Chapter 4: Surprise 3 Waking up never felt so good...

Harry could only remember slipping into a deep sleep against a tree in the park but didn't know where he was for one thing he couldn't see someone had removed his glasses he reached out in search for them. Finally he found them at first he didn't notice the girl who was asleep next to him holding his hand in hers. He first noticed a soft bed in a sky blue room. It felt so good to be awake he wondered where he was. The confused boy listened to his surroundings a peaceful breathing a couple of people talking. First he tried to move but couldn't a teenage girl who he knew very well indeed was asleep on him. She was next to him with her right arm over his chest. When he saw her at first he didn't recognize it was Hermione Granger. This girl had slightly curled hair a lot less bushy in other words. She looked like a young women. He had never noticed that about her but when he did he thought wait this is your best friend you are not to think of her in that way. Then he focused on the words coming from the people in the hall.

"Don't they look so cute?" A woman said to another voice.

"Yes I wonder if they know they like each other. You can see it in their eyes." A male voice agreed.

"I know." Then heard footsteps walk down the hall and down the stairs. And the teen that lay in bed could no longer hear the conversation. He looked at his watch it was 6 pm. The boy couldn't believe he had been unconsis for more than twelve hours. Harry felt warm breath on his neck. It kind of tickled he thought. He now noticed Hermione had moved her head position. But the reason she did so was because she woke up.

"Oh Harry you are up I am so sorry I fell asleep. But why did you scare me like that you could have been well..." She said to him. Harry just noticed she had a tearstained face. Had she been crying? For him?

"I am sorry I didn't know what to do I just felt really dizzy and passed out but I do remember some stinging. And you kept me warm it didn't bother me."

"Oh well just...what happened?" Harry frowned at this question he didn't want to tell her but she must have know because you could see the bruises and cuts all over his face and torso.

"Well after you mailed me I got dressed and went downstairs to get a watterbottle when Uncle Vernon took me to my room to 'talk' to me. Then he grabbed me by my collar and threw me onto my bed and I hit my head then he grabbed me again and pinned me up on the wall and beat me in my chest and stomach then my face then my stomach until it was hard to breath. Then I went back downstairs after packing and hexed him. I think I may have 'accidentally' stunned him for more than a few minutes. After sending him into the wall a couple times." Harry said trying to sit up. He looked down and saw his chest it was covered with a big bruise he didn't even want to see his face.

"Oh my Merlin Harry you poor guy." She said enclosing him in a gentle hug so she wouldn't hurt him because of the sensitive bruise.

"I am okay. But I seriously don't want to go back there ever but I know I will have to and don't tell the order they will make a big deal and sent my uncle to the dementors in azkaban. Plus Lupin has been a little jumpy around me so was Tonks I wonder where everyone was when my uncle did this." Harry said still hugging his friend. They both let go and Harry felt he could read her mind it seemed to be asking the same question.

"Can I use the bathroom?"

"No. Of course you can Harry do you have to ask?" She added after she saw Harry's face. Which even though was cut and bruised was quite handsome. NO HERMIONE he is your BEST FRIEND! "If you just go into that door over there the one on the right." Harry got out of the warm bed and went over to the door. He went in and went to the bathroom washed his hands and went over to the bed he passed the mirror he looked at himself. If he ever saw Vernon again he was going to curse him until he had to go to the hospital. Harry's face had a large bruise on the right side and his nose and lip had been bleeding before Hermione had cleaned him up. Then his chest had many large bruises along with his stomach. Hermione looked at him and sighed.

"Harry are you okay you keep putting me on the edge of my seat?"

"Well I kind of am but next time I see my uncle he may have to go to the hospital. By the way why is the order so tired lately all the letters I have gotten are short. And who ever is turn it is to watch me is totally out of it. I mean I heard Tonks yesterday after I...How is your summer going?" He changed the subject quickly.

"After you what?"

"Found out I had another cousin."

"Well that is good maybe you don't have to stay at the Dursley's next summer."

"Or maybe I will just come here." He said with a smile and turned and ran and jumped onto the bed right next to Hermione whom he had startled.

"Don't do that."

"Why not." He said then started to jump on the bed.

"Harry stop jumping on the bed you may bump your head." She said with a giggle. And got off the bed so Harry wouldn't jump on her.

"Make me."

"Don't make me curse you."

"How can you if you don't have a wand?"

"How did you?"

"Took it when you bent over after getting out of the bed." He said and smiled.

"Harry that isn't fair."

"When has life ever been fair to us?" Hermione had to agree with him he was only 15 but had seen more than anyone five times his age. When doing so he faced Voldemort five times.

"You do have a good point but..." She ran and tackled Harry sat on him and started to tickle his stomach. He threw the wand in surrender. Hermione ran to get it but Harry was to quick to give up so easy he ran scooped her up and threw her on the bed and then laid on her legs right below her knees and started to take off her sock.

"No Harry please I beg of you." She pleaded. But too late Harry had already started to tickle her most ticklish spot her foot. The teenage girl began to laugh and flail around but couldn't move because of Harry was lying on her legs.

"Okay you win!" She yelled at him.

"All that because he was jumping on the bed?" Mrs. Granger asked from the doorway. Mr. Granger was standing next to her laughing. Harry immediately got up off Hermione and blushed furiously Hermione was too.

"Well looks like we might have embarrassed them." Mr. Granger said with a fake acting shock type of voice.

"Oh no aren't we the worst." His wife did playing along.

"It is nice to meet you Harry." Mr. Granger said coming into the room over to Harry and withdrew his hand. Harry took it and shook it and smiled. This was getting easier.

"Nice to meet you both again." Harry said.

"Now Harry you don't know your way around so Hermione will show you around while we make dinner I am guessing you haven't eaten all day. Oh and call me Jane and this is Charlie or Charles. If you call us Mr. and Mrs. Granger I will have Hermione curse you." Jane said. Harry laughed at her so did Hermione.

"What I thought Hermione was a good witch?" Charlie asked.

"Oh dad I am the smartest witch in our year but Harry has dueled Voldemort."

"Yeah but I am sure you could beat me."

"Hey is that a challenge?" Hermione said teasingly.

"I don't know is it." Harry said whipping out his wand and tossing her wand to her.

"Well fine." She said she faced him and bowed they both walked a couple paces and faced each other. "One." She counted. While her parents were watching with glee.

"Two." Harry said and in usion they said three. Harry cast a tickling spell and Hermione cast the dancing spell. So Harry started to dance wildly and Hermione doubled over laughing. The Grangers were laughing at this. Harry muttered the counter curses. Then he said the disarming spell while Hermione said stunning spell but Harry had disarmed her. Then she went to grab her wand and Harry stunned her. There was applause from the Grangers.

"Very good now can you wake my daughter?" Jane said. Harry had woken Hermione.

"Wow Harry you are very good that is why you teach the D.A."

"Thanks." Harry said walking over to her. He held out his hand she took it and he helped her up.

"Thank you for helping me out."

"I helped you stand up, that isn't much."

"No, I mean I just learned something from you a plan. You have a technique you use against your opponents you disarm them and when they aren't looking you stun them and therefore you win."

"Wait did the great Hermione Granger learn something not from a book but from her best friend?"

"Yes."

"Well then lets go and see the rest of the house since I wasn't totally here to see it."

"Okay why don't we have dinner on the deck afterwards?"

"Alright." Hermione led Harry around the second floor, which was her room, bathroom, guest rooms 3 then downstairs the master bedroom, bathroom, family room, kitchen, study, dining room, and the living room. She didn't show the basement because it was time for dinner. When they went out side it was a huge back yard with a pool, hot tub, and gazebo. There was also an old barn.

"Do you have horses?" Harry asked when he pulled out a chair for Hermione to sit in. She had blushed when he did this.

"Umm no the people who use to live here had some."

'We should go check it out sometime who knows what could be in there.' Harry thought.

"Sure if you want." Hermione said.

"Nobody said anything, darling who are you talking to?" Jane said.

"Didn't you say 'we should go check it out sometime who knows what could be in there'?" She asked Harry who was shocked. Then he thought can you read my mind? Hermione gasped.

"I can!" Hermione said a little loud. Can you read mine she thought? Harry gasped this time meaning yes.

"Oh my Merlin!" They both said in usion.

"What's going on?" Charlie asked. Jane nodded her head.

"We aren't sure." Harry answered. They started to eat in silence.

"So Harry tell us about yourself." Charlie said. Harry thought 'Well my name is Harry Potter I have died almost every year at Hogwarts and I am a wizard Also I have faced Voldemort about 1, 2, 3...5 times.' Hermione laughed at this even though he didn't say it out loud.

"What is so funny?" Jane asked.

"Nothing I just thought of something." She said to her mum. Actually it was Harry who did she thought.

'I know' Harry thought.

'This is very strange Harry how can we do this?' Hermione asked/thought.

'I don't know but what do I say to your dad.'

'I don't know about that just say you have know me for almost six years and we have been best friends since.'

"Well I met your daughter six years ago and we have been best friends since." Hermione suppressed a giggle. The evening became easier. The men talked about Quidditch and the women talked of what the teens were to do when they left in a few days. Harry had made a promise to Charlie that he would come to one of the Hogwarts games or all of them that is the ones Gryffindor were in. It was Monday and it was almost dark.

"Why don't we all go for a swim?"

"Alright well lets all go get dressed then." Harry and Hermione went to her room.

"Umm Harry why don't you go first while I find my bathing suit."

"Okay and we seriously need to talk about the whole mind thing later okay?"

"Okay go and get dressed."

"Yes Mum." He said jokingly. Harry went into the bathroom and got dressed. Hermione went and got her bathing suit it was a black bikini. Harry came out of the bathroom in black swimming trunks.

"Harry your bruises."

"What?" He looked down they were fading.

"What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything must be like a magic healing or something. But it is still there a little. That is strange." Hermione walked into the bathroom and changed and grabbed a towel and wrapped around herself and walked out of the bathroom.

"What's with the towel?"

"Nothing." Harry curiously followed her outside. When they got outside they put on the radio this week they were playing American hits. Some were oldies some were newer songs and bands. Harry ran and jumped into the pool and surfaced.

"Harry!" Hermione yelled.

"Yes." He said innocently.

"Right like you could ever been innocent?"

"Neither are you." Harry got out of the pool and went over to Hermione.

"You coming in?"

"Not yet."

"Oh yes you are." Harry tripped Hermione by picking her up under the knees but caught her before her head hit the ground.

"Smooth Potter." She said and giggled and kissed his cheek he blushed and ran and jumped into the pool with her still in her arms.

"Oh Harry you are going to pay."

"What are you going to do splash me?"

"Nope." She swam over and dunked him. He came up and shook his head and got Hermione wet. They swam around awhile and when the Grangers came out and said they were turning the hot tub on Harry and Hermione went into it the hot tub. It was nice and warm inside the hot tub.

"How are you coming on your homework?" Hermione asked.

"Err...I only have McGonagall's Essay and Summoning Charm Essay. What about you?"

"Same here and the magical egg thing from Hagrid. Well I am surprised that you haven't done them I mean those are probably the two essays you know best. I mean you beat the dragon with the summoning charm and Sirius...oh I get it. Harry you know you can talk to me I don't know if you can talk to Ron you probably talk to him more than me but you know I am here to listen."

"First of all I don't talk to Ron about stuff because he really doesn't have what you have I don't know how to explain it but I feel comfortable I know you wont hold the stuff I say to you against me or anything like that. But yes also I have the magical egg one too but I did start it." They sat in silence playing with the hot tub jets occasionally.

"So lets talk about this mind thing." Hermione said breaking the silence.

"Okay well I don't know what this is about but maybe we should ask Lupin or someone like Dumbledore. Because this might be really really bad or really really good. I don't know I mean sometimes..."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?" Harry said looking at her.

"Lets go for a walk."

"Okay." They told the Grangers they were going for a walk and grabbed their towels. The two teens set off not knowing exactly where they were going, but where every that place was the journey started in silence.

"So where are we going and we seriously need to talk about this because...because." Harry said not sure on how to finish the sentence. "I mean it isn't a bad thing to be able to read minds and all but I am curious on how we are able to."

"I am too well we can go to Diagon Alley's library and look it up or ask Dumbledore." Hermione said to Harry.

"Do you think this has to do with Voldemort?" Surprisingly Hermione didn't shudder then Harry remembered that she wasn't afraid to say it anymore.

"I am not sure if it does but what would he get from that?"

"Maybe causing us not to be friends or something because of reveling or secrets. I am not sure well when we get back we can find out by writing to Dumbledore." Harry said. At that moment it started to rain.

"We better get back lets go!" Hermione said over the thunder and raced towards number 3 Elderberry Drive. Harry then remembered she hated thunderstorms.