23-June-1998

Hermione took a deep breath as she knocked on the door of her childhood home. To say she was surprised to receive an owl from her parents, asking her to pick up her things, was an understatement. She had no idea how they could possibly find and send an owl but the logistic of it really didn't matter in the scope of things, she guessed. She was calmer than she thought she would be; attributing it to the knowledge that she was making the right choice.

"Hermione." Her mother smiled at her when she opened the door. "Come in. Your father is in the study."

"I'll just…" She gestured up stairs. She was here for her things not another fight.

"Actually your father and I would like to talk with you."

"I don't think there is anything left to say."

Her eyes filled with tears and she looked around the room. There were boxes littering the sitting room and the furniture was covered in sheets. Physical proof the this was really happening.

"We leave at the end of the month. We're in the middle of negotiation for selling our practice here and we think everything should be settled by then. The house is on the market so that's… that."

"That's…good." Hermione said awkwardly "I won't be long." She said as she set up the stairs.

"I'm sorry I called Ron's mother a murderer." Hermione stopped at the top step at the sound of her father's voice, turning to look at him. He had one foot on the bottom step looking as if he didn't know whether to approach her or stay where he was. "I know Molly, she is a good person. I was… I don't know why I said what I said. And about Ron too, I always liked and trusted the Weasley's. We never would have allowed you to spend so much time with them if we didn't."

Hermione nodded but said nothing.

"This mess is partly our fault. We raised you to be independent and self sufficient and I guess we did too good a job. You don't need us any more. You haven't needed us in a long time."

"That's not true." Hermione said descended a few steps. "I'll always need you."

"No, you don't. We cut you off thinking you would find you at least need us financially' but you don't even need that. You're doing perfectly well without us."

"I won money! That's all!"

"You earned it. Even if you didn't Ron has a job; he's willing to support you financially for how ever long you would need it. He told me as much."

Hermione backed up one step. "When did you talk to Ron?"

"No, it's not like that." Her father said climbing up a step. "I went over to the Leaky Cauldron, to that post office in Diagon Alley."

"You can't get in without me."

"A wizard helped us. Led me in and tapped the bricks. He was very polite and kind. I ran in to Ron when I was coming out and we got to talking, well arguing, but he made his point clear. He's even willing to forgo his last year of schooling to work and support you if he must."

"He would not!"

"He would. Ron really believes in you. Knows you'll make something of yourself."

Tears pricked Hermione eyes, she knew all these things but she never heard them vocalized. Even if it wasn't to her it still meant something that he would say it aloud; and to her father no less.

"He shouldn't have to, it's not fair to you and it's not fair to him."

"So what are you saying?" She said crossing her arms ready to stand her ground if need be.

"Come with us. No conditions. Ron and Harry are welcomed to visit as much as they want, you can visit them, go to Hogwarts, whatever you like, just come home."

Hermione sat on the stairs and put her head in her hands to think. They wanted her back. They still loved her and wanted her home. But they were still moving. She would be home until the end of June then they would all move to Australia until she had to be back for Hogwarts in November. Five months. She tried to calculate how many times Ron could realistically visit her and she him. It was no good.

"I'll come visit you. I promise I will, I just can't leave. I'm sorry; I would be leaving to much behind."

"You mean you would be leaving Ron behind."

Hermione nodded.

"Hermione, he's your boyfriend. We're your family."

"For now."

"What do you mean for now?" Her mother said "You're not engaged are you?"

"Are you pregnant!" Her father tried not to scream. "Is that why he was going on about supporting you!"

"Of course I'm not!"

"Oh, thank God!" Her father said clutching his heart. "Don't scare me like that."

"But what different would that make if we were pregnant now or five years for now. It's going to happen someday."

"You don't know that dear." Her mother said she she ascended the stairs and sat next to her "You may think Ron's the one now, but in a few years you might find he's not. People change, they grow apart, fall out of love. You've only been together for little over a month."

"What if he is? What if he is the one and I go with you and lose him forever? I would rather find out than always wonder. Grandmum told me once that you and dad broke up because grand dad wanted him to study abroad but he wanted to stay with you." Hermione turned to look at her dad eyes filling with tears. "That's what you're doing to me. You're making me choose between you and my future family."

"Hermione, you don't know that you and Ron will have a family one day."

"Nether did you. Would you give me and Mum up?"

"Never."

"You almost did. You and Mum dated for three years before you decided to get married. Ron's been my best friend since I was 12. We grew up together. We know each other inside and out. That's more than you and Mum had when you decided she was the one. Our relationship isn't sudden. It's been developing for seven years. You used to tease me about it, Dad, so why are you doubting it now that it's happened."

"Moving doesn't equal a break up, Hermione; you'll be back for school. If it's meant to be distance won't change anything."

Hermione knew her father made sense, but she still couldn't do it. "I hurts to be away from him." She whispered.

John Granger sniffed hard and tried to blink away the tears. "It's going to hurt having you so far away from us. More than it was when you were at school."

"Don't go." Hermione pleaded. "Nothing is set in stone yet. You haven't sold the practice or the house yet. Ron had his father put extra protection on the house. Besides the war's over. We're safe now."

A/N:

Well, I'm sure many of you have hear what has happened to the wonderful KariAnn1222. I won't get in to it here as it's really not my place, but in light to what has happened, or I should say was might possibly happen, I have decided to start posting "Days" and later "Home Again" on AO3 as well.
This way, if the worst should happen (again!) and my fics are removed they can be found somewhere else.

This does NOT mean I'll stop posting here, it just means you can now find me on two different sites.

For those of you who don't know what AO3 is, it's a new-ish fanfic site that allows explicite content. It's in beta and membership is by invite only, but you can still read and review as a guest.

archiveofourown users / Pynki / works

I've also added a link to it in my profile.