Chapter 3 – Settling in Sydney

The next morning, Harry and Hermione made brunch together. When they sat down to eat, Harry grew quiet for a couple of minutes. He had been thinking throughout the previous day and decided he had made his decision and it was time to talk to Hermione.

"Hermione, I've been thinking about what I want to do next. I could travel forever with the money I have, but the continual traveling has gotten old. I may still want to do some trips, but I want to settle a bit. I'm not sure about going back to England though. Then there's the question of school and career. I can't go back to Hogwarts. I once thought about being an Auror, but I've seen enough fighting for several lifetimes. I was wondering if you would mind me staying here in Sydney for a bit? Maybe I'll steal your idea and hire some tutors. I'm not sure what I will do with NEWTs, but I can at least have them done."

"That sounds great Harry. Of course I wouldn't mind. As for the tutors, why don't we tutor together? We're used to studying together. Would you want to stay here in Bronte with me?"

"That sounds like it could work with the tutors. About the staying, I've been thinking on something else. I appreciate staying with you, but you're used to having your own space. Also, I think I want to see if Ron can come visit. I miss the bloke. I think I may look for a condo on Bondi. I know it's a tourist center, but I liked it and it has the train right there without having to take a bus as well.*"

"Well I guess that makes sense. I do kind of like having my own space. Still, I wish you'd be closer. And I'd love to see Ron."

"Alright, since that's decided then, why don't I start looking for a place? Maybe if I find someplace large enough you can come stay with me and still have space. If you want."

"Well, once you make your mind up, you don't wait. Alright, let's see what we can find for you. Then we'll decide on future plans."

With that, they finished brunch and then perused a local directory for property agents. Since it was Sunday, everyone was closed and they decided to explore a bit more of Bronte in the afternoon. The next day, Harry made a couple of calls and located a property agent who had time for them that day. He really was ready to get himself in one place and Hermione's condo would be a bit too crowded with three of them.

Joe Gorse, the agent Harry selected, showed up shortly after lunch on Monday to pick them up. As they drove toward Bondi, he talked about a couple of properties he thought might work. Harry had given him physical requirements and basically told him that money wasn't a concern. Joe seemed a bit surprised, but covered quickly. The first two properties were alright, but not quite what Harry had in mind. The third was close, but a bit further from the beach than he wanted. The fourth was the most expensive and Hermione balked when she heard the price, but Harry was still willing to look. The property was a contemporary house with six bedrooms, four of them en-suite, with an additional full and partial bath. All the furnishings were included and were all modern and quite colorful. It was a block from the beach with a rooftop deck with views and a decent backyard with a pool complete with slide. It was large at a bit over 400 square meters and came with yard maintenance and housekeeping once a week. They both liked it, although Hermione thought it was a bit large. Harry didn't care, it would offer plenty of space for visiting friends. He didn't know how long he planned on being in Sydney, but his studies would take a while and he agreed to sign a six month lease. The cost was the equivalent of nearly 8,000 pounds a month. He also added an additional payment so that he could move in at the end of the week, with the last two weeks of August being in addition to the six months. Once Joe dropped them off back at the condo, they headed for dinner and Hermione laughed at how excited Harry was.

"So Hermione, it's up to you, but you've seen the house. There's certainly room for you if you want to join me. And the train station is a two minute walk."

"I've been thinking on it since I saw how big the place was. I do like my condo, but being directly on a train line would be faster. I think I'll join you. I'll lose the last two weeks of rent on the condo for the month, but I guess that is minor compared to what you're paying for the house."

"Excellent. So, we'll move in on Saturday. When do you want to invite Ron?"

"Whenever. If he leaves London on Saturday evening, he'll be here Sunday morning."

"That could work. I guess we should maybe make a floo call to the Burrow. Is that the fastest way to reach him? Where can we floo from?"

After a bit of discussion, they decided to go to the Ministry early the following morning and call at a time when it would evening at the Burrow, hoping to catch Ron at home. They left dinner that night excited for the chance to see him again and about the idea of officially moving in together. The following morning at eight they called the Burrow at what was ten in the evening there. Ron had just arrived home and was a bit drunk, but he was thrilled to hear from them.

"Blimey you two! You're floo calling from Sydney. That's gotta be the farthest we've ever gotten a call from. When did you get to Sydney Harry?"

"Yes, the cost for the call isn't cheap and they can only keep it stable for about four minutes. That's why you can't floo a person this far. It also means we need to talk fast. We can explain more later. Anyway, Harry is renting a house on Bondi Beach and we want you to come visit. If you can get a portkey for Saturday night, it will arrive here Sunday morning. That is if you've got time in your schedule for a visit."

"Right, schedule. I've been helping the guys at the shop, but that's about it. I'd love to come…hold on, Ginny just heard you."

Ginny came running into the room, excited and seemed surprised to see two heads in the fire.

"Hi Gin, how are you?"

"Harry! You're in Sydney? Is Australia as brilliant as I've heard?"

"It's nice Gin. I have a huge house I rented. You're welcome to visit, but I don't know if your mum would let you."

"Well, she probably won't like it, but you forget I'm legal now. Would you really not mind? I mean if you and Hermione…"

Hermione squeezed Harry's arm in agreement and his doubts were set aside.

"No Gin. It would be great to have you. Arrange the portkey with Ron. We can talk more when you get here. Once you get everything arranged, why don't you find a phone in Ottery and call. I know Hermione showed you how to use them and she has a mobile now. Here's the number…got to go, the floo witch says our connection is destabilizing."

Harry and Hermione left the floo as a small pop indicated the connection was done. As they left the Ministry, both of them were excited to see their friends. It was obvious that Hermione was excited to see Ginny as well and Harry wondered how it would all work out with the four of them. Oh well, they'd figure it out in a few days.

While they were at the Ministry, they made a trip to the education department to talk to Hermione's contact about the tutors and adding Harry. As soon as her friend Maria realized who was with Hermione, the entire department was stunned and more than willing to help. The tutors weren't cheap and Harry insisted on paying. Each had a list of books and agreed to start on September 1st. It seemed that the Australian and British magical communities were quite aligned in their education schedules. In the meantime, Harry knew Hermione would start studying ahead. She opted for Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Runes, Potions, Magical Law, Arithmancy, and History of Magic. All could be done at the house, although a potions lab would need to be set up. Herbology wasn't really possible without traveling and neither really saw the need to move forward with it. Harry opted for Transfiguration, Charms, DADA, Magical Business Practices, and (reluctantly) History of Magic. The law and business courses were something different that only had NEWT level tests, but they were unique offerings that both thought would come in handy in the future. As for History of Magic, Harry's OWLs were really too low, but his tutor was going to work on raising his level and then prepare him for NEWTs at the same time. It meant they would definitely be busy.

With their book lists in hand, Harry didn't have to ask to know what their next stop was. Twenty minutes after leaving the Ministry, Hermione led them down an alley that opened up onto Boyly Street. They picked up all their books and then looked around for a bit before leaving to do some other sightseeing.

Over the next couple of days, Harry and Hermione set a routine that saw them staying at the condo until lunch. They started to read a bit and also just enjoyed their time together. They'd take trips around town in the afternoon and had dinner with the Grangers a couple of times. Jean and Neil were both excited to hear that their friends were coming and were interested to get to know the friends they'd heard about. They were a bit surprised that Hermione was moving in with Harry, but impressed that he was renting a place on Bondi.

On Wednesday, Hermione received a call from Ginny to give them the details on the portkey. She also asked and received permission to have Neville and Luna come as well. Apparently the two of them were seeing a bit more of each other, although they insisted it was nothing serious. Harry was fine with it, he had plenty of room.

Saturday arrived and it didn't take much to officially move into the Bondi house. Hermione only had a couple of small pieces of furniture that were hers, a few boxes of books, a couple of suitcases, and miscellaneous other items. Harry had even less. With shrinking and lightening, they fit it all into a few bags. As Hermione turned out the light on her condo, she looked back one last time with a smile. She found herself surprisingly emotional. The condo had been her first home of her own, even though most of what was in it was generic. Anyway, Bondi was more convenient and the house they were moving to was lavish.

Once they arrived at the house, they each quickly selected a room. Harry insisted that Hermione take one of the two designated masters since it had some built in bookshelves. He selected a smaller room for himself, but it had its own bathroom. Once they put away their few things, they decided on a swim. The total move had taken about two hours. Later that afternoon they went shopping to stock the large fridge and then the place was ready.

The next morning, they were up early and at the Ministry shortly before seven to wait for everyone to arrive. At a quarter past, their friends all came streaming through customs and soon rounds of hugs ensued. Ginny reached to hold Harry, but then held back, watching Hermione. Ron had his arm around her and Hermione just nodded at her friend. Ginny accepted Harry's arm and they all left the Ministry to find breakfast. Hermione was a bit surprised that Luna and Neville seemed friendly, but weren't holding onto each other. After breakfast, they looked around just a bit, but the new arrivals were still on England time and quite tired so they headed back to the house. One of the first things they did was to give everyone a lesson on the train system, which was a new experience for the purebloods.

As soon as they arrived at the house, Ron let out a whistle of appreciation. There were enough bedrooms for everyone to have their own and Harry let everyone spread out and go find one. Ron seemed a bit unsure, but then looked at Harry and Hermione and wondered what his status was. Luna, Ginny, and Neville were already off on the other end of the house, so Hermione pulled Harry and Ron to the outside patio.

"Alright Ron, I think we all need to talk about where we all stand."

"It's alright, I know you said we needed to move on. I've tried."

"Good. I have as well. You know I had a boyfriend. We broke up shortly before Harry arrived. I'm going to be honest, Harry and I are more than just friends, but we aren't ready to commit and he still has feelings for Ginny. Since we have the space, I think it's best if we all have our own rooms, but that doesn't mean we have to always stay in those rooms."

"Really, you mean you'd still want to be with me?"

"Yes Ron, I love you, but I love Harry as well. I don't want to be tied down. If you can deal with that, then I think we'll be fine."

"Um…alright, I guess I understand…"

"What Ron? There's something you're not saying."

Before Ron could reply, their three friends arrived as well. Ron looked up at Luna and their eyes met in a knowing look. Hermione smiled and shook her head.

"So, are you with Luna now Ron? I thought Neville…"

"Oh, not to worry Hermione. Ron and I are just good friends who like to shag. Same as Neville and I. I really can't decide between them. And I know Ron's been missing you."

"Alright, maybe the six of us all need to talk. We're all good friends and it seems there are a number of pairings between us. We're all going to have our own rooms and space. As long as we all agree to not be jealous, are we fine with each of us switching around to wherever we want to sleep each night?"

"Um, sure Hermione."

"Of course you're fine Neville, you need to keep your options open for Susan and Hannah."

Everyone looked a bit stunned at Luna's statement and Neville squirmed. Ron's eyes grew wide as he spluttered.

"B…but I thought they were switch witches?"

"Well yeah, but they like to switch up with others also."

"You mean the three of you?"

Neville shrugged and blushed. Hermione took pity on him and decided to move their focus.

"Okay, so we're decided. Everyone has their space and sleeps where they wish. We're all friends and no jealousy?"

There were nods around the group and Hermione was relieved at how well it went. Ron went to claim the last room and then the new arrivals decided on a nap. Later, everyone ate a late lunch and spent time swimming and relaxing. That night Harry grilled pork chops and Hermione mixed margaritas for the group. The night was cool, driving them indoors where the six friends enjoyed just being together and catching up. Harry was feeling quite relaxed as he sipped his fourth beer and excused himself for a minute. He returned with his bag of joints and proceeded to start smoking as everyone but Hermione stared at him.

"Harry, since when do you smoke?"

"I started in Paris, not long after I left England. Weed helps me relax. I sleep better."

"Weed, as in marijuana?"

Harry nodded at Ron as he passed the joint and Hermione took a couple of puffs, causing everyone's eyes to bug out. He offered it around the group and everyone but Ron took the offer. Soon he was lighting another and the entire group was feeling quite relaxed. As they finished, Harry cast an air cleaning charm and the smell disappeared. Luna was the first to give in and call it a night. Then Hermione stood and held out a hand to Ron. He smiled and followed her like an enthusiastic puppy. Neville went next, leaving Harry and Ginny together.

"Look Gin, I know what we all agreed earlier. I'd love to spend the night with you, but don't feel obligated."

Ginny smiled and stood up, holding her hand out. When Harry was on his feet, she kissed him hard and then pulled back.

"Why don't you show me which bedroom is yours Harry?"

Harry smiled and then pulled her to him. Their walk to the bedroom took a while as they snogged and groped on the way. Harry loved Hermione and he had enjoyed being with her, but he couldn't deny that he had missed Ginny and it felt good to have her back. He briefly had the thought that choosing between them would be impossible, but then Ginny kicked the bedroom door closed and his thoughts were focused solely on the task of pleasuring the witch he was with that night.

A couple of the group of friends thought the next morning might be awkward, but instead breakfast was easy and relaxed. Hermione baked scones and Neville surprised everyone when he made an omelet with fresh vegetables and herbs. No one had realized that his love of plants extended to using them in the kitchen. Hermione had had a wonderful night with Ron, but when Harry gave her a squeeze when she went by him to get juice out of the fridge, there was no issue. And when Ginny bent over and her very short house robe gave a lovely view, Harry just laughed when Neville, Luna, and Hermione all ogled her. Even Ron found it hard not to look, groaning and turning away purposefully. The group talked and decided that touring the city sounded good so everyone went to their separate rooms to get ready after breakfast.

Harry was one of the first to be ready and wanted to talk to Hermione about where they planned on going and what the schedule was. She waved the door open when he knocked and he took just a minute to adjust to the fact that she was still dressing and was standing in front of the mirror, fixing her hair while wearing just pants and a bra. He took a moment to admire the view and then remembered what he came to talk to her about. He was sitting on the bed talking when Ron walked in since the door was still partly open. Harry braced himself, but other than ogling Hermione, Ron didn't say anything. He asked a couple of questions about the places where they were going, but that was it. The whole scene was a bit surreal and Harry decided to broach the subject that he was too curious about.

"Alright, well it sounds like we have a plan for the day. Ron, can I ask you something?"

Ron shrugged and nodded.

"Well, I'm just curious about your change in attitude. Mind you, I appreciate your understanding about me and Hermione and then me and Ginny, but I was expecting a different reaction."

"Yeah well, I guess I understand mate. I know I've been a jealous prick in the past. I did a lot of thinking after the battle. After losing so many people and seeing Fred nearly die, I just figured that I should take things easier. After all the shite we've been through, there are better things to worry about. And I guess I always knew you and Hermione would be together and I figured that if I wanted a chance to have her at all, then I should be willing to share. Mind you, some of this occurred to me about two weeks after the battle when I stayed too late at the Leaky and woke up in Luna's bed."

Hermione let out a very unladylike snort and shook her head. She finished with her hair and went to select a blouse.

"Hmm, what do you two think? Plain green or this blue print?"

"NEITHER"

The answer was a chorus from both Ron and Harry and caused them both to laugh and high five. Hermione tried to keep a straight face, but failed and decided on the blue. Then she turned back to them and was serious again.

"Well, I appreciate both of you being mature about this. I much prefer changing up than being forced to decide. It's kind of strange, I was always the one for rules and order, but now I'm embracing what some would call an alternative lifestyle. I guess we all change in our own ways."

Harry nodded, but neither he nor Ron said anything. They headed out to the living room and met up with everyone else. Leaving the house, they had a short walk until they were at the train and only a few stops later before they were downtown. Hermione had to admit that travel from Bondi was quicker.

They spent a fun day all around Sydney and it felt good to have the whole group of friends together. They were a bit obnoxious at dinner, but tallied up a fat enough bill that they were tolerated. When they returned to the house, a few retired to the patio for drinks, while others headed on to bed. The partnerships for their second night remained the same by unspoken agreement.

Over the next few days, the friends set a lazy schedule. They usually hung around the house until lunch and then went out to different parts of the city in the afternoon. On Wednesday, Harry had a bit of an issue to discuss with Hermione.

"Mione, I need to get some more weed. Quality. You said your ex smoked. Do you have a contact?"

"Hmm, I might. Or if Duane doesn't have any, he'll know where to get it. Let me give him a call."

As it turned out, Duane had a selection of product and happily showed up later in the morning. When he saw the house, he let out a low whistle and Harry thought the cost probably just went up. Everyone gathered around as Harry looked over Duane's samples and were amused at how discerning he was. After talking for a bit, Duane rolled a joint and Harry smiled as he tasted it. He passed it around and everyone agreed. With the variety selected, Harry shocked Duane when he agreed to buy his entire stock of the chosen selection. Harry figured he wasn't going to be traveling for a while and he'd need a bit with everyone sharing. They arranged a deal and Harry peeled off twenty-two hundreds from a large roll of Australian dollars that made Duane's eyes pop. Once Duane left, Harry proceeded to take the bag and empty it into a canister that he then put in the kitchen pantry, causing a couple of his friends to shake their heads.

On Thursday night a bad storm drove everyone indoors, where they decided to watch a marathon of the Indiana Jones movies. The telly was still novel to the purebloods and movies were popular. Somehow during the second movie, Harry ended up with Luna in his lap. He didn't really mind as he watched the movie and played with her hair. Then the hand wandered and he realized that he was fondling a breast and she wasn't wearing a bra. She just smiled at him and then Harry kissed her. Soon their friends were telling them to get a room and Harry decided that it was an excellent idea, as he scooped up Luna and they disappeared to his room. Everyone else was heated after the show and the other couples soon drifted off as well.

When Harry woke the next morning, he was only momentarily surprised to see blonde hair instead of brown or ginger. He'd never expected to pair off with Luna, but he supposed it was a logical step with the unusual agreement in the house. And Luna had been fantastic. She was by far the most vocal of the three and some of the noises she made drove him crazy. So, while unexpected, he was certainly not unhappy.

While Hermione had been enjoying the time with her friends, she had missed seeing her parents during the week. They also wanted to meet her friends and Harry suggested that the Grangers come over for a barbeque on Friday night around six.

Friday turned out to be quite warm when it topped out at twenty and everyone enjoyed either sunbathing on the patio or swimming through the afternoon. Harry was marinating steaks and Hermione figured they'd wait to start cooking until her parents arrived. At a quarter past five they were all shocked when Jean and Neil Granger appeared at the back door, having come in the front and walked through the house after not finding anyone. Harry quickly yanked the joint away from Hermione and then tried to hide it, managing to burn himself. Luna and Ron were in mid snog and separated with a loud sucking sound while Ginny quickly swam to the other end of the pool to find the top to her bikini. Neville meanwhile climbed out of the pool and decided to turn the stereo down. Hermione quickly climbed out of her lounge chair and wrapped a cover-up around herself as she said hello to her parents.

"Hi mum, hi dad. Um, you're early."

"Well, we didn't have any late appointments and were anxious to see you, so we decided to come on over. I called, but you apparently didn't get the message. And we knocked for a good five minutes with no answer, before we discovered the door was unlocked. It seems we're interrupting the party."

"Oh no, that's fine. We're all just hanging out this afternoon rather than going into the city. I guess we should lock doors. We do have extensive wards up, but they don't alert on non-magicals. Let me introduce everyone…"

The Grangers were soon introduced to all of Hermione's friends and then Harry showed them around the house. After they all talked for a bit, Harry started the grill while Hermione and Neville went to work on sides. Luna meanwhile had mastered the blender and started making drinks. With everyone busy at tasks, Neil wandered to the grill to talk to Harry.

"So Harry, I have to say the house is impressive. Quite a nice party pad."

"Um yeah, I guess. Really it's just a bunch of friends hanging out. Look, I know you probably saw me shuck the joint when you showed up. That and alcohol is all you'll find. No one here is into anything heavy. The weed is good for relaxing. Stops nightmares as well."

"Well, I suppose if anyone has nightmares, it would be you. Look Harry, I'm not exactly thrilled by it, but I understand it's useful sometimes as long as you don't overdo it. I was a bit surprised to see Hermione indulging, but she's changed a lot in the past couple of years."

"Maybe Neil, but not in the ways that really matter. She's still blindingly brilliant, amazingly kind, and fiercely loyal to her friends. Values that you instilled in her. Maybe she's more relaxed and not as hard line as she once was, but she's still the same at the core."

Neil nodded and looked into Harry's eyes. He had a fierceness in his look that spoke of his devotion to Hermione. The eyes also held a lot of pain and definitely didn't belong to a teenager. Neil decided to leave the subject be. His daughter was grown now and had been making her own decisions for years.

Soon dinner was ready and they decided to take it up to the rooftop deck since there was a heater next to the table. The view was spectacular, as was all the food. The Grangers enjoyed getting to know their daughter's friends. They were a singularly unique and special group. As a breeze picked up off the ocean, they decided to gather everything and head indoors.

Before the Grangers left, Hermione had a book to loan her mother and Jean followed Hermione to her room to get it. Once they were alone, Jean decided it would be a good time for a chat. She was still confused about her daughter's friends. Both Harry and Ron were quite touchy with her daughter and even Neville seemed appreciative. Once they were in the room, Jean looked around and then started the discussion.

"Nice room Hermione. This looks like a master."

"Yes. The house has two masters, but Harry let me have this one because of the bookshelves."

"So he doesn't stay in here with you then? Is it just yourself?"

Hermione sighed. She should have known this was coming.

"Mum, the room is mine. The house has six bedrooms so we each have our own space. If we decide to have visitors, we all have an agreement and are fine with it."

"Oh, so Harry does stay here, but he has his own room for when he wants space?"

"Mum…"

"Alright, I know I shouldn't pry, but I worry. Those two young men obviously adore you. I'm just afraid that it may cause you problems."

"No worries there mum. Like I said, we have an agreement. I love both Harry and Ron. If you must know, I switch between them. And if Neville keeps looking at me like he has been, I'll probably have to knock some sense into him and drag him back here. Ron has slept with Luna as well and Harry has slept with all of us. Neville with Luna and Ginny. It works for us. We've been through hell and war together. None of us is ready to all of a sudden turn domestic and settle down with the picket fence and 2.5 kids, but we're not picking up random people at bars either. At least not anymore. And I never did. I'm quite happy with where I'm at."

Jean was hoping for answers, but stood looking stunned. She hadn't expected that. After a moment, she collected herself.

"Well, I see. That's definitely alternative. I'm glad you're happy, but it's still a bit worrisome."

"Not for me mum. Here's the book. Dad's probably wondering where we disappeared to."

Jean took the hint and followed Hermione out of the room. Her head was still spinning and she thought that she and Neil would definitely need to talk. Maybe. She wasn't sure how he would take the idea of their daughter sharing her affections. He still wasn't happy with the idea that his daughter was sleeping with anyone. She'd need to think on how to broach the subject.

When the Granger women returned to the living room, Jean collected her husband, said their goodbyes, and left for the night. Everyone else spent some time talking and Hermione found herself sitting in Harry's lap. When they decided to go bed, she naturally took him by the hand. The others divided up not long after with no one finding a need to sleep alone.

When all the friends had arrived in Australia, Ginny and Luna only had two and a half weeks until school started again. Ron and Neville had less definite plans, although George and Fred could always use Ron's help. Neville had a possible internship, but the interview wasn't for another week. Still, they all decided to travel back together. They enjoyed their time in the relaxed environment in Australia and each would miss it for different reasons. After coming to their agreement and living freely for a couple of weeks, returning to Hogwarts and the Burrow would not be easy. Harry and Hermione would miss their friends, but were due to start their own intensive studies. Hermione stayed with Ron for the last two nights before he left, but Harry didn't lack for attention.

On the morning of August 30th, everyone gathered at the Ministry to say their goodbyes. Harry let them know the door was always open and knew that he would have visitors during school breaks at least. When the portkey activated, the four were whisked back toward England and Harry turned to Hermione, took her hand and led her back out into the city.

o-o-o-o-o

A/N: I'm basing all my Sydney transit references off of maps on the internet and interpreting as best I can. I hope I am correct, but if you are familiar with the area, and I'm incorrect, please PM me. Although I'd love to see Sydney, I haven't had the chance yet.