Chapter 18 - An unexpected visit

The first weeks of their very happy relationship passed. Hermione sometimes still believed she was dreaming when she woke up early in the morning next to the man she loved so much. As they were lying in bed that morning kissing passionately, there were suddenly loud knocks on Ron's front door.

Boom, boom, boom.

Ron however ignored it, kissed Hermione along the neck and slipped his hands under her sleeping shirt.

Boom, boom, boom.

There was another loud knock at the door. Hermione reached for Ron's hand and stopped him. "Ron… Someone's at…the door…" She gasped a little while she was talking because Ron was nibbling her earlobe.

Boom, boom, boom

The knocking became louder and louder and now they heard an angry male voice from outside the door. "Hermione! Open the door!"

Hermione looked up when she recognized the voice. She jumped out of bed and got dressed quickly. "Love, what's wrong? Do you know who this is?" Ron asked a little concerned. Hermione looked at Ron and he saw tears forming in her eyes. "It's my dad…" she whispered. "Your…Oh my…Merlin's pants... blimey!" Ron muttered nervously. "Ron!" Hermione hissed between gritted teeth.

Ron still looked at her in shock and also jumped out of bed to get dressed. Hermione went into the hall and checked herself in the mirror and briefly straightened her wild curls. Then she turned to the door and opened it. In front of it stood her somewhat annoyed looking parents. "Mum…Dad! Oh my God!" Hermione gasped and pulled them into a bonecrushing hug. Even though they didn't have the best relationship at the moment, Hermione had missed her parents deeply.

Hermione's mum looked very touched, what couldn't be said about her father. Hermione's dad, Johnathan Granger, cleared his throat briefly and then looked seriously at his only daughter. "Hermione, we need to talk! Now!" Hermione nodded in Agreement. "We really have to! Come in, please." The two of them entered the apartment with Hermione and hung their coats on the coat rack.

"This is where you live? I thought you…" her father said but her mother, Alicia Granger, glanced warningly at him. "Jonathan…Please." "Yes, that's where I live now. There have been some changes lately!" Hermione stated. "Some changes?" John said and watched his daughter with a serious look on his face but at the same moment Ron stepped out of the bedroom. All eyes were now on him, which was quite unpleasant for him. He tried not to let anything show, because he didn't want to screw anything up, but to show his best side. He first reached out his hand to Alice, who seemed to be completely enraptured by his presence. Her stern gaze immediately softened and her wrinkled forehead showed hardly any wrinkles. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Granger. It's a pleasure to meet you! My name is Ronald Weasley."

Alice started to smile while Ron tried to introduce himself to Hermione's dad, but he was completely unimpressed and rather gave Ron the cold shoulder. Ron took it like this for now and bit his tongue to say nothing wrong. John kept a close eye on Ron. "And who are you? What do you have to do with my daughter?!" he asked him sternly. "DAD! Just for your information… he's my boyfriend!" Hermione answered instead of Ron. "YOUR what?" her father nearly jelled. Hermione let her eyes wander between her father and Ron. She knew that her father was more than upset. But she tried to swallow her anger and took Ron's hand. Both smiled at each other briefly and Hermione looked her father right in the eye.

"Yes, he's my BOYfriend, Dad. Like I already told you in my letter. We love each other…" Her father snorted and glanced briefly at their joined hands. "And he shall be the reason why you do not want to return to France?" "John! Stop it!" Alice admonished her husband for the second time already. Hermione now became angry and glared at her dad with an angry look. Ron watched the situation closely and had to admit tom himself that he'd never seen Hermione like this before. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, hoping fervently that the problem would be resolved without a major dispute.

"No, I'm not going back to France! I will stay here and also work here… St. Mungo's offered me a position as a healer. I'm gonna be a doctor, just not in your world!"

"Hermione, Darling… Please think it over…" but before Alice could finish her sentence, her husband interrupted her angrily. "So that's your final decision, Hermione?"

"Yes, it is! Ron and I love each other. I can't come back… this is my home now!" Ron was moved by her words and clasped her hand tighter. Her voice carried emotions, but she tried to stay strong and not burst into tears infront of her parents.

"So that's your final word? You're staying?" John asked angrily. Hermione nodded and underlined her decision with a firm "YES!". John went to the door and opened it. "Well... then you've been my daughter for the longest time, Hermione! Come on, Alice!" her father yelled. Hermione tried to not burst into tears. The way he spoke to her broke her heart and she felt like she didn't mean anything to her father.

"But…John! She's our daughter!" her mother tried to stop her husband. "She was my daughter…." Was the last thing he said, before he left the apartment. Alice looked at them with tears in her eyes. Without another word or a hug to her daughter, she also left Ron's apartment. When the door clicked shut, Hermione could no longer hold on to herself and let her emotions run free. Ron immediately took her in his arms and brought her into the living room where she sat on the couch sobbing. Ron never left her side for a second, trying to comfort her and just be there for her. Hermione lay crying in Ron's arms while he stroked her hair soothingly. "Shhh, shhh. It's gonna be okay." He kissed her hair lightly and wanted to hug her even tighter when Hermione loosened the embrace. She looked at him sad and her lower lip began to tremble uncontrollably as her eyes filled with fresh tears.

"How, Ron? Tell me how this is gonna be okay!? My parents… my father hates me! I…" but Hermione couldn't speak any further. A new wave of tears overwhelmed her and she threw herself into Ron's arms. "Your parents don't hate you. I think they were just overwhelmed with the situation… Your decision not to go to France and work as a healer… And last but not least, I came along… Your parents love you. Otherwise they wouldn't have reacted like they have. Hermione, you only react this way when the other one means a lot to you." Ron tried to reassure her.

"You really think so?"

"Of course I do!" Ron kissed her softly on the forehead and after a short time Hermione seemed to have fallen asleep in his arms, exhausted from crying so much. Ron lifted her carefully from the couch, went into the bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. He covered Hermione and kissed her forehead again before he left the room. Ron felt somehow guilty about the situation and thought about how he could help her. If only he knew where the Grangers lived during their stay in England...

At that moment Ron realized what he had to do. He went to his desk and looked for a piece of parchment and a quill. After he had found both, he wrote hastily:

Kingsley-

I know how busy you are, but I need to ask you a favor. . . I need the current whereabouts of the following people: Jonathan and Alice Granger. Please let me know as soon as possible. In return, I promise you that if there's a mission that is too dangerous for the others, then I am your man. Kingsley, please hurry, this is really important.

Ron

Ron folded the parchment, let Pig out of his cage and sent the bird to the Ministry. He was prepared to do everything in his might to get Hermione to talk to her parents. He could never forgive himself if Hermione broke off contact with her parents because of him. Deep in thought, Ron was brought back to reality by Hermione's voice.

"Ron? Where are you?"

"In the living room. Coming!" Ron made his way into the bedroom and Hermione smiled at him tiredly. "Will you lie down with me?"

"Of course." In two big steps he walked through the room and lay down with Hermione, who immediately snuggled up to his side. "I'm so glad to have you." she whispered. Ron smiled and gently stroked her arm. "I'm always here for you. Always. Please never forget that."

Hermione kissed Ron slowly and gently. Her fingers slipped through Ron's hair, across his stubbly cheeks and finally she spread light kisses all over his face. When she let her hand slide under his shirt, both were distracted by a noise at the window. Ron saw Pig sitting on the window-sill, with a rather damaged letter from the Ministry fixed on his leg.

"That was fast." Ron muttered to himself. "What was fast?" Ron didn't pay attention to Hermione's question at all and hastily read the letter. "Ron, are you okay? Can you please talk to me?" Ron looked at Hermione, a gentle smile on his lips.

"Get dressed, we got something to settle." He sked her to do.

"Ron… What are you talking about?" Before Ron had the chance to answer, Hermione tore the letter out of his hands and read:

Ron,

I have the information you wanted. The Grangers are staying at the Continental United Hotel, room 405. And I'll take you up on that. The next mission that nobody wants is yours.

Kingsley

The smile that was on Hermione's face at the beginning faded as soon as she read the last lines.

"Ron, what does this has supposed to mean?" she asked him truly concerned. Ron wondered about her reaction and began to stammer: "Well…um… I thought…."

"What have you gotten yourself into?" Ron just looked at her and said nothing.

"Answer me, Ronald Weasley! What did you agree to?"

"Hermione…your parents… I just wanted you to talk to them."

"That doesn't answer my question, Ronald. What have you agreed to do?"

Ron dropped his shoulders and now spoke very softly. "I told Kingsley that the next Mission…Hermione, sometimes there are missions that many Aurors don't want to do because they're too dangerous… I told Kingsley that I'll take the next one if I get information about your parents' whereabouts."

Hermione looked at Ron in bewilderment. "Why did you do that, Ron?"

"I wanted you to get along with your parents as soon as possible. I can't watch you suffer." He said in earnest.

"But at what cost, Ron? Do you think that I'm happy if my father reluctantly accepting my decisions, but my boyfriend going on a suicide mission in return? Ron, you promised me you wouldn't put yourself in that kind of danger again." She said almost hysterically.

"Hermione, I…" Ron was just making a move towards her when Hermione backed away.

"Stop. Please don't."

"Hermione, please!" Hermione just shook her head, tears filled her eyes again and she suddenly threw herself into Ron's arms. "Ron, I wouldn't get through it if anything happened to you. Don't you understand that everything is worthless, meaningless for me if you aren't at my side?" she cried. "Hermione, I'm so sorry… I wasn't thinking straight. I just wanted to help …"

"I won't allow it."

"Huh?"

"I will not allow it. You're not going on some mission!"

"Hermione, that's my job."

"I don't care. I am your girlfriend and healer and I will not allow it." Hermione looked into Ron's eyes, both knowing they were in the middle of their first real fight, when once again they were interrupted by an owl at the window. Ron let the bird in and took the letter. He was just about to read it when Hermione, who looked both angry and frightened, literally tore the letter from his hand. Her eyes skimmed over the text and conjured a smile on her face.

"What does it say?" Ron wanted to know and Hermione handed him the letter. Ron took it and began reading.

Ron,

Forgetaboutmylastletter. Orthepartaboutthemission. Yourowlseemstohave broughtmylettertotheBurrowfirstandyourmothermusthavereadit. Anyway, MollysentmeahowlerIwentthroughtwowars, butthatThatwasscary. IhopeIcouldhelpyou.

Kingsley

Ron looked at Hermione and they both started giggling until they fell into uncontrolled laughter. "Come on, get dressed. We're going to see your parents." Hermione nodded and quickly got ready. When both left their apartment hand in hand, Hermione turned to Ron.

"We'll talk about that again. Don't think I'm letting you off the hook that easy."

"I thought so." Ron laughed.

"Ron, I'm dead serious about this!"

"I know…"

"Never do that again, Ron. We're a couple, a team. I don't want you making these big decisions without me."

"I'm sorry. I really just wanted what's best for you." he apologized.

"I know, but YOU are the best for me. You, just you." She looked him right in the eye. "I love you, Ron."

"I love you too. So much!" He carefully squeezed her hand and they both made their way to the hotel.