Lost Pieces

CHAPTER-5

A/N: It's so fun to be in Hermione's head. She's a classic analyzer, and since I'm one too I can totally relate. Big step gets taken this chapter! Cheers!

Harry had wanted to give Hermione time alone with her family, but it seemed as if she didn't want a moment to go by without him. After three days he finally moved the remainder of their stuff over to the Granger's condo and simply stayed there. He had only been sleeping at the hotel anyways.

They didn't venture very far. The Grangers had taken a few days of holiday and they spent most of the time doing simple things like walks on the beach or evenings out to dinner. It felt somewhat strange for Harry to be treated so nicely in the muggle world, he was used to the neglect and rude stares of Little Whinging.

He thought that the Grangers on the whole were taking this whole thing very well considering, it was by far better than he had dared hope. They were upset for sure; and they and Hermione both were being extra polite with one another, but it seemed like they were more grateful than anything to hear of the war's end and to have their daughter back.

Dan and Emma were very kind to Harry. It was sometimes hard to hold conversation, since Harry's exposure to the muggle world was small for having been raised one, but he could tell they were doing their best to make him feel welcome. The more he got to know them, the more he liked them.

Dan was an avid football fan so he taught Harry the basics of the game. While Harry knew he would always prefer Quidditch, it wasn't too bad and it was nice to have some male company. He missed Ron.

Every evening he and Hermione would go for a walk by themselves. Hermione would talk about her upbringing and tell stories about her parents while Harry would primarily listen.

It was while on one of these walks that Harry finally brought up the topic he knew everyone had been avoiding.

"Hermione, what happens now?"

They stopped walking and sat on a park bench. The beach was largely empty except for a small family with a son and daughter building a sand castle in the dimming evening light.

Hermione let out a long sigh.

"Harry, I'm not sure. My parents are very torn; they really have grown to love it here. Maybe it is just a symptom of the memory charm, but they feel like they've lived two lives and right now this seems the more real of the two to them."

He could see the anxiety written on her face, the uncertainty of her decision and the effects it was having on her life. Harry held her gaze, reaching out to stroke her hand.

"What about you?"

"I...I don't know." She was biting her bottom lip and she was shuffling her feet: Classic Hermione symptoms of having more to say and not sure how to say it.

"Hermione, you can tell me the truth." Her eyes seemed to take on a weary sheen.

"I just...I know that I ought to spend time with them. Give back some of what I took away by staying with them, even if it's here. But....that would also mean leaving you and Ron behind and that's...that would be very hard."

Hermione's eyes were pleading with him. He knew she wanted him to talk her into going back with him to England. She wanted him to tell her that he needed her and that would give her the excuse she needed to leave. It pained him to purposely let her down.

"Hermione, this is your decision. It's your life. It's time that you made a decision for yourself instead of wondering what would happen with other people."

He raised his hand to stop whatever retort she had opened her mouth to give, "No, I mean it. Don't think about what it would mean for me and Ron. We both care about you and want what is best for you. You make that decision and we'll both stand by you one hundred percent."