Harry Potter And The Summer Of Surprise-Chapter 9

Making A Date

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Harry Potter.

Harry closed his book, his finger marking his spot. He had been trying to read one of his school books, but as Hermione and Natanya were arguing softly out in the hallway, he hadn't been very successful. He listened to their voices as they moved down the hall, letting his mind roam over the events of the last few hours -

Hermione sat down on the loveseat next to Harry so that her cousin would have to sit on the couch opposite them. Natanya didn't take the hint, though. She perched on the edge of the coffee table directly in front of Harry, who was trying to clean a spot of ice cream off his t-shirt, and leaned forward. Hermione frowned. If he looked at her, Harry would be able to see directly down Natanya's blouse. He was oblivious, though.

Good Hermione thought. He's not paying the least bit of attention to Natanya. Her cousin straightened just as Harry gave up on the spot and tossed the damp rag onto the end table next to him. Natanya wasn't used to boys not paying attention to her when she let them look down her blouse, but this guy hadn't even looked in her direction at all! She tried a different tactic.

"Harry, what's your middle name?" He looked at Hermione, surprised, then at Natanya.

"James, after my father. Why?" Natanya closed her eyes thoughtfully for a second.

"Harry means 'Army Power', and James means 'Supplanter'." A look of recognition had come over Hermione's face. She rolled her eyes.

"Natanya is really big on the meaning of names. I think she's been this way ever since she found out that hers meant 'God's Gift' and her middle name, Octavia, means 'Eighth'." A thought crossed her mind, and she giggled. "Which basically translates to mean that she thinks she's the eighth wonder of the world." Natanya glared at her.

"At least my name has a cool meaning." She rolled her eyes. "Her name means 'Earthy' for Heaven's sake." He turned to Hermione and smiled.

"I think it suits her." Hermione blushed prettily, then turned to her cousin.

"My middle name means 'God is Gracious' in case you've forgotten." Harry cocked his head to the side.

"What is your middle name?"

Natanya laughed as she answered him, "Jean." She let out an exaggerated shudder and leaned forward once more, putting her hands on the table on either side of her just as Harry faced forward again. This time he looked exactly where she wanted him to.

"How old are you, Harry?" she asked.

"I'll be seventeen on my birthday," he said with a little difficulty.

"When's your birthday?" Natanya asked.

"The thirty-first." he answered.

"Of this month?" Harry nodded, still staring at her chest. "What a coincendence! I'll be seventeen at the beginning of next month! We should have a pre-birthday dinner together to celebrate. How about this Friday? We could go to the restaurant up the street."

Again Harry nodded, still in a daze from the sight in front of his eyes. Hermione's heart dropped to her stomach. The restaurant up the street was the one she had mentioned to Harry the day before.

"Wonderful! I can't wait." Natanya stood up and left them, humming contentedly to herself as she went up the stairs. Laura entered the living room a minute later and sat on the couch across from them. She looked between the two of them, Harry's eyes slightly glazed and Hermione's upset.

"Dishes are done. What did I miss?" Her niece stood and left the room, running up the stairs. Laura turned to Harry.

"Harry?" He shook his head, realizing someone was speaking to him. He looked at Laura in surprise, hardly noticing they were alone in the room. "What just happened, Harry?" He gave her a tiny smile.

"I have a date on Friday." Laura clapped her hands together.

"That's wonderful! Where are you going?" Harry shook his head again, trying to remember.

"She said the restaurant up the street." Laura smiled and stood up.

"I'll make the reservations for you." She walked over to the phone, thinking Why is Hermione upset? She's got a date with Harry, the boy she is always talking about and has admitted to me and herself that she is in love with. So why is she so unhappy? A few minutes later, she hung up the phone and returned to the couch.

"Friday at seven, Harry. Under your name." Harry nodded.

"Thank you," he said.

"No need to thank me. I just want you and Hermione to have a good time Friday." He looked up at her.

"My date isn't with Hermione," he said, to Laura's shock. "It's with Natanya." -

Harry put his book down as he stood and stretched. He looked at his alarm clock. Nearly midnight. He had been sitting in that chair for over two hours! No wonder he felt stiff and cramped. Laura was taking him to work in the morning, so he set his alarm for six. He turned off the light and crawled into bed, laying his glasses on the nightstand.

He wished just before he fell asleep that Hedwig would come soon, so that he could write a letter to Ron about the interesting summer he was having!