A/N: Look at this! Two updates in one day. How amazing! Glad to see a few people are enjoying this! A lot of it is written, we've just got to get it polished before you all get to read it, so bear with us!

Thanks for your continued support! Enjoy!

-0-

"Hey, Hermione."

I smiled when I looked up, receiving an enthusiastic hug from my best friend.

"Hi Harry, are you ready for lunch?" I asked, signing my name on a form.

"Yep, can you get away?" he replied, plucking the quill from my hand and pulling my chair away from the desk. He clearly wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Just like my life with Ron hadn't quite worked out like I thought it would, my career hadn't quite gone the way I expected either. After the war was over, Harry and I had concentrated on helping Albus and Minerva repair the castle, and then with my trip to Australia I'd missed the application period for university. I could possibly have begged my way in – I was Hermione Granger, one third of the Golden Trio, holder of an Order of Merlin (First Class) but I didn't want to do it that way. My heritage as a Muggle-born was always in the back of my mind, but now I was marked that way too. At first it was like a lingering curse that I hated to think about. Minerva had caught me crying one night in the castle; she'd made me show her the reason and had gently held me while I cried, whispering that it wasn't something to be ashamed of, but a mark of heritage, something that I could wear proudly.

"You're the greatest witch I've ever met," she'd insisted. "And if that doesn't prove to you that you deserve to live in this world then I don't know what will."

"Hermione?"

I jerked back to the present to find Harry watching me with interest.

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "I was just thinking about Minerva. I wonder what she's doing for Christmas."

"Probably enjoying it with Albus," Harry said, offering me his arm like the gentlemen he was.

"I still think that's so cute," I giggled, leaning against him as we walked towards the exit.

"It is certainly a good thing," Harry said, nodding at a few people that waved to him. "They both look so much happier."

"Speaking of happy," I said tentatively, glancing at him as we waited for a free fireplace, "I, I'm not sure I can spend another Christmas at The Burrow."

Harry looked at me for a few seconds, before giving me a sideways hug.

"Let's wait 'til we get some lunch, then we'll talk."

As he walked forward to use the Floo I couldn't help but be proud of my best friend. He had grown up so much in the last two years. He'd literally grown too; he was taller, broader, more handsome and had matured emotionally. He was the best friend anyone could ever have – something Ron seemed to forget.

I travelled to the outside where Harry was waiting for me with a grin, brushing the soot off me as I blinked in the weak winter sunlight.

"The pub?" he asked, once again offering me his arm.

The pub was The Ship and Anchor, located in Muggle London and it was our new escape from everything Wizard. I nodded enthusiastically and we wandered the streets until we came to it. Inside it reminded us a little of The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade. Everyone was always very welcoming, and while there were a few long faces at the bar, the staff were pleasant and after so many visits Harry and I always got a smile when we arrived.

"Two specials, thanks Eddie," Harry called with a wave as we weaved our way through the tables. "So, what is it you want to talk about?" he asked, once we were seated.

"I can't go to The Burrow this Christmas, Harry. I, I am living my life. It's not that I don't miss Fred, I miss him every day, but it's been two years now and I just don't know that I can handle the grief anymore," I said, looking at him beseechingly. "They're not even trying to move on. Ron hasn't left The Burrow in six months."

"Ginny hasn't either," Harry said with a sigh.

"I, I had an idea last night after you left," I offered quietly. "I'd like to spend Christmas with my parents."

"In Australia?" he said, the shock written all over his face.

"Yeah, it would be different and happy, and well, we wouldn't be remembering fallen friends wherever we go, being photographed at parties, or any of that." I grinned as another thought occurred to me. "And remember, Witch Weekly's Hottest Pick is coming up. I imagine you'd be hard to beat with a tan."

"You want me to come too?" he exclaimed, only realising what I'd said afterwards, throwing a coaster in my direction with a smile. "Seriously Hermione, I, I don't not want to go, if I can't get Ginny to enjoy Christmas I'd want to spend it with my best friend, but it's Australia."

"I know, I really do, but just think about it?" I asked, poking my lip out and looking up at him with big eyes.

"Stop it!" he said poking his tongue out at me, before we fell about giggling until our food arrived.

"I, I want you to come, I don't want you to spend Christmas on your own," I clarified. "If you don't want to come, I won't go either."

"Hermione –"

"No, Harry, we're best mates, we stick together. If we can't have a nice Christmas at The Burrow, then we have a nice Christmas together."

"I could always ask Albus, although I wouldn't want to interrupt their own Christmas," he said wistfully, chewing on a chip thoughtfully. "They must have had so few good Christmases."

"You know they'd always have you, or us, whenever we asked, but I agree. I wouldn't want to intrude."

"Have you even asked your parents yet?" he asked.

"I have to wait for the time difference, but I thought I'd call them tonight and check. But I already know the answer. They'd be thrilled to have us, you included."

"Well, let's see what they say and we'll go from there?" he said with a nod. "Now eat. You're wasting away, don't think I'm not taking notice."

I grumbled at him, but did as I was told, looking forward to talking to my Mum later and also having the option of leaving England for a while.

-0-

It was much later when I finally got home. Reports were not fun, but I refused to do anything less than my best on them, and as such it took longer to complete than I anticipated. Pouring myself a glass of wine, I picked up the phone, toed off my shoes and settled into the couch, dialling my parent's number and waiting for someone to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hi Mum!"

"Hermione, honey! How you going?" I couldn't help but smile as I heard her talking. Katherine and Richard Granger the Australians, I thought before answering.

"Oh, you know, getting along. How are you and Dad?"

"We're good, everything's good, what's happening with you?"

"Work's good, Harry's fine…"

"But?" Mum said, already picking up on my melancholy.

"But Ron and Ginny, well, I feel terrible, but I just want them to start moving on, not forgetting Fred of course," I vented. "I mean, Harry and Andromeda lost Remus and Tonks in that same battle and yet Harry's out there working and Andromeda's taking care of Teddy, while Ron and Ginny are just, well, moping."

"Oh darling, grief doesn't have a timeline."

"I know, but last Christmas was a nightmare. It's different for Harry and I; we loved Fred like a brother, we did, but he wasn't our brother. We went to his funeral and we even talk to George about him all the time, but Ron and Ginny are a different story. In fact, besides Bill and Charlie, George seems to be the one dealing with it the best. I can't spend the holiday feeling terrible for not feeling terrible," I tried to explain. Mum was a rather perceptive woman and she hummed sympathetically.

"I had an idea last night…" I started, pausing as I thought about what I was asking.

"And?"

"Well, I wondered what you were doing for Christmas?"

"Oh darl, we can't come back to England, we don't want to. We've talked about this."

"No, no Mum, you don't understand," I said quickly, we had had this conversation several times before and it was clear that Mum and Dad would probably never come back. "I, well, I was wondering if you'd mind if maybe Harry and I joined you for a couple of weeks?"

"Are you serious?" she said, her voice climbing a few octaves. "Of course you can darling, of course! Your father will be stoked."

"He'll be what?" I asked, but didn't expect an answer. The longer my parents spent in Australia, the more they talked like Australians, and it was so interesting to hear.

"When can you come?" she asked, no doubt ready to copy down the information.

"Well, Harry and I have three weeks off, so I was thinking maybe the 20th to the 3rd? That way we can spend New Year there as well?"

"Perfect. Oh honey, it's going to be awesome!" I couldn't help but laugh as I agreed. "You bring whoever you want, everyone is welcome – anytime. Just remember that Christmas in Oz is a bit different from what you're used to. It's going to be a scorcher and we'll probably just go down the beach and have a barbie."

"That's fine Mum, it'll be fun." I'd learned a while ago what a barbie was. A BBQ on the beach really did seem like a pleasurable way to spend Christmas for a change.

"All right sweetheart, I have to go to work now but I'll speak to you later," Mum said, and I could hear the smile in her voice. "Have a good few weeks and don't forget to bring your togs."

"My what?" I asked, shaking my head.

"Oh sorry, your costumes. We'll be in the pool or at the beach probably for the whole two weeks."

"Okay, thanks again Mum. I love you."

"Love you, too, darling. Have a good day."

"You too, Mum."

I hung up the phone and leaned back against the cushions with a smile on my face. It hadn't even occurred to tell her that it might not happen. I was going to Australia for Christmas and I was going to make sure Harry did too. Two weeks in the sun sounded amazing.

Picking up the phone again I dialled the number I knew by heart and waited for Harry to answer.

"So I spoke to Mum…"

"And?"

"We're going to Australia! It will be brilliant, I promise," I said, laughing. "She said it's different to what we're used to, two weeks in the sun. Christmas day is a BBQ at the beach and we'll spend most of the time in the pool."

"All right then," he said, making me beam. "Yeah, all right. But we'll have to tell Ron and Ginny."

"We're due at The Burrow for Sunday lunch, we can tell them then."

"Don't you think that's a little soon?" Harry said sadly. "That still leaves us with three weeks of them being angry at us."

"Yes, but they need to know."

"All right," I heard him sigh. "Oh, by the way I won't see you tomorrow, we're training somewhere."

Harry had gone into the Auror training programme, and was enjoying it immensely.

"What am I going to do for lunch?" I teased gently. "Okay, you have fun and I'll see you on Sunday."

We said our goodbyes and hung up. For the first time in quite a few years I was actually feeling excited about Christmas. One more day of work, then it was onto the weekend. And after that, three weeks until we would be leaving for a fortnight of amazing fun.