AN: Thank you all, I love getting reviews from all of you, your kind words always brighten my day! I know I'm not the best writer ever, but maybe by the end of this story I'll be better than I was at the start.
It was Hermione's last day home, she'd spent most of the week with her parents, going out and enjoying the time she had left with them. They'd picnicked on the Thames River, explored the Kew Gardens, toured the Tower of London, and visited the English countryside, all things they hadn't done since Hermione was small. They'd all had a great time with each other, and she wished they could spend that much time with each other every day. But she now only had an hour till she left for the Burrow, where she would be staying until her and the boys left. She had finished putting away all of her personal belongings from her room, banishing them to, hopefully, be summoned back again one day. Her room was now empty of all her things, except for the furniture, and now looked like a guestroom, making it feel very bare.
Thinking of all this, as she finished packing her bags, she steeled herself, getting ready, preparing herself for what she'd have to do next. She'd been delaying things, knowing what would happen when she entered the sitting room, but the article about a murdered muggle family in front of her strengthened her resolve. She would have to cast a false memory charm on her parents, removing all the memories they had, and give them the desire to move. She would then proceed to remove any over evidence of her existence from their lives, making sure they wouldn't know anything about her. All of which she knew would ensure them a safe, new, life.
She had decided Australia would be the best location to send them, it was a beautiful place. It was far enough away from the war, and attacks, that she wouldn't have to worry about death eaters finding them. Her mum had always shown an interest in taking a family vacation there, as it was one of the continents they'd never been to. There were many places, such as museums and beaches, to visit. Her parents would have plenty of new places to tour and explore.
Minerva had been a big help, in sorting out everything, and getting her parents their new identities. They were now officially Wendell and Monica Wilkins, a married couple who planned to set up a dentist office in Canberra, Australia's capital. Hermione was thankful that she'd know where they were, after the war they'd be easier to locate. She'd only have to find their address, instead of their city or country. And she knew while they were there they sure to have a nice, peaceful, life.
She was still unsure how Minerva had gotten everything setup, her connections with the muggles had surprised Hermione. As it turned out the woman was actually a half-blood, and understood the muggle world more than most magical folks. Minerva's father, Robert, had been a muggle Presbyterian minister, while her mother, Isobel, was a witch. Minerva had never brought up much about her family during their discussions, though Hermione had told her much about her own. She'd only known Minerva had grown up on the outskirts of Caithness in the Scottish Highlands, and had two younger brothers, Malcolm and Robert Jr., who both had children of their own.
Though Hermione had learned much about the women's history during their meetings, things had become strained over the week, as it seemed the woman had not totally forgiven her. Minerva would go from nice and calm, to suddenly snapping out and getting frustrated. During their last few talks though the woman had stayed quiet for the most part, and when she did talk, she seemed to avoid conversations about the mission and the promise she'd made. She knew the later was what was bothering Minerva, but she wasn't sure how to bring it up with the woman. She didn't want to further upset her, so she was unsure whether to say anything at all on the matter.
Hermione still felt guilty about the promise, but when she'd insisted on it she had only wanted to make sure her parent were in safe hands. She was also trying to be more realistic about the situation, as there was a big possibility that she might die during the war. Out of everyone she knew if she was going to trust anyone with the tasks of returning her parent's memories Minerva was the person to do it, the woman would never break a promise. She trusted the boys of course, but Ron and Harry really were in as much danger as her, though Harry was probably in more, being who he was. She didn't like thinking about it but she knew Minerva was also in danger, as a powerful witch of the light she was sure to be a target.
She didn't think she could handle losing Minerva, and would probably follow after her if she didn't make it. She believed; if it did so happen that neither of them survived to retrieve her parents, they'd be better off not knowing about her or their past anyway. They would be able to happily live, blissfully unaware of what they'd lost. But, honestly, she wasn't comfortable with the thought that they might never know of her existence.
With these thoughts in mind she was suddenly brought back to the present by her mum, "Mione, teas ready darling." She called, "Coming mum." Her voice shook, wavering slightly. She took a deep breath, getting ready for what was about to happen. With wand in hand she headed to the sitting room, her parents sat watching a show on TV about, ironical enough, Australia. She quietly raised her wand and cast the charm, slowly removing and replacing all their memories. Her parents sat there, in a daze, as she removed all evidence of herself from their lives.
She slowly came around the couch, tears in her eyes, and hugged them both. "I love you both so much, and I'll miss you tremendously." She choked out, tears running down her cheeks. Her crying worsened when, as she sat there hugging them, they didn't respond, as they were still adjusting to the spell. She got up, quickly grabbing her things, and walked out the door with her beaded bag in hand, not daring to look back for fear of a complete break down. When she was in a safe, out of sight, place she took a moment to dry her tears and calm down, before apparating away to the Burrow.
Sorry for the break and short chapter, but I've been busy with life and just had to get something out. Please tell me about any mistakes, I scanned over it but I'm only half awake, so it's possible for something to be spelled wrong or worded weirdly. Love you all! -Fae