One Summer

The next day, we all woke up early. I helped Ginny pack a bag with towels and blankets for the lake. I had almost forgotten about what happened last night with Fred, but when we walked down the stairs, everything came back to mind as I saw him in the kitchen with the rest of the Weasleys. A basket with fruits and sweets stood in front of him, his fingers lazily tapping against the handle. And there it was—the heat of his body against mine, the feeling of his breath against my neck, his lips almost meeting mine. I nearly missed the last stair because I was too busy staring at him.

Mrs Weasley was up too and stuffed a freshly baked bread into Ron's arms. Hermione came down a minute later than us, holding a book and parchment close to her chest. I put the bag with towels around my shoulders, and we left the house. The sun wasn't as strong yet, but it was already warm. I squinted my eyes slightly shut as the low morning sun hit my face. Fred and George walked up front, followed by Harry and Ron. Hermione, Ginny, and I walked after them with a bit of a gap.

"So..." I began. "What about you and Harry, Ginny? D'you tell him yet?"

Immediately, a smile formed on her lips, though she shook her head. "No, not yet," she sighed. "We get along really well at the moment, and I don't want to ruin it, you know?"

"Besides," Hermione interjected, "if he doesn't realise by himself that you like him... it's really obvious."

I chuckled as Ginny started to argue with Hermione.

"At least I admit that I like him," she mumbled. "You don't even admit that you like Ron."

"I—What?" Hermione's voice was slightly raised. "I don't—what are you—no!"

"Guys," I said, still trying to hold back my laughter. "C'mon."

After what felt like an hour of walking, we finally reached the lake. The grass around it was high, but we managed to find a place by the shore where it was flattened. George exhaustedly let himself fall onto a towel that he had just dropped there, muttering something about taking the brooms next time.

At first, I wasn't sure if I should take my clothes off. I wore a bright red bikini underneath my shirt and skirt. I looked around and saw that Hermione and Ginny had only taken off their trousers but left their tops on. So I pulled down my skirt and folded it carefully before laying down.

I didn't even notice until then that Fred had taken the spot next to me. He was lying on his stomach and was only wearing his bathing shorts. I quickly looked away and pulled a Muggle romance novel out of the bag, opening it.

———

The sun had climbed high into the sky. I stood up and stretched, my muscles stiff from lying in the sun for too long. The heat pressed against my skin, making me crave the cool relief of the water. Harry and Ron were deeply engrossed in a game of wizard chess, muttering strategies under their breath. George dozed lazily in the grass, one arm thrown over his face, while Hermione animatedly explained something to Ginny, who nodded along—though her expression suggested she only half understood.

Fred had his head propped up on one arm. His gaze followed me as I stood, stretching my arms above my head.

"Going for a swim?" A slow smirk crept across his lips.

He rolled onto his back, resting on his elbows, making no effort to hide the way his eyes traced over me as I pulled my shirt over my head. Warmth crawled up my neck, but I didn't mind. If anything, I liked the way he was looking at me.

Merlin, he looked good. His bathing shorts sat low on his hips, revealing the sharp cut of his V-line. His toned skin shimmered slightly, a mix of sweat and sunscreen catching the sunlight.

"Mhm, I'm hot," I muttered, not even looking at him,  while adjusting the straps of my bikini.

"Yeah... you're hot." His voice was low, teasing, and there was no mistaking the meaning behind his words. He bit down on his lip, watching me.

I turned to him sharply. Had he really just said that? Out loud? In front of everyone? I glanced around, but no one else seemed to have heard. He, however, was still smirking, completely unfazed, before pushing himself up to stand.

"I'm hot too," he added, his voice dripping with amusement.

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't stop a small smile from forming. Without another word, I walked down to the water, feeling the heat of the sun on my skin. Behind me, I heard footsteps on the grass—Fred was following.

The second my feet touched the water, a chill ran up my spine. It was colder than I expected, and I hissed as it reached my stomach. Before I could adjust, Fred suddenly dove in beside me, sending a wave of water splashing over me.

"Fred!" I squealed, wiping my face.

A few feet away, he resurfaced, shaking out his wet hair. Droplets clung to his skin, glistening in the sunlight. His toned arms rested on the surface of the water, completely at ease. I quickly looked away, sinking deeper so only my neck was visible.

"Wanna swim a little?" he asked, moving closer. "I know a spot."

I narrowed my eyes. "Oh yeah? Do you?"

He smirked and nodded towards a more secluded area before pushing off and swimming ahead. I hesitated for a moment, then followed.

The further we went, the deeper the water became. Soon, I realized my feet could no longer touch the bottom. Fred, on the other hand, had no problem standing. He turned back to me just as I was treading water, trying to stay afloat.

Before I could react, an arm wrapped around my waist. My body bumped into his, my hands landing against his chest. His skin was warm beneath my fingertips, despite the cool water.

"Are you mad?" I whispered, glancing towards the shore. "The others might see us."

He shook his head slightly, eyes locked on mine. "No, they won't. The trees hide us."

I turned to check, realizing he was right. From here, the others weren't visible at all.

Fred's fingers brushed against my waist. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

The question caught me off guard. "What? No, I don't."

His smirk deepened. "Good."

Before I could say anything else, his lips crashed onto mine. The kiss wasn't soft—it was deep, hungry, and full of heat. A shiver ran through me, but I didn't pull away. It was as if all the tension between us went into that kiss. My legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, pressing me closer. I rested one hand on his cheek, while the other one was tangled in his hair. After a few seconds, I slightly pulled away. The tip of his nose still brushing against mine.

He opened his eyes, licking over his lips. His hand that was resting on my back, slowly brushed over my ass and my leg. My skin tingled under his touch. He had given me a taste of his drug and made me an addict within seconds. I wanted more of it—more of him. I leaned forward to meet his lips again. This time it was less passionate, rather soft and sweet. My eyes were closed, when I felt him smile into the kiss. I pulled away to reveal his grin.

„What?" I wondered.

He shook his head, still grinning like a little child that just got some sweets. „Its just... you feel really good. Like, really good."

The tension between us was unbearable. I wanted to kiss him again and never stop—just keep going forever. I brushed my thumb over his bottom lip were a bit of my lipgloss glittered. He grabbed my wrist before I could pull away, placing small kisses into my palm and along my fingers. His eyes fixed onto mine, making sure I wouldn't look away, but see what he was doing.

„The others will get suspicious if we are out of sight for too long." I said, trying desperately not to be a victim for his lips again.

„I know," He mumbled against my hand. „we should really swim back." But he didn't move. Neither did I. I was unable to—like an invisible rope was wrapped around us, gluing us together. I gasped, as he gently bit down on my thumb. That was to much for me and I firmly pressed my lips onto his again. I opened my mouth and he slid his tongue in. He moaned into the kiss, sending a hot shiver down my neck. I wrapped my arms around his neck, holding him as close as I could. One of his hands rested on my ass, squeezing slightly, while the other was wrapped around my torso pulling me close, as if he was afraid I would disappear. I moaned, too, letting my fingers roam over his chest. 

After a while he pulled away. „Bloody hell—you're so hot." he breathed, starting to trail kisses over my neck. „But we have to stop."

I groaned and with all my strength I let go of him, pushing water away so that I would stay above the surface. I bit down onto my lip and turned around to swim a few meters, but as I noticed, that he wasn't following me, I turned back around. He was still standing there, smirking at me.

„Aren't you coming?" I called gently.

„Nah, it's better if we come back separately—less suspicious." He answered me. „I'll go for a swim."

I nodded lightly. „Yeah, you're probably right."

He chuckled. „I'm always right... Besides—" The smirk on his handsome face widened. „I don't think I am quite ready to leave the water yet."

I looked at him, confusion spreading on my face. „What d—oh." realisation hit me. He winked at me before turning to swim off. My mouth was slightly open, not knowing what to respond. My cheeks felt as if they were burning and I wasn't sure if it was caused by Fred or the sun. I went into the water to cool down, but now I felt as if I was hotter than before. I noticed I was starring at him and quickly turned away. Only seconds later, the others on the shore came back into sight.

I swam back to where the others were resting in the grass. They didn't even look up when I walked out of the water. Hermione had gotten to her schoolwork, and Ginny was watching Harry and Ron's game of chess. George was still dozing in the grass, though he had turned to lie on his stomach. I plopped down on my towel, grabbing a handful of berries out of the basket. I didn't put my shirt back on and instead just lay down.

The heat of the sun was slowly starting to dry my skin when Fred came strolling out of the water. I glanced at him and quickly looked away, smiling to myself. He sat down, cross-legged, and grabbed the sunscreen. He put some onto his arms, then, when he made sure that I was watching him, he applied it to his chest and stomach. I chewed on my cheek as his hands wandered over his toned body. Gosh—how badly I wanted to touch him right now.

He must have heard my thoughts or seen it in my eyes because, at that moment, he raised his voice, a smirk on his face. "Oi, Jean, do me a favour?"

"Depends." I raised a brow.

He lay on his stomach, wiggling the bottle of sunscreen in his hand. "Do my back, will you?"

Seriously, Fred? He really had to ask that in front of everyone again—that boy... I rolled my eyes at him, though I took the bottle anyway. I pushed myself up and kneeled next to him. He rested his head on his arms, closing his eyes as soon as the sun protection met his hot skin.

"Merlin, you're tense," I muttered, working the sunscreen into his skin.

"Hard life, being this good-looking," he mused, tilting his head back slightly.

I snorted. "Yeah, must be exhausting."

As my hands moved down his back, Fred let out a low hum, shifting slightly under my touch. His skin was firm and sun-kissed, freckles dusting his shoulders like constellations. I lingered for a moment longer than necessary, tracing circles with my thumbs over his lower back before catching myself and pulling away.

"All done," I said, my voice a little too casual.

He opened his eyes, reaching for my wrist before I could pull away. "You need some too, y'know." A wide grin on his lips.

"You wish, Weasley," I said quietly, almost in a whisper, as I freed my arm and shuffled back over to lie down on my towel again.

The afternoon stretched on lazily, the sun casting a golden hue over the lake. The air smelled like warm grass and fresh water, a soft breeze rustling through the trees. Somewhere in the distance, a few birds chirped, their song blending with the occasional splash from Ron and Harry, who had gone back into the water.

I stretched my arms over my head, sighing contentedly as I glanced at the basket of food beside me. My stomach gave a small grumble, and I reached over, pulling it toward me. "Alright, I don't know about you lot, but I'm starving."

Ginny perked up instantly, rolling onto her side. "Finally! I was waiting for someone to say it first."

Hermione, who had been completely engrossed in her book, blinked up at us before setting it down. Ginny grabbed a handful of fresh cherries and tossed one at George, hitting him square in the forehead.

"Oi!" He sat up abruptly, rubbing the spot. "Uncalled for."

She only grinned, popping a cherry into her mouth. "You were snoring."

"I was resting my eyes," George corrected, but he didn't seem too upset as he shuffled closer to peak into the basket.

Fred, now lying back on his elbows, plucked a grape and tossed it in the air, catching it with his mouth. I shook my head amused, already unwrapping the loaf of bread Mrs Weasley had packed. "Alright, stop whining. Who's cutting?"

Fred held out his hand expectantly, and I placed the knife in his palm. He made a grand show of slicing the bread with exaggerated precision, his tongue sticking out slightly in concentration. Ginny snorted.

"Merlin, you make it look like it's the most difficult thing in the world," she said, shaking her head.

"Oi, this is an art," Fred replied, tossing her a piece before handing another to me.

I caught it with a grin and reached for some cheese, slicing a small piece before placing it on my bread. Around me, the others did the same—Hermione buttering hers carefully, Ginny stealing some berries, and George simply stuffing his mouth full of whatever he could reach.

The sun continued to dip lower in the sky, casting long shadows over the grass. Soon enough, we slowly started to pack up our stuff. I took the basket in my hands and sighed at the thought of the walk back to the Burrow. I was tired, and my legs felt heavier than ever. We started walking through the fields, laughing and chatting.

Fred walked a few feet in front of me. When he glanced at me, his eyes flickered down to the basket in my hand. He stretched out his hand, not slowing down. "Give me the basket," he mumbled.

I didn't argue and handed it over. He winked before turning back to George. He hadn't put his shirt back on, so the view of his toned back in front of me made me bite back a smirk. The path was uneven, lined with wildflowers and tall grass. I couldn't wait to get back to the burrow, having a nice dinner and then straight head to bed.