Disclaimer: I am the wonderful JKR... Only joking:) I am not, unfortunately, the owner of Harry Potter, this humble story is nothing compared to the real thing...
Please read and review! Enjoy! Jenny : )
Chapter 1
It was a hazy summer afternoon in the beginning of the holidays and Harry was lying underneath the window sill as he very often did to avoid the Dursleys. He was in a thoughtful mood and merely lay there watching the sky as the clouds went past. He missed his godfather Sirius.. He found that the grief was too overwhelming to share his emotions with his closest friends - Ron and Hermione. There was also the problem that he had spent all his life hiding his true feelings, other than anger, from the Dursleys and it had become somewhat a habit of his. He thought of the Prophecy and the unfairness of life: why did he have to be the Chosen One? Why did everyone around him evaporated into a mere memory of his life? Why couldn't he have his parents? Yet as he asked himself these questions he knew that that was the way of life... He sighed and got up to go back in the house.
He walked into his bedroom and found Hedwig waiting for him with some letters. He stroked Hedwig thoughtfully and untied the letters from her leg. He then sat down and tore open a letter that was scruffily written by Ron:
Dear Harry,
How's is going? I'm sorry about Sirius, I mean, he was a great guy...
The ink was smudged; Harry could tell that Ron was as heartbroken about Sirius as he himself was.
I'm going with the family to see Charlie in Romania so I guess this means no bunking out at my place like every other summer, eh?
Harry, despite the feeble joke, smiled at himself thinking suddenly of all the times he had spent at The Burrow.
I wrote to Mione and she said she was gonna sort something out for you so that you didn't have to spend all your time trying not to jinx that bunch of gits you call relatives. Anyway, I hope that everything's going ok.
See you soon,
Ron
Harry scribbled down a note saying that everything was about as good as it could get (not very) and that he hoped that Charlie and everyone else was ok. Thinking that this was good enough for Ron, he sealed and tied it to Hedwig to deliver it. In the meantime he tore open the other letter he'd received and recognized the impossibly neat handwriting of Hermione's.
Dear Harry,
How are you? I'm really sad about... you know. Well, Ron's going to Romania and I'm going to Rome.
Harry felt a pang of self - pity, he was going to spend the whole summer with the Dursleys. Extremely unhappy about this, Harry continued to read the letter.
I didn't want you to stay with the dreadful Dursleys so I've arranged for you to come to Rome with me and my parents.
Harry couldn't believe his eyes. Hermione was inviting him on holiday with her.
Try to convince the Dursleys to let you go... Without threatening to jinx them, please. Phone me and tell me if you can come. I hope you're alright.
Love, Hermione xxx
Harry was not prepared to lose this chance to spend a holiday once again with his friend, he knew exactly what to do...
"Uncle Vernon, can I go to Rome with a friend for the holiday?"
Vernon, who had been watching the TV, turned around to face Harry. His small eyes narrowed and his round face turned purple as beetroot, as usual.
"No." he said in a threatening manner.
"Yes, I will, whether you like it or not."
"NO, YOU BLOODY WILL NOT! "
"Oh that is a shame, considering the fact that you could have gotten rid of me for a year or so..."
Vernon eyed him suspiciously.
"All I have to do is to let you go, right?"
"Absolutely."
"And if I don't"
"If you don't, then I will be forced to turn Ikkle Dudders, here into a pig... Accidentally of course."
Dudley gave out a terrified squeal and clutched his huge bottom tightly causing Harry to smirk and comment,
"Wimp."
"DON'T YOU DARE THREATEN MY SON AND YES YOU CAN GO ON HOLIDAY WITH YOUR FILTHY FRIENDS, ANYTHING TO GET YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT!"
"Thank you." and that was the end of it. Harry felt his heart lighten a considerable amount and went directly to the phone to inform Hermione of the good news.
"Hello? Hermione Granger speaking."
"Hey, 'Mione. How's it going?"
"Harry? Is that really you?" startled voice asked.
"The one and only." Hermione sounded different. Her voice was so silky and gentle that Harry wouldn't have recognised it as Hermione's.
"Ha. Well, I suppose you rang to tell me that you can't come with us?" a disappointed voice asked.
"Actually, quite the opposite."
A stunned silence followed. Hermione had startled herself, she was actually wrong about something as trivial as this. Besides the point, Harry's voice had also sounded strange, she barely recognised it. He spoke softly as if there were a great burden placed on him and his voice was deeper. Hermione found that Harry's voice had attracted her greatly. What? This is not possible, I'm not going to let myself go round thinking that Harry's voice is...
"Er, 'Mione, you still there?"
"Wha...oh. yes. Well pick you up tomorrow at around 10 o'clock, ok?"
"Uh, ok."
There was another awkward silence but this time Hermione broke it.
"So Ill see you tomorrow."
"Guess so."
"Bye."
"See you."
According to Harry, that was the weirdest conversation he had ever held with anyone in his life. He started packing and the thought was dismissed.
Next morning, Harry woke at around 9 o'clock and finished packing his bags. Then he spent half and hour pacing up and down the living room rather nervously, the reason for his nervousness was unknown to him... At exactly 10 o'clock, the doorbell rang and Vernon opened the door not to find the postman with his mail but a tall, slender girl.
"Who are you?" Vernon asked rudely.
"I'm Hermione Granger and I've come to pick up Harry" she said rather coolly.
"BOY, come here you, you never told me that your friend was a girl."
"You never asked, Uncle Vernon" Harry replied.
"Humph. Well, get out of my sight and hurry up, I don't want the neighbours seeing."
But Harry was already carrying out his trunk, suitcase and bird cage. Hermione's parents came out of a Mercedes Jeep.
"Hello Harry. It's nice of you to join us..."
"No, I owe you a lot for letting me come with you." Harry interrupted firmly. He held out his hand for Hermione's parents to shake.
After that, Mr Granger helped Harry to put his belongings in the boot. Harry then got into the back of the car to sit next to Hermione. The two talked for a while, asking how each other were, planning what they were going to do in Rome. But then they fell in silence, each wanting to say more but unable to. Hermione began to observe Harry. He had grown a considerable amount during the time they hadn't seen each other. Although he was still rather thin, lean muscles had begun to ripple throughout his body. His jet black hair was as untidy as usual but his eyes told her he had seen too much and there was an essence of pity and maturity. Hermione felt a surge of sympathy wave through her, she felt as if she wanted to embrace Harry and hold him forever. His facial appearance was charming but his eyes gave way to mystery - a mystery that filled Hermione... Harry felt eyes that were watching him, he turned to look at Hermione who blushed and looked out the window once more. Harry's heart was beating fast and it had been doing so since he first saw her on the doorstep. Hermione's lavender scent was faint but enough for Harry to breathe it in. He began to spar with his own conscience. What am I doing? I cant go round thinking about 'Mione like that. She's my best friend, strictly out of bounds...
"We're here, Harry."
"Oh, ok."
In front of him Harry saw a simple modern red - brick detached house but the house had definitely felt loving and caring. Seeming to read his mind, Hermione took hold of Harry's hand, a sensational buzz, and lead him in.
"You'll be sleeping in the guest room for three days and then we go to Rome."
"Sounds great."
"Come on, I'll show you the grand tour of the house."
And so they set off together and finally they came to Harry's room.
"If there's anything you need just call me, ok?"
"Thanks a lot, 'Mione, this means a lot to me..." Harry spoke quietly.
"Its no..."
Hermione could not carry on because Harry had taken hold of her into a tight hug. Stunned but quick to recovery, Hermione returned the hug. Two great tears welled up in his eyes and Harry began to sob. He sat on the bed and Hermione sat beside him trying to soothe him. Harry then spoke of all the grief he had hidden in his heart until there was no darkness left to burden him. Hermione listened with sorrow in her heart and when he had finished, she spoke with a soft gentle voice and touch:
"Harry, I'm always here for you and so is Ron. If anything's wrong we'll go through it together... Get some sleep, you look exhausted."
Hermione sat on the edge of Harry's bed and held his hand until he fell asleep, she bent down to kiss his cheek. Feeling tired herself, she retired to her own room and fell into a deep dreamless sleep...
The next morning Hermione woke up and she went to Harry's room to find that he had also woken.
"Shall we go down to breakfast?" she asked.
"Yeah sure, I'm kinda starving."
"Boys, honestly."
"What?"
"Well, is it just me or is it that boys are always hungry?"
"Hmm. What do you plan on doing today?"
"I thought we'd go shopping for some new clothes for you."
"What's wrong with the stuff I wear?" demanded Harry defensively.
"Harry, half the clothes that you wear are torn or twice the size of you."
"But I haven't got much money on me..."
"Don't worry, I'm paying."
"But..."
"No buts..."
After breakfast they took the bus to town and bought Harry: two pairs of jeans; a few T-shirts; a jacket and shorts. The day after that, the pair of the went swimming and Harry attempted to drown Hermione. Day after day the pair grew closer and they began to understand something they had never seen in each other before. Then came the day when they set off to the airport to fly to Rome.
What did you think? Review, please, please, please... Oh by the way, can somebody please tell me what a Oneshot is? Thanks.