Title: Family Comes First
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Harry/Ginny, Ron, Rose
Warnings: Character Death
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Word Count: 748
Summary: Harry and Ginny couldn't believe this was happening, but they would do what they had to do. For Rose. And for Hermione.

Notes:

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry: Ancient Runes - Task 3 – Write about someone taking on a great responsibility.

Big Damn Prompt Race Competition: 29. Genre: Family

Harry and Ginny stared at the newborn baby that looked so lonely in the bassinet.

"She's beautiful," Ginny murmured, pressing her fingertips to the glass that separated them from the baby.

"I bet that's what Hermione looked like when she was aw baby," Harry sadly mused.

Ginny tore her gaze away from the sleeping baby. "Harry..."

"She's gone," Harry's voice broke on the word 'gone.' He looked at Ginny. "How can one of the healthiest people I know be gone?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I don't know."

"Hermione is strong. Stronger than anyone I know. How can something as common as childbirth take her away? It's not fair."

Ginny was hurting as well—Hermione was her best friend after all—but she knew her bond with Hermione was only a fraction of the bond that Harry had shared with the intelligent Gryffindor. The girl had been Harry's sister in every way but blood, and Ginny knew the feeling of loss when it came to a sibling dying.

She didn't say any stupid platitudes. She didn't promise him that everything would be okay because she had hated hearing those words after Fred's death.

She simply wrapped her arms around Harry's torso and held him. She hoped her silent presence would be some kind of balm to his wounded soul.

"What do you mean you're leaving!?" Ginny exploded.

"My wife is dead. I need some time to myself," Ron yelled right back, his face flushed with anger.

"And what about your daughter? You do remember her, right?" Harry asked, his eyes practically spitting green fire.

Ginny was glad she wasn't alone against her brother right then. If she had been, she might have punched him in the face because of what came next.

"I was hoping you two could take care of her." His voice was devoid of emotion, as if he was giving them a fish to watch instead of a human being, his daughter.

"For how long?" Ginny asked through gritted teeth.

Ron shrugged.

"Ron, you can't be serious," Harry intoned.

"It's her fault Hermione's gone!" Ron bellowed.

"Don't you dare blame an innocent baby for Hermione's death. It's not her fault, it's not Hermione's fault, and it's not even the doctor's fault. It was a tragedy, but it was no one's fault. How long do you expect us to take care of Rose?" he repeated the question, using the name that Hermione had wanted for the first time.

Ron didn't argue the point about whose fault it was. Instead, he answered, "I don't know how long I'll be gone. I don't even know if I'll be back." He sounded serious about his uncertainty.

Harry and Ginny shared a look. There was a whole conversation with that look. They already had James and Ginny was currently pregnant with their second son. It would be a lot to handle, but not only were they financially stable enough to take it on, but they both knew they had enough love to give a third child, especially a child that came from Hermione.

Ginny stepped forward as the spokesperson. "Rose deserves more than living with a what-if. She deserves to have a parent or parents that she knows will be there for her. She doesn't deserve the pain of wondering when or if her dad will come back for her. You're hurting; we get it." She paused and Harry took over.

"But guess what? We're hurting too. Hermione was my sister; she was Ginny's best friend, but neither of us are thinking about bailing on our responsibilities."

"I can't stay," Ron moaned.

Harry's eyes were icicles. "Fine, but you hand over your parental rights to us then. Let us give her the family she deserves."

"I'm her dad!" Ron self-righteously roared.

Ginny wasn't amused. "And yet, you want to abandon her for an uncertain amount of time. If you care about her at all, you'll either stay and deal, or you'll let us be Rose's parents. And if you do come back, you can be Uncle Ron."

Ron looked towards Harry for help even though he was the one who initiated the ultimatum. He got no help, and he knew even his parents would back Ginny and Harry up. He had no choice. "Fine," he muttered mutinously.

Ginny and Harry left him in the empty hospital corridor to go back to Rose. They knew they were taking on a big responsibility, but it didn't matter.

Family always came first.