This was written for Day #3 of the 31 Days of Fanfiction Challenge. The theme is family. Huge thanks to my beta, Meiri, for her help. Any other errors are my own.

WARNING: POSSIBLE TISSUES NEEDED

Disclaimer: I do not own any recognizable aspect from the Harry Potter world. The story plot does belong to me. I am making no profit from this writing.

"Mummy," her daughter called quietly as Hermione's bedroom door opened.

Hermione sat up and reached for her wand on her bedside table. "Lumos. What's wrong, Ro?"

"Brother is calling for daddy," the little seven year old said as she made her way over.

Hermione's face crumbled as she closed her eyes and reached out to pull her daughter into her arms. "Oh, Ro."

"He misses daddy," Ro mumbled as she snuggled into her mum's embrace. "I miss daddy too."

Hermione's heart broke at her daughter's words. "I know, love. I also miss daddy." She opened her eyes and shifted her legs out from under the covers, setting the little girl back on her feet. "Let's go check on your brother."

"Okay," Ro replied as she waited for her mum to stand up.

Sliding from her bed, Hermione grasped her daughter's hand and lead the way from her bedroom. The two of them walked the short distance to her son's room where the three-year-old was tossing and turning in his bed, caught in the throes of a nightmare.

Hermione dropped her daughter's hand as she rushed over to her son's bedside. Sitting on the edge of his small bed, she placed her free hand on his shoulder and called out to him, "Darling. Please wake up."

It took a few moments, but after a gentle shake to his shoulder, the little boy bolted upright in bed. "Mummy?" He questioned as he sleepily rubbed at his eyes. He looked up at Hermione and the devastated look in his blue eyes ripped her broken heart to shreds. "Daddy gone."

It wasn't it a question and Hermione knew in that instance that her son had figured out that his father would never be returning to them.

"Oh, baby," she whispered as she gathered him into her arms as she had done with her daughter only moments before. She breathed in his clean scent. "Yes, daddy is gone."

"Where?"

Her oldest stepped over to them and rubbed her brother's back. "He's with Grandma and Grandpa Granger and Crookshanks." And even though she knew he never met him, she added, "And Uncle Fred, too. He's the one you're named after."

He pulled back and looked at Hermione. "Why?"

Ro also turned her attention to her mum. "Hugo is right, mum. What happened to daddy?"

Hermione closed her eyes and remembered that fateful day two months ago. "He was working in his shop like normal when one of the potions went wrong and exploded over him. By the time your uncle got to him it was too late. Daddy was gone. At least he was doing something he loved when it happened," she finished sadly.

"Good," Hugo said. "He was happy."

"Yes," Hermione agreed as she expanded his bed.

The next morning, the brunette witch woke up sandwiched between her two children, Rose Vivian Weasley and Fred Hugo Weasley. She knew they would have more nights like last night, but they were strong and they would survive.

End author's note: I left who her husband is open to interpretation, because while most people will probably assume it's Ron, it would also be George. I personally think it's George, but for some reason my muse didn't want to put a constraint in regards to Hermione's husband.