The ride home from Kings Cross Station was quiet. The Dursley's seemed to be apprehensive about saying anything to him. Instead they chose to ignore him entirely. Harry, however, was lost in thought so he really didn't care. What did Hermione mean by seeing me really soon? Oh well, I'll serve my annual prison term on Privet Drive then I'm leaving. I won't be coming back after sixth year. Where am I going to go next summer? I don't care, anywhere but here! They arrived at the prison and Vernon barked, "Don't scratch the car with your ruddy trunk!" Then they all went inside without him. He struggled with his trunk and finally got it out and dragged it inside.
He was so involved with his trunk he missed the silver Benz park up the street at Number one Privet Drive and three people climb out. The adults quickly headed inside but the girl who carried a ginger cat with bandy legs had watched him intently for a minute before shaking her head and following her parents inside. Her father had taken her trunk inside for her so she just carried her school bag and cat.
Just after dinner Harry went out for a walk, he had to get out of that house and think. So much had happened in the last month. He needed some peace and quiet to sort it all out. He walked up Privet Drive, not really paying much attention to where he was going, he saw Mr. Tibbles greeting a familiar orange cat but barely took notice of it. It was soon after that he noticed someone was following him. He walked on, taking the turn down the alley where he had fought the Dementors last summer. He quickly hid behind a rubbish bin and pulled out his wand. He didn't have to wait long, he heard the person follow him into the alley and then they walked past his hiding place. He was about to jump out behind them when he realized who it was. He sat there stunned for several heart-beats before he croaked out her name, "Hermione?"
She spun around whipping out her own wand. Relief flashed across her face when she realized it was him, "Harry you scared me. What are you doing hiding back there?"
He was still too stunned finding her here he couldn't really think coherently. He stood and hid his wand again then looked around the alley cautiously. He walked to her and grabbed her upper arm and pulled her towards the park, "c'mon."
She tucked away her wand and spun to walk with him. Patience Hermione, patience, when he feels comfortable he will continue our conversation.
Hermione's here didn't we just say goodbye at Kings Cross? He couldn't seem to get his mind around that concept just yet so he concentrated on getting to the park so they could talk. There were very few people in the park, a young mother sat reading a book while her two children played in the toddler area and a pair of joggers were going around the exercise course. He headed straight to a large oak tree that few would walk near. He hadn't let go of her arm the entire time they were walking here and stood very close to her when they finally stopped. He spoke quietly but intently, "What happened? Why are you here?"
She met his intense gaze with her own, "I told you I would see you real soon didn't I? Mum and dad bought the first house on Privet Drive that came up for sale. They are calling it the summer house since we are staying here for the summer, well as long as you have to stay here actually." Oh no, look at those eyes. He's so confused now! Got to fix that quick, I know, hug him. She flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly. He flinched at first then took a deep breath and relaxed, he softly returned her hug. She understood he had accepted her support as she gave it, without question.
They stood there for a minute, Harry drew strength from her support. They were both surprised to hear a boy address them rudely, "Nice skirt, is it my turn Potty?" She felt him tense then they spun, she slipped behind him and pulled out her wand, though she kept it behind Harry's back so no one would see. Harry stepped towards the boy, he was taller than Harry, with long scraggly blond hair and an angry pox marked face.
"Gordon!" Harry spat the name out, "Get out of here before I do something you'll regret. No one talks about her like that."
The boy flexed, "What ya gonna do Potty? Hug me? I don't need Big D around to help me beat you up."
I've got to keep him from taking the bully's bait, "Harry, let's just go to my house, we can talk there."
Gordon looked at her, "Yeah Potty listen to the skirt, where does she live, maybe I'll visit when you're do-"
He never got to finish that sentence. Harry jumped at him and started punching him so fast his fists were a blur. Gordon went down under the assault. He tried once to punch back but Harry ducked and then landed two more punches to the bully's face. He stood over the unconscious bully and snarled, "Don't ever try anything with Hermione, she's mine!" He was shaking violently and kept spitting out curses at Gordon.
Hermione quickly put away her wand and grabbed him by the shoulders. She pulled him back and shook him to get his attention, "Harry!" He spun to face her, his familiar features were twisted in rage, saliva was dripping from his chin and he shook violently, she pleaded with him, "Harry?" then she took his hand firmly in hers and pulled him into a run. They ran out of the park, down the street and into the alley.
When they got there she had to stop and catch her breath, Harry seemed to have regained control, "Why are we running?"
She looked up at him and between gasps for air answered, "What…like we…would…be able to…talk any…more…there…tonight?"
He laughed quietly, "Good point, all right where to?"
She took another deep breath and then stood back up, "My house of course." She linked her arm through his and pulled him into a slow walk back to Privet Drive. After a few minutes she asked tentatively, "Harry?"
He answered absently, lost in thought, "Yes?"
"Um, you said something back there, you may not have even noticed it yourself but I need to ask you about it?"
He looked at her questioningly, was she blushing or was that from the running? "What was that?"
She bit her lower lip then asked softly, "You said, after you knocked him out. That was amazing by the way. Any way you said: "Don't ever try anything with Hermione, she's mine!" He stopped dead in his tracks, she stopped with him and refused to look at him, when he didn't say anything she hazarded a glance at him, he was standing there slack-jawed, "Harry?"
He closed his mouth and blushed furiously, "I'm terribly sorry, I don't have any right to claim you like some possession, he got me so mad I wasn't thinking straight."
She was slightly disappointed with that answer but smiled anyway, "That's all right." She pulled him along and they started walking again. I didn't really mind it at all. They walked in silence for several minutes. She guided them to the front door of #1 Privet Drive. When she pulled her keys out from her jean pocket she looked over at him, "Harry, my parents want to talk to you for a while, just be honest and everything will be all right." He nodded slowly then she unlocked the door, walked inside and announced to the house, "We're here!" He came inside and she closed and locked the door behind them.
Her mother came out from the kitchen. She was wearing a blue cook's apron that read, Kiss me, I just had my teeth cleaned! "Back a little early aren't we? Nice to see you again so soon Harry, make yourself comfortable dear I just put some cookies in the oven, be sure and brush your teeth well tonight now." She had said the last with a broad smile on her face.
"Yes ma'am I will, thanks."
Hermione said nervously, "I need to go change I'll be right back." And she dashed off up the stairs.
He heard a man's voice call out from somewhere in the back of the house, "Emma, I got the last of the stuff put away out here what's next on the agenda?"
Emma turned around, "Living room Daniel, Harry's here to visit."
Mr. Granger came into the room, he was wearing pale blue shorts and a very sweaty t-shirt, "Hello Harry, sorry, still unpacking and sorting out everything. These two women won't let me sit for a minute; hey what did you do with my daughter?"
Harry only managed to point up the stairs before Mrs. Granger spoke up, "She went to her room for a minute, settle down and go get those empty boxes out of the hallway."
Mr. Granger winked at Harry, "See what I mean? Stick around for a while Harry, you're welcome any time."
"Oh, thank you sir, can I ask. Um what I mean is it's awfully nice for you to buy a house here and all and thank you."
Mr. and Mrs. Granger exchanged a brief glance before Mr. Granger nodded and headed up the stairs. Emma looked up the stairs then quickly motioned for Harry to follow her into the kitchen. He heard Mr. Granger talking to Hermione upstairs while Mrs. Granger looked at him solemnly, "Did you know we saw her for less than two weeks last summer? Albus took her to that safe house for most of the summer and we didn't see her again until today at the station. She asked us last summer if we could do this instead of a vacation in France. We figured the only way to spend any time with our daughter would be to move here for the summer. So while you were in school we bought and renovated this house and sprung it on her in a letter just last week. I hope you understand how important you are to her."
He looked at her stunned. His thoughts raced wildly about, last year? He managed to stammer, "I'm just starting to ma'am, thank you."
Emma squeezed his shoulder, "It's a good start." Then she released him and went to check on the cookies in the oven. "The truth of the matter Harry is that we are very concerned for our daughter's safety." She closed the oven and walked back over to him. "Albus told us about the fight at the Ministry of Magic, we're terribly sorry for your loss. Apparently several other students were also injured, none more seriously than Hermione though." Harry looked down and mumbled something, "Harry, look at me." He looked up unshed tears glistened in his emerald eyes, "I am not accusing you of anything. Hermione trusts you and you always seem to have very good reasons for your adventures. She chose to go with you. All we ask is that you think about the consequences before you lead your friends off on the next mission."
He spoke hesitantly and his voice was rough with emotion, "I…I'm terribly sorry, I didn't think, she told me…she told me I was wrong but I was too stubborn to listen."
Emma patted him gently on the shoulder, "Yes she explained in the car on the way here. Your heart was in the right place but not your head." She handed him a tissue from the box on the counter, "Just try and use your head a bit more, for all our sakes. Whether you like it or not you are a leader, people will follow you. Make sure you know where you're taking them."
Harry could only nod, his head full of conflicting emotions. Then they heard Hermione coming down the stairs. He quickly wiped his eyes again and stuffed the tissue into his pocket.
Hermione came bounding into the kitchen, she had changed from her jeans and shirt to a knee length dress and cradled Crookshanks in one hand, "C'mon let's go out back and sit for a while." She didn't wait for his answer, and went past them and out through the back door. Emma was barely able to pat his back one more time before he bounded after her. She shook her head slowly as she watched Harry close the door carefully. Dan came up behind her, wrapped his arms around her and laid his chin on her shoulder. They stood there for a minute just watching as Harry and Hermione settled into a hidden bench among the lush garden they had inherited with the house.
They sat with their backs to the house and Hermione was immediately full of concern when she saw Harry's face, "Oh Harry you're a mess was she really that rough on you?"
He tried shaking his head but the look in his eyes gave him away. He suddenly found himself enveloped in a bone crushing hug, her hair hiding his face from the world. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, trying to control the emotions raging through him. He clung to her, feeling her, his anchor to the world.
She whispered into his ear while she rocked him slowly, "I'm here Harry, nothing will take me away from you, nothing. Not my parents, not Dumbledore and not Voldemort. Let me help you deal with the pain, trust me." The intensity of her words pushed him over the brink, hot salty tears spilled from his tightly clenched eyelids onto her bare shoulder and trickled over her bare skin and down into her dress. She slowly rubbed his back and spoke softly to him, "Let it out, share it with me."
It was a full fifteen minutes before he was able to stop crying onto her shoulder. When he finally looked up into her eyes he saw only compassion. Again he was astonished by how she could accept him with all his faults and failures. Her neck was red where he had been pressed against her but she ignored it to look deeply into his eyes, "Talk to me, tell me what's going on. What can I do to help?"
He looked away and pulled the tissue out of his pocket, she reached behind him and pulled a box of tissues into view. After depositing the box in-between them she stood up, "I'm going in to get us some cookies, be right back all right?" She waited for his nod before heading into the house.
Crookshanks crawled into his lap and nuzzled against his left hand. Harry started scratching him behind the left ear, "Ok boy, I'm not going anywhere." Crookshanks seemed to sigh in contentment before curling up into a ball on his lap.
Hermione soon came back out onto the porch. She carried a large blue plate with a stack of cookies upon it in one hand and a tall glass of milk in the other. Harry hurried to help her with the sliding door, spilling a startled Crookshanks onto the pavers. When they were safely on the bench he arched his eyebrow and asked, "Only one glass? What will your parents say?"
She blushed crimson and looked away, "Mum is still unpacking the rest, this was the only one clean."
"Oh, that makes sense, it's all right." They sat for a while in the early afternoon sun slowly munching on the cookies and taking turns drinking the milk. A flutter of white wings signaled Hedwig's arrival, she landed in one of the trees and promptly settled in for a nap. Crookshanks looked at her briefly before curling up in the shade again. "Hermione, I really don't understand this yet, explain it again please."
"Ok, let me take it in parts then. Remember last summer, I was furious that Dumbledore wouldn't listen to my advice about you. I knew you wanted to be informed and not feel abandoned. Since he wouldn't listen to me I wrote my parents and asked them to find a house on or near Privet Drive for this summer. That would fix several problems, I would be with my parents and you wouldn't feel alone. After what happened in 5th year it's even more important though."
"Why?"
"You know I won't lie to you, even if the truth is not what you want to hear right?" He nodded slowly and looked very apprehensive. Hermione tenderly reached over and touched his arm. "I'm not about to spring some great and terrible secret on you, relax."
He sighed, "Whew, I've got enough to think about."
She looked sympathetic and nodded, "I know Harry, I know. I am here to help you in any way you need. You know I can be a bit stubborn sometimes. Well I meant what I said earlier. I won't let anyone separate us, not anyone. I know you need my support so I'm here, it's as simple as that really."
"Why are you so eager to sacrifice your summer fun to stay on boring Privet Drive with me?" Hermione looked around nervously and would not meet his eyes. "A'ha! You don't want to answer that do you?"
She looked back at him stubbornly, "Ok, just remember you asked. Have you ever thought about us? We compliment one another, where you are emotional I am logical. When I am frozen in fear you act. When you need to know something I figure it out."
"Yeah it kinda works out like that a lot doesn't it."
"I think it goes beyond that though. I know just what you're thinking most of the time and you seem to know what I'm thinking a lot."
He nodded, "Yeah we do don't we."
"Here is where it's going to get complicated. I don't think you fully realize some things. I talked to Neville about what happened after I got knocked out at the Ministry of Magic. I have analyzed your reaction to my near death. There is only one conclusion that I can come to from that analysis." She took another steadying breath before continuing. "Harry, you love me. Now hold it just a moment there. Just to set the record straight, I love you also." He seemed stunned as completely as when they had practiced stupefy. "I know you don't really understand that emotion but I feel confident in telling you that what you feel for me is it."
She took both of his hands in hers, he stared at them then slowly looked up to meet her expectant gaze. In a flash of insight he understood and answered her question with a simple nod. Then feeling that was not sufficient an answer he cleared his throat, "Yes, I can't think of any other category to place that emotion into."