I do not own Harry Potter.

Hermione returned from Australia a week before school started a different girl. She had fought constantly with her parents trying to justify her decision for erasing their memories. After spending the entire summer with them, it was time for her to return and finish her last year of school. Both her parents were extremely unhappy with her decision to go back and made her promise that after this year she would attend University and spend some time with them. Harry and Ron had both spent the beginning of the trip with her but once she found her parents and returned their memories it was clear that they should return without her. They've been in communication via owl all summer and she missed them terribly.

She had had a serious conversation with her mother last night as she finished packing and this was weighing heavily on her. She couldn't believe the things her mother asked her to do. At first she thought she was joking but the more her mother talked the more she realized she was serious. Her mother wanted her to break things off with Ron. She said that she was too young to settle down and that she was worried she was going to lose herself in a relationship with such an old fashioned guy. She also said that she had missed out on her opportunity to be a carefree teenager with the war. So that's when she wrote down a list of all the things she expected Hermione to do over the course of the year and she was not to return home without them all done. Hermione groaned when she looked down at the list…

Hermione's List

Break up with Ron then do the following (not with Ron)

Date at least 6 men and 1 woman

Experiment with sex and lose virginity (safely)

Go to parties and get drunk

Relax and enjoy time with your friends

Without realizing it she found herself outside of Grimmauld Place. Shaking her head in surprise she knocked on the door tentatively, hoping Harry was home.

The door opened to reveal a slightly disheveled Harry who was beaming at her, "Hermione!" He quickly pulled her inside and wrapped her in a hug, taking a deep breath of her familiar scent, "God, I've missed you."

She smiled broadly at him and said, "I've miss you as well Harry." She then took a look around her and was speechless. The house was absolutely beautiful. It was clean and the décor had been changed so that everything was now a lighter color and fabric than before. It really opened the place up and the curtains were all open allowing the fading sunset to shine through. "Harry, it's beautiful!"

He grinned and asked, "You think?"

She smacked him lightly on the arm and said, "It's perfect. It must have taken you all summer to do this."

He nodded and said, "Well, I needed something to occupy my time without my best friend around."

She quickly pulled him in for a hug and then said, "Do you have anything to drink? I've got something I need to talk about but I won't be able to do it without a few drinks in me."

Harry looked at her curiously but nodded and she followed him upstairs to the library, where he had set up a small mini-bar. He watched as Hermione took in the room and asked, "So is it up to your standards, Miss Granger?"

She turned to look at him and there were tears in her eyes, "Harry, it's… it's amazing."

He walked over with their drinks, handed her hers then said, "Here's to our best year at Hogwarts yet," as he clinked their glasses together.

She downed the drink in one shot and coughed a little afterward, making Harry raise his eyebrows at her. She just shrugged and handed her glass back to him for a refill. She made herself comfortable on the couch and waited for him to join her.

"So not that I don't enjoy getting drunk with you, Hermione. What's this all about?"

Hermione drank her second drink in one shot again then proceeded to tell Harry how upset her parents were with her. She explained how hard the summer was and how much they didn't want her to return to Hogwarts. How they made her promise to attend University next year. Then she took out the list from her pocket and said, "This is what I needed the drinks for though. My mother made me promise to complete everything on this list before the end of the year. She said that I had missed being a carefree teenager with the war and I was too serious. So I did the only thing I could do… I agreed."

Harry was confused and he tentatively reached out for the list. After a moment Hermione released it and he read the five-item list, his eyes growing wider with each point. When he was finished he ran his hands through his hair and looked to see Hermione worrying her lip between her teeth. She was nervous and he could only remember seeing her that way a few times. He smiled at her and chuckled lightly before saying, "That's some list."

She blushed profusely and Harry realized he had never seen her do that before. Finally she found her courage and said, "So what do you think?"

"I think your Mum is brilliant. She's right you did miss being a carefree teenager. We all did," replied Harry smiling.

"But Ron…"

"Ron will have to wait. If you're really meant to be together it will work itself out. You've put both of us ahead of you for years now, Hermione. It's time you put yourself and your family first. If your Mum wants you to experience being a teenager, then why not do it."

"It's just so unlike me."

"I think that's the point, Hermione."

"I suppose."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Harry said, "Look if it makes it easier on you, I can do it with you?"

Hermione looked shocked and squeaked out, "What?"

Harry blushed and said, "That came out all wrong. I meant if you want I can make that my list for the year as well. We can both make it our plan for the year. Besides the breaking up with Ron thing."

Hermione chuckled and said, "Harry, you don't have to do that."

"I know. But I want to. I missed out being a carefree teenager as well. Maybe this is just what we need."

"I… I … would love it if you did this with me Harry," squealed Hermione wrapping her arms around Harry before pulling away and starting to write on the back of the list before pausing…

"Harry, did you get back together with Ginny?"

"No. We've barely spoken all summer. She's been staying close to home."

"Well, you may want to talk to her before you go off dating a bunch of witches," replied Hermione seriously.

"Hermione, we broke up before we left to find the Horcruxes. It's been over for a long time. Maybe it will change in the future but right now, I am unattached," replied Harry leaving no room for discussion.

"All right, if you say so but I'm still going to put it in there the same as mine," replied Hermione casually.

Harry's List:

Break up with Ginny then do the following (Not with Ginny)

Date at least 6 women and 1 man

Experiment with sex and lose virginity (safely)

Go to parties and get drunk

Relax and enjoy time with your friends

"Harry, will you help me break the news to Ron? I mean maybe it won't seem so bad if we all do this. If he knows we want to let loose for the year?"

Harry chuckled and said, "Sure, Hermione, I'll try but I don't know if he'll see it that way at first."

"I know, but I can dream," replied Hermione smirking.

Author's Note: I have no idea where this came from it just popped into my head. I was looking for a carefree 8th year story without any luck. Let me know if you want me to continue with it and if so any dates you think they should go on!