Chapter 40: The Omniscope Eye and the Underwater Wardrobe Malfunction part-2
He was floating face-to-face with a sleeping, floating Hermione who was effectively wearing nothing but transparency. The water magnified everything. The pale curve of her waist, the dark shadow of her navel and the undeniable fact that the water was very, very cold.
"System Alert," the voice narrated in my head. "Incident recorded. Type: The 'Underwater Reveal'. Total transparency and clothing removal via hydro-dynamics. Target: Hermione Granger. Witness: Harry Potter. Rating: S-class. Reward: Skill 'Aquatic Breathing (Self)' and fifty attribute points."
Harry shook his head, bubbles exploding from his gills. He realized he couldn't just stare; he had to save her.
He grabbed her.
But where to grab?
The robes were gone. If he grabbed her arm, she might slip. He needed a solid grip.
He swam behind her. He wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his chest.
It was the "Yule Ball Hug" all over again, but underwater and with significantly less clothing.
He kicked his webbed feet, propelling them both upward toward the surface.
The drag of the water pressed Hermione's body firmly against his. He could feel every curve. The sensory input must have been overwhelming.
I watched on the Omniscope screen, zooming in for the details. Harry's face was a mixture of heroic determination and sheer teenage panic.
They were nearing the surface.
(Illusion: Create a false image of a shark.)
I projected a shadow of a shark below them. Harry looked down, saw the shadow and panicked.
He kicked harder. He tightened his grip on Hermione. His hand slipped upward from her waist and accidentally cupped her right breast.
(...cough...)
Harry flinched, but he didn't let go. He couldn't.
They broke the surface.
SPLASH.
The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Harry Potter is the first to return!" Bagman roared.
Harry gasped, the Gillyweed wearing off. He treaded water, holding the unconscious Hermione up.
Hermione coughed. She sputtered. Her eyes flew open.
"Harry?" she choked out, spitting water.
"I have got you," Harry panted. "You are safe."
Hermione looked around. She saw the stands. She saw the judges. She saw the giant screens (wait, there were no screens, just the crowd looking down).
Then she looked down at herself.
She was bobbing in the freezing lake. Her robes were gone. She was wearing transparent wet cotton.
And Harry Potter had his arm wrapped tightly around her chest, holding her up.
"My robes," Hermione whispered, her teeth chattering violently. "Where are my robes?"
"The current," Harry gasped, his face turning red despite the cold. "They... floated away."
"So I am..." Hermione looked at the hundreds of students staring at them.
"Yeah," Harry confirmed. "You are."
"Kill me," Hermione said calmly. "Just drown me now, Harry. Let me sink back to the bottom."
"I cannot do that," Harry said. "I have to get you to the dock."
He swam them over to the wooden platform. Dumbledore and Percy Weasley were there to help them up.
Harry hoisted Hermione onto the dock. As she climbed out of the water, the wet cotton clung to her skin, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. The water sluiced off her, highlighting her shivering form.
(...cough...)
Dumbledore quickly conjured a thick, warm blanket and wrapped it around her before she could fully stand up. But the damage was done. The front row—including Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle—had seen it all.
"Potter!" Malfoy yelled from the Slytherin stands. "Nice catch! Does she come with the outfit?"
Harry climbed out after her, shivering in his trunks. He immediately moved to shield Hermione from the view, standing in front of her.
Madam Pomfrey bustled over with Pepperup Potion.
"Here, drink this!" she commanded. "Foolish girl! Where are your clothes?"
"The lake ate them," Hermione said, clutching the blanket so tight her knuckles were white. She looked at Harry.
Harry was wrapped in a towel now. He looked at her, then quickly looked at the ground.
"You okay?" Harry asked.
"I am never swimming again," Hermione declared. "I am allergic to water. And gravity. And life."
I ran down from the stands to meet them.
"Harry! Hermione!" I shouted, acting the concerned friend. "That was brilliant! You were first!"
"Ron," Hermione said, her eyes dead. "Did you see?"
"See what?" I lied. "I was watching the bubbles. It was hard to see anything from up there."
Hermione let out a breath of relief. "Good. Good."
Harry looked at me. He knew I was lying. He gave me a look that said, We need to talk.
"Come on," I said. "Let us get you back to the castle. You need dry clothes. Preferably ones made of lead."
As we walked back up the grounds, Hermione huddled in her blanket, Harry leaned in close to me.
"Ron," he whispered. "Underwater... I touched... everything."
"You had to save her, Harry," I whispered back. "Heroic groping. It is a legal term."
"It didn't feel heroic," Harry admitted, his voice shaky. "It felt... really good."
"That is the adrenaline," I said. "Or maybe it is just love, mate."
Harry stopped walking. He looked at the back of Hermione's head as she trudged ahead.
"Love," Harry repeated. He didn't sound terrified anymore. He sounded contemplative.
(Progress,) I thought.
I checked my system.
New Goal: Trigger an incident in the Potions Store Cupboard.
(Snape's private stores,) I mused. (Tight space. Rare ingredients. And potentially explosive aphrodisiacs. Oh yes.)
"By the way," Harry added, lowering his voice even further. "When we were swimming up... I think she was awake for the last ten feet."
"Really?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah," Harry said. "She didn't pull away. She actually... held on tighter."
I grinned. Hermione Granger was cracking. The "Flash Your Wife System" wasn't just breaking her dignity; it was breaking down her barriers.
"Well then," I said. "It seems the Merpeople were right. They took what you would miss the most. And you got her back."
Harry smiled. A genuine, warm smile.
"Yeah," he said. "I did."
We caught up to Hermione.
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