputtering and pushing the hair away from her face as Harry swam away from her, laughing. "Oh, this is far from over Potter!" She eagerly chased after him and almost had her hand on his ankle when he reached the edge and hopped out. He looked down at her triumphantly, his hands on his hips. She smirked at him and waded towards the ladder. "What? You don't think I'll get out of the pool because I'm topless?" She shook her head disbelievingly, then slowly started climbing the ladder.
Harry's eyes widened slightly as he watched her reach the top step. She looked down at herself, then ran her fingers underneath the strings of her bottom, then looked back up at him with smoldering eyes. She slowly walked towards him, her hips swinging enticingly, and Harry had to swallow the dry lump that appeared in his throat. When she reached him, she pressed her body tight against his and he instinctively lifted his arms to pull all her hair to one side. As he brought his mouth down on her neck she smiled and rested her hands on his hips. Satisfied that he was completely preoccupied, she quickly turned them so his back was towards the pool and pushed on his chest. Harry, aware of her plan from the beginning, just smirked and grabbed her waist, dragging her back in with him.
This time they both came up laughing. Harry swam over the side, hopped up onto his stomach, grabbed her top then swam back to her. She smiled and turned around, letting him drop it over her head then secure the strings. He grabbed her hand and they walked towards the shallow end. Sitting on the second step, he pulled her down beside him and she rested her legs in his lap. He started tracing shapes into her skin with his fingertips. "Well, it's back to normal tomorrow, eh?"
She smiled softly and ran her fingers through his hair. "Yeah… Feels like we were in our own little world this weekend, didn't it? A little break from reality?"
He smiled and squeezed her knees lightly. "Well I hope the distraction worked…"
She beamed and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck. "Oh, don't worry. Because of you Jason isn't even a blip on my radar anymore." She crawled into his lap and resituated herself. She ran her fingertips over his eyebrows and down his cheekbones. "I hope when you see him at practice tomorrow that you'll keep yourself in check. I don't want you being kicked off the team because of him. He would love nothing more than to see you chucked off the field."
He laughed and rubbed her sides. "Well, I'll try. That's all I can promise, okay?"
She raised an eyebrow at him but eventually gave in and planted a quick kiss on his forehead. "Alright." She stared down at him and thought about everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours. She sighed and flipped around so her back was resting against his chest. "I'm not ready to go back to work yet. How about I take a week off and we'll just barricade ourselves up in your bedroom and not leave until all our sexual frustrations are gone?"
Harry laughed outright and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. "Well first, Hermione, you would never take a week off work. Secondly, a week? Seriously, I would need at least… Six to seven months, minimal."
She laughed and turned back around, wrapping her legs loosely around his waist. "I suppose you're right. Besides, I guess it will be good to get back into our routine. You know, our infamous 'Harry and Hermione sexual tension extraordinaires.'"
Harry laughed and tucked the hair behind her ears. "Okay Ron."
Hermione smiled and kissed his palm. "What? It grew on me…"
Harry looked up at her, a soft smile curving his lips. He cradled her face in his hands and gently ran his thumbs over her cheeks. "Well, since I don't know when we'll do this again…" He brought her down and gently ran his lips over hers, a soft parting kiss. Or that's how he intended it to be. But when a primal groan escaped her throat, he couldn't help but deepen it, threading his fingers through her hair.
When breathing became a necessity, they pulled away slightly and gently nipped at each other's lips, refilling their lungs. Hermione pushed him back against the steps and crawled on top of him. "You know, we never really determined a time frame for this…" Harry nodded and pulled her lips back to his. She melted into the kiss as his tongue sought out hers and his hands grazed down her back. She pulled back slightly and ran her thumb over his lower lip.
Harry smirked up at her, lightly running his fingertips under the strings of her bottom. "So, wanna go make my bedroom walls shake?"
Hermione laughed loudly and cradled his head in her hands, laying her forehead against his. "Harry, I swear, no one makes me laugh the way you do."
Harry's face took on a look of mock indignation as he turned his nose up and away from her. "It wasn't supposed to make you laugh; it was supposed to make you horny."
Hermione smiled and pulled his face back to look at her, then kissed the tip of his nose. She climbed off him and slowly walked up the steps to get out of the pool. Once she reached the top, she looked over her shoulder at his still form.
"Who said it didn't?"
Harry grinned as he clamored out of the pool and chased after her.
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References and Inspirations:
"Umbrella" by Rihanna f/Jay Z (From "Good Girl Gone Bad")