AUTHORS PROMISE: I would like to think of this as slush with substance, nothing untoward will happen to Harry or his friends and the worst problem I envision him encountering is having to decide which girl to kiss first. If you don't like stories full of WAFF and FLUFF do not read this one, I am known to write happy Harry and this story will be no exception.
H.P.LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED.
CHAPTER 1: - STRANGE BEHAVIOUR.
Not everybody can say that on date 'X' my life just stood on its head but in Harry Potter's case it all began on Tuesday the 23rd of July 1996, which was just about a week before his sixteenth birthday.
The Hogwarts letter with results for his OWLS had arrived a couple of hours ago. Also in the envelope was a by subject book list and homework allocated by subject, another page gave the instructions about the timing and accepting the NEWT courses.
This had not changed his life.
He had been sitting reading them for the third time, somehow he had won seventeen and he was contemplating which of his friends to tell first when another school owl arrived with a letter addressed in Hermione's neat script. Unlike the first one this owl had obviously been told to wait for a reply because it made absolutely no attempt to depart after he had removed the letter it had been carrying. So having accepted a couple of owl treats it took a small drink of water from Hedwig's dish then it tucked its head under its wing and had gone to sleep.
He figured that he had better read Hermione's letter.
This did change his life.
My Dearest Harry,
How are you I really hope that you were not fibbing to me when you told me in your last letter that you were sleeping well and had begun to accept that Sirius's was really gone?
I received my OWL results today, I received twenty-one how many did you get?
I had started writing this before the results came because I would like to ask you a favour. Of course you know that Ron has gone off with Luna hunting some Pink Spotted Flobberworms or something equally revolting in the Pyrenees Mountains (yuk). Not the Pyrenees Mountains yuk, but Pink Spotted Flobberworms definitely a major Yuk!
Sorry back to the subject, I am certain that I told you that Ginny was coming to stay here for a while, well she has been here for the last two days.
So now my parents have decided to go away to a conference for three days from Friday noon and they have suggested (well really I suggested it and after much badgering they agreed) that you come here to keep us company while they are away. They said that we could all go away on holiday shortly after they return also you could stay here for the rest of the summer and I'd really love you to come.
I am waffling, phone or write your answer quickly and if it is yes we will pick you up at midday tomorrow.
Lots of love
Hermione
P.S. my phone number is 01202 37751. Please, please, please say yes. Love H.
He reread parts of the letter three times, 'My Dearest Harry,' 'I'd really love you to come,' 'Lots of Love,' 'please say yes Love H' he knew that he fancied her but he also fancied Ginny. He was fairly certain that Ginny had fancied him for ages but did Hermione also fancy him? Only one quick reference to her OWL results, she must be sickening for something.Why could his life never be simple?
Well there's one fairly certain way to find out he thought, so he put Hermione's letter into his pocket and found some change for the phone then he went down stairs to speak to his aunt. She was in the kitchen polishing the deep fat fryer inside and out, again, you could already see your face in it but she seemed to be enjoying herself doing it, so he explained what he had been asked in the letter then he waited for an answer.
"And you can stay with these people so you and those awful individuals from Kings Cross Station will not bother us for the rest of the summer?" his aunt asked.
"Yes, that's what she said."
"Alright you may go and you can use the telephone to tell her so before she changes her mind, but don't be on the phone too long."
He went to the phone in the hall and dialled Hermione's number, her mother answered, "Good morning 37751 can I help you?"
"Good morning Mrs Granger, this is Harry may I speak with Hermione please?"
"Oh good morning Harry. HERMIONE! It's Harry."
Thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, thump, bang, "How many time do I have to tell you not to jump the last six stairs." Mrs Granger scolded.
"Sorry mum, can he come?" Hermione grabbed the phone before her mother could answer, "Hello Harry can you come?" Hermione appeared to be just a trifle excited.
Harry tried for the saddest voice he could manage, "Oh Hermione I so wanted to come so badly but when I asked my aunt she said that I could."
She was puzzled, "Was that last word could?"
Harry couldn't hold it in any longer, "Yes, the answer is yes."
"Wheeeeeeee! HE CAN COME. You can really come? We will pick you up tomorrow at midday. Ok?"
"Yes I will see you tomorrow at noon and congratulations on your OWLS."
"Owls? What owls. Oh those OWLS. I'm sorry Harry I should have asked how did you do?" she sounded contrite.
"Not too good I'm afraid. Only seventeen."
"But Harry seventeen that's marvellous, look your aunt will be after you in a minute darling so I will go now, see you tomorrow."
Click "Bye." Harry wasn't sure whether she heard him say bye but she didn't appear to be listening anyway. He wandered back upstairs to his room. First the letter, then she wasn't obsessed with OWLs and now did Hermione just call him darling?
Somehow the school owl must have known that he had answered Hermione's letter because by the time he arrived back in his bedroom it had gone, he assumed it was on its way back to Hogwarts.
He was in a bit of a bewildered daze and just sort of drifted through the rest of the day and the next morning seemed to sort of disappear without him really being involved in the world or it. He was however packed and ready, so by eleven thirty he was sat on his trunk in the hall, he had cleaned Hedwig's cage and it was beside him and he had sent his Snowy Owl on ahead and told it to go to Hermione's house and wait for him there.
At twenty to twelve there was a knock on the door and Harry rushed to open it, ultimate disappointment, it was the milkman who wanted paying so he called his aunt and went and sat dejectedly back on his trunk.
Again at ten to twelve there was another knock on the door, when he opened it he was engulfed in cuddles from curly chestnut and straight copper gold haired girls. When they broke apart, which he had been in no particular hurry to do, they helped him move his trunk and things to the back of the Range Rover Vogue where Mr Granger was waiting to help him load it into the boot.
When he reached the car Harry shook hands with Mr Granger who said very quietly, "Be careful with those two while we are away, I believe that they are going to carry out some kind of a experiment with you as the guinea pig."
Harry had finished loading his things and Mr Granger shut the rear door, he looked up to see both girls holding one door open either side of the car so he hesitated and Ginny said, "Don't look so worried it's not a test, you can get in whichever side you prefer but we have decided that you are going to sit in the middle."
Ginny had explained so he used her door and sat in the middle and they waited while he put his seat belt on, the girls were both smiling pleasantly at him.
Then they both sat very close to him and Hermione said, "We are not putting seat belts on so you will have to keep us safe." She drew his left arm around her and snuggled in close to him but what was starting to perplex him was that Ginny, sitting the other side of him had done exactly the same thing with his right arm.
Mr Granger had only driven a few miles and they were nearing a main road when Hermione's mother said, "Is there anything you need to do before we go away Harry?"
"Well really I could do with going to Gringotts," he answered, "I would like to buy some clothes and things but I need to get some money from the bank first."
So they turned towards London and Mrs Granger said, "Alright we will stop for some lunch on the way to Diagon Alley, is there anywhere you would particularly like to eat?"
"I know that I grew up in the Muggle world Mrs Granger," he said in quite matter of fact tone, "but anything much more than two miles from Privet Drive and I am lost."
He felt the girls cuddle in tighter to him and Hermione's mum seemed to bristle as she said, "You will know a lot more by the end of this summer I promise you. So Hermione where should we eat?"
"Do you fancy a 'Pizza Hut'," she said, "I very much doubt that either of our guests have had anything like that before and they should enjoy it."
It was only ten minutes later when they pulled into the car park of a 'Pizza Hut' and they went into the restaurant.
Trying to concentrate on a strange menu is very difficult when two lovely girls are playing footsie with you. Eventually the problem was solved by Mr Granger ordering a couple of large assorted platters for starters and four different large Pizzas for them to share.
Having eaten about a third of the food Harry was now reading the Desert menu with the girls unnoticed Hermione looked meaningfully at her mum and asked, "Have they been starving you again Harry?"
"Not really," he answered, "it's just that Dudley has been put on a diet by his school again and we all suffer. Well I think that Uncle Vernon stuffs himself at work and he never seems to mind working weekends when its Dudley diet time."
"What would you like off the desert menu Harry?" Mrs Granger asked him kindly.
"I don't really recognise anything," he said, "what would I like Hermione?"
'Me' she hoped but without hesitation she said, "Sticky Toffee Pudding with custard."
"Will I like it?" Harry asked.
"Definitely!" answered the three Grangers in unison.
"Would I like it?" asked Ginny tentatively.
"You probably would," Hermione answered, "I love it, but just think treacle tart times two. A zillion calories."
"Sounds great to me," Ginny said, "but I think that I will give it a miss. Harry is going to need it though."
As he was eating his desert he asked, "It is quite obvious that you two are up to something, would it be to much to ask that I be let in on the secret, because I appear to be in the middle of it?"
"Should we tell him?" asked Hermione.
"I think that we should," Ginny said, "but you actually tell him because you will explain it much better than I could."
"Well," Hermione said, "as you know already, Ginny and I are good friends and we both know that we both like you rather a lot." Both girls were blushing furiously. "We are also quite certain that you like both of us, quite a lot as well. So we thought that we would put you in the position of being able to get to know both of us really well, then you can choose."
"But what if I still can't choose?" he asked.
Hermione's parents were smiling and Ginny said, "We never thought of that."
"We will solve that problem if we come to it." Hermione added.
Harry had finished eating so Mr Granger paid and they climbed back into the car with Harry, rather full and very content in the middle of the back seat once more.
The rest of the trip to the Leaky Cauldron was uneventful, Mr Granger managed to find a space in a car park about a quarter of a mile from the wizard's pub and they walked from there to the Leaky Cauldron. Not stopping they went straight through the bar and out into Diagon Alley and walked as far as Florien Fortescue's ice-cream parlour where Harry had anticipated the others would wait for him.
"I have never been down to a Gringotts vault before," Hermione said smiling at him, "may I come with you please to see what it is like?"
"Of course you can," he answered.
"We've never been down to a Gringotts vault either," Mrs Granger said with a slight pout.
"I'm sorry but I don't know if they allow Muggles down there Mrs Granger." Harry said, but seeing the look of disappointment on her face added, "I will make sure to ask in the bank and if you are allowed I will take you next time I go Mrs Granger."
She brightened up and said, "You and Ginny had better stop calling us Mr and Mrs Granger it's too formal if you are going to stay with us for a while, my name is Jane and my husband's name is Matt you should call us that. So hurry back."
"Don't you want to come as well Ginny?" Harry asked.
"I have been down there enough times thank you Harry," she answered with a slight smirk, "I'll just settle for an ice-cream."
Harry took his moneybag out of his pocket and put five Galleons on the table, "My treat," he said and then he was off with Hermione.
As they were walking to the bank Hermione interlocked her fingers with his as she held his hand and she was walking very close to him and she said quietly, "Do you know that I have never really kissed a boy Harry? Would you like to cure that?"
"What here!" he blanched, after a few seconds he added, "And what about Viktor?"
"No not here silly," she said squeezing his hand and pushing him playfully with her shoulder, "when we're somewhere quiet and Viktor did try to kiss me but I wouldn't let him but I just enjoy teasing Ron about that."
Having reached the bank they climbed the white marble steps and passed through the massive doors then they went to the first available Goblin.
"I would like to make a withdrawal from my vault please." Harry asked the surly Goblin and handing over his key.
The Goblin checked the key then checked in his ledger and said, "Certainly Mr Potter."
"Hermione is a Muggle born witch," Harry said, "but would her parents be allowed down to the vaults?"
"As long as they're with someone who has money down there," he answered, "anybody can go down." Then he called another goblin to take them down to the vaults.
Soon they had moved out of the main banking hall into the small dimly lit corridor that lead to the trolleys, Hermione moved very close to him again but they couldn't slow down they had to keep up with the goblin who was leading them.
Harry climbed into the trolley first and Hermione made absolutely certain that she finished up in his arms as he helped her in beside him. Then they sat gazing into each other's eyes all the way to his vault and it was quite a surprise when the Gringotts goblin called them back to reality.
Climbing out of the trolley Harry gave the goblin his vault key so that he could open the vault and when he had done this the goblin went and sat, quite disinterested, back in the trolley to wait for them.
As they had entered Harry's vault Hermione realised that she had never seen so much money in one place before, but it was all forgotten when he had taken her in his arms and then he kissed her.
Her body exploded, her stomach had filled with butterflies then it had gone floating over fields of daisies, how did she know that because her head had soared off into fluffy white clouds. Worst of all her knees had departed to places never before heard of and she vaguely hoped that they would come back soon she might need them if he let go of her sometime in the hopefully distant future.
She could tell that the kiss had affected him in very much the same way as it had affected her, then she murmured, "Woweee, don't let go or I will fall down."
"I can't let go or I will fall down with you, that was great," he said.
"Can you stand yet we have a goblin waiting for us?" she said.
It took them a minute or two but they eventually managed to stand unaided and he asked, "Can we do that again real soon?"
"You try stopping me!" She answered and they both had big goofy smiles.
"Good." Harry said, "Now do you think that a couple of thousand pounds will be enough for clothes?"
He had put some loose coins into his usual moneybag but he was putting five complete columns of Galleons into another bag that he had taken from a pile in the corner.
"It should be plenty," she said, "I have never seen so much money in one place before, how much is in here?"
Hermione looked shocked at herself for having asked such a question but Harry grinned at her and said, "Do you know, I really have no idea, we should ask on the way out."
The goblin came to lock Harry's vault and returned his key as they were clambering back into the trolley, on the way back up they were practically sitting on top of each other but they did not kiss again.
Back in the banking hall they waited a short while in a queue and when they reached the front Harry exchanged four of the five hundred Galleons for two thousand and twelve Muggle pounds. Then he handed over his key and asked, "How much money do I have?"
The goblin looked at Harry and checked the key then he tapped his ledger with it and opened the ledger. The goblin almost smiled and said, "I am only at liberty to discuss the financial status of this account with you sir."
"What other accounts do I have?" Harry asked.
"There is the Black Bequest which is currently being handled by Mr McMahon the solicitor," the goblin said, "this will be handed over to you within the next week and of course there is the 'Potter Trust', that you will take control of when you come of age at seventeen, Professor Dumbledore is the trustee of that. However in this account you only have one million two hundred and ninety seven thousand five hundred and fifty four Galleons, less what ever you have taken today."
"Thank you," said Harry in a squeaky sort of voice and they wandered away.
"You pair look like you've seen a ghost, what on earth is the matter?" Jane asked after they had flopped into chairs outside the ice cream parlour.
"Nothing," Harry squeaked again and he nodded at Hermione.
"Well," Hermione's voice was shaky as she was none to composed herself, "in Harry's vault I, very rudely, asked how much money was in there, because I had never seen so much money in one place before. Harry admitted that he had no idea but he would ask on the way out, so when we had changed the Galleons to Pounds he asked and the goblin said 'in this account you only have well about six and a half million pounds'. He also has another two accounts one he receives in a few days the other in about a year, but the bank isn't allowed to tell us about those yet. Oh and Harry did ask and you are allowed to go down to the vaults if you still want to and we happen to know some very nice ghosts."
Of all the things they expected they never thought that Ginny would say, "So have you two kissed yet?"Suddenly they both had goofy expressions again and they nodded.
"Come on you three," Matt said, "we haven't got all day."
The conversation was delayed while they went through the Leakey Cauldron, then to the car, then getting out of central London traffic, now they were cruising down the M3 motorway which, being mid afternoon, was relatively quiet.
"Was the kiss good?" Ginny asked miserably.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and both shook their heads then said at the same time, "It was great."
"Oh no," sighed Ginny this time sounding totally dejected.
"What's the matter," said Harry, pulling her closer.
'There's hope,' Ginny thought. Then she said, "Well I wanted you not to like it so that I stood a chance."
"Well it was your idea that I should go first because I have never kissed a boy before," Jane was shocked that her daughter was nearly seventeen and had never kissed a boy before today, "you know me though I looked up everything I could find on the subject. When it came down to it all my reading was a complete waste of time, my knees went one way, my head another and my stomach floated off over the fields because it was full of butterflies. So much for books."
By way of light relief Harry said, "I had never kissed a girl before either."
There was a stunned silence for about a minute and a half then both girls said, "What about Cho."
"She kissed me," he said quietly, "I never ever said that I had kissed her back."
There was another silence broken by Hermione alone this time, "He never did you know, I never thought of it before but it's true. You never once said that you kissed her, only that it was wet." Hermione was grinning, "If you never ever kissed her back, then that is probably why you and she never worked out. I cannot honestly say that I am terribly unhappy about that. The only reason I have never kissed a boy before was that you are the only boy I ever really wanted to kiss and I wasn't going to settle for anyone else."
"Sort of me neither," added Ginny with a small smile of her own, "I've let a couple of boys kiss me, to try to get my mind off Harry, heck its been stuck on him since I was blinking ten years old. It never worked though, I always kept wishing it was him doing the kissing, so I don't think that I have ever kissed a boy back either."
It went quiet the conversation had finished and they dozed off, Jane woke them just before they arrived at Hermione's home, which Harry thought looked rather large but friendly. The house stood on its own well away from any other houses, in fact Harry couldn't see another house in any direction, Matt and Harry took his things out of the back of the car and into the house then straight up stairs.
Jane had decided that it was time to feed Harry again so they had to come straight back down stairs leaving Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage on the landing.
Hermione knew Harry well enough so had previously told her mum that he was very partial to Bacon Sandwiches and as everyone else liked them as well that was what her mum was making, the HP sauce had been placed directly in front of Harry's seat. Harry gave good accounting of himself with the Bacon Butties however he did not appear to be quite so ravenous as he had been at lunchtime, much to everyone's relief.
Authors Note, there you have the first chapterI hope that you like it if you do please tell me and if you don't please tell me why. So PLEASE REVIEW