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Fred and George were the first to notice that Harry and Hermione were holding hands as they came down the stairs. Once the twins had shouted this piece of information to the whole room, there was quite a bit of commotion as the Weasleys and Hermione's parents all crowded around them, asking questions. Once the two of them had explained as much (or as little) as they thought necessary, they found Ron and Lavender and headed for the ice cream parlor with instructions to be back for lunch. After lunch Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be leaving for Hermione's house. Ron seemed a bit depressed that he would be spending the rest of the summer away from his new girlfriend, but Harry and Hermione were ecstatic that they had a month together before school started.
The morning was spent with the four of them wondering around, talking and laughing, until noon, when Harry and Hermione left Ron and Lavender alone to say good-bye. Strolling back to the Leaky Cauldron hand-in-hand with Hermione, it hit Harry that his life was nearly perfect now- he was living with one of his favorite people, right down a hill from his best friend, and here he was holding hands with the girl he loved. He had just one problem left- Lord Voldemort was alive and well. He tried to push the thought from his mind and continue with his happy day.
But Hermione looked up at his face and saw that something was wrong. She stopped walking and faced him. "What's the matter, Harry?" she questioned, and put her hand on his cheek gently.
Harry looked down and sighed. "I'm just worried. about. Voldemort."
She made him look at her and cupped his face in her hands. "Harry, you aren't responsible for him. You shouldn't have to spend your life worrying what he's going to do next."
He smiled weakly. "You're right, Mione. But still." for a moment a wistful glance rested on his face, but then he smiled brightly at Hermione. "We're late for lunch." And taking her hand again, he continued to walk towards the Leaky Cauldron. He could see that Hermione was worried about him, and he didn't want her to be.
Harry and Hermione joined the group for lunch and then headed upstairs to pack their things. Back in the room he shared with Ron, Harry pulled out his suitcase and began throwing things in. Ron came in and threw himself onto the bed, then sat up and stared at Harry. "So." he said, "What happened with you and Hermione?"
"What happened with you and Lavender?" Harry calmly replied, folding a shirt and putting it in his case. He wasn't quite ready to give Ron all the details of the morning's events.
Ron made a face. "I asked you first!" But he apparently wanted to update Harry anyway, so he told him all about how Lavender had admitted that she thought he was cute, so he had asked her out and then. Harry stopped listening after awhile and drifted into a dream of Hermione. Ron broke through by waving his hand in front of Harry's face and saying, "Harry? Are you awake? Come back, mate," and proceeded to milk all of the details of the morning out of Harry.
Just then there was a knock at their door and Hermione came in. "As soon as you guys are ready, we can pack the car and go," she told them.
Ron looked at her blankly. "We aren't taking Floo powder?"
Hermione gave him a disgusted look. "Really, Ron. Think about that." Then she smiled sweetly at Harry, who was on the floor zipping up his suitcase, and left the room.
"What does she mean, 'Really, Ron?'" Ron pondered. "Why aren't we taking Floo powder?"
Harry stood up, grabbed his suitcase and imitated Hermione's words. "Really, Ron. Think about that." and then left.
Ron, a bit confused, picked up his suitcase and followed Harry, still muttering to himself. "Why aren't we taking Floo powder?" he was saying when he accidentally ran into his sister.
"Ouch!" Ginny said as she rubbed her elbow. "What are you talking about?"
"Why aren't we taking Floo powder to Hermione's house?" Ron asked her.
Ginny gave him a look that closely matched Hermione's. "Really, Ron. Think about that."
He groaned. "Will everyone stop saying that? All I want to know is why we aren't taking Floo powder!"
Ginny stared at him. "Hm." she pretended to be thinking hard. "I know! Maybe it's because 'Mione's parents are muggles so their house isn't set up for Floo powder! Honestly Ron." She stalked away, still rubbing her elbow.
"Ooh!" Ron said, looking less confused. "Why didn't I think of that?" Harry came up to him just then.
"C'mon, Ron, time to go," Harry said. So Ron followed Harry out to the car, threw his suitcase into the trunk, and got in. As the car pulled out, Harry waved to Sirius and then settled into his seat and took Hermione's hand. He was ready for the rest of the summer.
Fred and George were the first to notice that Harry and Hermione were holding hands as they came down the stairs. Once the twins had shouted this piece of information to the whole room, there was quite a bit of commotion as the Weasleys and Hermione's parents all crowded around them, asking questions. Once the two of them had explained as much (or as little) as they thought necessary, they found Ron and Lavender and headed for the ice cream parlor with instructions to be back for lunch. After lunch Harry, Ron, and Hermione would be leaving for Hermione's house. Ron seemed a bit depressed that he would be spending the rest of the summer away from his new girlfriend, but Harry and Hermione were ecstatic that they had a month together before school started.
The morning was spent with the four of them wondering around, talking and laughing, until noon, when Harry and Hermione left Ron and Lavender alone to say good-bye. Strolling back to the Leaky Cauldron hand-in-hand with Hermione, it hit Harry that his life was nearly perfect now- he was living with one of his favorite people, right down a hill from his best friend, and here he was holding hands with the girl he loved. He had just one problem left- Lord Voldemort was alive and well. He tried to push the thought from his mind and continue with his happy day.
But Hermione looked up at his face and saw that something was wrong. She stopped walking and faced him. "What's the matter, Harry?" she questioned, and put her hand on his cheek gently.
Harry looked down and sighed. "I'm just worried. about. Voldemort."
She made him look at her and cupped his face in her hands. "Harry, you aren't responsible for him. You shouldn't have to spend your life worrying what he's going to do next."
He smiled weakly. "You're right, Mione. But still." for a moment a wistful glance rested on his face, but then he smiled brightly at Hermione. "We're late for lunch." And taking her hand again, he continued to walk towards the Leaky Cauldron. He could see that Hermione was worried about him, and he didn't want her to be.
Harry and Hermione joined the group for lunch and then headed upstairs to pack their things. Back in the room he shared with Ron, Harry pulled out his suitcase and began throwing things in. Ron came in and threw himself onto the bed, then sat up and stared at Harry. "So." he said, "What happened with you and Hermione?"
"What happened with you and Lavender?" Harry calmly replied, folding a shirt and putting it in his case. He wasn't quite ready to give Ron all the details of the morning's events.
Ron made a face. "I asked you first!" But he apparently wanted to update Harry anyway, so he told him all about how Lavender had admitted that she thought he was cute, so he had asked her out and then. Harry stopped listening after awhile and drifted into a dream of Hermione. Ron broke through by waving his hand in front of Harry's face and saying, "Harry? Are you awake? Come back, mate," and proceeded to milk all of the details of the morning out of Harry.
Just then there was a knock at their door and Hermione came in. "As soon as you guys are ready, we can pack the car and go," she told them.
Ron looked at her blankly. "We aren't taking Floo powder?"
Hermione gave him a disgusted look. "Really, Ron. Think about that." Then she smiled sweetly at Harry, who was on the floor zipping up his suitcase, and left the room.
"What does she mean, 'Really, Ron?'" Ron pondered. "Why aren't we taking Floo powder?"
Harry stood up, grabbed his suitcase and imitated Hermione's words. "Really, Ron. Think about that." and then left.
Ron, a bit confused, picked up his suitcase and followed Harry, still muttering to himself. "Why aren't we taking Floo powder?" he was saying when he accidentally ran into his sister.
"Ouch!" Ginny said as she rubbed her elbow. "What are you talking about?"
"Why aren't we taking Floo powder to Hermione's house?" Ron asked her.
Ginny gave him a look that closely matched Hermione's. "Really, Ron. Think about that."
He groaned. "Will everyone stop saying that? All I want to know is why we aren't taking Floo powder!"
Ginny stared at him. "Hm." she pretended to be thinking hard. "I know! Maybe it's because 'Mione's parents are muggles so their house isn't set up for Floo powder! Honestly Ron." She stalked away, still rubbing her elbow.
"Ooh!" Ron said, looking less confused. "Why didn't I think of that?" Harry came up to him just then.
"C'mon, Ron, time to go," Harry said. So Ron followed Harry out to the car, threw his suitcase into the trunk, and got in. As the car pulled out, Harry waved to Sirius and then settled into his seat and took Hermione's hand. He was ready for the rest of the summer.
