Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I do not make any money from my stories.


Chapter Two: Liking It

About an hour later the Knight Bus came to a halt out the front of Leaky Caldron. I was thanking my stars as soon as I was free of that crazy driver, he was absolutely nuts! I would have said something to him if I wasn't afraid that if I opened my mouth not only words would come out.

I entered the pub and made my way though the small crowd towards the bar. Tom had just finished serving to patrons when he looked up to see me standing at the bar.

"Ah, Miss Granger. Welcome back. How can I help you today?" Tom asked her while smiling at her. He was always such a pleasure when she came through here.

"Hi Tom. I would love a room if you have one available."

"Certainly miss, I have a few rooms spare. How long were you planning on staying here with us at the Leaky?"

"Until the start of term if I could please Tom. Am I able to fix you up at the end of my stay? I have not yet visited Gringotts." Oh gosh. I just realised that I do not have much money left in my vault. Shit, what am I going to do?

"Sure thing miss, I will get you your key now. Be back in a jiffy"

I stood there watching Tom hobble off to retrieve my room key from the back. I was trying to stay calm while I tried to figure out what I could do about my financial situation. I had enough money to pay for my room for the rest of the week, but what about my supplies for school. Crap.

Tom returned within a few minutes with my key. "Here we are miss, room 10. Make yourself at home. Our breakfast special is almost finished, would you like me to put an order in for you?"

"No thank you Tom. I'll see you later for lunch perhaps." With that I smiled my good bye and headed for my room.

I didn't know what exactly I was going to do for the next week. This isn't really where I wanted to be, but I sure didn't want to go to the Burrow. I wasn't ready for anything like that, and the boys' were sure to pick up on something and I wasn't ready for their questions just yet.

I entered my room and retrieved my belonging from my pocket and placed them on the bed. With a wave of my wand and a simple 'Engorgio' the trunk and bag enlarged to their proper sizes. Opening my trunk I find it in a complete mess and decide that I could NOT be bothered to deal with that right now, I have all week to get all my things sorted out. I sat on the bed wondering what to do, it wasn't even midday yet. Wow, I can't believe how much shit happened this morning.

Looking back into my trunk I see my ink and quill and decide that it would be a good idea to let Harry and Ron know where I am. Scrounging 'round a little further into my trunk I am able to find my parchment and start to scratch a letter to the boys.

Dear Harry/Ron

I am at the Leaky Cauldron and will be here until Hogwarts. Let me know when you are coming in to shop for your school supplies. I hope to see you both soon, I miss you heaps!

Love

Hermione ox ox

I decided on sent the one note because knowing the boys like I do, I knew Harry would be at the Burrow with Ron already. I went up to the third floor to the small owlery to purchase a postal owl. I really should get myself an owl. Poor Crookshanks died just before I went over to Florida, I was missing him terribly. Getting an owl would be beneficial, but it wouldn't be like having Crookshanks. After tying the parchment to the owls' foot, I deposited 3 knuts into its pouch and watched as he flew out of the window.

I then decided to head back to my room and possibly have a quick nap while I waited for lunch. I was still quite tired and this morning had been quite strenuous. I reached my room and flopped on the bed. As I laid there looking at the faded curtains surrounding my four-poster bed I began to think about what the year held. I began to worry.

What was I going to after I left Hogwarts. I have hardly any money, and there is no way that I am going back to my father and his abuse. My father's abuse. That asshole. Ahhh, I HATE HIM...

I jumped as I heard a knock at the door. Panic washed over me, I jumped up from the bed and back into the corner of the room PRAYING that it wasn't my father.

"Hermione... you there?" What a relief it was to hear that familiar voice.

I opened the door to see a grinning Harry. sigh Harry. He had matured for better as well. His hair was still as wild and messy as ever, but it suited him completely and made him even cuter. I couldn't tell you a girl that DIDNT want to run their hands through that scrappy mop. His eyes were still the greenest ever and he was a lot taller. And the body, he has the body you would only dream about. Quidditch had really been a thumbs up, I had walked in on him while he was getting changed one night at Hogwarts. (You should have seen it. Only him and a pair of maroon boxers. Very nice... winks)

"Oh Harry, I'm so glad it's you." I said while giving him a hug.

"It's great to see you too 'Mione, I just got your owl and I thought I'd come and see you..." he stopped and stared at me with a look of shock and concern."What happened to your cheek? Where did you get that bruise from?"

Shit. I had totally forgotten about the glamour charm waring off. It was great for temporary cover but it only lasted a few hrs at the most. I didn't leave the house very often so I didn't have it drilled into my head to make sure that I kept a check on it. It was the only one I had that was visible; the others were all over my back and stomach.

"Oh that, I just fell that's all. Rather stupid of me really" I tried to laugh it off but Harry didn't buy it for a second, I knew he wouldn't. I could never lie to him, for some reason he always knew. No matter how believe able I would be and how many others I would fool, he would never fall for my fibs.

"Ok, now tell me what really happened." He said while placing a hand on his hip and raising an eyebrow. I loved it when he did that.

"Nothing! Honestly..."

I looked out into the hall way in search of Ron but no one was out there. Closing the door I walked over to the bed with Harry in toe. I sat in the middle of the bed and harry flopped onto the end putting his hands behind his head.

"Where's Ron, I thought that you would be with him already." I asked. To be quite honest I was kind of glad that Ron and the Weasley's weren't here. They were fantastic people, but just a little full on at the best of times. I was certainly not in the mood for that right now.

"No, I didn't go out to the Burrow this summer. I thought I would give the Weasley's the summer off. I'm over there every year. I feel in the way sometimes. Besides I was kind of hoping for a nice quiet summer where I didn't have to worry about Mrs. Weasley's fussing over me, or having to deal with Ginny's advances. Honestly she's a nice girl, but she's more like my sister."

There was something about Harry, something different. His eyes. They seem empty, like mine. There seemed to be no sign of any real happiness. I had noticed that he was different since Sirus died. He started keeping to himself more, not going out. Hardly leaving his room except for classes or a random stroll around the grounds. Ron would tell me that he would wake up in the middle of the night to hear Harry screaming Sirus' name. But something else is wrong... something has happened.

"So, how have your holidays been? Did the Dursley's give you any grief?"

"Ha-ha... I think you already know the answer to that. I didn't stay there long. I have been here for most of the holidays. It's been quite boring really. Not much happens around here. In a way it was good."

I saw a look in his eye. What was it? I could see pain and sorrow, something HAD happened.

"What about you" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. "How were your holidays?"

I didn't want to answer. I hated thinking about them. I hated seeing my mother in pain on the floor as my father stood over her. I hated remembering the pain he would cause me as he would throw me against the stairs. The pain as he would beat me because he was bored with beating my mother. As I sat there thinking about what my mother and I had gone through, I couldn't help but cry.

I wanted so much to be able to hide what I was feeling. To be strong and show no weakness like I did with my father. But remembering the pain I had endured, and coming to the realisation of being free from his abuse, I couldn't help but cry. It was both a cry of sorrow and relief.

Harry didn't say anything, he just embraced me into his strong arms. I cried full heartedly into his crest. The images running over and over again in my mind. Harry pulled me closer to him as he moved us around so we were lying down and started to stroke my hair. I couldn't let him go, he made me feel so safe. He just held me close to him, stroking my hair. Not once did he ask me what the matter was. I don't know how long he held me for. I don't even remember calming down at all, or if he stopped stroking my hair.

It was just getting dark when I awoke. My heart skipped a beat when I felt a hand on my waist. It took me several minutes to figure out where I was. Then I all came rushing back and I knew where I was and what had happened. I was still lying in Harry's arms. I looked up to see that he was still asleep.

I disentangled myself from his arms and lit a lantern. I looked over at Harry. He looked so cute... so peaceful. I walked back over to the bed and laid back down next to him. I couldn't help but watch him. I laid there for several minutes, watching his chest rise and fall, watching him lay there so peacefully. I couldn't take it anymore, I had to touch him. He seem so pure, so angelic that I was starting to think that perhaps this was a dream, as I brushed his cheek with the back of my hand he began to wake.

He opened his eyes and looked at me for a few seconds before a small smile grew on his face, and then I was greeted with a husky "Hi"

"Hi" I whispered back, returning his smile.

"Feeling better?" he asked as he reached out and brushed a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Yeah... a little. Thanks"

His response was a smile. Oh how I was starting to love that smile. I couldn't help but smile back at him. I loved how we were just lying here together. He made me feel so safe. He made me feel loved again. Was this his friendship coming through, or was this something else? Whatever it was, I was liking it.


Okies, there is chapter 2... I let's see if I can get chapter 3 up to scratch tonight as well. I really hope you will like this. This chapter is longer, by about 1000ish words... I am wondering if that's the length you guys are after... I am looking forward to some reviews.