Chapter 9: Taking Hugo Home

"Will there be wards, do you suppose?" Harry asked Ron as they approached Dennis and Fi's house.

"Well, we're with Hugo so it should be fine for now. I'll have Bill come by later and help us take them down. But, I'll use alohamora for now."

Once they made it into the home, Hugo walked in slowly and stood in the hallway clutching the bear. Squatting to his level again, Ron asked gently, "is there anything you want to do?"

"I think I want to go up and be in Mummy and Daddy's room by myself for a while if that's ok. But you'll be here right?"

"Yes. I promise I will be here. I brought my bag, too – see? Can I walk up with you so you show me where you'll be? And then I'll let you be for a while, but I'll come check on you in a bit." Hugo nodded and led Ron upstairs.

Five minutes later, Ron came back down, wiping the tears from his face.

"I often wished my parents had died when I was older so I could remember them more," sighed Harry. "But having witnessed this today, I am almost grateful I can't remember learning they were dead."

Ron just shook his head and wandered into the kitchen. He flicked his wand and started the kettle.

"Are you really going to get me a cell phone?"

"Yeah. You'll need one. Gin and I both have one to deal with the kids' muggle school. You'll probably find you like it actually."

"Ok. And you'll get a key copied?"

"Yes. I will handle all of that. When I leave here I'll swing by the house and talk to Ginny. I am sure she will tell your mum. Then I'll head by Shell Cottage and track down Bill. I'll have him come by and deal with the wards, but I will also have him check with Gringotts about Dennis and Fi's vault and figure out what we need to do. Then I'll go get you a phone and some keys and come back. Is there anything else you need?"

"Wake me up and tell me this was all a bad dream?"

"I wish. I am sorry, Ron. I know this has turned your life upside down completely. We'll all be here for you; I hope you know that."

"I don't have a damn clue what I'm doing."

"Could have fooled me. I think you've handled Hugo brilliantly so far. Trust your instincts. You are doing a brilliant job."

Ron just sighed. "I wonder what Hugo likes to eat. I don't know much about cooking for kids. Hell, I don't know much about cooking at all."

"You want me to bring Ginny by with me later? I'll take the kids to The Burrow, and the two of us will come by for a bit. If it's a bad time for Hugo, we'll just come back later. I'll have her bring some calming draught & dreamless sleep potion as well. Hugo will need it later – and you probably will too."

"All good ideas. You take off. I'm going to rummage around and figure out what's where in the house before I check on Hugo. Not ready for cooking lessons today, but if you could bring something you think an 8 year old would eat I would really appreciate it."

"Absolutely. Hang in there. I'll be back soon." And with that, Harry walked to the floo and headed home leaving Ron feeling as alone as he ever remembered feeling.

After lingering in the hall outside the master bedroom until he thought Hugo had fallen asleep, Ron decided to explore the house a little. He figured out where the bathrooms were and found Hugo's room and a guest room, which is where he planned to sleep. Downstairs he found the kitchen, laundry area and a large sitting room that had a tv, sofa, fireplace and eating area. Off that space he saw there was a small office that looked like both Dennis and Fi had used. Ron had never lived in a muggle home before. It made sense with Fi and Dennis both being muggle born that they were more comfortable in this type of setting. But, having really only lived at The Burrow, Hogwarts and the flat above the WWW on Diagon Alley, it had a different feel to it than Ron was used to. He made a mental note to ask Harry and Ginny about how they wrangled the muggle appliances to work so he could figure it out.

He lingered over the photos about the house. The ones in the main space were all muggle still photos, but the ones in the office and private spaces were magical moving images. Looking at a magical picture of he and Fi on her desk hit him in the gut. He had been so preoccupied with helping Hugo that it almost hadn't registered he had just lost his partner of almost a decade and a half. He'd worked with Fi much longer than he'd been partnered with Harry. They were such a great pair in the field. They were relaxed, only bothered with meaningful rules, but had an excellent reputation of tracing down the right folks, and keeping detailed records to ensure prosecution and punishment. They had different sources that each had developed over the years, and he knew he would need to figure a way to let some of them know about Fi.

He sat down at what he assumed was Fi's desk and looked around. He didn't try to stop the tears as they poured down his cheeks. There was a picture of she and Ron accepting some award for bravery a number of years back, and they both were trying to look serious while actually trying not to break down into giggles. Then there was a muggle picture of Fi with her parents. She had tried to get them to go into hiding during the war, but they had refused and ended up losing their lives over it. She had gone on the run, and then came home to discover what she had lost. That sense of injustice was what sent her into the aurors. Ron turned his attention to Dennis' desk and caught his breath looking at a picture of Dennis and Collin at Hogwarts. They were so young in those Gryffindor robes. How could that whole damn family be gone? He knew life wasn't fair but this just seemed out of proportion even for the cruel universe he'd come to understand. He realized he wasn't sure if either Fi or Dennis had grandparents or aunts and uncles he wasn't aware of. He made a mental note to ask Hermione about that.

After letting himself cry for a bit, he wiped his face and returned to the kitchen. Rustling around he found that it was pretty stocked with breakfast items, which didn't surprise him at all between Fi's love of English breakfast and Dennis' commitment to dairy products. There seemed to be lots of cooking paraphernalia Ron didn't know what to do with. He was pretty sure Fi didn't either – so it must have been Dennis who was the cook. Luckily, he also found the all-important stash of tea, biscuits, butterbeer and firewhisky. He snagged a few biscuits realizing he had never actually had breakfast or lunch. He also made a mental note to check the bathroom of the master suite as he hadn't found any potions or medical items yet. In the kitchen there was also a bulletin board covered in Hugo's art and school papers, a calendar that had the family's important dates noted on it and a page of important phone numbers / contacts.

His poking around complete, he wasn't completely sure what to do next. He didn't feel quite right moving into the guest room yet, but he thought it would be ok to take his duffle bag up there as a start. While upstairs, he poked his head in to check on Hugo and found him sound asleep. Wanting to leave him as peaceful as possible, he quietly crept back downstairs and decided to try to take a kip on the sofa for a bit until Harry or Bill came by. He suddenly realized how physically and emotionally exhausted he was at this point, so to be any good to Hugo later, he should try to sleep now. Kicking his trainers off by the pile of shoes near the door, he stretched out on the couch. He was pleasantly surprised to find that he fit on it, as his tall frame usually had his feet kicking out over the end. Soon he drifted off into a fitful sleep. He was dreaming of Fi and the different times they had been in real danger. He kept trying to get to her, but she was shifting away. Then the dream changed, and he felt a weight on his chest. The weight was warm, but making it difficult to breath in his dream, and he didn't understand it. Soon he woke up, and realized Hugo had come downstairs and crawled on top of him before falling back asleep. Sighing at the site, he reached his arms around the sleeping boy, brushing his bangs across his forehead. Soon, Ron had fallen back asleep as well.

What felt like several hours later, Ron and Hugo woke up on the couch. Both of their stomachs were grumbling, which made the two start to giggle.

"We are quite a sight, huh Hugo? How about some sandwiches? Will you show me where everything is in the kitchen?"

Hugo nodded, getting up and rubbing his eyes. "I like turkey sandwiches, but I do not like mustard. If you put mustard on it, I won't eat it. Mummy says I must have been bitten by a mustard monster when I was a baby."

"Who am I to argue with that logic?" smiled Ron. "Let's see if I can muster up a turkey sandwich with no mustard then."

The two of them ambled into the kitchen, and Hugo pulled up a chair to crawl up on the counters and pull down the bread. He then pointed out the cupboards that housed the plates and cups, and the drawer for all of the silverware. Soon, the two were munching on mustard free sandwiches and crisps while sitting on the counter, sipping down pumpkin juice.

"I like that bulletin board," Ron noted, mouth half full. "Looks like you get much better marks in school than I ever did. You are really good at art to. You have a great eye for things like you Uncle Collin, I suppose."

"I like school. I do get in trouble some for talking or not following along with the class. Mrs. Thompson, that's my teacher, she says I get bored and do my own thing too much. She said it's ok if I read my books during class but I have to listen with one ear so I can answer questions if I'm called on. Seems weird – like she is saying I should listen with one ear and read with the other ear. Actually I am not sure how your ear reads at all."

"Hmm. Wish I'd had Mrs. Thompson as a teacher. She sounds brilliant. And as for the one ear thing, I am not sure. But my brother George has only one ear, so I guess we could ask him."

"How'd that happen? Was he born that way?"

"Well, no. He lost it in a battle. Guess that sounds weird – like it just fell off or something. He was actually helping to rescue Harry. And one of the people trying to hurt Harry sent a spell at George that hit his ear. He lost so much blood from it that it couldn't be re-attached."

"Even with magic?"

"Even with magic. Once we knew he would be ok, it was pretty funny. See, George was an identical twin, and my mum could never tell George and Fred apart. They used to play terrible tricks on her pretending to switch places and what not. And then once George lost his ear, they couldn't do that anymore."

"Do they still play other tricks?"

"Well, Fred and George built the WWW joke shop."

"That's right. I forgot that. It is amazing that place!"

"Really is I think. I'll take you over there one of these days. My flat is actually just upstairs from the shop. But, Fred died the same day as your Uncle Collin. George thought about closing the shop after that, because he missed Fred so much. But, he decided that he wanted to keep the shop open because it was Fred's dream too. And it was a way to remember him and smile and make others laugh like Fred had done. We still miss him, but by inventing things to make other people laugh, we help keep his memory alive."

"I want to keep Mummy and Daddy's memories alive too. And Gran and Grandad."

"Me too. We will have to figure out some special things to do to help honor each of them, don't you think?"

"Yes. Grandad liked football."

"Yeah? Which team?"

"Manchester. Do you know much about football?"

"Not too much, I'm afraid. But maybe we could go to some games and learn together. I know more about quidditch than football. Tell me about your Gran. What did she like to do?"

"She and Mrs. Granger were best friends since they were younger than me."

"That's neat. What did they do together?"

"I dunno. Maybe just talking and shopping I think. Not sure. Maybe Hermione knows."

"But your Gran was an amazing cook, wasn't she? When I got hurt a few months ago the only thing that woke me up was when Harry accidentally spilled your Gran's mashed potatoes and gravy on my face and I tasted it."

"He spilled it on your face?! Gross!"

"Pretty funny though. And it woke me up, so it was all ok."

"Ron – what happens if you get hurt again? Then what would happen to me?"

"Oh Hugo. You are going to be loved and cared for no matter what, ok? I promise you that. This has all happened really fast to both of us, so I honestly don't have everything figured out yet. But, I talked to Harry this morning, and I won't go back to work for a while. And, then when I do, I will figure out a way to make sure I am not on dangerous missions, ok? I don't have the exact answer yet. But, I promise I am working on it and as soon as I know I will tell you, is that ok?"

Hugo nodded solemnly.

"You know, Hugo. I'll be honest with you. I have never been in this situation before, and I am not always going to know what to do right away. But, I promise I will always love you, and I will always tell you the truth – even if the truth is just that I don't know yet, ok? And I will need you to help me and tell me if I am doing something that's not working, alright? Can you do that for me?"

Hugo nodded solemnly again.

Ron looked at him and realized he needed to get the mood light again. "Maybe we need like a secret Godfather / Godson handshake or something. What do you think? Do you have a secret handshake with anyone else?"

"Well, no. But if I did and told you then it wouldn't be secret, would it?"

Ron laughed, "No, I guess not. Well, I think we should create one. Let's try a few out and see which one we like best."

The two tried a series of shakes and claps and snaps and fist bumps until they had settled on the one they liked the most. They shook hands, pumping twice, slid their hands back and ended in a fist bump. They were still practicing it when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," shouted Hugo as he ran to the door.

Hermione and Rose stood on the doorstep, and Hugo ushered them into the kitchen.

"Oh good, you've had sandwiches. I wasn't sure what all they had in the kitchen, so I brought over a few of Hugo's favorite foods," Hermione said as she plopped some shopping bags onto the counter.

"Thanks. That was really thoughtful. He has already educated me on the no mustard rule," Ron chuckled.

"That's how a sandwich should be!" announced Hugo.

"I'm with him," agreed Rose. "Mustard makes a good sandwich not worth eating."

"I see," mused Ron. "And Hermione, are you with the two mustard haters over there?"

"Well, I guess it depends on the sandwich," she pronounced. "I like a good Dijon on a few things, but I don't need it on bread every time you slap turkey or ham on it."

"OK. Good to know," nodded Ron. I guess we won't go through much mustard with this crowd."

"Hugo – Mummy let me pick up some films at the store, want to watch one?"

"Ok," he said, and the two headed into the sitting room to put on a film.

Once they had left the room, Hermione said, "He seems to be doing a lot better."

"He's slept most of the day until he ate just now. Spent a few hours in Dennis and Fi's bed, and then slept with me down on the couch."

"Well, I guess that's good. You know, I am no expert in child grief, but I picked up a few books while I was out that we can both read," she said as she pulled out another shopping bag. From it she pulled a stack of half a dozen psychology books on child grief and mourning.

"Wow," Ron said. "All I managed to do was take a nap with him and make him a mustard free sandwich. Have you read all of these?"

"Well, I am a book person. What can I say, if I need to learn something I head straight for a library or a book shop. I skimmed a bunch in the book shop this morning, and these seemed to be the best 6. I got copies for me as well that are still in the car. I also got some that are for children – they are in this bag. They seemed right on track for Hugo's age. I'll leave them here with you, and you can pull them out when you think he's ready or needs them."

"Uh, ok. Thanks."

"They all seem to say it is really important we are clear with him that they are dead and not coming back. And it's important to not make it sound like they are sleeping or that they went away. And – oh yes," she said flipping one book open, "they also point out that he may start wetting the bed some, so don't be surprised about that. I picked up some large size pull on nappies for him that are in the grocery bag as well in case that is an issue. Seems like most kids bounce back and forth between the different grief stages, but will also just need to be kids and randomly watch the tele or want to play trucks or go to the park or something. And then there were some good chapters in these two books about how to involve children in planning the funerals. He is such a mature kid that I think he will want to be at the funeral and do something to remember each of them by."

"Yes," Ron jumped in. He was slightly overwhelmed by the psychology lecture coming his way, but at the same time appreciative of what Hermione was teaching him. "Actually, we were talking about that when you and Rose arrived. He was talking a bit about how he wanted to remember his grandparents."

"Really, what did he say?"

"Well, he was talking about how much his Grandad loved Manchester United, and – well – about how much his Gran liked talking and shopping with your mum. Then we were discussing his Gran's amazing cooking a bit."

"That's great. So you must have read some things on all of this to know to talk about that with him, huh?"

"Well, not really. Just from my own family's experiences with loss really. I lost my brother the same day as Collin died."

"Right! I had forgotten. That's great – I mean, no – that came out wrong. Obviously it's not great that your brother died, or that anyone died really, but I meant that it's great you sort of understand what Hugo's going through, although how can anyone understand what he's going through – I mean he lost both parents and his only grandparents in one fell swoop, and my God they'd already lost Collin –"

"Hermione," Ron said quickly when Hermione finally paused to inhale. "Breathe, alright. Are you ok?"

"Sorry. And no, I am not ok. It is just so awful. And I can't plan my way out of it, or read my way out of it, or do a God damn thing about it," she said as she started to cry. "And I think about that wonderful family that I grew up with and all four of them are gone. Wasn't losing Collin bad enough? And now they are all gone. All of them! And Fi too! My God, poor Hugo. How will he ever possibly move through this? What if we had just cooked them an anniversary dinner? Why did they have to go to that fancy French place? And now he won't know how incredible they each were and..." Hermione rambled as her words were lost in her sobs.

"Hermione, I know I don't know you that well, but you seem like you need, well, here," Ron said as he engulfed her in his large arms and held Hermione in a tight embrace. "Shhh," he said into her hair. "We will get him through this. We will love him. And we will make sure he knows how amazing they were. Shhhh." He continued to gently rub her back as she tried to control her crying. Her sobs finally slowing, he helped her take some deep shuddering breaths. As overwhelmed as Ron was by her crying, he was equally overwhelmed by the way Hermione fit perfect into his arms.

As she regained control of her breathing, she stepped back and said, "Oh God, I am so embarrassed! I am so sorry I got your shirt all soaked. God, I am a mess today. I really am so sorry."

"It's ok, Hermione. Really. That is hardly the worst thing about today. Don't worry about it at all. And- I really do appreciate the books. It wouldn't have actually occurred to me to go do that, so thanks."

Hermione nodded, still embarrassed from the crying.

"Sorry –about all of this. It has just rocked all of our worlds, I suppose," she muttered.

"Absolutely. And it's not just you. I broke down earlier when Hugo was asleep. Fi and I had been partners for almost 15 years. I spent more of my waking hours with her than anyone else. And I had known Dennis since he was 11. Not to mention it definitely brought back Collin's death too. It is way too much for one family to bear."

Hermione nodded frenetically. "It's just – well – you know the long hours Fi worked. Dennis and I sort of depended on each other to help with the kids. That's partly why Rose and Hugo are so close. A lot of the folks at school thought Dennis and I were married and the kids were siblings as they never saw Fi at teacher conferences or concerts or anything. Dennis or I would always be there. My mum usually watched them after school until Dennis or I got home. We were just an extended family, you know?"

"No – I had no idea. I'm sorry. What does Rose's father do that has him working such long hours?"

"Oh, Rose doesn't have a father. I adopted her on my own when I was in Pakistan. It's just been the two of us these past ten years."

"You're not married?" Ron gaped, his head slightly reeling at the revelation. The woman he'd fantasized over all those years had actually been single!? And then he instantly chastised himself as this was clearly not the time to be thinking about that. But, he had just had her wrapped in his arms a moment ago, and it was hard not to think about.

"No, is that an issue?" Hermione asked in a suddenly cold tone.

"No, of course not - I'm sorry – ugh, I feel like such an idiot. You must have thought I was so rude at Hugo's baptism. I thought you had gotten married when you were overseas."

"Oh. Huh," she said before pausing. "Well, I think that misconception has probably happened a lot. People see a well-educated, professional woman with a child, and it doesn't fit the single mum stereotype of being on the dole or something."

"Sorry. But, wow. It's fantastic you adopted her on your own. That must have taken a lot of courage to do on your own at such a young age. Rose sure is lucky to have you."

"You know, people say that all of the time, but it's just not how it felt. In my entire life I had never been so certain that I was supposed to do something as I was about adopting her. It didn't feel like bravery at all – just perseverance in fighting to bring my daughter home. It took a long time, which is why I ended up being in Pakistan longer than I anticipated. But it was absolutely worth it. I am the lucky one – she is the absolute best thing in my life. I can't imagine my life without her – or who I would be if I had never met her. I think that is part of what has me so rattled. My worst fear is for something to happen to me and leave Rose alone again. I had always assumed Mum and Dad would care for her if I couldn't . And when we lost Fi, Dennis and the Creeveys all in one fell swoop it makes me so afraid something like that could happen to Rose."

"It does feel like we are living a nightmare. I guess all you can do is love her each day and not dwell on the what-ifs so much that they interfere with the present. And, I really do apologize for the misunderstandings of years gone by. There's probably other things we each got wrong about the other too, but I get the sense I am really going to need your help in the weeks ahead. Can we start over maybe?"

Hermione nodded and smiled as she stuck out her hand, "Hermione Granger."

"Ron Weasley," he smiled as he shook her hand.

"Pleasure," she laughed as she turned and started to put away the groceries.

They had just finished putting the groceries away when the doorbell rang again. Ron answered it to find Harry, Ginny and Bill all at the door.

Ron introduced everyone, "Hermione, this is my brother Bill and my sister Ginny, and you know Harry – who is married to Gin"

"Oh, right, I think we met at Dennis and Fiona's wedding a long time ago," said Hermione.

"Yes, that's right. Good to meet you again, though I am so sorry it is under these circumstances," replied Ginny.

"Um, well, I was going to head home, do you want me to take Rose now?"

"No!" Ron said and realized it came out a tad desperate. "Actually it would be great if she could stay a while, if you don't mind. I think she is doing a world of good for Hugo right now. Could we maybe walk her home after the film is over or they are done playing?"

"Yes, that's fine. And then you can give me your phone number once Harry gets you set up, alright?"

"Right. Yes. Phone number. Will do. We will come by in a while."

"Alright. Good to meet all of you. Bye!" she said before she hugged Ron and then walked out the front door.

All three of them shot Ron a look.

"Knock it off, all three of you," he said sternly. "There are about a million problems on my plate right now, and I need your help handling the real ones."

"Ok. Only because you truly are having the shittiest of days on the planet. But, I will harass you later, as little sisters were put on the earth to harass their older brothers. It's just part of the way of things."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Let's head into the kitchen – there is a table where we can lay everything out as you seem to have a lot of bags. Please tell me it isn't all related to the phone thingy I have to figure out."

"No – just one bag for the cell phone, mate," Harry said as he held up a shopping bag. "The others are bank papers, a new key, and more food from your mum than you and Hugo could eat in a month."

"Hopefully no mustard. He has already delivered that lecture to me."

"Ahh, welcome to the wonderful world of picky kid eaters," smiled Bill.

"I don't remember us getting to be picky as kids," said Ron.

"Corned beef, anyone?" snarked Ginny.

"I didn't like it, but I still ate it."

"Oh well, no – there is no offensive mustard in here. Some casseroles, homemade bread, a treacle tart that Harry will take care of if you don't want it, and some biscuits I think," chimed Ginny.

"Great. Thanks. Do you guys want some tea?"

All nodded as Ron put the kettle on and joined them around the kitchen table.

"Also – before I forget. I've never lived anywhere that was a muggle place and had muggle appliances. Can you help me get the quick rundown on what you do with them?"

"Sure. I can do that before we leave. We have a tele and everything at home. It isn't hard at all," said Harry.

"Actually, I think you will like the tele," said Ginny.

"Ok," said Bill. "I looked into Dennis and Fi's accounts at Gringotts, and they had everything arranged perfectly in case anything happened. So, it should be a smooth situation as far as the finances are concerned.

Ron nodded. "Great. Thank you Fi and Dennis," he muttered. "Ok, so what do I need to know?"

"Well, they had a combined vault – and their papers were written so that if they died and The Creeveys died that everything goes directly to Hugo, with you as legal and financial custodian until he is 17. From 17 to 22 he can access half of the value, and then the other half at 23."

Ron shot Bill a quizzical look.

"A lot of times parents set finances up that way so young kids can't blow their whole inheritance as soon as they come of age."

"Huh. Smart," said Ron.

"Now, there is also paperwork in their file that notes that they were to inherit everything from The Creeveys as well. Now, apparently he owned about 30% of the Dairy where Dennis and his dad worked, so we can hold on that for a while, but the other owners may want to buy Hugo out. That makes sense unless you see Hugo going into the Dairy business. Obviously too soon to make any of those decisions now, but just something to keep in mind. There was a copy of the grandparents will, and assuming it is the current copy, it gives almost everything to Hugo except for some sentimental things to a Jean Granger."

"That's Hermione's mum. Apparently they were best friends from age 5 or so. Hugo told me they just talk and shop," Ron reported, causing Ginny to snort in laughter.

"There are the two homes – this one and the Creeveys. The Creeveys' home was paid off, but this home still has a mortgage. Then there will be an insurance payout on the car that was totaled in the crash. And there seems to have been rather significant life insurance policies on both Dennis and Fi. I think the money from The Creeveys' home and the insurance policies should be more than enough to cover the remaining loan on this house, assuming you want to keep it for now. Then the other money can be used for living expenses, etc., and set aside for Hugo when he's older."

Ron simply nodded. "Just trying to absorb it all. It's been a hell of a 24 hours."

"How is he doing?" asked Ginny, reach her hand out to touch Ron's arm.

"Well, I think he is doing better than this morning. He's had a pretty good breakdown, and then he slept for a few hours. I got some lunch in him, and now he's watching a film with his friend Rose, Hermione's daughter. From what I gather, those two are like siblings. Apparently Dennis and Hermione took turns watching each other's kids, They go to the same school, and they would cover for each other at teacher conferences and stuff since Fi worked crazy hours with me. And, apparently Hermione isn't married – I learned she adopted Rose."

"She isn't married? This is the same muggle woman from the wedding, right?" gaped Harry.

"Million problems, mate. A million fucking problems today. Let's not get into that one, alright?"

Bill simply raised his eyebrow at Ron. Ron gave him a swat in the arm. "I'm saying nothing," scoffed Bill.

"Right. And you're going vegetarian too."

"Shut up. Anyway, we need to talk about wards, too, right?"

"Yes – that would be great. Can you take down the ones Fi had set? And then I can put up my own. But, maybe you can give me some advice as I always had muggle repelling charms up, which would clearly not be a good plan as we are in a muggle neighborhood and Hugo is friends with muggle kids," said Ron.

"Not to mention, Hermione got through the muggle repelling charms you and Fi had set in December, remember?" added Harry.

"What? That's impossible," said Bill.

"Impossible or not, I saw it with my own eyes," said Ron.

"You sure she is a muggle?" Bill asked.

"Well, Dennis said she was a muggle. Hugo said they were muggles, and I don't remember ever seeing her at Hogwarts, so you tell me," retorted Ron.

"Ok, ok. Don't bite my head off. I just happen to be a professional curse breaker and have never, ever, ever seen a muggle get through one of those charms."

"Can we argue about this another day? There are still a million problems I need to solve today," said Ron, holding his face in his hands.

"Sure. Sorry. Just very interesting. Ok – I will go take down the wards Fi had. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Oh – be discreet. Rose is in the sitting room with Hugo."

"Right. One order of discreet curse breaking coming right up," Bill said as he walked back into the entry hall.

"OK, we talked about appliances, food, wards, finances, oh – the phone."

"Yes, one iPhone for you. It's also called a smart phone."

"What makes it smart?"

"Well, it is a phone, but it also takes pictures and videos, and you can get onto this muggle thing called the internet where you can get at all kinds of information. I doubt you will use it much, but the kids sometimes have to look things up on it for homework, and this is easier than schlepping to the library to use their computer."

"It's a computer? I thought it was a phone?"

"It's kind of both. Here let me show you," Ginny offered. She showed him the different features, and entered her and Harry's numbers, as well as the contact numbers that were on Hugo's bulletin board, including Hermione, The Grangers and Hugo's school."

"What are all these other pictures for?" asked Ron.

"Different uses called 'apps,' but you won't really need them. Muggles love them, but we haven't found much use for them. Except the weather one. Touch the cloud picture and it will tell you the week's weather, which is pretty cool."

"We live in England. Isn't it pretty much always cool, grey and damp with a chance of rain?"

"Wanker. Take your phone."

"Wait, tell me my number again. And show me one more time how to call. I just know I will get called out on being an idiot when I try to use it in front of a muggle."

"A muggle like Hermione, perhaps?" Ginny teased.

"Seriously?"

"OK, sorry. Here..." and she showed him again, and added "Ron" to the contact list on the bulletin board. "And if you can't do something, just tell whoever you are with that you just upgraded phones and haven't figured out where everything is yet and they will nod appreciatively. Trust me. It will be fine"

"Thanks," said Ron.

"I can be good when I choose to be," Ginny retorted.

"Harry, about work..." Ron started.

"No, let's not even talk about it right now. You've been on medical leave, and Fi was only working part time the last few weeks, so you don't have any pressing cases at the moment. There is just that one smuggling case that's been hanging out since the fall. We'll leave that for now. And it's standard protocol for someone to go on bereavement leave if their partner is killed, so let's just regroup on everything in a few weeks. Get things settled with Hugo, and then we can talk. You're in no place to make any decisions about it right now."

"OK. OK. I don't know when Hugo will go back to school. But, I really want to be the one to clean out Fi's desk, ok? Can you just have them leave our office for now? I – I really need to do that myself. Please, Harry?"

"Of course, Ron. Anything."

"Thanks," Ron said, trying to swallow the knot that had formed in his throat.

Ginny took the opportunity to change the subject, "I brought some potions for you."

"Great," said Ron. "I poked around when Hugo was sleeping but couldn't find anything. They could be up in the master bedroom or bathroom, but I didn't want to go through there when Hugo was sleeping, as he needed the rest."

"Sure – of course. I just brought Dittany, Calming Draught and Dreamless Sleep. Now – the child's doses of the last two are written out here. I used the amount we would give Lilly, as she and Hugo are the same age, alright? It's really important to not give him too much, Ron. Do you understand?"

"Yes. Child's dose. Don't give too much. Got it."

"Have you guys decided when the funeral will be?" asked Harry.

"Not really. Hermione was going to call their vicar and figure out when the church was available. It sounded like Mrs. Granger was going to be heading all that up I think. I am not really sure."

"Ok, well, I have reached out to the DA members and to folks like McGonagall and Hagrid who will want to be there as well."

"How will we get Hagrid to blend in at a muggle funeral?"

"Well, he was at Collin's. Let me worry about that," said Ginny.

"Ok. Um – Hugo and I had this nice chat earlier today. Sort of rambling, but it came up about how George reopened the shop to help preserve Fred's dream and memory by making others laugh, and Hugo made some comments about wanting to do something to preserve his parents' memories and dreams too. So, do you think we could have people write down their favorite stories about them? Maybe we could put all in a book or something. It would be too much to have said at the funeral, and then this way they can be the real stories and not some muggle-friendly versions."

"Excellent idea, Ron! And, yes, hard to come up with muggle version of Dennis falling in the lake and getting bounced around by the squid on his first night at Hogwarts."

"Oh – I had forgotten that! That was so funny. And he just grinned through the whole thing and showed up dripping wet for the sorting. Brilliant that was," smiled Ron.

"Brilliant is exactly right. And yes – I love the idea too. Ginny and I will get on it. Don't worry about a thing."

Ginny got up to get more tea, and saw the pile of books on the counter. "What are all of these?" she asked.

"Oh, apparently that is how Hermione handles stress. She went and read half the bookshop and brought me what she deemed to be the best 6 books on child grief as well as other books for Hugo to read."

"Clearly Hermione doesn't know that you have never read a book in your life," scoffed Ginny.

"That's not true," said Ron. "I just only read books I am actually interested in. So – up to this point that has, admittedly, limited it to quidditch, chess and...well, ok - maybe just quidditch and chess. But, some of the ones she brought seemed like they would be worth reading. I mean, this time yesterday I wasn't responsible for an 8 year old boy, and now I am. So, a little reading may be in order. Though – I get the sense that Hermione already hit the highlights in the child psychology lecture she gave me earlier this afternoon."

Bill came back in to the kitchen. "Fi's wards were good. Quite complex. Always knew she was a brilliant one. Anyway – they are down now, and you can put up all of your own ones."

"Suggestions?"

Bill walked Ron through what he would use, and Ron jotted down notes to be sure he had it all correct.

"You guys have been great today. I really, really appreciate it. I have no idea what I would do without you," sighed Ron.

"Of course, Ron. It's a hell of a surprise life threw at you today. It will take a while to adjust to basically being a parent – not to mention everything else. We are all here for you. And, I for one, think you will do an amazing job," said Harry.

"Me too," said Bill patting his pack.

"Ok, me too," agreed Ginny giving him a large hug.

"Thanks guys. And thank Mum for the food alright? Obviously we won't make it to The Burrow tomorrow. That would be a bit too much for Hugo right now. But we'll ease into it. And one of these days he will love it."

"Oh, I can guarantee he will love it," said Harry. "A little boy who has grown up with one muggle pseudo-sister suddenly thrust into the chaos and fun that is The Burrow on a Sunday? He'll never want to leave. Trust me – I speak from personal experience."

"Ahh. The real reason he married me. Sunday lunch and a quidditch pitch in the country," laughed Ginny as she kissed her husband on the cheek. "Come on, let's head out and leave Ron to digest the mound of information we just dumped on him."

"I'd say you could floo, but Rose is still in there. So, sorry. You'll have to apparate."

"No problem. It's how we got here."

"Thanks again," Ron said as he walked them out. "I'll see you soon?"

"Yeah – I'll stop by tomorrow."

"Thanks," said Ron. "Goodnight."

Ron leaned against the door as he closed it having shown his family out. He walked back by the sitting room where Hugo and Rose had finished their film and had moved on to a board game. They seemed content, so Ron did not want to disturb them. He walked gently back to the kitchen, determined to figure out the phone. He was so absorbed in trying to figure it out that he didn't notice when the two kids traipsed into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" asked Rose.

"Well, Harry brought me a new phone, and I am trying to make sure I know how to work it," Ron said.

"Is it a 6s?" Rose asked.

"Um. I don't even know what that means," laughed Ron.

"It's the edition of iPhone," she said confidently as she reached for the phone. "Yes – see – this is a 6s, so it has Siri on it."

"What's a seery?" Ron asked.

"You know – the creepy voice assistant on the iPhone," laughed Hugo. "Look, you just hold down this button and then ask a question."

"What kind of question," asked Ron.

"Watch," Rose instructed. "Siri, where is the closest Curry In A Hurry?"

"The closest Curry In A Hurry is located at 543 High Street which is 7.6 kilometers from your current location."

"Blimey! That is amazing! And a bit creepy I have to say!" Ron exclaimed. "What else can it do?"

"My turn," said Hugo. "Siri, how far away is the moon from earth?"

"The moon's distance varies over the year, but on average the moon is 384,000 kilometers from earth."

"Where has this phone been all my life!?" said Ron. "This is amazing! I could be entertained by this for days."

"And then," Rose instructed as she reached for the phone again, "you can go on the internet by pressing this icon. You just type in something here, like or something and it comes up like the regular internet on a computer."

Ron just nodded somewhat dazed. Hugo looked at him and was clearly trying not to giggle at his overwhelmed expression.

"So do you these at your school?" Ron asked.

"Well, here, you can go to this website here and go on the student portal on the phone. I usually do my homework on a laptop, as it's hard to type on a smartphone, but it helps in a pinch," Rose said.

"I can go on through the student portal and play games to help me learn my math facts and things," said Hugo.

"Huh," said Ron.

"But, I love the camera part. Here," said Hugo, "smile Rosie!"

Rose quickly posed, Hugo took her picture and then showed it to Ron and Rose. "Wow. That's brilliant. Your uncle would have lost his mind over this."

"Dad said the same thing when he got his," Hugo laughed.

"Mum says there are more pictures of my first ten years of life than there are of her entire life," said Rose.

"I bet that's true," laughed Ron.

"But her favorite thing is downloading books onto her phone so she can read whenever she has a free moment."

"Your mum loves to read, doesn't she?"

Rose nodded. "And I do to. Though maybe not quite as much as Mum," she confessed.

"I like that you can facetime people," Hugo said.

"What does that mean?" asked Ron.

"It's like a phone call, but you can see the face of the person you're talking to on the screen through the video. Here – we can facetime Hermione."

And before Ron knew what had happened, the phone had made some buzzing beeping noises, and suddenly Hermione's face appeared on the screen.

"Hi Mum, we are helping Ron set up his new phone, and Hugo wanted to show him what facetiming was."

"Brilliant. Glad you two are helping Ron out. Oh, hello Ron," Hermione smiled as Ron waved lamely into the screen.

"I'm afraid I've never had a phone quite so fancy before," confessed Ron. "But luckily these two are having pity on me and helping a poor bloke out."

"Glad to hear it," laughed Hermione. "And now I know your number."

"Good. I am not sure I do," admitted Ron.

"Alright then. Are you going to stay and play a bit more Rose or are you coming home now?"

"I'll stay a bit more, Mum, but I'll be home before dinner, alright?"

"Ok, love. I'll see you soon." And with that, the phone clicked off.

"That phone is incredible," said Ron.

"And we haven't even downloaded any games yet," smiled Hugo.

"Well, I think I've had as much as I can absorb on the phone for one day. Let me master my new skills first before you two overwhelm my brain, ok?"

"Alright. Rose, let's go play some more before you go home, alright?"

With that, the two bustled out of the kitchen leaving Ron feeling like a wind storm had somehow swept through the room and left him in its wake.

Hermione hung up the facetime call from Ron's new phone and poured herself some tea. The emotional whirlwind of the past 18 hours was starting to catch up to her. She still couldn't believe they were all gone. All four of them. And she was also trying to make heads or tails of the fact that Ron Weasley was suddenly a key figure in her life. It was so strange. She had fantasized about him for a decade. And now she learns that he had thought she was married. His comment in the kitchen made it sound like he was apologizing for not asking her out after Hugo's baptism. And when he'd held her as she cried today she had felt the same electricity she'd felt all those years ago dancing with him. She had felt so safe in his embrace. But she couldn't afford to think about such things right now. She needed to plan a funeral for four people she loved. And she needed to help Ron figure out how to be the parent figure Hugo desperately needed.

But something else seemed off. The car thing was throwing her. She had plausibly bought the story early in the morning about Harry parking around the corner. But, then when she left as they arrived in the afternoon, there wasn't a car anywhere to be seen. It was as if they had appeared from nowhere. And, Ron had clearly never had a smartphone before. Hermione didn't care what kind of secret spy detective he was, there was no way he could possibly not know his phone number. And despite these weird warning flags, Hermione thought he seemed so trusting and trustworthy. Whatever weird job he had, it was the same one as Fiona had. She never knew Fiona as well as she knew Dennis. But, she knew, trusted and loved Dennis, and if he was ok with whatever weird things Ron and Fiona did, then she guessed she would have to go on faith that it was alright and that Ron was a trustworthy soul.

She returned to reading her new books on grief as she finished up her tea. She had bought a number of books focused on grief in children, but she had also picked some up that addressed adult grief, as she knew both her and her parents were taking this tragedy very hard. She was still reading when she heard Rose come through the front door.

"Hi Mum, I'm back."

"Hi, Love. And hello to you two as well," she said nodding at Hugo and Ron.

"Good evening," Ron said. "We're just escorting Miss Rose home."

Hugo and Rose darted into the other room leaving Ron and Hermione in her sitting room.

"Are you ok for supper then?"

"Yes, thanks. My mum sent more casseroles with my sister than we could eat in a lifetime. So – if you have any great desire for a casserole in the next month, you know where to look."

"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

"Um, thanks for everything today – it's been a whirlwind of a day, but I don't know that I could have done it without you. So – thanks," said Ron quietly.

"Of course. It definitely wasn't the day any of us planned to have ever. But, you two seem like you are doing alright."

"I'm sure there are rough times yet to come, but he – well we I suppose, are doing better than I had expected so far."

"You're doing brilliantly, Ron. I jumped into parenthood when Rose was 3 months old and felt like I was already behind. You're jumping in when he's 8. You're going to feel like a fish on land for a while, but trust your instincts. I've watched you today – and your instincts are good."

"Had to make sure you trusted me, huh?"

"Damn right I did. And if I didn't think you were up for it, there is no way I would let Hugo go home with you. I love that boy desperately. But from what I can tell today, Fiona and Dennis knew what they were doing when they picked you. You have a lot of the silly stuff to learn. But you love him and you're honest with him, and he loves and trusts you. Everything else will fall into place from there."

"That could be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me," said Ron quietly. "Thank you, Hermione," he said as he reached out and squeezed her hand.

"You're going to do great, Ron," she said as she squeezed his hand back.

After lingering for a moment longer than was proper, Ron let go and said, "Alright, well, we are going to head back. I'm hopeful he'll sleep tonight. But, we shall just have to see."

"We'll pop round in the morning sometime. Weather is supposed to be dry tomorrow, so maybe the kids can run off some steam at the playground some and we can talk a bit more about the funeral."

"Yeah. Sure. We'll be there so we 'll see you tomorrow." With that he gave her a lopsided smile and headed out of the kitchen.

"Hugo? Let's go. We're leaving these ladies to their supper."

"Goodnight, Hermione," said Hugo.

"Goodnight, love," Hermione said hugging him tightly. "You need anything, you call and I will be there in five minutes, ok?"

Hugo nodded.

"I love you so very much," she said as she held him tightly.

"I love you too," he said quietly as he hugged her back. Then he let go and reached for Ron's hand as they walked out the front door.

Once Ron had warmed up one of the many casseroles his mum sent and the two of them had eaten, Ron asked him about his nighttime routine.

"What time do you usually go to bed, Hugo?"

"On a school night it was usually supposed to be lights out by 830, but we usually ran late and it was more like 9. And on weekends, it didn't matter so much."

"And do you usually take your bath before bed or in the morning?"

"Usually before bed. But, not always."

"Got it. And what else should I know?"

"Dad always read me stories at bedtime. Mummy was at work late sometimes, but you know that part. But Daddy was who tucked me in each night and we always read books together. We're reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory right now. Have you read that book?"

"No. I don't think I have. My parents never knew about many muggle authors, so I never got to read a lot of the books your parents knew about since they were lucky enough to grow up muggle and then live magical. Kind of the best of both worlds I think."

"I hadn't thought about it that way."

"What do you want to do about bedtime tonight? Do you want me to tuck you in your bed and read like your dad did or do you want me to do something a little different that isn't the same special thing you did with your dad?"

"I think I want to sleep in Mummy and Daddy's bed again tonight. Not for permanent or anything, but just for right now."

"I think that makes sense. My brother George slept in Fred's bed for a long time after Fred died. It still smelled like him, I think."

"It really does."

"I know. So, sleeping in Mummy and Daddy's bed for now. How about reading?"

"Well, Daddy always snuggled in my bed, but maybe you and I could read somewhere else and make our own special thing."

"I like that idea."

"And maybe we could start a book from the start so you can enjoy the whole story."

"I like how you think, Hugo."

"I can pick out some of my favorite muggle books and share them with you if you want."

"I'd like that a lot. A book about a chocolate factory, huh? Is it even better than Honeydukes?"

"Oh way better. They have a whole river made of chocolate."

"Oh goodness. I would drown in it!"

"Well this one greedy kid does!"

"I'm going to like this book, I can tell."

"OK. We'll start that one tonight. Roald Dahl is one of Dad's favorite authors."

"I can't wait. I thought I would sleep in the spare bedroom, is that alright with you?"

"Yes, that would be ok. Maybe we could leave the doors open so I can know where you are."

"I can do that. But I have to warn you - I have been told I snore. Harry and I shared a room at Hogwarts and at The Burrow for almost ten years, and he said that I never not one time didn't snore. But, I can put up a one way silencing charm to try and help keep it down if that's ok with you."

"OK. Let me show you where everything is upstairs."

Two hours later, Hugo had showered, changed into pajamas and listened as Ron read the first few chapters of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory on the couch in front of the fire. Then Ron had tucked Hugo into Fi and Dennis' bed with Simon right beside him. He promised that he would take a shower and lock up downstairs and then would be sleeping in the spare room with the door open.

"Don't hesitate to call for me, ok"

"Ok," said Hugo.

"Alright then. Goodnight Hugo and goodnight Simon. I love you both very much," he said as he kissed them each goodnight.

He went downstairs, quickly cast a silencing charm and burst into tears in the kitchen.

The first night was rough. Hugo woke up screaming, and Ron was immediately at his side. He held Hugo as he sobbed. He couldn't tell him it would be ok. He couldn't tell him his parents would be back. All he could tell him was that he was here. That his parents loved him. His grandparents loved him. And he loved him. Finally he got Hugo to take a dose of Dreamless Sleep, and he relaxed back into sleep. Ron couldn't stand to leave him. He thought briefly of sleeping in the bed with Hugo, but it felt too intrusive. The floor next to it felt like a good compromise, so he levitated the mattress from the guest room and had it on the floor next to the large bed. While sleeping on Fi's bedroom floor was strange, it felt like the only place in the world he wanted to be. He lay there thinking about what Hermione had said earlier that evening about trusting his gut. He'd been a bit blown away by her compliment. He'd known she was sizing him up earlier to see if she trusted him with Hugo. And he was trying to figure out what he'd done that she thought was the right thing. As he stared at the ceiling, he decided to think less about what Hermione thought was right and to try to figure out what he thought he'd done right. He felt good about how he'd let Hugo run it off when he'd run away from the kitchen that morning, and then he let him cry. And carrying him home was good too. And he'd been so touched to wake up on the couch and feel Hugo on his chest. Something had made Hugo feel safe with him, and in the end that was all that really mattered. He tried to cling to that as he drifted back to sleep.