So sorry it's been so long! Moving across continents can do that to you…

Anyways, I still own nothing! This entire world belongs to the fabulous J.K.R.!

Chapter 2

When Petunia and Vernon began to stir, Harry had decided to go out for a while leaving his relatives with a son who was regarding them as if he was seeing them for the first time, a protective mental shield of awareness now distancing him from his parents. He'd looked at them once before climbing the stairs to his bedroom to sign up to the gym Harry had suggested on line, as well as read some of the books from his second bedroom he'd never had the opportunity to touch. He'd told a rather shaken looking Petunia he was going upstairs to get some rest, and been pleasantly surprised at how well she'd swallowed the lie.

Harry had quickly slipped out of the house and was now headed for the telephone booth two blocks away to call Hermione with some cash Dudley had surprisingly slipped him when he'd asked. Things were really shaping out differently than before.

He felt the weight of nervousness settling in the pit of his stomach as he stood in the booth, his hand dreading to touch the dials that would spin Hermione's number. What if she hadn't come back with him? What if he'd lost her?

He closed his eyes at the brief flash of pain that shot through his heart at the very thought of it. No, he couldn't lose her. She had to be here, she just had to. Stealing himself, he decided that if she… if she wasn't, he wouldn't wait for her to go through all that crap with Ron first.

But it wouldn't be the same – she wouldn't have gone through everything he had, suffered along side him and been there every step of the way. Kept the group together as they repelled Death Eater and Death Eater; seen him struggle against Voldemort, saved Sirius in third year, helped him through the tournament, been there after Dumbledore's death, stayed with him throughout the Horcrux hunt, understood and loved him like no one else.

He suddenly felt extremely alone, unsure. He couldn't do this by himself.

His fingers deftly dialed the number.

"Hello?"

It was a male voice that picked up the phone; Harry's numb brain dimly registering that it must be Mr. Granger as he replied, "Hello, I was wondering if I could please speak to Hermione Granger?" he asked, "We have to work together on a science project." He added quickly, hating himself for implying that such a wonderful person could be a nuisance he was obliged to accommodate into his life, but knew that at this point in time she'd had no friends.

"Just a second," was the weary reply.

Harry waited, heat pounding painfully in his chest as he considered hanging up. Then a light voice he knew so well pierced his thoughts, filled with worry and uncertainty, "H- Harry?"

"Mione!" Harry exclaimed. "Oh thank Goodness!"

"Oh Harry!" Hermione babbled, relief obvious in her voice, "I'd begun to think I'd somehow messed it up again, come back without you, that I'd lost you just like Ginny, Neville, Luna and Ron; that I'd never see you again! You didn't call me right away; I've been waiting for hours now! Harry James Potter, that wasn't nice! I thought … I need to see you now!"

Harry was grinning like a maniac as he let her rant, knowing that she wasn't actually mad at him.

"You should come over right now! McGonagall's coming over any moment to explain everything to me and give me my letter, but I know you can't be here while she is cause then Hagrid wouldn't come to you and well we need to keep things as similar as possible for as long as we can – "

"So that we can use our knowledge of the future effectively," Harry finished for her. He could have sworn he felt her blush slightly on the other end of the line.

"Uh, well, right," she mumbled, "I've only told you that about a thousand times. Sorry Harry," she muttered rather sheepishly.

He grinned, "No problem Mione. You know I wouldn't get very far without you."

"Cut the soppy crap and get yourself over here. I'll let you in through the back after she's left," she laughed, "We can catch up later at Diagon alley."

"Right. I love you Mione," Harry said softly.

When Harry arrived at Hermione's house, he saw her waiting in the back garden, reading a book outside on the steps. The sunlight streamed through the leaves of a large maple on her left, falling on her bushy hair and lithe figure as she sat, hunched over a copy of Hogwarts, A History that presumably McGonagall had left her with as a first step to familiarizing herself with the wizarding world.

"Mione," he called out to her softly, a huge grin splitting his features at the sight of her. She looked up, and her beautiful brown orbs met his startling green ones, love, joy and relief prominent in both.

She closed 'Hogwarts, A History' and with a small squeal of "Harry!" ran into his arms and kissed him with much more passion than a simple eleven-year-old ought to be able to contain. For a moment, he allowed himself to just stand there and hold her close, sinking into the moment and never having to let go.

"We did it!" she stated, leaning her fuzzy head against his much too bony shoulder. "We're back."

"Both of us." Harry agreed.