Chapter 2
Black Family Estate
Harry stared out the window as houses went by, his thoughts wondering from event to event over the last few months. Hermione subconsciously watched him, worried about what he was thinking about. When Harry's mind finally arrived at that place and time, he tried to smile, looked over toward Hermione who was still staring at him.
"What, do I have something on my face?" Harry kid punched Hermione who blushed and looked away.
"No, I was just wondering what you were thinking about. Wait, wait, you do have something on your face." She licked her thumb and started at his face, "oh, never mind that's just your hair."
Tonks burst out laughing as Harry pulled his head away from Hermione's reach and tried to straighten his hair with his hand to no avail. "What are you laughing at miss Pink?"
"HEY! That's fuchsia to you sir," Tonks giggled as she winked at Hermione in the rear view mirror. "Well, we're almost home."
Harry quick looked away from Hermione as his face contorted. Hermione looked at the review mirror making eye contact with Tonks before she reached over and touched Harry's arm. Harry sighed and looked at her, the two teenager's eyes connected; neither willing to look away.
Hermione finally looked away, blushing, when Tonks turned off the car. Quickly the three of them got out and removed Harry's trunk. "So, how did you convince them to let you come pick me up, Hermione?" Harry asked as they were walking up to the front door of number 12 Grimmauld Place.
"I. I told them that, it would be important to you to see me as soon as possible." Hermione said blushing harder than she had done in a while. Harry didn't seem to notice as he began to knock on the door, but Tonks stopped him.
"Harry, I." Tonks stopped for a second checking for any sign from Hermione, "here." She held out a key to him, "this is your key." The key resting in her open palm, Harry hesitated but after a small smile from Hermione he took the key.
Harry proceeded to unlock and open the door, standing back and allowing the ladies to enter before him. Upon entering Harry noticed the many changes that had occurred to the house; most notably all the screaming paintings had been removed except for the portrait of Sirius's mother. That painting's frame, unlike the others, had been left there but the whole painting had been burned leaving a black mark all around where the painting had been.
"Harry my dear," Mrs. Weasley called as she entered the hallway. She surged forward and wrapped him in a hug that she reserved for members of her family. Harry, still not being used to being hugged, just stood there as his best friend's mother let go and smiled. "You must be hungry, I'm sorry that we had to get you so early."
Harry began to follow Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen, "No, I'm glad you arrived early. The earlier the better," Harry sighed and Mrs. Weasley turned to look at him and knowing that he didn't want to talk about it, continued on.
"So what would you like, dear?" Harry just sat at the table and looked Hermione as she came in and sat beside him.
"Anything is fine," Harry sighed lightly, pushing Hermione's shoulder as she supported her head with her arm. Almost falling Hermione looked up at Harry in shock, but grinned when she saw his smile. After a quick lunch for Hermione and Harry, they decided to take his trunk up to his room and then talk about what they intended to do for the next week.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked as the reached the room where Ron and he had stayed the last summer.
"She's," Hermione looked up at the stairs to where she and Ginny shared a room, "she is out with Dean today. She said she would be back by dinner," a frown appearing on her face for a second.
Harry opened the door to the room they were standing in front of, he looked in and saw the mess of clothes and the posters all over the walls. Ron had obviously been here at some point this summer; Harry also noticed the painting of the former headmaster had been removed. He was about to point this out when Hermione grabbed his hand, pulling the door closed.
"Harry, we weren't sure if you wanted to stay in that room or if you wanted to stay." Hermione let her sentence fall of as she looked up at the stairs to the room that Sirius had stayed in last year. She then let her eyes drop to the floor, "if it's any consolation, you'll be closer to me?"
Harry grinned, even if it was a half forced grin, "well that would make anything worth it."
"Good, cause it's a bed of spikes." Hermione grinned as she pushed him in the direction of the stairs. Harry let out a chuckle, "Now that's something we don't hear every day."
"Shut up, Herms." Harry said in a gentle way.
She pushed him again, and then slapped his arm lightly, "don't call me that." She blushed lightly thinking, 'something about the way he says that'
Harry stared out the window as houses went by, his thoughts wondering from event to event over the last few months. Hermione subconsciously watched him, worried about what he was thinking about. When Harry's mind finally arrived at that place and time, he tried to smile, looked over toward Hermione who was still staring at him.
"What, do I have something on my face?" Harry kid punched Hermione who blushed and looked away.
"No, I was just wondering what you were thinking about. Wait, wait, you do have something on your face." She licked her thumb and started at his face, "oh, never mind that's just your hair."
Tonks burst out laughing as Harry pulled his head away from Hermione's reach and tried to straighten his hair with his hand to no avail. "What are you laughing at miss Pink?"
"HEY! That's fuchsia to you sir," Tonks giggled as she winked at Hermione in the rear view mirror. "Well, we're almost home."
Harry quick looked away from Hermione as his face contorted. Hermione looked at the review mirror making eye contact with Tonks before she reached over and touched Harry's arm. Harry sighed and looked at her, the two teenager's eyes connected; neither willing to look away.
Hermione finally looked away, blushing, when Tonks turned off the car. Quickly the three of them got out and removed Harry's trunk. "So, how did you convince them to let you come pick me up, Hermione?" Harry asked as they were walking up to the front door of number 12 Grimmauld Place.
"I. I told them that, it would be important to you to see me as soon as possible." Hermione said blushing harder than she had done in a while. Harry didn't seem to notice as he began to knock on the door, but Tonks stopped him.
"Harry, I." Tonks stopped for a second checking for any sign from Hermione, "here." She held out a key to him, "this is your key." The key resting in her open palm, Harry hesitated but after a small smile from Hermione he took the key.
Harry proceeded to unlock and open the door, standing back and allowing the ladies to enter before him. Upon entering Harry noticed the many changes that had occurred to the house; most notably all the screaming paintings had been removed except for the portrait of Sirius's mother. That painting's frame, unlike the others, had been left there but the whole painting had been burned leaving a black mark all around where the painting had been.
"Harry my dear," Mrs. Weasley called as she entered the hallway. She surged forward and wrapped him in a hug that she reserved for members of her family. Harry, still not being used to being hugged, just stood there as his best friend's mother let go and smiled. "You must be hungry, I'm sorry that we had to get you so early."
Harry began to follow Mrs. Weasley into the kitchen, "No, I'm glad you arrived early. The earlier the better," Harry sighed and Mrs. Weasley turned to look at him and knowing that he didn't want to talk about it, continued on.
"So what would you like, dear?" Harry just sat at the table and looked Hermione as she came in and sat beside him.
"Anything is fine," Harry sighed lightly, pushing Hermione's shoulder as she supported her head with her arm. Almost falling Hermione looked up at Harry in shock, but grinned when she saw his smile. After a quick lunch for Hermione and Harry, they decided to take his trunk up to his room and then talk about what they intended to do for the next week.
"Where's Ginny?" Harry asked as the reached the room where Ron and he had stayed the last summer.
"She's," Hermione looked up at the stairs to where she and Ginny shared a room, "she is out with Dean today. She said she would be back by dinner," a frown appearing on her face for a second.
Harry opened the door to the room they were standing in front of, he looked in and saw the mess of clothes and the posters all over the walls. Ron had obviously been here at some point this summer; Harry also noticed the painting of the former headmaster had been removed. He was about to point this out when Hermione grabbed his hand, pulling the door closed.
"Harry, we weren't sure if you wanted to stay in that room or if you wanted to stay." Hermione let her sentence fall of as she looked up at the stairs to the room that Sirius had stayed in last year. She then let her eyes drop to the floor, "if it's any consolation, you'll be closer to me?"
Harry grinned, even if it was a half forced grin, "well that would make anything worth it."
"Good, cause it's a bed of spikes." Hermione grinned as she pushed him in the direction of the stairs. Harry let out a chuckle, "Now that's something we don't hear every day."
"Shut up, Herms." Harry said in a gentle way.
She pushed him again, and then slapped his arm lightly, "don't call me that." She blushed lightly thinking, 'something about the way he says that'