A/N: Sorry the 1st chapter was kind of short. Future ones will be

longer.

mad props to Charmingvisions for knowing where I got the title of this fanfict! I'm a total Rent-head. :-P

oh and Doffy99, totally on the same track as you about R.A.B. makes sense doesn't it?

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Some Things You Just Can't Leave Behind

Harry woke early the next morning to the smell of bacon coming from downstairs. He heard heavy footsteps scurrying down the stairs, most likely Dudley's. Harry rubbed his head and tried to remember his dream. He was in Grimmauld Place chatting with, of all people Dumbledore. He seemed happy and was glowing with pride. The two of them were standing in the parlor talking. Someone was cooking in the kitchen nearby and he also heard two people rowing, a man and a woman, about the right recipe. Harry assumed it was Mrs. Weasley and one of her sons but the voice seemed oddly familiar. He couldn't remember much else of his dream aside from that. Harry shrugged and looked around his room. Ron was still sleeping but Hermione was gone.

"WHO THE BLOODY HELL ARE YOU?" A loud voice shouted from downstairs. Harry ran downstairs, wand in hand, prepared to duel any Death Eater. He peered in the kitchen and saw no Death Eaters, just Hermione standing over the stove cooking what seemed to be bacon and Dudley standing not to far away looking like a confused cow.

"Hermione, what are you doing cooking?"

"I thought it'd be a friendly gesture to make to your Aunt and Uncle for letting us sleep here." Said Hermione happily.

"Harry…what…the…hell…is…going…on?" Asked Dudley slowly.

"Dudley this is Hermione, Hermione this is my cousin Dudley. Hermione spent the night."

"She slept here? In your room?" Said Dudley with wide eyes. Harry knew what he was getting at and scoffed.

"Ron was there too." Said Hermione not realizing what she said and how it could be interpreted. Dudley's eyes widened once more.

"That's disgusting, Harry. I knew your lot was mad, I didn't know it was like- -" Harry shook his head.

"Dudley, take you and your fat arse upstairs and stop trying to make something into what it's not." Ordered Harry.

"No, you can't make me."

"I can do magic out of school now, I can make you do anything." Said Harry putting a hand on his wand. Dudley scurried out of the kitchen cursing under his breath. Hermione sighed.

"You at least could've waited until he had some bacon." Said Hermione as she put the plate of bacon on the table. She and Harry sat down at the table.

"As fat as he is, he still won't eat it because you're a witch. He probably thinks you've enchanted it or something. My Aunt and Uncle will think the same." Said Harry digging in. He made a face but tried to hide it quickly. It was like chewing on leather.

"Do you like it? It's my first time trying to cook magically." Chirped Hermione happily. Harry pretended to wipe his mouth as he spit the bacon into his napkin.

"Oh yeah, it's great." Another set of footsteps came down the stairs and Ron entered the kitchen in his dressing gown.

"Was that great big blob of a person your cousin?" Asked Ron as he sat down next to Hermione and grabbed some bacon. Harry nodded. "He's the size of a hippogriff."

"Ron, don't make fun. He probably just has a weight problem." Said Hermione in a very motherly manner.

"Yes and I suppose Harry and Voldemort will go out for a picnic next time they get together. Just have a bit of fun, you know?" Replied Ron sarcastically. Harry couldn't help but laugh. Ron took a bite of Hermione's bacon and spit it out immediately. "Merlin, what did you do to this Hermione? My wand would taste better than this!"

"Fine! Then I'm not cooking for you guys anymore! We'll be living together for Merlin knows how long so you boys can cook for youself!" Hermione grabbed the remainder of the bacon, threw it in the trash, and ran upstairs.

"I hate it when she's mad at me. It was bad enough not talking to her when I was with Lavender." Admitted Ron staring at the now empty kitchen table.

"I hate this place. Let's go to your house. There's nothing for me here anymore. At least there it's more interesting." Said Harry looking at the place he was forced to call his home. It was never his home. He looked at his cupboard and then out the window. He had the chance to leave for good. He owed it to himself to get the hell out of this house as soon as he could. He kept his word to Dumbledore. He came back to his Aunt and Uncle's house and even stayed over night.

"Alright. I'm going to and apologize to Hermione before I start packing. I don't want to start this summer off on a bad note. Especially after what happened last night."

"What happened last night?" Asked Harry curiously. Ron smiled slightly.

"It was nothing. Just something she said." Harry rolled his eyes and the two headed upstairs to collect their things. Hermione wasn't in Harry's room so Ron approached the bathroom door and knocked. "Hermione, come out of there. I want to apologize. Hermione, please, I won't insult your cooking ever again, I swear." There was silence. Ron banged on the door again and heard a woman shriek. The voice was unfamiliar and Ron felt puzzled. "Hermione?" A woman in a pale pink dressing gown opened the door with her hair in tight curlers making her boney face look less attractive than ever. She had some sort of cream all over her face and was bearing a very angry look on her face.

"You're definitely not Hermione!"

"You must be Harry's Aunt!" Said a voice from behind Ron. He turned around and saw Hermione approaching Aunt Petunia with her hand out. "Sorry about Ron, he's a bit of a moron. I'm Hermione Granger." Aunt Petunia merely looked at Hermione's hand as if it was crawling with disgusting maggots. Petunia opened her mouth as if she were to going to say something but simply grunted loudly then went into her bedroom and slammed the door.

"I see you've met my Aunt." Said Harry grinning from the doorway to his room.

"Oh yeah, she's a real bundle of joy, that woman." Said Ron sarcastically.

"Go back your trunks, both of you. We'll be leaving shortly."

"We're leaving already?" Asked Hermione. Harry nodded. "But what about what Dumbledore?"

"I did my time. We stayed, didn't we? He didn't say for how long he wanted me to stay so I used my judgement." Hermione shrugged then headed into Harry's tiny bedroom to get her trunk ready and Ron followed suit and began apologizing to her. Harry looked at his Aunt's bedroom door and did something he had never done in his entire life, he knocked twice on the door and immediately a much more prepared looking Petunia opened the door.

"What do you want?" She asked hastily.

"I'm about to leave with my friends. I just need to ask you something before I go, and you won't ever have to see me again. Do you know anything about where Godric's Hollow is?"

"Whales."

"Where in Whales?"

"I don't know, I'm not a bloody atlas. Is that all?" Harry nodded and with that, Petunia shut the door. Hermione and Ron reentered the hallway with their trunks by their side. "Ready to go?" Harry asked. Both nodded. "Good. Ron, hold on to Hermione's arm as she apperates to your Mum's house seeing as she has her license and you don't.

"You don't either. How are you supposed to do it?" Ron pointed out.

"As long as Hermione's here, they can't tell which one of us is apperating so they just assume that it's Hermione."

"Aren't you going to say goodbye?" Asked Hermione pointing at the door. Harry sighed.

"Er, bye you guys." He called out to no one in particular. Hermione smiled sadly and with a crack they were gone. Harry was never going back to Privet Drive again.

break

Harry smiled as he inhaled the familiar smells of the Burrow. Ron and Hermione were across the room with their trunks. Harry joined them as they charmed their trunks to follow them up the stairs and into their rooms. Harry walked the down the hallway to Fred and George's room, the room he had stayed in the previous summer when he saw a flash of long red hair enter a bedroom. Harry dropped his stuff off and walked across the hall to Ginny's room. He knocked on the already open door and saw Ginny turn around. She smiled and rushed over to hug him. "What are you doing here? I thought you said you'd be back tomorrow."

"Change of plans."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm okay. How about you?"

"I'm okay. I'm counting down the days until the wedding. Less than a week until Fleur finally moves out!" She exclaimed excitedly.

"Is she still bothering you?"

"More than ever. She won't let anyone help out Bill or do anything for him. And I think she's gotten more conceited than ever."

"Deep down she's nice though."

"You think she's hot, don't you?"

"Nah, you're hotter than her." Said Harry without really thinking about the words coming out of his mouth. Ginny chuckled and smiled. And Harry couldn't help but smile back. He shouldn't be enjoying himself around Ginny like this anymore but he couldn't help himself.

"Some ex-boyfriend you are! You're supposed to hate me. You're supposed to loathe me! You may be 'The Chose One' but you fail at break ups." Joked Ginny. Harry burst out laughing. no no no, he thought to himself, stop laughing! This isn't going to work out the way you planned

"Woman, you'll be the death of me." He joked.

"Better me than Voldemort." Said Ginny in a more serious tone. Harry stopped laughing and pulled her into a tight embrace holding her as close as he could to him. He let her go and she smiled faintly at him as he left her room.

He made the right decision…hadn't he?