There was a crowd at Andromeda's funeral and Bill didn't know half of them. He thought perhaps many of them had been her classmates or friends of her late husband. He recognised some former Order members and Hogwarts staff, and there was his family, of course, and Hermione. She was sitting in the row of chairs in front of him, a little to the right, between Harry and Angelina. Harry was sitting rather stoically, his arm around Ginny, who was dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief. Harry's other hand was holding tight to Hermione's, the tension in it reflected in his entire posture. Ron and Luna had offered to stay at the Burrow with Teddy, as Harry and Molly had determined the little boy probably shouldn't attend the funeral; he wasn't old enough to fully understand, and it would only upset him. He had seemed to finally realise something was wrong, and had had difficulty going to sleep the night before. Bill sat next to Charlie, his parents on his brother's other side.

Bill watched the back of Hermione's head carefully, the cascade of brown curls not giving him a hint of the expression that might be on her face. He had wanted to sit beside her, offer her comfort, but knew it was best if he didn't. To anyone but Charlie, it would certainly seem odd. He saw her free hand rise to her face, and realised she was wiping tears on the end of her sleeve. He fumbled in his pocket for a handkerchief and then tapped her arm gently. She turned a bit, giving him a watery half-smile as she took the offered cloth. He only nodded and their fingers brushed as it was transferred. Then she turned back around.

Charlie gave him a sideways look. He hadn't yet told him about his conversation in the garden with Hermione or their plans for the next day. Bill just shook his head slightly, returning his attention to the funeral and Charlie seemed satisfied he would get a story later.

Later was after the burial, when they had all returned to the Burrow and Molly had pulled most of the family into the kitchen to help her with dinner. Bill hoped she wasn't so distracted as to leave Fred or George near the food. He was in the living room, telling his father about his latest project at Gringotts, and Charlie was vaguely listening while flipping through a magical creatures quarterly, when Molly called for her husband. There had been a great deal of noise coming from the kitchen for the past twenty minutes, and it was difficult to tell what might have happened, twin-related or otherwise.

"Oh, I hope the twins haven't done something to the roast," Arthur said with a sigh. "I agree we all need a little cheering up, but I don't know that I have the energy for it."

He and Bill exchanged a knowing smile and Arthur left the room. Charlie dropped his magazine and looked expectantly at his older brother. "So?" he whispered, aware the kitchen was open to the living room and only a few steps away.

"So, we're going to go to the British Museum in London tomorrow afternoon. But no one's to know for now, neither of us want to deal with Ron or Mum or anyone else."

"A museum? That's your idea of a first date? You've lost your touch, mate."

"I suggested dinner, but then she asked what I'd like to do and that was the first thing that came to mind," he said, in his defense. "Besides, this is Hermione we're talking about."

Charlie shrugged. "That's true. Not your typical bird. Maybe that's what I've been doing wrong," he teased and Bill rolled his eyes.

"Sod off."

"Bet you're not even going to try for a first date shag, are you?"

"No, that would be a classic from your repertoire."

"You're getting dull in your old age."

Bill had time for a rude gesture before they were called to dinner. A dinner in which no one's hair turned blue and nothing exploded.

oOoOo

Bill had as much difficulty sleeping through Charlie's snoring that night as he had the previous night. He was also again all too aware that Hermione was asleep under the same roof, a floor above him in Percy's old room. He was glad he was headed back to his own flat tomorrow; maybe he could get a decent night's sleep.

It was early when he awoke to birds singing from the orchard, the sound floating through the open window. The sun was barely over the horizon, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fall back asleep. He rolled over to see Charlie sprawled across the other bed. The birds had woken him, too, but he only mumbled a few curses and buried his head under his pillow. Bill laughed at him and Charlie threw a second pillow at him.

"Shut it," he grumbled, his voice muffled. "Go primp yourself for your date and leave me alone."

Bill swung his legs over the side of his bed and pulled on his trousers, then his shirt. "Don't worry, you'll be able to go back to the Leaky today, in time for your own date with Amy tonight."

"Amelia," Charlie corrected, then paused. "I think."

Bill threw Charlie's pillow back at him. "You're such a slag."

"Seriously, shut the fuck up. I want to go back to sleep."

Bill laughed at him again and wandered first to the shower, then down to the kitchen with bare feet, combing through his wet hair with his fingers. His mother was already awake, and had started breakfast. It never failed. "Morning, Mum."

"Good morning, love," she said and he gave her a kiss on the cheek before reaching over her head for the cupboard where he knew she kept coffee for Hermione, and now him, too.

She made a face as he spooned grounds into the machine that Hermione had charmed and left here, like the one in her office. "I don't know how you and Hermione can stand to drink that sludge," she said.

He shrugged as he waited for the coffee to brew and stole a triangle of toast off the plate beside the stove. Molly brandished her wand at him, but he only grinned. "Tea's fine for the afternoon, but it's not enough to wake me properly in the morning."

An owl flew in the window then, dropping the Daily Prophet on the table, along with a few pieces of mail. Bill found the treats in another cupboard and fed the owl one before sending it on its way. He poured a cup of coffee, then settled himself at the table with the paper, skimming the smell of sausage and eggs and potatoes wafted through the air with the scent of his coffee and he found himself eager to get to work, get things done, and head to Muggle London with Hermione. He jiggled his leg unconsciously under the table.

"Grandma Molly!"

Teddy jumped off the second to last step in his footed pyjamas and ran into the kitchen, hugging Molly around the knees, his hair a vibrant orange. "Good morning, Teddy dear. Do you want some breakfast?"

But Teddy was already climbing up into the chair beside Bill. "What's that?" he asked, pointing to Bill's coffee.

"Coffee. It's for grown ups," Bill replied, "but you can try it, if you want."

He blew across it, to cool it, then helped Teddy take a tiny sip. The little boy's nose wrinkled. "Yuck!"

Bill and Molly both laughed. "That's right, Teddy, you tell him," Molly said with a smile. She poured Teddy a glass of milk and Teddy happily drank it, pretending to read the paper as he stood in his chair and leaned on Bill's shoulder. Bill tried not to grin as he continued to read and sip on his coffee. Actually, knowing that Hermione was the boy's godmother, he wouldn't be surprised if he could read a bit of it.

"Teddy, Aunt Ginny's looking for you. You were supposed to change into your clothes before you came downstairs."

Hermione stood in the doorway, as though she had known he had just been thinking of her. Teddy slid out of his chair and ran to her, taking her hand to pull her back upstairs with him. "You come too?"

"Sure, Ted." She turned back to Bill. "Don't finish off the coffee before I've had any, Weasley," she teased.

"No promises, Granger," Bill replied and winked at her from behind his mother's back. Hermione only shook her head, smiled, and followed Teddy up the stairs.

As he tried to turn back to his newspaper, he was aware that Molly had turned away from the cooktop and was watching him with an amused expression. He raised an eyebrow at her, a little cautious. She hadn't see the wink, had she?

"You're quite good with Teddy, Bill."

He sighed inwardly, already knowing where this was headed. "Hm, yes, well, he's a rather agreeable kid." He turned back to the paper and tried to feign great interest in a story on the fourth page.

"You were always quite good with your younger brothers and Ginny, too."

He nodded, sipping at his coffee and keeping his eyes on the print in front of him. "Can't say they were always agreeable."

She ignored the jab at her other children. "You know, you're not getting any younger and I think you'd make an excellent father."

He sighed audibly then, turning to give her an eye roll. "I knew that's where this conversation was going. Could we not do this now, Mum?"

Molly gave a sigh to match his and looked at him a little sadly. "I had hoped maybe you had found someone in Egypt, hoped you had been able to move on. I just want you to be happy."

Bill stood to refill his coffee cup and gave his mother a kiss on the top of her head. "I know, Mum, I know. Things are just...different now. I am happy, though, being back home and seeing everyone again. I'm sorry I stayed away so long."

She patted his cheek and gave him another sad look. "I'm only glad you finally came home. You will move on, Bill, I promise. You'll find a sweet woman who will see what a kind, brilliant man you are and who won't believe Fleur ever let you go."

He couldn't stop an image of Hermione from popping into his head. He pushed it away, quickly. He was quite certain that wasn't who his mother had in mind. "Hope so, Mum," he said simply, and she gave his arm a squeeze as he returned to his seat. It wasn't until later that he realised hearing his ex-fiancee's name hadn't given him the kick in the gut it usually did.

oOoOo

Bill and Hermione strolled away from the museum, heading in the vague direction of the Apparition point, but didn't seem in any hurry to get there.

"When I saw the mummy identified as Cleopatra, I thought for a moment that it was the Cleopatra, before I realised it couldn't be," she said, laughing at her brief mistake. "Of course, there were many queens named Cleopatra, including one famous one. People were certain to start a trend of naming their daughters Cleopatra. I'm sure this girl was one of many running around ancient Egypt."

"She was." He grinned and took her hand again, as he had several times during their three hours in the museum. She had never made an acknowledgement of the gesture but she had never made any moves to pull away, either. Her palm was warm as she entwined her fingers with his. "I've heard there's a new trend now, of naming babies Harry and Ronald and Hermione."

She grimaced. "Poor little girls," she said. It was well known that it had become a rather popular name in wizarding Britain in the last four years. "They'll curse their parents for it later. Perhaps just as much as all the little Harriets."

She giggled as he snorted a laugh. "I think it's a lovely name."

"Harriet?" she teased.

"No, Hermione," he said, giving her a nudge with their clasped hands.

"You might be biased."

"Perhaps."

"I hope Teddy is doing better today," she said, changing the subject. "He seemed well this morning, reading the paper with you."

"He's an agreeable kid," he said, echoing what he had said to his mother earlier.

"He is. And he adores Harry and Ginny. He helped pick out the colours for his room when they finished their house in Godric's Hollow last year and is as happy there as his room at Andromeda's house. I know he'll be fine, I just wish he didn't have to experience this loss, just yet."

He squeezed her hand. "I wish we could all be done with it for a long time. Coffee before dinner?" He paused near a coffeeshop and she nodded.

"I never turn down coffee."

He insisted she let him pay for their coffees and they then took them down the street to a nearby park, finding an empty park bench under the shade of a broad sat next to each other, but the park was quiet, the bustle of London's streets dimmed behind trees, and an awkward tension stole over them. The short space between them suddenly seemed like a wide gulf.

"I'm glad you asked me here today," she said after a long silence.

He took a sip of his drink before replying. "I have to say, I'm not sure why you wanted to come. Why...any of this...me..." He couldn't form his thoughts into words.

She looked out across the park, steadfastly not looking at him. "I know it must seem odd to you, me being only your brother's little bossy friend from Hogwarts."

"You're more than that," he said, quickly. "I'm having trouble, really, realising you're the same as the Hermione I last saw four years ago. I never thought of you only as Ron's little bossy friend, though. We had good talks, back then, and I thought you were brilliant. You are brilliant. I just didn't think...more than that."

"Of course not. I didn't, either, four years ago. I did rather fancy you for a time," she admitted and he saw a high blush stain her cheeks. She looked over to him, almost shyly and he made an effort to throw her an easy smile. "I was probably about fifteen." She shook her head a little. "Quite embarrassing to admit that now. Before I inflate your ego too much, I should tell you I also had a crush on Charlie for a bit, too, but Merlin help me if he ever finds that out! But you were kind and smart and didn't seem to think it odd that I was brainy, like Ron did, and you were easy to talk to."

"And I was quite handsome then, don't forget that," he teased, but his tone was somewhat flat. She bit her lower lip a little as she looked at him.

"You still are. And when I first saw you in Gringotts, I was just so pleased you had finally come home, because I knew how much it meant to your family, and they've really become my family, too. Then, falling back into such easy conversations, and spending time with you at work, I...I began to be pleased you were home for rather selfish reasons, too. I wasn't sure you would see things at all the same way, but...you have...I think."

He took a deep breath and took her hand. "I have. I'm so terribly out of practice with this, you must think I'm mental. I...it's been a long time," he finished, lamely.

"Have you been on a date at all since Fleur?"

He shook his head, turning a little red. "Pathetic, right?"

"No, I just don't think I realised before exactly how hurt you were. I'm sorry."

"Charlie thinks she used some wonky Veela magic on me," he said, trying to sound a little lighter. "Maybe he's right. I knew Mum and Ginny didn't care much for her, but now I find out Charlie didn't either...did anyone?"

"I can't say I did," she answered, honestly. "I don't think it was Veela magic, though, I think you just saw a beautiful girl who had an interesting accent, who flirted with you and thought you charming. You're only human, Bill. But while you were in hospital, I saw that she...had changed. I don't know if everyone else saw that or not, but I saw that your mum fussed over you more than she did. Of course, that's your mum's calling card, but even so, Fleur seemed...detached."

"I thought about that yesterday," he said. "I didn't see it at the time, but in hindsight...I should have seen it coming, really. I do feel like I was under a spell, at least a metaphorical one. As for how long it's taken me to begin to work past it, I don't have an explanation for that. Years ago, I was probably about as much of a cocky bastard as Charlie can be, but when I met her, I was ready to settle down. I was ready for marriage and sprogs and the whole bit. Perhaps I didn't want to see that it was a mistake to look for all that in her."

"I tried to see all of that in Ron, too, for a while." She made a face and smiled a little. "Of course, I quickly saw what a disaster that would be. Luckily, he agreed with me, probably for the first time ever. He already had his eye on Luna, besides."

"He cheated on you?" He was astounded and working towards furious.

"No, no," she reassured, quickly, "but I'm sure it had crossed his mind. And it's fine, I understand. I may not have had my eye on anyone else in particular, but that doesn't mean I wanted to be with him, either. I'm glad we figured it out sooner rather than later, though, and were able to save our friendship. Honestly, we're probably better friends than we were before."

Bill had relaxed back against the bench again. "He's been giving me odd looks since the first night I was home, and you and I were talking about runes at the dinner table."

"I know," she said, simply. "But he doesn't get to decide who I date, though he seems to think he does. I'll set him straight if he says anything."

"You said it wasn't worth getting in a fight with your best friend."

She looked at him, then, and moved closer, pulling on his shirt to bring his head down to hers. She kissed him gently. He rested his forehead against hers when she broke the kiss, keeping his eyes closed and inhaling her scent, feeling her slightly cold nose against his own. "I said I hadn't dated anyone long enough, but what I meant was I haven't been serious enough about anyone to risk the fight."

Her breath was warm against his face and she smelled like coffee. "And now?"

"Now, I think I'd risk it."

The hesitant, cautious, scared part of him fell silent to the part that was shouting with joy. He took a deep breath, then cracked a smile. "I guess this must have been a spectacular first date, then," he teased and she pulled away enough to look at him, her lips twitching in amusement.

"I might need a second date, just to be sure."

"I'll see what I can do."

oOoOo

Bill was careful at dinner, not to spend too much time looking at Hermione across the table, but he snuck glances when he could, occasionally finding her looking at him as well. Charlie was missing, on his date with Amelia/Amy, presumably, and Ron was away, preparing for a game the next day. Harry had come alone, since Teddy had fallen asleep early and Ginny had offered to stay home with him. Luna and Katie were absent as well. Hermione was going to stay at Godric's Hollow with Harry and Ginny for a few days, to help Teddy adjust to his new permanent home, and Bill was trying to sort out how he'd get her out one evening for a date without them knowing.

"Oh, Hermione, dear," Molly said, passing the basket of bread down the table to Arthur, who had asked for them. "I met one of Andromeda's second cousins yesterday and he seems lovely. He lives in Wales, but has been thinking of moving to England and had an interest in Muggle London. I thought you would be the perfect person to show him around."

"Chatting up wizards for Hermione at a funeral, Mum?" Fred asked.

"A little morbid, don't you think?" George continued.

Molly blushed and shook her fork at them. "Hush, now, I didn't intend to do it, but he seems very nice and he's quite good-looking, too."

Bill was trying to mask the horrified look he was sure was creeping over his face. He stuffed another bite of chicken in his mouth and kept his eyes on his plate.

"Molly, I'm sure you had the right intentions, but I'm just not interested," Hermione answered, calmly, and Bill chanced a glance up, finding Harry, not Hermione, looking at him. He schooled his features into a perfect expression of nonchalance and took a sip of water. Now that he finally had a family dinner without Ron, Harry was going to step in and take his place. Fantastic.

"Oh, but dear, it doesn't have to be a date, you could just show him around London a little, and see if you like him."

"I'm afraid I can't. I'll certainly give you some tips to pass onto him, if you'd like, but I'm not interested in a date-or a non-date."

Molly sighed, frustrated, and ignored the sniggering coming from the twins. Then her eyes widened and Bill's stomach dropped. "Oh, are you already seeing someone?" she asked, frustration instantly replaced by excitement. "Is that why you don't want to meet him? That's fine, dear, I understand."

Hermione's hand shook a little as she picked up her glass and took a drink, clearly trying to buy some time. "No, that's not it, I'm simply not interested," she finally said.

"Oi, Granger, we can tell when you're lying," Fred teased.

"Leave her be, Fred, it's not your concern," Angelina protested, elbowing him in the side.

"Oh, who is he, Hermione? Someone at work perhaps?" Molly asked.

Bill's heart was racing. She was too close to the truth. He didn't dare look at Hermione.

"She's not lying."

Bill looked quickly at Harry. He saw Hermione glance at him as well, a look of relief flashing across her face before it disappeared.

"She's not," Harry repeated, "but we'll be busy with Teddy for a while. I'm sure Hermione can find a date on her own when she wants to." He smiled at his best friend and Bill thought he might have caught a quirk of Harry's eyebrow.

"Thank you, Harry," Hermione said quietly, then turned back to her dinner. Harry's eyes flickered to Bill before returning to his own dinner, but it didn't seem anyone noticed. Bill mechanically continued to eat, not aware of the food going into his mouth. Harry knew! At least, he knew something, and he was covering for them. Bloody hell.

Molly sighed again. "All right, then. I'm only looking out for you, dear."

"I know," Hermione said, kindly, reaching out to pat Molly's hand, "but I'm fine."

"See, Mum, now you're free to turn your matchmaking charms on William, here," George said, helpfully, punching Bill's shoulder. He glared at his little brother.

"Are you looking to get your arse kicked?" he asked the twin.

"I tried that a bit this morning," Molly answered, ignoring Bill's language. "I believe I'll wait a few days before trying again," she said, teasingly. "Oh! Do you think the girl Charlie's out with tonight might want to come here with him for dinner sometime?"

Everyone else at the table rolled their eyes.

oOoOo

Hermione's owl arrived not two hours after he returned to his flat.

Harry's more perceptive than I gave him credit for. We've had a talk, though, and he understands our desire for some privacy for now. He's promised not to even tell Ginny until we give the go ahead. I believe all my lunch hours are free this week, and my Wednesday evening is looking brilliant. How do you feel about Thai?