Title: Summer
Summary: Takes place after The Order of the Phoenix. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spend the summer at the Burrow.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or its characters. I write simply for my own and others' enjoyment.
Author's Note: I've written a few Harry Potter fanfics before, but most never got finished or were one shot, fluff fics. After taking a break and writing quite a few CSI fics, I'm back to Harry Potter with a new approach. There will probably be some ship-ness in this fic (Ron/Hermione, Ginny liking Harry, but I don't know about Harry liking Ginny). I don't think I'll actually have any of the characters going out, just minor stuff.
Chapter 1 – Back with the Dursleys
Dear Lupin,
I think your talk with my Aunt and Uncle helped. They are acting less rude and can actually stand me being in the same room with them without having a fit or glaring at me. Most of the time, though, I stay in my room and have been reading my school books. I was over Ms. Figg's the other day; its not as bad going over her house for tea now that I know she's not just some crazy old Muggle. Well, I hope everyone is doing well. I can't wait to see you again, which I hope will be soon!
Best regards,
Harry
"Here Hedwig, take this to Lupin," Harry said, attaching the parchment to her leg and giving her a treat. She cooed softly and then took off.
He watched Hedwig fly off into the distance and then flopped onto his bed. It was a week and four days since he had been at Hogwarts last, but this summer was much better than the last. His Aunt and Uncle stopped being so rude. They didn't yell at him for every little thing that happened. The last time they had yelled at him this summer was when Uncle Vernon came into his room and was accidentally bitten by "The Monster Book of Monsters" that Harry's belt must have slipped off of. Other than that, they really hadn't spoken to him much. Aunt Petunia acknowledged him when he came downstairs for breakfast and bid him 'goodnight' when he would head upstairs in the evening. Harry would do his chores and then take a walk or reread his books for school. After taking his O.W.L.s, Harry realized that he should probably actually do his work so he wouldn't have to copy off of Hermione. Besides that, it kept his mind off of everything else, like Sirius and everything that had happened when they were at the Department of Mysteries.
Now, he store up at the ceiling and just relaxed. Before he wrote the letter to Lupin, he had been out mowing the lawn. It felt good to finally be inside in the cool air-conditioning of his room. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
A few hours later, he woke up to someone pounding on his bedroom door. "Open up!" yelled Harry's Uncle Vernon, "Open your door, there's someone on the telephone for you!"
Harry rubbed his eyes and yawned as he sat up and straighten his now wrinkled shirt. Wait, did he just say someone is on the phone for me? Harry thought, why would anyone I know 'call'?
"Coming," Harry said and he unlocked the door.
"Make it quick, boy; dinner is in five minutes." Uncle Vernon handed him the telephone and left back down the stairs.
"Hello?" Harry asked, putting the phone up to his ear.
"Harry?" the familiar voice sounded far away.
"No Ron, you've got it upside down. There, now talk." Hermione said, speaking to Ron.
"Harry? You there?" Ron asked, now holding the phone correctly.
"Ron! What's going on? Where are you?" Harry asked excitedly.
"I'm over Hermione's. We stopped to pick her up; she's spending the rest of the summer with us."
"Sounds like fun." Harry replied and wondered if they'd be picking him up as well.
Now Hermione spoke, "Mrs. Weasley said to tell you that we'd be picking you up in a few days. I would have sent you a letter by owl, but Ron's dad wanted to see how a telephone works again. You should have seen him when my mum called my aunt a little while ago. He was fascinated."
Harry chuckled at the thought. He heard someone yelling from down the stairs, "Oh, erm, Hermione. I've got to go; if I don't get downstairs in about two seconds Dudley will probably be sent to beat me up for being late to dinner. I'll see you soon."
"Okay, see you Harry."
Before he clicked the phone off, he heard Ron say, "See you soon, Harry!"
He heard Uncle Vernon call his name for the fifth time and make a threat, so he hurried down the stairs and took the last seat remaining at the table.
"Who was on the phone?" Uncle Vernon interrogated.
"Er, Hermione Granger, from school. She said that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would be here to pick me up in a few days, I mean… if I am allowed." He said that quietly, not knowing what reaction he was going to receive.
Uncle Vernon paused for a moment, but then said, "Well they'd better not come through the fireplace or be in some flying car again… nearly destroyed the whole house…" Harry heard his uncle mumbled something else, but he couldn't quite understand it.
Most of the meal was eaten in silence; apparently, none of the Dursleys had anything to talk about, other than Dudley asking if he could spend the night at the Polkisses'. He told them his friend's parents asked for him to stay the other day while he was over there having tea. Of course, Harry knew all of this to be one big, fat lie. Sure, Dudley may have actually gone over his friend's house for tea once, but he doubted he was going there to spend the night. He pictured Dudley and his gang wandering the streets at night, vandalizing the park down the block or knocking over garbage cans into the street. Still, Harry didn't mind not having Dudley around; even if it meant he would be locked up in his room or sent off to Mrs. Figg's.
Harry also didn't mind being on Aunt Petunia's diet anymore. He made sure that before he got off the Hogwarts' Express, he loaded his trunks, pockets, and any other open space full of sweets and treats. And now, after five years at Hogwarts, he had quite a large collection of chocolate frog wizard's cards and it was still growing. Harry sat through dinner and gnawed on some carrots and celery; it made him feel rather like a rabbit. The only think he drank was a cool glass of milk, but he had some sugar-free juice upstairs that Hermione had sent him. It was hidden in his bottom drawer, underneath his schoolbooks which he knew none of the Dursleys would dare to touch. Finally, after an hour of sitting at the table and then a half and hour of cleaning the dishes, he was allowed to excuse himself and got back up to his bedroom.
Now he was free to wonder where the Weasleys would be taking him once they picked him up. If he was going to spend the rest of the summer at the Burrow he wouldn't mind, but he didn't really fancy staying at Grimmauld Place. Everything there would just remind him of his late Godfather. Harry remembered Christmas last year; Sirius was walking about, humming 'God rest ye merry Hippogriffs…' and helping them clean and decorate the dark and dreary house. No, Harry knew he would never be able to bear going there again, not now. And if he ever saw Kreacher again, no matter what Hermione said or did, he would kill the house elf right then and there.
For some hours, Harry let him mind go over past memories and he wondered what things would be like now if he hadn't made the mistakes he had during the last school year. He eventually came to think of his O.W.L.s and he became a bit worried about it, even though he really hadn't been before. Eventually, his mind started to get sore and he could no longer keep his eyes open. He let them close and then finally he drifted off to sleep.
… "Wake up!" his aunt called from down the hallway; she was banging on the wall as well. "You had better get up before I come in there!"
Harry lifted his head up and rubbed his eyes, but apparently, he didn't get up quick enough. In a few seconds, his cousin Dudley was in there and approaching the bed swiftly.
"Mum says you had better get up and outside…now!"
"Well why are you standing there, then? Did she send you in here to make me get up… that's a joke, isn't it?" Harry said, pulling the covers off of him and putting his glasses on.
"Don't you make fun of me!" Dudley said as a lame come-back.
Harry just rolled his eyes.
"What was that look for?" Dudley asked, "You think your some big shot now that those freaks you know scared mum and dad; I know what's going on!"
"Do you really?" Harry replied, "I'm sure you know all about me and my freaky friends, or maybe you want to know them? I can introduce you to them if you'd like… they are coming to pick me up in a few days."
Dudley looked scared. He must have been remembering the last time the Weasleys had come to pick Harry up. Not only had Ron's family destroyed the Dursleys' living room, but Fred and George had also caused Dudley's tongue to grow five feet in a mere five seconds. Dudley just scowled and left the room.
"You'd better get downstairs, you freak!" he called from out in the upstairs hall. Harry heard his humongous feet plod down the stairs and figured it was alright to come out and finally head down there himself.
He sat down at the table and looked at his plate. All that was on it was one sausage, some orange pieces, and a slice of un-buttered Rye toast. He shrugged and then ate the food on his plate in less than two minutes. Noticing that the others had also eaten their meal just as quick, he drank him tiny glass of milk and then took his plate over to the sink and cleaned it up.
"Dudders, are you going out with your buddies today?" Harry's Aunt Petunia asked Dudley.
"Devon invited me over; we're going to help his new neighbors move some boxes." Dudley said sweetly.
"Oh, that's so generous of you and your friends. Do you know if they have any children, maybe you could introduce yourselves."
Harry though, I feel sorry for any kid who runs into Ickle Duddlekins and his gang of lunch money stealing bullies.
Harry got a washcloth and started wiping off the counters. He was nearly done when turned around and heard a smash from behind him. When he had turned around, his elbow had accidentally knocked an empty mug off the countertop.
"What the hell is going on?" Uncle Vernon whipped his head around and Harry was already down on the floor, picking up the broken pieces. "You boy! That mug had sentimental value; that was Aunt Marge's favorite mug…"
"Sorry Uncle Vernon," Harry said quickly, "It was an accident; I'll make sure it gets cleaned up."
"Yeah, I bet it was just an accident. Just for that, you can head outside and water the plants. Once you're done that, you can sweep the walkway and clean off the chairs out there. I don't want to see you back in this house until it's time for dinner."
Harry sighed and finished cleaning up the broken mug; he hoped he'd gotten all the pieces up off the floor. Then, he headed outside and took his time in doing his chores. Occasionally, he would peer over the fence and see if there was anything going on over the neighbor's houses or if anyone interesting drove by, but of course, nothing interesting ever went on in Privet Drive. Last year when the Dementors attacked was the only interesting event that had ever taken place here since Harry had to come live here anyway. He cleaned the furniture and his chores were done, so he slumped down into one of the white chairs and rested underneath the shade of the dark blue umbrella.
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Two days later, Harry had nothing to do. It was one o'clock in the afternoon and he sat him his room, bored out of his mind. Unlike the past few days, the weather was cool and he let his window open so the soft breeze could come through. It was silent; Dudley was out again over one of his friends' houses and his Aunt and Uncle were outside; Uncle Vernon was reading some magazine and Aunt Petunia was planting flowers in her garden. However, this relaxing silence was interrupted when Harry heard the roaring of a car engine coming down the road. It didn't seem familiar; Harry could tell when the neighbors came home or left and was used to just ignoring it. Now though, he jumped up and peered out his window.
"Ron!" he yelled, not caring that his Uncle probably heard him.
Harry put on his shoes and raced down the stairs to open the door. Not surprised, he noticed that his aunt and uncle had heard him and were now at the door. They opened it and the Weasleys and Hermione came into the parlor.
"Hello, we're here to pick up Harry," Mr. Weasley said.
"Yes, yes, we know…"
"I'll go get my things," Harry said excitedly and he ran back up the stairs.
As quickly as possible, he threw his clothes and books into the suitcase. Luckily, he noticed that Hedwig was finally back. He let her into the case and then grabbed his wand and hurried back down the stairs.
"Good, we'll be leaving now. Traveling by car means it will take longer to get back, so it's best we be on our way as quickly as possible," Mr. Weasley said.
Harry turned around, "See you next summer, then." He told his aunt and uncle.
They said nothing in return and this time, Mr. Weasley didn't even try to get them to say good-bye to Harry. All he said was 'good-day' and then everyone left the Dursleys' house.
Harry was glad to finally be rid of the Dursleys for the rest of the summer.
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Author's Note: End of Chapter 1. I don't really have the plot developed yet… so I'm not sure what's going to happen, but I hope you continue to read and like it. I'll think of something interesting… There will be some stuff on Percy… Fred and George… the Order and the Wizard War and Azkaban (the Death Eaters and stuff about Dementors).
I hope you liked this chapter, even though nothing really exciting happened yet. Please review and tell me what you think of it. D
