Characters: Ron, Rose

Prompt #85 She

Angel In Disguise

"Of course I trust you with her, Ron. Why wouldn't I?"

Ron looked down at the sleeping baby in front of him. She was the most precious thing he had ever laid eyes on – too fragile and too special for his clumsy arms. There were a million reasons why Hermione shouldn't trust him with his daughter. He'd only hurt her.

"I've... you've never left me alone with her before," he answered quietly.

Hermione's eyes softened and she patted his arm comfortingly. "You'll be fine," she promised him. "Will you let anything happen to her?"

"I'd rather die than have anything happen to her," Ron replied confidently. After all, that was the truth. He'd never let anything happen to his little girl. Never.

"Then you'll be fine," Hermione repeated. "You're great with her, Ron. I've seen you."

"But you've always been there."

Hermione smiled and Ron knew she was trying not to laugh. She always did that when he was being serious. "We became parents at the same time, Ron. You now her as well as I do. I trust you with her. You need to trust yourself."

Ron nodded. Her words brought him no confidence. He was not fit to be caring for a baby – especially one that he loved as much as he loved Rose.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway and Ginny appeared at the door of Rose's bedroom. "You ready, Hermione?" she asked.

Hermione nodded. "As ready as I can be," she said, stroking her sleeping daughter's cheek. "But I know she's in very capable hands." She gave Ron a quick kiss, said one more goodbye to Rose and then Disapparated with Ginny before she could change her mind.

Hermione wasn't one to sit at home and do nothing for two months. As much as she said she loved spending every day with Rose, it was fairly obvious she was going insane from having no one but a baby to talk to. Ron had said something to Harry, who must have mentioned it to Ginny, who had then insisted she and Hermione have a girl's day out. Where they were going, no one but Ginny knew, but if Ron knew his sister, it was probably going to be something Hermione would hate.

But she'd pretend to have a good time anyway. Because that was what Hermione did.

When they had gone, Ron returned his gaze to his baby daughter. There were no words to explain the way he felt about her. How was it possible for somebody so... perfect to belong to him? With Weasley red hair and a tiny, button nose, she was the most perfect thing he had ever laid eyes on. He just couldn't believe she was his daughter.

"So, what should we do today, Rosie?" he asked, pulling up the armchair to sit beside her cot. He didn't care if she slept for the whole time Hermione was out – he'd happily watch her sleep.

She'd only been in his life for two months, but already he couldn't remember what it had been like without her. From the moment she had been born, she had become the centre of their world. Everything they had once considered important didn't even matter anymore.

Rose was everything to them and Ron wouldn't have had it any other way.

"I think you've got the right idea there," he continued. "Sleeping. It's a shame you're not like this at night." Through the rails of her cot, her watched as her tiny chest moved up and down in an even rhythm. It was mesmerising to watch. She was so peaceful; so beautiful. He didn't want to leave.

Ron must have fallen asleep too, because the next thing he knew, the peacefulness of his daughter's bedroom was filled with a high pitched scream of distress.

It took him a few moments to realise the noise was coming from Rose. Glancing down at his watch, Ron realised Hermione had only been gone for forty-five minutes. Rose had woken up and now he really did have to do something besides watching her sleep.

He lifted her out of the cot – carefully. She stopped crying almost instantly after that, which surprised Ron. Her bright, blue eyes stared up at him and she smiled. Ron couldn't help but smile back. She was happy to see him; she had stopped crying the moment he had picked her up.

She felt safe with him.

And what he felt for her was something beyond anything he could put words to. He'd do anything for her.

Absolutely anything.

This isn't so bad, he thought as he left her bedroom and carried her – carefully – down the stairs. "We'll have fun, won't we, Rosie? Just you and me for a few hours."

She continued to watch him with great curiosity, but didn't make another sound. She seemed content in his arms, which made Ron feel content. He wasn't sure what he would do if she had continued to cry. He hated hearing her cry. It was the worst sound to wake up to in the middle of the night.

He lifted her up so her head was resting on his shoulder. Her tiny hands gripped onto his sleeve. She never did cry when he held her. She seemed to like it.

She knows your voice, Hermione had once said. She feels safe with you... like she should.

Ron hadn't believed her then, but now he was starting to think it was the truth. Even though his hands were way too big and way too clumsy for a body that was so fragile, Rose trusted him. She trusted that he would look after her.

And he would, of course. Forever.

He took her into the living room and sat down on the couch, sitting Rose in his lap. Her body rested against him and she looked around the room curiously.

"Remember this place, Rosie?" he asked. "This is the room you were born in."

Although Hermione had been determined to go to St. Mungo's for Rose's birth, Rose had been in such a hurry that it had been too late. Twenty-five minutes (or, twenty-four to be exact), it had taken – barely enough time for Ron to leave the Ministry, find a Healer and get home.

There hadn't been enough time or safe enough for Hermione to Apparate or Floo to the hospital and by the time Ron had gotten the message from Ginny, it had been only a matter of minutes until he was holding his newborn daughter in his arms. It hadn't been something any of them had planned, but with the help of Ginny and a Healerfrom St. Mungo's, Rose made it safely into the world.

As much as he had wanted to be there for Hermione, he was grateful that Ginny had been. Ginny truly had been a great help through the whole pregnancy. She seemed to think that because she had had a baby first, she would help her older brother out as well.

Most of the time, she had just gotten in the way, but he would forever be grateful that she had picked that day to come and see Hermione.

And he knew Hermione was too.

From his back pocket, he took out his wand and conjured his Patronus. He had watched his brothers use it as a form of entertainment with their children and he wondered if it would have the same effect with Rose.

The hazy terrier left the tip of his wand and did a lap around the small living room. Rose watched with interest, but didn't react.

Maybe she was a bit too young.

"Your mum's is better, anyway," he said as the dog vanished.

Rose began to cry and only stopped after Ron realised it was the disappearance of the Patronus that had caused it and he summoned it again.

"Who would have thought... it does work," he said more to himself than his daughter. "You like that, don't you, Rosie?"

But she was now captivated by the dog, her eyes following it wherever it went. When Ron looked down at her, he saw that she was smiling.

"Well, at least we now know how to stop you from crying," he said.

After a while, Rose slowly drifted off to sleep again and apparently, so did Ron. He was startled awake by his daughter being lifted out of his arms.

"It looks like you two had a busy afternoon." Hermione was smiling down at him, rocking a sleeping Rose gently in her arms.

Ron grunted and straightened himself up, yawning. "Do you not hear her at night?" he asked. "It's a pity she's not this quiet then."

Hermione joined him on the couch. "She's still breathing, I see."

"Of course she is! I thought you said you trusted me!"

"I did. Completely. You didn't trust yourself."

"Well, we both slept for most of the time... how long were you gone for?"

Hermione shrugged. "A few hours. Ginny wanted to stay longer, but..."

"You didn't trust me."

"No, I missed you both." Her voice was sincere. Ron believed her.

"We were fine, weren't we, Rosie?" He put his overly large hand against her tiny head and ran his thumb along the side of her face. Her skin was so soft; so smooth.

"I wish I had taken a picture of the two of you when I got home, though," Hermione commented, smiling. "It was such a lovely sight. She loves you – that much is obvious."

Ron shrugged. "As long as she's okay..."

"She's fine."

He kissed his daughter's tiny forehead and she didn't even stir. "I love you, Rosie," he said. He couldn't remember ever meaning those words more than he did in that moment.

She was perfect.

Thank you all for your amazing reviews! I'm so glad you are all enjoying it. I hope you liked this one too. I just adore Ron/Rose :)