"I'm not wasting a perfectly good corpse like that! Besides, it has to sit out a bit. I needed the rotting bones for something. I'll have to go hide it in the forest somewhere." She sighed. "I'll be right back. Take these -" she handed over the books on blood sacrifice - "and hide them somewhere. I should be back before your friends get here but if not, tell them I have… business things to do."
She apparated as Harry began to shove the books in between the couch cushions and in the back of the pantry and under some laundry. There was a knock on the door.
"Hello Harry!" Ron, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley said when he opened it.
"Hi guys. It's good to see you, come on in."
"Is your mum not here?" Mr. Weasley asked politely.
"She's doing adult stuff. Business things," Harry lied confidently.
"Oh, yes, of course," Mr. Weasley said "That does happen. Well, tell her I said hello and thank her for letting Ron stay over. Owl us if you need anything. Behave, Ron." The adult nodded and left. Ron and Hermione looked around the dark cottage with raised eyebrows.
"Your mum has a lot of books," Hermione finally said, her tone hesitant but approving.
She sent Harry a warm smile, relieved when Harry seemed to relax and returned it. To be honest, however, Hermione was not exactly sure how she felt about Harry's house. It was in the middle of nowhere, first and foremost. There were no shops or cinemas or even other houses or people nearby! Just dense, thick trees reminiscent of the Forbidden Forest. The two-story cottage was made of dark wood and foggy windows, the only color being creeping dark green vines and plants winding up and down the walls as though the plant life was trying to reclaim the cottage to the forest. The inside was both more welcoming and more ominous. It left Hermione with a strange feeling of being inside a haunted house pulled straight from the horror films her parents loved. The ornate floral wallpaper was peeling, the lighting was moody, low creaking noises echoed across the rooms. It was just a touch too cold, leaving her with goosebumps despite the heat of the summer. The shadows were a touch too thick and present, sweeping the corners of the cluttered house into pure darkness. She felt a prickling sensation as though someone was watching her, though when she turned to look, there was never anybody there.
And yet, she couldn't help but find it a little cozy. As Harry prattled on, happy to show them around the dreary place, she noticed a well-worn couch piled high with colorful blankets. The kitchen, although made of more dark wood tones and not enough lights, had a charming collection of mismatched chairs around the table adorned with a bright red checkered tablecloth and a little vase of flowers. Even the study, with walls filled to the brim with bottles of potions ingredients and books and anatomical diagrams, lacked the uncomfortable atmosphere Professor Snape's classroom held. Everything was clean but charmingly cluttered making it look well lived in and the little potted plants covering every available surface brightened up and endeared her to the space.
Best of all, was Harry's room. He led them up the tight staircase with a note of nervousness to him and opened the door at the top, stepping aside so Ron and Hermione could inspect. His walls were a deep blue, hidden behind posters and drawings and photos covering almost every inch. Hermione hid a pleased smile and a wave of fondness at the enlarged photo of the three of them taken by Hagrid's hut at the end of the school year. There was also one of him at a Little League football game, grinning as he held up a trophy in his ugly lime uniform and knee-high socks. His blankets were bold Gryffindor colors, his sheets covered in dragons. There were jeans and shoes littering the floor and he had all sorts of trinkets and things on top of his dresser. His trunk was shoved in the corner, clearly not unpacked, and a plush loveseat, a shocking and ugly mustard yellow sat underneath the window, which was adorned in owl-patterned curtains.
"Do you like it?" Harry asked shyly.
"It suits you perfectly," she assured him, while Ron launched into a light-hearted argument about the Quidditch posters covering his walls.
Over time, the hint of dread slowly fell from her mind, though it never left completely. Hermione was able to focus on less disturbing things. Like how pleased Harry seemed to be about having guests over, making sure to offer them pop (which Ron instantly loved) and crisps and all sorts of sugary snacks looking out of place in the austere kitchen pantry. His frantic, bubbling energy was hard to escape and it pulled them in as the boys shouted about brooms.
Harry's mum made a brief appearance, announcing that she would be ordering pizza for dinner and that Harry's other friend Luna was coming by later in the afternoon. She said in a deadpan tone to not drown in the swimming pool and to not disturb her unless it was an emergency and then left them alone without a single introduction or anything, vanishing the second Hermione had turned away for just a moment. Harry's mum was admittedly very weird and a bit creepy and while she would never say that to Harry (it was so clear he adored his mama with all his heart) the dark shadows and frosty air seemed to dissipate once the strange woman had left and Hermione was able to breathe a bit easier and ignore the instinctual warning bells going off in the back of her mind.
Luna was also a bit odd, only a bit less than Harry could be, so Hermione was quite used to it at this point. She fit into their group without much fuss, able to talk books with Hermione, obscure magic with Harry, and was able to win over Ron with a discussion about dragons and other magical creatures. They spent the day swimming and playing under the hot sun.
It was as carefree and delightful as possible, the most fun any of them had ever had in their lives. Hermione had been unwilling to get her hair wet, and quickly she'd had both boys trying their damndest to pick her up and throw her into the pool. The lot of them were shrieking with laughter until Luna had snuck up from under the water and grabbed her by the ankles, tripping all three of them face-first into the water.
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