Chapter 7

The next afternoon Ron and Harry found themselves de-gnoming the garden. While it had never been Ron's favorite chore, the mindless physical labor was a welcome break from managing everyone's feelings. At least for a bit. He laughed to himself when he thought about how he – Mr. Emotional Range of a Teaspoon – had suddenly become this emotional babysitter of sorts. Definitely not a role he had ever pictured for himself. But, he had to admit, he thought he was doing ok at it, which was a pleasant surprise.

Flinging a gnome over the hedge, Harry asked, "When do you think we'll hear from Kingsley about Hermione's parents?"

Yanking his hand back from some chomping little teeth, Ron didn't look up at Harry as he replied, "I am not sure, mate. I had actually thought we would have heard something by now. I mean, how many dentists with those exact names and British accents can there be in Australia?"

"Yeah."

"But, Harry, I wanted to talk with you about the trip." He paused to throw a gnome across the hedge as well. "You know, I'd assumed it would be the four of us going. But, then I realized - we can't even have the four of us go to Hermione's parents' house for the day without leaving Dad or Percy here."

"Huh. I hadn't thought about that."

"And then I thought it could be the three of us, and we could leave Gin here. But, even I know that it would crush her if we all left on another adventure without her. Not to mention that she needs you right now. I mean, I know last year at Hogwarts was just a different disaster than the one we were living, and then losing Fred on top of that. Well, you both need each other right now. I get that."

Harry absorbed Ron's words for a minute and said, "So, you and Hermione off on a romantic getaway to the southern hemisphere, then?"

"Not bloody likely. The only reason Mum and Dad are even remotely ok with her sleeping up in our room is because you are there too. Mum is already in a fragile state. I can't really do anything to push her over the edge right now. But, I do have a solution. To be fair – it is rather a stretch and could backfire in a spectacular fashion, and I haven't actually mentioned it to Hermione yet."

Harry looked up at him intrigued.

"Well, I asked George to come, and he said he would."

"Really? George? I mean – that's great. But, he hasn't even come down the stairs for a meal since the battle, and you think he's up for international travel?"

"Well – no. I am not really sure he is up for it. But, if he is up for anything, I think it would be going to a place where there are no memories to deal with. It will all be new. He won't see Fred around every corner. Folks won't look at him as half of something. He'll just be a weird one-eared ginger from England for a little while. I think something like that might be the only thing that could help him right now."

"You come up with this on your own?"

"Kinda. Why – do you think it will be a disaster?"

"Well, it could be. I mean, you have a grief stricken guy with a pesky habit of outrageous pranks and pyrotechnics, and your new girlfriend is going to bring back the memories of her muggle parents who you will be meeting for the first time as her boyfriend and she isn't exactly in great shape herself. And you throw in some international travel, time in the muggle world and the fact that there are still people trying to kill the two of you. And – well – have you two even been out on a date yet? I mean - what could go wrong?"

"Harry, your confidence in me is truly touching."

"That's what friends are for, right?"

"Hmmm."

"So – who are you going to explain this to first – Hermione? Or your Mum?"

"Hermione I suppose. But, you know, I think you are right about the date thing. Have you taken Ginny anywhere? I mean, it's not like we can just pop over to the Leaky these days without getting mobbed or attacked or something. I definitely don't need pictures of us from our first actual date showing up in the Prophet."

"Well, you forget – Gin and I sort of dated before Voldemort got in the way. So – we haven't been out on a date since we got back together, no. But, then – I am not whisking her off on this bizarre Australian adventure with George in tow either, am I?"

"Bloody hell. This is going to be a disaster, isn't it?" he sighed plopping down in the dirt beside the garden burying his face in his hands.

"Maybe not. I mean, we have had much worse plans than this that turned out ok, right?"

"I suppose."

"Well, what if you take Hermione out to some muggle place on a date?"

"A muggle place? How would I even know where to take her?"

"It doesn't have to be too fancy– knowing Hermione she would probably appreciate the gesture as much as anything. And then you two could have some time to talk about Australia without all of us walking in every few minutes."

"There are a lot of people in this house"

"Don't I know it."

Ron looked up at him, started to comment and stopped himself. "Actually - I am going to not think about what you just said. But, I do think the muggle date idea is a good one."

After they had finished in the garden, Harry headed off to go for a fly with Ginny, and Ron started back up to the house to get cleaned up. He came into the kitchen to find Hermione making tea. As she turned to see him, she giggled a bit.

"What? Why are you laughing at me?" he asked.

"It's just," she blushed, "you have some dirt on your nose. Right there." She smiled as she came up to him and gently wiped his face with her delicate fingers.

He smiled and quietly muttered, "I love you," as he put his arms around her waist.

"I love you too," as she gave him a quick kiss. Then she laughed again, "but you really do need a shower."

"What? You don't find a stinky, sweaty ginger bloke covered in garden dirt and gnome slime to be maddeningly attractive?" he joked.

"Actually, I do find you maddeningly attractive. But I think that maybe, just maybe, I might be even more attracted to you if you didn't have quite as much of the garden smushed into your skin and hair."

"Fair point. You know, it sort of helps block out the sun a bit all smushed over my freckles like that. Anyway - I have a question for you first."

"What?"

"What would you say if I asked you to go out with me this Saturday?"

"Like an actual date?"

"Yes, like an actual, proper date. You and me, and no other Weasleys – or Potters for that matter– around."

"I would say yes," she smiled. "But then I would ask how we could go anywhere and not be trailed by people like Rita Skeeter."

"Don't worry about that, love. I have it all planned."

"You do?" she asked doubtfully.

"Always the tone of surprise with you."

"Ok, ok. I trust you, you maddeningly handsome stinky, dirty bloke. But, I am definitely insisting you shower before our date."

"I think that can be arranged as well. Immediately in fact." And he leaned in and kissed her on the cheek and headed up to shower.

By the time Saturday arrived, Ron was quite pleased with the plan he had cobbled together. He'd had some help from Bill getting his hands on some muggle money. He had also popped over to see Dean, his only other muggle born friend, to get an idea of where to take Hermione in muggle London. Then he had done a quick scouting run to be sure he knew where he was going. He had also found her beaded bag that he knew she would bring along and made sure he tucked in some items he thought she might want while they were out and about.

It was just after lunch on Saturday, which is when he'd said they'd leave on their date. All he'd told her was that they wouldn't be back until after dinner. Watching her come downstairs, he caught his breath for a moment, as sometimes he forgot just how beautiful she was. She was wearing a summer dress that was covered in little flowers, and she had a matching green cardigan. She had her hair down, which he loved, and it looked like she had put on some make up or glamour charms as her lips were all glossy and rose colored. He didn't care what she had done, but she looked brilliant, and he did feel his heart skip a beat knowing she had done it for him. He had on his nicest jeans and a button up shirt that was rolled up to his elbows and had grabbed a jumper for later asking if he could put it in her beaded bag. She smiled and took his jumper, storing it for later. Ginny insisted on taking a picture of them on their first proper date, which he pretended to be annoyed by but was secretly thrilled.

"Now are you finally going to tell me where we are off to?" she asked as they walked to the edge of The Burrow's wards.

"Not yet. You are simply going to have to trust me today," he said. Then he took her hand and they apperated to an alley way.

"Where on earth are we?"

"Well," he said as he took her hand and walked her out onto the main street, "we are actually just outside a museum in muggle London where there is a special exhibit on Jane Austen and all of her books."

He thought his heart would burst when he saw the look on her face. She was actually speechless and was standing there with her jaw open.

"How," she stuttered, "How in the world did you ever find this?"

"Oh, I have my ways," he chuckled. "Now, come on. Come educate me on what is so amazing about Jane Austen. But, be forewarned. This is not our only stop today, so we can't linger on each page of every single one of her books."

She laughed at shot him a dubious look.

"Oh come on," he said rolling his eyes, "it's still me you're out with. I can find a Jane Austen exhibit, but I can't promise to be as enthralled about it as you will be. You should just be thankful we aren't at a Chudley Cannons match."

"I am extremely thankful," she said, "for a lot of reasons." With that she kissed him and dragged him by the hand into the museum bubbling over with excitement.

Ron thought he would be bored out of his mind at a museum about old books. But he found that he was having an incredible time watching her go through the exhibit. It was as if each boring display they went to brought back a little more of the His Hermione. He noticed some of the facial expressions he used to see all of the time at Hogwarts that he realized he hadn't seen in over a year. He gazed at her as she was animatedly explaining to him how this author was ahead of her time and wrote about women's dependence on marriage while never getting married herself. Ron knew he didn't care about some muggle woman from more than a hundred years ago and whether or not she got married, but he was thrilled that the woman in front of him was finding her spark again. They wound their way through the exhibit (who knew there could be this much to say about a woman who only wrote six books?) and were almost at the end when Ron's stomach started to grumble loudly.

"Alright Mr. Weasley," declared Hermione, "you and your stomach have been extremely patient in here. Let's go find you a snack, shall we?"

He beamed back at her and agreed quickly. In short order they found an ice cream vendor and decided to walk through nearby Hyde Park before resting on a bench a while watching people as they strolled by. Eventually they meandered through the gardens. When they came across Speaker's Corner, Ron laughed as he watched these muggles standing on milk crates spouting off about different things. One man was talking about religion, one woman was talking about some sort of rights. Hermione tried to explain the history of it, but he was too busy enjoying the spectacle of it all. They eventually kept walking, and Ron secretly led them towards their next destination. She was more than surprised to find that they were standing in front of a muggle library.

"Wow, Ron. Are you sure you can handle this many books in one day?"

"Actually, I was thinking we could go in and do a bit of research about Australia. You know – maybe use that muggle machine you've mentioned to look at hotels, or find somewhere fun we want to go when we are there."

"Muggle machine? What muggle machine? OH! The computer!" she exclaimed as she quickly dragged him in through the doors. "You are right! I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. We can look it up on the internet and see some places we could stay – or maybe I can search my parents' new names and see if they just pop up because I guess the Australian Ministry wouldn't know to even do that..."

She kept nattering away about things he didn't understand. But he did understand that she was excited and happy and full of more energy that he had seen in her in months. And that was fantastic. The only thing more brilliant was that he was the one who had figured out how to re-ignite that passion in her.

So, he found himself sitting at a table in a quiet library watching her peck away at a little tray of letters while staring at a big screen. He asked her what she was doing with her right hand, and she said something about cursing a mouse. He couldn't figure out what the heck she was talking about, but thought he ought not to interrupt her again. But, when she started muttering about how she wished she had brought something to write with he grinned.

"Check your bag," he said.

"What?"

"I knew you would want to take notes, so there is a muggle notebook and pen in your beaded bag."

She looked at him amazed for the second time that afternoon. And, then instead of digging into her bag like he expected her to, she got up, came over to him, sat on his lap and gave him a very deep kiss while running her fingers through his hair.

"I've always wanted to kiss you in a library," she whispered into his ear.

He looked at her rather dumfounded, and she smiled as she got up and went back to the computer, leaving Ron in quite an aroused and yet flabbergasted state. He watched her and realized she absolutely would be the death of him. While she was engrossed in whatever it was she was reading on the computer screen, he was engrossed in watching her - how she would crinkle her forehead when she was thinking about what she had read. Or how she would bounce her right knee or chew on her bottom lip when she wasn't finding what she needed. He'd always loved watching her study in the library at Hogwarts. It was almost like you could watch the gears churning in her brain, and she was just so bloody passionate about everything she learned. He used to pick fights with her when they were supposed to be studying just to get her to direct some of that passion at him. He recalled all those hours watching her read in the library, chewing on that bottom lip like she was doing now. Back then all he had wanted to do was sneak off with her into the rows of ancient books and rip her Hogwarts uniform right off of her. And now he learns she had wanted the same thing all along. Idiots. They'd both been complete and utter idiots.

When the librarian announced the library would be closing in a few minutes, he realized it was almost five. Hermione jotted down her last notes from her research, packed up her beaded bag, and they headed to the library door. Leaving the library, they decided to meander through the park before dinner. She nattered away about what she had found on the muggle machine at the library. He asked her again about cursing the mouse, and she tried to explain about the contraption she had used. He wasn't sure he followed, but he knew he would have to bring his dad back here as a birthday present or something.

It was close to six when they left the park, and he walked them the few blocks over to what looked like a dive of a sandwich shop. He could tell Hermione was trying to look nonchalant about it but was secretly worried if it would be an ok place to eat. The front looked like a dingy petrol station with a cash register on the counter and drink machines along the wall. But, he directed her through the back door, and they walked into an incredible courtyard adorned in twinkle lights and candles. The center of the courtyard had a fountain, and all around the stone courtyard were tables, each had drippy candles and cloth tablecloths and wine glasses set for two. He was quite pleased with himself until he looked at Hermione and saw she had a tear coming down her cheek.

"Uh, if this isn't ok we can find another place to eat," he stammered.

"No! It's absolutely perfect!"

"Then why are you crying?"

"Because it is perfect," she whispered.

He would never understand women. The maitre'd came and sat them at a table in the far corner of the courtyard where they were able to sit together and look out over the picture book setting.

"How did you ever find such a place?" she asked.

"Well, I have to confess, I had a little help on this one. I talked to Dean to see if he could recommend anywhere in muggle London, and he said his family had a surprise party here once for his aunt or something and that it was like a hidden gem once you come through to the courtyard. He said it's a place that really only caters to locals – you kind of have to know about it to find it. I came to check it out the other day to be sure – not that I don't trust Dean or anything, but I wanted to see it and be sure I could find it. It seemed like a place we would both like, so I thought we'd give it a go."

"Thank you, Ron. Thank you for putting this whole day together. It has been absolutely amazing," she beamed.

"Well, now we are getting to the eating part, which I know I will probably enjoy even more than the book museum and the library," he laughed.

They chatted about the day as they looked at the menus and placed their order with the waiter. When the waiter brought their drinks Hermione insisted on a toast for their first date.

"To the best first date ever?" she suggested

"Or maybe to the couple who took seven years to realize they were in love with each other?" he countered.

"Or maybe to the one person who knows me better than anyone else?"

"No, no – I've got it. Really -raise your glass," he insisted. "Ready? Here we go... To hopefully the last first date either of us will ever have."

"To our last first dates," she nodded, again with tears in her eyes. They clinked glasses and kissed. She nestled into his arm as they watched the courtyard begin to fill up with other couples out for the evening.

"You know," she finally said, "I really do think you know me better than anyone else in the entire world. Some days I worry you know me better than I know myself."

"Why does that worry you? I am quite confident you know me better than I know myself."

"I don't know. I guess I would have thought that too, but I could not have predicted today at all. You have utterly amazed me."

"Well, if it was to be our last first date ever, I had to make it worthwhile, didn't I?" he teased.

"It worked. It's been fantastic. And it has been so lovely to just be away from everything for a day, hasn't it? Like a little holiday. Our lives are kind of messed up right now, and this was just a really great time-out from all of that."

"Well, yes – our lives are rather bizarre at the moment. But, they are less messed up than they were a few months ago."

"True. I guess it is all about perspective. But, I am still having trouble seeing forward. Are you?"

"Like us long term forward or like what to do in September about Kingsley's offer forward?"

"More about the Kingsley part. I mean – aside from getting to my parents and trying to reverse the spell, I can't really picture much past that. I can picture all of these possibilities where maybe I do or don't reverse it correctly, or they are mad at me and come back to England or maybe don't come back at all, or they want me to move home or never want me to come back. All of those things seem equally likely from where I sit today. And, I don't know how to think forward from there on all of those equally probably trajectories."

"I guess I don't see them all as equally probable."

"Really?"

"Really. I think we are going to go there, and you will reverse the spell with no problem. There will be some unexpected wrinkle because there always is with us, but I think it will end up alright. Then I think they will either be angry but forgive you because they love you or they won't be angry at all. So, the way I see it, they'll come around, it is just a question of giving them time to understand it all."

"I hope you are right."

"Well, what would you do if it is either of those things? If everything goes really well, and they instantly say they aren't angry at you and they are coming back straightaway. Then what? Would you move back in with them for a few weeks before McGonagall pronounces you Head Girl and then off to Hogwarts?"

"I, I don't know. I would hope they come home with me. I guess I really want to fix my relationship with them, but it is pretty broken. Even before I sent them away, they didn't really even know me anymore. I mean – I live in the magical world. Have for years now. My life is inseparable from magic, and they don't remotely understand it. They've never even seen me do a spell because we couldn't ever do magic at home in the summertime."

"Wow – I hadn't really thought about that. They have never seen you do a single spell? Really?"

"Really. It's a shame, really. It seems like there should be a way for the muggle born students to at least show their parents what they have learned so there is some form of understanding about the world they have joined. But, there just isn't with the way it is set up now."

"Sounds like the perfect kind of problem for the brightest witch of our age to solve."

"I guess. Although, I don't really know what I would do to fix it. Especially now with the muggle born students just coming out of hiding – or worse. It is just a really difficult issue, you know?"

"Yes, but that has never been a reason for you not to tackle a hard problem before."

"True. But, I have to say I am a bit tired of tackling all of the problems of the world right now. Aren't you?"

"Yeah, honestly I am. That's partly why I am struggling thinking about Kingsley's offer. All I have ever wanted to do is to be an auror. But I never thought I would do well enough on my NEWTS to have a shot at it. Yet now suddenly here is this chance to do it anyway. But, I feel like I have been on the run for a long time chasing bad guys, so to speak, and I am not sure I could really jump back into that right now."

"So are you thinking about going to back to school?"

"Sorry. Not really, though I am assuming you probably are. I really don't want to be apart from you, but I am just not cut out for school anymore. Especially not after being gone for a year. And I don't think I could just walk through the hall each day and eat breakfast where Fred had died. I just don't think I could do that."

"I understand that. So, what else is there?"

"Well, I am thinking about trying to help George get the shop back up and running. I mean, he hasn't said anything yet. And, I don't think he is ready to go back yet, but it was his and Fred's dream. I think in 20 years if he looks back he will regret walking away from it. Maybe it will give me that chance to take a bit of a break and find the enthusiasm for being an auror in a year or two at the same time as helping him out. What do you think? Could you picture the Head Girl dating a lowly shop clerk?"

"I think that is an amazingly mature plan. And the only part I am not sure about it is the part where you date the Head Girl." He gave her a concerned look, so she quickly explained. "I don't know that I can go back either."

"WHAT?! I can't imagine you not finishing your schooling, Hermione. I mean, really – I can't even picture it in my head. Are you sure?"

"Well, no," she said with a twinge of sadness in her voice. "I am not sure of anything. But, I guess I see a lot of it like you do. I can't imagine going back to Hogwarts and walking through the Great Hall each day pretending people I loved didn't die there. I can't imagine chasing little second years around and docking house points for some stupid infraction when there are real problems in the world to solve. I can't imagine sitting in a potions class with Draco Malfoy where my mudblood scar is right there next to his dark mark. I can't imagine trying to put silencing charms around a four poster bed in the girls' dorm so I wouldn't wake everyone screaming with nightmares. And I mostly can't imagine being away from you. But, at the same time, I can't imagine dropping out of school. I can't imagine letting Bellatrix take that from me too. So, no. I have absolutely no idea what I am going to do."

Now it was his turn to get tears in his eyes. He took her hand and held it up to his lips and kissed it. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I wish I had a way to make it all work. I really, really do."

"I know," she nodded. "I wish you did too." Then she laughed, "You know, there is a muggle phrase everyone uses that goes something like 'I wish I had a magic wand so I could fix it for you,' but I guess that doesn't really apply here, huh?"

"No, I suppose not," he laughed. "If that was all it took, I could have fixed it a long time ago."

"Well, I don't want to ruin this lovely night worrying about it."

"No, but I am not giving up on it either. I mean we didn't see a way to fix the sleeping problem, but when I went to my Dad and talked to him, solutions we hadn't thought about just sort of opened up, didn't they? Hey, maybe if you went and talked to McGonagall, she could think of a fix we haven't considered. Couldn't hurt, could it?"

"Huh. Actually, that is a really good idea. I will send her an owl in the morning and see if I can meet her to talk it through."

"And you know, you should tell her about your ideas for helping the muggle born students ease back in. I bet she has never even thought about those problems. And while I know one of her parents was a muggle, I think she has really always lived in the magical world."

"You are just full of good ideas tonight, aren't you?"

"I'm telling you it's the kissing..."

At that she swatted his arm playfully and their dinner was served.

"So, do you have any more brilliant ideas I need to know about?" she asked as they tucked into their food.

"Actually…I do have an idea I wanted to talk through with you, but you will have to be the judge of its brilliance or stupidity I guess."

"I'm intrigued. Do continue."

"Ok," Ron started. "So, when I initially pictured us going to Australia I was really just thinking about you and me going. But, then when I talked to my Dad after all of the sleeping issues, I realized it really was a problem from my parents' perspective for you and me to go off alone. And, that made me wonder if it would be a problem from your parents' perspective too. So, then I thought that we would just drag Ginny and Harry along too, and we could make a bit of a holiday of it for the four of us. But then I realized that, well, first Mum would not be ok with Ginny jaunting off to Australia, let alone with Harry, and second that the four of us can't even leave Mum and George alone for a day right now, let alone all leave on this major trip halfway 'round the world. And, while it would be sort of a Golden Trio reunion if it was just us and Harry, that doesn't seem very fair to Gin at all. So – then I was thinking…what about George?"

"What about George?" asked Hermione.

"I think he should come with us, and we leave Harry and Ginny here to take care of Mum."

"Really?"

"Really. Look, I know George hasn't exactly come out of his room much in the past few weeks, so you probably haven't talked to him much…"

"Try at all."

"Ok, or at all. But, I have. And, he needs to get out of here for a while. I think he is going mad in his room, but everywhere he goes is another memory of 'FredandGeorge.' The shop, their old flat, The Burrow, Hogwarts, everywhere. Everywhere he goes is a memory. And he said something the other night that really got to me. He said he didn't know how to be George. He only knew how to be FredandGeorge, and they were gone."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I had the same thought. I was impressed he figured that out. And really pretty chuffed that he shared it with me, you know? The other night, well, it wasn't just talking. I found him unconscious on the floor in the kitchen full of Firewhisky and a slew of potions."

"WHAT?"

"I know," he cringed. "It was bad. But, I truly believe him when he said it was an accidental overdose instead of him really trying to kill himself. Otherwise I would have dragged him to St. Mungo's myself. But, I just, well, it really hit home for me how hard this is on him. I mean I knew it was awful, but I am not sure I really realized how close we have been to losing him too. And, I want to help him. I still don't know if it will work - if he will figure out how to be just George. But, I figure an adventure to a place 'FredandGeorge' never went together would be a good start. There would be no other memories to fight. No one there would know him. He could just get away for a while, kind of like we have today. Maybe time away from all that is familiar is what he needs. And, at the same time it helps us calm our parents down that we have a chaperone of sorts. And then it also helps Ginny and Harry only have to look after Mum while we are gone 'cuz we will already be looking after George."

Hermione sat in silence for a bit. Ron knew she was thinking it through and going through the arguments for and against in her head, so he just waited for her conclusion.

"You know," she finally said, "it really is a great solution. But, do you really think he is up for it? I don't want to sound fatalist, but –do you think he's leaving just to go somewhere else to kill himself where your Mum wouldn't be the one to find him? I know that sounds brutal, but he is clearly in a really awful place right now. I just want to be sure we aren't doing anything to make it worse for him."

"Yeah, I thought of that too, actually. But, I think he was sort of energized by the idea when I mentioned it to him the other night. The idea of getting away and doing something completely different even if it is only for a little bit. And, well, he mentioned something about how Fred would give him hell if he couldn't last a month on his own. That comment really makes me believe suicide is not his goal. He just doesn't know how to live on his own. And when we spoke about the trip the other night, he even laughed at me a bit."

"I haven't heard him laugh at all."

"I know, I hadn't either. That's why it struck me as such a great sign."

"Ok. I guess we'll go with George then."

"Really? You don't mind?"

"Ron, of course I don't mind. He may not be my brother, but he is my friend. I love him and want him to be ok too. And, if this is the best shot at that, then let's give it a go."

"Brilliant. I can't thank you enough for this."

"You're the ones coming with me half way across the earth to find my parents, I should be thanking you."

"You know bloody well George will take the piss out of us every chance he gets on the trip."

"Language, Ronald. And, yes, I do know that. I have actually met your brother. But, as long as he limits it to giving us a hard time and doesn't try to mess with my parents, I think it will be fine."

"Brilliant."

"Do you two still have passports from your trip to Egypt all those years ago? Otherwise we need to get new ones right away."

"What are passports?"

"Is that just a muggle thing? Huh. It's sort of an identity card that says you are from a certain country and lets you travel between countries."

"Hmm. Sounds like a muggle thing. We definitely didn't have anything when we went to see Bill in Egypt. But would we need one if we take a portkey instead of muggle ways?"

"Good question. I will have to find out form the Ministry. Percy might know actually since he worked in the International Cooperation area for a while. If you need them we should get them straight away. With not knowing how everything will go when we get there, I haven't ruled out traveling home the muggle way with my parents."

"WHAT? In one of those muggle tubes they shoot through the air? Are you mad?"

"Airplanes, Ron. Very safe."

"They don't look safe to me."

"And this from the same man who followed the acromantulas into the Forbidden Forest and rode a thestral he could not see all the way to London."

"Fair point."

"Don't get your knickers in a twist about it just yet. Let's deal with that after we get my parents' memories back and figure out if they even want to come back to England, let alone with me."

"It will be ok, Hermione. I am just sure of it. I am not yet sure quite how it will all be ok, but I really think it will be."

They returned to lighter conversation topics through the rest of dinner. Ron convinced her to share a dessert, of which she took exactly one bite while he scarfed the rest down. Ron paid, but needed help managing the muggle money when it came time to handle the bill. They left arm in arm and strolled down the block out to an alley where they could apperate back to The Burrow. They landed holding hands just outside the orchard, and started to walk back to the house in comfortable, happy silence.

Ron looked at her and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Hermione just blushed and glanced down to the ground, so he asked again, "Come on, please tell me."

"Actually, I was thinking that it is too bad we share a room with Harry."

Ron stopped, groaned and then engulfed her in his arms sighing, "You're killing me, Hermione."

She smiled knowingly at him, pressing her body more firmly against his, tightening her hold on him. She let her fingers trail along his back as she said, "The feeling is mutual, you know?"

He looked into her eyes and could not believe how lucky he was. Smiling softly, he bent to kiss her slowly and tenderly, and they stood in the moonlight as they each deepened the kiss.

Eventually pulling back, she whispered, "Best first date ever."

Her grinned down at her lovingly. He knew he would do absolutely anything to keep her in his life. Then she kissed him on the cheek, and they walked back to the house.

Even in the dark, she could still see his grin and the pink tips of his blushing ears.