Hermione seemed to have crossed some sort of threshold of healing, and she seemed to return to her normal self. She was even well enough for both her and Ron to return to work.
Ron was quite happy that Hermione was well again, but he still had some concerns for her health in terms of their family. He was reluctant to bring it up since he very much loved seeing his wife happy again and didn't want to prod at a touchy subject.
Luckily, she brought it up over dinner one night.
"I wonder if it was Bellatrix," she thought aloud.
"What?"
"I wonder if the reason that I lost the baby was because of Bellatrix torturing me," said Hermione, and the look on her face said she'd been thinking about this a long time. "She might have…damaged something."
She paled slightly at this.
"Let's hope not," said Ron, shuddering inwardly at the mention of that horrifying day.
"Perhaps I should go to St. Mungo's and get examined," said Hermione.
"I think we should get evaluated," said Ron firmly. "Don't make it sound like it was your fault, because it wasn't. We'll go to St. Mungo's and have them look us over, and then…we'll know."
Hermione gave a rather anxious sigh. "We'll know."
Ron squeezed her hand. "It'll be fine, sweetheart."
Hermione looked fretful. "What if we aren't meant to have children?"
Ron frowned at her, slightly surprised. "Hermione…"
"I'm serious," said Hermione, and she looked sad but thoughtful.
"I don't think that's true," said Ron. "Just because it hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it couldn't happen later, dear."
"But what if it doesn't?" asked Hermione miserably. "I'll have failed you."
"No, no," said Ron, giving a soft chuckle. He took her hand. "You could never fail me. If something happens, if you or I or whoever has something damaged and we just don't have a baby-"
"I'll go mad."
"-I'll have you. And you'll have me. We'll make each other happy."
Hermione beamed at him.
"We'll be fine, dear. We're gonna be just fine."
Hermione sighed. "I hope you're right."
"Me too," said Ron.
The next day they took a trip to St. Mungo's to finally determine if they were physically able to have children. Needless to say, it was a rather ominous day for them both.
They Apparated to St. Mungo's and checked in at the front desk. Then they sat in the lobby and waited for their names to be called, Ron with an arm around his wife and Hermione holding his hand with both of hers. They were both rather pale.
Ron was called first. He stood up very slowly, a rather desperate look on his face as Hermione stood with him. Ron faced Hermione to kiss her but she threw her arms around him. He hugged her back and they stood there for a few minutes holding each other before Ron began to walk away, clutching Hermione's hand for as long as he could.
"I love you," said Ron.
"I love you," said Hermione.
Ron went briefly toward her and kissed her on the lips before following the Healer to the lift. Ron gazed at Hermione before the lift doors closed.
Hermione sat back down. She was called a few minutes later.
The whole process took about two hours.
Ron was released before Hermione was, so he waited for her anxiously, his breath rather shaky and his heart pounding.
Hermione appeared and Ron stood to meet her as she approached him and hugged him.
"What did they say?" asked Ron as Hermione pulled away and took her husband's hands.
"You go first," said Hermione. "I need to know you're okay."
"I'm all right," said Ron. "There's nothing wrong with me. Now tell me what they said."
Hermione sighed shakily. "They said it was just trauma and stress-related. Bellatrix's curses certainly had something to do with it. The most I can do is wait. But I'm fine, sweetheart. I'm fine."
Ron sighed with relief and leaned his forehead on hers. Hermione sighed and they closed their eyes.
They Flooed home, and a small weight seemed to lift from their shoulders.
For the next two years Ron and Hermione put their focus back on their work and their marriage. They seldom spoke of children, instead concentrating on the family they would have in a few years.
It took them a while, however, to rid themselves of the idea of holding their baby in their arms or having their child running around the house. This proved difficult, as the rest of their large family was growing all around them.
They received an owl from Harry and Ginny one Sunday afternoon, about four months after Hermione's miscarriage. Hermione plucked the letter from the owl's talons and looked at the address.
"Who's that from?" asked Ron.
"Harry and Ginny," said Hermione, opening it. She sat on the sofa and read the letter twice through.
Ron came into the living room and Hermione looked up at him.
"Is their baby okay?"
"He's fine," said Hermione, taking a breath to hide the trembling in her voice. "He's healthy."
"It's a boy, then?"
"Yes," said Hermione. She gave a forced smile. "Isn't that wonderful."
Hermione put the piece of parchment on the table and stared down at the floor as Ron walked to the sofa and sat down next to her. He put his arm around her as she bit her lip. For a few minutes she refused to look at him, trying to recompose herself, but as Ron gently tucked a strand of hair behind her ear her mouth trembled and a tear slipped down her cheek. She turned her face into Ron's shoulder and cried quietly. He kissed her forehead and rubbed her back as she sniffled.
"I'm so happy for them," she said.
"I know you are," said Ron, wiping a tear off of her face with his thumb.
Ginny Potter ended up giving birth to a baby boy, who they named James Sirius. Ron and Hermione went to see Harry and Ginny the next day. James was a good-sized baby who looked like Harry but had Ginny's eyes and facial structure. Harry and Ginny were both exhausted but very happy, and they let Ron and Hermione hold their son.
Hermione held the baby in her arms gently. She had thought she'd feel sad, but it made her much too happy. She couldn't stop smiling as James looked at her.
Ron held James next, but at first he was very apprehensive about holding a real live baby and nervously kept asking Harry and Ginny if he was doing it right.
"It's fine, Ron," said Ginny, laughing quietly. "You're not going to hurt him."
"Ron and Hermione," said Harry. "Will you two be the godparents?"
They were surprised. "Us?" they said in unison.
"Oh yes," said Ginny, as Ron gave James to Harry and Harry held him. "We've thought long and hard about it and we believe it's the right choice."
Something in Ginny's eyes said that there was another reason for this that none of them wanted to voice. Ron and Hermione both smiled, however.
"We're honored," said Ron, putting an arm around Hermione and squeezing her.
Before they left, Hermione leaned down toward the bed and hugged Ginny tightly. Somehow becoming a godmother meant a lot more to her than she would have suspected, and she loved her sister-in-law for giving her this in light of her misfortunes.
"Thank you," she whispered.
