Running Year 2

Chapter One

Hello everyone and welcome to Year 2 of Running! If you haven't already read the First Year of Running, what are you doing? Go check it out, or this story won't make much sense. Either way, I've taken a really long break and I am super happy to get back to writing. I hope you enjoy :)

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Sipping tea in the parlour of Grimmauld Place, with an exonerated criminal and a werewolf was not how the Granger parents had imagined finishing the summer with their daughter. They had started with a visit to France as they usually did each summer, where they happened to bump into Hermione's friend, Harry Potter and his... guardians? At the time, they had been wary. They knew how close their daughter was to the boy; during her time at Hogwarts, it was rare that a letter she sent home hadn't included some mention of him, and they were aware that his godfather had been found not guilty, but they still couldn't help but worry. Sending their daughter to a boarding school meant they only saw her for 1/4 of the year, and barely had any idea of who anyone she knew was. However, after some time spent together on a beach in Callais, they found the two gentlemen Harry was with to exceed their expectations. Easy for conversation, outspoken, and while Sirius had a certain boyish nature to him, both men came across as rather charming. When Hermione had mentioned that one of them was a werewolf, never would they have imagined meeting a man so timid and courteous as Remus Lupin.

While Hermione had spent a few weeks in France with her parents before returning to Britain, Harry, Remus and Sirius had been everywhere they could go. After visiting America, Italy, Spain, Dubai, Germany, and of course, France, Harry had lost count of the different varieties of food they'd tasted, the tours they'd been on, the souvenirs they'd collected. The three had enjoyed the trip immensely, hopping from city to city, without the excruciating and exhausting wait times of airports and planes had only made the trip all the more exciting. Meeting Hermione in Callais for a few days had been interesting. Remus and Sirius were, of course, happy to meet their de facto son's best friend, but noticing how much more animated he became around her brought a smile to their faces. While the Grangers had come to visit muggle France, Remus and Sirius took the time to give them a tour of magical France, creating a far more exciting trip than expected. After leaving the Grangers in France, the boys continued their world tour, developing a far better relationship than Harry could remember. Rather than forming their bond through war and loss, this time it could be based in fun and happiness.

When they took a few days off for the full moon, Harry showed clear interest in wanting to become an animagus too but was assured by Sirius, there would be plenty of time for that when he was older. His birthday had been excellent. They'd spent it in Switzerland and Harry could not remember the last time he'd had so much fun.

Once they had arrived back in England, for the last few days of the summer, Harry used his watch to ask Hermione if she wanted to spend some time with them at Grimmauld Place. Of course, she had begged and begged and begged her parents, until they eventually agreed to spend a couple of days there. They had visited Diagon Alley together, thankfully not seeing any undesirable characters as they picked up their books for the new year. Now the adults sat in the parlour, drinking their tea and relaxing, while their children were upstairs in what was now Harry's room.

"I cannot believe we have to put up with another year of Gilderoy," Harry sighed as he placed his books into his trunk.

"Maybe that's a good thing? You can get on his good side easily, you're the Boy-Who-Lived after all," Hermione laughed. Of course, she had no plans to fawn over the DADA teacher this time, but he could potentially be useful.

"Thanks for getting my books for me Mione; I did not want to deal with another round of press with him." Harry had in fact sent Hermione into the wilderness of flourish and Blotts without him in the hopes of delaying his meeting with the madman for as long as possible. "How could Dumbledore actually hire such a fraud? I get everything is supposed to be for the Greater Good but it is neither great nor good that Lockhart is able to just flounce around and ruin our education. Seriously, you'd think the headmaster of a school like Hogwarts would take care of which people he's hiring." Harry fell back on his bed. He'd enjoyed the summer so much, and now it was ending. For the first time, he found himself not wanting to return to Hogwarts.