Hermione could feel pebbles of sweat start to form on the back of her neck, the rapid rise and fall of her chest alerting her it has been too long since she had done any form of exercise. No matter, she could see the glistening water of The Black Lake inviting her in as she walked closer to the large group of 7th-year students stationed near the water’s edge.
“Do you think the squid has…” Hermione was quickly cut off by the boisterous laughter coming from Ron and Cormac as they slid down a burnt-orange tentacle and into the depths of the lake. She couldn’t help but smile as she stopped to watch the boys. She took a moment to look out at the rest of the group and then back to Pansy, who had stopped just slightly ahead of her.
“Come on,” she said as she went to reach for her hand to tug her along, “You can admire the lake later. I am losing precious time in the sun and I can see my very handsome boyfriend waiting patiently for me on that beach towel you got us last summer.”
Hermione let Pansy pull her along, laughing, as she hooked her arm around hers before walking the rest of the way to the lake together. She could always trust Pansy to find her before she got too lost in her thoughts, she was one of her closest friends after all. Her closest friend, who was now, finally, dating her best friend. They had visited one another regularly throughout the break, often meeting at Grimmauld Place only to leave the boys behind as they ventured out into muggle London. Pansy loved seeing how the muggles lived their lives without magic; she was in awe at their ingenuity, often begging Hermione to visit her favourite muggle place, the cinema. She couldn’t get over the fact that the moving pictures had audio to match. It had been a welcomed distraction. Although she would deny it to her death, Hermione had been in panic at the prospect of moving onto the ‘real’ world after their final year of Hogwarts. She feared the changes to come. Would everyone stay in touch? Would Harry and herself still be as close as they were now? How would she perform in her exams? Would her and D…
“There they are! My two beautiful girls. How was the train ride in?” Harry asked as he planted a kiss on Pansy’s lips, hugging her close as she dropped her bag onto the ground. Pansy wrapped her arms around Harry’s waist nuzzling her head into his chest before turning to face Hermione.
“It was quiet. Sorry I couldn’t come down with you earlier like we had planned. Dad wanted to spend some one-on-one time before the school year started, something about everything changing after this school year. Don’t have the faintest clue what he’s talking about. It’s not like it’s the most important year of our lives and that how we perform dictates who we are and what we do for the rest of our lives. How, although we have been in each other’s lives since the age of twelve we may never see each other again.” Hermione was out of breath by the time she had finished, trying her best to take slow and controlled breaths to calm her nerves. Harry and Pansy, on the other hand, were holding back their chuckles, having heard the same anxiety fuelled rant countless of times throughout the break.
As she was about to scold them for making fun of her, she felt a strong pair of arms fall over her shoulders before feeling a kiss land on her shoulder “Are they making fun of you, love?” Draco asks.
“Yes! Please hex both their arses, or better yet fling them deep into the south side of the Black Lake. Maybe the merpeople would like their company; I heard they are quite fond of Harry,” she retorts, a sarcastic smile thrown in the couples direction before turning to face Draco. She could hear Harry and Pansy finally let out their pent-up laughter but didn’t care, Draco was here. “Hi”, she whispers, looking up at him, slightly blinded by the bright sun reflecting off his platinum hair. The two had grown much closer over the break. Draco and Hermione had been great friends from the moment he had caught her brewing her very own polyjuice potion back in second year. Impressed by her talent, Draco helped her when she was about to stir the concoction anti-clockwise after adding 2 bundles of knotgrass to the cauldron. Draco had also been there to rub her back after she had grown a pair of cat ears, whiskers and a tail, a secret he was still keeping to this day. Moving forward, they realised that their passion for academia and research surpassed that of any other student. They quickly became an unstoppable duo following this discovery, receiving full marks on every task they completed, bouncing ideas and theories off each other, often work till late hours in the restricted section of the library. This did not come without its challenges. When they weren’t working together, they could be found bickering back and forth, arguing about who was right and wrong until it all came to a head over Christmas break.
Draco had invited his closest friends to celebrate the New Year at Malfoy Manor, Narcissa had been overjoyed at the prospect of having a home filled with teenagers and was very excited about meeting a special Miss Granger, not that she told her son that. Draco had been raving about how vastly superior his library was to the one at Hogwarts for as long as Hermione had known him and couldn’t wait to see it for herself. He had been promising her for just as long that she would have unrestricted access from the minute she arrived, knowing she would never want to leave. After spending days in what she could only describe as her personal utopia, Hermione and Draco had gotten into a heated argument. Hermione couldn’t quite remember what they had been arguing about, what she did remember was Draco pinning her to the back of the book shelf and silencing her with his lips. Fireworks had erupted along her skin, the moment she felt his lips on hers, his mouth moulding perfectly against hers. Just as their argument had been, this moment was filled with passion and fire. Draco was quick to lift her, Hermione wrapping her legs around his waist as she ran her hands up his back and through his blond hair. Draco had kept his hands on the backs of her thighs, keeping her pressed firmly against his body and the books behind her, squeezing her legs tighter each time she pulled on the hair at the nape of his neck. Draco was quick to make things official between one another, excitedly sharing the news with their friends. Narcissa had also been extremely pleased her son had finally made the witch his.
“What are you thinking about?” He asked with a coy smile, watching as her cheeks form a blush.
“Your library…” She whispers, biting her lip as she stared at his.
“Ahhh, yes, my library,” he smirks in return.
Giggling, she steps closer, pushing up onto the tips of her toes, pressing a short, sweet kiss on his lips. Backing away, she lifts the dress she had on, leaving her standing in front of him with nothing but her swim suit. Reaching into her bag, she set up her towel next to Harry’s. Pansy and him having disappeared into the water while her and Draco had been conversing.
Hermione could feel Draco’s eye burn into her body as he gazed up and down her sun kissed skin. She bent down again, this time with the pure intention of teasing him before pulling out some sunscreen and handing it to him.
“Remind me what this is for again?” He whispers into her ear and she gathers her curls atop of her head.
“It is designed to protect you from the UV rays the sun emits. Although here the UV isn’t high, it’s better to be safe than sorry.” With her back still to him, Draco begun to apply the cream onto the top of her shoulders, ensuring to spread it on every inch of her skin.
“Having fun there?” she asks as he takes it upon himself to begin applying it to the bottom of her back, fingers brushing the seam of her bathers.
“You know I love having any excuse to touch you”, she heard him take a deep breath as he started massaging the cream into her hips wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back into him.
“I missed you,” he says, planting kisses along top of her head, down her check and neck.
A loud bang caused them to jump, Draco wrapping his arms tighter around her waist, ready to pull her from harms way, not that she needed it. Seamus and Dean had managed to set off some fireworks they had purchased for tonight. They could hear the two arguing about eyebrows being burnt off, Fred said this but George said that.
“They’re going to get us in trouble before the party begins.” It was tradition for the 7th year students to come to Hogwarts a few days before term started and have a huge party at The Black Lake. It was something Draco’s parents had done as had theirs. As long as no one died, the teachers pretty much stayed away on the night. But, between Seamus’ proclivity to blow things up, Weasley’s hot headedness or Potter’s ability to narrowly escape death every chance he got, he was sure if there was any year the professors would intervene, it would be this one.
Hermione hummed in agreement before stepping out from his grasp to finish applying the sunscreen. He truly had missed her this past week that they had been apart. Ever since making their relationship official they were hardly separated, although she did love leaving him behind while Pansy and her went on their wild adventures in London. His friendship with Harry and Weasley had also grown over the summer. He found that Harry was actually quite the comedian and although Ron came across as a hot-headed pig; he meant well and would defend those closest to him to the death. Hearing a sign from down below, he watched as Hermione settled herself on the towel she had placed next to Harry’s. She was wearing the sexiest two-piece bathing suit he had ever seen. The black set hugged her curves in a way he didn’t think was possible, he couldn’t believe how lucky he was that she had chosen to be with him. She had another thing coming though, he was not going to let her sit here all day and read.
With the stealth of a nundu, he picked her up, causing her to drop the book on the ground before running towards the lake. Her screams attracted the attention of those around them as she tried to fight her way out of his arms. Before she could do some real damage, he had swung her into the depths of the lake, disappearing under the water. Draco stood there with a large smile on his face as he saw her head resurface.
“I hate you,” she seethed, shivering as she rubbed her hands up and down the tops of her arms.
“You love me,” he laughed as he ran and dove into the water beside her, splashing her again before coming back up.
He pulled her closer to his body, chest flush against his as he pushed some hair that had escaped from the updo she had created behind her ear.
“The bottle says you need to wait at least twenty minutes for the sunscreen to bind to the skin so that it can offer its intended protection,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, legs wrapping around his waist as he kept the two afloat.
“Hermione, it’s 21 degrees today. There is no way you are going to get burnt and if you do, I’ll happily apply the proper salve,” he winked leaning in to give her a quick peck on her pouting lips. Staring into his eyes, she cupped his cheek, pulling him closer to her lips, meeting for a passionate kiss, Hermione pulled her legs tighter against his waist, moaning as she grinded against him.
“I missed you too,” she said, breathlessly.
Although the year held so many uncertainties and although she still felt the creeping feeling of anxiety threatening to send her into another panic attack, Hermione felt at home. In Draco’s arms, surrounded by friends, Hermione was home. She couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them all.