Hermione's cheeks flushed excitedly and threw her arms around Harry.
"Oh, Harry, we're so sorry we couldn't send you a letter, I thought that it'd be best if Ron didn't send you anything because he'd probably let it slip that we were coming," she shrieked, pulling away from Harry.
"How come you didn't send me anything?" he asked quietly.
"Because Ron kept on moaning that it wasn't fair that I was allowed to send you a letter, how did he know that I wasn't going to tell you either, so I compromised and told him that I wouldn't send anything as well."
"Oh," Harry said, a wave of relief overtaking the rest of his feelings. "I thought you were – Ron?"
Hermione and Harry both turned to Ron, who was currently backing away from the door and looking upwards.
"What – what are you doing?" Hermione asked curiously.
"A pillow came out of that window and fell on me…?" Ron replied blankly. He was pointing to Harry's bedroom window.
Harry laughed.
"That was mine," he admitted, grabbing the pillow off of the lush green grass.
"Yours?" Hermione asked questioningly, as Harry ushered them inside.
"Well, I was a bit frustrated - because of your lack of contact," Harry told them, looking away. He carefully made to close the door, but stopped.
"Ron, did Hedwig come by to drop off a letter, by any chance?" he asked worriedly, looking up into the dark blue sky.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, she did – she didn't want to travel with us, though, so I guess she's flying back home," Ron said absent-mindedly, looking around at Harry's home.
Harry frowned.
"Strange. She should be back by now."
All of a sudden, Uncle Vernon came bounding down the stairs, followed by Aunt Petunia and Dudley.
"Oh, hello," Hermione said politely, as Ron gave a small, curious wave.
"Who are you?" Dudley asked bluntly, and everyone turned to Harry at once.
"Wha – oh, this is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, my best friends," Harry introduced to the Dursleys.
Ron and Hermione beamed at him.
The Dursleys looked thunderstruck at the sight of two more non-Dursleyish people in the house. Uncle Vernon looked ready to pull out chunks of his moustache again, Aunt Petunia's mouth was wide open, and Dudley ran back upstairs, shrieking.
"That was Dudley, my cousin," Harry told Ron and Hermione. "This is my Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia."
There was an awkward silence for a moment, at which ended when Hermione automatically stuck out her hand.
Uncle Vernon was going purple in the face, and Harry thoroughly enjoyed these moments. He could not yell at Harry because of the Platform 9 ¾ incident, and even if he could, there were two more non-Dursleyish people standing right there who could jinx him on the spot.
Vernon cautiously shook Hermione's hand, then wiped it on his pajama trousers, and Aunt Petunia quickly shook Hermione's hand too but then drew it away quickly like Hermione was some sort of hot potato.
"Hi," Ron said. "I'd shake your hands too, but I think you're a bit too afraid."
Harry suppressed a laugh.
"Will it be fine if they stay in our house for awhile?" Harry asked, knowing that the answer was inevitably yes.
Uncle Vernon was now a brilliant shade of brick red and violet at the same time, and Aunt Petunia was shaking and quivering like she was cold.
"Fine," Vernon snarled, and he and his wife continued up the stairs, cursing under their breath.
"Not very pleased to see us, were they," Hermione commented, quite disappointed.
"Yeah, well, they're not pleased to see anyone who isn't exactly like them," Harry said indifferently.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to the living room and sat down and talked, mostly about their journey to Harry's house and the exciting parts of their vacation. Harry was told that they'd traveled by car; Hermione's parents had driven them. They had wanted to surprise Harry for his sixteenth birthday. Hedwig had arrived to shouts and screams from Hermione's Muggle parents, and had flown away immediately once Ron had taken the letter.
"I wonder where she is?" Harry wondered aloud, worried.
"Don't worry, she's probably going to be here by morning," Hermione said consolingly.
Ron also explained that Fudge and the Ministry were going mad, convincing the Daily Prophet to continue writing articles on Voldemort's return and what had happened in the Ministry of Magic building when a few weeks ago they were writing about Voldemort returning was a lie.
When Ron and Hermione began to bicker again, Harry dared not to interfere. He leaned back and listened to their spat, a grin overcoming his face at the sight of them in the Dursleys' home.
Harry was content with the way things were for the moment – no worries, just Ron and Hermione fighting again like always, but Harry also knew that he had a million problems pushed to the back of his mind.
"Oh, Harry, we're so sorry we couldn't send you a letter, I thought that it'd be best if Ron didn't send you anything because he'd probably let it slip that we were coming," she shrieked, pulling away from Harry.
"How come you didn't send me anything?" he asked quietly.
"Because Ron kept on moaning that it wasn't fair that I was allowed to send you a letter, how did he know that I wasn't going to tell you either, so I compromised and told him that I wouldn't send anything as well."
"Oh," Harry said, a wave of relief overtaking the rest of his feelings. "I thought you were – Ron?"
Hermione and Harry both turned to Ron, who was currently backing away from the door and looking upwards.
"What – what are you doing?" Hermione asked curiously.
"A pillow came out of that window and fell on me…?" Ron replied blankly. He was pointing to Harry's bedroom window.
Harry laughed.
"That was mine," he admitted, grabbing the pillow off of the lush green grass.
"Yours?" Hermione asked questioningly, as Harry ushered them inside.
"Well, I was a bit frustrated - because of your lack of contact," Harry told them, looking away. He carefully made to close the door, but stopped.
"Ron, did Hedwig come by to drop off a letter, by any chance?" he asked worriedly, looking up into the dark blue sky.
"Huh? Oh, yeah, she did – she didn't want to travel with us, though, so I guess she's flying back home," Ron said absent-mindedly, looking around at Harry's home.
Harry frowned.
"Strange. She should be back by now."
All of a sudden, Uncle Vernon came bounding down the stairs, followed by Aunt Petunia and Dudley.
"Oh, hello," Hermione said politely, as Ron gave a small, curious wave.
"Who are you?" Dudley asked bluntly, and everyone turned to Harry at once.
"Wha – oh, this is Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, my best friends," Harry introduced to the Dursleys.
Ron and Hermione beamed at him.
The Dursleys looked thunderstruck at the sight of two more non-Dursleyish people in the house. Uncle Vernon looked ready to pull out chunks of his moustache again, Aunt Petunia's mouth was wide open, and Dudley ran back upstairs, shrieking.
"That was Dudley, my cousin," Harry told Ron and Hermione. "This is my Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia."
There was an awkward silence for a moment, at which ended when Hermione automatically stuck out her hand.
Uncle Vernon was going purple in the face, and Harry thoroughly enjoyed these moments. He could not yell at Harry because of the Platform 9 ¾ incident, and even if he could, there were two more non-Dursleyish people standing right there who could jinx him on the spot.
Vernon cautiously shook Hermione's hand, then wiped it on his pajama trousers, and Aunt Petunia quickly shook Hermione's hand too but then drew it away quickly like Hermione was some sort of hot potato.
"Hi," Ron said. "I'd shake your hands too, but I think you're a bit too afraid."
Harry suppressed a laugh.
"Will it be fine if they stay in our house for awhile?" Harry asked, knowing that the answer was inevitably yes.
Uncle Vernon was now a brilliant shade of brick red and violet at the same time, and Aunt Petunia was shaking and quivering like she was cold.
"Fine," Vernon snarled, and he and his wife continued up the stairs, cursing under their breath.
"Not very pleased to see us, were they," Hermione commented, quite disappointed.
"Yeah, well, they're not pleased to see anyone who isn't exactly like them," Harry said indifferently.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione went to the living room and sat down and talked, mostly about their journey to Harry's house and the exciting parts of their vacation. Harry was told that they'd traveled by car; Hermione's parents had driven them. They had wanted to surprise Harry for his sixteenth birthday. Hedwig had arrived to shouts and screams from Hermione's Muggle parents, and had flown away immediately once Ron had taken the letter.
"I wonder where she is?" Harry wondered aloud, worried.
"Don't worry, she's probably going to be here by morning," Hermione said consolingly.
Ron also explained that Fudge and the Ministry were going mad, convincing the Daily Prophet to continue writing articles on Voldemort's return and what had happened in the Ministry of Magic building when a few weeks ago they were writing about Voldemort returning was a lie.
When Ron and Hermione began to bicker again, Harry dared not to interfere. He leaned back and listened to their spat, a grin overcoming his face at the sight of them in the Dursleys' home.
Harry was content with the way things were for the moment – no worries, just Ron and Hermione fighting again like always, but Harry also knew that he had a million problems pushed to the back of his mind.