Harry would not miss Fred Weasley's funeral for anything, he wanted to be there, for Fred, for George, for Ron, for Ginny and Mr and Mrs Weasley. The Weasley's had always made him feel one of their own, but after the funeral it was clear that he simply wasn't. For the first time ever, Harry wanted to escape from the Burrow and from the Weasley's, and he wasn't alone.
Harry and Hermione - Chapter 1 - Goodbye Fred
The silence was palpable. The Weasley's sitting around in the best clothes, the seat to George's right constantly vacant, a mountain of uneaten food covered every surface. It was like Bill and Fleur's wedding inverse - many of the same guests - but where everybody had been happy and jovial now evey one was silent and mournful. Perfectly normal of course, and perfectly uncomfortable.
Harry had begun to take refuge outside when he felt least likely to be missed. The Weasley's were sticking together in one silent, unmoving ginger mass. Mrs Weasley didn't want to leave George's side, Mr Weasley wanted to be by his wife. Ginny and Ron were like the right hand of their same gender parent; ready to fix cups of teas, get the photo albums, ease any burden it occurred to them may present itself.
Having never been brought up properly, Harry supposed he didn't understand the intricacies of a close family, the various roles one played, and while it was true that Harry had had more than his fair share of death and grief he had never been in a position to go through this process that everybody but himself seemed to understand.
He was of course genuinely affected by the loss of Fred - perhaps like in the same way George was, but then could anyone? And perhaps not in the same way as Ron and Ginny. But could it be the same way as Hermione? She didn't seem to be struggling in the same way he was but there was definitely some obvious tension between her and Ron and that can't be easy for her.
Harry had hoped to slide into the kitchen of the Burrow unnoticed, he fancied taking a cup of tea and perhaps some fruit cake into the garden. Ginny followed him in after a few moments, of all the people at the Burrow Ginny was one of only two people he did not mind having his sneaking disturbed by.
"Let me make it for you," she said, reaching past him.
"Oh no, thanks Ginny, I can do it, I'm happy to make it, really. I just hope it's not sort of presumptuous or something? Irritating to your mother?"
"Of course not, Harry, I just can't always be on hand to do it myself, just help yourself," she said apparently unaware that his helping himself was being undermined by her continuing making his tea.
"Would you like one, Ginny?" He said softly.
"Oh no, thank you Harry, I've drunk enough to sink a ship."
"What about your parents, should I ask them?"
"No Harry, you will never get one yourself if you start that," pushing it into his hand. "What about some of that fruit cake, can I cut you a slice?"
"Oh yes please that would be great. Um Ginny, I was thinking of going into the garden, to get some sunshine, would you like to come?"
Ginny looked down, "If you don't mind Harry I don't want to leave Mum and George just now. I'm sorry," she said.
"Of course, I understand. Is there anything - " Ginny cut him off, "No Harry, it's got to be us, you understand?"
"Oh, of course"
"Oh that didn't come out right, sorry Harry. I meant me, it's got to be me".
"It's fine, Ginny," Before he could finish they both heard a voice in the lounge and Ginny was gone.
Harry took his cake and tea into the garden. He wandered around looking for a nice spot to sit, he headed in the direction of a large tree with a fallen log that looked like it might be worth trying to sit on. As Harry approached he saw what he thought was Hermione's nut brown bushy hair on the other side of it, as he approached he thought he saw the hair sink lower behind the log as though she were shrinking from the sound of his footsteps. He paused, the sinking also paused.
"Hermione?" Harry said in a low tone. Hermione peeped out from over the log and said
"Oh Harry thank god it's only you. Oh is that a cup of tea?"
"Yeah, want to share it with me?" Harry held out the cup and saucer but instead of taking it, Hermione held out her wand and duplicated it, taking the cup and saucer floating in the air beside his own.
"You always were the best of us with magic, Hermione," he said with admiration, and then he realised what she had said -
"What do you mean 'only me'?" he asked, taken aback.
"I meant you only, no one else. I suppose I wouldn't have minded Ginny," She said with a harrowed expression.
"Right so that just leaves Ron, you are avoiding him, then I take it?" He said. Hermione didn't reply.
Rather than sitting on the log as he had intended, Harry took a seat by Hermione. She was the only person in the world by whom he could consistently sit touching shoulders and feel completely at home. Ron would simply shuffle along until he felt he had regained the space he needed and with Ginny it was always such a lovely feeling that he felt he could not think, talk and be in contact with her all at the same time.
"What are you reading," Harry asked, breaking off some fruit cake and passing the plate to Hermione. She accepted the plate without thinking, likewise broke off a piece and held it up ready to pop into her mouth the moment she had answered his question.
"Travel book for Australia," She said.
"Australia, That's where your parents are!" he said recalling the circumstances of their journey.
Hermione nodded, chewing through her mouthful so she could expand on her information.
"I have a plan - "
"Of course you do, Hermione, I've known you since we were eleven years old, and you have never been without one. Before you start, could you top up my tea cup and duplicate that fruit cake, please?"
Hermione was about to tell him off for interrupting her, but seeing as it was only a request for a slight pause, she accepted Harry's request and waved her wand.
"I am going to find my parents and return their memories. I've mentioned it to Ron who seems to think that it is a ludicrous idea and I am waiting for him to come around. I mean I understand, of course, his brother has just died, I'm not suggesting we go tomorrow".
"What is he going to go with you?" Harry asked incredulously.
"Well yes, I thought so, what's wrong with that?" Hermione said, wide eyed.
"Well nothing I suppose. I just thought that he wouldn't want to," said Harry, thinking it was obvious,
"Wouldn't want to? Oh you mean the funeral?" Said Hermione, nodding.
"No, I mean I wouldn't think he would want to go at all," Harry said, turning to Hermione.
"Oh. Why?" Hermione wasn't often slow on the uptake, was just starting to wonder if she had missed something rather important.
"Well he's not really the adventurous type, is he?" said Harry.
"He's as adventurous as either of us, he's been on all of our adventures and we were hardly home for the whole of last year," said Hermione.
"Yes, but there's a difference. You and I were committed to the whole thing, from the beginning. If one or the other of the two of us had dropped out, the other would have continued alone, gone anywhere, done anything, for as long as it took to defeat you know who. But Ron, well it's more like he is committed to us. As long as we were going he would come along, but if we had dropped out he would never have looked back." Harry feeling rather disloyal looked around to ensure he hadn't been overheard.
"Oh. I'd never really considered that." Hermione said, sounding as though she was certainly considering it now.
"Anyway, back to your parents. Do you know where they are in Australia? Ive heard its a big country," said Harry, reaching out for her travel book.
"No, I don't know exactly, and your right, 32 Britains could fit into Australia, Harry - 32!"
"Wow. So what's the plan?" he asked.
"Well my two best bets are to follow up the dentistry line of enquiry or emigration line of enquiry."
"Our." said Harry
"Our?" asked Hermione.
"Our best bets. Hermione, I'm coming with you." said Harry, elbowing Hermione in the ribs gently.
"You are? But I thought Ron, and what about Ginny?" asked Hermione, immediately thinking of all the details and wondering how it was all to be worked out.
"That's quite beside the point, Hermione, but what I do know is that I am coming with you, to Australia, to return the memories of your parents and to bring them home if that's what they want."
"You would? You would do that for me?" Hermione almost leapt on Harry, hugging him and a tear or two may have escaped her eyes while she did so.
"I'd do a lot more than that for you Hermione Granger," said Harry returning her affection.
"Oh that's lovely that is, we are in there breaking our hearts over Fred and you two out here getting you freak on?" said Ron loudly, clearly pissed off about something.
Simultaneously Hermione jumped back like she had been caught doing something wrong and Ginny shoved Ron and told him to "Shut it, Ron, don't start that again."
Ginny cam and sat by Harry who immediately said
"Hi Ginny, how are you? I'm glad you came out."
Ginny took his hand and flashed him a sad sort of smile, "Thanks Harry" she said.
"You're lucky she could come out, mate. Sorry we can't really entertain you as much as you are used to Harry, but we are a bit busy - mourning my brother at the moment, you know?" Ron snapped.
Hermione and Harry looked away from Ron unwilling to be goaded by his grief but Ginny stared straight at Ron daring him to utter another word.
"What are you two celebrating anyway," he said in a slightly less aggressive tone.
Neither Hermione nor Harry wanted to give Ron another reason to have a go at them, so both remained quiet.
"Oh it's a secret is it?" He started up again. Ginny leaned forward and picked up the book that lay between them and read out the title -
"Australia, the good, the bad and the ugly. Is it a travel book?" she asked looking between them.
"Yes, I'm going to Australia to find my parents," said Hermione to Ginny.
"Oh of course, I'd forgotten, I'm sorry." replied Ginny.
"It's ok Ginny - " Hermione started to say, when Ron sounded off again.
"You don't have to apologise to her Ginny, you've had enough with your own family, to be thinking of other people's. At least her parents are alive." he said, maliciously.
"Since when am I 'other people' Ron? Why am I the enemy here?"
Ron shot Hermione a hateful look but said nothing.
Harry saw the look, for himself he would excuse Ron much during his period of grief but for Hermione he would not. He stood up, keeping hold of Ginny's hand and reaching for Hermione's as well, he said, "Come on." Both stood up, but as Harry and Hermione started for the house, Ginny said, "I'll catch you up."