Planning for Change

Hermione was quiet as they made their way back home, heading directly for their room the moment she entered the house. Harry excused himself from the two girls and followed his wife up the stairs. As he entered the bedroom, she was standing with her back to him and facing out the window.

Her voice was shaky as she spoke without turning around, "Harry, I don't know who I am anymore. What I just did is so out of character that I don't know what came over me!"

Harry had his arms comfortingly around her as she leaned back, resting her head on his chest. "Hermione love, I knew exactly what you were going to do today, remember I was there when you smacked Malfoy silly back in third year. You are the same Hermione who told Hagrid's giant brother off in sixth year. You my love are a formidable woman, unfortunately in the body of a twelve year old girl."

Harry could see that got her thinking so decided to speak about a subject that they'd danced around for three weeks. "Hermione, why didn't you tell me what that bastard had done to you that morning in Hogwarts?"

He felt her body immediately stiffen in his arms but continued to gently hold her, trying to express what he felt for her through his touch.

Eventually she answered, "Harry, I know exactly what you would have done and didn't want you to get into trouble."

"Hermione, it doesn't work like that! I love you and want to be there for you, that's one of the reasons why we're married. Even back then you were the most important person in my life. Would I have killed him, unquestionably! Him and anyone else who tried to stop me. Would there have been repercussions, again beyond a doubt but I still would have done it. Instead we ended up dealing with it six months later and got murdered by the ministry as way of thanks."

Hermione's shaky voice indicated just how troubled she was, "I understand where you're going with this Harry, we should deal with our problems before they can become worse. I mostly agree with that but there's a part of me screaming I don't have the right to make these decisions. I'm scared Harry, I'm scared of losing who I am by acting this way." She attempted to offer up an explanation, "The Ron we're planning to murder hasn't done anything to merit it yet, I look at the changes in Ginny and wonder if he doesn't deserve the same chance."

Harry had moved her hair and was now gently kissing her neck in between speaking softly to Hermione, "Can I ask you something? Do you think me or Neville would ever have done that to you?"

"NEVER!" was her immediate and loud reply.

Harry continued what he was doing, speaking softly to her. "There's your answer love, Ron came back for more and only me getting there in time stopped the bastard. Something like that has to come from within, as you so rightly said Neville or me could never do it. Ron accepted that as a pureblood you were his plaything, not something you can change or I will ever allow to happen."

He gently turned her around to face him, "For us it's only been three weeks since he broke into this house and took you away, anyone trying that now is in for a very nasty surprise courtesy of our goblin friends. Halloween is going to be brutal, why don't we head to Australia after it? Whether it's a holiday or something more permanent we can decide after we're there." He kissed away the tears that were running down her cheeks, "I didn't come back in time to save the world, I came back for you!"

Hermione responded by kissing him back, "Can we do that? What about everyone else?"

"We can do anything we like love, I have no intention of saving Britain if the cost is my wife suffering a breakdown. Let's do what we've got planned until Halloween and then leave. No one is more important to me than you. We've really only had that time in Australia with mum and dad to relax, and I now know you would have spent most of that berating yourself over what happened."

She held him tighter, amazed at how well Harry knew her. "If only we could get the diary away from Malfoy, then we wouldn't need to come back."

"I'm ready to take any chances that are offered, if the powers that be are listening we could use a little help with this one."

Hermione had a brainwave, "Why don't we talk to Sirius about it, he'll be upset that we're handing the recovery of the ring over to the goblins. This would allow him to help and you know there's no love lost between him and Lucius."

"You my dear are a genius! We can discuss it with the family on Tuesday, I vote we take the entire day off school and check the new house as well. I wonder if our builder has any contacts down under, or would fancy a little working vacation."

Hermione wore a quizzical expression, so he gave her the answer she was looking for. "We've already designed the perfect house for us, let's have one in Australia and one in Devon. I have no intention of forgetting our friends so there will be a lot of visiting no matter what our final decision is."

Hermione proceeded to administer their most passionate kiss to date, it was a dazed but very happy Harry who asked his most important question yet. "What was that for? I'm only asking so I can be sure to do it again, with a reward scheme like that hopefully soon!"

"That was for just being you, the person who knows me best in the whole wide world. I have been driving myself crazy, over-thinking our choices and analysing the arse out of everything. I will probably feel guilty about it afterward but I do want him to pay. If we can get Lucius so much the better, him I won't feel anything but relieved that the bastard is finally gone. Molly has lost her home, any respect her family had for her and, eventually, two of her sons. If she stays out of our way I can live with that as a punishment."

.....

Can't wait to read more exciting chapters then what are you waiting for Join my patreon right now.

Get 60+ Premium chapters.

Link: p*atreon.com/Earthly_Writer (Remove the *)

2 Chapters for all free members.