Chapter 2: Flying Tents
"Hm?"
"Hermione, wake up!"
The sun had barely risen but two additional people were standing in Hermione's bedroom. They silently walked to her bed and looked down.
Several books were piled next to her head, touched by bushy brown hair. She was lying in fetal position, her knees almost touching her chest as though she had had a horrible nightmare and wanted to protect herself.
"Maybe we should just let her sleep, she will be pissed when we wake her up", a familiar voice whispered to his best friend.
Ron looked up, shrugged and whispered back, "I think if we don't wake her she will be mad too".
The friends looked at each other grinning. They silently agreed to a plan. Both took a large book of the pile and placed it their laps. Then they silently opened the books.
Harry looked over to his mate, trying the suppress a giggle. As if timed by a silent metronome, they both slammed their books shut at the exact same moment, followed by a piercing scream. Hermione quickly jumped to her feet, her wand ready to strike. Before she could open her mouth, Harry dashed forward and pressed his hand against her mouth.
"Hermione! Stop, stop, it's us!" Ron cried out, waving his hands to signal Hermione that they were indeed Harry and Ron. Her eyes widened in shock and she pushed back Harry, who fell off her bed and landed on the cold floor.
"Are you kidding me?", she screamed at them. "After all what happened you think you can come in my room at night without any notice and startle me like that?"
Harry and Ron quickly exchanged the "sometimes she really has to relax a bit" look but turned it down instantly when Hermione started to glare at them.
"Hermione, we just wanted to have a little bit of fun. We couldn't know that you sleep with your wand under your pillow", Ron answered nonchalantly.
Hermione was about to explode and Harry couldn't tell if he had ever seen her that angry.
"GET OUT! GET OUT! Or I swear I jinx you both out of here and be happily expelled"
Ron and Harry moved quickly to the door and as soon as it fell shut Ron said, "Honestly I highly doubt the part about Hermione being happy to get expelled in exchange to stun our arse".
Mr. Granger greeted them happily as they entered the kitchen and offered them two chairs.
"You didn't manage to wake her up, huh?"
"Well yes and no", Ron replied awkwardly. "We thought that your idea of surprising her would make her happy, but it seems like we exaggerated a bit with the execution. We wanted to do a little prank, but it kind of backfired."
"Oh, I heard some screams from upstairs. I am sorry I should have warned you".
"What do you mean?", both friends asked surprisingly.
"Well, don't mention it to her that I told you this, but she seemed kind of depressed since she arrived here. She didn't leave her room for weeks and didn't talk to us about anything that happened this year in school" Mr. Granger replied, looking seriously worried.
"That's also a reason why I invited you", he told them. "Of course I am also happy to get to know you better", he added smiling.
Harry and Ron stared at the cups on the table in front of them. They bought knew why Hermione didn't tell her parents anything. When they arrived this morning they were greeted by a few people from the Order of the Phoenix, a secret group of wizards and witches led by Albus Dumbledore, who worked in secret against Voldemort and his supporters.
The Order has been guarding the house ever since the return of Voldemort, making sure that he couldn't take Hermione's parents as hostages. They were sure that after the eventful fifth year at Hogwarts, Hermione struggled to confess to her parents. Of course they were protected by the order, which improved security even more when they heard that Harry would be staying here.
On the other hand there is no hundred percent security. And being muggles, Hermione's parents wouldn't be able to just apparate out of the house but were trapped inside. Harry suddenly felt really bad for the little joke they tried to make. Sometimes he was really surprised by his lack of insensibility.
Ron apparently didn't care that much, already standing in front of the toaster and asking "Mr. Granger, could you please help me with this thing?".
Ron has never been Mister Sensitive but in the last two years he had developed a bigger interest in Hermione's feelings. Harry thought that maybe this interest was only present when people like Victor Krum invited her to the Yule Ball.
He came back with two piles of toast, putting one on Harry's plate.
"Thanks, mate".
"How did it go with the owls?", Harry asked Mr. Granger with his mouth full of bacon and eggs.
"Oh, it was easier than I expected. The first letters Hermione sent for me but the owls with the replies came directly to me. I grabbed the parchment from the legs and wrote a message back. I felt a bit silly talking to them, but I had the feeling that they understood me. Smart animals", he replied proudly but added "Though I don't really get why wizards don't use a telephone, it would speed things up. Does your family have a telephone Ron?"
"Oh, no, only my father really knows what a telliphone is. And he said you needed electricity for that, I am not sure if we even have that at our home"
"It's called a TELEPHONE, Ronald!"
A bossy female voice was hearable from upstairs and after a few seconds Hermione stood on the staircase. Obviously being in her normal state of correcting everyone around her, she took a few steps towards the table and smiled at them.
"Oh dad, that is a really nice surprise and I thought the owls just didn't find the way to our house" She gave a both Ron and Harry a tight hug and sat down on the remaining chair around the table. The two wizards exchanged bemused looks, shrugging and forming the word "women" with their lips.
"Hey, don't think I didn't see that. I will come back to your little prank later"
They talked over half an hour about everything they experienced the weeks after they left Hogwarts. Ron's brothers had been at the burrow for a weekend and Bill announced that he will marry Fleur next year. At the sound of her name, Hermione let out a sigh but didn't comment further on the topic.
Harry hadn't been up to anything, time at the Dursleys had always been a rather unpleasing experience. Hermione reported that she started playing the piano again and had tried to read all the books they needed to study for the upcoming year. Now Ron sighed, but quickly stopped when Hermione casted him the how dare you? look.
Harry was used to Ron and Hermione fighting all the time at Hogwarts. Sometimes he just couldn't stand it anymore and would leave to the boys dormitory. He really hoped that the two would give it a break over the holidays. Luckily Ron just kept quiet and started to help Mr. Granger cleaning the table.
Suddenly Hermione took Harry's hand and signalled him to follow her.
"Ehh what are you up to Hermione?" he asked her puzzlingly.
"I just want to show you something while Ron is helping dad, come on!"
He stood up and followed her out of the kitchen but noticed Ron giving them a disappointed glance. She led him to her room and told Harry to sit on her bed.
"Harry, I am happy you are here. When I heard that we wouldn't go to the burrow this year I felt guilty"
"Oh, I am happy too Hermione, but why on earth should you feel guilty?"
Hermione hesitated for a moment, then she took his right hand into hers and continued, "After all what happened. Last year, the graveyard. This year the battle at the ministry and…" she almost couldn't finish the sentence properly, "…Sirius"
Her eyes filled with tears and she felt Harry's hand stiffen.
"I felt really bad not being able to talk to you, not to support you when you needed me most"
Harry couldn't help and took Hermione in a warming embrace. His head rested on her shoulder and he whispered, "It's not your fault that he died, Hermione. There is only one person to blame and that is me. Everyone told me that Voldemort would use our connection against me but I just wouldn't listen. Like I knew it better then Dumbledore"
She was about to reply when Harry interrupted her, "You went with me to the ministry, saved my ass once more. Can I really ask more from a friend? You risk your life for me all the time, Hermione"
She was shaking slightly after he finished and he felt her arms pulling him closer.
"Oh Harry, don't say that. It wasn't your fault. You saw Mr. Weasley being attacked by Nagini, you just wanted to do the same for Sirius. And do you really expect Ron and me staying behind when you try to fight Voldemort and his death eaters? No offense, but you just can't go alone. How often do we have to tell you this, Harry?"
Now Harry was the one who had watery eyes, but he managed to wipe them on Hermione's sweater when they freed themselves from the embrace.
"Thanks for being such a good friend Hermione".
"Thank you for letting me a part of Harry Potter's thrilling and exciting life", she replied playfully.
"And now let's stop being too emotional and go back to the grey and boring daily life here at the Granger's house. Let's enjoy it until as long as we can", she added and was already walking towards the door when Harry said "Let's hope it is not as boring as your bedroom Hermione. Your walls are as empty as the brains of Crabbe and Goyle".
When they were back in the kitchen, Ron suspiciously stared at them for a few seconds before asking "Where did you go?"
"Oh, I just showed Harry the piano", Hermione responded.
Harry didn't exactly know why they avoided telling Ron about their conversation but it somehow seemed the right thing to do. Maybe he would feel a bit jealous too.
"Ahh, right.", Ron responded, not showing that he exactly knew that the music room was on the ground floor and that Harry and Hermione went upstairs when they left the kitchen.
All four people turned around when they heard the front door open.
"Ron! Harry! Oh, I am so happy that you could make it", Mrs. Granger cried out. She gave both a hug and went on "So you both arrived that morning, as we suggested?"
"Yes Mrs. Granger, Ron's dad was so kind and drove us here", Harry replied with a smile.
"Oh what a pity that I missed him. I had to go to work early today", she replied. "But nevertheless, I have a good message for all three of you"
The three friends looked surprised and when none of them seemed to react Mrs Granger's words she continued "I just talked to Emilia. Emilia is a neighbour of ours, around your age. She and Hermione went to primary school together and during the summer they sometimes meet and have a chat. She didn't know that you were here this summer Hermione, otherwise she would have come for a visit"
"Oh yeah, maybe I should have given her a call. Well what did you talk about anyway?", Hermione asked her mother.
Mrs. Granger grinned as though she just asked the question she wanted to hear.
"Well, she told me that she and a few friends want to go on a trip through Europe. Starting in England, over France, Germany, Austria and if there is time left also Slovenia and Croatia. Croatia must be really beautiful"
Harry made a weird face, a mix between jealousy and curiosity. He had never been outside the country, except for Hogwarts which was in Scotland. But that doesn't really count. The Dursleys sometimes went on holidays but they refused to take Harry. Not that he was keen to go with them, Harry liked staying at Mrs. Figg who treated him at least like an equal human being.
Ron on the other hand had been once in Egypt. But as Hermione and Harry knew the Weasleys didn't have a lot of money and couldn't afford traveling with such a big family. The Grangers had been in a lot of countries, they even went skiing in winter once. Hermione went furious when she tried to explain Ron the reason why people would go up a mountain and then go down again with ski tied to their feet. He mumbled something like "Muggles" and Hermione used the rolled up daily prophet to hit him across the face.
Harry couldn't help but laugh aloud.
Good old times.
"What's so funny Harry?", Hermione asked him.
"Oh nothing really. Sorry Mrs. Granger I didn't want to interrupt you"
"Oh don't worry, Harry. Emilia's friends unexpectedly told her yesterday that they couldn't go. She was really angry, she had already rented a camper for the whole time and planned a lot of stuff".
Hermione tilted her head slightly, a knowing look on her face.
"She can't be serious", Hermione thought, "She must be crazy to even think about it".
"So I suggested that I asked you three to go with her", Mrs. Granger announced happily.
Harry's and Ron's mouth dropped, shocked by her suggestion. Even though she knew what was coming, Hermione looked as though someone asked her for permission to copy her homework – not amused.
"But mom, we haven't really spent that much time together and she doesn't know Ron and Harry"
"Oh come on, Hermione, be a little spontaneous. And by the way, there is also the possibility to get to know people and make friends. Maybe you can expand your inner circle of three to four people this summer?"
Three gazes met each other, everyone not really able to contribute anything valuable.
"Ehh, maybe we should talk about it first?", Ron suggested.
"Yes do that, but don't take too long, I told Emilia that I would give her a call this evening", Mrs. Granger cried after them, the three friends already on the stairs.
They shut the door to Hermione's room and suddenly Ron burst out, "She can't be serious, your mother. I thought we were spending our time here at your house. And now she want us to spend our time in a camper thing. I don't know what the bloody hell that is, but it sounds like a flying tent to me. Anyways, I am not used to muggles, I couldn't avoid talking about our world for weeks"
"Ron, It's a bigger car, where you can cook and sleep in", Harry interrupted him.
Hermione seemed to agree. "I know, I am sorry. Sometimes my mother just goes over the top with her ideas. I mean it sounds like great fun to travel with Emilia and you two around Europe in a camper but I am with Ron. During these times we just can't vanish for weeks and go on holidays. We need to help the Order and the others."
The third friend however had a slightly different opinion.
"But do they really need our help? We were trying to find out a whole year what was going on. How can we help, if they don't even tell us what they are up to. The whole bloody year! We were so desperate that we used extendable ears to spy on them. I know that they are trying to protect us, and isn't Molly always telling us that we are too young and that we should live free of worry as long as we can?", Harry stated convincingly.
"I know this sounds really pessimistic, but maybe this is our last summer we can spend together in peace. Think about it. Dumbledore promised to tell me everything next year. Do you really think I can just go on holidays after that and forget about the little problem called Voldemort?" he now rather shouted at them.
Hermione and Ron stood helplessly near the desk and didn't know what to say. Then Hermione took the word "Harry, don't think like that, you will have a lot of opportunities to travel the world"
"Really? And what if I just get killed? Blasted off the earth and having seen probably less than one percent of it. What an amazing life" he commented sarcastically.
Hermione looked as though she was about to start crying, when Ron said "Harry has a point there, Hermione. And do you remember the Quidditch World Cup two years ago? We all lived like muggles at the camping area and we still had a lot of fun. Of course we have to be extra careful, we can't oblivate muggles and such things".
Harry smiled at his best friend and calmed down, even though he wasn't perfectly sure if Ron only said that because of him or if he really liked the idea.
"It still feels wrong Harry. Pretending we are having a good summer, while everyone else is risking their life. And besides – Ron – we were sleeping inside a magical enchanted tent. So it was basically a house", Hermione replied. She went a few steps up and down the room, thinking.
"Dumbledore and the others wouldn't like that idea, I am pretty sure of that"
"You are right Hermione, but think about the alternative", Harry began. "Spending our summer here at your house. Here we aren't going to be especially helpful for the Order either. Like I said, they won't let us know anything, so it doesn't really make a difference where we are."
"It does! They secured this house, protected it for months and we should just tell them that we are going to risk our lives for a muggle camping trip?", Hermione asked, trying to keep her temper down. She sat down at the chair in front of her desk and started to bite her fingernails.
"Hermione, You-Know-Who wouldn't expect us to go on holidays with muggles. Maybe we could use Polyjuice Potion for the first miles and when we are out of the country, we can relax" Ron suggested naively.
"Ron – do you really think Emilia doesn't know how I look like? And I think she would be quite surprised when from one second to the next three different people were sitting in her camper"
"Hermione please!", Harry begged, trying to persuade her with his puppy face. "Oh stop doing that, you git", she chuckled. She stopped biting her fingernails and stood up again, coming to a conclusion.
"Okay, okay, if you both want to go and take the risk, I will not be the one who gets in the way to your happiness. But you two explain it to the Order, I will just stand back and tell them that I can't let you two fools go alone"
"Thank you, Hermione", Harry cried out enthusiastically and went a few steps towards her to hug her once again.
She couldn't supress a smile when she saw Harry Potter that happy. Somehow he had manged to talk her into it and now she doesn't even remember why she had been against the idea in the first place.
What could be better than such a trip with her closest friends? She saw herself lying on a towel at the beach, watching the sunset from the top of a mountain and talking about nonsense by the campfire. It seemed perfect.
"Good, it's settled then. I will go downstairs and tell mom, she will be delighted to hear that. Oh and by the way, the next one who surprises and pranks people will definitely be me"
After that she left the room, leaving two bewildered wizards behind. It took some time for Harry and Ron to find out what Hermione meant, but when they did, they couldn't believe their eyes.
Authors note: Hello everyone :) I thought after the second chapter it is time for some introduction. So I'm taler and this is actually the first fan fiction I have written. And it is the first English story I have ever written in my entire life. So please review and give me some feedback. I hope you don't find the idea of the three friends going on a trip too absurd. I have always wondered why nobody had the idea to go somewhere else but the burrow, especially Harry. So I hope you enjoyed that chapter come back for the third one. And yes in the first chapter, I recorded the piano part. That's how I imagined Hermione would be playing.