It was much more than tea and biscuits. Hermione admitted blushingly, "I was too excited to eat breakfast, which I usually eat alone since my parents need to wake up much earlier to drive to their clinic. I hoped you'd join me for breakfast."
Harry smiled. "I also skipped breakfast, fearing I might lose it on the Knight Bus. I could use some breakfast myself."
He didn't know why Hermione chose to sit on the sofa, at his side, and quite close at that, when she could use any of the couches surrounding the low table and be more comfortable. He didn't mind it, though. Feeling Hermione at his side was quite nice. Very nice, really.
When they finished eating, Hermione took the tray back. Harry couldn't fail to notice that her blouse was quite loose, exposing most of her chest when she bent over the table, and she was not wearing a bra. He didn't know if she was doing this on purpose, but he thought that whatever he could see of her was very nice.
Hermione came back with some soft drinks and a few snacks. Harry had the impression that she was trying to compensate for the lack of food he was usually suffering from the Dursleys without making it too obvious. She then sat back at his side and took his hand in hers. "Now, tell me why you have concerns about Professor Dumbledore."
It took Harry more time than he thought he would need. Hermione discussed with him every minute detail of each incident and each idea he was talking about, even ones he barely mentioned. When lunchtime arrived, he hadn't told her even half of what he had in mind.
Harry insisted on helping Hermione prepare lunch, although there was very little to do. The lunch she had in mind consisted of sandwiches, and she had all the ingredients ready. She only needed to put them correctly between the slices of bread, yet it went much quicker with Harry's help. She then asked Harry to take a pitcher of cold water to the table, where they had spent the whole morning, while she brought the tray with sandwiches. When she bent down with them, Harry was sure that she had opened another button or two on her blouse. He said nothing, of course, only trying to control his blushing, and a certain reaction much lower, while still trying to see everything without quite ogling.
They continued talking after lunch. Harry didn't mind that Hermione leaned on him, resting her head on his shoulder. He only moved his arm, engulfing her waist, to keep them more comfortable. It felt really good sitting that way.
By five in the afternoon, they had only covered slightly more than half of what Harry had in mind. Hermione didn't seem bothered, but Harry was becoming aware of the time. "Maybe we should stop now? I think that your parents will soon return home, so…"
She shook her head bemusedly. "Harry, I'd like them to meet you. Don't you think that they would like to meet someone who's my best friend, someone who saved me from the troll, who fought a Basilisk and rescued us from Dementors?"
"But then I'll be late for dinner," Harry protested.
"You can eat with us, and I'm sure that my parents will give you as nice portions as they give me. If they agree, you may even stay here for the night, sparing you a drive back and forth. I can see that you don't really like the Knight Bus."
"What's there to like? It's fast, I give you that, but it's bumpy and scary and very unpleasant. And then, I don't think your parents may appreciate the way I look in these hand-me-down clothes from my cousin." Harry was suddenly very self-conscious.
Hermione wouldn't relent. "I don't think they would mind. They know we wear robes over our clothes most of the time."
It was evident to Harry that Hermione wanted him to stay. Harry would have also liked to stay, but he didn't want to impose on Hermione's family. He also feared what his relatives would say. Wouldn't they burden him with chores just because he had escaped for a day? Staying longer might aggravate his punishment there, but… It would be worth it if he spent another day alone with Hermione. "Alright. I'll stay for dinner, and I'll stay overnight if they agree."
He could never have expected Hermione's reaction. She jumped at him, grabbed his face and kissed his lips passionately. Then, when she noticed how she was acting, she seemed to get frightened. She stopped the kiss and released the hug before saying, "Oh, Harry, please excuse me. I shouldn't have taken that liberty and…"
Harry stopped her. "There's nothing for you to apologise. I really enjoyed that kiss, although it surprised me. Now, I think I'll enjoy it much better when I'm ready for it. Care to kiss again?" He really didn't know what gave him the courage to say that. Maybe he really liked that kiss more than he could say.
With such an open invitation, Hermione couldn't refuse, not that she would have even considered it. She hugged Harry tightly and kissed his lips. Harry responded the same way, returning both the hug and the kiss. It felt strange, but in a good way. They parted after a while, both red in the face and breathing heavily. It took them a bit to catch their breath, but once done, they looked each other in the eye and started all over again.
That was the position her parents found them in when they arrived, half an hour later. When the two blushing teens parted, both had swollen lips, yet they held hands and seemed quite content.
"Care to explain?" her mother asked, trying to stay serious. It was a lost fight, as some of her amusement got through.
Hermione didn't let that bother her, nor the frown on her father's face. "Mum, Dad, this is my good friend Harry Potter, of whom I've already told you. He arrived here in the morning, and we talked for the rest of the day about some things that bother him. When he thought it was time he left, I said that you would like to meet him, after hearing all those stories about him. I also suggested that he stay here for the night, sparing him some travel back and forth. When he agreed, I got so excited that I kissed him."
"It looks like you got extremely excited. We've been watching you for more than five minutes before you let go," her mother said.
Hermione blushed but didn't let her embarrassment influence her. She continued the introductions as if nothing unusual had happened. "Harry, as you can guess, these are my parents, Jean and David Granger. They're both dentists, and they have their own clinic. Dad likes to be called Dave."
Harry wasn't sure what to do in this situation. He moved his hand forward to shake hands, but Jean took the initiative and hugged him. It was almost as tight a hug as one of Hermione's, and Harry felt immediately welcome. When she let him go, Dave shook his hand. "I can see you've already got two-thirds of our family at your side, so — who am I to say anything different? Welcome, Harry. Just make sure not to hurt Hermione, and all will be well."
"I'll never willingly do anything to hurt Hermione. I'll do all I can to protect her from harm." Dave was surprised at the amount of conviction behind Harry's words and was deeply impressed. Children this age were not known for profound feelings. Not knowing how to properly respond, he just smiled at the boy and shook his hand once more before letting go.
"Don't you need to tell your relatives?" Jean asked.
Harry felt a bit unsure but decided not to say anything that might raise any suspicion. "I thought I'd only call them after you agree to let me stay overnight. I've already told them I might return quite late."
"Do you want to stay another day here? Maybe a few more? Hermione is quite alone during the weekdays, you should know. And you seem to like each other." Jean's tone was only slightly teasing.
"Are you sure? I mean… I'd really like it. But I brought no change of clothes with me, and no nightwear either."
Jean smiled. "Dave has some underwear that shrank in the washing machine. It may fit you, and you can also sleep in your shorts, I'm sure. We may also go to visit a nearby shopping centre after dinner. Some shops are open quite late."
Harry paled. "I have no money to pay for that."
Dave waved his hand dismissively. "It's no bother at all, and we're willing to tackle it if it makes Hermione happy."
The wide smile and vigorous nodding were enough to show that the idea made Hermione very happy. That made Harry smile, too.
Despite his reluctance, Harry could not reject the generous offer. He still acted like a responsible boy, calling his aunt on the phone and informing her he would be delayed and would not spend the night at home. He was glad that his hosts couldn't hear his aunt's uninterested reply. "For all I care, you can stay away as much as you like. The less time you spend in my home, the better." Her tone was even harsher than her words.
"She allows me to stay away as long as I need," he told his hosts.
"That's good! Now, let me prepare dinner and then, after we eat, we shall go shopping!" Jean sounded quite pleased.
It turned out to be the most enjoyable evening Harry could remember. After dinner, they all got into Dave's car for the short drive to the shopping centre, which was more like a mall. Harry was given more clothes than he had ever owned, "Just in case you decide to stay a bit longer." As Hermione bought about the same amount of clothes, he didn't feel too bad about it. He did promise himself to pay them back whenever he got enough Muggle money.
They also enjoyed some soft drinks and a nice portion of ice cream each before returning to the Granger house. Hermione then led Harry to the room adjacent to hers and helped him put his new things in the dresser. He blushed a bit when she handled his underwear, but didn't comment, fearing it could only make the situation more awkward. It felt good to have a few clothes that really fit, though, and to have his own room where he could store his things, even if this was just a temporary arrangement.
They rejoined the adult Grangers to watch some entertainment on the television. Then, after drinking a cup of warm cocoa each, they retired for the night. They stopped near the doors to their rooms. "Goodnight, Harry. I'm glad you decided to stay," Hermione told him, adding a hug and a kiss on his cheek.
Harry felt himself blush, but feeling her hug and her kiss was just so good that he didn't care. "Goodnight, Hermione. We shall continue tomorrow."
He changed into his new pyjama, one designed for the warm summer nights, and then brushed his teeth with his new toothbrush. He couldn't immediately fall asleep, though, as his mind kept wandering to the events of the day and especially to Hermione's hugs and kisses and what he hoped they meant. Eventually, he fell asleep. Despite the events that made him come to talk to Hermione, he couldn't feel any disappointment while asleep. He could only dream about his bushy-haired best friend, her hugs, her kisses and the implicit promise in her unbuttoning her shirt.