A/N: Thanks for the reviews - keep `em coming. Harry and Hermione are finally in Australia, and far away from the redheads!
The Aftermath - Chapter 3
The flight to Kingsford Smith International Airport was Harry's first time traveling by airplane. His excitement died soon after when he realized that he would be stuck inside a large tube with wings for 13 hours, then a two hour layover in Singapore, plus another eight hours until their final destination.
Hermione had become used to traveling by airplane with her parents, so she knew how to prepare. She brought a shawl, travel slippers, saline spray to keep her sinuses moist in the dry cabin air, bottled water, and extra snacks in case she or Harry got hungry in between meal times.
Being Hermione, she also brought plenty of reading material including a tourism guide to Sydney and Bondi Beach, a book on memory charms and some magazines from the airport newsstand. Because of their long flights, they were able to book reclining seats so they could sleep. Harry joked that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't like the fact that they were sleeping together, which earned him a sharp elbow in the ribs from his traveling companion.
After their plane landed and they retrieved their luggage (Hermione also placed a magical tracking charm inside in case they got lost), they caught a taxi cab that would take them to their rented cottage near Bondi Beach. They arrived to their new home around 7PM Australian time.
They were renting from an old Jewish couple named Carl and Irene Leibowitz, who lived next door. Mrs. Leibowitz gave Harry and Hermione two sets of keys and gave them a tour of the house, which was tastefully decorated and clean. It appeared to be very close to the photos that Hermione had seen online but she did notice one notable difference.
"I thought the bedrooms would be on opposite sides of the house?"
"Oh, yes, technically the place has three bedrooms - the last people who stayed here wanted to turn the other bedroom into a home office," Irene explained. "It also works better because there is only one bathroom and these bedrooms are across the hall from the bathroom. I hope it's not a problem, dear?"
"Oh, no, it's no problem," Hermione said not wanting to make a fuss.
"Well, I hope you two enjoy your stay here in Bondi Beach. Please feel free to give me or Carl a ring if you need anything. There is a bus stop down the street that should take you to the beach or into town. It runs about every half hour until midnight."
"Thank you, Mrs. Leibowitz."
"You can call me Irene, dear. We'll be neighbors after all."
"Mrs., I mean Irene, I wanted to ask you a question. Do you know a Monica and Wendell Wilkins?"
"Why, yes I do, they are dentists. Carl had a dental emergency a couple of months ago, one of his crowns broke and a friend recommended he see Dr. Wilkins. When I went to pick him up, I met Mrs. Wilkins who was covering the reception desk. She seems like a nice lady."
Irene paused. "Are they relatives of yours, if I may ask? Mrs. Wilkins has similar hair to yours."
"Oh, they're friends of my parents," Hermione said briskly, shaking her head. "We are hoping to pay them a visit while we are here."
"Let me run into the house, I think I still have an appointment card with their address and phone," Irene said as she went out through the kitchen door.
Hermione's heart sped up in anticipation.
"That was a stroke of luck, that Mrs. Leibowitz knows your parents, Hermione," Harry said excitedly.
"Yes, isn't it?" she agreed. "I'm glad I picked this place - I just had a feeling about it when I saw it online. It's really nice, isn't it?"
"Yeah but why did you ask about the bedroom placement?" Harry asked teasingly. "Does it bother you that I'll be sleeping right next door to you? Won't be able to keep your hands off me?"
Hermione turned around, with he arms crossed and a stern look on her face. "Harry, will you stop that?"
"Stop what?"
"Making these jokes about our sleeping arrangements!"
"Well, I thought it was funny, given what Mrs. Weasley said," Harry shrugged.
"Harry, the joke is just getting old, okay? And I thought we weren't going to mention the Weasleys!"
"Sorry, I thought we were still allowed to talk about their mum," Harry apologized. "I didn't mean to offend you, Hermione."
"I know, I'm sorry, I think I'm just jetlagged and hungry. Once Mrs. Leibowitz gets back, let's take a bus into town for dinner and some grocery shopping."
Soon enough, Irene returned with an old appointment card from the office of Wendell and Monica Wilkins DDS. The card had their address and phone number, with office hours.
"Here you go, dear. Is there anything else I can get you?'
"Can you recommend any good restaurants in town? Harry and I are pretty hungry."
"Carl and I don't go out to eat that much but we like Café Bondi on O'Brien Street, it's very casual and they have a large menu with generous portions. It gets pretty crowded but since you'll be going later, you shouldn't have a problem."
"Thanks, sounds good."
They took a bus into town and went to Café Bondi. Irene was correct, they had a large menu and the portions were big. Harry ordered the fish and chips and Hermione ordered a chicken salad. After filling their bellies, they went to a nearby supermarket to fill up on basics for their refrigerator.
On the bus back to their cottage, Hermione looked out the window and thought about the days ahead. She was filled with a mixture of excitement and dread in seeing her parents again.
"You're awfully quiet," Harry commented.
"Just tired," she replied.
"So what are the plans for tomorrow?"
"I'm thinking about making an appointment to get my teeth cleaned."
"And?"
"Well, I'm not just going to sit in the dentist chair and wave my wand around and say "Poof, I've restored your memories, here I am!" Hermione whispered, making sure that other passengers didn't hear her.
"Of course not," Harry agreed. "I think it's a good idea for you to see them again, test the waters. Are you going to use an alias?"
"No, I'm using my real name. They wouldn't recognize it anyway."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"Oh, you don't have to Harry. You should go to the beach and relax while you are here. I know you came to help me out, but you should also spend some time thinking about your future."
"I appreciate that, Hermione. But just say the word and I'll come with you if you need."
Hermione smiled at Harry, grateful for his company. "Thanks for coming with me, Harry."
He returned her smile. "You're welcome."
The next day, Hermione called her parents' office to make an appointment. She spoke with a receptionist who told her that they were booked up today but would be available tomorrow. So she made an appointment for a cleaning the following day and requested for either Dr. Wilkins to do the cleaning, rather than a hygienist. She knew that her parents were usually hands on with their patients, but just wanted to be sure that she would meet them.
She and Harry had the rest of the day to themselves, so they decided to visit the beach. It wasn't quite warm enough for bathing suits, so they decided just to take a walk and take in the views.
As they were leaving their cottage, Hermione noticed a young woman getting into a red convertible in front of the Leibowitz home. She waved them over, so they approached her.
"Hey there," she said cheerily. "I'm Lucy. My grandparents mentioned that they had some new tenants around my age so I wanted to say hello. I'm visiting them for a few weeks."
Hermione held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Hermione and this is Harry."
Lucy shook their hands while Harry noticed how pretty she was. She was tall and slender, with tanned skin and sleek blond hair that fell midway down her back. She was dressed in a snug t-shirt, jeans and flip-flops.
"Where are you off to today?" Lucy asked.
"Down to the beach and maybe go to Tamarama," Hermione replied.
"I was planning to meet some friends at the beach as well. Do you want me to give you a lift?"
Hermione was about to decline, but Harry jumped in and said, "That would be great, thanks."
Harry got in the front seat next to Lucy while Hermione, feeling a bit peeved, sat in the back.
"So, what brings you to Bondi?" Lucy asked, as she started the car and headed onto the road.
"Um, a little holiday," Hermione said briskly. "We had a very stressful year so we decided to come down here and relax."
"I know what you mean, I just finished my first year at the University of Melbourne, I'm pre-med. Do you two go to uni?"
"No," Harry said, not knowing what "pre-med" was but started thinking that university might be in his future. "We haven't graduated yet from school."
"Are you from England? I love your accent." Lucy asked.
"Thanks, I'm from Surrey and Hermione is from Oxford. Your accent is great, too."
"How long have you two been together?"
"You mean, Hermione and me?" Harry asked with a chuckle. "We're not together, we're just friends."
Upon hearing that, Hermione felt the pit of her stomach tense up. "Yeah, Harry and I have known each other for seven years - we're best friends."
"My boyfriend and I met each other on the first day of class and we were friends for six months before he asked me out."
Hermione cheered up a bit when she heard that Lucy had a boyfriend. "Oh, tell me about your guy, what is he like?"
"Ben's great - very smart, hard working and cute. I think he works a little too hard, but he's very ambitious. He wants to be a research scientist and find a cure for cancer. He lost his mum to breast cancer a few years ago. But he's also a musician, he plays guitar in a bar band with some of his mates."
"Is he here with you?"
"Not yet, he's coming next week for a visit. I can't wait to see him."
Hermione was staring at the back of Harry's head, the wind messing up his unruly hair even more. She would bet several galleons that he was frowning.
Lucy turned into a parking lot near Campbell Parade, which was the promenade at Bondi Beach.
"Well, here we are. Do you want to come with me and meet my friends?"
"Well, I'd love to meet some of your friends…are they girls?" Harry asked sheepishly.
"Well, unfortunately they're mostly guys." Lucy laughed. "I come here to watch them surf. I used to surf, but I injured my hip a few months ago, so I'm sitting this season out."
"You know, maybe another time." Hermione said. "Thanks for the ride, Lucy."
"Well, if you'd like a ride back, I plan to leave around 3 today."
"That would be nice of you, thanks. But if we're not here at 3 - don't wait for us, we can take the bus back."
"All right, see you later, or not. Have fun!" Lucy said, as she went off towards the sandy beach to find her friends.
Harry watched her go with regret while Hermione looked amused. "Disappointed, Harry?"
Harry sighed. "She's a pretty girl and I've had a rough year. Can't you give me a break?"
"Well, as you heard, she has a boyfriend and hangs around with surfer guys, so I think your search for a distraction to take your mind off things will have to wait."
"I suppose so," Harry agreed.
Harry and Hermione headed towards the hiking path that ran alongside the shore. They walked along together, talking and occasionally laughing. Hermione noticed couples walking past them holding hands. Although she had held Harry's hand many times, in this context and given the conversation they had with Lucy about their status, she felt it might make things awkward. So she ignored the occasional urge she had to grab his hand.
"So, what do you plan to do after we leave Australia?" Harry asked.
"We just got here!" Hermione exclaimed. "I need to focus on my parents first."
"I know, makes sense, I'm just wondering if you're planning to return to the wizarding world or live like a Muggle, and you know, go to university, like Lucy."
"Well, seeing as I don't even have a diploma from Hogwarts, university seems to be out of the question at the moment. Of course I would love to continue my education, but I'm not sure which world I want to live in. Both have their good points and bad. I guess I would like to be able to choose to live in both."
"Me, too." Harry agreed. "I used to hate living in the Muggle world, but that's because I was living with my aunt and uncle. But so far I am enjoying this. I don't mind riding the bus or sitting in car, even though I know I could travel much faster on my broom or by apparating. I also prefer muggle attire, especially on the opposite sex. Lucy was wearing the tightest t-shirt I've ever seen!"
"Yeah, it was pretty tight, but I think she enjoyed the way you looked at her, boyfriend or not."
"You think so?"
Hermione nodded. "You're a good looking bloke, Harry. Any girl would be flattered."
Harry laughed. "I don't think I've ever heard you refer to me as a bloke, Hermione. But I do remember when you told me I was more fanciable than ever."
"When did I say that?"
"You don't remember? It was at the beginning of 6th year when everyone was trying out for Quidditch and I didn't get why the team was so popular."
"Oh, I did say that, didn't I? But I turned out to be right - all those silly girls started following you around."
"Ah, yes, those were the days." Harry joked. "Where are those girls now?"
"Far away from here." Hermione said, staring at the ocean.
"You hungry?" Harry asked. "I think we've reached that food kiosk that you read about."
Sure enough, the Tamarama café was just up ahead. Harry and Hermione ordered some focaccia and tea and sat at a small table overlooking the beach. There was a photo session going on below with a couple of models wearing bikinis.
"I like the view." Harry said. "And the beach is nice, too."
Hermione laughed in spite of herself. Part of her was enjoying this lighter side of Harry. She always knew he had a good sense of humor, but it was often obscured by the darkness of his situation.
"Why do they bother with clothing at all, they should just be naked!" Hermione exclaimed when she saw how small their bathing suits were.
"I won't argue with you there." Harry chuckled. "Hey, would you ever wear anything that small, Hermione?"
Hermione shook her head. "I've worn a two piece when I summered with my parents in the South of France. But I looked like a nun compared to the women there - most of them go topless."
Harry nearly spit out his tea. "Are you serious? It's legal for them to walk around like that?"
"Of course, the French are much more relaxed about that kind of thing."
"Too bad you didn't send your folks to the South of France."
"Very funny, Harry." Hermione rolled her eyes. "I swear, I've never seen so much of this randy side to your personality."
"Well, I suppose it's because I had a psychopath chasing me for seven years. I didn't have much time to make sex jokes."
"No, that was Ron's job." Hermione said dryly.
"Hey, you mentioned Ron! You're breaking our pact!" Harry exclaimed. "You know, we should come up with some kind of punishment when one of us does that."
Hermione raised her eyebrow. "What kind of punishment?"
"I don't know. Maybe we owe each other money or something?"
"How about whoever mentions those who shall not be named has to pay for dinner?" Hermione suggested. "Since I was the offender, I will get the check our next meal."
"Sounds good to me," Harry agreed.
Hermione looked at her watch, it was almost three o'clock. "Well, it looks like we missed our ride back to the cottage."
"Wow, time flies, huh? I guess we were having fun."
"And we'll have more fun taking the bus. You know, I'm thinking it might be a good idea to rent a car."
"You drive, Hermione?"
"Yes, I got my license two years ago, although I haven't had much practice since. Maybe I should take a lesson or two while I'm here to brush up."
"Maybe I should take driving lessons, too. It looks like fun."
"Harry, driving isn't fun," Hermione admonished. "It's a responsibility to be taken seriously. It's not like a broom where you can go zipping off at whatever speed you want."
"Yes, Professor McGonagall!" Harry said. "I know it's a serious thing. What I meant about being fun is being able to come and go places without depending on the bus. Also, I don't think a Muggle girl would be impressed if I came to pick her up for a date and we took the bus."
"Unless she was an environmentalist, probably not," Hermione said, as she sipped the last of her tea. "Why don't we head back soon?"
"On foot or take the bus?"
"Why don't we just take the bus all the way back?"
They left the café and headed to their bus stop for a five minute wait. Once seated, Hermione looked out the window at the well appointed beach houses that lined the streets.
Harry yawned.
"Tired?"
"Yeah, I guess it's the sea air. But it's a good kind of tired."
"When we get back, why don't you take a nap and then we'll go to dinner?"
"Okay, but remember I get to pick and you're paying."
The next morning, Hermione woke up early for her appointment. She showered, dressed and ate breakfast before checking on Harry who was fast asleep in his room. She decided not to wake him and instead left a note that she was going to her dental appointment. Hermione insisted that she go alone to see her parents the first time, so Harry agreed.
The previous evening, they went back to Café Bondi for dinner and of course, Hermione paid. Harry offered to start cooking dinner for them, so they would save some money as Hermione planned to spend some money on brush up driving lessons and rent a car for their remaining time in Australia.
Hermione took the bus to her parents' office. It was about a mile from their cottage and was attached to large, modern looking house. As she approached their house, she felt very anxious. She had planned not to let on who she was this first time, but just to get a sense of who the Wilkins had become in the past year since she had last seen them.
She entered the office and a receptionist, a young woman with short, dark hair who looked to be in her mid twenties, greeted her warmly.
"Hi, I'm Cathy. Are you Hermione?"
Hermione nodded. "Yes, I'm Hermione Granger, I have a 9AM appointment for a cleaning."
"You are a new patient, so I will need you to fill out some paperwork, please."
Hermione sat down on one of the chairs in the waiting area and filled out the sheets. Once she was done she handed back the clipboard.
Cathy smiled at her. "Dr. Wilkins will be ready to see you shortly."
Hermione asked "Do you know which dentist I will be seeing?"
"You will be seeing Dr. Monica," Cathy replied. "You know, it's funny, you resemble her a bit. Is she a relative?"
Hermione shook her head, her heart beating fast in anticipation of seeing her mother. "Um, no, she isn't."
Hermione took her seat again, and picked up a gossip magazine and idly flipped through the pages.
A few minutes later, Cathy broke the silence. "Hermione, you can go in now."
Hermione stood up and took a deep breath and followed Cathy into one of the examination rooms. She got into the chair and Cathy placed a paper bib around her neck.
"Dr Wilkins will be right in," Cathy said as she left the room and went back to her post.
Hermione looked around the room, it looked almost identical to the exam rooms her parents had at their practice back home in England. The same posters were on the walls, and she also noticed a vase of lilies in the corner. Her mother always liked to have flowers around her at work.
A moment later, a slim woman in her late 40's came into the room. Her bushy brown hair (with some gray streaks) was up in a twist with a few tendrils loose around her face. She had an open, friendly face and greeted Hermione warmly.
"Hello, I'm Dr. Monica Wilkins," she said, holding out her hand.
"Hermione Granger," she managed to choke out, shaking her mother's hand.
"So I see you are here for a cleaning."
"Yes, it's been over a year since I had my teeth cleaned."
"You should really have a cleaning every six months, you know."
Hermione nodded. "I know, I've always had that done. My parents are dentists, too. It's just that I was so busy last year, I didn't make the time. However, I always brush twice a day and floss regularly."
"I see from your information that you are 18 - you must've just finished school?"
"Well, yes," Hermione lied.
"Are you off to university this fall?"
Hermione shook her head. "I'm not sure what I'm doing yet."
"I see, so you're taking some time off to travel? How are you liking Australia so far?"
"Well, I've only been here a few days, but it's beautiful."
"Yes, it is - my husband and I moved here from England a few years ago but we've had this practice for almost a year. We love it here, the weather is so much nicer."
"So you don't think you'd ever want to move back?"
"I doubt it," Monica said. "So why don't we get started with the cleaning? Let me know if the pressure is too much by raising your left hand."
Hermione opened her mouth to let her mother start cleaning her teeth. This was something she was used to as her parents used to take turns cleaning her teeth when she was younger. Her father would do it in January before she returned to school and her mother would do it in June, when she returned. So she was right on schedule.
The cleaning took about twenty minutes and after Hermione took her final rinse, her mother handed her a mirror.
"Well, your teeth are now clean, Hermione. You have very healthy teeth and gums. I always tell my patients at your age that it's imperative to keep up with your dental hygiene, especially when you are off a university or not around your parents who can remind you to brush and floss."
Hermione nodded. "I know. You don't have to worry, Dr. Wilkins."
"That's right, you did say your parents were dentists, didn't you? Where did they go to school?"
"Kings College."
"That's where Wendell, my husband and I met. What were your parents' names?"
"John and Elizabeth Granger."
"Hmmm, the names sound familiar but I can't seem to place them."
Hermione wondered if her memory charm was starting to wear off. Her mother was looking at her quizzically, as if she had a flash of recognition.
"You do look a little familiar to me, Hermione."
"I get that all the time," Hermione lied. "People say I remind them of their cousin or something."
"I get that, too," Monica agreed. "Well, in any case, it was nice to meet you and if you have any further dental needs while you're here in Bondi, please give us a call."
"Yes, I certainly will."
Hermione watched as her mother left the room with mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was relieved but on the other she was worried. She had no idea how or when it would be a good time to restore her parents' memories. Her mother seemed to be blissfully unaware that she was once Elizabeth Granger and had a daughter named Hermione.
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