Hermione woke the next morning when Ron got out of bed. He adjusted himself when he stood up and she decided to offer an olive branch. "I could help you with that, if you'd like."

He frowned at her. "No thanks."

"Ron," she sighed. "Can we please talk about this?"

"I don't want to."

"I don't understand. We're having such a great time. Why do we have to change things now?"

"A great time? A great time!" He turned to leave, reconsidered and turned back to face her. "A great time sounds like a party."

"Well, it hasn't exactly been a party, but it's been mostly good, right?"

"A good time sounds temporary Hermione. Just a laugh until you're on to the next thing."

"Temporary?" She held out her hand and her dressing gown flew into it. "Temporary. For Merlin's sake Ron, I've loved you since I was literally a child. How is that temporary? Getting to her feet, she slipped on her robe and cinched it tightly around her waist.

"Oh, please," he said. "You dated other guys."

"Viktor, that bore McLaggen once, and a few Muggle boys during summer hols. That hardly qualifies me as some kind of fickle tart."

"You dated Muggles?" Ron recoiled.

"So?"

"So, what do you mean so? How many guys have you been with?" He yanked open the door and stormed downstairs with her hot on his heels.

"What possible business is that of yours? At least I wasn't groping them in the common room in front of all our friends."

The mention of Lavender sent him into orbit. He still felt bad about the way he'd ended it with her, and after her horrible death by Greyback at Hogwarts there was no way to ever make it up to her. "Oh," he said, turning on Hermione in the parlor. "And how am I to know how far you took things with Viktor or McLaggen or those Muggles. You could've had sex with any or all of them. I don't know."

She slapped him hard across the face. "You certainly do know!" She pulled her wand out and he winced away from her, but instead of hexing him she Disapparated.

He realized Harry was sitting on one of the sofas holding a cup of coffee and gaping at him.

Ron glared at him. "What!"

"You're an idiot," Harry said quietly.

"What?"

"Ron," Harry said. "Didn't you pop her cherry?"

Ron pushed his fingers back through his hair. "Bloody hell." He stormed back upstairs. A few minutes later he came back downstairs, considerably calmer. "Did she come back?" Ron asked.

Harry shook his head. "I thought she went upstairs."

"No, she's not up there. Where could she have gone? This is her house. All she had on was her dressing gown. She wasn't even wearing slippers."

"I don't know, mate."

"Maybe she's with Ginny," Ron said.

"You think she Apparated to Hogsmeade and walked up to Hogwarts barefoot in nothing but a robe."

"No, I reckon not."

"Maybe she went to the Burrow." Harry suggested.

"You think she showed up at my parents' house, half dressed and mad at me."

"Good point," Harry said.

"I don't understand why she's not back here yet."

Harry looked at his watch. "We're due at the Ministry in a few minutes Ron. I'm sure she's fine. Hermione is a lot of things, but stupid isn't any of them."

Ron rubbed a hand across his chin. "Bloody hell."

xxx

Grimmauld Place was the only place Hermione could think to go. She cast the spell to reveal the door and stormed up the front steps. The curtains were open on Mrs. Black's portrait, so the minute Hermione stepped inside, the painting began screaming, "Mudblood thief, Mudblood thief in the house." Hermione pulled her wand, but Kreacher appeared in the hall and the curtains closed, silencing Mrs. Black.

Hermione looked at the old elf. "Hello, Kreacher."

"Miss," he said, looking at her bare feet.

Hermione cinched her dressing gown a little tighter.

"What can I do for Miss?"

Hermione sighed. "I'd like a drink, if it's not too much trouble and perhaps a bun or something to eat."

Kreacher snapped his fingers and handed her a bottle of ale and a small plate with a Chelsea bun on it.

"Thank you," Hermione said, blinking back tears.

Kreacher stood there.

"Are you living here alone? I thought you were at Hogwarts."

"Kreacher has an obligation to the house Miss."

"Does Harry know you're here? You shouldn't have to stay here if you don't want to."

"Kreacher is fine Miss." With that, the old elf disappeared.

Hermione took her ale and bun into the parlor and sat down at the piano. She played through Für Elise and Clair de Lune before she felt calm enough to eat. Ron could be such a pillock sometimes. She ate half the bun and drank part of the ale before taking the remains down to the kitchen. "Kreacher," she called.

The elf stepped out of his cupboard. "Miss."

"I have to go. Thank you so much for the hospitality."

Kreacher nodded.

When she popped back to Heathgate, Ron and Harry were already gone. Relieved, she went upstairs to shower and change for her exam.

xxx

It was later than usual when Ron and Harry finished training for the day. Ron stopped Harry as he raised his wand to Apparate. "I'm going to go back to the Burrow for a bit. It's been awhile since I've seen Mum and Dad."

"What about Hermione?"

"I sent an owl to Ginny on our first break. Hermione showed up for her Arithmancy exam. She's fine."

"Oh."

"So, I'll be off," Ron said glumly.

"Right." Harry said. "See you."

xxx

Harry was sitting in the parlor reading when Hermione got home.

He looked up from his book when she stepped out of the fireplace.

"Where's Ron?" she said.

"He went to the Burrow."

Hermione felt her stomach twist. "Is he coming back?"

Harry closed his book. "He didn't say."

"Did he take his stuff?" Her voice tightened.

Harry looked at her sympathetically. "He didn't move out, if that's what you're asking."

Hermione closed her eyes and dropped down on to the sofa. "This is a nightmare." She pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Where did you go this morning?"

She moved her hand. "Grimmauld Place. Since I was only wearing my dressing gown I didn't have a lot of options."

"How was it?"

"The same. Kreacher is back there. Did you know that?"

"No. I thought he was at Hogwarts."

Not anymore. It's sad that he's rattling around in that big house all by himself. He actually seemed almost happy to see me."

"I guess I should talk to him."

"That'd be nice."

Harry sighed. "You want to clue me in on what happened between you and Ron?"

A single tear slipped down her cheek. "He wants to marry me."

"Oh," Harry said, moving over to sit next to her. "I thought he was going to wait until after training to ask you."

Hermione glared at him. "You knew? And you didn't think to clue me in?"

He shrugged. "I told you, you should talk to him about the future. Honestly, I thought you'd be happy."

"Happy? I'm to be happy?" She said, clearly anguished.

"Yeah," Harry said meekly.

"I haven't even finished my exams. I'm only nineteen. We've been together for what? A few months. Not to mention, I have this bloody syndrome where I sometimes end up catatonic for a period of hours. Does any of that sound like I'm ready to get married?"

"He's a wizard, Hermione. He's sees it as fated and I know your living situation weighs heavily on him."

"He doesn't have to live here," Hermione said contritely.

"He's not leaving you."

She glared at him. "He's left me before."

Harry sighed. "He left us then, not just you, and you know he wasn't himself."

"He left me. I don't recall you running after him in the night screaming his name."

"Hermione."

"It was humiliating and one of the most painful things that's ever happened to me."

Harry paused on that last bit, given her history, that wasn't an insignificant thing to say. "But he came back."

"I know. And I love him. I do. Things are going so well for us. Why does he have to go and change everything now?"

"Ron's trying to do right by you. What Hagrid said cut him deep, deeper than you know."

"Right now, I feel very much like a Muggle."

Harry chuckled. "I know, but you're not one."

She started to cry.

"Oh come on now, none of that." He put his arm across her shoulder and she leaned into him and wept against his chest.

xxx

Ron's parents were in the parlor when he arrived at the Burrow. His mother was thrilled to see him and put the kettle on and set out some biscuits on a tray while Ron and his father sat at the kitchen table.

"What brings you out on a weeknight, son? Everything all right?"

"Yeah, dad, I just hadn't seen you two in a while."

His mother cooed and hugged him from behind.

His father looked at him somewhat skeptically. "How are Hermione and Harry doing?"

"Fine. Harry's brilliant at training and Hermione just sat for her third N.E.W.T. today."

"And how is training going for you dear," his mother said, coming to the table with the teapot."

"Good. I'm not Harry, but I'm second in our class."

"Good for you Ron!" His father said, clapping him on the shoulder. "That's fantastic."

Ron gave them a weak smile as his mother handed him a cup of tea. "What's the matter, dear?" she said, putting her hand on his forearm.

"I asked Hermione to marry me," he said glumly.

His parents looked at him.

"She doesn't seem too keen on the idea," he added.

"Oh," his mother said. "That doesn't sound right."

"Well, Mum, whether it sounds right or not, she's not up for it, marriage, children, any of it."

"She said no?" His father asked, concern wrinkling his brow.

"She said she didn't want to marry me right now and she's totally against having seven kids."

His mother made a kind of strangled whoop noise that Ron had never heard before. "You told her you wanted seven children?"

"Well, yeah. What's wrong with that?"

His parents looked at each other.

"No one gets married planning to have seven children Ron," his mother said warmly. "You probably scared the poor girl to death."

"Best to plan each child as you go, son. When you get a chance to plan, that is."

"She probably wants to finish school first, dear."

"And you're not even done with your training," his father added. "Not to mention, she's Muggle-born. Many Muggles marry late son. I know. I got an O in Muggle Studies."

Ron looked at them dumbfounded. "I know you don't like that we're living together."

His father held up his hands. "True. It's not ideal."

"But she's not well, Ron. It's not like we expect you to abandon her when she can go petrified at any moment," his mother said sympathetically.

Ron thought it best not to correct his mother about the specifics of Hermione's condition. "Course not," he said.

"And let's be honest," his father said. "We knew when the three of you went off on your own that you and Hermione would likely…"

His mother patted his hand. "It's not the way we wanted things to be for you or Hermione, Ron."

"But," his father continued as though they'd discussed the matter thoroughly, "you two have been in rather unique circumstances for a long time now."

Ron felt like he didn't know these two people at all. Where were his parents? He nodded dumbly. "So you're all right with it then?"

"For now, dear. Take some time. Catch your breath. That's likely all Hermione wants to do."

"All right then. We will be married though."

"Of course, you will, son."

Ron stared down at the cup in his hands. "Thanks for the tea, Mum, but I should probably be getting back."

Both of his parents smiled and nodded at him.

He used the Floo to get back to Heathgate. He was entirely too confused to Apparate safely.

xxx

When Ron stepped out of the fireplace into the parlor, he found Harry and Hermione sitting on one of the sofas. Harry's arm was around her shoulders. She had clearly been crying. He looked as though he'd rather be somewhere else, anywhere else.

"Hullo," Ron said sheepishly.

Harry removed his arm from Hermione's shoulder and stood. "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm knackered. Off to bed." He all but ran upstairs.

Hermione kept her head down and didn't say anything.

Ron flopped down on the cushion next to her and stretched his long legs out in front of him. "It's been a shit day."

Hermione nodded and wiped at the tears on her face with the heel of her hand.

"Apparently," he said, "I'm a nutter."

"That's okay. I think like a Muggle."

Ron couldn't help but chuckle at that. "My parent's think we started sleeping together when we went looking for the Horcruxes with Harry."

"What?"

"They act like it was some kind of grand adventure full of action and romance," Ron said in disbelief.

"There was some action," Hermione conceded.

"As I recall, it was a lot of tedious research punctuated by moments of abject terror."

"I think that's a realistic summary." Hermione said. "I also remember it as being particularly painful and frustrating."

"And cold and wet," Ron added.

"To be fair, though," Hermione said, "we did leave out a lot when we told them about it later." She smiled. "But only the most gruesome and boring parts."

"Yeah," Ron said. "Which it seems everyone filled in with sexy fun time."

Hermione snorted. "I wish."

Ron put his arm around her hip and slid her closer to him. "You and me both."

She ran her hand over his left arm. "You were so badly hurt after I Splinched you."

"You saved me. And Harry. Besides, it wasn't so much the Splinching as it was that bloody locket."

"I hated that wretched, evil, little thing."

Ron kissed her forehead. "We all did." He sighed. "As for this morning, I don't know what I was on about. I know none of those other guys mattered and that you certainly didn't—"

She pulled his head down for a kiss, which turned into a full-on snog with her on her knees straddling his legs. When she began unbuttoning her shirt. He stilled her hands.

"Wait, has it been twenty-four hours since your charms exam?"

She pressed her forehead to his and let out a frustrated growl. "Yes. And only Arithmancy today. Eight unbelievable hours of it."

Ron grinned. "Well, all right then, but at least let's go upstairs before Harry catches us again." Oops. He hadn't meant to say 'again.'

Hermione sat back on his knees. Her shirt was partially open displaying a very pretty demi-cup bra that made her breasts look even more enticing.

"When did he catch us the first time?" She said crossly.

"Uh," Ron couldn't think. His erection was pressing painfully against his fly. And her breasts were right there.

"When?" she insisted.

"In the library the other day," he said meekly.

She popped off his lap as if on springs. "No. Oh my..." she covered her face with her hands. "I'm never going to be able to look him in the eye again." Ron gave her an apologetic look.

She made a strangled cry of frustration, and ran upstairs.

Ron awkwardly adjusted himself and followed her.

When he reached their bedroom, Hermione was pacing.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she hissed as he walked in.

"Because I knew you'd react like this."

"You didn't even slow down."

"I was almost finished. What did you want me to do? Pull out and say, 'Hermione Harry's just seen me shagging you across this table. Let's go out there and make this incredibly awkward for everyone.' It was an accident. He didn't want to discuss it, and neither did I."

"I don't want to discuss it. Certainly not with Harry." She put a hand over her eyes again. "How embarrassing."

Ron shrugged.

She frowned at him. "Oh, I suppose you feel like a big stud now."

Ron cupped his crotch. "I am a pretty big stud."

Hermione couldn't help but laugh, but then got serious. "I really do want to marry you, you know, just not right now. I feel as though I haven't been able to—"

"Catch your breath?" Ron finished for her.

"Yes. With everything that's happened. It's too much."

"I know," Ron said, taking her in his arms. "I just want to do right by you, Hermione. I don't want to be sneaking around like a couple of kids. You mean more to me than that."

She rested her forehead against his chest. "I know, but no one's sneaking, Ron. This is our life right now. Can't that be okay?"

"And if the Prophet gets wind of our living arrangements?"

"Then they paint me as a scarlet woman. It isn't as if they haven't done that before and I'm still here."

"I don't want that."

She stepped back from him. "It's not as if it will really reflect on you anyway. I'll be the Mudblood tramp leading your pureblood perfection astray."

"That's my point," Ron said grimly.

"No. I'm not rushing into a marriage I'm not ready for because of other people's prejudices. Didn't we just fight a war about that?"

Ron sat down on the edge of the bed and pressed his fingers against his eyelids. She was exasperating. "Yes."

"And we're really going to have to negotiate on the number of children."

Ron smiled. "How about we plan that as we go."

"That sounds reasonable." Hermione said. She walked over to stand between his legs.

He took her hands in his. "How about this? Why don't we get engaged after I finish training and you're done with exams, but we'll set a date some other time, when you're ready."

"Would that make you feel better?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Loads."

"Then we'll do that." She bent down and kissed him and he finished unbuttoning her shirt and slid his hands inside to pull her closer.

When she broke the kiss, Ron looked her in the eye. "I hate fighting with you."

She nodded. "Me too."

xxx

Downstairs, Harry decided that he didn't really feel up to going to Grimmauld Place, so he called Kreacher's name instead. True to form, the old elf appeared in front of him. "Master Harry, sir," he said. "What can Kreacher do for you?"

"I thought you were at Hogwarts, but Hermione tells me she saw you at Grimmauld Place this morning."

"Yes," Kreacher said, his eyes shifting uncomfortably.

"Were you not happy at Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Kreacher doesn't care for noisy kiddies."

"Oh."

"After the battle, Kreacher returned home."

"I see." Harry considered the situation. "Do you want your freedom Kreacher? I can make you a free elf like Dobby was, if you like."

"Is Master Harry unhappy with Kreacher's work?"

"No, of course not." Harry cleared his throat. "You're a fine elf. You do excellent work. I just thought you might want to be free to do whatever free elves do."

"Only free elf Kreacher knew worked at Hogwarts."

"Ah," Harry said. "I see. Look, I know you love Grimmauld Place, but if you don't want to live there alone, I suppose you could work here."

Kreacher looked around derisively. "In the mudblood's house?"

Harry gritted his teeth. "Don't call her that."

Kreacher shrank back from him. "Kreacher is sorry." He reached for a book to hit himself, but Harry caught his arm.

"Don't. Maybe it's a bad idea anyway."

Kreacher looked at him with undisguised surprise. "Kreacher could make dinner," the old elf said.

"What? You mean right now?"

The elf looked at the ceiling. "There are hungry people about."

xxx

Upstairs, Ron was lying on his back and Hermione had her head on his chest. She was absentmindedly circling his belly button with her finger. Her stomach growled loudly and Ron laughed.

"Hungry?" He said.

"Starved. I haven't had anything to eat but half a Chelsea bun today."

"And where did you have that exactly?"

She told him about going to Grimmauld Place.

Ron reached over her and took his wand off the nightstand. He cast a cleaning charm on both of them. "Come on, let's get you fed."

When Ron opened the bedroom door, the aroma of baked chicken came wafting up the stairs. "That smells fantastic," Hermione said behind him. "What's Harry making?"

"I don't know, but I want some," Ron said, heading down the stairs.

When they reached the kitchen Kreacher was placing a platter of chicken cordon bleu on the table. There was already wine, a large salad and a basket of rolls waiting.

"Kreacher," Hermione said. "What are you doing here?"

"Master Potter and his friends needed dinner."

"We've needed dinner before," Ron said.

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs.

"Kreacher offered to cook," Harry said.

"Well, I'm so glad he did," Ron said enthusiastically. "This looks great."

xxx

That night, full of Kreacher's excellent cooking, Ron and Hermione both fell into a deep sleep. Sometime in the early morning, Ron dreamed of Malfoy manner again, but this time it wasn't Hermione's screaming that woke him, but Greyback talking of tasting her smooth flesh. Bellatrix saying he could have the Mudblood if he wanted her. Then he was at Hogwarts looking down at Lavender's dead body, her throat torn, and then Lavender became Hermione. He cried out, "No!" and sat up in bed.

Hermione stirred beside him and sat up. "You're okay," she said, touching his arm.

He looked at her, still panting from the adrenaline rush. He pressed his forehead to hers.

"Malfoy Manor?" she asked.

He nodded.

"I'm okay," she said. "I'm right here. Come on, let's go back to sleep."

They slid down in the bed, still facing each other. She kissed him softly on the lips. "We're okay."

"That's the most scared I've ever been in my life," he whispered.

Hermione considered. "That's the most pain I've ever been in," she said, quietly, "but I was more scared after Godric's Hollow."

Ron stared at her. He'd never heard her say that before. "Really?"

She nodded. "I really thought Harry was going to die, and I would be stuck in the woods alone. I didn't know what to do, where to go, if he died and everything was lost. At Malfoy Manor, you kept screaming my name, so I knew you and Harry were still there. It gave me hope, but alone in the woods, I was terrified."

He pulled her closer. "I'm so sorry," he whispered in her ear.

He kissed her and she kissed back, opening her mouth, drawing him in. She moved her leg over his hip, clearly intending to push him on to his back, but he held her leg and kept them on their sides. "Ron?" she whispered.

"Shhh," he said. He reached over her for his wand and whispered, "Prohibere Conceptus." He pushed into her, slowly, never breaking eye contact.

Her breath hitched at the intrusion, but she didn't close her eyes.

The book said this was a slow, loving, intimate position and he thought that's just what they needed right now. She trembled in his arms, so he held her tighter and she clung to him.

For Hermione, the intensity of him looking her in the eye as he slowly moved inside her was almost too much to bear, but she didn't close her eyes or look away. It seemed important to stay with him, to watch and be watched the whole time. This was the longest he'd ever stayed inside her, so when he finally moved his thumb between them, the relief of being able to let go was overwhelming. She shuddered against him and finally looked away, burying her face in his neck.