"I told you to wear a sweater Ronald!" I snapped as we hurried down the busy street in Sydney.
"I didn't think you were being serious! It's the middle of June for Christ's sake!" Ron shot back rubbing his bare arms.
"Sydney is in the Southern hemisphere! The seasons are reversed! And anyways don't be such a baby it's barely below fifty degrees!" I said, and I took his hand, "Once we get to the Inn I'll get you out a sweater, I packed you a bunch." I said rolling my eyes but smiling.
We pulled our rolling luggage up to a quaint looking brick building with a small sign that read, The Nereid Inn. I could tell by the way the Muggle's eyes travelled from the bookshop to the left of the building to the small restaurant advertising it's Friday fish fry, on the right, that this Inn was like the Leaky Cauldron, invisible to all non magical peoples.
"Nay-reed…. What the hell is a nay-reed?" said Ron quizzically looking up at the sign.
"It's pronounced near-ee-id, Ron." I corrected, "it's a sea nymph."
"Oh cool…" he said as we lugged our bags over the door step, "still don't see why we have to lug these ruddy wheeled things around." He grumbled.
"Because we might look a bit conspicuous having a levitating trunk in front of us walking down the street!" I snapped, I knew I was being short with him, but I was terribly nervous. I knew by this time tomorrow I would probably be seeing my parents. It had been a year, what if they were terribly angry with me? What if they didn't forgive me?
"Hermione?" Ron had brought me back to the present, "What do you think?"
"About what?" I said, looking up, I had been so engrossed in my thoughts I had completely missed the greeting from a sweet looking little witch with fluffy blond hair.
"I was just asking Mr. Weasley here if you would like a bay view, or a garden view for your room." She said with her thick Australian accent.
"oh! Ummm… a bay view please." I said.
"Very well then, follow me please." She led us down a hallway with dark wooden floors to the fourth door on the left, "Please make yourselves at home, dinner will be served at seven o clock." With that she turned and headed back down the hall.
The room was warm and inviting. You could tell that the Inn was going for a very authentic Australian feel, the floor was the same dark brown wood but there was a large area rug made out of some soft tan colored animal fur, the walls were stucco and the ceiling had exposed beams, the bed itself was a four posted king with deep blue blankets. There was a bathroom to the right and on the wall above the bed was a mural of kangaroos hopping across the open planes. I unzipped the front of my suitcase and pulled out my brush and then headed for the bathroom. The Flu Network always did a number on my hair. As I wrestled with the knots I felt the nerves growing in my stomach again, I had no idea what I would say to my parents. How could I ever explain this?
"Mione, you have to come see this!" Ron said poking his head through the door, he grabbed my hand and pulled me into the next room. He had opened the curtains behind which were sliding glass doors which lead to a small balcony with a breathtaking view of Sydney Harbor.
"Look at that crazy thing over there!" Ron said pointing across the Harbor, "what do you reckon that thing is? It looks like a mini castle gone wrong!"
"That's the Sydney opera house." I giggled, "it's used to put on sort of singing plays."
"Bloody strange…." Said Ron.
"It's meant to be abstract…." I explained with a smile.
"If you say so…" he said and he slipped his arms around my waist pulling me against him. I rested my head against his chest and closed my eyes.
"Mione…." He said into my hair after a few moments.
"Hmmmm…." I answered serenely.
"They're going to forgive you… you did it to protect them. You saved the world, they are going to be so proud of you…" he said.
My heart skipped a beat as I turned to look at him. I hadn't said a word to him, I hadn't needed to. Ron knew my doubts and fears, without me ever expressing them. He sometimes knew me better than I knew myself. I put a hand on his cheek and stood on my tip toes to kiss him.
"Thank you." I said softly.
"Anytime Miss Granger." He said, with a smile.
I was drumming my fingers on the table nervously and staring at the telephone in my hand. I had to walk next door to the Muggle book shop because the Inn didn't have any telephones. I took a deep breath and punched in the numbers.
"Information." said a woman's voice.
"I'm looking for the phone number and address of someone living in Sydney." I said.
"What's the name?"
"W-Wilkins. Wendell and Monica Wilkins." I stammered, my heart pounding.
"Righty, we got three Wendell Wilkins in the greater Sydney area. You gotta pen and paper handy?"
I wrote down the three numbers and addresses and thanked the woman before hanging up the phone. I looked down at the paper in my hand, and only then did I realize that I was shaking. Just then I felt a hand on my shoulder.
"You didn't think I was gonna let you do this alone did you?" said Ron, and he sat down beside me.
I picked up the phone and punched in the first number, with each ring my stomach tightened.
"'Ello? Wendell 'ere." Said a deep Australian accent.
"Sorry wrong number!" I said quickly and hung up, I took a deep shuddering breath. Ron squeezed my hand and I typed in the next number, my anticipation growing.
"Hello?" my breath caught in my lungs, "Hello is anyone there? Hello?" I quickly hung up the phone, just those few seconds of my mother's voice had brought tears to my eyes. I looked up at Ron, and his face lit up.
"That was them?" he said excitedly, all I could do was nod and smile.
"What are we waiting for let's go!" said Ron enthusiastically.
"Tomorrow" I said quietly, "It's a Saturday so they are sure to both be there, and I need a little time. To prepare myself."
"Tomorrow." Ron agreed and he wrapped an arm around my waist and we walked back to the Inn.
Hours later I was pacing the room. I knew my decision to wait until the next morning was the right one, but I was still climbing the walls. I kicked the edge of the bed in annoyance making Ron jump.
"Hermione… I love you, but if you don't stop that bloody pacing I just might have to stun you." He said with a slight glare.
"I can't help it Ron! I'm crawling out of my skin here!" I said exasperatedly.
"What you need is a distraction." said Ron pointedly.
"Like what?" I said waspishly, "it's too late to go out, and I'm far too nervous to read any of my books!"
"I've got just the thing! I saw it in the lobby!" said Ron, he bolted out the door and was back in just a few moments.
"Ta da! Chess!" he said, flourishing the board in front of me. I glared at him.
"How is chess supposed to make me feel better? I'm dreadful at it." I said.
"You're only dreadful when you don't care enough to strategize. Mind you even when you are strategizing you're no where near as good as me." he winked, "but you're pretty decent."
"and what about this situation makes you think I have the capacity to care about chess right now!" I said, my voice getting slightly screechy.
"One word my love…. Incentives. We'll make a wager…." Ron said with a smile.
"What kind of wager….? We haven't any extra money!" I said, but already my curiosity was getting the better of my nerves and I could feel myself calming down.
"You'll have to play to find out…" Ron said with a sinister grin, as he put the chess board in the middle of the bed. I looked at him warily but finally acquiesced and walked around the bed to take up a spot across from him.
"Knight to A 4" I said, about five minutes later. The game had been fairly uneventful so far, the devious look on Ron's face had been enough of a motivation for me to try and win, and so far neither of us had taken a piece, but at that exact moment my knight drove his lance brutally through Ron's pawn and it crumpled. Ron began to slowly and exaggeratedly untie his trainer and then made a show of holding it up by the laces and grinning at me before dropping it on the floor.
"Strip chess? Ronald Bilius Weasley!" I said in my best impersonation of his mother. He just grinned his most devilish grin.
"What's the matter scared Granger?" he said.
"You wish." I shot back.
A half an hour later I was sitting on the bed in nothing but my under clothes. Ron on the other hand while shirtless, still had his pants and his socks. As he had pointed out before even when I was decent I was no match for him.
"Check." Said Ron, as his bishop dragged my rook off the board, his voice had taken on the soft seductive tone that I loved so much and he was looking at me in a way that made my skin flush. I gave him my most playful look as I slipped my bra strap off my shoulder but with my other hand I reached up and pulled the elastic out of my hair letting it fall down around my shoulders.
"Ha!" I said smugly, and I flicked the hair tie at him.
"Not fair….." he growled.
"Patience is a virtue." I replied, as I moved my king to safety.
"Well then I guess I'm not too virtuous. Bishop to C5." said Ron, the bishop beheaded my queen, and then turned to my king who bowed. "Checkmate." In one motion Ron pushed the chessboard off the bed and lifted me up. I heard the chess pieces clattering across the floor as my head hit the pillows and Ron pinned my arms above my head with his own.
It was an hour later when I finally looked at the clock on the night stand next to the bed.
"So… still feeling stressed about tomorrow." Ron said, his breathing was still a bit ragged.
"No…." I sighed, "Now I'm too tired to be stressed" I said with a grin.
"Haha! see… my brilliant plan has succeeded." He said punching the air, and I laughed.
"You may need to come up with a new plan Ron…" I said resting, my head on his chest, "because I hate to break it to you darling, but I doubt even you have enough energy to go three rounds with me every time I get stressed."
"You make a good point." said Ron, yawning widely.
"Ok time for bed." I said and I made to get up.
"What are you doing silly… we're in bed." said Ron.
"I can't sleep naked… it feels odd." I said
"Are you serious?" Ron propped himself up on his elbow to look at me.
"Yes I'm serious! Don't make fun of me!"
"I'm not… you're adorable." He said with a grin. I glared at him, gathered up my night clothes and headed into the bathroom. I went about my evening ritual of washing my face and combing my hair, as I twisted my hair up into the messy bun I wore when I slept I couldn't help but notice the rosiness in my cheeks and how clear and smooth my skin looked. It must be the after glow I heard girls talk about, I could get used to that. I slipped on the little green cotton camisole that I had brought to sleep in and opened the bathroom door. Ron saw me and his eyes got wide.
"Blimey… that's your pajama's?" he said in awe.
"Yes… what's wrong with them?" I said self consciously.
"Absolutely nothing! You look amazing!" said Ron, and he was so earnest I blushed.
I walked over and tucked myself under the blankets beside him. He had put back on his boxers to sleep and he pulled me close. I rested my head on his chest, and closed my eyes letting myself be soothed by the sound of his breathing.
"I love you Ron." I said.
"I love you more…" he said sleepily, and he ruffled the hair on the top of my head. I smiled and closed my eyes. As I drifted in to sleep, my last thought was that no matter what the next day held, I knew I would never be alone.
I walked down the street holding the paper in front of me. I was counting house numbers. Only four more to go. Twenty two, Twenty three, twenty four, and there it was, number twenty five Cresent Drive. I looked at Ron who was standing next to me and then back at the small blue house.
"You ready for this?" he said.
"Yes, I'm ready." I said, and we walked towards the door. I reached for the door bell, I hesitated.
"Ron…. What if they…." I looked at him with tears in my eyes.
"They love you." He said pointedly. I nodded, took a deep breath, wiped the tears away and rang the door bell. After a moment, my mother answered the door.
"Hello. May I help you?" she said, looking at both Ron and I with vacant expressions. I smiled and launched into the speech I had rehearsed.
"Hello Mrs. Wilkins, I'm sorry to bother you on a Saturday morning but we're with the Neighborhood Watch Committee, we're just going around the neighborhood doing a quick survey on what how the residents feel about the security measures in place. Would you mind if we ask you and your husband just a few quick questions?"
"Not at all." My mother said brightly, "Won't you please come in?"
We walked into the brightly lit home. I recognized so many of the things, our sofa, the dining room table that I'd eaten at since I was a baby, even my grandma's old rocker. At that moment my father walked down the hall. I had missed him so much I wanted to jump into his arms but I knew I had to restrain myself.
"Monica… who are these lovely young people?" said my dad.
"Ron Weasely and Hermione Granger sir." Said Ron holding his hand to shake my father's, "we're with the Neighborhood Watch just wanted to ask you a few questions about how you feel about your security here."
"Ah right then… go ahead." He said.
"Umm… well do you feel that you are being well protected in this neighborhood?" Ron asked lamely.
My parents looked at each other in confusion before looking back at Ron. I quickly slipped my wand out of my back pocket and with one last deep breath I muttered the counter spell. My parents face both glazed over for a moment and then suddenly became clear again, and to my enormous relief they looked at us both with complete recognition.
"Hermione…Ron…" said my father slowly looking at each of our faces and then around the room, "what's going on? Where are we?"
I didn't hesitate I flew in my father's arms and he wrapped his around me tightly.
"Daddy." I sobbed, "Oh Daddy I missed you so much! I love you, and you too Mum!" I grabbed her arm and pulled her in so we were all hugging.
"We love you too Hermy Wormy." He said, using the nickname he had giving me as a little girl, I usually hated it when he used it, but today it was the most wonderful thing I had ever heard, "but what in the world is going on?"
"I think we'd all better sit down." Said Ron, he was standing a few feet back quietly watching our reunion. I took a seat on the couch between my two parents hold a hand of each and Ron sat in the recliner to our left.
"What is the last thing you all remember?" Ron asked, I was glad he was taking the initiative I was still overcome with just having them with me again.
"Hermione telling us there was danger, and we would have to go away for awhile." My dad said patting my hand, "then the next thing I remember is you two standing there. What happened? Did someone get us, was it that bad man that I heard Hermione talk about sometimes. The one you don't name?"
"No… trust me. If he had gotten you. You wouldn't be here to talk about it." Said Ron gravely.
"It was me," I hiccupped, and both of them turned to look at me, "I had to go away, with Harry and Ron, to fight Voldemort, that was his name by the way Voldemort. I knew you'd never let me go, and what's more important I had to protect you. I knew if I wiped your memories of me and sent you far enough away, Voldemort would never find you. That was one year ago."
"A year….wait a moment you did what?" gasped my mother.
"I'm sorry Mum. I'm so sorry!" I pleaded, "Please understand I had to protect you, they were after Harry and I am his best friend. It was only a matter of time before they came for you, I couldn't let that happen! I always planned on coming back for you."
"Sweetheart… calm down." My father said gently stroking my hair, "we're not angry. We just wish there was someway you could have told us. Someway we could have helped, I hate the idea of you going through that alone."
"I wasn't alone." I said fervently, looking up at Ron, who met my gaze reassuringly.
"Wait you said was." My mother spoke up suddenly.
"What?" I said turning my attention to her.
"The bad man, you said his name was Voldemort." My mother clarified.
"Yes… he's dead. Harry defeated him." I said.
"No." said Ron sharply and we all looked at him, "Harry dealt the final blow, but we all defeated him. Mr. and Mrs. Granger I want you to know that in the past year your daughter has shown more bravery and courage in the face of insurmountable odds than you could imagine. She never gave up even when situations were most bleak. She always kept her head, even when the world was quite literally crashing down. She saved the lives of countless people, she is the most amazing woman I have ever known." Ron took my hand as he finished, tears were streaming down my face again. I looked up and my dad's eyes were damp as well.
"Never had doubt." He whispered and he kissed the top of my head.
"So… where exactly are we?" said my mother looking around.
"We're in Sydney." I said timidly.
"Australia?" said my mother.
"I told you I had to make sure you were far enough away!" I defended.
"Apparently…." said my father with a smirk.
"So… how do we propose we get home?" my mother said.
"Ron and I can have your things packed magically in about a half hour, and we've arranged to have it sent home by magical means in the morning. You will be coming with us via the Flu Network." I explained.
"I hate that ruddy thing…." grumbled my father, "it always makes me sick."
"It's better than a 17 hour plane ride." I said, and he shrugged but nodded.
"Well if that's about it I think I'll go see what sort of food we keep in this house." My mother said, and she began to stand up.
"Wait a moment there is one more, small thing." I said.
"Oh good lord I don't think I can take much more…." said my father with an amused eye roll.
"Well this is good news… I hope." I said and I moved over to perch on Ron's knee and he slipped his arm around my waist and looked shyly at my parents.
"Ron and I are together now." I said simply.
"About damn time!" said my father immediately.
"Hugo!" scolded my mother slapping his arm, but Ron grinned.
"Oh come off it Jean! They've been smitten with each other since they were kids!" my father retorted.
"He's right Mrs. Granger we really have…." said Ron with a wink in my Mom's direction. She gave him a small smile while still glaring at her husband.
"Look…" said my Dad still smiling and shaking his head, "Hermione, is he the bloke for you?"
"Absolutely." I answered instantly , "I love him."
"There you have it." Said my dad slapping his knee, "That's all I needed to hear. Hermione, you never make any choice without thinking through every single angle and weighing every single pro and con. It's just your nature. So if you say Ron's your bloke, that's how it is."
"Thank you Daddy!" I said, jumping up to hug him again.
"We couldn't be more pleased love." Said my mother patting my hair, "You know we absolutely adore Ron." She smiled at him as she said the last part.
"Now lets go see what's in the refrigerator, Hermy Wormy!" said my dad, "and hope to god we haven't developed a taste for vegemite!"
"Good God I've missed London!" said my father sticking his head out the window of the cab and taking a deep breath.
"You don't even remember being away! In your mind you were here two days ago." I pointed out to him.
"Well yes in my conscious mind… but something in my subconscious can sense it's been awhile, and it's good to be home." He said as we began to cross the Thames heading back towards our house.
I rolled my eyes at Ron who sniggered slightly at my father's antics. When we finally pulled into our driveway I felt as if my heart would burst from all the happiness inside it. This was my final piece, my family was home. They were safe and happy and home! We walked through the front door and my mother let out a small gasp of shock.
"How on earth did you get everything set up so quickly?" she said.
The house was exactly the way it had always been, each piece of furniture and picture back in it's place.
"That's the beauty of magic." I said with a smile, "Oh and by the way, I spoke with your office. They are very pleased to hear that you have returned from your year abroad with Doctors without Borders, and can't wait to hear about all your experiences bring dental care to remote locations, when you go back to work on Monday." I winked.
"Well… it looks like you took care of everything didn't you." Said my mother with admiration, she came over and put her arms around me, she tucked my hair behind my ear and placed a hand on my cheek, "When did my baby girl become such a beautiful woman?" she said softly.
"I love you Mum…" I said and I hugged her fiercely.
"Now you promise, that we'll see you often." said my Dad coming to hug me as well.
"Once a week at least!" I said hugging him tightly.
"and you don't be a stranger either Ron!" added my mother.
"Oh I'm not planning on it." said Ron with a grin.
We all hugged one more time and then my parents took a step back so that Ron and I could Apparate back to the Burrow. When we landed in the backyard we saw Ginny and Harry sitting under a tree in the garden. They jumped up when they saw us and ran to us smiling.
"How'd it go Hermione?" said Harry excitedly.
"Brilliantly! We found them the second day, I restored their memories and we already have them moved back home. They were a little shook up at first but once we explained they were perfectly fine!" I explained breathlessly and I beamed at him.
"Hermione that's wonderful!" said Harry enthusiastically and he swooped me into a hug swinging me around in a circle. He sat me back down and Ginny hugged me as well.
"We're so glad to have you back. We missed you!" she said.
"Yeah tell me about it, I've been itching for someone decent to play chess against!" said Harry looking at Ron, "What? What did I say?" he asked looking confused. For at that precise moment Ron and I had collapsed into a fit of laughter.