Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the song "White Houses."
No flames!
Chapter One
Hermione Granger sped down a road in the countryside, sunroof open and sunglasses on. A few stray tendrils of curly brown hair had loosened their way out of the messy bun near the top of her head and were blowing about her face. She kept impatiently brushing them out of her eyes. She glanced at a map in the passenger seat and confirmed she was going the right direction even though it looked like she was in the middle of nowhere. Hermione anxiously checked the time. Seeing no one on the road, she stepped on the gas some more.
Ginny inwardly groaned and clutched her purse close to her as a sketchy looking man sat down next to her on the bus. She glanced up at her brother, Ron Weasley, who was standing a few feet away next to their two suitcases packed with all their summer stuff. The rode was bumpy and rough but she did not loosen her grip on her bag, which held her wand inside. Ron had one hand holding on to the rail above him and the other was in his pocket, grasping his wand tightly. A few buildings came into view and Ginny sighed. She and Ron would stop here and grab a bite to eat with their friends while they waited for Hermione to pick them up.
Draco Malfoy ran around his flat, throwing things into his trunk. He had known for a while about the vacation he was taking but had neglected to pack until the last minute. Today he regretted it. He waved his wand and all the things in his trunk organized themselves and the lid closed. He shrunk it and his broomstick and stuck them in a knapsack. He grabbed his keys and wand and moved out the door. Draco practically ran to the bus station and was relieved to find that his bus hadn't come yet. Sitting down on a bench he lit a cigarette and waited for the bus to arrive.
Harry Potter was sitting at a table outside a small café, sipping a glass of water and waiting patiently for his friends. They would be there in less than an hour so Harry chose to sit and wait. Hermione would be picking them and their luggage up but he had not heard from her as to when she would arrive. Taking a sip of his drink he relished the cool feeling rushing down his throat. Sweat droplets were forming on his temples but he didn't mind; in fact, the warm weather was pleasant. Besides, when everyone got to the farmhouse they could go for a swim. Harry smiled… he couldn't wait.
Lavender Brown stretched as the sun poured through the shades of her room. She sat up in bed and yawned. She stood up slowly, slipping a pair of boxers on over her underwear and a tank top over her head. After brushing her teeth she slowly walked down the stairs of the empty farmhouse and poured herself a glass of orange juice. A quick glance at the clock on the stove made her gasp. She rushed back upstairs wondering how the hell she had managed to oversleep so much.
Lavender jumped into the shower and scrubbed herself clean. She jumped back out and wrapped a towel around herself before she began running a brush though her hair. After the knots were abolished she tapped her head with her wand and it dried to its normal long, straight blonde self. She pulled on a pair on tight fitting jeans with a brown leather belt and a loose fitting faded yellow tank top. Then she did a walk-though of the house, making sure it was clean before her friends arrived.
Harry was getting bored just sitting and waiting. Suddenly, a pair of small hands covered his eyes from behind and an excited voice said, "Guess who?" Harry grinned. "Hey Gin," he answered. She stepped out from behind him and plopped down in another chair at the small table, rolling her suitcase up next to her. "Ron went to the loo," she said and just a few seconds later her brother took a seat next to them.
"Pack enough?" Harry asked teasingly, glancing at Ginny's over-stuffed suitcase.
"There are two more suitcases shrunk inside there."
Harry and Ron exchanged a look that could only be translated as "girls…" and the waiter came up to take their order.
Harry told the waiter he would be paying for everything. "Well then, Harry, I'm sure you won't mind if a get a turkey club and crisps then, would you?" Ron said. Harry grinned and ordered a salami sandwich. "What do you want, Gin?" he asked.
"Ham sounds great, thanks," she said smiling. As the waiter walked away, he was stopped before he took two steps.
"Add another ham onto that, will you?" a familiar voice asked. Harry, Ron, and Ginny turned around and grinned when they saw Draco. He shook hands with Harry and Ron, kissed Ginny on the cheek and took the last open seat at the table.
Hermione stepped out of the car, earning an admiring look from the young man at the gas pump next to her. While she was filling up her tank he kept staring and Hermione couldn't blame him. Her jeans were tight and low cut, and her halter dipped low in the front and showed a bit of tanned stomach at the bottom. She finished pumping and went inside to pay.
At the register Hermione also bought a couple bottles of water and snacks. She would stick those in her room when she got to the house. But first, she had to go pick up her friends. They had arranged to meet at a café in town and head out to the farmhouse from there. Briefly she thought of how all the luggage would fit in the trunk but dismissed that idea after a second thought. Each of them could do magic now, as everyone but Ginny had graduated two weeks ago.
Hermione hit the road again and reached the café within minutes, just as Harry was paying the bill. She parked to car and stepped out, looking for her friends.
"'Mione!" Ginny called out, and raced towards her. "Gin!" Hermione replied as she gave her a hug, "You look amazing!" Ginny just blushed and stepped away so Hermione could hug Ron and Draco. Then Harry came back from paying the bill. One glance at him took Hermione's breath away because he was so good-looking… messy jet black hair, bright green eyes, tan skin and a lean body. She quickly composed herself and gave him a hug too. "You ready to go?" she asked.
The luggage fit into the boot after it was magically expanded. Harry sat up front next to Hermione and Ginny sat comfortably between Ron and Draco in the back. "How long is the ride?" Ron asked.
"About an hour, I think," Hermione answered.
"Why can't we just apparate?" Ron whined.
Hermione rolled her eyes playfully and said, "Because, Ronald, you can't apparate to a place you don't know the location of. Lavender gave me directions but none of us have ever been here before."
"Are we going to Lavender's house?" Ginny asked.
"The house is actually her aunt's. But it's all Lavender's for the summer. She told me about it and it sounds amazing," Hermione told them.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, it's a pretty big farmhouse. And apparently there are some stables right next to it. Then there's a pond behind the stables… let's just see when we get there."
Fifteen minutes out of the town and the scenery drastically changed. It seemed the further they drove the greener it was. They passed by fields of crops and then orchards of apples. There was little talk amongst the five.
After a little more than an hour and passing few farmhouses along the way Hermione turned into a one lane road with sunflower fields towering on either side. A large white farmhouse was visible down the lane. As they pulled up they noticed the farmhouse had a porch extending all around the house and it was two, possibly three stories high. There was a long path leading to the stables on one side of the house.
"It's so perfect," Ginny whispered, "like a large bungalow." She hopped out after Ron and each of them grabbed their stuff from the trunk. Hermione knocked on the front doors and after a couple of seconds Lavender opened them. "Finally!" she squealed and almost knocked them over hugging all of them.
"Come on in, you guys! I'll show you where your rooms are." They all pulled their suitcases up a flight of stairs onto the second floor where all the bedrooms were. "My room is right here," she said, pointing to the first door on the right. "Hermione, Ginny, you two are in the room next to mine. We share the bathroom that connects the two rooms. Draco, you room is the first on the left here. Ron, you're the door next to him. You two share a bathroom like the girls and I. Harry, you the last door there, next to Ron. Your room used to be a living room but there's a queen size pull-out couch and I emptied most of the stuff from the closet so you can put your stuff there. There's a bathroom with a toilet and sink at the end of the hall and that can be yours but you'll have to use the other boys' shower." Everyone nodded in agreement. "Go ahead and unpack, I'll be downstairs."
Ron walked into him room and examined it. There were two windows on the walls and a double bed, desk, and dresser. The bathroom was a decent size for two people, and he was sure Draco, Harry, and he would have no problem sharing the shower. He went to go check out Harry's room.
When he walked in Harry's trunk was already open and he was unloading his clothes into the closet. The couch had already been turned into a bed and it didn't look too uncomfortable. "No fair!" Ron exclaimed, making Harry turn about, "your room is bigger than mine! And you have a tevilision!"
Harry laughed. "Television, Ron. And besides, you have the bathroom so don't be complaining. Wanna go check on Draco?"
"Sure, Harry. But dump your shower bag in my loo, first." Ron said, putting extra emphasis on the "my."
Draco was also unpacking his stuff when Harry and Ron appeared in his doorway. He was rummaging in the bottom of his trunk when he noticed them and he said, "What's up?" from between his legs. Ron eyed his two suitcases. "I thought you only brought one bag," he said jokingly. Draco flushed a bit and murmured something inaudible in response. "You pack like a girl, mate," Ron finished, smiling. Harry grinned and rolled his eyes at Ron.
"We're gonna go downstairs and talk to Lavender," Harry said, "Join us when your done."
"Sure," Draco said after he stood up and took his bag to his bathroom. Over in the girls' room Hermione and Ginny were fully satisfied with their accomodations.
This little bungalow with some strange new friends…
"I didn't know Draco was coming, Gin," Hermione questioned. She gave Ginny a look that said, "Is there something going on?"
"I invited him," Ginny replied shortly. Hermione just nodded and looked around the room once more. "Think I should change?" Ginny questioned, pivoting in front of the full-length mirror next to the bathroom door. Her short denim skirt accentuated her thin legs and the tight white tee she was wearing made her petite frame look good despite her small breasts. Her hair was wavy, shoulder length and auburn and her skin was pale and freckled. Ginny made a face in the mirror and turned to face her friend. "So what do you think?" she asked again.
"You look great," Hermione said, trying not to show her jealousy. Hermione glanced in the mirror and even though she liked what she saw she couldn't help criticizing her flaws. Her curly brown hair was tamable but she chose to wear it up often because it got in the way. She was close to 5'6 and quite tan. She had full-sized bust and big hips which she often accentuated with her choice of clothing. To stay slim she refrained from eating too many sweets or junk food – it wasn't that hard considering her parents were dentists.
"Thirsty?" Hermione asked. "'Cause I'm parched."
"Same. Let's go see if Lavender has anything to drink," Ginny replied. The two girls walked downstairs into the kitchen and were greeted with all four of their friends sitting around the kitchen with iced teas in their hands.
Hermione and Ginny headed straight for the bar which Harry and Draco were sitting at. Hermione lifted the pitcher of iced tea and poured herself and Ginny each a glass. They took big gulps and savored the coolness and then sat down at the kitchen table with Ron and Lavender.
"We were just talking about the grounds right before you came in," Lavender began.
"Well, out of curiosity, what are the sunflowers for?" Hermione asked.
"Actually, all the sunflowers you passed coming down this road were owned by my uncle. When he died my aunt left, but someone comes yearly to harvest them. They should be coming at the end of the summer."
"And didn't you say there were stables, Hermione?" Harry asked. He had ridden a horse only one before, when the Dursleys thought it was normal to go horseback riding, and had immediately been taken with it.
"Yes, with four horses. We take care of those… sorry guys," Lavender answered for Hermione, laughing at the prospect of cleaning up after the horses. "Then there's this small pond a few hundred yards behind the farmhouse. It's pretty secluded, too, surrounded by trees and bushes and on the edge of the sunflower fields."
"Great for swimming, I conclude?" Ron questioned, speaking up for the first time.
"Amazing for swimming!" Lavender answered happily.
"Fantastic," Draco said, a broad smile relaxing his features. Ginny looked at him and he caught her gaze. Draco smiled even wider and gave her a cocky wink. Ginny giggled and looked away. She was thinking of how much she would like to see Draco in a bathing suit when Ron broke the silence.
"My nose is bleeding!" He exclaimed. His sister rolled her eyes and pulled his hands away from his face. With a tap of her wand his nose had stopped bleeding and his face and hands were clear of blood.
Harry asked, "Where did you learn that, Gin?"
"Madam Pomfrey," she replied. "I'm going to be a healer after school. Next year I'm going to assist her in the infirmary for practice."
"Wow, Gin. I'm so proud you qualified for that!" Hermione congratulated her.
Ginny shrugged modestly. "I had the right marks in Potions, Transfiguration, and Care of Magical Creatures," she said, "and I would've done it last year but it's only open for seventh years." Ginny looked up and caught Draco staring at her. She quickly grinned to cover her surprise and looked away.
"Oh yeah, thanks," Ron added hastily. Lavender laughed at his lateness.
"Just remember not to think so hard next time, Ron," Hermione said. Ron looked stunned for a moment while everyone else cracked up but soon joined in.
"Yeah, yeah… you laugh now, 'Mione, but I'll get you back!" Ron threatened. Hermione just rolled her eyes at them. "It's getting dark out," he said, purposely trying to change the subject.
"The sun's setting!" Hermione exclaimed. "I love watching the sun set… I'm going outside." She jumped up from her chair and bounded through the front doors.
"Ahem," Ron cleared his throat and nudged Harry. Harry tried to look like he didn't know what Ron meant but failed miserably. He shrugged sheepishly and following Hermione out the door.
"Did I miss something?" Draco asked.
"You're still a little new to this group, it seems," Ginny said. "Everyone knows that Harry has a crush on Hermione… except Hermione." Draco nodded and smirked in understanding.
"I gathered as much," he said knowingly.
Outside, Harry and Hermione were settled comfortably on a porch swing on the veranda. The sun was halfway under the horizon and the sky was illuminated in colors of red, pink, orange, and a bit of blue.
Hermione sagged into Harry embrace while he rocked the swing back and forth. His arm was around her shoulders and he played with the curly wisps of hair that fell from her ponytail.
"I never saw a sunset at Hogwarts," Hermione mentioned.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Me neither," he said.
"That's a pity… do you think we'll ever get the chance to?"
"I don't know about the sunset, but I'm sure we'll return there someday," Harry said confidently.
Hermione turned her head so she was facing Harry. "I think so too."
Crashed on the floor when I moved in…
Harry jerked awake in his sleep. His breathing was labored and quick and Hermione, who's head was on his lap, awoke too.
"What's wrong?" she asked and sat up quickly. "Harry… you're sweating." Hermione looked around. Harry's back was leaning against the couch and Hermione had been lying parallel to it.
"Just a dream…" he said unconvincingly.
"About what?" Hermione pressed.
Harry took a deep breath. "That night," he said. Hermione immediately understood which night he meant.
"Harry, it's over. There's no need to worry about it any more. Voldemort is gone. You gave Dumbledore his wand, he's finished."
Harry sat up a little straighter and leaned in towards his friend. "I give credit for that to you. I was ready to leave as soon as Voldemort fell but you took his wand. Always the shrewd one, you are."
"Each of us mattered that night. You, me, Ron, Ginny. Draco for betraying Voldemort and Lavender for giving you her amulet…"
Harry kissed Hermione on the cheek and interrupted her. "I don't know what I would've done if I'd lost you. Any of you," he quickly corrected himself. An awkward silence passed.
"Harry, how did we end up on the floor?"
"Oh. You fell asleep outside so I set you on the couch and sat down here. I don't know how you ended up on the floor too, though."
Hermione stood up. "I don't normally mind crashing on the floor, but when there are some perfectly good beds upstairs I'd prefer using them."
Harry walked up the stairs and Hermione followed him. They kept their footsteps quiet since the others in the house were sleeping. Harry gave Hermione a kiss on the cheek to say goodnight and left for his bathroom. He washed his face and brushed his teeth and walked into his room, peeling his shirt of as he did so. He jumped when he saw Hermione sitting on his bed in boxers and a tank top and – Harry gulped when he noticed this – was braless. Her hair was down and it tumbled over her shoulders in a mess of curls.
"Erm…" Harry said nervously.
"I just want to make sure you don't have any more nightmares. Is it okay if I sleep here tonight? I mean, it's not like it's never happened before, Harry."
"Of course," Harry said, visibly relaxed now. Hermione always seemed to know when he didn't want to be alone. He slid under the covers next to Hermione and wrapped an arm around her waist as she snuggled into his chest. She sighed and within minutes fell asleep. Harry brushed a ringlet of hair off her face and was soon asleep too.