Hermione woke screaming from a nightmare worse than her previous ones. It was the year after the battle of Hogwarts where Ron Weasley had died saving his brother, Fred. Hermione layed back down on her pillow and placed her hand on her rounded stomach, wishing her daughter's father was there.
The next morning Hermione decided to call her best friend, Ginny. "Hi, Ginny."
"Hermione... you only call me this early when something is going on. What is it?" Ginny asked her skeptically.
Hermione sighed, her friend knew her too well, "I was just thinking about your brother. Ron."
"Oh..."
"I just wish we had had more
time together as more than friends. And that-" but she broke down before finishing the sentence.
"Oh 'Mione. Is this about Rose?"
"Yes," Hermione wailed.
Every day Hermione wished that it wasn't true and that her baby girl would meet her father, but everyday she realized that it was impossible.
"Okay..." Hermione sighed heavily, "well, I've got to go to work. The Wizarding World won't run itself. Thanks, Ginny"
"Any time. 'Bye."
Three months later
The little baby giggled contendely in her mother's arms. Ginny rubbed Hermione's shoulder and said, "She's got his nose and eyes."
"She does, doesn't she?"
Ginny looked at her best friend's smile that was so rare these days, "I'm glad you're happy."
Hermione really was happy and replied, "I am too."
Two years later
Hermione's messy bun pulled most of her hair out of her face as she struggled to cook dinner and keep an eye on her happy two-year-old. All the baby sitters she had hired hadn't been able to handle Rose's Metamorphosing and do the job of baby-watching had fallen to her as well as cleaning and working at her part time job for Madam Malkins. Even Ginny couldn't help her now that she was busy with Lily, James, and Teddy. Hermione sighed heavily and exclaimed, "I wish I wasn't alone! I wish... I wish Ron was here!" Then Hermione did something Rose wasn't used to. She sat down and cried.
Rose tottered over to her mother in the unstable legs and placed a small hand on her mother's knee. She said a single word that broke and healed Hermione at the same time, "Daddy?"
"Yes, love. Yes. Ron was your daddy."