Summer Storm

A/N: Thank you to my fellow BeST members for the beta!

Summer Storm

"Ah, it doesn't get much better than this, does it, guys?" Ron sighed, stretching lazily under the cherry tree where he was hiding from the sun, whilst Harry and Hermione were basking on the lawn. "We have the whole house to ourselves. We can do as we please, no one to nag us about doing dishes or peeling potatoes. This is heaven!" He sighed contentedly.

"Hmm," Harry agreed, not moving, never even opening his eyes. He looked so relaxed, more so than he had in ages; as if nothing bad could ever happen again. As if he didn't have a care in the world - or at least he wasn't dwell on them; not now, not today. Today was too perfect for that. Ron smiled; he loved it when Harry was happy. He wouldn't say this about any other bloke, but Harry looked quite stunning the way he was lying on his back, arms folded behind his head and a tiny smile gracing his lips.

"Actually, judging from the heat, this could well be hell, Ronald. No wonder you fled into the shade. I'm going for a swim, anyone want to come?" Hermione's shoulders were starting to show a tinge of pink. Maybe she'd do better joining him under the tree, Ron thought.

"Yeah, let's go. Come on, Harry, time to move, you lazy arse!" Harry groaned, but complied nonetheless, slouching to catch up with his two friends on their way down to the pond.

He recovered fairly quickly though and ran past Ron and Hermione, shouting, "Race you!" over his shoulder. He'd already jumped into the cool water by the time Ron and Hermione arrived at the water's edge.

Ron carefully stepped forward, inching his way in. He never managed to run in at full speed as Harry had, or the twins usually did. He had seen the twins jump in from their brooms, circling high up above the pond, which nearly gave him a heart attack just watching from below. Hermione was ahead of him, sighing in relief as her shoulders met with the cool, dark water. The sight of her swimming, with her bum sticking out of the water just that tiny bit, was quite captivating, so that Ron never saw Harry sneak up behind him. He gave a yelp of surprise when Harry jumped on his shoulders, the sound cut short when he swallowed a mouthful of water. Spluttering, he emerged. "Bloody hell, Harry!" He coughed. "What d'you do that for?" He scowled at his best mate. Before Harry knew what had hit him, they were engaged in a water fight; somehow Hermione got involved, an admirable opponent. After a while the fight got dirtier, water lilies and algae making excellent ammunition.

When they were knackered enough for the attacks to grow feeble, they made their way back up to the garden, giggling and supporting each other. They collapsed in a heap under the cherry tree. Hermione's head rested on Harry's chest, who began to idly stroke her bushy mane. Suddenly unsure of himself, Ron sat down, eyeing his two friends. He tentatively scooted a bit closer to Hermione, a grin lighting up his face when she raised her arm to invite him to use her belly as a pillow. Carefully, Ron lay down, then inched his head closer to her breasts. For a while, they were all quietly enjoying the peace.

"Ron, that's me you're fumbling there," Harry remarked, although he didn't sound exactly displeased.

"Sorry, mate," Ron said, but didn't stop what he was doing.

As Hermione looked up questioningly, the spell was broken. The companionable silence had grown uncomfortable and she cleared her throat. "We should go have some lunch, I think your mum left an apple pie for us, Ron." She tried to sound as if nothing had happened; though something surely had, even if they couldn't quite tell what.

~*~

Later that afternoon, the trio was back in the garden, Ron hiding under the tree again with Hermione lying prone next to him, reading some hefty tome about goblin revolutions. Harry was flying, practising the Wronski Feint with some near crashes, which looked quite spectacular, Ron found. How Harry managed not to part with the apple pie would remain a mystery.

Ron must have nodded off for a while; when next he opened his eyes, it was already dark. Surely, he hadn't slept that long! He sat up and looked around in confusion, just in time to see Harry glide gracefully toward the Burrow, some nasty rain clouds building up ominously behind him.

"Come on, Ron, we should go inside! Looks like a pretty mean thunderstorm," Hermione urged. She was afraid to ruin her book, he guessed. He got up, shivering as the wind picked up.

They started to jog to the house, Harry waiting at the back door for them.

And then it started. As if someone had turned on a tap, down it poured, and Ron and Hermione were soaked to the skin by the time they reached the house. With her body, Hermione had semi-successfully shielded the book and started fretting over the damage that only she could see. Ron and Harry shared a grin before Ron went upstairs to fetch some towels.

Hermione's hair was dripping wet. Ron could see goosebumps on her arms. When he went to drape the towel around her shoulders, he saw her nipples showing through the fabric of her shirt and almost reached out to touch them.

"Thanks, Ron." Hermione's voice brought him back to reality. She pulled the towel over her head and began to squeeze the water out her hair. Ron continued to watch her in fascination, the way she tilted her head and worried her bottom lip in concentration. She looked hot! Ron caught himself before he groaned appreciatively. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to clear his head, when he felt a hand slide into his own, rough and calloused. Harry! He opened his eyes to meet his best mate's. Harry urged him forward and together they approached Hermione. Without unclasping their hands, they enveloped Hermione in a hug. She started a little, but relaxed immediately when she realised what was happening.

Ron felt her shiver, saw how her t-shirt clung to her. The soft little hairs on her arms tickled. An intense sort of happiness bubbled inside Ron, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her, hug her tight to his body to make her stop shivering, to show her how much she meant to him. Knowing she probably wouldn't appreciate his gesture for what it was, he settled for tightening his arm around her and Harry, sandwiching her between them, his hand resting on Harry's waist. His skin felt so warm, dry ... soft. He stroked Harry's side. Hermione meanwhile pressed back against Ron, her arse rubbing against his groin. Ron groaned. His hand left Harry's waist, fingers now trailing down Hermione's neck, ghosting over her nipples. He had never touched a girl's breasts like that. His hands were shaking, and he hoped Hermione wouldn't notice. His index finger circled around the hardened nipple, carefully. He placed his hand over Hermione's left breast, looking up at Harry in pleased disbelief.

Harry's free hand joined his and together they began to explore, fingers trailing over her delicious curves. A small "Oh!" was all Hermione managed before her head fell back to rest on Ron's chest, who began kissing her neck. Harry, in the meantime, had let go of Ron's hand to stroke along Ron's back; Ron wasn't cold but he felt goosebumps rise in the wake of Harry's hand.

He was overwhelmed by the many different sensations: the feel of Hermione's breasts under his fingers, Harry's hand meeting his every so often in their explorations, the taste of Hermione's skin, the tingling of his own skin where Harry touched him ... Ron groaned and thrust forward. Hermione seemed to take that as the cue to turn around, seeking his lips. Her tongue darted forward as he opened his lips obligingly, deepening the kiss.

She still tasted like apple pie. Her tongue moved along his, slowly; it was perfect, rough and smooth at the same time, and that didn't make any sense and maybe he should stop thinking now ... Ron moaned. He sucked on Hermione's bottom lip, then continued his explorations of her mouth.

Ron might have well forgotten Harry was there, if Hermione hadn't broken the kiss when Harry took off her shirt. She raised her arms, all three naked now from the waist up, Hermione sandwiched between her two best friends. Hermione's breast felt wonderful pressed against Ron's torso while he locked eyes with Harry over her head. He licked his lips and felt himself blushing, nervous all of a sudden. Hermione moved out of the way, whispering in his ear, "Go for it!" With her encouragement, his head moved forward in unison with Harry's. Harry's lips were chapped, quite unlike Hermione's soft ones, and, as different as the kiss was, it was just as brilliant as the one he had shared with Hermione. They drew back slightly to catch their breath, foreheads still leaning against each other's.

"That must be one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen," Hermione gasped reverently. Harry, having witnessed Ron and Hermione's kiss, nodded, while Ron frowned at her.

"Let's show him, Hermione," and Harry's lips were sealed on Hermione's. They opened their mouths a fraction and Ron could see their tongues meeting and moving against each other.

"Bloody hell," Ron murmured. They were right: it was beautiful, for lack of a better word. He felt so very special to be part of this. In his mother's kitchen ....

Suddenly, the absurdity of the situation hit him and he started laughing.

"What?" Harry asked incredulously, as he pulled away.

"Sorry, mate, but this is my mum's kitchen and we're .... Well, it just seemed a little odd."

"It is, isn't it? But it feels right, doesn't it? I mean ..."

Ron remembered a bushy-haired girl with large front teeth entering a train compartment, talking very fast and without pause. He smiled. "Yeah, you're right, it does. Feel right, I mean." He dropped a chaste kiss on her lips, then on Harry's.

The three of them embraced each other, and Hermione said, "I love you guys!"

"Yeah." Harry seemed a bit uncomfortable with such a declaration.

"Hmm," Ron added equally eloquent, nodding.

Outside the rain had stopped, the sky had cleared and the sun was already shining brightly again.

~*~

A summer storm. From out of nowhere, fierce and wild, over as quickly as it had started. With the sun shining brightly, no one could be sure it had ever really happened, if it wasn't for the smell; everything smelled so fresh and new. The trio smiled at each other as they stood arm in arm, Hermione flanked by her boys, watching the sun prepare to disappear for the day.