Chapter 1: Our Own Little Family

Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger surveyed the carnage around them. The Battle of Hogwarts had ended at last, and Voldemort had been defeated at last…but at a terrible price. Hundreds lay dead, among them Fred Weasley and his sister, Ginny, Harry's girlfriend. Harry was heartbroken. At least, he told himself, he had his two best friends still with him.

"Now, we can finally rest!" the Boy Who Lived sighed.

"Yeah, and get going with life!" Ron added. He turned to Hermione and took her in his arms. "Come on, love, let's go find a place where we can be alone. I'm betting that snog in the Room of Requirement was just a preview." But Hermione gently squirmed out of his embrace and turned away. "'Mione? What's wrong, love?"

Hermione wouldn't look at either of the boys. "How can you love someone like me?" Ron goggled at her.

"How can I…bloody hell, Hermione, do you realize how scared I was at Malfoy Manor?"

"That's not what I meant," she responded. She turned back to face them. "How can you love someone who can't love you back in return…completely?"

"I don't understand," Ron offered. He took her hand. "Hermione…I need to know…do you love me or not? Whatever you're answer is, I'll understand." Hermione stared at him, and then suddenly burst into tears.

"Oh, you want too much!" she sobbed. "I love you! Isn't that enough? I can't help what's passed." She looked down at the ground. "I do love you…but I love him too."

Ron stared at her. "You love him too? Who's him?" A new thought made an anger erupt within him. "Victor?" he demanded.

"No!" Hermione answered quickly. Then, she looked at her other best friend. "Harry."

The boys stared at her, stunned, as she proceeded to explain.

"While you guys were destroying the Elder Wand, I went off into the grounds to be alone. I had to think. My feelings for the two of you have become muddled over the last year, and I wanted to straighten them out once and for all. So, I performed a very complicated bit of magic. It's called a Devotion Spell. It's meant to show the caster who they're true love is. Well, I did and what happened was very rare: visions of both of you came out of my wand. They told me that I loved you both equally in my heart. I showed Minister Kingsley the procedure, and he said that it is indeed a rare result of magic, so rare that it must be honored. Therefore, I can marry both of you – polygamy – but it would not violate any moral codes." She paused to look up at both of them. "I love you, Harry, Ron – I love you like this!" She made to run to them and kiss them, but Harry and Ron, disturbed, backed away.

"No! Hermione, magic or no magic, I don't think this is right," Harry conjectured. He turned to Ron. "Do you?"

"Not in the slightest," Ron concurred. "Can't you just choose?" he asked Hermione.

"No, I can't! And I don't want to." She reached for them longingly. "Please Harry, Ron. I want to marry you guys. I want you boys – in my bed. I love you both more than anyone has ever loved, and I want to build a family with you."

Ron and Harry looked at each other. They decided right then and there that they would do this together. "Alright," they agreed in unison. Hermione blinked in surprise.

"Really?" she squealed.

"Yes," said Harry, and he and Ron enveloped her in their arms. Then, Ron had a thought. "What will Hermione's parents say? Or my family?"

"Doesn't matter," Harry deflected. "We'll build our own little family now. It's going to be great."

Hermione smiled up at both of them. She was going to get everything she'd ever wanted.