After they ate a great breakfast (Mrs. Granger is a great cook!), They went outside for a change. Harry seemed to have forgotten all about that morning and the day before, because he didn't even think about cleaning anything.The three of them silently sat on a (you know, the couch swing thingies!) swing together, thinking about who knows what. Hermione certainly didn't, all she knew was that she was thinking how nice it was that they were acting normal. She glanced at Harry, trying to read his thoughts.
"I'm hungry." Ron interrupted Hermione's concentration. "Do you have any snacks? Chocolate frogs or something?"
"On top of the fridge there's some chips. Help yourself." Hermione said, annoyed that Ron dared to interrupt her. She went back to trying to read Harry's face. Hmm, she thought, he looks like he's concentrating too. Maybe...maybe he likes me? She almost squealed with delight, then she remembered he didn't say it, she had only been thinking that.
"Crisps, anyone? There's...sour cream and onion, and original. Weird..." Ron said as he walked out the door into Hermione's back yard, opening the chips. "Muggles really have some cool food!"
"Thanks." Harry said, reaching into the bag for some. He doesn't care, Hermione thought. He only wants food. He doesn't care about me. She reached into the bag and munched some crisps without thinking that she was doing exactly what she was mad at Harry for doing. "So, Ron, what was your surprise?"
"Oh yeah!" Ron said excitedly. Hermione couldn't help but visualize him as her cousin's furby, all excited and practically dancing. "It was muggle books! Harry, they are about you! I should have brought one with me. Our whole family is in them! I'm famous, because I'm your best friend! Jim Michealson isn't in them, because he doesn't talk to you much. Neither are most of the other people we go to school with. I wonder how they got so much information about you, Harry? Maybe...Rita Skeeter? No, I don't think so, because in the fourth book, it tells what a dirty, filthy, rotten liar..." Hermione groaned. Jim Michealson...the boy that has a crush on me, she thought. He is so annoying. Doesn't he realize I like Harry? Well, at least the books are about Harry, and not me...I wouldn't want everyone knowing Jim Michealson has a crush on me! Crookshanks came outside and jumped on Hermione's lap, purring happily.
After they got bored with the porch swing, they decided to go back into Hermione's room. Ron, who's eyes popped out every time he saw the computer, suggested that they play on it. Hermione agreed, saying there were probably several things Ron hadn't figured out. She turned it on and showed them a recent addition to her computer fun, which she hadn't got to use much because they signed up for it just before she went back to school. She called it ay-oh-ell, though Ron had no idea what that was supposed to me. She logged on, using her "screen name" as she called it, and Harry saw that it wasn't ay-oh-ell, but AOL. Her computer started talking to her, saying "Welcome" and "You've got mail", and Ron wondered if she had use magic on it to get it to talk. Then he remembered she was underage and wouldn't break the law if her life depended on it. Hermione clicked on a little mailbox in the top left corner. She then opened a peice of her mail. It read
Hey Hermi! It's Joe! Just wanted to see if you'd figured out how to use this yet! Please reply!
Hermione sent a reply, explaining that Jow was her uncle who had set the whole thing up. Then she opened another e-mail, and another, until there was only one left. All her e-mails had been from family so far, but she didn't recognize this e-mail address. No big deal, maybe she didn't know all her family members' e-mail addresses. She opened it, wondering who it could be from. Who would call him or herself (hopefully herself...) Sugarpop1485? The message went as follows.
Dear Hermione,
I found your e-mail address by using magic (yes, I'm underage, but I am not connected in any way with the Ministry, they don't know I exist). I run my own school, online, and use my own spells. Teach my own way. I think you should go to a web site. the URL (address) is http://fanfiction.net. Please read the things by Heather Goldbug, that's me.
~Heather
Immediately, Hermione thought What a strange girl. I wonder what she wrote? But she did go to the site, and she found Heather Goldbug's works. She read the poems, thinking that they were quite nice, then the short story, which she thought were quite depressing, then something caught her eye. Harry Potter and the cloning machine? Hmm...she thought, and read it. It was very good, though she had not idea where it had come from, as she and Harry had never done that. Maybe it was about the future...yes, that must be it, Heather Goldbug must be a divinator. Then she saw a story titled Harry Visits Hermione's House Part I. She looked at it, very curious to see what it might be. She then realized where this Heather Goldbug could be getting all her stuff: through dreams. It said it was actually a dream, however, Hermione was reading a record her life, from not so very long ago, until this morning. She was horrified. Everything she thought in this point in her life would be published in part II. And, her having a crush on Harry was in part one! She suddenly became aware that Harry and Ron had been reading along with her the whole time. Her eyes grew very wide, and she looked at them, wondering if she could convice them it wasn't true. "I don't have a crush on you!" Hermione shreiked. "Lies! The whole thing! Lies! All of it!"
Harry looked at her as if she were crazy, and said, "We have been here too, the past few months. We know this story isn't a lie. It's okay, Hermione...it's okay. Don't freak out."
"So." Hermione said, in a rather bossy, angry sort of voice. "So. So...so." She repeated several times, as if Harry was supposed to know what that meant. "So..." She said again, then added, "Do you like me?" The last part she said in a very hopeful, but very tiny voice.
Harry cleared his throat. "I er...uh...need to write a letter." He coughed.
Ron's face went red. "I need to go home..." He said, in a distant voice. I uh...erm...still need to do my holiday homework. Hermione stared in horror, realizing she hadn't done hers.
"I'm hungry." Ron interrupted Hermione's concentration. "Do you have any snacks? Chocolate frogs or something?"
"On top of the fridge there's some chips. Help yourself." Hermione said, annoyed that Ron dared to interrupt her. She went back to trying to read Harry's face. Hmm, she thought, he looks like he's concentrating too. Maybe...maybe he likes me? She almost squealed with delight, then she remembered he didn't say it, she had only been thinking that.
"Crisps, anyone? There's...sour cream and onion, and original. Weird..." Ron said as he walked out the door into Hermione's back yard, opening the chips. "Muggles really have some cool food!"
"Thanks." Harry said, reaching into the bag for some. He doesn't care, Hermione thought. He only wants food. He doesn't care about me. She reached into the bag and munched some crisps without thinking that she was doing exactly what she was mad at Harry for doing. "So, Ron, what was your surprise?"
"Oh yeah!" Ron said excitedly. Hermione couldn't help but visualize him as her cousin's furby, all excited and practically dancing. "It was muggle books! Harry, they are about you! I should have brought one with me. Our whole family is in them! I'm famous, because I'm your best friend! Jim Michealson isn't in them, because he doesn't talk to you much. Neither are most of the other people we go to school with. I wonder how they got so much information about you, Harry? Maybe...Rita Skeeter? No, I don't think so, because in the fourth book, it tells what a dirty, filthy, rotten liar..." Hermione groaned. Jim Michealson...the boy that has a crush on me, she thought. He is so annoying. Doesn't he realize I like Harry? Well, at least the books are about Harry, and not me...I wouldn't want everyone knowing Jim Michealson has a crush on me! Crookshanks came outside and jumped on Hermione's lap, purring happily.
After they got bored with the porch swing, they decided to go back into Hermione's room. Ron, who's eyes popped out every time he saw the computer, suggested that they play on it. Hermione agreed, saying there were probably several things Ron hadn't figured out. She turned it on and showed them a recent addition to her computer fun, which she hadn't got to use much because they signed up for it just before she went back to school. She called it ay-oh-ell, though Ron had no idea what that was supposed to me. She logged on, using her "screen name" as she called it, and Harry saw that it wasn't ay-oh-ell, but AOL. Her computer started talking to her, saying "Welcome" and "You've got mail", and Ron wondered if she had use magic on it to get it to talk. Then he remembered she was underage and wouldn't break the law if her life depended on it. Hermione clicked on a little mailbox in the top left corner. She then opened a peice of her mail. It read
Hey Hermi! It's Joe! Just wanted to see if you'd figured out how to use this yet! Please reply!
Hermione sent a reply, explaining that Jow was her uncle who had set the whole thing up. Then she opened another e-mail, and another, until there was only one left. All her e-mails had been from family so far, but she didn't recognize this e-mail address. No big deal, maybe she didn't know all her family members' e-mail addresses. She opened it, wondering who it could be from. Who would call him or herself (hopefully herself...) Sugarpop1485? The message went as follows.
Dear Hermione,
I found your e-mail address by using magic (yes, I'm underage, but I am not connected in any way with the Ministry, they don't know I exist). I run my own school, online, and use my own spells. Teach my own way. I think you should go to a web site. the URL (address) is http://fanfiction.net. Please read the things by Heather Goldbug, that's me.
~Heather
Immediately, Hermione thought What a strange girl. I wonder what she wrote? But she did go to the site, and she found Heather Goldbug's works. She read the poems, thinking that they were quite nice, then the short story, which she thought were quite depressing, then something caught her eye. Harry Potter and the cloning machine? Hmm...she thought, and read it. It was very good, though she had not idea where it had come from, as she and Harry had never done that. Maybe it was about the future...yes, that must be it, Heather Goldbug must be a divinator. Then she saw a story titled Harry Visits Hermione's House Part I. She looked at it, very curious to see what it might be. She then realized where this Heather Goldbug could be getting all her stuff: through dreams. It said it was actually a dream, however, Hermione was reading a record her life, from not so very long ago, until this morning. She was horrified. Everything she thought in this point in her life would be published in part II. And, her having a crush on Harry was in part one! She suddenly became aware that Harry and Ron had been reading along with her the whole time. Her eyes grew very wide, and she looked at them, wondering if she could convice them it wasn't true. "I don't have a crush on you!" Hermione shreiked. "Lies! The whole thing! Lies! All of it!"
Harry looked at her as if she were crazy, and said, "We have been here too, the past few months. We know this story isn't a lie. It's okay, Hermione...it's okay. Don't freak out."
"So." Hermione said, in a rather bossy, angry sort of voice. "So. So...so." She repeated several times, as if Harry was supposed to know what that meant. "So..." She said again, then added, "Do you like me?" The last part she said in a very hopeful, but very tiny voice.
Harry cleared his throat. "I er...uh...need to write a letter." He coughed.
Ron's face went red. "I need to go home..." He said, in a distant voice. I uh...erm...still need to do my holiday homework. Hermione stared in horror, realizing she hadn't done hers.
* * * * *
Harry was lying on his stomache on the carpet, with carpet prints on his aching elbows, trying to figure out what spell you would use to turn a mermaid's hair white. He still had miles to go, before Hermione would let him sleep. She had gotten through most of hers already. But, then again, she was on a comfy bed...
"Hurry up! It will be dinner time soon!" Hermione said in a very bossy voice. She peeked over at his homework. "You are only on your second page!?"