The biggest improvement from their last experience of this, Harry thought, was that Ron and Hermione's relationship was now completely different from what it had been. If they hadn't stopped arguing completely, there was still none of the hostility between them that had previously filled the air both before Ron's departure and after his return. Instead, the state of things between them made both their moods a lot lighter than they would've been otherwise. If it also meant that, at times, they retreated to their hotel room together, and made clear he didn't want to come with them, Harry could live with that.
Harry didn't have another incident like he'd had, and by the end of the week, he was feeling calmer in general, especially since he was sleeping a little better. Except that sometimes when they were out, he'd suddenly become convinced there were people on the street, or elsewhere in the room, if they were indoors, staring at him or talking about him. He suspected much of it was his imagination, but it kept feeling real.
They'd had a good morning. After sleeping in, and Harry truly had slept, they'd had a hearty breakfast much like the ones they'd enjoyed at the Burrow at a diner they'd found near the hotel two days ago. They then had gone to look at an old house ironically named Newstead House, and then gone for a little walk in the adjoining park. Hermione had heard a story about a legendary wizarding duel that had happened in the park, but she was sure to say it probably wasn't a true one. Lunch had been at a seafood place where the chowder had been delicious.
It was early afternoon when they returned to the hotel. Their plans hadn't been too specific for the afternoon, but they were all three of them a little tired. The general thought in Harry's head involved them just relaxing in Ron and Hermione's hotel room, maybe with Harry and Ron playing chess, and Hermione getting a little reading done. She'd purchased a large book called The Wizarding Antipodes: A History, and was about a quarter of the way through it.
That was what was pretty much in the schedule even when they walked through the hotel entrance. And then, when they were about halfway through the lobby, they found themselves being advanced upon by a cross-looking Molly Weasley, with a concerned-looking Ginny following along in her wake. Harry opened his mouth, then looked at Ron. Ron shook his head, and Harry closed it again.
As she reached them, Hermione started, "Mrs. Weasley, did you have a-"
"What did your parents say to you, Hermione?" she cut her off. "Are they truly going to disown you for saving their lives and stay here on the other side of the world?"
"I don't think it's going that far," Hermione said hastily. "They are going to stay here in Brisbane, yes."
"Are they?" Mrs. Weasley did not sound placated. "Sounds like abandoning you to me. If they'd just moved to France or Ireland, that would be one thing, but when they're in a place so hard for you to get to and fro from, especially by Muggle means, and not talking to you much while you're here..."
"I'm hoping for that to get better next time I come here. It's unfortunate now, of course, but..."
Harry saw Ginny's dismayed reaction even before her mother yelled, "UNFORTUNATE?!" He tried not to jump, even as she continued on, "You can't let your parents do this to you, Hermione. Give me their address."
"No," Hermione shook her head, and Harry thought she drew herself up a little. He admired her bravery. "They've been through a very great shock, they're probably still adjusting to having all their memories back, and honestly, if you go over there and lecture them the way you're talking right now, you'll probably just make them more angry and everything worse!"
Mrs. Weasley looked stunned. So did her two children. Harry felt it himself. He doubted any of her children had talked to her that way until they'd been much older than Hermione, if even then. Nor had the two of them, the children she had taken in as somewhat her own.
But Hermione, unintimidated by any kind of authority when she thought them wrong, said, "I know you mean well, Mrs. Weasley, but I have to handle this myself."
"No, that you certainly don't need to do!" That seemed to get her even angrier. "That's what you've already been doing almost this whole past year, doing things you never should've had to do..."
"It was by prophecy, Mrs. Weasley," Harry interrupted. "I had to be the one to...to..." He didn't want to say the rest.
"I don't care!" she yelled, before he could. "I don't care what excuse you three had for running off on your own. Whatever you had to do, that was wrong of you. You should have told us what you needed to do, and we would have figured out a more sensible way to do it."
"But then you all would've been in more danger," Harry protested.
It was Ginny who responded to that. "Oh, so for our own safety, we didn't even get to know what was going on? Do you know how angry I got at all three of you over that? Who were you, to make that decision for all of us? And I thought you three at least understood how much I hated that everyone felt they got to make that decision for me." She probably either didn't notice or simply didn't care about the look on her mother's face, even as she continued, "You know, I think mum's right. If you'd told us what you three were trying to do? Who knows, we might have even gotten it done faster, and maybe even saved lives in the process. Maybe...maybe even Fred's!"
High as the likelihood was there would've just been more dead Weasleys that way, this was a possibility that couldn't be denied. "I'm sorry," Harry sighed. "I just..."
"Didn't think," said Ginny. "Sometimes I think that's the problem with all three of you. Mighty heroes, always thinking about saving the world, and how can we complain when you've gone and done so? But you've had your minds so focused on the big, important things, all the while presuming you know best about what to do about them, that you've never given a thought to just how many consequences the actions you take have."
"Hey!" Harry protested. "I haven't always thought I know best, I know I've made mistakes sometimes..."
"No," Ginny raised her voice as she cut him off. "This is not the moment when you interrupt the young witch, Harry."
Then, to his surprise, she whirled on Hermione, and said, "I think that's even what we're stuck in this situation in the first place. Did you think of any other alternatives for keeping your parents safe, Hermione? Do you really believe that no wizarding family anywhere would've taken them in? We kept Harry's less than nice relatives safe. And you know, it's not the first time I've wondered about some of the things you've done, sometimes years after the fact, and I'm not going to get into all of that right now, but..."
That was also surprising, Harry thought. Ginny rarely pulled her punches like that. It made him think maybe this was something where she feared their current company would side with Hermione.
Especially when she instead finished by turning back to Harry, and saying, "I've just spent twenty hours on an aeroplane trying to figure out where the two of us go next. And for too much of it, I had to wonder, will you even ask me anyway? I used to wonder why my brother argues so much with Hermione here, you know."
"Ginny..." Ron now started. A look from her, and he didn't go further than that.
"Used to blame it all on him. But you two, you glorious heroes...well, actually, I think you've rubbed off on Ron a bit there, anyway, but still, anyone who gets involved with either of you? Needs to be able to tell you what's what. And I just hope the two of you eventually prove able to listen every once in a while. Because if you don't, Harry, well." And she turned and stalked away.
The feeling was not unlike that of being knocked off his broom. Harry thought all four of them were feeling that way, the way Hermione was looking after her, appearing greatly concerned, Ron was not looking at anyone, and Mrs. Weasley was just staring awkwardly at him. This, Harry suspected, was probably not the best way for a boy and his girlfriend's mother to first deal with the fact that he was dating her.
The quarrelling being taken out of her hands for that last minute or so seemed to have softened her temper slightly, but while she spoke more calmly, she still insisted, "At the very least, Hermione, it won't do to just wander around Brisbane all day until your parents come to your senses, and you certainly can't leave the country without forming some sort of plan."
"We're going to see them again when we come back for the World Cup," Ron offered. "She and me'll even let them look at our teeth, the way Muggle dentists do."
"Are you sure that's such a good idea?" She actually looked slightly alarmed. "Letting Muggles have free range on your teeth?" Then she presumably realized how that sounded, and added, "Of course I'm sure they're very good at taking care of teeth in general, but, well...wizarding teeth are probably different."
"They looked at mine," Harry said. "They've been fine. Even got a small cavity filled the Muggle way, and it worked."
He even tried to pull his lips open to show her, but she shook her head with a, "Don't do that in the lobby of a place, Harry; I know you have some manners. We've caused quite a scene down her as it is, haven't we?"
"Do you want to come upstairs?" Harry asked. "Or maybe you could get your own room, if you want, and, er, if you're planning to stay very long." He still wasn't sure Mrs. Weasley wouldn't grab all three of them by their shirt collars and drag them straight back home at any moment.
She still looked like might be considering it. But meanwhile, Ron had been looking in the direction his sister had gone, and now said, "Um, Ginny's leaving. She, uh, was standing there sulking, but now she's going out the door."
"Oh no!" Mrs. Weasley hurried after her.
Harry was torn between following himself, and staying away from the mother-daughter fight he was pretty sure was about to happen. Ron made the decision for all three of them by calling after her, "We'll wait here."
The emotional toll of the last few minutes caught up with all three of them as they collapsed into three armchairs surrounding a table on the far side of the hotel lobby. Hermione especially looked exhausted, even leaning forward to prop herself up on the table by her elbows. Ron reached forward and put a hand on her arm.
Harry was left to ponder Ginny's words to him. They'd already established, of course, that maybe he'd been a little overprotective of her during this last war. But that had been during dire circumstances that ought to now be in their past. Now she had just made clear that if he wanted to stay with her, he might have to change more than that, and he wasn't even sure if he could get himself to do that.
But she'd spoken of wanting a say in their future. That was fair enough; he would have absolutely given her that anyway, whatever she thought. Did she have any specific plans or hopes right now? He hoped she was willing to talk enough to tell him about those sometime soon, if she did.
Though it might be a bit early for her anyway to be making plans if she wanted to start her entire post-O.W.L. education over. He thought she would, but he hadn't gotten the chance to ask anyone below seventh-year over it before he'd left Hogwarts.
He was still dwelling on how he was going to ask the question exactly, and what he would say depending on her answer, when she and her mother finally returned together, and despite the latter's smile, neither of them looking very happy. Harry wished he and Ginny were alone simply so he could ask her what had happened.
Mrs. Weasley spoke instead, "We've taken your advice, Harry, and gotten ourselves a room. On the second floor. I believe it would be best if we all took some time to rest, and then met for dinner, perhaps around five?"
"That does sound like a good idea," said Hermione. "The three of us can spend it together." Ron immediately nodded.
So they ended up doing what they would've done anyway that afternoon, except the entire time, Harry was thinking about Ginny, sitting around with her mother, and who knew what might be on her mind.
Figuring out just what to have distracted them until they'd finished ordering. As soon as the waiter had left, Mrs. Weasley said, "Having thought about it a little more, Hermione, I still think someone besides the three of you should talk to your parents, try to explain to them why doing what you did likely saved their lives. I think there's a good chance that an adult, talking carefully enough to them, could get them to understand."
After a moment of looking thoughtful, Hermione said, "You might be right. But I want to be the one to decide who and when and what they say. I know my parents. They're my parents."
"Well, you might have to let mum do it," said Ginny. "And before we leave. That really was a long flight, Hermione, and I don't think anyone's going to go to the kind of trouble setting up such a long-distance Portkey just for a task like this, or trying to figure out how to communicate Muggle-style from the other side of the world."
:I think Muggles are developing new ways to communicate wizards aren't keeping track of, but that is good point. Still, I just don't know if you'll be here long enough for them to cool down."
"We can take time," said Mrs. Weasley. "Even with the Quidditch World Cup not started yet, there's probably still plenty to see and do, and after coming all this way, I think the two of us would like that."
"Have you been anywhere interesting this week?" Ginny asked. "I mean, anywhere all three of you found interesting?"
Harry thought about it, as Ron and Hermione appeared to do the same. "I think the cathedral was interesting."
"Cathedral?" Mrs. Weasley asked, confused. "I thought they only built those in Europe."
"Oh, no, they're building one in Brisbane right now," said Hermione. "They've been working on it for nearly a hundred years," and she explained how they'd built it in three phases, and were currently in the middle of the third.
"A pity Arthur isn't here," commented Mrs. Weasley when Hermione was done. "He would love to see such a thing. We should get a camera and take some pictures for him. I don't even think it would have to be a magical one, especially since I don't suppose we'll be taking photos of anything that's supposed to move. Although I'm not sure how..."
"Don't worry," said Ginny. "I'm sure between the five of us, we can figure it out."
"Though if we're taking pictures now," said Ron, "I kind of want to go back to the park we went to this morning. I liked that place."
"That, too, then," said Hermione. Harry got the feeling then that they'd be revisiting most of the places they'd been to already. It would, after all, delay Mrs. Weasley's planned visit.
Briefly he entertained the notion that Ginny might try to stay behind with him on one of those excursions. But that, he told himself, should be up to her, and besides, there was a good chance her mother wouldn't allow it.
"We could probably go there first as well," Harry noted. "If we go before the cathedral opens."
They were still making plans when the sushi arrived. Harry wasn't sure, afterwards, whether he liked sushi or not. He liked most of the things it was made of, but the combining of them in that way was definitely new. Ginny seemed to really enjoy it, though, which left him thinking that maybe he could get used to it. Ron's and Mrs. Weasley's reactions were harder to tell.
When they'd exhausted the topic of Brisbane and all they'd seen in it, Hermione rather determinedly went right into the topic of Japan, which she wanted to visit some day, and everything she knew about its magical and Muggle societies both. Probably she was trying to ignore the very thoughtful way Mrs. Weasley was looking at her. Nobody pushed it, though. The only argument that happened over that meal was who got to pay the bill, with Mrs. Weasley ultimately winning.
It wasn't until they were nearly back at the hotel that Mrs. Weasley said, "I think I would also like to call Arthur and talk to him about this. If you could help me with that, Hermione?"
For a moment, Hermione looked like she wanted to protest. Then Ginny said, "If your parents ever decide to come home, it would be good for them to know some of dad's friends, Hermione."
"I suppose," said Hermione, but she didn’t look all that happy. Harry wasn't sure why. Mr. Weasley wasn't like his wife; he wouldn't go barging in on her parents because he thought he was right and they were wrong, not even if he somehow ended up in Australia here with them.
"Anyway," she continued, "calling someone on the other side of the world can get a little complicated sometimes. I'm pretty sure we'll be able to do it at the hotel, but we might not be able to do it from our rooms. We should go up to the desk and ask about it."
"Harry," said Ginny as they entered the lobby. "Could you come with me for just a minute or so?"
Ron cast them a suspicious look as Harry agreed, but didn't say anything. Silently the two of them walked past the table he had sat at with Ron and Hermione earlier that day, to the far end of the room. It did give Harry time to think about his words to her, which started with, "Let me just say one thing really quickly, Gin. Maybe I haven't been the best at this the past year, but from now on..."
"I get to say where we're going, at least once we're both done with school," said Ginny. "You can make suggestions, if you want, but I bet I've thought about it a lot more than you have. In fact, if you still want to be an Auror, I've got some ideas for how we can make everything work, though a lot of that probably won't be in our control anyway."
"That's fine," Harry told her, because it really was. After the past year of constantly having to figure out what to do next, feeling like the fate of the wizarding world might hang on his decisions, and not knowing what he was doing too much of the time, the thought of handing over all that to someone he could trust, at least for a little while, was very much a relief.
"Good." She smiled. "Also, I noticed you didn't talk about being in the wizarding section of this city much, and mum may not have asked why, but I want to know."
This was going to be very hard to tell her. It felt too much like an excuse when he said, "That explanation would take a lot longer than a couple of minutes."
She did not look pleased. "In that case," she said, "You're giving it to me tomorrow. We can meet right here at 6:30."
Harry knew better than to argue. "All right, then. I'll try to explain it as best I can." That was as much as easily came to him then. "Let's go back."
Ron didn't say anything when they returned. Harry was very grateful for that. They were all of them maybe a little too tired to talk anyway. Instead they just stood there until Hermione and Mrs. Weasley returned, looking a bit peaked up, but a bit more pleased. "Arthur and I have a few ideas," she said. "We'll talk further about it in the morning."
After that, they all went up to their own rooms pretty quickly. Harry had no idea if Mrs. Weasley had any knowledge of Ron and Hermione sharing a room without he himself in it, but he sure wasn't going to tell her if she didn't. He tried to sleep immediately, he really did. Once he'd gazed at the map enough, he finally managed it.
He'd figured that Ginny, at least, wouldn't show up in a state to complain about his. Sure enough, she was a t-shirt he knew she'd had since she was at least fourteen and a long skirt with a visible patch in it, hair brushed but loose. He had never seen her like this much, even when they'd first dated. But he kind of liked it.
She was a little stiff, though, as she sat down in the chair nearest to him, which was still a few feet away, and right now that felt like a lot further. Biting back a reaction to that, he asked, "How are you?"
For a moment she didn't respond, and he even wondered if she'd heard him; those blokes in the suits were still yammering away. Then she said, "I think you're the one who needs to answer that question honestly. Or at least give me that explanation we didn't have time for last night for why you've been keeping to Muggle Brisbane."
"All right. We only went into wizarding Brisbane early in our stay here, because of..." Harry looked anxiously at the men, reminding himself they probably weren't paying attention to them. "Well," he started. "First I ended up having Hermione's parents look at my teeth..." Going through the whole story seemed to confuse her at first, but Harry found it cleared his mind a little, to have to order and string all the events together enough to explain them. And by the time he was done, Ginny was nodding.
"I remember," she said, "when the whole thing with the diary happened...well, at first I pretty much felt okay. Mostly just relieved, because I'd been so scared, you know. Sometimes when I woke up in the morning, I had serious trouble reminding myself the whole thing was over, but it never lasted too long after I got up.
Except then I went home, and I don't know what it even was. Maybe it was that I had less to do, or maybe it was that that was where the whole thing started, or maybe it was even that home didn't seem as secure as Hogwarts-but I wasn't safe from it at Hogwarts either, so I don't know. The feeling of being scared when I woke up came back. I almost didn't get my homework done that summer, because there were weeks when I couldn't bring myself to touch a book. What I got to writing down, I took to rechecking after a few days, just to make sure it hadn't changed.
And then, there was this morning where Fred and George sneaked up on me...I don't even remember exactly what they did anymore. But mum and dad had to pull me off them. I gave Fred a black eye." Her voice cracked a little then, probably out of grief.
"It wasn't okay, of course, what I did, and what you did wasn't okay either. But..." She sighed. "I think it happens sometimes. And it did get better for me, eventually. Well, mostly."
"Wait a minute," said Harry, as one memory came vividly back to him. "That time you really didn't want to go to the library, even though we both had essays due the next morning..."
She nodded. "It was one of those days. They're very rare, now, but they do still happen. But I never attacked anyone again, after that morning with Fred and George. There were a few times where I actually managed to stop myself, but I think that did go away eventually."
Harry did now remember how, from the start, Ginny had always been aggressive during DA practices. He hadn't thought anything of it back then.
"You think I'm always going to be a little like this?" he asked her, suddenly feeling timid. Maybe she wouldn't want him again after all.
"Maybe," she said. "But maybe if we can keep ourselves from hurting anyone else, and we can be happy a lot of the time-because I have been, Harry, I can say that-then it's...well, not *not* all right."
Harry tried to stop himself, but it came out anyway: "So you mean, the two of us, together?"
Ginny nodded, very solemn. "I'd been thinking this already, but after hearing about this, I want the two of us to be there for each other. For this, and for everything else, too. I want to be there when you're feeling bad, and then I want to still be there when you're feeling better. I want to be there when you become an Auror-for real, not just honourary-and I'd like it if you were there when I hopefully make my professional debut as Chaser."
"Oh, I absolutely want to be there for that," said Harry, and he couldn't stop the smile. "And if you have more of those bad days, I want to be there to help with that, and when you can smile again I want to see that, and I hope I can make you more happy than sad."
"Agreed, then," said Ginny, and she reached out and took his hand. Neither moved to kiss the other, but they didn't really have to.