A/N: hey- I was considering doing a clean up of all the chapters- anyone have any advice for me to change/improve? It would help. And even if you don't have anything to add, just thanks anyway for reading! Hope you like it.
"Four Butterbeers- and a water." Hermione told Tom the barman, watching Ron's face as it turned bright red from the candy sucker he had bought at George's. She passed over five Galleons to the old owner of The Leaky Cauldron, and took the bottles, passing the water to Ron as his eyes started to tear.
"What ever possessed him to try one of those?" She asked Ginny, who had saved a table for them in the back of the pub.
"I'm thinking Lee dared him- but I would've thought he would have eaten it in front of him, then. Who knows?" her voice drifted off as Harry sat next to her, taking a butterbeer from the middle of the table.
"Thanks, Hermione" He said as he took the cap off with his wand. "To George and the new shop!" He toasted cheerfully, letting Hermione and Ginny clink bottles with his.
Hermione took a deep sip of the sweet, rich liquid.
"Still surprised by the amount of people that showed up." Ginny said offhand, distracted by Ron, whose ears had started to smoke.
"They're popular." Harry nodded, wincing as Ron opened his mouth and flames came out.
"Hm." Hermione sighed, watching in amusement as Tom came over to Ron and had started shooting jets of water into his mouth with his wand. .She started to giggle.
"Thanks a lot." Ron grumbled, sitting next to her a few minutes later, steam still issuing from his mouth. "True friends I have."
Ginny laughed openly at him. "What in hell's name made you try one!?'
"Er-" Ron apparently hadn't thought of this.
This is fun, Hermione thought, laughing at Ron and eating fish and chips with her closest friends.
"So, Hermione." Harry said after swallowing the last chip. "It is time to move on to plan B."
"Oh, Really?" She said, aloof. What was he talking about?
Ron leaned over to her, the epitome of seriousness. "We're thinking of calling this one- what was it? Something like Operation Eucalyptus Oil."
"What?" Hermione was baffled. Ginny was laughing.
"Australia, Hermione!" she choked out, Harry pounding her back for emphasis.
"What?" She didn't know what else to say. Obviously they were talking about getting her parents, but she had always envisioned herself going alone, not that they wouldn't want to go or that she didn't want them, but- more like it was her task, they should enjoy the peace they deserve…
"Oh, come off it, 'Mione!" Ron said, grinning. "We wouldn't want to miss out on another camping trip, would we?"
She smiled. Oh, camping. If she saw another tent again, she just might have to hang herself.
"So, we have gotten this all planned." Harry said seriously, taking out his wand-
"And when have you-er- 'planned' this!" She asked, incredulous.
"You are quite the late sleeper." Ginny shrugged. Hermione let her mouth gape open in mock-offense.
"Anyway-" Harry began again, raising his eyebrows toward Ron- what was that about? - "This is what we- er- planned." He flicked his wand towards their empty fish basket which promptly grew legs and scuttled toward the end of the table. "That-" He said pointing toward the now tap-dancing platter- "Is Australia."
"And!" Ron said with excitement, waving his wand at the salt and pepper shakers "these represent all of us."
"All of us?" Hermione asked.
"Who are you to deny a vacation for the rest of us? We deserve to get away too!" Ginny said looking offended.
"I never meant-"Hermione was cut off by Ginny laughing and waving her hand.
"Anyway" Harry started, waving his hand. "We-" the salt and pepper shakers scuffled up to him. "Travel by Floo to Australia-" the shakers went over to the greasy basket- "Right into the Australian Ministry- maybe they can help us locate your parents-and then you can reverse your spells-" the salt shaker puffed out salt residue- "And we can all return home. After we see some beach."
Ron pointed to himself. "I came up with that last part."
Hermione gave him a playful push.
I never knew they were up to this. It really touched her. It had been so painful letting her family go. There had been a part of her through this entire year that thought she would never see them again.
"You don't have too, you know?" She said quietly. She really didn't want them to have to go after her parents on the other side of the world if they just wanted to relax, get their life in order…
"Of course we do." Ron said, unfazed. She looked at him, his deep blue eyes sucking her in. He rubbed the small of her back. "Really. You're part of us, Hermione. Your family is our family."
"And." Hermione was jerked out of her little bubble as Harry leaned toward her. "You know, after all you have done for me, for us, this is the least we could do. We're not even doing all that much."
"It's going to be fun." Ginny said purposely.
Hermione smiled at them all. You know what, this could be fun.
"…One catch." That was Ginny, her hands folded and drawing out her voice.
"…What?" Hermione asked, skeptical.
"Mum- and Dad- will never let us go alone." Ginny finished, rolling her eyes.
"Oh!" That's a relief, she thought. She was thinking Ginny was going to say something like there was an international ban on traveling to Australia.
"Yeah." Ginny huffed. "Especially if I'm going. Apparently I can't do anything by myself."
"Gins." Hermione said, looking at her across the table. "You know that's not what their thinking. Their just a bit protective. You're their little girl."
Harry and Ron were looking very awkward. Ron coughed.
"Anyway-" she smiled, "What if they come too?"
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
"Goodbye, dear, we'll be back within a week- and remember-"
"Dinner with Hagrid Tuesday, Lunch with George Thursday and Friday, and make sure Charlie's new place is worth all those Galleons." Mr. Weasley repeated to his harried wife.
"And remember to visit Fred- they said he'd wake up in about four days-"
"And today is the fourth day." Mr. Weasley put his hand on Mrs. Weasley's chin. "Have a great time, Mollywobbles."
Mrs. Weasley grinned feebly, hugging her husband goodbye. She then turned around, making the two trunks they were bringing with them hover behind her as she made her way to the Burrow's fireplace.
"And you, my Ginny, be back in time for your birthday." Mr. Weasley said, holding on to his youngest child tightly.
"Dad, its like three weeks away!" she laughed, hugging him back. "And I'm going to find you something very Muggle, since we might get to stay at a Muggle hotel!"
Hermione grinned as she watched father and daughter say goodbye. She could still remember what her dad's hair smelt like- fluoride and Cinnamon. She really did miss him.
"Goodbye, Mr. Weasley." She said, hugging the man who had been taking care of her goodbye. "Thank you for everything." She added, stepping away and following Ginny to the fireplace.
"No problem, dear." She heard behind her.
"Everyone take a pinch!" Mrs. Weasley said, a bit shrilly, holding one hand on her trunk and one throwing Floo Powder into the hearth.
"Ministry of Magic!" she cried as she disappeared.
Hermione now stepped into the fire, grabbing onto the other trunk. "Ministry of magic!" she said breathlessly as the felt the familiar whoosh pull her from her middle, fireplaces spinning around her, the trunk bumping into her uncomfortably.
She dropped into the Ministry, her flats clicking on the stone floor, the ceiling above her flashing with golden characters.
Mrs. Weasley was waiting for them all in the middle of the hall, a fellow wizard or witch coming through the fireplaces every now and then.
She looked anxious.
Hermione, whose heart was beating fast with exhilaration, approached Mrs. Weasley, the trunk following obediently behind her.
"So. Mrs. Weasley." She said, her voice high. "Excited?"
She heard the fire behind her flame up.
"Mum?" Ginny asked as she came up behind them.
Mrs. Weasley was watching the construction of the memorial in the middle of the Ministry's atrium.
The wizards who were putting the massive stone structure together where absorbed in their work, putting each piece together with precision and care.
"Wow." Ron whistled as he drew near them. "They don't waste time, do they?"
Harry laughed, bringing up the rear. "I'll take that, Mrs. Weasley." He said, bewitching the trunk to follow him.
"Oh- Thank you Harry!" Mrs. Weasley said, breaking out of her revive. "Let's go, shall we?"
The group traveled over to the front desk.
Hermione noticed on the stone fountain the words 'Harry Potter' and- was that her name? - As they walked past it, the trunk butting her as her concentration was distracted.
"Hello, Eric." Mrs. Weasley smiled, passing over her wand. "We're here for an international visit."
"Oh Really?" Eric asked, watching Harry closely as he took each of their wands respectively, evaluating them.
"Yes, Australia!" Mrs. Weasley replied, a bit apprehensively, handing everyone's wands back. "That's why, Eric, I was wondering if we could use the long distance chimney."
"Surely, Molly." Eric said, fumbling his own wand as he watched Harry with bulging eyes.
Hermione fell in step behind Ginny as the Ministry Security Guard took them over too a rather large fireplace at the far end of the atrium.
"Just sign here, please!" Eric said rather too cheerfully, finally looking away from Harry once Ron gave him a rather dirty look.
Mrs. Weasley took the sheet of paper and deep purple quill he had conjured from thin air and signed it hurriedly.
"You sign, too, dears." She said, passing the sheet over to Harry and Ron. "You're all of age."
Ginny grumbled.
Hermione reached over, her signature wobbly and sprawling, excitement was pulsing through her veins, she hadn't been this thrilled in ages. She chanced a look at Ron, who reached over and squeezed her free hand when her eyes met his; she beamed at him, jumping up and down on the spot.
"Well, Hermione, how about you do the honors?" Mrs. Weasley said, fixing her hair nervously, and eyeing her youngest son and her surrogate daughter.
Hermione step forward and took a handful of Floo Powder from the side of the giant, blazing fire. "Australian Ministry of Magic!" she nearly shouted, jumping into the emerald flames, holding on tightly to her trunk, closing her eyes as she felt herself being yanked forcefully away, away from this…
A/N: I hope its okay- I kind of needed something to breach the chapters, not sure if I did it as smoothly as it could have been. I'll keep it as is for now though. And please remember, ideas would really be welcomed!