A/N: Takes place after the events of both Future and Gone. I highly recommend reading both so the story makes sense. Gone worked as a standalone however this most likely will not. This also shouldn't be as emotionally heavy as both of those stories, but who knows anymore, right? (jk its Hermione and George going on holiday its fun times all round).
"If I told you that you'd have to spend the rest of your life in Luxembourg, London, or Launceston, which would you pick?"
"What sort of question is that?"
"A desperate one?"
Hermione narrowed her eyes at George over the top of her book. Usually she had to work her way inside his head to get to the bottom of his plans but this morning he was presenting them on a silver platter.
"Well?" George asked impatiently. Her eyes narrowed until she could only see him through slits while he chugged his pumpkin juice without averting his gaze.
Giving into his game for a moment, Hermione considered the options. "Well, Luxembourg has quite the history, it would be brilliant to see all the architecture castles and everything else; plus my French would come in handy even though I haven't practised it in too long. Can I travel out of the city or am I stuck there permanently?"
"It would be like a new home, you could travel or whatever you wanted to but within reason. No living here for seven months out of the year but using the new place as your billing address." George commented.
"In that case Launceston would be lovely seeing as it's the closest to my parents, but I'd still have to use a portkey or two, the distance is too far to Apparate to Brisbane. Why did you pick Launceston?"
George grinned sheepishly. "I couldn't think of anywhere else that started with L."
She shook her head as she put her bookmark in her textbook and closed it on the kitchen table. "I don't really know what's in Launceston, I'd have to research it."
"But it would be close to your parents." he pointed out.
"I'm almost twenty-three, George, I don't need to be very close to my parents. I hadn't been living at home since I was eleven either, they're used to me not being around." She didn't mean to let the tinge of sadness enter her voice, but she shook it off easily. "I don't think I'd want to be in London forever, you know? I don't mind living in a flat off Diagon Alley, but it's really not where I picture myself in five years' time."
George nodded as he wordlessly summoned their breakfast dishes to her sink. Her little flat had been transformed into Hermione's personal heaven – her own private study. She'd moved into the flat above the shop with George nearly two years ago now and had been granted permission to keep the flat for her studies by the Ministry. 'Granted permission' wasn't the right phrase really, they'd practically forced Hermione to keep the extra place while she continued with her pioneer work into magical children's development and early learning. Hermione had argued with everyone on the ladder until she'd eventually gotten to Shacklebolt who politely explained that it, along with the War pension or whatever you wanted to call it, was hers until she either finished her studies and began full time work with a reasonable salary or was married and working/living off a large enough income for her and her husband. She'd been furious with that line of reasoning until Shacklebolt – again, calmly – explained that it was how things had been since just after the first battle that the Ministry had been involved in almost a millennium ago and that they were more than happy to continue supporting those who'd played major roles in the Order.
So here they were, Hermione and George, sitting around her rarely used kitchen table at seven thirty in the morning. George had Floo'd in at midnight to find Hermione slumped over her desk – a habit she was trying to break – and had carried her into her old bed they'd never gotten rid of. It had served them well on nights like that and Hermione was grateful that George could stay the night without the problem of getting to work on time or not being able to be found in an emergency.
"So the answer would be Luxembourg?" George confirmed. "Because of the history and architecture?"
"And Launceston second."
George rose from his seat and stood behind her, circling his muscled arms around her shoulders tightly and kissing her temple. "Don't bring me lunch today, love; I've given Ron and Daniel extended lunch breaks to make up for that week I was away."
"You're booking things, aren't you?" Hermione asked with a tilted head and a sly smile.
George tightened his grip and kissed her again. "Can't get anything around you, smarty-pants. Can you afford a bit of time off in two weeks?"
"Two weeks? Our anniversary is in two months, just save it for then." she said.
"But you don't like celebrating our anniversary." he replied as he rested his cheek on her head.
"When has that stopped you?"
"Touché." George laughed as he kissed his way down to her neck. "We can go away then too, but I want to take you away now; you deserve it."
"I haven't done anything, George."
"You've been studying your lovely arse off and that deserves a reward, plus you've been working nonstop ever since the…"
George faltered over the last few words. Even though they'd said everything that needed to be said about her miscarriage three weeks ago it was still an (understandably) uncomfortable topic.
"The study's been a good distraction." she admitted.
George brightened at that. "A distraction you say? I know just the thing; how does Luxembourg sound?"
Hermione laughed and shook her head, well aware that she was tickling him with her flyaway hairs. He blew up at them to give himself some breathing room and resettled his chin on her shoulder. "Here or home tonight?"
"Home." She said as he kissed her neck a final time and stepped away from her. With his twinkling wave (she hated to be kissed when she still had morning breath) he Apparated out of the tiny kitchen, leaving a sighing Hermione staring wistfully out the window. A holiday sounded good right about now.
A/N: Short chapter yes but the others will be much longer. Very excited for the happy times for the two of them to start rolling in, PLUS I've already got an idea for the (most likely) last installment to the Future series before I move onto the something else I already have planned. Let me know what you think!