Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

This is the second part of the last chapter. It's one year later, and Ron and Hermione are reflecting on the previous year.

Eleven months, one week, two days, and 13 hours later

"So, what are you doing for Hermione's birthday?" George asked Ron as he was counting money at the desk in WWW. "It's coming up soon."

"I'm not sure, actually," Ron replied as he shelved the fake wands. "It's her first birthday with us together, and I don't want to muck it up."

"Do something simple," George suggested, eying his younger brother carefully. "She'll like whatever you do."

Ron turned to George with an eyebrow raised. "Since when have you become such an expert on relationships?"
"I'm older, little brother. I know these things," George said giving him a grin. "Besides, it's just common sense."
Ron snorted. "I'd like to see you picking out gifts and reserving reservations for your girlfriend. If you ever have a girlfriend. Now don't give me that face. I saw that girl the other day here, and the other girl the day after," he added as George opened his mouth in protest.

George threw an empty box at him, but Ron ducked in time. He kneeled down to pick the thrown box and threw it back. George wasn't as lucky as Ron and didn't kneel down in time. It grazed by his eye and fell to the floor. He made a gruesome face after it hit him and kneeled down as if in pain. "My eye! My eye!"

Ron ran to him in shock, but by now George was laughing. "Be careful what you do to your boss, Ron. I could fire you at any moment."

Ron scowled at him. "You wouldn't," he said in a deep voice.

"I wouldn't," George said softly looking away. "Not to one of my brothers." Ron wasn't sure, but he thought he saw a trace of a tear on George's face. Shaking his head, he went back to shelving. He shouldn't have said that.

Three weeks, five days, and six hours later.

Ron was almost ready. He had made dinner, an old classic, but still Hermione's favorite, steak and kidney pie. He had bought some nice wine and set the table. He had lit candles and dimmed the lights. He was ready.

All that was missing was Hermione.

Glancing at the clock on the mantelpiece, he sighed. She was coming later and later each day as the NEWTs came much closer to proximity. It was 7 o' clock, and there was no sign of her yet. He stood up and walked into the kitchen to check on the dessert. Yes, it was still cool thanks to the Cooling Charm he had applied to it.

"Ron, I'm he – oh!" a voice came from the dining room.

His eyes widening, he hurried into the dining room to find Hermione, books under her arm, wand in the other, and with a shocked look on her face staring at the setting before her.

"Happy Birthday!" Ron exclaimed giving her a smile and walking over to her. "Here, let me take your books and everything." She looked at him with a soft look on her face as he took her books and sent them to the living room on her desk.

"You did this for me?" Hermione whispered, brown eyes interlocking with blue.

Ron could already feel his ears going red. "It's your birthday after all," he replied.

"But – but – you don't know how to cook. Or you didn't last year," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Mum's been teaching me. I kind of like it," he replied, shrugging. "It's useful too. In case we ever have to hide again."
She laughed. "I don't think we'll have to do that again." She sobered. "Ron, thank you. Thank you!" she exclaimed wrapping her arms around him. He enveloped her in an embrace and kissed her on her head. "I figured you might need a break."

"I do need it," she replied looking at him, breaking out of the embrace. "I really do."

"Well then, sit down. Here," Ron said as he extended a chair out for her. "Wine?" he asked taking the bottle and a glass.

She laughed. "Please. It looks good Ron!"

It was his turn to laugh as he poured the drink. "Always the tone of surprise." He handed it to her, she took it and smiled. "It always seems that it is, doesn't it?"

"It shouldn't be anymore," he replied, taking his seat across from her. He took his fork, but instead of cutting a piece, he watched Hermione's reaction to his food. She took a bite of the pie and popped it into her mouth. After a few moments of chewing, her face light up. "Really good, Ron!" she exclaimed.

He grinned and took a bite of the pie. It was good. Mum's training hadn't gone to waste.

As the evening went on, he could see that Hermione was becoming a bit more serious, and a bit more thoughtful.

"What are you thinking of?" Ron asked, noting her solemn expression.

She swallowed. "Nothing much, I suppose. I was just thinking of last year when in hiding. My birthday, I guess."

Ron nodded as his thoughts as well turned to their talk on her birthday last year.

"Just think: in one year we'll be sitting somewhere, you and me, talking about this night and how scared we were. We'll probably be laughing our arses off. And I'll give you something better than Sugar Quills as your present," Ron said.

"Oh, Ron, they're perfect. I love them!" Hermione exclaimed.

"We're not laughing," Hermione remarked as she took a sip of her wine.

Ron shook his head and looked at her, her face not sporting its usual glow that he loved. "No, we're not."

"It's over, at least," she said, twisting her napkin together.

"I never thought that something would happen to other people. I thought we three would be the ones getting killed, not people that we knew. And much less to Fred," he said, moving the food around the plate. He wasn't hungry anymore.

"It seems surreal, doesn't it? Last year we were in hiding, so scared. And now, we're eating pie and drinking wine. And alive. We have to be thankful that we're alive, Ron."

"Yeah I guess." They were quiet for a few moments until Ron's face brightened. "I almost forgot! Your present!"

"My present? But I thought this was my present," Hermione said, looking confused.

"Yeah it is," Ron said, blue eyes twinkling. "Part one."

"Ron, this is more than enough!" she shouted to Ron who had now gotten up and ran to his bedroom. "Ron!"

Ron could hear her protests, but he didn't care. He knew that she'd love her gift. Or so he hoped. He crouched down to his sock drawer and removed a small black box. He stood up and grinned. He walked back to the dining room where Hermione was waiting with an angry expression on her face.

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, I told you to not get me anything!"
"Hermione Jean Weasley, I don't care. Now please let me give you your present!"

She frowned. "Alright."

Ron grinned. "Excellent. Now here. Close your eyes," he said. "Please?" he asked when she didn't oblige.

"Fine," she said closing her eyes and crossing her arms.

He walked towards her and opened the black box. He opened it and took her present out. He quickly put it over her head and placed the box in her hands. She was going to love it. "Alright," he said.

She opened her eyes and they flew to the box in her hands, then to Ron who was now beaming madly, and finally to a locket that was around her neck. Her eyes widened at the sight of it.. "How – how – did you get this? It's my – my locket!"

"Well, it's not exactly your old locket. I knew you missed it. And well, it was your Gran's and your Mum's and how much you loved it. I couldn't go and nick it from Umbridge, but I did the best I could." Ron indeed know how much Hermione missed it. He often caught her in the act of reaching to her neck to pat it, but when realizing it wasn't there, she sighed and returned to whatever she had been doing. It was hard for her, knowing that Umbridge had it. He still remembered when he had first found out what she had done.

"What d'you mean, you don't have it?" Ron shouted at Hermione.

Hermione was close to tears by now. "I – I transfigured it. Into Umbridge's locket. We couldn't have left without giving her locket back. She would have suspected something and reported it. If Voldemort found out that we're hunting Horcruxes, well, we would be dead now."
"So you transfigured your locket? Why didn't you transfigure something else?"
"It's complex, Ron," she said. "To transfigure an object of Dark Magic, you have to have an object of similar shape and size. And, well, my locket had similar shape and size. I don't regret it."

"So you bought me another one?" Hermione asked, fingering its rose engravings.
"I tried. I even went to your Mum for help. She knew it a little better than I did, of course."

"Ron, it's almost identical," Hermione said. "It's beautiful. Thank you!" she exclaimed, hugging him and kissed him lovingly on the lips.

"So you do like it?" Ron asked her, breaking the kiss.

"Didn't I just tell you that?"

"Well, yeah, but I know that nothing could replace your old locket that was in your family for so long."

"It's the thought that counts, Ron. But I do like it. The roses are beautiful, almost exactly the same in my other one."
Ron's face brightened by the compliment. "Yeah, the roses are nice. I thought you'd like them."

"You know me so well," Hermione said, laughing and pecking his cheek. "I think this is the best birthday I've ever had," she remarked.

"Oh yeah?" Ron asked, giving her a kiss on her nose. "Why's that?"

"I'm spending it the same way I've been wanting to spend it for years," she said. "With the man I love."

"Well that's good," he replied. "Because this is how I've been wanting to spend it for years.

"And how's that?" Hermione asked grinning at him.

"With the woman I love."

A lot of fluff, huh? I really like how these last two chapters turned out. As always, I appreciate reviews. It only takes a few moments, and it makes the author (moi!) really happy!