NEW YORK, NEW YORK
Chapter One
"What do you think about New York?"
Hermione paused, the hand that had been swiping abandoned toys from the counter to a plastic crate hanging mid-air.
"New York?"
"Yeah, New York."
"What do I think of it?" she repeated, still not entirely sure what to make of the question. "Umm, big city, big buildings, big lights, big meals," she reeled off a list of all the things she associated with the American city.
"I'm not asking for a tour guide's description, Hermione," Harry admonished with a chuckle. "I'm asking what you think of New York. Six days in New York, to be precise, with Ron, Ginny and myself."
"Hang on," Hermione's brow creased with confusion, "what are you talking about?"
"Six days in New York with your best friends. Yes or no?"
"Yes," Hermione all but yelped. "Yes yes yes! Only –" Hermione felt a little bad as Harry's face fell, "what about the kids? I mean, it sounds like a wonderful idea but I'm certainly not going to risk giving Adrianna any more Floo powder, and you were there last time we went anywhere near an aeroplane – I didn't much enjoy modifying the memories of those poor stewardesses."
Despite himself, Harry laughed at the memory. "I remember," he nodded, "but don't worry about that. I've got it covered; managed to find someone to watch Adie and my two for the week."
"You have?" Hermione blinked in disbelief. "Someone's actually agreed to try and control my little terror for a whole week?"
"That's right."
Something about Harry's nervous smile put up warning signals for Hermione. "Who are you thinking?"
"Well, we thought about it a long time and we –"
He was stalling and they both knew it.
"Who is it, Harry?"
"The twins. But before you –"
"The twins!" Hermione exploded. "As in Fred and George?"
"Yes, but before you say anything, they really are very sorry about the incident with the Bogey Busters and they swear they've cleared all such … products from the house. It won't happen again."
"Too right it won't happen again," Hermione huffed, "do you know how much grovelling I had to do to keep that boy's mother from going to the police?"
"Look, Hermione, I know where you're coming from. Really, I do. The twins aren't perfect but they've offered to take Adie off your hands for a week and you look like you could use the break."
Hermione sighed wearily, settling on a kitchen stool. No matter how wary she was of the twin's guardianship qualities, Harry was right about one thing – she could do with some time off. Life as a single mother was tiring to say the least, especially with a child as emotionally and physically demanding as Adrianna. There never seemed to be an end to the washing and the cleaning and the cooking … and that wasn't even getting started on all the scrapes her daughter seemed to get into. She was like a mischief magnet.
"Oh come on, Hermione. You can't deny that you need a holiday. Hell, you probably need it more than the rest of us added together and I know I need it pretty badly."
"Okay, okay," Hermione conceded. "To be honest, a week in New York sounds as close to paradise as I'm ever going to get."
"Spoken like a truly desperate woman. Oh well," he took a step back, giving her a quick once-over, "we'd better get you all packed up."
That got Hermione's attention.
"Packed?" she spluttered, looking at Harry as if he'd suddenly sprouted a couple of extra heads.
"Mmm," Harry nodded distractedly as he placed their dinner plates in the sink, "no point hanging around. You get yourself upstairs and find a bag. I'll give Gin a call and get her to nip over and give you a hand and then I'll finish up down here."
"But I –"
"Go go go," Harry insisted, pushing her gently towards the door.
Hermione turned just before she left the kitchen. Harry was already on the phone, dialling his home number. "Go!" he mouthed at her, smiling as the other end was answered.
"Gin, she said yes," Hermione heard Harry say from the other side of the door. "Yeah, yeah, I know," he laughed, "so I'll see you in a min?"
The phone was hung up and the next thing Hermione heard was the pop of someone Apparating and an excited squeal. A flurry of red hair rushed toward her and a pair of arms wrapped round her shoulders.
"Ginny," Hermione laughed, loosening her friend's grip. "A little excited, are we?"
"Are you kidding?" the redhead squeaked. "I can't wait! We've been planning this so long and it's finally –" She stopped suddenly, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Oh god, please please please don't tell Harry I just said that. He'll kill me."
"How long have you been planning this?"
"Shh." Ginny took Hermione's right hand, pulling her towards the stairs. "Come on, let's go pack."
"Gin, tell me – what am I missing here?"
"Nothing, nothing. Absolutely nothing," Ginny nodded dismissively as they reached the upstairs landing. "Didn't say a word about anything. So, you got a bag or something?"
Hermione eyed her friend suspiciously before shrugging and pulling a maroon travel bag from the top of her wardrobe. "One bag," she announced, throwing it onto the bed. "So what am I going to need?" she asked unnecessarily, quite content to relax for a moment while Ginny rifled through her wardrobe.
"All done," Ginny declared a few minutes later. "Just little personal bits to add now. I'll leave that one to you," she winked, "and go and check up on Harry."
Ginny swung her arms girlishly as she skipped down the stairs. She slipped noiselessly into the kitchen, her eyes on Harry's back. He was far too preoccupied with the washing up to notice her presence and she crept silently up behind him.
"Whatcha thinkin'?" she murmured into his neck as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist, her hands coming to clasp at his navel.
"Mmm," Harry moaned throatily, his head rolling to one side, "I was thinking that I haven't done proper washing up like this since I left the Dursleys, but now I'm thinking something entirely different."
Harry turned slowly, lifting his arms to rest his rubber-gloved hands on his wife's shoulders. His eyes boring into hers, he kissed her soft lips lightly, his fingers snaking round her neck to hold her beneath her earlobes.
"Harry?" Ginny mumbled between kisses. "Harry?"
"Yeah?" Harry groaned, shifting his focus to the slender neck he was still cradling.
"Harry, you're making me wet," Ginny giggled, blushing as she realised what she'd said.
"You bet I am," Harry grinned into her neck, gyrating his hips suggestively.
"Harry!" She slapped at the wet hand on her neck, laughing as her husband began to blow raspberries on her cheek. "Stop it," she giggled, wriggling free from his grasp. "You've got dishes to finish."
"And then a wife to finish off after that?" Harry licked his lower lip suggestively, his green eyes shining impishly.
"Not in my house you won't."
"Hermione," Harry greeted his friend with a cheeky grin before turning to empty the dirty water, "all packed?"
"Yeah, just about," she said, pulling her travel bag from behind her. "But I still don't understand how –"
"No, no, no," Harry shot his wife a conspirational grin, "it's not for you to understand this one, Hermione."
"Just for me to be effectively kidnapped by my friends and taken to some far-off city?" Hermione questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Oh, don't feel you have to come," Harry continued, wrapping an arm around Ginny's waist. "I mean, after all it's only got one of the most important libraries in the world. Yeah, that's right," he inclined his head at Ginny when she gave him a strange look, "I read a book on it."
"Okay, okay," Hermione rolled her eyes in mock defeat, "I'll go. But stop with all the library talk – you make me sound such a geek."
"Hermione Granger, a geek? No way!"
Hermione spun on her heels and smirked when her eyes fell on a familiar sight. Taking a step forward, she landed a punch on Ron's shoulder.
"Ouch," he recoiled, a little affronted as he rubbed his arm. "Nice to see you too, Hermione."
Hermione shot him a grin before returning her attention to Harry. "So when do we leave?" she asked, rocking on the balls of her feet and clapping her hands excitedly for good measure.
"As soon as you like," he grinned, her mood infectious.
Hermione couldn't help but beam at his words. "This is such a wonderful surprise," she grinned. "Well, Adrianna should be home any minute – I'll break the news to her, get her packed up and then I guess I'm all set."
"Too right you are." Harry untucked his arm from Ginny's waist to push a few strands of hair out of his eyes. "Ahh," he said as he heard the front door slam shut, "here she is now."
"Mum? I need to talk to you about something," a raised voice filtered through from the hallway, "but it really really wasn't my fault. You have to believe –"A mop of dirty blonde hair trudged into the kitchen, pausing mid-sentence as her eyes fell on her mother's guest. "Uncle Harry!" she beamed, running towards him with open arms.
"Adie," he reached down and picked her up easily, "my clever little witch. What terrible things have you been up to now?"
"It wasn't my fault," Adrianna shook her head in protest, wide eyes searching out his. "It really wasn't."
"What wasn't, sweetness?" he pressed, barely able to hold back an impish grin.
"Well –" Adrianna started sheepishly, avoiding everyone's eyes. "Well that mean boy, Tyal, was picking on me again, so I might have maybe hexed him. Just a little bit though."
"Just a little bit?"
"Umm," she wiggled, demanding to be let done, "I might have turned him into a frogicorn."
"A frogicorn?" Harry asked, only just managing to conceal a giggle with a cough. "What's a frogicorn, Hermione?" he continued, raising an eyebrow in amusement, "some new creature the Ministry's just discovered?"
"Don't encourage her," Hermione warned sternly.
"A frogicorn," Adrianna repeated, rolling her eyes as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Half a unicorn, half a frog."
"Ohhh," Harry smacked himself on the head lightly, finally allowing a chuckle to pass his lips, "of course – a frogicorn. Stupid Harry."
"Mmm," Adrianna nodded sincerely. "So, errr," she looked at her mother nervously, "I've got another letter for you for the Madam Murray. She shouted at me."
"I should think so too," Hermione admonished. "When will you learn, Adie, you can't just hex someone because they were mean to you."
"My name," the seven year old began haughtily, "is Adrianna. And Harry told me that when you guys were at Hogwarts, you hexed people all the time."
Sinking to his knees, Harry swiped a hand in front of Adrianna's mouth. From his lowered position, his mouth slipped into an apologetic smile as he looked at his friend.
"Now, Adie," he said slowly, turning the little girl to face him, "that's not what I said – we didn't hex them all the time.
"Hmm," Adrianna regarded him sceptically. "So," she changed the subject, "she really really shouted at me."
"You're lucky she didn't hex you right back and give you a taste of your own medicine," Hermione said, an eyebrow raised.
"She can't." Adrianna shook her head indignantly. "Teachers aren't allowed."
"Try telling that to old Snape," Ron snickered as he poured himself a glass of water.
"Who?"
"You'll find out when you get to Hogwarts," Hermione fended off the question, shooting her friends a warning glance, steering her daughter to stand before her. "But I'm sure you'll be on the receiving end of your fair share of pranks at your uncles'".
"Uncles?" The young girl asked, her face lighting up. "Uncle Fred and Uncle George?"
"Against my better judgement," Hermione began with a roll of her eyes, "yes, you'll be staying with your uncles for a week."
"A whole week?" Adrianna's eyes widened. "But … I thought you said that after last time it would only be over your hexed body that –"
"Well, call me hexed then," Hermione shrugged. "Of course, if you'd rather not …"
"No, no," Adrianna interrupted, shaking her head vigorously, "I want to go. Do I pack now?"
"We're ready when you are, Adie," Harry smiled sweetly at the mischievous child who had utterly stolen his heart. He watched as she skipped into the hallway, her messy ponytail swinging from side to side.
"You need a hand, sweetheart?" Hermione raised her voice so her daughter, now climbing the stairs, could hear.
"Yes please," came her faded voice. Hermione started towards the kitchen door. "From Uncle Harry, please."
Hermione, one hand on the door handle, spun around. "You have been summoned," she smiled, pulling the door open for her friend to walk through.