Epilogue

19 Days Later

Hermione and Ron had been separated for only six days, it made it easier for Ron to move back in with his wife, seeing as his things were never actually moved to the vacant apartment above Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. On the subject of what they were to tell the children, Ron simply pretended like those horrible, lonely six days of his life didn't exist when Rosie asked him why he had moved back home. Hugo had tried to help his sister in the insistence that their parents were separated and their father was going to marry Miss Susan but Ron simply insisted no such thing had ever happened and they play the silliest of games.

Frustrated the intelligent pair called their mother in to back them up, and in a panic - because she hadn't thought about what to tell the children either - Hermione played along, 'who's Miss Susan? Daddy never went anywhere."

"I can't believe you made me lie to them like that!" Hermione was saying in their bedroom that night. She'd put on her night gown and slid into bed next to him.

"Made you?" Ron asked in indignation. "You went along with it. I thought it was quite clever." He said proudly, a silly grin on his face, he pulled her to him again, which she allowed, even though she was still arguing with him.

"Ron you can't do that to children it's wrong!" Hermione insisted, her tone of voice was quite grating, really the whole lie had been harmless.

"Why not? It's not going to physiologically scar them, in a few years they'll be old enough to piece together that we just changed our minds. If they ask again I'll tell them what happened but they're too little to be worrying about our problems!" He shot back. Hermione paused.

"We're fighting again," she pointed out. Ron smiled.

"We're disagreeing." He corrected, "because I did something silly and you needed to rouse. Though I noticed you changed the subject when I won the argument."

"I don't rouse," Hermione said immediately, she was glaring at him rather heatedly. Ron for once didn't react, he smiled at her and said; "Yes dear." Pulling her close to him. The one thing no one considered is the reason their relationship worked so well was because they were both incredibly passionate people, and that passion and fire extended to their bedroom in the most pleasurable, rough and dirty ways imaginable.

The next day was a Saturday. And as always the children and their mother were up early, Ron rose later in the day and kissed his wife on the cheek wrapping her up in his arms and resting his head on the top of hers.

"I missed you, when we weren't together. I missed you and the kids so much it actually hurt. I'll... I'll try to be more sensible." Ron promised. "Better for you." He added. Hermione smiled at him, and shook her head.

"You are the very best for me Ronald. I love you, I missed you too while you were gone. I guess I just never realized... You always listen to my problems, when I'm properly upset and you always make me feel better. I... especially about my family." Hermione added, Ron stroked her hair soothingly.

He had disagreed with what she had done to her parents, taken their memories from them, when they'd been found and had their memories returned, well, Mr. and Mrs Granger had never trusted her again, and he'd told her she deserved not to be trusted.

She'd gotten angry but eventually saw he was right, after Rose was born she saw he was right. As muggles she had no right to use magic against them to take away any of their memories about their only daughter, it wasn't fair, but the family was healing.

"If I need help," Hermione was saying, "you were always the first to offer, everything I asked you to do was always done. I was a fool to think I would be better off with anyone else, that I needed anyone else or I could even be happy with anyone else. Not when its you that I want and love. Silliness and insecurities and all, you're not my Ron without them. I guess, really I was a big part of the problem, I can be selfish, only worrying about myself, I mean, you gave up your career with the Aurors so I could continue my work when the kids were born and you've helped me through the hardest times in my life. I can be dismissive of you which is wrong of me." She paused for a long while, "I think from now on we'll be alright, who cares what anyone says about our relationship, that quote came from the woman who named Harry's grandfather Fleamont Potter why did we take it to heart? We've been married for 10 years and not once have I ever wanted anyone but you. I guess before now I always thought our marriage was a given, that you would stay with me no matter what, then I lost you and I finally realized how much I love you, I'm sorry it took me so long"

Ron kissed his wife, touched by her honesty, more in love than they were in the first chapter, each having a new appreciation for the other. If they felt cheated that the unwritten days between when the story took place and the Epilogue was more than twice the amount of time of the whole story they couldn't do anything about it, even though that time in particular would be the more important part of the final outcome of the relationships developed in the Epilogue. But we're not bitter at all.

The point was that Ron and Hermione only needed to develop their relationship beyond the foundation laid when they were children, then there would be no need for any councilors and they'd both be happy together, in love forever.

Ron loved Hermione, with all his heart, and he loved her flaws as well, and now Hermione realized that she loved Ron and all his flaws too, their solution to Ron's crippling insecurity was that Hermione made sure every day to tell him that she loved him, it made him smile and then all was well.

Re-write completed 5-4-2016 | Thank you for reading, reviewing, favorites and follows.