A Grand Adventure
At the Grangers
Hermione Granger sat anxiously in the window seat of family room of her home. The letter had specifically said they would arrive at six. She spared a hasty glance to the watch at her wrist; half past five. She still had a full half hour to wait. Hermione jumped up and strode purposefully towards the stairs. As she went past her father called out.
"Poppet…"
The air of a question was evident in his tone; Hermione answered the unspoken inquiry without ever breaking her stride.
"Just going to check things over a bit before Harry arrives."
Hermione bounded up the stairs and disappeared. Jonathan Granger stared after his daughter for a moment before folding his evening paper and rising from his favorite armchair to head into the kitchen. There his wife Emma stood at the counter preparing the night's supper. Helping himself to a couple of sliced carrot sticks Jonathan queried his wife.
"Does Hermione seem wound a bit tight to you?"
Emma Granger bent to return the roast chicken she'd just basted to the oven before turning and responding to her husband's question.
"What makes you think that Hermione is wound a bit tight?"
Jonathan stared at his wife and replied.
"She's been running around in a tizzy all morning. The only time she's moved from the window seat is to run upstairs and check that the room is all right. Not to mention the fact that she spent all day yesterday getting the room ready to begin with. I'm beginning to wonder if we made the right decision inviting this Harry to stay for the summer. I mean honestly, the way she's acting you think she fancied the boy!"
Emma gazed up at the perturbed expression marring her husband's face and chuckled.
"Really Jonathan you are being ridiculous. Hermione is simply concerned about her friend. Lord knows I'm a bit concerned about Harry myself, you heard the description of the awful time he's had of it. Imagine having both your parents murdered when you're hardly old enough to remember them. Then being packed off to live with that horrible aunt and uncle of say his, who treat him as if he were some sort of criminal and not a member of their family. Not to mention all that he's had to endure at school; watching a schoolmate die last term and then having to watch his own godfather murdered before his very eyes, can you imagine the horror of that? So yes, I imagine that our daughter does seem wound a bit tight but I can assure you Jonathan that it is only her concern for Harry."
Emma patted her husband's cheek affectionately. Jonathan nodded his head sheepishly and muttered.
"As usual you are quite right I am being rather ridiculous."
At that exact moment the doorbell sounded. Emma headed off to answer the door and called over her shoulder.
"Besides, I have it on very good authority that Harry is not the bloke that Hermione fancies."
Jonathan's eyes widened in their sockets. He hurried out of the kitchen close on his wife's heels querying her insistently.
"Hermione fancies someone, who is he? How long have you known about this? Why wasn't I told? Emma who is this boy that Poppet fancies!?"
Emma ignored her husband and continued on to the door. As she flung the door open she was greeted by the smiling face of Hogwarts headmaster Albus Dumbledore. Standing slightly off to the side was a bespectacled, scrawny teenage boy with an uncontrollable mop of black hair standing at odd angles about his head. The young man had a look of uncertainty about him that immediately endeared him to Emma. Smiling brightly she greeted her guests warmly.
"Professor Dumbledore, Harry, so good to see you both, please come in."
Dumbledore stepped inside and Harry quietly followed. Emma Granger, warm smile still in place said.
"I trust your journey wasn't too taxing…do have a seat and relax. Would you like a drink, water, tea or perhaps something stronger for you Headmaster Dumbledore? Are you hungry at all? Dinner won't be ready for another hour but I could make sandwiches or order in a bit of take away if you'd like."
Jonathan interrupted his wife's prattling.
"Now Em, give our guests a moment to catch their breath, eh."
Emma colored slightly and Harry was strongly reminded of several very similar moments he and Ron had had with Hermione over the years. It would seem that Hermione had inherited her incessant chattering and her looks from her mother. Suddenly Harry heard a rather high pitched squealing sort of sound that he recognized to be his name. He looked up and saw Hermione flying at him from the base of the stairs. He only just managed to drop his rucksack a second before Hermione slammed into him with one of her hugs.
"Harry you're here!!! I'm so glad to see that you're alright. Your aunt and uncle weren't too horrible were they? Well it really doesn't matter now as you're here now. How was your trip? I hope it wasn't too long…"
Dumbledore smiled as he cut into Hermione's mile a minute inquisition.
"Ahh Hermione so good to see you, I trust you've been keeping well these past two weeks since I saw you last."
Hermione released her rather crushing hold on Harry and answered back with.
"Oh hello Professor Dumbledore, I've been very well, and you?"
Dumbledore smiled.
"I have indeed been quite well also; terribly busy but quite well all the same."
Dumbledore then directed his words towards Hermione's parents.
"I thank you both for the kind hospitality you've offered to Harry and to a lesser degree myself. And as much as I would like to remain I must be off to another somewhat pressing engagement."
Then turning back to Harry and Hermione he said.
"I do hope the pair of you manage to embark upon some grand adventure to occupy your free time. I know how much you enjoy such things."
Dumbledore graced them with a wink of his eye before turning and saying his goodbyes to the Grangers disapparated in a rustle of robes. Following Dumbledore's departure Hermione formally introduced Harry to her parents before grabbing him by the hand and dragging him up the stairs to show him the room that would serve as his for the remainder of the summer. Jonathan Granger watched them go and wondered just how reliable this good authority of Emma's was.
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