"I just read Rose her bedtime story and she cried."

"Hermione! What were you telling her about – the Chamber of Secrets?!"

"Don't be silly, she's not going to hear those stories until she's at least seventeen!"

"Try telling George that."

"I was reading her the Ugly Duckling and two big fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Isn't it adorable? She got upset that the duckling was so badly treated."

"Oh Merlin, we're raising a Hufflepuff."

"Not necessarily! It would be very Gryffindor of her to want to stop injustice."

"But a Gryffindor would jump up to stop the injustice, rather than just get emotional about it."

"Well, as to that – I, erm… I may have promised that you'd take her to the lake by your parents' place to feed the swans tomorrow."

"Bloody brilliant. There are easily a hundred there, Hermione! And you know she's going to want to check on every last one of them."

"Don't you want to get a bit more time with her before you have to leave for work again?"

"Actually, I need to talk to you about that."

"What is it? Has the date been brought forward? Honestly Ron, if that Auror department can't make a bloody schedule and stick to it, I'll go in and do it for them! I only just got you back."

"No, that's not it. Look, you might want to sit down for this."

"Alright, I'm sitting. Do you want me to hold Hugo for a while?"

"You'd only get drenched, love. How a seven-month-old baby can drool this much is a mystery. I'm sure I never did."

"He's teething, Ron. Babies teeth, it's normal. Now stop stalling and tell me what you're on about."

"Okay. Okay… Would you absolutely hate me if I didn't?"

"Didn't what, Ron?"

"Didn't go."

"Are you allowed to do that? Just opt out of assignments?"

"Not – not exactly. I'm talking about quitting my job."

"Quitting? Oh, don't cringe like that, I'm not going to hurt you! But where is this coming from? Is this because I teased you in front of Percy about never being around to do the dishes? I was only –"

"No, nothing like that. Listen, Hugo coming early scared the living daylights out of me. If it had happened two days earlier, I wouldn't have been in the country to help you, let alone the house. I hate leaving you alone and I hate that Rosie understands now and panics when she sees my suitcase on the bed. I missed her first steps, Hermione! I don't want to miss this little man's, not if I can help it."

"But what will you do instead?"

"I've thought about it. Now, hear me out before you panic. You know I've been helping George some evenings, developing new products? Well, Angie pulled me aside on Tuesday and said he always sleeps better after the days when he's had company – even if he does spend most of his bloody time tormenting me! – but I thought, why not do that permanently? He hires people to come in part-time, but they're strangers. I know it'll mean less Galleons –"

"Sod the money, that's not what I'm worried about. I thought you loved being an Auror?"

"I did, at the beginning. But I love you three more than a job. Any job. I have to say, Hermione, you're taking this a lot better than I thought you would."

"You're telling me you want to come home to me every night so you're giving up the job you dreamed about for seven years to be here for your family. How am I supposed to take that badly?"

"You're making it sound good, but George would only be able to pay me about two thirds of what I'm getting now, if that."

"My salary won't change. We finally own the house. So we might not go on sun holidays for a few years – I'll live! Ron, I put off going to bed when you're not here because I hate sleeping in our room without you. If this is really what you want to do, I am right behind you."

"Really?"

"Truly. You are such a lovely man. George is so lucky. I'm so lucky."

"Easy, Hermione, if you get any closer, you're going to squash our baby."

"Then put Hugo to bed and I'll tell you properly how lovely you are."