By Rachie.V.
I'll Be The One
Chapter Two - More Than An Earthquake
Author's Note: I hope to get the next chapter to this written very soon!! And please review! Thanks.
Disclaimer: The normal characters belong to J.K.R, some of the characters that you don't recognize belong to me. The verse at the bottom belongs to me, as does the Astronomy book and author.
~~~
Harry yawned, sat up and stretched his arms out wide. Another horrible day with the horrible Dursleys...and, (by looking at his calendar), realised it would be another one of his horrible birthdays. He was turning fifteen that day, but wasn't looking forward to it. Actually, that was a lie; he always looked forward to the presents and cards from his friends...but the Dursleys were...let's just say they were less kind than to give him presents...or even realise he was alive.
He checked his repaired alarm clock (it was 6 a.m., at that moment; in other words, the Dursleys were far from awake), had a warm shower (which was unusual, as the Dursleys usually left him to have the last shower after the hot water was gone), pulled on a pair of jeans and a bottle- green cotton shirt (an outfit that he had bought from Diagon Alley in a shop for disguising as a Muggle) and stumbled down the stairs, forgetting to miss the last stair the creaked. The noise was loud enough to wake the whole house, and Harry cringed as he heard Uncle Vernon snap, "That brat can never keep quiet!" to Aunt Petunia, who replied with a sigh. Dudley jerked awake from the noise with a loud snort and, by the sound of the humongous bang, fell out of his bed.
There was a few seconds of silence, then...
CRASH, CRASH, CRASH.
Uncle Vernon was storming down the stairs in fury. Harry sighed, turned around, walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk. Uncle Vernon caught up with him, and Harry prepared himself for the usual tirade. Purple in the face, his chins wobbling furiously and his moustache bouncing, Uncle Vernon started yelling.
"...NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE PEOPLE THAT TOLERATED YOUR BEHAVIOUR FOR THE LAST FOURTEEN YEARS!! AND ALL THAT TIME, YOU HAVE SHOWN NO SIGN OF GRATITUDE..."
Through all the yelling, Harry had leant against the closed fridge door, sipping milk out of the bottle, a calm look upon his face. Uncle Vernon stopped the loud lecture, and glared at Harry. Harry finished the bottle of milk, set it on the bench, folded his arms and looked his uncle in the eye.
"Uncle Vernon, it's early, and I really can't be bothered for this. I mean, I'm used to the unnecessary arguments and yelling and stuff, but it's my birthday, and I would like to enjoy it for once," Harry said calmly to his beetroot-faced uncle.
Uncle Vernon growled, and started up another yelling session on manners. Harry made some toast, spread butter on it and sat down to watch the TV, but as soon as he had picked up the TV controller, Uncle Vernon, snatched it from his hand, sat down on a different chair and turned on the TV, his piggy eyes locking onto the screen.
Harry sighed and walked out the back door, still chomping on his toast. He sat down on a bench, finished his breakfast and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Harry leant on the backrest and closed his eyes. Almost as soon as he had started daydreaming about a birthday cake, made by ingredients from the Honeydukes' shelves, something collided with his stomach. Harry wheezed and flung his eyes open, to see a young owl fluttering wildly against his chest. Harry pulled it away, to see that it was excited to actually have reached him, even though he didn't recognise it. A letter had been bound to its leg. Harry carefully pulled the letter away and inspected the envelope, while the owl flew back to wherever it had come from. The neat, spirally handwriting that only said "Harry" on the envelope told Harry that Hermione had sent the letter. Excitedly, he tore open the envelope and read the letter:
"Dear Harry,
How are you? I hope the Muggles aren't treating you badly.
Anyway, I just wrote to ask you if you wanted to stay at my house for the rest of the holidays, because I'm sure you hate it with the Muggles, and it would be a treat for your birthday. Speaking of which, your present is on my desk, but I can't send it by owl because it's too big, so if you do come over, you can get it then. If not, you'll have to wait until we get to school.
Well, I do hope you can come. Ron won't be coming at the same time as you (if you do come), because he has the flu, but Mrs Weasley said he should be better a week before we leave for school, so he'll come over then.
Send a reply soon!
Love,
Hermione
P.S.: This owl is a new one that Hogwarts has just gotten. He's much more reliable than some other school owls I know."
Harry grinned. He couldn't wait to go to Hermione's house! He was certainly going. Not even the Dursleys were going to stop him.
He jogged inside and told Uncle Vernon about the invitation.
"How're you going to get there?" was the reply that Harry got.
"Would you drive me?" he asked.
Grunt.
"Pardon?"
"Look, boy, I'll drive you there on a few conditions," Uncle Vernon said after a pause.
"And those are...?"
"That I don't have to meet the parents, I don't have to meet the ruddy friend of yours and that you do whatever I tell you to until it's time to go there," Uncle Vernon said, finally looking up from the screen he had been staring at during the conversation. The sound of applause came from the TV. Harry sighed, then nodded.
"Right, here's your first job: make me a cup of tea." Harry disappeared into the kitchen, made a cup of tea, walked over to Uncle Vernon and set his cup of tea on the table.
"Now get out of my sight," Uncle Vernon said, picking up the cup and slurping noisily. Harry obeyed happily. Shutting himself in his room, he began to pack his trunk. After he had finished, he picked up a quill and a piece of parchment from the old desk's drawer, and scribbled a reply:
"Hermione,
You know it would take more than an earthquake to stop me from coming over! Of course I'll come. I've packed my trunk and I should be over tomorrow (Friday). How does that sound? Oh yeah, Uncle Vernon will be driving me over. What's your address?
Love,
Harry"
Harry smiled to himself, opened Hedwig's cage, gave her the letter and watched her fly out the window to Hermione's house. Then he began a letter to Ron. After scratching away with his quill, telling him about his summer and hoping he'll get better soon, and that he was going to Hermione's for the summer, someone called out.
"Boy, get down here!"
What did Uncle Vernon want now? Harry jogged down the stairs.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon?"
"You have another order. You have to follow every order that anybody in this house gives you, even Dudders," Harry's Uncle spat at him.
"Fine."
"I beg your pardon? I wouldn't speak to me like that, not if you want me to take you to your girlfriend's house," Uncle Vernon seethed. Harry clenched his fist, his heart pounding.
"Hermione isn't my girlfriend," Harry said quietly, heat rising in his cheeks.
"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!" Dudley teased. He had heard the whole conversation by eavesdropping, sat on the staircase, and had just seen Harry blushing. "Harry's got a girlfriend! Harry's got a girlfriend! I bet she's ugly and fat."
Harry spun on his heel.
"DON'T CALL HERMIONE UGLY! AND DON'T YOU SPEAK ABOUT ANYONE BEING FAT - LOOK AT YOURSELF!" Harry roared at Dudley, then tackled the obese teenager to the ground. Uncle Vernon laughed, his mighty weight wobbling. Even though he should start another rant at his nephew, it was hilarious: the frail boy who once got beaten up by Dudley was now tackling his enemy to the floor and gaining revenge. He stopped laughing after Harry gave Dudley a black eye, then ordered for more tea. Harry glared at Dudley, then fetched his uncle's tea.
~~~
"Dear Harry,
You can come over today (Friday) at whatever time you please...or whatever is suitable.
My address:
11 Lockgrove Court
Aquarie
Your Uncle should be able to find it; it's a Muggle street.
And what you said about it taking more than an earthquake to stop you from coming over - that was really sweet. Thank you!
Love and hugs,
Hermione"
Harry sighed. He wasn't miffed about anything. His sigh had emotion behind it. And he was also in a strange mood.
"And what you said about it taking more than an earthquake to stop you from coming over - that was really sweet. Thank you! Love and hugs, Hermione." Harry couldn't get the words out of his head, and they replayed in his mind, mocking his feelings, until he could hear Hermione saying the words, and see her face with an odd expression on it he had never seen before...
"Boy, get your stuff down here, it's time to go!"
Harry trudged down the stairs, his trunk bumping along behind him. He hauled it into the back of the car, ran back inside, into his room and headed towards Hedwig's cage. Hedwig was currently out delivering that letter to Ron, but (by the sound of beating wings), she had returned. Sure enough, not five minutes later, Hedwig was ruffling her feathers in her cage in the backseat of Uncle Vernon's car.
"So, where does your girlfriend - "
"She's not my girlfriend!"
"Okay, okay, so where does she live, boy?"
"You might want to try calling my by my name, instead of 'boy', all the time."
Uncle Vernon cringed, then began again. "So, Harry, where does this Merhione - "
"Hermione!"
"Whatever! Where does she live?!"
"11 Lockgrove Court, Aquarie."
And without another word, they set off.
~~~
Harry slammed the car door shut, his trunk and Hedwig's cage by his feet. Uncle Vernon drove off without even a glance at his nephew.
Harry looked up in awe. Hermione's house (if you could call it that) was...huge. It was a sort of mansion, but very beautiful. There were white marble pillars supporting a vast veranda that had many soft-green plants growing in white plant pots. It had a white fence running around the outside, with a gate leading to the marble door. The rest of the house on the outside was white, too. White walls as soft as snow with hardly a speck of dirt showing had lush, light-green vines twirling gracefully around them, trimmed neatly at the windows, and some windows were sliding doors accompanied with balconies (with white iron railings). In all, it was like the other houses around the neighbourhood, but none were this...delicate. The plants and vines gave the house a look of modern beauty. It also had woods surrounding it, and the dewy grass topped off the look. Harry decided to class this house as one of the prettiest things he had ever seen, but saw something running outside that the house couldn't hold a candle to.
"HARRY!" Hermione squealed, and threw herself at him.
He laughed and pulled her back.
"I thought your house looked good, but then I saw you," he commented, studying her outfit. Black denim shorts, red midriff with thin straps and a black bandanna.
Hermione laughed, hugged him again, then grabbed his hand.
"Come, you need to meet my family," she said softly, and pulled him through the marble door.
The interior of the house was just as attractive. It was based on a blue- and-white style. White tiles, navy sofa, navy-coloured TV, blue-framed pictures upon the (white) walls...Harry loved it.
"Mum! Dad! Harry's here!"
The Grangers walked out of the kitchen, Mrs Granger wiping her hands on a tea towel.
"Harry! It's great to see you again!" Mrs Granger said, then rushed forward and gave him a hug. It seemed that his best friends had mothers that had similar personalities. Mrs Granger certainly reminded Harry of Mrs Weasley, that's for sure. Mr Granger strode forward, shook Harry's hand, smiled, then went to collect Harry's luggage.
"Thanks for having me, Mrs Granger," Harry said politely. "You sure have a beautiful home!"
Mrs Granger laughed. "You have wonderful manners, Harry. Thank you for your compliment!"
Mr Granger came back in with Harry's things.
"Harry, you'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom across the hall from Hermione's room, okay?" he said.
"Okay, thanks!"
Harry and Hermione followed Mr Granger into the guest bedroom, which had a different theme to the living room. Cream-coloured bed, walls, curtains, even a cream-coloured desk. Mr Granger sat Harry's trunk on the bed, and Hedwig out on the balcony.
"Well, have fun, you two! And don't hug him too much, Hermione, he'll need his belly for our dinner," Mr Granger teased. Hermione grinned, and whacked him on the arm. He laughed, walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him.
"Well, Harry, since Ron isn't going to be here until the last week, you're going have to make your visit worthwhile," Hermione sniffed, trying to hide her grin.
"I'd try, if it wasn't for the snob in front of me," Harry said, then groaned as she aimed a hit at his shoulder.
"Now, you'll want your present, I daresay," Hermione teased.
"YEAH!!"
"Well, you'll have to wait until after dinner for calling me a snob."
Another groan.
~~~Harry's diary entry that night~~~
Friday
Dear Diary,
I think this is going to be the best summer holiday I've ever had!! Spending all this time with Hermione is like a dream. I have to admit I'm having fun without Ron. Of course, that doesn't mean he's not my best friend anymore, it's just that Hermione...is different than Ron. He's great, and I can talk to him about some things that I just couldn't handle with Hermione (guy stuff), but...Hermione is...well, I don't know how to describe it. It's like, she's my best friend, but it's just so much better with her...I wish my Mum and Dad were here so that I could ask them for help, so that they could help me with this thing about Hermione. And talking of 'Mione, she seems different. More confident and daring, I think. She's not as quiet as she used to be. And definitely more pretty.
Anyway, I spent the day playing Monopoly, talking, laughing and drinking this special milkshake that Hermione only makes for special people. Note the emphasis on "special"...
Oh yeah, guess what Hermione got me for my birthday!! It this huge bag full of books on Quidditch. And I mean HEAPS of books. Biographies of the very best Quidditch players, of every team… 'Mione was scared that I wouldn't like it, but I told her that I do, and I REALLY meant it.
Well, I better hit the sack. 'Night.
- Harry
P.S.: I think you might need to know this: I think I love Hermione.
~~~Hermione's diary entry for that night~~~
Friday
Dear Diary,
If you remember my last diary entry, I wrote that I was scared that I had a crush on Harry...well, I know whether I do or don't have a crush on him, now: I do. Lord, why do I have to like him, of all people? There's nothing wrong with him, of course - he's everything I could ever dream of in a guy! But...he's Harry Potter - the one that has half the school in love with him. He needs Ron and I to support him through his life. He doesn't have parents to do that for him, and Ron and I can't be his parents, but we can help him. He can also help himself, but my point is that the last thing he needs right now is a relationship, especially with the one he's depending on to help him. Or one of those people. Although, I can't deny my feelings; I can't hide from my emotions. By the name of Merlin, I just realized as I have been pouring my heart into this diary; I know now! I'm in love with Harry.
- Hermione
~~~
"Morning, 'Mione," Harry said quietly, as he and Hermione entered the kitchen (wooden, almost completely - workbench, floorboards, cupboards...) at the same time through different doors.
"Hi, Harry," she replied, biting her lip. She went over to the cupboards, and found a note:
"Hermione and Harry - help yourself to breakfast! We've just gone out to run some errands, and should be back at about one in the afternoon. Have fun!"
Hermione shrugged, grabbed the boxes of cereal and set them on the table. She told Harry where everything was, and they set up the table. After a few minutes of silence and eating, Harry spoke up (after he had swallowed).
"'Mione...what do you say to a walk through the woods together after breakfast?"
"Sure!"
Hermione had been dying for him to suggest something like that; it seemed that they were both lost in thoughts...Hermione about her diary entry, and Harry, the same thing.
Awhile later, breakfast was cleared up, and they headed for their showers (they both had private bathrooms). Harry had just gotten out of the shower, and was rubbing his hair with a towel, when a knock came on his door.
"You decent?" Hermione asked, not wanting to barge in on him just after a shower.
"Yep," Harry replied, standing only in his boxers. Hermione opened the door, came in, took one look at Harry and turned around again.
"What? I have my boxers on!"
"I was hoping for a shirt, too," Hermione replied timidly, her voice echoing into the vast hallway.
He walked over to her, grasped her by the shoulders and turned her back around. She looked up at him, her heart pounding.
"You don't need to be scared of seeing me like this. It's not like I'm naked! Anyway, you go get your shoes on, and we can go for that walk."
"Okay..." Hermione turned back to leave, then looked back at him, "Oh, and Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"You look good like that!" Hermione laughed and ran off. Harry shook his head. That girl was weird.
~~~
Harry finished doing up the laces on his grubby joggers. Next to Hermione's neat, spotless shoes, Harry's looked even grottier than what they actually were.
"Well, you ready to go?" Hermione asked, pulling a face at his shoes; he had had the same ones last year at Hogwarts, but they actually resembled joggers back then, unlike now.
"Yes, ma'am!" Harry saluted. A slap on the arm shut him up.
They set off into the silent woods, the early morning air refreshing them. The trees seemed to loom taller than they had first looked to Harry, and the gracefully swaying branches danced with the wind. He breathed in this strange magic; it seemed to awaken him more than his shower.
"Do you like it?" Hermione asked softly.
"Yeah...it's so...so..." Harry tried to find the right word to describe the woods.
"Don't try to describe it; I know what you mean about these woods," Hermione whispered. Harry nodded. They ceased talking, as it seemed out of place in this silent shrine of nature.
Suddenly, Hermione reached out for Harry's hand, and held it gently, her fingers weaving in between his.
"She's holding my hand..." Harry thought to himself, "but then, why is this important to me?"
"Why am I holding his hand? Why did I just do that?" Hermione demanded to herself. Then she became anxious. "What if he doesn't like me?!"
"Harry, can we sit for awhile?" Hermione asked Harry softly.
"Sure," he replied. He sat down under a tree. Hermione sat down in front of him, facing him. He closed his eyes, took off his glasses so he could let the sun drift down onto his face and rested his head against the trunk, thinking.
Hermione studied his face; her eyes took in every pore, every trace of expression, the outline of his lips, his eyelashes... She studied his whole body: the messy hair on his head, the way his arms were resting on his knees that he had bent upwards...
"But why do I care?" she asked herself.
Suddenly, Harry looked down, put on his glasses and caught her staring at him. He looked away, trying not to smile. He quickly casted a glance back at her, to see that she was blushing and staring at the ground. He sighed.
"Harry, what's wrong?"
"I just...wish my parents were here. I'm having problems at the moment, but I don't have a Mum or a Dad to help me or give me advice," Harry said quietly.
Hermione crawled up to him and put her arms around him.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I realized that there would be times like this. Ron and I have been supporting you for a long time, now, but we can't help you with everything, and I feel so horrible when you go through things like this." She hugged him tighter, and his arms worked their way around her waist.
"I'm sorry for putting pressure on you," he said firmly. "You shouldn't have to do that. I can handle it by myself."
"I know you can, but we won't let you handle it alone. That's what best friends are for. But I have to give you credit; you hardly shed a tear, or even show that you're having problems. You always seem so tough and confident, and you really have a streak of talent on that Quidditch pitch. I think those are a few reasons why I like you," Hermione said to him, neither of them noticing that she had just let slip that she liked him.
"Thanks, but the thing is, you seem to handle my problems and yours at the same time. Plus, you never give up. You're tough, too. You study, you read, you help me and Ron and yet you still have fun in between all that. I think your determination is one of the reasons why I like you," Harry said to her. Again, neither of them realized that one liked the other.
Hermione pulled her arms away from Harry, and he let go of her waist.
"We better be getting home," Hermione said. She grabbed his hand, and they walked home together.
~~~
"'Night, Hedwig," Harry said sleepily to Hedwig, who clicked her beak in reply. Harry pulled off his pants and his shirt and got into bed, wearing his boxers that Hermione had seen that morning.
He clicked off the light, turned on his side, put an arm under the pillow and his eyes started drooping.
~~~
"'Night, Crookshanks," Hermione said sleepily to Crookshanks, who purred in reply. Hermione pulled off her clothes and changed into a short, thin, blue nightgown.
She clicked off the light, rested her hands on the top of the blankets and her eyes started drooping.
~~~
Harry sat bolt upright in the dark, his eyes wide. He had just remembered what Hermione had said in the woods!
"...You always seem so tough and confident, and you really have a streak of talent on that Quidditch pitch. I think those are a few reasons why I like you."
"She likes me..." Harry whispered.
~~~
Hermione sat bolt upright in the dark, her eyes wide. She had just remembered what Harry had said in the woods!
"...Plus, you never give up. You're tough, too. You study, you read, you help me and Ron and yet you still have fun in between all that. I think your determination is one of the reasons why I like you."
"He likes me..." Hermione whispered.
~~~
Saturday
Dear Diary,
I was asleep just a second ago, but then I realized something really fantastic! Hermione likes me!! We were walking in the woods, and then I told her I had a problem and that Mum and Dad weren't there to help me with it, and eventually she told me that she and Ron try to support me, but they can't be my parents and that they knew the times would come when I'd need my parents, and she told me I'm so strong and confident and I have "a streak of talent on that Quidditch pitch", and that those are a few reason on why she likes me! This is fabulous!!
But there's a bad side. I told her why she's tough and all that, and then I told her that those were some reasons why I like her! Neither of us realized what we had told each other, but I just realized now!! Oh my God, if I just realized this, that means she already knows! She's smarter than me...oh my God...oh my God...
SHE LIKES ME!!!! BY THE NAME OF MERLIN, I LOVE HERMIONE GRANGER!!!
- A very happy Harry
~~~
Saturday night
Dear Diary,
He likes me. HARRY LIKES ME!!!!! Look at the entry for Saturday afternoon, about what we said about each other. Well, Harry said all that, and then said that those were a few reasons why he likes me!!! I said the same thing after what I said about him. He'll probably have already have realized all this, but...OH MY GOSH, HARRY LIKES ME!!!!! Diary, I'm going to make it official:
I love Harry Potter from the bottom of my heart.
- Hermione
~~~
More than an earthquake, you said -
Dare I believe that means you love me?
If it takes more than that,
It must be true...
~~~
I'll Be The One
Chapter Two - More Than An Earthquake
Author's Note: I hope to get the next chapter to this written very soon!! And please review! Thanks.
Disclaimer: The normal characters belong to J.K.R, some of the characters that you don't recognize belong to me. The verse at the bottom belongs to me, as does the Astronomy book and author.
~~~
Harry yawned, sat up and stretched his arms out wide. Another horrible day with the horrible Dursleys...and, (by looking at his calendar), realised it would be another one of his horrible birthdays. He was turning fifteen that day, but wasn't looking forward to it. Actually, that was a lie; he always looked forward to the presents and cards from his friends...but the Dursleys were...let's just say they were less kind than to give him presents...or even realise he was alive.
He checked his repaired alarm clock (it was 6 a.m., at that moment; in other words, the Dursleys were far from awake), had a warm shower (which was unusual, as the Dursleys usually left him to have the last shower after the hot water was gone), pulled on a pair of jeans and a bottle- green cotton shirt (an outfit that he had bought from Diagon Alley in a shop for disguising as a Muggle) and stumbled down the stairs, forgetting to miss the last stair the creaked. The noise was loud enough to wake the whole house, and Harry cringed as he heard Uncle Vernon snap, "That brat can never keep quiet!" to Aunt Petunia, who replied with a sigh. Dudley jerked awake from the noise with a loud snort and, by the sound of the humongous bang, fell out of his bed.
There was a few seconds of silence, then...
CRASH, CRASH, CRASH.
Uncle Vernon was storming down the stairs in fury. Harry sighed, turned around, walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of milk. Uncle Vernon caught up with him, and Harry prepared himself for the usual tirade. Purple in the face, his chins wobbling furiously and his moustache bouncing, Uncle Vernon started yelling.
"...NO CONSIDERATION FOR THE PEOPLE THAT TOLERATED YOUR BEHAVIOUR FOR THE LAST FOURTEEN YEARS!! AND ALL THAT TIME, YOU HAVE SHOWN NO SIGN OF GRATITUDE..."
Through all the yelling, Harry had leant against the closed fridge door, sipping milk out of the bottle, a calm look upon his face. Uncle Vernon stopped the loud lecture, and glared at Harry. Harry finished the bottle of milk, set it on the bench, folded his arms and looked his uncle in the eye.
"Uncle Vernon, it's early, and I really can't be bothered for this. I mean, I'm used to the unnecessary arguments and yelling and stuff, but it's my birthday, and I would like to enjoy it for once," Harry said calmly to his beetroot-faced uncle.
Uncle Vernon growled, and started up another yelling session on manners. Harry made some toast, spread butter on it and sat down to watch the TV, but as soon as he had picked up the TV controller, Uncle Vernon, snatched it from his hand, sat down on a different chair and turned on the TV, his piggy eyes locking onto the screen.
Harry sighed and walked out the back door, still chomping on his toast. He sat down on a bench, finished his breakfast and ran a hand through his shaggy hair. Harry leant on the backrest and closed his eyes. Almost as soon as he had started daydreaming about a birthday cake, made by ingredients from the Honeydukes' shelves, something collided with his stomach. Harry wheezed and flung his eyes open, to see a young owl fluttering wildly against his chest. Harry pulled it away, to see that it was excited to actually have reached him, even though he didn't recognise it. A letter had been bound to its leg. Harry carefully pulled the letter away and inspected the envelope, while the owl flew back to wherever it had come from. The neat, spirally handwriting that only said "Harry" on the envelope told Harry that Hermione had sent the letter. Excitedly, he tore open the envelope and read the letter:
"Dear Harry,
How are you? I hope the Muggles aren't treating you badly.
Anyway, I just wrote to ask you if you wanted to stay at my house for the rest of the holidays, because I'm sure you hate it with the Muggles, and it would be a treat for your birthday. Speaking of which, your present is on my desk, but I can't send it by owl because it's too big, so if you do come over, you can get it then. If not, you'll have to wait until we get to school.
Well, I do hope you can come. Ron won't be coming at the same time as you (if you do come), because he has the flu, but Mrs Weasley said he should be better a week before we leave for school, so he'll come over then.
Send a reply soon!
Love,
Hermione
P.S.: This owl is a new one that Hogwarts has just gotten. He's much more reliable than some other school owls I know."
Harry grinned. He couldn't wait to go to Hermione's house! He was certainly going. Not even the Dursleys were going to stop him.
He jogged inside and told Uncle Vernon about the invitation.
"How're you going to get there?" was the reply that Harry got.
"Would you drive me?" he asked.
Grunt.
"Pardon?"
"Look, boy, I'll drive you there on a few conditions," Uncle Vernon said after a pause.
"And those are...?"
"That I don't have to meet the parents, I don't have to meet the ruddy friend of yours and that you do whatever I tell you to until it's time to go there," Uncle Vernon said, finally looking up from the screen he had been staring at during the conversation. The sound of applause came from the TV. Harry sighed, then nodded.
"Right, here's your first job: make me a cup of tea." Harry disappeared into the kitchen, made a cup of tea, walked over to Uncle Vernon and set his cup of tea on the table.
"Now get out of my sight," Uncle Vernon said, picking up the cup and slurping noisily. Harry obeyed happily. Shutting himself in his room, he began to pack his trunk. After he had finished, he picked up a quill and a piece of parchment from the old desk's drawer, and scribbled a reply:
"Hermione,
You know it would take more than an earthquake to stop me from coming over! Of course I'll come. I've packed my trunk and I should be over tomorrow (Friday). How does that sound? Oh yeah, Uncle Vernon will be driving me over. What's your address?
Love,
Harry"
Harry smiled to himself, opened Hedwig's cage, gave her the letter and watched her fly out the window to Hermione's house. Then he began a letter to Ron. After scratching away with his quill, telling him about his summer and hoping he'll get better soon, and that he was going to Hermione's for the summer, someone called out.
"Boy, get down here!"
What did Uncle Vernon want now? Harry jogged down the stairs.
"Yes, Uncle Vernon?"
"You have another order. You have to follow every order that anybody in this house gives you, even Dudders," Harry's Uncle spat at him.
"Fine."
"I beg your pardon? I wouldn't speak to me like that, not if you want me to take you to your girlfriend's house," Uncle Vernon seethed. Harry clenched his fist, his heart pounding.
"Hermione isn't my girlfriend," Harry said quietly, heat rising in his cheeks.
"Oooooooooooooooooooooooooh!!" Dudley teased. He had heard the whole conversation by eavesdropping, sat on the staircase, and had just seen Harry blushing. "Harry's got a girlfriend! Harry's got a girlfriend! I bet she's ugly and fat."
Harry spun on his heel.
"DON'T CALL HERMIONE UGLY! AND DON'T YOU SPEAK ABOUT ANYONE BEING FAT - LOOK AT YOURSELF!" Harry roared at Dudley, then tackled the obese teenager to the ground. Uncle Vernon laughed, his mighty weight wobbling. Even though he should start another rant at his nephew, it was hilarious: the frail boy who once got beaten up by Dudley was now tackling his enemy to the floor and gaining revenge. He stopped laughing after Harry gave Dudley a black eye, then ordered for more tea. Harry glared at Dudley, then fetched his uncle's tea.
~~~
"Dear Harry,
You can come over today (Friday) at whatever time you please...or whatever is suitable.
My address:
11 Lockgrove Court
Aquarie
Your Uncle should be able to find it; it's a Muggle street.
And what you said about it taking more than an earthquake to stop you from coming over - that was really sweet. Thank you!
Love and hugs,
Hermione"
Harry sighed. He wasn't miffed about anything. His sigh had emotion behind it. And he was also in a strange mood.
"And what you said about it taking more than an earthquake to stop you from coming over - that was really sweet. Thank you! Love and hugs, Hermione." Harry couldn't get the words out of his head, and they replayed in his mind, mocking his feelings, until he could hear Hermione saying the words, and see her face with an odd expression on it he had never seen before...
"Boy, get your stuff down here, it's time to go!"
Harry trudged down the stairs, his trunk bumping along behind him. He hauled it into the back of the car, ran back inside, into his room and headed towards Hedwig's cage. Hedwig was currently out delivering that letter to Ron, but (by the sound of beating wings), she had returned. Sure enough, not five minutes later, Hedwig was ruffling her feathers in her cage in the backseat of Uncle Vernon's car.
"So, where does your girlfriend - "
"She's not my girlfriend!"
"Okay, okay, so where does she live, boy?"
"You might want to try calling my by my name, instead of 'boy', all the time."
Uncle Vernon cringed, then began again. "So, Harry, where does this Merhione - "
"Hermione!"
"Whatever! Where does she live?!"
"11 Lockgrove Court, Aquarie."
And without another word, they set off.
~~~
Harry slammed the car door shut, his trunk and Hedwig's cage by his feet. Uncle Vernon drove off without even a glance at his nephew.
Harry looked up in awe. Hermione's house (if you could call it that) was...huge. It was a sort of mansion, but very beautiful. There were white marble pillars supporting a vast veranda that had many soft-green plants growing in white plant pots. It had a white fence running around the outside, with a gate leading to the marble door. The rest of the house on the outside was white, too. White walls as soft as snow with hardly a speck of dirt showing had lush, light-green vines twirling gracefully around them, trimmed neatly at the windows, and some windows were sliding doors accompanied with balconies (with white iron railings). In all, it was like the other houses around the neighbourhood, but none were this...delicate. The plants and vines gave the house a look of modern beauty. It also had woods surrounding it, and the dewy grass topped off the look. Harry decided to class this house as one of the prettiest things he had ever seen, but saw something running outside that the house couldn't hold a candle to.
"HARRY!" Hermione squealed, and threw herself at him.
He laughed and pulled her back.
"I thought your house looked good, but then I saw you," he commented, studying her outfit. Black denim shorts, red midriff with thin straps and a black bandanna.
Hermione laughed, hugged him again, then grabbed his hand.
"Come, you need to meet my family," she said softly, and pulled him through the marble door.
The interior of the house was just as attractive. It was based on a blue- and-white style. White tiles, navy sofa, navy-coloured TV, blue-framed pictures upon the (white) walls...Harry loved it.
"Mum! Dad! Harry's here!"
The Grangers walked out of the kitchen, Mrs Granger wiping her hands on a tea towel.
"Harry! It's great to see you again!" Mrs Granger said, then rushed forward and gave him a hug. It seemed that his best friends had mothers that had similar personalities. Mrs Granger certainly reminded Harry of Mrs Weasley, that's for sure. Mr Granger strode forward, shook Harry's hand, smiled, then went to collect Harry's luggage.
"Thanks for having me, Mrs Granger," Harry said politely. "You sure have a beautiful home!"
Mrs Granger laughed. "You have wonderful manners, Harry. Thank you for your compliment!"
Mr Granger came back in with Harry's things.
"Harry, you'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom across the hall from Hermione's room, okay?" he said.
"Okay, thanks!"
Harry and Hermione followed Mr Granger into the guest bedroom, which had a different theme to the living room. Cream-coloured bed, walls, curtains, even a cream-coloured desk. Mr Granger sat Harry's trunk on the bed, and Hedwig out on the balcony.
"Well, have fun, you two! And don't hug him too much, Hermione, he'll need his belly for our dinner," Mr Granger teased. Hermione grinned, and whacked him on the arm. He laughed, walked out of the room, and closed the door behind him.
"Well, Harry, since Ron isn't going to be here until the last week, you're going have to make your visit worthwhile," Hermione sniffed, trying to hide her grin.
"I'd try, if it wasn't for the snob in front of me," Harry said, then groaned as she aimed a hit at his shoulder.
"Now, you'll want your present, I daresay," Hermione teased.
"YEAH!!"
"Well, you'll have to wait until after dinner for calling me a snob."
Another groan.
~~~Harry's diary entry that night~~~
Friday
Dear Diary,
I think this is going to be the best summer holiday I've ever had!! Spending all this time with Hermione is like a dream. I have to admit I'm having fun without Ron. Of course, that doesn't mean he's not my best friend anymore, it's just that Hermione...is different than Ron. He's great, and I can talk to him about some things that I just couldn't handle with Hermione (guy stuff), but...Hermione is...well, I don't know how to describe it. It's like, she's my best friend, but it's just so much better with her...I wish my Mum and Dad were here so that I could ask them for help, so that they could help me with this thing about Hermione. And talking of 'Mione, she seems different. More confident and daring, I think. She's not as quiet as she used to be. And definitely more pretty.
Anyway, I spent the day playing Monopoly, talking, laughing and drinking this special milkshake that Hermione only makes for special people. Note the emphasis on "special"...
Oh yeah, guess what Hermione got me for my birthday!! It this huge bag full of books on Quidditch. And I mean HEAPS of books. Biographies of the very best Quidditch players, of every team… 'Mione was scared that I wouldn't like it, but I told her that I do, and I REALLY meant it.
Well, I better hit the sack. 'Night.
- Harry
P.S.: I think you might need to know this: I think I love Hermione.
~~~Hermione's diary entry for that night~~~
Friday
Dear Diary,
If you remember my last diary entry, I wrote that I was scared that I had a crush on Harry...well, I know whether I do or don't have a crush on him, now: I do. Lord, why do I have to like him, of all people? There's nothing wrong with him, of course - he's everything I could ever dream of in a guy! But...he's Harry Potter - the one that has half the school in love with him. He needs Ron and I to support him through his life. He doesn't have parents to do that for him, and Ron and I can't be his parents, but we can help him. He can also help himself, but my point is that the last thing he needs right now is a relationship, especially with the one he's depending on to help him. Or one of those people. Although, I can't deny my feelings; I can't hide from my emotions. By the name of Merlin, I just realized as I have been pouring my heart into this diary; I know now! I'm in love with Harry.
- Hermione
~~~
"Morning, 'Mione," Harry said quietly, as he and Hermione entered the kitchen (wooden, almost completely - workbench, floorboards, cupboards...) at the same time through different doors.
"Hi, Harry," she replied, biting her lip. She went over to the cupboards, and found a note:
"Hermione and Harry - help yourself to breakfast! We've just gone out to run some errands, and should be back at about one in the afternoon. Have fun!"
Hermione shrugged, grabbed the boxes of cereal and set them on the table. She told Harry where everything was, and they set up the table. After a few minutes of silence and eating, Harry spoke up (after he had swallowed).
"'Mione...what do you say to a walk through the woods together after breakfast?"
"Sure!"
Hermione had been dying for him to suggest something like that; it seemed that they were both lost in thoughts...Hermione about her diary entry, and Harry, the same thing.
Awhile later, breakfast was cleared up, and they headed for their showers (they both had private bathrooms). Harry had just gotten out of the shower, and was rubbing his hair with a towel, when a knock came on his door.
"You decent?" Hermione asked, not wanting to barge in on him just after a shower.
"Yep," Harry replied, standing only in his boxers. Hermione opened the door, came in, took one look at Harry and turned around again.
"What? I have my boxers on!"
"I was hoping for a shirt, too," Hermione replied timidly, her voice echoing into the vast hallway.
He walked over to her, grasped her by the shoulders and turned her back around. She looked up at him, her heart pounding.
"You don't need to be scared of seeing me like this. It's not like I'm naked! Anyway, you go get your shoes on, and we can go for that walk."
"Okay..." Hermione turned back to leave, then looked back at him, "Oh, and Harry?"
"Yeah?"
"You look good like that!" Hermione laughed and ran off. Harry shook his head. That girl was weird.
~~~
Harry finished doing up the laces on his grubby joggers. Next to Hermione's neat, spotless shoes, Harry's looked even grottier than what they actually were.
"Well, you ready to go?" Hermione asked, pulling a face at his shoes; he had had the same ones last year at Hogwarts, but they actually resembled joggers back then, unlike now.
"Yes, ma'am!" Harry saluted. A slap on the arm shut him up.
They set off into the silent woods, the early morning air refreshing them. The trees seemed to loom taller than they had first looked to Harry, and the gracefully swaying branches danced with the wind. He breathed in this strange magic; it seemed to awaken him more than his shower.
"Do you like it?" Hermione asked softly.
"Yeah...it's so...so..." Harry tried to find the right word to describe the woods.
"Don't try to describe it; I know what you mean about these woods," Hermione whispered. Harry nodded. They ceased talking, as it seemed out of place in this silent shrine of nature.
Suddenly, Hermione reached out for Harry's hand, and held it gently, her fingers weaving in between his.
"She's holding my hand..." Harry thought to himself, "but then, why is this important to me?"
"Why am I holding his hand? Why did I just do that?" Hermione demanded to herself. Then she became anxious. "What if he doesn't like me?!"
"Harry, can we sit for awhile?" Hermione asked Harry softly.
"Sure," he replied. He sat down under a tree. Hermione sat down in front of him, facing him. He closed his eyes, took off his glasses so he could let the sun drift down onto his face and rested his head against the trunk, thinking.
Hermione studied his face; her eyes took in every pore, every trace of expression, the outline of his lips, his eyelashes... She studied his whole body: the messy hair on his head, the way his arms were resting on his knees that he had bent upwards...
"But why do I care?" she asked herself.
Suddenly, Harry looked down, put on his glasses and caught her staring at him. He looked away, trying not to smile. He quickly casted a glance back at her, to see that she was blushing and staring at the ground. He sighed.
"Harry, what's wrong?"
"I just...wish my parents were here. I'm having problems at the moment, but I don't have a Mum or a Dad to help me or give me advice," Harry said quietly.
Hermione crawled up to him and put her arms around him.
"I'm sorry, Harry. I realized that there would be times like this. Ron and I have been supporting you for a long time, now, but we can't help you with everything, and I feel so horrible when you go through things like this." She hugged him tighter, and his arms worked their way around her waist.
"I'm sorry for putting pressure on you," he said firmly. "You shouldn't have to do that. I can handle it by myself."
"I know you can, but we won't let you handle it alone. That's what best friends are for. But I have to give you credit; you hardly shed a tear, or even show that you're having problems. You always seem so tough and confident, and you really have a streak of talent on that Quidditch pitch. I think those are a few reasons why I like you," Hermione said to him, neither of them noticing that she had just let slip that she liked him.
"Thanks, but the thing is, you seem to handle my problems and yours at the same time. Plus, you never give up. You're tough, too. You study, you read, you help me and Ron and yet you still have fun in between all that. I think your determination is one of the reasons why I like you," Harry said to her. Again, neither of them realized that one liked the other.
Hermione pulled her arms away from Harry, and he let go of her waist.
"We better be getting home," Hermione said. She grabbed his hand, and they walked home together.
~~~
"'Night, Hedwig," Harry said sleepily to Hedwig, who clicked her beak in reply. Harry pulled off his pants and his shirt and got into bed, wearing his boxers that Hermione had seen that morning.
He clicked off the light, turned on his side, put an arm under the pillow and his eyes started drooping.
~~~
"'Night, Crookshanks," Hermione said sleepily to Crookshanks, who purred in reply. Hermione pulled off her clothes and changed into a short, thin, blue nightgown.
She clicked off the light, rested her hands on the top of the blankets and her eyes started drooping.
~~~
Harry sat bolt upright in the dark, his eyes wide. He had just remembered what Hermione had said in the woods!
"...You always seem so tough and confident, and you really have a streak of talent on that Quidditch pitch. I think those are a few reasons why I like you."
"She likes me..." Harry whispered.
~~~
Hermione sat bolt upright in the dark, her eyes wide. She had just remembered what Harry had said in the woods!
"...Plus, you never give up. You're tough, too. You study, you read, you help me and Ron and yet you still have fun in between all that. I think your determination is one of the reasons why I like you."
"He likes me..." Hermione whispered.
~~~
Saturday
Dear Diary,
I was asleep just a second ago, but then I realized something really fantastic! Hermione likes me!! We were walking in the woods, and then I told her I had a problem and that Mum and Dad weren't there to help me with it, and eventually she told me that she and Ron try to support me, but they can't be my parents and that they knew the times would come when I'd need my parents, and she told me I'm so strong and confident and I have "a streak of talent on that Quidditch pitch", and that those are a few reason on why she likes me! This is fabulous!!
But there's a bad side. I told her why she's tough and all that, and then I told her that those were some reasons why I like her! Neither of us realized what we had told each other, but I just realized now!! Oh my God, if I just realized this, that means she already knows! She's smarter than me...oh my God...oh my God...
SHE LIKES ME!!!! BY THE NAME OF MERLIN, I LOVE HERMIONE GRANGER!!!
- A very happy Harry
~~~
Saturday night
Dear Diary,
He likes me. HARRY LIKES ME!!!!! Look at the entry for Saturday afternoon, about what we said about each other. Well, Harry said all that, and then said that those were a few reasons why he likes me!!! I said the same thing after what I said about him. He'll probably have already have realized all this, but...OH MY GOSH, HARRY LIKES ME!!!!! Diary, I'm going to make it official:
I love Harry Potter from the bottom of my heart.
- Hermione
~~~
More than an earthquake, you said -
Dare I believe that means you love me?
If it takes more than that,
It must be true...
~~~