Chapter 6

"Mom, can I go and get to know the new neighbors?" Dudley asked his horse face mom, Petunia Dursley.

"Isn't that sweet Vernon? Our litter Dudders is growing up to be a fine boy."

"So what do you say mom, dad, can I go?"

"Why would we say no," replied Vernon proudly.

Dudley giddily wobbled up the stairs. If you were in house, you would have thought there was an earthquake. The house rumbled when he wobbled up the stairs. He went into his room to put some clothes on. I'm not going to embarrass myself this time.

He decided to put on a muscle shirt, only he didn't have muscles, some pants that he tried to make sag, but only ended up making his middle tighter and his stomach hang over his pants. He tucked in his shirt, and put on some penny loafers. Damn, I'm looking good. There's no way Hermione's not going like me now. Or so he thought.

Dudley wobbled back now the stairs and out the door. He walked the few paces it took to get to Hermione's house. By the time he got there, he wished he hadn't put on those pants. He was all sweaty now, and he probably smelled. He rang the doorbell, and a girl answered the door.

"Hey, um...is Hermione here."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Dudley, Dudley Dursley."

"Oh, you're Harry's cousin," Sarah said with a suspicious glint in her eyes. Dudley didn't notice it. He was too busy trying to see if he smelled.

"Yeah, so can I talk to Hermione?"

"Sure. Hermione!" Sarah called.

"What?" replied Hermione from the living room.

"Some one's here to see you?"

"Who?"

"Just come here!"

"Fine."

Dudley heard footsteps coming towards the door. He checked one last time to see if he stunk.

"Oh, it's Hip. What do you want?"

"Um...I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming for a walk with me."

"Why?"

"Cause I want to get to know you."

"But I don't..." Hermione broke off, when she felt Sarah elbow her in her stomach.

"What?" Hermione asked Sarah.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?" Sarah asked Dudley.

"Uhh...Sure."

Sarah closed the door and turn to Hermione.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.

"Well, how bout we have a little fun with Dudley?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Well, why don't you take a walk with Dudley, pretend you like him, just to make Harry jealous."

"Harry's not like that."

"Just give it a try, and while you're walking with Dudley, I'm going try and find out if Harry likes you. Okay?"

"Alright."

Hermione opened to door, and had to hold back a laugh. Dudley was checking again to see if he smelled. For all Hermione knew, and the sweat spots on his shirt, he probably did stink. Just the thought of walking close to Dudley made Hermione gag.

"Um...Dudley, sure I'll walk with you," Hermione said with a fake smile.

"Um, great. Let's go."

"Ok. Tell mom, dad, and my friend, I'll be back."

"Ok," Sarah said. Time to have some fun, she thought as she closed the door.

Sarah walked into the living room, where Harry was still sitting.

"Where did Hermione go?''

"Um," think Sarah, think. Oh, yeah. "she went with one of our mom's friends to the dentist office to help straighten up."

"Oh, ok. So, what's it like being Hermione's sister?"

"It's cool. Kind of strange though. I wish I could be a witch like Hermione, I'm a muggle? Right? I think that's what Hermione described me as."

"Yeah," agreed Harry. "How old are you? You don't look to be that much younger than Hermione."

"I'm fourteen, the baby…so I usually get my way," Sarah said with a sly smile. "But enough about me, I want to know how Hermione is at school! I bet at school all Hermione worries about is school work, huh?"

"Yeah mostly that and saving my arse. Without her I'd probably be, in her words, 'dead or worse, expelled," Harry laughed.

"Well she's not like that here. She's really cool. Do you want to see some pictures?"

"Sure."

"Ok, let me go get them. Don't go anywhere."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Sarah left the living room to go get the pictures out of Hermione's room. She wondered if Hermione would be mad. She never really liked people seeing her baby pictures. Oh, well, she thought. She found the album, and went back into the living room.

"Here are some of her baby pictures."

Sarah showed Harry the one picture every parent takes; where the child is in the bathtub. Harry thought this picture was so cute. He noticed Hermione changed a lot over the years.

Sarah also showed him a picture took last year, at a benefit ball, for their parents. Hermione had on a blue, off the shoulder dress. It was longer in the back, and shorter in the front. She had her hair down in ringlets that fell past her shoulders.

"She's cute isn't she?"

"No," Harry said, still gazing at the photo, "she's beautiful."

Oh my god, Sarah thought, when I get older, I hope I find someone like him.

"You really think so?"

"Yeah, I've always thought Hermione was beautiful."

"Do you think, you could ever see yourself going out with her?"

"Well...," Harry was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming, and Hermione's voice.

"That's okay Hip, I got it. You don't have to show me to my room," said Hermione, behind the closed door.

"But..."

"Bye," replied Hermione, walking into the living room.

"Hey guys, anything I missed?"

Harry just sat there shocked at the thought that Hermione was with Dudley, his big overly round cousin, and not him. Sarah was just mad, that Hermione barged in, right when she was about to find out if Harry liked her. I mean I'm doing this for her.

"You really have bad timing," Sarah told Hermione.

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