Worries and Weariness (Chapter 14)

"Sugar, dear?" Molly asked as she poured the tea.

"No, thank you," Hermione somehow managed to eek out. If only I had left a minute earlier . . .

"Here you are." Molly place a steaming cup in front of her guest. "My goodness, it feels like we haven't had a chance to talk in ages. We didn't really get a chance to talk much yesterday. How are you?"

Hermione grabbed her tea and took a long sip to buy herself some time. I'm exhausted and want to go to bed, back to Ron's bed. "A bit tired from the time difference I suppose. And you?" Hermione could not hide the nervousness from her voice.

"Keeping busy as usual. It just seems so empty here without Bill and Fleur and Charlie, especially with Ron and George living above the shop now, but without your and Fleur's help around here the chores have keep my mind off of it. Oh - that reminds me, I was just out to the shop yesterday to bring George and Ron their lunch when I bumped into Minerva McGonagall at Gringotts. It seems a budget for the repairs to the school has finally been set by the school board and she's anxious to get things started. I was meaning to bring it up to the boys and Ginny last night, but I just got so caught up I completely forgot." Molly paused and sipped her tea. "They've seemed a bit restless now that things at the ministry have calmed down and Ron and George are at the shop." She paused again thoughtfully. "I was especially worried about Ron for a while. He seemed a bit too anxious and worried while you were gone, but now that you're back he's seemed to have relaxed a bit."

Hermione felt her face flush with embarrassment in the coolness of the early morning air in the kitchen.

"Of course I think he had fair reason to be worried, we all were for a while until Ron told us you had written him."

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect my misadventure to reach all of you so quickly," Hermione whispered quietly.

"Oh, don't be silly dear! We were all worried simply because you insisted on going to find your parents alone. That was a hefty task to take on by yourself. We're just relieved everything work out."

There was something odd about Molly's tone; instead of having a guilting quality, it was comforting and sincere. It was an odd way to go about making a person feel guilty for getting caught sneaking out of her son's room just before dawn Hermione thought.

"Me, too," Hermione said to her tea cup. She could feel Molly's curious stare on her, but refused to acknowledge it. "I'm not sure when they'll be able to come home . . . or if they will at all. They started their practice out there after they noticed the area didn't have a dental office. The closest was practically a day's trip north. I know they like all of the sun and I don't know if could ask them to move back here when I know they're needed where they are and love it out there." It felt odd to say all of her worries about her parents out loud; it was as if the act of saying them made them more real. Why was she telling Molly all of this?

Hermione felt Molly reach across the table and gently gripped her hands over Hermione's around her tea cup. "And that's what makes you such a wonderfully selfless person, dear. Not many people truly care enough about the people they love to put their needs and wants above your own. But I think perhaps you're taking it a bit too far. You don't need to feel guilty about wanting your parents near you - I'm sure they want that just as much if not more than you." Hermione nodded, still unable to raise her eyes. "If you're worried about them missing their new home, would there be a way they could spilt their time there and here? Maybe spend their summers here and winters there and have two practices?"

Could that really work? Hermione wondered. Her parents could have the best of both counties and still be able to spend time with her during part of the year. Was the answer really that simple? Hermione finally met Molly's soft eyes with a pensive look. "That could work." Hermione felt a smile tug at her lips. "That could definitely work."

Molly's smile was radiant as she withdrew her hands and finished her tea. "More tea?"

Smiling into her half finished cup, Hermione declined and watched patiently as Molly returned with a fresh cup of her own.

"Now I have a very blunt question for you," Molly said after a long sip. "What were you doing sneaking out of Ronald's room at six in the morning?"

And here it comes. Hermione took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I . . . I was going back down to Ginny's room."

"I see." Molly raised an eyebrow. "And what were you doing in Ronald's room at six in the morning?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip as she tried to formulate her words in the least damning way possible. "I fell asleep there after running into Ron down here last night."

"Hmm." Hermione waited on pins and needles for Molly to start her scolding . . . but it didn't come. "This is hardly the first time I've caught someone in the wrong bed. I'm sure Ron told you about Ginny and Harry, but I can't tell you how many of Bill's and Charlie's girlfriends I've met on the stairs on my way to start breakfast over the years. I must have caught Fleur at least a dozen times last summer alone. I've had to learn to ignore most of it, but it's hard to admit that my youngest children have grown up, too." Molly paused and Hermione glanced up in time to see a small frown on the older woman's face before it softened. "I may not like it, but I am trying to accept it. Now, more than ever, I'm appreciating how important it is to have the one you love near you at any time, day or night. Though I'm not condoning it, I'd appreciate if you'd allow me a bit more ignorance on the subject. I have no doubt that this will not be the last night you spend away from your own bed, but I don't need to know about it."

A confused smile fought onto Hermione's face. "Does this apply to Harry and Ginny, too?"

Molly sighed tiredly. "Yes, but I don't think they're ready for me to tell them explicitly. Harry has spent his whole life living up to other people's expectations that he needs to learn who he is and what he wants out of his life, and Ginny - she needs Harry to be stronger than I think he's ready to be. I don't want to give them an invitation to rush things."

"But why tell me?"

"Because after talking to you this morning, I think you're both ready for it. I admit I had my doubts for a while about whether you were serious about your relationship with Ron, but now I know your heart is in the right place and I know you with all of your sensibility will not see this as an invitation to jump into things you're not ready for."

Hermione felt her cheeks glow with warmth. She was touched that Molly thought so highly of her and Ron that Molly would, however grudgingly, give them this freedom. She was also flushed from thinking back to earlier that morning to the emotions and feelings Ron invoked in her and how she would do just about anything to feel all of it again. "Thank you for your trust, Mrs. Weasley."

Molly nodded seriously. "Just promise me that you'll be careful, dear. I'm expecting my first grandchild to be from Bill and Fleur not the two of you."

"Of course," Hermione stammered before hiding behind her cup. The kitchen was quiet for a moment as the two women sipped their tea.

After a minute Molly smiled and headed to the stove to start breakfast. "So are you ready for today?"

Hermione frowned, "What's happening today?"

Molly turned from her frying meat. "Didn't Ron tell you? You're supposed to go into the ministry this morning and give your statement about what happened at M- at that terrible house."

Oh, bugger. "He did tell me, I just completely forgot," Hermione mumbled. She'd also forgotten that everyone now knew about what happened at Malfoy Manor. It wasn't something she liked to think about often.

"Harry said the wizard in charge of taking the statement was very kind and understanding when he gave his."

"Okay."

"Ron wouldn't say a whole lot after his."

"I suppose not."

Molly returned to her cooking with a sad smile. Hermione knew Molly was nudging her to open up, but she just couldn't do it. She liked it better when only those who were there knew.

"Thank you for the tea, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said as she stood. "I'm going to try to get a bit more sleep."

"You're welcome, dear," Molly said taking Hermione's empty cup. "And, Hermione?" Hermione met her eyes for the first time in many minutes. "I think you'll probably sleep better in Ronald's room."

Hermione flushed scarlet, but only nodded and walked up the stairs, pausing briefly to bid Mr. Weasley a good morning as he headed to the kitchen.

Ron was still just as asleep as when she snuck out earlier, only now he was spread over his whole bed. "Ron," she said gently shaking his shoulder. Ron opened his eyes beadily. "Is there room for me?"

With what looked like a substantial amount of effort, Ron rolled onto his side facing her. "Always," he said in a sleepy voice. Hermione climbed in with her back to him and felt his body curl around hers. Even if she couldn't avoid her trip to the ministry, at least she could enjoy a few more hours of peace in the arms of the man she loved.

A/N: A little cheesy, I know. I'm back to writing now that my life has calmed a bit. When I started writing this chapter it went in the exact opposite direction with Molly being pissed and giving Hermione an earful, but it just didn't feel right - it only took over a dozen drafts and talking to my future mother-in-law, but it worked itself out in the end. I've completely changed the direction of the rest of the fic, too so hopefully I can get back to a more scheduled updating pattern. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with the story and as always reviews are greatly appreciated.