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As Mr. Weasley had said, Kingsley was informed of the situation. He readily agreed to help me, but warned me that it probably wouldn't be for another couple of weeks as most of their auror staff was out searching for the few remaining death eaters. So while I was waiting to hear back from Kingsley, I busied myself with helping the Weasleys. Molly had begun to teach me household and cooking charms, and soon I was helping Molly cook the meals the Weasleys ate. I would go over to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes to help Fred and George repair their shop and replenish their supplies. Occasionally, I helped the twins figure out how to make a new product or better an old one. Ginny and I could often be found out and wandering the grounds around the Burrow or watching as Harry and Ron played one-on-one Quidditch. I wasn't still sure where Ron and I stood relationship wise and I wasn't entirely sure I could get an answer out of him.
It was coming up to July and I still hadn't heard back from Kingsley. Though a lot of his time was taken up with trying to locate and arrest the remaining death eaters. It wasn't till mid-July that I finally got a response from Kingsley. He had come over to the Burrow one afternoon on the pretense that he had things to discuss with Mr. Weasley as I still didn't want everyone else finding out about this quite yet.
"Well, Hermione. I've been trying to figure out if I can release any aurors to go with you to Australia, but at the moment they are all out on missions locating the last death eaters and aren't expected back for at least a month. The only other option that you have would be to have a few members of the Order go with you down to Australia to retrieve your parents. If you decide to go with the Order, you could leave by the end of the week. If you decide to go with the aurors, it probably won't be till September that you can get your parents and I was under the impression that you were considering going back to Hogwarts to finish up your 7th year." I nodded. "So, that really only leaves you with the Order option if that is okay with you." I nodded again. I was almost bouncing in my seat. I was going to get my parents back!
"Now, I've already talked to two Order members about accompanying you to Australia and they've agreed to go with you."
"Harry and Ron?" It would be like our time on the run, except not as stressful and we'd actually be prepared. Kingsley gave me a sad smile before continuing. "Unfortunately, as Harry and Ron were never an official part of the Order and trained to be a part of the Order, we can't let them go with you. I know that this would be something similar to what you three did this past year, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and myself would feel a lot better if you were accompanied by someone who had been trained by the Order." Oh. I sunk slightly in my seat. The only Order members I could think of were dead. Tonks, Remus, Mad-Eye… I turned my attention back to Kingsley. "Who?" He gave a wry smile. "Fred! George!" What.
I turned, shocked, when I heard footsteps enter the kitchen. "You called dear Kingsley." They sat down at the kitchen table with Kingsley and I, sitting across from each other. "Gred,"
"and Forge,"
"at your service Miss Granger." But… they… how… what? "Fred and George were the only two Order members available to escort you to Australia. Mr. Weasley is currently tied up at work, Charlie is back in Romania, Percy is also tied up at work, Bill has his family and Molly is watching over all of you guys." I sat there still in shock. "But," I turned to look at Fred and George, "what about your shop? Aren't you supposed to be opening up again soon?"
"Well, we were supposed to, but the Ministry said that we couldn't open up until Diagon Alley was back up and under the protections it was before the war. That's going to take awhile so we won't be opening up for another 3 or 4 months. So we really have nothing to do right now besides make products and invent. So don't worry 'Mione, you're not inconveniencing us." Fred gave me smile and put his hand on my knee, giving it a small squeeze before releasing it. George sat there smirking. "What better way to spend out time than with our favorite Gryffindor Princess, who also happens to be one-third of the trio and an excellent inventor." He gave me a wink, making me blush. Kingsley just sat there, chuckling under his breath.
"So it's settled then." Fred, George and I all looked at one another and nodded. "Now, I've arranged for an international portkey to take you all to Australia this Saturday, so you have 3 days to prepare." Kingsley then turned to me. "I would suggest you take this time to see if you can find out anything about your parents whereabouts. If you need, I'm sure you could enlist the help of Fred and George. Good luck." With that, Kingsley headed back to the Ministry to go work on a new law that they were trying to pass.
"So Granger." I turned to look at George. "What do Fred and I here need to pack for this little rendezvous?" I rolled my eyes. Of course George would make this out to be a date. "Preferably clothes, George and anything else that you'll be needing on a day to day basis." I didn't like the gleam that was in George's eye. It usually meant that he was up to no good. He probably pack some of his joke things that he and Fred had been working on for the shop and they would "accidentally" find their way into my parents belongings. "George... " I looked up at him warily as he pretended to be confused and offended. "What?" I shook my head, giggling. "Don't even think about it." George put a hand to his chest and gasped. "Fred, can you believe that she is accusing me of planning something? The horror!" He shuddered causing me to giggle more. Fred just smiled and shook his head.
"If you two don't mind, I'm going to go start trying to figure out where my parents are. I'll see you Saturday? Or maybe sometime before hand if you two show up here?" The twins nodded, George still trying to "recuperate" from my accusation. As I was leaving the kitchen Fred called out. "'Mione!" I turned back. "What time should we get here Saturday." "Well, Kingsley didn't say a time for Saturday. I'll owl him and once I know I'll let you two know." Fred nodded and waved goodbye. I waved back and headed out of the kitchen.
Ginny found me up in our room packing and going over my list. "Hermione, I'm sure you haven't forgotten anything. Relax. It's not like you won't be able to go out and get whatever you've forgotten." I smiled, putting my list on my bed. "It will be a lot harder to get the books I need down there I'm sure of it. And it doesn't hurt to check several times." Ginny just shook her head. It went quiet for a bit as we just enjoyed each other's company. It had been busy the last couple of days with everyone still trying to settle into a semblance of a normal routine. We hadn't really gotten to talk since I told her about my parents.
"Have you made a decision then?" There was the heavy question I had been thinking about since I found out I was going to get my parents back. "Yeah, I have." Ginny slid off of her bed and over to mine, draping her arm across my shoulders. "And?" Her voice was barely louder than a whisper. "I'm going to end it." It was quiet for a bit before I continued talking, knowing Ginny would want to know why. "It's too soon after the war. I'm still trying to recuperate and Ron isn't really helping with that. I just don't think he gets how traumatizing that whole ordeal was. I think he and Harry just expect me to bounce back and be the Hermione they've always known. The one that's brave and outgoing, willing to do anything for them, but right now, I feel more like a Hufflepuff than Gryffindor." I could feel the tears running down my face. It was funny how warm they were when I felt so cold on the inside.
Ginny pulled me into a hug, smoothing down my hair, letting me cry. "I'm sorry, Hermione. No one can ever understand what you went through that night and it's horrible that they just expect you to get over it just like that. Especially when Ron is still recovering from Fred's scare and his time in the hospital. Maybe this trip is just what you need. To get away from it all and recover. You might not go back to 100%, but you'll get there eventually. And while you're gone, I'll talk some sense into Harry who will hopefully talk some sense into Ron." I chuckled at her last comment before returning her hug. "Thanks, Ginny." She rubbed my back as she hugged me. "No problem Hermione. That's what friends are for."
Saturday came too fast. I had spent Thursday and Friday trying to talk to Ron, but he kept brushing me off to be with Harry. The twins and my portkey was scheduled for noon, so my plan was to corner Ron and talk to him before then and if Harry had to witness this, then he would.
I found them up in Ron's room discussing something. I stood in the doorway for a while just watching them. It was a couple minutes before they noticed that I was standing in the doorway. Ron was the one to call out. "Oh, hey 'Mione." I gave a small smile, or maybe it was a grimace. I didn't like how the nickname sounded coming from Ron. "Hey guys." I moved to sit on the bed next to Harry. "Harry, would you mind if I talked to Ron. Alone."
"Not at all." Harry got up and left, kissing me on my head, and then it was just Ron and myself. We sat there in an awkward silence for a while. The speech I had prepared suddenly escaping my memory, leaving me with nothing.
"Ron," my voice was quiet. Quieter than I had expected. "I need to tell you something, but I need you to promise me that you will let me get all the way through with speaking before you say anything." I looked at him expectantly, waiting for his response. He nodded and I began. "I obliviated my parents before the war and now I've been given the opportunity to fix it and bring them back. Kingsley is sending me with two members of the Order down to Australia so I can get them." He nodded. "When are you leaving?" I bit my lip and looked at my feet. "Today." That's when it started.
"Today?! You're leaving today and saw fit to tell me now?!" Ron was standing up now, his fists clenched and his face turning more and more red. I glared right back at him. "I would have told you sooner Ronald, but you were always brushing me off to go off with Harry. Don't put this on me. I could have not told you at all and just left, but I had to tell you because there's something else we need to talk about." I knew that I had limited amount of time before he blew up again. "Us, Ron. Ever since the battle and that kiss you have been confusing. Wanting to be near me one second and then distant the next. I'm not sure what you're expecting from me and I'm not even sure what I want." Ron was angry and very much red. "Oh, it's all my fault. What about you Hermione? Every time I try to get close you push me away like I'm some filth. Maybe the problem isn't me, maybe it's you." I shifted on Harry's bed and was sure the entire Burrow could hear us.
"Maybe I am part of the problem Ron, but have you ever considered that I may be struggling with coping with what happened during the war? Sure you almost lost a brother and you spent a lot of time in the hospital, but you aren't the only one who faced problems because of the war. I was tortured Ron. Tortured to the brink of insanity by the same mad women who put Neville's parents in St. Mungo's. She used the Cruciatus curse on me dozens of times, beat me, and used a cursed knife to write a derogatory racial slur into my arm." At this point, I reached for my sleeve and pulled it back showing him the mudblood scar. "If it weren't for Fleur's care for me during our time at Shell Cottage I might be in St. Mungo's right now, next to Neville's parents, but even then I still didn't get time to fully recover from it. You want to know the reason why I constantly flinch when you come up behind me? Because I think it's her coming to continue the torture even though she's dead. I began pushing you away because you would crowd my space and it would make me anxious and I would begin to panic. There isn't a night that goes by where I don't have nightmares about it Ronald. So yes, please feel free to blame all of our problems on me because I suffered nothing during the war. I'm just the brains that kept you and Harry alive long enough to get to the Battle of Hogwarts. I'm just the one that made sure we were adequately prepared for the mission. I'm just your pedestal girlfriend who should be groveling at your feet because you suffered a concussion with broken bones. Grow up Ronald. The world doesn't revolve around you and you aren't the only one who's suffering right now. Look around at your friends and family. They are all struggling with coming to terms with what happened during the war, but no. Little precious Ronniekins only cares about himself and is quick to make sure others are also only caring about him. News-flash Ronald, life doesn't happen the way you want it to and if you think for one second that I will be your pretty arm thing, you've got another thing coming. I'm done Ronald. Done with this joke of a relationship."
I was fuming as I stormed out of Ron's room. I slammed the door shut behind me, wandlessly locking it with several advanced locking spells. I walked into the kitchen where the rest of the Weasley's, Harry and Kingsley were. I looked over at the clock the Weasley's had and noticed that there was an hour and a half before the twins and I were leaving. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go take a walk." No one bothered to stop me as I walked out of the Burrow and in my blind rage, I ended up walking towards the pond. I sat down at the edge of the small pier and began to cry. The past few minutes had gone completely wrong. I didn't want to leave on bad terms with Ron, but he could be so difficult and self-centered. I hadn't meant to tell him (and basically everyone else that was in the burrow) that I still felt as though she was going to come back for me; that I still had nightmares about the whole ordeal. I didn't want them to see me as weak, but with everything laid out, there was nothing I could do.
I'm not sure how long I sat out there, long enough to stop crying and to begin thinking about random, time-consuming things. My thoughts were broken by the creak of the wood of the pier and I whirled around, wand out to find Fred standing there looking panicked and with his arms held up. "Woah there Hermione." I lowered my wand, staring at the pier sheepishly. "Sorry. I thought you were-" "I know." I turned back around and sat down again, feeling the wood bend and creak as Fred sat down next to me. We sat in silence, listening to the sounds of the pond. The frogs croaking, the birds chirping from their perches in the trees, the whistle of the wind dancing between tree limbs and leaves, the lap of the water as it brushed up against the pier.
"I have a question." I turned and looked at Fred, waiting to be interrogated about what happened at the manor. "What spells did you put on Ron's door?" He turned and looked at me, a bemused twinkle in his eye. "Uh… Well, I actually don't know. I was so mad when I left the room that I ended up locking it wandlessly, probably because of how angry I was. Why?"
"Wandlessly?" Fred was looking at me in what could be described as shock or fear. "You were so mad that you wandlessly locked a door."
"Uh, yeah. I guess." Fred stared at me for a little bit longer before turning back to the pond. "You, Hermione Granger, are a force to be reckoned with. Not to mention completely terrifying when you are angry." Fred chuckled and shook his head. We returned to our comfortable silence, just the two of us and the pond.
Their silence was interrupted by footsteps. "Hey you two. Mum wants you guys to come back to Burrow. Something about supplies before we go." Fred looked over at me. "Guess it's almost time to leave. You still want to go?" I nodded. "Yeah. I need to go." Fred stood up, and then helped me up and we walked back to the Burrow with George.
Mrs. Weasley was bustling around the kitchen when we made it back. Harry and Ginny were sitting at the table talking quietly. Mr. Weasley and Kingsley were talking to each other in a corner of the kitchen. I assumed that Ron was still stuck in his room.
"Oh good. George found you." Mrs. Weasley brought over my bag, handing it to me. "Now, I've packed some food in here that should last you for awhile. There's also some dry ingredients in there just in case." She stopped in front of me, bracing her hands on my arms. "Are you sure you want to do this Hermione?" I nodded, repeating what I had said to Fred just a little while earlier. "I have to. I need to." Mrs. Weasley nodded and hugged me tight. "Be safe Hermione." She pulled back and looked over my shoulder at the twins. "And I don't want to hear that you two have done something stupid." George and Fred looked at each other shocked and slightly offended. "Us? Never." Mrs. Weasley just shook her head, moving out of the way so Harry and Ginny could say their goodbyes. "You'll write won't you?" I nodded. "Of course, Ginny." Harry hugged me and, like Mrs. Weasley, told me to be safe.
Kingsley handed me our portkey, a hairbrush. "This will get you three to Australia and back here when you've found your parents. Just say Portus when you are ready to return and it will bring you back." I took the hairbrush, thanking him. "Also, we have a few aurors down there looking for death eaters. I've informed them that you three are coming and should you need it, you are welcome to contact them for help. As with every other mission, code is 'Wonderful weather this morning isn't it? Yes, but I always carry an umbrella'. Good luck." I nodded, thanking him again and turned to the twins.
We all grabbed hold of the hairbrush as we felt the familiar tug and then we had left the Burrow behind and were standing in the living room of what I supposed was going to be our home for the next while. I was in Australia. I was going to find my parents.
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