An early post! Yay for me!

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Chapter 2 – Harry and Hermione

-Four months later-

Harry woke and groaned. His head felt huge and he was momentarily confused. Then the soft body sleeping against him moved and he brushed aside blonde hair as the memories came back. He was in Stockholm and had been for nearly a week. The blonde's name was Linnea. They'd met at the restaurant where she worked on his second day in the city. He had dragged his meal out for over two hours while they talked and he kept ordering. The following day she had a day off and was his own personal tour guide. After two days together, they had ended up back in his hotel suite. This was now their third night together. Or fourth. Harry was having a hard time counting. He carefully extracted himself from the bed and stumbled for the bathroom. He felt like he was going to be sick, but quickly found the potion he was looking for hidden in his bag. He swallowed it with effort and then followed it with a glass of water. Instantly he was feeling better and once again praised magic.

Harry then looked in the mirror and he looked like crap. He'd only had a couple of hours of sleep and desperately needed a shower. He turned on the water to near scalding and stepped into the large shower that his luxury suite offered. He sighed as the water hit him and ran through his long hair. Over the months he'd let it grow and he hadn't cut it at all during the horcrux hunt, so now it approached his shoulders. He'd had it styled when he was Naples and now sported a modern, shaggy look that several girls had said made him look like a rock star. Where he had always brushed his bangs across his scar, now it was all but gone, aided by the removal of the horcrux and the help of a special salve from an apothecary in Paris. With his glasses long gone, he looked quite a bit different from the Harry everyone thought they knew so well.

As he luxuriated under the water, he thought back on his travels since May. It was now the middle of August and he was on his thirteenth country. First of course was France, then Spain, Portugal, Spain again, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Denmark, Norway, and now Sweden. He'd enjoyed his travels and the time had allowed him a chance to spread his wings and work through a few problems. He'd come to terms as much as he thought was possible with all the deaths of the past few years and with the lives that he had been forced to take. He still wasn't exactly sure what he wanted for the future. Travel was fun and money made it easy. He'd enjoyed being on his own and not being tied down, but lately he had been aching for something more that he couldn't quite pinpoint.

Although Harry was traveling on his own, he had no shortage of opportunities for companionship along the way, although he didn't take advantage of them all. He'd only slept with seven women during his travels. Or eight. That night in Prague was still a bit unclear. He had smoked way too much weed that night, along with the becherovka, a seriously wicked drink that he never wanted again. Of course, he and Linnea had smoked last night as well and he was fine, but the type of alcohol was the difference. He had found that he quite enjoyed the relaxing effects of weed. The club they had been at the night before had been high end and not cheap, but they stocked premium weed in beautiful glass pipes. It had been a great night, but Harry was getting a bit tired of it all. Linnea was great, but he felt no attachment to her. No matter how nice each of the women he hooked up with was, none seemed to help fill the ache that was getting progressively worse as the months went by. He supposed it was probably time to move on.

Harry stepped out of the shower and dried quickly before walking back to the bedroom naked. Linnea was just waking and smiled at the view. Harry smiled at her, but then turned to the dresser to select some clothes. He didn't need anything fancy for travel. Jeans and a t-shirt were his usual. As he dressed, he turned to talk to the woman in his bed.

"Linne babe, I need to get going. You've been great and I loved seeing Stockholm, but I'm getting itchy feet. I think I may catch a ferry to Helsinki."

Linnea stretched and pulled herself to the edge of the bed, rising with her usual grace. She really was gorgeous, but Harry was still worn out from the previous night and felt no reaction to her as she turned to walk toward him. She gave him a quick kiss and pulled back.

"Alright, I suppose it's no surprise. I knew you were just passing through. This has been a great week Harry my mystery man. I think I'll get a shower before I go."

Harry grimaced just slightly at her comment. He had been careful to never tell her many details about his past, although she had started questioning more in the last day or so. Just another reason to move on.

"You go ahead and shower. The suite is mine until ten. I'm going to pack up and go. Thanks for everything."

Linnea sighed and reached to run her fingers through his hair before turning toward the bathroom. Once she was gone, Harry finished packing. He had his original backpack, as well as a case that fit in it that he had purchased at a wizard shop in Nice. It was a flat case that held four pairs of pants, a half dozen shirts, and two jackets. It was also magic, keeping everything inside pressed and shrinking to the size of a pack of cards at the press of a button. It had become necessary when Harry needed clothes suitable for clubs and fancy restaurants. He collected the last of his toiletries and slipped out of the suite.

Unsure where to start, Harry grabbed some breakfast and went to a tourist office nearby. They were able to arrange his reservations on the ferry and two hours later he was on his way to Helsinki.

While Harry was crossing the Baltic Sea, Hermione was 15,000 kilometers away in Sydney dealing with a problem of her own. She'd just gotten back from dinner with her parents and found Matt sitting on the steps of her condo. She'd broken up with him about a week earlier and he had now appeared three different times, begging for her to come back. She was vaguely tempted to obliviate him, but decided against it. The couple of months they had dated had been fun, but he was too possessive and was always probing for her secrets. Matt was muggle and a resident at a local medical clinic, so obviously she hadn't been able to tell him much about her life and he had resented it. He was gorgeous though and he'd taught her a lot about Australia and also about sex. He may have been a doctor, but he looked like an Australian surfer, which he was in his spare time. Blonde, tan, and gorgeous only went so far though. As fun as their time together had been, Matt didn't fill the hole in Hermione's heart that had been growing progressively more pronounced since she had left England. She sighed as she approached her condo and decided she would have to be sterner.

"Matthew, really? I told you before…no, don't talk. I know what you are going to say and it won't change anything. I enjoyed our time together, but it's over. If you think about it, you know what we had wasn't lasting. Please leave and move on with your life."

"But Hermione…I'll try…"

"No Matt! That shouldn't be hard to understand."

He looked dejected but Matt nodded and left her stairs. She stepped aside as he walked by and continued down the street. She shook her head. Apparently he'd walked the six kilometers from his apartment to her place. She hated seeing him look that way, but she had already tried being nice.

Shaking her head, Hermione climbed the stairs to her second floor condo. Once she was in and had her wards in place to alert her of anyone coming, she went to get a glass of wine and then retreated to her balcony with her thoughts. The night was beautiful and the condo had a wonderful view of Bronte beach a block away. In the four months since she had left England, Hermione had enjoyed Australia. Now though she was wondering about where she belonged.

When she had first arrived, it had taken twelve days and help from the Australian Ministry to find her parents. Restoring their memories had gone smoothly, but the aftermath was another matter. They resented what she had done and all she had hidden from them for years. They were living not far away in Paddington and she had decided on Bronte so that she could be close to them. It wasn't cheap being near the beach, but Harry's generous gift made it possible. That had been a shock when she had first visited the Sydney Gringotts. She'd sent him a couple of letters via the bank and he eventually responded, although sometimes it took a while before he checked in. He sounded like he was enjoying Europe and Hermione missed him terribly. She had a couple of friends in Sydney and she was getting along with her parents better, but she missed Ron, Harry, and the others. She'd thought about going back, but now she was working on arrangements to finish out her education while in Sydney. With thoughts of distant friends, she finished her wine and went to bed with a heavy heart.

Three days later, Harry was touring Helsinki and had managed to locate the local magical district. A bit south of Vironniemi he spotted a strange sign whose writing seemed to morph as he got closer. He soon realized it had changed to runes and an arrow pointed to a nearby shop. He approached the shop and suddenly a door appeared on the side. Figuring it must be recognizing his magical signature much like the sign had, Harry stepped in and found himself in a hallway. When he reached the end, it surprisingly stopped at a large open archway that led into the magical district. Harry looked around a bit and then headed for the usual white marble facade of Gringotts. While not as large as the one back home, it was still a welcome sight. He stepped in and made his way to a teller. Giving his name brought the usual bit of surprise and then a drop of blood allowed him to make a withdrawal of much needed cash. His card worked fine, but cash was always handy. The teller then muttered something and left for a couple of minutes. When he returned, he had an envelope in hand.

"This arrived for you at the central office a few days ago sir."

Harry thanked the goblin and smiled when he saw Hermione's familiar handwriting. Just seeing that buoyed his spirits. Leaving the bank, he went to a nearby restaurant and ordered lunch before opening the letter. The note was a bit tempered than her last, apparently due to her recent breakup. Still, she seemed to be enjoying Australia and mentioned once again that Harry should come visit. Of course, it was winter down there, but that didn't really matter. Harry missed his friends and had thought about visiting sooner, but hadn't wanted to get in the way of Hermione's relationship. Now that was over and maybe it was time. Truthfully, he was getting bored with his solitary travel and occasional flings. Making his decision, Harry ate his lunch and then asked his waiter where he could arrange magical travel. The office was across the city, so Harry went, picked up his bag from the hotel, and then went to arrange a portkey.

Although international portkeys usually took a bit of time to arrange, Harry's name and a sizeable expedite fee helped and he had a portkey ready to take him at four that afternoon. The distance was far enough that he would take two hops. His first hop would take him to Mumbai, where he would take a three hour break to recover. Then he would take the next hop to Sydney. Each hop would only take about ten minutes in itself, but he knew it would be draining.

Finally, it was four and Harry's portkey yanked him as he began the long journey. When he arrived in Mumbai, he felt sick and an older witch was waiting with a potion for him. The potion settled him a bit and he went to the recovery lounge area. There he was served a delicious curry dish with lots of protein to replenish him. Then he was directed to a darker room where he was assigned a bed for two hours. Everyone was quite kind and he had to admit that the cost may have been expensive, but it was worth it. Fifteen minutes before his next departure, he was awakened and went to use the loo and wash his face before taking his next portkey to Sydney. He landed at about half past four in the morning and gratefully accepted the nausea potion and an energy bar before passing through customs, stopping at a money exchange, and leaving the Ministry building. Sydney was just waking up, but he was in a central business area and hailed a taxi with little effort. Hermione lived in one of the outlying suburbs, but by a bit after five he was at her condo. Only then did he consider that it was probably a bit early, so he sat down on the steps leading up to condo 201 and decided to wait an hour or so.

Hermione woke to the sound of her mobile phone ringing and it took her a moment to get her bearings. Looking at the clock, she groaned. It was only five thirty. Checking the phone, she saw it was her neighbor, a middle aged woman named Sue. Her neighbor was quite kind and they got on well, so she thought something must be wrong and answered groggily.

"Mmhmm. Morning Sue."

"Morning Hermione. Sorry to wake you, but you've got a young man on your stairs again. This one looks different though."

"What? Alright. Let me get dressed and see what's going on. Thanks."

Hermione sighed. If it was Matt again, she was seriously going to obliviate him. She was not a morning person, even if Sue was. She dressed quickly and pulled her hair back rather than try to tame it. Stepping outside, she looked down the stairs and almost fell down them. The hair was longer, but it still stuck up a bit in the same place on the back of his head.

"Harry!"

Harry jumped up and turned, immediately lighting up with a grin at the sight of his best friend. She came charging down the stairs and hugged him hard, almost taking them down the last couple of stairs. The two held each other for a long minute, unable to release their grip as both fought back tears. Once Hermione released him, Harry finally had a chance to respond.

"Morning Hermione. Gods you look amazing. I've missed you so much, but I didn't want to wake you this early. I was going to wait until a bit later to knock."

"Really? You know I wouldn't have minded. My neighbor saw you and called me. Merlin, you're a sight for sore eyes. Speaking of which, I love the new look. I can see your eyes so much better."

"Yeah, I ditched the glasses the day I left London. Decided to change things up a bit. It works until I have to give my name someplace magical."

"I'm sure. Alright, we've got a lot to catch up on. How about breakfast at a cafe I love nearby? I just have to clean up a bit more."

"Sure thing Hermione, but you look great as you are."

Hermione shook her head at him and he followed her up to the condo, looking around as he entered.

"Wow, nice. And a view."

"Yes, that was a deciding factor. I have you to thank for it. The money you left me was quite a shock. You're welcome to stay, but there's just one bedroom."

"The couch will be fine. It looks nice."

"Yes, the place came fully furnished. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable while I clean up."

Harry settled on the couch and picked up a Sydney tourist guide from the coffee table. He perused it for a few minutes before Hermione reappeared. She was wearing tight jeans, a flouncy blouse, and had tamed her hair into flowing waves. Harry smiled appreciatively, earning a bit of a blush.

"I'm all set Harry. By the way, any plans for the day? If you'd like we can do some sightseeing and that book will come in handy."

"Sounds great Hermione. Australia has always sounded interesting."

They left the condo and walked a short distance to the cafe. After a huge and delicious early breakfast, they walked to a bus station for a short ride to the train into the central city. They spent the travel time talking more and catching up. It was good to be back together and Harry felt a bit of the undefined ache that had come over him during his travels start to fade. When the train arrived, Hermione took them straight to the harbor to see some of the most famous sites and they were some of the first tourists of the day. They wandered the city, enjoying the mild day and soon Hermione found herself walking arm in arm with Harry. She was so relaxed with him. It felt good to have him with her.

They found themselves in the Rocks around lunchtime and went to a small seafood restaurant overlooking the harbor for lunch. Their table was set to the side and Hermione cast a local muffliato so they could talk. As they worked their way through a couple of appetizers, Harry talked about more of his travels and reaching Scandinavia in late July when the days were long and warmer. With Hermione he never felt a need to hold back as he talked about various parties and clubs. As they waited for their main course, she finally had to ask.

"Alright Harry, you know I don't judge, but did you manage to pick up a girl in every city? Not that I'm surprised. You do look like a rock star with the long hair and new clothes."

"No, not every city. I was always choosy. The real tarts get on my nerves. I usually found local girls who wanted to show me their cities and a bit more. And, yes, I was careful and used condoms every time. I guess after everything it's nice to have a chance to be a normal teenager. Not that I need to tell you that. I'm sure you've had quite a few admirers."

"A couple, but Matt was my only relationship. I've been spending a lot of time with my parents and rebuilding our relationship. They've decided to stay down here and are using an agent to sell the house back in England."

"Well, I'm surprised. At least in your letters it sounded like Matt was a decent bloke. So, what about you, planning on settling here or are you going back to school?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. I plan on staying here for a while. The local Ministry has been very gracious and helpful. I don't think I can go back to Hogwarts. Too many memories. But I do want to work on NEWTs. I've been doing some studying in my spare time and the Ministry has put me in contact with some tutors. Again, thanks to your gift, I can afford to do personal self-study. After I take the tests, I think I may return. My parents are here and I love this city, but I do miss England."

"Interesting. I hadn't thought about that option. I don't think I could go back either. Maybe I should look at doing something similar. Of course, I know people would prefer for me to go back to England. I just don't know that I'm ready."

"Hmm, yes, people. Namely Ginny I suppose."

"Well, maybe, but that would be her problem if she is waiting on me. I care about her, but I told her to go live her life and not wait. Yes, we had our one last night and it was brilliant, but I was honest with her."

"I understand Harry. I was just surprised about you two. I thought you were so in love."

"I think I was in love with the idea. I want a family of my own eventually, but I'm not sure how that picture is going to form up anymore."

Hermione would have asked more, but then the food arrived and the conversation moved on to a discussion of their afternoon activities. When the bill came, Harry grabbed it and Hermione scowled, causing him to laugh.

"Hermione, I'm aware that you're a modern woman, but please let me be a bit old-fashioned on this. Anyway, I've got more money than I know what to do with and so far my output hasn't matched the monthly input."

"Alright, fine. I'll admit to being a bit curious about how you could be so generous with your gifts."

Harry chuckled.

"Hermione, the 100,000 galleons I gave you is nothing. Would it help if I told you that my combined vaults totaled a bit over 52 million galleons when I took my inheritances?"

"Wh…What? But at the exchange rate that's…wow."

"Exactly. So, let me pick up the checks?"

Hermione nodded, still looking a bit dumbfounded. After lunch, they wandered a bit more and then caught the train a short distance to the aquarium, where they spent most of the afternoon. After, they next went to Chinatown and shopped a bit before stopping in a dim sum restaurant for dinner. The night was getting late, but neither of them seemed to want it to end and they walked more for a while after dinner.

They soon found a bar with good music coming from inside and went to listen to a local indie band while they had a few drinks. They danced a bit and Hermione could tell that Harry had had quite a bit of practice. As he held her, she sighed in contentment and tried to ignore the thoughts she was having about her best friend. Then he looked down on her and suddenly they both moved in as Harry gave her a sweet and searing kiss. As he pulled back to question, she pulled him tighter and kissed him again. He responded in earnest for a minute before they came up for air. Not saying anything, Hermione just laid her head on his chest and reveled at being in his arms. Shortly before midnight they left the bar and took the train back toward her condo. From the end of the train line they normally took the bus, but the night was late and the bus they needed wasn't running. The train stop was a bit over four kilometers from the condo, so they had a while to talk as they walked back.

"Hermione, I need to talk to you. The bar was too loud. About the kiss, I'm sorry if I messed up anything. Despite all my partying with different girls, I've been lonelier than I wanted to admit. Now I'm here with you and I feel like a hole has been filled. I told you I've been thinking a lot. I really like Ginny, but I think my feelings for her were all confused because I was also denying feelings I have for you. I don't want to mess up our friendship. I guess I'm still confused, but you make me happier than I've been in months."

Hermione stopped and turned to look at Harry, pulling him close.

"Look Harry, I kissed you too. Yes, I spent a couple of nights with Ron, but I guess my feelings were similar to what you are going through. I love both of you. And not as a sister. Except I know how jealous he can be. That's part of the reason I thought it was best to get away. And I doubt that there is much you could do to hurt our friendship after everything we've been through. I'm fine with seeing how things go with us, but just know that I'm not willing to give up completely on Ron. I don't want to be tied down."

Harry smiled and pulled her close. Soon they were standing on a street corner snogging with little regard to their surroundings. When they separated, each looked at each other with passion and Harry wrapped his arm tight around her as they walked back to the condo. When they reached the condo, Harry was turning toward the living room, when Hermione grabbed his hand.

"You know Harry, perhaps it would be better if you slept in a bed rather than on the couch."

"Really Hermione? I don't know if I'll be able to control myself if I do that. I need to be honest with you. Our friendship is too important."

"Alright, honestly Harry, I'm asking you to take me to bed. I want you, no strings. I'll be straight and tell you that Matt and I stopped sleeping together a couple of weeks before we broke up, so I haven't had sex in almost a month and I'm really not happy about it. Now you're here and I know how you feel about me and I don't see any reason to tiptoe around the subject. If you want me that is."

Harry looked at her in shock and then pulled her close, capturing her with a hard and searing kiss that left no doubt what he thought. Hermione reached under his shirt to feel his chest and Harry began unbuttoning her blouse as they began a slow progress to the bedroom. By the time they reached the bedroom, they had lost most of their clothes and Harry stepped back to admire his best friend.

"Gods you're beautiful. I've wanted you for so long. A couple of times in the tent, when you were changing I had to go outside to the cold just to get myself under control."

"Really?"

Harry just nodded as his hands caressed her and then he started to kiss her again as they soon proceeded to the bed. Their passion surprised both of them, as their friendship went to new levels. This was not a passing two month relationship or a one night stand, and both reveled in each other. Once both were completely satisfied and lay in each other's arms exhausted, they just stared at each other with amazed looks. After a few minutes, it was Harry who found his voice first.

"Thank you my love."

Hermione kissed him deeply and replied.

"I love you so much Harry."

With those words, she smiled and he kissed her one more time before they fell asleep.

Harry had been sleeping for a couple of hours when he was awakened by Hermione's soft voice and sat up to realize he was dripping in sweat and shaking. He turned to Hermione and kissed her brow.

"Sorry for waking you…"

"Hush. Obviously the nightmares are still happening."

"Yeah. Most every night. You go back to sleep. I've got something to help."

Harry got out of the bed and walked to the living room. He dug around in his bag and found what he needed. He turned to go out to the balcony and Hermione was waiting for him.

"Can I help Harry? Wait, is that what I think it is?"

"Um, yeah. Look, all I need is a single joint and I'll be good for the night. It helps."

Harry expected a different reaction than what he got.

"Alright, I understand. Here, I'll come sit with you. And don't look at me like that. Truthfully, Matt and his friends smoked a fair bit. And he was a doctor. Claimed it was medicinal. I was just surprised. How did you get through customs though?"

"Well, magical customs isn't as thorough. Combined with the fact that they're usually so excited about having 'the Chosen One' in front of them. Also, I've got a toiletries bag with a charmed pocket on the side that's invisible. I put one hair inside the pocket and only I can see it and open it. Found it in Barcelona. Brilliant invention."

Hermione smirked and shook her head. They went to sit on the balcony as Harry inhaled deep and let the weed calm him. He looked at Hermione and offered her the joint. Surprisingly she accepted and they passed it back and forth. She obviously wasn't completely inexperienced. They sat holding hands and listening to the waves for a while before proceeding back to the bedroom. Harry climbed in first and was surprised when Hermione climbed in on top of him. They spent another delicious hour enjoying each other before they finally let sleep claim them again.

They slept late the next morning, only to be awakened when Hermione's phone rang shortly before nine. She picked up groggily and tried to compose herself.

"Hi mum. Morning."

"Morning dear. Having a bit of a lie in I take it. I was wondering what your plans were for the day?"

Harry realized Hermione was talking, but he still wasn't very awake.

"Mhmm, Mione what is it?"

Hermione covered the phone, hoping her mum hadn't heard that. She gave Harry a sharp look and he suddenly seemed to catch on and laid back quietly. Unfortunately, Jean Granger had good ears.

"Alright dear, apparently I'm interrupting. So, I take it you and Matt are back together?"

Hermione suppressed a groan. It was really too early in the morning for this.

"Not exactly mum. Look, how about lunch at the Grasshopper? Say 11:30? If dad could come, that would be great."

Jean didn't respond immediately, but covered the phone as she turned to talk to her husband.

"Alright Hermione. Your father says that will work fine. See you then."

Hermione hung up and fell back on the bed. Harry rolled over and wrapped an arm around her. After a couple of minutes, he was awake enough to talk.

"So, you're going to lunch with your parents?"

"Actually, I was hoping to bring you with me. They've heard enough about you and mum has been saying that she wants to meet you more than just in passing."

"Really? They're probably not too fond of me, dragging you into all kinds of danger."

Hermione sighed and got up, finding a house robe and then heading for the loo. When she finished, she came out to stare at the gorgeous form spread across her bed. She loved Harry to bits, but they really needed to talk. She still wasn't completely sure about her mixed up feelings, but she knew she was ready to repeat the performance from the night before. She and Harry needed to talk though.

"Harry, I'm going to make some tea. When you're ready, come out and we can talk."

A couple of minutes later, the kettle was just whistling as Harry appeared. He was wearing only his trunks and his hair was still tousled. He looked bloody gorgeous and Hermione had to control herself. He sat down and she put the brewing pot between them as she sat.

"Harry, about my parents, yes I want you to meet them. They were angry when they first found out everything, but they also know me and that I would never do anything because someone pressured me. If they blame anyone, it's me. And they have definitely done plenty of that. I love them and I'm glad we're doing better, but I knew from the start that I needed to have my own place if our relationship was going to rebuild properly. You don't have to come, but I'd appreciate it."

"Well of course I will come then. I faced Voldemort. I should be able to handle a couple of dentists. As long as they don't bring a drill to lunch."

Hermione laughed and swatted his arm. Now they needed to discuss something else.

"Harry, about last night, it was fantastic, but where are we at? I'll be honest, I want to shag you senseless and I love you, but I still have feelings for Ron and I don't want to tie you down. My parents are going to ask, especially since mum heard you this morning."

"Look Mione, I love you and last night was unexpected and mind blowing, but I don't want to get in the way of you and Ron. He's actually written quite a few letters over the past few months and I know he's missing you. Yes, I've slept with a few women while I traveled, but I didn't have feelings for them. With you, I don't want you to think I'm just around for a quick shag. I also miss Ginny, although I suspect she's moved on. If she hasn't, I'd be happy to be with her again and let you be with Ron, but I'd still want to be with you as well, but Ron would probably hate that. I don't know, I've spent the last few months trying to straighten out my thoughts and some of it's still not straight. You'll probably think this is crazy, but I've started to wonder if I'm not capable of committing to a single relationship."

Hermione sighed and poured the tea, trying to compose her own thoughts. They actually weren't that much different than Harry's, but she had to phrase it right.

"Harry, I understand what you're saying. Truthfully, I'd be fine to spend a night with you, then give you to Ginny and switch off. And I'd probably sleep with Ron in between if he was willing. Hell, even Neville was starting to look quite hot. He really grew up. Does that make me a loose woman? I don't know? Do I even care after everything we've been through? I don't think so. Hell, I was tortured by a madwoman, fought numerous duels in a battle where I saw several horrific deaths. I guess my perspective has gotten a bit skewed. We're adults and we've done more for our world than hundreds of other witches or wizards ever will. I want to be able to live and love on my own terms. As long as I don't hurt those I love. I've been tempted to call Ron to visit, but then I was dating Matt and he was definitely possessive. Now you're here and I'm happy again. Really, happier than I ever was with Matt. What should I tell my parents though?"

"Well, I'm definitely no expert on parental relationships, but is it even their business? Tell them we're good friends. Don't elaborate."

"Ha! You haven't met my mum. I'll try that though. It may not be their business, but they won't see it that way."

Harry chuckled and they finished their tea as Hermione told Harry more about her early days in Australia and locating her parents. When they finished, they decided on a joint shower. The shower took quite a while and they used up the hot water, but they were both quite satisfied by the end. They still had an hour before lunch and Harry went to peruse some of Hermione's books. They talked more about the studying and tutoring she was getting ready to start and that got Harry thinking. Around eleven, they left and caught a bus for a fifteen minute ride. After a block's walk, they arrived a few minutes early at the Grasshopper Cafe, one of the Grangers' favorite local spots. They walked in with hands linked and the Grangers were already waiting. Jean Granger spotted their hands immediately and raised an eyebrow as she waved her daughter over. Hermione let go of Harry and went to hug both her parents before starting introductions.

"Mum, dad, you probably don't recognize him, but this is my friend Harry Potter. Harry, this is my mum Jean and my dad Neil."

"Hello Doctor Granger and Doctor Granger. It's good to see you again. It's been a number of years since I last saw you in Diagon."

"Pfft Harry, enough of the doctor and doctor bit. Bloody confusing. I'm Jean and my husband is Neil. I must say, I'm surprised to see you in Sydney."

Hermione and Harry sat down and Harry started to discuss a bit of his travels while they perused the menus. Lunch went better than Harry expected and he found the Grangers to be easy to talk to. As they wrapped lunch, Jean rose and excused herself to go to the ladies room. She shot her daughter a pointed look and Hermione got up to join her. That left Harry with Neil by himself and he was glad for the muffliato that allowed him to discuss the relatively safe subject of Quidditch. Meanwhile in the ladies room, Jean Granger needed to have a talk with her daughter.

"So Hermione, Harry's been in town one day and is already sleeping with you. Obviously you're more than just good friends."

"Actually, we're not sure if we are more than that. Look, I love Harry and yes we're sleeping with each other, but we're still figuring this out. He is one of my best friends and we would do anything for each other. We're both a bit tired of everyone trying to make us conform to a standard relationship."

"Alright, fine. I know you're grown and have been through more than I could have ever dreamed, but I still worry about you. I do like Harry and I don't think he would intentionally hurt you."

"Hardly mum. Remember, he's saved my life multiple times."

"Fine. Just please be careful. I still think I'm too young to be a grandmother."

Hermione nodded and avoided rolling her eyes as she finished washing up and followed her mother back to the table. Jean and Neil both had afternoon appointments, but they made arrangements to go with Harry and Hermione to the Taronga Zoo the next day since it was a Saturday. After lunch, Harry and Hermione caught a bus to the famous Bondi Beach and spent the afternoon walking the sand and stopping at several vendors. The day was too cool to swim, but it was still beautiful.

That night they stayed in the condo and fixed dinner together. After dinner they retired early and made love several times before finally drifting off. They woke a bit later than planned and had to hurry to be ready for when the Grangers were coming to pick them up. Precisely at nine, Jean pulled up in a nice BMW and soon they were off for the drive north to the zoo. Along the way, Jean gave Harry a bit more of a tour of different neighborhoods around the city. The day was great fun and the zoo was quite impressive. They ate dinner downtown and then the Grangers dropped them off at the condo around nine.