Chapter 2: Gathering at the Burrow
A few days after Ron had asked Harry to stay, Arthur Weasley, Ron's dad, had made a plan to pick him up. The ministry had allowed him to borrow one of their cars, seeing as he did not have one any longer and that he could not travel by the Floo network into the Dursley's home. Harry had gathered his things and brought them to the door and excitedly awaited the arrival of Mr. Weasley. Around 5 o'clock there came a knock at the door, Harry rushed to open it, but his Uncle Vernon beat him there. "So your taking Harry for the rest of summer then?" asked uncle Vernon "Yes, actually, we quite enjoy Harry's company." Replied Mr. Weasley "Better you having him than us." Harry quickly interrupted their conversation, he didn't like where it was going, " Hi Mr. Weasley! It's great to see you. I have all my stuff ready so we can be on our way." "Not so fast," said Uncle Vernon, "I still have to give you your present." Harry looked at him for a minute, he was about to say something, but decided better of it. "Here you are", said Vernon, handing Harry a small package. Harry opened it abruptly, It was probably the best gift the Dursleys had ever given him, A pack of brand new socks. " Uh, thanks" said Harry, looking at the pathetic gift he had gotten. "Well I'll see you next summer uncle Vernon." "It's just too soon" He replied And with that Harry and Mr. Weasley carried his things to the car and headed off.
It was a pleasant drive to the burrow. It was a nice sunny day, Mr. Weasley decided to spark up a conversation with Harry, "Well Harry, how have you been lately?" "I've been fine" he responded. "Harry, I hope you know that what happened that night was not your fault, it was a trap set that any one of us would have fallen into." "No it wasn't, I should have continued with my occlumency, because I didn't, because I didn't listen to Dumbledore, Sirius is gone" Mr. Weasley felt it was important for Harry to talk about that fateful night. He hadn't had anyone to discuss it with since he had left Hogwarts, and before then, he didn't want to talk about it. Mr. Weasley continued to explain to Harry that it wasn't his fault, that even if he had continue with his occlumency, he may well have still had that dream.
When they arrived at the Burrow there was a family of redheads awaiting Harry's arrival, just outside the front door. Mrs. Weasley beamed at Harry, while the twins eyed him up suspiciously, how he had grown over the vacation. Harry had sprouted about a foot, and he looked quite handsome. He had also put on some weight and some muscle. Mrs. Weasley spoke at last and said, "My, my Harry, look at how you've grown. Your almost the same height as my Ron." Harry didn't say anything, he just looked over at his best friend, who hadn't changed much, except for the fact that he had gained some more muscle and some extra freckles. The twins helped bring Harry's things upstairs to Ron's room, where Mrs. Weasley had set up an extra bed for Harry to sleep on.
After the twins had left Ron started to talk," So Harry, you fancy Hermione, eh?" "Oh, shut it Ron," Harry replied, rather annoyed. "I'm only tryin to find out the details mate, so how did you come to like her? Do you think she likes you too?" "I'm not quite sure, actually. It just, well, it just happened. I dunno if she likes me too, she sent me a letter the other day to see how I was, and she told me she had the strangest dream. The funny thing was she told me about the dream and I had had the same one that night." "Thas bloody weird," Ron replied, open mouthed," So mate, you gonna tell me 'bout this dream o' yours?" So Harry went into a detailed description of his dream, by the time he was done telling it there came a knock at the door. "Suppers ready you two, mum says to hurry up, there's a surprise waiting for you downstairs." Ginny said, as she left to go back to the kitchen for her food.
"I wonder what the surprise could be," Harry thought out loud. "Dunno," replied Ron. But they didn't have to wait long to find out. As they walked into the kitchen, there sat Hermione with a grin on her face. "Hey you guys! I haven't seen you in ages!" Harry and Ron looked at each other stunned. "What are you doin here?" Ron asked. "Can't a friend stay and visit?" asked Hermione shortly.
Harry sat down across the table from Hermione, when he looked up he saw that she was smiling at him. He smiled back, and then bent down to continue eating, this was the best meal he had had all summer. "So Harry, what has been happening during your summer? Anything interesting?" Asked Hermione. "No, not. really. I'm.. just. glad,*gulp*, sorry bout that, I'm just glad to be away from the Dursleys." Harry said between bites, and then finally swallowing. They all continued eating, when Supper was finally over they all headed upstairs, Hermione stopped Harry on his way into Ron's room. "Err. Harry, do you mind talking to me for just a minute? I feel I really need to say something to you, it's been bugging me since term ended." "Umm. Ok," Harry replied. "Ok, c'mon." she said, grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him back down the stairs. She led him outside to the garden, where he could just see Crookshanks, Hermione's cat,, chasing the garden gnomes. "Harry, I wanted to know if you got my letter?" "Yes, actually, I did." "Well then, you read about my dream?" "Yeah, Hermione, where are you going with this?" "Well Harry, I've been having this dream quite often lately, and well, I think it's some kind of sign, I think it's to tell me that we should be together Harry, I'm so sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable." She said as she looked at Harry, he was now looking at the ground. He looked up and said suddenly, "I feel the same way to Hermione, I had the same dream, the one with us dancing, with the soft, romantic music playing, under a beautiful moonlit sky?" "That's the one." Said Hermione, staring into Harry's eyes. Harry looked at her and decided it was time to end that dream. He put his arm gently around her, pulled her close and kissed her, it was the most wonderful feeling Harry thought. As they pulled away, Hermione had a smile on her face, how gorgeous she was when she smiled.
When Harry arrived back in the bedroom, Ron was sitting on his bed waiting for him. "So mate, what'd she say?" Harry just looked at him, a small grin on his face. After a small silence, Harry finally spoke, "She likes me!" Were the only words that came out of his mouth. Ron gazed at him expectantly, but nothing happened. Ron wasn't sure what he expected, but he did think his best friend might give him some more details. Finally, Ron got tired of Harry just sitting on his bed. and staring off into space, "Ima go to sleep now." He stated, Harry just grunted at him and continued staring off in his daze
A few days after Ron had asked Harry to stay, Arthur Weasley, Ron's dad, had made a plan to pick him up. The ministry had allowed him to borrow one of their cars, seeing as he did not have one any longer and that he could not travel by the Floo network into the Dursley's home. Harry had gathered his things and brought them to the door and excitedly awaited the arrival of Mr. Weasley. Around 5 o'clock there came a knock at the door, Harry rushed to open it, but his Uncle Vernon beat him there. "So your taking Harry for the rest of summer then?" asked uncle Vernon "Yes, actually, we quite enjoy Harry's company." Replied Mr. Weasley "Better you having him than us." Harry quickly interrupted their conversation, he didn't like where it was going, " Hi Mr. Weasley! It's great to see you. I have all my stuff ready so we can be on our way." "Not so fast," said Uncle Vernon, "I still have to give you your present." Harry looked at him for a minute, he was about to say something, but decided better of it. "Here you are", said Vernon, handing Harry a small package. Harry opened it abruptly, It was probably the best gift the Dursleys had ever given him, A pack of brand new socks. " Uh, thanks" said Harry, looking at the pathetic gift he had gotten. "Well I'll see you next summer uncle Vernon." "It's just too soon" He replied And with that Harry and Mr. Weasley carried his things to the car and headed off.
It was a pleasant drive to the burrow. It was a nice sunny day, Mr. Weasley decided to spark up a conversation with Harry, "Well Harry, how have you been lately?" "I've been fine" he responded. "Harry, I hope you know that what happened that night was not your fault, it was a trap set that any one of us would have fallen into." "No it wasn't, I should have continued with my occlumency, because I didn't, because I didn't listen to Dumbledore, Sirius is gone" Mr. Weasley felt it was important for Harry to talk about that fateful night. He hadn't had anyone to discuss it with since he had left Hogwarts, and before then, he didn't want to talk about it. Mr. Weasley continued to explain to Harry that it wasn't his fault, that even if he had continue with his occlumency, he may well have still had that dream.
When they arrived at the Burrow there was a family of redheads awaiting Harry's arrival, just outside the front door. Mrs. Weasley beamed at Harry, while the twins eyed him up suspiciously, how he had grown over the vacation. Harry had sprouted about a foot, and he looked quite handsome. He had also put on some weight and some muscle. Mrs. Weasley spoke at last and said, "My, my Harry, look at how you've grown. Your almost the same height as my Ron." Harry didn't say anything, he just looked over at his best friend, who hadn't changed much, except for the fact that he had gained some more muscle and some extra freckles. The twins helped bring Harry's things upstairs to Ron's room, where Mrs. Weasley had set up an extra bed for Harry to sleep on.
After the twins had left Ron started to talk," So Harry, you fancy Hermione, eh?" "Oh, shut it Ron," Harry replied, rather annoyed. "I'm only tryin to find out the details mate, so how did you come to like her? Do you think she likes you too?" "I'm not quite sure, actually. It just, well, it just happened. I dunno if she likes me too, she sent me a letter the other day to see how I was, and she told me she had the strangest dream. The funny thing was she told me about the dream and I had had the same one that night." "Thas bloody weird," Ron replied, open mouthed," So mate, you gonna tell me 'bout this dream o' yours?" So Harry went into a detailed description of his dream, by the time he was done telling it there came a knock at the door. "Suppers ready you two, mum says to hurry up, there's a surprise waiting for you downstairs." Ginny said, as she left to go back to the kitchen for her food.
"I wonder what the surprise could be," Harry thought out loud. "Dunno," replied Ron. But they didn't have to wait long to find out. As they walked into the kitchen, there sat Hermione with a grin on her face. "Hey you guys! I haven't seen you in ages!" Harry and Ron looked at each other stunned. "What are you doin here?" Ron asked. "Can't a friend stay and visit?" asked Hermione shortly.
Harry sat down across the table from Hermione, when he looked up he saw that she was smiling at him. He smiled back, and then bent down to continue eating, this was the best meal he had had all summer. "So Harry, what has been happening during your summer? Anything interesting?" Asked Hermione. "No, not. really. I'm.. just. glad,*gulp*, sorry bout that, I'm just glad to be away from the Dursleys." Harry said between bites, and then finally swallowing. They all continued eating, when Supper was finally over they all headed upstairs, Hermione stopped Harry on his way into Ron's room. "Err. Harry, do you mind talking to me for just a minute? I feel I really need to say something to you, it's been bugging me since term ended." "Umm. Ok," Harry replied. "Ok, c'mon." she said, grabbing Harry's hand and dragging him back down the stairs. She led him outside to the garden, where he could just see Crookshanks, Hermione's cat,, chasing the garden gnomes. "Harry, I wanted to know if you got my letter?" "Yes, actually, I did." "Well then, you read about my dream?" "Yeah, Hermione, where are you going with this?" "Well Harry, I've been having this dream quite often lately, and well, I think it's some kind of sign, I think it's to tell me that we should be together Harry, I'm so sorry if I'm making you uncomfortable." She said as she looked at Harry, he was now looking at the ground. He looked up and said suddenly, "I feel the same way to Hermione, I had the same dream, the one with us dancing, with the soft, romantic music playing, under a beautiful moonlit sky?" "That's the one." Said Hermione, staring into Harry's eyes. Harry looked at her and decided it was time to end that dream. He put his arm gently around her, pulled her close and kissed her, it was the most wonderful feeling Harry thought. As they pulled away, Hermione had a smile on her face, how gorgeous she was when she smiled.
When Harry arrived back in the bedroom, Ron was sitting on his bed waiting for him. "So mate, what'd she say?" Harry just looked at him, a small grin on his face. After a small silence, Harry finally spoke, "She likes me!" Were the only words that came out of his mouth. Ron gazed at him expectantly, but nothing happened. Ron wasn't sure what he expected, but he did think his best friend might give him some more details. Finally, Ron got tired of Harry just sitting on his bed. and staring off into space, "Ima go to sleep now." He stated, Harry just grunted at him and continued staring off in his daze