"I love you," Ron panted out while trying to recall his name and which way was up. He collapsed into a mess into the bedclothes, covered in sweat and panting from exertion. Hermione nestled into his side immediately, the obvious bump on her abdomen poking up from her pregnant body.

"I love you." Hermione put her hands on her belly and smiled. "It seems like our mermaid is asleep."

"And I say it's a merman." He wiggled down some to lay his head on her chest.

She laughed but didn't take the bait. "We won't find out for another fortnight, I reckon."

"And you could have just done the spell and been done with it." Ron lifted his head from her chest and smiled.

"And what fun is that?" She pulled the sheet up some, covering them in the slightly chilly room. "I think you enjoy bickering over our child for the fun of it."

"Well, since you're feeling better and not retching three times before work, why not?" He nudged her cheek with his nose and kissed her jaw softly. "I love these moments."

Hermione settled back into the warm bedclothes and sighed.

"What is it, love?"

"I was thinking."

"Obviously," he snorted and went quiet.

"You know I'm different."

"Hermione?"

"I'm not talking my heritage, or that I'm Muggleborn. I'm talking about the fact that I am a nightmare, sometimes."

"No you aren't," he retorted instantly.

"Thanks for sparing my feelings but I think you're biased."

"Well, I am biased and there's nothing wrong with that."

She smiled slightly. "But not everyone is you. I work with capable people in the Ministry but they gossip. I hear the whispers and their petty comments." She looked at her husband's concerned face. "Audrey worked out years ago that I was different, even before getting to know me. She explained, and showed me the literature and it all made sense."

"What are you nattering about?"

"When I was little, I went to see Muggle Mind Healers. They told Mum and Dad I have Aspberger's Syndrome."

"Is that what your Dad was talking about? He said you were different, not unlike being a Muggleborn, but he never said specifically. He talked about some wonky things but I just assumed that was how you were."

"Actually, yes. That is it. And I'm worried – more like scared witless – that Rose might be the same way."

"And that has you worried, that she's going to be a nightmare like you were?"

"Yes," she whispered into the room. "You're so patient with me in bringing out the best in me, and don't laugh when I have my issues." She saw his blue eyes in the candlelight and smiled. "You're you and I'm me but you help balance me out, and I hope I do the same for you. But Rose?"

"Why would I laugh? You don't laugh at my fear of spiders so why should I laugh that you can't eat certain foods because of the smell or texture, or when you get nervous you start rubbing your arms and won't look at anyone, or when you have one of your rough days, you hide away in spare bedroom with all the books and won't talk with anyone, not even me." He smiled, sharing the one he kept just for her. "I get it. I really do. And if you have a rough day once in a while, it's not like you're by yourself in this. I'm your husband, by your choice, and I will help you, if you let me."

"It's… our child - but with me as their Mum - frightens me. I've read so many books and done so much reading and trying to understand things that I just don't get and it's so much. I know I'm going to screw something up and our child is going to hate me for it." Two small tears leaked out and drifted down the sides of her face. "It's too much and I know I'm going to fail at it."

"Nonsense." He smiled in the barely lit room. "You already helped raise Harry up pretty well so this should be a breeze, except for the grotty nappies and not sleeping at night."

"How can you be so certain of that?"

Ron shifted in the bed and brought his head above hers in the bed, half-trapping her in the bedclothes. "I am because we're married and we're partners in this. You're going to work hard at this and so I am, even if our schedules are shit and it's not perfect. But we're going to give it our best and fuck up sometimes and get mad about how we're raising him but damn it, we're going to do it together."

"You know she's going to be a handful for both of us, right?"

"And he's going to be brilliant like you are, and love Quidditch like I do and be the apple of our eyes from the moment he gets here." Ron touched the side of her face and she leaned into his touch. "And he's going to be swotty and barmy and we're going to go spare and it'll test us but we'll get through it."

Hermione grinned further. "And she's going to have a sweet tooth like you do and play chess like you do and I hope she's got your hair." She pulled him down for a small kiss, feeling the stubble of his unshaven cheeks this early in the morning. "But I'm still worried she'll be like me – a nightmare."

"Rubbish. I want him to have your hair, but my color." Ron rolled onto his back and pulled Hermione on to his chest. "And what do you think we can do something about it if he is a nightmare like you?"

Hermione threw her head back into the pillows, intentionally not looking at her husband. "I spent so many sleepless nights considering that. Those nights when you were off on a mission and I couldn't sleep because you weren't snoring in my ears, I sat up thinking."

"I didn't know you still had insomnia when I wasn't home."

"It happens sometimes. Anyway," she continued, running her fingers through the smattering of ginger hairs on his chest, "I guess having so many cousins, some older and some younger, will help her adjust where when I was growing up, it was Mum and I, most of the time, until Mum got her permanent work visa. When she did and was cleared by the dental board, she went to work. But at home, it was just the two of us for a time." Hermione reached down to the rest of the bedclothes and covered them up better. "But she did what she could to protect me but it wasn't until later that they realized that I had this issue, for lack of a better term, and that letting me read in the library helped, yet didn't."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that being around all the cousins growing up will help tremendously. She might be quiet like Percy's daughter Molly or she might be completely gregarious like Dominique. But I don't want her having a lonely childhood with just me and only having books to turn to for joy and comfort."

"So we won't have him isolated. He'll go visit with Mum and play with his cousins and run around like a dragon and not have your upbringing."

Hermione smiled at the possibilities. "And I think she should also go to Muggle primary, but go with some of the cousins, like either George's kids or Harry's kids. That should suffice, I reckon."

Ron kissed the top of her head. "You think part of it was because your Mum wasn't from England?"

"Mum doesn't think so but I disagree, as you well know. She says the UK is much better now than it was back in the mid-eighties when there were so many who were rude to her, even with her perfect English. But you know Mum never backs down from a fight, whether in English, Spanish, or French."

Ron chuckled. "Listening to your Mum talk with Fleur and you butting in at Hogmanay two years ago was hilarious. I thought your dad was going to hurt himself laughing." Ron wiped his face from laughing hard. "And then when they finished their row, they were hugging. Imagine that!"

"He almost did." Hermione laughed. "But listening to Mum shift from English to French without missing a beat is always a treat. She's so smart – "

"And you get it from her."

"Well, yes, but Dad too. But I want our daughter to have a better childhood than I had." She leaned up onto her elbows and looked at Ron's smiling face. "I want her to have an enormous family who adores her and she can play and also have time to read and enjoy being a kid."

"Is that what you want?"

"I told you I had so many hours to think on it."

Ron kissed her cheek. "You really think we're having a little girl?" Hermione nodded. "So you want her to have what I had growing up?" He grinned. "You make it sound like she should be here already, I reckon. I dunno, I might fancy having a daughter, now that you talk about it."

"I do. I think having a big family will be much better than being with Mum most of the days growing up until I went off to primary school and had problems."

Ron laughed. "Do you know what I think about all this?"

"What's that?" She reached down and pulled up the duvet, covering them in charmed warmth.

"I think our child will have parents that love them as much our parents loved us, but unlike mine, our kids will have the means to have all they need growing up."

"You mean that, don't you? Money won't solve all our problems."

"I reckon I do. You're not the only one who is a little different. That's why I work so hard at two jobs – so our kids won't have to do without."

"But we already make good money, Ron. My job in MLS pays considerably more."

Ron pulled her close and kissed her temple. "You're not the only one who promised to make sure our kids didn't have the negative aspects of how we grew up. I said mine wouldn't do without whatever they need. Sure, they'll be spoiled with love, and maybe better brooms – "

"Ron!"

"But I also want it where they have all the books they want, without us worrying about affording it, or having galleons to go on trips further than down the river for the day. I want our kids to have lessons and go places and learn things and have it better than we did." He lifted her head and smiled wide. "We paid enough for the life we want to provide for our child."

Hermione snuggled in close. "You're so good to me, and us."

"That's what I'm here for – to be your partner in this parents thing." He kissed her again, igniting joy between them. "That was my promise to you when we married. I plan on keeping it, whether you're different or not."

Finis