"Most of it? Dance camp, so far I've learned the cha cha, the merengue, the foxtrot, the two step, and the quickstep. Lady Augusta has so far taught us the quadrille and the scottish reel. Other dances I'll be learning are the: polka, mazurka, schottische, viennese waltz, rumba, samba, tango, mambo, swing, hustle, salsa, jive and Lindy Hop. If that doesn't cover all my dance needs I don't care. I think that's more than enough for a lifetime."
Both adults bit back a smile at that, knowing the odds were good he'd learn even more over the rest of his life. "Anything else?" Nell asked.
"Well, the usual studies of my family magic. Then in August I'll be going to the Quidditch World Cup with my friends and my Slytherin teammates. I'll arrive there a day and a half before the game and am supposed to return an equal amount after it ends. That's pretty much it. I'm at the dojo three times a week and doing chores and school homework at the Dursley's, pretty normal summer for me. Unlike last year, I've actually got time this year to draw and paint."
"It sounds like you are going to be fine, but if you need us for any reason send Hedwig to us and we will come right away. I am quite fond of you, Harry. I think you deserve better than what fate has laid on your plate thus far." Nell said.
"Thank you both, I hope that you don't mind that I consider you honorary grandparents."
"I, for one, do not mind at all, but don't think to be calling me grandpere, I am far too young." Nic stated. Making both Harry and Nell laugh. Later after dinner and after Harry thought he could reproduce the muffliato spell, Nic side along apparated Harry home using coordinate apparition.
"Keep in touch, we shall try to have you at Christmas again."
"I look forward to it."
By mid-August Harry was more than ready for summer to be over. Dudley and Neville had a friendship spring up between them, and both boys made it a mission to tease Harry, usually about girls.
Harry wasn't sure why he could talk politics and economics and even legal matters but when it came to conversation with an attractive girl he usually got a little tongue-tied. What made it worse was he had next to nothing in common with most teenage girls. His experience pursuing Daphne had left a mark on his confidence. His dates with Susan had been more going out with a friend with whom he could talk to while they supported a budding romance of mutual friends. Cho had shot Harry down enough times that his confidence in this area was pretty low. On the train home he'd asked if he could write her and she'd shot him down, comparing him unfavorably with the Hufflepuff seeker..
The girls at dance camp had initially flirted with him, but now at the end of camp both his cousin and godbrother were far more popular.
"I know what it is, Neville."
"What's that, Lee?"
"Harry expects them to have more thoughts than fashion, gossip, and desire to be the queen bee in their heads."
"So what? I don't treat them like they've got nothing between their ears by showering them with meaningless compliments. I would think girls would appreciate that." Harry snarled.
"But, cuz, they're teenage girls. Most of 'em only have fluff between their ears. It's only brainiacs, and ugly ones that have more there at least until they're twenty. So which are you going to go for the brainy ones or the dogs, or is it they're one and the same? Because at the rate you're going that is all you'll be getting. Well, chaps, I've got to go, got a date with Marissa." Dudley bragged about getting together with the prettiest girl from dance camp.
"Bye, Lee." Neville said.
Harry had hope that with his cousin gone Neville would stop, but no.
"Harry, you make things so hard on yourself. You need to learn to give a girl a compliment, let her blather on, act interested. Then when she's comfortable, she'll snog with you."
"Is that what you do with Hannah?" Harry decided that he'd had enough. Neville had cut a bit of a swathe through the girls at dance camp as had Dudley. But he also knew that for Neville, Hannah was the one. Not only did the blonde Hufflepuff girl meet the not completely pureblood requirement the Longbottoms needed for the bloodline, but Hannah and Neville's magics were compatible. When Hannah was around Neville had eyes for no one else. If they followed magical custom a contract would probably be negotiated by their families the summer after OWLs.
"That's not nice."
"Yeah? Well, neither is cheating on Hannah."
Neville blushed hotly and frowned, " I'm not exactly cheating on her. We aren't boyfriend and girlfriend, yet."
"Really? Seemed to me you two were pretty exclusive by the end of third year."
"I-"
"Save it, Neville, if you want to stray on Hannah that's your business. I know you and Lee," Harry wondered if he'd ever get used to the nickname Dudley now used, "are popular with the girls and that's fine. I know you aren't serious about any of them because none of them are witches, but have you ever stopped to think about their feelings. How they feel when after a couple dates you drop them?
"And please stop harassing me about my lack of success. My hormones make me wish I were doing better, but I require more than a willing body that looks good. I want some meaning if I'm going to have a relationship, and frankly, lovely though many of them are, most of the girls at dance camp don't have enough brain cells to fill a teacup."
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