Almost a year later, Henry took his first steps at Neville and Luna's house. It was at the party after the christening of their first son, Harry. Harry was a popular name these days. Ron had almost learned not to wince when he heard it.
In bed that night Ron lay awake, trying not to feel that leaden sunken feeling in his chest. Behind him, Hermione was still, not with the stillness of sleep, but with the patience of one who is used to not sleeping. Finally she rolled over to face Ron's back.
"It's not fair," she said.
Ron's throat tightened. After a moment he nodded, hoping that she could see the movement in the half-light.
"I..." she trailed off indecisively, which was so unlike Hermione that Ron finally rolled over to face her. Her face was a pale blur in the dark room. He heard her take a deep breath before she started again. "I have a plan."
Ron's mind was blank. A plan? What plan could help with this? Harry was dead, had been dead for two years. Nothing could change that. He felt the anger rising in him again.
"Harry and Ginny's children should be growing up with ours," said Hermione. Her voice unexpectedly cracked. "I always thought there would be picnics and christenings and all of our children fighting and laughing." She paused for a moment for a couple of ragged breaths before continuing, "Harry and Ginny are gone, but I want to have their child."
"That's it," said a tiny little voice at the back of Ron's mind. "She's finally cracked after all... damn-it: that means I have to be the sane one." A deep feeling of unfairness washed over him.
"How do you plan to do THAT, Hermione?" he said in his most sarcastic voice; a voice that he thought had been left behind with the cruelty of his adolescent insecurities. A voice he knew was tantamount to acid on his wife's sensitive skin.
But she was pushing through it, brushing his words aside. "Extended-life Polyjuice Potion, Ron. It'll work! I know it will! Did you know that in a rape case three years ago the DNA evidence had to be rendered inadmissible because the sperm was that of the polyjuice disguise, not that of the rapist? I can't think why no-one ever thought of doing this before!"
"Hermione, stop!" The little voice in Ron's head was relieved to find that she hadn't gone insane, but still...
"Hermione, you can't seriously think..."
"Why not? I have a lock of Ginny's hair from when she cut it that time! You have Harry's trunk... there's bound to be something in there with his hair on it!"
Ron didn't concede the argument that night, of course, but once he had had time to think on it, the idea grew on him. A little Harry-and-Ginny, growing up with his kids... Hermione was right; that was the way it should have been.
The details were a bitch.
Ron only had to stay polyjuiced long enough to produce sperm, but Hermione had to remain in Ginny's body until she conceived, which could take up to three days. In the end, they persuaded Molly and Arthur to take Henry for a week while they took a holiday in a remote cottage in Wales.
Hermione stayed in the car with a scarf over her head and sunglasses on while Ron collected the key from their landlady in the nearest village. As far as she could estimate, she should be fertile now, but she had also bought the strongest fertility potion she could buy and a potent aphrodisiac - just in case - by mail-order from Snape's Potions Supplies. The polyjuice potion she brewed herself. She thought she had anticipated everything.
Well, perhaps not everything.
Hermione had no problem with making love to 'Harry' but Ron was totally freaked out when he realised that he would be having sex with a simulacrum of his sister.
"Ewww... Hermione. I'm sorry, but that is just... ewwww!"
It was obvious that he really couldn't do it, potent aphrodisiac or not. Hermione considered swapping roles, but given that they were hoping to end up with a viable pregnancy, that was not really an option. Which left... hmmm.
"What if I blindfold you? That way you won't have to see her?"
Hermione gave birth to Lily Ginevra Weasley nine months and two - truly regrettable - weeks later. Not only did her insomnia and her husband's nightmares disappear, but their sex life developed a lot of ... interesting... variety.
And Molly and Arthur had no objection to making the child-free holiday an annual event.