Chapter Four

While Waiting

Harry and Ron burst out of the classroom. They grasped each other and hopped up and down as Hermione walked out.

"Well that's finally over!" exclaimed Ron.

"No more tests!" replied Harry.

Hermione looked at them with a slight smile on her face and shook her head.

"Oh look, she's gone and got herself all glum now that the exams are over, " Ron teased. "Mental. I can't seem to say it well enough! Why would you want to read about hinkypunks, redcaps and all the 'were' thingies? Honestly how many things can a man be turned into?"

"Well he could be turned into a spider if a BIG enough one bit him!" Harry replied as he made his hands crawl on Ron's head like a spider.

"Knock it off you git! I hate the bloody things and you know it!"

"Seriously Hermione, why so down?" asked Harry.

"Well, it's just that Professor Snape won't give me the required book list for next year and since I've already arranged to purchase the required ones for my other classes, I'd like to have the books for his class as well. He says he doesn't want me to have any unfair advantage."

"You see… mental," Ron said to Harry. "I reckon if you were in Slytherin he would bloody well have given it to you by now!"

The last day of the term came soon enough and all the students had packed their things and were saying their good-byes. They were due at the carriages at 10:00 am, which left them some time to visit Hagrid. Hermione met Ron and Harry by the front doors and the trio walked outside down to Hagrid's hut.

"So it's settled then," said Ron. "I'll come and fetch you after two weeks with the Dursley's and the rest of the summer will be brilliant."

"I wish it was two minutes," said Harry. The Dursley's hadn't been exactly horrible to Harry anymore now that the Order had given them a 'request' that he be taken care of. They didn't treat him like much at all and were content to ignore his existence or spend a lot of time gone. They actually had Dudley doing some of his own chores now and then. Even though she didn't act like it openly, Harry could see in her eyes that she was remotely human. She was after all a blood relation to him, no matter how hard she tried to hide or deny it. Still, he did wish that he had been able to live with Sirius. He still felt the pain of his absence everyday but he now realized that the anger that he had been experiencing should be directed towards the person who's fault it was that he couldn't be with Sirius, or his own parents for that matter. Voldemort was the only one he truly hated and he realized now that those around him loved and supported him. He had his mind made up though and given the chance he would instantly kill Voldemort the moment he got the chance. There was no hesitation in his decision and there would be nothing to stand in his way the instant he got his chance. He would show him no mercy and he would kill him or die trying.

"There yeh be!" Hagrid exclaimed as he opened his door and hugged all three of them. Hermione was sure she felt something pop in her back.

"I knew yeh wouldn'a been off without stoppin' by," Hagrid said. "So I guess tha' yeh be havin' yer things all packed and ready ter go do yeh?"

"Oh yes, we're all packed," said Hermione. "How's Grawp doing?"

"Oh I aint heard of em' in a good while. Last I hears he was traipsing up the mountains round where we found em'. Most o' the folk had taking a likin' to em' and he was gettin' along better with em'," he said. "I do miss the ol brute though!" he said as a tear dripped out of his eye.

"Hagrid, he almost killed you remember?" Hermione said frankly.

"Ahh," Hagrid replied. "He was only playin' Grawp was! Only showin' me how much he loved me yeh know? He don' know his own strength what with his size an' all."

They nodded and laughed as they looked around his crowded hut. There were all kinds of trinkets and baubles around, along with molding sacks of things he must have collected from the forest. Parts of the planks on the floor were burned, as were parts of the walls. Harry remembered the blast-ended skrewts Hagrid had brought them and smiled.

"Well, it won' be long now 'till the lot of yeh can be in the Order more on a full time basis yeh know?" Hagrid said. "I reckon the Death Eaters will be raring ter have another go at yeh Harry."

"I hope so," said Harry still smiling.

They said their goodbyes and made their way back up to the school.

The carriages were waiting for them and the students were all loading up on them. When they arrived at the station Hermione made sure that her compartment was completely full. She didn't know what Draco would try now that they were away from the school.

"So Ron, how did it go with Kiara?" she asked.

"Really well!" he replied. "We will be owling to each other over the summer. You know, speaking of girls, Ginny is single again Harry."

Ron looked over to Harry and started to tease him some more when he saw Harry blush and look down.

"What was that mate!" Ron exclaimed.

Just then Ginny, Neville, and Seamus came in and Harry was spared from an exclamation. Ron had wanted Harry to be with his sister since they became friends. Ginny had always had a thing for Harry, but Hermione thought that Ron had wanted them together even more than Ginny did.

They passed the time playing with the brand new box full of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes that Fred and George had sent Ron on the last day of term. Dumbledore had asked that they not be used during the year and they respected his wishes. Dumbledore himself however got a great deal of amusement out of them and could be heard chuckling to him self and muttering "Fascinating!" as he paced around his office. The Hogwart's Express however, wasn't the school so the joke items were enjoyed by all of them. Harry accidentally ate a dirty diaper flavored Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Bean and almost vomited.

"Oh it can't be that bad mate!" joked Seamus.

"I'd like to see you have a go of it!" choked Harry.

"Fine then, let's see the worst then and who can handle em!" Seamus replied.

The bags were dumped out and the grossest looking ones were passed around. They took turns popping them into their mouths and trying their best to keep conscious.

"It's terrible!" Hermione cried. "It's a Cinema floor!"

"Ah that's a weak one. I can eat loads of them myself," boasted Seamus.

"Your turn then," Hermione said.

Seamus took three particularly disgusting looking beans in his hand. Hermione thought she even saw one squirm. He opened his mouth, popped them in and began to chew.

"Ahhh! It's disgusting!" he screamed as he drooled out a foul smelling greenish liquid. "It's like rotten milk, dumpster goo, and I swear that last one has to be dung! There's even a hint of green apple to it!" he said writhing on the floor.

Ron leaned over holding his breath and opened the window to vent the stench.

"Oh, mine's strawberry!" gushed Ginny.

"Bloody Hell!" Seamus croaked.

Hermione was laughing so hard that tears were coming out of her eyes. She looked up and saw Draco standing in the passageway looking in on her. He stared at her and then turned and walked away. She wondered how long he had been standing there watching them.

The rest of the trip was delightful and they enjoyed each other's company and anticipated seeing their families again. They arrived at the station and saw the Weasley's first. Mr. Weasley said hello and shook Harry's hand and Mrs. Weasley gave Harry a big hug along with some muffins and a basket of goods she had made for him to eat. Mrs. Weasley had always made Harry feel like her own son and he loved her for that. Next, they saw the Grangers and Hermione ran to meet her family. Dudley was there to pick up Harry by himself this year. He had just turned seventeen and had his license to drive so he could. Dudley seemed to have lost a few pounds, but was still on the portly side. Dudley had kept his hands off of Harry ever since the Dementors attacked him. He regarded him the way that one does when they approach a large dog that does not bark at you but simply stares you in the eyes. It was as if he feared Harry would attack him and was half waiting for it in fact. This arrangement suited Harry fine.

"Remember Harry, we'll come to fetch you in two weeks!" yelled Ron.

"I'll be counting the days off so don't be late or I'll pound you!"

"Like to see you try it scarhead! Just remember your quidditch stuff so I can show you a thing or two!"

Draco was watching the whole thing from the roof of the station. His father wouldn't be there to pick him up of course, so he had to wait for his mother who had been in therapy ever since his dad got sent to Azkaban to be done with her session. Although Lucius had broken out, it wouldn't do any good to be seen in public. Draco watched Hermione's parents hugging her and looked at how the Weasley and the Granger families, talked and laughed with each other. Mr. Weasley seemed obsessed with the cars in the lot and mashed his face against the windows of each one. Draco smirked as he saw Harry holding on to the dashboard of a car that screeched out of the parking lot with a fat lad at the wheel. The families parted ways, waving and still laughing. He stared at Hermione and watched as she loaded her stuff in their car. Her parents wrapped their arms around her and kissed her on the head. He kept watching as they drove out of sight.

A/N: Once again thanks to all that reviewed! The next chapter will be up soon, so stay tuned! I will thank reviewers in the next chapter, sorry that I ran out of time right now i just wanted to hurry and get the next chapter out to you guys! Enjoy and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.