Disclaimer- Just like Phoebe Buffet's shoes would say, "Not mine, not mine."

Author's Note- It's been a long time since I last updated, I know, and I'm sorry to anyone who has wanted to read this. I just had to figure out exactly where I was going to go with this, and even if I was going to continue at all. So to anyone who is still out there, thanks and I hope you enjoy.

Summer '96

Chapter 5

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" shouted Ron once he had gotten up from the cool pavement of the ally they had landed in.

"Ron, shhh," hissed Hermione, "Really, you'll wake everyone up! It's late last night here!"

Ron looked positively livid; he was glaring at his little sister in a way that would probably surprise even Snape.

I heard you talking with Fred and George, and I decided to come," Ginny said simply.

"You're not supposed to be here," replied Ron venomously.

"Like I don't deserve a break too?" Ginny said, her anger flaring up, "I was in the Ministry too! I could've died too! I think I deserve a break just as much as you do, Ron!"

Harry was doing some serious thinking. No, Ginny was not supposed to be here … it wasn't part of the plan. Then again, at least this way they wouldn't run the risk of Ginny telling anyone about their trip out of the country. Not to mention, it would be impossible to send her back without having to go back themselves.

Hermione seemed to be thinking along these lines too, for at the moment when Ron was about to start yelling again, she said, "Look, Ron, it's not like there's anyway we can send her back. Let's just check into our hotel and we can talk more there. Now is not the time or place."

Ron stood there for a moment, his glaring eyes never leaving Ginny's satisfied face, and then he finally said harshly, "Fine."

So Hermione led them down the ally, and across a street, to a massive and beautiful hotel where a sign labeled, Lion Square, shown brightly in the darkness of the night.

"Well that's appropriate," said Harry, wanting to break the rather awkward silence that had fallen over them, "seeing as we're all Gryffindors."

Hermione smiled and said, "Yeah, I thought you'd like that."

They entered the near deserted lobby, and Harry couldn't help but laugh at the expressions on Ron and Ginny's faces. Their anger seemed to be replaced with astonishment as they saw some of the many things that made the muggle world go round; vending machines, a computer, and a television. Hermione just rolled her eyes and walked up to the desk to check them all in.

Ron stood watching a soccer game that was playing on the TV. above the desk. As Hermione returned to the group, he said, "I think I finally understand Dean."

They followed Hermione into an elevator across the lobby where Ron looked slightly puzzled for a moment as the doors closed and Hermione pressed one of the buttons on the panel nearby. As the elevator began to move, Ginny gripped the railing as if for dear life and Ron looked like he was going to do a repeat of the slug-vomiting incident in second year.

"Oh come on," said Hermione after they had arrived at their floor and were now heading down a narrow hallway, "You've been in lifts before, and you fly on broomsticks fifty feet in the air, and you can't even handle an elevator?"

"Well," began Ron indignantly, "you should've warned us! How were we supposed to know that there were things that, well, magic-like in the muggle world?"

"If you had taken muggle studies-"

"Don't even go there, Hermione," said Harry grinning, "It'll never work."

The two stopped their bickering and they all followed Hermione to the end of the hall where a door stood to their right, labeled room 27. Hermione unlocked it, and they soon found themselves standing in a dimly lit entrance way.

No one spoke for a moment, until Harry said, "Well, why are we all just standing here? Let's look around!"

So they spread out in all different directions, Harry heading straight for the closest bedroom. In it he found the biggest bed he'd ever seen, which he supposed wasn't saying much, but it was still something. There was also a large TV. on top of a long dresser against the wall, and a small bathroom through a door to his left.

In the room across the hall there was a set of bunk-beds next to a comfortable looking double-bed, another TV, and another bathroom.

He made his way to the end of the hallway, which opened into a wide living room containing two couches, yet another television, an electric fireplace, and a few lamps, which Ron was now examining curiously. There was a door on the other side of the room that led to a small balcony, and a dining table stood in a far corner next to the kitchen.

Harry fell into one of the couches and began eating some of the complimentary chocolates from the box left on the coffee table. The rest of the group soon joined him and it appeared that Ron's anger had also returned.

"Explain your-self," he said, turning to Ginny.

"Don't take that tone with me, Ron," Ginny said, "I'm only a year younger than you, so don't treat me like I'm a little kid. And I've already told you; I heard you guys talking, and when you left at 8:00, I packed some things and came after you. Come on, Ron, don't you think I deserve a break too?"

"That's not the point," Ron said irritably.

"Of course it is," said Harry abruptly. "Look, Ron, I know we'd just planned for the three of us to go, but Ginny's here, and, like Hermione said, there's no way she can go back. She's been through hell too … we should just drop it and get on with our vacation."

"Fine, whatever, you're right I guess," sighed Ron as Ginny gave Harry a grateful smile. He seemed rather uninclined to argue the subject much with Harry. "Let's get on with it then … where are we anyway?"

Harry was slightly surprised for a moment as he realized that he didn't know where in the world he was. The appearance of Ginny in their plans had plainly wiped the question clean out of his head.

"Vail, Colorado," stated Hermione proudly.

"Colorado?" said Harry, "Isn't that in the states?"

"Yep," Hermione grinned.

"Hermione!" started Ron, clearly exasperated, "You mean to tell me that you brought us to the states and we're not in New York, or L.A., or somewhere remotely interesting?"

"Well, Ron," Hermione flared up indignantly, "if you had even half a brain, you'd realize that we need to be somewhere that's low profile, just in case someone got wind of what we were doing! Not to mention that there are witches and wizards all over the world and every one of them knows about Harry and his story. If we went somewhere with a load of people, like New York, there's a greater chance that someone would recognize him and tell some news reporter who would write a story and get us all caught, or worse. Also, Vail is really very beautiful and we can always take the bus to Denver anytime we want."

"Wow, thought this out, haven't you?" asked Harry.

"Is it okay?" Hermione anxiously asked in return.

"It's fine with me," Harry shrugged, "I'm just glad to be away from home."

Ron had looked like he was about to say something else in protest, but instead he muttered, "I guess it's cool too."

"Good, then let's get to sleep for a few more hours, after all, it is a vacation," said Hermione, clearly satisfied.


Author's Note- Okay, so I know that Vail, Colorado isn't exactly the party capital of the world, but it's the only place that I really know well enough to actually set the story in. I promise I'll make it interesting! (Oh, and to a friend I know that thought Prongs was a fish, don't criticize unless you plan to write your own story and set it in Vegas or something, lol. See ya later.)