Note I would like to thank everyone who has read my story and to those who have taken the time to review it, choccy2604 and victor12803. I hope everyone who reads this enjoys it.
The sun burned the sky a hazy orange as it slowly set behind the distant hills. The trees blurred together as the Granger's car drove along the road. It was his birthday and the Grangers had decided that they were all going out to celebrate at a restaurant in the small town where they had their dental practice.
When Mrs. Granger had first mentioned it a few days ago, Harry had argued with her saying it wasn't worth that much trouble. Mrs. Granger simply told him to stop arguing, and they usually did this at least once during the summer holidays and his birthday was as good a day as any. Hermione had found the idea of someone arguing against a birthday treat highly amusing, and had sat at the kitchen table doing a very poor job of stifling her laughter while he had argued with her Mum.
As the trees rushed past he couldn't stop his mind returning to what had happened that morning.
The Granger's house. 10:26 am
He walked into the living room and saw a pile of presents on the table. He looked about the room as if he wasn't sure where to start.
"Here Harry, this one's from us," said Mr. Granger as he handed over a brightly wrapped box. Inside were a box of sweets and a set of darts.
"Thank you, but there wasn't any need for you to do this."
"Don't start that. Now open the rest before I do it for you," said Mr. Granger
Harry started on the pile and quickly was ankle deep in wrapping paper. Hagrid had sent a cake and a copy of Griffins: Menace or Misunderstood? Ron had sent the newest copy of The Dangerous Dai Medal: Winners and Their Moves. This told you who had won the medal each year as well as a picture of the move.
The rest of the Weasley's had sent him cakes and sweets. From Sirius there was a voucher for Quality Quidditch Supplies. Finally there was only one gift left: Hermione's. It was an odd shaped box long but not very tall; he was a little more careful with the paper. In side the box was a set of Quidditch robes. The robes were in Gryffindor colors with his name and position written on the back.
"If you don't like it I can take it back. It wouldn't be a problem," Hermione spoke in a rush and bit her lip when she finished speaking.
"There brilliant Hermione. Thanks," he said smiling as he pulled her into a hug.
They broke apart as a sharp tapping invaded the room as an owl tried to get through the window. Mrs. Granger opened the window and untied the letter from around the birds outstretched leg; it then flew straight out the window with out trying to get any food, which Harry thought was odd behavior for an owl. The letter was addressed to Harry, which shocked no one, not recognizing the handwriting he decided to read it straight away.
Dear Harry
A great many happy returns for the day. I'm sorry that I could not congratulate you in person, but my great works keep me busy. Also, the Muggle world disgusts me; I can't keep myself from killing all of them that I see. Say hello to your little Mudblood for me.
Sweet dreams,
Lord Voldemort
"Harry, what's wrong? Who's it from?" asked Hermione noticing the way Harry had suddenly lost the small grin that had been on his face.
"It's Voldemort." Harry's voice was barley above a whisper as he struggled to keep the fear and anger out of his voice.
"What has he done?" asked Hermione not understanding what he meant.
"No, it's from Voldemort."
"What's it say?" asked Mrs. Granger. Harry simply handed her the letter unwilling to read it again. She quickly read the letter before showing it to her husband.
"We could just stay in tonight have a private dinner, just the four of us," said Mrs. Granger.
Hermione looked up as she finished reading the letter. Her eyes were ablaze with anger at both the letter and at her mother's suggestion. "But that's not right. As soon as we're too scared to do any thing then he wins. This is how it starts, we don't say his name, then we stay in at night, then we're too scared to go to Hogwarts, and then when we have to fight him everyone's hiding at home poking their noses out of their curtains, scared of shadows. So he wins and he doesn't even have to try." Hermione's voice had started as a low whisper but had steadily risen until she was shouting at everyone in the room
"I don't want anyone to be hurt because of me Hermione. It's just not worth it. I'll leave tonight and catch the Knight bus back to the Dursley's."
"No." Hermione's voice was low but was still filled with anger. "What you're going to do tonight is put on a good shirt and then go out and have dinner with me, Mum, and Dad, and we're going to have a good time."
"And what if I'm putting you and your parents at risk?"
"Your not. Dumbledore would never have let you come here if he thought there was any danger," said Hermione in hard voice which softened as she continued. "You didn't bow to him before, and I won't let you now."
"She's right Harry," said Mr. Granger who then looked over at his wife who gave him a small nod. "We're going out and you're going to stay here for as long as you want. A man stands up and fights"
Their words sent his mind back to the graveyard when he had decided he would stand and die on his feet and not hiding behind a grave stone. "I once decided I would die on my feet, so I'm going to live like that as well."
"Excellent. Now enough of this doom and gloom, let's eat breakfast," said Mr. Granger.
And now here he was, eleven hours later, nervous about embarrassing Hermione and her parents, in their favorite restaurant by doing something wrong. They parked the car and then walked to the nearby restaurant. Harry's nerves were increasing with each step.
He was quite relieved to walk in and find a small restaurant with only two dozen tables and a relaxed atmosphere.
"Chris, Sara it's been too long," said a jovial voice from across the room. It belonged to a tall man with graying hair and a smile that looked like it never left his face. He reminded Harry of a beardless Dumbledore. "And Hermione, aren't you growing fast, I remember you when you still needed a high chair to eat." Hermione grinned and stifled a laugh. "Who's this young man?" he asked catching Mr. Grangers eye, "Has Hermione got herself a boyfriend?"
"No, Billy, this is Harry Potter, one of Hermione's friends from school," replied Mrs. Granger.
Harry half expected everyone to turn around and start pointing or to go looking for his scar. Then he remembered that here he wasn't Harry Potter: The Boy Who Lived; He was just Harry Potter, Hermione's friend. He knew which one he preferred being.
"Come on I've got the perfect table for you."
The table was perfect and so was the meal. It was the best food Harry had eaten outside of Hogwarts, and only the food at the Yule ball had been better. This was probably the best birthday he'd ever had.
They had just paid the bill and were leaving when Billy said, "Come back soon now, and Harry you take good care of her." Mr. and Mrs. Granger laughed; Harry and Hermione blushed and averted their eyes.
~ ~ ~
The next night they lay on the grass watching the stars. It had been a week since they had talked that morning in the kitchen, and things between him and Hermione had changed. When they sat on the sofa to watch television they sat a little closer together; when they watched the stars he found it difficult to imagine a time when Hermione hadn't rested her head on his chest. If he had been watching two other people acting like this, he would have assumed that they were going out, but he and Hermione were just friends, right?
He tried to set aside his confused thoughts about Hermione, but failed. He knew that he cared for her and found her attractive, but he wasn't sure how she felt. If it had been anyone else he was fairly certain he would have asked them out by now, but it was Hermione and that changed things. He wished he had someone that he could get advice from. Thinking about that brought his mind back to his other problem.
He was still waiting for a reply from Dumbledore and Sirius. He had written to them yesterday after getting that letter and he'd hoped that they would have written back before now. He decided not to worry about it and just enjoy his last few days of calm. Mr. Weasley had phoned earlier in the day and in-between his questions about all things Muggle, the arrangements for him and Hermione to stay at the Burrow for the rest of the summer where made. He loved the whole Weasley family dearly, but he knew that nothing there would be calm or relaxing, but it would definitely be fun. Mrs. Granger had bravely volunteered to phone the Dursley's and it had been decided that they would get Harry's school thing before meeting in Diagon Alley because they expected their Hogwarts letters any day now.
His mind wouldn't let him forget about Hermione for long. He faced down the Dark Lord and stared death in the face, but the thought of asking out Hermione sent shivers of fear down his spine. But a little voice in the back of his mind, which sounded just like Sirius, kept telling him to ask her out before he lost his chance. He was so deep in argument with the Sirius voice that he nearly jumped when Hermione spoke.
"Did you enjoy your self last night?"
"Yeah it was great, I really enjoyed it. And Billy was pretty funny," said Harry his smile showing in his voice.
"He is, but it gets annoying that everyone keeps thinking we're going out when we're just friends." Hermione's voice held an odd tone that caught Harry's attention.
"Go on ask her now. She wants you to; she's just as scared. Go on ask her now, come on ask her," said the Sirius voice and Harry could practically see him jumping up and down.
Harry snorted; trying to ignore the voice because he knew Hermione wasn't interested in him. "Thanks. I know I'm no Lockhart, but I didn't think the idea of going out with me would upset you that much."
"It's not the thought of going out with you that's annoying but the way people assume things, I mean it's only two steps up from the type of gossip that Skeeter wrote. Doesn't it upset you?" asked Hermione, wishing that just this once he wouldn't hide his feelings. She wanted to know if Harry cared for her in the way she thought he did.
"No. What upsets me is that they're wrong."
"Harry…" The tone warned him she knew things would be said that couldn't be forgotten and that he better be sure before he crossed that line.
Harry suddenly sat up so he could look her eye. The voice in his head had gone quite as if sensing his decision. He knew what he felt for Hermione. He didn't know for sure how she felt, but he'd decided to life on his feet. "Hermione. I care for you so much It's difficult to put into words. You and Ron are my best friends and I hope you always will be but lately I've been looking at you and wondering if we could be more than friends. If you just want to be friends I'll understand."
"Are you asking me out?" asked Hermione, a hint of a smile playing on her face.
"Hermione do you want to go out with me? Do you want to be my Girlfriend?"