Story: War
Chapter: 1
Rating of Chapter: R
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. The only things I own are the plot, any characters, spells etc that you do not recognize.
Author Notes: First chapter of the new edition of the sequel, enjoy.
Chapter 1: Guest
Harry Potter was perched in the windowsill of his bedroom at number four Privet Drive, Surrey. He was thinking about how much he missed his friends, Ron and Hermione. He also missed his godfather Sirius Black, who had made a dramatic return at the end of last year. He could remember the last talk he had with Dumbledore last year.
Harry walked into the Headmaster's office on the last day of term. "Take a seat Harry," said Dumbledore softly. Harry obeyed him and sat down. "I understand that you wanted to ask me a question?"
"Yes sir, I did. I just wondered how that Phoenix came out of my wand?" asked Harry uncertainly.
"Harry, I guess that the Phoenix came out of your wand because of the feather you have in it. You obviously desired the return of your godfather so much that your wish was granted. Some things in this Wizarding world cannot be answered, and what happened that day is one of them."
"Ok, thank you sir," answered Harry. He got up to leave.
"Harry, one more thing. This summer is the last that you will be spending at the Dursleys, after that you are welcome to go wherever you like. I am sure Sirius would love some more company at Grimmauld Place." Dumbledore glanced at Harry with a wink.
BANG! THUMP! Harry was removed from his thoughts when he heard a bang from outside. The Dursleys were going away on holiday to the Isle of Wight for the last two weeks of the holiday. Harry could hear Vernon dragging a suitcase down the stairs; it was thumping after every step. He guessed that the suitcase he was moving must contain Dudley's snacks for the holiday. His so-called diet had soon fizzled out. "Potter!" Vernon yelled.
Harry dragged himself out of his room and down the stairs. "Yes…sir," he said dully.
"Now Potter, I want to go over the rules one more time." Harry sighed quietly, this had to be the five hundredth time he had heard these rules. You'd think his Uncle would realise that he wouldn't follow them by now. "Number one, no television, number two, no extra portions of food, number three, no friends, number four, no girls, number five, no funny business. Got it?" he barked.
"Yes," moaned Harry.
"Good, now I expect you out when we come back, and I don't want to see you anywhere near this house again! Come on Dudley, Petunia." They followed him out of the door, Dudley thumping Harry on the shoulder as he left.
As soon as the door had clicked shut, Harry darted into the living room and turned on the television. He glanced through the channels but nothing seemed to interest him. So he decided to send an owl to Hermione at Grimmauld Place. He walked into the hall, about to go up the stairs when the doorbell rang. He jumped slightly and walked up to the door. Slowly, he opened it, but what he saw sent a shudder of excitement and shock through his body. "Hermione? What are you doing here?" he gasped.
"I came to visit you, I expected your Uncle to answer," she said, stepping inside, with her heavy suitcase dragging behind her. Harry noticed how beautiful she looked; she was wearing a pair of denim jeans, trainers and a purple shirt, with the last few buttons unfastened. Harry guessed that this was because of the blistering heat outside, but he also felt a lump in the pit of his stomach when he saw the little bit of skin under the material.
"Let me get that," said Harry, picking up the suitcase and taking it into the living room. He noticed the smirk on Hermione's face. "You knew the Dursleys were going away didn't you?"
"Ok, I did, Sirius told me." Hermione answered. Harry smiled and puller her into a hug. It seemed like an eternity since he had felt Hermione's body against his, and he wanted to hold her forever. He eventually forced himself to pull away.
"So, how are things at Grimmauld Place?" he asked.
"Ok, it's amazing what a lick of paint and a woman's touch can do for a place." Harry smirked slightly, the thought of Hermione ordering Sirius and Lupin around made him laugh to himself.
"Do you want something to drink?" he asked her.
"Sure," she answered with a smile that made Harry feel suddenly weak.
He walked into the kitchen and pulled out a couple of glasses from a cupboard, he got some orange juice from the refrigerator, and some ice from the freezer. He glanced at Hermione again, who had followed him in. That skin now shouting at him, 'Touch me, touch me.' 'Better make this a cold one,' he thought, placing the ice in the juice.
Hermione was gazing around the room. "This is a dull place. Are your Aunt and Uncle familiar with the word colour?" Harry chuckled.
"I know, it seems more suited to a prison cell." He handed her drink over to her. She took a sip, and Harry watched her tilt her neck back as she swallowed the drink. He once again felt a little breathless, and had to get away. "I've got to nip to the bathroom," he said quickly, and walked in at a fast pace.
He bent his head over the sink and splashed his face with cold water; he also ran the water onto his wrists. What was up with him? He hadn't reacted like this before.
A few moments later, when he had gotten himself back together, he walked confidently out of the door and into the lounge, where he quickly turned away, his heart skipping beat. Hermione was bending over, picking up the TV remote control, her jeans wrapped tightly around her butt.
"Harry, what is it? Are you feeling ok?" she asked with concern.
"Yeah," he gasped, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Just a little warm, do you want to go out?"
*
They walked slowly into a brown forest. There were a few early Autumnal leaves on the ground, and there was a refreshing smell of bark and wood. Harry led Hermione into the heart of the trees, and they sat on a large rock, next to a small pond. The best thing about the forest was that is was cooler, the shade from the trees made Harry feel a little more comfortable.
"When did you find this place?" Hermione asked.
"Last summer, it's a good place to get away from your troubles and worries." Hermione moved over closer to him and kissed him on the cheek. He turned to face her, and put a hand to her cheek. He brushed away a few strands of hair, their lips touched in a few soft kisses, before they pressed hard against each others mouths, as if taking in the last few weeks of being separated.