Chapter 10

December

"We've got to find a new flat."

"Ron, we still have five months before the baby comes."

"Hermione, by the time we find a place we can afford, move in and decorate the baby's room, those five months aren't going to seem like much."

Hermione knew he was right, and she hated that Ron was currently the sensible one in the relationship, but she couldn't bear the thought of giving up the cozy, little flat she had so come to love in the few short months she'd lived there. She sighed and rubbed her ever-growing belly.

"I know," she gave Ron a sad smile. "I just love this place so much. It's where we made her," she said, still rubbing her belly. Ron walked over and placed his hand on top of hers.

"Him," he said, grinning. The two had chosen not to find out the gender of the baby until he or she came into the world. Hermione and Harry were convinced it would be a girl, but Ron and Ginny felt the opposite.

"My goddaughter is not going to appreciate you calling her him," Harry said, walking out from the kitchen and laughing. Ginny followed behind, nudging him and shaking her head.

"You three are crazy. And besides, Ron and I definitely have it right. Boys run in the family! Anyway, let's head out; I'm starved."

Ron turned to Hermione.

"Are you sure you don't want to come today?" Hermione nodded her head.

"I'm just feeling a bit tired today," she lied.

Ever since the wedding, Mrs. Weasley had been attempting to gather the whole family together every Sunday for dinner. She was never quite able to get everyone there on the same day and up until last week, Fred had never been able to attend. Hermione hadn't seen him since the night of the wedding last month. However, last week he'd shown up, and the tension made Hermione feel as though she would explode. Though no one else in the family suspected it, Hermione didn't think she could stomach the feeling two weeks in a row. She was hoping it would get easier as time went on.

Ron leaned in and kissed her, his lips lingering against hers for a moment. In the next instant, he had disapparated. Hermione smiled when he was gone. Kisses like that from Ron helped ease the pain of not having Fred.

February

"Finally! It's wonderful. Although the stairs were a bit of a challenge. I suppose that will change when I'm no longer a whale, though, or simply when I can apparate again," Hermione chuckled as Ron came up behind her and attempted to wrap his arms around the beach ball her stomach had become in the six months she'd been pregnant.

"You really like it?" Ron asked, kissing her neck.

"I do. It's absolutely perfect," Hermione turned in Ron's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck.

After months of searching they had finally walked into a flat they both loved. They had been all over London looking for a suitable place, but whichever Hermione liked Ron didn't and vice-versa. It had gotten to the point where they had been convinced they were going to have to squeeze another, albeit little, witch or wizard into Hermione's one-bedroom flat.

However, just yesterday Harry and Ginny had informed them they'd found an advertisement in the Prophet for a two-bedroom just a few blocks from their current place in Diagon Alley. Hermione placed a kiss on Ron's cheek.

"We'll take it," Ron said to the older woman that had shown them around. He smiled at Hermione. "We should get going. Your appointment is at four o'clock, and we're meeting Harry and Gin for dinner after."

Ron briefly discussed plans with the woman and set dates to sign all of the paperwork. Afterwards he followed Hermione as she shuffled out the front door and down the two-story stairway. They walked hand in hand through Diagon Alley to The Leaky Cauldron where they floo'd to St. Mungo's.

Ron and Hermione sat across from Harry and Ginny in a beautiful, candlelit Muggle restaurant that Ginny had suggested. Both had been confused as to why she had suggested a Muggle restaurant, but they hadn't asked why. Now as they sat across from each other Hermione couldn't help but notice the way the other couple kept smiling at each other as though they were keeping a secret.

"So, why the Muggle restaurant?" Ron said quietly to them. Ginny looked at Harry and smiled again.

"Well, we were going to wait until after dinner, but…" Ginny began.

"We just got back from visiting your mum and dad at the Burrow…" Harry said, smiling insanely.

"And?" Hermione and Ron said together. Ginny let out a squeal and held up her left hand, showing off a blindingly large diamond.

"We're getting married!" She nearly shrieked. Hermione clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so happy for you both!"

"Congrats, mate," Ron said, smiling and shaking Harry's hand with a bit too much excitement.

"Now you see why we wanted to do this at a Muggle restaurant?" Ginny asked.

Hermione and Ron nodded their heads. Ever since the war ended and Harry and Ginny were linked to each other as a couple again, the media had a frenzy photographing them everywhere they went in public. Hermione assumed it was Harry that hoped to keep the engagement from the press as long as possible. She knew that Ginny secretly enjoyed every bit of attention she received from being Harry's significant other.

The two couples eventually fell back into easy conversation, talking about Ginny's and Harry's engagement and Ron's and Hermione's new flat. For a few hours that night Hermione's life felt blissfully normal.

April

"Oy! You're splattering paint all over me, Hermione!" She grunted.

"Well it's really hard to reach up here when I can barely move at all!"

"It's not my fault you demanded we paint the baby's room "the Muggle way" while eight months pregnant…"

Hermione turned towards Ron whose back was to her. She watched as he rolled his roller up and down the wall. She quietly dipped her paint brush into the sage green paint and flicked it at him as hard as she could. Flecks of paint covered the back of Ron's head. He turned slowly, a mischievous smile on his face.

"Oh, now you're in trouble," he began, walking slowly towards her.

Hermione backed up a few steps, stopping when she realized she would otherwise back into the freshly painted wall. She knew she couldn't run far with her belly. As it was she could barely wobble around the flat. Ron's grin grew bigger the closer he got, and suddenly he reached the paint roller out and swiped it down the side of Hermione's face, laughing as green paint clotted in her hair.

"Ronald Weasley!" She shrieked, brandishing the paintbrush in his face like a wand and smiling as paint coated the tip of his nose.

Ron stepped forward quickly, but instead of attacking her with his roller again, he let it drop to the ground as he brought both hands up to frame her face. He brushed away some of her paint-colored hair.

"Merlin, you're beautiful," he said quietly.

Hermione snorted, something she had begun doing every time Ron tried to compliment her lately. She looked down at her massive belly, then back at Ron, raising an eyebrow towards him. Ron shook his head.

"I have no idea why you don't believe me," he said, kissing her hard on the mouth. "You're carrying my child. There's nothing more beautiful than that, love," he knelt down in front of her as he said this, resting both hands on her belly. As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Hermione felt a strong kick.

"He kicked!" Ron said, the expression on his face causing Hermione's heart to flutter. In the last few months Hermione constantly felt the baby kicking, but Ron had not yet been able to feel it.

"She's kicking," Hermione said, laughing as Ron rolled his eyes. He continued to stare at her belly in amazement, and Hermione decided this was a sign. This baby was definitely her husband's.

June

"Ron! Ronald!" Ron rolled over in bed, blinking blearily at the bedside clock.

Four o'clock in the morning. He noticed suddenly that Hermione was not occupying the other side of the bed. He sat up, wondering what had awakened him. Then he heard a loud groan coming from somewhere outside the bedroom. Ron jumped out of bed and followed the noises to the kitchen. Hermione was sitting on the floor against the kitchen counter, breathing heavily.

"Hermione!" he yelled, rushing to her side.

"Contractions," she whispered in between breaths. "And I think… I think…" She let out some strangled noise, "I think… water just broke… have to go… now!"

Hermione screamed again as another contraction ripped through her. It was early June and she was nearly two weeks past her due date. Ron felt himself beginning to panic.

"What are you doing in the kitchen?" He said, voice cracking.

"Needed a glass of water," she said, squeezing her eyes shut, "what does it matter? Get me to St. Mungo's!"

Hermione lie in the hospital bed twelve hours later, hair stuck to the sweat that lingered on her forehead and the nape of her neck, smiling brightly at the sight of her husband holding a tiny baby girl.

"I told you," she croaked out, feeling the effects of the post-labor pain potion starting to wear her out.

"Shh," Ron said, gazing intently at his daughter and rocking her slightly, "don't listen to your mum. I always knew you'd be a girl."

Hermione sniggered. Ron sat next to her on the hospital bed, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he cradled the impossibly tiny witch in his arms.

"Olivia Rose Weasley," he said quietly. They had decided on the name months ago after Hermione had confided in Ron that it was the name she'd always dreamed of for a daughter if she had one.

"I love you. And I love you, Hermione," he whispered, placing another kiss against her forehead.

Hermione looked at her daughter, a few tufts of red Weasley hair sticking out from her tiny, pink cap - a stark contrast. She watched as Olivia's big, brown eyes gazed at her father. Hermione closed her eyes and snuggled her head into Ron's side.

"I love you, too," she said before succumbing to the potion's effects and drifting into a dreamless sleep.

Hermione slowly opened her eyes a few hours later. The room seemed a bit darker. She looked to her right and saw a figure in the chair a few feet from her bed. The silhouette rocked her daughter in his arms.

"Fred…" Hermione began, her throat constricting at the realization that he was there.

"She's beautiful, Hermione," Fred said. She said nothing but stared at her ex-lover as he continued to rock her daughter in his arms. "Did you know," Fred continued, looking back at Olivia and whispering to her sleeping form, "that on this day one year ago I kissed your mum?"

Hermione's heart beat wildly at his words. She hadn't realized it was that day. She cleared her throat but said nothing when Fred continued speaking quietly.

"Ah, what young fools we were," he continued, a bit of humor in his voice, "but I just couldn't help myself, you see. Your mum was so beautiful… is so beautiful. Just like you."

Hermione had never heard Fred's voice so soft and tender, not even in all the times they had made love. She felt tears well up in her eyes but refused to let them fall. Fred looked up at Hermione, speaking to her in the same whisper.

"Ron asked me to stay with Olivia for a bit while he went for dinner with the rest of the family. I didn't think you'd wake up." He looked almost… sheepish… if Hermione had to give it a word.

"It's okay," she replied. "Can you bring her over here? I've barely gotten to hold my own daughter," she laughed.

Fred stood up and walked towards the bed as Hermione sat up. He placed the sleeping infant in her arms and stood next to Hermione's head, watching as she looked down at Olivia. He reached out a hand, brushing a stray curl from her face. Hermione could barely admit it to herself, but for a moment she pretended she and Fred were still together and that this was their moment together.

She chased that thought away quickly, reminding herself that she was certain Olivia was Ron's daughter. She lifted her head and looked up at Fred. He stared back at her, but neither of them said anything. Hermione noticed that Fred's hand lingered in her hair. The door to the room opened, and Fred pulled his hand away quickly. Ron walked in quietly.

"Oh, you're awake," he said to Hermione.

"Yeah, but Olivia's finally gotten to sleep. Can you take her to the nursery?" She asked him, secretly wishing for just another moment alone with Fred.

"I'll take her," Fred said quickly, scooping Olivia from Hermione's arms. "You two can have a few moments alone."

"Thanks, mate," Ron said, settling on the bed next to Hermione. She watched as Fred walked quietly from the room then snuggled a bit closer to Ron, trying to clear her mind.

November

Hermione plopped down on the couch, letting out an exhausted sigh. The first five-and-a-half months with Olivia had been anything but easy. She loved her daughter, but she hadn't been at all prepared for the constant attention an infant required or more importantly the lack of sleep. She and Ron were so exhausted, in fact, that they'd realized a week after their one-year wedding anniversary that they'd missed it completely.

She had taken six months leave from work at the Ministry and would be going back to her job in less than two weeks. She hadn't a clue how she was going to function while working on the three or four hours of sleep she was getting each night. She sighed.

She glanced over at the clock on the wall. Five o'clock on Sunday afternoon. Ron had just left for dinner at the Burrow with Olivia. Hermione brought her to the Burrow almost daily to see Mrs. Weasley. Ginny and Harry stopped by often to discuss wedding plans, and Mr. Weasley almost always came home for lunch. Because of this Hermione had asked Ron if he wouldn't mind her skipping out on Sunday dinners, using the excuse that she really needed a few hours of peace to herself. Truthfully she hadn't wanted to see Fred since the night she'd had Olivia.

She sighed, trying to clear her mind of the thoughts of a man she hadn't seen in half a year. No amount of time seemed to ease the hurt and ache in her heart when she thought of Fred. She rested her head on the back of the couch, closing her eyes. After a few moments of peaceful relaxation Hermione heard a knock at the door. She opened her eyes, wondering who could possibly be visiting the flat. Everyone in the family would be at the Burrow now. She sighed again, standing up and walking to the door. She opened it after a second knock and felt her knees go weak.

"Fred?"