Meet the Parents
folder
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Harry/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
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Category:
Harry Potter › Het - Male/Female › Harry/Hermione
Rating:
Adult ++
Chapters:
13
Views:
23,393
Reviews:
15
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Harry Potter, nor any of the characters from the books or movies. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Answered Questions
After lunch, Harry followed Hermione upstairs, and she ushered him into
his room
Todd Wennberg
Normal
Todd Wennberg
1
0
2002-12-06T04:05:00Z
2002-12-06T04:05:00Z
9
2163
12333
102
24
15145
9.2720
After lunch, Harry followed Hermione upstairs, and she
ushered him into his room.
"This is our guest room," she stated.
The room wasn't huge, but it was still much larger than
Harry's back at the Dursleys' house.Â
The bed was covered in navy blue linens, there was a desk in the corner
for writing, and there was also a dresser to store his things.
"Too bad, I thought I'd be staying with you," Harry teased,
and his eyes flashed with fire.
"Hey!" Hermione gasped and blushed, "Simmer down, Romeo, or
I won't show you my room."
"All right."
"Good, follow me."
Hermione led him down the hall while showing him where the
bathroom was then stopping at the third door on the left.
As soon as Harry stepped inside, he knew it was her
room. Crookshanks was snoring softly on
her bed, and the fat, orange cat scratched at something in her sleep. What really sealed it was the massive
bookshelf against the far wall. It had
to be almost ten feet wide and six feet high; moreover, it was completely full
of books. A dresser similar to his sat
on the opposite wall, and it had a tall mirror above it. A flash of something white caught Harry's
eyes, and he tilted his head to see that Hermione had her own bathroom in here.
"What are you smiling at?" Hermione asked, noting the corny
grin he was giving her.
"Nothing, it's just that this room is so"¦you."
"How so?"
"Well"¦it looks like the person who stays here is a bit of a
bookworm but feminine at the same time.Â
Otherwise, why is there make-up and perfume in front of your mirror?"
"Okay, I'll admit it; I wear that stuff sometimes; you know
that!" Harry walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"That I do. I always
love the way you smell," he said softly and nuzzled her neck.
Hermione melted in his embrace and sighed as he kissed her
neck. Reaching out with a stray hand,
she pushed her bedroom door closed and grabbed onto his sweater.
"No more teasing, c'mere!" She grabbed him by the hair and
mashed their lips together.
Harry grinned against her mouth and tightened his arms
around her. Hermione began backing up
and pulled him with her. She fell back
onto her bed and pulled Harry on top of her.Â
His hands slid up and down her spine making her arch into his body.
"Hermione!" he gasped.
"Yes, my love?" she cooed while sliding her hands up under
his sweater. Somehow, he pulled away
from her deadly assault and looked into her eyes.
"Sweetheart, we need to stop. I reawantwant this, but we need to stop."
"But why?" Hermione pouted prettily. Harry put a finger to her lips.
"Believe me, Herm, it's not for lack of wanting, but this is
your parent's house."
"So what? They're
both busy downstairs and won't bother us for a long time." She began rubbing
the base of his neck, and Harry glared at her slightly.
"Listen Herm, before I came here, I made myself a
promise. I swore that I wouldn't touch
you until your parents knew about us; it wouldn't be right."
"You what? How could
you do something so stupid?"
"I just didn't want your parents to think we were lying to
them. Look, you told your mom that I
was your friend, and I have a feeling that she knows that we're more than that,
but we haven't told them about how serious we are about each other. Hermione, one thing that I've learned is
that the bond between parents and their children is precious, and I don't want
you to lose that in any way."
Hermione wasn't sure whether to be happy or angry with him,
but what he said did make a lot of sense to her.
"All right, we'll tell them, but I suggest we wait a few
days. Let my parents get to know you
first; it'll soften the blow if they see how wonderful you are." Harry blushed
at her compliment.
"Then"¦" Hermione threaded her fingers into his hair, ""¦when
that conversation is over"¦"she cooed.
"I'll make love to you every night if you want!"
"Hmm, I like that idea, but in the meantime, come back down
here!" She pulled him down and caught his mouth with hers.
"Hermione"¦" he sighed.
"Ah"¦ah"¦ah"¦you said no lovemaking, Harry, that doesn't mean
we can't makeout!"
"˜She does have a point!'
"I suppose not." He caught her mouth again and clutched her
body against his chest.
"That was delicious!Â
Thank you, Mrs. Granger," Harry said with a smile, having finished his
second helping of roasted ham and mashed potatoes.
"You're welcome, Harry, I'm glad you liked it."
On impulse, Harry gathered his empty plate and glass and
headed towards the kitchen.
"Where are you going, Harry?" Mrs. Granger asked. The young man froze.
"I was going to clean these." The older woman smiled at him.
"Please Harry, sit back down, you've barely said a word
throughout dinner."
He returned to the table and put his things back down.
"I'm sorry, it's just that"¦I've never been asked anything at
the dinner table."
That brought a surprised look to the entire Granger family.
"Are you serious, Harry?" Mr. Granger asked this time.
"Yes sir, I am. When
my aunt and uncle and my cousin ate dinner, they completely ignored me. When I tried to say something, they just
acted like I wasn't there; so, after a while, I just learned to keep my mouth shut."
"That's terrible, Harry!" Mrs. Granger gaspeHow How could
they be so cruel to you?"
Harry began to feel slightly uncomfortable. He had both Mr. and Mrs. Granger staring at
him intently, and even Hermione was looking at him anxiously.
"To be quite honest, ma'am, my aunt and uncle hated me from
the moment I was left on their doorstep.Â
They knew that I wasn't "˜normal', and that was why they hated me so
much. They hated anything that had to
do with magic or wizardry, and that included me. They never told me about who my parents were; I wasn't told until
Hagrid came and gave me my letter to Hogwarts."
"But still, you can't treat a child like that!" Mrs. Granger
said rather angrily.
Hermione watched Harry with loving eyes. She knew that he'd had a rough childhood,
but he'd never really given any details about it. She was starting to understand where Harry's inner strength truly
came from.
"As far as I'm concerned, my life with them is over; there's
no use hating them."
"You're quite the man, Harry. Not many people can turn the other cheek," Mr. Granger stated
with a bit of pride in his voice. His
wife decided to change the subject.
"So Hermione"¦" Mrs. Granger interrupted, ""¦tell me, when did
you two start seeing each other?"
"What are you talking about?" Hermione gulped as her cheeks
tinted, and Harry's face flushed slightly.
"Don't try to hide it, young lady, a mother knows these
things. I don't have to be psychic to
see the connection between you two; every time you're together, there's a glow
that emits from the both of you."
The teenagers looked at one another and figured now was a
time as good as any. Harry decided to
start.
"Well, we see each other every day because we have the same
classes and because we're best friends.Â
However, we didn't become a couple until early last term. We'd always looked out for one another, and
it just sort of happened."
"You see, Harry had been hurt very badly, and when I saw him
lying there in the hospital, I finally realized how much he meant to me. He was my best friend, but he was so much
more than that to me."
The two gazed into one another's eyes, and you could almost
see the love flowing between them.
Mrs. Granger had a small smile on her face as she gazed at
the young couple.
"Well"¦we should clean up now. Hermione, you can give me a hand, and John, why don't you take
Harry into the living room."
"Sure dear, c'mon Harry."
Hermione followed her mother into the kitchen with an armful
of dishes.
"Mom, are you mad?"
"About what, sweetie?"
"That I didn't tell you about Harry and I." Mrs. Granger put
the dishes into the sink and turned towards her daughter.
"No Hermione, I'm not mad; he's a very nice, young man. You pick your boyfriends well, I see."
"He's more than just my boyfriend, mom; he's my best
friend."
"That's even better, honey, friendship is often the best
base to romance."
"Harry's just so incredible! Every time I'm with him, my heartbeat triples, and my skin gets
goosebumps. And when he kisses me, I
feel like I'm about to melt onto the floor."
Mrs. Granger actually started chuckling.
"Sounds like you're in love, my daughter."
"I am, mom, I know I am.Â
I love him so much, and he loves me just the same."
"I could see that by the way you were looking at each
other. You had the same look your
father and I had when we were your age."
Hermione smiled brightly; she was glad that her mom was so
accepting of Harry "“ and after only one day!Â
She couldn't really blame her though; Harry could charm the socks off of
anyone and not even know it. There was
one other thing that she needed to tell her mom, and it was not going to be
easy.
"Mom, there's something else I have to tell you. It's about Harry and I; we've"¦well"¦ you
know"¦" Mrs. Granger's eyes widened in shock, and she stared at her daughter.
"I wasn't expecting this, Hermione, I assumed that you two
were dating, but I didn't realize that you'd actually slept together. When did it happen?"
"The first time was on my birthday earlier this year, and
the second was about two weeks ago at school."
"Were you two careful?" Hermione drew back slightly.
"If you're asking me if I'm pregnant, the answer is no. Mom, I know this is a shock, but I want you
to understand that we didn't do this on a whim. Harry and I have been close for the last seven years, and when we
became a couple, it was just another step we took. I wouldn't have given myself to him unless I was one hundred
percent sure. He was my first, and I
was his."
"It sounds like you two have really thought this through; I
should have known you would. You always
think things through, Hermione, and now, I know you thought this through as
well."
Opening her arms, Mrs. Granger gave her daughter a hug, and
Hermione smiled into her mother's chest.
Meanwhile, Harry took a seat in one of the recliners, and
Mr. Granger took a seat next to him.Â
The older man clasped his hands together and gazed at the young wizard.
"Harry"¦I'm going to ask you something, and I would like a
truthful answer."
"Of course, sir."
"Have you been intimate with my daughter?"
There it was "“ as plain as day. No nonsense"¦no deception"¦just blunt and to the point. But Harry would not lie about his
relationship with Hermione. He had
wanted to wait for a little while, but fate had cut his time short. So, he squared his shoulders and looked John
Granger right in the eye.
"Yes, Mr. Granger, I have." He never broke eye contact, and
the older man glared at him slightly.
"I see, how often?"
"Only twice. Once on
her birthday this past year, and once a few weeks ago after a ball at
Hogwarts."
"So I take it you're very fond of her."
"No sir, it's much more than that. To be quite frank, I'm in love with Hermione."
"How do you know that?" Mr. Granger countered.
"I can't explain it; I just know it. No one makes me feel the way she does. Every time I see her, I want to hold her in
my arms forever, and every time she smiles, it melts my heart. I've never loved anyone except Hermione. I love her because she's intelligent,
beautiful, compassionate, funny, sweet, and occasionally sassy."
"Sounds like you know her pretty well then."
"I'd like to think so, sir.Â
Hermione has supported me through so much; she's always been there for
me. Likewise, I've always tried to be
there for her and protect her to make sure that she's always safe."
"You're quite a young man, Harry, I can see that you care
very deeply about my daughter. However,
you must understand my nervousness; you're the first boy that she's ever
brought home to meet us."
"Yes sir, I understand, I know this is probably not what you
wanted to hear, but I won't lie about Hermione and I."
"That's a good standard, Harry, keep it. And by the way, stop calling me "˜sir';
you're making me feel old. Just call me
John."
"All right."
"Are you through lecturing him, John?" a voice came from the
kitchen.
"Yes, you can come in now."
Mrs. Granger and Hermione walked in carrying a tray of
desserts.
"Okay dad, what'd you do to him?" Hermione said with her
hands on her hips.
"Nothing Hermione, you can have him back."
Sitting down on the loveseat, Hermione patted the seat
beside her.
"C'mere," she motioned to Harry.
Trying to hold back a grin, he stood up and padded across
the carpet. He plopped down beside her,
and she looked him up and down.
"Okay, let's see"¦no bumps"¦no bruises"¦you're clean."
"Why thank you for that kind evaluation."
"Hush you!" Hermione leaned up and whispered in his ear,
"We're all clear, Harry." He reached down and took her hand.
"I know, sweetheart, I know."
Hermione blushed deeply; she hadn't expected Harry to call
her that in front of her parents. Mrs.
Granger took the chair beside her husband when an idea came to her.
"John, why don't you light the fireplace?" she advised
pointing to the large fireplace in the center wall of the room.
"Sure, why not?"
Mr. Granger bent down and set the logs in place. Grabbing the lighter off the mantle above,
he clicked it on to get a spark. After
several moments, nothing happened.
"Well, we've got two problems. One, the lighter is out of fuel, and two, the logs were too fresh
and damp to light. Sorry."
"May I try?" Harry asked.
"Sure, but I'm not quite sure what you plan to do," Mr.
Granger answered. He offered Harry the
lighter, but the young man shook his head.
"No thank you, I won't need that." Hermione suddenly knew
what he was doing.
"Harry!" she gasped, and he turned towards her.
"Relax Herm, there's nothing to worry about. I suggest you move back," he instructed Mr.
Granger. The older man returned to his
seat and looked at Harry curiously.
Harry looked at the fireplace and focused on the logs.
"Inflamare!"
Mr. and Mrs. Granger were shocked to see their fireplace
erupt in flames as the logs ignited.Â
They both stared at Harry, and Hermione glared at him in annoyance.
"You idiot, you could get in trouble for using magic!"
"No, I won't, I have permission to use magic "“ in
moderation."
"You do?"
"Uh huh, I got it before I left Hogwarts."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I wanted to surprise you," he laughed. Harry noticed that Hermione's parents were
still staring at him.
"Harry"¦what did you just do?"
"He cast a spell, mom.Â
That was a fire spell to ignite the logs," Hermione explained.
"My goodness, I thought the house was going to explode or
something."
"I apologize, Mrs. Granger, I didn't mean to frighten either
of you; I just wanted to help."
The two grown-ups looked at one another and actually started
laughing.
"That's all right, Harry, but just give us fair warning next
time," Mr. Granger chuckled.
With that, the two couples sat back to enjoy their dessert
by the firelight.
his room
Todd Wennberg
Normal
Todd Wennberg
1
0
2002-12-06T04:05:00Z
2002-12-06T04:05:00Z
9
2163
12333
102
24
15145
9.2720
After lunch, Harry followed Hermione upstairs, and she
ushered him into his room.
"This is our guest room," she stated.
The room wasn't huge, but it was still much larger than
Harry's back at the Dursleys' house.Â
The bed was covered in navy blue linens, there was a desk in the corner
for writing, and there was also a dresser to store his things.
"Too bad, I thought I'd be staying with you," Harry teased,
and his eyes flashed with fire.
"Hey!" Hermione gasped and blushed, "Simmer down, Romeo, or
I won't show you my room."
"All right."
"Good, follow me."
Hermione led him down the hall while showing him where the
bathroom was then stopping at the third door on the left.
As soon as Harry stepped inside, he knew it was her
room. Crookshanks was snoring softly on
her bed, and the fat, orange cat scratched at something in her sleep. What really sealed it was the massive
bookshelf against the far wall. It had
to be almost ten feet wide and six feet high; moreover, it was completely full
of books. A dresser similar to his sat
on the opposite wall, and it had a tall mirror above it. A flash of something white caught Harry's
eyes, and he tilted his head to see that Hermione had her own bathroom in here.
"What are you smiling at?" Hermione asked, noting the corny
grin he was giving her.
"Nothing, it's just that this room is so"¦you."
"How so?"
"Well"¦it looks like the person who stays here is a bit of a
bookworm but feminine at the same time.Â
Otherwise, why is there make-up and perfume in front of your mirror?"
"Okay, I'll admit it; I wear that stuff sometimes; you know
that!" Harry walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"That I do. I always
love the way you smell," he said softly and nuzzled her neck.
Hermione melted in his embrace and sighed as he kissed her
neck. Reaching out with a stray hand,
she pushed her bedroom door closed and grabbed onto his sweater.
"No more teasing, c'mere!" She grabbed him by the hair and
mashed their lips together.
Harry grinned against her mouth and tightened his arms
around her. Hermione began backing up
and pulled him with her. She fell back
onto her bed and pulled Harry on top of her.Â
His hands slid up and down her spine making her arch into his body.
"Hermione!" he gasped.
"Yes, my love?" she cooed while sliding her hands up under
his sweater. Somehow, he pulled away
from her deadly assault and looked into her eyes.
"Sweetheart, we need to stop. I reawantwant this, but we need to stop."
"But why?" Hermione pouted prettily. Harry put a finger to her lips.
"Believe me, Herm, it's not for lack of wanting, but this is
your parent's house."
"So what? They're
both busy downstairs and won't bother us for a long time." She began rubbing
the base of his neck, and Harry glared at her slightly.
"Listen Herm, before I came here, I made myself a
promise. I swore that I wouldn't touch
you until your parents knew about us; it wouldn't be right."
"You what? How could
you do something so stupid?"
"I just didn't want your parents to think we were lying to
them. Look, you told your mom that I
was your friend, and I have a feeling that she knows that we're more than that,
but we haven't told them about how serious we are about each other. Hermione, one thing that I've learned is
that the bond between parents and their children is precious, and I don't want
you to lose that in any way."
Hermione wasn't sure whether to be happy or angry with him,
but what he said did make a lot of sense to her.
"All right, we'll tell them, but I suggest we wait a few
days. Let my parents get to know you
first; it'll soften the blow if they see how wonderful you are." Harry blushed
at her compliment.
"Then"¦" Hermione threaded her fingers into his hair, ""¦when
that conversation is over"¦"she cooed.
"I'll make love to you every night if you want!"
"Hmm, I like that idea, but in the meantime, come back down
here!" She pulled him down and caught his mouth with hers.
"Hermione"¦" he sighed.
"Ah"¦ah"¦ah"¦you said no lovemaking, Harry, that doesn't mean
we can't makeout!"
"˜She does have a point!'
"I suppose not." He caught her mouth again and clutched her
body against his chest.
"That was delicious!Â
Thank you, Mrs. Granger," Harry said with a smile, having finished his
second helping of roasted ham and mashed potatoes.
"You're welcome, Harry, I'm glad you liked it."
On impulse, Harry gathered his empty plate and glass and
headed towards the kitchen.
"Where are you going, Harry?" Mrs. Granger asked. The young man froze.
"I was going to clean these." The older woman smiled at him.
"Please Harry, sit back down, you've barely said a word
throughout dinner."
He returned to the table and put his things back down.
"I'm sorry, it's just that"¦I've never been asked anything at
the dinner table."
That brought a surprised look to the entire Granger family.
"Are you serious, Harry?" Mr. Granger asked this time.
"Yes sir, I am. When
my aunt and uncle and my cousin ate dinner, they completely ignored me. When I tried to say something, they just
acted like I wasn't there; so, after a while, I just learned to keep my mouth shut."
"That's terrible, Harry!" Mrs. Granger gaspeHow How could
they be so cruel to you?"
Harry began to feel slightly uncomfortable. He had both Mr. and Mrs. Granger staring at
him intently, and even Hermione was looking at him anxiously.
"To be quite honest, ma'am, my aunt and uncle hated me from
the moment I was left on their doorstep.Â
They knew that I wasn't "˜normal', and that was why they hated me so
much. They hated anything that had to
do with magic or wizardry, and that included me. They never told me about who my parents were; I wasn't told until
Hagrid came and gave me my letter to Hogwarts."
"But still, you can't treat a child like that!" Mrs. Granger
said rather angrily.
Hermione watched Harry with loving eyes. She knew that he'd had a rough childhood,
but he'd never really given any details about it. She was starting to understand where Harry's inner strength truly
came from.
"As far as I'm concerned, my life with them is over; there's
no use hating them."
"You're quite the man, Harry. Not many people can turn the other cheek," Mr. Granger stated
with a bit of pride in his voice. His
wife decided to change the subject.
"So Hermione"¦" Mrs. Granger interrupted, ""¦tell me, when did
you two start seeing each other?"
"What are you talking about?" Hermione gulped as her cheeks
tinted, and Harry's face flushed slightly.
"Don't try to hide it, young lady, a mother knows these
things. I don't have to be psychic to
see the connection between you two; every time you're together, there's a glow
that emits from the both of you."
The teenagers looked at one another and figured now was a
time as good as any. Harry decided to
start.
"Well, we see each other every day because we have the same
classes and because we're best friends.Â
However, we didn't become a couple until early last term. We'd always looked out for one another, and
it just sort of happened."
"You see, Harry had been hurt very badly, and when I saw him
lying there in the hospital, I finally realized how much he meant to me. He was my best friend, but he was so much
more than that to me."
The two gazed into one another's eyes, and you could almost
see the love flowing between them.
Mrs. Granger had a small smile on her face as she gazed at
the young couple.
"Well"¦we should clean up now. Hermione, you can give me a hand, and John, why don't you take
Harry into the living room."
"Sure dear, c'mon Harry."
Hermione followed her mother into the kitchen with an armful
of dishes.
"Mom, are you mad?"
"About what, sweetie?"
"That I didn't tell you about Harry and I." Mrs. Granger put
the dishes into the sink and turned towards her daughter.
"No Hermione, I'm not mad; he's a very nice, young man. You pick your boyfriends well, I see."
"He's more than just my boyfriend, mom; he's my best
friend."
"That's even better, honey, friendship is often the best
base to romance."
"Harry's just so incredible! Every time I'm with him, my heartbeat triples, and my skin gets
goosebumps. And when he kisses me, I
feel like I'm about to melt onto the floor."
Mrs. Granger actually started chuckling.
"Sounds like you're in love, my daughter."
"I am, mom, I know I am.Â
I love him so much, and he loves me just the same."
"I could see that by the way you were looking at each
other. You had the same look your
father and I had when we were your age."
Hermione smiled brightly; she was glad that her mom was so
accepting of Harry "“ and after only one day!Â
She couldn't really blame her though; Harry could charm the socks off of
anyone and not even know it. There was
one other thing that she needed to tell her mom, and it was not going to be
easy.
"Mom, there's something else I have to tell you. It's about Harry and I; we've"¦well"¦ you
know"¦" Mrs. Granger's eyes widened in shock, and she stared at her daughter.
"I wasn't expecting this, Hermione, I assumed that you two
were dating, but I didn't realize that you'd actually slept together. When did it happen?"
"The first time was on my birthday earlier this year, and
the second was about two weeks ago at school."
"Were you two careful?" Hermione drew back slightly.
"If you're asking me if I'm pregnant, the answer is no. Mom, I know this is a shock, but I want you
to understand that we didn't do this on a whim. Harry and I have been close for the last seven years, and when we
became a couple, it was just another step we took. I wouldn't have given myself to him unless I was one hundred
percent sure. He was my first, and I
was his."
"It sounds like you two have really thought this through; I
should have known you would. You always
think things through, Hermione, and now, I know you thought this through as
well."
Opening her arms, Mrs. Granger gave her daughter a hug, and
Hermione smiled into her mother's chest.
Meanwhile, Harry took a seat in one of the recliners, and
Mr. Granger took a seat next to him.Â
The older man clasped his hands together and gazed at the young wizard.
"Harry"¦I'm going to ask you something, and I would like a
truthful answer."
"Of course, sir."
"Have you been intimate with my daughter?"
There it was "“ as plain as day. No nonsense"¦no deception"¦just blunt and to the point. But Harry would not lie about his
relationship with Hermione. He had
wanted to wait for a little while, but fate had cut his time short. So, he squared his shoulders and looked John
Granger right in the eye.
"Yes, Mr. Granger, I have." He never broke eye contact, and
the older man glared at him slightly.
"I see, how often?"
"Only twice. Once on
her birthday this past year, and once a few weeks ago after a ball at
Hogwarts."
"So I take it you're very fond of her."
"No sir, it's much more than that. To be quite frank, I'm in love with Hermione."
"How do you know that?" Mr. Granger countered.
"I can't explain it; I just know it. No one makes me feel the way she does. Every time I see her, I want to hold her in
my arms forever, and every time she smiles, it melts my heart. I've never loved anyone except Hermione. I love her because she's intelligent,
beautiful, compassionate, funny, sweet, and occasionally sassy."
"Sounds like you know her pretty well then."
"I'd like to think so, sir.Â
Hermione has supported me through so much; she's always been there for
me. Likewise, I've always tried to be
there for her and protect her to make sure that she's always safe."
"You're quite a young man, Harry, I can see that you care
very deeply about my daughter. However,
you must understand my nervousness; you're the first boy that she's ever
brought home to meet us."
"Yes sir, I understand, I know this is probably not what you
wanted to hear, but I won't lie about Hermione and I."
"That's a good standard, Harry, keep it. And by the way, stop calling me "˜sir';
you're making me feel old. Just call me
John."
"All right."
"Are you through lecturing him, John?" a voice came from the
kitchen.
"Yes, you can come in now."
Mrs. Granger and Hermione walked in carrying a tray of
desserts.
"Okay dad, what'd you do to him?" Hermione said with her
hands on her hips.
"Nothing Hermione, you can have him back."
Sitting down on the loveseat, Hermione patted the seat
beside her.
"C'mere," she motioned to Harry.
Trying to hold back a grin, he stood up and padded across
the carpet. He plopped down beside her,
and she looked him up and down.
"Okay, let's see"¦no bumps"¦no bruises"¦you're clean."
"Why thank you for that kind evaluation."
"Hush you!" Hermione leaned up and whispered in his ear,
"We're all clear, Harry." He reached down and took her hand.
"I know, sweetheart, I know."
Hermione blushed deeply; she hadn't expected Harry to call
her that in front of her parents. Mrs.
Granger took the chair beside her husband when an idea came to her.
"John, why don't you light the fireplace?" she advised
pointing to the large fireplace in the center wall of the room.
"Sure, why not?"
Mr. Granger bent down and set the logs in place. Grabbing the lighter off the mantle above,
he clicked it on to get a spark. After
several moments, nothing happened.
"Well, we've got two problems. One, the lighter is out of fuel, and two, the logs were too fresh
and damp to light. Sorry."
"May I try?" Harry asked.
"Sure, but I'm not quite sure what you plan to do," Mr.
Granger answered. He offered Harry the
lighter, but the young man shook his head.
"No thank you, I won't need that." Hermione suddenly knew
what he was doing.
"Harry!" she gasped, and he turned towards her.
"Relax Herm, there's nothing to worry about. I suggest you move back," he instructed Mr.
Granger. The older man returned to his
seat and looked at Harry curiously.
Harry looked at the fireplace and focused on the logs.
"Inflamare!"
Mr. and Mrs. Granger were shocked to see their fireplace
erupt in flames as the logs ignited.Â
They both stared at Harry, and Hermione glared at him in annoyance.
"You idiot, you could get in trouble for using magic!"
"No, I won't, I have permission to use magic "“ in
moderation."
"You do?"
"Uh huh, I got it before I left Hogwarts."
"Why didn't you say anything?"
"I wanted to surprise you," he laughed. Harry noticed that Hermione's parents were
still staring at him.
"Harry"¦what did you just do?"
"He cast a spell, mom.Â
That was a fire spell to ignite the logs," Hermione explained.
"My goodness, I thought the house was going to explode or
something."
"I apologize, Mrs. Granger, I didn't mean to frighten either
of you; I just wanted to help."
The two grown-ups looked at one another and actually started
laughing.
"That's all right, Harry, but just give us fair warning next
time," Mr. Granger chuckled.
With that, the two couples sat back to enjoy their dessert
by the firelight.