9 August 1991, Friday – Granger House
"Why don't you come and spend the weekend with me and my parents?" Hermione asked him the next day.
"Are you sure it is a good idea? I mean…"
She didn't let him finish. "Harry, they've already met you. They actually expect you to come, unless you have some prior engagement. Do you?"
"Not really. Bill is in Egypt, and I have nobody else who cares."
She frowned. "Harry, I care, and so do my parents."
He sighed. "Okay, I'll come. Just leave me proper instructions on how to reach your house."
"You may just come with me this evening and stay until Sunday evening, or even Monday morning, if you like."
Harry was unsure. He really wanted to come and visit Hermione, if only to get to know her better, but he didn't want to impose, fearing he would overstay his welcome. Still, she had said that her parents wanted him to come. Well…
"Fine, I'll come with you, if you want me to."
He didn't understand why she hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek, but it did feel good and Hermione was certainly happy with this. Maybe it wouldn't be that bad…
"We will be able to read some of our school books, you know, to get ready for school. I assume you don't keep them in your hotel room. Besides, I think we may want to find some more books, maybe with some spells we can already do…" Hermione was so excited that she was babbling, but Harry didn't mind. It was actually nice to see her not burying her nose in books.
"…and if the weather is good, we may go to the park. There are some nice swings and other play stuff there, yet if it rains, maybe Dad would like to show you his collection of Star Wars movies…"
It took her a while to run out of steam, but eventually, she did and returned her attention to the book they were reading. They had finished reading the books they had bought with Bill during the first week after they met, yet they used some references in those books to look for others, that enhanced their knowledge in some areas of interest. Harry was actually amazed at how much he was learning due to Hermione. Her presence seemed to enhance his abilities, helping him understand and assimilate the knowledge much faster.
He still needed to make sure he kept his hotel room. "I'm going to spend the weekend with some family, but I'll be back either Sunday night or Monday morning," he told the hotel owner.
The man smiled at him. "That's how a boy your age should be – with family and friends. As for your room, it's yours until the end of the month, as agreed, whether you stay in it or not."
Harry was quite excited to join Hermione on the short train ride to Kent and then the bus ride to the corner of the street where she lived. Luckily, it was not raining, and they could leisurely walk the rest of the way. Harry thought that Hermione seemed just as excited as him, judging by the way she talked and by her flushed face, yet he found her very cute that way, and it helped keep his feelings under control.
Dave and Jean welcomed him warmly as if they had known him for much longer than they did, and they seemed to be sincere in their welcome. "Hermione didn't have many friends, and for the last three years, since her best friend moved elsewhere, she had no friends at all. We're really glad she made friends with you, especially as you're soon going to be at the same school," Jean explained, making Hermione uncomfortable. Noticing this, her mother added, "Why don't you show him to the guest room? You may then play or do whatever you like until dinner is ready."
Hermione dragged Harry up the stairs. "My parents sleep here," she pointed at one door, "and this is my room," she pointed at the next door. "You're going to stay here," she said, opening the adjacent door. It was a large room, decorated with some paintings on the walls, sporting a large double bed in the middle, with a private bathroom and a large window, showing the back garden. It was larger than Dudley's bedroom and much nicer. He saw some books on the shelves above the small desk. Hermione noticed where he was looking. "When some relatives visited here, they left the books they finished reading, and I also moved some of my old books here, as I needed more space on my shelves."
"It's a really nice room. I like it," Harry said, putting his bag down.
"Do you want to see my room?"
Harry wasn't sure about it. He had never visited any girl's room and didn't know what to expect, yet Hermione grabbed his hand and he followed her.
He didn't know if he was surprised or not when she opened her door. Her room was almost the same as his. The main difference was that she had a single bed and more shelves on the walls, all full of books. As much as he looked around, he couldn't find even a single pink item. The drapes were dark green, the carpet was the same dark green with some red highlights, reminding him of Christmas, and the bed cover was very pale blue-green. Only the lampshades were light orange, bathing the room in golden light, making it feel warm and cosy.
"It's really nice here," he said, "and very tidy."
Hermione smiled shyly at the compliment. "Do you like to start with our school books? I have them all here."
Harry looked at the shelf where the books were set in a straight line, noticing a book that he didn't identify. "What's this book? I don't remember buying one like this."
"Oh, it's not on the list, actually. That's 'Hogwarts, a History.' It's really fascinating. Come, have a look."
After reading a few pages, Harry had to agree with her. Although dealing mainly with Hogwarts, the book also mentioned events happening elsewhere in Britain, either as background information or because they were connected in some ways to Hogwarts. Just like reading about wizarding customs, this book made him realize how backward the magical society was.
They read together until dinnertime and then continued reading some more until Jean reminded them it was time to sleep. Harry helped Hermione put everything back in place. Hermione then hugged him. "Good night, Harry. I'm glad you accepted the invitation." She then kissed his cheek for emphasis.
Harry was still thinking of that, trying to hold on to the feeling of her hug and her kiss, long after he went to bed. He heard his hosts retire for the night and then everything turned quiet. He was finally drifting to sleep when he suddenly heard his door open. He opened his eyes but could see almost nothing. It was quite dark in the room and he couldn't see much without his glasses, yet he managed to see the silhouette of a nightgown in the door-frame. "May I come in?" he heard Hermione whisper.
"Sure! Come in!"
She walked in, quietly closing the door behind her. "I can't sleep. I'm too excited that I have a friend here with me."
As much as it was flattering, Harry was already too sleepy to really respond. He only asked, "Can I do anything to help?"
Hermione surprised him. "Actually, you can. May I sleep beside you?"
He was too tired to think of anything else. "Sure, the bed is wide enough." He moved a bit aside, leaving more than enough space for her in bed.
Hermione sat on the edge, removed her slippers and tucked herself in, yet she didn't seem content. She moved closer to Harry until they were practically cuddling. She put her head on his shoulder and promptly fell asleep. It took Harry only a few seconds to do the same, still wondering what it all meant.
–..–
He was awakened by a gasp of surprise. Trying to understand where he was and what was happening around him, he felt a certain weight on his shoulder and some hairs tickling his nose. He felt the weight move a bit, still unable to understand, and then a voice spoke. "Hermione! What are you doing here? I expected to find you in your own bed!"
Harry recognized the voice of Hermione's mother. It sounded more confused and alarmed than really angry.
"I couldn't fall asleep in my room and Harry allowed me to join him, so we could both sleep." Hermione's voice sounded matter-of-factually, despite being a bit sleepy as if it was normal to act the way she had acted.
"You're lucky your father is still in bed. Quickly return to your room, please. I'm sorry, Harry, but this should not have happened."
"That's alright, really. It helped me sleep better too."
Hermione was still in his bed, seeming not to want to move from her warm perch.
"You must better be moving, young lady! Your father will come out of bed any minute now, and you know he likes to check on you whenever he wakes up."
"Alright, I'll move. You woke me up in the middle of a very nice dream, though."
"Sorry, dear, but it's really unbecoming at your age for a girl to spend the night in a boy's bed. We've already talked about that."
"Sure, Mum. I'll be out in a minute."
She still waited for her mother to close the door before reluctantly leaving the bed. Once she stood up, Harry understood why she hadn't come out of bed while her mother was still there. Hermione's nightgown was a bit translucent, somewhat revealing her body more than normally acceptable. Harry felt himself blushing.
"Did you intend me to see you… like this?" he asked.
Hermione shrugged. "I didn't really think of this in the night, and I usually wear a dressing gown over my nightgown, when not in bed. Like what you see?" She still blushed furiously as she saw Harry's eyes wandering quickly, before turning to the floor.
"I like it very much. You look really nice." Harry was completely red by then.
"Well, thank you. I think I'll hurry back now, or I'll get endless lectures from my Dad."
She peeked through the door and then moved quickly. Harry heard her door closing a moment later. He was already drifting back to sleep when he heard another door open and some steps in the corridor. He heard Hermione's door open a bit, then close, and then his own door. The Granger parents used to check on their child, evidently. He wondered why they checked on him too.
Some time later he woke up again. He felt disoriented for a moment and then he remembered where he was and recalled the nightly visit. When he inhaled, he even felt a bit of Hermione's scent. It made him smile.
He heard the adjacent door open and then a knock on his door. "Wake up, sleepy head. Ready or not, here I come!"
He smiled as Hermione opened the door. She was already dressed for the day, wearing jeans and a flowery shirt that hugged her body nicely, but not too tightly. Her hair was still a mess, though, as usual. "I'm still wearing my pyjamas, but you can wait here if you want. It will only take me a minute to change."
Hermione came in, leaving the door wide open. "Mum will say nothing, but Dad shouldn't find me alone with you behind a closed door, especially when either of us is not fully clothed," she explained. "It's not very logical, you know. They usually leave me alone for days, and I can do anything while they're at their clinic. Why should I wait for the evening to do any mischief?"
Harry just smiled. He didn't know what he felt for this girl, but he certainly liked her and liked seeing her happy. He took his clothes to the bathroom and changed, also giving his hair a cursory comb. Hermione grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen for breakfast.
Her parents were in a hurry, getting ready to go to their clinic. They only kissed Hermione's cheeks and hugged her before leaving. Harry was surprised to be hugged as well. Dave went out first, to open the car and start its motor. Jean stayed only a moment longer, just long enough to whisper in her daughter's ear, "Don't do anything I wouldn't have done at your age." It was still loud enough for Harry to hear and to wonder what she really meant.