Summer

Summer ~ Chapter Two

Harry and Hermione headed down her street, and Harry asked how far they were from Diagon Alley.

"Too far to walk", said Hermione. "We'll take the bus, it's so pretty outside we can sit on top."

Harry had seen lots of the double decker buses when he was out with the Dursleys, but the only bus he'd ridden had been the Knight Bus.

"I wanted to do that before," he answered. "Uncle Vernon always insisted on traveling by car. I think he wanted to make sure people didn't see me with them."

They climbed on the bus and went upstairs without incident. Once they got up there, a few people nodded to them, but no one spoke, or looked as if anything was unusual. Hermione asked him if he'd been to the places they passed. After hearing him say no, more glumly each time, she became silent, but her eyes were flashing. Harry sat miserably silent, then finally said, "I guess you think I'm a real bore away from Hogwarts. Maybe I ought to get off and go back to your house."

"Harry Potter! You are the stupidest boy I ever met." Harry saw a tear trickle down Hermione's cheek. "I am just so furious with your aunt and uncle. London is a beautiful city and you spent all those years before Hogwarts seeing none of it. You just wait, Harry- there won't be a bit of this city that you don't know by the time we leave for Hogwarts again. And more places besides if we travel as we usually do in the summers."

"So you don't think I'm too boring to stay around? Or too stupid?" Harry couldn't believe what he was saying. Hermione had a really strange look on her face. "I mean you said..."

" Are you trying to flirt with me, Harry? Or do you really want to go back"

Harry took a deep breath and said, " I think maybe I am acting a little goofy. But Hermione, I, um, you look really nice in.... Muggle clothes. I kind of feel like I'm with a stranger."

Hermione laughed with relief.

" Is that all? Don't worry, Harry, it's still me, bossy Hermione. She stood up and pulled Harry up too. "Come on, let's get off and walk a bit. We're close now."

Harry grinned as he stood up, " I think I'm going to like the new, bossy Hermione more than the old one who had her face in a book all the time. We're going to have a great summer, aren't we?"

"The best, I just hope you don't go looking for trouble," Hermione answered, as they got off the bus.

'And maybe it won't come looking for me, for a change,' thought Harry. ' I could really use a break.'

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^

Harry and Hermione had a great couple of hours. They went into some shops and Hermione got a few things Ivy needed. Harry had never seen so many neat things. Maybe he could actually get some decent clothes. Except for his robes, which were of no use in the summers, his clothes were mostly still old things of Dudley's. He and Hermione picked out some jeans and a few shirts. Best of all though were the new sneakers. He'd never had a new pair of shoes. And what a difference. He felt he could almost fly in these shoes, even without his broom. Suddenly a horrible thought hit him.

"Hermione- I can't buy this stuff. All my money is at Gringott's, and even if I went and got some of it, I don't think the store will take it." Harry was amazed this hadn't occurred to him before. The only things Harry had bought before were on Diagon Alley or in Hogsmeade. Now he could see how Ron felt so many times.

" Would you like to see what's on my list, Harry?" Hermione asked, pulling the paper from her pocket. She handed it to him, and Harry looked down to see this message, surrounded by stars.

***Harry and Hermione, be sure to get Harry's summer clothes and shoes. These are a gift from me, Harry. As with the Firebolt Sirius gave you, just consider them some of the birthday and Christmas gifts you should have gotten before.***

" Wow, your mom is great, Hermione! I guess she could tell I hadn't been showered with new clothes at the Dursley's. It's been this way so long, I try not to think about what I have on." He looked down at Dudley's old pants. "I'm ready to get rid of these as soon as I find a trash can."

"Oh, no. Mom told me to be sure to keep those.The Dursleys will know something's strange if they see you in all new clothes."

Hermione took the things Harry had changed from and asked a clerk for another bag. "Maybe the shoes could go though. They're kind of... heavy." Hermione dropped them on the floor.

"Kind of stinky you mean." Harry picked them up and dropped them in a can near the elevator. "I was hoping not to spend much time with the Dursleys now. Do you think Uncle Vernon's going to insist I stay at their house. He couldn't wait to get rid of me this morning."

"All I know is that Mom said we'd have to be careful. I don't know if she meant not to startle you, or make the Dursley's angry enough to bring you home, or something Dumbledore's said. He's the one who insisted you live with your aunt and uncle."

"Do you know why your mum left the wizarding world? It seemed kind of mysterious." Harry thought back over their talk with Ivy before they left. "She said she'd been close to my parents right up until they went into hiding. I wonder why she wasn't their Secret Keeper."

"OK Harry, you said you weren't going to go looking for trouble. She'll tell us what we need to know." She looked a little uncomfortable." I think Mom's got good reasons for what she did. Someone was being protected. I just hope your parents didn't die because she was trying to protect me."

"Now who's looking for trouble. Come on, let's go. I feel like a real person, instead of a freak, wearing these clothes. Don't you want to go shop with your 'new' friend?

Hermione perked up at this, but still she couldn't help replying, "I don't know. I was pretty fond of the old one- hope he's still there".

They both laughed as they went out the door after Harry paid for his new clothes.

Hermione insisted on visiting a bookstore, telling Harry he needed to know what the Muggles were reading too. She left him looking at some books on soccer and she went across the store to another section. Harry was looking through the pages, wondering how these people managed to run around on the ground without killing themselves when he felt, rather than saw someone behind him. He turned to look and felt a sick lurch in his stomach. Wouldn't you know, Draco Malfoy!

"So, Potter, you coming back to make sure all the Muggles are safe now? Or maybe those people you live with wised up and threw you out?" Draco spoke in his usual sneering drawl.

"Can't I ever get away from you, Malfoy? Why don't you go back to whatever cave you crawled out of?" Harry couldn't believe his luck- apparently he didn't have any. Fortunately a very tall, thin woman with pale hair and a pale face appeared behind Draco at that moment.

"I'm ready now dear. Oh, is this one of your school chums?"

" Not hardly. He's from Gryffindor. None other than the famous Potter"

"Oh, reeaaallly?" Mrs. Malfoy tried to look caual, but Harry could see she was trying to get a better look at his scar. What an ice woman! He thought of the pictures of his mum, and Mrs. Weasley's emotional outbursts, good and bad. Then there was Ivy, who was going to share her home and her memories of his mother. He could almost feel a little sorry for Malfoy.

"I knew your mother at Hogwarts, Mr. Potter. A lovely girl, and very bright. Such a tragedy." Harry looked at Malfoy's mum, sure he'd see a sarcastic look on her face. He was surprised to see that she looked sad instead.

She continued, "You must come to visit us at the manor sometime. Draco, I'm surprised you haven't brought Mr. Potter out to visit before."

"MOTHER!!!!", Draco practically screeched. " You know Father has told you....."

"Your father doesn't own me, Draco. And I advise you to lower your voice. You are the one who's been told. Can you not control yourself. It's no wonder your father and I can rarely take you out with us." Mrs. Malfoy looked severely at Draco over the top of her glasses.

As Harry was re-thinking his first impression of Mrs. Malfoy, Hermione crossed the room to where they were. She had a thin bag clutched in her hand and an apprehensive look on her face as she came to stand beside Harry. Some instinct made him reach out and take her other hand.

A sneer appeared on Draco's face, "So Potty has a mud- I mean Muggle girlfriend now. Just perfect, Granger and Scarhead."

" Please excuse my son's rudeness, young lady. I think we must leave before he forgets his manners even more. Good Day, Mr Potter." And she took Draco's arm firmly as they left the bookstore.

Draco turned back with a look of venom, and they heard his mother say, " There'll be no presents for you today, young man. And you'll be busy when I get you home."

Harry and Hermione looked at each other and dissolved in silent giggles. Then they realized at the same time that they were still standing, hand in hand. Both of their faces went pink and Harry said quickly, "Sorry. You just looked a little worried when you walked up. Whatcha got in the bag?" Harry didn't mean to be nosy, but his question helped to break a slightly awkward moment.

Hermione gave his hand a slight squeeze, and said, "Oh, just some magazines.Not very interesting." She put the bag down by her side, but Harry reached out to take it from her.

"Might as well put it in this bag, here I'll put it in," said Harry. As he reached for the small bag, Hermione pulled it back and two shiny magazines fell out. Harry could just see that one of them seemed to be about makeup and hair. He couldn't see the other one, but it had a lot of pink on it. He looked over at Hermione and her face was nearly pinker than her magazine. He quickly stifled a laugh, and put the small bag into the shopping bag he carried. Hermione just couldn't give up studying, but at least she was having some fun.

"Let's go have an ice cream and walk in that little park for a few moments," he said. "I think we could both do with some fresh air after that encounter with Malfoy, the jerk."

Looking relieved, Hermione nodded. No wonder she was so crazy about him, she thought. Harry seemed to understand the way she felt so easily. Maybe he just needed to be away from Ron to notice that she was more than an old reliable friend. But how would things be with Ron if this friendship between her and Harry deepened. Ron wouldn't be too happy to be left out of anything.

"Hermione? What flavor do you want. I've asked you two times already,"

Harry shook his head as Hermione stepped closer to the ice cream vendor. Maybe they were both losing their grip on reality.

"Ok, Harry let's go down and see these statues. It's time for you to become familiar with some London landmarks. I believe these are from World War Two and....," Hermione spoke briskly and showed all the signs of giving a full history lecture. He grinned to himself. It was comforting to know he could count on Hermione to know more than anyone else.

'She's probably learned about all the great British Muggles before she turned six,' he thought.

They headed toward the park with their ice creams, and Hermione was giving Harry a full dose of names, dates and battles.

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

As they left the park, Harry said, "Maybe we better head toward the Leaky Cauldron. Don't we have a few things to pick up there? I'd like to stop in Gringotts too. Get a little money from my vault, and have it changed."

"Oooh, Harry will they let me go down with you. I've always wanted to see how it looks down there," Hermione asked.

"Of course you'll go with me," Harry said. "Your parents wanted me to come so you wouldn't be alone. Look who we ran into in a bookstore! You'd have thought that place would have been free from scum like Malfoy. He may be in Diagon Alley now."

They entered the Leaky Cauldron and Tom spotted them right away, "Harry, Miss Granger, so good to see you. Dr. Granger called to say you'd be coming through and then you'd all be here for dinner. It's a fine day, seeing Ivy come back into our world, even if it's only for part of the time."

"Tom, did you know Hermione wasn't completely Muggle born all the time?" Harry asked. He bet Hermione was furious that so many people knew more about her mom than she had for so long. She didn't look upset though.

"Ivy had her reasons, good ones, all of them. She'd met your dad, Hermione and that made things a lot easier. The wizarding world was frightening in those days. It was hard to know who to trust," Tom shook his head sadly and continued. "If Ivy hadn't been such a powerful witch, she'd not have been in so much danger. It was that same cleverness that helped her go into the Muggle world so successfully."

"I always knew she was clever, and could do most anything," said Hermione. "I just never saw any evidence of magic when I was growing up."

"Ah, but you've got her same cleverness, young lady. And a bit more caution than your mum had at your age, I'd say. If you two are headed across to the Alley, you'd best go. Your family will be along before too long."

They said goodbye to Tom and went out the back, where a wizard in a long blue cape was just preparing to step through. "Come along, children," he said. "We'll have no underage magic today."

Once in Diagon Alley, they headed straight for the gleaming marble steps of Gringotts.The whole building looked washed in gold in the late afternoon sun. Harry stopped the first goblin he saw and asked, "Are you still open for withdrawals and exchanges today?"

"Door's still open, ain't it," the goblin said snappishly. He motioned another goblin over. "Take Potter here down to his vault." he peered at Hermione. "You have your mum's key now? I hadn't seen her in here in years. Had a notion You-Know-Who had gotten her. No? Well, good!" He waved them off with the other goblin, who led them to the tunnel and helped Hermione into the cart.

"Interestin' t' see the two of you teamed up. Yer mums were always together as youngsters. Lily would be proud to see you bein' such friends." Hermione looked really pleased that Harry's mom would approve of her, then she clutched Harry's arm as the cart lurched off.

"Oh, no! Can't we slow down a bit?" Hermione moaned.

"One speed only, miss," said the goblin. Harry always enjoyed the trips through the passageways, but he'd forgotten Hermione's aversion to speed. "

Don't barf all over me, Hermione," he tried to joke as he put an arm around her tightly.

In a few moments he could feel her relax a bit, and heard her say, in a muffled voice," Why didn't you tell me about this? I'll get you for this, Harry!!" Harry laughed and pulled her closer to him. It wasn't the way he expected their first real closeness to come about, but she still felt awfully good, huddled tight against him. Harry had always enjoyed the rides through the passages, and holding Hermione as they careened around corners was his idea of a highly satisfying experience.

Finally the cart came to a screeching stop. Hermione felt Harry pull her up, and she carefully opened her eyes. Harry was smiling at her in a way she couldn't quite understand. If Ron had been here he'd be laughing his head off. She felt shaky, and she didn't think it came from the ride in the cart.

"Well, let's check it out," the goblin stepped forward but Harry said quickly,

"That's ok, I've got my key," and he fit it into the keyhole.

The goblin looked slightly disappointed, and backed away to sit in the cart.

"Stand back, Hermione, " he said as he opened the door and the usual green smoke came pouring out. When it had cleared a bit he told her to come on in.

"I don't know Harry, I'm not sure I should be in your vault. All that money and whatever else is in there is from your parents. Don't you want some privacy?" Hermione looked a little nervous."

"Don't worry, I don't think there are any traces of Voldemort in here. I never really looked to see if anything besides money might be in. Come help me look." Harry pulled Hermione in and turned his back so the goblin couldn't see inside as they moved through the piles of coins. Hermione tried to hide her amazement, she'd had no idea Harry's parents had acquired a fortune in their short lives. The Dursleys couldn't possibly know about this!

"I know what you're thinking, and no, they have no idea I have this. It would be long gone if they did. I know 'cause that was my first thought when I came in here. I never knew it was here till Hagrid brought me here before the first year at Hogwarts."

He edged to the other side of the vault, and said, "Look, Hermione. I never noticed this box before. I can see why too." Harry held up a box that was covered in what looked like knuts.

"Maybe you weren't supposed to notice it until now. Be careful Harry. Maybe you ought to leave it for awhile." Hermione had her cautious look on, but Harry ignored her.

"No, I want to see what's in it," Harry opened the box carefully and found a smaller box and some papers.

Behind them the goblin said in an impatient tone, "Time's up, folks. Got to get to the top before our air is used up."

"OK, just a sec," Harry quickly piled some coins into a bag, put the chest under his arm and he and Hermione climbed back into the cart.

"Here you hold this," Harry told Hermione, handing her the box. "I can't hold this and you at the same time." He immediately put both arms tightly around her, and they screeched off.

Hermione thought very briefly of telling Harry she was OK, but this didn't seem to be the time to show any bravery. Harry seemed more willing to hold on to her than she'd ever thought possible. She remembered how horrified he'd been the time she'd thrown her arms around him their first year before he'd walked through the black flames to confront Quirrell and Voldemort. Suddenly she realized the cart had come to a stop, and he was pulling her back to her feet.

"You okay? I thought you'd passed out for a while there."

"No, I was just thinking about the face you made the time I hugged you in our first year. You acted as if I were covered in botuber pus,." Hermione grinned at him and wondered how he'd get out of this one.

"For one thing I didn't know much about being touched by any female at that time, I grew up with Aunt Petunia, remember. She was more likely to hit me with a frying pan than hug me. Let's just say I'm starting to tolerate the female touch." Harry said. ' Tolerate it,' he thought to himself, 'I could get addicted to it.' "Anyway, I want to see what's in this box, don't you?"

"Yes, but not right out here in the street. Let's get the rest of what's on my list, and go back to the Leaky Cauldron. It's getting late." Hermione looked up at the rapidly falling sun, and Harry had to agree. He didn't want Hermione's parents to think he was irresponsible after only one day.

They went to the apothecary and Hermione gave the witch her list. As usual Harry tried hard not to look at all the withered looking things floating in jars. Hermione didn't seem bothered by any of it though, and they were soon headed back to the Leaky Cauldron.