Chapter 1- Harry and Ron
"Isn't it a beautiful night?" Hermione asked Fred as they walked through the park holding hands.
When she looked up at him and he saw the look in her eyes he panicked. He could see the love in her eyes. A million things went through his head at once. When did this happen? I need to get out of here. What am I doing? I can't let this happen. I'm too young for this. I have my whole life ahead of me. This was fun for a while, but I have to nip it in the bud. She'll hate me for that. I don't want her to hate me. What should I tell her? I'll have to be honest.
She broke through his thoughts, "Fred, are you alright?"
"Yes. Fine, why?"
"You seemed like you were lost for a minute there."
"I have to talk to you."
"Ok, what is it?"
"You know we've been seeing each other for a while now, and it's been good between us, but I think we should take a break."
"A break? Why?"
"We're so young. I don't want things to get too serious too fast. I think we need to slow things down."
He could see the hurt and confusion in her eyes, but she held herself together. He hated himself for making her feel this way.
"A break, ok. If that's what you want. We can do that. In fact, I was asked if I would help Mr. and Mrs. Flammel write a book of their lives. They've lived through a lot of history and they have plenty to say."
That caught him off guard. "Nicholas Flammel? How did that happen? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Yes, Nicholas Flammel. I just got the offer today. I was going to tell you about it. I was going to turn it down, but now it seems like a good idea to accept it. They told me I can stay with them while we work on it."
"Where do they live? How long will you be gone?" Fred asked. He panicked. When he was thinking of calling things off, he didn't think she would be willing to do it so easily. Actually, he really hadn't thought about it at all. There wasn't enough time.
"They live in Germany. I don't know how long it will take."
"What about your job here?"
"I think I can talk with Kingsley and I think he will say it is alright for me to take some time off for this project."
"Were you planning on doing this all along?"
"Actually, I wanted to get your opinion before I decided, but since you want a break, it seems like a no brainer to me now."
He thought that maybe she was right, this would be the perfect time for them to be apart and see how things go, so he told her, "While you're there you are free to do as you please. I don't want you to not do something on my account. When you get back, we can see where we are and if we still feel the same."
"Ok then, I guess this is goodbye." She said as she turned on the spot and disapparated.
Fred turned around and walked home. As he walked his thoughts were going wild. What have I done? Should I follow her and tell her I was wrong? What if, what if, what if kept running through his head. But then he thought maybe this is a good thing. Tomorrow I'll go out with the boys and maybe I'll see what I've been missing. If I go back to talk to her now, I'll take it all back. I don't think I have the will power to see her and not want to be with her.
Hermione looked out the window of her flat. It was a beautiful autumn day. The leaves falling on the ground were orange and yellow. I wish I could paint. If I could, I would paint a scene just like the one I'm seeing right now. She thought to herself.
The scene was one she'd seen plenty of times before, but somehow today it seemed to represent an innocent time. It made of her think of yester-years. It wasn't that the previous years were easy, or even good years, but she was accountable for her own self. The decisions she made were done for the good of everyone, but the decision she was making now should not be her own to make, but it was.
She thought back to the conversation that led up to her making this decision. She played it over in her mind to see if maybe she'd taken it wrong, but no matter how she looked at it, it was obvious this was her problem and her problem alone. She didn't want to li8ve with the Flammel's, but she needed to go. She'd already taken the necessary steps at work and she found a home in Romania. She even talked with Harry and Ron. They tried to talk her out of it, but her decision was made.
She asked them if they could come over today to talk with her and she knew they would try to talk her out of it again, but her mind was made up. She still had hours before they were due to come over. There was not much left to do here, except to pack up the parlor, but she wanted them to be comfortable when they talked, so she left that undone. She would pack it after they left.
Hermione decided she would go see Fred one last time. If he gave her any indication that he wanted her, she would change her plans, but so far, he had not, so her trip to see him was probably just going to be a waste of time and just leave another scar on her heart, but she had to try. He would be at the shop since it was the middle of the day so she headed over there.
When Hermione got back to her flat, she was mentally exhausted. Her visit to the shop went exactly a she thought it would. At least now she knew the decision she made was the right decision for herself.
Ron arrived first giving her a hug he said, "Harry will be here in a few minutes. He had to turn in a report to Kingsley before he left work."
"That's fine. Here let me get you a drink. I've put out a bowl of crisps for us, I know how fond you are of them."
"Thanks. What's going on? Why weren't you at work today and why did you ask me and Harry to come over after we got off of work. I thought you weren't leaving until the weekend."
"Let's wait for Harry to get here so I only have to explain it once." She told him as Harry arrived.
She got up and gave Harry a hug and handed him a cup of pumpkin juice. Ron handed him the plate of crisps, but he didn't take one. He set the plate down on the table.
"I guess you are both wondering what is going on, but before I say anything, I want you to promise that what is said here will remain with only us. I know it will be hard to make that promise, but I need it from both of you before I go on."
"Hermione, you know we would never betray your trust." Harry told her while Ron's head nodded up and down, his mouth full of crisps.
"I know you wouldn't, but this is very important. Please, can you both promise me this will remain between us?"
"Hermione, I promise you that whatever you say to us will remain between us. I won't say anything to anyone about it." Ron said.
"I promise too." Harry said.
"Nicholas Flammel has asked me if I would be willing to help him write his memoir and I have accepted. This means I will need to be in Germany for a short time."
"I think my work with Nicolas Flammel will be quick, so I asked Kingsley if he could get me a transfer to another Ministry. He contacted the Romanian Minister and everything is set. However, instead of me joining the Ministry straight off I will be taking legal classes so I can get a position in the Magical Law Office. I think Kingsley thinks I will change my mind and come back home when my schooling is finished, but I won't be doing that. The Romanian Minister told Kingsley that it would be my choice if I wanted to stay there after or return home after my schooling is completed, they will have a place for me. I think she likes the thought of having one of the 'Golden Trio" with them."
"Of course, she would want you, everyone in the magical world knows you were the brains behind us winning the war. But why would you want to stay away? Has something else happened?" Harry asked her.
"Hermione, I know we haven't been keeping in touch with you as often as we should, but I'll do better. I don't want you to go. We need you here." Ron told her.
"Thank-you Ron. That means a lot to me, but no, you have not done anything. And yes, something has happened." She told them.
They sat in silence for a few seconds, the whole while Hermione was rubbing her hands together."
"Come on, just tell us." Ron said. "It can't be as bad as you are making it look."
"This is just so hard to say." She told them. "Please hear me out."
They both nodded their heads.
She took a deep breath and said, "I am moving because I am pregnant. I need to go and raise my child somewhere else."
The silence was so loud. Both of their jaws hung open. Ron seemed to recover first.
"I'll marry you and raise your child as my own. You won't have to go anywhere."
"Oh Ronald, that is so sweet, but I can't do that you."
"Then let me do it." Harry told her. "I'll marry you and take care of you and your baby."
"Thank-you too Harry, but I can't do that to either of you. I won't do that to either of you. I've thought about this and I think I have come up with the only option available to me.
"What about Fred?" Harry asked her. "What did he say?"
"He doesn't want me. I didn't tell him about the baby because I don't want to make his life miserable. If he doesn't want me and finds out I am pregnant he will marry me and maybe, not right away, but in the future, he will come to resent it. I don't want that."
"Hermione let us help." Ron told her.
"This is not something you can fix for me. I wish you could, but it is my problem and I am going to take care of it myself."
"What about my Mum and Dad, Hermione? Are you going to cheat them out of their grandchild?"
"I had not thought of that far ahead, but I'll think about it now."
"Ron's right. We'll go talk to him." Harry said.
"You'll do no such thing. You both promised."
"But Hermione. Moving? That isn't right. Why should you disrupt your life? This is half of Fred's problem too." Ron told her.
"No! I have already talked to him. He wants to enjoy himself while he is young. I was just a fling to him."
"Did he tell you that?" Harry said angrily.
"He said he wants to enjoy himself while he is young. What was I supposed to think? My mind is made up. I think I'll be happy in Romania. Plus, going to school will take a lot of time. I won't have time to get lonely. You can both come visit as often as you'd like. You are what I am going to miss the most. I'd like for you to come as often as you can. I don't think I could do it if I thought I had to never see you again."
"Aww, Hermione. Don't cry." Ron told her. "Of course, we'll come visit. You'll probably get sick of us."
"We don't want you to go through this alone. What if something happens and you're alone?" Harry asked her.
"It would be the same as if I was here and something happened. I'd go to the hospital. I'm sure I will make friends there that would be willing to help me out in an emergency."
"Is there anything we can do to get you to change your mind?" Harry asked her.
"No. I made my decision and I am committed to doing this."
"When are you leaving?" Rona asked, "And how long are the classes? Do you think you will change your mind then?
"Kingsley has arranged a Portkey for me, so I can go as soon as I pack up this room. Everything else is packed, but technically I have next week to get settled in before I report to the school, but I need to get my books and things I will need for the classes. The Minister there was really helpful. Kingsley said he thinks it is because she didn't do as much as she could during the war and thinks this will pay us back a little. She found several houses for me and set up a meeting for me to go see them all. I went last weekend and I found a cute little house. The neighbors are all Muggles, but I grew up in a Muggle neighborhood so I should be fine. The house is close to the Flammel's, so everything is going to be good."
Hermione looked over at Ron. "I wanted to ask you one more favor."
"Anything."
"This house belonged to my parents and I don't want to sell it. It would mean a lot to me if you moved in here. No strings attached. I just can't bear to let it go."
"I'd be glad to. Anyway, I've been thinking of moving out of Harry place."
"What? Why?" Harry asked him.
"I've been thinking that it's about time for us to be on our own."
"What a day. It looks like we're all going to be on our own." Harry said.
"We may be living separately, but we will never be separated." Hermione told them.
"Here, here." Ron said holding up his cup of pumpkin juice.
"How about we help you pack the rest of your things up and go help you get set up?" Harry asked.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, I'm sure. Ron?"
"I'm in too. I'd feel better knowing where you were at."
"Ok, then, why don't we plan on leaving early tomorrow morning. Thank-you both so much. I don't know how I would survive without you. You are my rock and I love you both."
After Ron and Harry had settled down for the night Hermione walked through the house. She would miss it. It was her home her entire life. If she wouldn't have obliviated her parents, they would be here. She was depriving them of their grandchild, even thought she had to do something for them to be safe, and now that she thought about it, she knew she would not be able to do that to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, but she still had to think about how to tell them.
The night after they got back Ron and Harry went to the local Pub. Fred was there. They went over and sat at his table and before he knew what happened, Ron punched him in the face.
"What'd you do that for?"
"That's for breaking Hermione's heart."
"And I ought to do the same thing to you. How dare you come in here and act like nothing has happened? Now thanks to you she left. It'll be a long time before we see her again." Harry added.
"I think you should leave." Ron told Fred.
"I'm sorry alright? I'll leave, but I don't need to explain myself to anyone. I did what I felt was right for me." Fred told them as he left.