Hermione set her folders down on her desk, sighing as she noticed the pile of work she had to finish that day. How am I supposed to finish all this and still have time for Rose and Hugo? she wondered. Especially now that Ron is away opening up another store, I have no help. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging on her door. As the Minister of Magic, people were always complaining about their problems and asking for favors. It got very tiring. Opening the door, she was startled to see her assistant.

"Excuse me, Ms. Granger, I dropped off your work this morning. It's from the Junior Assistant and the Advisor. They told me they would like it done today." Hermione sucked in a breath.

"Alright, thank you, Aaron." He nodded and walked away. She let her breath out slowly as she shut the door, making a mental list of what she had to do.

"Rose, I'm home," she called through the dark house, tucking a stray hair into her messy bun.

"Mum?" Rose walked out into the hallway with her book. Smiling, Hermione pulled her into a quick hug. Her daughter was just like her, born with that strong passion to read and learn everything.

"What book are you reading? And where is your brother?" Hermione said as she brought her briefcase full of unfinished work into the kitchen. She pulled out her wand and began to make dinner.

"Oh, it's The History of Magic. I found it unused on the shelf, so I thought I'd read it. And who knows where Hugo is," Rose said, looking down at the book, her red hair framing her face.

"I'm sorry I was late tonight, I had a lot of work to do, and…" Hermione trailed off, feeling horrible. She had messed up again. Her life was a balance that was so precariously perched, one wrong move would send it into chaos. Or that's what she thought.

"It's fine, nothing bad happened." Rose looked up at her mother and smiled reassuringly. "I promise."

"Good." Hermione pulled out a pan from the top drawer and flicked her wand. Ingredients started pouring themselves into the pan, and she began to set the table.

"What's going on at work?" Rose asked, setting down a fork.

"Just the usual, people's problems I have to solve." She sighed. Struggling to change the topic, she smiled and set down a glass. "Are you excited that your birthday is coming soon? You're going to be eleven," Rose smiled.

"Yes! I can't believe it's only three days away! Do you think I'll even get a letter to Hogwarts? When do you think it'll come? The train ride will be so fun, and I'll get to…" Rose kept talking, but Hermione's mind had drifted away. At the name Hogwarts, so many memories had come back to her. "Mom?" Rose's voice snapped her back to attention. "The food's burning,"

The next day after work, Hermione's face lit up with the thought, Ron's coming back today! Joy filled her heart and she felt like she was floating. After apparating to the house, she used her wand to start making pastries. She also tended to the blazing fire so that the house would be warm.

"Hugo, Rose, your father is coming home soon," She called through the hall. A small mop of red hair poked through a doorway.

"Daddy's coming home?" Hugo shouted, running into Hermione's arms.

"Yes, will you help me set the table?" He nodded and picked up a fork, smiling. Glancing at the clock, Hermione realized that Ron was supposed to have come at eight o clock. But now it was eight forty-five.

"I thought Daddy was coming home," Rose said, coming over to see what was happening. Hermione nodded.

"He's supposed to, I guess he's just running late." She started to turn and walk back into the living room when she heard a creak. She jumped back in surprise when the door opened to reveal Ron. His smiling face lit up the home like a lightbulb, and Rose and Hugo rushed to him.

"Daddy!" They cried, and Ron wrapped his arms around them.

"Hi, Hermione," he said, beaming.

"Hello, Ron." She shook her head disapprovingly, putting her hands on her hips. "You were late." But it was hard to stay mad at him when she looked into his blue eyes that were full of laughter.

"Did you miss me?" He said, wrapping his arms around her. She just nodded, not able to get the words out. She loved him, and he loved her. That was all she could manage for now.

"I just don't know where to begin. Rose's birthday is in one day, and I still have lots of work to do. She says she wants a party, and so, of course, it has to be perfect. And The Department For The Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures keeps sending me notices that some imps have escaped and are wreaking havoc on the neighborhoods." Hermione rested her head on her writing desk, groaning. Ron rubbed her shoulders.

"It's okay, it'll all sort out, it always does," He said. Hermione began making a list of everything she needed to buy for the party, and everything she had to do to prepare.

"I can help with some of it," Ron said indignantly. "I'm perfectly capable of buying a few streamers," He said, and Hermione laughed.

"Alright, you can buy the supplies tomorrow. I have to get extra work done so that I can take the day off, and I won't be home until late. Is that alright with you?" She bit her lip, hoping he would say yes. Even so, she felt guilty for throwing off her perfect balance, even if it was just a little bit.

More and more work had been piled on Hermione's back, and she felt as if she was crushed by the stress. But when she arrived home, she made a silent promise to herself that she would pull it together for her kids, and for Ron. Settling at her desk, she began to work, making sure she didn't wake anyone. She made another promise that she would restore her life balance once more.

"Happy birthday, Rose!" Everyone cheered, and Rose smiled, feeling happier than ever. Hermione stood off to the side, smiling to herself as she watched her daughter grow up before her eyes. Her thoughts flashed to when she was eleven herself, and she had just received her Hogwarts letter. What a long time ago that was, She thought. And look what I've become, an anxious adult who can't figure out her own life, She pondered, frowning. I need to get my life figured out so I don't have to be so stressed all the time. I have to do it for my family. Masking her upset expression into a happy one, she walked silently through the hall to her room. Once she got there, she put her head in her hands, sighing. What am I going to do? One glance at the large pile of work left on her desk sealed the deal. I'll spend half an hour finishing my work, and then go back to my daughter's birthday. Then I'll feel better, she thought. Sitting down at her desk, she began to work quickly, her hand starting to shake from all the writing. But she had to finish this, and make it perfect.

"Mom?" Rose knocked on the door tentatively. It was very late at night, and Hermione was supposed to have come to celebrate Rose's birthday in the living room. But she hadn't. Hermione swung the door open but looked very startled when she saw Rose standing there.

"Oh my goodness," She put her hand to her forehead and gasped. "I've been working for…" She glanced at her watch. "Three hours!" She cried. "I'm so sorry, Rose!" Great, now I blew it. I knew it would happen sometime, but not like this! Hermione thought angrily to herself.

"Mom, it's okay-"

"No, it's not! Your eleventh birthday will never happen again, and I missed it! I can't believe it, I…" She trailed off. Regret filled her, and she shook her head, trying to clear it. Rose wrapped her arms around her mother.

"It's fine, mom. I had a great birthday thanks to you, and no matter what, I always will love you." Hermione sighed, smiling.

She hugged Rose back and whispered in her ear, "I will always love you too."

Hermione, Ron, Hugo, and Rose were all sitting contentedly in the living room when it came. They were all startled by a banging on the window. Ron stood up, glancing around nervously.

"What was that?" He shouted. Hermione stood up as well, and slowly walked towards the window. As she unlatched it, she was greeted by a tawny owl that ruffled its feathers with its beak.

"Well, hello. Aren't you pretty," She whispered to it tenderly. It squawked and Rose ran over, giggling happily.

"It's got a letter! It's got a letter!" She cried. Hermione helped the little owl onto the kitchen table and it dropped the letter onto the wood surface. Rose immediately picked it up, squealing as she noticed the Hogwarts seal. Hermione smiled, glad that her daughter's childhood dreams had finally come true. Rose ripped it open, reading the letter out loud. Ron and Hugo came over to read over her shoulder, and the owl flew away into the night, screeching its midnight song. A feeling of fulfillment rushed through them all, and the world felt united, perfect, and wonderful all at the same time.

Even though Hermione had ruined her balance, she had gained something even more important. She finally felt fulfilled, for some strange reason she couldn't explain. Now that she knew that she was still wanted and loved, even after she ruined everything, Hermione felt that she could take on anything. She knew that she didn't have to be perfect for her life to be wonderful. As long as she remembered to live in the moment and not rush through life, she would be successful no matter what.

BEATER 2: Libra (September 23-October 22). Libra is obsessed with symmetry and strives to create equilibrium in all areas of life. Libras adore high art, intellectualism, and connoisseurship. Write about a character(s) that goes overboard to satiate their exquisite tastes OR write about a character(s) who is so obsessed with 'establishing balance' in life that they forget to live in the moment.

(emotion) regret

(word) passion

(word) blazing

Round 2

Team and Position: Chudley Cannons, Beater 2

Prompts: (emotion) regret, (word) passion, (word) blazing

Word count: 1,697