It's Nice To Have A Friend

26) A Lake Day Filled With Love

FP and Fred were, as always, getting breakfast at the Maiden-Gomez apartment, because their cooking skills were nicely said not perfect. Besides, eating together would always beat eating alone and at this point it was simply a tradition.

"Hey! FP, Fred and I don't have to work today. How about you?" Mary poured herself a glass of orange juice before Fred could snatch the last of it.

"Poppy and I are free too." Alice said from the couch, where both she and Poppy were reading a magazine.

"Hermione?" She looked at her girlfriend, who had finished dressing up for the day.

"I can take a day off, why?" Hermione said, curious about the suggestion that was implied in her question.

"We haven't done anything together in a long time, and the sun's out today. We figured it would be nice to go the lake." She turned around to Fred, who had proposed the idea.

"Sure, why not!" Hermione chirped happily. She loved spending time with her friends.

"I don't have any swimwear..." Poppy said, realizing that it meant she couldn't go swimming, which she was looking forward too now.

"We've got something for you, you can pick." Hermione gestured for her to get up and follow her to their bedroom. She had tons of swimsuits to give her.

"With your great sense of style, I think I'll look fabulous." Poppy grinned, and gladly followed her friends.

"I'll go grab something to eat for us. Be right back." FP made a turn back to his how own apartment. Mary walked over to Fred, with an amused smile on her face.

"Excited to see Poppy in her swimsuit?" She wiggled her eyebrows knowingly.

"Are you still on this?" Fred whined.

"You're blushing." Mary pointed out, giggling when she saw that he was ashamed.

"I bet you twenty dollars she will flirt with you, and another ten bucks that you will flirt back." She teased him.

"Oh, you're on." Fred extended his hand and shook hers.

After a while, FP returned with a bag of snacks, while the girls grabbed their last stuff.

"You ladies ready?" He asked, knowing that otherwise it could take hours.

"I think I'll take my motorcycle, anyone want a ride?" He gestured for the second helmet in his hands.

"On that death trap? No thank you." Hermione wouldn't get on a bike that easily, not even with her best friend.

"Still scared, Little Mouse?" FP teased with a grin.

"I think Poppy and I will drive with Fred. We'll take the scenic route for her." Mary said, curling her arms around both Fred and Poppy. She needed them close together if she was going to win this bet.

"Al?" He turned to look at her. She had been silent, so far.

"Yeah, sure." She smiled at him.

FP gave her a warm smile in return. It had been years since he had last driven with her on his motorcycle, and he was more exited to find out if it still felt the same after so much time apart.

Once outside, he tossed her his spare helmet and smirked when she put it over her head, her curls coming out from underneath it. They were seven years older, but his heart was still the same as it was at seventeen— it always skipped a beat whenever he saw Alice.

"This brings back memories, don't you think?" He grinned when she stepped behind him and curled her arms around his waist.

"Some of the best ones of my life." She said, taking advantage of FP not being able to look at her while she spoke the words that meant so much more than she could possibly explain.