A/N: Hello, and welcome to chapter 12!

Today, we have The Talk. And a little suspense at the end there. What's a good fic without suspense anyway?

There's an important message at the bottom. See you there!

(I do not own.)

-Ginny-

I hurtled up the stairs as quietly as possible, trying not to alert my brother that I was coming. If he heard me, I was sure he would summon a broomstick and take off out of his window into the night.

That would definitely not resolve things.

Ron and I had always been close, ever since we were young. We were the closest in age after Fred and George and were usually lumped together as the youngest. Our other brothers were fiercely protective of me, being that I was the only girl, but Ron usually treated me like I could take care of myself.

Which I could, thank you very much.

Once I'd started at Hogwarts, Ron was a little more overbearing. I suppose he thought that he would have to protect me because we were the closest. Soon, however, he learned that I really could hold my own in a crowd. We grew apart as we each made new friends in our own years and he began to take a more active role in Harry's run-ins with Voldemort.

By the time the war was over, we hardly saw each other outside of family dinners, though he often came to my games. Occasionally, he would pop into my house so that we could go to the Burrow together.

I was the first person he ever told that he was anywhere near interested in marrying Hermione. I'd felt a pang of jealousy, but I honestly didn't think that he would get up the nerve to do it.

Then, before he could even ask, Hermione broke it off with him. She told me much later that he had complained one too many times about her work schedule and her thirst for knowledge. I couldn't blame Ron for wanting a wife that would support him by running the household. Merlin, look at our mum. But, no matter how great Hermione was at housework and cooking, it was not something that required much thought. She was so brilliant that it would practically be a crime to hold her back from her studies. And who knows where the Ministry would have been today had she not joined up almost immediately after finishing her NEWTs?

Nowhere. That's where.

As I reached Ron's door, I took a steadying breath and lifted my hand to knock.

"Come in, Gin," he muttered sullenly after I rapped the door a few times.

Steeling myself, I pushed the door open gently and entered. The door shut behind me with a soft click.

"Come to tell me off for calling you two out at dinner, have you?" Ron groused from his seat on the bed. I sighed and opened my mouth to reply.

"No, really," he continued, cutting off my words, "I would understand. It was kind of a git move."

"Ron-"

"And honestly, do I even deserve an explanation?" He just stared at the floor dejectedly.

"Ron, stop it!" I pleaded, trying to end his wallowing. "None of this has anything to do with you."

"Obviously. Since no one bothered to tell me."

"What do you want me to say?" I hissed. It was getting more and more difficult not to tun the conversation into a row and we'd only made it a few sentences. "You want me to tell you that we planned it all together? 'Hey, Harry, how about we decide not to tell Ron about our relationships so he can feel left out!'"

"An admission would be nice," he shot back sardonically, finally meeting my eyes. He stood from his bed angrily. "Do you know how much it hurts to find out that your best friends and you sister, people that you've experienced life-or-death situations with, are keeping something as important as the people that they love a secret from you?"

"I might have experience with that. I seem to remember a certain trio of potential seventh-years making the decision to skip town after Bill's wedding and keeping it a secret from everyone."

"That's not the same," he muttered, staring at the floor again.

"It's not?" I challenged, crossing my arms over my chest. "Please enlighten me."

"That was different. We had to hunt for Voldemort's horcruxes before he made his move on all of Europe. You wouldn't have been able to handle it and you were safer at Hogwarts anyway." He said it like their reasoning should have been obvious.

"You were safer not knowing," I said, finally catching his eye and using the same tone he had just taken with me. "You wouldn't have been able to handle it."

"You think so?" he spat, his ears reddening quickly.

"I know so, Ron! Have you met yourself?" I paced the small space in front of his bedroom door, ticking items off on my fingers as I listed them. "If Hermione and I had told you we were in a relationship, you would have flipped your lid, probably run away to a pub. After that, you'd have shown up at the Burrow sodding drunk, making all kinds of off-hand remarks about how I 'stole your woman'. And WHO KNOWS what you could have said to the journalists that would undoubtedly have found you curled up with a nice glass of firewhiskey anytime after five o'clock." My pacing halted and I pointed a finger straight at my brother's chest. "You wouldn't have been able to handle it. This is a fact."

He was silent for a very long moment, the angry flush draining from his cheeks and ears as his shoulders slumped. Sitting heavily back on the edge of his bed, he finally spoke.

"How about the next time something this huge happens, you let me decide what I can and cannot handle?" he asked quietly, looking me directly in the eyes. "Did you ever think that maybe I wouldn't have reacted that way? That perhaps I had a little bit of sense?"

"Ron-"

"No, let me finish," he interjected. "Maybe I would have overreacted a little. Or maybe I wouldn't have been all that surprised. Did you ever think that it might have helped me get over my feelings for Hermione if I had know that she was pretty much off-limits?"

I was dumbstruck. It had never occurred to me that my brother could be a rational human being sometimes. All the fight left me as he let out a shallow breath before speaking again.

"Ginny, when you fled your own house on Boxing Day after I tried to win Hermione back, I was confused. I didn't understand why you would be so offended by us kissing. And then Hermione started bawling and aimed her wand at me and ran me off." He ran his large hand through his hair. "If I'm completely honest with myself, I knew then that I had no chance."

He held my gaze steadily, his blue eyes sad. I felt my own eyes water.

"I knew then," he continued, "that maybe my nagging about her working too much wasn't the only reason she ended our relationship last year."

It was the truth. Hermione had told me that her feelings for me had changed steadily over the years since the war. She hadn't been happy with Ron for a long time, but she stuck it out until she was completely sure she couldn't continue to lie to herself or my brother.

"But if you knew then, why did you react the way you did at my house this evening?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"Because I didn't want to believe that the woman I thought was the love of my life could leave me for my sister."

"She didn't leave you for me."

"Now that it's out in the open, it kinda feels like she did," he muttered. "Not going to lie."

"The only reason we slept together on Christmas night is because I was drunk and she was distraught."

Ron paled.

"You slept together the night before I proposed to her," he breathed disbelievingly. It wasn't a question.

Open mouth. Insert foot.

"Uh... We..." I sighed. There was no way to make that little slip go away.

"Maybe it's better you didn't tell me right then. I might have hexed you. And we all know how awful that could've been."

Ron smiled weakly at me, obviously trying to lighten the tension a little. I smirked humorlessly.

"Look, I'm sorry we didn't tell you sooner," I offered, moving to Ron's bed and sitting next to him.

Ron took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I guess I can't blame you for Harry's secrets, though," he said after a moment, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees.

"No," I agreed, reeling from the sudden subject change. "That was very much a shock to everyone."

"I'm still amazed he managed to keep it from Hermione for so long." This time our smiles were genuine.

"I would never have pictured the two of them together in a million years. At the same time, it's not all that surprising," I mused. Ron hummed in response.

"I know the feeling," he said, not meeting my eyes. "But, I do think they moved a little quickly with the engagement."

"Well, Harry and Luna have known each other for years. And I guess when you've fought on the front lines of a wizarding war, you realize just how quickly things can be lost. You have to make the best of it while you have the time."

Ron grimaced, but I couldn't find it in myself to regret those words. He took a deep breath.

"I s'pose that I felt safe and comfortable with Hermione," he said, leaning back on his arms. "Getting together just seemed like the right thing to do. I've known her since I was eleven years old and she's never been one for sitting back and keeping a home while someone else is the breadwinner. She's too smart and too ambitious to be cooped up like that and it was wrong of me to expect that of her. So, maybe the reason I didn't act sooner is because I knew it wasn't meant to be."

We lapsed into silence, Ron working through his thoughts while I examined my own.

The last six months with Hermione had been amazing. We had discovered together that what we felt for each other was more than just an old Hogwarts crush. The moment I knew I could call her mine was one of the happiest moments of my life. I knew I loved Hermione with everything I had and that I would give it all up just to be with her forever. But what I had said to Ron just moments ago was right; we had no idea if we would make it to forever for whatever reason. We had to make the best of the time we had together.

Ron broke the silence with a heavy sigh, sitting up straight once more.

"Thanks for coming up to talk to me. I guess Harry will be next," he joked. I grinned and stood up.

"Probably so." I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jeans. "And I really am sorry about all this. You're right to be mad."

"Well, I didn't exactly act like an adult either," he mumbled, standing to his full height and leveling his gaze at me. "But I'll forgive you on one condition."

"What's that?" I asked, cocking my head to the side slightly. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

"Make her happy."

I could only nod.

o-o-o-o

Harry stood quickly as I made my way into the den.

"Did you soften him up?" he asked, grimacing at the thought of the coming conversation with my brother.

"I softened him enough for my problems. You're pretty much on your own," I replied with a smirk. Harry frowned.

"I thought you were on my side!"

"Consider this your payback for keeping this from us," Hermione offered from her chair beside the fireplace. I nodded in agreement and Harry made his way to the stairs, sighing in exasperation.

Luna looked up from the game of Wizard's Chess that she was winning against a very perturbed Percy.

"I hope Ron isn't too angry with Harry. It wasn't completely his decision to keep it a secret," she said quietly. "Check."

Percy sighed heavily.

"It's not like I left him a smoldering volcano or anything. He was pretty docile."

"That's quite a feat for Ron," George joked, sipping his tea. I smirked.

Walking toward Hermione's chair, I took a quick glance around the room.

"Bill leave?" I asked, noting his absence.

"Fleur called. She had another craving," Mum answered emphatically.

We had learned something about veela since Fleur joined the family. Apparently, when they were pregnant, they had much baser cravings than pregnant Muggles or witches. I would have been slightly jealous that my brother had to endure such "cravings" rather frequently if it weren't for the fact that my own girlfriend had cleared her entire afternoon schedule for that specific purpose.

"Poor bloke," George muttered. Dad laughed.

"Well, I think I'm off as well," Hermione said, standing from her chair. "I've got an early meeting with Shacklebolt in the morning."

"Didn't you two hammer out all the details this morning?" Dad asked.

"No, he mainly wanted to hear about the status of the other ministires. He gave me the rest of the day to prepare my presentation for him tomorrow, but I've had that finished since Saturday."

I smiled proudly. Of course she had finished her presentation as soon as all the political business was finished.

"Well, it was wonderful to see you, dear," Mum said, standing to give Hermione a quick hug. She turned to me. "And Ginny, I expect to hear about you next game in great detail when we get back from Romania."

"Of course, Mum. I'll even have Hermione videotape it if you want." Mum's face pinched in confusion.

"Video-what, dear?"

"Nevermind," Hermione and I said in unison. George snickered from his chair and I smiled.

"Be safe visiting Charlie," I said, taking Hermione's hand in my own and leading us to the fire.

Hermione took a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the flames. She waved quickly at the family and we stepped into the fire.

o-o-o-o

"It wasn't nearly as awful as I expected it to be," Hermione said, striding purposefully into my en suite bathroom.

"It definitely could have been worse," I agreed.

I made my way to the window and quickly closed the curtains. Then, I turned down the sheets on the bed. When I moved to my closet to change, I noticed my bag hanging on its hook by the door.

In the excitement of the evening, I had forgotten the bracelet that I bought for Hermione in the Muggle antique shop.

"I think I'm going to take a quick shower, Gin," Hermione called from the bathroom. A few seconds later, the shower started running. I glanced to the en suite, satisfied that Hermione would be busy for a short while.

I quickly pulled the small square box out of my bag and held it in front of me as I sat down on my bed.

My talk with Ron solved a few problems. There were still many things that we all had to work on to make it right, but it was a relief to know that everyone was in on our secret. It was also amazing to know that my entire family supported us regardless of who we chose to love. That much was obvious in the way they didn't even question Hermione and I leaving together.

Hermione and Ron would have to talk in their own time and privately. When that happened, pretty much everything would be sorted. Ron could move on with his life and take in all the happiness he could get.

My own words from earlier echoed in my ears as I stared at the decorative box.

"And I guess when you've fought on the front lines of a wizarding war, you realize just how quickly things can be lost. You have to make the best of it while you have the time."

It was the honest truth. We had gained a lot in the war, but we also took heavy, jarring losses. Fred was gone, as were Lupin, Tonks, Sirius, and Dumbledore. And though four years had passed since that final battle, there were still death eaters out there just waiting to take on the Golden Trio and anyone else that got in their way. We had been very lucky to have seen little of that action lately, but that didn't mean it wasn't still a serious threat. No matter how hard Harry and Ron worked at tracking them down, there might always be one that managed to slip by.

When we were younger, Bill talked about how he wanted to wait to start a family. He would rather get his fill of adventuring before giving it up for a wife and kids. The war changed him enough that he married Fleur and started a family as soon as he could.

Then there was George. He thought we didn't know that he and Angelina had been dancing around one another for years. I caught on quickly that they were clinging to each other in their grief, at least at first. Now, they seemed to be getting closer and closer. It had surprised me that Angelina hadn't come to dinner at the Burrow as she had the last few times.

And now, Harry had found a match in Luna. Though our time together was great, Harry and I knew we weren't right for each other. It made me happy to know that he had found the person that was right for him. He and Luna got engaged rather quickly, but that made sense to me. They were making the best of their time together.

I knew I loved Hermione Granger; there was no way around it. She and I danced around each other for a while as well. Now that we were together and slowly starting a life, I knew there was no place I would rather be for the rest of my days, however long or short they may be.

"What's that?"

I started with a yelp, my head snapping toward the doorway of the en suite to see Hermione looking a little embarrassed with a towel wrapped around her body. Her wet locks flowed over her shoulders in giant, unruly waves. The dark brown of her eyes sparkled in the dim light of my bedroom, her skin slightly flushed from the warmth of her shower.

I made my decision.

"Sorry for scaring you," she muttered, tightening her towel as she sat next to me on my bed. She nodded to the box in my hands. "What do you have there?"

I swallowed hard.

"Hermione," I croaked out, trying to put my thoughts into words.

Her eyebrows pinched in concern and she shifted her body to face me fully, laying a hand gently on my forearm.

"What is it, Ginny? What's wrong?"

I took a deep breath.

"We've been through a lot together. The war, death, school." She hummed in understanding. "I managed to smooth things over with Ron, but I know there is still a lot of work to do on all our parts to make it right. I don't want to lose my brother over this. And I don't want to lose you."

"Ginny?"

"I'm not making any sense..."

"It's alright. Take your time."

Hermione gently stroked my arm with her fingertips, warming my skin under her touch. The tenderness of the gesture mixed with the words I wanted to say finally broke me and I felt the hot prickling of tears in my eyes. I sniffled loudly.

"Hermione Granger," I began, looking up into her eyes, "I have loved you since I was fifteen years old. Maybe even longer than that. But things were complicated and I didn't know if we would ever be anything more than friends. Then, six months ago, I learned that you loved me, too. Looking back, I'm amazed and a little dumbfounded that it took us that long to figure it out.

"When I was talking with Ron, he told me he didn't like that Harry and Luna got engaged so quickly. I explained to him that we have to make the best of the time we have together. If the last few years have been any indication, we don't know how much more time we will have. And I want to make the most of it while we can."

With another sniffle, I opened the small square box and tossed the lid to the floor. I glanced up to see Hermione's eyes glistening with tears.

"I saw you looking at this earlier today," I said, indicating the bracelet. "I planned on surprising you with it in a week or two, just to make you smile. But after talking with Ron, I realized that it would make me much happier to give it to you tonight. It's no ring, but it'll get the job done."

I moved to the floor in front of Hermione, kneeling on the hardwood.

"Hermione, will you do me the honor of being my partner in this life for however long we are allowed to live it?"

A/N: This is the second to last chapter!