Harry's interview went much longer and they took two breaks as they started back as far back as Harry remembered his time with the Dursleys.
While speaking, he was surprised by just how much he remembered. And was somewhat surprised the potions allowed him to recall it all without concern or embarrassment. It seemed there was one form of mind-based magics that affected him, after all; potions.
Then again, maybe it only did because he was a willing recipient. Something to test for another time.
By the time he was finished, his throat felt quite raw. And he was offered a potion that immediately soothed it.
"What was that?" he asked, after drinking it.
"A throat healing potion, Lord Potter," Fleming replied. "You're not the first, and I very much doubt you'll be the last, who has come away from an interview with a sore throat."
When the effects of the potion in the water wore off about thirty minutes after the interview concluded he was shocked to discover it was going on to 5.00pm.
"Sweet Merlin!" he exclaimed. "It's almost dinner time! And, damn, I need to use the little boys' room!"
The four aurors chuckled and Hammer added, "I thought you might. You managed to get through almost half a gallon of water during that."
It was only after he said what he said that he realised Hermione hadn't berated him for his language. He turned to her and could see she'd been crying for a while but hadn't very recently. Her eyes were bloodshot and red-rimmed and her cheeks were puffy with tear tracks on them.
"I'm sooo sorry you went through all that, Harry," she hiccuped
"Hermione," he firmly said. "Not your fault; hear me? I do not blame you for the least of it. You did your best and I lo― appreciate it a great deal."
After a quick trip to the loo for both teens, they were soon escorted back to Hogwarts in reverse of how they got to the Ministry.
Thankfully, it appeared Hermione hadn't noticed his slight slip of the tongue.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
As they were walking back from the gates of the castle, Harry quietly asked Hermione, "Now that the interview is out of the way... are you going to take the School Board's offer of returning home until classes are back on again?"
She was a long few moments of clearly thinking it through before she replied, "Do you... think I should?"
"I think you should do what's best for Hermione Granger," he instantly replied.
"What about you?" she asked.
"Well, I'm definitely not going back to Privett Drive!" he replied. "I think I'll just stay here."
"No... I mean... What do you think of the idea... ummm... what do you think of the idea of coming and staying... with me?" she tentatively asked.
Her offer surprised him; enough that it made him think for a bit.
Suddenly stopping, which caused everyone else to stop, he turned Hermione to face him full on. Her expression was one of disappointment as she looked at the ground.
He said, "Sorry. You caught me by surprise there."
That brought her eyes back up to meet his.
"If that's what you want..." he began. "If your offer is genuine and not one that a friend would say but expect to receive a negative answer to... and you ask your parents first and they reply with a yes... then, yes, I think I'd like that."
The smile that bloomed on Hermione's face was contagious. It had him smiling as well.
He heard a quiet snicker from one of the female aurors, but chose to pretend he hadn't heard.
Now all excited, Hermione grabbed him with both her hands by his offhand elbow and started to almost drag him to the doors of the castle.
"Oh, Harry! Of course they're going to say yes! I've been writing my parents about you since the night of the troll. And they've already said that they want to meet you. That day in Flourish and Blotts was nowhere near long enough! What better way to get to know you than for you to come and stay with us for a while. Can I borrow Hedwig?" she said with a rush.
Harry chuckled back and replied, "Of course you can. I know I don't give her enough work to do. So, I know she'd love to take a letter to your parents."
"I'll write as soon as I can get back to the tower so I can collect parchment, ink and a quill. How quickly do you think Hedwig can get to Wimbledon and back?"
"Wimbledon?" he asked.
"That's where I live, Harry," she replied. "About a stone's throw from the Wimbledon All England Club."
"I thought you lived in Croydon," he said.
"No, I said I lived near Croydon," she corrected. "I say that so people don't know just how wealthy my parents actually are. Wimbledon is an expensive area to live."
"Ah!" he said, as they continued to walk. A long moment later he asked, "Hang on. Isn't Wimbledon one of those areas where housing is like over a million pounds per?"
"Yes," she simply replied without explaining further. "That's why I know you coming to stay with us for a while will be no imposition," she added. "We live in a three story detached that's really four floors as the semi-underground area is also used. There's plenty of room. You'll even have a bedroom with an ensuite, all to yourself; which is what I've got. You just won't have the huge dressing room I've got that I've had Dad convert to a study for me.
"I'm on the second floor, which is the top floor, while you'd be in the guest room on the first floor across the hall landing from my parents room, which is directly under mine. That's the main guest room. There's another two guest rooms on the same floor as me but neither has an ensuite. They have to use the main bathroom on that floor."
"Whoa, Hermione," he laughed. "Let's not count our chickens before they're hatched, alright?
"Why not wait to describe everything once... if... your parents agree."
"They'll say it's alright, Harry," she said, still dragging him along. "You'll see."
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Once back in the castle Hermione finally let go of Harry's elbow and almost ran back to the Gryffindor Tower.
As soon as she was out of earshot one of the aurors said to him, "She sure has a lot of energy, doesn't she."
"She becomes quite focussed once she has a problem she wants to solve and devotes almost all of her energy to solving it," he replied. He gestured after her and added, "This focus is kinda the norm for her. It's good to see after having to go through those interviews."
It was left to Harry to thank the aurors for escorting them to and fro to the Ministry so, by the time he got back to the Gryffindor common room, Hermione was well into writing her letter to her parents.
As soon as he stepped into the room she looked up from where she was writing her letter at one of the very few study tables and gestured him over.
"I hope you don't mind Harry," she said, "But, there's been a fair bit happen over the past few days that's radically changed. And I want to let my parents know about all that and why I'll be coming home a lot sooner than expected, before I drop on them the request to bring you home with me."
"It's your letter and your parents, Hermione," he shrugged. "I doubt a couple of extra sheets of parchment in a letter is going to bother Hedwig in the slightest. She often brings me my copy of the Prophet, remember?"
"Oh, yes," she replied, not even looking up from her writing. "I forgot about that."
Due to the time, Hermione continued to write her letter home while they sat at the Gryffindor table in the Great Hall for dinner. And both teens headed directly to the owlery from the Great Hall to send the letter out through Hedwig.
Harry could tell his Snowy was more than happy to take the letter as Hermione carefully tied it firmly to her leg.
_‗_
―==(oIo)==―
ˇ
Of course, with her letter 'slash' request now winging its way to her parents, Hermione began to fret again. And that began, as far as Harry could estimate, before Hedwig even reached the horizon. This was easy for Harry to determine, as it was just as easy for him to determine back at the Ministry. She was using her top front teeth to nibble on the inside of her bottom lip.
"Relax, Hermione," he said to her. "Even if they say no, I won't mind."
"I'm not worried about that, Harry," she returned. "I'm worried my parents are going to think you're my boyfriend."
"Oh?" he asked. "Am I that repugnant?"
"No-no-no!" she blurted. "That's not what I meant."
"Then what did you mean?" he asked.
"I meant... I'm worried what my father might do or say to you if he thinks you're my boyfriend."
He shrugged back and said, "He'll probably say what all fathers of teen daughters say. 'You hurt my little girl and they'll never find the body.' Or, possibly, 'You even think of poking what's between your legs between my daughter's legs and I'll cut it off with a rusty knife... if you're lucky.'"
Hermione looked horrified.
Harry just grinned back and said, "Don't worry about it, Hermione. I'm not. It's just the sort of thing fathers say to their daughter's boyfriends. I'm expecting it."
"But... but... we're not boyfriend and girlfriend!" she whined.
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