Okay here it is! After a long holiday break I finally updated! Work has been SLOW so I've been writing during the day! Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and you will hear from me again next year!
Chapter 7
Harry didn't arrive at Privet Drive until late the next night, since he spent the following morning and the afternoon with the Grangers. He had woken up to the smell of bacon frying and Mrs. Granger treated him to a huge breakfast with pancakes and eggs.
After breakfast Mr. Granger dragged him under the car again and surprisingly they even got the car started. It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was progress nonetheless. Harry had planned to leave after the much needed shower, but by that time it was lunch and Mrs. Granger convinced him to stay for sandwiches and tea.
Then he had the pleasure of just lying in front of the television with Hermione for a couple of hours, until finally he made himself get up and head out. It was hard leaving, he didn't realize he was going to enjoy himself so much with Hermione's parents, but one couldn't help liking them. When Mrs. Granger packed him some sandwiches to go and kissed him on the cheek, his heart couldn't help but fall just a little bit for her.
Now, it was late and he was in his room looking under beds and drawers making sure he wasn't forgetting anything. He had found some stuff he hadn't seen in years, most just brought back horrible memories but every once in awhile he'd find something worth keeping. He had gone in the broom closet earlier that day to check and to his surprise he found his ruddy old stuffed bear he had as a kid.
Originally it was for Dudley for Christmas, but he hated it and pitched it in the trash as he screamed for another toy. When the Dursley's weren't looking he fished it out and ran to the broom closet. He was only about five when it happened, he barely could remember it, but he grew up with that bear and had even named it Jack.
It was silly, but for some reason he couldn't bear to leave it behind so he pulled out his wand and with a quick flick of the wrist the bear looked as new as the day he fished it out of the trash. Harry smiled at Jack before placing it in his trunk. Who knows, maybe one day he'd be able to give Jack to his son or daughter.
"Harry?"
Harry turned to see his Aunt Petunia lingering at his door. "Yes?"
"Er…can I come in?"
Harry looked at her weird. "Since when do you even ask?"
Petunia flushed as she looked down. "Well…I guess you have a point." She walked in looking around his room. "You all packed?"
"Just about," he mumbled folding up one of his shirts.
"What's this?" Petunia said pulling Jack out of his trunk. "He looks familiar."
Harry grabbed it back from her. "You gave it to Dudley for Christmas when he was five. He threw it in the trash and I took it out." He put Jack back in the trunk and slammed it closed. "And I'm keeping it."
"I didn't know you did that."
"I kept it to myself. I was afraid if you found him you'd take him away."
Petunia looked horrified as Harry closed his trunk and placed it on the floor. "I wouldn't have done that."
"Maybe not, but your husband wouldn't think twice." He sighed as he looked at her. "Was there something you wanted? Or did you just come to chit chat with your dear old nephew?"
"Harry," she said softly. "I know we were never close and yes, we weren't very good to you, but…part of the reason was that I couldn't bear to look at you. Your eyes. There so much like Lily's."
"You hated my mother."
"I hated her for dying. I resented her for so many things, but she's my sister and I loved her. Having to look at you every day hurt so…so I did my best to push you away."
"So what? Now you want my forgiveness or something?"
"No, of course not. I just…I wanted to give you this."
Harry looked at the small red velvet box in her hand and then took it. "What is it?"
"Open it," she urged him giving him a smile. "Go on."
Harry opened the lid to see a platinum ring with a huge emerald circled by small diamonds. His jaw dropped as he looked up at his aunt. "Was this my mother's ring?"
"Yes," she said smiling. "It was her wedding ring. James had picked out for her and I have to admit, he knew her well. A diamond wouldn't have suited Lily." She cleared her throat and awkwardly stepped back. "Anyway, I thought you should have it…maybe give it to the girl you plan to marry."
Completely floored, but touched, Harry was speechless. "Aunt Petunia, I…I don't know what to say. I…thanks."
"It's the least I can do," she said walking out of the room, but then paused at the door. "I hope you give the ring to someone special."
"I will," he said with a small smile. "Don't worry. I…"
"Harry! Boy! Get down here!"
Harry raised his brows at Petunia and she placed her hand to her heart. "What's this about?" he asked
She shook her head. "I don't know," she said and then held open the door. "Better go find out. At least this will be the last time you have to listen to him."
He gave her a smirk before walking out of his room and Petunia shut the door behind him and followed him downstairs. "You bellowed Uncle Vernon?" Harry asked sweetly.
Vernon scowled. "I need you to go into town and get Dudley. He's past his curfew and he isn't hope yet."
Harry grinned. "Uncle Vernon it will be my pleasure to fetch Dudley for you," he said with a gleam in his eyes. "I'll just hop on my bike and drive into town. Any place I should check?"
"First of all I don't Dudley driving on that thing of yours and…"
Harry chuckled. "Uncle Vernon, the day you'll see Dudley riding on the back of my bike is the day hell will officially freeze over."
"Check the fountain in the middle of the square," he growled. "That's where he usually hangs
out." He puffed out his chest. "Flirting with all those girls. Girls follow him everywhere."
Harry snorted. "Yeah, I bet." Harry walked passed him to the front door and opened it to head out, but turned and looked at Petunia. "Thanks again for…er…you know."
"Don't mention it," she said. "And tell Dudley he's in big trouble."
"Don't worry, I will." Harry closed to door and practically skipped to his bike, which was protected by alarming spells just in case some muggle tried to steal it. After disarming the spells he hopped on, gunned the engine and drove off.
It didn't take long to get to the square and just as Uncle Vernon said, there was a group of teenagers hanging around the fountain. It didn't take long for him to spot Dudley, with his massive size it wasn't difficult.
He drove past a group of girls and pulled up to Dudley and his gang and turned off the engine. Dudley saw him and his jaw dropped. "What are you doing here?"
"Your mummy and daddy sent me, Duddykins," he teased causing the girls behind them to laugh. "It's past your curfew."
"He has a curfew?" one of the girls said while the others laughed. "Oh my god, how lame."
Harry grinned thoroughly enjoying himself. "You better run, Dudders. Aunt Petunia said she was very angry with you."
Dudley turned red as a beet. "Shut up, Harry, or I'll pound you."
"Really?" he asked with his head cocked. "I'd like to see you try. You and I both know what I could do with a…flick of my wrist."
Dudley paled and Harry just grinned back at him.
"Harry? Harry Potter?"
Harry turned at the sound of the feminine voice to the group of girls standing behind him. A gorgeous blonde walked with blue eyes and freckles over her nose walked up to him and his jaw dropped. "Ashley?"
Ashley smiled while her friends giggled behind her. "You remember me?"
The corner of Harry's mouth lifted. "Of course."
Once again the girls giggled as Ashley shared a look with them. "It's been ages since I've see you, Harry. You sure have gotten…" She looked at him up and down. "..tall." Her eyes fell on his motorcycle. "Is this your bike?"
"Sure is," he said proudly as Ashley practically drooled over it as she ran her hands along the bikes handle. "It was my godfather's, but he left it to me."
"I've never seen one like it," she said with a sly smile.
"Want to go for a ride?" he asked nodding his head behind him.
"Really?" Ashley said hopefully as she glanced back at her girlfriends who were sighing with envy.
"Hop on."
As Ashley crawled in behind him Dudley walked up. "But…but Ashley I thought you and I were going to go to Hayden's Peak."
"Parking?" she laughed. "With you? You wish, Dudders. Besides, it's past your curfew."
"What's Hayden's Peak?" Harry asked looking over his shoulder at Ashley.
Ashley placed her chin on his shoulder and scooted up against him. "It's where the teenagers go and snog. Why don't I show you?"
Dudley gasped and Harry grinned. "Why don't you," he said and then turned his motorcycle on. "See ya around, Duddikins." And as he drove off leaving Dudley in the dust with the girl clinging behind him, he never felt more like a normal teenager than he did at that moment. He was about to go parking with a girl on his bike. How wicked cool was that?
XXXXXX
About an hour or so later, Harry pulled up to the house with a goofy grin on his face. His hair was out of control, his clothes were wrinkled and he wouldn't be surprised if he were wearing a nice shade of lipstick right now. Needless to say it didn't take a genius to figure out what he had been up to.
Whistling a random tune he opened the door to the house then jumped when Dudley all of the sudden was in his face. "Where have you been? What have you been doing with my girlfriend?"
Dudley was a far cry from a genius, but surely he was not that much of an idiot. "First of all, get out of my face before I do something magically to you." Dudley jumped back quickly and tried his best to keep a brave face, but Harry could tell he was scared. "Secondly, Ashley's not your girlfriend. She even told me that you've been trying to take her to Hayden's Peak for years now. Face it Dudders, she's not interested. Too bad, really, you're missing out. You know what she said? She said I had magic hands." Harry chuckled and shook his head. "How ironic is that?"
Dudley just stood there and stared dumbly at him. "Well, I'm tired and I have an early start tomorrow." He nudged Dudley out of the way and with a smile on his face he trudged up the stairs and was still chuckling about it when he opened the door to his room.
"Where have you been?!"
Harry jumped for the second time after walking through a door, but this time it was Hermione that was up in his face. "I was just…."
"You've been snogging with a girl!"
Harry's eyes widened. Hermione was definitely a genius. "I…er…I've just been…"
"No point in denying it Harry," she huffed with her hands on her hips. "Anyone can spot that thing a mile away."
Harry frowned. "What thing?"
"What thing?" Hermione rolled her eyes as she walked over to him, grabbed his arms and spun him around towards the long mirror that hung on the back of the door. She then grabbed his head and cocked it to the side and practically shoved his head toward the mirror. "That thing."
Harry winced at the size of the hickey Ashley left on his neck. "Oh."
"I mean…who did that?" Hermione asked looking over his shoulder examining it. "It's hideous."
"That would be the work of Ashley," he muttered as he picked up his wand and placed a vanish charm on it.
"Ashley?!" Hermoine exclaimed. "The sweet little girl from your old school."
Harry snickered. "She ain't so sweet anymore."
"Harry!" Hermione gasped hitting him on the arm.
"Ow!" he said flinching back. "Jeez, so I went parking with some girl, what's the big deal?"
"The big deal? I've been waiting here for you for hours, wanting to check up on you and you are out with some girl you hardly even know. I mean, what's that all about?"
"How was I supposed to know you were in my room?" Harry asked as he walked around her and sat on the bed. "If I knew you were here, I would have declined Ashley's invitation to go parking and have met you instead."
Hermione snorted as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right. No guy would turn down a snog to hang with their best friend."
"Well," Harry pondered as he kicked began to pull off his shoes. "Maybe your right. If the friend was Ron, I probably would have ditched him in a heartbeat."
Hermione threw up her hands in annoyance and spun around to start pacing. "That's just like a man to throw away seven years of friendship for a sno…ahh!"
During her rant, Harry reached up and grabbed her around the waist and pulled him down on his lap. "You are the only person I'd give up a quick snog for."
Hermione's body relaxed and she turned her head around revealing her eyes that turned soft. "Really?"
"Of course, Hermione," he said with a smile. "Girls will come and go in my life, but not you. You'll always be the most important girl in my life."
Her eyes filled with tears and she threw her arms around him. "Oh, Harry!"
Harry grunted as the force of the hug knocked him back, but then smiled and kissed her on the top of her head. "So…am I forgiven?"
"I guess so," she said softly as she leaned back. "So…are you like…dating this girl now?"
"What?" he laughed and shook his head. "No, I'll probably never see her again. She's leaving tomorrow for college in America. It was just a bit of kissing and heavy petting, that's all."
"Hmmm…guess Lupin was right about the bike. Major chick magnet."
Harry laughed. "Yeah, it is. I'm going to have fun with it."
"I've never been parking before," Hermione sighed. "Such a muggle thing to do, isn't it?"
"It was the first time I felt like a normal muggle teenager," he said and then gave her a grin. "Want me to take you to Hayden's Peak?"
Hermione gasped out a laugh when Harry bobbed her eyebrows. "Harry Potter!"
Harry flinched when she hit her again, but this time he fought back. She shrieked as he grabbed her and tackled her onto the bed, pinning her down with his body. "Is Hermione Granger ticklish?" he asked reaching down to grip the spot on her leg above her knee.
"Harry, no," she laughed squirming underneath him as he squeezed.
"Wow, what do you know," he said moving to the other leg. "She iiis." Harry smiled as he continued to torture her while Hermione giggled and struggled against him.
"Harry, stop!" she laughed and then let out a shriek when he moved to her ribs.
"Say Uncle."
"Uncle," she gasped.
"Say, Harry Potter is the best wizard ever!"
"Harry…ahh! Harry…Potter is….thebestwizardever! Now stop!"
Harry let up but still remained on top of her as she collapsed on her back out of breath. "I believe that will be the first of many tickling fights between us."
"You caught me off guard," she breathed and shoved him playfully. "Next time I'll be ready." She then quickly reached up and poked him in the ribs just once, but it was enough to have him jerk his body and smile. "Looks like Harry Potter is ticklish, too."
"Watch it, Mione," he warned her. "Or we'll go another round."
Before she could say anything the door to Harry's room opened and both of them looked over to see Dudley walking in. "Harry, I need to know…" He paused and his jaw dropped when he saw Harry on top of Hermione on his bed.
"Dudley, do you mind?" Harry asked as he tried to keep a straight face. "I'm kind of in the middle of something here."
"But…but…How? Two girls? One night…I…it's not fair! Are you using some…magic love potion or something?!"
Hermione giggled as she shook her head. "Harry doesn't need a love potion to get the girls, Dudley." Hermione grinned up at Harry as she strummed her fingers through his hair. "He's a fantastic kisser."
Harry lifted a brow at her, but she just smiled and brought his head down against the curve of her neck. "Now could you please leave us, so we can continue?"
Harry smiled against her neck when he heard Dudley storm out. "That was a fantastic performance, Mione," he murmured in her ear.
Hermione laughed but then shoved him off of her. "I do my best." She then sat up and brushed out her wrinkled blouse. "I better head back."
Harry frowned at the idea of her leaving. "It's late, Hermione. Why don't you just stay here?"
"Harry," she said shaking her head. "I can be in my bedroom faster than a second. Besides, I don't think my parents would like the idea of me sleeping in the same bed as you."
"So apparrate first thing in the morning. What they won't know can't hurt them." Harry circled his arms around her from behind and pulled her gently back down on the bed. "Please stay."
Hermione sighed as she snuggled her back against him, enjoying the warmth he provided as the scent of pumpkin spice filled her senses. "A few hours longer couldn't hurt."
Harry gave her a soft squeeze. "Thanks."
"No problem."
"Hermione?" Harry asked after a moment of silence.
"Hmm?"
"I was thinking…maybe we could go visit Ron tomorrow."
Hermione was silent for a moment, than turned around so they were face to face. "I think he'd like that." She then reached up and took of his glasses. "For now let's get some sleep."
Harry sighed as he closed his eyes and pulled her close to him. His arm was wrapped around her waist and her face was buried in his chest. If he had to choose, he'd definitely pick this over another snog with Ashley. She may have been his first crush, but Hermione was his best friend. His truest friend. She came first. She would always come first.