Potterdude1991 a.k.a. Josh
03-29-2006, 05:40 PM
Too bad, I'm posting it here. It's just a work in progress, so bear with me. and please review!!
Harry arrived at the Weasley’s with a crack, linking arms with Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley on Hermione’s other side. “I still hate Side-Along-Apparition,” muttered Harry.
“Whoah,” gasped Ron. “It feels a lot worse when you’re doing it with someone’s help.”
“Hmm, wouldn’t know the feeling myself,” said Hermione, smiling. She loved the fact that like many other things, she could Apparate while Harry and Ron still had to pass the test.
The Burrow was looking as splendid in Harry’s eyes as ever, with its tallness and misshapenness, the chickens clucking and strutting in their pen next to the house, and the very large yard including a small Quidditch pitch on a hill surrounded by trees. Harry wondered why no Muggles had ever tried to inspect closer this odd, small estate. So he asked. “Ron, how come no Muggles have ever-“
“Try and come onto our property to get a closer look at the madness?” Ron butted in. “Well, Dad didn’t want them, but Mum got one of his Ministry friends to place Muggle-Repelling Charms on the property lines.”
“Ha, I see.” The trio was now entering the house. Mrs. Weasley immediately came at Harry and threw her arms around him very tightly. “Oh, Harry, it’s so great that you can come up for almost the whole summer again!” She released him after a few moments. Fred and George Weasley approached him. Harry was very glad that he was now up to their shoulders in height. “Hey, Harry!” chimed Fred. “Hello, mate, how’s it feel to be seventeen?” said George.
“Great, thanks,” said Harry, grinning. Fred and George were there for Harry in the past, just like Ron and Hermione. He was thankful to see them again.
Then came Fleur Delacour and a mangled-faced Bill. “’Allo, ‘Arry!” said Fleur throatily, kissing him on the forehead. “Hi, Harry,” said Bill, shaking his hand. Harry noticed that Bill’s face looked slightly monstrous, and that he was growing pointy fingernails and abnormally hairy arms, but Harry knew that he had to treat the ponytailed part-werewolf like he always was.
Then the most awkward greeting came. From the table came Ginny, her hair longer and more beautifully firey than ever. “Hi,” she said, looking at her feet. “Er, hey,” he responded.
Ginny had been shy for the first couple of years of knowing Harry, but by his fifth year she was the coolest and most fun girl he’d ever known. Near the end of their sixth year, they began dating, but it all ended when Dumbledore died. With him dead, Harry thought, I and those I love will be a lot less protected. Ginny could get hurt because of my dangerous life. But did Harry really want to break up with Ginny or did he just think, at the time, that it was the best thing for them both? This will be an awkward summer, he thought.
The next morning, Harry found himself on a mattress on Fred and George’s room’s floor. Fred and George were already downstairs, Harry realized, for their beds were empty, so he put on his slippers and round glasses and went down the crooked stairs into the warm kitchen.
“Good morning!” beamed Mr. Weasley, who was busy helping Mrs. Weasley with breakfast. “Sit down, Harry!”
“Morning, sir,” mumbled Harry sleepily as he sat next to Ron.
“Morning, Harry,” said Ron. Harry yawned.
“Why do you seem so excited, Ron?” It felt like it was a very bright midnight to Harry. Ron just beamed.
“Fred and George’s new invention. Instant Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi.”
“Brilliant!” said Harry, his eyes feeling less and less heavy by the millisecond.
“Thanks, mate,” said George, who was sat next to him. Fred stood beside him, eating buttered toast. He gave Fred a couple pieces.
“We’re going to use it a little after breakfast,” said Fred. “We’ve set it up on the Quidditch pitch. But before we go swimming, George and I are just going to check for anything that needs repair.”
“See you later,” said George. “And they’ll be on sale for 59 galleons for the pool, an extra 35 for the Jacuzzi by the end of summer,” he added.
After breakfast, Harry, Ron and Hermione went into Fred and George’s room. Harry sat on the bed, but Hermione and Ron stayed on the floor, just like last year at the Burrow. “So, as you know,” Harry said, “I’m not going back to Hogwarts this year,” said Harry. “And you two want to go with me, to whatever I want to do?”
“Yeah, why not?” said Ron.
“Of course, we will Harry,” Hermione agreed. “Whatever you go, all of us go. Besides, you’ll need our help.”
“’Kay,” said Harry. Who else would be better to accompany him on his journey to kill Voldemort than Ron and Hermione? Then he thought of Ginny coming with the three of them, kissing him good luck before he entered some dark chamber, which could contain a Horcrux of Voldemort. “Well, we have a problem now.”
“What?” said Ron.
“Where are we going to stay? We can’t just wander around as we look for the Horcruxes. We’re going to need a headquarters or something.”
“We could stay here,” said Hermione.
“I doubt it,” said Ron. “My mum doesn’t already know that I plan to skip my last year at Hogwarts, so it’ll be an incredible bit of luck if she lets me live in her house.”
“I have an idea,” Harry said. “How about we ask Fred and George if we could just occasionally, you know, stay at their house?”
Hermione was unsure. “I don’t know, Harry. Their flat probably isn’t that big-“
“I can sleep on the couch or floor or something,” Harry argued.
“Me too,” agreed Ron. “But I dunno much about sleeping arrangements and monetary stuff, but I think they’ll let us stay, at least for a little bit.”
“After all,” Harry added, “I did give them the money to help them start their joke shop, and they seem like they’re very thankful for that. So hopefully they will return the favor.”
Hermione looked like she decided that it would be best just to give the idea a try. “Well, I guess you’re right,” she said.
“Okay, then we’ll ask the twins later,” said Harry.
“Hey, we could ask them when we go swimming, Harry,” Ron suggested.
“Good idea.”
“Hold on, you’re going swimming,” asked Hermione. “Where?”
“Fred and George made an Instant Swimming Pool and Jacuzzi,” Ron explained, grinning. “Why, do you wanna join us?”
“No, thanks, I’ve always been slightly creeped out by swimming since I agreed to be held captive underwater in our fourth year. Anyways, today, Fleur is going to talk with Ginny about wedding plans and ideas, and Ginny’s going to try on her dress with Fleur as well. I agreed to go with her for support in case Fleur gets too irritating,” she finished laughing.
“Okay, see you,” said Ron and Harry. “I guess we could go up to the Quidditch pitch, now,” said Ron.
“Okay,” Harry responded, but then he realized something. “I don’t have swimming trunks, though.”
“Neither do I,” Ron said, “but Fred and George said they’d figured it out.”
Harry and Ron excitedly made their way up to the Quidditch pitch. The trees were filled with songbirds, which made a very pleasant environment. Going through a short path, they entered an enclosure, where their eyes fell on a great sight. Before them was a large swimming pool, about forty feet long and twenty feet wide. It looked like it went from four feet deep to twelve feet deep. The sun reflected through the surface to the bottom beautifully. About ten feet away from the luxurious pool was a Jacuzzi that looked like it could fit eight people. The water on the surface was bubbling and steaming a little bit.
Ron and Harry found the twins lounging by the side of the pool, wearing sunglasses. “It’s not much,” said George, “but it’ll do, eh?”
“It’s awesome, mates!” said Harry.
“Wow!” said Ron. “How did you guys do this?”
“Well, the trick was to find a spot big enough to be able to build it. Over spring holiday last year, we came up here to work on it, right on this Quidditch pitch. That’s why it fits so perfectly up here. And the best thing is, the whole thing fits inside a box about the size as a Chocolate Frog box.”
“Cool,” laughed Harry. “So… I guess I’m getting in, then, but I don’t have a pair of swim trunks. Ron said you two figured out that problem?”
“And neither do I,” piped up Ron. “Do swim trunks come with the whole thing?
Fred and George looked at each other and snickered, taking off their socks and shoes. “No, it doesn’t come with swim trunks, mates.” Ron glanced at Harry, confused.
“Then, do you have some for us?”
“No, neither we don’t have trunks either! But don’t worry, we don’t need them,” said Fred. Ron still didn’t seem to get it, but Harry got the point.
“Are you saying that we’re going skinny-dipping?” he said incredulously.
“Yeah, why not?” said George. “It’s just like taking a bath, but in a really big bathtub and no bubbles or anything.”
Harry remembered when he had to sneak into the Prefects’ bathroom late at night, to bathe with the golden egg and to find out its clue. He remembered how great the large bathtub was, and how he was “visited” by Moaning Myrtle. But with no bubbles? In his midnight bath, the surface was covered in bubbles which prevented Myrtle from seeing anything unless Harry got out of the tub.
“I don’t know,” said Ron nervously.
“Are you sure we couldn’t find anything to wear?” asked Harry hopefully.
“It’s not really that bad!” said George. “We’ve done it before, don’t worry. After a while you kind of forget that you’re nude.”
Fred looked slightly unbelieving. “Fine, then, if you two gymnophobes aren’t up to it, then it’s just George and I, isn’t it?”
George nodded, and said to Fred conclusively, “Let’s get in, then, shall we?” Fred nodded in agreement, and to Harry and Ron’s slight shock, the twins took off their tee robes, then their sweaters, and next their tee shirts, and then their trousers! Harry, and probably Ron, too, slightly hoped that they’d keep on their boxers, but off came those, too, leaving Fred and George standing by the pool completely nude. They looked at Harry and Ron, and addressed each other nonchalantly, “I hope the water’s warm.” Then they both did cannonballs in, splashing Harry and Ron.
Their firey-red heads popped out of the water, and they looked at each other and laughed. “Come on, you two! This is great!”
With Ron and Harry both still unsure, Fred said, “Look, you guys are already wet, how about you just get your whole body wet? Are you worried about size?”
Harry was, and he knew instinctively that Ron was as well. “Well, we’re not gonna laugh,” said George. “In fact, we’d make fun of you two more if you kept it hidden. Come on, why would we born naked if for the rest of our lives we had to stay dressed?”
Harry knew he had a point, so he looked at Ron and said, “It wouldn’t hurt, would it?”
“I guess not,” agreed Ron.
“Yes! The first step: shedding fear of being naked. Now we need to get to the next step: shedding your clothes!” said George, laughing.
Harry never imagined anything like this would actually, happen, so of course he hesitated. “I’m too nervous,” he admitted.
Ron smiled confidently. “Well I think Fred and George have just converted me to a nudist. So…” Ron trailed off as he pulled off his tee shirt.
“Ron?! You’re actually-?” Harry stuttered.
“Yeah, why not?” Ron said, undoing the belt on his trousers. Now he was in his boxers and shoes and socks.
“Okay, Ron, that’s good enough,” muttered Harry sheepishly, but Ron ignored him and removed his shoes and socks. Once simple pull and Ron would be totally exposed. “Ron?” he said.
“It’s down to this, Harry,” said Ron. “I kinda hoped that we’d do this together, but it doesn’t seem like you really want to. But I’m gonna do it anyways,” Ron said confidently. Dramatically, Ron pulled down his boxers; no clothes now but his birthday suit. Harry gasped.
“Oh my God, Ron, I didn’t think you would actually-!” Ron whooped as he jumped into the deep end of the pool. He swam slightly under the surface to Fred and George, giving Harry a nice view of his buttocks. He popped up between the naked Fred and George, and called, “Come on, Harry! It feels great! Come on, no one’s gonna laugh at you, and this pool’s hidden by the trees, anyway!”
Harry sighed, arguing with himself inside his head.
George sighed, “Well, I guess he isn’t going to do it, then.”
Fred consented, “Yeah, it would’ve been more fun if he joined us.”
“It would really make you glad if I joined you?” Harry said uncertainedly. “Er, I think I hear Hermione calling me,” said Harry retreating.
Behind a bush, Harry knelt, thinking. They had been so casual about getting naked, so why was he afraid to? If I fought Voldemort in a graveyard, I should easily be able to get naked and jump into a pool, right?
Suddenly, Harry felt a lot more at ease. Then, he heard George’s voice carrying out from the pool area, “Do you reckon he’s actually going to do it? Because I am not getting out of this pool until Harry joins us.”
“He’ll come ‘round sooner of later,” said Ron. “If he’s the awesome bloke I know he is, he’ll join us.”
Ron really thinks I’m awesome? He saw no reason to argue now, so he quickly stripped naked. He knelt on the ground, thinking, Well I’m going to have to make an entrance to surprise them, now. Stealthily, he crawled behind a close group of trees right next to the clearing. He saw that the twins and Ron were still naked, and swimming around. Harry first threw out his tee shirt.
“Hey! He’s stripping!” said Ron excitedly. Grinning, Harry threw out his trousers. Taking a deep breath, he chucked out his boxers.
“Good job, mate!” called George. “Come on, then, where are ya?”
Releasing the air, Harry stepped out from behind the trees and did a running-jump into the water. “Cheers, mate!” the three Weasleys said, as he popped out through the surface.
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