2 July 1994
Hermione was bored, Luna left the day before to spend a week with her father in Sweden. Continuing the search for the fabled crumple-horned snorkack. Ron locked himself away ever since finding out the truth about Scabbers. Her twin refused to talk to anyone about his former familiar. Percy told her they would have a brotherly chat when Bill and Charlie came home at the end of the summer. It wasn't soon enough for Hermione, she missed her brother. Even if he was rude and had a horrible temper, Ron would always be the same brother who patiently held her hand in the pond because she was afraid of the jelly verbeeks that Luna swore were just below the surface.
Percy started his job at the ministry, working under the infamous Barty Crouch. Hermione avoided the former head boy like the plague, not being able to stomach the constant praise and worship her brother spewed about the former head of DMLE. Before, she would have no problem going to Percy to ask about a tricky arithmancy problem or complicated charm or even just to chat about a book. Now, her studious brother droned on endlessly about cauldron bottom regulations and the ever rising price of flobberworms. Even Fred and George avoided their high strung brother after Percy stormed into their room and evansoed their stock of caramel sweets.
Fred and George were being secretive, hiding away in their room. Molly spent hours screeching at them for putting up wards to keep the family out. The twins refused to say what they were actually working on but if the explosions were any indication, it wasn't their summer assignments. Hermione tried to sneak into their room to see exactly what they were up to but she was caught and unceremoniously thrown from their room before she could blink.
"Hermione, dear. What's bothering you?" Molly asked kindly as she watched her only daughter glaring out the window.
"Nothing, mum. Just bored..." Hermione trailed off absently, a small pop drew her attention away from the window. Dobby was standing beside an annoyed Molly Weasley.
"Hey Dobby!" Hermione chirped as she accepted the letter the house elf held out to her.
"Hello Miss. Myne! Master Harry has sent Dobby to deliver letters. Master Harry's Hedwig is busy delivering letters to Master Harry's Dogfather." Dobby squeaked, looking up at Molly fearfully.
"Mum! Can I go see Harry?" Hermione asked suddenly, diverting her mothers attention from the nervous elf.
"Oh, I don't know...it would be rude to just show up and I'm busy with dinner." Molly trailed off uncertainly.
"Master Harry would love his Myne to come visit!" The elf nodded enthusiastically. Molly chewed her lip in thought.
"Go ask Harry if it's alright." Molly relented and was rewarded by her daughter leaping into her arms to give the Weasley matron a tight hug. By the time Hermione pulled away, Dobby was gone.
"Thanks, mum!" Hermione squealed as nearly vibrated with excitement. Molly looked down at her daughter fondly, pushing a stray curl behind her ear.
"Master Harry Potter, sir is looking forward to his Myne coming to see him!" Dobby squeaked as he popped into the kitchen beside Molly.
"You'll be home for dinner. Behave yourself." Molly said sternly, as she ran her fingers through Hermione's curls. The little redhead nodded eagerly but was cut off by Dobby's squeaky cough.
"Miss. Myne stay for dinner with Master Harry. Master Harry has been very lonely." Dobby looked at Molly imploringly, his large eyes shimmering with tears. Molly let out a long suffering sigh and closed her eyes. Hermione kneeled beside the elf and pouted, pleading her mother with her wide brown eyes.
"Fine!" Molly smiled warmly down at her daughter. "You will be on your best behavior."
"Of course, mum." Hermione hugged her again as Dobby grabbed the girls hand.
"You'll answer my call, Dobby." Molly said sternly. The house elf nodded eagerly before they were gone.
The Dursley attic seemed to split into sections with a thick green curtains separating the areas. Hermione looked around her new surroundings curiously, there was a small window which provided very little light. Harry's bed was in the corner, it was covered in lumpy pillows, all of them looked homemade with colorful crochet slip covers. The walls were covered bright mismatched fabric, an old bookshelf and wardrobe sat in the corner, stuffed with all of Harry's school books. Harry was nowhere to be found and Dobby left her immediately, slipped behind a curtain.
"Dobby, did anyone send a reply?" Harry asked as he pulled back a curtain. Hermione blushed as bright as her hair as she took in her friend. His hair was wet and all he was wearing was an old towel on his waist. Hermione grew up with 6 older brothers but this was the boy she fancied in nothing but a towel. Harry didn't seem to notice her and moved towards the wardrobe.
"Harry!" Hermione squeaked as she saw the boy was about drop his towel. Harry spun around, gaping at the girl, he clutched his towel tightly. She was a bit blurry without his glasses but he would recognize her voice anywhere.
"Hermione?" Harry exclaimed and grabbed a pile of clothes, rushing back behind the curtain he came from. "What are you doing here?"
"Uh...I wanted to come see you and...Dobby said it was fine." Hermione covered her burning cheeks with her hands as she turned to the bookshelf.
"Uh-huh" Harry mumbled from behind the curtain, jerking his clothes on as fast he could.
"Dobby knew Master would like his Myne to visit." Dobby said firmly as he came into the room with a tray, laden with chips and biscuits. Harry walked back in the room, fully dressed, his face a beet red.
"You could have given me some warning, Dobby." Harry grumbled as he moved to stand in front of Hermione awkwardly. "I'm glad you came, I've been out of my mind with boredom."
"Err..sorry, Dobby did say he asked." Hermione said shyly, not able to meet his gaze. Harry nervously ran a hand through his hair, he expected Hermione to jump into his arms and give him a hug. It was the usual greeting when he saw Hermione, he was left unsure what to do.
"Well, I'm glad that he brought you." Harry smiled hopefully as she raised her eyes to his face. A brilliant smile broke onto her face before she wrapped him in a tight hug. Harry let out a sigh of relief as he hugged her back.
"So, how are the muggles?" Hermione asked eagerly as she stepped back.
"I wouldn't really know, I haven't seen them since your mum came." Harry shrugged sheepishly as he picked up a biscuit from the tray. Dobby watched the paired closely as sat back in his corner knitting, there was a speculative gleam in the little house elf's eye that made Hermione squirm.
"So, did mum's talk do any good?" Hermione asked curiously as she moved to sit on the edge of Harry's bed. Harry paused, staring at her a moment before moving to sit beside her at arms length.
"Well, Uncle Vernon tried to break down the door when he got home from work but Dobby sorted it." Harry chuckled as he thought about his Uncle's face when Dobby knocked him down the stairs. "Dudley spends as much time with his friends as he can...out side the house and Aunt Petunia has been weird, Dobby says she's come to the door a few times but nothing else."
"Well, what have you been doing then? Can't be fun, staring at the walls all day." Hermione smirked as Harry's eyes darted towards his school trunk then blushed.
"Ahh, I've finished most of my summer essays...writing everyone, Sirius writes almost everyday." Harry smiled happily then looked around with an astonished look on his face. "Where's your brother?"
"Ron is currently locked in his room, he didn't take the whole Scabbers things well...Fred and George have been working on something secret so..." Hermione shrugged nonchalantly. "Why don't you show me around? I haven't been to the muggle world since I went to Eli's." She grimaced at the mention of her dorm mate who refused to respond to her owls.
"Still, not talking to you?" Harry asked softly, seeing the the pained expression on her face. Hermione nodded and Harry hopped off the bed. The bespectacled boy bowed and held out his hand with a smirk. "Allow me to show you the way of the muggles, Milady."
"Why thank you, good sir!" Hermione giggled as she curtsied. With her hand in Harry's she followed him down the stairs, he lead her right past his scowling aunt who only glared at them suspiciously. When they made it out to the street of Privet Drive, Harry turned to look at her.
"Where to?" Harry asked nervously, looking up and down the street as if Dudley and his friends would materialize once he left the safety of his attic.
"Are you really asking me?" Hermione giggled as she too in the street curiously, her mother shoved her onto the Knight Bus as fast as she could when they came last week, feeling uncomfortable without magic. The street was lined with identical houses, the only difference being their gardens. She noticed the rose bushes in front of number 4 looking wilted and an ancient woman watching them through the window of her home only a few houses down. "Where do you normally go?"
"Well, I like the park...Dudley and his gang usually run the shops now." Harry shrugged as he started walking towards the park. Hermione's bright eyes took in everything eagerly, watching the muggles bustling down the walkways as if they were in a hurry. Harry smirked as he watched the red head staring down the muggles, she wasn't exactly subtle as she watched them critically. Luckily. She wasn't wearing robes but her faded jersey and scruffy jeans gave her the look of a hooligan.
"Oh! How did the lights come on?" Hermione asked eagerly as the street lights came on one by one. Harry groaned, running a hand through his hair as the redhead watching him expectantly. "Eli didn't really like to just wander or look at things. She had things to show me...her parents weren't very patient when I asked questions so of course I forgot half of them by the time we got back to her house at night. Eli said it would look odd if I wrote them down-"
"It's on a timer." Harry chuckled and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "You can ask me anything you want. I won't say I know the answers but I'll try." Hermione squealed and threw her arms around his neck.
"Oh, thank you Harry!" Hermione gushed as she gave him an extra squeeze. When she looked up at him with a brilliant smile, Harry felt his stomach flip and his heart miss a beat.
"Come on, let's go sit on the swings." Harry grinned as he pulled her into the empty park. He sat heavily on the swing as Hermione watched him curiously, her head tilted to the side. "Wizards don't have swings?"
"We used to have one by the pond but mum took it down...you didn't sit...Bill put it up one summer, you had to stand on this plank of wood." Hermione frowned as she sat in the swing beside him. "Fred and George used it at the same time, on their way into the water they knocked themselves out. Mum was beside herself, thought they drowned. While Bill dragged them out of the pond...mum blew up the tree."
"Your mum blew up the tree?" Harry gasped, his green eyes bright as he imagined Molly's rage at anything threatening her children.
"Oh, yes I only got to try it once...with Bill." Hermione blushed as she looked down at her lap. "Mum's a bit protective, innit?"
"A bit." Harry snorted and reached out to hold Hermione's hand tentatively, Hermione laced their fingers together with a shy smile on her face. "It must be brilliant to grow up around magic..."
"Well, Fred and George used to sneak me out of the house at night to-" Hermione grinned mischievously, about to tell him all about her nightly flying lessons when a nasally voice cut her off.
"What's this? Potter's got himself a girlfriend!" Piers, a blonde boy with a pointed face, chuckled gleefully as he lead Dudley and his friends into the park. Dudley looked hesitant but squared his shoulders, not wanting to appear weak in front of his friends. Harry stood up, dropping Hermione's hand but he did step in front of her to block the redhead from view.
"Looks like a right chav, doesn't she?" Malcolm, a gangly boy with dark hair and horrible acne, jeered maliciously.
"Don't call her that." Harry snapped as he glared at the boys in front of him.
"Chav?" Hermione questioned, thinking the word sounded familiar but couldn't place it. She stepped up behind Harry, looking around him at the group of boys with a frown. Harry put up his arm to keep Hermione behind him, the redhead huffed impatiently, pushing his arm down.
"Looks like your girlfriend wants to play, Potter." Gordon, a portly blonde boy, grinned smugly, eliciting snickers from his friend. Dudley shifted nervously, looking from his cousin to his friends, waiting to see what would happen.
"No, thanks." Hermione sniffed delicately, turning her nose up at the rude boys. Piers scowled darkly at the snub and turned to Dudley for reinforcement but found the large boy refusing to meet his gaze.
"That's alright, sweetheart, we'll show you a good time." Piers smiled wickedly as reached for her. Harry stepped in his path, batting the blonde's hand away. As soon as Harry's hand made contact with piers arm, Dudley pushed himself forward to grab his cousin. Dursleys friends openly laughed as they waited the inevitable scuffle. Harry ducked to the side, avoiding his cousins meaty fist. Dudley's body twisted, almost falling forward as his punch missed his cousin. Harry was definitely faster than before he went to Hogwarts, Dudley's friends watched, open mouth as Harry dodged Dudley's attack.
"Stay still,Potter!" Dudley snarled as he reached for the bespectacled boy, his outstretched hand came up empty as he went to grab the boys shirt. Harry smirked at his cousins obvious frustration. His victory was short lived as he heard a feminine yelp, Harry immediately looked to Hermione who was holding her bloody mouth. Dudley took advantage of his distraction and decked him, he smiled victoriously as Harry grabbed his temple and stared up at him with a scowl. The pudgy blonde reached down to pull his cousin to his feet when he was distracted by a loud CRUNCH.
"You manky fucking tosser!" Hermione snarled as she rubbed her knuckles. The petite girl spit the blood that was in her mouth as she glared at the rat faced boy holding his bleeding nose. Harry growled and charged Dudley, throwing all his weight behind him as he tackled him to the ground. Dudley was winded and wheezing as Harry pulled himself to his feet, looking around, Piers was trying to stop the blood flow from his broken nose and Dudley's friends looked on gobsmacked.
"Did you know she has 6 older brothers? I would stay home it were me." Harry growled as he wrapped an arm around the girls shoulders. Hermione bristled indignantly but allowed him to lead her away from the boys. Dudley groaned from the ground, vividly remembering the twin terrors that were in his room only a week ago.
"I don't need my brothers to defend me." Hermione grumbled as she wiped some blood from her chin. The rat faced boy only split her lip, Ron had done worse in the past just playing around. "Or you, for that matter."
"I know that now...your mum is going to kill me." Harry groaned as he lightly took her fin in his hand as he looked at Hermione's cut lip under the street light. He could see the entire Weasley family storming Privet Drive to find the boy who laid a hand on Hermione.
"It's fine, Harry." Hermione pulled her chin out of his grasp as she experimentally licked her the wound on her lip. "I'm sure Dobby can fix it before I go home...I'm more worried about the blood stains."
"I'm sorry." Harry sighed he turned to start walking back to his Aunt and Uncle's house. Hermione reached out took his hand with a small smile.
"Not your fault that your cousin has terrible taste in friends." Hermione shrugged nonchalantly, Harry chuckled as they walked in a comfortable silence.
"Oh, no." Harry groaned as they stood in front of 4 Privet Drive, his Uncle was home from work. He was hoping they would get in before Vernon made it back. "Let's just be very quiet, we can sneak up to the attic...I'm sure Dobby already made something to eat. He's been experimenting with muggle dishes." They knew it was useless as soon as they opened the door.
"Duddy! Did you- what have you done?!" Petunia shrieked as she took in her nephew holding hands with the bleeding red head. The bony blonde looked torn as she reached out to the girl, Harry watched his Aunt skeptically as she froze just before she could touch the Hermione.
"Boy! What are y-" Vernon stormed into the room, his face purple. Excited that he would finally have the opportunity to let the freak know how much he appreciated him bringing more of his kind into his home. He paused as he saw the girl beside him, dried blood on her chin and jersey, his eyes narrowed as he could not recognize the team. "Who is this?"
"Hermione Weasley." Hermione said politely, squeezing Harry's hand as if her life depended on it.
"Weasley..." Vernon's face turned puce as he placed the name as the family that came into his home and threatened his wife and son. "What are you doing here?"
"We're just heading back up to the attic." Harry said quickly, stepping in front of Hermione, hoping to draw his Uncle's ire.
"I don't think so, boy! You'll not be doing any of that under my roof!" Vernon snapped angrily. Petunia put a bony hand on her husbands meaty forearm, a warning look on her face.
"Bo-Harry, you have what you need to clean her up in your...room?" Petunia asked in a strangled voice. Hermione did not miss the look on Harry's Aunts face, the bony woman looked like she swallowed a bug.
"Yes, Aunt Petunia, we won't come back down." Harry said stiffly and roughly pulled Hermione up the stairs. Vernon looked like wanted to say something but a sharp pinch from Petunia had him glaring at them as they rushed upstairs.
"Miss. Myne!" Dobby squeaked as soon as he took in Hermione disheveled appearance. The little house elf jumped into action, cleaning the blood from her face and clothes. The light blue jersey was still stained and the house elf moaned, wringing his hands.
"Thank you, Dobby. I know how hard it is to get blood out of clothes with magic." Hermione smiled kindly and patted him on the shoulder.
"Oh no, Miss. Myne! Dobby can do it!" Dobby nodded eagerly before shoving a burgundy shirt in her hands and roughly dragging her behind a curtain. "You's wear this. Dobby gets the blood out." Hermione quickly changed into the soft Gryffindor jersey before handing off her beloved Puddlemore jersey to Dobby.
"You-" Harry gaped as Hermione stepped out from behind the curtain wearing his seeker jersey, with his name across the back. He ran a hand roughly through his hair as a broad smile stretched across his face. Seeing his name across her back did odd things to his stomach and all he could was stare at her.