Chapter 11

They had gone to Australia, and come home, her parents soon following. They were not angry with her per say, and when everyone got back to their house and settled in, Hermione had finished telling her parent everything they had not been told during her years at Hogwarts. Both parents decided to allow for her to go back with the Weasleys to the Burrow so she could keep up with the wizarding world. They would expect news from her, and would like her to come home sometime during the summer though, they said.

Ron brought Hermione back to the Burrow, and though much time was spent together between the trio, nothing serious was said. It was the calm quiet after the storm. They were happy. They had finished in a sense what they had started. It was time for them to be kids again and have no worries. But, that time could not last forever.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were sitting on the floor in Ron's bedroom, talking.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts next year," said Hermione.

"Well, that was pretty obvious," said Ron, laughing a bit, and he hadn't in weeks, so Harry and Hermione joined him.

"I'm not going back," Harry told them after a minute of laughter. And his tone was somber.

"I knew you wouldn't," Hermione said sadly to him, and she looked at him.

"Kingsley offered for us to become Aurors without finishing at Hogwarts. You could probably take the offer up with us, after finishing at Hogwarts." Ron asked.

"I will be doing the Auror training," Harry said slowly, "I don't think I would ever be able to not fight against the death eaters. It's just in me now."

"I won't, that's not what I want to do," Hermione replied. "I'm not that same as both of you, you love doing that, it's in you, ingrained in every fiber of your being. But I went along because you two were there, not because I had in me what you do. My bravery wasn't fueled by what yours was; mine is and will ever only be loyalty."

"I think we knew that, Harry and I." Ron stated, thoughtfully. "I'm going to take Kingsley up on his offer. But it is three years of training first, before we get to be full fledged Aurors. And while we are training, I will help George out in the store, he's going to need it."

"I think that's a wonderful plan, Ron," Hermione told him. "Auror training is lots of work, the two of you will have the next three years stock full."

"I think we know that," said Harry. "But that's a good thing."

"Very true," Hermione began, "takes our minds off things."

Someone knocked on the door, and Ron said, "Who is it?" Ginny opened the door.

"I was wondering where you three were," Ginny said. She looked at Harry, and with a tiny jerk of her head, he got up and followed her out of the room. Their conversation was over.

Hermione looked at Ron, who was looking at the door that had just closed behind Harry and Ginny. "You'd better get used to that."

"That will take a while," Ron said, his eyes moving back to rest on Hermione's face.

"I think you'll have quite sometime to get used to it." She said to him, her brown eyes looking straight into his. "We have all the time in the world now."

"Yeah, except that you're going back to Hogwarts."

"It's only a year, and I have Christmas break, and Easter break to spend with you. You can always come and see me on Hogsmeade weekends too." Hermione whispered, her voice soft, anticipating the parting.

"That's a long time." Ron said.

"I'll write a letter every day," Hermione replied, and she uncrossed her legs and pulled them up so that she had her arms wrapped around them. "And you will reply just as often. Then it won't feel as though we are apart."

Ron looked at her, "You know I won't write every day."

"But you can try," she teased him.

"Yeah right."

"Try, you might actually be able to. It doesn't have to be a long letter," She told him.

"Letters aren't the same," he said sadly, softly, staring downwards.

"No, they aren't, but I'll be back, it's only a year," Hermione said, and she took her arm away from her legs, and brought it up to Ron's face, turning it up so that he looked at her again. "And then I'll be back. We have to grow up Ron. We can't be the golden trio forever. It's time we take out separate paths, go on our own ways. But we still can be together, friends forever."

Ron leaned forward, and kissed her. Hermione didn't say more, but kissed him back. When they broke apart from the soft kiss, Ron stood up, helping Hermione up after him, and he kissed her again, for that was all they needed to know that the other would always be there, no matter the pain, or distance, or separation.