"Hermione is going to be devastated, just devastated." Molly wailed, "How could Harry and Ginny do this? How?!"

"Molly, dear, please, try to calm down." Arthur said but he was thinking the exact same thing.

"He's still married, Arthur, and he's just flaunting his transgressions all over London. Doesn't he know what he's doing is wrong?"

"Given they were in Muggle London, I assume they thought they were safe."

"Well, he could not have been more wrong."

She stomped out of the kitchen and headed to the lounge and the floo.

"Molly where are you going?"

"To speak to your daughter!" And with that she was gone leaving Arthur in the lounge, "Sure now, she's my daughter."

"Ginny! Harry! Where are you?" Molly bellowed as she exited the foo at Grimmauld Place.

"Bloody hell," Ginny whined.

"In the kitchen Molly." Harry hollered. Seconds later, a livid and distraught Molly Weasley entered their kitchen.

"How could you do this? How could you condone his adultery? And why weren't you more careful? You know how the press has been all over him. How?"

"Mum, please, let us explain."

"Molly, sit." Harry pulled out a chair for her, "I'll get you some tea." She did but stayed silent, looking at her daughter for answers.

"Mum, Ron asked us to meet her. And though Harry was against it,"

"I'm glad one of you has your head screwed on straight." Molly interjected.

Ginny sighed and continued, "I thought we needed to show Ron some support. Ron was feeling like everyone was feeling bad for Hermione and not worrying about him. So, I thought a dinner, in Muggle London would be harmless but mean a lot to Ron. And, as a matter of fact, Ron was very grateful."

"And Hermione? What about her?"

"She's meant to come over tonight, we were going to tell her then. Of course, now she probably already knows."

"And she'll be devastated!

"You don't think I know that, Mum!" Ginny shouted.

"Don't you dare raise your voice to me, Ginerva," Molly shouted back, "You may be grown and this may be your house but I am still your mother and you will show me respect."

"What's all the shouting about?" Ron said as he entered the kitchen, wearing the same clothes as the night before. Harry noticed this and groaned, knowing things were about to get worse.

"Ronald Weasley!" Molly shouted, "Have you seen this morning's Prophet?"

"No," he said quietly. Ginny handed it to him, "Bloody hell." He groaned.

"For once, Ronald, I think your use of foul language is justified." His Mother said.

"At least they obscured Christine's face like they are supposed to with Muggles." Ron said. And Harry and Ginny both flinched, knowing this was the wrong thing to say when Molly was this fired up.

"Is that what you are concerned about, Ronald? You are concerned about your girlfriend? What about your wife?!"

"Mum, it was just my first observation, no reason to get so upset." Molly just huffed but didn't say anything else for the moment.

"Look," Harry said, "There isn't much we can do about it now, it's out there. Ron, I suggest you floo directly into Monroe's office today, the Atrium will be insane. Ginny, can you head over to Hermione's and see if she there? Molly, why don't you head home and we'll keep you posted."

Molly walked up to her son and spoke much softer, "I know that you are going through a tough time, Ron and I love and support you. But remember that someone else's heart is involved too and you are being careless with it."

Ron's tried to hide his annoyance but wasn't very successful. "Mum, that's not fair. I'm not trying to hurt Hermione, you must know that. But the sooner she and I and all of us move on, the better. Living in the past isn't healthy."

"Ron, you haven't even given it a chance with her," Molly pleaded, "You jumped right into a relationship with another woman without even considering Hermione. It's wrong! It's hurtful! Don't you care about that?"

Ron held his hands up, "Enough! I'm going to head home; I'll see you at work Harry. Mum, I'm not a kid any more, trust me to make my own choices." And with a pop he apparated away.

"More like his own mistakes." Molly uttered under her breath. Feeling defeated Molly said, "Ginny, owl me once you've spoken to Hermione."

Ginny hugged her mother, "Of course, mum."

"Come on Molly, I'll walk you to the Floo." Harry headed to the lounge and Ginny went upstairs to change. When she came back down, she found Harry staring out the window of the lounge. She wrapped her arms around his center and leaned her head on his back.

"She'll be ok," Ginny whispered, "This is Hermione, she's strong."

"It's hard to get knocked down so many times so quickly, Gin, what if she can't get up this time. What if losing Ron, you and me is the final blow she can't bounce back from?"

"But she hasn't lost us."

"I don't know if she'll see it that way."

When Ginny arrived in Hermione's parents lounge it was eerily silent. She called for her friend but got no response. She headed into the kitchen but it was empty and neat as a pin. She headed up to Hermione's bedroom which was also empty but she did see the Prophet on her desk; her own smiling happy face looking up at her. The guilt Ginny felt brought tears to her eyes. Ginny checked the bathroom and study on the main floor that Hermione said had belonged to her father. But it was no use, Hermione was not home. She conjured a patronus and sent it to Harry "She's not home."

Harry got Ginny's patronus as he arrived at the Ministry. He detoured from heading to his office to Hermione's.

"Felicia," Harry greeted Hermione's assistant, "Is Hermione in?"

Felicia stood up and gave Harry a hard look, "No, Mr. Potter, she is not. She had an emergency meeting this morning."

"Emergency meeting with whom?"

"I don't think I'm at liberty to say, Mr. Potter."

Felicia's tone did not go unnoticed by Harry, he had to tread lightly if he wanted her help.

"Ok, Felicia, clearly you are upset with me, as I have never heard you use this tone of voice with anyone, let alone me. And I know you are very protective of Hermione but I feel awful about the damn Prophet this morning and my wife and I are desperate to see her."

Felicia softened a bit, she always liked Harry because he was polite and friendly and never treated her like just a secretary like some Ministry officials did.

"I don't know the purpose of the meeting but I know it is with her boss, Ms. Cashmire and the Minister."

"The Minister? I wonder what he needed to see her urgently for?" Harry asked, more to himself.

"He didn't call the meeting, Mr. Potter. Hermione did." Harry was stricken by this information. "I didn't even know about it until I arrived this morning and she informed me as she was heading to the Minister's office."

"Thanks Felicia," Harry said weakly.

"Mr. Potter, you know her well, what do you think the meeting is about?" Felicia asked anxiously.

"I'm not sure but I don't think I'll like the answer." He turned to leave the office but stopped, "Felicia, any chance you could covertly alert me when she returns? I really need to see her and I fear she may try to avoid me."

Felicia was initially uncomfortable, he was asking her to deceive her boss but she also wanted to truth of this emergency meeting, "I'll do my best."

Harry smiled, "Thanks Felicia."

Ron joined Harry almost immediately upon his arrival at his office at the Auror Department

"Hey mate," Ron said softly, "Sorry about Mum this morning. She was out of order to come to your house and scream at you and Ginny."

"No, she wasn't," Harry said stiffly, not looking at Ron.

Ron huffed, "I get it, you're angry with me. But you have to know I am not trying to hurt Hermione, I'm not a monster. I thought we would be safe from the press in Muggle London."

Harry slumped in his chair and put his head in his hands, "I know, mate. It's hard to be angry with you because I know you aren't trying to hurt her but it's happening anyway." He groaned and ran his fingers through his hair, "Fuck! I wish I could solve this case and fix everything. I just want you to remember."

"Harry, you are putting way too much pressure on yourself. There are a lot of very difficult aspects to this case, most of which we can't control. Not even the Chosen One." Ron smiled and hoped he could lift a little of Harry's melancholy.

His door opened just then and Felicia was standing there. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Mr. Potter but you said," Felicia said.

"Yes, is she back?"

Felicia, while holding back tears said, "Yes, she's back but she's not staying."

Harry jumped up. "What do you mean, Felicia?"

"I'm not sure, she's packing her office but she locked and silenced her door."

Harry crossed the room to Felicia, "Race back to the office, try your best not to let her leave. I'll be there as quickly as possible." Felicia ran from the office.

Harry conjured his patronus and sent the following message to Ginny, "Get to Hermione's office at the Ministry immediately." Harry headed for the door.

"What are you going to do?" Ron asked.

"I don't know exactly but it starts with not letting her leave this building."

"Good luck." Ron said. Ron couldn't help but feel guilty. The dinner he begged his friends to come to definitely blew up in their faces. Hopefully Harry and Ginny could help Hermione since he knew he couldn't.

Harry raced to Hermione's office and nearly collided with Ginny. "What's happening?" Harry filled her in on the limited information she knows from Felicia.

"She's still in there," Felicia stated. "Should I let her know you're here?" Harry nodded. Felicia knocked on the door.

"Um, Hermione, I know you said you wished not to be disturbed. But Harry and Ginny Potter are here to see you?"

After a few agonizing moments, the door opened, "Thank you Felicia. Come in you two. No more visitors, ok?"

Felicia smiled and nodded and glanced at Harry silently wishing him luck.

Hermione's office reminded Ginny of the Cheshire Court flat the evening they found her packing. "Going somewhere?" Ginny asked. "Are they finally giving you a bigger office?"

Hermione sighed and kept waving her wand at her bookshelf. She didn't answer Ginny and she didn't want to but she knew her friends were not going to stop.

Harry started this time, "Look, Hermione, this morning's Prophet must have been terrible for you and I'm so sorry. We should have told you."

Hermione simply glanced at the them but said nothing. "It was my fault," Ginny admitted, "Harry didn't even want to go but I twisted his arm and I convinced him it would be better to tell you after instead of before. We never imagined we would get photographed. We were in Piccadilly for crying out loud."

Hermione remained silent but had stopped working on the book shelf.

"It's not about blame," Harry said, "We are both so sorry. We never wanted to hurt you. We are trying to manage our relationships with both of you and we're doing a terrible job at it."

"Well," Hermione finally said, "I appreciate the apology." She sounded so formal, like she was talking to a colleague, not her best friends. "You won't have to worry about managing our relationship anymore though. It's about to become much easier."

The color drained from Ginny's face, "Why is that?"

"I spoke with the Minister and my boss this morning and officially requested a transfer to the Australian Ministry of Magic. I know Kingsley is friends with the Minister there, she helped me with my parents after the war, so it shouldn't be a problem."

Harry was stunned silent so Ginny asked what they were both thinking, "When?"

"The paperwork will take some time but I am going to get moving right away. I just need to find a tenant for the house and arrange a portkey. I hadn't unpacked from the flat so that won't be too hard. I hope to be in Australia within the week."

"You don't have to do this, Hermione." Harry stumbled out.

"Yes, I do, Harry. You are no closer to finding Alexis or finding a way around fail safes. Even I've been researching them and just like the curse she used, they can only be broken by the caster. So, without a miracle, he'll never remember me."

"You don't know that, Hermione," Ginny cried, "He hasn't been back at your flat very long, maybe memories will start flowing, like you thought."

"That was just a desperate woman grasping at straws. Look, he's moved on, clearly. And I need to as well. Unfortunately, I don't see how I can do that here. My only family is in Australia, so I'm going there."

"We're your family!" Harry shouted.

Hermione hugged Harry, "You'll always be like my brother Harry and I'll always love you. I love all the Weasley's but at the end of the day everyone is going to choose Ron. And they should. I'm just not strong enough to watch you all slip away from me."

Ginny took Hermione by the shoulders, "We'll do better, I promise." Hermione smiled and hugged Ginny.

"It's not like we won't write. And you can come to Australia for a holiday and I'll come back to meet your kids. We aren't leaving each other's lives; we're just redefining our relationship."

Hermione turned around and went back to her bookshelf. "Plus, Ron can have the family he's always wanted now."

Ginny gasped, "Hermione you know he loved you no matter what."

Hermione shook her head, "When I found out I couldn't have children, right after we came back from restoring my parent's memories in Australia, I told Ron we should end things. Because one day he would resent me since I couldn't give him a child. He refused, saying he loved me more than anything. Even as recently as the miscarriage he promised he would love me no matter what. But that's easy to claim when you're young. He'll be grateful in a few years when Christine or whichever woman he ends up with can give him a house full of a ginger babies. And I won't have to worry he'll grow to regret his decision."

Harry was shaken, "I can't believe you really believe this. You are trying to justify it so it doesn't hurt. But this is not you Hermione! You don't run away from your problems, you face them. You have to keep fighting."

Hermione, who had tears freely running down her face, turned to her friends, "I have fought for my relationship with Ron since we were children. I fought a war for it! But if he isn't with me to fight, I have no chance to win. I'm sorry, I don't want to hurt any of you but I've made my decision and it's the best decision for me."

Harry and Ginny could tell that Hermione was done talking, "We'll leave you to your packing then. Are you still coming over for dinner tonight?" Ginny asked.

"I don't think so, I have a lot to do. Maybe brunch this weekend though?"

"Absolutely," Ginny hugged Hermione and escorted a stunned silent Harry out of the office.

She jumped at him, dropping the fangs on the ground with a loud crash. It took him a moment to realize what was happening but when he did, he returned the kiss with all the enthusiasm of the years of pent-up desire. Her lips were soft and eager and perfect; her body fit his like a missing puzzle piece. It was perfect until a certain best mate had to interrupt and a certain war had to be fought.

Ron sat up in bed, wide eyed and panting. He laid pack down to catch his breath, grateful that Christine wasn't in the bed with him. These dreams were coming every night now and he couldn't shake the feeling that they weren't just dreams. He had to tell someone.