A/N: I would just like to thank for all the heartwarming feedback. You guys are great. Things start to progress a little further in this chapter. I hope everyone enjoys : )


Chapter 5: Departures and Arrivals

Hermione stood still for a while, trying to understand what she heard. She had a feeling this might happen, but she wasn't ready. She took a couple unsure steps, before walking up to Harry and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry, Harry" she muttered, trying not to break down.

Harry looked down at her, "What do you mean? This wasn't your fault."

"Of course it was… it's about Australia, isn't it? If I never invited you—"

Harry pressed tightly on her arms, "Hermione, this isn't about Australia."

She looked up at him, "What happened?"

Harry looked away from her, returning his gaze to the fields. He was about to say something when they both heard the kitchen door slam. They turned around to see Ron marching towards them, looking deadly.

"So, you break up with my sister and then you start sticking it on Hermione?" he glowered, flushing red with a murderous stare.

"Ron, you don't understand…" Hermione began

"I thought we were done talking?" he snapped at her. "I want to speak with Harry."

Hermione released Harry from her grip and stepped in between them.

"Ron, you really don't understand any of this. Just let me explain, and then you can get mad all you want." Said Harry

"Go on then," answered Ron, impatiently.

Harry took a deep breath, "Ginny thought that we were together. She asked me about it, and I… I didn't say anything back. She got upset." Harry finished.

"That's it? Does that mean I can punch you now?" Ron asked, changing his stance to an alarmed one.

"You can try," said Harry, placing one hand in his pocket.

Ron was about to make a move when both of them were stopped by Hermione. She was shaking and her voice was unstable.

"Stop this right now!" She looked at both of them. "Ron, if Harry doesn't want to be with Ginny, he has every right to that. It's not his fault if he doesn't feel the same." Her stare turned to Harry, "But on second thought, you could have been a little more sensitive with her."

Harry's lips mouth moved as if to say something, but he remained silent. Ron's angry gaze didn't leave Harry.

"I let him date my sister, and for what? So he can just break her heart?"

"I wasn't with her anymore, I broke up with her last year!" Harry bellowed, a few heads from the table nearby shifted towards them.

"Are you guys alright?" Came George's voice.

"We're okay, just some bickering going on…" Called back Hermione. In the corner of her eye, she spotted the kitchen door open. Ginny was now walking up to them.

She approached them at a slow pace, making Hermione's heart beat faster with every step she took; Hermione knew this could turn ugly.

"It wasn't Harry's fault." She muttered. Hermione expected her face to be a mess and for her eyes to be red from crying, but she looked fine. "I took things too seriously and put Harry in a bad spot. Leave him alone, Ron." She finished.

Ron's and Harry's faces turned into an equal stare of surprise. Hermione didn't know what to think anymore, her mind was racing.

"I overreacted. Harry was right… we never got back together and I just assumed that we did. It wasn't his fault." She repeated.

"I'm sorry, Ginny." Said, Harry.

Ginny gave him a weak smile, "It's okay, I guess."

"You two are mental, and you're making me go mental too. I need a drink." Ron sighed and started walking back to the dinner table.

Hermione started to feel awkward standing between Harry and Ginny, so she stepped back and followed Ron towards the table. When Ron realised she was behind him, he stopped and turned to her, "Can we talk?"

Hermione crossed her arms over her chest, "As long as it's not about Australia."

Ron gave her a weak smile, "It's not."

Hermione shrugged, "Fine."

They left towards Mr Weasley's garage when Ron stopped and turned back to her. He looked at her apologetically and sighed, "I'm sorry." He muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.

"For?"

"For being a git about everything. I just… I don't know." He added. "I guess you're right about the whole joke shop thing… but I like it there. And I want to work there… at least for some time. After that, I might try work as an Auror or something…" he started.

"Ron, if that's what you really want; if that's what makes you happy… I support you in your decision. But I also need you to respect the decisions I make." She explained.

Ron nodded, "I will. And about the whole Australia thing… I guess I don't mind you going with Harry. If Ginny is okay with it then I guess I can be too… I trust you, and I trust Harry." He smiled.

Hermione couldn't help but smile back, "thank you, Ron."

They exchanged appreciative glances and walked back together. Hermione glanced over to see Harry and Ginny hugging. Part of her was happy, but to her surprise, another part wanted to scream.

The rest of dinner was quite pleasant, with everyone giving Fleur and Bill final hugs and kisses.

Hermione and Harry helped Mrs Weasley clean after which they told everyone goodbye and apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

Hermione was packing, excitement rushing through her entire body as she lined up clothes neatly in her magical handbag. The bag was very useful during the Horcrux hunt and Hermione seemed to take it everywhere she went purely out of habit. She was just placing final things inside when Harry knocked on her door, "Can I come in?" he asked.

Hermione grinned, "Of course you can, this is your house."

Harry looked rather surprised to hear that, "That doesn't mean I can invade someone's privacy" he chuckled. "How's packing?"

"Almost finished, you?"

Harry raised his hand to reveal his rucksack which looked full.

"I can put it in my bag if you want." She told him.

Harry smiled, "I was kind of hoping you would say that" as he passed her his rucksack. She placed it inside her bag and closed it, then she turned back to Harry, "All done."

"Great. I'm excited about this trip." Said, Harry.

"Me too," she nodded, in agreement.

"Well, Kreacher insisted on making tea, want some?" he asked.

"Sure, I'll be downstairs in just a minute." She told him.

Harry nodded and made his way downstairs.

Hermione waited until she heard Harry's footsteps downstairs, before reaching for her nightstand and placing a huge stack of books inside her bag. You can't forget about some light summer reading she smiled to herself, before closing the bag and making her way downstairs.

Harry was already halfway through a biscuit when she sat down next to him, and reached for her cup.

"So, you and Ginny… did you get back together or?"

Harry placed his biscuit down and turned towards her, "What? No…"

"I thought you did… I mean, I saw you—"

"Hugging?" Harry asked, with a mean smile on his face, "No, we just talked and she made me feel like the worst guy in the world."

"How so?"

"Well, she said how she was sorry and how she always liked me and that she respects my choice… you know all that really nice stuff. I just stood there and felt like a complete monster for hurting her feelings." He sighed, "But it doesn't change the way I feel about her… I just don't feel the same anymore… I don't even know what I feel." He looked down.

Hermione bit her lip, "Harry, it's not your fault. I know you must feel bad about it. But you can't blame yourself for feeling different about someone. It's never good to hide your true feelings. Never." She told him.

Harry smiled back at her and gazed into her eyes for a while. "Thank you."

They drank tea in silence for a while, "What about you and Ron?" Harry asked.

Hermione held the cup to her lips for a while, allowing herself to think about the answer, "He apologised to me, for everything he said, and we just settled it at that."

Harry sighed, "Hermione, you know that's not the answer I was looking for. How are you two?"

Hermione bit her lip, "We're okay, I guess. I'm just happy he doesn't mind you coming with me anymore, or at least he's willing to hide it."

Harry seemed satisfied with that as he nodded and stretched, "I'm tired. Best turn in early today, what time are we waking up?"

"Six in the morning."

Harry groaned "Why so early?"

"Because we have to floo over there and we need to be at the international floo network early if we don't want to be in a long queue. Australia is a popular holiday location."

"I guess that makes sense." He smiled.

Hermione saw his smile, "What?"

"Plans and preparation are your great assets." Said Harry.

Hermione blushed, "That's a little over exaggerated."

"I don't think so… I mean, we wouldn't survive a day during the Horcrux hunt if not for you." Harry grinned.

"Okay, now you're just trying to make feel embarrassed. Bed. Now!" She laughed and pointed towards the kitchen door.

Harry stood up and posed like a saluting soldier, "Sir. Yes, Sir!" before jogging out of the kitchen to his bedroom.

Hermione sat there laughing for a good minute, before leaving to her own bed.


She was running through the forest as fast as she could. She could hear screams and shouts ahead of her. Branches and leaves were catching at her hair as she sped past, but she didn't care. The screams were becoming louder; she was close. She stopped once she could see the source of the screams. A death eater was laughing, standing above two corpses. She didn't need to see them clearly to know who it was. She could make out her dad's hair, it was dark brown with shades of grey on the sides, next to him was Harry, equally lifeless. His glasses were gone, and his eyes were closed. The scream was coming from her mother. She was shaking on the floor, gasping for breath, taking as much as she could before the pain started again. The death eater rose his wand again, "Crucio" he shouted as the woman's scream pierced Hermione's ears.


Hermione's woke up, hearing herself mimick an identical scream. Tears were falling from her eyes without consent. She was shaking, but it wasn't from the cold. She tried to find her nightstand in the darkness when the door flew open, shedding light from the corridor. It was bright and it stung her eyes, but it was enough for her to make out Harry. She was in his arms within seconds.

"Hermione, what happened?" she could make out the terror and fear in his voice.

She wanted to say something but she didn't know how. Her mouth wouldn't open. She gripped to him tightly, without any intentions of letting him go. Harry came to realise what it was she wanted, as he quickly shifted under the covers and pressed himself against her, sharing his body heat. It wasn't the heat she needed, but the presence. They lay there for a long while, she was starting to breathe normally now and the shaking was almost gone.

"Another nightmare?" He asked.

Hermione tried her best to answer, "Y-Yes." She whispered.

She could never describe how grateful she felt at that moment. Normally, you would expect someone to ask what the nightmare was about. But Harry knew what it was like, he got questioned about his nightmares too many times to count. He knew that right now, all she needed was his presence and silence, to calm herself down. She could never be more thankful for Harry Potter.


Another morning has come, and Hermione found herself buried in Harry's neck once again. You need to stop, she thought. But she had no intentions of getting up until he was awake. Judging by the darkness of the room, Hermione assumed it was still early. This didn't invite her to continue sleeping; she was enjoying herself. The warmth of Harry's body was making her feel incredibly cosy. She never had the chance to find out whether Harry used any actual fragrances. But if this was his natural scent, it was amazing. Her arms were wrapped around his torso and one of her legs was tangled around his. Harry was breathing slowly, she was rising up and then lowering down with every inhale and exhale. This is because half of her body was on top of his.

A part of her knew that this kind of sleeping arrangement was breaching the 'best friend' line. Harry didn't seem to have a problem with it either. But then again, he isn't in a relationship.

That thought seemed to have been enough to get Hermione out of bed and away from Harry's warm and great smelling body. She tried her best to untangle herself from him and sit up. Somehow, she was able to do all of that without waking him up. She grabbed some clothes and made her way to Harry's room which was the closest; she could dress there.

The moment she stepped inside, she could see some minor changes which took place in Harry's room. The posters and Gryffindor banners were still there, but some new pictures were added to Harry's nightstand.

She sat on his bed and looked down at the framed photographs. One of them was a picture of his parents dancing by a park fountain. Another one was Harry, Ron and Hermione standing together and smiling at the camera. She assumed the photograph was taken by Hagrid in their first year. This picture was originally in Harry's photo album. The last picture almost stopped Hermione's heart.

It was a frame of her sitting alone on the empty Gryffindor stands, reading a rather large book. Hermione didn't know what surprised her more; the fact that this picture exists, or the fact that Harry had it on his nightstand. She was about to take a closer look when a knock came on the door.

"Can I come in?" came a tired voice.

Hermione laughed, "Now you're asking if you can enter your own bedroom as well?"

She could hear Harry gave a weak chuckle as he emerged through the door. His hair was all over the place and he was rubbing his eyes.

"What time is it?"

Hermione grinned, "about five in the morning." This will be the perfect time to ask him, she thought. "Hey, Harry?"

He sat down next to her, "mmm?"

"Where did you get this picture from?" she pointed at herself in the Gryffindor stands.

Harry scanned his nightstand for a while before smiling, "I asked Colin to take it."

"What's it doing on your nightstand?" she asked

Harry looked at her, "I just think it's really cute." he grinned, his eyes still half closed.

Hermione could feel the heat on her cheeks, "But… what's so cute about it? It's just me being old boring Hermione."

This seemed to have woken Harry up, "You never missed a single one of my Quidditch matches. The only one you didn't attend to was in the second year when you got petrified. And you came to almost all of my practices too. I just found it really cute." He smiled.

Hermione didn't need to look in the mirror to know she was scarlet all over. "That's really nice of you."

Harry took hold of her hand and held it up, it made her stomach turn, "You've always been there for me. Might as well be there when I wake up too." he smirked.

Her ears forced her to hear that sentence wrong. She stood up from the bed and retreated to the door, "I'm going to get dressed… See you in the kitchen?"

Harry was a bit confused at first but muttered "right" as he turned to his wardrobe.


They ate breakfast and talked briefly about the journey. Hermione already went to Australia once during the summer holiday last year, which meant she knew how to get around. They were not able to apparate, as this was near impossible; apparition has a limit in distance, if a wizard teleports too far, they risk a serious case of splinching.

Hermione was about to leave her room; she has just finished double checking her bag for anything she might have forgotten. She was about to head downstairs when she noticed Harry in his room from the corner of her eye. She stepped inside to see Harry standing perfectly still in front of his desk. In his hand, he was clutching The Elder Wand.

"You never put it back?" she asked.

Harry turned to her, "I just… never got around to it. Do you think we should take it with us?"

Hermione didn't know the answer to that. She thought for a long while, staring at the wand. "I don't know, Harry."

"I just… don't like the idea of leaving it here. There are still death eaters out there. I don't want to risk it."

Hermione realised taking the wand was most likely the safest option. They couldn't leave it at Grimmauld Place and they most certainly couldn't trust Ron with it; he loved the idea of that wand too much.

"In the cabins… visitors are given these small safes. Tourists use it to store important items like passports and jewellery. I think we could use it for the wand." She informed.

This seemed to have settled with Harry, "Yeah, I think that will work." He looked back at her, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I just… never got around to actually putting it back."

"I understand." She gave him a weak smile, "Come on. If we don't get a move on, we'll be late."

Harry placed the wand inside her bag and they left downstairs. They said bye to Kreacher who promised to take care of the house, and they were off to the floo network.


Harry was amazed the moment they arrived there. It was the longest corridor he has ever seen. It seemed to be stretching for miles. The fireplaces were similar to the ones at the Ministry of Magic, but all of them had signs above, stating where the fireplace will take you. Most took you to capital cities of different countries around the world. But when you looked behind a fireplace, there was a row of other ones.

"Good morning, how may I help you?" came the voice of a wizard nearby, he was approaching them with a rather wide smile. "I love organising trips for young couples." He told them.

Harry and Hermione both blushed, but they knew there was no point in arguing.

"We're going to Australia." Said Hermione

"Ahh… Australia, wonderful place. Not as hot during this time of the year, but beautiful none the less. Where in Australia?"

"Queensland, Brisbane." Answered Hermione.

The wizard smiled again, "Very good choice. Great beaches and wonderful attractions. Follow me please…" He waved them along.

The walk was much longer than Harry expected. He was trying to recognise the order at which the fireplaces are set up when the wizard stopped them in front of 'Canberra'. Right behind it, was 'Sydney.'

The wizard took a left and started to walk down the Australian corridor when he stopped in front of Brisbane. "Here we are." He announced, "You will be paying at the location. I wish you two a very wonderful vacation"

"Thanks," Said Harry and Hermione, as the wizard left.

"Ready?" Hermione asked him.

"Ready." He told her.

They took each other's hands and walked into the green fire.


The spinning and falling seemed to be going on forever, the only thing Harry felt was the firm grip of Hermione's hand on his. He was starting to think they might be stuck in an everlasting teleportation when a huge hall came into view.

Harry took a while to register his surroundings, they were inside a huge building, very similar to the one they left and there were more fireplaces around them. Harry assumed this must be another floo network office. He was about to turn to Hermione for directions when a witch approached them, she had extremely dark, tanned skin and a wide smile on her face. She held out her hands.

"Welcome, to Australia!"