Title: Adrift
Summary: It was supposed to be the perfect holiday, but a tragic accident plunges Harry and Hermione adrift in to a new, uncertain life.
Rating: PG-13 for language and adult themes
Authors Notes: I'm back and I'm actually early!!! Not really much to say here, just a huge thanks to those who are reviewing- you make my day!!!
FIFTEEN
Harry and Hermione were both sitting in the kitchen when Neville appeared in the fireplace. They'd both had a horrendous day at work, fighting off the rumours. They had separately sent out a statement that the report was entirely false.
Neville's appearance shocked them at first, until he started to speak.
'I've just had James in here,' he said and then ran through the conversation they'd had. Harry swore under his breath and Hermione went pale.
'Should we come up there and talk to all the kids?' Hermione asked. Neville shook his head.
'I think that this guy from the paper is thinking you'll do that,' he said grimly. 'I've had reports that he's staying in Hogsmeade. Obviously waiting for you to appear. And if you both come to talk to your kids, he'll write a new story that you've come clean to the children about their new family life.'
Harry was amazed at how easily Neville could come to the same conclusion as Harry had. He hadn't told Hermione that he'd dispatched two Auror's to follow Meyer's and find out everything they could from his past. They had reported to him that afternoon that they had tracked him to Hogsmeade and Harry had immediately known what he was planning.
'So,' Neville said, a small grin on his face. 'Is there any truth to any of this?'
'Of course not,' Hermione snapped. 'My husband died almost 5 months ago, I'm not going to move onto his best friend and brother in law.'
'Just thought I'd check,' Neville said apologetically. 'Look, I'll get all the kids up here tomorrow. You can speak to them all at once, or just to your own. But you need to speak to them as soon as possible.'
Neville left the fireplace then and they both took their seats at the table again. Harry summoned a bottle of Firewhiskey and poured himself a generous amount.
'Why did he have to publish this today?' he wondered out loud. 'Why not Saturday or Sunday? It would have been easier to deal with then.'
'Because he's a twerp,' Hermione said. 'Why didn't you tell me you recognised the photographer?'
'Because I hoped it would be nothing,' Harry sighed. 'I hoped he hadn't gotten anything too good and that something else would take precedence. Obviously not.'
'I guess we just have to ride this storm out,' she said as Harry finished his Firewhiskey and poured another.
~*~
By the end of that week the storm had passed. To everyone's relief, one of the members of an up and coming band had been caught in a compromising position with his step-mother and by the following weekend, it was all everyone could talk about.
They had separately spoken to their children and assured them that it was all lies and that nothing was going on. James had been fairly silent throughout the chat with his father, but Harry was so used to that now that it didn't even bother him.
It was Sunday night and Hermione was in the drawing room watching as the sun was slowly setting. She'd finished all the work she'd bought home with her for the weekend and it was whilst she was relaxing with one of the many books that could be found around Grimmauld place that she realised that she hadn't seen Harry since dinner on Friday night. It amazed her that she could go several days without seeing him. But she was staying up late, working and sleeping late in the morning. It was easy enough to miss each other, if he left late and came home even later.
Despite what he had said at their dinner the previous week, she was starting to worry about him. The night that the story about them had come out, she had found him still at the kitchen table the next morning with two empty bottles of Firewhiskey. And she knew he was frequenting the Leaky Cauldron a lot. It had been worrying her for a while now.
She sighed heavily and put her book down. As if on cue, the front door opened and closed and she heard heavy footsteps on the stairs. She hadn't lit any lamps yet and she watched from the darkness as Harry stumbled past the door. She waited and then followed and watched him make his way up to the top floor and into the room he was using as his bedroom.
She didn't mention this to Harry and he never said anything to her either. It made her sad to think that he couldn't come to her. She felt guilty too. Was it her presence and trying to make her feel better that had made him go down this path?
They went about their lives as they had done and on Wednesday, Hermione received an urgent memo from Kingsley, requesting her presence immediately.
'What's up?' she asked as she closed the door to his office and took a seat.
'Boone Campbell, our ambassador in Australia has quit,' Kingsley explained. 'Effective of the 1st of September.'
'Why so much notice?'
'Because he knows how long it can take to fill an ambassador's position permanently.'
'And how long is it exactly?' Hermione asked.
'It can take up to a year,' Kingsley sighed. 'We can get people to relieve in the role, but a permanent ambassador has to be approved by the country they will be residing in. And that process can take a while, depending on the country. Australia, thank heavens, is pretty quick. But from when he departs in September it will be at least Christmas before the permanent person can be fully approved and start.'
'And why are you telling me this?' Hermione enquired.
'Because the person who takes the role cannot act in the role whilst they're going through the approval process,' Kingsley explained. 'Now I've got someone in mind for the job on a permanent basis, but I need someone that I could send for those few months after Boone leaves.'
'And that's why you summoned me,' Hermione filled in the blanks.
'I know it's a big ask,' Kingsley looked at her with concern. 'But I know in the time period in question, the children will be at school. And I think it would do you good to do something different for a while.
'I'll have to think about it,' she said thoughtfully. 'And discuss this with the children. When do you need to know.'
'I hate to put pressure on you,' he said, looking slightly worried. 'But I need to know by the end of the week.'
~*~
Hermione went home early that day. Instead of returning to Grimmauld Place, she went to her own house. She had made a point of returning at least once a week, to keep it looking habited so that Rose and Hugo wouldn't suspect that she hadn't been living there.
She wandered through the hallways and rooms, using her wand to clear dust and cobwebs and thought about the offer that had been made to her. Long ago Kingsley had tried to get Hermione to take on a stronger role in international wizarding politics, but she had refused. She had been pregnant with Hugo at the time and she was hoping she could be the sort of mother who was around for her kids, even though she had to work.
Entering Ron's study she sat down in his chair and looked around. She didn't know why for so long she had refused to come in here. She had only dared to after the whole Prophet fiasco and she had found it oddly comforting to be surrounded by a room that was completely Ron. If it were possible for a room to be the embodiment of a person, this room was it for Ron.
This was only her third visit to the room and she hadn't yet touched anything in it. It still felt too raw to even think about touching and moving his things. She knew she wouldn't be able to do it for a long time. But she also knew now that it was ok to not do it. You didn't have to remove the person from your life completely. Everyone was full of advice on what was best to do, but most of those people had never been in her shoes. And she was dealing a lot better now.
And so she sat, staring out the window over the immaculate gardens, thinking about the offer Kingsley had made her. She knew that Rose and Hugo would be fine if she went- they would be in school, after all, and Harry was around if they needed something urgently.
Harry.
Hermione sighed as she thought of him. Over the last few days, she had been thinking about what he had said at dinner, and also thinking about things he had done. And she had realised, to her shock, that for the first time since November she wasn't the one who needed caring for. It had also been a shock to her to realise how much she had been leaning on Harry, now that she didn't need him so much.
It was Harry who needed caring for now. And it was she that he would need to lean on. She had run into Hannah in Diagon Alley just that morning and Hannah had expressed her concern over Harry and his habits at the Leaky Cauldron.
'He's in the Cauldron every day,' Hannah had told her. 'He comes in every afternoon, about an hour before most people at the Ministry finish. And lately he's started to come in at lunch.'
Hermione had known since Kingsley had spoken to her that Harry would take the news hardest. And it was Harry she was most worried about talking too.
It was dark when she finally decided to go back to London. She decided to use the Floo and when she arrived in the kitchen of Grimmauld place, she went to the cupboard where they kept the clothes brush.
Opening the cupboard, she stared in shock. She hadn't used the Floo into Grimmauld place for a while, so hadn't needed the clothes brush. But the small cupboard was full of empty bottles. Firewhisky, mead and butterbeer. She couldn't even see the clothes brush.
She closed the cupboard and took a deep breath. She was going to have to say something now.
If Harry came home.