Following their breakfast, Sirius took Harry to a number of different shops looking at various gadgets and gizmos, but neither really felt the need to own any. The only noteworthy thing in Harry's mind was a glass bulb with lightning inside of it that would strike when he touched the glass. Sirius laughed and said he'd make one for Harry when he got the chance, but it would do a lot more than some 'silly lightning strikes'. Checking his pocket watch, Sirius noted the hour hand was just passing twelve. Grabbing Harry's shoulder, the two quickly apparated to a place Harry quickly recognized.
"Sirius? What are we doing here?" He asked, looking around the cottage he briefly stayed at before Hagrid rescued him from the Dursleys. He felt an odd blend of confusion and familiarity as the cottage was decorated with a number of wizarding items. Photographs of his father and Godfather decorated the mantelpiece above the fire. There was even a copy of the wedding photo Harry had!
"Well, I've only got access to the one Black property – Grimmauld Place. I grew up there and hated it, so I bought this place after you mentioned it. It's secure and not as dreadful as when you stayed here. I can't believe those assholes made you sleep on the floor! You promise they're treating you alright?" Sirius asked. Harry had been telling Sirius via owl post about his life, which brought up more concerns with each letter Sirius received. It was amazing how normal Harry was despite the abuse from his family!
"Oh, err, yeah, they're treating me pretty well now. I mean, they're pretty much leaving me alone which is what I want. Besides, they've never touched me; they wouldn't dare." Harry laughed, earning an odd glance from his godfather.
"Anyway, this is home! It's not much, but I'd prefer the Shack to Grimmauld. I like it: my own island. Hopefully you can visit during the summers: it's only an hour's drive from Privet Drive."
"What? But Uncle Vernon drove for hours!" Harry shouted in disbelief.
Sirius grinned, cocking an eyebrow at Harry.
"Yes, but didn't you also tell me that he kept turning and doubling back, weaving through streets?"
Harry looked down, feeling somewhat stupid that he forgot that point. He heard a familiar laugh that didn't belong to Sirius: Marv had made himself known. The worse part was that Marv was currently wearing a party hat, just a party hat.
"Surprise, bitch! You thought I wouldn't be here to celebrate our birthday!? Nice of Black to wear his happy mask today. It's the least he can do, considering he got himself caught for something he didn't do! Shame about the Grange, but I'm sure you can guilt trip her into blowing us!"
Harry shot a glare at Marv, who was standing behind Sirius. Sirius mistakenly thought the glare was for him, as he couldn't see Marv. Sirius' face fell.
"Oh, hey, I'm sorry kiddo. I didn't mean anything by it, just a little teasing is all. I know I'm not being the best company right now, but we were having fun, right?"
Harry frowned to himself, he didn't mean to make Sirius upset. Everything was going great until Marv had to show himself. He wrapped Sirius in a hug, which felt awkward because he didn't really have that much experience when it came to hugs. He obviously did a decent job because Sirius returned the hug.
"Sirius, it wasn't you. I just thought back to how they treated me back then. We're having a great day, I swear. You're fine, I'm fine: everything's fine! Why don't we just relax here for a little while, just hang out? But why don't we stop hugging first? It's starting to get a little weird." Both of them laughed.
After the two ate lunch, Harry took a nap in a rather warm leather chair. It was a quarter till 4 that he found himself being shaken awake by Sirius.
"Rise and shine, Harry. We got someplace to be and I don't think you'll want to miss this. While you were sleeping, I bought some clothes for you. Go put them on and be here in five minutes, you might wanna brush your teeth, too. You've got worse breath than I have as Padfoot!"
Harry stuck his tongue out at his godfather before giving a grin and rushing to go brush his teeth and change into the clothes that Sirius threw at him. He admired the clothes that were far nicer than anything back in his closet at home, but noted that they weren't ridiculously fancy. He smiled in relief that it wasn't a polo shirt. Everyone but him seemed to like them, but he thought they were just silly. Why bother having a nice collar if you're going to have short sleeves? It just didn't make sense to him. He much preferred long-sleeved, button-down shirts, like the dark blue one Sirius had bought for him.
"Hmm. Fresh breath, nice clothes, attention to hygiene….Harry, you're gonna be meeting a girl! Birthday sex! Woohoo!" Marv commented as Harry admired how the clothes fit him in the mirror. Harry saw himself blush at Marv's words, feeling rather embarrassed and awkward about the situation.
"Do you really think Sirius would set me up on a date on my birthday? And this is the only warning I'm going to give you: shut the fuck up today. I don't mind your comments when it's just us or people I don't give a shit about, but keep your mouth shut when I'm around people I like. Keep your comments to a minimum, don't act like an idiot. If someone finds out about you, we're both done for. So SHUT. UP!" Harry mentally shouted.
Marv shot him a pained grin before fading from Harry's view. Harry's shoulders sagged with relief. He made his way downstairs where he saw Sirius in a well-tailored outfit that hid just how emaciated he was from his time in Azkaban. Harry made his way over to Sirius where he was looking at his pocket watch again. When the minute hand passed the twelve, he offered his arm to Harry. Harry grabbed ahold of the proffered arm and felt the tell-tale signs of apparition. He was already getting acclimated to it.
He found himself in a wealthier muggle neighborhood. It appeared to be a gated community with spacious yards and tall trees. He didn't recall knowing anyone who lived in such a fancy place like this, but he knew that his relatives would be plenty jealous. He followed Sirius down the well-kept sidewalk to a house numbered 29. He and Sirius made their way to the rose-colored door where Sirius checked the pocket watch once more before ringing the doorbell.
A curly-haired, light-skinned man in a pale-blue cardigan answered the door. He looked at Sirius first with a curious expression, before lowering his glance to meet Harry's eyes. Harry stepped back in shock: the eyes were strikingly familiar. He had a suspicion of who this man was, but he didn't want to mistakenly assume. The middle-aged man returned his gaze back to Sirius before addressing him.
"Mister Black, I presume? Monica mentioned you would be coming to collect our daughter for a few hours. Thank heavens, because her excitement has been driving us both up the wall. She hasn't stopped talking about it since we got back. The only time she quiets down for more than an hour is when she's got her nose in that book!"
Sirius grinned, picking up the light humor the man was displaying. Harry relaxed, thinking at first this man was genuinely complaining. The man must have noticed Harry's posture change as he turned to Harry once more.
"Allow me to introduce myself, Mister Potter. My name is Wendell Granger. My daughter has spoken, written, and I think even sung about you. It's a pleasure to meet her closest friend." Wendell extended a hand, but was prevented by a blur screaming "Harry!", that tackled the young wizard.
Harry, who did not expect to be tackled as part of a handshake, fell to the ground with something on top of him: a very nice feeling something, he thought. He was about to greet the young witch who was currently laying on top of him, but his brain shut down as he felt a pair of lips assault his cheeks in various pecks.
"Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!" Each 'thank you' was followed with another peck. Harry's face turned a crimson red before he heard another female voice.
"Hermione Jean Granger, get off him this instant!" There was an 'eep!' as Harry felt the comfortable weight of his best friend leave him. Despite what felt like an hour, only a few seconds had gone by from being tackled to the ground to Hermione being pulled off him. Harry readjusted his glasses, which were knocked astray from the assault, and saw his friend was blushing even more than he was. She was currently held firmly by a wavy-haired brunette who appeared to be in her late thirties. Harry glanced over to his Godfather and saw the two men fighting back laughter. Sirius was having more trouble than Wendell holding back the laughs, as evident by the tears streaming down his face.
Harry, deciding to add some humor and embarrass his friend even more, muttered,
"Geez, Hermione. Do you greet Madam Pince that way every time the library gets a new book?"
Hermione proved she still had some blushing to do, as evidenced by her face getting even redder. Harry wondered to himself if he should get her any more books. Definitely yes, he decided.
"Sorry, Harry! I just never expected you to get that book for me! It must have been so expensive, getting a limited edition like that!" Hermione explained, her face still beet red.
Sirius helped his godson up and brushed a bit of dirt off. Surreptitiously, he used a handkerchief to wipe the tears from his face. Harry coughed, not realizing he bought the limited edition version. He could have sworn he requested the regular version. A brief whisper came from the back of his mind: You're Welcome.
"It's nothing, Hermione. It's a good read, don't you think? I might have to use some of those charms, could be useful." That's right, kiddo, play it cool. She's eating this up, Marv intoned.
"Why don't we all come inside? We're got the air running, after all." The woman, who Harry surmised to be Monica, interrupted smoothly. Before anyone could say anything, she was already gently pushing Hermione inside with her quickly following. Harry briefly took note of how pleasant he found Hermione's backside to be. He only shot a glance, knowing that her father was just behind him.
"An excellent idea, Mrs. Granger." Sirius replied, nudging Harry to enter the house. Wendell entered last, closing the door behind him.
"Shoes off, if you please, Gentlemen."
Sirius and Harry quickly obliged the request and followed Wendell Granger into the kitchen where Hermione and Monica were seated. It appeared that Monica had a few choice words with her daughter, judging from how Hermione looked anywhere but at her mother. Harry admired the fine oak table that held what he knew to be expensive dinnerware. Crystal glasses and elegant china decorated the table, with silver utensils organized neatly alongside them. Harry was slightly taken aback at his friend's wealth, but realized that the two never really talked about money. Of the trio, Ron was the only person to ever mention money and it was to complain about how his family didn't have any.
"So, Mister Potter, I believe you owe me a handshake, correct?" Wendell spoke, offering his hand once more. Harry smiled, noticing how the man was still trying to fight back a laugh. He shook the man's hand with a firm, but not too much so, grip that surprised the older man.
"Happy Birthday, young man. That's quite a grip you have there."
"Thank you, sir, on both counts. I suppose the grip comes from holding onto a broomstick at thousands of yards in the air. Not something you want to fall off of."
"I should think so! Our Hermione here has told us about your game, Quidditch, was it? Fascinating game, really. Like a sort of blend between polo and rugby, but in the air. I wish we could see a game, but alas, the World Cup repels muggles like us. I suppose you'll be joining Hermione in attending it with your other friend, Wesley?"
"Weasley, Dad, and of course Harry is! It's exceedingly rare to host the World Cup in England, especially as it works like the muggle Olympics! Travels around every four years, do you really think Harry's going to miss it?"
"Yes. Weasley, of course. I've yet to meet the boy. And please watch your tone, dear, I'm asking to be polite. You don't need to be rude."
"Sorry, Dad."
Harry watched the conversation between daughter and father with interest, curious to see how other families interacted. Of the two he'd previously seen, one was a dysfunctional lot of rude, obsessive gossips known as his relatives and the other was simply a large, but unfortunate, magical family. Sirius gave a slight cough.
"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Granger, but we must be going soon. It starts in thirty minutes."
Monica quickly stood from the table, rushing off into the kitchen muttering something about her purse. Hermione's eyes widened before she shot upstairs to, presumably, her bedroom. Wendell laughed.
"Harry, you might want to use the bathroom. Down the hall, second door on the right."
"I don't need to go, though." Harry replied, confused.
"That may be the case, but, and I'm sure you'll agree with me, I don't think you want to show up in public with lipstick all over your face." Wendell chuckled.
Said lipstick became even more apparent as the blood drained from the face of a mortified Harry. Quickly, he shot down the hall and into the bathroom where Sirius and Wendell could hear the tap running. The only thought going through Harry's head at that time was since when did Hermione wear lipstick?!
It was a thoroughly clean-faced Harry Potter that returned to the dining room where Hermione and Sirius were waiting for him. Unable to meet Hermione's eyes, he decided to fall back on humor to hide his embarrassment.
"Hermione, please limit the area in which you kiss me. I had to scrub my face raw to get it all off!" He stuck his tongue out at her, childishly.
Hermione, refusing to be embarrassed any more, shot back a witty remark,
"Why, Harry, I'll just have to focus on those lips of yours next time." She winked, holding her composure for only a few moments before bursting out into laughter. The other two quickly fell into laughter as well, before Sirius sobered himself up.
"Come along, children. We're going on an adventure." Harry's godfather walked towards the door where Wendell and Monica awaited them, surprising Harry in that they weren't dressed to go out.
"You're not joining us?" Harry asked, looking back and forth between Hermione's parents.
"Nope, I trust Mister Black here to take care of our daughter. And, if that isn't enough, I trust you to take care of her as well, if the stories she's told about you are to be believed. Besides, it's just a ten-minute drive down the road. No big deal. Have fun, kids!"
The three exited the house and Sirius, making sure nobody was looking, withdrew a small toy car from his pocket. He sat it on the ground and, after checking the surroundings once more, waved his wand at the car. It grew to the size of the BMW sitting next to it. Sirius quickly got behind the wheel and waited for the two children to get into the back seat. Sirius caught Harry's eye in the rearview mirror and grinned:
"Never have to worry about finding a parking spot with this thing."
Wendell Granger was correct about the drive being only ten minutes, leaving the three to find themselves outside a movie theater. Sirius pulled out a wad of muggle money and handed it to Harry.
"Go on, you two. See whatever movie you'd like. I'll be back here in two hours. Keep an eye out, stick together. You both have your wands?" The two teenagers nodded, "Good. Only use them if you absolutely have to. Until then, have fun!"
"Wait, you're not coming with us?" Harry asked.
"Nope, I've got some stuff to take care of. Besides, I don't think you'll want me around when you've got such a lovely witch to keep you company." Sirius teased, laughing at the blush that was rising on both of the teens' faces.
Harry groaned as Hermione insisted on the two of them seeing The Lion King. He was much rather wanting to see Speed but, despite his protests, he found himself sitting next to a delighted bushy-haired witch as the opening credits to the Disney film began. He was still trying to figure out how he lost the argument that it was his birthday, but decided it didn't really matter. He sucked it up and tried his best to enjoy the film, despite the feeling that he was too old for it. It's not like he had much opportunity to watch movies in the past, anyway. Truthfully, he was holding out for another kiss from Hermione: he found that he enjoyed them quite a bit.
The movie wasn't all bad, he had to admit. He felt that the film could have done without the singing, but it was a children's movie. He felt awkward whenever the characters started singing; the songs didn't seem to progress the story at all and the characters seemed to act as if they all didn't just break out into song. Plus, Harry just didn't know what to do during those parts. Was he supposed to tap his foot to the beat, hum along, et cetera? He'd never felt this awkward before, and that was including his interactions with Lockhart.
Hermione seemed to like it, however, and he really enjoyed her smile. He noticed just the faintest traces of makeup on her that only accentuated her features, but that smile was all her. He didn't mind that her front teeth were a little larger than the other ones. He'd read from a magazine during one of Dudley's visits to the dentist that most people had that problem and they typically worked themselves out as the person grew up. Marv had kept rather quiet during the film, only making the occasional cough that sounded a lot like "Hamlet!". Harry had no idea what that was supposed to mean.
When the two left exited the theater, they found Sirius leaning against his car smirking. As soon as Harry approached, Sirius grabbed the boy's face and intensely scanned his face. After a minute or two had awkwardly gone by, he released his godson and laughed.
"Looks like you got all the lipstick off, this time, kiddo. Good job."
Harry, at this point, felt a tinge of annoyance at his godfather's antics. He felt annoyed that everyone seemed to want him and Hermione to snog their hearts out. He felt annoyed that Marv hadn't spoken up. He felt annoyed that Hermione kept playing these games with him. Finally, he felt annoyed that he was annoyed at all of this. In that bout of annoyance, Harry felt a shift himself and suddenly he was in Marv's mindscape, as he called it. Marv was sitting on a high-backed chair that looked to be made of some dragon's hide.
"So, we meet again. Hormones are a bitch, aren't they? Bet you're pretty angry right now. Ah, mood swings. I can almost taste the angst in the air. Can't you? It's just begging to be manipulated. Sit down, boy."
Harry found himself moving to the chair before he could stop himself. Sitting down, chains quickly secured the teenager to the chair. Harry felt a moment of panic before a calming sensation came over him.
"You are going to sit there and listen to me, Harry Potter. Despite what you know of my past, despite my actions and comments this past summer, you need to listen – Don't you roll your eyes at me!"
Harry, who had rolled his eyes at the comment that had to listen to the voice in his head, felt agonizing pain shoot through his body. Were it not for the restrains, he probably would have been trashing on the floor. He didn't know it yet, but he had just experienced his first, but not the last, time under the Cruciatus Curse. The pain stopped as quickly as it came, but Harry still felt the tremors.
"I bet you didn't like that, did you? No, it's quite painful. Keep this act up and I'll put it on you every chance I get, boy. Now, shut the fuck up and listen to me you arrogant fuck. I'm trying to teach you something."
When Harry just nodded, Marv continued. Harry noted that Marv looked a bit off at the moment. Odd.
"Now," Marv continued, "When I was your age, I, too, felt the rush of hormones and urges that every teenage boy gets. I had crushes, girlfriends, even a fiancée at one point. I know what you're going through. I understand. I know the thoughts you've been having about Hermione and I need to intercede because, despite what you may think, I do care about what happens to us. Now, I'm going to ask you a question and I'd like you to think about your answer before speaking. Understood? If you disobey, I'll make you hurt again. Nod your head if you understand."
Harry nodded, feeling as if he was going to be sick.
"Okay, here it is. Do you actually have romantic feelings towards Hermione, or are you just projecting to whatever female is available? In this case, Hermione is the only female available."
Harry opened his mouth to speak, but caught the warning glance in Marv's eyes. He closed his jaw and thought about what he was asked. He wanted to say yes, of course I have feelings for Hermione. But then he caught himself. Maybe Marv was right. He was a teenage boy who had hormones flooding his system like crazy. Changes were happening (some in particular) at a rapid rate and he wasn't sure. Did he actually have feelings for Hermione? Perhaps not. Maybe, for sure, but was it really only just because she was the only appropriate female in his life that didn't make him feel like shit about himself (minus the nagging lectures about studying and classes, which he did overall appreciate the concern behind)?
He then thought about Hermione's perspective, all the way from when they first became friends. Here was a girl who was eager to join a society, a secret society, to which she felt she belonged. She wanted to make friends like her: magic users. She wanted to live up to the ridiculously high expectations she put on herself because why would anyone dislike a talented witch? So she came to a school for girls and boys like her, eager to learn magic, impress the teachers, and make friends. That first year, people were brutal to her. Ron, especially. Harry didn't help much, either. Then, when Ron brutally mentioned how she didn't have any friends, she ran off to cry. She cried that entire evening on Halloween. The first Halloween, in fact, away from her parents who probably didn't ever let her eat too much candy and sugary foods. She wanted to belong and she was ostracized for it.
So when that troll came along, who knows what was going through her head. Maybe she wanted to leave Hogwarts and go to a different school. Maybe she wanted to try again with other people, who knows? What Harry did know, however, is that he came along and saved her from what would have certainly been death. Ron helped, of course. The trio became friends. The first students in this school to accept her. Maybe she felt she owed something to them. Maybe not. She'd certainly mellowed out a bit over the years, especially after the Basilisk incident. She's made more friends now, according to her, but were they as close as He, Hermione, and Ron were? He doubted that very much. There are bonds that form, not any magical bonds or such like that, but bonds of friendship that form so strong a connection after living through life-threatening circumstances together. They were definitely close.
The question, then, was if Hermione liked Harry? As a friend, definitely. She cared for him, certainly. But in what capacity? He, who had grown up never knowing love, was so desperate for it. Could it be that he was seeing into things that weren't really there? Were the kisses he received, the words he read, all done from a familial viewpoint? He truly didn't know. He didn't know who to ask. Ron couldn't answer, because the relationship between him and his sister was not a close one. At least, not in the sense Harry could imagine. He couldn't ask Sirius, as he only had a brother. Maybe he could talk about how his cousins treated him. Marv had been an only child, but he seemed to have insight.
"Marv? I'm still thinking about what you asked me. Can I ask you some questions?"
"First, it's May I ask you some questions. Secondly, of course you can."
"How can you tell the motives behind an action? For instance, Hermione's kisses. Now they were just pecks on the cheek, so that's why I'm giving this thought. It could be meaningless. She kisses her father on the cheek, maybe other members of her family as well."
"Good, I'm glad you're thinking about this. It shows you can be intelligent when you need to be and that you will improve on making the right decision in future conflicts. She's hugged you, kissed you, yes. Did she make any effort to try and hold your hand during the movie? No. That could be amounted to nerves, or expecting you to make the first move. She's made some comments that could be construed as flirtatious, yes, but it could be meaningless. It could be more teasing than anything else. Some gals like to flirt for the fun of it, not caring who they do it to. It can give off the wrong message and, if they do it to the wrong person, cause a whole lot of trouble.
"So, how to tell the motives behind an action? Some would say to simply ask the person who committed those actions. Not a bad approach, very direct. The thing is, though, some people don't know the actual why behind their actions. They can conjecture, make excuses, but it's hard to know. One method is to use Legilimancy to find out, as you can search their mind deeper than they consciously can. It's too advanced for you right now, and I'm not going to do it for you. It's bad enough that I'm in your head.
"I wish I could give you a definite answer. If there was one, there would be so much less confusion in the world. People would know if other people had romantic feelings towards them. They would know if they were being manipulated. Sadly, this isn't the case. In your situation, I suppose it doesn't really matter."
"What? Why not?" Harry asked, surprised at the last statement.
"Because," Marv continued, "it only influences whether or not she has feelings for you. You need to know something, Harry, that I'm sure nobody has ever told you. Many children are never told this and it confuses them. Just because someone loves you, or likes you, does not mean you have to reciprocate that to them. There is nothing wrong with not loving someone in return. You are not obligated to feel bad. Some may say that you should feel bad, but don't feel bad that you don't love them in return. If you must feel bad, do so because you understand their situation. That you don't have the feelings to reciprocate what they want. In the long run, they probably don't have as deep emotions as they think. I, too, know that pain. You think you love a person, you'd be willing to bet your life on it. But unless they love you, that you know them in a romantic matter, you cannot have those romantic feelings for someone. You don't know romantic love unless you have a romantic connection with that person that goes both ways.
"It's a tough pill to swallow and I'll doubt you'll agree with me. It's something you learn over time. Something you'll realize when those you think you love do not love you in return. As time goes on, you'll learn that you only had an infatuation with that person. The best way of seeing it is when you move on. So, returning to my initial statement, whether Hermione likes you in that way does not matter because it doesn't affect whether you have those feelings for her. So go back to thinking."
Harry absorbed the information Marv gave him. In a way, it did make sense. Harry sat there and thought for what felt like ages before coming to a conclusion.
"I have my answer, Marv. I don't think I actually have romantic feelings for Hermione. There is a possibility for those feelings, yes, but I don't think I actually have the feelings for her. She's been the only female constant in my life that hasn't abused me, betrayed me, or hurt me. The Firebolt thing upset me, yes, but I can see it was done out of concern. I think I have more of a general yearning to express these emotions and needs and I'm using Hermione as she's the only one available. She may have feelings towards me, but it may certainly be the same case for her. I'm available whereas other guys aren't as close. That being said, however, I'm willing to see if it can go further than what it is right now."
"Well done, Harry. That was very well thought out. What you've been doing is called introspection and it's a vital part to understanding one's self. By understanding one's self, you will be able to successfully practice Occulumency. I hope to have you somewhat proficient before school starts, so continue your introspection into other aspects of your life. Start with why, work from there. It may not be accurate, but you'll learn more over time. Be critical of your evaluation, be realistic. We all have our faults. Now that you know just where you stand on your feelings, may I make a suggestion?"
"Of course, Marv."
"I suggest that, over the course of the next year or two, you interact with more females around your age. Learn about them, let them learn about you. You have only two friends that you actually know. You're fourteen and have lived a lonely life. You don't have to. Just interact with people. Yes, many will just want you for your fame. Use them, then toss them aside. Don't feel bad about it because they're certainly planning to do the same to you. But you can use your fame. Almost anyone would be willing to sit down with you to talk. Don't assume things about people. Learn about them. Make informed decisions before just tossing everyone into the same pile. Now, I think you should probably get back to the real world. Time hasn't progressed at all since you've came here. Sirius just teased you about getting all the lipstick off, implying you and Hermione kissed during the movie. Keep what I've told you in mind, otherwise I'll have to remind you."
Before Harry could speak, Harry found himself looking at Sirius once more. Harry smiled, but didn't blush. He made sure he could see Hermione's face in a reflection.
"Nah, Sirius. No lipstick. I think Hermione was just overenthusiastic earlier. No romance, sorry."
Sirius got a puzzled look on his face at his Godson's words. What happened in the movie theater? He glanced over at Hermione who, surprisingly, didn't have a hurt look on her face. Harry, using the reflection, saw the same lack of hurt and came to the conclusion she didn't have as deep feelings as he thought. Harry opened the door for Hermione, who politely thanked him, and both entered the car. Sirius, still dumbfounded, slowly got back into the car and the three rode back to the Granger Residence.
A/N: Sorry for the delay, folks. As a means of making it up to you all, enjoy this longer than usual chapter. Thank you to all of those who have favorited and followed my story, I appreciate the support. I know there may be some disagreements with what I've just done, halting the building relationship between Harry and Hermione, but I felt it needed to be done as a plot device. Another time skip is coming in the next chapter (which I have no clue when I'll put it up, sorry.) that will have Harry going to the Burrow. Leave your thoughts if you want, but I doubt anyone will. Hopefully, I've reminded people that Marv isn't a goof all the time. The Marv in the mindscape was more of the Voldemort than usual. Until next time, have a good one. - NeoR