Part 2 in which a plan is made and acted upon. Weren't you surprised that Dumbledore did NOT go against the will? One trope I missed!

~~ here we go ~~

On his way to the Grangers in the Knight bus, Harry thought about how he should present a potential betrothal. He'd scoured the legal books Dobby'd brought him and finally found one that outlined what he wanted to do. Now, as he looked out the window of the bus, he wondered if Hermione's father was licensed to hunt.

Voldemort had nothing on a scary dad, Harry was sure.

He rang the doorbell and was greeted by an older version of Hermione.

"Mrs. Granger, hello," he stammered.

She smiled softly with sadness in her eyes. "You must be Harry. Come right in, then. Hermione's in the sitting room." She led him to a small, tastefully decorated room. Unlike the Dursley's sitting room, the fine furniture looked comfortable, and no portraits of pigs adorned the walls.

And there, on a settee, sat Hermione.

Harry was startled by the young woman before him. Hermione looked unbelievably tired and so, so grim.

"Missed you on the train," he murmured waiting for her to come hug him.

She just nodded. There were circles under her eyes and she looked utterly exhausted. Her parents looked both worried and furious. Harry went and sat next to her, doing his best to ignore the glower from her parents.

"Hermione, I know this has you down. But you're my very best friend. I swear, I will do anything to make this right for you. If you want to leave the magical world, we'll find a way. But, please, let me get you healed first?"

"You said in your letter that she couldn't get healing because we're not magical?" Her father spat at him.

"From what I understand, full healing requires the backing of a magical house."

Hermione grimaced, sharply exhaling through her nose as she shook her head with tears shimmering in her eyes.

Harry sighed and reached for her hand, gently massaging it. But his words were addressed to her parents. "You know, in some countries, she'd have been taken from you completely. In others, she'd have been bound mentally and magically and never been a witch. But here we are. The thing is, if she's brought into a magical family, then she can get healing. It's kind of like a sponsorship? Seriously, someone should explain this stuff to us. I'm pants at explaining stuff." Harry pulled out a book and handed it to Hermione who handed it to her mother. She continued to look at him, silent and grim.

"Here's the thing. I just went to Gringotts. I claimed my family. I'm now Lord Potter, for all that matters. I can protect you in my family, Hermione. Then we can get you to a magical hospital. Nev says that Mungo's isn't the best – we're better off with… I can't remember the places, but one's in Spain and the other's in the states. I have a book on medical treatment centers and I marked them in here," he handed this book to her, also, and she, again, handed it to her mother. "Both of the ones Neville recommended will require you to be brought into a sponsor family. So. The easiest way to do that is on page 314 of the legal book."

Bianca Granger flipped to the page in question, skimmed it, and raised her eyebrows while handing it to her husband, who promptly blew his stack. "In order to heal her, she has to get betrothed? You have to agree to marry?!"

"No, no," Harry assured, remembering his own confusion on the issue. "Read it. It's not a marriage contract. It's more like an agreement NOT to enter a marriage contract, or a magical bonding, or a concubine agreement, or even an apprenticeship or work contract until we decide if we will bond together. It protects us. No one can hoodwink us into any other contracts. They'd be void if this one was signed first.

For the first time, there was a spark in Hermione. "This would stop anyone from forcing you and me into contracts we don't want? Like, if we'd had this before last year, you wouldn't have had to do the tri-wizard tournament?"

Harry nodded.

"Look, I'll leave it with you guys. Read it, make all the changes you want."

"You'd let us make changes?" Jason Granger asked, doubt in his voice.

Harry smiled. "I trust Hermione with anything. She's my best friend," he stated matter-of-factly.

Hermione nodded at her parents and spoke a bit more resolutely. "We'll read the contract, and if it works, we'll do this. I want you to come with me, though. I don't want to go alone. Mum and Dad can't do much for me in the magical world. You could." In her voice he heard a stubborn strength that had been lacking, a spark of his Hermione.

"OK, then." Harry stood, nodding at Hermione's parents. "With your permission, I'm going to leave Hedwig here. Use her to do research; make appointments. If you decide to take me up on this, I need you to get the plane tickets. I'll sign whatever parchment you want me to sign, but remember it has to be in front of the goblins at Gringotts to take effect, so we'll have to go there before we go anywhere else. I'll pay for the healing, as it's in the magical world, and it's because she's my friend that she's hurt to begin with."

Reaching back into his bag, he brought out a soft-leather bound book, easily the most expensive thing Dobby'd picked up for him. "Here's a journal. It's linked to a journal that I have." Hermione's eyes brightened for the first time as she accepted it.

"Oh, Mum and Dad were talking about getting a set of these last year, but they're very dear." Hermione didn't notice her parents knowing eye contact with each other while she admired the handsome journal. That the boy who wouldn't spend money on clothes for himself would spend such an amount to keep in contact with their daughter and them was a point in his favor.

"I'd like to talk to you as often as you'd like. You know I can't use the phone and the order won't let you write or visit. It's worth the investment. This way, we can make our plans and they'll be none the wiser." He grinned at her, and for the first time that day, she grinned back.

Her mother smiled a true smile then. They ate a light supper together before Harry took the knight bus to the Dursleys.

~ ~ this is a scene change ~ ~

As Harry got off the bus in the alley behind the elementary school, his mouth was set in a grimace. Gods he hated this place. He felt the Order blighter of the day before he saw or heard them.

"Harry, you can't be taking security risks like this."

Harry stopped and looked Remus Lupin dead in the eye. This man… this stupid, stupid man. He didn't even want to waste energy interacting with him. "You guys keep me prisoner here. Don't fucking argue. You know what I go through in this house. I purchased food so I won't starve; books so I can keep my head busy. I went to see Hermione because she's my best friend in the world, and the last time I saw her, she was on death's door. I made it back safely because I'm used to taking care of myself. Now, leave me alone."

His diatribe had taken him to the edge of the property, and he walked through the wards, knowing that Lupin wouldn't follow him. He supposed he shouldn't be so angry with his last link to his parents, but Lupin had never encouraged that connection, and his own cowardice and stupidity had left Sirius to rot in Azkaban (and Harry to rot here). The rest of the order knew the guy was innocent but did nothing to spur a trial or even make 'headquarters' livable.

Harry was quite done with them all.

He knocked politely on the front door. Petunia answered it with a sneer (her normal face – she always looked as though she smelled dogs' droppings.)

"Hello, Aunt Petunia."

"Where are your things, boy?"

"I left them with a friend," he lied, "so that it wouldn't look suspicious to the neighbors. I just have a few books and clothes in my bag. Where are Uncle Vernon and Dudley?"

"They went out to eat. If they don't see you, it would be better."

Harry nodded, walking behind her to the kitchen.

"Can I make tea for you, Aunt Petunia? I have something I want to talk to you about."

"As if I could stomach anything in your freakish presence," she stated with venom.

"Wow. Laying it on thick. Well, then. I just finished meeting with my parents' bankers. I'm going to need you to be completely honest with me. If you say you didn't get something you were supposed to get, I'll have an investigation done. If you're lying… well, the bankers are goblins. Muggle stories have them grinding your bones for bread? Something? I can't imagine it's far off. So, honesty, ok?"

Petunia sniffed then nodded.

"First off, did you get the jewelry and things that Mum left for you?"

After a moment, Petunia spoke. "Yes. Shortly after you were dumped on our doorstep, I received a package. It had things from our family left to her. I still haven't got Mother's pearls or Grandmother's emerald pendant."

Harry pulled out the will, "But you did get a watch, a brooch, and a gilded picture frame?"

Petunia nodded and sniffed again. Harry wondered if she had a summer cold.

"OK, next. Did Dudley receive an educational trust fund?" Harry spoke the amount it was supposed to have been seeded with, and Petunia nodded again.

"Least she could have done, as our savings went to paying for you," she sneered.

"Fine. Now, lastly, you got absolutely no monthly allotment for my care?"

Petunia hesitated. She felt she was owed more, but didn't want the goblins coming after her, either.

"We got the standard care package from the state. So far as I'm aware, we have never received a farthing from your parents' estate for your care. We assumed they'd spent all but what was set aside in educational trust."

"Huh," Harry stated. "Someone received 50 galleons – that's about 1000 pounds – a month for my care. If not you… well, someone's bones are going to be bread!"

"And we'll get the difference?" Petunia demanded.

Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "You fed me garbage and scraps, after I cooked the food. You gave me Dudley's oldest clothes. You didn't even give me a bedroom. No, Petunia, you will not be receiving the difference, as you did get money from the state for my care. I'd say you ought to be ashamed but I honestly don't think you know what shame is. I'll be in my state-paid-for room. I have enough food to feed myself but will require use of the bathroom until I leave."

"You'll still do your chores," she demanded as he turned to the stairs.

"They'll get done," though he'd wager Dobby would help.

"We never wanted you," was her last statement just before he closed his door.

"I never wanted you, either," he answered, knowing it wasn't exactly true. When he'd been young, he'd wanted so badly to earn her love or even her approval. He'd seen, since, what normal families were like. He knew the fault wasn't in him.

He figured out, when Cedric died, that he felt, and he felt deeply. He'd barely known Cedric, but listening to the boy's mother wail, he knew the pain of true loss. He knew his aunt loved Dudley as much as she was able, but she loved herself and her image far more.

He suspected she barely tolerated Vernon.

That might be the way of the world, mostly, though he thought the Weasleys truly loved each other. The Grangers, too.

Hermione.

He thought he loved her as a friend. And then the ministry happened. When she went down, it was worse than when Sirius went through the veil. He loved the idea of Sirius, and loved him, but didn't really know him. He hadn't been around for most of Harry's life.

But Hermione was irreplaceable. He knew he could live without her, but he wasn't sure he wanted to. So, he would do all he could to make her well and stay by her side.

~ ~ this is a scene break ~ ~

Over the few days between Harry's visit to Hermione's house and the decision to make haste to the Magical Mayo clinic, Harry and Hermione chatted quite often in their new notebooks.

Who told you about this whole 'mudbloods can't get medical treatment?' information?

Neville. He told me about that and how I should get my parents' wills read and all sorts of stuff.

Huh. I guess the Weasleys didn't know about that stuff to advise you.

Ron probably knew. But he hates talking about poncy stuff. He's like the sixth son of the third son or something. He can't ever inherit anything so he gets pissed off when anyone talks about inheritances and family magics.

Ron's not like that, Harry.

When Laird McDaniel was talking about the wizengamot lessons he was giving, and tried to invite me, Ron sneered and dragged me away. He really resented not being included and that I might want to go.

You're just misunderstanding him.

Harry let it go, knowing Hermione's loyalty was a force to be reckoned with. As he was doing his chores the next day, and Dobby was taking about 75% of the burden from him, he realized that Winky was still unbound, dying. And that Hermione would be horrified if she knew. He just had to think of how to let her know what he knew.

Listen, I've been thinking. Please read this whole thing before responding. I know that you don't like the idea of slavery. Dobby told me if elves don't have a bond their magic burns out and they die. Winky is dying. If she doesn't bond soon, she'll be dead. Dobby is really upset. I bonded Dobby because I didn't want him to die. Ask her. Bond her if you will. Have her take care of Crooks and Hedwig and the house while we're gone.

I don't know what to say. I want to say I'm right You're wrong but you say Dobby told you this? And you'd never make him a slave. But I still think it's wrong.

I got a book on sentient races by the same people that wrote the goblin etiquette book that Nev pointed me to. They also say that elves need a bond, but how you make that bond is up to you.

It was a few hours before Hermione wrote again.

I called Winky to me. I asked her about what you said, and you were right. Winky is bonded to me now and she's already a ton better. She stopped me eating some foods I had – chocolates that I snuck in so Mum and Dad wouldn't see – because she said they had potions that would hurt my healing. I wonder who snuck potions into my food? I'm starting to get paranoid, Harry.

As long as she scans everything you eat, you should be ok. As soon as you decide where we're going, we'll go, and once you're clear, it will all be fine.

I hope so. I don't like being unwell. Enough about me. Did the Dursleys give you a huge list of chores to complete today?

They did, but Dobby's helping me get my chores done. And he sneaks me out using elf travel. It's not fun, but the order can't stop it. Yesterday, he popped me to this place in Diagon – Tollcroft Travel – that my account manager, Grimsneer, told me about.

I've been there! I got a magic-block rucksack so I can travel with Mum and Daddy on aeroplanes. They also offer to do mail transfer if you're going overseas for a long period. I should probably get that done this summer.

I'm getting that done, also. Grimsneer said I can have my mail forwarded to his office and he'll transfer it to the Gringotts location of my choice.

Must be nice to be a high-end client. Did you get a rucksack?

I've got a full adventurer's kit – it has the rucksack. It even comes with a language translation tutor. They pierced my ears and my tongue, and got me a pair of glasses that has a translator charm on it. If you guys decide on the clinic in Barcelona, I'll be able to help. The kit provided me with an ID that will work in the muggle world. It looks just like a muggle passport!

That's fantastic! I've been reading up on the different specialties at the different hospitals, and I think we're trying to get an appointment at the Magical Mayo. Mum and Dad have heard of the muggle side – apparently, they're world famous – so they trust it a bit more. What else are you doing, since Dobby's doing your chores?

Helping me do my chores. That just means I only have to work 3 or 4 hours a day, instead of 10. But you'd be proud. That first day when I got off the train, I got this heirloom trunk left for me by my mum, with all of her school books and notes and things she wanted me to have. I've been revising. You'd be surprised how much more potions makes sense when you read Basics to Brewing first.

I wouldn't be surprised; I read that book before first year. It wasn't required, but I found it in the used book section as a supplemental recommendation. I wonder how many other introduction texts have been taken away? No matter. Anything else of interest in there?

Mum recorded a bunch of tapes – her and Dad and Sirius and Remus and Wormtail even. Telling stories and just all sorts of neat stuff. It's nice to hear her voice aside from the nightmare of that last night.

Harry that's so wonderful! You should get them transferred to CD. It's a more stable technology. Tapes can be erased.

Yeah, she warned not to listen in a highly magical area. Do you know how to do that transfer thing?

Daddy does. He's an audiophile. And there are whole muggle businesses that do that now. We'll look into it sometime this summer – maybe when we get back from Mayo. I mean, if you want to still hang out with me after we get back.

You mean if you still want to put up with me after we get back. I'd love to stay with you for the summer, Hermione.

Well, you've only ever gone to the Burrow in the past.

I've never been invited anywhere. I've been taken to the Burrow several times, but it was "Harry you're going there" not "Harry would you like to go there?" I mean, not that I didn't enjoy it there. Just that I had no say.

I understand. I should have invited you before, but I just thought that you wanted to hang out with Ron.

You're both my friends, and quite honestly, most of the time lately I like you better. Don't tell him I said that. But he can be hard to be friends with. He's always trying to get me to slack off and he's always picking on other kids and he just takes my stuff without asking – not that I really mind – but the only weird thing you do is nag at me to study.

Hey! You'd fail if I didn't!

I know. Thank you for nagging me. :)

I've just huffed in insult, I'll have you know. Change of subject. What other interesting things have you done these last few weeks?

Well, I did almost all the interesting stuff between when I got off the train and came to see you. Dumbledore's order watches me here, so I can't really go anywhere. Dobby's only popped me out that once when I could smell that it was Dung who was "guarding" me. He snores.

I can't believe the Headmaster has Mundungus Fletcher guarding you after last summer! That's a reprehensible choice!

I agree. But it did give me an afternoon of relative freedom. Anyway. I've done a great deal at the bank. There were several contracts that needed to be reviewed (someone signed off on the Boy Who Lived gobshite for me! So stupid! Getting that money back in spades…) and signed with a blood quill, and wow, was my account manager pissed off about that blood quill Umbridge was using! They're only supposed to be used in contract work. I think the toad is going to be paying some serious fines.

Nothing less than she deserves. I still can't believe that they put her in charge of children in a school. And I think having you teach everyone is going to come back on us as a lot of people will pass OWLS and she'll claim it was because of her.

It doesn't matter. I'm more concerned that they know how to defend themselves. Anyway. I also stopped by to see the twins. They're opening their store this summer. I feel sorry for you prefects. Some of their stuff is absolutely maniacal. I gave them copies of the Marauders' prank journal and my mom's potions notes.

Why do you encourage them?

I'm their business partner. Their success is my success.

Harry! Can you hear me sighing again? Anyway. You should try to take NEWT potions this year.

Greasy Git? Come on, Hermione

There's nowhere else to practice potions except the classroom and a lot of jobs require a NEWT. You can't self-study that.

You're probably right

I usually am

Smarty pants

My pants are none of your business, you cad.

Harry blushed and laughed. Flirty-Hermione was a new development, but he really liked it.

Ha. So, Sirius made me his heir. It added a... how would a smarty pants like you say it?... not inconsiderable amount of gold to my portfolio. Several properties. And Kreacher.

Oh, Harry, don't be harsh on him.

I know, Hermione. I understand what it's like to be a hated house elf.

(I will throttle your aunt someday, you know this?)

(mmmm, the images of that will get me through some hard times)

Anyway.

Anyway. I locked down Grimmauld just this morning. I called Kreacher. He was complaining about everyone stealing the stuff out of Grimmauld, so my first assignment to him was to lock it down and put up the craziest wards he could. His eyes got bright with that. Then I told him to get everything back that he could, without harming himself, making sure that he took time to eat and rest when he needed. That should keep him out of trouble for a while.

That was very honorable, Harry. You could have blamed him.

Again, I know what it's like to be a hated house elf. Sirius, though I loved him, did not do right by Kreacher.

I've never really said it, but I am so very sorry about Sirius.

I feel like I'm more angry about lost… potential than anything. I missed time with my godfather. You actually knew him better than I did. If I was a conspiracy sort of fellow, I'd think people kept us apart on purpose.

You're not paranoid if they are really out to get you.

Huh?

Never mind. Old saying. Anyway. Mum and Dad decided for sure on Mayo. We have appointments made under your name through your account manager for next Monday. The plane tickets out of Heathrow get us there on Monday evening.

That's a weird concept. I mean, we're crossing the globe but not losing much time. I assume we'll be in the air for more than a few hours?

Something like twelve hours, yeah, but time zones.

Yeah, I get why, but it's still weird.

Anyway, you only have two more days with your relatives. They need to sign a permission slip; Winky's popping it through as soon as you give the okay.

OK!

That evening, as Harry (and an invisible Dobby) made dinner, he spoke with Petunia about leaving the house for the rest of the summer. She didn't seem to care if he stayed or went. She hoped the wards were strong enough, but she really just didn't want the freak in her house. She signed the permission slip with ease.

Hedwig appeared in his window that night, as though she knew her boy was leaving her. He told her about the trip and how everything would be much better when he got back. She watched over him as he slept then winged back to the Grangers' house where the elves stocked rashers of bacon just for her.

The next day, the Dobby Express popped Harry to the elementary school again, from which he took the Knight Bus to Diagon Alley and Gringotts Bank. At the bank, under Grimsneer's watchful eye, Harry and Hermione signed the altered betrothal contract. Harry also signed for the bills from the clinic to be pulled directly from his account.

"Harry, I don't want to bankrupt you with Hermione's healing. We have plenty of funds," Jason Granger stated.

"Though it might not look it, I'm fairly well off. I should have more – some money's been misallocated over the last dozen or so years, and I wanted to have the goblins harvest the basilisk, but someone beat me to it, apparently.

"Beat you to it? Harry, that's theft!" Hermione was outraged on his behalf.

"Mr. Potter did not claim the carcass within a year, Miss Granger. It was almost certainly claimed under abandonment clauses."

Hermione fumed silently, then shrugged. Water under the bridge.

Grimsneer eyed the young witch who had been polite, but not disgustingly so. It was a fine balance, and he was glad to see not all humans were too stupid to figure it out.

They went back through the alley as quickly and quietly as they could, leaving from the Cauldron and hailing a taxi to get them to the tube. They were Heathrow bound. They arrived at the airport in plenty of time to make their flight.

As they boarded the plane, the flight attendant noted that Harry had a different last name than the people he was traveling with and perused the permission slip he showed that was from his legal guardians. She smiled as she watched him help Hermione get settled before coming back for his paperwork.

"Is that your girlfriend?" She teased, lightly.

Harry blushed, "No she's my best friend. She's been ill – not contagious, don't worry. We're going to the Mayo Clinic because they have doctors that can fix her." His excitement and total belief had the flight attendant smiling at the boy, and hoping his faith was justified. The girl really did look quite ill. Making a note to tell the captain that there was a sick minor on the flight, she moved quickly on to the passenger waiting to board.

Meanwhile, Harry settled next to Hermione, across the aisle from her parents. Looking around him – he'd never been on a plane before! – he was curious. "These seats are a lot bigger than the ones behind that curtain. And we have a lot more room."

"Daddy wanted us in first class because it's such a long flight and I'll be able to sleep better up here. Plus, people won't hear us talking, so if we chat about school, we won't be likely to break any rules."

"First class? That's fairly expensive," Harry worried slightly. He remembered the Dursleys complaining about the fare difference between coach and first class. They couldn't afford first class.

"It's okay. My parents are pretty well off. Mum and Daddy were both well set before they started working and they make a very good living."

"Still…" Harry hesitated, feeling like he was somehow taking advantage.

Hermione changed the subject, and Harry determined he'd be respectfully grateful,

"I got a letter from Ginny yesterday asking me to come to the burrow the last two weeks of August. Apparently, you're going to be there then, too," Hermione raised an eyebrow in question. He'd not mentioned going to the burrow in the notebook conversations they'd had.

"First I've heard of it," Harry answered, feeling a bit frustrated at how little control he had over his own schedule on vacation.

"Well, Daddy and Mum told me yesterday that they've booked travel plans for Greece for three weeks of August. There's room…we'd like you to come, unless you'd rather go to the burrow."

"Are you kidding me? Greece? Do you think you'll be completely healed to be able to go?"

"It's only the first week of July. From what I've read, the most intensive healing they'll undertake would be about a week, which is fine. I actually need to be back home by the last week of July. I'm taking GCSE's before we go. Mum and Dad really do want you to come to Greece with us. I hope you'll consider it."

"I would love to. You'll let me pay my way, right?"

"You'll have to ask Daddy about that. Oh, we're taking off!" Hermione gushed. "This is my favorite part."

"I still can't believe you like these machines when you won't ride a broom," Harry groused and Hermione grinned.

"What can I say? Sometimes, I trust physics more than magic!" Just then, Harry felt the lift, noticed the lack of rumbling wheels, and looked out the window to see London shrinking below them.

As they rose farther and farther away from the ground, Harry watched the island he'd called home fall away. He hoped that when he saw it again, he wouldn't be quite so angry at most of the people he knew there.

When they'd been at altitude for a while and Hermione had finished a few puzzles in the book her mother had given her, she leaned her chair back. Harry tucked a thin blanket they'd brought with them over her, sighed, then turned to the telly. He'd never got to watch telly before. He'd always been working in another room or in the cupboard. It was neat to see things he'd only heard before. His time on the flight went quickly. He knew he wanted to stay awake, because they were to land in Minneapolis at night, so he wanted to make sure he could sleep, then.

Eventually, when second service came through, Hermione began to stir. She stretched and Harry watched her with a smile on his face.

"Did you have a good sleep? Can I get you a coffee or anything?"

"Yes, I slept well. And tea, please. Airplane coffee, even first class… well, I'm a fan of cappuccino. Have you had cappuccino?"

"No."

"Oh, it's so good. Strong and bold and rich… you have to try one!"

"Tell you what, when we get you healthy, we'll go to a café together, my treat, and you can order me an amazing cappuccino."

"It's a date!" she said, and blushed a bit. Doctoring her tea, she looked down, shyly. Then after a few quiet moments, she turned to look at him seriously.

"Did you ever get to hear the prophecy that they were after?"

If Harry was surprised by the abrupt change of topic, it didn't show. The thoughts of what had transpired that night a few weeks ago occupied his mind almost constantly. He took Hermione through exactly what had happened from his point of view; what she had missed and what happened when the headmaster sent him back to Hogwarts.

"The Headmaster knew about this since before you were born?"

"Yeah, and he kept me in that terrible house with those terrible people. I mean, even if the wards do keep bad people out, he could have had Remus Lupin tutor me, teach me the basics of wizarding society. Keep the Dursleys in line. Instead, aside from you, I've been mostly alone, adrift…"

"And ostracized." She was quiet for a moment, but he could see the thoughts flying through her brain. She was shaking her head and took a deep breath as she closed her eyes. Oh Merlin," she breathed.

"What?" he asked, knowing from the look on her face that she'd put together something with that brain of hers.

"Do you know what the point loss is for being out of bounds? It's ten points. Ten. First year, we each got docked fifty. That was meant to segregate us. If you just look back at how they've set things up – you've always been alone at the end of it all. Every year."

"Alone to face the monster, time and time again. But never really alone. You've always been there, Hermione." He looked at her, earnestly.

"And I always will be," she reassured, grabbing his hand and squeezing it. "Now, on to a better subject. These clothes are nice! And new glasses?"

"Oh, they were in the adventure kit. Which is basically just a kit that holds everything they sell at the store, I think," He laughed.

"You didn't spend too much, did you?"

"Nah, I needed the stuff in there. They call it an adventurer kit, but it's really just traveling stuff. You know, clothes, toiletries, paperwork. Just regular stuff that I don't have."

"Right," Hermione reasoned. For a magical, traveling muggle style would be an adventure.

"For me though, the jewel of the crown was a stasis cabinet with six months of food stored as well as a tent. It's a lot smaller than the one we had at the cup, but it's in perfect condition and has a better use of space, anyway. Dobby shrunk the stuff that was in my cell at Durskaban and I lived in the tent. It was great. And if things go pear-shaped, we have a place to hide."

They both were quiet at the thought of the constant danger to them in Britain.

"Tell me about Greece," Harry encouraged, wanting to see Hermione happy again.

"Well, we're going after I take the GCSE's. Mum and Daddy have been really good about me going to Hogwarts, but they want me to be properly credentialed in our world, just in case. So afters, as a reward for me keeping up on both sides," Harry snorted at that. As though Hermione ever did anything so mundane as "keeping up." He must have mumbled it under his breath as he chuckled, and she elbowed him. "Quiet, you. We're flying into Thessaloniki as it's direct from London and Daddy's renting a car. We're going to drive to the coast, we've got a bungalow near the town of Parga – and we can do lots of day trips. There's one I'm particularly interested in: the city of Ioannina, which is near Dodoni. That's a really fantastic archaeological ruin, supposedly where the oracle to Zeus was in ancient times. Unless you'd rather not?"

Harry shrugged. "It's my first vacation, Hermione. I leave it to you."

"Fantastic! Daddy said the same thing! We'll be doing some day trips, but I wanted the bungalow we picked because it's near the sea and several historic ruins as well as a rather large magical enclave. I'm quite excited! I wonder if it will be as dingy as Diagon? As refined as the Montmarte? Mixed, like Ottery St. Catchpole or purely magical like Hogsmeade?" She chewed on her lip as she thought of the minimal information that had been in her magical atlas.

Harry laughed. He'd never really been outside of his small area of England before, let alone to another country. He was a bit embarrassed by his limited worldview so changed the subject.

"I am still staggered at the idea of taking GCSE's. I mean, how does that work? Have you taken them every year?"

Hermione nodded. "I've taken several early. My parents listed me as homeschooled, so I could. I'm taking the remainder of them this summer."

"So you've got to study, hard, again. We just got through OWLs! How do you keep up? Never mind, you're brilliant. Wish I were."

"You sell yourself short, and you follow Ronald's lazy lead. I'll never know why you took divination of all things."

"I didn't know anything about the electives and no one ever tells me anything."

Hermione bit her lip and nodded. "The other houses have counselling for that. And older students mentor younger ones – at least in Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. I suppose Professor McGonagall just doesn't have time to set all that up."

Harry huffed. "It's her job, isn't it? If she can't do it, she should give it to someone who can. How many Gryffindors find themselves unable to get into a field they want because no one told them when they were twelve that they should study runes. I figured it out in third year, and I tried to switch. They wouldn't let me. I've studied them every summer, but they wouldn't even let me try the OWL. So I can't be a curse breaker, a warding specialist, or even a get a mastery in defense."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "That's patently unfair! You're allowed to change electives up to mid fourth year!"

Harry shook his head, "Apparently not, if you're me."

Hermione huffed. Here was something she could take on.

They were descending now, into Chicago for their layover to Minneapolis. As they traversed to the connecting gate, Harry's eyes took in the bustle around him. He'd been too nervous in Heathrow – afraid some Order member or Death Eater would pop out and kidnap him. But now, he could take in all of the organized chaos around him. It was really magnificent in its muggle way.

Their flight out of the city at night was equally impressive; the fields of lights winking out below as the field of stars winked above. And they landed to a beautiful summer night in Minnesota, exhausted from travel and nervous about what would greet them the next day. They made their way to the hotel quietly, each lost in thoughts of what the next day would bring.