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Chapter 7: In Which Harry Tours the Granger Home

"Love... What is love? Love is to love someone for who they are, who they were, and who they will be."

-Chris Moore

The second Harry stepped into Hermione's house, he knew that Mrs. Granger was going to prove even more dangerous, if possible, than Ginny and Ron.
"I'm going to go have a talk with your father," Mrs. Granger told the two Hogwarts students, placing an arm around her husband, who had not ceased glaring at Harry since his wife took control of the car. "Hermione, be sure to show Harry around the house, and show him his room, if you would. And you might as well show him yours, since you're in such close proximity to one another," she finished with a meaningful glance. At this Mr. Granger made to strangle an alarmed Harry, who immediately stepped behind Hermione. Mrs. Granger, who gripped Mr. Grangers arm tightly and simply smiled, kept her husband in order. "Make sure that he's comfortable, will you, dear?" she asked Hermione.

"Of course, Mum," Hermione answered, ignoring her mother's hints, and dragged her trunk into the house. It was times like these that she wished she could do magic amongst muggles without any consequences.

Mrs. Granger gave Harry and Hermione a pleased smile and then walked Mr. Granger to the other side of the house.

"Well," said Hermione, setting her trunk down in front of a staircase. "This is home." She looked around the foyer. Paintings that were very similar to those that hung in her room at Hogwarts lined the walls, and Hermione's feet tapped against the hardwood floors as she walked over to a closet. She took off her shoes and placed them inside, and Harry followed suit.

"So, Mum wants me to give you a little history on the house, I suppose," Hermione sighed.

"She didn't say anything about— " Harry began, but was cut off as Hermione began her explanation.

"Like most houses in this area, ours was built some time in the Victorian era," Hermione explained to Harry as she made her way through the foyer and into what Harry presumed to be the living room. The two sat on a red couch that was opposite of an empty fireplace. "I don't know the exact year it was built, but that's close enough. It has four floors, like most in this area. Mum and Dad moved in here about twenty years ago, following their marriage, and so, of course, I've lived here all of my life. Be sure to compliment Mum on the interior design," Hermione advised Harry. "She decorated this entire house while she was off work while she was pregnant with me. She didn't decorate it herself, of course, but she came up with the ideas and hired someone. Except for my room, all of this is hers, and she's rather proud of it."

Harry nodded as he took in the room and remembered how well adorned the foyer had been. Hermione's family, he realized, was the exact opposite of Ron's. For one thing, Hermione was an only child, a huge contrast to Ron's six siblings. Then there was the fact that both her parents were dentists, so of course it made sense that her family would be fairly well off. It was the first time he had been in the house of a muggle well-to-do family that hadn't made him feel as if he were imprisoned, his only other reference being the cold and heartless Privet Drive. He was surprised by how at home he could feel at both the Burrow and the Granger's house when the two couldn't be more different.

At that moment an orange ball of fluff bounded into the room and pounced on to Hermione's lap. Hermione let out a small squeal, which was unusual for her, as she hugged the orange thing and exclaimed, "Crookshanks!"

It was then that Harry remembered that Hermione had been forced to leave her treasured cat at home this year when a car hit Crookshanks a day before term began. He had been all right, of course – he had thankfully only broken his leg – but her parents insisted on treating him in the muggle way, and so he had to stay home while his leg healed. He was perfectly fine now, as was apparent by how fast he could run, and Harry could only imagine the look on Ron's face when Hermione would arrive back at Hogwarts with Crookshanks in her arms.