Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter.

A/N: Her everyone. I'd like to thank everyone who's reviewed! Your all awesome!

Chapter 5: Hermione's Answer

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all steped off the Night Bus and walked up the path towards Number 4 Private Drive. Harry had been worrying the whole way there what his aunt and uncle would think of him bringing his friends from Hogwart's to their house. He knew they would not be pleased. They didn't like anything out of the ordinary just incase the neighbors found out. And Harry and his friends were definitly "out of the ordinary" as they were witches and wizards. He only hoped that his family wouldn't be too harsh to Hermione and Ron. Especially Hermione. He really cared for her. But He still hadn't got an answer from her yet. But what did he expect? It had only been less than a day since she told him she needed a couple of days. He just hoped he wouldn't have to wait too much longer.

"Ok here we are. Now I'm warning you. My aunt will probably make some disgusted face, and my uncle will most definitly say some critizing comment. Just so your prepared." warned Harry.

"Harry I'm sure it wont be that bad. They can't possibly be that rude to guests." replyed Hermione. Though rather nervously.

"You don't know my aunt and uncle Hermione." said Harry giving her a georgeous smile. She blushed madly and quickly looked away before he would notice. But it was too late, he had noticed. He smiled at himself. Maybe she's starting to get feeling towards me. I hope she does.

Ron coughed loudly and said "Ok well we should ring the door bell now."

"Oh right." Harry took one last sigh and pushed the little black button signaling the bell inside the house. His uncle came to the door in a huff.

"Get in here boy. You know you don't need to ring the..." he stopped in mid sentance at the sight of Ron and Hermione. He looked down and saw that they too had luggage with them. He glared and holllered to Aunt Petuia.

"Hey snookums, look what the cat dragged in." he turned back to Harry. Harry glared at him. "I don't remember you asking permission to bring this lot into our house."

"We're only here for three weeks until my birthday and we're gone for good." said Harry through clenched teeth.

"Then your gone for good? You better be. Three weeks and then your to never show your ungrateful little face around here ever again. You got that?"

"Yes."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the house.

"I'm Hermione Granger and this is Ron Weasley. I think you already met him once though." said Hermione with a smile extending her hand. Uncle Vernon didn't take it.

"Take your things up stairs. Your all in your room. Dinners and seven. So get out of my face until then and go do what ever you want until then just don't touch anything." said Uncle Vernon.

They all walked up the stairs and Harry led them to his room.

"Well I'll just make up some cots for me and Ron then." said Hermione avoiding what just happened downstairs. She waved up wand and two cots appeard beside Harry's bed.

"I'm sorry about him. It wont be that bad. We'll just see them at breakfast, lunch and dinner." said Harry sadly.

Hermione sat down on his bed and said " Oh Harry, I didn't realize how bad it was for you here. I'm so sorry."

Harry walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. "Don't be Hermione. It's not your fault that Voldemort killed my parents and I got landed with them. I've only got three more weeks and I'll never have to see them again." he said soothingly. Hermione blushed at his embrace.

"So..." said Ron loudly to get there attention. They both blushed and quickly jumped away from each other. "so what do you want to do Harry. Maybe you can show us around."

"Oh yah of course. Why don't we go for a walk."

They walked out of the room, down the stairs and headed for the door.

"Where do you think your going?" asked Aunt Petunia.

"Uh, just for a walk around the neighborhood." answered Harry.

"I don't think so. Our neighbors see those two with you and we'll be getting all kinds of questions."

"Oh thats alright. If you like I can help you with dinner. Just let me get my wand." Hermione apparated with a loud crack. Aunt Petunia screamed. Harry and Ron looked at each other bewildered.

"Where did she go?" Hermione reappeard right beside her with another loud crack. Aunt Petunia screamed.

"Here we go. What are you making for dinner?"

"Um, p-p-pork chops, but I have to go to the store and get some first." Aunt Petunia replyed.

"Oh there's no need for that!" and with a wave of her wand a plate of porkchops suddenly appeared in her hands. Aunt Petunia shriecked and said "Your not allowed to do magic outside of school."

"Oh but Ron and I are allowed. See we're seventeen now. Which means we're of age, so we can do magic all the time now. How wonderful it that!" Aunt Petunia's eyes widened.

"On second thought why don't you go for your walk or whatever you want to do." she said with a fake smile.

"We'll do that then." smiled Hermione.

After they had walked out the door Ron said to Hermione, "Wow good job Hermione."

"Yah now they know that you too can do magic and they'll be too scared to stop us from anything." said Harry.

"Oh it was nothing. I just remember you saying how scared they were of magic, so I figured I'd use some in front of her, and make sure she knew that Ron and I are allowed to use it and that would be that!" said Hermione rather excited.

"How bout we go to that playground at the end of the road there? That's were I spent all my time after 4th year when I was frustrated from the lack of news." he said.

"Sure" said Ron.

They walked over to the swings and sat down. As they were swaying on the swings Harry saw Dudley and his gang come towards them.

"The big fat pig in the front is my cousin Dudley." said Harry.

"Well look who it is guys. My favorite punching bag. Good I've been needing to practice today too!" said Dudley. His friends all laughed. He punched Harry hard and he fell off the swings. Harry fell with a loud thud. Hermione jumped up and pointed her wand at Dudley.

"You hurt him one more time and I swear I will hurt you so much worse then you could ever hurt him!" growled Hermione.

"Look Big D, she's pointing a stick at you. Yah little girl, like a stick could ever hurt Big D here!" laughed one of Dudley's friends.

Hermione turned to him, waved her wand, and he was thrown back into the air and landed hard on the ground about twenty feet away. Everyone looked at Hermione now scared.

"What in the world are you?" asked one of them.

"I'm a witch and they're both wizards so if you all don't clear off now and if you breathe a word of this to anyone you all will be hurt far worse than that idiot over there. And you," she yelled at Dudley, "If you say one word of this to your parents I swear you will be very sorry."

"Wow Hermione you really showed them!" said Ron happily as Dudley and his gang ran away.

But Hermione didn't hear a word of what he said as she was running over to Harry. "Harry are you alright?"

"Yah I'm fine." he said.

"No your not, your bleeding and you have a black eye." she said.

"Yah I guess your right. Can you fix it?" he asked.

"I can fix your nose, but all I can do for your eye is make the pain go away. You'll still have the bruise." she waved her wand and his nose went back to its original shape, but the black eye stayed.

"Thanks" he said.

That night Harry couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking of how Hermione had jumped to his aid. It made him love her even more. He kept tossing and turning in bed all night.

"Harry, are you alright?" said a voice from one of the bed's beside him. He looked up.

"Yah, I just can't sleep. Did I wake you Hermione?" asked Harry through Ron's snores.

"No, I can't sleep either." she hesitated and then said, "I've been thinking. About what you told me. And I've decided that," Ron grunted loudly from the bed next to them. "Can we talk about this downstairs? I know he's sleeping, but just incase he wakes up."

"All right." said Harry. They both got up and walked down to a desirted kitchen.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked at Harry. "We can't tell Ron." she said.

"What? I don't get what you mean." said Harry.

"Our relationship. I don't want to tell Ron about it yet. I don't know how he'll feel about us, and I don't want anything to ruin it."

Harry smiled at her and walked towards her and sweeped her into a hug. "So I guess that's a yes?" she laughed.

"Yah, of course it is. I mean, I feel the same way about Ron!" he pulled away and smiled at her. "I love you Hermione."

"I know you do Harry. I love you too." Harry kissed her softly on the cheek.

"I want to take things slow though. You know, one thing at a time. We're leaving here this weekend for Godric's Hollow. So on Monday would you like to accompany me on a date? Ron's going to be looking for a job at the ministry, so he'll never know." said Harry.

Hermione smiled warmly. "I would love to Harry"

They both walked hand in hand together back upstairs. They said goodnight to each other, and they both slept very well. Both dreaming about nothing else but each other.