Ten
The second yawn was even longer and louder than the first, something Gabrielle didn't think possible.
"Iz he really awake?" she asked Ginny.
"Good question. Let's see!"
Ginny snatched the knife that was sitting in front of Ron, and turned it around before striking him with the handle in one swift motion.
"OW!" Ron yelled, with his hand to the back of his head where he had been hit. "What did you do THAT for?"
"Gabby wanted to know if you were awake, and I wasn't sure myself," Ginny replied through her laughter.
"You could have asked me!" Ron said, glaring back.
"Ginny'z way woz more fun," Gabrielle added; both girls were now laughing.
Molly walked into the kitchen carrying a watering can and saw Ron sitting at the table. "So his Lordship has decided to join us, has he?" she said to her youngest son.
"Apparently," Ginny answered. "It looked as if it was going to be a race between him waking up and Christmas there for a while."
"Don't be daft! Christmas is months off," Ron said, yawning again. "What's for breakfast?"
"And good morning to you too, dear," Molly returned mockingly.
Before Ron could give his "good mornings," Molly whipped a plate from somewhere and set it before him. Ron was eating even before the plate had finished settling, while Ginny rolled her eyes at her brother's atrocious table manners.
"Keep your fingers clear, Gabby. He's likely to eat them if they get in the way."
"Only if I we have plenty of ketchup," Ron replied with a full mouth.
"Honesty, Ron, you have all the manners of a Hippogriff, you know?" Ginny exclaimed.
Ron burped rudely. Before Ginny could respond Gabrielle had seen motion coming from the direction of the kitchen window.
"Mail iz `ere, Mrs. Weazley."
Everyone stopped and watched as the snowy owl carrying an envelope in its beak swooped through the open window and alighted on the table before them as gracefully as a swan would land upon a still lake.
"Hi, Hedwig," Ron said, putting down his knife and fork, reaching for the letter.
"It's not for you, it's for me," Ginny told him and she grabbed the letter before Ron had the chance.
"That's Hermione's handwriting," Ron said with a curious expression. "So I take it Harry's still there. With her?"
"Jealous, brother dear?" Ginny asked teasingly.
"Nope! He was my friend first."
Ripping the letter open, Ginny had time to read only the first line before she squealed.
"What?" Ron said alarmed.
"Nothing!" Ginny ran from the table and motioned for Gabrielle to come with her, leaving Ron and his breakfast alone.
"Honestly, girls!"
***
"Are you all right, Hermione?" Harry asked. "You look a little stunned."
"Yeah, I sort of feel stunned."
Dan waved again, for the third time, and Emma merely smiled as they drove away.
"What happened?"
"Mum and I had a talk," Hermione said, not really realising she was speaking. Her eyes were fixed on the spot on the road where her mother's car had been seconds before.
"What about?" Harry asked.
"Huh?" Hermione asked, not really paying attention.
"What did you talk about?"
Hermione turned to face him. Only then did his words and the question he'd asked register, causing Hermione to blush. At seeing the change of colour in her cheeks, Harry raised his eyebrows as if to ask what was going on. She couldn't answer; so she didn't. She stood up and went inside, smiling as she did so.
Harry followed her and watched as she shuffled aimlessly around the living room. She ran her fingers along the spines of several books, picked up a photo frame containing a family picture before replacing it, and then nervously touched the back of her father's chair.
Harry watched and had no idea what was going on. He decided to try again. "What did you talk about?"
Hermione decided she would answer the question, and smiled again.
"You!" she said. "We talked about you."
"Me?" Harry sounded surprised but he wasn't really. He knew Hermione and her mother shared everything together, and he wasn't really expecting the fact that they had shared a bed to remain a secret. Then again, he recalled Hermione saying she had already mentioned the possibility to her mother the day before.
"And me," she added. "We talked about you, and me. About us." She wasn't sure what Harry's reaction was going to be, but she saw he was still smiling.
"I see," Harry said, giving his very best Emma impersonation. "So do I assume I should be packing my things together?" he asked. Hermione could see he was only joking and she laughed.
"No. There won't be any need for that. Harry, it was horrible!"
"What was?"
"Talking to Mum about us, and about sex!"
At hearing the last word in that sentence, Harry's eyebrows almost shot off his head, but he could see the effect the talk had had on Hermione; she almost looked a little scared. He walked over to her, planting a soft kiss on her cheek (well... she'd done it often enough to him!) as if in support, and walked out of the lounge-room into the kitchen. Hermione followed; her smile now told him the strong and in-control Hermione was back.
Harry put the kettle on and set up two mugs.
"You seem to be taking the news in stride," she told him with one hand on her hip. That was Hermione's bossy pose.
Harry shrugged his shoulders. "I'm guessing things started to get better when you told her nothing happened."
"Not really, that's when things started to go down hill."
"Why?"
"Because Mum decided that if I was grown up enough to be sleeping with boys, then I'm grown up to hear all kinds of things about sex that I did NOT want to think about."
"Back up, back up!" Harry cried. "You told her we didn't DO anything?"
Hermione nodded.
"Did you tell her you were going to body-bind me?"
Hermione nodded again.
There was a third thing, but Harry forgot what it was.
"And you told her we didn't DO anything?" he asked finally.
Hermione laughed, a great big, warm Hermione-laugh.
"Was she angry?" Harry asked.
"Shocked! In the beginning. And then she changed and decided I was going to be her closest confidant, telling me all sorts of icky stuff! By the end she was cool with the idea."
"Cool - with - the - idea," Harry said, sounding out each word and placing the two mugs of tea on the table. "Somehow I doubt that. Hermione, I only did it because of the note, you know."
Hermione studied Harry's expression intently. "Are you sorry you did?"
The answer was evident before she had finished the question. She could see his smile in his expression, in his eyes.
"Hermione, it was the best sleep I've had in ages."
"Good!" Hermione said. She knew she had been right all along. "So tonight when you can't - - I mean IF you can't sleep..."
"Now THAT'S not such a good idea."
"Why?"
"Hermione, you already said you had to talk about - - stuff. I really don't think..."
"And I TOLD you Mum was cool with it," she replied.
"Did she? Tell me, what were her EXACT words?"
"Her EXACT words?"
Harry nodded.
"Her EXACT words were, `tell Harry if he is going to be making future midnight visits...'"
"Yes?"
"`If he is going to...'"
"YES????"
"`Tell Harry to make sure he has his invisibility cloak handy,'" Hermione finished with a giggle.
"Huh?" Harry didn't understand, as his expression showed.
"So that if Dad comes to check on me he won't see you!"
Harry finally understood, and pictured the scene: Dan checking on his daughter and him lying beside her, invisible.
"Yeah right! And that big lump in the bed next to you would be what? A fluffy bunny?"
"I don't have any [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:06:00 2006 ]fluffy bunnies?" Hermione replied indignantly.
"I noticed. Why is that?"
"They take up too much book space," she said with a grin, and now it was Harry's turn to laugh. They stood there together, Harry holding her. He knew he liked it, but that was the problem.
"Something doesn't make sense," he said.
"What?"
"Well, I've seen you and your mum together. You're both really sweet. You probably talk about everything."
Hermione nodded.
"Then how is it that this subject only just came up? I thought you two would have had this talk ages ago."
"We have, we did. We talk about it a lot."
"Then what was the problem this morning then?" Harry wanted to know.
Hermione laughed; she was interested to see how he took the answer. "Harry, up until now, Mum and I have had only the - - well, let's say the O.W.L. version of the sex talk."
There was Harry with that expression again: he wasn't following.
"This morning it was the advanced N.E.W.T. version."
Nope, he still didn't get it.
"Harry," Hermione said finally. "This morning she didn't leave anything out, ANYTHING! I got the whole, super advanced version. She said she wished she had the book with pictures SHE had read while she was in college."
Now Harry got it. "Pictures?"
She nodded, laughing.
"Sounds horrible."
"It was!"
"The N.E.W.T. version?" he asked again.
Hermione smiled and nodded.
"I hope that means there isn't going to be an exam," he said, instantly regretting it because he was blushing.
"No," Hermione answered. "But there may be homework." She looked up at Harry and was going to kiss him but he moved back slightly... only slightly, but enough for her to notice.
"What?" she asked.
"Don't," he replied.
"Don't what?"
"Hermione, after what your mum said this morning..."
"Don't worry..."
"Hermione! Your mum said what she did for a reason. This must've been her way of telling me not to get too close."
"Harry, you're worrying about nothing. Mum..."
"Your mum must be so disappointed in me," he said sadly. "I'm sorry."
"Harry, you're being..."
Harry turned and fled. He reached his room and closed the door behind him. Hermione's immediate reaction was to follow, but she resisted it.
***
Even after reading it three times, the letter still didn't change. Ginny was shocked, initially, but it was only when Gabrielle suggested the possibility that Hermione was teasing did Ginny calm down.
Yes, that was it! This was just Hermione's way of playing a joke. She didn't... He didn't... They couldn't...
"You really think so?" Ginny asked.
Gabrielle nodded. "You said `Arry iz shy, no?"
"Yes, he is. At least MY Harry was shy. I don't know how HERMIONE'S Harry behaves. I mean, they're both there, living under the same roof!"
"And `az not `arry lived `ere, under your roof? And nozzing `appened?"
Ginny shook her head. "But it might be different there. I mean, we have people coming and going all the time here. There, they may be on their own, especially if Hermione's parents are both at work. Who knows WHAT they may end up doing. Besides, Harry would spend more time here with Ron than with me."
"But Geeny. You know `Arry az well az anyone. You know what iz in hiz `eart."
"That's just it, Gabby. Whatever he had there he wouldn't share. I have no idea what he feels. About anything or anyone."
"You should talk wiz your mother?" Gabrielle suggested.
Ginny nodded her head. "I know what she would say."
"What would she say?"
"She would say, `listen to your own heart Ginerva.'"
"And what does your `eart say?" Gabrielle asked, the same question her mother had asked her days before.
"It says I miss him, and I hope he's okay."
"And nozzing more, no?" Gabrielle prodded.
Ginny shook her head. Whatever she thought was there before had faded away after her talk with her mother. Harry was a friend, a brother, and a protector to her. Nothing else, she had to admit sadly.
"So!" Gabrielle said. "If your friend Hermooneey is `appy, zen you are `appy too?"
"I guess. And then knowing Harry, this IS just Hermione's way of playing a joke," Ginny considered.
"And does Hermooneey play such jokes all ze time?"
"No," Ginny answered. "No, she doesn't. But maybe something Tonks and I said about them at the wedding made her see him differently."
"I zink zey look cute togezzer," Gabrielle said... probably just the thing Ginny didn't want to hear. But then, maybe she was right. Hermione was Ginny's closest friend; if she was happy, then Ginny was happy. And if Harry was safe, that was fine with her too.
Ginny remembered that last night on the stairs of the Astronomy Tower... the battle and the bites and the blood on her brother. Now Bill was happily married, and he and Fleur were enjoying their honeymoon up in Scotland. If Bill could find love, especially after what had happened to him, then why couldn't Hermione and Harry?
Or even herself? She smiled as she remembered the two letters she had, inviting her to the ball, and wondered if she would get any more. Ginny wasn't conceited; she knew she was popular but only because she was so outgoing. She didn't think she was particularly pretty, not like how Hermione was pretty (not that she would see that for herself). Even Tonks had her own special charm, Ginny had to admit.
"Send `im an owl!" Gabrielle suggested.
"I did, yesterday."
***
The house was unnaturally quiet when Dan and Emma returned. Dan's initial "Hello?" at the front door received no reply. "Do you think they're still here?"
Emma shrugged. Dan put his keys down and yawned. "I'm going to have a quick nap before dinner."
"Serves you right for having such an early start," Emma replied with a smile.
"You'll check on the children?" Dan asked.
"I don't know that it's correct to call them children, dear."
Emma walked from room to room, poking her head around each corner, as if expecting to see Hermione and Harry hiding. She came to the bedrooms and both doors were closed. She tapped lightly on Hermione's door and looked inside.
Hermione looked up smiling, but with tears falling down her cheeks.
"I've ruined everything, Mum!" she cried and Emma was with her.
"What happened?"
"He won't even talk to me now!"
"What happened?" Emma asked again.
"I told him what we were discussing this morning." Emma's eyes grew big. "Only in general terms, Mum. I didn't tell him WHAT we said, only what we spoke ABOUT."
Emma nodded.
"And now he thinks that you want him stay away from me."
"That wasn't my intention, dear. I haven't even spoken to Harry about it yet. All I..."
"Mum, you can't!!!"
"Well, now after seeing you like this, I think I have to."
"Mum!"
"Hermione, I was going to anyway. I even sounded your father out today to see if he'd like to do it."
"You didn't?!"
"It's all right dear. I was so subtle he didn't know what I was talking about. He thinks I meant for him to take Harry golfing with him."
Hermione laughed; a few hours ago she wondered if she would ever laugh again.
"What are you going to say?"
"I'm not sure," Emma admitted. "Let's go see how he is first."
"You go. But you have to promise to tell me everything."
Emma nodded, kissed her daughter, and went to Harry's room. She tapped twice, lightly.
"Come in, Mrs. Granger."
"How did you know it was me?" Emma asked with a smile.
"I heard your footsteps. Besides, I doubt Hermione will ever speak to me again."
"Really? Why is that?"
Harry looked up with the saddest eyes she'd seen on him since his first morning there. "Mrs. Granger, I've ruined everything."
To hear him use the exact same words as Hermione shook her.
"What happened?"
"Hermione told me you two had a talk this morning. I'm really sorry and all, Mrs. Granger, but..."
"Sorry about what, Harry?" she asked, smiling.
Harry was embarrassed and Emma tried to make him feel more comfortable. She looked around to see he hadn't packed and took that to be a good sign.
"What have you done to be sorry about?"
"Last night," he said simply.
"But Hermione said nothing happened." Harry confirmed that nothing had happened by shaking his head.
"She said you talked and you both went to sleep." Harry nodded this time.
"I think I do remember something or other about kissing though," Emma said, hoping to cheer him up a little. This drew a sheepish reaction, and a schoolboy grin. Emma had to admit he was terribly cute.
"So?" she asked.
"You're not angry with me?" he asked, for the first time making direct eye contact.
"Do I have reason to be angry?" she asked.
Harry shrugged his shoulders.
"Nothing happened, after all," Emma said. "Tell me though, what would you have done if something HAD happened?"
Harry looked shocked. He'd considered the possibility; how could he not seeing the situation he had been in last night. He also knew too well the recurring dreams he'd been having, and the implications of that.
"Mrs. Granger, I..."
"It's okay, Harry. I'm not saying you would have let something happen. But let's take a hypothetical situation. Let's say that you and Hermione spend the night together."
The colour in Harry's face started to drain away but Emma continued on.
"Let's say you both spend the night together and something DOES happen. What then?"
Harry thought for an answer, but had none.
"You DID think about that possibility?" she asked.
"Yes, but..."
"Harry," Emma said with a laugh. "It looks like you didn't really think about it. I'm not mad at you, or Hermione. In fact I'm quite proud that we can talk openly about this. All I want you to do is to think about the situation you find yourself in, BEFORE you're in it."
"You're not going to make me leave?"
Emma laughed.
"But Hermione hates me."
"Hermione doesn't hate you," Hermione said from the door. Emma and Harry turned their heads to see her smiling, but still tear-stained, standing at the open door. Neither had noticed she was there.
"I thought I was going to tell you everything?" Emma said smiling.
"I heard anyway. Harry, I don't hate you."
"See?" Emma said. Hermione came and sat on Harry's bed next to him giving him a hug.
"I thought I ruined everything!" he said again, and Hermione laughed. "I mean, you have done everything for me here, and you've spent time with me and everything."
"So?" Emma asked.
"So, I couldn't even be here for Hermione. I couldn't even give her moral support."
Emma gave a questioning look at her daughter. "Moral support for what?" she asked.
"Well, when Hermione asked me to stay..." Harry began.
"No, Harry, that's not right," Emma corrected him. "Her father and I asked Hermione if it would be okay, and then we asked you."
"No, Mrs. Granger, you have it the wrong way around. Hermione asked me first, BEFORE you and Mr. Granger did."
Emma looked at her daughter and gave her a questioning look. "It's your turn to tell me what's going on. Hermione."
"Mum, I have nothing to say. I just anticipated that you were going to ask Harry to stay." Hermione was only a little pleased with herself for coming up with this defence so quickly. She wasn't sure it was going to work though.
"You did? And what moral support is it that you need, exactly?"
Hermione didn't answer, so Harry did for her. He held her hand as he did.
"She doesn't want to move to France."
Emma gave Harry, then Hermione, a look. "Hermione, we had an agreement that you wouldn't..."
"She didn't tell me, Mrs. Granger. Hermione hasn't said a word. Honest!" Harry said hurriedly.
"Then how did you know?" Hermione asked.
"There are travel brochures all around the house."
"I see," Emma said, and laughed.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Harry said. "I didn't mean to pull away. I've been doing that my whole life, and..."
"And what, Harry?" Hermione asked, looking at him through her tears.
"And I thought it would be nice not to pull away from someone, for once."
Hermione hugged him again and they stayed like that together.
"It sounds like we are all happy then," Emma said.
Nothing was said, or needed to be. Emma looked at them, thinking they made a natural couple. They depended upon and trusted each other. If love wasn't there yet, it wouldn't be very far away.
"Hermione?" Emma asked sweetly, too sweetly.
"Mum?"
"Would you mind leaving us for a few minutes?"
Hermione looked at her mother for explanation. Emma smiled and then looked towards Harry.
"Harry and I are just going to have a... talk."
Hermione realised what was happening and laughed. She gave Harry a quick squeeze and fled the room, closing the door behind her.
Harry looked at Emma and saw the look in her eye. Instinctively he started to stand before Emma urged him to sit with a hand on his shoulder.
"So, Harry," Emma started. "How much do you know about sex?"
***
Emma and Dan were upstairs [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:11:00 2006 ]dressing for dinner while Harry sat with a vacant stare [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:11:00 2006 ]on the [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:11:00 2006 ]his [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:11:00 2006 ]bed of the guestroom below[Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:11:00 2006 ] with a vacant stare[Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:11:00 2006 ]. Hermione popped her head around the door and upon seeing his face couldn't help but laugh.
"Hermione," Harry said, "it was horrible! I just wanted to put my hands over my ears and go `La la la! I'm not listening! I'm not listening!'"
She hugged him and he smiled back weakly.
"You should see your face, Harry. You look - stunned."
"I feel stunned! Now I know how you felt this morning."
"Cheer up, Harry, it only gets worse from here," she told him.
"What do you mean?" Harry asked. "There's more?"
"There has to be. That was only about thirty or forty minutes. Based on my past [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:12:00 2006 ]experience, that doesn't even quite get you to O.W.L. level. YOU'VE got much more left in store for you."
Harry jokingly held his head in his hands and Hermione laughed again.
"There CAN'T be any more, Hermione. We covered everything I could possibly imagine. And heaps of stuff I would NEVER have imagined. What did you say this morning? It was - icky!"
Hermione couldn't stop from laughing and held Harry tighter. Once she did, she looked at him.[Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:12:00 2006 ], "Harry, can I ask you a question?"
"Here we go," Harry responded.
"You don't have to answer. I don't want to embarrass you or anything."
"YOU DON'T WANT TO EMBARRASS ME??? Hermione, your mum covered everything, body parts;[Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:12:00 2006 ],[Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:12:00 2006 ] the lot!!!"
"Just tell me, have you ever had THAT talk before?"
"Nothing even close!"
Hermione looked at him; she wasn't expecting that answer. "Never?"
"Never!"
"Why not?"
Harry thought a moment. "Who was going to give it to me, Hermione? My aunt and uncle? I don't think so! Dumbledore? Sadly, no. Sirius? He wasn't around long enough."
"That's terrible, Harry."
"Why? You know my background. You know everything there is to know about me. I started a little late, as Ron would point out, but I think I'm up to speed now."
"Ron really got to you, didn't he?" Hermione asked. She lightly touched his cheek.
Harry nodded. "I've thought a lot about what he said, as well as his father and brothers. I've still got some thinking to do about that."
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
"Yes, but later. Dinner first. Your mum told me I could ask your advice for what I should wear. I've never been to a restaurant before."
Hermione gave him that look again. "I don't think you have anything to worry about, Harry. Everything I've seen you wear this week has really looked good."
"Thank Tonks for that, but allow me to show you the entire wardrobe." Harry opened both doors to the wardrobe allowing Hermione to see numerous coloured shirts, trousers, jackets, sweaters, and the like.
"Harry, this is amazing! This lot must have cost a fortune."
"Not really, and besides, you know how much money I have. I hardly spend any of it, and all of this didn't even make a dent. Next time I go to my vault it will have more than it did last time."
"Harry, these are all Muggle clothes. All of it, every bit!"
"I got some robes and stuff, but yeah, mostly Muggle."
"Why?"
"It's more comfortable. Besides, I think it's high time that I got in touch with my Muggle side. Maybe Ron had a point after all."
"He DID get to you, didn't he?" Hermione said, looking worried.
"Later. I promise we'll talk about it later. What about this shirt and these pants?" he asked.
Hermione smiled; his choice was okay, but she could do better. "That shirt, those trousers, that jacket, and black shoes if you have them."
"I have," he said holding up a pair.
"You went all out, didn't you?"
Harry nodded. "Who knows when's the next chance I'll get to go shopping?"
"Okay, Harry, you get changed and I'll be with you in a few minutes."
***
They were seated as soon as they arrived. It had to be obvious to just about everyone that this was Harry's first time to a restaurant, and `The Beachcomber' was one of the best seafood places around. Emma smiled as the maitre-de made a show of holding her chair and pushing it in, and then the same for Hermione. A tuxedo wearing pianist was lightly playing a grand piano and glass chandeliers were hanging everywhere. Meals were delivered on silver trays with silver domes keeping everything hidden until it arrived at the table. Each table had numerous different types of wine glassware.
"Not too shabby, eh, Harry?" Dan asked.
"Not shabby at all," Harry replied.
They sat at a medium-sized round table with Hermione on Harry's left and Emma on his right. Each started reading menus, and Hermione couldn't resist a peek over the top of hers to see Harry's expression when he saw how many choices there were. She giggled as he turned page after page, not having any idea where to start.
"I'm going to need some help here," he whispered to Hermione.
"I'm having the snapper and seasonal vegetables," she whispered back.
"Sounds good, make that two."
Dan had a twinkle in his eye when he suggested, "You might want to look at the pan-fried baby octopus." Hermione responded with a gagging noise.
"I might give that a miss this time. Snapper sounds like a winner to me," Harry said.
"I didn't even think to ask," Emma said. "Do you like seafood?"
"I see food, I eat it," Harry replied using a throwaway line of Ron's and the others all laughed.
"Em?" Dan asked
"Same as usual, lobster thermidor."
"I'm going to give the coral trout a bash," Dan said, reading.
"Why?" Harry asked mischievously. "Isn't it dead?"
This caused the Grangers and Harry to laugh again; soon, their orders had been taken.
"Mr. Granger, do you come here often?" Harry wanted to know.
"Not often enough," Dan said. "Sadly, it's been far too long since we've been here, so let's make an extra effort to make this evening special."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"Because," Dan started, "it's Thursday."
"Sounds good enough for me," Harry said.
***
The dinner was one of the best the Grangers had known. There was a time they would dine here almost once a month, but Dan explained he and Emma were working harder and longer hours now and didn't often find the time.
"But THAT, Harry, is something that will change from now on," Dan declared.
"Because of yesterday?" Hermione asked.
"Exactly!" he replied.
Emma had decided to drive home tonight because Dan had an extra glass of white wine; it was her car after all. Dan informed them that as his car was less than one year old, the insurance company had decided to replace it with a brand new one.
The journey home lasted about thirty minutes, and Harry and Hermione spent the time talking about nothing important. When Emma and Dan started discussing the movie they had seen earlier, Harry made sure he had Hermione's attention, and mouthed the words `Trust me?' to her. He had to do it twice before she understood, and she wondered what he had in mind. She thought only for an instant and gave her answer, nodding. Hermione mouthed the words `Why?' back, but Harry smiled and held her hand, squeezing it lightly in response.
Once they arrived home, Dan and Emma sat in the lounge-room, still discussing the movie as Harry grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her out of their sight.
"Do you still trust me?" he asked.
"You know I do. What's going on?"
"This is going to either work or blow up badly. If it's the second one, I'll be gone from here in a minute and you will NEVER want to see me again!"
At hearing this Hermione looked alarmed, but Harry just gave her his patented smile. He pulled her close and kissed her, breaking the kiss before she could respond.
Harry walked into the lounge-room and addressed Dan and Emma. "Mr. and Mrs. Granger, may I have a word with you?" he asked in a formal tone. Dan was about to make some joke before he saw the seriousness in Harry's face.
"Is everything all [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:16:00 2006 ]right?" Emma asked.
"I hope so," Harry replied. "I understand you have a rule forbidding magic in your house, Mr. Granger..." he started.
"Well, Harry, Emma and I have spoken about that and..."
"That's all right, Mr. Granger. I respect your rule. I don't need to perform any magic, but what I do ask is that you give me permission to use a magical object."
Dan looked at Emma, who looked at Hermione, who looked back at Dan. None of the three knew what was going on, though Dan sensed he could trust Harry.
"On my word of honour I promise that what I need to do is neither dangerous nor will it put anyone at risk," he said.
"Can you explain what this is about?" Emma asked.
"No ma'am. This is a more of a `show' thing." Harry winked at Hermione, hoping for the last time that she really did trust him. Emma noted the tone and the use of the word `ma'am.' She gave Dan an `I trust him' look.
"All right, Harry," Dan said, smiling. "What is it you need to show us?"
"Sir, I need some room to set things up. If you, Mrs. Granger, and Hermione will all take a seat in the kitchen, I'll be ready in a few moments."
Dan and Emma slowly rose and walked into the kitchen. Harry went to his room; Hermione hurried off after him.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, worried.
"This is for you, Hermione. Cross your fingers and hope it works." He kissed her again and pushed her back towards the kitchen. She sat down at the table, still looking worried.
"Do you know what this is about?" Emma asked.
Hermione shook her head; she was starting to feel afraid.
Harry returned a few minutes later; he had changed into shorts and T-shirt and was carrying a bundle of black cloth. He set the cloth on the table before them and headed back to his room. He returned with a stone basin about as large as his chest and wondered how long it would take Hermione to identify what it was he was carrying.
It took less that a heartbeat. "That's a...!" she started.
"It is. Mr. and Mrs. Granger," he said, setting the item down in the centre of the table. "This is a Pensieve."
"Harry!" Hermione cried.
"This is Sirius's Pensieve. He left it to me in his will," Harry finished. He waited for the information to sink in, though he knew it might mean nothing to Hermione's parents.
"This is a device to review and analyse memories." Harry unfurled the black cloth to show at least fifty sealed glass phials, looking slightly like test tubes. Each phial held a few strands that looked like silver or gold tinsel. Harry held one up. "After you fill the Pensieve with water, you take a memory, drop it into the Pensieve and then look into it."
"Dad, this is like a video player but instead of watching movies, you see people's memories," Hermione explained.
"My memories." Harry explained. Once you look into the Pensieve it will feel as though you are falling, but I promise you can't be hurt or injured in any way."
"What happens then?" Dan asked.
"What happens then is you see the memory, the entire memory. You will see and hear everything within the memory, but anyone you see in it won't be able to see or hear you. After all, the memory has already taken place."
"Harry," Emma asked, "what is the purpose of this?"
Heren [Author ID1: at Tue Aug 29 20:15:00 2006 ]Harry softened his formal tone; he smiled. "Emma, what happens is you will see some of the things that have happened at Hogwarts and elsewhere. You'll see Hermione, Ron, Ginny and a few others. But what I think you'll mostly be interested in is Hermione. You'll be able to see for the first time how good she is at what she does and, what she can accomplish. These are just my plain pure memories, there is nothing altered in any way."
"Harry!" Hermione started to cry and he went to her.
"Hermione, you can do this. You can show your parents how strong you are. You can tell them what you want and for the first time they will be able to see."
"You're not staying for the show?" Emma asked.
Harry shook his head. "This should be a family thing. I'm taking Sam for a walk. Hermione can explain better than I can anything that crops up. She really is amazing, Mr. Granger." He picked up the last phial and held it aloft. "These are all more or less in chronological order, but THIS one," he said handing it to Hermione, "should go last, if you get that far. This is when Dumbledore died."
"Emma, I should have thought of this before. All of this explains everything about me better than anything I can say. But it's really Hermione I want you to watch." Harry leant down and kissed Hermione deeply, not caring that her parents were in the room. This time he let Hermione respond; she didn't care that her parents watched either. She tried to grab him, to hold him, but he was too quick and slipped through her grip.
***
Harry had to backtrack twice before he found the path he, Dan, and Sam had taken the evening before. He walked under the underpass and beneath the streetlights that cast dim pyramids of light. It was dark but he figured he had about an hour, maybe two to kill.
Harry scanned the trees and the surroundings with eyes that quickly adjusted to the dark. He felt he could see better than he should be able to, just like his hearing which lately was almost supernatural. He stopped every hundred yards or so and looked around. He couldn't decide if he was being watched or just was just paranoid. Sam obviously heard and smelt nothing. Harry passed by where he was attacked yesterday; his bandaged arm was still evidence.
He walked further than he did before, coming across a football field and walked around it. Sam seemed happy to be exploring the neighbourhood with Harry. He passed only two other people for the entire time he and Sam walked; each time it was somebody also walking their dog late at night. Harry smiled and nodded his head in acknowledgement, and was greeted with smiles. He took the time to watch and smell the many gardens he walked past, wondering how much different everything would look in the hours of daylight.
Having no watch, Harry was unsure of the time but he figured he had been gone an hour and a half; Sam was indicating he'd had enough anyway. He headed back, came to the street the Grangers lived on ,and stopped outside their home. He wondered if his plan worked, or if he would be asked to leave immediately. Deciding he couldn't stay outside all night (and it wasn't fair to Sam), Harry took a deep breath, and opened the Grangers' gate before slipping around to the back of the house.
A/N - Harry and Hermione are developing together even more, and even the word `sex' has come up. You should have seen the look on Harry's face through my mind's eye when Emma gave him the talk. I of course couldn't stay because I had run out of the room. But the real point of the chapter is what happens at the end. Harry's good idea (or is it a good idea?) will mean Dan and Emma will for the first time SEE what it is they have only heard filtered accounts of before. To me, this and the next are pivotal chapters.
-->