Summer Fun

Chapter three

A/N: Thank for all the great reviews everyone. I really appreciate them. It's good to know when people like my story, or when I could do something better. It's also great just to know people are reading it. Anyway, I'm gonna try to make this next part a bit more light hearted. We'll see….

        Hermione looked around confused. She was lying on her kitchen floor in a puddle of sticky orange liquid. She looked up and saw her mom standing over her with an empty orange juice jug. Then she remembered the newspaper article. Judging by the state of her surroundings she must have fainted. Then she realized her mother was talking to her. "Hermione dear, what's wrong? Are you alright?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Probably just didn't get enough sleep last night." Hermione replied. She sat up and shook her head slightly to clear it. "I'm gonna go take a shower now." She told her mother and walked up the stairs.

        Once Hermione was clean again and dressed in new clothes she ate some chocolate she kept in her room for emergencies and sat down to think. She was really confused. First, she reminded her self, I should talk to Harry before I jumped to any conclusions. The news might have been exaggerating when they said he had been there. It wouldn't have been the first time they lied about him. After all, Harry had seemed very calm the night before. But a little part of her brain was nagging, hadn't he said he still had business to take care of when he left? He might have just been calm for my sake. In fact knowing Harry that was probably exactly what he was been doing.  She sighed; it was amazing that he would do something like that for her. She knew how much he hated putting himself in the spot light and he must have know the press wouldn't be able to resist this latest "act of heroism from the boy who lived". She thought about the little girl he had saved. I hope she's O.K. Ugh! Victor is a discussing psycho. I can't believe I was looking forward to spending the summer with him. Before she could start feeling guilty again her watch beeped and she saw she only had an hour before she had to meet Harry for lunch. She'd been thinking for a long time and if anything she was more confused than before.

        She used some magic moose to make her hair fall in glossy curls and added some lip gloss and light eye make-up. She made sure her denim skirt and matching vest were strait and headed for the door. "Young lady where are you going?"  Her mother's voice stopped her just before she was free. "Umm, Mary and I are just gonna hang out for a while at the park." Hermione was surprised at how easily the lie slid from her mouth. She'd never lied to either of her parents before but her mom was being totally irrational lately. Mrs. Granger looked at her daughter, "Isn't that skirt a little short?" she asked skeptically.

"Mom! It's mid- thigh besides I'm just hanging out with Mary."

"Alright then. Don't come home too late."

"I won't mom bye!" Hermione hurried out the door before her mother could find something else to complain about.   

        When Hermione got to the diner Harry was no where to be seen but she was a little early so she sat down to wait. When he got there Hermione gasped. There was no doubt what he'd been doing the night before. His lip was swollen and there was a large black and blue spot on his cheek. He looked as if he's just barely rolled out of bed in time to get there. "Do you wanna sit at the counter or a booth?" he asked. She looked at him on the verge of tears. "Right then booth it is." He said. They sat at a booth in the back of the building. There weren't many people around. Hermione just looked at him. "A-Are you O.K?" She asked almost crying.

"I'm fine, Hermione." He answered quietly.

"It's true then. You, you…" She couldn't finish her sentence.

"I couldn't just let him go unpunished for what he did to you. Then it occurred to me that this wasn't a one time thing and he's done this to other women. Hermione, please don't be mad, he deserved it. I don't just let people treat my friends badly and get away with it. I couldn't let someone do something like that to you and not do anything about it." His eyes were large and filled with hope. She looked at him and almost laughed. He thought she was mad at him? Mad! She smiled and started to laugh and cry at the same time. "Harry, Harry…" she tried to speak. He looked at her with alarm.

"I, I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have lost my temper but…" Harry rambled. Hermione got up to stop him. "Please don't leave!" he said franticly. She sat down on his side of the booth and buried her face in his shoulder. "I'm no leaving," she whispered, "and I'm not mad. How could I be mad at you for defending me like that? And think of all the other women you helped last night. That poor little girl." She looked up at him, "You are amazing Harry Potter." She whispered as the last of her tears subsided. He looked at her in complete shock. He'd been worried that she'd be mad at him for not telling him or for being so violent. He should have known better. He smiled one of his quiet shy smiles. When she smiled back he let out a quiet gasp under his breath. If only he could always make her smile like that. 

        Wow, Hermione thought looking into Harry's beautiful emerald eyes. I could stare into his eyes forever. Then he smiled and she almost fainted for the second time that day. She marveled at the fact that this absolutely marvelous creature beside her was her best friend and she found herself wishing he was more. Then the waitress arrived shaking Hermione from her thoughts. The plump rosy woman took there orders with a knowing smile on her face that made Hermione blush. What was I thinking? She shook her head. Harry's my friend, that's all. He cares about me a lot but he would never want to date me. It must just be all the emotional stress I'm under lately.

        Harry sighed as the waitress left and Hermione went back to the other side of the table. He had always liked Hermione a lot as a friend but recently he had found himself become more attracted to her and since the whole Krum fiasco he had started feeling really protective toward her. He wasn't sure how to handle these new feelings. He was pretty sure Hermione didn't feel the same way and he didn't want to lose her as a friend.

        Overall they had a pleasant lunch and afterwards Harry suggested they go for a walk in the park. They talked about normal thing for a while like what they thought the new school year would bring and who they thought would be the new DADA professor. Hermione was much more relaxed and happy. They walked side by side just close enough that their fingers brushed, and every now and then their shoulders touched. Every time she looked at Harry Hermione felt a certain thrill. He is awfully handsome she thought, and he's probably the nicest guy I've ever met. She sighed and he asked her if something was wrong. That's just like him to be so caring her mind continued. After they'd been walking for a while they found a nice spot in the shade to sit. Hermione pulled out her copy of Hogwarts: A History. Harry laughed at her and she glared. "What I'm not good enough company? You had to bring a book to stay entertained?" He asked. Her frown disappeared. "No! I mean yes! I mean." She frowned again looking worried. "Of course you're entertaining but I always bring a book with me where ever I go and I thought this looked like a nice place to read." She explained.

"That's what I love about you, you're always prepared." Harry picked up the book, "Shall I read some out loud?" He asked. Hermione stared at him. Was he offering to read? On his own? Without being ordered to by a professor? "If you like." Hermione answered weakly. He shrugged. "Nothing better to do." And began to read.

        It was late in the afternoon, when they got tired of reading. "Well what did you think?" Hermione asked.

"It was interesting I guess. There were some pretty neat facts in there." He answered.

"See, I'm not such a geek after all."

"Oh no, you're still a geek, you're just starting to turn me into one too." She hit him playfully and stood up.

"I better be getting home," she said, "mom's been really out of it lately."

"I'll walk you."

"You better not. Last night she told me I was not to be around any boys at all. Honestly I don't what's gotten in to the woman. Anyway, I told her I would be hanging out with Mary today."

"I'll walk you part way home then and leave before we get to your house."

"Alright." Hermione agreed.

        They walked home in companionable silence enjoying being in each others presence. When they were about a block from Hermione's house they stopped. As Hermione turned to say good bye she spotted none other than Victor Krum walking up behind Harry. "Victor!" she said in surprise. Harry turned to look. Approaching from their left was Peter Pettigrew. From the right came Luscious Malfoy. Harry looked around franticly, "What the hell?!" Hermione grabbed his hand yelling, "Run!" and they hurried toward her house at a neck braking speed.

A/N: Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I've started back to school and so I have a lot less time for writing things that aren't school reports. I'll try to get a new chapter up once a week; unless of course my writing and/or story get really bad in which case you have review and to tell me. It'd also be really nice of you to review and tell me how this chapter turned out. Thanks. :~) See ya'll next chapter.

Disclaimer: I own nothing