Disclaimer: I do not own these lovely characters, I just play with them.
We left early the next morning to get to the Ministry where Dad had arranged a Portkey for our group of six, which would take us to one of the large cities in Australia where they could then search for traces of Hermione's magical signature. I had explained this to the two of them last night and Hermione was fascinated by this and Ron wasn't sure that he understood it but when I gave the example of Dumbledore being able to feel the entrance to Riddle's cave by the presence of Riddle's twisted magic he got what I meant better. We arrived in Australia in the mid-afternoon and we searched the whole day without finding a trace of Hermione's spell in that city so that night we Apparated to a different metropolis and checked into a small hotel to spend the night. Early the next morning the Ministry wizards and us started searching for Hermione's parents again, we looked for hours in the hot sun until we stopped for a small lunch break and Hermione was looking crestfallen,
"Do you think that we will ever find them?"
"Of course we will Hermione, we've only been searching for a day and a half plus we have some of the best wizards helping us. Don't give up hope yet."
We continued to search the rest of the day with no luck so we spent the night in the same hotel as before and the next morning we Apparated to a new location. Just a few minutes after we arrived the Search and Rescue squad were looking renewed of purpose something was up so I inquired,
"What's going on?"
"We've finally caught a trace of Ms. Granger's spell! Shouldn't be to much longer before we find her parents."
I turned to ask Hermione if she had heard the good news and saw a wide grin spread of her features and she was clutching Ron's arm tightly I think to keep herself attached to the ground. The rest of the day was filled with a hopeful air as the Searchers followed the traces of Hermione's magic that was attached to her parents and towards nightfall one of them said to me,
"We're close. Probably only a couple of hours left at the most."
Hermione squealed and then covered her mouth with her hands to contain her glee the next few hours were filled with high spirits and jokes as we were so close and just before 11 o'clock we stopped in front of an ordinary looking brownstone and one of the Ministry wizards said,
"We're here."
Hermione suddenly seemed terribly nervous at the prospect of having to remove an already complex spell from her parents and Ron and I hugged her both before she went a knocked on the door a man that I recognized as her Father answered the door and Hermione quickly cast the Spell Reverser charm and recognition lit the man's face and then he looked confused at why he was opening the door to his daughter in the middle of the night. Hermione said quickly,
"I'll explain in a minute Dad. Where's Mum?"
Her Dad pointed into the house and Hermione went in first and her Dad slowly followed her forgetting to shut the front door. Perhaps twenty minutes later Hermione came to the open doorway and beckoned us inside. Ron went and joined her and I thanked the Ministry wizards and gave them a promissory note for them to take to Gringott's to get their pay and shaking hands with me they Apparated away one by one before I too entered the house and followed the sound of voices into the parlor where Mr. and Mrs. Granger greeted me with a handshake.
"So have you told them what's happened then?"
"Yes, I also explained to them why. You understand why I had to send you away don't you Mum and Dad?"
"Yes, dear we understand that you sent us away for our own protection and I am so proud of you that you did what you set out to do. We always knew that we had raised you right." This had come from Hermione's father, who said,
"Please call me Jon and my wife Melinda boys seeing as you are Hermione's best friends." Ron cleared his throat and his face took on a greenish cast as he stood up and reached into a pocket pulling out a small velvet box he went down on one knee in front of Hermione.
"Hermione, I have known you since we first started at Hogwarts and we haven't always gotten along but those days are past and these last couple of years I have come to realize how much I really care for you and I would just like to say that I love you and will you marry me?" Hermione slid out of her seat onto the floor and clasping Ron's hands that were holding the ring she nodded crying tears of joy,
"Yes, of course I will!" Ron slipped the small gold band onto her finger and I clapped wildly startling them out of their little world of two. Mr. Granger shook hands with Ron and Hermione's Mum wrapped her in a hug as she too shed a few tears.
"Aren't you a bit young to be married dear? Not that I am against it but you have your whole life ahead of you."
"Mum after this last year I realized that you should seize joy while you have the chance besides I am sure about him."
The next morning I left early to return to the Burrow while Ron and Hermione stayed to help the Granger's pack and return to England by airplane. After having a relaxing breakfast at home with Ginny and the rest of the family the lot of them asking me what had happened. All I told them was that we had found her parents and that their memory had been returned to them but I left out the proposal for Ron and Hermione to tell them when they got back. All I knew was that it was going to be a hectic week for sure.
Author's Note: The reason that I have posted a new chapter less than a day after I posted Chapter Six is because I am hoping for a more wordy response from some of my readers. I know you're out there I see that visitors each chapter has had. Let me know what you guys think!
