Hermione stretched as she moved across her bedroom to her desk. As she sat down, she glanced around for a quill and ink, finally finding both in the top drawer. The parchment was already laid out, waiting.

Harry-
I hope you're having a good holiday. Is Dudley being hard on you again? I hope not. I assume you plan to visit Ron again this summer, and if you do, I wonder if you wouldn't mind letting me know when you're arriving so I can arrive about the same time. Please let me know soon so I can plan for it.
Love from
Hermione

Hermione reread the letter she had just written and, with a nod of satisfaction, turned to tie the parchment to Hermes' leg. Hermes had arrived just moments before with Ron's letter asking Hermione to stay for the rest of the summer.
"Wait a minute, Hermes. I have another letter to finish." She quickly scrawled onto a new sheet of parchment:

Ron-
I'll arrive when Harry does. Let me know.
Hermione

Then, tying that letter to Hermes' other leg, she said
"Deliver Harry's first, please." Hermes gave an affirmative hoot and took off through the window.



Harry gazed through his bedroom window and wondered what his friends were doing. He imagined Ron, trying to ward off his twin brothers, no doubt testing their latest wizarding gags. He pictured Hermione studying her notes from last term and anxiously awaiting the day she gets her new books. Harry felt his stomach lurch as he though of his two best friends. He was hoping for an invitation from Ron to stay for a while.
All of a sudden, Harry had to jump back to let Hermes, Ron's brother's owl, through the window, immediately followed by Errol, the Weasley family owl. The two owls dropped their burdens on Harry's bed and landed outside Hedwig's cage. The first letter was from Ron.

Harry-
How's your summer been? Everything's good here. Mum says you can come stay for the rest of the summer. We'll pick you up Friday morning about 9 o'clock. See you then.
Ron
After reading both letters (the second was from Hermione), he replied to both and sent Hedwig to Hermione and he tied another letter to Hermes for Ron, since he know Errol would need a few days to recover from his long journey. Errol was very old and was not up to return trips right away.

Maybe this vacation won't be so bad after all, Harry thought to himself.

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Ron sped down the stairs as fast as he could without falling. He absolutely had to get the owl post before anyone else. Ron didn't like people to read his letters because his brothers, Fred and George, always teased him. He was relieved to see that he was the first to notice Hermes and Hedwig fluttering outside the kitchen window. Ron quickly opened the window and both owls flew in and used their beaks to untie the letters and leave them on the table. Hermes continued on to Percy's room, while Hedwig waited for Ron to get her a little water. Ron slipped a small bowl onto the counter and reached for the pitcher to fill it. He read his letters to find that both of his friends would be arriving at the same time. Then, realizing that Friday was in just a couple of days, he rushed to his room to begin cleaning. He didn't know exactly why he insisted on cleaning this year. He had never felt especially inclined to clean before, but since his friends were coming over, he wanted his room to look its best. He worked for hours, with frequent interruptions from his brothers Fred and George ("Wow. Looks like you grew some carpet in here") and his little sister, Ginny, who wanted to know if Hermione would be staying in her room again this summer. When Ron finished his room, he began working on the rest of the house. He even swept the chimney. Mrs. Weasley was glad to have Ron helping so much, but she was a little confused by his sudden interest in the state of the living room ("Really, Ron, I'm impressed, but what happened?"). Fred and George tried to send him to bed and even took his temperature, talking about Brain Fever the whole time and joking about Ron's turning into his mother.

Friday morning, Ron got up before dawn and began to get ready. He worked with his hair for nearly half an hour before fixing it the usual way. He put on his best outfit and went down to breakfast.
"-And he's been up since dawn, hiding in the bathroom." Fred's voice floated up to Ron in the stairway.
"Shhhh"
"Morning, dear. Hungry?" Mrs. Weasley seemed to answer her own question as she pushed a plate of bacon toward him "Your father plans to pick up your friends in a few minutes. After you've had your breakfast." Ron quickly devoured his breakfast with Fred and George watching him in astonishment and Ginny eyeing him suspiciously.
"Well, Son, lets go pick up your friends so I can get to the office." Mr. Weasley reached into the flowerpot and tossed some floo powder into the fire. "Let's go together to save on powder. We're nearly out." They stepped into the fire, flower pot in-hand, and said "Privet Drive."

Harry leapt back as Mr. Weasley and Ron tumbled out of the Dursleys' fireplace. Remembering last summer, the Dursleys had removed the electric fire.
"All packed, Harry?" Mr. Weasley asked in a friendly tone.
"Sure. Ron, would you mind helping me?"
The two of them carried Harry's things downstairs and the three of them used floo powder to return to the Burrow and carried Harry's trunk upstairs.
"Wow, Ron. What happened to your room? It's so clean!" Harry stared around in amazement. Then he noticed the way Ron was dressed. "You expecting the Queen or something? What with your clothes?"
"Nothing. Just felt like wearing something nice." Ron's ears began to glow scarlet. "We still have to get Hermione. You can stay her if you like."
"No. I'll come along. I'm never seen Hermione's house." Harry had always been the last to arrive at the Burrow before.

Hermione sat on the sofa of her living room, waiting. She had been up for a long while. She tried to look her best without being too obvious, but she was really hoping it would be clear to everyone that she was dressed up. She couldn't explain it, but she had been thinking about this visit all summer. Suddenly, Mr. Weasley, Ron, and Harry tumbled out of her fireplace and began to look around.
"Hello, Hermione. Ready to go?" Mr. Weasley smiled at Hermione as if he's just figured something out.
"Um, yeah. My trunk is by the fireplace."
Hermione was watching Ron with great interest, while Harry studied Hermione's living room.
"Well, let's get moving. I have to get into the office."
"Sure, dad."
Mr. Weasley went to first with Hermione's trunk, Harry went next, and Ron and Hermione went last with Crookshanks, Hermione's cat. As they spun in circles, Hermione thought how much less horrible this was with Ron next to her.

They fell out onto the floor at the burrow. Crookshanks hissed and ran up the stairs.
"Well, let's take your stuff upstairs. You'll be staying with Ginny again." Hermione was dusting herself off and could hardly believe she hadn't thought about soot when she picked out her clothes. Harry was eyeing Ron and Hermione closely, trying to see if anything interesting was about to happen. Following the two of them with the trunk, Harry listened to the two of them talk nervously as they climbed the stairs. There were plenty of awkward silences and nervous giggles. Harry was forgotten until they reached Ginny's room.
After dinner, Harry and Ron were invited to play Quidditch with Fred and George, but Ron refused. He said he didn't feel like flying and he wanted to stay at the burrow. Fred glanced at George and both of them began to giggle.
"What's the matter, you'll miss your girlfriend?" Ron was so embarrassed, he cursed George and ran up to his room. Harry followed Ron and tried to talk to him, but Ron was pretending to be asleep.