Hermione was in the girl's dormitory. The day of Matt's next flying lesson with Harry was here and Hermione was not looking forward to it in the least. She stood in front of the full-length mirror hung on the wall and looked at her own reflection, sighing. Hermione was not sure what she should wear. With a flick of her wand her outfits she had brought with her hovered out of her trunk. A few more flicks and her clothes were rearranged, the ones on her body were now a tiny little black bikini and nothing else.
Hermione blushed at herself for being so bold and daring, showing so much skin. Would that motivate Matt? Would he want to try to get to her quickly because she appeared vulnerable and in need of saving from a treacherous drop into freezing cold water? Or would it spur him in the opposite direction and want to see her dripping and soaked in her bathing suit?
Hermione shook her head and changed her outfit with a flick of her wand. This time she was wearing her casual clothes, a striped button-down blouse underneath a long-sleeved pink T-shirt with a pair of jeans and sneakers. While she did have to admit, while her sense of fashion was good, this might not be the best outfit to go swimming wearing, either. Matt had seen her wearing similar outfits over the summer, but he never commented on them one way or another. Then again, they were not dating then either and as far as he knew, she was taken. Knowing him, he would not have said anything, not wanting his statements to be misconstrued.
Hermione sighed.
"Come on, Granger, get it together." She told herself.
She flicked her wand once more. Her standard school uniform, consisting of a white long-sleeved button-down dress shirt, dark gray long-sleeved sweater, matching skirt, and stockings. Hermione looked at her reflection and decided that Matt would not care what she was wearing. Somehow, she knew that regardless of what she had on, something sexy and revealing or something conservative and mysterious, he would not care. All that would be motivating him would be her, not her clothes. He would want to save her for her and not what she looked like.
Hermoine met Ginny in the Gryffindor common room a few moments later.
"All set?" Ginny asked, seeming to know how long her friend had been deliberating over her clothing.
"As I can be." Hermione replied.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Matt will save you before you go in. This will be fun. Are you going to dunk him if you get the chance?" Ginny asked with a smirk.
"Are you asking if I want to see my boyfriend soaking wet from having been dunked in the Black Lake?" Hermione questioned.
"Obviously!" Ginny said with a grin as they climbed out of the portrait hole.
"Does it make me a bad person if I say yes?" Hermione asked as they headed out towards the lake.
"No! It's kind of hot, actually." Ginny replied.
"Are you saying you would want to dunk Harry?" Hermione mused.
"Oh yeah!" Ginny responded without hesitation. "Especially if he's wearing something white and tight!"
Hermione looked down at herself and momentarily thought of taking off her sweater but ultimately thought better of it, not wanting her shirt underneath to become see-through, which is what she was sure Ginny would have wanted to see of Harry.
Ginny led the way down to the lake and around the shore to a secluded cove, carrying a long flat board and her broom under one arm. Hermione remembered this place; this was the same spot where the Dementors had nearly sucked out Sirius Black's soul and where Harry had cast his first corporeal Patronus. They were on the same bank where Sirius nearly died. It looked so much different in broad daylight and not surrounded by dark creatures who wanted nothing more than to suck out the souls of the living.
"Where are they?" Hermione asked, looking around the cove for Harry and her boyfriend.
"Here they come." Ginny said and pointed to Harry and Matt who were deep in conversation. Ginny set the board down, mounted her broom and drew her wand. She cast a levitation charm on the board and Hermione took a deep breath before sitting on the edge of it. Hermione gripped the sides of her board as Ginny rose into the air, Hermione hovering equal height to her as they drifted over the deepest part of the cove.
"Professor? What's going on?" Matt asked Harry as they approached the cove, and he could see Ginny floating well above the lake, Hermione sitting on not a broom but a plank. He was very confused.
"Well, Matt, you've been struggling with gaining height on your flying. You're honestly doing brilliant otherwise, we just have to get you to fly higher." Harry explained.
"Ok…so what, I just need to go get Hermione?" Matt said with a nervous gulp, seeing how high they were.
"Well, in a manner of speaking yes. However, you won't have an unlimited amount of time," Harry said as he drew his own wand. "I'm going to be casting spells at Ginny, namely, 'Expelliarmus', so if her wand is taken out of her hand…"
"But that'll break the charm keeping Hermione afloat!" Matt said, looking alarmed.
"Exactly. So, you had better get up there and save your girlfriend before she gets dropped into the lake. Now, I know Hermione, I don't think she'll be too pleased with you, if you let her fall."
"You wouldn't!"
"Wouldn't I? Expelliarmus!" Harry said, and the scarlet spell shot out of the end of Harry's wand. Thankfully, he had only been demonstrating his willingness to drop Hermione into the lake and the spell went wide. "I missed that time, but I may not the next, you better hurry…" Harry said.
"C'mon Matt! Save me!" Hermione cried from her position.
Matt mounted Harry's Firebolt and pushed off the ground as another scarlet spell whizzed by him. Ginny watched as the spell rocketed past her head, just missing her hand by a mere inch. Hermione had sucked in a breath, thinking she was going to end up going in before Matt even made it halfway to her. Matt floated higher but he was not pushing the broom to go faster.
"Matt! Hurry! I think he's going to get me, please! You've got to rescue me!" Hermione hoped her begging act worked and that he would want to get to her and get her to safety. Matt pushed the broom a little faster, but he was not making timely progress and Harry's next spell connected. Ginny gasped as her wand flew out of her hand, Hermione yelped as the board she was on unceremoniously dropped from beneath her. Matt dashed forward but lacked the necessary reflexes to grab Hermione as she fell.
She hit the water with a splash and went entirely under the surface. The icy bath was incredibly unwelcome, and Hermione kicked herself to the surface, sputtering and angry. Matt floated down to the surface of the water to see how badly in trouble he was. Hermione's nose was crinkled and her normally bushy hair was flattened to her head.
"I'm so sorry Hermione!" Matt said, as if he had intentionally done it himself.
"You better get me next time!" Hermione said indignantly.
"I-I-I will." Matt stuttered in reply.
"Good."
"Come on back, let's try it again." Harry called. Matt drifted back over to the shore as Hermione climbed back on the board, supported once more by Ginny's levitation charm. "You know I was going easy on you there, right?" Harry said.
"I figured." Matt said, pain obvious in his voice.
"Look at me, Matt. You can do this. I've seen you fly while you're near the ground, you have the ability to. I know you do. Hermione does too. That's why I asked her to do this. She wants to see you graduate. She wants to graduate with you. And you can, you're getting top marks in almost every subject. This is just one more obstacle."
Matt looked into Harry's green eyes and studied his professor. Harry actually did care about him and Hermione. He knew that Matt graduating and passing his tests at the end of the year would make Hermione happy and if Matt failed, Hermione would be hurt if he was expelled. Matt took a deep breath and nodded.
"Just one more obstacle." He repeated. Harry nodded as Matt mounted the Firebolt and they tried again. This time Matt nearly reached Hermione before she took the plunge, but he failed to get there in time. Three more times she went into the icy water. Matt was fairly sure she would not speak to him for a week if he let it happen again.
Finally, Matt stood at the shore and looked up to his soaked, bedraggled, and shivering girlfriend. He had to save her, to spare her further humiliation. Harry had been good enough to pick a spot where other staff and students would not see them or come across them easily, so Hermione would be spared any public humiliation, as would Matt. Harry pushed his students, but he was not cruel.
With a shot, Matt took off, leaning over the broomstick as he raced Harry's disarming spell. He did not look down he locked his eyes on Hermione and never took them off her until he was right there. Hermione squealed with delight as she jumped off the board and onto the back of Matt's broom as they descended to the shore, her arms wrapped tightly around her boyfriend's midsection.
"You did it!" Hermione said gleefully as they dismounted.
"Way to go! That was top notch flying!" Harry congratulated Matt.
"I think you've earned a reward." Hermione said and leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed Matt's cheek, making him blush.
"Now, let's go again. I want to see you've got this down." Harry said. Matt nodded as Hermione once again sat on the board and was lifted up. Three more times Matt rescued her, earning a kiss each time, the final one being on the lips and very passionate. Although that may have had more to do with Matt complimenting Hermione, and that he did not mind the wet look at all and thought she was beautiful no matter what.
"Oh, Harry? Could you come here?" Ginny asked from her spot above the cove.
"See you both later?" Harry asked as he took his Firebolt to join Ginny. Matt and Hermione linked arms and were about to walk away when out of nowhere, Hermione flicked her wrist behind her back, just as Harry got to Ginny. Her spell hit Harry's broom, and it bucked wildly. Harry screamed out Hermione's name as he plummeted into the lake, much to Ginny's delight.
Sometime later, Matt and Hermione were curled up by the fireplace in the Gryffindor common room. The pair were changed into warmer clothes, wrapped in blankets, and clutching mugs of hot cocoa. Matt grinned every time he looked over at Hermione, making her grin back and blush.
"I really do think you're cute all wet…" he said.
"Matt!" Hermione was scandalized he would make such a bold statement out in the open where anyone would hear.
"What? It's true! I think you look cute after getting dunked…" he admitted.
"Oh…well…" Hermione was less scandalized after hearing what he actually meant.
"Thinking we should make it a thing, dunk tank Tuesdays or something?" Matt teased.
"No! I mean…well…we could maybe use the Prefects Bathroom…" Hermione remembered how large that tub was. Matt chuckled and leaned close so only she could hear him.
"Of course, I'm sure you're cute when you're wet and not from getting dunked underwater." He whispered. Hermione's cheeks burned bright red at his implication. He grinned so wide it went ear to ear; he had been intentionally using double entendre with her! She scowled at him and put her mug down before leaning in to draw him into a kiss. After several long moments of quiet bliss, the couple broke apart.
"That was very lovely Hermione." Matt said and scooted close to her, cuddling with her.
"You're cheeky tonight, but I somehow don't mind it. I take it you enjoyed yourself, getting to play the hero today, saving me from drowning in an icy lake?"
"I did, actually." Matt said, nodding enthusiastically. "It feels good to save you, you know?"
"Really?" Hermione was surprised.
"Yeah, like I'm protecting you or something. You looked so vulnerable and…"
"Hurt?" Hermione finished for him.
"Yeah, and I just wanted to save you, wrap my arms around you…" he did just what he was describing, pulling Hermione into his lap.
"Comfort me?"
"Mmhmm." Matt hummed in reply and rested his chin on her shoulder. She sighed contentedly. Suddenly, the portrait hole opened and in climbed Ginny Weasley. She looked soaked to the bone and was dripping water everywhere,
"Ginny! What happened?!" Hermione asked, looking shocked at the state of her friend.
"Oh, um, nothing. I'm fine." Ginny said as she made her way towards the seventh-year dorms. Matt cleared his throat.
"I think the Black Lake might be a few degrees warmer though…" he said with a smirk. Ginny gave him a silent, one-handed, rude gesture and made her way to change into warm and dry clothing. Matt laughed at her reaction, only confirming his suspicion that his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and his classmate had been trying something new in the Black Lake.
That night Hermione led Matt to the Room of Requirement, and she decided she was going to give him a little extra reward for flying so well. She hoped this would help motivate him further. As the couple changed Hermione decided to leave her top off and turned around. Matt was sitting quietly on the bed, and she cleared her throat.
"You can turn around now." She said and Matt shifted on the bed. His jaw dropped as she knelt on the opposite side of the bed in only her pajama bottoms.
"Hermione! You…you're…" Matt stammered, and Hermione grinned. "You're half naked!"
"Yes, I am…do you like me like this?" she asked nervously. Matt nodded quickly. Hermione was a petite girl, and her breasts matched her body type, but Matt did not care, he felt turned on by what she was doing.
"I like it very much. You're beautiful." Matt said, blushing. Hermione grinned and pulled her shirt on.
"Thank you. That's all for now, but the rest will come soon enough." She teased him, showing she too, could use double entendre. Matt nodded happily as Hermione snuggled in next to him. She decided to be a bit cheekier and once more took his hand in hers. To Matt's surprise, she guided his hand under her shirt this time, so he could feel what he just got to see. She let out a small moan as she used his hand to squeeze herself.
"I love you, Hermione." Matt whispered.
"I love you, too." She said back. "You can keep this here, if you like." She echoed her previous statement, the first time she let him feel her up.
"I do, so I will." Matt cooed back, echoing his own reply. Hermione grinned as she closed her eyes and Matt sighed contentedly. The couple were happy with each other and would soon get an additional opportunity for romance as the new Celebrations Ball was fast approaching.