Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter

Early Friday morning, Hermione lay in bed, listening to the sounds outside her bedroom. Cassie had woken up much earlier which was very unusual; she seemed to sleep through anything and Hermione would end up having to bribe her out of sleep. Her cousin was apparently very emotional this morning. The clatter of cutlery and scraping of utensils told Hermione she was still furious of having to endure all this magical nonsense.

She couldn't put it off any longer, she would have to endure Cassie's rage at some point or other so shiftily made her way into her slippers and pulled on her dressing gown. She pulled on the door knob and the door creaked as she stepped out into the kitchen. Behind a smoky cooker her cousin was moving around, banging nosily against the worktop with ferocious speed. Hermione gulped and tried to make her way over to the living area out of sight.

'Sit at the table Hermione,' Cassie said quite unusually. Hermione back tracked and settled quickly into one of the seats. Her fingers trembled slightly; what was Cassie going to do to her?

Cassie said nothing, her face hidden by the steamy cooker. Hermione drummed her nails on the place mat and bit her lip. This was intense.

Finally, after much harassment of the kitchen ware, Cassie emerged next to Hermione with a plate in her hands. 'Here you go!' She said brightly. As she laid the plate down, it wasn't its contents that surprised her the most. It was the fact that Cassie was smiling pleasantly.

'Thanks,' Hermione said uncertainly, looking down at her breakfast. Scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages and beans. It looked quite tasty!

'Oh I forgot your orange juice,' she said and hurried to the worktop, grabbed a glass of orange and sat down beside her once she placed it onto the coaster in front of Hermione. She looked at Hermione, beaming.

'What?' Hermione said suspiciously. 'Who are you and what have you done with my cousin, Cassie?'

Cassie laughed and leapt up to get her own food. 'This is my way of thanking you, Hermione!' She said, placing her own plate and juice down. 'Eat up!'

'Thank me for what?'

'You saved my life last night!' She said simply. 'Those stupid American morons were going to finish me off but you stepped in and stopped them! You're so talented Hermione!'

Hermione was speechless. She hadn't actually saved her life because they wouldn't have killed anyway but she was still welling up inside. She smiled and helped herself to some sausage.

'As if I could do anything else!' She said, smiling. 'This breakfast's delicious! I didn't know you could cook!'

'I like to cook as a hobby.' Cassie said through a mouthful of egg. 'I find it soothing!'

The Granger cousins spent the rest of the day with each other, catching up properly on each other's interests and livelihoods. It was another beautiful day, the last one before they set off for home so they played mini tennis in the back garden with some supplies they found in the shed. They took a swim in the pool and both laughed at how Hermione's hair frizzled up insanely afterwards.

'Too bad you can't have anyone to tame it for you now!' Cassie giggled over a glass of coca cola under the shade of the table umbrella outside.

Hermione grinned, 'I don't know, I would love to see the looks on my friend's faces when I come back to school looking like this! Then at least I can mend it then!'

Cassie giggled and sighed in the cool breeze.

In the evening, Aunt Jane and Uncle Robert were busy getting the suitcases out ready for packing in the morning. Somehow, Hermione found this rather depressing.

'I hate this bit of the holiday,' Cassie sighed as they spent the last hour before dinner watching the TV. 'Getting the cases out.'

'Hmm,' Hermione replied, 'this place has sort of grown on me. It is quite beautiful!'

'After dinner, let's go for a walk down the street and see the wildlife!' Cassie said out of the blue.

'What?' Hermione mused; wouldn't it be dangerous to go out after dark?

Cassie read her mind and smiled gently, giving a very Hermione-ish feature. 'Don't worry, I meant with my parents. We always go out on the last night of the hols. You'll love it!'

So after a tasty dinner of lasagne and Cassie made apple pie, the Granger's left the path of their villa and walked down the garden lit pathway. It was really warm and the atmosphere was amazing. Hermione and Cassie linked arms, walking ahead. There was little noise except for the buzzing of crickets in the hidden grass, tiny garden planted lights lit magnificently along the sidewalk, no cars or people joined them on their evening walk. The sky above was a deep, everlasting midnight blue, transitioning slowly into an inky black sky scattered with diamond stars. A few planes overhead twinkled red and gold lights.

It was peaceful; no other word for it. Hermione had tied her hair up with lots of pins to keep it from looking monstrous. After just under an hour, they rounded a few blocks and came back to their villa. Jane and Robert smiled at each other and said something about having a glass of wine on the patio. Cassie and Hermione went to their rooms to change into their nightclothes.

'Would I like Hogwarts?' Cassie asked, as they slept beside each other in their respective beds.

'I think you would like the spells.' Hermione said. 'You probably wouldn't go as far as being in love with the rules and the teachers though!' And Cassie laughed.

'But I believe Hogwarts is just a place you fall in love with instantly, I can't really explain it.'

Cassie sighed and looked up at the ceiling. 'I'd love to talk to a ghost or something,' she muttered. 'Or eat something totally weird.'

Hermione nodded sleepily and turned over under her thin duvet. Sleep was calling her.

One more chapter to go…thanks for reading it guys, you're awesome!