Disclaimer: I don't own, it's all 'cause of Mrs. Rowling!
Summer '96
Chapter 3
Two days later, a tapping on his window broke Harry's concentration as he attempted to close his mind before going to bed. Just last night he had decided to take up Occlumency again; he just couldn't stand to think that Voldemort was lurking somewhere inside of him, looking for weaknesses....
"Hedwig," Harry sighed, relieved at the sight of the owl perched outside his window and, of course, at the letter she was carrying. He opened the window to let her in, and then took the letter before she flew over to her cage for a sip of water.
Harry-
Sorry it took me so long to respond, I just couldn't think of any ideas at first. I've made plans with Fred and George to visit their joke shop tomorrow with Hermione. They said we could use the fireplace there to get to that Figg lady's house in your neighborhood. She's supposed to be with the Order tomorrow for a meeting so everything should be good to go. Just meet us in front of her house around noon. I hope you don't mind me telling Fred and George, but I had to in order to form a solid plan. Can't wait to talk to you tomorrow (this cryptic letter crap is getting on my nerves).
Till then,
Ron
Harry couldn't believe the relief and excitement that flooded through him as he finished reading Ron's reply. He needed to see his friends; for almost three weeks now he had been left alone with a guilty conscience and endless nightmares. He wondered suddenly how his friends would take to his recent idea. "Guess I'll find out tomorrow...."
Harry woke early the next morning, just as a pale light was forming on the horizon to the east. The neighborhood was silent and still and a soft mist hung low in the air.
He got dressed quickly, even though he knew that he had a lot of time to spare before noon rolled around. Then, moving onto the upstairs landing silently so as not to wake his aunt and uncle, he headed downstairs into the empty kitchen.
Grabbing a quick piece of toast, he left Number 4 and made his way towards the park. No one would care if he wasn't around when they woke up ... he was sure of that. He hardly ever talked to the Dursleys anymore and had started avoiding them at all costs.
Once he reached the park, he plopped down in one of the swings and amused himself for a while by slowly digging shapes and holes in the sand with the toe of his shoe. Time seemed to snail by, but pretty soon he began to see signs of life; people walking their dogs and children playing in their front yards before it got too hot.
As it got closer to noon, Harry began the short walk to Mrs. Figg's house where he sat down on her porch to wait. Before long, the front door opened behind him. Harry had barely enough time to feel a jolt of surprise before Hermione practically smothered him with a hug.
"Er, Hermione," Harry gasped, "I'm really glad to see you and everything, but it's only been three weeks, you can calm down now."
"Right, sorry," said Hermione breathlessly. "I'm just glad to see you again."
"That goes for me too," said a voice from the doorway. As Hermione moved to sit next to Harry, he was able to see his other best friend, whose freckled face carried a wide smile.
"You don't mind if I don't hug you, do you?" Ron asked.
"Nah, I think I'll be alright," Harry replied with a grin. "It's great to see you guys. I've been miserable so far this summer. We should probably walk somewhere else though, or the neighbors will start to get suspicious."
They agreed, and Harry led them down the street towards one of his usual hideouts. This one was an area behind the park secluded by a number of trees and a few of those enormous, ornamental rocks. On the way, Ron and Hermione updated Harry on everything going on with them. Ron said there didn't seem to be anything new going on with the Order lately. Of course, he wouldn't really know because, so far, he'd been spending the summer at The Burrow and his parents wouldn't tell him or Ginny anything that went on in the meetings.
Fred and George now had their own place above the joke shop which was obviously doing well. Even Hermione admitted their products to be amazing, although slightly dangerous.
"And Fred and George said to say hello," Ron told Harry. "They've sent some products with me to give to you. I know there's some Canary Creams and at least four packages of their Skiving Snackboxes." He took a bag out of the book bag that Hermione had brought along and handed it to Harry.
"Great. I'll have to thank them later," he said.
They reached the shade of the trees and sat down on a couple good sized rocks. Hermione passed out some sandwiches for lunch and immediately, it seemed, asked Harry about what he had meant in the letter he'd sent to Ron.
"Well," Harry began, "I meant that we should go on a vacation ... get away from all the drama for a while. I know it seems reckless," he added quickly, after seeing the look on Hermione's face. "I mean, we're in a war and the most powerful wizard in the world, apart from Dumbledore, wants me dead. But that's just it; I need to be able to not worry for a while ... we all do. Our lives have been turned upside over the past couple of years. I just want to take a break and bring some sense of normality back into my life."
Neither Ron nor Hermione said anything for a moment. Harry was trying desperately to decipher the expressions on their faces. Hermione seemed to be deep in thought for a minute before she suddenly looked up at him and said, "You're right."
Both Harry and Ron looked at her in awe. Was this really Hermione?
"I know I wouldn't usually agree right away to something like this, especially when it's such a dangerous time to do it," she said, "but that night in the Ministry of Magic made me realize something ... we could die during this war. Personally, I don't want to die until I've lived a little more first. I'm in Harry."
A grateful smile crept over Harry's face and both he and Hermione turned to Ron for his answer. He looked at them both, then, with a smile, said, "Where to?"
A/N- Okay, how was it??? If you've read it, please review! Just a hint, I like them.
Oh yeah! And I still need ideas for a vacation location!
