Every day whilst he had been at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry had been in
Diagon Alley, looking at all the window displays containing a range of
wonderfully unique magical novelty items. In one shop, he saw a Wand
Enhancer Kit just like the one Hermione had bought him. Harry's mouth fell
open when he saw the price, it was fifty galleons. Harry vowed to pay her
back most if not all of the money she had spent on him. Harry had to admit,
he was flattered that she would spend so much on him.
About six days before the end of the holidays, Harry was, as usual, wandering around the wizard shopping heaven, but that day was much better than the previous ones...
Walking along the cobbled street, Harry passed a fashion shop, and glancing at the quidditch robes in the window he saw a familiar person. He entered the store and leaned against a back wall.
Grinning, Harry said, "You know Ginny, that dress really goes well with your eyes." "Harry!" said Ginny beaming, spinning round to face him, "How are you?" "Not bad, thanks. Yourself?" "I'm great thanks! I – I didn't know you were in London!" "Yeah, I've been staying in the Leaky Cauldron for nearly two weeks now. How is everyone?" "We're all fine thank you... I'll have to tell Ron that you're up here!" "Is he about?" "No, he's at home ill. I got here via Floo Powder." "Ah, ok. Well listen, tell him to get well soon for me will you? And say hi to your family if you don't mind." "Will do, replied Ginny, still beaming at Harry. "Cheers. Well, I suppose I'll see you at school then." "Yeah, ok. Bye Harry," she said waving. "See you Ginny," he said, turning away to exit the store.
As Harry exited the fashion shop he had to almost dive out of the way of a massive group of kids a few years younger than Harry. He followed one child's eyes and saw a sight that made Harry's jaw drop...
He sprinted ahead of the group of kids and stopped at the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. His breath steamed up the glass as he stared with an amazed expression on his face.
There, in the window display was the latest broomstick available. The tag beneath it said,
RELEASED TODAY
Vol La Phénix
(Phoenix's Flight)
This beautifully crafted French broomstick offers stability, on average
twice more than previous model – The Firebolt - even on the windiest of days. Reach speeds of up to one-hundred and twenty miles an hour in twenty
seconds. This broom is recommended only for the very experienced rider.
ONLY ONE-HUNDRED GALLEONS FOR THE FIRST BUYER OF THE DAY!
Harry slowly stepped away from the glass, realising he was drooling. He read and re-read the last sentence over and over, before delving into his pocket and retrieving two fifty galleon notes. He ran to the door and entered the shop. To Harry's horror, a boy was already standing at the counter, a blonde haired boy, about Harry's age and build. It was Draco Malfoy.
Draco, seeing the horrified look on Harry's face smirked and simply said,
"Finders keepers, losers weepers!" Harry couldn't argue, Malfoy got there first. Damn, Harry thought, he couldn't afford a but instead of walking out of the shop he looked at the other items for sale.
"That'll be one hundred galleons then please," Harry heard the shop attendant say.
"But of course," Malfoy drawled, "here you go." Malfoy handed over some notes.
Harry gave one last look at the broomstick with a huge, disappointed sigh, and began to walk out.
"Excuse sir, but I, err... You're twenty galleons short..." Harry's heart leapt, Malfoy wasn't getting the broom!
"FATHER!!!" Malfoy shouted, "You idiot!" And with that, he stormed out of the shop, frowning furiously at Harry. Harry grinned back at him.
"One Vol La Phénix please!" Harry said immediately.
Harry walked out of the shop and broke into a run, clutching his new pride and joy. Back at The Leaky Cauldron, Harry examined every angle of his broom for about half an hour, locked it in his trunk and made his way back to Diagon Alley.
Harry spent his whole day there, only to return to his room at three o'clock, when most shops began to close. He was about ten yards away from the brick wall back to the Leaky Cauldron when a he heard a voice shouting his name from far behind him. He looked back, and saw a brown haired head bobbing up and down in the crowd, getting ever closer to him. "Harry! Harry, wait up!" It was Hermione. Harry's stomach flipped over. She was sprinting straight at him, when she dove on top of him pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Oh, Harry! It's so good to see you! How are you?" she squealed with a massive smile on her face, still hugging him like a friend she hadn't seen in years.
It was strange, Harry couldn't answer straight away. He had what felt like a large lump in his throat, which had suddenly arrived as he saw who it was calling his name. He silently cleared his throat, beamed back at her and replied,
"I'm fine, how are you? Man, it's great to see you!"
"I'm fine thanks! So, what are you up to?"
"Actually, I was just on my way back to the Leaky Cauldron, do you want to come?"
"I'd love to!" said Hermione, and they walked through the brick wall to the restaurant part of the pub. Harry bought Hermione dinner, as his own was already paid for. Over their meals, they talked about their holidays so far, and Harry found out that Hermione's dad was out of hospital, and he and Hermione's mum had gone away for the rest of the holidays, leaving Hermione to find a suitable hotel in Diagon Alley.
"The only problem is Harry, all the other hotels are far too expensive, and the Leaky Cauldron is fully booked! So my parents will have to come home!" Hermione said exasperatedly.
"Hey, I know! If I asked the Landlord here - well assuming you wanted to of course – maybe he'd let you..." Harry trailed off.
"Let me what?" asked Hermione. Harry blushed slightly.
"Well you could, sort of, you know... If you wanted to, you could stay in my room..." Hermione giggled.
"Oh Harry, that's really sweet of you, but I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Honestly, I don't mind! You could!" said Harry in a voice that he thought sounded a bit over enthusiastic. Now it was Hermione's turn to blush.
"Oh... I don't know, I've never slept in a room with a boy before..."
"You won't know I'm there! I'll sleep on the floor!"
"Well if you're sure," said Hermione, as Harry nodded enthusiastically, "as long as you let me pay half!"
"Sure thing, Mione. Can I call you that?"
"Call me whatever you want, Harry," Hermione replied with a hint of seductiveness in her voice.
Hours later, after looking at Harry's broom once more and watching muggle television, Harry and Hermione got ready for bed. As Harry emerged from the bathroom after brushing his teeth, he saw Hermione sitting on the edge of her bed looking up at him. She stood up, and pulled him towards her. Harry had that lump in his throat again, but much bigger this time. She looked at him seductively and pulled him into a short passionate kiss. When she pulled away, she said,
"Thank you Harry." Harry cleared the lump again.
"For what?"
Hermione got into bed and flicked off the lamp on her bedside table.
"For everything."
About six days before the end of the holidays, Harry was, as usual, wandering around the wizard shopping heaven, but that day was much better than the previous ones...
Walking along the cobbled street, Harry passed a fashion shop, and glancing at the quidditch robes in the window he saw a familiar person. He entered the store and leaned against a back wall.
Grinning, Harry said, "You know Ginny, that dress really goes well with your eyes." "Harry!" said Ginny beaming, spinning round to face him, "How are you?" "Not bad, thanks. Yourself?" "I'm great thanks! I – I didn't know you were in London!" "Yeah, I've been staying in the Leaky Cauldron for nearly two weeks now. How is everyone?" "We're all fine thank you... I'll have to tell Ron that you're up here!" "Is he about?" "No, he's at home ill. I got here via Floo Powder." "Ah, ok. Well listen, tell him to get well soon for me will you? And say hi to your family if you don't mind." "Will do, replied Ginny, still beaming at Harry. "Cheers. Well, I suppose I'll see you at school then." "Yeah, ok. Bye Harry," she said waving. "See you Ginny," he said, turning away to exit the store.
As Harry exited the fashion shop he had to almost dive out of the way of a massive group of kids a few years younger than Harry. He followed one child's eyes and saw a sight that made Harry's jaw drop...
He sprinted ahead of the group of kids and stopped at the window of Quality Quidditch Supplies. His breath steamed up the glass as he stared with an amazed expression on his face.
There, in the window display was the latest broomstick available. The tag beneath it said,
RELEASED TODAY
Vol La Phénix
(Phoenix's Flight)
This beautifully crafted French broomstick offers stability, on average
twice more than previous model – The Firebolt - even on the windiest of days. Reach speeds of up to one-hundred and twenty miles an hour in twenty
seconds. This broom is recommended only for the very experienced rider.
ONLY ONE-HUNDRED GALLEONS FOR THE FIRST BUYER OF THE DAY!
Harry slowly stepped away from the glass, realising he was drooling. He read and re-read the last sentence over and over, before delving into his pocket and retrieving two fifty galleon notes. He ran to the door and entered the shop. To Harry's horror, a boy was already standing at the counter, a blonde haired boy, about Harry's age and build. It was Draco Malfoy.
Draco, seeing the horrified look on Harry's face smirked and simply said,
"Finders keepers, losers weepers!" Harry couldn't argue, Malfoy got there first. Damn, Harry thought, he couldn't afford a but instead of walking out of the shop he looked at the other items for sale.
"That'll be one hundred galleons then please," Harry heard the shop attendant say.
"But of course," Malfoy drawled, "here you go." Malfoy handed over some notes.
Harry gave one last look at the broomstick with a huge, disappointed sigh, and began to walk out.
"Excuse sir, but I, err... You're twenty galleons short..." Harry's heart leapt, Malfoy wasn't getting the broom!
"FATHER!!!" Malfoy shouted, "You idiot!" And with that, he stormed out of the shop, frowning furiously at Harry. Harry grinned back at him.
"One Vol La Phénix please!" Harry said immediately.
Harry walked out of the shop and broke into a run, clutching his new pride and joy. Back at The Leaky Cauldron, Harry examined every angle of his broom for about half an hour, locked it in his trunk and made his way back to Diagon Alley.
Harry spent his whole day there, only to return to his room at three o'clock, when most shops began to close. He was about ten yards away from the brick wall back to the Leaky Cauldron when a he heard a voice shouting his name from far behind him. He looked back, and saw a brown haired head bobbing up and down in the crowd, getting ever closer to him. "Harry! Harry, wait up!" It was Hermione. Harry's stomach flipped over. She was sprinting straight at him, when she dove on top of him pulling him into a tight embrace.
"Oh, Harry! It's so good to see you! How are you?" she squealed with a massive smile on her face, still hugging him like a friend she hadn't seen in years.
It was strange, Harry couldn't answer straight away. He had what felt like a large lump in his throat, which had suddenly arrived as he saw who it was calling his name. He silently cleared his throat, beamed back at her and replied,
"I'm fine, how are you? Man, it's great to see you!"
"I'm fine thanks! So, what are you up to?"
"Actually, I was just on my way back to the Leaky Cauldron, do you want to come?"
"I'd love to!" said Hermione, and they walked through the brick wall to the restaurant part of the pub. Harry bought Hermione dinner, as his own was already paid for. Over their meals, they talked about their holidays so far, and Harry found out that Hermione's dad was out of hospital, and he and Hermione's mum had gone away for the rest of the holidays, leaving Hermione to find a suitable hotel in Diagon Alley.
"The only problem is Harry, all the other hotels are far too expensive, and the Leaky Cauldron is fully booked! So my parents will have to come home!" Hermione said exasperatedly.
"Hey, I know! If I asked the Landlord here - well assuming you wanted to of course – maybe he'd let you..." Harry trailed off.
"Let me what?" asked Hermione. Harry blushed slightly.
"Well you could, sort of, you know... If you wanted to, you could stay in my room..." Hermione giggled.
"Oh Harry, that's really sweet of you, but I wouldn't want to intrude."
"Honestly, I don't mind! You could!" said Harry in a voice that he thought sounded a bit over enthusiastic. Now it was Hermione's turn to blush.
"Oh... I don't know, I've never slept in a room with a boy before..."
"You won't know I'm there! I'll sleep on the floor!"
"Well if you're sure," said Hermione, as Harry nodded enthusiastically, "as long as you let me pay half!"
"Sure thing, Mione. Can I call you that?"
"Call me whatever you want, Harry," Hermione replied with a hint of seductiveness in her voice.
Hours later, after looking at Harry's broom once more and watching muggle television, Harry and Hermione got ready for bed. As Harry emerged from the bathroom after brushing his teeth, he saw Hermione sitting on the edge of her bed looking up at him. She stood up, and pulled him towards her. Harry had that lump in his throat again, but much bigger this time. She looked at him seductively and pulled him into a short passionate kiss. When she pulled away, she said,
"Thank you Harry." Harry cleared the lump again.
"For what?"
Hermione got into bed and flicked off the lamp on her bedside table.
"For everything."