30 August 1998
"It's nice", Hermione said, half-heartedly looking around the room, an unnatural smile plastered on her face, as Ginny shot a sticking charm at the framed photograph that Harry was propping up against the wall with his hands.
It was a Muggle photograph of the young Marauders and Lily, taken at James and Lily's wedding. Petunia had found it while cleaning the attic after the Dursleys had returned to Privet Drive, a week after the Battle of Hogwarts and sent it through Diggle. Hermione didn't know if Harry had contacted the Dursleys after that-she had left for Australia almost immediately and returned with her parents last night. She had almost been shut out of wizarding England in the intervening couple of months as it was difficult for owls to go all the way to Australia and Brisbane-where her parents lived-was almost all Muggle, blocking her access to the Floo Network.
The first person she met back was Ginny, to buy supplies for the new Hogwarts session and she informed Hermione about Harry and Ron's new flat in Diagon Alley. It was the second most conflicted moment of Hermione's life as she saw with stunned happiness where the flat was located-right on top of Flourish and Blotts-and then realised with a pang that her two best friends were definitely not coming back to Hogwarts.
"Come on", Harry chided her, breaking her out of her reverie, "it's better than nice".
Hermione took in the rest of his room, looking too neat to have been lived in, especially by an 18 year old wizard whose personal hygiene habits were advertised by his head full of messy hair. She was sure Ginny had had a say in decorating the room-there was no way Harry had gone and bought blue bedcovers and a floormat to match the curtains. Or that he had even thought that he needed a dresser. She wondered how Ron's room was done- it was charmed shut in Ron's absence (he had dropped in to the Burrow for a late breakfast), and Ginny and Harry had exchanged disturbingly knowing smirks at that.
"Yeah", Ginny chimed in, "the size is perfect for the two of them-large bedrooms, one large store room, it's all sunny and airy, they can floo to the Burrow or the Ministry, George is nearby, Kreacher likes it enough to drop in twice a day and clean and cook…", she rambled on as Hermione felt her throat constrict, parrying the threat of oncoming tears.
She quickly turned her back to her friends, and moved out of the room, pretending to survey the rest of the house. She had to agree, that it was better than nice. A vine covered spiralling staircase on the side of the building that housed Flourish and Blotts led to the main door. There was a living room to the left of the main door, as yet unfurnished, and an open kitchen to the right, that Hermione suspected would remain unused. A lobby led to the two bedrooms. The left-most wall of the living room has two doors, one leading to the balcony that faced Diagon Alley and another, presumably to the store-room that probably housed all kinds of rubbish that Mrs Weasely had discarded from the Burrow. Or maybe Harry and Ron could use it as a broom closet or coat rack. Not that they needed her input. Ginny was here, and Kreacher, apparently. And they had jobs now, while Hermione was still in school, so really they were the legitimate adults. Hermione's brooding was interrupted by the fireplace in the living room making a whooshing noise, signalling a new arrival.
She turned around to see Ron stumbling out while brushing soot off his clothes. Looking up, he spotted Hermione, and beamed at her. She flashed him a tight smile in return, wanting nothing more but to fling herself at him, the way she had at Harry, but hesitated. He seemed to note that, as his smile weakened, and the top of his ears turned pink.
"Hi," Ron said, awkwardly, averting his gaze.
Hermione flashed him another uncomfortable smile, the pain in her throat not having eased up. He asked her if she wanted to see his room and she nodded eagerly, though neither made any move in the right direction. It took Ginny hooting for Ron to finally roll his eyes, mutter disdainfully about precocious school-girls and pull Hermione towards the door that carried a plaque announcing that it was RONALD'S ROOM.
"I got it from home", Ron said, while brandishing his wand at the door, making some complicated manoeuvres to unlock it. Hermione raised her left eye-brow at that and Ron shrugged, ushering her inside.
"Got Bill to show me those, even Alohomora cannot open my door. Can be bloody complicated, the first week I kept forgetting the correct order of the incantations", he explained.
"Why?" Hermione finally croaked out, as she stared at the room. Unlike Harry's freakishly neat room, this one was all Ron. The same Chudley Cannon posters covered the walls as at the Burrow, a familiar orange bedspread covered the single bed, and a book shelf held the same comic book collection that Ron had been reading since he was nine. Something, and Hermione wasn't sure exactly what it was, but something about the garish, cluttered room made her happy and she realised she could smile normally again, which she had been hard pressed to do since entering the flat.
"Those two", Ron said with a shudder, as his thumb pointed to the door, presumably signalling Harry and Ginny.
"What about them?"
"Uh, they tend to get frisky all over the flat", Ron answered, his face screwing up in disgust.
She started to scold Ron for being such a prude, then immediately had a flash of Ron in sixth year, glued to Lavender, and echoed his disgust.
"Yeah", he said noting her expression, "I actually wanted to be obliviated at one point". Then he seemed to remember something, and blushed.
"It's fine, they're fine", Hermione reassured him. "They will be at King's Cross day after, you will see. You will come see me off, won't you? "
Ron nodded at that and started to say something. Then thinking better of it, he closed his mouth and stared blankly at her.
"What?" Hermione prodded.
"I…we…I…there is a surprise for you", he said.
Hermione beamed at him, asking what it was. He cheered up, turned around and opened the door to his room.
"Oi, Harry", he hollered across the lobby, "let's show Hermione… our surprise".
Ginny seemed to have left, as Harry came out of his room alone. He nodded and the two boys started moving towards the living room and Hermione followed them to the door to the store-room she had seen earlier.
"Ready?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded impatiently and Ron opened the door.
The three of them entered, Hermione surprised that the room was much larger and sunnier than she would have expected. The walls were painted lemon yellow, and there was limited furniture. A bed stood along one side of the room, covered with a cheerful white bedspread with tiny yellow sunflowers printed across. There was a window over the bed, overlooking the market below. The two walls on the side were covered by ceiling high book-shelves, both empty.
"How?" Hermione spun around to look at the room, stunned. Ron blushed as Harry smirked.
"You think only you can do an undetectable extension charm?" he asked.
Hermione's mouth fell open in shock.
"Y..you did this? How did you do it on a room? That has to be far more complex than on a bag. Is this even legal?"
"It was Ron's idea", Harry admitted, a little less smug than before. "And Mr. Weasely got Reg Cattermole to do it".
"Yeah, you remember that bloke from the Ministry who couldn't get the rain to stop in Yaxley's office at the Ministry?" Ron said, now smiling.
"Cattermole is in the Ministry, he wouldn't be breaking laws?" Harry interjected, worriedly.
Hermione ignored him, nodding at Ron.
"He may have seemed a little dim, but everyone has a talent apparently, and his is undetectable extension charms. You should see his office at the ministry. His quill stand can hold umbrellas. And he fit in a four poster bed in the supply closet. Which probably explains why he is rubbish at his job", Ron said.
"It's not like we are encroaching on anyone's space, are we?" Harry asked, now sounding quite worried.
"Yes, but old Reggie was falling over his feet to oblige the Boy Who Lived, so I am not sure he cared about laws at that point. Plus who is going to send the Chosen One and his two lackeys to jail?"Ron scoffed.
"Hey, who are you calling a lackey?" Hermione objected at the same time as Harry plonked himself on the bed, head in his hands exclaiming that it really wasn't the point.
"Hello, who is all this for?" Ron spluttered, indicating the room by flailing his hands around, still talking to Hermione.
"We can't use our clout like that. And we certainly can't let people break the law to do us favours. We are aurors now and already people think we are entitled young brats." Harry reasoned. "Hermione, can we check to see if it's illegal?"
Hermione nodded blankly, still looking at Ron.
"I thought you would like the sunflowers on the bedspread", Ron told her, sounding a little unsure. "Luna went with me to buy the furniture and choose the paint, so it might not be your taste, but we can always get new ones later, not this month, but I can get more saved up in two months. I would have liked to take Ginny to shop but I wasn't sure she could keep a secret. And mum couldn't know because she would not approve. But now that it's done she can't do much, and you can come stay with us during the hols and after school. I mean obviously we have to be together right, the three of us…?" Ron glanced at Harry once before looking at Hermione again.
Hermione nodded once, looking fondly at Ron. Then suddenly she flung herself at him, kissing him, their first since the one at Battle of Hogwarts. Ron reacted just as enthusiastically as in the heat of battle while Harry groaned, burying his head in his hands again.
"I think we should make an Unbreakable Vow-no making out in front of each other", he offered weakly.
Ron laughed, pulling back from Hermione.
"Lunch?" he suggested.
"Didn't you just get back from the Burrow?" Harry asked, disbelief in his tone.
"Doesn't matter. I am famished", Hermione lied. Now it was Ron's turn to look at her in adoration. "Let's go to the Leaky? Should we call Ginny?" she suggested, and Harry agreed.