Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Title: Harry's Little Girl
Summary: The Weasleys decide to visit Charlie in Romania, leaving Harry and Hermione alone in Grimmauld Place. Harry isn't really looking forward to spending alone time with Hermione but what will happen when one of Hermione's potions goes wrong. Totally unprepared, Harry has to deal with his 17-year-old best friend thinking she's a four year old.
A/N: This story takes place right before their last year at Hogwarts.
Chapter 1
Hermione stood in the kitchen of Grimauld place with Ron before her holding both of her hands.
"Yo, lovebirds, we want to leave today," Fred shouted them from across the kitchen.
Hermione blushed.
"We'll be back in two weeks 'Mione," Ron told her. "Wish you were coming."
Hermione just nodded. Ron then leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Turning from her, he grabbed Ginny's hand and pulled her away from Harry. "C'mon Gin, we're leaving."
Ginny just smiled and turned to Hermione and Harry. "See you guys soon." As she said this, the whole Weasley family, with the exception of Percy, vanished from the kitchen using a portkey. Hermione then turned to Harry. She saw his expression. "You wanted to go too?"
Harry faced her and nodded.
"But if you look at it, it's better if they went off by themselves. With the war starting, who knows what the future will bring. They need this."
"I know," Harry said. They stood silent for a minute. "So, we've already had breakfast so what do you want to do now?"
"I'm thinking of heading up to the room..."
"Again," Harry interrupted her. "Hermione you've only been here for a week and all you've done is gone up and shut yourself into the room."
"I've told you. I'm working on a special potion. If I get it right, we could use it to our advantage in the war."
"Hermione, I understand the war is getting near more than anyone. But I don't think this is what we need at the moment."
"We need to be ready Harry. You should hurry up and finish your homework that way you have more time to prepare. Who knows what will happen without Dumbledore."
"Don't bring him into this. I'm tired of it!"
"I don't want to argue, Harry but I only tell you because I'm concerned." 'I don't want you to die.' After another moment of silence Hermione decided to go. "Well, I'll be going then."
Harry didn't stop her and just saw go out the kitchen door. He then moved towards the table and sat down on the bench. Sighing, he leaned back in the bench and laid down looking up into the ceiling, thinking. 'She's right, I need to prepare. I wish Dumbledore was here. But like she said who knows what the future will bring. I just want to hold on to life a little longer. There's a chance I might die. I want to create more memories before that time comes and before this war changes everything.' "How can I do that with Hermione being the only one here," he muttered aloud. "There's no way I'm goin to spend my time reading and working like her."
Hermione sat cross legged on the floor with a steaming cauldron before her. Around her, bowls and jars with different ingridients and opened books were scattered. Only several of the books were potion books but each was opened to a different potion. The others were on different herbs and their purposes. She looked into the the caudron at the silvery blue liquid. Carefully, she picked a bowl with yellow powder. With her fingers, she sprinkled a little into the cauldron. Placing it aside, she looked into the cauldron. A frown appeared on her face. The same silvery blue liquid remained unchanged. "Argh! Why isn't a working?. Alright, take it easy Hermione you knew this would take time." She picked up her notes next to her and examined them. "Something should have happened when I added that last ingridient." Frustrated she stood up, dropping her notes. For weeks she had been working on the order of the ingridients and their amount. She then looked down at the watch in her wrist. Her eyes grew wide. It was already 7:30. The grumbling of her stomach reminded her she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast.
She hurried down to the kitchen. Harry was already there, putting mouthfuls of stew Mrs. Weasley had left them for them, into his mouth. At this sight, Hermione glared at him and went and stood across from him, placing her hands on her hips.
Harry confusingly looked away from his stew and up at her. "Is there anything wrong, Hermione?"
"Anything wrong? Well I don't know, let me think, could it be that you didn't even bother to check up on me and called me down. I'm famished!"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "I did. I knocked for 20 minutes straight at lunch but you wouldn't answer, besides wasn't it you who wanted to stayed cooped up there doin' whatever you're doin."
Hermione then blinked and her hands dropped. She flushed in emberrassment. She had forgotten she had placed a silencing spell on the room and also a locking spell so she wouldn't be bothered. Hermione darted her eyes away from Harry, and only huffed, sitting down and reaching to pour the stew into her bowl that had been placed on the table already. She could see a smirk spread across Harry face and Hermione glowered.
After dinner, Hermione stomped all the way upstairs. Slaming the door behind her, Hermione entered into her room but stopped suddenly. A bubbling noise made it to her ears. She then looked down toward the cauldron. "What the...?" Her expression changed from wonder to uneasyness. The liquid in the cauldron was bubblin and rising to the top of the top. If she didn't do anything fast, the liquid would overflow and splash all over the rest of the ingridients. She was about to make a grab for her wand, which she had left on the dresser across the room, when the cauldron started shaking slowly. Alarmed, Hermione sprinted to the dresser but as she turned around, the cauldron was shaking uncontrollably and before she knew an explosion slammed her back into the dresser and unconciousness over took her.
Rays of sunlight streaked in through the curtains upon Harry's face. Harry tightened his eyelids and brought the covers over his head. He relaxed and was about to drift back to sleep when awful, shrieking cries awoke him instantly.
Hermione's eyes fluttered open slowly. She carefully made out her surroundings and a frown appeared on her face. "This isn't my room." But then she remembered where she was. "Oh that's right I came to visit my friends over summer, silly Hermione." She then stretched out and let out a yawn. Looking upon the room, a look of confusement filled her face. "What happened here?" The room was covered in silvery blue slime, and many books were spread all over followed by spilled over jars and bowls with their contents anywhere but inside them. Hermione then looked down at her. Her jeans and pink top had blue stains. She stood up and dusted herself with her hand. Then her stomach grumble. "Yay, breakfast time!" She then ran down the stairs. Her hurriedness caused her to slip, but luckily, or she thought, there were curtains in which she holded on to, to prevent her fall.
As Hermione hold on to the curtain, she pulled it to the side reaveling a painting who gave out a loud shriek. "EEEEEK!!!!! Oh sweet Merlin! You wretched mudblood that infest my house. How dare you lay your filthy fingers on my curtains. How horrid you present yourself to me!"
Hermione instantly let go of the curtains and stepped back. "I-I'm so-sorry lady."
"OH SHE'S SPEAKS TO ME! BE GONE YOU FILTH!!"
Hermione just stared wide eyed. She was frightened. Without hesitation she ran as fast as she could away from the painting and into the kitchen, hearing the painting laughing wickedly.
Harry had just come out of his room to see Hermione running into the kitchen and hearing the horrid cackle of Mrs. Black. Still in his pajamas, Harry bolted downstairst, shutting the curtains fiercely. He made his way into the kitchen right before Mrs. Black gave her last laugh and stayed quiet. It seemed she had been satisfied with Hermione's reaction, that she didn't protest to Harry.
In the kitchen, Harry saw Hermione shivering in the corner, with her legs brought up to her chest. "Hermione, are you alright?" Harry was only a few feet away when Hermione looked up at him. She was crying.
"Tha-tha evil l-lady scared me," she whimpered. "And, I fell. Owie, my head hurts too." Hermione buried her face once again into her legs and cried.
Harry stood there shocked, unable to understand what was happening. Hermione was acting childish. After a while, he said. "Umm...you must be hungry, yea that's it, and tired too."
Hermione then lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. "Yup, I'm hungry but not tired." Harry turned to see her get up and noticed her clothes covered in blue stains.
"Hermione...um...don't you want to change first?"
Hermione shook her head. "Nope, I'm hungry." She made her way to the table and plopped herself into the bench.
Harry just stared at her. Hermione looked back at him, waiting. "I'm hungry," she repeated.
Harry felt irritated. "Well, aren't you going to help me? Don't just sit there," he snapped.
Hermione winced and looked down. "B-but I can't cook?"
"Hermione I'm not in the mood for jokes. I've seen you help Mrs. Weasley before with meals."
"Nuh-uh. I'm not allowed to go near the kitchen. Momma always told me not to touch anything unless she told me to."
"Hermione, this isn't funny. Just yesterday you helped Mrs. Weasley with breakfast."
"Nope. I'm only four, I didn't help her 'cuz I don't remember doing it."
"Now listen here Her...wait what did you say?"
"That I don't remember," she replied.
"No before that, how old did you say you were?"
"Four."
"This is completely mental, Hermione, how can you be four when you're right here in front of me..." Harry then stopped. Was Hermione really pulling a prank. But it wasn't like Hermione at all. He then decided to play along. "So, if you're four why are you here, shouldn't you be at home."
Hermione shrugged. "Momma let me come spend time with you Harry, and Ron, and Ginny and the others."
'Okay, so she still seems to remember everyone.' He continued. "But wouldn't your mum be worried about you and won't you get homesick?"
"I like being with you guys."
Harry thought about what to ask next when it hit him. Hermione had said she didn't remember helping Mrs. Weasley. "Hermione, what did you do yesterday?"
"Um...well...I don't know." She then looked around the kitchen. "Where is everyone?"
Harry's eyes grew wide. 'She doesn't remember?' "Everyone left...um...to visit Charlie. Stay here Hermione." Hermione nodded as Harry bolted out of the kitchen and up the stairs to Hermione's bedroom. Once in front the door, he hesistated to opened it but then opened it. He gasped. The walls and everything was covered with the same color stains on Hermione's clothes. "What the hell happened in here?" He then returned to the kitchen, concluding that Hermione's potion had gone wrong and was the explantion for her behavior.
When he entered the kitchen, Hermione hadn't moved, and she turned to look at him, her stomach grumbling.
Harry hearing it, apologized. "Sorry. What do you want to eat, Hermione?"
She smiled happily at him. "A piece of pancake-cake."
"What?"
"A piece of pancake-cake, please."
"Um...I'm not sure what that is, how about eggs and beacon instead?"
Hermione frowned a little but nodded. "Tomorrow then?" she asked.
"Um...sure," Harry said making his way to the stove to cook. 'What am I going to do? How long is Hermione going to stay like this?'
A little while later, Harry came with two plates in his hands. He placed one in front of Hermione and one for himself as he sat across from her. He then poured a glass of orange juice for them. He was about to start eating, when he noticed Hermione staring at her food, making no movement to eat it.
"Is something wrong?" Harry asked her.
"I can't eat all this," she said.
Harry looked down at her food and noticed he had served her the same amount he had served himself. "Don't worry, just eat what you can and leave the rest."
"But it's wrong to waste food."
"It will be fine."
"No it won't. You shouldn't waste food."
'That's definitely Hermione,' he thought. He knew there was no point in arguing with her, even if she thought she was four years old. Pushing his plate aside he gave a deep sigh. He reached over to her plate and with his fork, he placed a bit of egg into his mouth. "There, I'll help you finish it." She then looked to his plate he had set aside. "Don't worry, I'm going to finish that too." Hermione then nodded at him and picked up a piece of beacon. They ate in silence. Harry ocassionally eating from his and Hermione's plate.
After they were finished, Harry took both their plates and glasses into the sink and placed a spell to make them wash themselves. He thanked Merlin he had heard Mrs. Weasley say it countless times before.
Returning to the table, he remembered Hermione's clothes. "Hermione, I think we should go upstairs and cleaned your room. I think you should change too."
Hermione looked down at her clothes and nodded. She stood and walked towards Harry. She then took his hand and smiled up at him. "Lead the way."
Harry was taken aback. He thought about retrieving his hand but thought twice about it. He remembered Hermione wasn't herself but he still felt awkward. Nonetheless, he led her upstairs holding her hand. On their way up there, Hermione cringed when they neared the potrait of Mrs. Black.
"It's okay. Just stay quiet and everything will be fine." She nodded but still tightened her grip on his hand. He couldn't help but smile. There's was no way this was happening. It had to be a dream.
They arrived at her room. Hermione then released Harry's hand and walked in, spotting her wand on the floor. She picked it up. "Clean," she said pointing her wand to the mess. Nothing happened. "Clean," she repeated. "Please clean up mess." No such luck.
Harry raised his eyebrows. 'Hermione not knowing a spell. This has to be dream.' "I don't think that's going to work," he told her.
"I can do this," said Hermione as she sat on the ground cross legged. She closed her eyes and placed her hands on her head. "Think think think. Aha, I remember now Mrs. Weasley taughted to me once." With a flick of her wand she muttered something and the silvery blue slime vanished as all the books and items on the floor stacked themselves up neatly.
"Great," Harry said. "You remember how to do spells. Um...you should take a shower."
Hermione shooked her head. "No, I want a bath."
Harry gave a sigh, "Right, I forgot. Should I get the bath ready for you then?"
"Thank you." She then moved to her trunk to take out some clothes.
"Why do I get the feeling things will only get worse," he muttered as he made his way out of the room.
