Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: Hey everybody. This chapter's somewhat worth the wait. Get this - actual emotional progression! This is the first chapter that's hinting towards more than platonic feelings between Harry and Hermione. It's not that large of a section, but it'll be popping up more and more frequently now that the seed has been planted. PLEASE read and review! I've gotten like 12,000 hits, so I know you're out there! I'm not going to set a review goal or anything (hate when authors do that), but it does push me to get the next chapter done in a more timely fashion. I really love feedback.

AUSTRALIAN LINGO

Good onya: well done

Iffy: dodgy

Spunky: good looking, hot, sexy

Malley bull: very fit and strong

Tinnie: lucky

Chapter 15: Threats

Hermione was extremely surprised when she and Harry stepped out of the Manticore and was greeted by the light of morning. She and Harry had been in the bar longer than she had anticipated. A quick glance at her watch revealed that it was six in the morning.

"Do you think you're parents would be up at this time?" Harry asked as she glanced back up.

Hermione scrunched her nose thoughtfully as she gazed up at the sky. "Well, if it was a weekday they might be up, but as it's Saturday it might be best to wait a little while longer."

Harry shoved his hands into his pockets. "So what do you propose we do in the meantime?" he said, slightly disgruntled.

Hermione cast her eyes in the general area around her before pointing to a small pet shop across the alley called Bitzer's Best Beast Shop. "I guess we could go there - I'd like to get Crookshanks some treats for when I see him. It wouldn't hurt to pick some up while we're waiting."

"I guess not," Harry said. "It looks like they're open already. For some strange reason. Who opens shop at six in the bloody morning?"

"They do, apparently."

Harry shot Hermione a dark look.

"Okay, shall we go in then?" Hermione asked, clearly noting that Harry was a bit fed up with waiting. Without pausing for his reply, she opened the door and entered the shop.

A glance around quickly revealed a vast array of animals significantly different from those at home. While owls, cats, rats, and toads made up the major portion of pets in Britain, Bitzer's Best Beast Shop contained these as well as snakes, lizards, tortoises, tropical fish, jellyfish, tarantulas, parrots, and even a wallaby that hopped jovially throughout the room.

"Wow," Hermione said, walking over and tapping one of the large fish tanks.

"Yeah," Harry responded, leaping back as the wallaby bounced energetically past him. "I didn't know half of these animals could even be sold as pets. Legally, at least."

He paused thoughtfully. "I think a pet wallaby would do Ginny some good."

Hermione laughed. "Yes, good for Ginny. I don't think the poor thing would be able to keep up with her."

Harry rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress a smile.

"Fiddlestick."

Hermione turned swiftly in the direction of the counter, where a dark-haired, blue-eyed, and rather busty woman suddenly appeared, looking bored.

"Pardon me?" Hermione asked.

"Fiddlestick. The wallaby's name is Fiddlestick. And he is not for sale," the woman said tonelessly, her eyes following Harry as he bounded after the tiny kangaroo.

"Harry, stop chasing Fiddlestick!" Hermione hissed, embarassed.

"But that little bugger stole my wallet!" he said, outraged, before his look of anger was exchanged for a lopsided grin. "Wow. He's more like Ginny than I thought."

"Yes. Well," the woman interrupted, her eyes moving slowly from Harry back to Hermione. "May I help you?"

"Yes," Hermione said, somewhat put off by the woman's lack of expression. She subtly glanced down at her name tag: Amber.

"Er… Yes, I really just need some cat treats."

"Delightful," Amber said in a monotone, gesturing to the wall behind her, which was covered by a vast array of pet supplies. "Please, take your time to note our wide selection of delicious and healthy treats for animals of any kind or size. Your pet is our prerogative here at Bitzer's."

Hermione's brow furrowed slightly. "Yes, well, thank you, but all I need are - "

"Hermione, I can't talk to this snake!"

Hermione's eyes widened as she turned to look at Harry, who was bent over a tank and looking intensely at the large snake inside.

"Good onya, mate. That must be reassuring for ya," came the unchanging emotionless voice of Amber.

Hermione turned back toward her, a fake smile plastered on her face. "Don't mind him. He's never been here before, and tends to get a little excited about new things."

Amber raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow, turning her deep blue eyes to look at Harry once again. "He does seem a bit iffy, don't he? Well I guess blokes as spunky as him can't all be sane."

Hermione's plastered smile melted instantly. She glanced promptly over at Harry who was bent over and mouthing words to the agitated snake. "Well… I suppose he is rather…um, good-looking."

"`Rather good-looking'?" Amber replied, amusement coming into her tone for the first time. "That's bit of an understatement, Sheila. He looks like someone straight off the telly and he's as fit as a Malley Bull! You sure are tinnie to have landed that one!"

Hermione opened her mouth to object, and was therefore immensely surprised when she found herself smiling slightly and uttering a hurried thanks instead. She quickly paid for the cat treats and dashed towards Harry, not caring to be questioned any farther by the shop-girl. She noticed that Harry was now tapping continuously on the snake's glass tank, looking annoyed.

"What are you doing?" Hermione said distractedly, still confused and feeling slightly guilty over her lack of denial to Amber's question. I mean, she hadn't exactly affirmed it, had she? All she'd said was that she was lucky she'd landed him - that didn't necessarily have to mean anything more than gaining his friendship.

"Well, if you hadn't guessed, I'm trying to figure out why in the bloody hell this snake won't talk to me!"

Hermione thought for a moment, turning to examine the curled up reptile.

"Well…" she said slowly, "If I remember correctly, didn't you get your Parseltongue ability from your connection to Voldemort? Since Voldemort's dead, it obviously would make sense that you would lose that particular… gift."

"I suppose that would make sense," Harry finally said, tearing his eyes away from the tank and turning towards the numerous cages of owls along another wall. "Just seems strange, though."

Hermione examined him silently for a moment, watching as he gazed wistfully at the variety of owls.

"Are you interested in buying one?" she said.

"I'm not really sure," Harry answered, touching the cage of a beautiful snowy owl. "It's not like I don't need one. Only…I sort of feel like I'd be betraying Hedwig, you know?" He smiled rather bashfully. "Sounds kind of silly, right? Betraying an animal. But she was still my friend - the first real friend I ever had, actually."

Hermione reached for Harry's hand and squeezed gently. "That's not silly. I know I'd be pretty upset if something happened to Crookshanks. And I know you loved Hedwig."

Harry laughed softly, swiping quickly at his eyes with his free hand. "Well, what about you? I'd think that after about, oh, seven years in the wizarding world you'd finally get an owl."

"I've managed for this long, haven't I?" Hermione said. "I don't think waiting a bit longer would kill me."

"If you insist," Harry said, a suspicious glint in his eye. "I guess if you're done we can go then."

****************

Harry was slightly astonished as he and Hermione strode through the neighborhood where Mr. and Mrs. Granger had taken residence since the start of the Horcrux hunt. Though Harry had by no means expected that Hermione had placed her parents in some two-bit ramshackle apartment, he was surprised by the beautiful (and large) homes that lined the street they were on. The pristine houses, immaculate lawns, spectacular view, and overall lovely ambiance of the suburb clued Harry in to the fact that the Grangers were in quite pleasurable circumstances.

"Geez, Hermione," he said in awe, "you sure set your parents up."

She nodded. "Well, I didn't know how long it would be until I came back…or if I was going to come back at all," she said quietly. "I wanted to make sure they were comfortable."

"I'd say mission accomplished, then," Harry said, feeling guilty for everything she'd sacrificed for his sake. "How could you afford this, though?"

Hermione smiled. "Harry, my parents are both dentists. Finances aren't a real problem for them."

"But didn't you keep your old house as well? I know dentists make quite a bit, but I'd imagine that two mortgages might put a dent in their bank accounts."

"Not exactly," Hermione said, grinning guiltily. "My home in Britain is paid for, and let's just say I…negotiated a good price for this place."

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Been Confunding anyone lately?"

"Er, yes. I imagined that it would be too much trouble for my parents to set up another practice here, so I knew they wouldn't have the greatest influx of cash. You see, Wendell and Monica Wilkins are an accountant and a yoga instructor, respectively, and they believe that they purchased this house with an inheritance received from Wendell's great-uncle Landon."

"Great-uncle Landon must've been loaded," Harry stated. "May he rest in peace."

"Very funny," Hermione said. "Now if you'd take the time to shut your trap, you might notice that we're here."

They now stood before a lovely two-story home that was on a smaller-scale compared to some of the houses in the neighborhood. The house was a pale blue with white shutters, and boasted one of the more beautiful gardens in the area with flowers of every shape and size. Harry and Hermione followed the scattered stepping stone walkway that led to the front door.

"Nice taste," Harry observed as they stopped before the door.

"Thanks," Hermione said. "Now be on your best behavior. I know my parents have met you before, but you were barely introduced then. And you were twelve," she added thoughtfully.

"As I recall, I was quite the little charmer when I was twelve," Harry said.

"The key word there being twelve," Hermione said.

"Are you saying that I'm no longer charming now that I'm seventeen?" Harry replied defensively.

"To my father, yes, that would be the case," she said. "What was once a cute little boy with over-sized glasses is now, at least to my father, a six-foot threat to my well-being."

"Well, I suppose I am rather intimidating," Harry said thoughtfully. Then he turned a quizzical look at Hermione. "Wait, you thought I was cute when I was twelve?"

"Oh, shut up," she murmured, and pressed her finger to the doorbell.

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