===June 20 1992===
The past 2 weeks have gone by too quickly for Harry. The rest of the Gryffindors accepted his and Hermione's new relationship with a few snide jokes and a little ribbing. Harry found he didn't mind as much as he thought he would, after all they weren't really being mean about it.
Harry would have to admit that thus far he's been enjoying his relationship with Hermione. The morning following his disastrous conversation with Dumbledore he was playing wizard chess with Ron when Hermione came down with two books.
#Flashback#
"Harry, would you please come sit and read with me?" Hermione asks.
"Let me finish losing." Harry responds.
Hermione nods. "Fair enough."
Ron quickly finishes off Harry. "Thanks for the game." Harry says as he gets up and heads to the couch.
Neville sits at the chessboard in Harry's place. "Teach me?"
"Sure." Ron says as he starts going over the rules.
Meanwhile Harry goes over to Hermione. "Hey."
Hermione gets up with a smile. "Sit on the couch with your back to the arm of the couch, please." Harry complies and Hermione gets back onto the couch and presses against him her back to his front, her head resting on his chest. "This okay?"
"I like it." Harry says.
Hermione hands him one of the books. "If you don't like this let me know I've got plenty of others."
Harry takes the book in one hand and wraps his other arm around waist. "Don Quixote?"
Hermione nods and opens her book.
#End Flashback#
Harry smiles down at Hermione, she'd laid against him on the train ride from Hogwarts and now she was asleep. He looks up at Ron who had just made a move on his portable chess set and Harry makes his move knowing full well how this was going to end. Then he looks at Neville asleep leaning against the corner of the car.
A few moves later Ron beats Harry. "You win again." Harry says.
"You're getting better." Ron says as he starts to put his chess set up.
Harry shakes Hermione gently. "Hermione, time to get up."
Hermione yawns as she sits up. "Thanks for letting me use you as a pillow."
"Seems like the thing a boyfriend should do." Harry replies and Hermione chuckles softly.
"Help me out of my robe?" Hermione asks.
"Of course." Harry says. Hermione stands up, Harry follows suit. She undoes her robe and Harry carefully pulls it off her. She stands there in a t-shirt and jeans. "You need help?"
"I won't turn it down." Harry says as he does his robe and Hermione helps him get it off. He stands there in his worn too large hand me downs.
"Is that the best clothes you have?" Hermione asks as they sit back down.
Harry nods, blushing slightly. "They're my cousins' hand me downs, all my muggle clothes are."
"We're going to have to fix that." Hermione says. "I'm taking you shopping."
Harry pauses before speaking. "Of course Mione."
Now it's Hermione's turn to pause. She never particularly liked having her name shortened, but the memory of his nickname for her being his first word made a difference. "While I don't mind that nickname from you, don't you dare use it when you're placating me Harry. You hesitated when I said I was taking you shopping. If you have something to say, please speak your mind."
"I've… never gone clothes shopping so I'm nervous." Harry admits.
Hermione pauses and hugs him. "Sorry, I thought you didn't want to go shopping with me."
"You're my friend and girlfriend. I'll spend whatever time you let me with you this summer."
"Just this summer?"
"I'm not quitting quidditch."
"I wouldn't ask you to do that. "
"I know." Harry says. "I want to get to know Neville better, and try and maintain my friendship with Ron."
Hermione nods. "That sounds reasonable."
"Good to hear you won't just abandon us." Ron says.
"I'll always be available to help with homework. I do mean help, I'm not doing homework for anyone." Hermione says.
"I'll be taking you up on that." Neville says.
Hermione nods. "Of course."
The train comes to a stop. "Guess this is it huh?" Harry asks. "Time to meet your parents."
"You say that like it's a death sentence." Hermione says. "I think you're more scared of them then you were of you-know-who."
Harry motions for Ron and Neville to go on, then speaks once he does. "I know what Voldemort wants." Hermione winces slightly at the name. "He wants me dead. Your parents?"
"My parents agreed to the marriage contract." Hermione says. "I'm sure it'll be fine."
"I'm trusting you on this Mione." Harry says.
"Thank you." Hermione says then kisses his cheek.
They leave the train and Vernon Dursley comes up to. "There you are, freak, get you stuff you've kept me waiting long enough."
Hermione steps between Harry and Vernon. "He's staying with me, you would know that if you bothered reading any of the letters I made him send."
"What's this, you get yourself a freak girlfriend?" Vernon snears. "You think you're special, Miss freak?"
"She is!" A booming male voice says drawing everyone's attention. Richard Granger, a 6 foot tall man with a military style haircut and body figure that tells you he is clearly ex-military approaches them.
Vernon turns to the man. "Doctor Granger?"
"Vernon Dursley, interesting to see you here." Richard says.
"What are you doing here?" Vernon asks surprised.
"I'm here to pick up my daughter and her boyfriend." Richard says in a tone that tells you he's not going to argue. "Come you two."
"Yes Daddy." Hermione says as she takes Harry's hand.
"Yes sir." Harry says quickly following Hermione as she pulls him along.
They arrive safely at the Granger residence. Harry looks at the two story house with a white picket fence and a feeling of security hits him. "Hermione, why don't show Harry his room and help him get settled." Richard says.
"Of course." Hermione goes to pull Harry along.
"Thank you for letting me stay here, sir." Harry says before he lets Hermione pull him upstairs.
"This is your room." Hermione says as she opens the door. Harry steps in and looks at his new room, a twin bed sits in the middle of the right hand wall, a wardrobe and dresser on the wall opposite the one they came in and a door to the left. A small desk and desk sit in a corner.
Harry goes to the foot of the bed. "Put my trunk here?"
Hermione nods. "That's where I put mine in my room."
Harry pulls his shrunken chest out of his pocket and sits it on the floor then enlarges it.
"Now over here is the bathroom." Hermione says as she opens the door on the left hand wall and walks in.
Harry follows her in noticing the door in the opposite wall. "Where's the other door led to?" Harry asks.
"My room." Hermione answers as she opens the door. "Come on in." Harry follows her in. Her bed sits in the middle of the room. The room is floor to ceiling bookcases everywhere doors aren't, except for where her wardrobe, dresser and a small desk sits. Hermione pulls her shrunken chest out of her robes and places it down before enlarging it.
Harry looks at the bookcases while she's putting her trunk up. About an eighth of them are full. "You read all these?"
"Some are school books, so I didn't necessarily read them entirely." She answers as she pulls her Hogwarts books out of her trunk and puts them on a shelf. "Why don't you unpack, if you need to you can bring your books and put them on a shelf. We'll have to get you a bookcase."
"Thank you." Harry goes back to his room and works unpacking. As he does, a knock comes on his open door. He turns to see Richard. "Hello, Sir."
Richard steps inside, closing the door then the bathroom door. "I want you to know that you're only here because Hermione begged us to take you in. So you had better not hurt her or I'll make whatever your relatives did to you seem like nothing."
"I knew it was too good to be true." Harry says as tears well in his eyes. "Why did you come to defend me from my uncle? Is it so you had someone to beat? Hermione says you never laid a hand on her, but I figure that's because she's a girl." Harry sniffles. "You could have been honest from the train station and I would have just called it off then. Instead you gave me false hope, that makes you worse than my relatives. At least I knew where I stood with them from the beginning." Harry walks right past Richard and opens the door.
"Harry," Richard starts.
"I've heard enough." Harry says angrily. "I'd curse you, but I'm better than that. I'll just leave. Then YOU can explain to your daughter why I left." With that he quickly runs down the stairs and out the door slamming it behind him before running off.
Hermione opens her door when she hears the front door slamming shut. She turns and sees Richard come out of Harry's room. "What did you do?" She says to her father.