Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Set right after the Second Wizarding War. Harry and Ron have just become Auror's, and Harry has taken Teddy into his home. But when Harry goes missing, who is left to take care of Teddy? Ron, with the help of Hermione, is forced to pick up the broken pieces, bringing the new couple only closer together.

CHAPTER 26

Ron was so upset by what Hermione had asked that he had walked around Diagon Alley three times before he realized what he was doing. How could she be like that? How could she think he had only proposed because they were, as she called it, "playing house"? He loved her; didn't she know that?

Ron sighed and decided to get himself a glass of mead to calm his nerves. He moved quickly into the Leaky Cauldron, ignoring any familiar faces as he sat down at the bar and drank his drink.

A few minutes later, Ron felt someone slapping him on the back. He whirled around in his chair, ready to confront his attacker when he found himself face to face with a smiling George and Angelia.

"Ron! Thought that was you!" George smiled at his younger brother.

"What are you two doing here?" Ron asked. He hadn't seen George or Angelia in weeks.

"Just got back from the Christmas Holiday at my families vacation house." Angelia said.

"In the Bahamas." George added raising his eyebrows.

Ron just nodded, thinking how nice it must be to run off with a girlfriend who actually liked you to somewhere like the Bahamas.

George could tell something was bothering is brother and so he furrowed his brow. "Ron, you alright?"

"Eh…not really…" Ron admitted, wanting to talk to someone about it.

George glanced at Angelia who could see what he as asking without any words.

'I'll…let you two talk a bit…" Angelia gave Ron a half wave and moved across the pub.

Ron moved his stool down as George took a seat next to him and motioned for two more glasses of mead.

"What's wrong, Ron?" George asked.

"I asked Hermione to marry me over Christmas." Ron said.

"That's brilliant!" George grinned, and then it slowly faded. "Or…did she say no?"

"No…I mean…she said yes, at first…but tonight she said she thought I did it because she and I were just…playing house…or some bloody crap like that because of Teddy…" Ron sighed, taking a swig of his mead.

"Well…is she right?" George asked. He was not really certain of the dynamics of Hermione and Ron's relationship especially in regards to Teddy, since he had hardly seen them over the last few months. He felt bad about it, but it was hard being around family, especially when half his family were somewhere in Europe and he didn't even know if they were safe. He couldn't lose another family member again, and so it was better, in his head, not to be around any of them until they were all back safe.

"What? Absolutely not! I asked her because I bloody love her…" Ron shook his head at his brother.

"Well…that's what I thought, but I wanted to make sure." George responded.

"I just don't get it…" Ron shook his head. "I didn't even think about it like that…I know we aren't going to get to keep Teddy when Harry gets back…I would marry her anyway. She's the one who is so worried about Harry coming back and losing Teddy."

"Well…maybe it's just a lot for her to deal with." George suggested.

Ron turned a sharp eye on George. "Well…not like we have been getting much help."

George sighed. "Sorry 'bout that…I just…its hard to be 'round family right now…especially since Mum, Dad, and Ginny aren't exactly safe…I can't handle another…well…you know…"

Ron shook his head. "Nothing like Fred will happen again."

"You don't know that." George said simply.

Ron just shook his head again and took another swig of his mead. He didn't have time to comfort George, and part of him didn't want to. George was supposed to have helped him with Teddy, but instead he had taken off which had been the whole reason Hermione had helped. Now, because of that help, Hermione thought their relationship was based off of Teddy rather then the fact that he was head over heels in love with her.

"Look…I know you think I've been a selfish prat lately…and you are right, I have been…but listen to me now. I know you…I know Hermione, and I have seen the two of you together. You are perfect. You know it and she knows it…she just might need to be reminded is all. She is a bloody intelligent girl and I know you two will sort this out, but you can't do that sitting in a ruddy bar. You need to be with her, talkin' it out…" George said is one of the most serious tone's Ron had ever heard.

Ron looked at his brother, completely and obviously surprised. It was rare to heard George be serious, or have an opinion on something so important, and yet, Ron couldn't help but think his brother was completely right.

Ron suddenly stood and patted George on the back. "Thanks."

"For what?" George called out as Ron began moving toward the door.

"For the advice…and for covering my tab!" Ron called out and moved swiftly out of the pub.

George's brow furrowed in confusion until he looked at the bar in front of him and saw Ron's two empty glasses and realized his brother had stuffed him with the bill. George laughed to himself as he reached for his wallet. He supposed, after everything, he deserved that from Ron.

Hermione sat on the couch with Teddy in her lap as he was nodding off to a Muggle toddler show. She still felt numb, her thoughts completely racing around Ron's sudden departure hours earlier. Now she felt foolish for questioning him. He obviously cared deeply for her, as deeply as she cared for him, and clearly her questioning that had hurt him.

She tried to think how she would feel if Ron questioned her feelings for him, and she realized she would be as livid as he seemed. She sighed, running a hand through Teddy's now purple hair.

She knew what she wanted. She wanted Ron. She wanted Teddy. She wanted the little family she was afraid Ron was only marrying her for, but she also knew if Harry came back and she didn't get to keep Teddy, she would still want Ron. Nothing would change that.

Hermione decided, as she continued to think, that she didn't want to be alone, and so before she knew what she was doing, she had Teddy and was flooing to her parents home.

When Hermione arrived, she found her mother sitting alone in the living room with a book, jumping at Hermione's arrival.

"I will never get used to you just popping in!" Mrs. Granger said, holding her heart on the couch.

"Sorry, Mum!" Hermione sighed, stepping out of the fireplace. "I would have called…I just…I needed to talk to someone. Is dad here?"

"No, he's still at the office." Mrs. Granger stood and took Teddy from Hermione, gently sitting him on the ground and watching him crawl toward the small pile of toys the Granger's had staked in the corner of the room for Teddy.

Hermione sighed, flopping down in the couch. She was glad her father wasn't there. She just needed some motherly time. She slumped into the chair, leaning her head into one of her propped up hands.

"What's wrong, dear?" Mrs. Granger asked, taking her seat again, obviously able to see something was bothering her daughter.

"I…I said something awful to Ron earlier." Hermione admitted after a long moment.

Mrs. Granger cocked an eyebrow. "About what?"

Hermione held up her hand that her engagement ring was on. "About this…"

"Hermione…" Mrs. Granger sounded shocked. "What did you say?"

"I asked him…well…I asked him if he just did it because we seemed like we were playing house already with Teddy." Hermione said in one quick breath, her cheeks growing red at how stupid it sounded now that she said it out loud.

Mrs. Granger seemed to take a minute to absorb her daughter's words before she spoke. "Oh dear…"

Hermione just shook her head. "I just…I was really worried about it."

"Why?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"Because...Ron and I only got so close because we have Teddy. I was thinking…well…maybe that was why he asked. Maybe, once we lose Teddy he won't want me like this any longer…I needed to know. I needed to ask." Hermione spoke quickly.

"Lose Teddy? Hermione, what are you talking about?" Mrs. Granger shook her head.

"I mean, once Harry is found. We won't have him. Maybe Ron won't feel so strongly about marriage then." Hermione explained.

Mrs. Granger took a moment before she spoke, and when she did, her words were carefully chosen. "I would worry about that when it happens."

"Yes, but I had to ask." Hermione said.

"And what did he say?" Mrs. Granger asked.

"He got upset…and…well…he left. He said that wasn't why he asked me." Hermione said, hardly making eye contact with her mother. She felt embarrassed now.

"Well of course it isn't." Mrs. Granger said, rolling her eyes.

The tone in her mother's voice caused Hermione to look up, her eyes narrow, waiting for her mother to continue.

"He loves you, Hermione. Any idiot with a pair of eyes can see that." Mrs. Granger said that.

Now, Hermione felt stupid. Her mother, who hardly knew Ron, obviously knew him and his intentions better then she did. She had really messed things up.

"I am sure Ron will come back." Mrs. Granger said after a silent moment. "He loves you. You love him…so when he does come back, just apologize and talk things out with him."

"Ron has a hard time seeing my perspective on things." Hermione sighed, knowing she would struggle to explain her feelings without hurting his more.

"Well…that's something you two need to work on together. I am sure you can fix things…when you care about someone like that, you just do." Mrs. Granger said thoughtfully.

Hermione nodded, her eyes wandering over to Teddy as she thought about her mother's words. Her mother, of course, was right. She would have to apologize and then try to talk to Ron about things whenever he did get home.

Ron had decided he wanted to talk things out with Hermione. Talking with George had helped, and also given him enough time to lose his temper. He wanted to be with Hermione, and he wanted her to know it was because he loved her, and for no other reason, so he had stopped and picked her up red roses at a Muggle shop before walking toward Grimmauld Place.

He reached Grimmauld Place a few minutes later, and managed inside, expecting to find a now angry Hermione, but instead, finding the house rather quiet.

"Hermione?" Ron called out.

No answer.

He moved through the house, only to find it empty. He sighed, assuming she had taken Teddy and gone somewhere, probably her parents. He couldn't blame her. He had left quickly and really had given her no time to explain anything.

Ron set the flowers on the counter and moved to the sink to get a vase of water for them, deciding he would have to just wait until Hermione arrived home, when suddenly Pig came flying through the window, hitting into the tea kettle before dropping a letter in the sink addressed to Ron.

"Bloody bird…" Ron grumbled, pulling the letter out of the sink. He glanced at the front and realized it was from the Ministry, in fact Kingsley himself.

Ron quickly tore the letter open and scanned it, his expression and body going rigid as he read the words over and over again, as if they weren't real.

Found Harry. Get to the office! – Kingsley.

Ron blinked at the Ministry's handwriting two more times before a smile finally crept across his face and he shoved the letter into his pocket, rushing to the fireplace to floo to the Ministry and, in the process, knocking the bouquet of Hermione's roses to the kitchen floor.

Hermione sighed as she stepped out of the fireplace of Grimmauld Place with Teddy half asleep in her arms, tired from their visit to her parents. She had originally only planned on staying for a little bit, but then her father had come home and so she had decided to have dinner with her parents, hoping that would give Ron enough time to decide to come home.

Hermione was hopeful for that. She wanted to talk to him, but she also knew, in order to do that, he needed to be home.

"Ron?" Hermione called out.

Teddy grumbled and rubbed his head into the crook of her neck, obviously not appreciating Hermione's raised voice.

Hermione moved into the kitchen to see the light on. She was confused, because she knew she had turned the light off, so that meant Ron was either home and not answering her, or had come home and left again.

As Hermione stepped around the counter, she heard something crunch under her feet. She glanced down to see a bouquet of rose's discarded on the floor as if they were nothing. Hermione took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she tried to control her emotions. Ron had obviously been home, and he had obviously decided to leave again.