Hi everyone, this one took a bit longer as I kept rewriting it but it's finally done and the next chapter is almost done as well. I hope you enjoy and thank you so much to everyone that reviewed and left Kudos you inspire me to write 3-Dayin
Planning to move countries was much easier said than done.
After the eventful trip to Diagon Alley was done they returned to the Leaky Cauldron and did their best to calm down and settle. Sitting down at the worn wooden table in their room they began to plan just how they would manage a move at all.
"Are you sure you don't mind me coming with, and what if your family have questions about where you have been Mione I know you haven't talked to them in months?" Harry questioned with worry in his voice not wanting Hermione's family to be angry at her for not keeping them updated, he also didn't want them to hate him for being the reason she had suffered so.
"Of course I want you to come! I will need to get a phone to call my dad. I placed a charm on them last time I was there so they wouldn't question me being gone. As far as anyone in the area is concerned I have been happily and safely at boarding school for the past two years. I hated doing it but I didn't want them worrying if the worst happened" She said with worry and guilt.
"Oh Mione I am so so sorry that you had to do that, you should never have been put in that position why didn't you just tell them the truth?"
"It's not your fault Harry don't apologise for that, the laws in America are very different surrounding muggles and even parents of muggleborn children are not allowed to know of magic."
"What?!" he shouted in shock not expecting that, feeling foolish now for never asking more about her family life, "but how can they not know, didn't you have accidental magic and why do they even think you came to the UK?"
"That's actually a little complicated, muggleborn seem to be a lot more rare in America because of the rules against marrying muggles, I think not enough genes are being mixed around in communities in order to create them" she explained before taking a breath " how they normally handle muggle born is by tracking them down through their version of the book of admittance that Hogwarts has, it records magical Births in America and then they find the child and place some basic charms on the child's parents to prevent them taking notice of accidental magic. When the child turns eleven they return and place a compulsion charm on the parents to have them send their child to a specific boarding school that the child has been offered a 'scholarship' to and that's that"
His mind whirled with more questions now than before, he had not realised that the American rules are so strict.
"But if there is an American school for wizards why'd you come to Hogwarts?" he asked things still not making sense.
"It's a crazy story really, I was not recorded on the American schools books, it didn't register my birth but the Hogwarts book did, when my first bout of accidental magic was registered with the American Ministry which is called MACUSA they had no idea how I had gotten there, my adoption had already been handled by then and when they had other ministries check my magical signature to see if they had any record of me and Hogwarts did."
"Whoa that's crazy, does that mean you were born in the UK and why didn't they find your birth parents?"
"Yes I was, they still don't know how I ended up in America especially the reservation I was found on, they did look into my birth parents and they found them but they had been killed in a car crash from what it seemed the muggle world thought I may have died with them. Because I was born in the UK my place was at Hogwarts so instead they charmed my family to believe my scholarship was at a prestigious school here. Every year I go to an international floo point directly to kings cross station "
She couldn't help but feel sad when recounting her birth parents' fates. She was so happy to have ended up with her dad and family but she did wish she had gotten to know her original parents.
"I am so sorry Mione" Harry said while looking extremely guilty and at anything in the room but her.
"No, no, Harry don't apologise, I love my Dad and my brother and sisters I am the luckiest person in the world to have them and I wouldn't change a thing about it."
"No I mean, I am sorry I never asked about this, its no excuse but with the war and everything I just hadn't paid enough attention, I knew you were adopted but I should have found out the full story" He explained.
"I understand, but there's no need to apologise, to be honest I never brought it up I felt awkward talking about it when so much was happening and I wanted to keep knowledge of who my family are and their location to a minimum, that's why I still go by my biological Parents names here."
"Oh that makes sense I guess, what's your last name in America?" he said curiously.
"It's actually Black believe it or not, but as far as my research could find its just a coincidence there's no connection to the black family."
"That's really weird" He said, surprised once more.
"It is" she agreed, "but, getting back to our planning I am sure that they will love you Harry they have certainly heard enough about you. I only brought it up because I need to check if it's okay for you to stay with us. It's only a small house if I am honest.." she trailed off awkwardly embarrassed that she had invited him along with not much of an idea of where he could stay.
"I understand Mione but I don't need to live with you guys I can buy a house in the area or nearby if that works, if you wanted we could even get a place together?" he offered knowing they had both gotten used to living together over the past few months.
"Until I turn eighteen in the muggle world I still have to live with my family as I am still technically a minor" She said with a snort; she didn't mind living with them, in fact she really had missed them these past 2 years but the fact she could be a literal war veteran and still be considered a minor was slightly hilarious to her, "and won't a house be too expensive, they are quite pricey in that area?"
"Um, I am pretty sure that either of us could buy multiple houses on the grant money from the order of Merlin and still have tons spare." He said seeming amused at her forgetting that both of them were now quite wealthy and could easily their own large house if they so choose.
"Oh yes I suppose you are right" she said dazed, money was never a concern by any means but her family definitely wasn't as wealthy as many students that attended Hogwarts.
"I normally just get the scholarship grant money that's covered by Hogwarts for the supplies list each year when I first get to Diagon alley and get my Dollars from my summer jobs converted into Galleons but it may be better to see if we can set up accounts we can access from America more easily."
"So, we need to visit Gringotts again," Harry said, contemplatively. "We'll have to inform them about our plans and see how I can get the paperwork sorted to allow me to live in America anyway"
Hermione nodded, her mind already buzzing with lists and possibilities. "You are right I will owl them now, maybe we should also let a few people know where we are going so they know we're safe and where to find us if needed"
Harry reached out, his hand finding Hermione's and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll take care of the letter to Gringotts to arrange a new meeting. You've done enough, Hermione. You need to focus on yourself now."
A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you, Harry. I don't know what I would do without you."
They continued to discuss their plans, talking through who should and should not know their whereabouts, even playing around with the idea of a secret keeper if necessary, though that idea was quickly shot down by Harry who had no desire to live his life fully hidden away behind someone else's ability to keep a secret.
As they continued to discuss an owl swooped in through the open window breaking their focus, a letter firmly held in its beak. Her heart skipped a beat as the owl landed gracefully on the table, presenting the letter to her.
"I wonder who it's from," she mused, her curiosity piqued. She carefully untied the scroll and unfolded it, scanning the words written in elegant script.
Dear Hermione and Harry
I wish to offer mine and my family's sincerest gratitude. Shortly after you left I retrieved all the younger kids and brought them into the ministry to be tested for the use of a blood quill. All of them from the twins down tested positive and the negative effects on their minds would have affected them for the rest of their lives had you not made us aware.
I hope you do not mind me using a Gringotts owl it was the only one I was sure would get to you if you are under any privacy wards.
We would love it if you would join us at the Burrow for dinner tomorrow, Mum is desperate to know how you are doing since she last saw you and everyone wants to see you. We promise to have Ginny and Ron kept on a tight leash and they will not bother you.
Kindly
Bill Weasley
"It's from Bill," Hermione exclaimed, handing the letter over to Harry. "He's inviting us to dinner at the Burrow."
Harry carefully read over the letter before looking up at her apprehensively. The Burrow had always been a place of warmth and love for both of them, and they did long to see the Weasleys.
" What do you think ?" She asked, breaking the silence.
"I miss them, Hermione. The Weasleys have always been like a second family to me." he said his voice tinged with longing as he looked at her trying to gauge her reaction.
She nodded in understanding. "I miss them too, Harry. But we have to consider if it's the right time to visit, given our plans to leave I don't want Ron or Ginny finding out."
After a moment of contemplation, Harry spoke. " Bill said they would be kept under control and a few of the Weasley's are on our tell list. So I do think we should go. It might be our last chance to see them before we leave. We can just cast some privacy wards so Ginny and Ron cant hear and have the rest of them swear a vow not to reveal our location" his tone oozing determination.
"You're right, we should go. It'll be good to see everyone and I would like to tell them we are leaving in person. I also want to see how big of an effect Umbridge's quill was having on them all." she agreed.
With their decision made, Hermione grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill, quickly penning a reply to Bill, accepting the invitation.
I hope you enjoyed, you got to find out a bit more about Hermione's backstory so I am hoping you will enjoy the direction I am taking this. Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas of where I should take this story next, I always love incorporating your ideas when I can-Dayout