An Australian Reunion

Task for Puddlemere's Beater 1 (me): S1R6 / Genres – You have the choice between 'Post-War' and 'Diary Letter Entries.' I chose Post-War.

Written for the Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition, Round 13 for Puddlemere United.

Word Count without A/N's: 1,992

Prompts:

(word) collection

(word) lamp

Also written for the Quidditch Pitch and Drabble Club on Hogwarts Houses Challenges.

Quidditch Pitch Prompt: (dialogue) "We shouldn't be here."

Drabble Club Prompt: (word) tears

Also written for the Quidditch Pitch on Harry Potter's World.

(genre) Mystery (weather) Sleet (Quidditch Terms) Keeper

"I'm so sorry, Miss Granger. Wendell and Monica Wilkins died in our care. They were involved in a car accident."

"A car accident?" repeated Hermione.

The nurse nodded softly. "It was caused by a drunk driver. The doctors tried, they really did, but they were gone the moment they came. I'm sorry."

The room goes dark all of a sudden.

"Hermione, Hermione, why have you abandoned us?" Her parents' voices spoke in a creepy unison.

"It—it was for your safety! The Death Eaters would have come for you…"

"Hermione, Hermione, why have you abandoned us?"

"You—you would have died had you stayed in England," sobbed Hermione. "What else was I supposed to do to keep you safe?"

"You abandoned us in Australia," her mother's voice spat.

"I was going to get you after it was safe! It is safe! Ron and I started planning to go together almost the second it was safe! Harry's helping us with the plans!" insisted Hermione.

"We did everything for you," her father added, "And now you've thrown it right in our faces! Now we are in the afterlife!"

"I didn't mean—"

The voices were stronger than ever. "HERMIONE, HERMIONE…WHY HAVE YOU ABANDONED US?"

"NO!" Hermione woke up with a start. She pulled her head off Ron's shoulder and sat up, turning on the lamp. (1).

Ron was beginning to stir. "Hermione, you alright?" He muttered sleepily.

"I can't wait any longer. I must go to Australia to get my parents as soon as I can. I have to pack…" she murmured, looking around and trying to decide what she would need.

"Love, it's three in the morning," protested Ron. "Surely it can wait a few more hours?"

"I don't care," Hermione said through gritted teeth, "Ron, what if they're dead? What if I'm too late? Ron…I abandoned them."

"Then they would have died either way," Ron said evenly, once again proving his limited emotional range. "Don't blame yourself. You're not thinking right, we'll talk in the morning," he said soothingly.

"In the dream they said…'Hermione, Hermione, why have you abandoned us?'"

"It was just a dream…just a dream…" Ron muttered, already returning to his calming dreams. He was muttering something under his breath about a Keeper. (2).

"I still want to leave for Australia as soon as I can, Ron—whether you come with me, or not."

It was that night that Hermione decided to move the trip to Australia from a week later to two days later. The two would be Apparating overseas, and they were currently being seen off by Ron's parents. Everyone else was busy that morning: Ginny had early morning practice, Harry was called in the Auror office unexpectedly, and George had a shop to run.

"Take care of yourself dears, and good luck," said Molly Weasley, hugging both Ron and Hermione tight.

Arthur Weasley nodded, "And remember, if you don't find any clues within the next couple of weeks, come back home. It's not healthy." He then pulls the couple into another hug.

Ron and Hermione take a last glance at the Burrow, grab their luggage, and Apparate off.

They were at a hotel, figuring just how they'd find Hermione's parents while there was sleet outside. (3).

"Hermione, do you know exactly where you sent your parents?" asked Ron.

"I said they were a couple called Wendell and Monica Wilkins," said Hermione slowly, "Who had a desire to go to Australia…"

"But doesn't that mean they could be anywhere in Australia?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh," her voice was small, "They-they could be in Sydney...in...in Wales…anywhere. But I want to get rid of these nightmares as soon as I can. If I don't find them, then I don't find them. I'd at least find the satisfaction of knowing I tried. I'm hoping that maybe they kept their old ambitions as dentists…"

"Maybe look in one of those muggle fellytone books," suggested Ron.

"Charming," said Hermione drily, "Telephone."

"Right, that," said Ron quickly.

"I'll go down to the lobby and see if they have any," said Hermione, "You stay here and don't do anything stupid."

She closed the door, ignoring Ron's heated retort. When Hermione stepped into the elevator, she found herself riding down with an elderly lady.

"Sorry to bother you, dear, but I couldn't get out of my head how alike you look to Madam Wilkins," the lady spoke.

Hermione's head snapped up at the lady's comment. "Monica Wilkins? Do you know her? Does she live here? Apologies for all the questions…"

"She was a dentist in here in Sydney for a month," said the lady, "Then she moved elsewhere. She helped me with my artificial teeth." The old lady gave a half-toothless grin.

"Do you know where 'elsewhere' is?"

"I don't know," said the lady. "I asked Madam Wilkins where she and her husband are going, and she just said 'elsewhere.' She mentioned it was a rather isolated kind of place.

The elevator stopped, and Hermione sighed in frustration as the old lady wobbled out of the elevator, using her walker to support her.

A rather isolated place...almost sounds like an island.

The lobbyist looked like a surly man, "What do you want?" he snapped as she approached. Hermione wondered if he knew that customers could submit reports about the hotel employees' treatment of them.

"I was wondering if you have any phonebooks? The most recent, if you please," Hermione asked. The man grumbled before fishing into the drawers. "Here. Take it and then leave me alone," he said shortly.

'What a rude guy,' thought Hermione. "Wilkins, Wilkins, Wilkins…here!"

WENDELL AND MONICA WILKINS

CAN BE FOUND AT 777-453-2398

LIVE IN SYDNEY (MOVED TO TAS—

Just her luck, there was a giant cookie stain on the rest of the place.

"I'd better check up on Ron," muttered Hermione as she proceeded to take the elevator upstairs. When she gets there, Ron was waiting for her with a collection of food. (4).

"Where…where did you get all that food?" asked Hermione incredulously, "And how much am I going to pay?"

"Oh, it's free," said Ron. "I found a bunch of Muggle food in that cold box over there. Hermione…how come they don't serve this delicious triangle in the Wizarding World?"

"Well, you've finally tried pizza, so that's something. Ron, they make you pay for every item you take from the refrigerator," sighed Hermione. "According to this price key…we owe the hotel an extra two hundred dollars," she narrows her eyes.

"Sorry? You find anything, love?"

"Well," sighed Hermione. "They aren't here. They moved to somewhere that started with TAS…"

"That's helpful," Ron muttered sarcastically. Hermione gave him a scathing look.

"So," she paced, "Small...Tas…" She was desperately trying to recall the geography lessons she had taken in primary school.

"An island, maybe?" Ron suggested, snacking on a chocolate bar.

"That's what I was thinking…wait. Tasmanian devil. Tasmania—"

"What's a Tasmania?" asked Ron.

"It's a place," said Hermione quickly, "A small island."

"Well then, off to Tasmania we go."

They checked out the next morning, finding a secluded corner and Apparating away, trying desperately to think of a small island called Tasmania.

"Ron…where are we?" asked Hermione tentatively. They had no clue whether they were in Tasmania or not. It looked like they were in a deep forest.

A low growling noise could be heard throughout the forest. They looked at each other nervously before they walked in the direction away from the growl. "Does the forest end somewhere?"

"We shouldn't be here," murmured Hermione. (5).

The growling only grew louder. Ron and Hermione turn around to face a growling wolf. "Apparate on the count of three," Ron whispered frantically, backing away.

But a sudden stick hurled over the couple's heads, and the growling wolf runs in the direction of the stick.

"How did you get all the way in here?" A man's voice asked inquisitively.

Hermione faced the man. "Dad," she murmured under her breath. She wanted to hug him so badly, but she then realized he had no clue who she is. She and Ron exchanged looks.

"Do you have anywhere to go?" the man asked, "Our house is always open, it does get rather lonely with two people here."

"If you don't mind," said Hermione.

"It's no problem, we're just a five minute walk that way," replied her dad, "You look familiar," he said, looking at Hermione, "Very familiar. I just can't put my finger on it…"

The three walked in silence, and Ron falls into step next to Hermione. "So, how are you going to restore the memories?"

"The simple recovery spell," replied Hermione, "Reenervate Obliviatus."

"Why didn't anyone do that to Lockhart?" asked Ron.

"He's a fraud," replied Hermione.

"You seemed to like him in second year," Ron winked.

"Oh bugger off, Weasley," snapped Hermione.

"Wendell!" Hermione's mum came out of the house. "You've brought visitors!" she said cheerfully, "Come in, come in!"

Hermione's mum insisted that they eat dinner, so they were sitting around the small kitchen table.

"So, where are you guys from?" asked her dad.

"London tourists," replied Ron.

"It's big there," replied her mum.

Hermione nodded, "Compared to here."

"Our life here is only temporary," hummed her dad. "Then we'll return to our home, Sydney."

"What if I were to tell you that you used to live in London?" said Hermione carefully, "That London is your home?"

"We used to live there, as dentists. But then we decided to come here, to the great Australia!" He exclaimed, "And we were childless of course, not that we don't love kids, but we just never had the time."

"What if we were to tell you that you had a daughter?" asked Ron, and Hermione elbowed him.

"We don't have a daughter," Hermione's mum insisted, "I'm sure we would've known if we did," she chuckled.

"What if you did, but you don't remember?" pressed Ron.

"Well, I'd want to remember, but we don't have a daughter," her dad said, "Honestly, the ideas tourists get!"

"Then let me help you remember," said Hermione softly. She discreetly took out her wand, holding it by her side. With neither of her parents knowing she had a wand out she whispered, "Reenervate Obliviatus."

Her parents shared a puzzled look. Then they start losing balance before they fall. Ron and Hermione quickly catch them.

"I do not want to be you when they wake up," sighed Ron.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ronald," said Hermione airily.

Hermione's parents start to pull themselves up from the couch, and they blink a couple of times.

"Where are we, Hermione?" asked her dad, focusing on her.

"What is this place?" asked her mum, looking around, "Why does it say we're Wendell and Monica Wilkins on that picture frame there? We're Daniel and Emma Granger."

"I have a lot to explain…" said Hermione, "The war was getting worse. It wasn't safe. Since I'm a close friend of Harry Potter—who was wanted during that time period—I was worried that they would go after you," she said. "So, I came up with a plan. I decided that I'd, well, erase your memories and temporarily send you to Australia, at least until the war was over."

Her mum and dad exchanged looks, "So, you just sent us to Australia and gave us different identities?" exclaimed her mum, a hint of fury laced in her voice.

Hermione, Hermione, why have you abandoned us?

Hermione, Hermione, why have you abandoned us?

"I'm sorry," she said softly, a lump forming in her throat and tears streaking down her face. (6). "I'm really sorry."

"Hermione?" her dad asked her.

"Yes?" she said, her voice cracking.

"We know. Come here." Her dad opened his arms, and Hermione ran straight into them, sobbing. Her mom joined in the hug, while Ron stood around awkwardly.

"Oh, get in here," her dad said, and Ron joined the family hug.

It was an Australian Reunion.

A/N: And here we are! The end of QL! I had so so much fun this season and I met a lot of nice people and even though Puddlemere lost every game we're the best losers lol and seriously have to thank the founder of QL Ash (Fire the Canon) for inviting me over to that forum! :3 Even though I had so so much trouble balancing this w/school, I'm coming back for Season 5! XD But now, the entries come to a close and I had so much fun with my amazing teammates! :3

Apologies for the quality of this fic :3

Footnotes: six, one for each prompt used. The genre 'Mystery' is shown all throughout the story.

Thank you to Lin (Marvelgeek42) and Web (WritingBlock) for looking over and editing my story! XD

*note* I was chocolate-writing-perfection and now I'm slytherins-chocolates :3

So as for Meaning of Life. Heh. I've been so busy that last weekend I had HW overload, and this weekend I had to do this (QL). So long story short, I never started Chapter 24, don't kill me? It will be up two weeks/one week from now, okay? :3 Don't pressure me lol.

Please R&R :)

-Ana