Harry made his way to the bedroom that Hermione had shown him earlier. When he got there, he called out to Dobby.
"Mr. Harry Potter calls Dobby? What can Dobby do?" If nothing else, Dobby aimed to please.
"Hello, Dobby. I wanted to thank you for all of your help today." Dobby's eyes started shining wetly. "I wanted you to know where I was and to tell you that either tomorrow or Saturday I will be calling you to introduce you to Hermione's parents. Is that okay?" Dobby nodded his head enthusiastically. "Okay. Off you go back to Winky and Susan."
Dobby popped off back to his assignment, and Harry looked around the room. He decided he needed a shower first; it had been a strenuous day.
He picked up a towel and his personal items and made his way across the Hall. When he was finished, he went back and began putting away the things from his trunk. Suddenly he heard the shower from across the hall start up again and realized that Hermione probably had the same idea he had.
He could just imagine the way she looked with the water cascading off of those pleasant swells he had noticed beneath the linen shift, and the way her bum looked as she ... AAARGH.
It was then that he knew, good or bad, this would be a long summer.
Hermione, after informing her parents of her intention, decided to make a quick stop on the first floor to visit the library. There was a spell that she had noticed in one of her charms books that she wanted to review. Yes, there it was: Incantation, wand Movement. She copied the spell onto a piece of parchment. Harry would have to cast it as he now was considered and adult and could perform magic. She also read the notice that was at the bottom and decided she needed to make some time to brew up the potion mentioned. She had plans for the summer now.
As she reached the second floor, she heard the shower. As she imagined Harry naked in the shower, she wondered what would happen if she rushed her plans and showed up to share the shower. No, she decided, they weren't quite ready for that yet. But if she had her way, it would be very soon.
She decided that, like Harry, it had been a stressful day and a shower was a wonderful idea. She made her way to her room and changed into a silk robe that her mother had purchased for her during the previous holiday season.
When she finished with her shower, she made her way back to her room and decided that t-shirt and silk shorts were sufficient for night clothes, put the folded parchment in a book, put that in her robe pocket, and then made her way down the hall.
Harry was petting Hedwig. She had shown up as he was putting away his things. The last he had known, she was being "taken care of" (i.e. held prisoner) at Hogwarts by order of Dumbledore. He was exceedingly glad to see her and she apparently felt the same about him.
"Ah, girl, it's so good to see you. How did you get here? Did they let you go or did you escape?"
Hedwig took on a look of pride as she hooted at her human. "Guess that answers that question!" Harry laughed. He suddenly heard a knock at the door. He called out for whoever it was to come in.
Hermione came in to see the lovely man of her dreams petting his beautiful snowy white owl. "Harry! When did Hedwig get here?" Harry smiled at her.
"Apparently she escaped her captors and has made her way home. She was too smart to be held against her will, weren't you girl?"
Hedwig hooted in a haughty manner and the two laughed. Hermione's face took on a thoughtful look. "I wonder if she has any tracking charms on her. Harry, if I got the book which had the spell, can you do it?" Harry had a thoughtful look as he nodded his head.
Hermione took off back down to the library for the spell. She got the book which she had just had open a few minutes before and looked through a different portion. Finding what she needed, she decided to bring the whole book up to Harry's room.
She laid the open book on the chest of drawers and had Harry read the section. He grabbed his wand and looked it over. He then turned to Hedwig. "Okay, girl. I want to check to see if you have any tracking charms, is that okay?" Hedwig bobbed her head, and Harry began muttering the charm over the owl. A section of her leg shown a light blue.
"Harry, hit Hedwig with a finite." Harry did it and a disillusioned band suddenly appeared on her leg. Hedwig, at the same time, shook her head as though clearing her mind and then hooted angrily toward the window. Harry saw that she seemed to be irritated but it wasn't directed at either of the two teens. It was at this point he wished that he could speak owl.
"Apparently she's upset about something." Hedwig turned toward Harry and hooted loudly. "Was it something that that Dumbledore did?" Hedwig bobbed her head. "Was anyone else involved?" Hedwig shook her head. "Well, he's about to get his. He'll pay for it, girl." Hedwig bobbed her head and hooted and then moved to his shoulder and rubbed her face against Harry's. Hermione reached out and petted the snowy-owl as Harry took the band off of her leg. Hedwig turned her head and rubbed herself against Hermione's hand and Harry laughed. "I guess she likes you as much as I do." Hedwig hooted and bobbed her whole body.
"Hermione, I don't have her cage or a perch. We're going to have to take care of that." Hermione raced down the hall again and brought back the perch she had gotten after their first year, along with the water bowl and the bowl she had for owl treats. She had wanted a place for Harry's owl to rest when she delivered mail. It had been upsetting that year when Hedwig had never shown up. She was long over it, but she still had the perch and supplies.
Hermione set up the accoutrement near the window and then asked, "Hedwig, is this good enough for you?" Hedwig bobbed her head and then flew over to the perch and drank some water.
The two teenagers laughed as Hedwig preened on the perch. "Okay, girl. I'd like you to take this band out somewhere and drop it in some place away from here that Dumbledore would be sure to find it." Hedwig took the band in her claw and flew out the window.
The whiskered one had waved his stick at her and she had then started taking the letters her human sent to be looked by the whiskered one before she was allowed to deliver them. She never remembered it afterward. Also, she remembered how she had felt comfortable staying at the large room with the other owls after the whiskered one had once again pointed his stick at her; she had come out of it just a couple of hours ago.
Although she didn't understand everything, she understood that the whiskered one would be searching for the little piece of leather, and she decided that she knew of a nice smelly place with a metal grate that the rats crawled into while she was hunting them. It was near the summer place where she was held prisoner with her human.
"Well, I'm too knackered to think about that more," Harry said with a huge yawn.
"Harry," Hermione began nervously, her confidence in her plan from earlier giving way to her insecurities, "I wanted to find out where we were with each other after what happened today."
Harry looked at her and smiled (a bit nervous himself), "Well, considering my older self said I should work on my own happiness, and Sirius was pretty adamant that I tell you how I feel, how about if I just say it: Hermione, I think I like you a lot more than just a best friend, I think I even love you. Would you be my girlfriend?" He looked at her with a hopeful expression.
Hermione threw herself into Harry's arms and kissed him with enthusiasm. After they broke it off for lack of air, she breathed out, "That's a yes."
"Brilliant!" Harry returned the kiss enthusiastically with one of his own. "Okay, we'll have to talk about this tomorrow. I REALLY need to get some sleep." Harry had yawned again.
Hermione looked at him with a hopeful look. "Do you mind if I join you? I would feel much better near you after today. My parents already know I planned on it."
Harry blushed heavily but nodded his head as he smiled at her shyly. He made his way to his bed as she went and closed the door to the room. She turned toward Harry seeing him watching her from the bed. She nervously took off her robe, showing the t-shirt and shorts beneath and his face took on a reverential look which added to her confidence. She made her way over to the bed a climbed in. After kissing Harry briefly, she snuggled in to him.
Harry, for his part, had been a bit flabbergasted at the direction the conversation had turned. After asking Hermione to be his girlfriend, he had expected that they would talk it about it more the next day. When she pretty much told him she was joining him in bed, he felt his stomach flutter a bit. When she had taken off her robe and he saw the thin covering she had, he had been hard-pressed not to react too much. After she snuggled into him, he remembered how he had come to earlier at Gringott's with her twice, and decided that it was a pleasant way to wake up; there was no way he was going to object. He relaxed more and allowed the sands of Morpheus to take him as he held the beautiful girl that had claimed his heart.
Several hours later, Dumbledore made his way into his office. He had spent the last several hours in a futile attempt to retrieve the reports that had been sent out during his will reading. He would have to wait and see what was said before he could counter the bad propaganda.
On top of this, he had received reports from the Order members that had waited for Harry to exit the bank that he had not, in fact, ever left the bank. Ms. Granger had been escorted to her home by Madam Bones, and there was no sign of the boy. Waiting until an hour after the bank had closed, the Order had left leaving young Nymphadora to watch for a bit longer and report back. She had reported to Minerva that no indication that Harry left the bank occurred.
Severus had apparently been called back to the side of Tom. Convincing him to continue to goad Tom into attacking Madam Bones was a tricky prospect, but from all indications he had succeeded. He hoped that Tom moved soon, so that he could get the boy back under his control.
He once again inspected the shelf that contained the instruments he had used to monitor and control the boy. All but a very few had ceased working earlier in the day. As he looked at the shelf, he noted that there was one which was still working. The tracking charm on the weapon's familiar showed that it was out of the castle. He swore to himself as he remembered that he had forgotten to recast the confundus charm. He looked at the instrument and noted that the boy seemed to be once again on Privet Drive.
This could work in his favor. Obviously Madam Bones was unprepared to take him into her home and had returned him to his relatives house. He would have to use this to get himself back into the boy's good graces. He would offer to take him over to the Weasleys where he could once again ensure that he was kept pliable and ignorant. Molly would ensure that he felt mothered, Arthur would help to convince the boy that whatever was published was codswallop, Ronald would distract him with childish pursuits, and young Ginerva would continue in her steps to seduce him and gain control of his family's resources.
He went to bed much more confident that he could get this situation under his control.
Severus Snape supplied the restorative that he had prepared in light of what had happened earlier in the day. As he administered the dosage to the reptilian looking form on the sickbed, he reflected briefly on the day's events.
As much as he loathed anyone with the Potter name, he had to admit to himself that the boy was not the easily-led cretin that he had thought him to be. He had held himself admirably at the reading of the will for that thrice-damned mutt. He had not reacted in an overly emotional manner when the family of red-headed menaces had refused to give their oath to support him, nor when Albus had been ejected.
He knew that the Weasley family, at least the two parents and the the youngest, was under the control of Albus Dumbledore. He had long followed Dumbledore as the best option to finally be rid of the evil menace he had tied himself to as a young man in his grief. He deeply regretted his teenage angst and had long ago wished that he had not taken up Lucius on the invitation to become a part of the movement that would "change the face of the wizarding world".
He had learned that it was not what he had joined to experience. After several exposures to the tender mercies of his "Master", he had realized the horrible mistake he had made. The casual treachery of the Dark Lord's word had cemented Severus Snape's desire to do whatever he could to see him destroyed.
The revelations at Gringott's had frankly amazed him. He had not been aware of the cunning that Black had held. He had assumed the mutt to be a typical Gryffindor: Stupid and impulsive. That he had somehow arranged to record an updated will, had arranged matters to reward those loyal, and had denied support to those that were questionable was the move of a consummate Slytherin in the truest sense of the word. He had unwillingly been impressed.
Yes, it was looking quite different for the unwilling pawn of two power-mad wizards. Events would determine if it was different enough.
Vernon Dursley had cursed his freak of a nephew all evening.
When he had returned from picking up his sister, he saw that the work required had been completed but the boy was not there. He had waited several hours to punish the evil spawn of hell, but he had never returned from wherever he had gotten himself to. He had had to explain to Marge that the boy, reprobate that he was, had begun to rebel more and that he would ensure that the punishment fit the crime.
Marge Dursley had agreed that as the spawn of bad seed that such things weren't uncommon although they were unfortunate. The coddling of such rebellion was the cause of so many ills in the society and that she was confident in his ability to handle the situation. She then offered to help supervise or deliver any punishments as Vernon's time was valuable as the bread-winner of the family. No Nancy-boy tactics would be an acceptable response for such horrible people.
Petunia Dursley agreed with the whatever the two said, although she had a twinge of regret. Regardless of how she felt about her nephew, he was related. She would follow her husband regardless, but she wouldn't always agree in her own mind.
Dudley Dursley remembered those dementoid thingies from a year earlier. He wasn't the quickest mind in the neighborhood, but he had some (very small) sense of gratitude for his freak of a cousin's actions. He did not particularly care what his father and aunt did, he just wanted to be kept out of it.
Emma quietly opened the door and saw the two teens lying in Harry's bed facing each other. Apparently they were still dressed, although they were quite close. Harry had his arms protectively about her daughter, and the look on her daughter's face, although not totally visible as it was buried in the boy's chest, looked quite relaxed and content. Harry himself looked far more happy in his slumber than she would have expected, given what he had apparently experienced. The two really did look good together.
She made her way over to the bed and adjusted the comforter that was on the bed. She wanted so much to kiss her daughter's forehead as she was wont to do, but she would not disturb the two that had been quite obviously done-in from whatever had happened earlier. She hadn't understood all of the explanations, but she would get details soon.
She contented herself with brushing the hair from her daughter's face so that she could see more of her expression in her sleep, smiled at the two teens, and made her way to her husband's company to tell him that his concerns, so far, apparently were unfounded.
Harry awoke in the middle of the night to find that he was wrapped around a very warm and very cuddly brown-eyed beauty.
He did a mental check of his surroundings and the sensations he was feeling. First he noted that there was a cooler breeze blowing in from the open window. It was unseasonably cool at the moment, although there were hopes that it would warm up within a very short time.
He then took stock of the physical sensations that he was feeling. Soft bed, check. Comfortable temperature under the coverlet, check. Firm bum pressed against his groin, ch ... oh, god was that a check. Apparently Hermione had shifted in the night. Soft handhold in the arm that was over Hermione ... she would kill him. When he realized what body part he had a hold up he had tensed, and then slowly let go and began to move his hand away from that location. Suddenly he heard a sleepy, but slightly annoyed voice which made him freeze again.
"Put that right back where it was; that was quite comfortable." He decided to listen to the voice that spoke in the same tones as his conscience and followed instructions. That it also followed the instructions of his teenage hormones mattered not one bit.
Hermione sighed happily and relaxed back to how she was when he had woken up. The fact that he was wide awake and he was having certain reactions against the bum pressed up against him seemed to not bother her at all. He finally decided to relax and just go with it. He lifted his head and pressed a kiss against the skin below Hermione's ear and then put his head back on the pillow as Hermione sighed happily again.
Hermione's voice came to him, not quite so sleepily, as she said, "I think this is the best sleep I've had since we started talking again after the whole Firebolt incident in third year."
Harry said, just as quietly, "I don't think I ever apologized enough for that. You were right and I was a right git about it."
Hermione felt a bit of moistness in her eyes as she contemplated his words and his sincerity. She concentrated on the happy feelings when it had been resolved rather than the pain from the incident itself. "I understood. But thanks." She paused, "How are you feeling?"
He thought about it for a moment. "I feel really good actually. The twinges from my scar are gone, and I don't feel like the brooding berk that I did just a couple of days ago."
Hermione turned over and looked at him in the dim light that was coming from the open window. When she felt his arm withdrawing as she turned, she grabbed it before it could get away and placed it on her hip so that his hand reached her bum. "You weren't a berk; you were the brooding sort, though I haven't seen it since the afternoon. Did all of that make so much of a difference?"
"Honestly?" Hermione nodded. "It made all the difference in the world. Ever since we got that bit of Voldemort out of me, I've been much more relaxed. I do have to say, thanks for your help in that ritual; couldn't have done it without you."
"You never have to thank me for that. I couldn't have born not doing everything I could to help get rid of that."
"Well, it made a huge difference. Even before the actual removal, I could feel ... a connection with you. Once he put the first runes on both of us, I could feel your heart beating. Also, I could feel the pain that I got from the earlier step go away. It was a huge comfort to me," Harry admitted with a blush.
Hermione looked into his eyes. "Actually, I wasn't going to say anything, but I noticed something similar. After the Department of Mysteries, I had twinges in my chest from that curse. They were slowly going away but when the runes were put one and he said the incantation, all of the residual pain just ... went away." Hermione smiled up into Harry's face.
"Well, I guess we just healed each other," Harry smiled back.
"I guess we did."
"Hermione, I'm a guy and we make mistakes. In case I might forget to say it sometime, I do love you."
At that Hermione reached up with her lips and kissed Harry with enthusiasm. After it was done, she snuggled back down to his chest and replied, "I love you too, Harry."
The two drifted off to sleep, content with themselves and each other.
Early the next morning, Drigfang arrived at the paymaster to pick up the receipt for the payment to his vault for the ritual the day before. He looked over the receipt and asked in Gobbledygook, "I notice that there was an additional amount added. Can I ask for the reason, Noble Paymaster?"
The paymaster replied, "Unknown, Valiant Warrior. You must ask Clan Elder Sharpclaw."
"My thanks, Noble Paymaster. May your enemies' bodies fill your belly."
"May your vaults flow, Warrior."
Drigfang made his way to the office of the Clan Elder. He abased himself before the the more senior goblin. "You may rise."
"Clan Elder, I noted the increased amount for the ritual my squad participated in. Do I have you to thank for the beneficence?"
"In this case, no. The young walking-roast asked that all of those that participated be suitably rewarded." The Gobbledygook word for wizard did show the goblins' attitudes toward wizard-kind.
"Unusual, Clan Elder. I noted that he was much more polite than one hears about from those that use wands."
"He was. He also might not be one that needs a wand." The warrior's eye-ridges shot up. "Yes, he began to be upset in perusing a document that showed that his clan had been thwarted by treachery. It seems he is not a one to take such. I was most impressed."
"Was there anything disagreeable with him?"
"He talks too much and spends too much time in ritual customs."
"Does he spend time chattering about nonsense?"
"That wasn't it. He continued to offer payment of fees and human gestures of respect far beyond what was necessary. Though I do appreciate that at least it's in the effort of being polite using whatever customs, even those of the walking-roasts, I prefer efficiency."
"Well, I thank you for your time, Clan Elder. May your young grow fat on the meat of your enemies' bodies."
"May your enemies' bones make excellent kindling for your hearth, Valiant Warrior."
A/N: The goblin thing was going to be an Omake. But I decided to leave it in as it fit into the goblin culture of this AU. Not quite the same as the goblin culture of my other fics.