Chapter 7

Wendell and Monica Wilkins stared at the three strangers sitting in front of them in their living room. The boy on the left had black hair, green eyes, and a very noticeable lightning-shaped scar on his forehead. The boy on the right had ginger hair, his face was covered in freckles, and was obviously uncomfortable sitting on the couch because his limbs were long and he looked like he didn't know where to put his arms. Sitting in the middle, was a girl with bushy hair and thin frame. They all looked different but at the same time, they had something in common: they were thin and tired-looking. The three of them had deep, darkened eyes that made them look like they haven't slept for weeks. They had pale skin which made them looked a little dead, and they had deep, red scars all over their skin.

It was a typical Wednesday morning at Brisbane. Wendell and Monica was about to head to their clinic when they heard a knock on the door. Monica hastily opened the door to see the three teenagers in the front steps. The black haired boy asked her if she was Monica Wilkins and if they could come in. For some reason, she couldn't seem to turn him down, especially when she glanced over the girl with them. She looked tired and sad, and she figured they wouldn't do anything illegal early in the morning. Wendell went out from his and her wife's room to the living room to find his wife with the three.

"So what was it you wanted again," Wendell asked.

The girl in front of them fidgeted. "Uhh," she started. "We're from Britain."

"Ah! We've just moved here from there! So do we know you?" Wendell asked. "Were the three of you old patients of ours?"

The ginger-haired boy shrugged, while the girl's eyes started to cloud with tears.

Monica immediately went over the girl and placed a soothing hand on her back, and glanced over her husband who looked concerned as well. "What is it, darling?" Monica asked. The girl, however, continued to cry.

"Hermione," Monica heard the ginger-haired boy mumbled, as he turned to his side and hold the girl's hand. "You can do it."

"Do what?" Wendell asked. "I honestly don't want to be rude, but we're a few minutes late for work, and we usually don't care but there will be a lot of patients coming in today and we just can't afford to, uhh, waste… time," he finished.

Hermione sniffled, and wiped the tears from her face. "No, no. It's fine. I'm sorry. Can we come back tonight?"

"Of course," Monica said, smiling over the girl. "We'll be home by seven."

"That will be great Mrs. Wilkins," the raven-haired boy said softly.

They walked to the door and before the trio left they heard Monica Wilkins say, "Her name's Hermione, Wendell. I've always liked that name."

~oOo~

Hours passed and it was time for the Wilkins to go home. Once they closed their clinic and got inside the car, Monica spoke.

"Do you think we should buy dinner?" Monica asked.

"I still don't know what those kids want from us," Wendell replied. "Do you think they're dangerous?"

Monica didn't reply immediately. She stared straight on the road. Wendell, who started driving, glanced at his wife for a while. He didn't thing the three teenagers were dangerous, but the scars on their bodies were suspicious. You couldn't just get those deep scars from sports.

"No, I don't think so. Whatever they want from us, it's probably important. I mean, they did travel all the way here."

"You know," Wendell started. "The girl looked just like you when you were younger."

"Really? I did think she was pretty," Monica replied teasingly to her husband.

When they got to their driveway, and parked the car, they found the three teenagers sitting on their porch just like that morning. Monica and Wendell got out of the car and walked towards the three. Hermione saw them first and stood up. She gave them a shy smile, which the two adults returned. Harry and Ron followed through.

~OoO~

Fifteen minutes later, Harry and Ron had finished placing the unconscious adults on the couch. Hermione was pacing frantically in front of them, white as a sheet. After the basic small talk outside the house, Hermione panicked and immediately cast a stunning spell on the adults. Harry and Ron were shocked to say the least.

Flashback

"What the hell was that for, Hermione?" Harry asked agitatedly, holding onto Dan while Ron does the same for Jean.

"The sooner this is done, the better! Let's get them in the house," Hermione spoke back.

"Blimey! You scare me a lot," Ron exclaimed.

End of flashback

"Reverse the memory spell now, Hermione. They'll be up soon," Ron said. He wrapped his hands around each of her arms and looked her straight in the eyes. "You can do it. Harry and I will be here," he said. Hermione nodded and tilted her head to the side and glanced at the adults.

Ron let go of Hermione and she walked on Dan's side first and pointed the tip of her wand on his temple. Hermione muttered a spell and white strings started coming out of the wand and pouring inside her father's head. After she was done with Dan, she did the same to Jean. When she was finished putting her parents' memories back, she slumped on a wall and stared at the floor. Harry and Ron stood beside her.

"Did it work?" Ron asked.

"Of course it did," Hermione snapped. Ron, knowing that Hermione's nervous, ignored her tone and just sighed. He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together instead. Harry, on the other hand, just played with his wand.

"I'm sure they'll be mad at me," Hermione suddenly spoke.

Harry hummed and replied, "Well, probably. Think about it, yeah? You used magic against them repeatedly."

Hermione suddenly looked as if someone poured a bucket of ice on her back and started chewing her bottom lip. "But you're their only child, Hermione," Harry continued. "They won't stay mad at you for too long. They'll accept your apology, and try to move on."

Ron squeezed her hand and said softly, "Harry and I will be here for you. You can put the blame on us, if you like?"

Hermione chuckled. "Thank you, both of you. I don't think I'd manage to do this on my own. I'm usually not emotional, you know me. I have always been practical, and can think straight even under pressure."

"It's your family, Hermione. We know how hard it was for you to do what you did," Ron said.

Hermione and Ron stared at each other. Harry, feeling uncomfortable, coughed loudly which made the other two look away and smile at him sheepishly. "I'm never going to get used to the both of you acting like this," Harry muttered.

"Well, now you know what I felt when you started dating my sister," Ron retorted.

Harry was about to say something back but was interrupted by Jean's stirring on the couch. Hermione suddenly became stiff while Ron looked worried. Harry took Hermione's other hand and gave it a soft squeeze which she returned with a smile.

Jean groaned. She felt like her head has been trampled by a group of wild hyenas. She opened her eyes and ran her eyes at her surroundings, then she remembered where she was and she sat up straight and looked at her side and started waking her husband. Dan shifted and opened his eyes to see his wife shaking him.

"Alright, alright, I'm up," he murmured. After a few seconds, he realized where he was too and he sat up straight just like what Jean did. They were quiet for a moment, looking at each other, before they turned their heads to find the three teenagers looking at them nervously.

Jean stood up first and gave a tentative step towards them. Ron and Harry stood behind Hermione but neither one of the boys let go of her hand. Jean noticed it but didn't say something. Instead, she looked at them properly, noticing how skinny and how tired they all looked. That's all it took. She pulled her daughter and hugged her tightly.

Hermione was shocked, to say the least. She knew her mother has never been violent, but she expected her to slap her, not hug her like she didn't do anything wrong. Dan stood up and hugged his family. They didn't notice when Harry and Ron left and went to the kitchen to give them privacy.

Hermione was crying unabashedly now. She missed her parents. Of course, she was only apart from them for a whole year, which wasn't that bad compared to the past few years where she would leave them and stay with the Weasleys. But she didn't think she'd still be alive after all what has happened. She cried from relief that she's alive, and her parents are alive, and that they are together again.

After a few minutes, they let go of each other and sat down on the couch. Hermione has stopped crying by then, and just revelling on how good it was to be with her parents again.

Jean spoke first, "What happened after…" she trailed off. They knew what she was trying to ask.

Hermione cleared her throat and started to recount what happened to them that year. While she was telling the story, Harry and Ron came back with tea for everyone, and helped Hermione tell the story. The adults were listening intently. They couldn't believe what they all had to go through. They were sad, angry, and relieved at the same time. Jean and Dan started crying when Hermione showed them the words etched on her arm that was made by Bellatrix Lestrange.

After they finished their story, Jean walked up to Ron and Harry and gave each of them a tight hug. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that," she said.

Dan shook their hands and said, "Thank you for taking care of my daughter." Harry and Ron's faces were pink but looked satisfied because they didn't want the Grangers to be mad at them.

That night, after having a quiet dinner, Hermione and the two boys decided to leave for the night.

"Why? You can stay here," Jean protested.

"We don't want to impose," Ron said shyly.

"Nonsense! There are two extra rooms in this house. You and Harry can stay in one of them and Hermione can stay in the other," Dan offered.

Ron and Hermione blushed, while Harry tried not to laugh. Ron and Hermione started to sleep together—just sleep—right after the war. Harry never slept much, because of the nightmares. Hermione would give him potions for his problem but he didn't want to rely on them so he would just stay up until exhaustion consumes him. It wasn't healthy, but it was the only way he could sleep without the nightmares bothering him.

Dan noticed how his daughter and Ron blushed and narrowed his eyes a little. Even after all that has happened, and even though he knew how responsible his daughter was, she's still his only child. No boy can sleep with her under his roof. Jean smiled knowingly. She knew it was just a matter of time before the two figured out what they felt for each other. Even though she and Dan were mostly clueless of what was happening with their daughter, there was one thing she was sure of: Hermione was in love with the youngest Weasley boy. They watched their daughter squeal and blush whenever Ron would write her a letter. Come to think of it, that was the only teenager-related thing they've seen their daughter actually do, Jean thought glumly.

"Stay here, we insist," Jean said. "Ron and Hermione can stay in one room—," Dan started to protest but Jean cut him off with a small glare. "Harry can stay in the other room," she finished.

Hermione smiled softly. "Thanks, Mum," she kissed her parents on their cheek and bid them good night. Ron and Harry bid good night as well and followed Hermione.

~OoO~

Ron fell asleep immediately a few minutes after he and Hermione lay down on the bed. Hermione waited for Ron's breathing to even out before she sneaked out of the bed and out of the room. She went to the kitchen to make tea and found her parents talking in hush voices.

The adults turned their head to see who entered the room. When they saw Hermione, they gave her a soft smile and gestured on the high stool beside Dan.

"Thanks," Hermione said as she sat on the stool.

"Can't sleep, honey?" Jean asked.

"No, I'm still not used to sleeping this early," Hermione answered quietly.

Dan and Jean looked at their daughter sadly. They were still upset about what she has done to them, but they've understood that she did it to save them. They're just happy that they're all alive and almost well.

"What about Ron?" Dan asked.

"He's fallen asleep right after we hit the bed. He's been awake for two days. We left after the Fred's funeral," Hermione answered her father.

"How are the Weasleys?" Jean asked.

"Barely coping. Their house has always been noisy, but now you can almost hear a pin dropping from the quietness," Hermione said softly. "They can't even look at George sometimes. George can't look at himself."

Dan lowered his head while Jean's eyes started to fill with tears. They met the twins on Diagon Alley many years ago, and they were so full of life then, their faces bright with smiles. They can't imagine what the wizarding world looked like after the war.

"I was expecting a lot of screaming today," Hermione smiled faintly.

"I did too," Jean replied.

"So did I," Dan said. They looked at each other and laughed.

"I'm sorry for what I did. I know you said you've forgiven me, but I still feel terrible. There were other options but what I did was the best solution. It was the only solution that made so much sense to me," Hermione explained.

Jean stood up and wrapped her arms around Hermione. "We're still upset, mind you. Being paralyzed and hearing you talk about altering our memories was the worst thing that has ever happened to us, but we're trying to understand, we really are.

"You're our only daughter, Hermione. We'll forgive you every time."

Hermione looked at her parents with admiration shining through her eyes. What she did to them was traumatizing and there they were, forgiving her like she just ruined her Mum's favorite white rug. Of course, it would take a lot more time for them to feel one hundred percent safe around her, and she was ready to wait as long as it'll take them. Hermione will make sure her relationship with her parents will be fixed.

"So," Dan suddenly spoke. "Care to fill us on why you're sleeping with Ron Weasley under my roof?" And just like that, Hermione knew it won't be too hard to get things back to normal.

The End

A/N: This is it! I think this is a good way to end things! First of all, I would like to thank all of you for reading my story and putting it on your favorites! I'm not really good at putting my ideas into words so I'm really glad that you guys at least appreciate my effort! Secondly, thank you for the reviews and private messages, I appreciate all of them! Lastly, do you want an epilogue? Lol. I have an idea for one but I don't know when I can post it because I have work and I've been traveling a lot lately. Just tell me if you want to, though!

Til next time! :*