Dan breathed a sigh of release, as did Emma. They both allowed the teens to continue upstairs, and waved Harry's thanks away.

The next day, they started to set a routine. Harry was usually the first one up, and would make breakfast for the other three people in the house. Before he was finished, the two adults would often come down and make themselves coffee. He usually got to spoil Hermione by feeding her in bed-and he loved spoiling Hermione.

Later on, for lunch, Hermione would make sandwiches on the weekdays, and Dan would on the weekends. Emma would usually make dinner, but Harry would insist on making some foods from scratch every once in a while, and they would all go out on Saturdays once the adults were back from work.

Outside of meals, Hermione had a timetable, which made Harry laugh, then wince theatrically as Hermione playfully smacked him for it. Between breakfast and lunch, they would spend time playing games, such as Boggle, Parcheesi, Sorry, and numerous different card games.

After lunch, they would study one of the books for about an hour (except the magical bond book, they avoided it for some reason), practice whatever they were trying to learn, and then dueled to get into shape. They couldn't do much with the Animagus or mind magic books, though, and abandoned them after a couple of days. They did find out that the mind sharing they had done was not legillimency, though.

After dinner, it was a simple movie, and then bed. Dan didn't even grumble anymore about the teens sharing a bed; they were both still insecure in their relationship and hadn't done anything more than kiss still.

That wasn't to say that they had a perfect summer; they didn't. One of the adults would say or do something to tease Harry, and he would flinch and pale for a moment before figuring it out. They all tensed when this happened, and it took a little while before everyone settled down. Harry, however, had the time of his life for the most part.

It wasn't until his birthday that they realized that they hadn't heard from any of the Weasleys. It was the same day that everything went crazy.

On that day, Dumbledore decided to do something he hadn't done before and check up on Harry. He popped to the Granger's front step, and knocked on the door. Dan answered, laughing at something one of the teens had said. His face immediately went blank at the sight of the Headmaster-this was the man who had put a child in what was essentially a house of torture.

"Please, come in," he intoned stiffly, stepping aside. Albus was a bit worried now; as far as he knew, the Grangers had no reason to be cold towards him.

"Thank you, Mr. Granger," he responded, hiding his fears. "Lemon drop?" Dan shook his head and led the headmaster to a room full of laughter and presents. When they saw the Headmaster, all laughter died. Everyone in the room was looking at the Headmaster with differing degrees of coldness, Harry looked particularly angry, and Dumbledore was now very worried; he couldn't recall anyone go from laughing to angry so quickly.

"Ah," he said, trying to divert attention, "were you, by any chance, playing knock-out whist?"

"Yes, we were," Harry responded. "We were also having fun. Then you walked in."

Dumbledore winced internally at Harry's bluntness, and was a bit surprised that Hermione didn't seem to mind him challenging authority-she used to obey it mindlessly. Dumbledore decided that if Harry would be blunt, he would be, too. "Would you mind telling me what I did to offend you, Harry?" He asked.

"Would you mind telling me what you're doing here?" Harry responded.

"I'm just here to see how you're doing, Harry," Dumbledore said calmly. He would have continued, but Hermione jumped up in anger.

"You came to check up on him?" She asked venomously, stalking towards the Headmaster. "Where were you when he actually needed you to check on him? Where were you while his relatives treated him worse than the Malfoys treated Dobby? WHERE WERE YOU THEN?" She thundered at him.

Dumbledore took a step back, startled by her vehemence. He also realized just how alone he was; no Order member knew where this place was and the three other people in the house agreed with Hermione completely. He felt an unfamiliar sensation flow through him as he realized that both teens were so angry that they were starting to lose control of their magic.

"I-I-I" he stammered, unable to think of an appropriate response.

Hermione laughed derisively. "What, the Great Albus Dumbledore can't come up with something?" She mocked. "Of course he can't. There's no excuse! You left him to rot in a situation that made Hell look like a reprieve! And you have the nerve to check on him while he's here?"

Dumbledore decided he didn't like fear. To abate their anger, he did something he hadn't done in decades, and bowed. "You are correct, Miss Granger. I suppose I should be used to that by now," he commented wryly. "I admit that I also came on behalf of the Weasleys; they were very upset to be unable to contact you. I also thought you would like to warn them of your…status…before seeing Ronald or Ginevra."

The teens lost their heat, and looked at each other in shock; they'd barely thought about the Weasleys at all. They conversed silently.

How did we forget about them, love? Harry asked.

Hermione gave a slight shake to her head. I don't know, Harry. But what do we do about it now?

Harry gave a slight shrug. I don't know. Why couldn't they contact us, anyway?

My guess would be the Fidelius, Hermione responded.

I thought that was meant for people!

Hermione gave another slight shake of her head. No, people wouldn't want to let Nagini in, for example.

Harry gave a slight nod. Okay, but what do we do now?

Hermione shrugged. Perhaps Dumbledore has a suggestion, she said acidly.

"What exactly should we do about the situation with the Weasleys?" Harry asked the Headmaster coldly.

"Might I suggest sending Hedwig with a letter? Other than Crookshanks, she is probably the only animal that can get through the wards right now." Harry nodded thoughtfully.

Returning his gaze to the Headmaster, Harry said, "If you would excuse us, we were celebrating," and promptly turned his back, looking at his cards.

Dumbledore confessed privately that he was irked at the dismissal, but he did leave, and heard Harry say as though his interruption was unimportant, "Whose turn was it again?"

After the game, Harry and Hermione reluctantly decided to write to the Weasleys, explaining their summer so far; Harry and Hermione feared Ron's reaction to them dating, and Hermione had the added worry that Ginny would react badly as well, since she hadn't truly gotten over her crush on Harry.

After that was taken care of, it was time for presents! They knew Harry would have protested too many presents, so they only got him one each-this time. Harry didn't really care what they were, he was just excited to be getting presents for his birthday surrounded by people who cared about him.

The first present he opened was from Dan (they told him emphatically that they would not be called Mr. Granger or Mrs. Granger inside their own house). He had no idea what he was going to be getting from Hermione's father, and was a little nervous in case he decided he wanted to separate them.

He opened it up, and found a remote-control airplane. He stared at it, slack-jawed; he remembered when Dudley had gotten his, and remembered how much he had wished for one of his own. He spent so long just staring at it that Dan started to get nervous. Just before he could say anything, he found himself being squeezed to death by a crying, black-haired, wizard. After a moment, Harry pulled back and whispered, "Thank you," while wiping tears from his eyes. Unseen behind him, the women were doing the same thing.

Dan whispered back with a smile, "You're welcome." Harry's face had a definite red tinge as he went back to his other two presents, and he refused to look at anyone else in the room as he started to open the present he got from Emma. Inside the box, he found one of those miniature race car tracks where two people can race tiny remote-control cars. It was another thing that Harry had always wanted, and Emma soon found herself in the same predicament that Dan had just moments ago. All four people were wiping their eyes when Harry went back to his final present.

Harry looked at the present from Hermione, and hesitated. He looked up at her and asked, "Am I gonna cry again?" Hermione just shrugged with a look that said 'you'll see'. Harry was afraid that that was a yes, and cautiously began to open the present. Inside the third-and last-box was something Harry had never expected to see; he saw a mirror that looked exactly like the one that Sirius had given him. He looked up at Hermione, stuttering, "W-what…H-how…?" Before she could respond, he was overcome with emotion and threw himself at her.

"Remus helped me with the charms," Hermione whispered to him. "I have its pair."

"You always know what I need," Harry whispered, squeezing her tighter. "But I wish you had told me I was gonna cry again!" He said, and jumped when the two adults laughed; he'd forgotten about them.

"Harry, it's okay to cry every once in a while," Emma told him.

Harry snorted and said without thinking, "Try telling that to my uncle!" He paled a bit when he realized what he said, and everyone else stiffened for a moment until Hermione hugged him to make him feel better.

Dan cleared his throat uncomfortably and said, "I'll…go make lunch." Everyone just nodded to him, and Hermione asked Harry if he wanted to play with the plane or the track. The two women laughed when he looked torn for a moment, but he decided on the track since two people could play with it, and everyone could help build it.

They were halfway through it when Dan came in with ham and cheese sandwiches. Harry asked if they could work on the track while they ate, so they did. They finished the track a few minutes after everyone was done eating, and Hermione did the dishes. While Hermione washed the dishes, her mother washed them and the boys played with the track. Neither of them was able to make it around, though, the cars kept falling off. That didn't really matter to them, though, since it was fun anyway. Neither of them even noticed that the two women had come in and were watching them play like little kids until Hermione cleared her throat and said, "We have to get to work, Harry."

He looked momentarily crestfallen, but he enjoyed learning this stuff and spending time with his girlfriend, so he responded with a smile, "Okay, love, I'll be right there." He then turned to Emma and handed her the remote for the car. Leaning in, he whispered, "Kick his butt for me," causing Emma to laugh. She was still laughing as he headed towards the backyard.

Today, they had decided to study How to Fight a Wizard. They found out that the book was actually for muggle parents, but it worked just as well for them. It gave them tips on how to dodge spells, and even mentioned that a medieval shield mad of iron would block most spells; the only ones that were really a problem were spells like reducto, since the force could still dent the shield and damage the users arm, and, of course, the Unforgivables. Apparently, dodging was the only way to get around those.

After a couple of hours, the two teens were tired and sweaty from dodging, casting, and being hit by the Tickling Charm. They had both managed to get better at dodging and aiming, so despite the fact that they both sustained the same number of hits in the end as when they had started, they were rather pleased with the results.

After they both took their showers, they had a nice meal of chicken pepperoni, which Harry had taught Emma how to make. Hermione made a joke about the fact that it was now a family favorite, and Harry added, "And mine, too!"

Emma responded, "That's what she said, dear." Harry just sat there for a moment, stunned. Then, with a hurried, 'excuse me,' he left the table and headed upstairs, though not before everyone saw the tears.

Halfway up the stairs, he turned around, went back down, and said, "Thank you," before running back up the stairs. The Grangers smiled sadly to each other, and decided to leave him in peace. It was only a few minutes before he came back down to continue eating, and everyone decided to act as though nothing had happened.

Once everyone had their fill, Dan did the dishes, since the women had already done, and Harry was told that he wasn't allowed since it was his birthday; the only reason he had been allowed to make breakfast was because he had been up first.

Fortunately, everyone in the house was pretty good at doing the dishes, so it didn't take long before they could watch the movie of the night, Blade Trinity. They had already watched the other two, and Harry was curious to see how it ended. Hermione was the only one who knew he was trying to find a way to defeat Voldemort and his Nibblers.

When the movie was over, Harry was deep in thought, and didn't notice when Emma got up and went to the kitchen. When she came back, she had cake that she placed on the coffee table in front of Harry with a slight bang that made Harry jump. He looked at the cake for a minute in confusion, then the three Grangers, before realization dawned and he started to cry again. "You guys like making me cry, don't you?" He accused teasingly.

Hermione, who had been hugging him since the end of dinner, squeezed him tighter and responded, "No, Harry; we like to make you happy."

Harry sniffed, wiped his eyes, and said, "You guys do too much for me."

Emma scoffed and rolled her eyes. "It's you're birthday, we're supposed to!" No one was surprised when he had to wipe his eyes again.

"Alright," he said. "But no singing!"

The three Grangers smiled at each other. "Sorry, Harry, but it's traditional." With that, they burst into song before he could say anything else, causing him to bury his face in his hands. When they were done, everyone noticed that his ears were a bright red, and Hermione-unable to resist-teased him about being like Ron.

Harry didn't even lift his head when he responded. "No, you fight too much to kiss him." Hermione, of course, flushed as well as both of her parents started laughing.

"Who wants cake?" Hermione asked desperately, trying to turn the attention to something else. The two adults looked at each other, gave a slight nod, and jumped and down like little kids, saying "Me, me, me, me!" Good thing still Harry has his head down, Hermione thought to herself (they'd learned how to keep from projecting to each other), because Mum isn't a little kid anymore, and she's putting on a show!

Emma and Dan both seemed to figure this out as well, and they both stopped jumping; for once, it was their turn to become maroon, causing Hermione to laugh. Emma quickly went to the kitchen to grab a cake knife; they had decided that Harry was going to have enough attention today, and so hadn't done the candles.

Soon enough, everyone had eaten a slice of cake and headed to bed. When they got their room, Hermione pulled Harry into a deep kiss that left them both a bit flushed. "You have another birthday present, Harry. But since it helps me, too, and my parents won't understand it, I wanted to give it to you in private." Harry's mind was so deep in the gutter right now that he needed a lifesaver, and Hermione could tell. She smacked his arm gently. "Not that, you prat!" Harry blushed a little, and smirked at the rhyme. "Come here," Hermione said rolling her eyes and pulling him towards a box by her bed.

When she opened it, he saw tons of vials filled with potions ingredients. He was confused for a moment, until he started to read the labels, when he gasped. "Hermione, these are the ingredients for the Animagus potion!"

Hermione giggled. "I know that, Harry! Why do you think I got them?" She rolled her eyes. "I figured we could start working on it tomorrow."

Harry hugged her, saying, "You're the best, 'Mione!" She took that as a yes, and then groaned as she realized he now had two nicknames for her, and she didn't even have one for him!

Harry pulled back with a look of concern. "What is it?" He asked.

"I still need a nickname for you," she groaned.

Harry just chuckled and pulled her back into the hug. "Why not just use love, like I do?"

"Because I want something to call you that I came up with!" Hermione was rather competitive. Harry shrugged, and she racked her brains. What do I love as much as Harry? She asked herself. Well, nothing, actually. What come in second? My parents obviously, but I can't call him 'Daddy,' it's a bit too kinky for now, she thought with a deep blush. Well, what does Harry do? He has his saving-people-thing. It's almost like he thinks he's a knight! "I've got it!" She exclaimed, pulling back. "You can be my knight!" She giggled when Harry blushed at the nickname. "Every girl wants a knight in shining armor," she teased.

Harry narrowed his eyes. "I left my armor at school," he said, smiling when Hermione laughed. He doubted he would ever get tired of that laugh. "Come on, love, let's go to bed," Harry said, turning off the light and pulling her towards it. There was no resistance from her, but before they got there, there was a tapping on the window; Hedwig had returned.

"Hedwig!" Harry said happily, going over to open the window. She landed on his arm, and stuck out her leg with two letters on it. "Thanks, girl," Harry said, petting her after he had gotten the letters. She hooted softly in response, and flew out the window, probably to hunt.

Harry was a bit nervous about the letters, but steeled himself, saying, "Alright let's get this over with." Hermione nodded, turning on the light.

They each received two letters, one from Ron, and one from Ginny. They were a bit confused about this, since the two youngest Weasleys knew they were living together. They shrugged it off for now, and opened the letters.

As Harry read the letter from Ron, he started off shocked, but was quickly getting angry. Hermione was having the exact same reaction to the letter from Ginny.

She slammed it down and ripped open the letter from Ron at the same time Harry ripped open the letter from Ginny. They weren't any better, and the teens slammed them done angrily, as well. For a moment, they were too angry to speak.

Hermione was the one to break the silence with, "Those pricks!" She screamed. "How dare they?" She ranted, getting up and starting to pace. "Do you know what they think?" She demanded of Harry.

Harry was going to respond that he did, but the bedroom door suddenly slammed open, revealing two slightly panicking adults. "What happened?" Dan demanded. The teens silently handed the adults the letters; Harry gave his letters to Dan, and Hermione gave hers to Emma. They weren't surprised to see the adults' faces turning a bit red, too. They handed the letters back to the people they considered their kids, and Dan said, "Continue," and they walked out. After a quick second, Dan popped back in and said, "And feel free to swear."

"Yes, I do," Harry said darkly, as though they hadn't been interrupted. "Ron thinks you two were getting together and that I somehow stole you from him. He even went so far as to suggest I used potions! And Ginny seems to think we were destined to be together! How? We barely talked until last year, and even that wasn't much!"

Hermione snorted. "Ginny suggested that I used potions on you, as well, complaining that I knew she had a crush on you. Yeah, I did, but you aren't branded with her bloody name! And Ron said he thought I liked him! He said that me fighting with him proved it! Because everyone knows fighting so badly you end up crying means you like someone!"

"What made Ginny think I liked her?" Harry asked. "Hell, what made her think she liked me? She didn't! She had a crush on 'The-Boy-Who-Lived'! And I can't believe she had the audacity to suggest you used love potions! I can understand why Ron would think I did, but the thought that you need them is ludicrous! Almost as ludicrous as a relationship between you and Ron! I mean, can you imagine? You guys fight so much, I'd be surprised if you lasted a week!"

He suddenly had Hermione in his arms, kissing him. After a minute, she pulled back and said, "Thank you," before snuggling into his chest.

"What did I do?" He asked with a smile. "I just want to know so I can do it again."

"You said that the idea of me needing a love potion was ludicrous," she said.

Harry scowled. "It is!" He said emphatically. "You're beautiful, smart, loyal, brave, and the kindest person I know! Why would you ever need a love potion?"

Hermione leaned up and kissed him, smiling. "You're probably the only person our age who would call me 'beautiful,' you know."

"I actually don't mind that," Harry said thoughtfully. "It meant I had enough time to figure out how I felt about you before anyone else could figure out how beautiful you are."

Hermione smiled softly, and said, "Do you know how many witches are going to be jealous of me?"

Harry snorted. "Yeah, but they just want the hero who defeated Voldemort. They have no right to be jealous of you for that. However, since they would be jealous if they actually knew you, it doesn't make much difference."

Hermione blushed. "You know just what to say, my knight," she said lovingly, causing Harry to blush.

"I don't know about that," Harry protested, "but I do know I'm probably going to be avoiding those two this year. After these letters, I wouldn't put it past them to be crazy enough to use the potions they accused us of using. We need a way of counteracting stuff like that, or at least knowing about it."

Hermione sighed. "Well, we have a month. For now, let's just go to bed. After all this excitement, I'm beat." Harry agreed, and they were soon snuggling into each other, deeply asleep.