The 4 days (which included endless chores and torment from Dudley)
passed by Harry so slowly and dully, he thought they'd never be over. He
was looking forward to spending time with Hermione since he hadn't seen her
outside of the wizarding world ever. Harry packed the night of the 24th; he
had 2 trunks full of clothes, and Hedwig in her cage.
The following morning, Harry got an early start at 9, rather than the usual 11, AM and cleaned his room along with the bathroom, kitchen, and living room so that Vernon would have no reason to keep him. He quickly changed from his dirty clothes, and at 12:30 waited on the foot of the stairs for the doorbell to ring. And, right on time, it did, and he opened the door to a somewhat tall, pretty girl of 15, the Hermione that Harry has always known. She lifted up her sunglasses and said "No hug? Well then!" and jokingly turned on her heal. They chuckled as she turned around again and he pulled her close in a friendly bear hug. Harry had shouted that he was leaving, but got nothing but a mutter of "Good riddance," from the other room. He showed a slight smile, grabbed his luggage, and shut the door behind him.
"Dad, open the trunk, will you?" Hermione shouted to the front of the large car as the trunk top sprung open. She helped him load his trunks into the car, and Hedwig's cage into an extra space in the back. She motioned for Harry to hop in, and so he did, and so did she. The car door shut and the car started, leaving number 4 Privet Drive behind in the dust.
"Oh yes, Mum, Dad, this is Harry, of course. I don't believe you've ever properly been introduced to each other, have you?" Hermione said to both Harry and her parents in the front of the car. "Very nice to meet you, Harry, we're Mr. and Mrs. Granger, if you hadn't already guessed," Hermione's mother stated simply. He could see her smiling at him through the rearview mirror. "Hi ma'am, sir. Thank you for being nice enough to drive all the way to Surrey to pick me up, I appreciate it," Harry said. "Don't think of it, Harry. We were happy to. Hermione tells us of you all the time, speaks so highly of you. She tells us you're one of her best friends," Mr. Granger said to him, still managing to keep his eyes on the road in front of him.
They continued to talk for the rest of the one-hour trip, and the car then pulled into the cobblestone driveway of Hermione's wonderfully comfortable looking home. It was painted in a subtle brick red with white trims. Harry looked at the wonderful country looking home and was astonished at something so beautiful. He was brought back to reality by the sounds of everyone's seatbelts unbuckling, so he did the same. Hermione and Harry removed his trunks from the car, and Mrs. Granger explained that they needed to run some errands, and they'd be back for dinner. She also told Harry to make himself at home, and that Hermione will show him up to his room. After the Grangers left, they went inside and left Harry's things at the foot of the stairs.
"You want something to drink, juice maybe?" Hermione kindly offered to Harry. "Sure, need any help?" Harry kindly offered back. "Nah, just tell me what kind you want, apple, orange, grapefruit, we got it all, as long as it's healthy, you know my parents," she told him jokingly, and he said he'd have whatever she's having.
Harry waited near his trunks for Hermione, and she arrived minutes later with two glasses of apple juice. She started to give him a tour of the house he'd be staying in for the next 5 days.
"Well, we're standing in the living room as you can see, and that door to the right of the stairs leads to my parents' room, through this archway is the kitchen, and through that archway in the kitchen is the dining room. And as we ascend the stairs. this door here on the right leads to my room," she said, as she twisted the doorknob to show him inside, "that door over there in the corner is to my bathroom. So, back into the hallway, down here is your room," she said as she opened the door.
Harry looked inside to find a most beautifully decorated room, with a light grey-brown shade on the walls, hardwood flooring, a large area rug, a queen size bed with very comfortable looking pillows, a fireplace with a stone mantel, and two French doors.
"Those doors lead to a balcony that we share, hope you don't mind," she added playfully, "and that door over there leads to your bathroom." "Hermione, this room is so beautiful, thank you so much for letting me stay here, but I'm afraid I'll get it dirty or something," Harry commented. "Heh, you won't get it dirty, silly. Don't worry about it. Oh and I forgot to tell you in the car. me and my parents did the favor of buying both you and I all of our school supplies, so we won't need to pay a trip to Diagon Alley this year, unless you'd like to go for something you wanted personally." "Whoa, you've taken care of everything haven't you guys?" "I guess you can say that," Hermione said with a smile.
They headed back downstairs, and Hermione pointed to two more French doors in the living room. "Those lead out back, want to take a look?" Harry nodded.
They put their juice down on the coffee table, and she led him outside to an almost heavenly backyard with a small pond in the corner, it looked like a huge grassy field they could just roam freely in like a pair of horses.
"It's beautiful here," Harry said quietly. "I know. I love home; I could just lay out here for hours and admire everything about it. Every time I explore it out here, something's different. There's always a new corner of the land to see, and there is never a dull moment." Hermione trailed off as they stood there and could only hear the sounds or each other breathing calmly and the wind blowing around them.
It was at that moment that Harry looked over at Hermione and saw something he'd never seen before. He saw a beautiful young woman. He'd never heard Hermione speak so passionately about anything like that before, except maybe S.P.E.W., but not in that way of course. She had never spoken with such noticeable emotion in her voice to Harry. She turned and looked at him, flashed him a smile, grabbed his hand, and ran into the field in front of them, taking him with her.
The following morning, Harry got an early start at 9, rather than the usual 11, AM and cleaned his room along with the bathroom, kitchen, and living room so that Vernon would have no reason to keep him. He quickly changed from his dirty clothes, and at 12:30 waited on the foot of the stairs for the doorbell to ring. And, right on time, it did, and he opened the door to a somewhat tall, pretty girl of 15, the Hermione that Harry has always known. She lifted up her sunglasses and said "No hug? Well then!" and jokingly turned on her heal. They chuckled as she turned around again and he pulled her close in a friendly bear hug. Harry had shouted that he was leaving, but got nothing but a mutter of "Good riddance," from the other room. He showed a slight smile, grabbed his luggage, and shut the door behind him.
"Dad, open the trunk, will you?" Hermione shouted to the front of the large car as the trunk top sprung open. She helped him load his trunks into the car, and Hedwig's cage into an extra space in the back. She motioned for Harry to hop in, and so he did, and so did she. The car door shut and the car started, leaving number 4 Privet Drive behind in the dust.
"Oh yes, Mum, Dad, this is Harry, of course. I don't believe you've ever properly been introduced to each other, have you?" Hermione said to both Harry and her parents in the front of the car. "Very nice to meet you, Harry, we're Mr. and Mrs. Granger, if you hadn't already guessed," Hermione's mother stated simply. He could see her smiling at him through the rearview mirror. "Hi ma'am, sir. Thank you for being nice enough to drive all the way to Surrey to pick me up, I appreciate it," Harry said. "Don't think of it, Harry. We were happy to. Hermione tells us of you all the time, speaks so highly of you. She tells us you're one of her best friends," Mr. Granger said to him, still managing to keep his eyes on the road in front of him.
They continued to talk for the rest of the one-hour trip, and the car then pulled into the cobblestone driveway of Hermione's wonderfully comfortable looking home. It was painted in a subtle brick red with white trims. Harry looked at the wonderful country looking home and was astonished at something so beautiful. He was brought back to reality by the sounds of everyone's seatbelts unbuckling, so he did the same. Hermione and Harry removed his trunks from the car, and Mrs. Granger explained that they needed to run some errands, and they'd be back for dinner. She also told Harry to make himself at home, and that Hermione will show him up to his room. After the Grangers left, they went inside and left Harry's things at the foot of the stairs.
"You want something to drink, juice maybe?" Hermione kindly offered to Harry. "Sure, need any help?" Harry kindly offered back. "Nah, just tell me what kind you want, apple, orange, grapefruit, we got it all, as long as it's healthy, you know my parents," she told him jokingly, and he said he'd have whatever she's having.
Harry waited near his trunks for Hermione, and she arrived minutes later with two glasses of apple juice. She started to give him a tour of the house he'd be staying in for the next 5 days.
"Well, we're standing in the living room as you can see, and that door to the right of the stairs leads to my parents' room, through this archway is the kitchen, and through that archway in the kitchen is the dining room. And as we ascend the stairs. this door here on the right leads to my room," she said, as she twisted the doorknob to show him inside, "that door over there in the corner is to my bathroom. So, back into the hallway, down here is your room," she said as she opened the door.
Harry looked inside to find a most beautifully decorated room, with a light grey-brown shade on the walls, hardwood flooring, a large area rug, a queen size bed with very comfortable looking pillows, a fireplace with a stone mantel, and two French doors.
"Those doors lead to a balcony that we share, hope you don't mind," she added playfully, "and that door over there leads to your bathroom." "Hermione, this room is so beautiful, thank you so much for letting me stay here, but I'm afraid I'll get it dirty or something," Harry commented. "Heh, you won't get it dirty, silly. Don't worry about it. Oh and I forgot to tell you in the car. me and my parents did the favor of buying both you and I all of our school supplies, so we won't need to pay a trip to Diagon Alley this year, unless you'd like to go for something you wanted personally." "Whoa, you've taken care of everything haven't you guys?" "I guess you can say that," Hermione said with a smile.
They headed back downstairs, and Hermione pointed to two more French doors in the living room. "Those lead out back, want to take a look?" Harry nodded.
They put their juice down on the coffee table, and she led him outside to an almost heavenly backyard with a small pond in the corner, it looked like a huge grassy field they could just roam freely in like a pair of horses.
"It's beautiful here," Harry said quietly. "I know. I love home; I could just lay out here for hours and admire everything about it. Every time I explore it out here, something's different. There's always a new corner of the land to see, and there is never a dull moment." Hermione trailed off as they stood there and could only hear the sounds or each other breathing calmly and the wind blowing around them.
It was at that moment that Harry looked over at Hermione and saw something he'd never seen before. He saw a beautiful young woman. He'd never heard Hermione speak so passionately about anything like that before, except maybe S.P.E.W., but not in that way of course. She had never spoken with such noticeable emotion in her voice to Harry. She turned and looked at him, flashed him a smile, grabbed his hand, and ran into the field in front of them, taking him with her.
