Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own Harry Potter.
The next afternoon found Ron and Hermione back at the house where they had apprehended the Death Eaters last night. They had both been exhausted and had slept in yet again. Hermione found she quite enjoyed waking up lazily next to him.
They had been searching the house for a good couple of hours to no avail when Hermione had an idea. Her parents, when she had still lived with them, had used a false bottom in the silverware drawer to hide important documents. She wondered if they would have left their address for the authorities to find if they were ever captured. She supposed she had nothing to lose by checking.
Ron was on his stomach, searching underneath the bed in the guest bedroom upstairs and he nearly bashed his head as she called out to him. "Ron? I'm going to check the kitchen again."
"Alright." Came the muffled reply.
She descended the unforgiving stone stairs and couldn't help but think how drastically different this house was to the one she had grown up in. Then again, she supposed it had been inhabited by Death Eaters, well one Death Eater and a 'sympathizer', for who knows how long. She reached the silverware drawer and began pulling forks, spoons, and knives out by the handful. Ron appeared in the doorway and watched her as if she had gone barmy.
She ignored him and continued her task. She groped around the now empty drawer for some sort of lever and…yes! The bottom pulled away and she found a stack of papers inside. Ron raised his eyebrows and moved closer to see what they said.
"It's in code." She declared, somewhat lackluster.
"Of course it is." He grinned. "Apple didn't fall far hey Hermione?" He jested, and she smacked him in the chest.
"I think this is my Dad's favourite coding style so I might be able to crack it." Ron threw himself down on a chair and watched her quietly as she inserted the numbers into a grid. Her father had loved espionage and secrecy. His study at home was filled with mystery books and ciphers. She could only hope that the subterfuge might endear him to her erasing his memory. Somehow, she doubted it. Eventually, she got an address out of the code.
"I don't know how the Police were supposed to have cracked that." Ron remarked.
Hermione hummed in agreement. "It was my Dad's own variation on a popular cypher so it likely would have taken them a very long time."
"86 Rosewood lane." She informed him.
"Let's go." He pulled himself out of the chair and tied his shoes with his wand.
"But it's dinnertime." She stalled, fear washing over her at the notion that they would probably find her parents today.
"Hermione." He said softly. "They might be angry with you, but they love you. And you really had no choice."
"I know." She answered just as quietly, all of her strength seeming to have gone out of her. "Okay let's go."
She walked slowly and Ron didn't force them to speed up. Today he had worn a liberal amount of sunscreen to guard against the sun. Hermione had put some on as well, though he had hoarded the higher SPF one for himself.
She was wearing shorts and a t-shirt again, although they were slightly nicer than yesterdays. they looked like well-dressed tourists with Ron in similar clothing. Lucky for them, today wasn't quite as hot as yesterday had been. There was a slight warm breeze, and every so often the sun would disappear behind an errant cloud. She thanked Merlin that she could successfully pull off the refill charm, for they had brought only one water bottle.
Eventually they made it to the house and Ron stood a ways back down the laneway. This one felt much more like her parents to her than any of the other houses had. It was a two-story blue and white brick house with a wide veranda and lots of windows.
She gathered all of her courage and knocked on the door. Her father opened it and she nearly collapsed at the sight of him. Her mouth had gone dry.
"Wendell Wilkins?" She asked and he nodded. "I'm from the Dentists association of England and would like to offer you a job." She said.
He looked from her to Ron and back again. "Alright." He held open the door. It nearly killed her to see no recognition in her father's eyes. She waved Ron in behind her.
"Monica?" He called up the stairs and Hermione felt her nerve weakening as her mother appeared. She frowned at Hermione as if she knew her, and then shook her head.
"We've come to offer you a job in England. I'm Hermione, and this is Ron." Her parents seemed to light up at her name but not because they recognized it as their daughter's.
"From the dentist's association." Her father clarified for her mother.
"Right. I'll go get some tea, shall I?" Her mother offered, and before Hermione could decline she was bustling off to the kitchen."
"We have friends in your office here in Australia who spoke most highly of you to us and we see you have an excellent reputation among your patients." Ron said smoothly, handing her father records of his own work. He bent down over them to check them and Hermione drew her wand on him.
There was a shriek from the doorway and a clatter as her mother had picked that moment to come back in. "I knew it! I knew you were still after us!" She cried. Her father threw the table at Ron which hit him squarely in the stomach and winded him. He stood after a short time and took off after her father.
"No! It's not like that. I'm your daughter!" Hermione cried. Her mother looked at her as if she were crazy. She didn't blame her. Hermione raised her wand and her mother ran as fast as she could away from her.
Suddenly, sirens blared and police were forcing their way through the doors. No. Not police. Aurors. They forced her to her knees, took her wand, and arrested her. She suddenly sympathized with Sirius as she desperately pushed down the insane urge to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
"You don't understand. I'm Hermione Granger. You need to contact the Minister of Magic in Britain, Kingsley Shacklebolt. He'll tell you everything."
"Yeah right and I'm Harry bleedin Potter." The auror responded and Hermione's stomach sank. Where on earth was Ron?
They dragged her into the back of a police cruiser and took her to the Australian prison, Bega Gaol, in New South Wales. It had been closed in 1940 when the country's leader had been in line with Grindelwald, and had never been reopened to use for muggle convicts. The aurors had guarded it heavily back then, and now it was something of a legend. Hermione had read about it earlier in the summer when she was learning all she could about the country.
It was said that all manner of dangerous beasts roamed the cells freely and that many prisoners did not survive the place. However, that was only rumoured to be true of the oldest, lowest, parts of the prison and Hermione had entered at ground level and gone up.
They pushed her into a cell none too gently and she realized she had never been locked up before. The keys jangled in the lock and she was alone. That was good, it meant she could start on an escape plan. It bothered her that Ron hadn't come after her. Maybe he had been injured. Or…no. She refused to even think that he would abandon her. He loved her. She sounded pathetic even in her own mind so she harshly shut all thoughts of him away, hating herself for doubting him.
She inspected the tiny window which was much too small and much too high. It was also barred, from the inside and out, and they had taken her wand. The door was iron and she didn't have a key. She did have a hair pin, but she had never bothered learning how to pick a lock, despite Fred and George attempting to teach her one summer.
There was also a guard stationed outside of her door which meant they would see her if she tried to unlock it. She considered wandless magic, and decided that would be her last resort. She slithered down the wall and sat down against the cool concrete. She decided this was a much less dire situation than Malfoy manor. For one thing, Ron was out and coming to get her. She had decided her doubt was irrational. And, he was smart enough to send word back to the Minister or Harry and the Australians would eventually find out that she was war heroine Hermione Granger. She expected a full apology later.
Footsteps sounded smartly from down the corridor. Two, if she wasn't mistaken. She stood hastily, scrabbling her finger nails on the harsh cement floor. Ron came into view looking upset and surprisingly official. He was tailed by another guard. The unknown man gestured for her guard to come speak with them.
"I am Auror Ronald Weasley from Britain here on a special mission and that is my partner, war heroine Hermione Granger. I order you to release her this instant."
The guards looked uneasily at each other. Clearly, they knew the names, but they didn't want to be the ones to let a prisoner go free. "We'll have to clear that with the warden, sir."
"Of course. I'll wait here." Ron informed them politely but firmly. The second guard gestured for her old guard to stay here with him. She raised an eyebrow at Ron but didn't dare speak. He stood against the wall opposite the guard with one leg up on the wall and his arms crossed, resolutely looking at only the blank stretch of wall across from him.
She wondered at the brilliance of his plan. Surely their Ministry would follow along with the charade to save them. Maybe she wouldn't even need to escape. Ron hummed quietly to himself, to the extreme annoyance of the other guard, and Hermione had to turn away to hide her amusement.
Finally, the second guard reappeared with who she believed must be the warden. "Auror Weasley. I'm Warden Jones. Smithy here says you're here on special assignment from Britain with Hermione Granger?" He glanced dubiously at her and she schooled her face into what she hoped was a pleasant smile. He regarded her uninterestedly and she glared at her guard when he turned his back. If she looked unkempt it was because of his jostling.
"That's correct sir." Ron responded calmly, showing him a badge. Hermione wondered where on earth he had gotten that from.
"The mission being?" The Warden Jones probed.
"To retrieve her parents and restore their memories." Ah. So they were going with the truth, then. The warden raised his eyebrows. "Their memories were altered during the war and they were sent here to protect them from Voldemort and his Death Eaters. It was done a little too well, however, because we found them today and they called the police on us."
"Why weren't you apprehended as well?" He barked. It was less of a question and more of an accusation.
"I was with her father in the backyard and the police never went farther than the living room." Ron explained calmly.
"Hmm." The Warden acknowledged. "I'll have to get in contact with Britain to affirm your situation. Luckily Robards is an old friend."
"Lucky indeed, sir." Ron agreed.
Warden Jones pulled out a cordless phone and dialled a number into it. Hermione wondered if their jig was up. She doubted Robards was in on the scheme or would cover them. He seemed to go by the book.
"Robards!" The Warden roared. "Listen, I've got one of yours here on assignment to take Hermione Granger's parents back to Britain? He says she's the one we've got locked in a cell."
There was a long pause as Robards responded and Hermione tried to catch Ron's eye but he was looking intently at the Warden. Finally, the beefy man put the phone down. "Well. He corroborates your story. Smithy, come with me. There's paperwork we need, so she'll have to spend the night, but if she is who you say she is she'll be set free in the morning with a heartfelt apology and hopefully no need to go public. He handed Ron Hermione's wand with a stern look. "I'm putting a lot of trust in you two, here." He said gruffly before conjuring a blanket and pillow for Hermione and a chair for Ron.
Hermione opened her mouth when their footsteps vanished but Ron shook his head frantically. He cast a charm at the end of the hallway and then warded the corridor.
"That was brilliant Ron! I was so nervous, I didn't think Robards would go along with your story."
He thrust the pillow and blanket through the bars and pulled his chair closer to her. "It wasn't a story."
"What?" Her mind was reeling.
He smiled reflexively at her. "I started Auror training that morning I first met Robards. I arranged the meeting, not him. I knew we would be coming here and I knew things tend to go wrong with our planning, so I wanted to make sure I could bail us out if anything happened." He gestured to her cell. "I became certified a month ago. I was never doing paperwork. I didn't want to tell you, not because it's not supposed to be public knowledge, although it isn't, but because I didn't want you to think I doubted our success."
She grabbed his hand through the bars. "Thank you." She said quietly.
He looked up at her in surprise and tightened his hand around hers. "You're not mad?"
"How could I be mad? You planned ahead, rather brilliantly, and didn't want me to have any doubts. Besides, I'm very proud of you; Auror Ronald Weasley."
He beamed. "Yeah. I'm excited. As soon as we get back Robards is stepping down and I'm becoming Deputy Head Auror and Harry will be Head Auror."
Hermione smiled at him briefly before her own doubts came crashing back into her mind. "They seemed to doubt it was me."
Ron's smile vanished. "Yeah. I know. I'm not sure they won't try something, but the Warden seems like a decent enough man."
It had suddenly become very dark and Hermione shivered, remembering all of the ghost stories about this place. Below her came some distinctly animal sounds, followed by human moans and screams. She winced.
"Don't worry." Ron said softly. "I'll be here the whole time. We'll be fine." Hermione smiled and squeezed his hand.
"I don't doubt it."
"Try and get some sleep." He told her. "We'll be going back to your parents tomorrow and you'll need your rest. I'll watch over you."
"You should sleep too." She protested.
"I'll be fine." He told her. "There's no way I'm sleeping in this place, so at least one of us ought to get some rest."
She nodded and laid down on the hard bed she had been provided. She lay there in the dark, shivering and slightly afraid, wishing Ron had given her her wand back but appreciating the fact that he couldn't.
She woke up multiple times that night, sleeping fitfully with both the dreadful sounds and the threat of the guards ambushing them. Every time she opened her eyes she found Ron watching over her in silent vigil. It gave her a great deal of comfort.
Finally, day broke and her worries had appeared to be for naught. She heard Ron mutter the counter charms to the wards on the hallway as the sound of jangling keys alerted them to someone's presence. He straightened stiffly in his chair and smiled wearily at her before standing to meet Warden Jones.
He had appeared with an exhausted looking Kingsley who looked quite harassed. Hermione tried to give him an apologetic look but he just scanned her up and down in a matter-of-fact sort of way and nodded to Jones. "It's her."
The Warden set the key to the lock. "My greatest apologies Miss Granger, but you should have let us know of your mission."
"All due respect, Warden, but would you have reacted kindly to the information that my parents, British nationals, were illegally in your country?"
He chuckled. "I suppose not. I've promised your Minister that we won't stand in the way of your mission or of your escorting your parents home, no matter when that may be."
"That is the greatest apology you could give me." She told him sincerely. Ron shook his hand and Kingsley's and thanked the Warden. Jones unlocked, but didn't open, her cell door before he and Kingsley turned to walk back down the corridor they had come down. Once they had left Ron pulled the door open and she flew at him, nearly choking him with her hair. She kissed him soundly and passionately, unable to properly convey her feelings with words.
She melted into his embrace and he rubbed her back with both of his hands as he hugged her, as if to reassure both her and himself that she was alright.
They pulled apart and he smiled softly at her, running his hand through her hair to pull out a tangle. She glared at him as it snagged. She snatched her wand from his back pocket and nearly sighed in relief of being armed again.
"So?" He asked her in the back of the cab. "How are we gonna do this? Clearly going in the front door did not work."
"Clearly. I was thinking, maybe we sneak in somehow, invisible, and…" her voice faltered. "Petrify them, and then reverse the memory charm and make ourselves visible." She looked away from him and out the window. He rested a hand on her arm but made no comment. "Do you have a mirror?" She asked him suddenly.
He shook his head and she sighed, taking off her wrist watch and transfiguring it into one. He watched her curiously as she used her wand to tame her hair and make herself presentable. He made no comment but she saw him stifling a smile as he turned and looked away from her and out the window. They pulled up to the house and thanked their driver.
Hermione took in a deep, fortifying breath before giving Ron a wobbly smile and disillusioning herself. He followed suit and grabbed her hand to get her attention. They peered in the window and saw an empty house. Hermione frowned to herself. They were so close, her parents had to be here, they just had to be. She felt Ron pulling her wrist towards the backyard and she followed on light feet.
She found her parents outside sunning by a pool. She breathed a sigh of relief, though she wasn't looking forward to this confrontation. She stood directly in front of her mother and stared straight at her. Her mom didn't even notice her. Hermione took a breath to steady herself.
"Recordare." She whispered and saw understanding dawn in her mother's eyes.
"Richard? Hermione." She seemed to realize her daughter wasn't present. "Why are we here without her?"
"What?" Her father started to answer but Hermione was already muttering the spell. She saw his own eyes remember and he and her mother stared at her in confusion as she materialized into thin air. At least they hadn't needed to petrify them. She felt Ron squeeze her arm and then move away from her. She stared at them hungrily and sheepishly all at once, wanting very much to hug them both. Merlin, it had been such a long year.
Then they were hugging her and lamenting over how she had grown and she was crying in their arms.
"Hermione?" Her father pulled away. "What's happened to us?"
She inhaled deeply, sparing a glance at Ron. "I'm afraid you're not going to like the answer to that."
"You can tell us anything." Jean Granger implored her daughter.
"I erased your memory because of the war that was going on in the Wizarding World of Britain. You would have been targeted because of me so I modified your memories and sent you here, to Australia, with no memory of ever having a daughter."
They gasped at her in shock. She hadn't realized Ron had come closer to them until she felt his hand on her back. "Mr. Granger, Mrs. Granger." He greeted them.
"Ronald Weasley?" Her mother gasped. "My you have grown up." She winked at him.
Hermione tried desperately not to blush as Ron grinned in delight. Hermione cleared her throat and glared at him and he shook himself.
"Maybe we should talk about this over diner. We bought a private room at the fancy restaurant in our hotel. If you'd like you could join us." He suggested calmly.
"That would be lovely." Jean said, forestalling her husband's indignation at the fact that they were staying at a hotel together by laying a hand on his arm.
They gave them the details and then they got in the car and drove away. Hermione dropped her head in her hands the second they were out of view of her parents. Ron rubbed her shoulder.
"I think that went rather well. Especially the part where your Mum found me devilishly handsome." He smirked at her.
"I don't think that was actually what she said." Hermione said, mouth quirking up in a half-smile nonetheless. "Merlin I don't want to explain everything to them." She admitted.
Ron frowned. "I don't blame you. But they love you, no matter what you might have done to them."
"I suppose." Hermione whispered faintly. She laid her head on his shoulder and comforted herself with the fact that she would get to see Ron in that suit again. Silver linings.