* The perfect little family *

A little sob and the voice of his girlfriend singing greeted Ron one afternoon. He usually waited for Harry to go home and apparate together after Auror training, but his friend had been called by the minister of magic for a word in his office, and given the situation that was happening at Grimmauld Place, Ron decided he wouldn't waste any time and just apparate home as soon as posible. He walked to the kitchen, to where the voices were coming from. The view that he found was, for him, one of the sweetest ones: quills, parchments and books were spreaded on the table; Hermione was standing in front of the kitchen waving her wand as a cup and a plate flew about and landed on the counter while a boiling kettle flew over to it and poured some tea in the cup; their one-year-old redhaired baby was at Hermione's hip, her head nuzzled in her mother's neck, holding onto her tightly as she sobbed. As she moved, Ron could hear Hermione singing one of the many songs from the movie 'Beauty and The Beast' that she usually sang to Belle either as a bedtime lullaby or to calm her down when she was upset. Hermione looked at her daughter from time to time while she sang and waved her wand, smiling a little and kissing the little girl's head so lovingly that Ron thought his heart would explode from happiness. He went to them, smiling, and wrapped his arms around his girlfriend's waist. Hermione stopped singing, startled at first. When she noticed whose arms were holding her, she relaxed and kissed him sweetly on the lips.
"You're home early." she said as she waved her wand and another cup went flying to the counter.
"Training finished earlier." he answered.
"Where's Harry?" she asked when she noticed their black-haired friend wasn't joinging them. The kettle poured tea in the other cup, and with a flick of her wand, Hermione made both cups fly to the big table.
"Kingsley wanted to talk to him. I was happy to be free earlier than usual, and I've been worried all day so I didn't wait for him and came home straight away." he answered as she nodded. "How is she?" he asked as they sat at the table. She looked at the baby in her arms and sighed.
"She threw up twice and had a little fever earlier. She slept for half an hour or so, but she woke up, was sick and then she wouldn't go back to sleep or let go off me. I've tried to lay her back in the crib or the playpen, I tried to sit her on the floor or her high chair, but she wouldn't have it. She cried every time I attempted to leave her." she explained, then kissed her daughter's head.
Ron looked at his little girl, worried. She had been sick for a couple of days now. They had taken her to St. Mungo's and healers had told them that she had a virus and that she should drink a few potions and rest for three or four days. Since then, Hermione had taken time off from her internship at the ministry and had stayed home to take care of Belle. Ron tried to stay as well, but he couldn't due to the training's tight schedule, so whenever he had a free moment during the day, he would apparate home to see how his girls were doing.
"Should we take her back to St. Mungo's?" he asked, but Hermione shook her head.
"They said it would take three to four days for her to heal. This is the third day. She's small and she's taking the potions in small doses, so it'll take her longer than an adult to heal. Plus, she's teething, so she's bound to feel a bit feverish and upset." she said, sipping some tea. Belle was now quietly looking at her mother. Hermione looked back and kissed her. "My poor little girl! You'll soon feel much better, baby." she said, pulling the baby closer to her. Belle just snuggled closer to her and grabbed her mom's shirt tight. Ron smiled. He looked at all the books and parchments on the table. He reckoned Hermione had been trying to study before Belle started to be sick again, and he was sure she would want to catch up with her work reports and her last essays for the NEWTs, so he got up and attempted to take Belle from her mother, only to make the little girl whimper and hold tighter to Hermione.
"Come on, sweetheart! Let's give mommy a break so she can finish with her work." he said softly, still trying to take Belle from Hermione, but the baby wouldn't have it. She clutched her little hands to her mom's clothes tighter than ever. Hermione just rubbed her daughter's back reassurengly.
"It's alright, Ron. I already finished the reports for work." she said, still looking at their daughter sat on her lap.
"What about your essays?" he asked. Hermione shrugged her shoulders.
"I only have Potions left, and it's due on Friday. It's only Wednesday, so I can finish it tomorrow." she answered. He looked at her, shocked. The Hermione Granger he knew would never leave an essay for the last minute, let alone a NEWTs one. Seems like the last year they've experienced had changed her, he thought. She looked at him in the eye. "I want to make sure she's alright. I hate to see her suffering. And it's not like I have to write the essay from scratch. I only have the conclussion left. Besides, she's more important than any grade I could get." she said, looking back at Belle who was quietly playing with Hermione's necklace. The little girl upped her head and looked at her mother, smiling a bit. Hermione smiled back and kissed her. Ron just looked at them, smiling.
When Harry arrived to Grimmauld Place later that day he found Ron doing the cooking and Hermione laying the table and holding the baby. Whenever she was near Ron, he would grab her waist and pulled her into a kiss. Harry sighed. He never imagined seeing his friends so happy together, neither to say with a small child to take care at such a young age. But they were. They were acting like a family. A perfect little family.