Author's note: sorry for the delay in update, but I've been very busy
lately, and as now I'm home sick with laryngitis, I thought it would be a
good time to update. Enjoy chapter 5!
Diagon Alley and Hermione The two following weeks were very nearly paradise for Harry. With a new home, his godfather cleared, and his best friend within walking distance, there were only two things that worried him- 1) That Voldemort would soon attack, and 2) That Hermione would fall in love with Viktor Krum when she went to visit him. Besides that, though, Harry was quite happy.
On his birthday, the day that he and Ron were to meet Hermione on Diagon Alley, Harry finished packing his suitcase for when he went to Hermione's and he and Sirius strolled up to Ron's house to fetch the Weasley's and then be on their way. As soon as Harry walked into the Burrow, he was surprised to see Ginny and Colin sitting next to each other on the couch and holding hands. As soon as they noticed Harry, they jumped apart and both began blushing furiously. Harry just grinned.
"Hullo, Ginny, Colin," he said nonchalantly, as though he hadn't just seen what had been going on. "Is Ron up in his room?"
Ginny nodded, still bright red, and Harry bounded up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, however, he ran smack into Ron.
"Oh, hey, Harry. I was just going to go down to your house, but I guess there's no point since you're here. I've just finished packing for Hermione's. Are you all ready to go?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "Sirius and I brought some floo powder." Harry and Ron both cracked up at the memory of Harry's first time using that method of transportation, which had taken place the summer before their second year. The two best friends headed downstairs, where Sirius, Colin, and the rest of the Weasleys were waiting by the fire-place.
"Hurry now, dears, we don't want to be late to meet Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said. "Arthur, why don't you go first?"
Mr. Weasley stepped forward, took a bit of floo powder, stepped into the fireplace, said, "Diagon Alley," and disappeared. Harry watched as one by one, the group followed the steps, and tried in vain to keep his nervousness down. He was so anxious to see Hermione again, but also scared that he would say the wrong thing or make the wrong move. Finally it was his turn to take a handful of floo powder and step into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley!"
Harry felt the now-familiar sensation and was extremely relieved when he flew out of the fireplace at Flourish and Blotts, the wizarding equivalent of Barnes & Noble. He stood up, brushed himself off, and went out of the store to meet the rest of his group just as Sirius flew out of the fireplace, followed quickly by Mrs. Weasley. The group then made their way to Gringotts Bank and withdrew the necessary money for their shopping. Harry was quite pleased to see that the Weasley's vault was much fuller than it had been in recent years, and wondered if Sirius had had anything to do with that.
After money was passed out, the adults decided to pop into the Leaky Cauldron for a drink while the kids began their shopping. Fred and George quickly found their best friend Lee Jordan, Ginny and Colin meandered off hand in hand, and Harry and Ron set off to try and find Hermione.
They had been walking for only a few minutes when Harry and Ron both spotted Hermione, who was walking with Lavender Brown. Harry's heart began to pump faster. He had forgotten just how beautiful Hermione was, and today she looked even better, with the bright (however unusual) London sun making her hair gleam and her eyes sparkle.
Beside him, Ron was standing stalk still. "Wow," he exclaimed admiringly. "Someone sure got a lot prettier since I saw her last!"
Harry was still staring at Hermione as though in a trance. "Yeah," he said. "You're telling me! In all those years of being best friends with her, I never really noticed how pretty she was."
Ron stared at Harry, looking a bit confused. "Since when have you been best friends with Lavender?"
Harry snapped out of his trance. "Lavender? I thought you were talking about Hermione!"
They both laughed until they heard a girl's voice yell, "Hey, Ron! Hi Harry!" Lavender was now waving to them, though Hermione was no longer at her side. Harry was having a hard time figuring out where she could be until something hit him hard from the front. He looked down to see Hermione standing with her arms around her neck and he returned the hug.
"Happy birthday, Harry!" She kissed him on the cheek and he thought he would fly away if she weren't holding him down. He grinned giddily down at her. "Hey, 'Mione."
Ron and Lavender laughed, either at Hermione's actions or the look on Harry's face. Lavender imitated Hermione and ran towards Ron, knocking into him full force, throwing her arms around his neck, and saying, "Oh, Ronniekins, I missed you so much!" through her gaiety.
Harry and Ron, both hugging their new crushes, gave each other looks over the girls' heads that expressed just how much they were enjoying the situation. As the four of them laughed together, Harry again felt that his heart would burst with happiness.
Diagon Alley and Hermione The two following weeks were very nearly paradise for Harry. With a new home, his godfather cleared, and his best friend within walking distance, there were only two things that worried him- 1) That Voldemort would soon attack, and 2) That Hermione would fall in love with Viktor Krum when she went to visit him. Besides that, though, Harry was quite happy.
On his birthday, the day that he and Ron were to meet Hermione on Diagon Alley, Harry finished packing his suitcase for when he went to Hermione's and he and Sirius strolled up to Ron's house to fetch the Weasley's and then be on their way. As soon as Harry walked into the Burrow, he was surprised to see Ginny and Colin sitting next to each other on the couch and holding hands. As soon as they noticed Harry, they jumped apart and both began blushing furiously. Harry just grinned.
"Hullo, Ginny, Colin," he said nonchalantly, as though he hadn't just seen what had been going on. "Is Ron up in his room?"
Ginny nodded, still bright red, and Harry bounded up the stairs. Halfway up the stairs, however, he ran smack into Ron.
"Oh, hey, Harry. I was just going to go down to your house, but I guess there's no point since you're here. I've just finished packing for Hermione's. Are you all ready to go?"
"Yeah," Harry said. "Sirius and I brought some floo powder." Harry and Ron both cracked up at the memory of Harry's first time using that method of transportation, which had taken place the summer before their second year. The two best friends headed downstairs, where Sirius, Colin, and the rest of the Weasleys were waiting by the fire-place.
"Hurry now, dears, we don't want to be late to meet Hermione," Mrs. Weasley said. "Arthur, why don't you go first?"
Mr. Weasley stepped forward, took a bit of floo powder, stepped into the fireplace, said, "Diagon Alley," and disappeared. Harry watched as one by one, the group followed the steps, and tried in vain to keep his nervousness down. He was so anxious to see Hermione again, but also scared that he would say the wrong thing or make the wrong move. Finally it was his turn to take a handful of floo powder and step into the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley!"
Harry felt the now-familiar sensation and was extremely relieved when he flew out of the fireplace at Flourish and Blotts, the wizarding equivalent of Barnes & Noble. He stood up, brushed himself off, and went out of the store to meet the rest of his group just as Sirius flew out of the fireplace, followed quickly by Mrs. Weasley. The group then made their way to Gringotts Bank and withdrew the necessary money for their shopping. Harry was quite pleased to see that the Weasley's vault was much fuller than it had been in recent years, and wondered if Sirius had had anything to do with that.
After money was passed out, the adults decided to pop into the Leaky Cauldron for a drink while the kids began their shopping. Fred and George quickly found their best friend Lee Jordan, Ginny and Colin meandered off hand in hand, and Harry and Ron set off to try and find Hermione.
They had been walking for only a few minutes when Harry and Ron both spotted Hermione, who was walking with Lavender Brown. Harry's heart began to pump faster. He had forgotten just how beautiful Hermione was, and today she looked even better, with the bright (however unusual) London sun making her hair gleam and her eyes sparkle.
Beside him, Ron was standing stalk still. "Wow," he exclaimed admiringly. "Someone sure got a lot prettier since I saw her last!"
Harry was still staring at Hermione as though in a trance. "Yeah," he said. "You're telling me! In all those years of being best friends with her, I never really noticed how pretty she was."
Ron stared at Harry, looking a bit confused. "Since when have you been best friends with Lavender?"
Harry snapped out of his trance. "Lavender? I thought you were talking about Hermione!"
They both laughed until they heard a girl's voice yell, "Hey, Ron! Hi Harry!" Lavender was now waving to them, though Hermione was no longer at her side. Harry was having a hard time figuring out where she could be until something hit him hard from the front. He looked down to see Hermione standing with her arms around her neck and he returned the hug.
"Happy birthday, Harry!" She kissed him on the cheek and he thought he would fly away if she weren't holding him down. He grinned giddily down at her. "Hey, 'Mione."
Ron and Lavender laughed, either at Hermione's actions or the look on Harry's face. Lavender imitated Hermione and ran towards Ron, knocking into him full force, throwing her arms around his neck, and saying, "Oh, Ronniekins, I missed you so much!" through her gaiety.
Harry and Ron, both hugging their new crushes, gave each other looks over the girls' heads that expressed just how much they were enjoying the situation. As the four of them laughed together, Harry again felt that his heart would burst with happiness.
