It Could Have Gone That Way; A Harmione Fanfiction

Chapter 81: Harry Potter and the 19 Years

"So, you're really not coming back?"

"Nope." Ron grinned,"You guys'll be fine without me next year. You'll have Gin and Luna to keep you company. Besides, Mum said you can both come and stay at ours once the work's all done here."

It was almost eleven o'clock in the morning, and the Hogwarts Express was about to leave for London King's Cross station. Harry, Hermione, and the Weasleys were standing just outside the Gryffindor common room, saying their goodbyes.

"Come along now, Ron, or the train'll leave without us!" Mrs. Weasley said.

"Mum," Ron moaned,"why do we have to take the train? It would be way faster if we just Apparated home."

"Because, for the umpteenth time, we are a family! Families are supposed to do things together, like train journeys and...and hiking! We should go hiking! Anyway, we shouldn't just be sitting around for days on end, only moving off of our bottoms to play a little Quidditch in the garden. We need to get out more, Ronald, that's why we're taking the train. Now, would you please hurry up!"

Ron rolled his eyes. "Honestly!" He whispered to Harry and Hermione,"Mothers, am I right? Anyway, I guess this is goodbye, for the time being, anyway. See you in the summer!"

"Bye, Ron."

"See you in the summer."

Arthur, Bill, Charlie, and Percy waved the rest of their family off and begun making their way down to the Great Hall to meet Professor McGonagall. Hermione made to follow them, but Harry caught her hand before she could walk away.

"Hermione?" Harry burbled as she turned to face him,"Do you want to talk about your parents now? It's just, you said yesterday that you didn't want to talk about them in front of anyone, but, you know, they're gone now, and we've got a little while before we need to be in the Great Hall. I mean, if you don't want to, then that's fine, but-"

"No, Harry, it's fine." Hermione replied, on the verge of amusement at Harry's struggle to talk,"We can talk about it." She paused.

"You do realise that you kind of need to start the talking if we're going to talk about it, right?"

Hermione gave him a small smile as the pair began to. "Well, I've been thinking about it for a while," she said anxiously,"and I...well, I wanted to ask you something."

"Fire away." Harry said as the pair started towards the Great Hall.

"It's just...do you think it would be selfish of me-?" Hermione began.

"To go and get them back?" Harry replied incredulously,"Of course not, Hermione!"

"No, not to go and get them back." Hermione said in a small voice,"To leave them."

"Oh." Harry nodded with understanding, taking Hermione's hand,"I...um...I-I guess. But, why would you want to do that?"

Hermione took a deep breath,"Well, when I left them, they were happy and married and fulfilling their life's ambition together. They don't know about me, and they don't want another child of their own. They're Wendell and Monica Wilkins and they have a wonderful life, and I've got no idea whereabouts in Australia they are, but they're happy, Harry, happy." She suddenly looked very troubled and quite exhausted,"Just think, if you were them-?" Hermione trailed off suddenly, standing still and looking forwards blankly.

"Hermione?" Harry grabbed her shoulder,"What's the matter?"

She didn't answer, so Harry followed her gaze to find Parvati Patil, scowling at Hermione. Harry glared at her, but she didn't look at him. Without taking her eyes off of Hermione, Parvati stalked past the pair. Harry noticed that she looked quite tired, and her lip was trembling just a little. It was hard to look at.