Hi everyone,

this is the new story I had told you about. Its completely hot off the press, as all my other stories have already been written, but this one is so new you are getting it, as I write it.

Hope you enjoy it.

By the way, this story has my favourite person Sirius, dead, boo hoo, I know I usually never have him dead but he needed to be to get Harry in the frame of mind that he was in. Hope that make sense.

Sirius xoxo

Chapter 1

Hermione sat down at her favourite cafe, it overlooked Sydney Harbour. She was waiting for her best friends to join her, she had rung them and told them it was urgent she speak to them this morning. The waiter came over and refilled Hermione's tea.

"Thanks Mitch, you are too sweet."

"Anything for you, Miss Granger." Mitch nodded and walked away to tend to other patrons. Hermione was well known in Australia. She had come out here after the war to find her parents. She had some serious work to do with re-modifying their memories, but after some very intricate spells she had her parents back to normal. The spell was so hard because Hermione didn't want them to forget the experiences they had in Australia, but she needed to clear the fake memories away and replace them with the real ones which included their only daughter.

Robert and Ellen Granger had established a successful dental practise in Milson's Point and had a lovely home there. Hermione decided to stay with her parents as Milson's point was also a wizarding village. The large homes with the ornate fireplaces act as a cover for the floo network. The shops were a front for Waratah Alley, which was the equivalent of Diagon alley in London and they sold everything all witches and wizards needed. Obviously such an exclusive area also housed many muggles, hence Robert and Ellen's successful business, but muggles seemed to steer away from the magical areas.

Hermione had a year off from studying and then joined the Auror ranks in Australia, her reputation proceeded her and she passed with flying colours. To date, she is the only person to complete five years worth of study in three. She has been on numerous missions, too many to count and has a high success rate. She single-handedly defeated many up and coming dark lords, those ones she laughed at. None of these morons could come close to the events that she had experienced with the downfall of Lord Voldemort. These people were child's play for her and she brought them down swiftly and accurately.

Hermione sat and watched the many boats sail up and down the harbour, she looked over at her boat, Consisus Viscus, and smiled. It was small, compared to the others, but James convinced her to buy it and since she had inherited quite a bit money from when her father died from a heart attack, she decided a little indulgence wouldn't hurt.

She let out a deep sigh as she heard her best friend approaching. She turned around and saw both of them both walking down the King Street Wharf.

She laughed.

They were arguing again, they always argued those two, and now they approached the table. Victoria sat down with a plomp in her chair.

"Hermione, would tell my idiot boyfriend that I have to go on this mission." Victoria was dragging her into this, again.

"Tori, you know I am not getting in the middle of this. Edward, how are you?" Edward leaned down and kissed her on the cheek and took his seat. He looked around for Mitch and waved him over.

Victoria Chan and Edward Parker had met Hermione at Auror training in the first year and they had all remained close ever since. Edwards parents were also muggles which meant he and Hermione had a lot in common. Victoria was a pure blood and was probably one of the nicest people you could ever meet. She was there for Hermione when she had no one and they grew very close over the years. Since Hermione finished her training so early she was actually their superior, but they didn't have a problem with that, they loved her like a sister. Mitch walked over and had their usual drinks ready.

"Mitch my man, you deserve a pay rise," Edward said as he took a sip of his short black coffee. Victoria thanked Mitch for her cafe latte and handed him her credit card.

"It's OK Miss Chan, Miss Granger has already paid for your coffee and breakfast." Hermione smiled and Victoria looked at her with a scowl.

"Don't look at me like that, you paid the last three times and do I need to remind you I earn more than you?"

"Ha ha very funny Hermione, I am not falling for that money one, I know you still have bills to pay so next time its my shout ok?" Hermione nodded and Mitch brought over the big breakfast she ordered. Edward stuck into his and Victoria looked at Hermione, "You would think I don't feed him, wouldn't you?"

"It's OK I remember when he bunked at my place, he nearly ate me out of house and home."

"OH come on !!" Edward looked hurt.

"Come on Eddie, you know we love you?" Hermione threw a chip at him.

"OK my friend, spill, what's the go with the early morning visit, and where's James, still in bed I suppose?"

"Yeah, unbelievable how one person can sleep so much, anyway not complaining, at least when he is asleep, we are not arguing!"

"Its OK everything will work out, it's just a stage, try not to worry so much."

"Well actually he isn't the reason I called you this morning, I needed to talk to you both." Hermione paused and even Edward stopped eating at the seriousness in her voice.

"What's up Mione, another case that you want us on?"

"Not exactly, we are expecting some dignitaries from London and I will need some help getting things organised for it."

"Oh cool, I thought it was serious." Edward went back to his bacon and eggs. Victoria's eyebrows knitted together and was still looking at Hermione. There was more to this than she was letting on.

She waited patiently and when it looked like Hermione wasn't going to spill, she pushed.

"Come on Hermione, I have known you for what, 7 years? You can't fool me, what is really up with this visit?"

Hermione looked at Victoria and admired her tenacity, she really was a brilliant Auror. She was also beautiful and as distasteful as it sounds, she used her looks on many occasions to get the death eaters where she wanted them. They both did what they had to.

The one thing that was completely striking about her appearance was her jet black long hair. It went down past her bottom and was perfectly straight, like something you would see in a shampoo commercial. Her skin was alabaster and with the striking contrast with her hair and her huge brown eyes, she was stunning. It probably helped that her father was of Asian descent and her mother was Australian, so she got the best from both of them.

Edward was also quite good looking, he was tall and had golden brown, messy hair with deep blue eyes. He was really well built, probably all the training, and was six foot tall. He towered over Victoria, who was only 5ft 2.

"Hello Hermione, what has your knickers in a knot?"

"OK I think I had better tell you why I came out to Australia from London..... the real reason." Victoria put her fork down and looked at Edward who had also stopped eating.

They both looked at each other and then back to Hermione and got comfortable for the story they had been waiting to hear for 7 long years.

"It had been a long battle but it wasn't close to being over. Harry and I had become shag buddies through the war. It started when Ron left us when we were looking for the Horcruxes and we both needed something that the other could provide.

I needed to feel someone was with me, that I wasn't fighting this war alone. Harry needed to feel alive, not like the dead soul he had become. It was awkward at first but then it became second nature.

We started off doing it when we needed it, like after a particular hard day or a stressful part of the mission. Then it moved to once a week but then as the urgency grew, so did our needs and it became nightly, sometimes twice a day. Harry didn't bother making a separate bed for himself, he knew he would end up in my bed anyway. This continued for months and months and even when the war was over, we somehow stayed together.

At first, we sneaked around but after Harry started going out with Ginny again, I thought it was over, especially since we all lived at the Weasley's. One night I was sitting in my room, when Harry barged in through the door. He turned and placed a complicated locking and silencing spell on it and flew into my arms, that night the sex was fast, furious and rough. We had done it so many times by now it didn't matter to me anymore, we knew each other intimately and knew what the other needed or wanted. It was a night of need and passion. Harry never said anything during our escapades, and except for some grunts and moans, I never said anything either. I knew when I woke in the morning, Harry would be gone, until the next time.

Maybe that night woke something in me, I don't know, but I realised we couldn't keep doing this. The Weasley's were like Harry's family and I was threatening to break that up. Harry had lost everyone, his parents, Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Oh Merlin, everyone.

I don't know, maybe I got bitten by a conscious bug, but all of a sudden I couldn't do it anymore.

I realised something that night. I was in love with Harry Potter and I had to let him go.

How in the fucking hell did that happen?

Well I had two options didn't I, either tell Harry to piss off the next time he came knocking or I had to move away.

It didn't matter anyway because for some reason Harry didn't come back to me, the first couple of nights were ok, my resolve was still strong, but after the first week I needed him. Then two weeks, three weeks and it got to the stage where he wouldn't even make eye contact with me. I decided to approach him one night to try and salvage what was left of our friendship and I found him downstairs in the lounge room, alone.

I walked up to him and waited for him to acknowledge my presence, he did and with three little words, my heart was broken. YOU. SHOULD. GO.

That was it, he said it all in those three words, I was planning on telling him that I loved him and to come with me, here to Australia, to get my parents and then to start again, together. You should go. That's all he said to me and it was those three words that killed me. After a week of crying myself to sleep and being as sick as a dog, I decided it was better for me to leave, just go and start again, alone.

I announced that I would be leaving the following week and I wasn't coming back. Ginny seemed happy, no surprise there, Ron and the rest of the Weasley's were sad but Harry said nothing. I made sure I gave him plenty of opportunities to talk to me, but nothing. He didn't even acknowledge that I was alive.

The following week passed quickly, and I went into Diagon Alley on my last day as I wanted to say bye to some friends from school and on the way back I went past the Healers. I needed something to stop the vomiting, I waited for my turn and finally I walked in and laid down on the bed. She ran her wand over me and told me I was pregnant, 5 weeks to be exact. I knew it was Harry's, I had never slept with anyone else, ever. I also knew what night it was, it was that last night of passion. I was so excited, I knew he would want to be a family now and I left feeling the best I had in years, then the cold truth slapped me in the face.

He didn't want me before without any strings attached, why would he want me now with strings attached.

I walked home in the rain and the weather seemed to match my desolate mood. I packed my bags and left a note for everyone, since it was a day earlier and I left. I have never stepped foot back on London ground since."

"So my friends, that's the real story of why I came out here, I had James and I have never looked back."

"Oh Merlin, I didn't know Hermione, you never said anything." Edward was shocked and reached for Hermione's hand, instead she reached into her bag and took out a cigarette. He looked at Victoria and raised his eyebrows. As long as he had known Hermione, she had never smoked for personal reasons. She had to sometimes when she was in character for work but never like this.

"Hermione, is there more?" Victoria waited patiently, she knew her best friend very well.

"He is coming out here, to our office, to see our work. Apparently there have been some huge cases that we have cracked that the London Aurors haven't been able too and Harry has been sent out here to see our work, so the King Shit that he is, can go home and train his precious little men." Hermione pulled back on her cigarette and blew the smoke away from her guests.

"Umm, Mione did you ever tell him he was a father?" Edward asked sheepishly.

"Yep, tried too."

"What and he didn't offer any support for you?" Victoria was shocked.

"No actually, he never read my letters, I got them back saying return to sender, not known by the recipient. How's that for a smack in the face hey? I thought after almost a year he would at least answer my owl, James was only a few weeks old and I felt I owed him at least another note, but after I got that one back, no more, I gave up and decided I would bring up my son without him."

Victoria and Edward were shocked, they couldn't believe the pain their friend had gone through and alone, she was such an amazing person. She had brought James up to be a wonderful child and they loved their Godson very much.

"Hermione, you don't have to do this, Jones can send you on a mission, surely he would help you out. He has been after your arse for so long just batter your eyelids and get your way girl." Edward was trying to help but he had no idea how much sway the great Harry Potter had in the wizarding world, probably the same amount that she had in Australia actually.

"Sounds good Eddie, but unfortunately his high almighty put in this request ages ago so we would all be here, we have been asked for by name." Victoria thought this might have been the case since these three had become nearly as famous as the original trio. Their names were well known all over the world and they had not lost a case to date.

"OK next question, what are you going to tell James? He looks so similar to Harry, it won't be easy to hide." Victoria was thinking sensibly.

"He is going to the Gold coast to visit all the theme parks with Grandma and his friend Thomas. An all expense paid holiday made it easy to win over Thomas' mum, Julia."

Hermione smiled and realised how much better she felt that her two best friends knew her deepest secret. It had been a burden on her shoulders for years and now she felt free.

"So Mione is Harry married?"

"No idea, I never opened any letters from England, I had them all destroyed. I didn't want to dwell on that part of my life and knowing Ginny Weasley, she probably had him hitched the minute I left."

Victoria looked at Edward and he seemed to realise what she knew already.

Their best friend, Hermione Granger, was still in love with Harry Potter.