A/n sorry for the delay in the updates this chapter was a long time in coming because to be perfectly honest writing was the last thing on my mind.

My gran died on the Tuesday before Christmas and I was an emotional wreck over Christmas, I'm just getting it back together now, thank you to all the people who had wondered what was up and all the reviewers of my other story who sent sympathy. I updated that one recently but couldn't face this one as it was about death. Hopefully I will be updating this one again regularly, again I am sorry for the delay in updates but I hope you understand.

Love as ever paula-lou

Disclaimer - sue if you want I have no money so I can't give you anything. Hp ain't mine and I doubt he will be ever .


Grief affects people in different ways. Some people stay strong to be the support network, crying only to themselves in the confines of their own personal space. Others so overcome with the emotion of everything that has been thrown at them break down on the spot. Ross's mother was the latter of the two options.

Hermione watched as she was brought in to the kitchen of the burrow her hair clinging to her face as the tears streamed down the now pale washed out completion.

Confusion and doubt etched in her face.

Beside her Hermione felt Ron, running his hand over the bare skin at the bottom of her t-shirt it had become his constant way of reassuring her that it would be all right eventually. It was his way of showing her comfort in the face of whatever life was throwing at the two of them.

Hermione watched as Mrs Weasley passed Tyler to the grief stricken woman, a woman usually so polished and neat that her present appearance seamed to upset Tyler a great deal.

"I need a word with the two of you." Mr Weasley said pulling them in to the pantry and flicking on the light with his wand.

"What did the auror's find?" Hermione asked quietly looking up in to the worried bespectacled face of Mr Weasley.

"They were looking for something we think, either that or they made a mistake."

"They knew we weren't at your house." Ron muttered in to her ear.

Hermione nodded.

"I think there trying to find Harry, he's bound to know by now that Harry hasn't gone back to school. Just think how many moles there are in Slytherin."

The look of worry intensified on Arthur's face. Hermione felt Ron's grip fall from her as he crossed the small space to his father.

"Dad, were safe where we are. Honest." he said resting a hand on his fathers shoulder.

"I don't know if you are."

"Dad I'm the secret keeper, the Death eaters hasn't a chance of getting it out of me, I am not wormtail, and my loyalty to Harry will never waver."

Hermione had been watching him as he reassured his father, absentmindedly rubbing her arm, her hand calming the Goosebumps that had erupted in his absence.

"I know but I still worry." Mr Weasley looked from one to the other.

"I know." said Ron solemnly his blue eyes reflecting the worry in his fathers.

"What's going to happen to my parent's?" Hermione asked, felling thankful that Ron had been there with her when the death eaters had come to call, felling thankful that it had been her birthday. That things were the way they were and not the way they could be.

"I'm sure Molly will appreciate the company."

"Are we in trouble for using magic in front of muggle's?" Ron asked taking Hermione's hand in his own.

"A little but right now you three are working above the wizard law, Rufus would be stupid if he thought that he could haul you in front of the Gammons, especially as you did it to save people, and technically the only person who witnessed it was Tyler."

"What about the Death eaters?"

"I sent a message to the auror's that need to know, I suspect that Tonk's will be calling by later to let us know."

Ron looked at Hermione she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was contemplating telling his father about Malfoy. Hermione shook her head sharply and Ron closed his mouth again.

"Is there anything else we should know about? Absolutely anything?"

Hermione felt Ron squeezing her hand slightly.

"Absolutely nothing."

Harry tried to process the information, Remus taped several times with is wand on the second rung of the metal gate outside the burrow and it swung inwards.

"I'm sure there ok." Remus said to him reassuringly. Although his face was contorted, the worry lines around his eyes ran deep against the grain of his skin.

Someone's dead.

The two words had ran through his head , word of the attack had reached them fast, the death eaters escaping from Azkaban was big news.

Harry advanced on the burrow, had it really only been less than two months since he danced here with Ginny, since they had set out on the thankless task of tracking down Voldemort's soul? The yard looked bleak in the late September moonlight, the shadows stretched long and threatening over the once welcoming yard. The house looked cold; the burrow had never looked as cold and uninviting as it did now.

Did walking through that door mean Harry would find news of his best friends slaughtered by the one thing they swore to fight?

Deep down Harry knew there was a chance, but the voice in his head wouldn't let him think like that.

"If Ron and Hermione got hurt I would know." he muttered to himself under his breath.

"Speaking to yourself is s sign of madness." said Remus

"So are Harry palms." Harry said nodding at the werewolf.

"Quite true." said Remus placing the aforementioned palm on the door and swinging it open.

Through the door and in to the kitchen the two travellers were watched.

"Harry, Remus." said Mr Weasley from the end of the table.

"Are you all alright?" asked Remus looking up and down the table.

"Were all fine." said Molly quietly.

"But they said someone was killed."

An eerie silence fell over the room.

"It was Hermione's friend Ross." Said Mr Weasley getting up and clasping his hand on the shoulder of a dark haired woman.

"What about Ron, Hermione are they ok?" Harry heard himself ask.

"There in the living room." Mrs Weasley said nodding in the general direction of the room. There was something almost calming in the way that she said it Harry knew instantaneously that they were ok.

Harry practically ran around the table. Remus sat in Mr Weasley's vacant chair as the head of the house made tea on the stove.

When Harry entered the living room, he didn't see his two best friends at first.

Generally, they would sit on the large sofa by the window, but today the seat was vacant.

"Harry?" a gruff voice sounded from the corner, the large seat where the twins could often be found planning and plotting hidden away from the rest of the family.

It had been Ron who had spoken, Harry headed over to the sound of his voice.

When he reached the corner, it was obvious why his voice had been so groggy, he had obviously been sleeping. Hermione was curled up with her head on his chest. Beside her a small girl with short brown hair had her arm's wrapped around Ron's neck. Her head resting on a large pillow that someone had placed behind her lolling head.

"I hope mum doesn't start getting ideas." Ron said groggily.

"I was about to say, is there something that you two haven't been telling me?" said Harry calling over his usual chair so he could sit next to Ron and the sleeping girls.

"Who is she?" Harry said looking at the little girl.

"Tyler, her dad was the one killed today." Ron looked up at Harry his blue eyes had a look of determination upon them. "We need to get a move on; I don't think we have long before the last big push. I can't stand to think of anyone else being left with out any parents." Ron looked away from Harry and down at Tyler. "Just look at her Harry, how could anyone do that to her, I mean she's only a baby, she needs her dad."

"Voldemort doesn't care about that Ron you know he doesn't. Look what he did to me, I turned out alright." Ron looked back up at Harry. His head nodded in agreement. Beside him, Hermione stirred in her sleep. Ron stroked her hair gently and she fell back to sleep.

"It's been a long day for her." Ron said apologetically.

"I was so worried on the way over here, I thought that maybe…"

"One of us? Harry mate I told you were with you till the end, if anyone kills me it'll be Voldemort himself, no sidekick is going to get me."

"What happened?"

Harry listened as Ron filled him in on the things that had happened that day, from arriving at the Granger's house to Malfoy turning up.

"What did Malfoy really want?" Harry asked venomously.

"That's what I've been trying to work out." said Ron yawning. Tyler opened her eyes and looked around. Her eyes fell upon Harry and she hugged in to Ron tighter.

"It's ok Tyler Harry is a nice person." Ron reassured the little girl. She seamed to relax her grip on him slightly. She looked at Harry before releasing the grip on Ron completely and climbing over him to get beside Hermione. She pulled the blanket that Hermione had over her over the two of them and squeezed in between Hermione's arms.

"Don't take it personally she's been through a lot today." said Ron moving slightly so that the two of them could rest against him properly. "She's been attached to either me or Hermione since we got back."

Harry couldn't help but register the look of both sorrow and contentment that passed over Ron's face.

"Are you ok?" Harry asked him.

Ron looked around the dark room making sure that no one was there.

"I will be." he said looking down at the two girls asleep on him. "I think I realised I wanted something today, that I never realised that I wanted, if that makes sense." he said watching as Tyler poked her head from under the sheet to look at Harry.

"Really?" Harry had a fair idea what that something was. "I'll say it again you can turn back at any time."

Ron looked at him.

"And do what exactly? Hermione would never let you go on alone and if she did we would be living half a life, I know you wouldn't want us to do that."

"But what if you don't come out the other side of this war…"

"We will because we have too, don't you see that Harry, things happen for a reason, you're fighting for your reasons I'm fighting for mine." Ron said his eyes now bright in the light of the low flickering fire that light the room.

"And what are your reasons?" Harry asked.

"What do you think my reason's are? Look at her Harry, that's my reason right there. She may be a bossy know it all, but she's my bossy know it all, and I'm fighting this fight for her." he looks up at Harry his eyes burning with the same look that Harry knew himself to get when that inner calling got hold of him.

"I'm fighting for the future, I won't a future where me and Hermione can be together, and we won't have to worry about our kid's coming home to find the dark mark hanging over their home."

"Your kid's?" Ron went red.

"It's been on my mind all night Harry, just look at her, you wouldn't think it but she's a natural with Tyler." the redness in his cheeks subsided. "I know it's crazy, I can't help it."

"I don't think your crazy in the slightest." Harry said looking at his best friend. The two friends looked at each other for some time, Tyler fidgeting with the blanket as Hermione slept on.

"I already know your willing to die for her, it makes perfect sense that you're willing to live for her as well."

Ron nodded and looked towards the door to the kitchen.

"I just wish her dad would like me."

"What's happened?"

"We had a bit of a run in on the way here, I'm sure it will sort itself out, at least I hope it will."

"And if it doesn't?"

Ron shook his head.

"It has to because if he's going to be my father in law he's going to have to get used living with a bunch of wizards."

"I'm sure he will." said Hermione sleepily from Ron's shoulder. Ron went red and Harry distracted himself looking at the last burning embers in the fading fire.

"How much of that did you hear?" Ron asked.

"Enough." Hermione said smiling at him. "But I have to admit that your assumption that I'm going to marry you and have your kids is right on par with the thinking of a caveman." she yawned and lifted Tyler on to her knee.

"She has a point." Harry said laughing silently at the faces his friend was pulling.

"That's right you take her side." said Ron sticking out his bottom lip. Tyler spotted it and made a grab.

"Ron." she said pulling herself up on to his knee and pulling his hair.

"Well at least she likes me." Ron said getting up. He pointed at Hermione. "We will continue this conversation later." he said smiling quietly to himself as he spoke.

Harry watched as he exited in to the kitchen.

"So how much of that conversation did you really hear?" he asked turning to Hermione who was looking at the vacant spot that Ron had sat in two seconds earlier.

"Most of it." she said smiling to herself. Harry knew that smile it was the one she wore back at school when Ron would defend her.

"He really loves you, you know."

"I know," she looked at him and smiled. "If he asked. I would say yes you know, I mean after everything we've been through, everything we've got to go through… if at the other side I have nothing but him I would still manage to be happy." she looked at him. "And Harry I agree with Ron whole heartedly when he says the only person in this world that will ever take us from your side is Voldemort himself. Were with you to the end."

With that, she got up and followed Ron in to the kitchen.

Ron watched as Tyler eyed Remus strangely. She helped herself to a chocolate frog from the tin on the table and jumped from his knee as she followed the chocolate playthings under the table.

Mr Granger watched him curiously, his eyes boring in to the side of his head. Ron wondered secretly if Hermione had lied to him when she said she was muggle born, her father was doing way to good an impression of Severus Snape.

Ron chanced a look at Ross's mother; she had hugged both young wizards when they had emerged from the larder with Mr Weasley, thanking them for saving Tyler.

Hermione had explained that whilst Ross was a disappointment to his mother, Tyler had more than made up for his mistakes in his mothers eyes.

He was about to check under the table on Tyler when Hermione slipped in to the room and on to his knee. She took his hands and wrapped them around herself resting them on her stomach. Ron sighed and rested his head on her. Breathing in the smell of home and Hermione, two smells he had never really associated with each other until recently.

"Mione!" Said Taylor pointing at the foot of the person in question. The remains of one squashed chocolate frog were under her faded trainer.

"Sorry." Hermione said pealing the now thoroughly inedible frog towards the bin.

"It's ok Ty, we'll get you another one." said Ron lifting the little girl on to the table.

"You shouldn't encourage her to eat sweets." said Mr Granger from across the table.

"All things considered .I think a few sweets today is the last thing you should be worrying about."

Ron felt Hermione fidgeting on his knee as he steadied the little girl on the table.

"You are the last person I want to have a discussion about responsibilities with." snarled Mr Granger; beside him, his wife shook her head.

"Oh here we go again; I know I'm not good enough for Hermione you made that perfectly clear already."

"I don't think you're responsible for your actions." Mr Granger said calmly.

"What actions? Hermione is more than capable of looking after herself, I don't know if you noticed but she is an adult not a little kid. As for the fact you blame me for bringing her in to this, putting her in danger, I don't know if you had noticed or not but Hermione is a witch, has been for longer than I've known her, and she's a damn good witch as well, a thousand times better at anything than I could be."

"Ron leave it." Hermione said quietly.

"No I want him to know this stuff Hermione, he needs to know this stuff, if it wasn't for you I would be dead and I owe you so much, and I don't care if he is your father he doesn't own you. No one could own you, not you Hermione, no one could ever say Hermione is mine."

Ron watched as Hermione wrapped her hand in with his. "You can." she said quietly before turning to her dad. "Dad Ron has a point, everything that's happened to me has been my own decision, my own choices, I'm and adult dad, I recon it's time you let me act like one." she smiled at him as Tyler shoved the last chocolate frog in to her mouth. "It's time for you to stop looking after me and let someone else, after all Ron has been looking after me for the last six years." Hermione slid of the table and picked up Tyler.

"Molly does Crookshanks need fed?" she asked.

Mrs Weasley nodded and got up, passing the tin of scraps down to Hermione from beside the fire.

"The kittens are getting so big now you won't recognise them." Mrs Weasley said as Hermione and the little girl headed for the door, Hermione's wand sticking out the back of her jeans.

"Coming Ron?"

Ron looked around the table and to Harry who had been standing in the doorway.

"Yeah, just give me a second." he said as he watched her walk out the door.

He waited until he saw Hermione was half way across the yard before turning back to her father.

"I love your daughter Mr Granger, I'm sorry of that offends you but I do."

"Alright Ron they get the point." said Harry quietly taking his friend by the arm. "Let's go catch the girls up."

Harry dragged Ron towards the door, Ron was infuriated, how could Mr Granger think that Hermione was a child, didn't he see she was more grown up than any of them, didn't he understand the things that Hermione had been through? Did he even know what things Hermione had been through? As Ron walked across the yard, he cradled his wand in his pocket, aware that once upon a time he would have cursed someone who talked about Hermione or himself like that in to next week.