A/N: I am very, very sorry that it has taken me so long to update, but work and school has kept me busy and out of the story for a while and it has taken me some time to get back into it. I thank you all for your patience and hereby reward you with this long awaited chapter.
Disclaimer: This is a fanfiction, not an original story, all recognizable characters, words and places belong to JK Rowling. Plot and original secondary characters are mine. This story is not meant to be published for monetary gain.
Chapter 9 Returning Home
The closest the plane got to England, the more nervous Hermione got. Ginny was sitting next to her and had told her a little about the people waiting for her. She now knew that she had no siblings, and only her mother and father remained of her immediate family. Then there were the Weasleys, who had kindly adopted her into their fold when they were young and attending school and she had formed a deep sort of friendship with Ron and Harry, and later her relationship with Ron had progressed.
Ginny spoke about her own family with laughter. She spoke about her father, Mr. Weasley, who was some sort of official for the local government, and who had a peculiar obsession with simple things, like batteries and plugs. About her mother, Mrs. Weasley, who was a homemaker, remaining at home for most of her life to raise and home school her kids.
There were seven Weasley siblings. Bill, Charlie, Percy, the twins Fred and George, and of course, Ron and Ginny. Hermione now knew that Fred and George were the clowns of the family and had made it their business to make people laugh. She knew that Percy was the only one to follow in his father's footsteps into a job in a governmental office. And she knew that Bill was the only one of the seven who was married and had children of his own. Although others, including Ron, were either engaged or had a serious girlfriend. Bill and his wife had a set of twins that everybody was set to spoil, no matter the efforts of the young mother.
She was eager to meet this family of assorted characters who had embraced her into their close-knit group and had been eager to call her a member of their family after her marriage to Ron.
Hermione had not thought about her impending marriage since the first moment she had seen Ron. She had been surprised, and if she was to be honest with herself, a little frightened. Not because she didn't want to marry Ron, but because she didn't want to think about the plans that seemed to have gone awry because of her circumstances.
She knew that eventually she would have to sit with Ron and talk about this marriage that was supposed to have taken place. They needed to decide how to go on from here. She felt guilty that instead of being saddened by the postponement of their plans she was feeling relieved. He was, after all, a stranger to her, and she needed time to get to know him and adjust to her life once again. She didn't want to marry a man she could not remember. She needed to know that she was marrying the right man for her. A man she could love and respect.
She knew that maybe she might have felt those things for Ron at one time. But that was before her loss of memory. But now things were different. And she dreaded to think about the consequences of her attack.
But now was not the time to think of such things, she decided, as the stewardess' voice was heard throughout the plane letting the passengers know of their imminent arrival to English soil.
"I'm glad this trip is almost over." She heard Ron mutter to Harry. Both sat in the seats behind hers and Ginny's. "I don't think my body would have withstood another hour in these seats. They are deucedly uncomfortable if you ask me."
"You've flown in long trips before." Harry replied.
"Yes, but not this long, and you must agree that the seats can be made more comfortable on a Firebolt 2000 easily, when we can't on these." Ron said.
"Well, yes. You're right about that at least." Harry conceded.
Hermione turned to look at Ginny with confusion.
"Firebolt 2000?" She asked.
"Er…you'll see them later." Was all Ginny could think of saying.
Hermione seemed to accept this as she turned her attention back to the stewardess' voice announcing the local time and weather for the benefit of the passengers. But Ginny was angry. Leave it to Ron and Harry to talk about brooms within Muggle hearing. Didn't they think they would be heard? Honestly, men can be so thick sometimes. She thought.
They were getting nearer. The plane was minutes away from landing in English soil and they couldn't wait for it.
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Ron was happy to note that they got through customs easily. Now they were following the signs out of baggage claim.
They located the exit easily and walked through the doors to meet whoever had come to meet them.
"Harry! Ron!" They heard a voice call. "Ginny! Over here."
They saw the tall figure of Kingsley Shacklebolt through the crowd waiving at them.
Ron pointed him out to the others.
"That's Harry and Ron's commanding officer." Whispered Ginny to Hermione as they began walking toward the waiting man.
"He looks too young to be in charge of a law enforcement department." Hermione said as she spied the man her new friends were guiding her to. That she was curious to know why he had come to pick them up and not a friend, she kept to herself.
"But he's good at what he does." Ginny said. "There's nobody who would've done it better. And he learned from the best, really."
Harry and Ron had reached their commander before the girls did.
"How did it go?" Shacklebolt asked keeping an eye on Hermione.
"Fine. She doesn't remember anything." Said Harry turning to look at the two young women walking in their direction.
"She'll need to go to St. Mungo's first thing in the morning." Said Shacklebolt. "But first we need to get her to her parents' house."
"But she needs to rest." Said Ron. "Shouldn't we go home first?"
Shacklebolt turned wary eyes to Ron. Ron had a feeling that he was about to hear something that he wouldn't like to hear.
"She is going home." Shacklebolt said. "Her parents' home."
"What?" Exclaimed Ron. "If you have forgotten, she hasn't lived with her parents for more that a year."
"But she'll do so now." Shacklebolt said. He held up a hand to keep Ron from interrupting. "She needs to stay with her family now. You can't expect her to feel comfortable living with you in her condition."
"Why not?" Asked Ron angrily. "I could help her."
"You are virtually a stranger to her." Shacklebolt said with brutal honesty. "She needs to get used to those around her. And until the healers at St. Mungo's have examined her and think of a way to help her, you must treat her as a friend only. Besides, I'm sure you understand that her parents are very eager to see her."
Ron glared but said no more as Ginny and Hermione joined them in that instant.
"Hello Hermione, it's a pleasure to have you home once more." Said Shacklebolt greeting the young woman they had been discussing a minute ago.
"Thank you, sir." Replied Hermione shyly.
"Well, if you lot are ready, I think we should be going." Said Shacklebolt looking at the group assembled before him. "Your parents are very eager to see you, Hermione."
"And I'm very eager to see them." Said Hermione with a smile.
"I imagine you are." Replied Shacklebolt.
Hermione looked at her new friends with some hesitation.
"Let's go, we don't want to keep them waiting." Harry urged.
Shacklebolt led the young people out of the building and through the parking lot. A black car, Harry and Ron recognized as a Ministry car, waited for them.
The luggage was stowed and they climbed into the car.
Hermione looked out the window. She wanted to see everything on her way home. The lights and the buildings were awe inspiring, and it all looked so different from the city she had been living in for the past few months.
This was home, she knew that, but she couldn't help the sense of apprehension that flooded her body.
Hermione glanced at the young people who, surprisingly, were sitting comfortably at her side. She noticed that Ron was frowning, lost in thought. It was clear to her, that something had been said that did not sit well with him, but what could it be? Probably a business matter, she thought, maybe something had happened while they were gone.
They traveled through the streets, Few people were outside as it was still too early for people to be up and about. Finally, they reached a small neighborhood in the outskirts of the city.
The car drove up a neat, fresh painted house. The small front garden looked well-cared for and the lawn mowed. It was the only house in the block where it was clear that people were already up, as light flooded through the open windows.
The front door opened the moment the car parked in front of the house, and an older woman stood by the door.
Hermione looked at the woman with wonder. She was still dressed in a night robe, and her hair was a little tussled, as if she hadn't been up for long. Beneath her robes, a pair of fluffy slippers could be glimpsed under the hem. Hermone could also glimpse the tall shadow of a man standing behind this lady. And she knew that she was seeing her parents for the first time in months, and they looked as apprehensive as she was feeling.
She was surprised out of her thoughts by a voice nearby. "Are you alright?"
She turned to find Ron standing beside her. He seemed concerned and a little troubled, and she wondered at it, but turned to look at the couple waiting by the door and nodded. "I'm alright."
"They're waiting for you." He said.
She nodded once more.
She felt his strong hand grasping one of hers, and with a slight tug he led her toward the front door.
"Oh, Hermione." Squealed the older lady and hurried down the steps to hug her. "Oh, my dear, I've been so worried."
"I'm fine." Hermione said shyly.
"We have prayed, and hoped for this these past months." Mrs. Granger said with a watery smile. "I'm so glad you're home."
The man Hermione had glimpsed came into sight. He was older than the woman whom she was now sure was her mother. He was also dressed in a night robe, his hair was gray, and slight lines lined his face, but he was smiling.
"It's good to have you home once more, Hermione." He said as he pulled her into a tight embrace. "This young man of yours has been great help."
"Don't mention it, Mr. Granger." Replied Ron. "It was the only thing I could do."
Mrs. Granger was clutching a handkerchief in her hand and drying the tears that slid down her cheeks. "I have breakfast ready in the kitchen. Will you stay and partake it with us?" She asked as the others joined them.
"I can't reply for the others, but I have things to do this morning. So I'll wish luck and say my goodbyes now." Shacklebolt said.
"I'll go as well. I want to get some sleep this morning." Harry said with a wry smile.
"I should go too. Mum wanted me to get home as soon as we landed." Said Ginny. "Ron?"
She turned to her brother, who had been silent for most of their drive, and she was wondering what had Shacklebolt said to have put him in a mood.
"I'll go, give me a minute." He said.
Ginny nodded and walked down the path with Harry and Shacklebolt after saying their goodbyes to the Grangers.
"If you need anything, let me know." He said to the Grangers.
Mrs. Granger looked at him with an understanding glance, and nodded. "You can rely on it." She said promptly.
Ron nodded and turned to Hermione. "I'll see you later. Just rest for now."
Hermione nodded and watched him walk after his friends.
"You have a good man, there." Mr. Granger said. "He'll do good for you."
Hermione glanced at the man she now knew was her father and nodded. She couldn't think of anything to say.
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Ron climbed out of the Ministry car in front of his building. Ginny and Harry had decided to accompany him.
"I can floo over to the Burrow from your flat." Ginny had said when Ron had asked why she was coming over.
Ron had shrugged it off. He knew his sister was bound to ask questions and it would be worse if he didn't let her say whatever she wanted, even though he didn't feel like answering any questions.
Ron heard Shacklebolt drive off as soon as they had stepped off the car. They had shrunk their luggage inside the car and it was now comfortably stuffed inside their pockets.
"Why did you have to rent a flat on the upper floor, why didn't you rent one in the bottom floor?" Ginny complained as they stepped into the lift.
"Because it was open." Said Ron. "Besides, it gives me a perfect view of the neighborhood and that could give me an advantage in case of danger."
"You're so paranoid sometimes." Ginny muttered.
Ron glared at his sister but didn't reply as the lift move up through the building.
"So? Are you going to tell me what put you in a mood?" Ginny suddenly asked.
"Ginny!" Harry said in a warning tone. He knew what had bothered his friend and he knew that Ginny's questioning could only make things worse. Ron was not a person who liked to be questioned about his personal life. And Ginny should know that, he thought, he was after all her brother.
"Don't you say anything else, Harry Potter!" Ginny exclaimed. "I have as much right as you do to know what is bothering him."
Harry raised his arms in defeat and turned a commiserating look at Ron. He knew how obstinate Ginny could be, nobody could say no to her when she was this way. Not even her parents, and in his view, that was saying something as Mrs. Weasley was as obstinate as her daughter.
Ron was kept from responding as the lift doors opened. They walked down the corridor toward Ron's flat.
Ron looked around and took out his wand. With a quick flick, he tapped the knob and the door silently opened before him.
He groaned at the sight that met his eyes. "Did you know she was going to do this?" He asked angrily at his sister as they walked into the flat.
The flat had been thoroughly cleaned, and he knew who was responsible for it.
Ginny shrugged. "I guessed she might." She finally said.
"I don't know how she does it." Ron complained. "The door is charmed to recognize only my and Hermione's wands, and she can still break in to clean this place."
"It needed it." Said Ginny in favor of their mother's actions.
"I clean!" Snapped Ron exasperatedly.
"If you say so." Ginny snorted with derision.
Ron walked to the kitchen and took out a bottle of butterbeer from the cooler.
"Couldn't offer us one, could you?" Chided Ginny.
Ron threw another glare at his sister and took out two more bottles from the cooler before slamming them down upon the table.
"Honestly!" Exclaimed Ginny and took one of the bottles before passing the other one to Harry.
"I thought you were flooing to the Burrow." Said Ron as he watched his unexpected guests drink their butterbeers.
"In a minute. You still haven't answered my question." Ginny replied.
Both Harry and Ron groaned. Ron had hoped that his sister would leave soon and forget about her questions. While Harry understood perfectly how Ron was feeling , as he had felt the same when Hermione and Ginny had questioned him in the past, as it had happened several times, specially when he fell into a deep depression after the final confrontation with Voldemort.
"I think I better go." Said Harry as he put his empty bottle on the table. "I'll see you later." He said to the siblings and he walked to the fireplace. With a flick of his wand, roaring flames appeared on the fireplace. He took the small vase above the mantel and threw a pinch of Floo Powder into the fire. After a moment, he disappeared among the roaring flames.
"You should go too." Ron said to his sister as Harry's figure was out of sight. "I'm sure mum is eager to have you home."
"I'm not leaving until you answer my question." Snapped Ginny looking mutinous.
"I'm not answering anything. If I'm in a mood, as you say, then it's none of your business." Ron snapped back. "Now, I'm going to take a nap." And without a backward glance he walked out of the kitchen and into his bedroom.
Ginny glared as the door slammed behind her brother. Honestly! She thought. Ron could be such a prat sometimes.
She walked toward the fireplace, where the flames still danced merrily. She might as well go home, she decided. Ron was known to sulk for ages, and she didn't want to waste her time on him. Gathering a pinch a Floo Powder from the vase above the mantel and threw it into the fire. "The Burrow." She yelled as she stepped into the flames, and instantly she was swirling through the flames on her way home.
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Hermione looked around her room with wonder. Her mother had taken her to the kitchen after her arrival, where she was served a fine English breakfast before being taken to her room.
"It is just as you left it." Mrs. Granger had said as she opened the door to the bedroom. "You were always rather particular about the way things were placed in here."
Hermione nodded, but only because she didn't want to admit that she couldn't remember this room or any of the others that she had glimpsed on her way.
"I'll be in the kitchen with your father." Mrs. Granger said. "Call me if you need anything."
Hermione nodded once more and heard as the door was closed gingerly by her mother.
She looked around the room with curiosity. It looked like a room inhabited by a young woman. There were pictures among the walls and on top of the dresser and the bedside tables. She could see that many were of Harry and Ron, while some contained Ginny and others she could not really remember. They all seemed to have been taken in the same place, as she could glimpse a lake and a forest in the background of many of the pictures. There was something odd about the pictures, she thought. It looked as if the subjects in the pictures seemed about to come to life at any moment.
She also glimpsed pictures of her parents and others that she could only assume were members of her family as they all seemed to have some similar features.
There were also pictures of a cat. A ginger cat with an odd-looking face, which looked as if it had been smashed against a wall at some point in the past. She chuckled at the sight of this funny-looking feline, but as she couldn't see any cat or cat paraphernalia, she could only assume that it had died at some time in the past.
With a sigh, she took her luggage, which had been brought in by Mr. Granger at her arrival, and pulled it onto the bed. It was time she unpacked, she thought, and began to settle into her new life.
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Ron slammed the door as hard as he could. He did not wish to speak to his sister and hoped that she was wise enough to know that and leave presently. He waited for a few minutes, and sighed with relief when he didn't hear any more from Ginny. He knew she had gone home.
He knew he was being childish, that if he talked about his concerns perhaps he would feel better. But he couldn't. How could he express the fear that had flooded his body when he was told that Hermione wouldn't be living with him anymore?
He couldn't understand this fear, he didn't want to understand this fear. She was found, he thought, she was all right and back home. But that was the root of the problem, wasn't it? She was not really home, she was at her parents' home. The home she had left when she moved in with him more than a year ago. The home neither of them had thought she would return to. They had been determined to make their own home.
But she wasn't here anymore, he thought, and perhaps she would never be. This was the fear that had washed over him when Shacklebolt told him that Hermione was better off living at her parents' house during her treatment. He had felt as if he was being told that their relationship no longer existed. That their life together had been a wonderful dream, and he had just been rudely waken from it.
Eleven years of their lives had been erased in an instant. They were strangers once more and he didn't know if things could ever be the same.
Ron lay on the bed, misery and sadness written over his face. He would do everything he could to get Hermione back. He would woo her if he had to. He just hoped that at the end, he could rekindle the love they had once shared, and move on with the plans they had made.
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A/N: There you are, Chapter 9. Once more, I'm sorry it took so long to have it up, things are settling down a bit at work and hopefully I will be able to update more often, but I'm not making any promises, things just seem to get in the way more often than I wished. Thank you all for your reviews and your patience. I hope that you enjoy this chapter and that you will continue to read the story.
