Chapter Thirty Four

*Hermione's P.O.V*

We unloaded off of the muggle bus, Ron grumbling under his breath. We had been riding for seven hours, and it was getting dark.

"C'mon Ron!" I called as we ambled across the streets of an Indonesian city. I had lost track of where.

Our trip was strange. We took bus rides every thousand miles, during which I was usually reading. Then we would apparate five hundred miles, which, mind you, was pushing our luck. I might be smart, but I wasn't that experienced.

All we had to do now was apparate across the ocean, and we would be in Australia. Then, we'd take a bus to the hotel, and finally- finally, we'd sleep. My eyelids were dropping as though with heavy weights already.

I scooped Ron's hand in mine, interlocking our fingers, making sure we were well away from people.

Ron rubbed his calloused thumb against the skin of my hand. Despite the cold air, I felt a warmth at his touch. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pulled us into darkness.

***

As soon as the bus pulled into the hotel, called West Bend, we sprinted, checked in, and raced eachother to our room like five year olds. Laughing, Ron stuck in the key, and opened our room.

"Bloody hell." He breathed. "What is this stuff?" He was tapping on the window of a microwave. I laughed.

"Don't worry about that, we won't need it, I'm exhausted," I flicked on the light switch, examining the room. It was fairly small, with only one bed. I noticed Ron's ears turn red.

"I'm sorry...it was all that was left...I suppose the couch pulls out..." I tried with no such luck. I thought vaguely of attempting to conjure another bed, or at least a comfy chair, but Ron insisted it was fine. Gazing at the dark mass of night outside the window, I said,

"Well, I'm going to sleep." And with that, I crawled into the bed, and closed my eyes. I felt his strong arms around me, and I sighed contently in his ear.

It was easy to doze off to sleep.

The next morning, I woke up quite earlier than I'd expected. Actually, back home, or, back at the burrow, it'd be nine a.m. Here, it was five. In the morning. I packed and repacked our bags, making sure we had everything, before waking Ron up.

"You drool in your sleep, ugh," I commented, pointing to his pillow. He wiped it off thickly with the back of his hand.

"Apparate or bus?" I asked him after we had checked out, fingers interlocked, shouldering our bags.

"Apparate." He answered quickly. I had already known the answer before I had asked.

I swayed a bit on the spot, worry fully coming at me. I was sure I had the address right, but what if something had happened, like they'd moved, or gotten divorced, or died, the possibilities were endless. I had to take a deep, steadying gasp before I pulled Ron and I into traveling oblivion.

***

As if I had a heavy weight on my hand, I lifted it to knock on the door of the house whose address I had double and triple checked. I heard the faint barking of a dog. Then, the door swung open, revealing my mom's happy face.

I burst out in tears.

"Mum!" I cried, throwing myself onto her. Then, horrified, I remembered that she didn't know who I was.

"Oh my gosh, I...sorry."

She began to sputter indignantly. I took out my wand, and put an impediment Jinx on her, just in case. Then, taking deep steadying breaths, Ron at my side, I began to perform the counter charms.

I closed my eyes and stepped away.

I heard my mothers pleasnt voice.

"Hermione!" I finally was able to hug her. Id missed her smell, the smell of lemon soap and ginger snaps, the way she always had. I began to cry into her shoulder.

She looked thoroughly confused.

"Where am I? What's going on? What's the matter?!" She sputtered, eyes running over me, Ron, and the unfamiliar street.

I mopped my eyes furiously.

"I'm sorry, not now...I- I need to find Dad."

"I couldn't help you more than you can yourself, if you'd just tell me what's-"

"Later," I insisted, stepping over the threshold of the house. There I saw my dad, looking as I had remembered him, graying hair, and a slight limp.

"Monica?" He asked, directed towards my mother, calling her then name I had placed in his memory. "Do we have visitors?"

My mother looked absolutely bewildered. Quickly, Ron cast impedimenta on him, and I set straight to it, performing counter charms, as quickly as I could.

I stepped back, watching my dad intently. At first, he looked lost, remarkably like Luna. Then, his face was overcome with confusion.

"Hermione! Where am I?!"

I didn't care to explain. I ran at him and hugged him, breathing deeply. He smelled of Old Spice cologne.

We all exchanged more hugs, Ron hovering uncomfortably by the door still, and I finally got a look at the house. It was kind of small, and reminded me of a little summer home, with a little, poofy couch, jars filled with black sand and sand dollars on the window sill.

We all sat down, and I launched into the story of the war, and how I needed to protect them, and what I did. I skimmed over the part about how I'd forgotten about them for a whole entire year.

They were speechless. Finally, they expressed their gratitude on how I protected them.

"You're safe now," my mom breathed into my ear, as she embraced me yet again. "And that's what matters."

A tear leaked out of my cheek. I'd forgotten what it was like to truly be safe.

My dad looked up at Ron. Ron's eyes grew wide, and he took a step back.

My dad smiled warmly and stuck out his hand.

"You must be Ronald. I've heard so much about you! And now, we finally meet!"

Ron mouthed silently like a goldfish for a minute, then stuttered,

"Pleasure to meet you too."

I grinned at the pair of them. A swooping feeling of immense happiness filled me, from the tips of my toes and soaring into my chest.

***

*Ron's P.O.V*

While Hermione and her mother began to make supper, laughing over how neither of them knew where to find stuff, I asked Hermione's dad an important question, one that had been weighing down my mind for a long time.

"Can I have a private word...er...outside?"

With a pleasant but puzzled expression, he nodded. I was trembling head to foot, body shaking.

"Uh, Mr. Granger..."

"Please, call me Scott." (It never says his name ahaha pls don't judge)

"Right...well...the thing is...I'm in love with your daughter." The words came out fast, rushed. I wanted to run. Surely, he wouldn't approve of me?

He just laughed.

"Quite understandable. She is quite charming. Smart."

He looked out at the sunset, saying no more. I got the sudden urge to speak.

"I...I don't think you understand. I'm, like, deeply in love with her. It isn't some...childish relationship."

What the bloody hell was I doing?! I sounded like a two year old! My heart seemed to stop beating all together.

He looked at me sharply.

"You haven't..."

"No!" I insisted, turning a furious scarlet. I pressed my lips shut...I had almost said not yet.

He relaxed a bit.

"What I'm really trying to say is...someday...I'd like to marry her. She's really the only person I'd like to be with." I held my breath.

Hermione's dad only smiled.

"Of course...when you're ready...if course. I couldn't think of anyone who would be better."

I let out all my breath. An immense feeling of relief numbed my brain. If her dad approved...what was standing in our way?

I just wasn't ready. I was too afraid. Of what she'd say.

***

*Third person P.O.V*

Harry leaned against the wall, exhausted. Eyeing the clock, he saw that it was midnight.

Even with magic, the task had been difficult. Moving everything into their new apartment.

It almost seemed too unreal, but it was. He was starting his life out with Ginny.

As he thought that, Ginny herself came down the small stairs, red hair streaming behind her.

"Holy Nargles, I'm exhausted." She gasped, twisting her hair up in a bun on the top of her head.

Instead of suggesting to go to bed, He grabbed the little radio that was sitting on the counter, and twiddled the dials.

The song that was on the random station was slow, making them want to sleep.

"Ugh, Harry, this is a muggle station!" She whined, her hair falling down and outlining her face in long strands of fire. Harry couldn't get over how beautiful she looked.

The song played in the background, the twinkling notes filling the tiny kitchen.

"Yes, you're lovely, with your smile so warm

And your cheeks so soft,

There is nothing for me to do

but look at you and the way you look tonight."

Harry placed his hands on Ginny's waist. She was in nothing but some Gryffindor pajama shorts, and a white tank top. She laughed softly and lay her head on his chest, sighing contently.

"Lovely, never never change,

keep that breathless charm,

Won't you just stay the same, because I love you

And the way you look tonight."

Harry spun her around, and she let out a loud, obnoxious laugh of joy. They both were terrible dancers. She had a huge smile on her face. Harry began to whisper the lyrics into Ginny's ear, his warm breath ticking the back of her neck and making her hair flutter.

"And that laugh, that wrinkles your nose,

It touches my foolish heart.

And the only thing that matters is you,

And the way you look tonight."

Ginny looked up into Harry's eyes, and saw something that almost made her heart split open with happiness. There was something about them, the new way that they sparkled. He had gained something back from the battle. Now, here, with her, he was truly happy again. Harry leaned forward, into those doe-brown eyes, and pressed his lips to hers. There was something different about this kiss. It was slow, yes, but it still held passion. The kiss made them seem more like one unit, one love, they were together.

"Mm, mm, mm, oh,

The way you look tonight.

Nothing can compare to it,

The way you look tonight."

And neither of them had ever felt more peaceful than in that moment, in their new, tiny kitchen

***

Hay y'all sup.

Pls recommend some good stories bc nobody is updating theirs that I have and I have like 500 in my library 😂

Oh yeah and pls tell me how my first attempt at a song fic ish thing was