Summertime
Harry was woken by the arrival of a bushy haired witch who seemed intent on getting him out of bed.
"Get up lazybones" the witch said.
"If you don't get out of my room in five seconds" Harry said getting up of bed slowly, "I'm going to hex you badly" but the witch simply giggled.
"Its not like I've not seen it before" the witch replied. She crossed over to the wardrobe and started to pull out clothes, tossing them to Harry.
"I can dress myself, Hermione" Harry told her.
"See you at breakfast" Hermione said grinning at her new boyfriend. Harry simply shook his head then had a shower before drying himself, dressing in jeans and a t-shirt and then headed down towards the kitchen. As normal, Sirius was manning the toaster. As normal, Sirius was burning the toast.
"You're never going to get that right" Harry said.
"If you don't stop insulting my cooking skills, I'll send you to live with your relatives" Sirius replied. He had taken care of Harry since he was a year old, after his parents had been killed. He had been arrested shortly after by Aurors, on charges of being a Death Eater. At his trial, Sirius said that he was no more a Death Eater, then Voldemort ran a children's home. For many years, the two of them had shared the house which Sirius had inherited from his family alone, until Harry's' third year when Hermione came to live with them in sad circumstances.
"I'm afraid to say that Hermione Grangers parents have been killed by muggles while on holiday in the south of France" Dumbledore had told Harry. Harry felt very sad for Hermione as he knew what it was like to not have parents, although he did have Sirius – his godfather.
"Please Sir" Harry had said, "What will happen to Hermione?" he had asked.
"She will be placed with magical orphanage" Dumbledore said. "She will be placed with an adoptive family. I suspect that the Weasley's will take her in" the headmaster had said. That was the last straw for Harry. Over the past year he suspected that Dumbledore was keeping things from him, and that he had been used as a pawn in some great game. Before Harry could say a word, his godfather spoke first.
"Bull" Sirius said simply. "She can stay with me and Harry" and Dumbledore didn't like that one bit.
"I think that it would be best that…" Dumbledore began, but Sirius burst into a rare display of rage.
"You thought it was for the best that I stood trial for the murder of all those muggles!" Sirius spat. "I only escaped Azkaban because of the fact I demanded to use Veritserum. If it wasn't for that handy drink, then I'd be eating my lunch through a baby bottle" and Sirius's eyes burned with fire and Harry had never seen him like that before.
"Can I really stay with you, Mr Black?" Hermione had asked when Harry had stormed up to the girls dorm with Sirius in tow.
"It's Sirius" Sirius had said, "And yes. You can stay for as long as you want" Harry had crossed over to Hermione's bed and sat down next to her. Hermione flung herself into Harry's arms and Harry held her tightly while his best female friend had cried herself to sleep.
Last year had been stupid as well as dangerous for Harry. There had been the Tri-Wizard competition and Harry, though too young to enter, had found himself competing with two foreign students and Cedric Diggory. Harry might just possibly have made it through the year and the competition, if there had not been the small matter of the Yule Ball. He had been worried sick about the whole thing if it had not been for the fact he summoned every last once of his courage and asked Hermione to be his date. She had accepted without hesitation and this really annoyed Harry's other best friend – Ron Weasley. He had wanted to go out with Hermione himself and was put out by the fact that Harry had got the best looking girl in the year. He could be heard loudly complaining about it. 'Just like his luck. He has all the money and picks any girl he wants' Ron had said one evening in the Gryffindor common room. He had gone on insulting Hermione, using several obscene words in the process, until he had been jumped by Dean, Seamus and Neville. All three boys had risen to Hermione's defence, or at least the defence of her name and honour. After the battle with Voldemort in the graveyard and his return carrying Cedric's body to Hogwarts, Hermione had been the first to reach him. After the questions from Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge, Hermione had found him in the forth year boys dorm alone, and looking out of the window. They stood looking out the window together in silence until Harry turned and looked at Hermione.
'Hermione?'
'Yeah, Harry'
'Hermione Jane Granger, will you go out with me?' Harry had asked her. Hermione's reply was to jump into Harry and pushing him over onto his bed – kissing him madly. Harry would later comment that that wasn't the response he had been expecting.
"Are you still with us?" Hermione asked, waving her hand in front of Harry while Sirius just laughed.
"Sorry 'Mione. I was just thinking about us, and what will be in store for this year" Harry said.
"Whatever happens this year, I'll be there to face it with you" Hermione said flatly. Harry was about to reply to her, but at that moment Hedwig came in carrying the morning post. Other owls headed towards Sirius, while a lone brown one landed in front of Hermione. When it was processed through Hermione's mind that the letter was from Hogwarts, the girl tore it open and a silver badge fell out and onto the table.
"Whats that you've got there?" Harry asked, knowing full well what it was.
"It's from Professor McGonagall. I've been made a Prefect!" Hermione said excitedly. She looked over to Harry who was sorting through his own post. Sirius's post was bills, and a statement of his Gringotts accounts.
"No way!" Harry yelled.
"What?" Hermione asked quickly.
"I've been made a prefect too" and Harry was jumped upon a bushy haired streak of light which hugged him.
"Congratulations you two" Sirius said.
"Thank you" the both replied.
"What have you got planned for today?" Sirius asked. "It's only a few days before you go back to Hogwarts. I suggest that you get your school books from Diagon Alley" and Hermione being Hermione she agreed with that.
"We'll wait for you to put on some decent clothes" Harry said, but Sirius shook his head.
"I've got to go and see my old friend Remus Lupin. I believe that you met last year" Sirius added. "You two can just go yourselves" he told the pair, knowing full well what Harry had planned for today.
# # # # #
"Next" said the Goblin at the desk, and Harry and Hermione walked up to the head of the line.
"Good morning, Griphook" Harry said. Though Goblins scared him somewhat, Griphook seemed friendlier then the others.
"Ah! Hello Mr Potter. Good Morning Miss Granger" he said, nodding at Hermione with a slight bow of his head. "How can I serve you today?"
"I would like to make a withdrawal from my account and also take an item out of my family vault" Harry said, and Griphook knew exactly what was going to happen. It had taken the combined efforts of Harry, Griphook and the two remaining Marauders, Sirius and Remus, to keep any hint of a plan from Hermione.
"Very well, Mr Potter" Griphook said. "Is there anything else you wish to do while you are here today?" he asked.
"I'd like you to draw up a legal document please" Harry said. Griphook bowed again, and led the pair to the carts and they sped underground to the Potter family vaults where Harry took a single small package out, and then off to his personal vault where Harry took out a few hundred Galleons.
"Buying big?" Hermione joked.
"In a manner of speaking" Harry said mysteriously, and they entered the cart for the journey back to the main area of the bank. Griphook led them into a small office off to the side where the goblin began to draw up the legal document which Harry had requested.
"I have completed most of the document, it just requires you to speak" Griphook said.
"What do you mean?" asked Harry.
"You say aloud what you want in the document, and it will appear on the parchment" Griphook said, and Hermione was puzzled by what Griphook said. Harry took a breath before speaking clearly.
"I Harry James Potter, being of mostly sound mind, body and judgement, do hereby make this statement. All of my processions are to be given to Hermione Granger should anything happen to me. This includes my money, books and other such items that Hermione wants" and as Harry finished speaking, the words appeared on the parchment.
"What have you done?" Hermione asked with some alarm, but another goblin stuck his head around the door.
"The reporters have arrived" the goblin said, then vanished.
"You have a showman's eye for detail" Griphook said, the he led a smiling Harry and a puzzled Hermione to the atrium. Reporters from different newspapers stood gathered in a huddle.
"Thank you for coming" Harry said. "I hate interview as much as I hate my potions lessons" and there were a few chuckles. Harry was vaguely aware that the bank seemed to be empty. "To keep this as short as possible, I want you all to witness this" and Harry pulled out the small package from the family vaults. He turned to face Hermione and dropped on to one knee. "Hermione Jane Granger. I've loved since our first year. I love you now and want to be with you forever" Harry paused for a brief moment, as dawn broke over Hermione's face. "Hermione… will you marry me?" he asked holding out a stunning silver ring with diamonds set on the outside.
"Yes" Hermione whispered, "Yes, I think I will" she said after a while and Harry slipped the ring on her middle finger.
"Miss Granger? Do you have anything to say?" asked one of the reporters. Hermione looked at Harry for a split second then replied to the question.
"I think that 'Witch Weekly' will have to update its "Most Eligible Bachelor" list" she grinned.