Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Eleven: Rose-colored Fate

Chapter 11: Rose-colored Fate

Later, after Hermione had bought everything she needed for school, the three of them went back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place together. Then, after Harry let Bilius out of his cage so he could hunt, the three of them went to the kitchen to cook supper together.

"How are you holding up, Harry?" Ron asked. He'd been made to sit far away from the stove so he would stop trying to steal bites of beef stew that Hermione was making. Harry was setting bowls and spoons out. Ron had been relegated to slicing bread, which he did inordinately slowly.

"I'm fine," Harry said immediately. He wasn't sure what Ron was exactly asking: holding up after the war being over or Ginny dumping him? "What is there to hold up?" Harry asked.

"Well, I just meant, you know, with everything. With Ginny, and you know, everything else."

"Right, I'm fine," Harry said again without looking up. He poured glasses of water for them each and then wandered over to Hermione's side to wait for his next order.

"How are you holding up, Hermione?" Harry asked, meaning now that her parents had moved back to Australia. She looked up at him with a sharp look and shook her head slightly, eyes wide. "With your parents leaving, I mean."

"Oh," she said, and looked back down at the pot of stew. She stirred it, "Well, I've not talked much to them in years. And they deserve to be happy."

"Even if that means hurting you though?" Ron said, "That's bollocks."

"Well, I'll be fine," Hermione said. "They're leaving tomorrow. You could come with me to see them off."

"Okay," Harry and Ron said simultaneously. Harry glanced at Ron and realized that Hermione had probably only been talking to her boyfriend. Too late.

"If they're going back," Ron said as he sliced a fourth slice of bread, "how are you going to try using the Pensieve on them once it's finished?"

"Well, I'll visit them of course."

"All the way in Australia? During the school year?" Ron asked. Harry sat down at his place so he could stay out of their way. He knew them well enough to know when a row might start between them, which honestly seemed like it could always be at any moment.

"Yes. I owe it to them."

"You don't owe them anything. You saved their lives."

"—by taking their lives away from them, moving them half way around the world and making them forget their favorite thing about themselves. That's what my mum said. She was quite angry when I first explained everything. I don't think my dad even entirely still believes me. Ron, I need to do this."

"But..." Ron glanced at Harry, and then in an entirely different tone he said, "Fine. I'll help you. Any time you go, I'll come with you if you want me to, alright? Just say the word."

"Thank you, Ronald," Hermione said. She strode over to him and kissed his cheek. When she stepped back again, Harry wished he hadn't noticed that Ron was blushing.

Hermione turned the stove off and magically levitated the pot of stew to the hot pad on the table.

After dinner, Hermione Apparated to her parents' house to pack her things that were there. It'd been decided between them during dinner that she'd move in with Harry and Ron until she started school. It only made sense. After all, she really had no other family than them.

Harry had started banishing rubbish in Sirius's room when the door banged open and Ron rushed in. He looked out of breath. Disregarding his sense of de ja vu at seeing Ron in this doorway, Harry drew his wand and hurried forward.