~**-The punishment of Harry-**~
It was later that night when Hermione and Ron finally returned from there walk, it had been very pleasant indeed, thought Hermione.
She had been waiting along time to be with Ron, to be *alone* with Ron, it felt just excellent.
When they walked back into the burrow, still hand in hand, the first thing they noticed was that the horrid smell of burnt roast had been changed to a smell of roasting carrots and garlic, fresh bread and grilled chicken.
Ron absent-mindedly let go of her hand and walked into the kitchen. Hermione quickly followed, her heart sinking slightly when he let go of her hand.
"Mum! this smells soo much better than your roast ," Ron said, rubbing his hands together hungrily, "whens dinner?"
Mrs.Weasley gave a slight sound of protest, "Why thank you Ron, but we are not going to even think about starting till your father, Fred, George and Ginny get back from the ministry."
Ron frowned slightly.
His dad had taken his brothers and sister to the ministry for the day to show them around work, he didn't quite know when they would be getting back.
As for Percy. . . ever since he has been working for the ministry, he's never been home, it was normal for the Weasleys now, not to expect him home till late at night.
Anger fills up inside of Ron as he thinks about how selfish Percy has been, he has seen him mum beg Percy to come home more often, the Weasleys hardly ever see him anymore unless they are awake in the dead morning to here him shower . . . it seems that he dresses in the bathroom then apparates right from the bathroom. . .
His thoughts were broken by the sound of his mother, " Oh dear! and we still have to wait for Harry! why hasn't he came yet? do you suppose something happened? he does still have the Floo Powder we gave him, doesn't he?"
Her face was full of concern.
Ron sighed, " *Mum,* don't you worry about him! I'm sure he's fine-" he was cut off again by a small hoot, he looked down to find Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, perched up on the window, a letter clutched in her beak. Ron took the letter from Hedwig's beak and petted her, "Thanks" he said as Hedwig flew off.
He tore open the letter immediately as Hermione peered over her shoulder with concern.
His letter was short, but it explained everything;
Dear Ron,
I'm really really sorry but I cant make it up to the burrow for the rest of the summer. . .. We were sitting in the family living room and Dudley sat down on the couch and the couch collapsed. . . they seem to think I somehow I used 'magic' and made him collapse. . ..It was Dudley's own magic, he sits on anything and it collapses. . . he's wider than he is tall. . . anyways, they punished me and wont let me leave the house until I go back to Hogwarts. . .
Its a wonder why they want to keep me *here* but. . . well . . . I'm really sorry, tell your family and Hermione that I said hullo. . . send me and owl if there are any problems
-Harry.
Ron sighed and crumpled the letter up, "Bloody muggles" he muttered, he turned to his mum," Harry can't make it, he got punished by his aunt and uncle."
Mrs.Weasley sighed, " Oh dear, poor Harry, Im going to send him an Owl asking if he needs me to get his school supplies," she said, and she bustled off out of the room.
Ron turned to Hermione, "Well, it looks like its just you and me this summer 'Mione," he said, his voice containing not even the slightest bit of disappointment.
Hermione smiled and nodded slightly, "yeah. . . you don't mind do you? I know you were probably looking forward to Harry coming, you and him are like glue, you always stick together,"
Ron shook his head, "Nah, his Aunt and Uncle are creeps, I can tell you that much, they shouldn't stop him from coming, but I don't mind, I have my other best friend here, " He said smiling.
Hermione looked up and grinned. "Thanks Ron." he grinned as his ears turned pink at the tips again, " No problem 'Mione."
Mrs. Weasley came back in the kitchen this time with Mr.Weasley and the rest of the gang.
When Ginny saw Hermione she grinned and ran over to her and gave her a small hug," Hey Herm!" she said, her eyes tired, as though she had a rough day.
Hermione returned the hug, "Hey Gin, how are you?"
Ginny groaned, "Ugh, I'm very *tired*. Dad had us up and about all day."
Fred and George nodded. "Yeah, dad treated us like his secetary,"said Fred, he puffed out his chest and imitated Mr.Weasley in a deep fake voice," Go do this! Get me that! No, no I said this not *that*."
Everyone erupted with giggles as Mr.Weasley was saying," Thats enough! I did not do that! I was showing you what its like to work at the ministry, thats all."
Ginny sniggered and rolled her eyes and Fred and George looked at one another and shrugged. " *Sure*" they said in unison.
Mrs.Weasley looked around the room and said," All right everyone, enough of this, sit down, dinners getting cold!"
Mrs.Weasley followed everyone into the dinning room, and sat down last of all.
The meal was lovely, Hermione didn't talk much during the meal, instead she listened to Fred and George argue silently next to her over the price for canary creams, and over heard Ron tell ginny to 'shut the bloody hell up' after she whispered something in his ear, making the tips of his ears turn, once again, a fair shade of pink.
When dinner was over, Ron, Hermione, Mrs.Weasley and Mr.Weasley went to the living room to drink hot cups of chocolate and visit.
Fred, George and Ginny all went to bed immidently after dinner, all very tired from the days events.
Hermione and Mrs.Weasley sat on one couch while Mr.Weasley and Ron sat on the other facing them.
Ron was facing Hermione and, every so often she felt him staring at her.
*Whats wrong with me?* thought Hermione, *Do I look that horrid at night? do I have chocolate around my mouth?*
She began to get lost in her thoughts of worry when all of a sudden Mrs.Weasley said, "Whats wrong Hermione?"
Hermione looked up startled, she realized just then that she had be self consciously messing with her hair and frowning.
Hermione quickly stopped and blushed. "Oh, um. . . nothing, I was just . . . thinking,"
She smiled to show that she was all right, Mrs.Weasley gave a look of uncertainty to her, " All right then. . . It's getting late, how about we all get some sleep?"
Mr. Weasley said, standing up, collecting the empty mugs of chocolate. Hermione nodded and stood up.
"Thank you so much for having me over Ron, thank you for supper mrs.Weasley," she said starting towards the stairs.
Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded, "my pleasure Hermione."
Ron looked at her and smiled," No problem 'Mione, thanks for coming."
Hermione turned around, half way up the stairs and said," goodnight everyone," and walked up to Ginnys room to get a good nights sleep.
It was later that night when Hermione and Ron finally returned from there walk, it had been very pleasant indeed, thought Hermione.
She had been waiting along time to be with Ron, to be *alone* with Ron, it felt just excellent.
When they walked back into the burrow, still hand in hand, the first thing they noticed was that the horrid smell of burnt roast had been changed to a smell of roasting carrots and garlic, fresh bread and grilled chicken.
Ron absent-mindedly let go of her hand and walked into the kitchen. Hermione quickly followed, her heart sinking slightly when he let go of her hand.
"Mum! this smells soo much better than your roast ," Ron said, rubbing his hands together hungrily, "whens dinner?"
Mrs.Weasley gave a slight sound of protest, "Why thank you Ron, but we are not going to even think about starting till your father, Fred, George and Ginny get back from the ministry."
Ron frowned slightly.
His dad had taken his brothers and sister to the ministry for the day to show them around work, he didn't quite know when they would be getting back.
As for Percy. . . ever since he has been working for the ministry, he's never been home, it was normal for the Weasleys now, not to expect him home till late at night.
Anger fills up inside of Ron as he thinks about how selfish Percy has been, he has seen him mum beg Percy to come home more often, the Weasleys hardly ever see him anymore unless they are awake in the dead morning to here him shower . . . it seems that he dresses in the bathroom then apparates right from the bathroom. . .
His thoughts were broken by the sound of his mother, " Oh dear! and we still have to wait for Harry! why hasn't he came yet? do you suppose something happened? he does still have the Floo Powder we gave him, doesn't he?"
Her face was full of concern.
Ron sighed, " *Mum,* don't you worry about him! I'm sure he's fine-" he was cut off again by a small hoot, he looked down to find Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl, perched up on the window, a letter clutched in her beak. Ron took the letter from Hedwig's beak and petted her, "Thanks" he said as Hedwig flew off.
He tore open the letter immediately as Hermione peered over her shoulder with concern.
His letter was short, but it explained everything;
Dear Ron,
I'm really really sorry but I cant make it up to the burrow for the rest of the summer. . .. We were sitting in the family living room and Dudley sat down on the couch and the couch collapsed. . . they seem to think I somehow I used 'magic' and made him collapse. . ..It was Dudley's own magic, he sits on anything and it collapses. . . he's wider than he is tall. . . anyways, they punished me and wont let me leave the house until I go back to Hogwarts. . .
Its a wonder why they want to keep me *here* but. . . well . . . I'm really sorry, tell your family and Hermione that I said hullo. . . send me and owl if there are any problems
-Harry.
Ron sighed and crumpled the letter up, "Bloody muggles" he muttered, he turned to his mum," Harry can't make it, he got punished by his aunt and uncle."
Mrs.Weasley sighed, " Oh dear, poor Harry, Im going to send him an Owl asking if he needs me to get his school supplies," she said, and she bustled off out of the room.
Ron turned to Hermione, "Well, it looks like its just you and me this summer 'Mione," he said, his voice containing not even the slightest bit of disappointment.
Hermione smiled and nodded slightly, "yeah. . . you don't mind do you? I know you were probably looking forward to Harry coming, you and him are like glue, you always stick together,"
Ron shook his head, "Nah, his Aunt and Uncle are creeps, I can tell you that much, they shouldn't stop him from coming, but I don't mind, I have my other best friend here, " He said smiling.
Hermione looked up and grinned. "Thanks Ron." he grinned as his ears turned pink at the tips again, " No problem 'Mione."
Mrs. Weasley came back in the kitchen this time with Mr.Weasley and the rest of the gang.
When Ginny saw Hermione she grinned and ran over to her and gave her a small hug," Hey Herm!" she said, her eyes tired, as though she had a rough day.
Hermione returned the hug, "Hey Gin, how are you?"
Ginny groaned, "Ugh, I'm very *tired*. Dad had us up and about all day."
Fred and George nodded. "Yeah, dad treated us like his secetary,"said Fred, he puffed out his chest and imitated Mr.Weasley in a deep fake voice," Go do this! Get me that! No, no I said this not *that*."
Everyone erupted with giggles as Mr.Weasley was saying," Thats enough! I did not do that! I was showing you what its like to work at the ministry, thats all."
Ginny sniggered and rolled her eyes and Fred and George looked at one another and shrugged. " *Sure*" they said in unison.
Mrs.Weasley looked around the room and said," All right everyone, enough of this, sit down, dinners getting cold!"
Mrs.Weasley followed everyone into the dinning room, and sat down last of all.
The meal was lovely, Hermione didn't talk much during the meal, instead she listened to Fred and George argue silently next to her over the price for canary creams, and over heard Ron tell ginny to 'shut the bloody hell up' after she whispered something in his ear, making the tips of his ears turn, once again, a fair shade of pink.
When dinner was over, Ron, Hermione, Mrs.Weasley and Mr.Weasley went to the living room to drink hot cups of chocolate and visit.
Fred, George and Ginny all went to bed immidently after dinner, all very tired from the days events.
Hermione and Mrs.Weasley sat on one couch while Mr.Weasley and Ron sat on the other facing them.
Ron was facing Hermione and, every so often she felt him staring at her.
*Whats wrong with me?* thought Hermione, *Do I look that horrid at night? do I have chocolate around my mouth?*
She began to get lost in her thoughts of worry when all of a sudden Mrs.Weasley said, "Whats wrong Hermione?"
Hermione looked up startled, she realized just then that she had be self consciously messing with her hair and frowning.
Hermione quickly stopped and blushed. "Oh, um. . . nothing, I was just . . . thinking,"
She smiled to show that she was all right, Mrs.Weasley gave a look of uncertainty to her, " All right then. . . It's getting late, how about we all get some sleep?"
Mr. Weasley said, standing up, collecting the empty mugs of chocolate. Hermione nodded and stood up.
"Thank you so much for having me over Ron, thank you for supper mrs.Weasley," she said starting towards the stairs.
Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded, "my pleasure Hermione."
Ron looked at her and smiled," No problem 'Mione, thanks for coming."
Hermione turned around, half way up the stairs and said," goodnight everyone," and walked up to Ginnys room to get a good nights sleep.