Harry lay on top of the bed that night thinking about the last week. One week ago he had been in the Grim Reaper's office, dead after what should have been the final battle in the war.
Thinking back, he realized that too much had been lost in that time because of his impulse to charge right in without thought, as well as the deliberate lack of information he was subjected to. He really preferred the way things were going.
All of a sudden, he heard a voice beside him which made him jump.
"Hiya, Harry! How's it hanging?"
Harry looked over and saw his Grim Reaper Larry sitting on the chair next to the desk in the room smirking at him.
"Oh MERLIN you startled me. What are you doing here? Did I mess something up?"
"Nope. Actually, me and Bob have been right impressed with what you've done so far."
"So, why are you here?"
"You remember the contract right?"
"The one I signed before I left back to the graveyard?"
"That's the one."
"Sure. I am supposed to keep everything to myself and I can only tell Hermione if I choose to."
"Well, yeah. But you didn't read the fine print."
"Fine print?"
"Yep. The fine print."
"What didn't I read that is in the fine print?"
"As a result of the need for Destiny Repair and to ensure the client moves successfully toward his destiny, periodic reviews by the client's Grim Reaper will be scheduled at regular intervals until the Director of the appropriate Reaper department deems it unnecessary."
"Oh, Merlin. So that means ..."
"Yep. I'm going to be visiting regularly till Lora decided you don't need it anymore."
"She still annoyed with me?"
"Yep."
"How long does that last anyway?"
"William Wallace kept her annoyed for 50 years. And the last 30 was after his death."
"Oh shite."
"That about sums it up."
"So, what do these reviews entail anyway?"
"Oh, just a general inspection of what is happening and any advice that Destiny Repair might have to pass along to the client."
"So, Bob?"
"Yeah, Bob. Bob decided to take you on as his hobby. Gets right boring at times and a spirit's gotta have a hobby."
Harry groaned. "So, Bob have any advice to pass on?"
"Not yet. You're still going on the advice he gave you before you came back. I'd be worrying if I were you though."
"Why's that?"
"Bob gets a crazy look when he talks about fixing your destiny up."
"What's liable to happen?"
"Don't know, but the last time it happened the Colonies became independent."
Harry groaned again. "So, anything else?"
"Just one thing."
"What's that?"
"Have some fun."
Larry smirked at him and disappeared right as he heard a knock on his door.
Harry called out for whoever was at the door to come in. The door opened slowly and Hermione peeked in.
"Hello, Hermione. It's ok. I'm decent," Harry smiled at her.
Hermione smiled back and moved to sit on the bed next to Harry. "I wanted to thank you."
"For what?"
"I know you had something to do with that scholarship."
"Hermione, whether or not I had anything to do with it, Ragnok was the one that gave it to you. So he must have thought that you deserved it." Harry sat up and hugged Hermione, pulling her head onto his shoulder and rubbing her back lightly as he rested his head on her curls.
They sat like that for a moment until Hermione pulled back and looked at him with a blush. "What?"
Hermione stammered. "I'm a little nervous about wearing a bikini in front of you." She bowed her head. "I know I'm not built the same way as some of the other girls, and, well, I don't want to disappoint you."
Harry reached out and lifted her chin up. "Would you believe me if I said I have no interest in how other girls are built and I'm sure you'll look brilliant in a bikini?" Hermione smiled tremulously as Harry looked into her eyes. "Besides, I think I might be the one who has to worry."
Hermione cocked her head. "Why's that?"
Harry blushed and said, "Well, I'm a right skinny runt and I don't know that I'll be all that impressive." Hermione giggled at him.
"I for one like you the way you are. Besides, you have that quidditch body. All the twists and turns have worked the right places." She laughed at his fish-like look.
Harry had not expected such a comment from the proper Hermione Granger. He started blushing bright red. "Well, thank you. How about we both agree to not worry since we both probably still have some filling out to do?"
"Ok, Harry. I won't be embarrassed if you won't."
Harry paused a moment. "Well, there are more things to be embarrassed about."
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Ok, what now?"
Harry looked everywhere but into her eyes. "Um, I'm a hormonal teenage bloke, and seeing you in a bikini might produce hormonal teenage bloke responses." Hermione thought about that for a moment and her eyes widened.
"Oh." Truth be told, she was more than a little flattered that Harry might view her in such a way. She smiled shyly at him and leaned over and kissed him. "Well, I won't hold it against you. Some things just can't be controlled." She kissed him again with a bit more enthusiasm. Harry was just as enthusiastic. She pulled back and glanced down. She giggled and said, "Hey, I think I see what you mean by hormonal teenage reactions." She turned red as she said this. Harry was quite embarrassed. Hermione leaned over and said, "I'll tell you a secret. I get hormonal teenage girl reactions when I see you." She kissed him quickly, went to the door, looked back at him and glanced down one more time and said, "Goodnight, Harry. Sweet dreams."
Harry was probably going to have to end up taking care of his hormonal teenage boy reaction quite soon.
The next day proved that he was in a position to be embarrassed.
After breakfast, cooked by Emma, Hermione had told him to meet her at the pool at 10 o'clock. At 9:50, Harry had changed into his swim trunks and put on a t-shirt, before grabbing a towel and heading out to the pool.
Hermione wasn't out yet, so Harry decided to lay out on a lounge recliner until she came down. He closed his eyes and waited until her heard "Hey, Harry."
Hermione stood there in a pale blue two piece bikini. It wasn't a string bikini, but no guy who saw her in it would ever have doubts that she was all girl. "H-h-hey, Hermione. Bikini l-looks good." Harry was very happy that at that moment there was a towel covering his lap.
Hermione shyly smiled at him, sat down in the next chair, and handed him a bottle of sunblock. "Do my back?" She turned her back toward him and waited. He hesitantly put some of the sunblock on his hand and started rubbing it into the skin on her back.
Hermione shivered as his hands worked her back. His motions were becoming more smooth. "Mmmmm, nice hands; he even got the skin under the suit," was her thought. He pulled one of his hands away and poured some more sunblock directly on her back. He then resumed applying it until her back had been covered. She turned and thanked him and offered to his back. She had been waiting for her opportunity to put her hands on him.
Harry agreed and hesitantly pulled his t-shirt off and turned his back toward her. She poured some onto her hands and started rubbing it into his back. "Nice toned muscle there," she observed to herself. She was really enjoying this and she saw him shiver just as she did when he was doing her back. She finished and handed him the bottle.
"Ok, finish applying it to the rest of your body, you don't want to get burned."
Harry, in a moment of sheer Marauderness, said, "Sure you don't want to put it all on for me?" and waggled his eyebrows. Hermione laughed nervously, slapped him on the arm and said, "Prat!"
She lay back, and pretended to close her eyes, acting as though she were not looking as Harry stood and started rubbing the cream onto his legs. His motions seemed distracted as he was apparently sneaking glances at her as well. Through her almost closed eyes, she could see the front of his shorts and apparently his hormones were active again. Once again, she felt strangely flattered and sexy knowing that she could get such a reaction from him.
Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the morning and half-way through to the afternoon alternately laying around the pool and swimming. Both enjoyed their time very much and both could appreciate the physical attributes of the other very much. Hermione's mother and father as well as Sirius and Tonks joined them after lunch. Sirius, the pureblood that he was, was not used to seeing women in bikinis and had to try very hard not to stare. Tonks laughed at him, as did Harry and Hermione. After it was explained to them, Emma and Robert joined in the laughter.
After a while, everyone relaxed, although Robert seemed to be keeping a close eye on how Harry and Hermione interacted. Emma, on occasion, smacked Robert on the side of the head when his staring became obvious.
Emma had then suggested a game of pool volleyball and after an explanation of the rules, everyone joined in. It was Harry, Hermione and Sirius against Emma, Robert and Tonks. Harry's athletic ability from playing quidditch showed through, while apparently Sirius had played beater in his day. He might be out of shape but he could still play. Hermione was not used to the playing of games and missed a number of volleys.
Emma wasn't much better than Hermione, but Robert also had a past playing Rugby and Tonks was toned from Auror training, although this was offset somewhat by her clumsiness.
All in all everyone had fun.
When mid-afternoon rolled in, Hermione announced to the group as a whole that she and Harry had summer homework that needed to be done. Harry pouted, while the adults laughed, but agreed that doing it now rather than later meant more fun in the long run.
The two showered and dressed in t-shirts and shorts and met in Hermione's library room to work on their homework.
After two hours of working on their Potion's essays, Emma called them down to dinner. After dinner they returned and finished the Potion's assignments as well as began on History of Magic, Harry's least favorite subject. Hermione helped him by directing him to references to look up for the assignment.
At the end, Harry brought up the subject of occlumency. Hermione listened, intrigued, and asked to see Harry's book that he had purchased from Flourish and Bott's. She agreed that she would help him to learn it and borrowed it until she could finish reading it.
The two teens went back downstairs to interact with Hermione's parents. Sirius and Tonks had gone back to the guest house. They all watched some television, including a show called, "Whose Line is it Anyway?" which all found very funny.
Harry and Hermione had a decent goodnight snog for a few minutes until they moved to their separate bedrooms, knowing the next day was important.
A/N: Ok. Next will be the appointment with Amelia and getting ready for vacation.