Disclaimer: We don't own Harry Potter in anyway sort of form. We do, however, own the plot of this story.
Authors' Note-in this story, there was nothing between Ron/Hermione or Harry/Ginny, Sirius & Dumbledore are still alive, Voldemort is dead, and it starts the summer before seventh year. Harry speaking parsletongue is bolded and italicized and the snake is just bolded.
"Harry Potter, get your arse down here this instant!" screamed Hermione at the bottom of the staircase at the Burrow.
He was running down the stairs so fast, that he missed the last one and fell flat on his face, knocking Hermione down with him in the process. "What did I do now?!" he asked, alarmed.
"My stupid cousin left this at my house!" she screeched and pointed toward a fish tank.
"A fish tank with no water?" he asked.
She looked at the tank and said, "It's gone again! My stupid cousin left her snake and the stupid thing won't listen to me and keeps disappearing!"
Harry started laughing. Hermione gave him a strange look. "Oh, you mean Sherman?" he said, pulling up the leg of his pajama pants.
"Sherman? That thing has a name? Ewe, keep it away from me! I don't want to touch it! It doesn't like me anymore than I like it!"
"Awh, I'm not sure that's true," he said, unweaving the green garden snake from his leg and looking it in the eye.
Aren't you the sneakiest snake I've ever seen! How'd you manage to get out this time?
Why thank you-
"See? He has nothing against you!" Harry said.
Did I even say anything like that?
No, but you've got to calm the girl down somehow!
"Now what are you saying?" Hermione demanded.
"Oh, nothing, just talking." Harry told her. Okay Sherman, back into your tank.
Until next time then.
With that, the snake slithered off of Harry's arm and into the tank. Hermione quickly shut the top with a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Harry."
"No problem," he said with a smile.
Hermione was caught unaware by how the smile affected her. And for some reason, the sight of Harry in only his pajama pants was an appealing sight. "I—"
"What are you two dears up to? I heard Hermione screaming, is there something wrong?" Mrs. Weasley asked, coming to join them. A few others were joining them too.
Harry started laughing. "Hermione's scared of Sherman."
"Who's Sherman?" Ron asked.
Hermione pointed to the tank. "That thing is."
Harry laughed some more. Ron joined in. Hermione glared at them. "It's not funny. It won't do anything I say and it keeps getting out."
"Alright, dears, lets go eat breakfast. I made eggs, pancakes, sausage, and waffles!"
Everyone started to filter out of the room except Harry. He caught Sherman's eye and then went to breakfast with the others.