Harry Potter and the Year After

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Adelaide

Chapter 27: Adelaide

There were only a few days left before the start of school, but Hermione wanted to try the Pensieve on her parents as soon as possible. The three ate an early supper together and then Hermione and Ron quickly packed. Harry chose to stay behind. He didn't want to feel like their third wheel. He didn't tell them that.

Hermione and Ron had to Apparate three times for safety. Once to Cairo, Egypt, and then again to Dhaka, Bangladesh, and then finally to Adelaide, Australia.

"So since we left home at about six in the evening," Hermione said as she led Ron off the road they'd Apparated to and into a sparse brush by a river, "it's about four in the morning here."

"Merlin, I hadn't thought about the time difference. We should have left in the morning maybe."

"No, we won't be here long enough for it to matter, I hope." Hermione reached into her old beaded bag and started yanking. "School starts in three days, after all." Soon, she produced the tent and magically set it up with a few waves of her wand. She then cast spells to repel muggles and to make the tent invisible to them. Once she was done, she spoke again. "So we'll have a nap until it's daytime and then pop in to see my parents."

"Alright," Ron said, following her into the tent. He had an odd sense of de ja vu. The smell of the tent was too familiar. He felt nervous.

Hermione set her bag down on the table and then made her way to a cot, pulling her hairband out of her hair as she did. Her hair seemed to spring out in all directions.

"Hermione," Ron said from across the room.

"Hm?" She didn't turn to face him. Ron walked to up to her and took her hand in his. She looked up at him.

"I'm not tired," he said.

"Oh, do you want me to do the charm so you can sleep? It's quite simple, you know." She still had her wand in her hand and held it up at the ready.

"No thanks," he said, shaking his head.

"Oh, alright. Well, if you change your mind. The sun will be up soon, it'll make it harder to sleep--"

Ron cut off her words by kissing her. Then, he straightened again, smiling at her. "I'm glad I'm here with you, 'Mione." Then, he stepped past her. He laid down on the cot she'd been headed towards.

She stood there looking down at him for a moment before she slid next to him on the little bed. As he tucked his arm around her, she laid her head on his shoulder and cozied next to him.

"You don't know how many times I wanted to do this with you last year," Ron whispered to her.

"Oh, I had thought that I was the only one... though I don't know if it would have made sleeping any easier."

"What makes you say that?"

"Well," Hermione said sleepily, "I think I would have gotten a tad distracted from all that Horcrux business, which would have been bad. Not to mention, we probably would have woken Harry."

"Ah, we could have let him join in. It might have cheered him up a bit," Ron said. Hermione laughed and scrunched her nose.

"You know, I've always known that Harry was a boy..."

"Me too, oddly enough--"

"But he never really seemed like one to me."

"Don't tell him that. It'll hurt his ego."

"You know what I mean though, don't you? I kind of even felt sort of motherly toward him over the years."

"That's weird."