They arrived at the house adventure free, and Violet Granger immediately set about the task of getting Harry settled in the guest room, making her husband carry Harry's trunk upstairs while Harry followed behind with Hedwig. After Harry's things and owl were settled in the room, she showed Harry around the house. After that, Hermione dragged him back upstairs to her room and they settled into studying for their summer essays. Harry actually found that concentrating on his schoolwork was easier without Ron's constant sighs of boredom and frustration. It didn't make the schoolwork any easier, but it did get it done faster. By the time Hermione's mum came and got them for dinner, he'd finished two of his six essays. Hermione had finished three, but she insisted they were only rough drafts.

That night, Harry enjoyed watching Hermione interact with her parents. Her father seemed to adore her, and was indulgent to the point of over-indulgence. Her mother held nothing but love for her husband and daughter, and while sterner than her husband, was still mostly indulgent of her only child. Harry thought it helped that Hermione never asked for much, but he couldn't help wondering if they wouldn't give her the sun, should she one day decide she needed it. Her parents explained, excessively apologetic, that they worked most days at their dentistry office, only taking Sundays off. Hermione demurred before Harry could think of something to say, explaining to her parents that Harry was more than used to caring for himself over the summers, and they'd make do without them.

The next day, Harry awoke not long after sunrise when Hedwig fluttered in from her nightly hunting. The clock on his bedside table proclaimed the hour as shortly before six. He spent several minutes petting his beloved familiar while she cleaned her feathers. When he heard movement downstairs, he made the decision to dress and go down himself. He threw on his hand-me-downs from Dudley and left his room as Hedwig settled in her cage to sleep for the day. Noting that Hermione's bedroom door was still shut, he slipped silently past and made his way quietly down the stairs. He found the Grangers in the kitchen, Violet cooking a light breakfast at the stove while Jack enjoyed a cup of coffee at the table, reading, of all things, the Daily Prophet. Harry groaned upon seeing the Wizarding newspaper. No wonder there hadn't been any warning about funny business with their daughter, they already knew he wasn't interested. They both looked up and smiled on seeing him.

"Ah, Harry, we're sorry if we woke you," Jack said warmly, folding his paper carefully.

Harry shook his head. "No, you didn't. I'm just generally an early riser."

"Well, that's admirable," Violet said, moving from the stove to set a plate in front of her husband. "This one's a bear to wake in the mornings."

Harry chuckled when Jack grinned. He had trouble imagining the man was ever anything but good-natured, but he didn't say so. The Gryffindor sat down at the small round table, twiddling his thumbs uncomfortably.

"Can I make you something to eat, dear?" Violet asked, moving back to the stove. "I've still got everything out, and I dare say you look as though you could use it."

Harry chuckled again, vaguely reminded of Mrs. Weasley's same opinion of his slim state. "No thank you, Mrs. Granger, that's kind of you, but I'm not really hungry."

The woman turned with her own plate in hand. "Are you sure I can't get you anything?"

Harry made to demur again, but the smell wafting from Jack's side of the table made him pause. "If it's not too much trouble…could I have some coffee?"

Violet smiled as if she knew a secret. "Ah, you're of that sort." She set her plate down and moved back to the cupboards, pulling down a white mug that sported a cartoon cat. "It's no trouble at all. Cream and sugar?"

"Neither, thank you," Harry said automatically.

Violet's smile widened. "Oh, so you're that sort." She brought the steaming mug over and set it in front Harry before sitting down to her breakfast. "You and my husband would get along famously, I'd bet."

Harry smiled when Jack choked on his own coffee and a chuckle. He lowered his eyes to his coffee cup, systematically twisting it in his hands as he concentrated on a cooling spell. He and Hermione had been working on their wandless magic since Spring Break, when they'd been left to their own devices within the castle. She'd thought it safer than attempting to gain their animagus forms. He was still working on controlling the power behind his spells, though. So far, it varied from really weak to dangerously strong, like accidental magic.

"Do you have any plans for today?" Violet asked idly.

Harry shrugged. "Knowing Hermione, probably homework. And if we finish that, more studying." He joked.

Violet smiled. "Don't let her bully you, now."

"I would never, Mum."

Harry started at the cross tone, and accidentally turned his coffee to ice. He blushed violently when Violet's eyebrows rose and Jack's fork paused halfway to his mouth. Hermione walked fully into the kitchen and grabbed the mug from Harry's hands.

"I told you to be careful, Harry. You're still having trouble controlling it," Hermione admonished, taking the cup to the sink and dumping the block of coffee into the basin to melt.

Harry's blush deepened as he looked up ashamedly at the Grangers. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-I'm sorry."

Jack frowned. "For what?"

"The coffee," Harry mumbled, turning his eyes away.

"Don't be silly, Harry, it's just coffee. I actually found that quite impressive," Violet said, chuckling. "The last time Hermione did that she was still just a turnip in her high chair, and she froze the whole table."

"Mum," Hermione whined, pulling down a new mug from the cupboard. She filled the new one and Harry's with coffee and brought them to the table. Harry's unmistakably cooler mug had the benefit of cooling his coffee down enough to drink.

"Don't you 'mum' me, Hermione, you had quite a bit of accidental magic until you went to Hogwarts. I'm allowed to think it's impressive that Harry's is so much more focused than yours," Violet said primly.

Hermione rolled her eyes as her dad chimed in. "It was pretty cool."

There was a groan of beleaguered amusement from the rest of the table as Jack chuckled at his own wit. Hermione turned to Harry, and Harry smiled, sipping at his new coffee.

"Dad's full of bad jokes," She said. "I'm just glad you'll be here with me this summer, so I won't have to suffer alone."

Harry chuckled. "In his defense, it was pretty funny."

Hermione rolled her eyes again. "Maybe it's a guy thing. Anyway, Harry didn't actually perform accidental magic. We've been working together on our wandless spells. See?" She held out her hand and the vase in the middle of the table levitated nearly an inch off of the wood before settling back down, slightly askew of where it had been. Hermione's parents clapped lightly. "Harry's better at it, though he's still having trouble controlling how much power is behind his spells. I can still only manage the most basic charms, and only just barely."

"Well, I think you're both amazing," Violet said, taking her plate to the sink and rinsing it.

Jack got up as well, finishing off his coffee as he carried his own finished breakfast to the sink. He walked back over and placed a light kiss on Hermione's head.

"Your mum's right, Hermione," He agreed. "You're both incredible. We've got to go to work now, so you two behave. No adventures while we're gone."

Hermione giggled. "No promises, Dad. Have fun at work. Stay away from that laughing gas."

Jack chuckled. "Not a chance, Rabbit." He walked out of the kitchen, leaving Violet alone with the two teenagers.

"There's food in the fridge," Violet said, kissing Hermione's head the same as her husband had done. "You know all of the emergency numbers by now."

"We know, Mum, we'll be fine," Hermione reassured her mother. "I love you. Keep Dad out of trouble."

Violet giggled. "If only I could, dear. I love you, too." Harry blushed when the woman leaned over and kissed his head as well. "You two have fun. Don't stay up in your room studying all day."

Hermione smiled innocently as her mother left. She waited until they heard the front door close before slumping in her chair. Harry grinned.

"Your parents are brilliant," He murmured into his cup.

Hermione grinned. "Aren't they? They've been so understanding about me being a witch. So, what do you want to do today? We have a telly, and most any book you can think of. We could practice our wandless magic, if you wanted. I know I'd like to at least try to finish some of my summer essays."

Harry shrugged. "I thought I'd go for a walk. We passed a park not far from here, and it looked interesting."

Hermione gaped. "Not far? Harry, that park is two miles away!"

Harry shrugged again. "S'just an idea. We don't have to."

"No, it's alright. You go ahead if you want, as long as you promise you won't get lost. We can work on our homework later." Hermione said. She got up and moved to the stove. "Hungry? I can cook…um…toast."

Harry chuckled. "You're better at Potions than anybody, though. Well, except Snape."

"I know," Hermione said, turning to face him. "It's the weirdest thing, isn't it? In a kitchen I can burn water, but Potions is easier for me than most of our other subjects."

Harry couldn't help but smile as he stood up to refresh his coffee. "Toast sounds great."