Disclaimer: In Dull Voice I own nothing. I am a loser. JK Rowling owns it. That sucks.
Chapter Two
Harry stayed in the bath until the water turned cold, savouring the feeling as it washed over his body. A bag full of spare clothes had been dumped into the room, shortly after he'd climbed into the bath, and after getting out of it and pulling the plug, he looked through it for something to sleep in. He finally came across a pair of boxers and some tracksuit bottoms, which he quickly slipped on.
Zipping the bag back up, he slung it over his shoulder and walked out of the door. Hermione's room was to the right. The only room with a light on. He opened it and peeked round to make sure that she wasn't doing anything before stepping in and closing it. Harry smiled when he saw her sitting on the bed, reading. Quietly, he placed his bag beside the closed door and tiptoed to stand just behind her, then, he quickly nabbed the book from her hands.
"Hey!" Hermione cried, reaching for the book.
"What you reading?" Harry asked, turning it round and looking at the words on the page. "Romance Novel, interesting. Didn't know you read romance novels."
"Well, it's not something I like to talk about," Hermione replied. Harry shrugged and gave her back the book.
"Where am I sleeping by the way?"
"You can have the bed, I can sleep on a roll mat on the floor-"
"Don't be stupid, I'll sleep on the roll mat, I'm not robbing you of your bed."
"But you have bruises cover every part of your stomach. I'm not going to let you sleep on the floor." Harry thought about it for a second before yanking the cover up, climbing into the bed beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder.
"Then we'll share the bed," he announced.
"But-"
"No, buts. Sharing the bed, end of discussion." He grabbed her book again, slipping in the bookmark that he spied laying on the bed, put the book down on the bedside table and then reached over to switch off the lamp.
"Harry…"
"Yeah?" he replied, pulling the two of them down to the pillows.
"What if my parents come in?"
"We're best friends. They won't mind. Will they?"
"I suppose not."
"Exactly, nothing to worry about." He heard Hermione sigh and smiled as she made her self comfortable beside him. Slipping an arm around her waist, Harry closed his eyes.
"Goodnight, Hermione," he whispered.
"Night, Harry. Sweet dreams."
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"Rise and shine, sleepy heads." Harry opened his eyes sleepily and looked around, trying to gather his bearings.
Where was he? Oh, that's right…Hermione's house.
"Come on, it's time to get up." Hermione groaned, causing Harry to look down. Her head was now resting on his chest and his arms were round her waist. She went to roll over, but Harry stopped her as she hit his stomach. Hermione stopped dead and looked up at his face for a split second before bolting upright in the bed. Her face had turned the same shade of red as a post-box and she kept switching her gaze between her mum and Harry, biting her lip nervously.
"Did you both have a nice sleep?"
"Mmm…the bed's really comfortable," Harry replied, rubbing his eyes. Hermione turned an even brighter shade of red and looked down at the bed, fiddling nervously with the sheets.
"Well, breakfast will be ready in twenty minutes, so I'll see you both down there." With that, she left, leaving the two of them alone in the room.
"Morning," Harry said, cheerfully, looking up at Hermione and rubbing his eyes. Hermione looked up at him, shyly, suddenly feeling very exposed in just her night dress.
"Morning," she whispered, still fiddling with the bed sheets. Harry lifted his head of the pillow for a second, looked her over and smiled.
"Nice choice of clothing." Hermione, once again, turned a bright shade of red and wrapped her arms around herself. Harry smirked and awkwardly sat up in the bed, shivering as the cool air hit his bare chest.
"Did you have a nice sleep?" he asked, rubbing his left arm. Hermione looked away from his face and nodded. Harry looked towards Hermione's en suite bathroom and then back at her.
"I need to get my stuff from the Dursley's, fancy a little trip over there?" Hermione looked up at him again, still with her arms wrapped around her and smiled.
"Sure, as soon as we've had breakfast we'll go over there and get your stuff." Harry nodded and yawned, stretching his arms, wincing as it pulled his bruised muscles.
"Do you…have that bag my dad dropped off last night?" Hermione asked, looking away again and standing off the bed.
"Yeah," Harry replied. "It's by the door."
"Well, I-I'm going to get changed, you can go in there after I'm done, if that's alright."
"It's fine, I'll just…" Harry looked around the room. "Occupy myself." Hermione smiled and climbed off her bed. Harry waited until she disappeared into the bathroom before standing up painfully from the bed and walking over to her cupboard. He heard the shower turn on and looked round briefly before opening the door to look inside. Unsurprisingly he found books. Grabbing the first one that he'd seen, he flicked through the pages, quite surprised to find that it was another romance novel. He placed the book back where he'd found it and picked up another, noting that this one was a Sherlock Holmes book. He smiled and flicked through the pages, interested. He kept this book under his arm and just as he was about to close the door, something caught his eye. He placed the Sherlock Holmes book on the bedside table beside him and gently pulled the book that had caught his eye from the shelf. On the front, Hermione's writing clearly told everyone not to look in the book, but Harry was curious now, and he couldn't help himself. He opened the first page and found that it was about their first day back at Hogwarts in fourth year. Harry suddenly clicked, and he shut the book.
Hermione keeps a diary! Harry thought, looking at the book in his hands. Biting his gum, Harry opened up to a random page and read her entry.
Harry's been picked to be a Tri-Wizard Champion. Who would do such a thing? Why is everyone after Harry? I'm scared for him, what if he gets hurt?
Harry stopped reading and flicked forwards.
Harry got past his dragon. I was so scared but I'm so proud of him…
Harry smiled to himself, feeling slightly giddy all of a sudden, deciding that nothing could ruin his good mood now. Turning to the last page of the book, he found that it ended when their fourth year did.
Oh My GOD! I kissed Harry on the cheek! What on EARTH possessed me to do that!? Now all I can think about is Harry. I'll get no sleep at all tonight I just know it. What if I like Harry? No, that's stupid…I can't like him like that, could I?
Harry stopped reading immediately when he heard the shower switch off and he quickly put the book back where he found it before shutting the cupboard door, grabbing the Sherlock Holmes book and jumping on the bed. He had to bite his tongue to stop himself from crying out in pain. The bathroom door opened a couple of minutes later and Hermione stepped out of the bathroom with a dressing gown on. Her hair was wet and the only other time Harry recalled seeing her hair wet was after the second challenge in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He swallowed hard, trying to get his thoughts away from his best friends diary, not wanting her to know that he'd been invading her privacy. Hermione smiled at him as she sat on the bed and looked genuinely surprised that he was holding a book in his hands.
"Where did you get that?" she asked, looking at it.
"I err…in your cupboard, I hope you don't mind…" Harry replied. Hermione shook her head.
"No, of course not." Harry smiled and closed the book. Hermione helped him up off the bed.
"How long will you be?" she asked.
"I'll just wash my hair, until I get my dressing gown and stuff," Harry replied, opening the bathroom door.
"Okay then, I'll meet you downstairs. You'll find the kitchen easy enough."
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Harry stepping into the kitchen five minutes later to find Hermione fully dressed in a strap top and light blue shorts. Harry, for his part, was wearing a plain white top and a pair of Hawaiian style shorts. Both Hermione's parents sat on the opposite side of the table to her, having a conversation about something or other. On the other side of the table, two young boys were playing with their food. Hermione looked up as Harry entered and smiled at him, pulling out the chair beside her and inviting him over. Harry took the seat gratefully, trying not to hurt himself.
"So, do you two have any plans for today?" Hermione's dad asked.
"We're going over to Harry's aunt and uncles to pick up his stuff and then we'll be back here." Harry nodded and took a plate of breakfast as it was given to him, digging in quickly.
"I'm off to work," Mr. Granger announcing, standing up from the table while kissing his wife. "I'll be back later." He moved round the table to hug Hermione and then vanished from the kitchen.
"So, Harry, how are you feeling this morning?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"Better," Harry replied. "Still in pain, but a bit better."
"I suppose it'll have been that good nights sleep that you had," she said, looking over at Hermione. The teenagers blushed and Hermione sunk down into her chair. The two little boys were looking up at Harry, curiously. Neither of them said anything the rest of the way through breakfast and Hermione quickly stood up when she was finished, to leave for Harry's house.
The two of them had to catch three buses to get there and by the time they arrived it was the middle of the day. Harry took a look through the front window to see if the Dursley's were in and groaned when he saw Dudley sitting on the sofa in front of the TV.
"Should we wait until they're out?" Hermione asked.
"No, Marge would still be in there, I recon I'd be in more trouble if I did that," Harry replied, walking over to the front door and ringing the doorbell. Hermione came up behind him and the two of them jumped when the door was yanked open violently. Dudley stood there with his dad behind him and Vernon grabbed Harry before the two of them had even had a chance to register what was going on. Hermione quickly slipped through the door as it was slammed closed again.
"What do you think you are doing, boy?" Mr. Dursley roared, slamming Harry against the wall. Harry winced and his face twisted in pain.
"You think you could do that to my son and get away with it, Potter?" he grabbed Harry's hair and pulled his head back before thrusting it in Dudley's direction.
"Look what you did to him, you ungrateful, selfish little brat!" Harry and Hermione both looked at Dudley to find a cut on his bottom lip where Harry had got in his one punch.
"He deserved it!" Harry shouted back.
"Why you little-"
"Stop it! Get off Harry right this second!" Hermione shouted, pulling out her wand and pointing it at Vernon, who quickly released Harry and stepped back. Hermione lowered her wand and helped Harry to stand up properly again.
"Who the hell are you?" Vernon cried, glaring at Hermione.
"She's one of his freaky friends," Dudley answered, not taking his eyes off Hermione's wand in her right hand that hung at her side.
"How dare you bring more of your lot into my house!" Vernon continued.
"I'll do what I bloody well like! You have no right to tell me what to do!" Harry argued. Hermione grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Harry glared at his uncle and cousin one last time before pulling Hermione up the stairs.
"Where do you think you're going?" Vernon shouted after them. "If you don't get out of my house-" Harry spun round on the stairs.
"I'm getting out alright. I'm packing my stuff, leaving and never coming back, so you'd better learn to cook your own breakfast, do your own washing a mow the grass, because I'm not bloody doing it any more!"
"Come on," Hermione said, taking Harry's hand and pulling him up the stairs again. He was surprised to find, that as soon as they entered his room, she turned round and pulled him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around her unsurely, pulling her closer.
"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry!"
"F-for what?"
"The Dursley's, if I'd known that they were that horrible then I would never have let you stay there with them all summer." Harry pushed her away slightly to look her in the eye.
"Look, it doesn't matter, you couldn't have done anything."
"But I-" Harry covered her mouth with his hand.
"You couldn't, okay? No matter what you think. You know I have to stay here, because of the prophecy, because of the power that I have that Voldemort doesn't, remember?" Hermione nodded and Harry took his hand away from her mouth.
"Now, we need to pack my stuff," Harry said, looking around the room at his belongings. Hermione nodded and picked up one of his text books, that was open on the floor beside his bed.
"You have actually been doing some homework then?" Hermione questioned, smiling at him as she put the book in his trunk.
"It's not like I have much else to do around here…" Harry replied, chuckling. All in all, it took them about fifteen minutes to pack away all of Harry's things, and the two of them were currently sitting on his trunk after the very difficult task of trying to close it.
"Well," Harry said, looking around the room. "We should go. I don't want to stay here any longer than I have to." Together, the two of the hauled the trunk from his room and down the stairs, only to find Dudley there waiting for them. As soon as Harry was close enough, Dudley grabbed his shirt and slammed him against the wall. Harry let out a strangled moan and closed his eyes.
"You haven't got all that's coming to you, Potter," Dudley warned before looking over at Hermione, who had also dropped her end of the trunk. "And I know where you're staying, so don't think you've heard the last of me." With that, he rammed the fist that was holding Harry's shirt into his chest and stepped back. Just in time, as the rest of the Dursley's and Marge stepped out of the living room.
"You still have this boy here, Vernon?" Marge spat, hatefully before looking at Hermione. "And who is this Vernon? One of Dudley's friends?" Harry had never seen such a look of hatred cross Hermione's face as it did that moment.
"Her?" Dudley sneered. "You must be joking. She is one of his friends from his school."
"Oh, is she now?" Marge questioned. "Why have you let her in your house, Vernon?"
"I assure you, I had no idea she was here." Hermione looked round at Harry who merely shrugged in return. Dudley looked her up and down.
"Who is she anyway, Potter? What? Are you paying her to sleep with you?" Harry balled his fist, reading to knock every single tooth out of that dumb pigs head.
"What'd be the right word to describe her, Dad?" Dudley sneered, looking round to find his father smiling at him. "Whore? Slut?"
Harry grabbed Dudley's shirt and spun him around to push him against the wall.
"Don't you ever say that about her again!" he shouted. "Do you hear me?" Dudley opened his mouth but nothing came out so Harry pushed him harder into the wall. "DO YOU HEAR ME?"
"Harry, stop it," Hermione said, putting a hand on his arm and pulling it away from his cousin. He shoved him one last time before letting go. When he turned round, all three adults were staring at him in utter shock.
"Good riddance," Harry muttered, pulling his wand from his robes and opening the door. He grabbed one end of the trunk, letting Hermione grab the other. As they walked out of the door, Harry flicked his wand to close it.
"That'll leave them with something to think about," he said, darkly. Hermione smiled and let him lead her to the bus stop.