Disclaimer: I don't own it. I own the plot, though.
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"Harry?"
"Yeah, Ron?"
"Did you break up with Ginny?"
"Yeah."
There was a pause.
"Why?"
"She only liked me as a friend."
Ron just stood there, dumbfounded, mouth furiously working as if looking for the right words to say. Finally, he said, "Is she out of her bloody mind, or are you?"
Harry looked up at him from his book, `The Tales of Beadle the Bard'. "What are you talking about?" he asked, although he already knew what he was about to say.
"You already know what I'm about to say." Yelled an annoyed Ron, echoing Harry's thoughts. "You dumped my sister, even though she was madly in love with you for seven years-"
"She wasn't," said Harry casually, looking back to the book. "She was in love with the Boy-Who-Lived, but she only liked me, Harry, as a friend, so we broke up."
Ron's ears turned red, the first sign of Weasley temper emerging. "I should hit you, you bloody-"
"And besides, she already has a boyfriend." Harry said, still not feeling angry, but instead, bored with the conversation.
"She-she what?"
"She has-" he turns the page, "a boyfriend. She started dating him while were gone. We did break up at the end of last year, you know. We just made it permanent this morning."
Ron had a gobsmacked expression on his face this time, seeing Harry talk so casually about his ex-girlfriend's love-life. He really need to stop jumping to conclusions. Finally he asked, "Who is he?"
"Jonathan Turner. Have you heard of him?"
"N-no. But still, you may have broken up with her, but technically, she still cheated on you. As her brother and as your best mate, I'm gonna have to do something about that."
"Ron, don't-"
"What, you don't want me to get her to take me to that Turner bloke's house and…well," he pulls his wand out of his pocket and starts twirling it between his fingers, "talk to him."
Harry smirked. "Well, if you want to…but ask her if he was fighting with us at Hogwarts. If he did, don't do anything to him. At least she chose someone brave. You didn't hear this from me, though. She'll be mad at me for telling you, and since she's gotten over the crush, I'm in danger of facing the Bat-Bogey Hex that everyone's afraid of."
Ron smirked, too. "You wouldn't be the same ever again if you get hit by her hex. Alright, I agree with you. I'll do that a little later, though. Mum's out of her mind. She keeps staying in her room, doing something. Not even dad knows what she's doing, but he reckons she's grieving. She always wanted you to be her son." Ron's smirk faded a little. Harry didn't notice. He was thinking about something he had remembered when Ron said `Mum'. Then Harry remembered.
"Ron, let's go talk to Hermione."
"Why?"
"I just remembered something about what we're gonna have to do next."
Ron looked at him in shock. "What the bloody hell are you talking about?"
"What's going on?"
They turned to see Hermione in the doorway. "Sorry, Harry, about Ginny. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay," he waved his hand like it was something unimportant, "but I just remembered…We have to go to Australia."
"Australia? What's in-?" Realization struck Hermione like a Bludger to the head. "My parents! I…I forgot all about them! I'm a terrible daughter!" She said restlessly.
"Hermione, I think it was safe to say that we had other things on our minds." Harry said as he walked over and put an arm around her shoulders, and a warmth filled Hermione. "And if it makes you feel better, they don't remember you either."
That got a smile out of Hermione. "You're right, but still, it's been a whole week. I need to go soon to pick them up. I need to pack, get a plane ticket, possibly sunscreen-"
"Hermione," Harry asked, now removing his arm from her, "what is with the singular sentences? We're going with you, you know."
Hermione's eyes widened. "Harry, I'm not asking you guys to go to another country!"
"I know you're not gonna ask us, we're just telling you we're going. You have been following me around for the past year, it's only right. We're in this together, remember?" Harry turns to Ron. "Right, Ron?"
Ron was staring at Harry and Hermione the whole time. If Ron was in Harry's place, he would have said `Are you sure you want to go by yourself?' and `Alright, I hope you can find them soon. I heard it's a big island.'
But not only has he comforted her, he assured her that he was going with her to another country, just to find her parents and come back. That is what Ron called fierce loyalty. He's done that to Harry many times before, but he doesn't remember showing loyalty to Hermione. That again made him think about his feelings for Hermione. Back at the Yule Ball, Harry supported Hermione; he even said `I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum.'
But he, Ron, had rowed with her on her special night. Harry trusted her, but Ron didn't, thinking she was `fraternizing with the enemy' and `helping Vicky with the egg'. Ron knew now that the only reason he had that row with her was because he was jealous. But he knew he had 2 months to ask her to the Ball. All around, he was an ignorant, stupid, and selfish git.
No matter how much he hates to admit it, Hermione and Harry make the perfect couple, even if they'll always be a couple of friends. He knew that now and made sure that they'll always stay friends. It was a stupid Horcrux that said it out loud, that Ron loved Hermione. But she deserves better. She deserved someone who acknowledges her. She deserved someone who can comfort her, support her, and not row with her on a daily basis. And he knew who she liked more, even if she kissed Ron. She likes Harry.
Although he very much doubted Harry would ever like her that way, since she is definitely more of a motherly figure to Harry than dating material. He wondered that if Harry finally tells Hermione that he wants to be `just friends,' she'll settle for Ron. He hopes Harry would do that soon.
He shook his head from his thoughts. "Of course," Ron said immediately. "I've always wanted to go to Austria."
"Australia, Ron." Hermione instinctively lectured, confirming Ron's thoughts of her being more of a motherly figure. "It's a continent, country, and an island in the south. It's the only place that's all three-in-one. That's why I chose Australia, because it's so unique."
Harry asked, "So, when do you want to leave?"
"Well, I guess I have to leave in a day or two."
"Well I'll get the tickets, but you said something about sunscreen?"
"You don't know what sunscreen is?"
Harry furrowed his brow. "Is it that white stuff Aunt Petunia puts all over Dudley when they go to the beach?"
"We're going to the beach?" Ron asked.
"Probably not, but Australia is pretty hot this time of year. Do you guys have any swimming trunks?"
While Harry said `No', Ron asked what swimming trunks were.
"Honestly, Ron, I found out about wizards when I was 11, and I know a lot about magic. Why can't you learn about muggles?"
"I don't know…magic is easier."
"You need to at least learn the basics. The flight from London to Australia when I took my parents there is twenty-one hours!"
"What!" yelled Ron. "I have to sit on a plane…a plane filled with muggles…no magic…at all?"
"Is there something wrong with muggles, Ron?" Hermione asked in a tone that would make McGonagall proud.
"No!" Said Ron, taking a step back. "I'm just saying they might see me use magic."
"You won't be able to use magic, anyway." Hermione said going over to Harry's bed and sitting down. "You have to put it in the luggage bag that will go in another part of the plane. Otherwise, they'll think it's a weapon."
"N-no magic…for twenty-one bloody hours. I'd rather go there on a Hungarian Horntail. Wait!" said Ron as he snapped his fingers. "Can't we get an international Portkey?"
Harry walked over to his bed, sat down on the floor and leaned into the side of the bed next to Hermione. "Don't you think the Ministry's still a little too busy? They're having Death Eater trials all this week. We haven't seen Kingsley, being the minister and all, so he won't be able to get one for us. I've never been on an airplane before. Might be as fun as flying a broomstick, I reckon."
"I need to write a list. We also need earplugs if this is your first time on a plane. Ron, too. I'm going to go grab some parchment." She stood up and ran from the room.
"It's about time we got a vacation without running for our lives, eh, Ron? Ron?"
"I can't do it."
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Should I explain for Ron? We know he's full of temper and is afraid of living like a muggle, even if it is for forty-two hours in total. And can you really see Ron being quiet for twenty-one hours on a plane? With Hermione? The plane would go down with a hex attack, most likely.
And I did do a little research, and found out that the trip from London to New Zealand is roughly a twenty hour plane ride.
Once again, please Read and Review.
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