Chapter 99

Summer at Hermione's

When Hermione and Harry left King's Cross with her parents the next day, they were chatting amiably about what had happened during the last school year, and having laughs with Mr and Mrs. Granger about how their year had been. They decided that they were going to be getting dinner out that night, and had stopped at a fairly nice restaurant after stopping off at home so that Harry and Hermione could grab quick showers and changed into appropriate clothing for dinner that night. They had a fairly nice dinner that had some good conversation and talk about what the Grangers were doing now that they were back in the wizardring world.

"Well Harry, Hermione, we have been working for the Ministry in the department of Mysteries doing research work. There is something that we need to discuss when we get back home later, that might have dire consequences on your school year next year. But not to worry at this time, for we are having a night out and you two look like you might be a bit tired." Mrs. Granger smiled at the two teenagers that she could tell that they were very much in love, and would be together for quite some time to come. She couldn't wait for the next four years to go by, so she could start making the plans for their wedding. Heck, if he had asked her after their fifth year, they probably wouldn't have a problem with letting them get married before their sixth year, or at least before their seventh year. She had already discussed this with her husband, knowing that they had been together for going on three years now, and you couldn't separate them during holidays, and he agreed with her on this. They had decided that they would allow the two of them more freedom in what they wanted to do this summer, and see how well they handled the adult responsibility and freedom. "One thing we would like to discuss with you is that we are going to be gone for a couple of weeks this summer, and we have decided to let you two stay by yourselves at the house this summer. It will only be for two weeks, and we trust you two. We are trying to see how well you two can handle adult responsibility at your age, with both being alone together, and with seeing how you handle it." She smiled at this when she saw both Harry and Hermione look at each other and blush as well as smile.

"So if I get this right Mr and Mrs. Granger, you are going to trust the two of us to be left alone in your house for two weeks this summer while you two are off doing something for either work, or maybe a second honeymoon?" Harry smiled as he thought about those two going off on a vacation by themselves.

"That's right Harry, and you were right with your second option there, we are going on a second honeymoon, now that Hermione is old enough to stay by herself for a couple of weeks with just someone coming in and checking on her once or twice a week. Don't worry, it will be someone from the ministry that you both know. She said that she would be glad to come in and check on you two while we were gone. You two remember Tonks, right, she was the one that you two were with during last summers vacation, her and her husband Charley. Well you two will be glad to know that they are expecting their first baby in a couple of months, and she will be showing quite a bit, considering that she's like seven months along, but don't worry, she's not due until well after we will be getting back. Don't want you two to have to worry about her going into labor while she's checking up on you. Just in case this happens though, the floo network will be opened for you two to get her to St. Mungos and to contact Charley to let him know." They smiled at the two of them as they finished their dinners up.

After dinner they made their way back to the Grangers spacious house in the country, where they were going to be staying for the summer. They were pleasantly surprised to find that they were on a lake and around 400 acres of English countryside. "Wow, I didn't know that you guys had this much acreage Mione. This is a beautiful place." Harry smiled as he said this to the three people that he was with awe.

"Well Harry, I didn't even know about this place, it must be someplace that my parents had either picked up during the last school year, or something that they have been keeping from me." Hermione smiled at her parents with a questioning look.

"Don't worry Hermione, we have been keeping this from you for a good reason. We haven't been able to come here while we were under hiding, and since we have come out of hiding, we have opened up this place as a summer place for the family to use. There is 400 acres and we also own the lake. We have around 30 horses, and riding trails. You will both have to pick a horse that you can ride around, and if they wanted to Harry, your Unicorn and her herd can come and live on this estate, it's big enough for them without them worrying about being around humans. We already have a bunch of different magical creatures that have come to live on the acreage since we opened it back up. We have a herd of Centaurs out in the woods around back, some merfolk in the lake,a flock of Phoenixes have nested in the trees out there also, and the most interesting group that has made a home on the land is a tribe of wood elves that have taken up residence in the 200 acres of woods that you see back there. They come and keep in touch, and we have made friends with them. They are some of the guardians of those woods, and have accepted us for who we are." Mrs. Granger smiled as she had been reminiscing about who and what they were meeting over the last couple of months. She knew that Harry and Hermione were going to love coming here during the summers, and maybe come here to live once they got married. She was hoping that they would get married, even tho she could tell that they were meant for each other.

"That's great mum, I can't believe that there are Elves living on this land. It is so beautiful, and I can't wait to go riding around, and swimming in the lake. Oh Harry, isn't it wonderful, I haven't ridden a horse since I was a little girl, and you will love it." Hermione was sqealing and kissing and hugging Harry as she was looking out over the property.

Harry just held her and watched the countryside as he thought about the Grangers offer about letting Lightning and her herd come to live on their land. He would have to talk to them when he got back to school after this summer vacation. He knew that they felt that they were giving him a good idea, and he was sure that the herd would love to have a wooden area of their own. "Hey look guys, there's Tonks waiting for us at the house entrance. Wow, she must be having twins, look how big she is. Way to go Charley." He smirked as Hermione smacked him on the arm playfully at that remark.

She could see it also that Tonks must have been having twins for she could see the size she was getting to for only being seven months along. "Well let's go and greet her, so that she won't have to come to us. How long before you guys are going on your trip Mum and Dad?"

"We will be leaving in the morning. We asked Tonks to come and get herself settled in and stay with you for a couple of days before we let you on your own. Don't worry, you won't have much to worry about, we understand that you three are friends, and that she would be fine with you two around." She gave her daughter a hug, and they walked to the house and greeted Tonks.

The next couple of days went well with Tonks telling them not to worry, and she wouldn't bother them to much. She did take Hermione aside for a couple of hours one day to have a girl talk, while Charley had come over to have one with Harry. The two teenagers were a bit red when they next saw each other, but they were well informed and smiled at each other.

When Tonks and Charley had left, Harry and Hermione were left on their own, and were sitting down to tea when Harry smiled at her and bent over and kissed her. The kissing got a quite heavy, and they soon found themselves up in their bedroom doing what hormone crazed teenagers who were alone in a big house would do sometimes. The next morning Hermione was sore, but smiling. She and Harry had a nice rest of the summer, agreeing that they would definitely do that again sometime.

A/N: Ok, I hope that you like that chapter. When I said that there would be sex in the upcoming year, I didn't know that it would be that quick, but it seemed to be set up that way. Don't worry, it won't be going above the rating with the way I described it, I hope. Please keep on reading and reviewing. Next chapter we will see what happens at the Burrow during the summer, and it will mark the Half-Way mark of the story. ---Donald