~8 years later~

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear Hugo, happy birthday to you!", the family sang in unison. It was the morning of Hugo Weasley's eighth birthday and Ron, Hermione and Rose sat around the kitchen table with him as he blew out a few candles Ron had stuck in his pancakes. Hugo now resembled Ron more than ever. His skin was pale white, his hair flaming red and a bridge of freckles covered his nose and cheeks, although, his flaming red hair was thick and wild and his eyes were a beautiful shade of brown like his mother's. Rose on the other hand was a perfect mixture of both of her parents. Her flaming red hair reached right down to her lower back, little orange freckles covered every inch of her face and shoulders, her eyes a bright shade of blue and she was a lot taller than the average ten year old, just like Ron had been at that age. The family ate their breakfast as Hugo multi-tasked, using one hand to stuff his face with pancakes and the other to open his birthday cards.

"Hugo. Chew with your mouth closed, sweetheart", Hermione rolled her eyes at him as she shook her head at Ron. The boys were alike in more ways than one.

"Where's the birthday boy?", a chirpy voice appeared from inside the living room.

"Nanna!", Hugo smiled brightly as he jumped off of his chair and ran into the living room. Molly and Arthur Weasley stood in the middle of the room smiling brightly as their grandson ran towards them.

"Happy birthday, sweetheart!", Molly smiled as she threw her arms around him for a hug.

"Happy birthday, Hugo", Arthur grinned before handing him a neatly wrapped box. Hugo teared into the present the tiniest bit, careful not to make any sound, but his mother's hearing was too good for that.

"Hugo Bilius Weasley! If you open any presents there will be no party!", Hermione called from the kitchen. Hugo blushed a bright shade of red before placing the box on the sofa.

"Now, where's your sister?", Arthur asked. Hugo pointed into the kitchen before disappearing upstairs to get changed out of his Chudley Cannon pyjamas. Arthur walked into the kitchen along with Molly to greet their granddaughter.

"Hi Granddad!", Rose smiled brightly before getting up to hug her grandfather.

"Hey, Rosie pop", he smiled softly at her. Molly made her way over to Ron as she gave him a light peck on the cheek.

"Hullo, mum", Ron smiled.

"Hello, sweetheart. When is everyone going to arrive?", she asked.

"Sometime in the next hour", Hermione smiled as she got up out of her chair to hug her mother in-law.

"Fantastic. I know Percy, Audrey and the kids should be here sometime in the afternoon" Molly informed them. As the hour went on, the Weasleys began to show up one by one, along with Dan and Jean Granger. Harry, Ginny, James, Albus and Lily were the last to arrive.

"Sorry we're a bit late. Someone threw a temper tantrum over what dress to wear!", Ginny looked accusingly at a young Lily Potter, who sported a beautiful pink dress.

"I don't like pink!", she lowered her bottom lip dramatically. Ginny rolled her eyes before giving her brother a hug.

"Where's Hugo?", she asked.

"He has been upstairs for a while, love", Hermione chimed.

"I'll go and see what he's up to", Ron smiled softly before wandering off upstairs. Hugo was sat in his room, watching the Quidditch players on his posters zoom around after the golden snitch. "Hey, buddy", Ron smiled as he entered the room. "Your cousins are down stairs", he told him. Hugo looked like he didn't seem to care much about his cousins presence or the party that was waiting for him downstairs. "What's the matter, pal?", Ron asked as he sat beside his son.

"I'm eight now", Hugo said sadly. Ron couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.

"Well, yes. Yes, you are eight. What's wrong with being eight?", Ron asked.

"I'll have to go to Hogwarts soon", Hugo said quietly.

"In three years you will. But that's not a bad thing, buddy", Ron told him as he put his arm around his son.

"I don't want to be away from you and mum", Hugo told him sadly.

"Listen, Hugo. When I was around your age, I started to panic too. I thought I wouldn't be able to cope with your Nanna and Granddad, but as soon as I hit eleven and the time came for me to jump on the Hogwarts Express, I couldn't have been more excited. And you know you can write to us whenever you like. Besides, I never would have met Uncle Harry or your mum if I didn't go", Ron smiled softly at his son.

"Really?", Hugo asked as he looked up into his father's eyes.

"Really", Ron smiled. "But for now, there's no need to worry about Hogwarts! You should be worrying about what Uncle Percy got you for your birthday this year!", Ron joked.

"Not another pair of socks I hope!", Hugo laughed. Ron laughed along with his soon before giving him a small pat on the back and leading him downstairs. Just as they had joked before, as Hugo began to open his presents he found a pair of socks from his Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey for the fourth year in a row. The day was full of fun and happiness as the family celebrated through the night.

"Hugo", Rose whispered in his ear. Hugo turned to face his sister. "Come with me", she smiled softly at him before creeping up the stairs into her bedroom. Hugo quietly followed. As he entered his sister's bedroom, she was sat on her bed with a brown parcel on her lap. Hugo joined her on the bed, his stare never steering away from the mysterious brown package. "I wanted to give you my present in private", she smiled before handing him the parcel. Hugo slowly opened the package to find Rose's copy of Quidditch: Through the Ages.

"Rosie", Hugo gasped. "This is your Quidditch book!".

"I know", Rose smiled softly. "I want you to have it, so when I go to Hogwarts, you'll have something to remember me by when you miss me. Plus, I've read it a dozen times! I think its time I got myself a new Quidditch book", she smirked. Hugo smiled down at the book in his lap before opening it to the first page. Rose had written a small note inside. It read;

Hugo.

You'll be at Hogwarts with me soon. I love you little brother.

Rose X

Hugo smiled brightly before throwing his arms around his sister's neck.

"Thanks, Rosie", he whispered. The siblings returned to the party to find that everyone had grown tired. Arthur Weasley had fallen fast asleep on the sofa whilst Molly, Ginny, Harry, Ron and Hermione sat around the kitchen table chatting. All of the guests soon began to leave as the night grew old.

"Did you enjoy your birthday, sweetheart?", Hermione asked as she kissed Hugo on the top of his head.

"It was the best birthday ever", Hugo grinned up at her.

"I'm glad to hear", she grinned back. "Now, where's that sister of yours?", Hermione asked. Hugo shrugged his shoulders before scurrying into the kitchen for more birthday cake. Hermione wandered up the stairs and walked into Rose's room to find Rose sat up on her bed reading a book. "Its time to get ready for bed, angel", Hermione told her.

"Oh, just one more chapter! Please mum", Rose begged. Hermione chuckled softly as she joined her daughter on the bed.

"What are you reading?", she asked.

"Hogwarts; A History", Rose smiled. "I want to know everything there is to know", she smiled brightly at her mother before returning to reading her book. Hermione smiled proudly at her daughter as she ran her fingers through her long flowing ginger locks.

"Okay. One more chapter and then its time for bed", Hermione raised her eyebrow.

"Deal", Rose smiled. Hermione smiled softly at her before giving her a delicate kiss on the forehead and leaving her to finish her final chapter. As she made her way out into the hallway she heard a fumble of plates being moved around in the kitchen downstairs.

"I hope that's Ron washing the dishes and not the birthday boy eating more cake instead of brushing his teeth and getting ready for bed!", Hermione called. All of a sudden she heard small footsteps thudding up the stairs towards her as Hugo rushed past her and into the bathroom. "Your dad will be in to check on you in a moment!", she called to him as she chuckled lightly. Hermione made her way into her bedroom to get ready for bed herself. Ron had just put on an old white t-shirt and his Chudley Cannon pyjama bottoms as he sat on the bed lazily trying to take his socks off.

"Rosie reading before bed again?", he asked as he balled up his socks and threw them into a laundry basket that stood in the corner of the room.

"Well, she is her mother's child. Although-", Hermione began as she joined Ron on the bed. "She's pretty much 85% of her father's child most of the time", she raised her eyebrows at him accusingly.

"Hey! I cant help it if my girl has a healthy thirst for Quidditch", he smirked. Hermione chuckled at him before she left his side to sit in front of her vanity mirror, ready to wrestle with her hair after a hectic day. "Do you know what Hugo said earlier?", Ron asked, watching Hermione's reflection in the mirror as she began to brush her wild locks. Hermione shook her head. "He said he doesn't want to go to Hogwarts because he doesn't want to be away from us". Hermione couldn't help but smile softly.

"He'll feel differently when the time comes. He'll have the time of his life. They both will", she replied. Ron sighed as he continued to stare at Hermione's reflection.

"I'm dreading the day Rosie goes. Its only a year away", he admitted.

"She'll be fine, Ronald", Hermione reassured him.

"I just keep thinking- I don't want to end up with her first letter home to us being something like 'I hate it here. There's a horrid git who picks on me'", he told her.

"Well, that's strange", Hermione turned to face him.

"What is?"

"I seem to recall writing a similar letter to my parents in my first year. Yes- about a horrible ginger haired boy who called me a nightmare!", she raised her eyebrow at him accusingly.

"That was different. I didn't know I liked you back then", Ron tried to defend himself.

"And how do you know- if someone were to pick on Rose- that they wouldn't end up liking her just like that?", Hermione questioned smugly.

"Okay- Okay, I get your point", Ron gave in. "But no boyfriends until she's in her seventh year! Better yet, when she's thirty!", he declared. Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Their daughter was only ten and Ron was already panicking about boyfriends! "I'll go and check if the kids are settled in bed", he told her before kissing her on the cheek and leaving the room. Hermione changed into her pyjamas and got comfy in bed before falling sound asleep as soon as her head had hit the pillow. Ron returned from making sure his children were settled in bed to find his beautiful wife, sleeping soundly with her lips slightly curved. He loved watching her sleep. He could stand there for hours and just watch her. How her eyes flickered when she was dreaming. How her wild hair would always end up covering her entire face and he would feel and urge to softly move it out of the way so he could continue to look upon her beautiful features. He laid beside her, facing her, and for a moment, did exactly what he loved. He watched her sleep. And it was moments like that when Ron couldn't believe loving someone as much as he loved Hermione was possible, but there he was. Loving her more than ever. His Hermione. And with that, Ron slowly began to close his eyes and, he too, began to smile softly as he drifted off to sleep.