February 14, 2020

CHAPTER THREE

~June 25th, 2019

17 Madison Drive Street

Bellington, Australia

Hermione Granger-Weasley arrived at Bellington, New South Wales an hour before sunrise. Her mother's hometown was still as beautiful as ever. She missed the scent, the view, and the whole place itself. And now, she's back once again in her parents' home to visit their graves. The home she used to love since childhood were now silent and lonely. It's been another year. Today is June 25th. It's her mother's, Jane Marie Granger's birthday and her parents' wedding anniversary.

Every year, she always comes to Australia - where her grandparents and her mother grew up - to visit them in the cemetery. She remembered back then, she and her parents always visited this place. She used to spend her childhood here. Back before she had enrolled to Hogwarts, she used to go and stroll the place. Her favourite place of the house was the veranda where she sat and read books from her grandmother's library. She loved reading The Little Prince all over again and in such a young age, she already read The Scarlet Letter and Pride and Prejudice. At noontime, they would travel to the sea to have her mother's birthday celebration. She loved swimming and build sandcastles. How she missed those times. While walking around the garden, she began to reminisce the past nineteen years of her life.

After the war, she continued studying to finish her NEWTS and decided to enter the Ministry after she graduated. Harry and Ron were an auror in training when she progressed. After their romantic moment during the war, Ron and Hermione decided to give their relationship a go. Starting from that day, Ron and Hermione were dating. Harry, who was dating Ginny, was happy for his best friends. Ron had been a wonderful lover. He's fun, kind and loving. He always loved her and made her feel that she's the only one.

In year 2003, she became the Head of Department of Mysteries under Kingsley Shacklebolt. However, on the same year, her father and grandfather died, leaving the two widows and her only daughter to continue living. It was a painful memory to her mom and grandmother. Grandpa Granger had died in natural causes. Her father died in a heart attack. After the funeral, Hermione asked her mother to live with her and Ron - they're already living together - but she refused and moved back to Australia with her grandmother.

Ronald Billius Weasley and Hermione Jane Granger got married in year 2005, two years after Harry Potter and Ginevra Weasley got married on 2003. She was 26 and Ron was 25. Their marriage was the best thing that ever happened to both of them. They were so in love with each other and Hermione didn't wish for anything anymore. At April 6th, 2006, Rose Granger-Weasley was born. It was one of the best day of their lives. The Heavens had given them a beautiful daughter. Ron named her Rose, as beautiful as her mother. He had been a wonderful father. Two years later, Harry and Ginny Potter had a daughter they named Lily Luna. The month after Lily Luna's arrival to the world, Hermione gave birth to a baby boy they named Hugo. It was a tough and painful birth. Even so, she's happy with her marriage life now. Ron and their children always made her life complete. She could never wish for more.

But like other marriages, if there are good times, couples also had gone through the hard times. Years after their marriage, Ron had gotten cold to her as she grows older. Ron had wanted a family with children as many as his siblings. He had wanted a huge family full of love and care. Back then, they were so happy and so in love at that moment Rose and Hugo came into their lives. But after Hugo was born, two years later, a tragedy happened for them. Hermione had a miscarriage to their supposed to be third child. She was crying so much as the Healer had told her that having another pregnancy would endanger her life since Hugo's birth had been difficult. That could only mean one thing, she could never conceive a child again. Even though Hermione herself wanted to give Ron the family he wanted, she could never give it and that distraught them both. Starting from that day, Ron was cold to his own wife. Her appearance didn't change much. Though she's 30, she still looked the same when she married Ron. She wondered what changed Ron.

Then once, what Hermione had feared for their marriage happened. Ron had an affair with another woman. A black-haired gorgeous woman named Christine Madison. Even though it happened just once, it shattered Hermione's trust into pieces. He had sought for comfort to someone else that is not her. They rowed and rowed about it. Eventually, Ron still chose his family and left his mistress. He promised Hermione not to do the same mistake again and she forgave him. Though deep inside, Hermione may forgive, but she will never forget. Ron, thankfully, had been true to his word. He never cheated on her again but his coldness about the topic of children didn't change. Their marriage had turned cold. It was never in the same passion that they felt back then. Like it was already dead. When they make love, the fact that Hermione couldn't conceive another child after Hugo made Ron sorrowful and he will end up cold after the passion they shared. Hermione could no longer feel that Ron loved her with a passion like what he had felt before. Though he love her still but not with the same passion anymore. Ever since then, Ron could no longer touch her. She missed Ron. So much. And she still loved him. But does he feel the same?

Hermione also lived in this countryside for a short time. At year 2013, ten years after her father and grandfather's death, her grandmother soon followed. Her mother was now alone living at Australia. When she asked her once again to live with them, she still refused but asked Hermione to live with her at Bellington before Rose started schooling at Hogwarts. How could she refused her? It must have been lonely being alone. So Hermione and her family moved in to Bellington with her mother. Moving to Bellington for a moment, she needed to leave work. In her place, her upper hand and secretaries, one former Gryffindor and two former Ravenclaws acted in her stead. But even though she moved into Bellington, she comes back to the Ministry every month and stay there for a week to finish her work.

Her life at Bellington was beautiful. Full of wonderful memories. And it's good to be back. Rose just like her, loved reading books in the veranda. Her daughter loved the place.

Hermione was on the garden with her mother, taking fresh air and relaxing.

'Hermione, did you loved it here at Bellington?' Jane Granger had asked out of the blue.

'This place is one of the beautiful places in Earth, Mum. I loved living here,' Hermione turned her attention to her daughter in the veranda. 'And look at Rose. I feel like I am looking at myself years ago. And now that Hugo is here, I could never wish anything for more, Mum. They're the best things that happened to me.'

Hugo was playing at the garden when he got hit by the ball.

Both women just laughed.

'Do you know the reason why I can't leave Bellington?'

'I think no, Mum.'

'It's like they say. Bellington is a place of miracles,' Jane said as she looked at Hermione with a smile.

'This is the place where I met your Dad, sweetheart. And meeting your father at that moment was the best miracle that ever happened to my life.'

Year 2015, Jane Granger passed away in her sleep. It had been a peaceful death for her mother. Ron had been at her side, so as Harry. She was buried beside her father and near her grandparents' graveyard. After her mother passed, they returned back to their house at the Wizarding World. Rose had attended Hogwarts two years after that. As for Hermione, she was still the working in the Ministry, but as the new Minister of Magic.

The wizarding world has been the same since then. She spent most of her time at work, and for once, she needed a break from all the paper works. She took a vacation to relax for a while and visiting her parents' home in Australia is the best idea.

When she arrived at the house, the place still looked the same when she left last year. The table looks dusty, so as the cabinets and cupboards. Passing the time, she decided to clean the whole house.

Around 9 'o clock after she finished cleaning the house, she took a stroll around. On her way, she walked passed the Roswell-Thomas neighbourhood. She saw her neighbour and previous schoolmate at Hogwarts. She greeted hello to the former Gryffindor, Dean Thomas. Dean had travelled around the world after he graduated from Hogwarts. In his adventure, he met Claire Roswell - a muggle - and soon fell in love. Dean and Hermione had never seen each other for a long time. She didn't hear another news of him after that. The last thing she had heard was him marrying a muggle and settling down at the countryside. After he married the Australian lady, he decided to stay in Bellington with his family for good. He had a muggleborn daughter in Hugo's age and is on her first year at Hogwarts. They chatted for a while and at around 10, she decided to go and visit her parents' - and grandparents' - grave.

In Loving Memory of Richard Hansel Granger

January 24th 1960 - October 13th, 2003

~A loving father and husband.~

In Loving Memory of Jane Marie Granger

June 25th, 1961 - November 17th, 2015

~Beloved Mother and Wife.~

"Hello Dad. Hello Mom. It's been another year," Hermione said as she puts the bouquet down the gravestones. She just took a deep breath. After her mother died, she felt a missing piece from her life. After all, aside from Ginny, her mother always listens to her whenever she talked to her about many things. Now that she's gone, sometimes Ginny was away, there was no one to talk to.

"Happy Birthday, Mom. It's been four years since you've passed. Rose and Hugo misses you now. You should have seen how they've grown." Hermione smiled at her mother's tomb then looked at her father's.

"You know, Dad, Hugo had started his schooling at Hogwarts now. Dear Rosie is now on her third year and really excels at her study. I hope that Hugo enjoyed his time at Hogwarts. As for Ron, he is on Romania with Charlie. You know, Dragon Business." she said chuckling but soon replaced by a bitter smile. Ron's coldness never lessen a bit. Ron still loves her, she knows it, but can she still feel it? Though he is still affectionate and romantic towards her but not with the same intensity anymore. She missed the old Ron. The funny side of him, his smile, and the Ron she had fallen in love with.

"Dad, Mom, I am okay now. I know it's hard to lose you both, but my family makes me strong..." A pause. Then soon her tears started to fall. Who was she fooling? There's no one beside her now. Ron was away when she needed him everytime. There was no one by her side now. She's all alone. She tried to remain calm. She even summoned all of her courage but it wasn't enough.

"I wish you're still here... I still need you both, Mum, Dad." Her tears fell down like rain, not only for her falling marriage, but also for her and her family.