Hermione's Plan
Final Preparations and Bon Voyage
By Chem Prof
Chapter 5, Final Preparations and Bon Voyage
(Still Tuesday, June 17)
The weather was overcast all morning so they decided to forego swimming that day. Just before noon they returned to Privet Drive and Harry started fixing something to eat while Hermione walked over to Magnolia Crescent to collect Ron from Mrs. Figg’s floo. While they were eating Remus and Tonks arrived and they joined the teens for lunch. Harry informed them all that he had ordered Kreacher to check out the Black mansion that morning and that the disgruntled old house elf had reported that no one had been on the premises since the previous summer. Hermione managed to suppress her annoyance at learning of Harry’s giving orders to his house elf; that had been essential information and that was the easiest way to get it, after all.
“How are we getting to Grimmauld Place?” Harry asked Remus.
“I’m not sure,” the aging Marauder confessed. “Perhaps the Knight Bus. I don’t like the idea of flooing into an unknown situation, it’s a long flight by broom, and you two can’t apparate,” he explained, nodding at Harry and Ron. “We could try to side-along you but that’s pretty tricky.” Harry and Hermione exchanged puzzled glances at that last comment.
“It is?” Harry asked. “Dumbledore did it with me several times last summer and again last month. It didn’t seem like that big of a deal.”
“Dumbledore was a very powerful wizard, Harry,” explained Tonks. “It’s more of a challenge for an average witch or wizard.” Harry and Hermione exchanged sheepish looks, which Tonks picked up on immediately. “All right, what have you two been up to?”
“Uh, last month when we left the cave, Dumbledore was really weak, so … I side-alonged him back to Hogsmeade.” Remus and Tonks just stared, unable to speak, so Harry continued. “And, well, yesterday I showed Hermione how to do it and we’ve been side-alonging each other between our houses. Oh, and also to here from Diagon Alley.”
“You … she …” Tonks was at a loss for words as she looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione. Finally Remus chuckled and nudged her.
“And you wouldn’t believe me when I told you he could conjure a Patronus at the age of thirteen.”
“Hermione can conjure one, too,” Harry immediately added, with his usual reluctance to be considered unusual. Tonks just held her head in her hands for a time, shaking it back and forth, while Ron frowned thoughtfully at his two best friends.
Once the adults had accepted the pair’s ability to side-along (and Tonks decided to ignore the fact that Harry didn’t have a license yet), they agreed to apparate to Grimmauld Place. Harry and Hermione wanted to try taking Ron between them, as a trio, one holding each of his arms. Tonks started to object that this wasn’t possible, but Remus stilled her with a hand on her arm and a quick look. The triple apparation went off without a hitch and in no time the five of them were standing on the street between Numbers 11 and 13.
Remus and Hermione explained to Harry that he, as the owner, had to be the one to cast the Fidelius charm. It took him quite a while to manage the complex charm, and they had him practice it on smaller objects until he got it right. He eventually caused a quill to disappear, followed by a notebook, making Hermione the secret keeper for each. She immediately decided that the notebook would make the ultimate private journal. For the house itself Remus agreed to be the secret keeper and Harry told him he could share it with the Order, all except for Mundungus (and Snape, of course).
As they were finishing up the casting of the Fidelius charm, with Hermione hovering nervously nearby, they heard a shout from the drawing room. Remus quickly shared the secret with Hermione and Tonks, who had temporarily forgotten where they were, and the four of them hurried along the hall past the house elf heads to the drawing room. There they found Ron, staring at the Black family tapestry on the wall in confusion. Remus whispered into Ron’s ear, which cleared up the confusion, and then the tall redhead also remembered what had caused his excitement. Beckoning everyone to join him, he pointed at one of the names on the tapestry. The golden thread glinted brightly, seeming to taunt them.
Regulus Alphard Black 1961 - 1980
Harry slapped his forehead. “Regulus Black! RAB! Of course.”
Hermione was thinking the same thing. “I can’t believe I didn’t figure that out before!”
Tonks narrowed her eyes and frowned at the three students. “Would you lot like to explain what’s so important about my dead cousin?” Hermione and Ron looked anxiously at Harry. It was his decision what to tell, and so far he had been reluctant to share that information with anyone, not even McGonagall.
Haltingly, he described how Dumbledore had been searching for magical objects belonging to Voldemort, and showed them the locket that they had recovered from the cave where Dumbledore had been poisoned. He then explained how this locket was a fake, and that the original had already been taken by the mysterious RAB. Remus and Tonks agreed that the scenario made sense, since they knew that Regulus had been a Death Eater, and had been killed after breaking away from the dark lord for unknown reasons.
Ron and Hermione then made the connection between Harry’s fake locket and a locket they remembered finding when they were cleaning the old mansion two summers previously. A quick search, however, failed to turn up any trace of the genuine item. Hermione was anxious to begin looking at the books in the library so they decided to put off the locket search for another day.
-ooOoo-
The trio quickly fell into a pattern. Harry and Hermione would spend the morning together, usually studying at her house, but sometimes running errands. They would go back to Privet Drive and meet Ron after lunch, and they would do things involving all three of them during the afternoon. Hermione would go home for supper with her parents and Harry and Ron would hang around Little Whinging until it was time for Ron to return to the Burrow in the evening.
On Thursday they had their long-awaited meeting with McGonagall and Croaker. The owl from McGonagall did not mention the Unspeakable, but merely stated that their request to visit Hogwarts had been approved for that morning. Harry came over to the Grangers’ house right after breakfast, then they both apparated to Hogsmeade Station and walked to the castle.
Visiting Hogwarts during the summer was a strange experience. With no students around, the castle seemed gloomy, even on a sunny morning. Hagrid saw them approaching and they stopped and chatted for a bit, then halted once again and paid their respects at Dumbledore’s tomb. Hermione stayed silent for a while, knowing Harry’s thoughts would be on his fallen mentor, not wanting to intrude on his memories.
Hagrid, of course, was under no such restraint. “He was really fond of yeh, Harry, yeh know. You too, Hermione. He always said yeh were the bes’ thing that ever happened ter Harry.” Hermione’s cheeks grew pink from the unexpected praise, but Hagrid didn’t notice and Harry didn’t comment on it. He merely shot her a look of gratitude, accepting the validity of Hagrid’s declaration, as they made their way towards McGonagall’s office.
They were not surprised to see an unknown wizard with McGonagall, or that she introduced him as her friend Mr. Croaker from the Department of Mysteries. He skipped the pleasantries and got right down to business.
Hermione’s initial impression of Croaker was that he was one of the creepiest people she had ever met. She found herself wondering if all Unspeakables were like that. He was a small, wiry wizard, about as old as McGonagall she estimated. That would make sense, since she had said he was a friend of hers, as it would mean that they might have attended Hogwarts together. Then she recalled that Tom Riddle had also been at Hogwarts with McGonagall, just a year ahead of her, and wondered what Croaker’s relationship with the future dark lord had been like. He also had a piercing gaze, which was what made him seem creepy, she decided. After spending some time with him, she also decided that his paranoia would give Mad Eye Moody a run for his money.
She also noticed that Harry didn’t seem as uncomfortable with Croaker as she did, possibly because he had had the misfortune to encounter quite a few more creepy things than she had. In fact, he was sitting there quite calmly, having locked eyes with Croaker almost immediately and neither of them had moved for some time. With mounting alarm, she wondered if Croaker had him under some kind of spell, then it occurred to her that the Unspeakable might be performing Legilimency on him. Her well-honed protective instinct towards Harry screamed at her to do something, but out of the corner of her eye she caught McGonagall giving a small shake of her head, cautioning her to hold back and let the uncomfortable tableau play itself out.
Eventually both wizards relaxed, and Croaker finally spoke. “Whoever taught you Occlumency was worthless, Potter. You have some natural aptitude at it, but you haven’t got a clue about how to do it properly.” The look on Harry’s face at this pronouncement made both Hermione and McGonagall flinch, but Croaker held firm. Then he turned to Hermione. “What about you, Miss Granger?” Suddenly she found herself reliving some of her most embarrassing memories, and she instinctively reacted to push him out, but as soon as she forced one memory out of her mind, another one popped up to take its place. She finally resorted to reciting Arithmency formulas in her mind, focusing with all her might on the complicated equations until she felt the pressure ease up.
“You have some natural talent, too, Miss Granger,” he conceded grudgingly, “and at least you haven’t had anyone mucking it up. You both still have a long way to go, however.” He then turned to scowl at McGonagall. “What on earth was Albus thinking, letting these two get this far without developing proper mental shields?”
The new Hogwarts Headmistress met his scowl with one of her own. “I do not think we need to go into that at this time. The important question is, can you help them?”
Croaker turned back to the two students. “I’ll have a book on Occlumency and Legilimency sent to you. It’s the best one ever written, but it’s been out of print for more than 200 years. The powers that be in the Ministry decided that it was too dangerous for people to know about, which is why you can’t buy it anywhere.” This stifled the objection Hermione was about to raise, that she had been searching for such a book for more than a year without success. Croaker went on. “But it seems to me that the two of you are in a lot more danger not knowing how to do it.”
Seemingly regarding time as a precious commodity not to be wasted, the old wizard turned immediately to the subject of time turners. “Miss Granger. Minerva tells me you have already had experience with a time turner. Tell me the law regarding them and the reason for it.”
Hermione answered without hesitation. “You can only go back to take actions that you were not involved with initially. In other words, you can not go back and change anything you know already happened. The reason is that you can’t make it so something doesn’t happen if the fact that it didn’t happen would mean you wouldn’t have gone back to change it. That’s called the Time Traveler’s Paradox.” Hermione vividly recalled Dumbledore’s warning when they were about to go try to save Sirius, ‘You must not be seen!’ That had been quite a simplification; it was much more complicated than that. “It’s more a law of nature like Newton’s Laws of Motion than a law you can get arrested for,” she added to Harry.
“And what is the consequence of breaking the law?”
Hermione took a deep breath. “You die. More precisely, you cease to exist in that timestream. You are returned to your original time either unconscious or comatose, depending on the severity of the violation.” She swallowed hard. “Possibly dead.”
Croaker turned to Harry and snapped. “You have something to add to this, Potter?”
Harry had been about to question what Hermione had said, so now voiced his misgivings. “What about when we went back and saved Buckbeak? And what about the Dementors?”
Hermione’s answer once again was immediate. She knew that their chances of getting another time turner would depend on her ability to convince Croaker that she knew what she was doing. “It was Dumbledore who suggested that we go back, and he knew that Buckbeak hadn’t really been executed. He was doing something that would ensure that something he already knew had happened, actually did happen. And when you cast your Patronus to save us, you weren’t changing anything either. You were also doing what you already knew had happened.”
Croaker nodded soberly at Hermione’s explanation and continued to regard the pair of students intently, trying to take their measure. Finally he spoke again. “The two of you caused quite a stir in our department a year ago. No one could believe that six students could have possibly held out against twelve Death Eaters for that long. And the more we pieced the story together, the more it kept coming back to you two. Every Death Eater that was taken out was hit by one of you. Also, you were the ones who destroyed the time turners, correct?”
“Yes, sir, and we’re very sorry about that …” Hermione began before Croaker waved her off.
“What happened after that?”
“Right after that Hermione got hit with a curse from Dolohov and fell unconscious,” Harry recalled somberly. “Neville determined that she was still alive, then we carried her back to join the others. At that point nearly everyone but me was injured and I tried to lure the Death Eaters away from them.”
“And that’s how you and Longbottom ended up in the Death Chamber,” Croaker stated. Harry simply nodded and Hermione found herself reaching for his hand in comfort. She knew the next part still gave Harry nightmares.
Whatever test Croaker was giving them, they had apparently passed because he sat up abruptly and turned to McGonagall. “All right, Minerva, I think they are responsible enough and understand the seriousness that’s involved. Also, they obviously have experience with the risks and acted properly the last time they used one.” Turning back to the teens he asked, “This is only for the two of you, then?”
Harry and Hermione shared a nervous glance. “Well, there’s our friend Ron, too,” Harry corrected. This led to another piercing gaze from Croaker.
“Fine, but him only with one of the two of you, and you will be the only ones who will handle the device.” Harry and Hermione quickly nodded their agreement to this condition.
At this, Croaker reached into his robes and withdrew an hourglass that was much larger than the one Hermione had used third year. It was about 20 cm long and 10 cm in diameter, and had a dial on the side with four settings: ¼, ½, ¾, and 1. “This is our newest and most advanced model. A full turn will take you back one day. You can also set it for some fraction of a day using the dial. My understanding is that you’ll want to go back much farther than the hour or two that you did with your other one.”
Hermione had stepped forward and was examining the time turner closely. Harry hovered over her shoulder, letting her take the lead since she was the one with experience with the magical device. “So the minimum on this is six hours?” she asked. Croaker nodded. “Is there a maximum?” was her follow-up query.
“We aren’t sure, but I wouldn’t recommend more than a week,” came the reply. Hermione nodded thoughtfully. That would work perfectly for what she had in mind.
Then she thought of another important question. “What is its capacity?”
“It should easily handle the two of you and your luggage. If each of you puts an arm around the other it will take you and whatever you’re holding onto with your other hands.”
“How about all three of us?” she persisted.
“That might be tight. It depends on how big he is. You wouldn’t be able to carry anything, and you’d have to hold each other pretty closely. I hope you’re all good friends.” The little man smirked with that last comment. Harry and Hermione merely exchanged a small smile. You could say that!
After taking care of a few more details, Croaker left and the pair of students turned to McGonagall. “I don’t suppose you two have changed your minds about confiding in me about what you are doing, have you?” Harry shrugged, then shook his head slowly, eyes downcast. Hermione bit her lip to keep from saying anything. Her opinion, which she had shared freely with Harry, was that they needed all the help they could get. But she wouldn’t dream of disagreeing with him in front of the Headmistress.
“Let me make a suggestion then,” offered McGonagall. “When the Headmaster’s portrait awakens he may have something to say to you. I will contact you when that happens and we may have more to discuss at that time.” Both Harry and Hermione readily agreed with this.
“Now, then, I have one more request for you today,” the Headmistress continued. “Miss Granger suggested that there was a possibility that you two, or probably I should say you three, might not be returning in the fall.” Harry shared a look with Hermione, then nodded. “I would like to have the opportunity to persuade you otherwise. No, not now,” she said hastily as Harry started to respond. “I have only held this position for a few days, and I want to think some things over, as well as have time to attend to some details. But I intend to have a proposal for you, and I would like your assurances that you will at least consider what I have to say.” Hermione let go a deep breath in relief as Harry assured McGonagall that they would certainly hear her out, and that he greatly valued her wisdom. They parted from the office cordially, and after a quick trip to the library (Hermione just couldn’t bring herself to be at Hogwarts without spending at least some time at her favorite place) they left the castle to head back to Hogsmeade and apparate home.
-ooOoo-
When Ron showed up at Privet Drive on Saturday he had some very good news. The full moon had been the night before and Bill had come through with no problems whatsoever. Nothing had happened at all – the Healers who were monitoring him had detected no signs of even a partial transformation. He had been released that morning with a clean bill of health. Ron grinned as he related how Fleur had very quickly whisked him away for some private time alone together as soon as he had arrived home and Molly had had a chance to fuss over him a bit.
That meant, Ron explained, that the wedding was back on as originally scheduled, and everything was set for July 19. Now that that was cleared up, they decided that the trip to Mexico would be from July 1 through July 15. Hermione explained that flight and hotel packages were less expensive for midweek time slots, and also more available on such short notice. She also reminded them that the trip back would be an overnight flight, so they would get home on Wednesday morning, the 16th.
During this discussion Ron was getting distinctly uncomfortable. Hermione was the first to pick up on it.
“What is it Ron?” she asked. “I have the feeling you’re not too sure about coming along on this trip.” Ron nodded and Harry looked over at them both in surprise.
“After I thought up this plan I started worrying about that, too,” Hermione explained. “You and I have lived in muggle houses all our lives, Harry, but Ron hasn’t. I’m not sure he’ll be able to get along in a muggle resort.” Ron nodded, but Harry had a puzzled frown. “For example, what do you do when you walk into a dark room?”
“Hit the light switch,” was the immediate response from Harry. She turned to Ron.
“What’s a light switch?” he asked, then shrugged. “Usually the lights come up automatically. If they don’t, you pull out your wand and turn them on.”
“That’s the problem,” she explained, turning back to Harry. “And even if he did get used to simple things like that, he will still have difficulty blending in with muggles. Remember the Quidditch World Cup and all the problems the wizards were having. Just walking down the street would be a challenge for him to not stand out noticeably.” She hesitated, then went on. “And not to be insulting, Ron, but we’re going to be spending a great deal of time, probably hours and hours each day, reading and studying.”
Ron winced. “No offense taken. That’s not exactly my idea of the way to spend a summer. But Harry’s not a ball of fire when it comes to studying either.”
“True, but he has been able to buckle down when he needs to. And frankly, I think it will be easier if it’s just the two of us,” Hermione responded. “When the pair of you are in a room together there’s more temptation to goof off.”
Ron grinned. “She’s got us there, mate.” Hermione turned to Harry anxiously. This was one of the key points in her plan. She needed him to go along with this. And it wasn’t just to get him closer to her. His life depended on his being able to put all his effort into studying and learning spells. But he didn’t look too happy. She fervently hoped it was because he would miss Ron, and not because he was less than thrilled about the prospect of spending all that time alone with her.
Meanwhile Ron had been looking thoughtfully at Hermione. She had the idea that he was working out all of the ramifications of this decision. “Look,” he finally declared. “I think I’d really rather stay in a magical house than tough it out living like a muggle for weeks and weeks. But you two promise to show me everything you learn, right?”
“You bet, Ron.” Hermione couldn’t help giving him a quick hug in relief. They both turned to Harry for his reaction. He looked back and forth between them, then shrugged. “Well, I guess I can put up with Hermione by myself.” Then a small grin broke out on his face. “It will be a relief not to have to listen to the two of you bicker with each other all summer,” he teased. Hermione grinned back and decided to give him a hug too.
Once that was settled, Ron changed the subject. “So, where are you going to go once your week at Privet Drive is up, Harry? You know you’re always welcome at the Burrow, but …”
“But there are a few too many red-haired females there,” Harry finished. That got a chuckle out of all three of them. Harry would not be comfortable around Ginny for a while, and Molly could get somewhat overprotective with Harry. While he welcomed her mothering sometimes, it was likely to be a problem for what they were planning on doing this summer.
“We should spend some time at Grimmauld Place picking out books to take, and you could also stay at my house for a few days until it’s time for us to leave,” Hermione suggested. “Ron can still join us in the afternoons at Grimmauld Place, and we’ll probably need to make some trips to Diagon Alley, and so forth.” Harry nodded as he considered her idea. “And staying at my house would give you a chance to get to know my parents a little better before we go.” Harry agreed that was a good plan, and they decided to go to Grimmauld Place until Friday, then go to the Grangers on the weekend when her parents would have more time to spend with them.
The discussion next turned to the Horcrux search. As Harry described the traps and spells that Dumbledore had to get through to get to the locket, Ron mentioned that it sounded like what Bill did in his job as a curse breaker. Harry wondered if they could get Bill or someone like him to help them. Hermione agreed that that was an excellent idea, as she had always been concerned that Harry was going to try to do too much on his own, and any help they could get would be all the better. Harry decided to talk to Bill about it the next time he saw him, but Hermione pointed out that it was unlikely that he would get a chance to do anything until after the wedding.
“And after the honeymoon,” Ron added, raising his eyebrows suggestively. Hermione responded with a well-placed elbow to his ribs.
-ooOoo-
The week at Grimmauld Place passed without major incident, although there were some rather nasty jinxes on some of the darker books in the library. Hermione had learned a detection charm that enabled them to identify these jinxes without setting them off, and with Remus’s help they managed to disable most of them. Ron spent most of his time searching the mansion for any signs of the missing locket, and Harry split his time helping each of his friends. By the end of the week they had found no evidence of the Horcrux, but Ron vowed to keep looking while Harry and Hermione were away. On the other hand Hermione had picked out a pile of books to take with them that included more than half of the entire contents of the library.
It was obvious they would need magical trunks to haul all of the books to Mexico, and Fred and George told them about a shop that sold the multi-compartment wonders. There were many styles to choose from, but in the end they ordered two that were custom made. Hermione brought along one of her parents’ suitcases, with a retractable pull handle and wheels, and requested that they look just like it on the outside. Inside they each had three compartments hidden at the bottom of a normal looking space. The regular space would be filled with layers of clothing that wouldn’t arouse suspicion at airport security.
One of the hidden compartments in each trunk was nothing but rows and rows of bookshelves. The second compartment in Harry’s trunk was for storing other items ranging from cauldrons and potions ingredients to magical weapons, and in Hermione’s trunk it was a practice room. The third compartments were small living spaces. In Harry’s trunk the living space had a few comfortable chairs, a table, and a small kitchen. Hermione’s had a bedroom with two beds and two desks and a private bath. On their final trip to Grimmauld Place they loaded the books into the trunks and were all set.
-ooOoo-
On Friday evening Harry moved his things to the Grangers’ and the next few days were spent relaxing and preparing for the trip. One of their errands the week before had been taking Harry to the eye doctor, and they picked up a new pair of glasses and some contact lenses that he was eager to try out. Another shopping trip was also required, as both teens needed to beef up their summer wardrobes. Emma had been correct that few of Hermione’s summer dresses still fit her, so she bought several new ones, as well as a few more miniskirts and lots of tank tops and shorts.
She also wanted to get some more bikinis. During the past week when she and Harry had swum together in the Granger pool she had worn either one piece or fairly conservative two piece suits, but she knew the suits worn by the women at the tropical resorts where they would be staying would be more daring. Harry cheekily reminded her of her promise to let him help her pick some out, and he jokingly selected a tiny string bikini for her. His jaw dropped when she actually bought it, although she refused to let him see her try it on, saying she wanted it to be a surprise.
Hermione had already explained about her parents and their practice of nudism. She had been relatively confidant that Harry wouldn’t think poorly of them, and by extension her, when he found out. He was, after all, one of the most open-minded people she knew. Of course, he would have to be what with all the strange creatures he’d met in his life. He didn’t disappoint her, giving her that familiar shrug after she finished with the revelation and he had thought about it for a bit. She hastened to assure him that they would stay clothed around him for the most part in order to make him comfortable.
He did notice them in the hot tub once or twice in the evenings, and even sat out on the porch one time talking with them while they were immersed in the bubbling water. Hermione decided it would be for the best if she herself refrained from using the hot tub in front of him.
The weekend went by quickly, with the Grangers and Harry continuing to get to know each other better and getting more comfortable with each other. Emma and Dan had a private talk with Hermione about sharing a room with Harry and their expectations regarding her behavior. Hermione explained to her parents how they would be booking rooms with two beds and that she would conjure up a privacy screen to put between them and they were satisfied with that arrangement. It was a measure of the trust that they had in their daughter, and the high regard they had developed for the character of the young man that had captured her heart that they actually found themselves hoping that she would win him over during their extended stay abroad.
-ooOoo-
Before they knew it Tuesday had arrived and they were on a plane headed to Mexico. It was an eleven hour flight from London to Cancun, but they gained six hours with the time difference so it was still before noon local time when they landed. It was a strange parting as they hugged each other before getting into cabs to their separate hotels. For Dan and Emma it would only be a couple of hours before they saw the teens again, but for Harry and Hermione it would be many weeks. While the Grangers headed down the coast toward Tulum, the young witch and wizard were off toward the first of the Cancun beach high rise hotels on their list.
One of the advantages of choosing Mexico in general and the Yucatan Peninsula in particular for this journey was that the restrictions on underage magic were much looser. Since the Yucatan was so remote from the rest of the country, and the local magic users were largely autonomous native tribes, there was virtually no monitoring of spells at all. The pair wasted no time in magically unpacking and suddenly found themselves alone together in a hotel room. Hermione was eager to explore the hotel, and Harry had never been anywhere even remotely like this, so he readily agreed to follow her lead for the rest of the day.
After a pleasant but tiring afternoon that was capped off by a long walk along a gorgeous beach they stood and watched the sunset before returning to the room to shower and change for dinner. They opted for an early meal since the time change was catching up with them and they were rapidly wearing down.
Hermione was absolutely in her element. She loved going places and learning things, and she was eager to share everything with Harry. At first Harry was swept up in the bubbly enthusiasm that was pouring out of Hermione, but as dinner wore on he began to withdraw a bit, steadily growing more pensive. When they returned to the room, he went out onto the balcony while Hermione busied herself straightening up some things, trying to give him some time to ponder whatever was bothering him. Eventually she went out to join him, finding him standing at the railing and staring out over the moonswept sea.
“Hey there,” she said softly, trying not to disturb him too much. “Is everything all right?”
He turned his head to acknowledge her, then turned back to looking out at the ocean as she joined him at the railing. It was a warm night, and the ocean breeze felt lovely against her face, blowing her hair back softly. It was the perfect romantic setting, but she knew they were far from being able to enjoy it in that manner.
“I guess,” he answered at length. “I mean everything seems perfect but …” Hermione said nothing, waiting patiently for him to put his feelings into words. “But when I think about all this it just seems so crazy. How did all of this happen in just two weeks? I feel like I’m totally out of control, just hanging on for the ride.” Hermione nodded and took hold of his arm, giving a sympathetic squeeze.
“I know what you mean,” she said hesitantly. “And it’s mostly my fault I admit. I just got this idea and ran with it. But I tried so hard to make sure you were okay with everything all along and …”
“No, you did fine,” he interrupted before she could start apologizing. “You were amazing the way you planned it all out. That’s exactly what I need you to do.” She perked up and smiled broadly at that, although he couldn’t see it as he continued gazing out over the water. “It’s just that … look, where were we just a month ago? You could hardly stand to be in the same room with me sometimes and now we’re living together in a hotel room for who knows how long. What happened?”
Hermione bit her lip, trying to keep herself under control so that her voice was calm when she answered. It was important that she communicate this to him as clearly as she could. “Harry, I am so, so sorry for how I acted last year. The last day, the day of Dumbledore’s funeral, I sat down and thought hard and long about what I was doing. I decided that I had been pushing you away all year and I realized how horribly wrong that had been. I vowed then and there that I would do everything in my power to get back to the close relationship you and I used to have before … well before I went all crazy.” Sometime during this confession Harry had turned to look at her and it was clear from his face that he was astounded by what he was hearing.
“And it’s been working, don’t you think?” she asked anxiously. “I mean, we’ve been getting on just great, right?”
“Well, yeah, we have,” Harry agreed. “I mean, I’ve always enjoyed being with you but I don’t think I’ve ever enjoyed it as much as I have the past two weeks.” Hermione felt a warm glow wash over her as her face broke out into a brilliant smile. “But why … why did you change?” Hermione’s smile now faltered and she looked down, shaking her head. She just couldn’t answer that, not just now. Fortunately Harry didn’t press her.
“Well, I guess you’re allowed,” he continued. “I mean, I know I was pretty difficult to be around all fifth year and you never gave up on me. So I wasn’t about to give up on you either. And to tell the truth, I reckoned it was my fault.”
“Why?” Hermione was stunned. She knew Harry often blamed himself for things but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out how he thought that he was at fault this time.
“Well, I figured that you were pulling away from me because of something I did. I thought it was either because you got injured so badly at the Department of Mysteries or you were backing off because of the prophecy.”
Hermione couldn’t bear to hear this, and her guilty feelings for the way she had acted returned tenfold. She threw her arms around his neck and cried, “No! No Harry! It wasn’t anything like that. You can’t blame yourself.” He responded by putting his arms around her and rubbing her back softly.
“Hey, hey. Calm down. It’s okay. It doesn’t matter whose fault it was now.” Hermione regained control and pulled back slightly but not so much that he had to let go of her.
“Look, what do you say we forget these past two years and go back to the way we were fourth year?” she suggested.
“You mean back when you were the only one who believed in me? When you helped me all year with learning stuff for those tasks?” Hermione nodded, smiling once more.
“You and me against the world.”
“You got it.”
-oooOOOooo-
A/N Originally I had intended to end this chapter here, but I couldn’t resist tacking on this last bit.
-oooOOOooo-
Wednesday, July 16
In the town of Ottery St. Catchpole, at the house known as the Burrow, a tall red-haired boy was waiting, anxiously watching the lane outside the kitchen window. This was the day Harry and Hermione were due back from their trip, and Ron couldn’t wait to see them again and hear about their adventures. Finally he saw a male and a female figure appear out of thin air and begin walking up the lane toward the house. Without a second’s hesitation he raced out the door to meet them.
Hermione broke away from Harry’s side as soon as she saw Ron barreling out the kitchen door, and ran toward him as well, meeting him halfway with one of her crushing hugs. By the time she let him go, Harry had joined them and embraced Ron in a hug of his own before they separated and Ron stepped back for a good look at them.
To some extent they were hardly recognizable. Harry, who had been pale all of his life, had a nice tan and was wearing contact lenses. He had also grown two inches and added at least twenty pounds of muscle. Furthermore, Ron couldn’t believe how much older and more mature he looked. Hermione had matured as well; she also looked older and her body had filled out somewhat too, although not as obviously as Harry’s. She had gained about ten pounds and was now much stronger physically, the additions most noticeable in her torso, but also in her arms and legs. Her once skinny legs had filled out nicely, but her hips had slimmed down slightly. Her waist was as trim as ever. Her hair had lightened considerably, now a light brown with golden highlights running through it, and she had a darker tan than she had ever had in her life.
“I can’t believe how much different you two look!” exclaimed Ron. “How long were you gone, anyway?”
“A year,” Hermione answered promptly. “We repeated each week twenty-five times.”
“Bloody Hell!” Ron then looked directly at Hermione. He had noticed that she and Harry had been holding hands ever since they had ended the hugs. “And what about your other, um, plan?”
An enormous smile broke out on Hermione’s face and she raised her left hand and murmured a countercharm. Fading into view on her fourth finger was one of the largest diamond rings Ron had ever seen.
“BLOODY HELL!!”
-xox-XOX-XOX-xox-
Author Notes:
Don’t panic. You’re going to get the details of their year abroad in the next three chapters.
OK, let’s have a show of hands. How many of you saw THAT coming?