Disclaimer on Part 1. Sorry if y'all saw the mess I made yesterday, I'm
still getting used to this ;)
Chapter 2
At some tume during the night, Hedwig had returned. Instead of waking him, she perched gently in his lap, providing a spot of warmth and comfort. He worke with the sun in his eyes and started, almost falling from he perch. Hedwig awakened immediately at his movement and cooed impatiently to him. Once she was sure that they woudn't be falling out of the tree, she stretched her leg to him. Hermione's reply.
Harry -
Do try and answer the telephone at half past eight this morning. I'll ring then.
-Herm
Harry frowned at the scrap of parchment, hopeing that his friend wasn't planning anything too rash. Mostly, he hoped he'd made the right decision in telling Hermione first. He sighed lightly, and climbed down out of the tree to the yard below.
*
They were just finishing breakfast when the phone rang and Harry went to answer it. For once, he didn't mid being the Dursley's answering service.
"Hullo?"
"Harry Potter, please," came the polite reply. Hermione, of course.
"Speaking," he smiled gently into the phone.
"Harry, now don't get mad," she rushed out.
Uh oh
"I've sent an emergency owl to Dumbledore, explaining the situation and telling him all you told me, and after speaking to my parents, he decided it'd be OK if you'd come to us this summer. You know, a little peace after all that has happened."
She paused for a breath but Harry stayed silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts and further adding to her anxiety to his reaction. As he stood there, his thought fell back to the previous day and their parting at the station. She had kissed him - nothing further than a peck on the cheek, but a kiss all the same.
"What's going on in there, boy?" Dursley yelled from the kitchen. "Who is that on the phone?"
"Harry, please," pleaded Hermione, who'd obviously heard the yell.
"Yes," he stated simply.
"Yes? Fantastic, Harry."
He smiled softly at the enthusiasm in her voice.
"Hold on a sec, Harry? My da wants to say something."
The phone was passed over quickly.
"Harry Potter?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Granger?"
"Please, Harry, call me David."
"Yes sir."
A short laugh. "Harry, my boy, I cannot tell you how eager Martha and I are to meet you. You're all Miney talks about!"
Harry started. She talked about him? To her parents?
"I'm mighty sorry about your situation, but I'm gald you're coming to us."
"Thank you very much for the offer, sir."
"Yes, well. Harry, I'm to tell you that the wards on the the house are almost completed. Dumbledore's men have been here since last night, fixing things. You will be safe here, son."
There was a pause, then a hurried whisper.
"Boy! Who was on the phone? Vernon Dursley's voice was coming closer, as were his heavy footsteps.
"Harry, quickly - we'll be there at two this afternoon. Can you be ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Good lad. Now son, let me speak to your uncle, would you?"
By then, Vernon was standing over Harry at the phone. "Yessir. See you soon."
As soon as his back was turned to his uncle, Harry grinned wildly. He was leaving this place, he was going to see Hermione - and she had talked about him. He returned to the table to gobble down his partly-cold breakfast. When Vernon returned, his face was oddly sill.
"What's going on, Vern?" asked Aunt Petunia. At last, Vernon broke his gaze away from Harry.
"Well, love, it appears that our dear Mr. Potter will be leaving us earlier than planned."
"When?" asked Dudley through his mouthful of food.
"This afternoon," replied Harry. He tried, but didn't succeed in hiding his smile. "Two o'clock."
He could tell by the looks on his relative's faces that they were shocked - and perhaps a bit disappointed. The Dursleys had obviously been looking forward to kicking him out in some highly dramatized scene.
He smiled again. "I'd best go pack, don't you think?"
Leaving the horribles in the kitchen, Harry carried his plate to the sink and made his way to the front stairs, whisling.
Chapter 2b
Their parting words had not been unkind. A few "We don't know you, Harry Potter"s and "Don't try to come crawling back, boy"s later and they were off, under the ruse of selecting a new computer for Dudley. Harry, hower, had overheard his former aunt and uncle dicussing a new security system for the house. Obviously, Harry's etire warning had not gone unnoticed.
They'd left at a quarter past one, leaving Harry, Hedwig, his trunk and the odds and ends of his personal things - few as they were - to boil under the hot sun.
*
Harry hadn't notived he'd let his mind fo blank until ten till two, when he woke up. For over onehalf-hour, he'd sat in the drive, just staring off into space. When he'd had a few moments to reflect on it, Harry decided he'd liked it - leaving his thoughts and worries bedind somewhere else.
He was perfectly coherent and utterly concious when a large blue wagon pulled up to the curb. Hermione waved frantically from the backseat as she struggled to undo her safety belt.
A moment later she was hugging a surprised Harry.
"I'm so glad we're finally here! She exclaimed.
Harry couldn't help but smile back. "So am I."
Mr David Granger was a taller, lean man, with just a spot of grey about the sides. He looked at Harry carefully, sizing him up and down. He smiled and Harry knew where his friend got her great grin. Satisfied, he offered his hand to the boy who lived.
"At last, Mr Harry Potter. My name is Dr. Granger, please call me David."
Harry found himself smiling back, again.
"It's nice to meet you too sir."
David looked around a bit, then frowned. "Are your aunt and uncle around to say good bye?"
"No, sir," Harry replied quietly, then shuffled around a little bit. "The Dursleys left almost an hour ago. "
"Going to want to pick up a new security system, I suppose," mused Hermione from her spot in front of Hedwig's cage.
"Exactly." Harry offered her a small smile, which she returned right off.
*
The ride to the Grangers' was not of long length, and along the way Harry enjoyed the light banter between father and daughter. He and Hermione had tried to introduce Harry into the conversation, but he'd been too tired to have much to contribute. He laid his head back once, closed his eyes, and slept.
Chapter 3
Hermione stood over her friend's sleeping form on the guest bed and thought back to the conversation she'd had with her father as he'd carried Harry up the stairs.
"I'm a bit worred about how light he is, Miney," he said softly. "I've never met a 15 year old boy quite so slight."
Hermione had paused for a moment. The story of the past year wasn't hers to tell, especially when she didn't know all of the facts.
"He just had a long year, Daddy." She glanced down at her shoes. "We all did."
He'd let that drop, not bothering her for any more answers. "Whatever the reason, we'll help him a stay with us. All he needs is good food, exercise, and love." David Granger glanced at his young daughter as he laid her best friend on top of the covers. Hermione silently cursed her father's perceptiveness. "But at this moment, we need only to give him as much sleep as he needs, and to be there when he wakes up."
So here she was, watching over Harry, waiting for him to wake up. It had only been 20 minutes; she could wait a while longer. For the longest time, Hermione stared at the figure on the bed. He looked more peaceful in sleep than any other time she'd seen him. But the light from the half-open window made clear the lines etched into his young face, and the dark bags under his eyes.
Chapter 2
At some tume during the night, Hedwig had returned. Instead of waking him, she perched gently in his lap, providing a spot of warmth and comfort. He worke with the sun in his eyes and started, almost falling from he perch. Hedwig awakened immediately at his movement and cooed impatiently to him. Once she was sure that they woudn't be falling out of the tree, she stretched her leg to him. Hermione's reply.
Harry -
Do try and answer the telephone at half past eight this morning. I'll ring then.
-Herm
Harry frowned at the scrap of parchment, hopeing that his friend wasn't planning anything too rash. Mostly, he hoped he'd made the right decision in telling Hermione first. He sighed lightly, and climbed down out of the tree to the yard below.
*
They were just finishing breakfast when the phone rang and Harry went to answer it. For once, he didn't mid being the Dursley's answering service.
"Hullo?"
"Harry Potter, please," came the polite reply. Hermione, of course.
"Speaking," he smiled gently into the phone.
"Harry, now don't get mad," she rushed out.
Uh oh
"I've sent an emergency owl to Dumbledore, explaining the situation and telling him all you told me, and after speaking to my parents, he decided it'd be OK if you'd come to us this summer. You know, a little peace after all that has happened."
She paused for a breath but Harry stayed silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts and further adding to her anxiety to his reaction. As he stood there, his thought fell back to the previous day and their parting at the station. She had kissed him - nothing further than a peck on the cheek, but a kiss all the same.
"What's going on in there, boy?" Dursley yelled from the kitchen. "Who is that on the phone?"
"Harry, please," pleaded Hermione, who'd obviously heard the yell.
"Yes," he stated simply.
"Yes? Fantastic, Harry."
He smiled softly at the enthusiasm in her voice.
"Hold on a sec, Harry? My da wants to say something."
The phone was passed over quickly.
"Harry Potter?"
"Yes sir, Mr. Granger?"
"Please, Harry, call me David."
"Yes sir."
A short laugh. "Harry, my boy, I cannot tell you how eager Martha and I are to meet you. You're all Miney talks about!"
Harry started. She talked about him? To her parents?
"I'm mighty sorry about your situation, but I'm gald you're coming to us."
"Thank you very much for the offer, sir."
"Yes, well. Harry, I'm to tell you that the wards on the the house are almost completed. Dumbledore's men have been here since last night, fixing things. You will be safe here, son."
There was a pause, then a hurried whisper.
"Boy! Who was on the phone? Vernon Dursley's voice was coming closer, as were his heavy footsteps.
"Harry, quickly - we'll be there at two this afternoon. Can you be ready?"
"Yes sir."
"Good lad. Now son, let me speak to your uncle, would you?"
By then, Vernon was standing over Harry at the phone. "Yessir. See you soon."
As soon as his back was turned to his uncle, Harry grinned wildly. He was leaving this place, he was going to see Hermione - and she had talked about him. He returned to the table to gobble down his partly-cold breakfast. When Vernon returned, his face was oddly sill.
"What's going on, Vern?" asked Aunt Petunia. At last, Vernon broke his gaze away from Harry.
"Well, love, it appears that our dear Mr. Potter will be leaving us earlier than planned."
"When?" asked Dudley through his mouthful of food.
"This afternoon," replied Harry. He tried, but didn't succeed in hiding his smile. "Two o'clock."
He could tell by the looks on his relative's faces that they were shocked - and perhaps a bit disappointed. The Dursleys had obviously been looking forward to kicking him out in some highly dramatized scene.
He smiled again. "I'd best go pack, don't you think?"
Leaving the horribles in the kitchen, Harry carried his plate to the sink and made his way to the front stairs, whisling.
Chapter 2b
Their parting words had not been unkind. A few "We don't know you, Harry Potter"s and "Don't try to come crawling back, boy"s later and they were off, under the ruse of selecting a new computer for Dudley. Harry, hower, had overheard his former aunt and uncle dicussing a new security system for the house. Obviously, Harry's etire warning had not gone unnoticed.
They'd left at a quarter past one, leaving Harry, Hedwig, his trunk and the odds and ends of his personal things - few as they were - to boil under the hot sun.
*
Harry hadn't notived he'd let his mind fo blank until ten till two, when he woke up. For over onehalf-hour, he'd sat in the drive, just staring off into space. When he'd had a few moments to reflect on it, Harry decided he'd liked it - leaving his thoughts and worries bedind somewhere else.
He was perfectly coherent and utterly concious when a large blue wagon pulled up to the curb. Hermione waved frantically from the backseat as she struggled to undo her safety belt.
A moment later she was hugging a surprised Harry.
"I'm so glad we're finally here! She exclaimed.
Harry couldn't help but smile back. "So am I."
Mr David Granger was a taller, lean man, with just a spot of grey about the sides. He looked at Harry carefully, sizing him up and down. He smiled and Harry knew where his friend got her great grin. Satisfied, he offered his hand to the boy who lived.
"At last, Mr Harry Potter. My name is Dr. Granger, please call me David."
Harry found himself smiling back, again.
"It's nice to meet you too sir."
David looked around a bit, then frowned. "Are your aunt and uncle around to say good bye?"
"No, sir," Harry replied quietly, then shuffled around a little bit. "The Dursleys left almost an hour ago. "
"Going to want to pick up a new security system, I suppose," mused Hermione from her spot in front of Hedwig's cage.
"Exactly." Harry offered her a small smile, which she returned right off.
*
The ride to the Grangers' was not of long length, and along the way Harry enjoyed the light banter between father and daughter. He and Hermione had tried to introduce Harry into the conversation, but he'd been too tired to have much to contribute. He laid his head back once, closed his eyes, and slept.
Chapter 3
Hermione stood over her friend's sleeping form on the guest bed and thought back to the conversation she'd had with her father as he'd carried Harry up the stairs.
"I'm a bit worred about how light he is, Miney," he said softly. "I've never met a 15 year old boy quite so slight."
Hermione had paused for a moment. The story of the past year wasn't hers to tell, especially when she didn't know all of the facts.
"He just had a long year, Daddy." She glanced down at her shoes. "We all did."
He'd let that drop, not bothering her for any more answers. "Whatever the reason, we'll help him a stay with us. All he needs is good food, exercise, and love." David Granger glanced at his young daughter as he laid her best friend on top of the covers. Hermione silently cursed her father's perceptiveness. "But at this moment, we need only to give him as much sleep as he needs, and to be there when he wakes up."
So here she was, watching over Harry, waiting for him to wake up. It had only been 20 minutes; she could wait a while longer. For the longest time, Hermione stared at the figure on the bed. He looked more peaceful in sleep than any other time she'd seen him. But the light from the half-open window made clear the lines etched into his young face, and the dark bags under his eyes.