A/N: This fic is new, and will be posted parallel with "The Art of
Duelling". It won't be as long or as serious, though.
Since this one is built upon a different chain of events than TAD, I think I owe you some explanations and summaries of events.
*This is set in the summer between gang's sixth and seventh year.
*Voldemort has been defeated in duel by Harry about four months before this begins.
*Ron is away on a vacation with his family.
*Harry and Hermione have had their eye on each other for a very long time, but none of them has acted upon it, nor do they have a clue about the other person's feelings.
*Ron confessed to liking Hermione in fifth year, but she turned him down and now they're back to being friends.
*Hermione also declared her relationship with Krum to be non-existent during fifth year.
*Sirius has been cleared, and thus Harry is living with him.
*Harry and Hermione are both Prefects, going on Head Boy and Girl.
*Harry is one of the two co-Captains for Gryffindor House Team, the other being the Keeper, Ron.
*Performing magic over the summer is no longer forbidden for those who have recently defeated the most powerful Dark wizard in history (meaning Harry and Hermione, since Ron was in the infirmary at the occasion).
*Dudley's diet finally worked, and he lost quite an amount of weight, meaning the term "overweight baby walrus" no longer applies to him (although "pig in a wig" most certainly does).
And last, but certainly not least, but most important of all (even though you'll discover this as soon as you begin reading anyway): *THIS WILL BE ALL HERMIONE'S POV.
~oOo~
Camp Moonlake
Chapter 1 - Summer's occupation
~oOo~
Sixteen year old Hermione Granger tucked her long, bushy hazelnut-brown hair behind her ears and skipped out of the backseat of her parents' blue LandRover. She couldn't help but grin widely when she looked around the yard of her house, which had the most fantastic air of summer floating around it.
She already felt warm in her white linen pants and T-shirt, and the summer of 2003 showed signs of becoming one of the warmest she'd ever experienced. The exchanging of clothes into shorts and bikini-top was very appealing, and the soothing shadow of the backyard and it's high oaks beckoned. Knowing that her father never would accept her helping him unpack the car when just back from Hogwarts, she ran to her room.
That very room she was rather fond of, even though it was empty for most of the year. It was light and spacious, but she immediately dug into her muggle wardrobe and found what she was looking for.
Dark brown military-shorts and the top of her marine-blue halter-neck bikini. Her hair she scooped up into a high pony-tail, before she quickly overlooked her appearance in the mirror, grabbed her school-bag, which she had been carrying with her from the car, and then she was down at her favourite spot in the backyard in the whisk of a second.
Hermione's favourite spot was in the gigantic trunk of the greatest oak there was in the world, she was certain of that. Swiftly as a squirrel, she climbed as high as one could go and made herself comfortable before going through her schoolbag.
Hermione's schoolbag contained some things she wanted to go through right away, since she wanted to have things fresh in memory when doing so.
For sixth year, she had brought a camera with her to school, and with a flick of her wand - which she by the way was allowed to use freely now - she magically processed the film onto paper. They were, of course, magical pictures that moved, and she smiled widely as she began going them over and glued them into her photo-album, while writing little comments next to them with her quill.
The most pictures showed Harry and Ron doing everything from playing Quidditch to doing their homework (that was mostly Harry, who had become a bit more studious in the last few years). The few one's that she herself figured in she lingered her eyes at, however. It wasn't until now, when she sat back and looked closely, that Hermione noticed the numerous changes that had occurred in the Gryffindor bookworm and Prefect during her sixth year of school.
The changes were not so much in looks - even though those WERE visible also, she was quite clearly a woman now - as they were in nature. Her posture was high, tall and proud nowadays, in her eyes there lingered a mischievous spark and on her lips played a wide smile, things that weren't so commonplace in her before.
Of course, this depended on the defeat of Voldemort four months earlier. She didn't really want to think about the event all that much, but she and Harry had faced Voldemort and Wormtail in the Forbidden Forest, and after a long hard duel she had managed to stun Wormtail and Harry to reflect the Avada Kedavra back at Voldemort.
Harry. She could no longer deny that her pulse quickened at the very thought of him. After many months of denying it, she had finally come to the realisation that she was head over heals in love with him. She sighed continently as she found her favourite picture in the lot.
It was Harry and she, engaged in a pillowfight in her Prefect's room about a week after the defeat of Voldemort. The picture was taken by Ron, who snickering had stood at the side and watched, this arm still in a sling after a Death Eater-attack he'd survived about a week earlier. Photo- Harry's arms went about her waist and pulled her down onto the floor, where he began to tickle her mercilessly.
Hermione found herself growing rather angry with herself for being in love with Harry but not acting upon it. That very thing she had never even pondered, just somewhere come to the conclusion that things were best left the way they were. Plus, Harry couldn't ever feel the same way, could he?
"Hermione!", she heard her mother call from below the tree. "Can you come down for a minute?".
Hermione immediately compiled. She jumped from one of the lower branches, and her mother flinched a little when her daughter landed on her feet a mere half-metre from her. She obviously hadn't got used to the changes in her daughter.
"Yes mother?", Hermione asked mischievously. "You shouted?"
"Dear me, Hermione, I never knew you to be so."
"Funny? Witty? Charming? Athletic?"
"Yes, something like that.", her mother smiled. "You've changed, girl, I could see it a mile off."
Hermione laughed.
"Well, what I would like to talk to you about was: First of all, your cousin's here, she's waiting in your room. Second - no don't go before I've had a chance to talk to you, young lady! - you've both been offered to work at Camp Moonlake this summer."
"Really? Leaders?", Hermione said happily. She'd been to Camp Moonlake twice herself, during earlier summers, once the very summer she'd been accepted into Hogwarts, and then the summer between first and second year. She'd loved the place, a lot.
"Yes. If you both feel like it. The thing is you'll have to leave tomorrow. The campers won't arrive until Friday, but the leaders have to be there to prepare things beforehand."
"I'll go talk to Laura this instant!", Hermione said and sprinted off to her room.
Inside, sitting Indian style on the bed, she found her cousin Laura Limmons. They were the same age, and had always got along very well, even though being complete opposites.
Laura's hairstyle of the month was, apparently and unusually, her original haircolour golden blonde. It was cut very short and was styled messily. Laura was, naturally, already sunburnt. Her holidays began two whole weeks earlier than Hermione's, seeing how she went to a muggle school, and she'd as usual spent those two weeks sunbathing. Laura quickly got up from her seat when Hermione entered.
Before she even had got the chance to close the door, Hermione found herself enveloped in one of Laura's enthusiastic hugs. Knowing nothing about Hogwarts, magic or witches, Laura said:
"So, how was French boarding school?".
"Um. fine, I guess".
Then Hermione decided to do something drastically. She'd thought about it often, of course, but never really worked up the courage. Now she had, though, and took a deep breath before saying:
"Look, Laura, there's something I need to tell you. I've been to France once in my life, on holiday with my parents three years ago. I go to boarding school, yes, but it's situated in Scotland, and it's called Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You see, I'm a witch."
Laura stared and played the fish-on-dry-land game for a minute.
"Oh God!", she then said. "And you're not pulling my leg here?"
"No", Hermione shook her head. "I'll tell you all you like, but first - do we go to Camp Moonlake and pester all the little campers' lives for two months?"
Laura laughed.
"You've toughened up, Hermione. You have to tell me the reason in just a minute. And yes, of course we are!"
The remainder of the day Hermione spent in the tree with Laura, telling her all about Hogwarts, magic folk, Diagon Alley, Voldemort and above all else, her friends, a lot Ron but mainly Harry.
Being the perceptive little creature Laura was, she soon saw Hermione's behaviour when talking about Harry.
"Looks like someone's in love!", she teased, but then grew serious. "Right, Granger, spill it! And please, let me see a picture!"
Hermione explained all about what made her love that according to her drop dead gorgeous Gryffindor Seeker, Quidditch Captain and Prefect. She got out a picture of herself, Harry and Ron on Christmas morning in front of the Christmas-tree in the Gryffindor Common Room. They were all hanging on each other's shoulders, Hermione in the middle, the two fairly a head taller boys on the sides, all dressed in Weasley-sweaters. Harry's was emerald green, hers was royal blue and Ron's the usual maroon.
Harry had grown a lot since fourth year. He was now a whole decimetre taller than Ron, towering as the tallest boy in school at 1,98 metres. His frame had filled out considerably due to a lot of exercise from Quidditch, among other things. He had let his hair grow a little and it curled behind his ears, more curly than messy at this length. The glasses were long gone, since he'd found a way to charm his eyes as soon as he'd worked up an interest in books. And that smile of his, which he flashed broadly at the picture, it made Hermione's knees go weak.
"Oh my!", Laura exclaimed. "THAT'S him?", she pointed at Photo-Harry, who currently had Photo-Hermione held close to his shoulder, his eyes focused on her and smiling mischievously. "He's one good-looking boy!"
"Well, I can nothing but agree!", Hermione said laughing.
~oOo~
Hermione and Laura packed all their things together that night and went to bed, even though they spent most of the night talking about camp, Harry, Hogwarts, camp and Harry. In spite of all this, Hermione found herself quite well-rested when morning came.
The two sixteen-year-old girls got onto one of the two leader's busses heading out to Camp Moonlake at ten o'clock. Both of them were really enthusiastic an excited about going, but Hermione never knew she was in for one - no two - rather shocking surprises once she got to camp.
~oOo~
A/N: Well, that's it. First chapter ready and accounted for. This will be a lot more leisurely written than TAD, and I actually think I'll enjoy writing this one more. The chapters won't be as long as TAD, either, meaning I can post on a more regular basis. Next TAD will be out soon, I've written about half.
As for this story: There's a reason I mentioned Dudley earlier, you'll find out soon enough.
Now, I think I'll go on and begin working on the next chapter..
REVIEW!
Since this one is built upon a different chain of events than TAD, I think I owe you some explanations and summaries of events.
*This is set in the summer between gang's sixth and seventh year.
*Voldemort has been defeated in duel by Harry about four months before this begins.
*Ron is away on a vacation with his family.
*Harry and Hermione have had their eye on each other for a very long time, but none of them has acted upon it, nor do they have a clue about the other person's feelings.
*Ron confessed to liking Hermione in fifth year, but she turned him down and now they're back to being friends.
*Hermione also declared her relationship with Krum to be non-existent during fifth year.
*Sirius has been cleared, and thus Harry is living with him.
*Harry and Hermione are both Prefects, going on Head Boy and Girl.
*Harry is one of the two co-Captains for Gryffindor House Team, the other being the Keeper, Ron.
*Performing magic over the summer is no longer forbidden for those who have recently defeated the most powerful Dark wizard in history (meaning Harry and Hermione, since Ron was in the infirmary at the occasion).
*Dudley's diet finally worked, and he lost quite an amount of weight, meaning the term "overweight baby walrus" no longer applies to him (although "pig in a wig" most certainly does).
And last, but certainly not least, but most important of all (even though you'll discover this as soon as you begin reading anyway): *THIS WILL BE ALL HERMIONE'S POV.
~oOo~
Camp Moonlake
Chapter 1 - Summer's occupation
~oOo~
Sixteen year old Hermione Granger tucked her long, bushy hazelnut-brown hair behind her ears and skipped out of the backseat of her parents' blue LandRover. She couldn't help but grin widely when she looked around the yard of her house, which had the most fantastic air of summer floating around it.
She already felt warm in her white linen pants and T-shirt, and the summer of 2003 showed signs of becoming one of the warmest she'd ever experienced. The exchanging of clothes into shorts and bikini-top was very appealing, and the soothing shadow of the backyard and it's high oaks beckoned. Knowing that her father never would accept her helping him unpack the car when just back from Hogwarts, she ran to her room.
That very room she was rather fond of, even though it was empty for most of the year. It was light and spacious, but she immediately dug into her muggle wardrobe and found what she was looking for.
Dark brown military-shorts and the top of her marine-blue halter-neck bikini. Her hair she scooped up into a high pony-tail, before she quickly overlooked her appearance in the mirror, grabbed her school-bag, which she had been carrying with her from the car, and then she was down at her favourite spot in the backyard in the whisk of a second.
Hermione's favourite spot was in the gigantic trunk of the greatest oak there was in the world, she was certain of that. Swiftly as a squirrel, she climbed as high as one could go and made herself comfortable before going through her schoolbag.
Hermione's schoolbag contained some things she wanted to go through right away, since she wanted to have things fresh in memory when doing so.
For sixth year, she had brought a camera with her to school, and with a flick of her wand - which she by the way was allowed to use freely now - she magically processed the film onto paper. They were, of course, magical pictures that moved, and she smiled widely as she began going them over and glued them into her photo-album, while writing little comments next to them with her quill.
The most pictures showed Harry and Ron doing everything from playing Quidditch to doing their homework (that was mostly Harry, who had become a bit more studious in the last few years). The few one's that she herself figured in she lingered her eyes at, however. It wasn't until now, when she sat back and looked closely, that Hermione noticed the numerous changes that had occurred in the Gryffindor bookworm and Prefect during her sixth year of school.
The changes were not so much in looks - even though those WERE visible also, she was quite clearly a woman now - as they were in nature. Her posture was high, tall and proud nowadays, in her eyes there lingered a mischievous spark and on her lips played a wide smile, things that weren't so commonplace in her before.
Of course, this depended on the defeat of Voldemort four months earlier. She didn't really want to think about the event all that much, but she and Harry had faced Voldemort and Wormtail in the Forbidden Forest, and after a long hard duel she had managed to stun Wormtail and Harry to reflect the Avada Kedavra back at Voldemort.
Harry. She could no longer deny that her pulse quickened at the very thought of him. After many months of denying it, she had finally come to the realisation that she was head over heals in love with him. She sighed continently as she found her favourite picture in the lot.
It was Harry and she, engaged in a pillowfight in her Prefect's room about a week after the defeat of Voldemort. The picture was taken by Ron, who snickering had stood at the side and watched, this arm still in a sling after a Death Eater-attack he'd survived about a week earlier. Photo- Harry's arms went about her waist and pulled her down onto the floor, where he began to tickle her mercilessly.
Hermione found herself growing rather angry with herself for being in love with Harry but not acting upon it. That very thing she had never even pondered, just somewhere come to the conclusion that things were best left the way they were. Plus, Harry couldn't ever feel the same way, could he?
"Hermione!", she heard her mother call from below the tree. "Can you come down for a minute?".
Hermione immediately compiled. She jumped from one of the lower branches, and her mother flinched a little when her daughter landed on her feet a mere half-metre from her. She obviously hadn't got used to the changes in her daughter.
"Yes mother?", Hermione asked mischievously. "You shouted?"
"Dear me, Hermione, I never knew you to be so."
"Funny? Witty? Charming? Athletic?"
"Yes, something like that.", her mother smiled. "You've changed, girl, I could see it a mile off."
Hermione laughed.
"Well, what I would like to talk to you about was: First of all, your cousin's here, she's waiting in your room. Second - no don't go before I've had a chance to talk to you, young lady! - you've both been offered to work at Camp Moonlake this summer."
"Really? Leaders?", Hermione said happily. She'd been to Camp Moonlake twice herself, during earlier summers, once the very summer she'd been accepted into Hogwarts, and then the summer between first and second year. She'd loved the place, a lot.
"Yes. If you both feel like it. The thing is you'll have to leave tomorrow. The campers won't arrive until Friday, but the leaders have to be there to prepare things beforehand."
"I'll go talk to Laura this instant!", Hermione said and sprinted off to her room.
Inside, sitting Indian style on the bed, she found her cousin Laura Limmons. They were the same age, and had always got along very well, even though being complete opposites.
Laura's hairstyle of the month was, apparently and unusually, her original haircolour golden blonde. It was cut very short and was styled messily. Laura was, naturally, already sunburnt. Her holidays began two whole weeks earlier than Hermione's, seeing how she went to a muggle school, and she'd as usual spent those two weeks sunbathing. Laura quickly got up from her seat when Hermione entered.
Before she even had got the chance to close the door, Hermione found herself enveloped in one of Laura's enthusiastic hugs. Knowing nothing about Hogwarts, magic or witches, Laura said:
"So, how was French boarding school?".
"Um. fine, I guess".
Then Hermione decided to do something drastically. She'd thought about it often, of course, but never really worked up the courage. Now she had, though, and took a deep breath before saying:
"Look, Laura, there's something I need to tell you. I've been to France once in my life, on holiday with my parents three years ago. I go to boarding school, yes, but it's situated in Scotland, and it's called Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You see, I'm a witch."
Laura stared and played the fish-on-dry-land game for a minute.
"Oh God!", she then said. "And you're not pulling my leg here?"
"No", Hermione shook her head. "I'll tell you all you like, but first - do we go to Camp Moonlake and pester all the little campers' lives for two months?"
Laura laughed.
"You've toughened up, Hermione. You have to tell me the reason in just a minute. And yes, of course we are!"
The remainder of the day Hermione spent in the tree with Laura, telling her all about Hogwarts, magic folk, Diagon Alley, Voldemort and above all else, her friends, a lot Ron but mainly Harry.
Being the perceptive little creature Laura was, she soon saw Hermione's behaviour when talking about Harry.
"Looks like someone's in love!", she teased, but then grew serious. "Right, Granger, spill it! And please, let me see a picture!"
Hermione explained all about what made her love that according to her drop dead gorgeous Gryffindor Seeker, Quidditch Captain and Prefect. She got out a picture of herself, Harry and Ron on Christmas morning in front of the Christmas-tree in the Gryffindor Common Room. They were all hanging on each other's shoulders, Hermione in the middle, the two fairly a head taller boys on the sides, all dressed in Weasley-sweaters. Harry's was emerald green, hers was royal blue and Ron's the usual maroon.
Harry had grown a lot since fourth year. He was now a whole decimetre taller than Ron, towering as the tallest boy in school at 1,98 metres. His frame had filled out considerably due to a lot of exercise from Quidditch, among other things. He had let his hair grow a little and it curled behind his ears, more curly than messy at this length. The glasses were long gone, since he'd found a way to charm his eyes as soon as he'd worked up an interest in books. And that smile of his, which he flashed broadly at the picture, it made Hermione's knees go weak.
"Oh my!", Laura exclaimed. "THAT'S him?", she pointed at Photo-Harry, who currently had Photo-Hermione held close to his shoulder, his eyes focused on her and smiling mischievously. "He's one good-looking boy!"
"Well, I can nothing but agree!", Hermione said laughing.
~oOo~
Hermione and Laura packed all their things together that night and went to bed, even though they spent most of the night talking about camp, Harry, Hogwarts, camp and Harry. In spite of all this, Hermione found herself quite well-rested when morning came.
The two sixteen-year-old girls got onto one of the two leader's busses heading out to Camp Moonlake at ten o'clock. Both of them were really enthusiastic an excited about going, but Hermione never knew she was in for one - no two - rather shocking surprises once she got to camp.
~oOo~
A/N: Well, that's it. First chapter ready and accounted for. This will be a lot more leisurely written than TAD, and I actually think I'll enjoy writing this one more. The chapters won't be as long as TAD, either, meaning I can post on a more regular basis. Next TAD will be out soon, I've written about half.
As for this story: There's a reason I mentioned Dudley earlier, you'll find out soon enough.
Now, I think I'll go on and begin working on the next chapter..
REVIEW!