A/N: Hi everyone! First of all I'd like to thank you for looking at my poor attempt at creativity. I'm sorry that the chapters are such different sizes, I wrote this originally without any intention to put it up anywhere, so when I had to divide it into chapters, I had to cut them off at the most logical places, which creates chapters of various lengths. I'd love to hear what you think about it, so please review. Finally, I should say that I am not J.K. Rowling and therefore own nothing related to Harry Potter except my own copies of the books. Enjoy!
Near the beginning of June, Ron and Harry took Hermione to Heathrow to board a flight for Sydney. Ron looked nervous at the thought of his girlfriend getting onto one of those metal bird things. "Are you sure you have to get there this way? And are you sure you don't want me to come with you? What if something were to happen?"
"Yes, Ron. We already discussed this. Floo-ing across continents is dreadful and I don't feel my apparating is quite that good yet. And as for going by myself, you know your mum needs you to be here right now, you're the only one George has talked to. And no one there knows who I am. I'll be fine. I promise." Ron rolled his eyes at the second half of her sentence, but pulled her into a hug nonetheless. "Be careful." She nodded, tears forming in her eyes.
"I'm sorry I'm leaving. We just got together and I'm leaving now, and then in the fall. I'm a terrible girlfriend."
"No you're not! Hermione, we have the rest of our lives to be together. Now is about you finding your parents and finishing your education." He wiped away the tears that were flowing down her cheeks. "Go get 'em." He chuckled, giving her a quick kiss.
"Good luck, Hermione. We'll miss you." Harry said, pulling her into a hug.
"Thanks guys. I'll miss you too." She started walking down the tunnel to her plane, but turned at the last minute and rushed back.
"Hermione, what are -" Ron began to say but was cut off as she threw herself into his arms and kissed him, hard.
"I love you." She said breathlessly.
"I love you too Hermione." Ron replied, grinning like a maniac. "And if any Australian guys get their paws on you I'm going to rip them apart." He added with a scowl.
Hermione giggled. "Ditto." With that she rushed back to her plane.
Ron turned back to Harry, who had been shocked into speechlessness. "Did Hermione Granger just tell me she loves me?" He asked unbelieving.
"Yeah, she did." Harry confirmed, clapping a hand on his back. "Come on, let's go home."
Dear Ron-
I found them! It was a lot easier than I thought. There are ads all over the place for their private dental practice, all I had to do was follow them home from work one day. I haven't talked to them yet, but I will. Australia is gorgeous! It's so warm and sunny. I hope you and Harry and Ginny are doing well, give them both my love. I'll write after I have a chance to talk to my parents.
All my love,
Hermione
Ron-
This is so much harder than I thought it was going to be. The first time I talked to them, it was like they were talking to a complete stranger, which they were, but it's so hard not being recognized by your own parents. I wonder if I should have taken Kingsley u p on his offer after all. But I finally convinced them to let me into their house to talk to them, and I lifted the charm. They were really mad at first. They thought I hadn't trusted them not to tell Death Eaters about Harry. I don't think they understand their methods of getting information out of people. They've asked me to give them a day to think things over and come to see them tomorrow. They have to forgive me, don't they? I mean, I was only doing it for their own safety. It's not like I wanted to banish them to the other side of the world. I miss you more and more every day.
Always yours,
Hermione
Ron-
It all worked out. They understand why I did what I did and now they barely let me out of their sight. We're taking a trip to the beach for the next couple weeks before heading back to England. I should be back for Harry's birthday! I got a new bikini that I wish you could see me in. Maybe we can go for swims at the Burrow! I promise not to let anyone touch me. You're the only person I ever want doing that. I can't wait to see you. I've told my mum and dad about you and they can't wait to see you either. Don't be too nervous, lover boy, they'll love you. Just like I do.
Hermione
A week before Harry's eighteenth birthday found Ron back at the airport. Hermione's parents would be going back to their house to get settled in before she moved in herself. For the time being, she was staying at the Burrow. As she led her parents to the baggage claim area, she found herself slightly nervous at the thought of seeing her boyfriend again. All her doubts were laid to rest when she spotted the tall redhead looking lost among the Muggles milling around the airport. He saw her before she got close enough to call his name and ran straight for her. She leaped into his arms and he spun her around, her face buried in his neck. "I missed you." He said unnecessarily.
"I missed you too." She pulled his head down to hers for a kiss before turning to her parents who were watching them bemusedly. "Mum, Dad, this is Ron Weasley, my boyfriend."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Granger." Ron shook hands nervously.
"Please, Ron. Call me Michael." Hermione's father asked him.
"And I'm Jean."
"Of course, if that's what you want." Hermione glanced pointedly at her mother's large suitcase. "What-oh! Would you let me carry that Mrs. Gran-, er, Jean?"
"Of course, Ron. Thank you so much. Hermione, you didn't mention how much of a gentleman he is."
"That's because he's usually not, Mum." She smirked at Ron who had frowned at her. "He's just trying to impress you. Let's see if we can find you a taxi." She hailed a black cab to take her parents to the train station. "I'll see you in a little more than a week, ok?" she said, hugging her mother goodbye.
"Of course sweetheart. Have fun!" Her mother replied.
"But not too much fun." Her father said, glancing at Ron, who once again went red. They both got into the cab and drove away. Hermione turned to Ron, who hugged her tightly. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" she asked him.
"Not really, no."
"Let's go home. I'm starved." Hermione said, her stomach grumbling.
"I'm starting to rub off on you, aren't I?" Ron grinned, before turning on the spot and disappearing.
They reappeared outside the gate to the Burrow. Hermione started to push it open to head into the house, but Ron grabbed her hand and pulled her out of sight of the house. "Ron! What are you doing?" She asked him. He rubbed his neck sheepishly. "Well, you know, with your parents there and all, we never got to properly…" he broke off embarrassed.
"Snog?" Hermione suggested. Ron nodded his head enthusiastically and pulled her into him, placing her arms around his shoulders and his around her waist. She raised herself up on her toes and he bent his head, both needing to adjust their heights in order to reach the others mouth. Their lips met in a quiet kiss, which quickly escalated. His tongue ran along her bottom lip, begging for entrance and she granted it. Seconds later a voice rang out from the house.
"Where are they? They should have gotten here fifteen minutes ago."
Ron and Hermione pulled back from each other, avoiding the others' eyes. "D'you reckon we should go in?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded, but pulled his head down to hers for a quick peck.
"I love you." She whispered into his ear before pulling away from him and heading into the house, leaving him to carry in her luggage.
"Bloody woman." Ron mumbled as he struggled with the suitcases before remembering he was a wizard and levitated them into the house. As he passed Hermione on his way up to her room he whispered into her ear. "I love you too."
That night, after a large dinner courtesy of Mrs. Weasley, the whole family was sitting in the living room. Mrs. Weasley was mending one of her husband's shirts, who in turn was catching up on some paperwork for his new job as assistant to the Minister of Magic, a position Kingsley had to force on his old friend. Harry and George were wrapped up in a chess game with Ginny watching them. Hermione was seated atop of Ron's lap while he sat in a large armchair and they were talking quietly.
"George seems better, doesn't he?" Hermione commented.
"Yeah, I guess. I've been helping him with the store a little, not having anything else to do, you know?"
"Really Ron? That's great." He nodded.
"It seemed to take his mind off Fred, or at least helped him remember other things, good things." He seemed shocked at his own insightfulness. "Or something…"
Hermione laughed. "Come on. Let's go get the gifts I got for people. They're in my bags." She jumped off his lap and pulled him to his feet. "I have pictures too, and if you're good, you can see the one of me in my bikini." That got his attention. He practically pulled her out of the room, barely hearing her quick explanation to his family.
As it turned out, Hermione hadn't known what to get Ron, so her gift to him was the pictures. After they had handed out the other gifts, he pulled her outside to the porch. "Ronald. If you keep this up, my arm's going to come out of its socket." She scolded good-naturedly. She opened her mouth to continue, but he stopped her. "Hermione, I love you."
"I love you too, Ron." She looked suspiciously up at him. "What is it?" She asked.
"It's just…I don't want to lose you."
"Lose me? Ron, I just told you I love you. I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon."
"But you're going back to Hogwarts and I'm going to be here and-"
Now it was Hermione who stopped him, this time with a kiss. "I've waited more than four years for you, Ronald Weasley. I'm not about to let you go." She told him firmly before pulling his head down to hers and kissing him, hard. She poured all of her love into the kiss, trying to make him understand that she wasn't going to leave him. Things escalated rather quickly and soon his hands were under her shirt, rubbing her stomach and were venturing towards her breasts. She pulled away breathless. "Ron. We need to stop."
"Why?"
"It's just that…I promised myself I wouldn't, well, you know, until I was married. And if we kept going, I don't know that I could ask you to stop." Ron's face fell a little. "I'm sorry Ron, I do want you, just not…now." She ended lamely. "Are you mad?"
"No, Hermione, I'm not. I wouldn't love you if you didn't do things like this. I'm disappointed, sure, but if this is what you want, I could never be mad at you."
She smiled at him. "I really do love you, you know." He grinned back.
"You'd better. This is going to be hard."
