Hermione Granger stood with her baby in her arms next to Father Ed in the narthex of the Friary Church as the congregation exited. Harry stood on her other side, and for the first time he had his arm protectively around her, keeping her and their baby close. Father Ed had invited the parish to trace a cross on her baby's forehead as they left.
Hermione had traced a cross on several other babies foreheads, back before she had gone to Hogwarts; it wasn't unexpected. Still, she was quite protective of her baby.
Several of her friends from before Hogwarts had managed to be first in line, but the true first in line was her friend Erin. Erin had served as an altar server, having a mother who was a lot more involved in the church than Hermione's. She didn't have to lean over to trace the cross on Jimmy's forehead. Jimmy actually raised his little hand as if to go after the finger that was caressing his forehead.
"Seamus owes me a pound, thanks to this little one, and Dad too," Erin said. "I knew he'd miss Father Ed."
Hermione smiled. "Yes, but now I have to worry about revenge from my Head of House."
"Oh, you are doomed," Erin said.
"I don't think that Miss Granger needs to be worried about that," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "I don't blame parents for their children's behavior. If little Jimmy ends up sorted into my house, however, he may need to be worried about it."
"He will be," Harry said, as Erin moved to her place on the other side of Father Ed.
A few more parishioners passed by Hermione, not bothering to even nod a greeting in passing. She knew they were people who attended just to say they attended, and were probably upset that Jimmy's baptism had lengthened the first Mass of the day. Then an older lady stooped over Hermione to trace a cross on Jimmy's forehead.
"Shame that he's starting in such a disadvantage," the lady muttered. "Born to a little slut." As the lady moved away from Hermione, she was suddenly stopped by someone in her way.
"I think you need to apologize to Hermione," Seamus said. "And then head right straight over to the Confessional. Father O'Grady is currently conducting the Sacrament of Reconciliation at the moment, and I would hate to see you leave the church with such a grave sin on your soul."
Hermione had never seen Seamus Finnigan stand up in such a fashion. He stood firmly in the lady's path, his arms folded in front of him. With his eyes firmly locked at hers, there was no way that the lady was going to win this battle. She attempted to step around him, but found her path blocked by him again, and again.
"Where are you from? Who are you? I have never seen you at the Church before," the woman blustered, attempting to turn things around, but finding her path still blocked, and Seamus still standing undeterred. Hermione recognized the woman now. She was the mother of one of her classmates before Hogwarts.
"Seamus Finnigan, of Saint Columcille's Parish, Togher; you might say I've been incardinated as an altar server here today, due to what was her name..." Seamus began.
"Heather Wallace," Erin provided, "Her daughter, who she told to skip Mass this morning, even though she was scheduled to be an altar server."
"... Mrs. Wallace, it seems that you really do need to go to the confessional this morning," Seamus said. "I'm pretty sure that you shouldn't have had the Eucharist with that kind of grave sin on your soul. And if you did, and I'm pretty sure I saw you, that's another stain on your soul."
Hermione couldn't believe her eyes, the indomitable Mrs. Wallace was stepping backwards, right into her husband. Mr. Wallace was a man of few words. In fact, even though Hermione had spent time at the Wallace's, she was fairly certain that she'd actually never heard Heather's father speak before. Hermione barely heard the word whispered into Mrs. Wallace's ear by her husband. "Now." The voice was surprisingly deep, and didn't carry far, but Hermione could see the effect on Mrs. Wallace.
"My abject apologies for the way I offended you, Miss Granger," Mrs. Wallace said.
Hermione raised her eyebrows as Seamus made sure that the woman was headed towards the confessional. "What? Confession is good for the soul, and no one should ever insult a mother, especially on her baby's Baptismal Day," Seamus said.
"Thank you, Seamus," Hermione said, before the crowd of passing parishioners who wanted to see the baby overwhelmed her.
Hermione saw so many old friends and acquaintances pass her by, stopping only to smile and trace a cross on her baby's forehead. They had began to blend together, when little Joey (Joseph) Trinkle tugged on her dress to get Hermione to bend down so he could see the baby, Hermione made a point to memorize the expression and actions of the toddler.
He was a brown haired boy, about four years old, dressed in dress pants, a white shirt, a bright blue vest, and a matching blue bow tie. Joey was so slow withdrawing his fingers that Jimmy actually managed bat his hand against Joey's as it passed over his mouth.
Then there was old Mrs. Slough, a widow with stark white hair and cane. There was no one like Mrs. Slough, an elderly woman who dressed in the most outrageous outfits, and never seemed to be afraid to speak her mind. When Mrs. Slough bent over to trace the cross on Jimmy's forehead, she'd said, in her cracking with age voice, "beautiful baby. He'll probably grow up to be a doctor like my son Stuart ... or a dentist like his grandfather. Of course, you started early, I expect you'll be early and often like me. George gave me seven of them, after all."
Hermione had blushed, not sure how to reply, until way after Mrs. Slough had passed them by.
Once the Mass had cleared out, Hermione exited the Friary Church. She spotted Mrs. Slough on a bench, with little Joey chatting away as he stood in front of her. Mrs. Slough raised her cane in acknowledgment as Hermione passed. Hermione smiled back, unable to do more with Jimmy in her arms. It was time to go home and take a nap before dinner. Assuming that Jimmy let her.
Sally-Anne Perks was glad that it was perhaps the warmest day of the summer, at least so far, which for the barbecue in the Grangers' back yard was a very good thing. This was especially true as the pool that Mr. Granger had installed behind the garage didn't yet have a roof over it. Every girl invited was planning on showing off her new swimming suit to one or more boys that were also attending.
The boys were all changing in Harry's room, and seemed to be doing so in shifts. Not so for the girls, who were gathered in Hermione's parents' room, as no one wanted to risk waking little Jimmy. Someone had put up a rail to hang up all their dresses, as pretty much all of them had come directly from the seven o'clock Sunday Mass at the Friary Church.
There were exceptions to that. Parvati and Padma hadn't attended the Mass, as they were not Christian. They hadn't been allowed to miss the barbecue, and judging from their eagerness to change, they were not exceptions to the rule of girls wanting to show off their swimming suits. They were, however, the only ones who were not wearing two piece suits.
Sally-Anne's own swimming suit had only been worn twice, and had almost been taken away by her father when she'd tried it on at home. Only the last minute intervention by her mother had stopped that. "Can someone tie the back of my top?" she asked, having felt it come loose as she stood up, pulling up the bottom of her suit snugly.
"I'll do it," Parvati said, moving so she could reach Sally-Anne's back. "I wish I could convince mum to let us get bikinis, but she'd never agree to let us."
"My mum has no idea I even own this one," Ginny said, adjusting the strap on her deep green bikini with its yellow pinstripes and straps. "Mrs. Granger bought it for me last week when Ron and I came to visit. It's actually my first swimming suit."
"Your first? Do you know how to swim?" Parvati asked, as Sally-Anne felt her tie her swimming suit's thick ties tightly.
"Yes, I swim out in the pond near my house all the time," Ginny said. "Dad charmed the pond to be warm enough from spring until fall starts. He even put in a diving board last year."
"Then what do you wear swimming?" Padma asked.
"Why would I need to wear anything?" Ginny shot back. "It's only family there ... now." Sally noticed that Ginny was starting to blush a bit with that last word.
"I detect a crush, which boy are you planning on inviting over?" Sally-Anne asked.
Much to Sally-Anne's surprise, Ginny spoke up, blushing now to the point that her face was starting to match her hair. It was almost a whisper, but it was a firm one. "Neville, but Ron's already said he's not going to invite him over, and Mum would never let me invite him to my birthday party. If I last that long. Mum's going to kill me for letting Mrs. Granger buy this bikini."
"She better not," Parvati said. "You're our argument for getting bikinis of our own." Padma nodded her agreement as both Patil twins adjusted the fit of their suits. "And even though we were dropped off, if Mrs. Weasley spouts out about what you're wearing, it will get back to our mum."
"Not a problem, girls," Mrs. Granger said from the door. "I'll handle Molly Weasley. I bought the bikini for Ginny anyway." Sally-Anne watched her size up the girls. "Ginny, I want you to come down last. The twins, Parvati and Padma?" Mrs. Granger appeared to have been a bit unsure of the names. The girls in question nodded. "Act jealous of Ginny's suit."
"That won't be hard," Parvati said. "It really shows off her assets, and you're not even eleven yet, Ginny. It's not fair."
"That's exactly what I think Ginny's mother needs to hear, or something close to that," Mrs. Granger said. "Come, Sally-Anne. Give us about a minute or so between groups."
Sally-Anne followed Mrs. Granger downstairs. Normally Sally-Anne went down stairs so fast that she had been accused of sliding down the rail. Behind Hermione's mother, that wasn't possible. As Mrs. Granger turned at the foot of the steps, Sally-Anne was reminded why. Hermione would have a little sister in October, and her mother was showing just about the same as Hermione had back in April.
"It looks like Ginny brought the swimming suit that we bought for her last time, after all, Molly," Mrs. Granger said, as she entered the kitchen.
It looked like all the mothers who stayed over had gathered there. Mrs Weasley and Mrs. Longbottom were both seated at the kitchen table. Sally-Anne's mother was leaning against the counter in front of the sink. She nearly blocked the window. There was also the mother of one of the muggle girls that had gone to school with Hermione sharing tea with them.
"Hi Mum," Sally-Anne said. "I'm glad you let me bring this suit. Have you seen what Erin is wearing?" Erin, who had been one of the altar servers along with Seamus had sparked the girls heading up to change, when she arrived with her black and white bikini. Erin's was skimpier than Sally-Anne's but she didn't have as much of a bust to highlight.
"I have, and you have nothing to worry about," Sally-Anne's mother said. "I do want to know where you got that one, Elizabeth. I have some girls at the Cloister who could use a little courage that boys reacting to their suits might just do the trick."
"BHS," Elizabeth replied. "Erin made a bee line for hers the moment she saw it. I'm just glad that Elle hasn't gone for one yet."
"It's just a matter of time," Mrs. Granger said. "Hermione found three of them last week. Of course, she did try on a few one pieces, but none of them really fit, not with her recovering from having Jimmy. It's probably the best choice for her at the moment, actually."
"How so, Wendy?" Mrs. Longbottom asked. "I would think that she'd want to conceal the bit of leftover baby belly."
"It's like Anne said, confidence," Mrs. Granger said. "Hermione's never really thought she was pretty. Hermione has also had issues with her weight in the past. A one piece, at least those in her size, stretches too much over her belly, and really doesn't fit very well. I'm not going to let her hide, especially not today."
"It is really good that is it so unseasonably warm for Crawley," Elizabeth said. "I believe we might just hit 33 today, maybe even 34. A record high for sure. It's a good thing that we got those suits for my girls."
Sally-Anne noticed that her mother was hiding a smile behind her tea. She had to wonder if her mother was risking getting in trouble again for localized weather magic. Shaking her head, she found a place to stand next to the doorway to the entry, just in time for the twins to arrive.
"I tell you, it's not fair, Padma," Parvati said, as they entered, almost side by side, wearing navy blue and hunter green one pieces. "She's not eleven until next month, and she's got more than both of us."
"Yes, but remember what mother told us," Padma said.
"It's fine for you, you're a book worm in a house of bookworms at school," Parvati shot back. "In Gryffindor, we actually look at the boys, not the books."
"And who finished seventh in the year?" Padma retorted. "And whose house managed to knock all the Ravenclaw first years out of the top ten for the first time in two hundred and sixty-four years. Mrs. Weasley, hope that Ginny gets in Gryffindor. She'll be brave, and probably number one in her year if Hermione has anything to say about it."
"What would Hermione have to say about it?" Ginny Weasley said as she entered the kitchen behind the Patil twins. Her hair had been pulled back in a low ponytail, and she carried a deep green towel that matched the green of her bikini. The bikini fit her really well, covering the swells of her breasts that were indeed more than the Patil twins combined. Unlike Padma, there was no camel toe.
"Ginevra Weasley," Mrs. Weasley began, only to be interrupted.
"Apparently you have to worry about Hermione trapping you into studying," Mrs. Granger said. "And I told you that the suit would fit you, and fit right in, didn't I?"
"Yes, Mrs. Granger," Ginny said, looking right at her mother, who appeared to trying to figure out what to say to her daughter.
"They do grow up so quickly, don't they Molly?" Mrs. Granger said, smiling at Ginny, as her mother appeared to have calmed down just a bit.
Mrs. Weasley appeared to have decided to examine her daughter's suit, as Ginny came over to hug her mother. "They do ... when you least expect it." She adjusted her daughter's top just a little, not that there was much adjustment to it. "We will talk when we got home." The was promise in that statement.
"Ginny, is my daughter still up in her bedroom?" Mrs. Granger said. Ginny nodded. "Will you and Sally-Anne go get her please? And in her own swimming suit, with Jimmy. I think it's time for us to fawn over my grandson while she talks with her friends."
"Yes ma'am," Ginny said.
Ginny almost ran away from her mother at Mrs. Granger's suggestion. Sally-Anne barely caught up with her at the top of the stairs.
They found Hermione in her room, just finishing burping Jimmy. She was still wearing the same dress she'd worn to Mass, but it had been dropped from her shoulders to allow her to nurse. Sally-Anne had heard her deny the need to change as the other girls had filed into her parents' bedroom with their suits.
Sally-Anne looked around, trying to find some way to get her friend to change into her suit. She found the youngest Weasley at her side. They shared a glance, and Ginny nodded. Somehow both of them were on the same wavelength.
"Hermione, it's time you change," Sally-Anne said, moving to stand beside Hermione. "Your mother told us to get you into a swimsuit and down to the back garden with Jimmy."
"Why?" Hermione said. "It's not like I've got anything to show off."
"Nothing to show off?" Sally-Anne said. "You've got bigger breasts than Lavender."
"I don't have anything to wear, anyway," Hermione offered another excuse. "And I can't get away from Jimmy."
"Jimmy can go to his crib while you change," Sally-Anne said, forcing Hermione to stand.
"And don't say that you have nothing to wear," Ginny said. "I saw you buy three bikinis last week, at the same time I got mine. And I know one of them will put this one to shame."
"I'm not wearing the white one," Hermione said firmly.
"Okay, then the blue one with yellow polka dots?" Ginny suggested.
"Mom got that one for me as a joke," Hermione replied. "I'll wear the pink one."
"You mean the one your mother called the hot pink hot bikini," Ginny said. "You'll have Harry's eyes bulging out of his face."
"I'm not sure I want that," Hermione said in a tone that Sally-Anne figured sounded a bit unsure.
"Oh really?" Sally-Anne chided, propelling Hermione over to her dresser, where all three of the bikinis were already out. "We'll see about that."
"Yeah," Ginny said. "I bet you'll have all the boys looking at you, even with a baby trying to get under your bikini top."
"Especially with Jimmy trying to get under your bikini top," Sally-Anne said. "And I bet you a sickle that you'll be able to get that kiss on the lips that you've been wanting Harry to give you since last December, and don't you go denying that, Hermione."
"Okay, okay, I'll put on that bikini, but you get Parvati and Padma to enter the backyard with us," Hermione bargained.