"I'm coming with you."
Hermione gasped at the sound of Ron's voice. She turned to find him leaning against Ginny's bedroom door, arms crossed, with a scowl on his face.
She had been lost in her thoughts while she packed for her trip, anxiously organizing and re-organizing her beaded bag.
"You startled me," she said, worrying her lip and wringing her hands in an attempt to calm her nerves.
Ron continued to stare at her, looking ill-tempered. He put his hands on his hips and took a step closer. "Were you trying to sneak away without telling anyone your plans?" he asked accusingly. Then repeated, "I'm coming with you."
Hermione looked down, continuing to twist her fingers anxiously, "Ron, we only just got back to the Burrow a week ago. I didn't want to take you away from your family. They need you right now…it's only been…" Her voice trailed off, leaving mention of Fred's funeral unspoken.
It had only been three days since the funeral, and it was still fresh on everyone's minds and hearts. The Burrow had been eerily silent and devoid of its usual warmth. Even now, she saw a wave of grief cloud Ron's features as he realized the implied meaning behind the words she couldn't bring herself to say.
She had intended to tell him about her trip to Australia, she just hadn't found the right moment to do so. She couldn't bear the thought of burdening Harry or Ron with another quest, even if it was as straightforward as retrieving her parents and restoring their memories.
Hermione's plan was to fly from London to Sydney on a Muggle airplane, using the thirty-plus hour travel time to catch up on sleep and work out what she would say to her parents when they were reunited. When she arrived at her destination, she would research 'Wilkins Dentistry,' and book an actual appointment to get inside her parents' practice without raising suspicions. This of course, was all planned in the hopes that she wouldn't have to use complicated location spells or rely on official magical transportation.
The entire Ministry of Magic and its infrastructure were still in the rebuilding stages, and she knew going through proper international channels would only slow down and delay her undertaking. She hoped that having a straightforward and simple plan would ensure her success in finding her parents quickly, and that they would be able to spend the remainder of the summer together before she returned to Hogwarts in the fall.
She was about to tell Ron all this. She was going to tell him not to worry, that she would be fine and be back before he knew it. But again, he took a step towards her, closing the distance between them.
He spoke quietly, his voice full of emotion, "I know it's only been a week… but this house is so crammed full of people that I can barely hear myself think. Harry's in my room with me, you're in here with Ginny, Percy's bunking with George, Charlie's in his old room, and Bill and Fleur visit every day. My mother stands in the kitchen crying and cooking all day and my father hardly leaves his shed. No one has returned to work yet, and I just…I need to breathe. Yes, my whole family is hurting right now and we all need each other…but I…I need you. You can't leave without me," the anger in his body turned to sorrow as Hermione watched the fight in him leave his shoulders in a slump.
He placed his hands gently on her waist and rested his forehead on hers. He closed his eyes and gulped the much-needed air after his speech. It was the first time he had expressed any sort of emotion since the funeral and her eyes became liquid as she listened to him try to gain control of his breathing.
Hermione wrapped her arms around Ron's shoulders and buried her face in the crook of his neck. She breathed in his familiar scent, holding onto him tight, and began crooning and murmuring sounds of comfort in his ear. She felt the wetness of his tears on her shoulder.
She rubbed slow, calming circles on his back and after some time, she felt his body begin to relax. They had spent time like this off and on since the end of the battle at Hogwarts. There hadn't been a need for words, just the comfort of each other's arms. Her mind flashed back to the feeling of his strong arms holding her as they fell asleep on his bed in Gryffindor tower.
After Harry had left them, Ron had pulled her along, not hesitating once as they ascended the stairs to the boys' dorm. She got changes of clothes out her beaded bag for each of them. They took turns showering and returned to the dorm where they helped each other apply dittany to the scratches and burns covering their bodies. Silently they climbed into his bed, too exhausted to be embarrassed, too grateful to be alive, and too grief-stricken. Ron reached for her immediately and she snuggled into his chest. His labored breathing and her quiet sniffles the only inclination that they were crying. She had reached up to cup his cheek and his hand found the curls at the nape of her neck. Hermione saw the pain in Ron's watery, blue eyes and her breath hitched, she could not bear to see him this way. She closed her eyes, wishing she could ease this for him, and then she felt his lips softly, reverently kiss her. They fell asleep that way, holding each other tightly, silently crying, and delicately kissing. No words were needed.
Back in Ginny's room, Ron nuzzled his face into Hermione's curls and tightened his grip on her hips. "I'd be worried sick 'Mione, knowing you were all by yourself on the other side of the world," he whispered into her ear. "You're not doing this alone. I'm coming with you."
Then he hugged her tighter, wrapping his arms around her small frame. She softly stroked a hand through the hairs at the nape of his neck and gave him the comfort he seemed to so desperately need.
They hadn't had much time alone since the battle and she cherished the closeness of this moment they were sharing. Though the dynamic of their relationship had changed since the kiss they shared in the Room of Requirement, they hadn't had the time or privacy to explore anything further or talk through their intentions. It had been an endless whirlwind of funerals, healing and health check appointments at St. Mungo's, and Ministry depositions with Kingsley and his aurors.
Ron took a step back, and Hermione let her hands rest softly on his chest. Ron's hands remained on her waist and he looked down into her eyes, serious and caring all at the same time. "So, what's your plan?" he asked.
Hermione sighed, feeling the guilt creep back in. She told him of her arrangements and intended course, letting him know exactly how she would get to and from the airports and how she would travel around the greater Sydney area. "If you insist on coming, I'll see if I can book you a seat on the plane today or we can reschedule the flight. I'll need to figure out how to get you the proper documents, perhaps Percy could help with that... Then we'll need to pack your clothes, you'll need to let everyone know where we're going…." she trailed off.
He was smirking at her and shaking his head back and forth. "I thought you would over-complicate things," he said chuckling.
Hermione huffed and pulled away from him. "I thought it was all pretty straightforward and simple. It's not a big deal to change the plane tickets, Muggles do it all the time."
Again, Ron laughed. "Aren't you a witch?" he asked. "If I'm not mistaken, the brightest witch of our age. Why for Merlin's sake, would you waste two whole days of travel just to get to a place that may or may not be the actual place you're trying to get to?"
Her face flushed and she became defensive. "For your information Ronald, it is illegal and extremely dangerous to apparate across international borders, halfway across the world and over oceans without prior authorization. I also felt it ill-timed to burden the Ministry of Magic with a request for a Portkey that may or may not be approved, and that may take up to months to logistically and pragmatically make arrangements for. And like everyone else who survived this war, I just need my family right now." Her voice broke, and the anger she had directed towards Ron turned to sadness.
She missed her mother and father desperately. She needed things, her plan to be simple, because the real anxiety was the gnawing thought of her parents' wiped memories never coming back. Never having her mother and father back. It was too much to handle. A single tear slipped down her cheek and she swiped it away.
Ron grew serious. "I know," he said softly, "that's why I already took care of everything." He brushed his knuckles across her cheek.
"What? What do you mean?" she furrowed her brow in confusion.
"I talked to Kingsley directly. I found him in the garden after Fr- after the funeral. He's setting up a direct Portkey from his office at the Ministry to the Wizarding Consulate in Sydney. We'll be staying in the private apartment on the fourth floor of the Consulate. We'll be able to leave and return as we please, and we can stay as long as we need. The British and Australian Ministry officials on site will be able to assist with spell reversal if necessary, and Bill, Kingsley, and the aurors are going to your house in London personally, to remove any curses and boobytraps set by Death Eaters and restore any damage they may have caused."
She stared at him with her mouth agape as he reached for something in his pocket.
"And once we get to Australia…we'll use this to find your parents," he said, as he presented her with the Deluminator.
She continued to stare at him, speechless. She didn't know what to say. He had thought of everything. Her heart was so full of love for this man standing in front of her, she couldn't contain it. It filled her up and drove out any anxiety she had been carrying with her for the past year.
"I love you," she heard herself say.