See Chapter 37 of The Unlikely Pair for Percy's shopping adventure with Penny and Alicia.

To the reviewer who left me a note in Spanish: mi español no es bueno, but muchas gracias for the kind words!

4 weeks, 4 days after the final battle

Hermione and Percy were beginning to settle into a rhythm. They'd been roommates before, but this time was different. Being roommates and being boyfriend and girlfriend…Percy didn't really have the words to say how it was different, but everything was just pleasant, and cozy, and nice.

Percy enjoyed very much the fact that he got to see Hermione every single day, that they ate meals at home together, read together in the library, and fell asleep beside each other at night.

Hermione, still recovering, had been forbidden by her doctors from doing anything strenuous. Percy knew this frustrated Hermione to no end, being grounded while the rest of her family were busier than ever.

Ron and Harry were at Hogwarts almost everyday, helping with the clean up and rebuild. George was in the shop most days, filling mail orders and preparing for their eventual grand reopening. Ginny floated between Hogwarts cleanup and the rebuilding efforts in Diagon Alley. Bill, Fleur, Charlie, Arthur, and Percy worked full time.

Even Fred was busy. His healers had moved him from his original ward at St. Mungo's to a rehabilitation unit. He was doing intensive inpatient therapy at the hospital. They hoped he'd be home by the first of July, to continue with outpatient therapies.

Hermione, limited by fatigue and doctor's orders to rest, took it upon herself to finish boxing up the last of Muriel's belongings and knick-knacks. Percy had given her free-reign to get rid of anything with a shamrock on it, and Hermione had good taste, as well as a good sense of what items were sentimental and what items were not.

Percy usually arrived home in the evenings to find boxes of Muriel's belongings, sorted, labeled, ready to be donated or re-gifted to the family. Hermione also spent a large amount of time in Muriel's library, inhabiting Muriel's worn chair in the best spot by the window, reading and napping.

Muriel's home was about a mile's walk away from a tiny muggle village with a pub, a few shops, chemist, and a handful of churches. Further away than that was the muggle and magical community in Donegal.

Hermione and Percy made the trek down to the pub for supper and drinks on their second evening together. The locals in the little village hadn't known much about Muriel, only that she was a rich, reclusive widow with a love for gardening. That her grand-nephew, who held "a minor position with the government" had inherited her home and would be living there with his girlfriend, didn't phase the locals.

One evening a few nights later, Hermione and Percy were startled by a large barn owl tapping on their kitchen window as they did the dishes. Percy opened the window to allow the owl to settle beside Hermes on the owl perch.

"This is from the Australian Ministry!" Hermione exclaimed. She tore open the envelope and began to scan it. Percy offered the owl some water and a biscuit.

When he turned around, Hermione stood frozen, eyes wide, hands shaking.

"What? What is it?" He asked, coming to her side.

"They've found my parents,"

"That's good, isn't it?" Percy searched her eyes.

"They were in a car accident. They're alive. But...here," Hermione handed Percy the letter, and he read it.

Miss Granger,

After some searching, our muggle liaison team has located your parents.

Mr. Daniel P. Granger and Mrs. Helena B. Granger, under the aliases Wendell P. Wilkins and Monica B. Wilkens, were both located in Sydney Royal Hospital on May 20th. From their medical reports, it would appear that they were involved in a muggle car accident and sustained serious injuries. Local police reports indicate that they were victims of a drunk driving incident.

After we confirmed their identities, their status as magic-informed, non-magic relatives of a magical child allowed us to relocate them to the Newcastle Medical Center for Magical Maladies, where they have been safely in the care of Newcastle Med's magical trauma team ever since. It appears that they are both stable and recovering.

In Britain, the Australian Magical Embassy is located in Devon, and our team there would be happy to assist you with transport to Australia to reunite with your parents, if that is what you wish. Their physical address and Floo address are the same: 104 East Durham.

You have our deepest sympathies and well wishes for your parents' well-being. Please contact us with any further questions, and let us know if we can do anything further to assist you.

Wishing you well,

Brent Entwhistle

Department of Muggle Relations

Australia Ministry of Magic

"Oh, Hermione, I'm sorry," Percy sighed. Her face crumpled, and tears had begun to run down her cheeks.

"I have to go to them, I have to see them," Even though Percy had been thinking the same thing, it still hurt his heart to hear her say it. They'd only just begun to settle in together, and now she'd be headed to the other side of the world.

"I know you do. I can take you to the embassy in the morning," Hermione only nodded.

Percy helped her to pack a bag with clothing, her muggle identification, passport, and wallet, and other necessities. They shared a late night cup of tea, talking and listening to music. As tired as they were, Percy couldn't bear to go to bed.

Finally, they did turn out the lights and head up to their bedroom together. Instead of rolling to face away from him as she had done before, Hermione reached for him, curling her body into his. He wrapped his arms around her.

He wasn't sure who started it. But suddenly they were kissing, kissing hard and fast and intense.

Damn. They had never done anything like this before.

Hermione was soft and warm under his hands, and her hair tickled. He rolled, pulling her on top of him, and her knees fell to either side of his hips. They were pressed torso to torso, with only the thin cotton of their sleep clothes separating them. Percy ran his fingers down to her waist, finding the hem of her shirt and tucking his fingers against the soft skin of her lower back.

Hermione made a small noise of contentment when he did that, which made Percy feel warm all over.

After several long, lovely minutes, Hermione pulled away, tucking her forehead into his neck.

They were both breathing heavily, allowing that sound and the sound of the waves outside the window to fill the room.

"That was nice," Percy murmured, finally.

"It was," Hermione said. She rolled off of him, and tucked herself under his arm, resting against his chest and looping one of her legs over his own. Percy could breathe a bit easier now without having her on top, and he pressed a careful kiss to the top of her head.

"I'm going to miss you,"

"I'm going to miss you, too,"

The next morning, Percy presented Hermione with a pair of new communication books, one for her to travel with, and one for him to keep. He'd woken up early to make them.

"Just like old times," Hermione mused, using a felt tip pen to test the gemini and proteo charms. She drew a triangular shape and tapped the word "almanac" at the top of the page. It disappeared, and reappeared in Percy's book when he tapped the corresponding word.

"Just like old times," Percy agreed.

He took the morning off from work to take her to Shell Cottage and the Burrow to say a few goodbyes before she left. Everyone was surprised to hear about her parents and sad to see her go. Harry even offered to accompany her to Australia, but Hermione declined, saying that she'd travel alone.

While Hermione was talking to Mum, Ginny, and Harry, Ron came over to Percy.

"Stinks that you just got her back, and now she has to leave again," Ron nodded.

"Yeah, it does. But this is important," Percy felt selfish, wishing Hermione wouldn't go. But these were her parents. Her parents, injured and on the other side of the world, and Hermione hadn't seen them in a year. He could not, and would not keep her from going.

But he was still sad about it.

After leaving the Burrow, Percy brought Hermione to the door of the Australian Magical Embassy. Hermione shifted, hoisting her pack higher onto her shoulders.

"I'll write to you when I get there," She promised.

"I'm looking forward to it,"

He kissed her, long and sweet, before allowing her to walk in the front doors of the embassy by herself.

Percy had told Tonks he wouldn't be into work until after lunch, and he took the opportunity to go home and cry, just a little.

Dear Percy,

This is funny, it feels like how we started writing our letters all those years ago.

I'm in Australia now. They have international portkeys, but I was advised that the more comfortable option would be to travel by flying carpet. It wasn't much different from an airplane, I suppose, just a little breezier.

I'm in Sydney for the night, at a hotel not far from the British embassy. Tomorrow, I'll hire a driver to take me to Newcastle to see my parents.

Oh, God, I'm so nervous. The muggle relations department let me see my parents' medical records, and they look terrible. It looks like my mum had surgery, and my dad has all sorts of broken bones.

I wish I'd taken Harry up on his offer to travel with me, it's pretty lonely here. I ordered room service for dinner and watched a few films.

I miss you. I love you.

-Hermione