Hey, here's a one-shot I wanted to do. Hope you like.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.
Summary: Basically, Hermione left to Australia to find her parents. Harry misses her and decides to surprise her. He ends up getting to know her parents.
No children in this story for once. Haha.
Grangers
He missed her. So much. He wondered where she was and if she found her parents. She was the only one who could comfort him right now. The war had just ended. They had lost so many people. So many loved ones. So many.
He stood outside of the Burrow. He smiled as the wind blew through his hair. She had left six days ago. After the funerals. Yet, it had already seemed like a lifetime. There was love everywhere he looked. Love and sorrow. Neville was there for Ginny. They had recently gotten together. Luna and her father spent a lot of time at the Burrow as well. Ron was very excited about that. She comforted him as his brother died.
But Harry wanted one thing in the world. No-he needed one thing in the world. And she was halfway across the world.
Six days earlier, Harry and Hermione stood facing each other in the Weasely field. Hermione had her rucksack on her back. She was ready to go. "It's time to go to Sydney and restore the memories of Jacob and Charlotte Granger. Wendell and Monica Wilkins' time is over," she tried to lighten the mood.
"I'm going to miss you, 'Mione," Harry said sadly. "So much." He looked down at the ground. Sad. Yet, he felt a bit selfish for wanting her to stay.
"Hey," she lifted his face back up to look at her. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I promise."
He nodded and wrapped her in a hug. She kissed the side of his head. "I won't be long." When she parted from him, she waved to the Weaselys, and Disapparated.
"Hey, mate," he heard behind him, snapping him out of his flashback. He turned and gave his best mate a half-smile.
"Hey, Ron."
"You miss her, don't you?" he asked knowing exactly what was wrong with him.
"Yeah...so much." Suddenly, he made up his mind. "I'm going after her." He turned and calmly walked back to the Burrow, leaving Ron to stand there and smile. His friend was finally getting something through his thick head. He trotted to catch up with his best mate.
"You love her, don't you?" he asked knowingly.
"Of course I do. She's my best friend," he answered not getting the question. Ron stopped him. Grabbing his arm, making him look at him.
"No, you're in love with her, aren't you?"
Without hesistation, without fault, he replied truthfully, "Yes. So much. With all my heart. I can't live without her, Ron. I can't." He walked into the house and went pack his belongings to leave. He said "goodbye" to everyone and "thank you" for everything they had did for him.
Then he was off to find the one he loved.
He decided to fly there. He wanted to find her the Muggle way. How the both of them lived before they learned about magic. So, he sat in his seat for nearly a whole day. He was glad he had gotten the first class ticket. He didn't know what he would have done if he had to sit in coach.
He sat next to a nice British businessman who made nice conversation with him. "Hello, my name is Mark." He held out his hand to Harry as they had been in the air for a full twenty minutes. Harry shook his hand. "Harry. Nice to meet you."
"Have you ever been to Australia?" Mark asked.
"No. This is my first time going."
"Well, it's beautiful. You're going to like it. I'm going there on business. You going for vacation?"
"Oh, erm, no. Six days ago, my best friend went to Sydney to see her parents, who moved there a year ago. I'm going to tell her I love her."
"Oh, how romantic," Mark replied. "Well, good luck, dear boy."
"Thank you, sir." He smiled as he leaned back and closed his eyes for a nice sleep and a lovely dream about a certain brown-eyed girl.
When they landed, Harry got his bag from baggage claim and immediately checked into a hotel. He needed to find where "Wendell and Monica Wilkins" lived. He found a phonebook in his room and looked up their address. There were four Wendell and Monica Wilkins' that lived in Sydney. This made it very difficult. He supposed he had better get started. He ripped out the page in the phonebook-he would reattach it back with his wand when he was finished-and left the hotel, hailing a cab. He gave the cabbie the first address.
He started to get nervous as they drove off. He hadn't thought about what he was going to say to her when he saw her. What would he tell her? That he couldn't live without her? That he loved her?
Would she be mad at him that he had intruded on her family time? Now he was regretting coming here. He didn't want to impose on the small family's reunion. But he had come this far. He had traveled for so long. He owed it to himself to at least see her.
Before long, he had arrived to the first address. It was a small, white house in the suburbs of Sydney. The yard was a little unkempt and looked like it was uncared for. He wasn't sure this was the one just by knowing Hermione Granger. Yet, he decided to try. He paid the cabbie and got out of the car. He watched it drive off. He walked up to the house and rang the doorbell. Immediately, he heard a dog barking.
"Hey! Hush!" followed the barking. The door opened and a slightly, chubby man was standing there. "G'day, young man."
"G'day, sir. Erm, I'm sorry, I have the wrong house." He turned and left without another word. He realized that his cab had left and he had no way of getting back. He remembered seeing a bus stop a few streets away and walked in that direction.
When he got back to his hotel, he got into another cab and went to the next location. No luck. He was smart enough to tell the cabbie to wait and see if it was them as he didn't want to be left stranded again.
He was getting hungry, so he told the cabbie to go back into the city and find a good restuarant for him to eat for a late lunch. It was a lovely seafood place. As he ate, he looked around and saw many couples kissing and hugging. He missed Hermione even more. She was so close, yet...so far.
He went looking for the next house at around five in the afternoon. No such luck again. He gave the cabbie the last address. 'This has to be her' he thought to himself as they set off for the last house.
It was around six-thirty when they arrived at the last house. This one was in pristine condition. It looked like it had just jumped out of a magazine. He could hear the waves behind the house as it was right next to the ocean. He wondered if they had started eating dinner yet and if he would be interrupting. It had just started to get dark. He paid the cabbie and walked up to the front door.
Hermione Granger was cutting up tomatoes for the salad for her and her parents' dinner that night. She was laughing with her Mum about what her Dad had done that day. He had mispronounced "hors d'oeuvres" at the expensive restuarant they went to for lunch that day. He had said, "whores devours".
"Looks like Dad is awarded the Johnny Sausagehead Award," Hermione laughed.
"Shut up," Jacob Granger said from the living room, yet chuckled with them.
She had missed her parents so much. She missed laughing with them. She missed cooking with her Mum. She missed doing puzzles with her Dad. But right now, she missed Harry. She wished she had asked him to come with her. Help her find them.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" Hermione called out putting the knife down and running to the door. "Johnny Sausagehead needs to sit down and think about what he said!" she laughed at her Dad as she grabbed the doorknob.
She opened the door and her heart skipped a beat. Her breath hitched as she gasped at who it was.
She couldn't believe-
Could it really be-?
How did-?
"H-Harry...?" she asked shocked and confused. "Wh-what are you doing here?"
Charlotte and Jacob Granger walked to the entranceway to see who it was. Harry began to get even more nervous as he saw them. He hesitated for a moment, not sure what to say. He closed his eyes in anguish as he realized her parents might blame him for their daughter sending them to Australia. "I..." he started then stopped as his throat suddenly felt dry. He swallowed hard and continued. "I...I just had to see you," was what he said.
"I just had to see you," he repeated as he looked away. "I missed you so much. I felt...alone at the Burrow." He paused as he began to get embarrassed. "I'm so sorry for imposing. Now that I'm here, I feel like an intruder. I'm so sorry for interrupting on your family time. I just needed to see you, Hermione. I-I'll go now. Again, I'm very sorry." With one last look, he turned around on his heel and walked down the porch steps. He stumbled a bit on the last step.
Hermione could not believe it. Harry traveled over ten thousand miles because he wanted-no, needed-to see her. As he got to the picket fence, she called out:
"Harry, wait!" She ran down the porch steps and he stopped. His back was still to her. "Harry!" She ran to him, grabbed his arm, and turned him around. One lone, silent tear was streaking down his cheek. She gathered him in her arms and held him. "Hey, it's okay. It's okay. Shh."
"I'm so sorry I did this. I don't deserve to be here. I don't know why I came. I don't kn-"
She cut him off. "Shut up, Harry! Just shut up! Stop talking like that! You're always welcome here, okay? Always! You're a part of my family! Get that through your thick head, alright?"
He nodded and held her against him. Over her shoulder, he saw her parents looking on with solemn looks on their faces. They didn't look angry that he had imposed on them. When Hermione let go of him, she grabbed his hand and led him to the house. He quickly dried his eyes as they walked up the steps. "Harry, these are my parents: Jacob and Charlotte Granger. Mum, Dad...this is Harry. Harry Potter. My best friend," Hermione introduced.
"N-nice to meet you," he stuttered holding out his hand to Jacob Granger, who shook it politely.
"Nice to finally meet you, too, son."
Harry held out his hand to Charlotte Granger. However, she didn't shake it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around him in a hug. It surprised him. "Thank you so much for keeping my daughter safe. You have no idea what she means to me."
'You have no idea what she means to me' he wanted to say but didn't. Instead, he said, "You're welcome, ma'am."
Charlotte was crying now, too. "Come inside. Come inside," she ushered him in.
Harry was just glad they weren't angry at him.
"Would you like to have dinner with us?" she asked him as Jacob shut the door and locked it.
"Oh, erm, i-if you don't mind," he responded.
"Of course we don't," Hermione reminded him with a smile and a warning look that said, 'Stop being so over-modest'. "Come on, Harry. Come sit at the table. We were just fixing dinner-spaghetti and meatballs and garlic bread."
Harry inhaled the amazing smell of spaghetti into his nostrils. "Smells really good, Mrs. Granger."
"The name's 'Charlotte', Harry."
"My wife's the cook in the family," Jacob said smiling as the two men sat at the dining table.
"Yeah, because you can't pronounce 'hors d'oeurves'," Charlotte retorted and they all laughed.
"Dad called it 'whores devours' today," Hermione explained and Harry chuckled. He seemed to be in a better mood.
"So, Harry, tell me about yourself, son," Jacob said trying to make conversation.
Harry scratched the back of his neck. "Erm...there's really nothing to tell, sir."
"Dad, you might as well stop asking. That's about as much as you'll get out of him," Hermione said with a playful smirk toward him. However, Harry used her comment as fuel to prove her wrong.
"Well, sir, I am seventeen years old. I go to school with your daughter. I have a godson who I am planning on taking care of-"
"Teddy's going to live with you?" Hermione interrupted shocked.
"Andromeda is going to have him. But he's going to stay with me every other weekend. Once I get the hang of raising a kid by myself," he answered.
"Would you like something to drink, Harry?" Charlotte asked sweetly.
"Water, please."
He told her thank you as she set it in front of him. "Dinner's ready! Come and get it!" Charlotte called out. Hermione brought the salad bowl out to the table and placed it in front of Harry, giving him a reassuring look.
All four of them made themselves a plate of spaghetti and grabbed a piece of garlic bread. They sat down at the table and made themselves a salad. Harry and Hermione sat opposite each other and so did Charlotte and Jacob.
"So, Harry, Hermione tells us you defeated-what was his name? Voodoomart?" Jacob asked trying to make conversation.
"Voldemort, Daddy," Hermione corrected.
"Ah, yes, Voldemort."
"Yes, sir, I did."
"Were you afraid?"
Harry thought about that. He was. Very much so. He was afraid he couldn't do it. He was afraid he would fail. He was afraid for his friends and family and what would happen to them if he should fail. "Yes, sir, yes, I was," was what he said.
"So, you're a hero, then?"
Harry sighed. He didn't like to be called that. "No, sir, I'm not. In this war, heroes are anyone but me. We've lost so many. They were the heroes. Not me. But, actually, sir, ma'am, perhaps the biggest hero was your daughter," he said looking at her. She looked up at him with a confused look on her face. "Our other friend, Ron, left us. Abandoned us. Abandoned me on our quest. He had gotten tired of waiting around for something to pop up in front of us. A clue. A hint. None came so he bailed on us. You don't know how many nights I sat there unable to sleep, wondering if Hermione was going to leave me, too. She missed you. So much. As selfish as I felt, I didn't blame her. But she never left me. Never. And she never complained. Not once. Whenever I doubted myself, she wouldn't. She never stopped believing in me. I believe that if she had left me, I wouldn't have won. I would have been defeated. But she did. She did believe in me. And I will be forever grateful for it."
Hermione had silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She and Harry stared at each other. Charlotte and Jacob looked shocked. They had not expected him to say that. "You really mean that, Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry nodded. "Every word."
She smiled at him. "Thank you."
He smiled back at her.
After dinner, Harry immediately picked up the dirty dishes and began to wash them, getting confused looks from the Grangers. "Harry, what are you doing?" Hermione asked.
"Washing dishes," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Dear, you don't need to do that," Charlotte said walking over to him to wash the dishes herself and kick him out of the kitchen.
"No, it's okay. Really, Mrs. Granger. I'm happy to help," he responded. "It's the least I could do since I barged in."
"Harry, you didn't barge in," Hermione said getting up and moving beside him at the sink. "You wash, I'll dry." She grabbed the clean plate from his hands gently. Harry held onto it for a moment and she looked at him. He smiled slightly and she smiled back.
Charlotte and Jacob smiled at each other, sharing a knowing look. The former gestured her husband out of the kitchen. She followed once she had given her daughter and her best friend one last look.
"When are you thinking about coming home, Hermione?" Harry asked as he passed her a watery plate.
"I dunno. Mum and Dad are thinking about leaving and going home, but we're not in a rush. How's Teddy?"
"The last time I saw him was the day before I left. He's so innocent, Hermione. He has absolutely no idea his parents are dead. He's an orphan, Hermione. And for nothing."
"Harry, his parents gave up their lives for him. Just like your parents did. Just like Sirius did. Besides, Teddy is going to grow up with people that love him. And who knows? Maybe you're cut out to be a father."
Harry smiled to himself. He'd always wanted a family. Especially one with Hermione. "You really think I can do it?"
"Of course, and if you need help, I'll be there."
He nodded gratefully.
Harry and Hermione sat on the loveseat in the living room with the latter's parents on the other couch as they watched a sweet movie. Hermione was curled up in Harry's arms, laying in between his legs and her head on his chest, with her ear over his heartbeat. She clung to him as she fell asleep halfway through the movie. Harry could not believe how comfortable he was laying there with her. He wanted this for the rest of his life. He wanted to lay like this forever. He looked at her beautiful face as she slept against him.
Charlotte and Jacob looked at him knowing. Oh, yes, they could see it. They could see how much their daughter's best friend was in love with her. They saw it when he said his speech at dinner. They smiled as he kissed the side of her head softly.
Hermione stirred a bit as he kissed her temple. She opened her eyes and looked up at her best friend. "Hey."
"Hey," he said back.
"You're very comfortable."
"Am I?"
"Yes, very much so." They chuckled. "Is the movie over?" she asked as she saw the end credits rolling up.
"Yeah, you slept through most of it."
"I was pretty tired."
"What time is it?" Harry asked out loud.
Jacob looked at the old grandfather clock that was on the mantle, over the fire. Harry hadn't noticed it before. "Nearly ten o'clock."
"I should be getting back to my hotel and let you all go to bed," Harry said as Hermione lifted herself off of his chest. He stood up and walked over to Jacob Granger, holding out his hand, "It was a pleasure to finally meet you, sir."
Harry was shocked when Jacob didn't shake it. Instead, Charlotte said, "Harry, we can't let you go back to your hotel. We have another guest bedroom you can use."
"Oh, no, ma'am. Thank you, though. I don't want to inconvience you," he politely declined.
"Harry Potter!" Charlotte cried out. "You will stay here whether you like it or not!"
"Yes, ma'am," he blushed.
Harry had gone back to his hotel and gotten his things and checked out of his room. It was eleven o'clock and Harry laid in Hermione's bed next to her talking to her. "Your parents are very nice. How long did it take you to find them?" he asked her.
"Two days. I was so afraid they were going to be mad at me."
"Hermione, if they should be mad at anyone, it should be me. If you weren't friends with me, Voldemort wouldn't have gone after you and your family," Harry protested.
Hermione countered with, "If I weren't friends with you, life wouldn't be worth living."
"If I weren't friends with you, I would've let him kill me."
"Harry don't say that," she said looking at him in the eye.
"It's true. Everything I said at dinner is true. I couldn't have won this without you, Hermione. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. And it's not because you are smart and helped me all through these years. No, it's because you love people unconditionally. It's the fact that you would send your parents across the world without any memory of you to help a stupid boy who didn't know what he was doing and couldn't have gotten you killed. It's what you do for people. That's why I would've let him kill me. I wouldn't want to spend one moment without you."
Hermione was crying at Harry's speech. She leaned closer and closer to him. She looked at his mouth. He looked at hers. Then their lips met in a sweet, passionate kiss. It was short and Harry was the first to pull away to see her reaction. Her eyes were closed and she was smiling. "Hermione..."
"Yeah?"
"I love you," he said finally.
Her breath hitched a bit. "I love you, too, Harry. So much."
"I think I have loved you all along."
"Me, too."
"Please...don't make me live another day without you," he pleaded with her.
"I promise, Harry. I won't."
And with that, she pulled him down for another kiss.
THE END
Well, hoped you liked that one. It kinda got drifted away from being about the Grangers. Haha.
Btw, the "whores devours" actually happened with my dad. Haha. I wasn't born yet, though. My mom told me about it. And the "Johnny Sausagehead Award" is an actual award with my family. It's not necessarily an award. Its more of a name. It is given when some1 does something to earn the name "Dumbass". But we substitute it with "Johnny Sausagehead". Right now, my uncle has the name. We went to Hawaii for my sister's wedding and he went to the beach by our hotel early one morning, like before the sun came up and he thought he saw a dog on the beach and he called out to it, "Come here, puppy." Whistling and making noises at it. He swore he thought he saw it wag its tail, but when he walked up to it, he saw that it was actually a piece of driftwood. Haha. It was awesome! So, he's "Johnny Sausagehead". What's really funny is that my stepmom went out there one morning 2, but she thought the driftwood was sum1's child. Haha.
Anyway, hope you like my story. I really love this one.
What's new with me: I have ended school and off for Easter break. When I get back, we have finals all that week and then school is over. And I graduate soon after that. I'm really gonna miss my school. We have some of the best teachers in the world. Like, they-should-rule-this-country amazing. We even told one they should be president, but she was like, "Oh, no!" Haha.
Have a Happy Easter!
Pleez review!
DREWHHR
