Written for the Colors of the Rainbow competition on HPFC.
Over the years, it has been accepted that Ron and Hermione met on the Hogwarts train in first year. But where Ron first saw her was on Diagon Alley.
He had just gotten his first wand and was waving it about in that way new wand-owners have when Hermione, who had been walking past with her new schoolbooks, suddenly tripped and launched her books down the street.
He was so engrossed in watching Ginny help her pick them up that it was news to him when Fred and George took him under the armpits, sent him flying forward, and said, "You nearly fell in a rosebush, dear brother."
"Oh," said Ron, who had no idea there even were rosebushes on Diagon Alley. "Who knew?"
"Does ickle Ronniekins have a crush?" Fred teased him.
"No! Of course not! Why would I have a crush on someone I've never met?" Ron said, crossing his arms.
"Oh, just a question." said George. The Weasleys continued down the road to buy cauldrons.
At the Yule Ball, Ron sat miserably away from the action. He didn't know why, but he couldn't bear to watch Hermione with Krum, so he settled instead on watching a Beauxbatons girl dancing with a seventh-year Ravenclaw he didn't know. Sighing, he turned to Harry. "Won't it be wonderful when we can go up to bed?"
Harry nodded. "If I weren't a Triwizard champion, I'd leave right now."
Ron figured he would stay and keep Harry company. He turned his back on a pot of fresh winter roses. Their color was too close to that of Hermione's dress.
When Ron woke up after his poisoning, he found himself alone with Madam Pomfrey. "Did anyone come to visit me?" he asked groggily.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley. Mr. Potter was here. So were Miss Granger and Miss Brown."
"What happened?"
"Well, Miss Brown ran off in tears, but mostly everyone just came to see if you were okay," said Madam Pomfrey. "Now, you need food. I told Mr. Finnegan to bring you a plate from the Great Hall."
"Can you let me know when he comes?" Even after being poisoned, Ron could still eat just as much as usual.
"Will do."
When Madam Pomfrey left to tend to a second-year whose ears had shriveled up, Ron noticed someone had left a couple of roses by his bed. He only hoped it was Hermione.
Ron regretted many things. He regretted dating Lavender and letting him snog her twenty times a day. He regretted breaking his wand in second year. But in all the years he had been around, he never regretted anything more than abandoning the Horcrux hunt. He regretted abandoning Harry, his best friend through everything. And he missed Hermione just as much.
Just as much, he told himself. Just as much. Not more.
A few days before he set off, he asked Bill what he would do in his place.
"If you truly regret it, I'd say head back." said Bill.
"We don't know where they are, though," said Ron. "They could be anywhere."
Ron thought the same thing on Christmas morning as he sat in the Leaky Cauldron absentmindedly playing with the Deluminator. How was he supposed to rejoin Harry and Hermione when they changed locations so often and could be anywhere?
After a short while of this, Ron heard Hermione's voice. He knew he should try to Disapparate and try to find them, but he was skeptical.
Until he looked over and saw a young man handing his girlfriend some roses for Christmas. Thinking of Hermione, he left.
Ron was sitting on the couch in the home he shared with his wife. He was reading the Quibbler and absentmindedly stirring his tea with his wand when he heard the door swing open.
"Hermione? You're home early." he said.
"Well, Ronald, I was going to tell you something, but I see you prefer me to go back to work."
"I don't want you to go back to work, Hermione."
Hermione laughed to herself, kicked off her shoes, and sat down next to him. "You don't act like it."
"Do you want to tell me or not?"
"I'll think about it. In the meantime, I'm just going to go."
Ron smiled in spite of himself. Hermione could be so irritating sometimes. "Okay. You win. Will you please tell me?"
Hermione gave in. "It's a girl."
Ron surprised her by not asking "What's a girl?" Instead, he said, "What are you going to name the baby?"
"What are you going to name her, Ronald?" Hermione reciprocated. "We said I would name the boys, and you would name the girls."
Ron thought about all the memories he and Hermione had. He wanted to make a symbolic choice, not something dumb like Hermione Jr. or something boring like Prudence. Finally, something came to him.
"Rose. Her name is Rose."
"Rose? Why Rose?" asked Hermione.
"Because, Hermione," her husband began "Did I ever tell you the first time I ever saw you, I almost backed into a rosebush?"
"Not surprising."
"But from then on, roses just seemed to remind me of you."
"Is it because I left you some after your unfortunate poisoning?"
"Kind of. But it's bigger than that."
"That's awfully thoughtful of you, Ron."
"So, like it?" Ron asked hopefully.
Hermione gave him a smile. "I do. Rose Granger it is."
"Granger-Weasley." Ron muttered under his breath.
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