A/N – Inspired by High School Musical…I couldn't help myself…it was just bugging me :(!
This isn't going to be a One-Shot and it won't have a sequel, but it'll probably be quite long and go back to when they're at Hogwarts. So, i wanted to try my story Together Forever the other way round, with Harry staying at Hermione's house. So, I hope you enjoy it! I err...I was going to say something else...erm...uh...OH! yeah! anyone reading Togeth-no, wrong story, Bringing up the Family, i am working on it, i'm just trying to decide between three variations of chapter twelve, and i'm in the process of moving house, so it could be a while before i update it...sorry...
Disclaimer: In Dull Voice I own nothing. I am a loser. JK Rowling owns it. That sucks.
Chapter One
Harry crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back in the chair he was currently sitting in. He spied Dudley out of the corner of his eye chatting up some girl or another and rolled his eyes. He was bored out of his head, he didn't know anyone and the only reason he was here was because the Dursley's hadn't wanted to leave him home alone with Aunt Marge who was staying over because she was unwell. It was Dudley's best friend's party, one friend of many that hated him.
Harry looked up as a new song started and sighed. Karaoke. Who invented it anyway? Dudley had spent the past hour trying to humiliate him and get him up on stage. Not a chance. That was why Harry was now sitting in a chair, sulking in the furthest corner of the room.
His thoughts suddenly drifted off to Hogwarts and the wizarding world and he pictured his count down chart in his room, counting off the days until he was back at school. Of course, once Ron decided to invite him over, he wouldn't need it any more and he'd forget about it until next year, but for the time being, it was something to do. Other than homework, that is.
He looked back round to make sure that he could still see Dudley and panicked when he realised that he couldn't. His hands reached down to grip the sides of his chair and his eyes quickly scanned the room. When he finally caught sight of him with the girl he had been chatting up, he relaxed again. Harry looked the girl up and down and narrowed his eyes, thinking she looked vaguely familiar. Dudley's friends laughed either side of him as he said something and the girl stepped back, slapping his hand away as it came to rest on her waist.
Harry sighed and rose from his chair, deciding it would be fairer on the girl to have to listen to him sing than be annoyed by Dudley and his 'wack pack'. He pushed his way through the crowd, keeping Dudley in sight the whole time.
Suddenly, he felt himself being dragged to the side.
"Come on, mate, you're singing," someone said in his ear. Harry shook his head and tried to fight back.
"N-no, I can't sing, really, I can't," he replied.
"Nonsense." Another two boys joined in and Harry felt himself being lifted onto the stage.
"No, guys, please," Harry begged. They ignored him and he soon found himself standing in front of a microphone. The DJ beside him turned to face the crowd and smiled.
"Now, find him a nice young lady to sing with." Three teenagers disappeared into the crowd again and Harry looked around desperately, trying to find a way out of this. When he saw Dudley looking up at him with a grin spreading from one side of his fat face to other, he clenched his jaw and shook his head.
"No, I-I don't…I can't sing!" a voice cried out as she was pushed through the crowd by the same boys that had forced him on stage. Harry's head whipped round and he stared wide-eyed at her. If there was one person he didn't expect to see here, then it was Hermione. Two of the boys lifted Hermione up and pushed her gently onto the stage. She fell backwards into Harry and the boys smiled.
"Sorry, mate!" one of them called.
"S'alright!" Harry called back. He felt Hermione tense up in his arms.
"Harry?"
"Yes?"
"Come on, get to your mic, the song is starting," the DJ urged, pulling the two of them apart. Harry caught Hermione looking at him out of the corner of his eye and turned his head to meet her gaze, which only caused her to blush and look away. Harry looked up at the words on the screen as they appeared and cleared his throat.
"Living in my own world. Didn't understand. That anything can happen. When you take a chance."
He looked over at Hermione who closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"I never believed in." Harry's jaw dropped open and he stared at her as if he'd only just met her. "What I couldn't see. I never opened my heart. To all the possibilities."
"I know, that something has changed. Never felt this way."
"And right here tonight."
"This could be the start. Of something new. It feels so right. To be here with you. And now, looking in your eyes. I feel in my heart. The start of something new."
Harry smiled and looked over at Hermione who returned the smile shyly. As the song continued Harry spied Dudley glaring at him. He guessed it was at least half way through the song when he plucked up enough courage to take the microphone off its stand and walk up to the centre of the stage. Hermione eyed him curiously before doing the same. Harry's smile grew and as he sang, he twirled her round, causing the crowd to cheer even louder than they were already.
When the song had finished, the two of them stared at each other, breathing heavily and smiling. Hermione turned away shyly and put the microphone back on the stand. Harry followed suit and jumped off the stage before helping Hermione down.
"Let's go outside," she said, cupping her hands round his ear so that he could hear her. Harry nodded and let her drag him through the crowd. She dragged him over to a tree and hugged him as hard as she could.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. Harry shrugged.
"Dudley's friends party. I'm only here because they didn't want to leave me alone with Aunt Marge. I think they were frightened I might blow her up again or something," he replied, smiling. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Why are you here?" he repeated her question.
"The idiot who's party it is, lives round the corner from me. He hasn't stopped pestering me since I was five. He's fancied me since our last year at primary school." Harry narrowed his eyes and tried to identify the feeling that had suddenly boiled up inside of him. "The feelings, however are most certainly not, mutual. They were trying to chat me up earlier. Four of them."
"Do you think people would care much if I went in and gave them all a piece of my mind?" he mused, looking back through the open doors of the hall. Hermione rolled her eyes again.
"Don't be silly, Harry, they're not going to do anything with a whole bunch of guests watching."
"How about without a whole bunch of guests watching?" he asked, spying Dudley walking towards them with a gang of friends. As soon as he was close enough, he shoved Harry backwards.
"You're not meant to be talking to anyone, Potter," he sneered, looking past Harry at Hermione. Harry looked round at each of the members of Dudley's little gang in turn and weighed up his chances. Five against one. That was hardly fair.
"And why are you talking to her?" Dudley continued. "You have no right to talk to her."
"I have the right to do whatever I want," Harry snapped back, shoving Dudley's hand aside.
"This is my friends party, not yours or one of your freaky friends. So stay out of my way." Harry looked round at Hermione who was eying him with concern.
"I hate to break it to you," Harry hissed. "But she is one of my 'freaky friends'." Dudley's eyes widened in shock and he glared at the two of them.
"Yeah, right. I don't believe you." Hermione walked forward to stand beside Harry and ran her hand down his arm before sliding it into his. He smiled as Dudley's eyes flickered from one of them to the other. Before he could say anything though, he felt someone grab him from behind and drag him to the ground. Hermione's grip on his hand came loose and she quickly spun round to see what had happened. Harry dodged a punch as it was thrown at him.
"Stuart! Harry! Stop it!" Hermione cried, dragging Stuart away from Harry, who was struggling beneath him. Stuart pushed her away and his fist caught Harry square in the jaw. Hermione winced and tried again to grab hold of Stuarts jumper. Harry gritted his teeth when he saw Dudley grab Hermione's arms and he head butted the boy on top of him without even thinking. The boys head snapped back and Harry shoved him off of him.
With his head still spinning he stood up, grabbed Dudley's shirt and dragged him away from his best friend, before punching him. Somehow, he managed to stay standing, only staggering a bit.
"Don't touch her," Harry threatened.
"Harry, stop it!" Hermione cried, grabbing his fist in mid-air. Breathing heavily, Harry looked from Dudley to Hermione and then back again.
"Come on, lets go back inside." Harry clenched his jaw, but turned to let Hermione pull him back towards the hall anyway.
"No you don't, Potter," Dudley sneered. "No one beats up my friends and gets away with it." Hermione spun round as three of Dudley's gang grabbed Harry and dragged him backwards. Dudley looked back at the hall to make sure that no one was coming out and then rammed his fist into Harry's stomach. Harry doubled over in pain, but the two boys grabbed him by the shoulders and stood him straight again. He looked to his left to see Hermione being held by another one of the boys and glared up at Dudley. He groaned as Dudley's fist smacked into his stomach again.
"Want a go, Stu?" Dudley asked, smiling. Stuart looked over at Hermione and then Harry and smiled.
"Don't mind if I do." After a few more blows to his stomach, Stuart let his hands rest by his side. Harry grimaced in pain every time he breathed in and out and looked over at Hermione.
"Now," Stuart warned. "Don't touch my girl-"
"I'm not your girl and I never will be," Hermione snapped hatefully. Stuart looked round at her and was about to say something when a call came from the hall.
"Stuart? Is that you? We're cutting the cake in a minute, get in here." Stuart and Dudley looked round at Harry.
"We're not finished with you." Then, they left, throwing Harry into the dirt as they did. Hermione rushed over to kneel beside him and helped him into a sitting position with his back against the tree.
"Are you alright?" he asked, a hand clutching his stomach. Hermione looked up at him.
"You're the one that just got beaten up. I don't know why you're worrying about me." Harry smiled weakly.
"I always worry about you," he replied. It was too dark to be sure, but he thought he saw Hermione's cheeks turn a brilliant shade of red. He hissed through his teeth as Hermione lifted up his top.
"It's too dark, let's go in side and then we can see properly." Hermione awkwardly put one of his arms round her shoulder and then together, they managed to get onto their feet. The music in side had stopped and Harry could hear people cheering. Half way to the hall, Harry stopped walking.
"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.
"I need to go home and lay down. I'll apparate. Thanks for all your help-"
"Don't you even think about it," she snapped, grabbing his wand from him and pulling out her own.
"We're going back to my house." Harry looked like he would protest, but he didn't, so Hermione drew her wand and closed her eyes. They appeared a moment later in, what Harry assumed, was Hermione's room. As soon as he felt his feet touch the floor, he collapsed, dragging Hermione down with him, somehow ending up on top of her. Hermione groaned in pain and then blushed when she looked up at Harry and took in their compromising position. Harry was an equally bright shade of red and he put his hands either side of her head in an attempt to get up.
"Hermione, is that you?" someone called up the stairs.
"Y-yes, mum!" The two of them heard footsteps and Hermione quickly helped Harry up, wriggling out from underneath him awkwardly. The two of them managed to get him sitting on the edge of her bed when Hermione's mum burst into the room.
"I though Stuarts mum was…" her voice trailed off as she saw Harry sitting on the bed and she looked him up and down before her eyes fixed onto Hermione.
"Mum! This is so not what it looks like," Hermione cried. "Stuart and his friends beat Harry up a-and I thought he should come back here, seeing as his aunt and uncle wouldn't help him if he went there." One look at Harry's bruised face and his hand clutching his stomach told her all she needed to know and she nodded.
"I'll go and get the first aid kit." With that, she disappeared. Hermione turned back to Harry.
"Take off your shirt," she ordered.
"What? Why?" Harry questioned, blushing. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"So we can see if you've cut yourself and put an ice pack on your bruises."
"Oh, right." Harry attempted to lift his shirt over his head, but only succeeded in hurting himself. "I think you might need to help me out." Hermione stepped forward and grabbed the hem of his shirt, lifting it slowly over his head so as not to hurt him and blushed when she found herself staring at his bare chest. Was it her or did it suddenly get very hot in here?
The door to Hermione's room opened again and she quickly threw his shirt over an empty chair and looked round.
"My God, what beat you up? A wild boar?" Hermione's mum cried, looking at the bruises covering his abdomen. Hermione looked too, realising that she hadn't actually looked yet, and gasped. His whole lower stomach was covered in cuts and bruises.
"I'm fine," Harry reassured them both. Hermione looked up at his face and for the first time realised that he had a cut along his bottom lip and another just under his left eye.
"Merlin, Harry," Hermione breathed, eyes scanning the many bruises covering his stomach.
"Well, here's an ice pack. I would stay to help, but I need to get your cousin to sleep downstairs." She handed the ice pack to Hermione and rushed out of the door.
"Your cousin?" Harry asked, as she helped him to rest against the pillows at the end of her bed.
"Oh, yeah, my aunt is ill, so we're looking after her two sons." Harry nodded and flinched as Hermione place the ice pack on his abdomen.
"Stop moving," she ordered, pressing it back against his bruises. "Now, hold it there." Harry did as he was told and Hermione grabbed the first aid kit before crawling up beside him on the bed.
"Honestly, Harry, you don't have to start fights to protect me all the time," Hermione scolded.
"I'll have you know that it was that boy Stuart who started the fight, not me, and as for Dudley, he's had it coming for a while now." Hermione shook her head and pulled something out of the first aid kit.
"This is going to sting."
"Nothing hurts the great Ha – ouch!" Harry cried, pulling away from her. Hermione laughed softly and put a hand on his neck, bringing his face back towards her so that she could clean up the cuts. Harry blushed at the close proximity and was sure he saw a faint blush on her cheeks too.
"You're such a baby," Hermione teased.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Next time I'll stand by and watch will you get your head kicked in," Harry retorted. Hermione rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time.
"I was most certainly not standing by and watching. What did you want me to do? Take on five teenage boys while you were squirming around in the dirt? Somehow, I don't think that would have turned out in our favour." Hermione moved down to the cut on his lip, wiping it gently with the wipe in her hand. Harry watched her intently as she concentrated on causing him as little pain as possible.
"Move the ice-pack," Hermione said, making him jump. Harry did as he was told and put it on the bed beside him.
"You'd make a good healer," Harry mused. Hermione looked up at him and smiled.
"Well, after all this stuff with Voldemort is over, that's what I'd like to do." Without warning, Hermione pressed a clean wipe gently into one of the small cuts on his stomach. Harry sucked in a deep breath and grabbed her hand to stop her doing it again.
"Come on, Harry, you've been through far worse than this. Stop being a baby. It's not going to get better if you don't let me clean it." Harry looked down at her hand and, sighing, let it go.
When she was finished, she hopped off the bed and grabbed the first aid kit, closing it and placing it on the night stand. Then, she sat beside him again.
"I'll owl Dumbledore in the morning and ask him if you can stay here for the last three weeks of the holidays," Hermione said, brightly. "Ron's on holiday, as you should know, so it'll just be me and you." Harry smiled.
"Well then, I have no complaints." He fluffed the pillow behind him and then painfully laid himself down. "You have a comfy bed." Hermione rolled her eyes and laid down beside him. Her eyes flickered to look at his stomach and she frowned.
"You are alright, aren't you?" she asked, nodding at it.
"Well, a bit sore, but I'll live. Like you said, I've been through far worse than that."
"What about…everything else? Voldemort and such? Are you alright with that?" she continued, in a quieter voice. Harry looked into her eyes for a few moments before turning his head to face the ceiling and closing his eyes.
"I'll be fine-"
"You're not doing this alone…you know that, right?" questioned.
"I know." Hermione reached down and gently wrapped one of her hands around his. He reached over with his over to wrap it around her waist and pulled her closer. She snuggled up to his chest and smiled when he kissed the top of her head.
The door slammed open and Hermione jumped a foot into the air. Harry quickly let go of her waist and the two of them sat up guiltily. Hermione's mum stood at the door with her dad. Hermione bit her lip, realising this didn't look good as her mum raised her eyebrows.
"My God!" Hermione cried. "Could you please knock? I might be getting changed or something!"
"With Harry in here?" Mrs. Granger asked.
"Well no, obviously…Harry could be…well…Oh, I don't know! Just knock!"
"Sorry, dear. Harry I've run you a bath. Hopefully it'll make you feel a bit better."
"Thanks, Mrs. Granger."
"That's quiet alright dear." Harry climbed off the bed followed Hermione's mum out of the door. Hermione smiled and lay back down on the bed, closing her eyes. It was going to be an interesting three weeks.