Disclaimer: I don't own HP. JKR does.
A/N: Hope you'll like this chapter, and the rest of the story too. If you read, please leave a review to let me know what you think of it.
Chapter Two
"Happy Birthday!"
Harry and Hermione landed at the Leaky Cauldron, then with their Hogwarts robes and their sparkling Heads badges, they directed themselves to the bookshop and the other shops they had to visit to buy what they needed. At Diagon Alley there was a huge crowd, mostly of Hogwarts students with their families, who were there to buy things for school, books, robes, potions ingredients, and many other things, so making their way trough it to reach the shops was not an easy task.
A great crowd was staring at the window of "Quidditch first quality accessories", and Harry wanted to have a look there. He suddenly understood the crowd: the new Firebolt 2003 was exposed!
He looked for a long time, while Hermione was smiling, thinking about his behaviour, similar to a child's one, even if in a day he would be of age.
She would be only on September the 19th, when they were already back at Hogwarts, but she was sure if he could he would organize an huge surprise party for her. He could be so sweet at times…So she decided. Harry would have his coming of age party.
It was just matter of organising it on such short notice, but if there was someone who could, it was Hermione Granger.
Walking, they met Ron, who greeted them cheeringly.
"Hey, Harry, how are you feeling being Head Boy?" the redhead asked then.
"Well, I don't know yet. I hope we won't have huge loads of stuff to do. I don't know if I could handle it." Harry replied, making puppy eyes at Hermione.
"Oh, I'll make sure you will be able, Harry, don't worry" Hermione said, with a exceedingly sweet tone, but some severe warning behind it.
"Oh, mate, poor you…now you are busted!" Ron exclaimed, then all of them started laughing. In the meanwhile, Ginny, who had bought what she needed and was going to meet her brother, arrived. "Harry! Hermione! How good to see you!!" she said, excitedly.
"How are you, Ginny? Are you ready to take the place of Head Girl next year? Now it is two years that you are a prefect, I'm sure you will have the role" Harry said, hugging her.
"Actually, thinking that next year the two of you won't be at Hogwarts anymore is a little sad" she answered, looking downcast. "But let's not think about this now! We've got a full school year before that! Let's go window shopping together!" she added joyfully then.
She was long over her crush for Harry, but seeing him always made her happy, especially when he was so joyous, one thing that didn't happen too often in the past.. And she was happy the girl making him feel that way was Hermione, too.
She could not picture someone good enough for Harry, if not her best female friend.
So they moved, and while walking they joked and laughed a lot. They also said hello to the many friends they met, and stayed a bit more than with others with Draco and Lavender, new entries of their gang. Then, Harry and Hermione returned to the Leaky Cauldron, and, using the Floo, they went back home.
Here, they got dressed for the evening run, then, after a good shower, Hermione started preparing the dinner, using all her knowledge about Muggle cooking. The result was delicious, as Harry confirmed.
"This is excellent. But I don't want to be excessively spoiled by you, or I could start thinking of you as a perfect wife" he said teasingly then kissed her on the lips.
She immediately gave in, moving closer to him.
"And I imagine that would be bad, wouldn't it Mr. Potter?" she said seductively in a pause for breath.
"I never said that, Ms. Granger" Harry replied, kissing her again.
Their bodies were by now pressed on each other, and Harry started unbuttoning her shirt, while she was sliding her hands on his chest. He was growling in pleasure, and wanted nothing more than take her right there, then…the phone!
Harry didn't want to answer, he wanted to continue kissing her forever, but she broke the kiss, stood up and went to answer.
"Oh, hello, Ron…yes, ok…so we agree…See you soon!" then she closed the communication and returned in the kitchen.
"What did he want?" Harry asked, a little upset at his best friend.
Not that the redhead did it on purpose, but, really, if someone had bad timing, that was Ron.
"Oh, nothing important…" she answered mysteriously, then switched on the TV, trying to distract him, not succeeding. But he let it slip for the moment, knowing if it was something important she would have told him.
After some time, they went to bed.
"Where do you want to sleep tonight?" Harry asked. "Your room or mine?"
"Yours. I like being able to drift to sleep and then wake up with your scent all around me" she said dreamily.
They had discovered they couldn't suffer anymore to wake up alone, so had taken the habit to sleep together, in one of the two rooms at choice.
Hermione went to take her pyjamas in her room, then they changed their clothes and entered the bed. Since it was for one person only, they were forced to be in close contact, but that's what they liked more.
Harry wrapped his arms around her, pulling Hermione on his chest. She mumbled something sleepily, settling against him and sighing contentedly. Harry kissed the top of her head.
Soon sleep took them.
Next morning, Harry woke up with a weight on himself. He smiled, knowing very well what it was, and opened his eyes.
Putting his glasses on, he had her sleeping face in focus, and started caressing her head, now and then softly twirling one curl in his fingers.
Soon later, she yawned and opened her eyes, locking them with his green pools. She still felt like her insides were melting every time she saw them.
"Good morning, honey" he said, feathery kissing the tip of her nose.
She giggled. "Good morning, luv" she replied, giving him a quick kiss.
Morning passed quickly, as usual they filled it in the garden sunbathing, then, after lunch, Hermione sent Harry to Diagon Alley with the excuse of buying a book she had forgotten the day before.
She had on purpose avoided giving him her wishes for his birthday all day, hoping he would feel down for her forgetting it. And in fact he hid it, but was a bit upset for that.
Harry went there without asking more, bought it and he was returning when he met Hagrid, who had agreed with Hermione for stopping him a bit of time, so he started chatting with the boy.
Harry was more than happy to have a little chat with his half giant friend, so stayed there at least one hour, having an ice cream with him.
When he returned to Privet Drive, he opened the door, and the house was all dark. "Hermione, luv, I'm here" he called. Nobody replied. He felt a very unpleasant sense of deja vù playing in his head, and for moments he panicked, till he found the light switch he had been searching desperately.
He found himself in the house with all his friends, Ron, Ginny, Draco, Lavender, the twins, Neville, Seamus and many adults, as Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall. Harry was speechless while they all together started singing "For he's a jolly good fellow".
He thanked all of them for being there, then neared Hermione.
"You were talking about this with Ron yesterday, weren't you?" he whispered to her, placing his forehead softly on hers.
She nodded, winking at him.
"Happy Birthday, Harry!!" she said, and all the others did the same.
He grinned, took her in his arms and kissed her quickly her on her lips.
"Thank you for this party, luv! I really did not expect it!"
The amusement grew up, and fortunately on the house had been cast very powerful silencing charms, so they could continue until late night, accompanied by the delicious dishes Hermione had prepared, and litres of Butterbeer and iced pumpkin juice. At a certain point, Draco moved toward Harry, joined by Ron and Hermione. They gave him the gift, from everyone. The shape was unmistakable, and his heart was beating very fast.
He had not said it to anyone but his Firebolt had been damaged the previous year, one of the last days of school, by some crazy admirer of Hermione who thought he wasn't good enough for her, and he didn't think of having a shining new broomstick so early. Then he started opening it as quickly as he could, excitement clear on his face, and when he succeeded in this, he was near to faint.
A new Firebolt 2003, the new best broomstick in the world was in his hands! He started thanking everyone, also the Professors who contributed to his gift. Snape for once grinned, seeing his happiness.
After a long time, the guests started going away, until he remained only with Hermione, Ron and Ginny. The redhead hugged him.
"Welcome amongst the adult wizards, Harry!" he said, then he smiled and left him to go and say hello to Hermione. Now was Ginny's turn to say hello to him, with an emotional tear on her face.
"It is incredible. You too now are adult…you know what it means, don't you? You can do magic also out of Hogwarts! Well, not only that, but I really dream the day I'll be able to!" she said, giggling. Harry couldn't help to think that she surely had some of the mischievous blood of the twins.
He hugged her, then they also went away, and he was alone with Hermione, who kissed him deeply, then she took his hand and brought him upstairs.
Here she gave him a pack.
"So this is your personal gift, thank you…" he said and started opening it. When he saw it was a book, "How to become a perfect Auror", he grinned at her.
"What else could I expect from her?" he thought, taking her in his arms.
"Thank you, Hermione. I really like it!" he said, whispering through her hair, in which he had buried his face. He was holding her thigh, and he did not notice a figure coming out of his bedroom.
"Enjoying the pleasures of love, Harry?" a familiar voice said.
Harry couldn't believe his ears. He looked toward where the voice came. Hermione turned too, in shock.
That was not part of her plan, not at all.
When they saw him in front of them, they pinched themselves to be sure they were not dreaming.
"Sirius! You're alive!" they both cried then, the pain too real to be a dream.. They ran to him, hugging him.
The man chuckled at their enthusiasm. He knew they would be happy to see him, but did not expect that kind of childish reaction.
"Yeah, I am. Dumbledore made me keep the secret on the mission he sent me to accomplish next year, after that he spent a lot of time in bringing me back from the veil, so I couldn't contact you. But I would never in the world miss my godson's coming of age" he said, winking at Harry.
"Sirius, now that you're here, what there is behind the veil?" Hermione asked. Sirius shuddered, growing serious.
"I would prefer to not speak about it. Let's only say that it is a real Hell, even worse than Azkaban".
Hermione seemed satisfied with the answer, or she however chose to not push the matter.
After a bit of chatting, Sirius gave Harry a pack with a complete Auror equipment in it. "Consider it an incentive to pursue your career" Sirius said, then with a wink he exited the room. Harry and Hermione followed him, and saw Buckbeak out of Harry's window. Sirius mounted on it, and flew in the night.
"Hey, wait! You can't leave just so soon!" Harry said, trying to make him stay with them.
"Harry, I'm sorry. I've still got things to do for Dumbledore, so I can't remain"
They understood, so even if sadly, they let him go.
When he was disappeared in the sky, Hermione hugged Harry from behind, both still shocked, but happy, to know Sirius was alive.
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