AN: Sorry it's a little late...it's a bit longer than the others as well, and I'm not so sure you'll like it. But I do, so deal with it!

I also want a blue eyed collie called Merlin :(...I have wanted one for about 3 years...all I have is a little spaniel and a lab cross who has an IQ of about 2.

So here we go: Hermione (I had her planned for Patronus from the beginning, I just wasn't sure what I was going to do with it...)

Precious Load

(Little Donkey- I know it's a bit dodgy, considering the amount of Christmas quotes to do with pregnant women!)

Prompt: Patronus

Perhaps this wasn't such a bad idea she thought.

At first she had laughed and said "Don't be ridiculous, it's freezing outside! You want to go to the beach?"

He shrugged. "I haven't been there in ages. Mum and Dad always used to take us for a treat."

She smiled and remembered by to when she was little, her family used to go to the hills on Stephen's Day to work off the food from the day before. Every family has its little quirks, she thought, this will be ours.

Our family quirk. She smiled even wider.

So she wrapped up in her trench coat, a Kenyan scarf around her neck, her grey woollen hat and the stripy fingerless gloves she refused to replace even if the cuffs were wearing. She remembered back, way back, in Third Year, she had been wearing those gloves when he first took her hand. It had only been to see if she was cold, and she hadn't really liked him at the time, but somehow the gloves were symbolic to her, even if she wouldn't tell him why.

They walked hand in gloved hand down the beach and let the dog run ahead of them.

It wasn't a dog really, she supposed. But he had been so happy that morning a few days ago when she told him that he had cast it and it had stayed around, gambolling and smiling, jumping at them, running after sticks they threw. It hadn't disappeared. The beach was deserted, so it was alright to let the silver being run free, while there wasn't anyone to see it.

The last of the weak afternoon sunlight made the stones in the sand glisten, blue and purple and red. The dog scampered ahead, picking its way through them, running down to the surf and yelping when the cold hit it. She smiled.

"We should name it," she said.

He looked stunned. "We've got months to do that!"

She laughed. "I mean the dog!" He looked relieved. "I thought you meant-"

"I know what you meant," she said quietly.

He laughed shakily. "So, the dog..." he smiled. "What do you think?"

She shrugged. "I always wanted a blue-eyed collie called Merlin. I thought it was a pretty name for a dog."

"But a terrier?" he asked. "A little thing that can't run very fast. With grey eyes, grey everything."

"I used to have a teacher called Mrs Gray," she joked.

"Sterling silver." he said. "Sterling."

"It makes me feel rich. We could call him Euro, or dollar, or pound. Or any other currencies. Old ones. Shilling."

"So it's a he?" he asked.

"Yes. We should call him Frank. Like the old French franc. I like the idea of a silver shilling though."

"Why not Sickle?" he said.

"That would be boring. Why can't he be our silver shilling?"

"He's mine!" he protested. "Although, Shilling." He tasted the word. "It's a bit odd, but it's nice, in a weird way. My silver Shilling." He shook his head. "People will think we're mad."

She grinned and squeezed his hand. "Then it will be our little secret."

He smiled. "And the other?"

He looked at her stomach. "He needs a good name, with five brothers ahead of me I never really stood a chance at one."

"Don't be silly. I like your name."

"They could have picked Edward or Matthew or, anything, and they chose Ronald. It's just so, I don't know, cheesy. "

He rolled his eyes. "What about you?"

"My parents liked Shakespeare. Ever heard of A Winter's Tale?"

"No, but I've heard of Shakespeare."

"Well, that's where my name comes from. I never really liked it, it's so presumptuous."

"I like it." he said. She smiled. He continued "Let's give it a name it will like."

"I hate calling it 'it'."

"Okay, let's give him a name he will like." Ron said.

"What makes you think it's a boy?"

"Please, it's a Weasley, of course it's going to be a boy!"

They were down at the water's edge, she flicked water at him. He flicked it back and caught her in a swooping embrace. They both landed on the shore laughing.

Watching the tide ebb away she said "I always liked the idea of naming her after a flower."

"So it's a her now?"

"Lily," she said. "I always liked lilies. Although of course, Harry and Ginny have bagged that name already, if their new one is a girl."

They saw Muggles coming down to the beach. He reluctantly let the Patronus go.

"I think we should get a dog for Christmas," he said sadly.

"A blue eyed collie. I think she'd like that even more than a name," Hermione smiled. "It can be her guardian. Her own Patronus."

Ron smiled and put a hand on her stomach. "He says he thinks that's a good idea."

"And Shilling wouldn't mind?"

"We're a family now." Ron said. "We have to guard each other."

And Hermione thought that with him around, her daughter would never be unguarded.