A/N: I have too much to do tomorrow. Father's Day Brunch, then shopping, then refreshments at an aunt's... Therefore, I'm posting today! Hopefully, next week I'll go back to posting on Sundays :)

Thank you to Pili, as always, for her beta work. Also, thanks to my husband, for helping me figure out a couple plot twists happening in the following chapters!


Hermione had always enjoyed the company of the Weasleys, even if being in their presence was now bittersweet.

To her, they had always been a mystery. How was it possible to live with so many people around? How did they ever get the opportunity to say something when there were so many people wanting to talk? Were they different to her because they were Purebloods? She had been fascinated by their genealogy tree; she hadn't been able to help herself, she'd studied it as soon as she'd known they were a purely magical family. They were so many of them! It was such a contrast to her own family. She was an only child of two loving, but rather absent, parents who seemed to always be a little confused by their magical child and the world she now lived in. As for her extended family, she had only two cousins she rarely got to see. Still, she made friends with a boy that had a life with no points in common with hers.

At first, she had expected that her fascination for him and his family would diminish with time. She didn't expect the friendship to disappear, for Ron had proved to be such a loyal and good bloke; sometimes immature, sometimes hurtful, but a great friend nonetheless. She had expected her fascination for him to lessen; instead, it was a shock to realize that as time had passed by, the attraction and the longing she felt for the family, and Ron, had only evolved into love.

The first time she realised she loved the Weasleys - Ron included - she had panicked a little bit. What if they didn't feel the same? How could she even think she loved Ron? Soon she discovered, to her pleasure, that the love she felt for Ron had to be fraternal, and that his family treated her like one of their own. That had to mean they loved her just like she loved them. Of course, it hadn't been long before she had to accept that even if her love for the Weasleys was that of a family member, her love for Ron had a completely different tint. She loved Ron like a girl could love a boy. Even if she had fought against that feeling and then had suffered the fears and insecurities that had come along with, it had all worked in the end.

All of these convictions had been tested after the war ended. Being a part of the Weasleys when a member of the family had died had been incredibly difficult. Seeing them break down had broken her, too, but she had had to be brave to be someone Ron could rely on. She didn't regret it. It had cemented their relationship beyond what they thought possible after knowing each other for so long... beyond what they thought possible for such a newly started couple. Being together was different from being friends. They learned that fast.

The history she had with the Weasleys and the way she understood Ron's family had been in the foreground after he had disappeared. Despite being in the midst of their own worry, the Weasleys had been there for her. They'd taken care of her and kept closely in touch with her, making her feel more than family. Like Arthur had told her once, it wasn't because she was Ron's fiancée, it was simply that they loved her for who she was, and they knew she loved them back. The least they could do was take care of one of the most important persons in their son's life... someone that loved Ron as much as they loved him.

All of these thoughts and images crossed her mind as she sat at the table with the family, Harry included. Seeing them together was great and fulfilling... while, at the same time, it accentuated the feeling of missing Ron. It was especially hard when Molly brought up anything to do with Ron, like she was obviously about to do at the moment. After the food was eaten, and with a glass in her hand, she waited to have everyone's attention.

"I wish all my children were here with me," the matriarch said in a tone that warned everyone of what was likely going to happen. It had happened before. "Fred's gone, and I've somewhat come to terms with that. One never recovers from losing a son, but one must try to live with it. The case of Ron is different. I know he'll be back soon. I know he's not gone forever. I know he's alive, maybe even on his way home right now. For that, for the possibility of my son's return, I propose a toast."

The air around the table was tense with unspoken words and uncomfortable looks. Hermione could feel furtive eyes setting in her direction, making her wish she could either scream at them or escape to the garden.

Melodramatic, much? she asked herself, internally snickering. At least it would be a good distraction!

"Don't stare at me like that, boy, nor pretend you're not staring. I know you think I'm in denial, but I'm not!" Molly said, pointing a finger at George.

"If you are in denial, how would you expect us to believe you when you say you're not?" George asked.

"You'll have more respect for me, young man. I'm your mother! If I say I'm not in denial, then I'm not. I just know!"

"There's no harm in having hopes, son", Arthur intervened.

Hermione wished everyone thought that way.

"I think Arthur is right," Hermione said. It was all she allowed herself to voice. She knew by experience the way this discussions went, and she didn't want to antagonize anyone. Besides, if she spoke her mind, she would be forced to express all her fears; being vulnerable like that would be too much for her, considering how she had been feeling the past few days. Remaining silent, in this case, was all about self preservation.

"I don't have hopes, Arthur... I know, doesn't anyone listen to me anymore in this house?"

"Of course there is, Dad," Percy answered his father, ignoring his mother. "How do you move on if you won't accept what has happened? You can't keep looking back wishing things were different or trying to find a way to change them. Things are what they are, and we have to take them as they are. Fred's gone, we learned to live with it. Ron's gone, it's time we accepted that as well!"

Molly's comments had quickly resulted in a discussion. Hermione had heard similar arguments before. She wasn't surprised Percy thought that way; many people did and had been pressuring her to go out and meet new people. It always felt like their advice was actually confronting her way of dealing with it.

"Besides," Percy continued, "it's not only about mourning someone. Life-turning decisions are at stake. I mean, what is Hermione supposed to do, die alone surrounded by cats?"

"Percy," Ginny said, saving Hermione from having to answer that statement. It had come too close to her own fears for her to manage to say anything coherent. "There's no need to be such a prat about it."

"I'm not being a prat, I'm being honest. The fact no one here can see it worries me. How long do we have to pretend Ron will return? It's been a year, for Merlin's sake. If he were going to come back, he would have done so already! Stop this nonsense, and let's move on. We lost two of us, let's just face it."

"You're most definitely being a prat," George countered. "I lost a twin. Yet I'm not quite as bitter!"

Hermione could see Percy sending daggers with his eyes in George's direction, to which the latter replied by smiling a little. "C'mon, brother. Ron's disappearance is different from Fred's death. Maybe you should consider that, at least for a moment."

"If my brother the git can see that, I know you can, too," Ginny told Percy, trying to lighten the mood with a bit of teasing.

"Hey!" George scoffed. "Your brother the git? Thanks very much for making my mature comment look impossible coming from me!"

Hermione had to thank the inappropriate laugh Harry let out at the interaction.

"I'm sorry," her friend said. When he realised all eyes were on him, he found himself in the position of having to settle the matter. "All I know is the Auror Department considers Ron Missing In Action, not Presumably Dead. That's all I need to know."

"We all know it's because you won't let the case be closed," Percy argued. "Everybody in the Ministry think Ron is dead."

"Percy!" came from several mouths.

"What?" he tersely replied.

"Clean the table, Percy," Molly said. "It's time for the dessert."

The rustle and movement gave Hermione the space to get up and go to the window. The discussion had distressed her; what should she do? Accept Ron was gone, or accept she didn't believe that just yet? Which was the better option? What was she supposed to do? Just go on as she was and set a deadline in which she'd reconsider everything? How long was she meant to wait?

"You were too quiet there," she heard her friend's voice say coming close to her. "That's not the Hermione I know."

She turned a little to welcome him. "What could I say? I don't know what I'm supposed to think about all this. Fighting with Percy won't help me figure it out."

"I don't know what we're supposed to think, either... but I know how I feel. And that feeling is telling me I'm not ready to let go of Ron yet."

"You too, then?" she let a thankful sigh escape her.

He took her hand. "Yeah, me too. It might be proven a mistake if time passes by and he's not returned but... as of now, no, I can't make up my mind yet."

"Me either, Harry. Me either."


She wasn't the first to leave Molly's house, nor was she the last one. But leave she did, to be home alone once again.

The day had taken its toll. As if her own ruminations weren't enough, that day's discussion had put a heavier weight on her. It just had been too close to her own fears.

"Don't mind Percy, Hermione," Arthur had said as she said goodbye. "He still feels guilty to have drifted away from us and to have missed Fred's last months. He wants to try and make it all better for us, but he doesn't know how to do it."

Hermione had hugged him and whispered her thanks, then proceeded to leave the place.

Now at the home Ron and Hermione had chosen for them, she walked to their bedroom and sat on the bed, staring at her engagement ring. She had never taken it off.

"What am I supposed to do?" she said aloud to the empty room, soft echoes coming back to her. "I don't want to let go of you." She knew, deep down, it all came to that. That's why she couldn't allow for another relationship to start. The dates she had had were all a ruse, as unfair as it had been for the blokes she had gone out with. She had needed to have real, concrete proof that dating was not for her. She had tried it; it hadn't worked. If the day ever came when she felt the need to go out and meet new people, she knew it would mark a big turn for her. It would be the main sign of having left Ron behind, maybe the only one. Whatever happened, she'd keep visiting the Weasleys, meeting with Harry, working at the Ministry. If she started dating again, though, it would finally show she had moved on.

She closed her ring hand in a fist and let it hit the mattress in frustration. Why did she even have to consider the idea of dating again at all? If Ron hadn't disappeared, they'd be married. Dating would have never been something she had to worry about again. But no, he wasn't with her, they weren't married and dating was a possibility.

She fell back to the bed, holding the ring in sight again.

"Ron, please come back."

She hadn't allowed herself to ask that aloud in months.

If there was something she was ready to accept, it was how good it felt to plead for that again.