Ron could watch Hermione all day, and frequently sat at the kitchen table doing just that, Hermione looking at him every now and then smiling as she cooked. But now for the first time in his life Ron had found something more interesting to look at than Hermione. He glanced at his sleeping wife then went back to his gaze upon his daughter.
"Rosie posie." He said lifting the baby out of the cradle. He knew it wasn't a good idea to mess with a sleeping baby, his mother had told him many times but he couldn't help it. He wanted to hold the child.
Rose woke up and looked at her father and smile, Ron smiled back. Never in his life had he loved something so much. She had little tuffs of brown hair on her head, and when the sun hit it he could see red highlights in it, she had her mothers smile, but she had his eyes. Bright blue. She was the most beautiful baby that had ever been born in the world he figured. "I love you baby girl. Daddy loves you so much."
Rose yawned snuggling up to him, and cooing. Ron kissed the top of her head, and thought how they got to this point.
He hadn't been pleasant after the war was over. He hadn't really spoken much at all. The first person he talked to at all had been Hermione when she returned from Austrailia. His whole family had been almost completely silent for weeks now. When he did venture out of his room it was to find everyone laying around, staring at the wall or crying. They were all there, even Percy, Bill and Charlie. George had barely moved from the couch. The house was spotless; his mother had taken to cleaning to get her mind off things. The only one Weasley who had found any joy in their life was Bill when Fleur had announced she was pregnant.
Fleur had been understanding, simply stating it, not acting overjoyed though Ron looking back was sure she was. She had understood, knew that they would love her child but right now they needed to mourn. Fleur cooked for them, the one thing Mrs. Weasley didn't do much anymore, she just cleaned, she enjoyed cooking and at that time she didn't want to do anything she enjoyed because Fred wasn't there. The family would have probably starved if Fleur hadn't been there.
But Hermione had come and Ron had spoken his first words, surprising himself as they came out of him because he didn't know that he even knew how to talk anymore. He had been sitting outside replaying the fight over and over in his head when he heard someone coming. He turned around and she was walking up to him. "Hermione."
"Ron." She said sitting down beside him. "Ginny said you were out here."
Ron nodded, "He's gone Hermione." He said the words for the first time. "He's not coming back."
"I know." She put her arms around him and he buried his head in her shoulder crying as she ran her fingers through his hair crying herself.
She had bought a flat In London and some nights when he couldn't take it anymore, couldn't be around the sadness he would apparate to her house and crawl in bed with her. If she woke up she would simply take him in her arms. Sometimes she didn't wake up and that was fine too. In the morning they didn't say much, she would just cook them breakfast, and sometimes they'd talk when Ron helped her. Back then Hermione wasn't much of a cook, and neither was Ron so they frequently ate burnt toast but she would talk to him and he liked it. She was the only one who would talk to him, they talked about Fred a lot and sometimes Lupin or Tonks but sometimes they just talked.
One day several months after the war had ended up apparate to her flat earlier than usual, the sun was setting. He could see her on the balcony holding a cup in her hands as the cold wind whipped her hair around her.
She smiled at him as he sat down. "I love it out here."
Ron didn't say anything but just watched her. She looked so beautiful, the setting sun casting a glow around her as she sipped on her hot chocolate staring at the horizon.
"I love you." Ron had said before the thought even registered in his head.
Hermione had turned to him, her hair in her face and her cup halfway to her mouth. Her mouth was hanging slightly open as she looked at him. She didn't speak for what seemed like forever but must have been only a few moments. Ron started to feel incredibly foolish.
Finally, after what seemed like a lifetime she spoke. "I love you too." And she had sat down her cup and held his hand.
Ron didn't think he would have made it through it without Hermione. She had been there for him even when he just sat on her couch crying for hours. She had been soft and comforting to him, never pushing him. Looking back he realized how hard it must have been for her some days to have him there and not be able to do anything to make it better. She hadn't spoken much either those months, she may not have lost a brother but she had lost people close to her and she had lost the carefree Ron she had known. Instead she had to deal with a shell of the person she had known but she had taken it in with grace and care. He would see this care later when Rose or Hugo would come home upset about something trivial and she would listen and make them feel like the most important person in the world, never downplaying their hurt.
One day they had been laying in bed when Hermione had turned to him. "Remember when we first met?"
"I hated you." Ron said looking over at her.
"You know we owe our whole relationship to that troll." She said. "We really should find him and thank him."
Ron had laughed, really laughed for the first time since Fred died and he felt like a weight had been lifted. Maybe it was okay to laugh, maybe it was okay to go a little bit without thinking of Fred. Maybe it wasn't a huge betrayal to his brother to have fun. Looking back he knew that it was right. Fred had always wanted people to laugh, he would have wanted Ron to laugh. "I think we should probably not talk to trolls, Hermione."
"How about when you asked me to Yule Ball." She said a glint in her eyes, "Always a way with words you had, telling me you noticed I was a girl and did I want to go."
Ron laughed again. "How about when you attacked me with birds."
"I mean, I didn't technically attack you, and I was having to watch you snogging Lavender all the time."
Ron shuddered at the though. "You made me watch you and Victor Krum. He couldn't even say your name!"
"Well I was just happy to have someone notice me!" She said defensively, though there was humor in her voice.
"You could have been snogging me the whole time, you know." Ron had said turning so he could look at her properly.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "I could not have, you hadn't shown the slightest big of interest in me besides, we've never actually properly snogged to this day."
Ron had had a retort ready, pointing out that he had shown, at least in his mind all kinds of interest in her but gave it up as she went on, inside grabbing her and "properly snogging" her for the first time.
After a while he had pulled away, looking at her, "Hermione…"
"Yeah?" She asked looking confused.
"The night at the Malfoy's when Bellatrix was…"He stopped unable to even say the words, "When they took you…"
Hermione's face had paled as she thought of the day. "Yeah."
"I'm sorry I couldn't stop them. I wanted to. I want you to know that, I'm sorry it wasn't me. I'm sorry I couldn't get up there."
Hermione smiled softly at him, "You really still think about that? You still worry about it?"
Ron nodded, "Yeah I was so scared, I thought you would die and would never have gotten to tell you how I felt about you, I would never get to hold you and I was so scared. I knew they were hurting you and I couldn't stop them."
Hermione wrapped her arms around him kissing him softly. "I knew you wanted to Ron. I could hear you. I…I just kept thinking if I got out I could see you. Could tell you…tell you that I loved you."
"And we still didn't say it." Ron said.
"We were stupid."
"Don't you ever leave me."
"The war is over." Hermione reminded him, "We're safe now."
He had found her at Harry's the day he proposed to her. He had went to Harry's to tell him that had finally bought the ring but never made it to Harry. When he had gotten there she had been in the yard with Ginny. Ginny was incredibly pregnant and she and Hermione were in the yard with Victoire and Teddy.
Victoire was talking wildly to Ginny, waving her arms around and Ginny was laughing. Hermione was a few feet away laying in the grass looking at a lizard with Teddy. None of them had noticed Ron arrive and he sat and watched them for a few minutes.
"Are you sure?" The turquoise haired boy had asked Hermione.
"I'm pretty sure. I think it's just a regular lizard." Hermione had said.
Teddy looked at Hermione. "So you don't think I can train it to dance?"
"You're a smart boy, you might be able to, but I don't think you're going to be able to catch it."
"I can try." Teddy said leaping at the lizard who scurried off. "It got away!" He said looking sadly at the spot where the lizard had been.
"It's too bad you'll never get away." Hermione said standing up and grabbing the boy, tickling him as he screamed.
"Let me go!" Teddy yelled wiggling away from Hermione. He took notice of Ron. "Hey Ron!" He yelled.
Ron snapped out of the daydream he had been having, one in which Hermione was tickling their child, in their yard.
"Hey Teddy." Ron said ruffling the boys hair.
Hermione stood on tiptoes and kissed Ron. "What are you doing here?"
"Well I came to talk to Harry."
"He's upstairs." Ginny said looking away from Victoire.
Ron shook his head. "I don't want to talk to him anymore."
"Is everything all right?" Hermione asked looking at Ron quizzically. "You look pale."
Ron had once again spoke before his mind registered what was going on. "See Hermione, I needed to talk to him because I bought you this ring." He said pulling out the ring, "And I wanted to ask him about this speech I had worked out, I was going to take you to dinner and then tell you how I love you so much, how I want to be with you forever and how you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen and in my mind you were wearing this amazing dress and we were walking in the moonlight, and then I come here and you're laying in the grass with your hair pulled up and you've got dirt on your cheek, and you look so much more beautiful than I ever could have imagined. So I just want to know if you'll marry me."
Hermione looked ready to faint and for a second Ron thought of grabbing her, sure she would fall over any minute. But instead she had leaped at him, "Yes!" She said grabbing him and kissing him. When they finally pulled apart Ginny was looking at them.
"That was terribly unromantic Ronald, but congratulations."
"I thought it was perfect." Hermione said still beaming. "He never would have been able to say all those things if he hadn't talked before he meant to."
"Hey!" Ron protested.
"No, it's fine. That's why I love you." Hermione had said kissing him again. "I'd rather it happened like that, it's the Ron I know. You told me you loved me the same way."
"Like a blubbering idiot?"
"Like yourself. I don't want moonlit walks and expensive dinners, I just want you." Hermione said kissing him again as she looked at the ring on her finger.
Victoire was looking up at them smiling. "I thought it was terribly romantic!" She said putting her hands over her heart, "Mom said you'd never do it, but dad said you would in your own time, that you were just really scared."
"Thanks Bill." Ron muttered.
"Do I get to be the flower girl?" She asked twirling around.
"Of course you do." Hermione smiled.
"Then I want to be in it too!" Teddy said marching up to them. "Victoire is going to marry me one day, so if she's in the wedding so am I!"
Victoire stuck her tongue out, "I'm not marrying you! You like BUGS!" She said turning her back to him.
"You can be in the wedding too." Ron said looking to Teddy, and then crouching down to whisper to him, "And I'll make sure you two get to walk up together."
"Thanks!" Teddy said running off after Victoire.
One of Ron's most vivid memories was the day he found out Hermione was pregnant. He had gotten home from work and she had immediately jumped up kissing him.
"Wow. What a greeting." He smiled wrapping his arms around his wife and kissing the top of her head.
"I've got something to tell you and I just want it to come out right so when you remember it it's the happiest memory."
"Well you've already married me." Ron said. "What more is there?" He looked at her realization dawning on his face, "You're pregnant!"
Hermione nodded, "I had wanted to tell you but you figured it out."
Ron grabbed her picking her up and swinging her around the room. "Who bloody cares how I figured it out! We're having a baby." As he said the last word he put her down. "You need to sit down! Do you need me to get you anything?" He pushed her towards the chair.
She pushed him away, "I'm pregnant Ron, not an invalid!"
Ron laughed kissing her once more. She wrapped her arms around him. "
"We never were a couple for moments coming out exactly right."
"I think it's all happened just like it should."
Hermione squeezed him, "It's perfect for us."
Looking back he realize she had been wrong about one thing, finding out she was pregnant wasn't his happiest memory. Instead it was when Rose had been born, when he had seen his beautiful perfect daughter for the first time. That was the happiest Ron Weasley had ever been. Smiling he placed his once again sleeping daughter back into her cradle and crawled in bed with his wife.
Hermione stirred cuddling close to him, "I love you."
Ron kissed her forehead, "I love you too, forever and always."
Hermione smiled, "Forever."