OK lovely people, I am going to be travelling for the next few weeks. If I possibly can (and can get on WiFi), I will keep writing and uploading on schedule, but please be patient, thank you. And thank you too for the lovely reviews, which I continue to use as writing fuel, so they're really helping me to keep this going :-)

As good as it felt to be cuddled in Charlie's arms, Lauren put her confused feelings aside and slipped off his lap as the door to the flat opened and Hermione and Fred walked in. Hermione closed the door softly behind them and they each put a bag onto the table.

"He's fast asleep," Fred whispered. "Even the shop doorbell didn't wake him … I didn't think to turn it off." He sat down on the other end of the sofa so that Lauren could see. Charlie tipped his head in wonder as he watched his little boy sleeping on his brother's chest, thumb firmly in his mouth. He still hadn't fully processed the fact that he had a son. Fleetingly, he wondered what Molly's reaction to the news would be, and then pushed that thought down. He had enough to contend with tonight.

"He was already dropping off as we got to the Cauldron. We gave him a few chips so he wouldn't wake up hungry. He's been asleep on Fred for a while," Hermione whispered to Lauren.

"Good thinking … he'll probably go through most of the night now," said Lauren, moving next to Fred so she could slide the little boy out of his carrier and onto her own chest without waking him.

"Thanks, Fred," she told the much taller wizard when he held onto the straps and leaned toward her to make her job easier. "Now, do you really want him with you? He might wake and want me in the night?"

Hermione looked at Fred and then back at Lauren. "What do you think? He mentioned it again while we were out. I don't mind bringing him to you if he wakes and needs you…"

Lauren shrugged. "Let's try it then. I like to let him make his own decisions when he can, and he's been pretty clear about this one..." Both she and Hermione turned towards Fred and Hermione's room.

"Can I come?" asked Charlie.

"Of course," Lauren said. "He'll not wake now; he's a good sleeper these days. Which is only fair, since he woke me up every couple of hours around the clock when he was a baby!"

The four of them went into Fred and Hermione's bedroom and settled the little boy in the centre of the big bed, next to his rabbit. Charlie smiled to see Fred and Hermione's bonding cord tied to the bed, and he caught Lauren looking at it too, no doubt wondering if it had significance. She didn't ask though, imagining that it might well be a private thing between magical couples.

Fred set up an extendable ear so that they would hear Elliot if he woke, putting the remote part behind his own ear and explaining to Lauren how it worked. "We modified them to work remotely for Georgie, after he lost his ear," he said. "Sometimes he needs a bit of extra help. It's a bit like a hearing aid, but he prefers to pretend it's still a joke product, and I can go along with that." Fred then scooped Graham up in his hand, allowing the little purple furball to get into the bed with Elliot as well. "Don't get used to it, though," he warned, pointing a long finger at the tiny, wide-eyed pygmy puff as he snuggled next to Elliot. "When you're over that cold, you'll be back down in the shop with the other puffs again."

Hermione seriously doubted that Fred would make good on that threat. He seemed to be rather attached to Graham, and even Crookshanks accepted him as a family member and not something to chase, but time would tell. She noticed that Charlie was looking wistfully at Lauren and decided it was high time that she checked how he was doing. "Charlie, can you come and help me with the food in the kitchen? Fred, maybe you and Lauren could nip up and see whether you think it's still warm enough to eat on the roof or if you'd prefer to enlarge the coffee table and eat in the living room?"

Thank Merlin for the bond. It allowed Hermione to signal to Fred that she wanted a bit of time to check in with Charlie, and he got that message loud and clear. Offering Lauren a hand onto the first of the stairs, he took their new friend up onto the roof and decided that she should have a three hundred and sixty degree explanation of everything that they could see, magical and muggle.

"This is new," teased Charlie, as he followed Hermione into the kitchen. "Last time I saw you and my brother, I had to carry you away to prevent you from publicly jumping his bones."

Hermione laughed. "We're getting used to the bond … and we spent a week pretty much wrapped around each other on our honeymoon, so that helped a lot … it's much more manageable now!"

"You sure you can cope with a night with the little guy in between you, though?"

"Course we can, Charlie. It's important for you and Lauren to have some space, we know." She started levitating plates out of the cupboards and onto a tray. "And," she added in a quieter voice, "Fred loves kids but I'm not quite ready, so it's great to have a nephew to borrow to keep him entertained!"

Charlie nodded, watching as Hermione added glasses, napkins and the salt and vinegar shakers to the tray. Frowning to try and work out what else they needed, she opened the fridge and reached for more condiments, which she handed to Charlie. Then she turned her gaze on her brother-in-law, speaking in a soft voice.

"How's it going? And how are you doing?"

Charlie shrugged. "I'm OK, lovely. It was big enough to see Lauren again, and then massive to suddenly find out I'm a dad, but I'll get there. I just hope I can do right by him."

"You will, Charlie. You'll be a great dad."

"I hope so."

"And what about Lauren?"

Charlie paused before answering. "We kissed on the roof … it was amazing. Like no time had passed. But she doesn't know what she wants; she says she needs to figure it all out."

Hermione stepped forward and wound her arms around Charlie's waist. He leaned his chin onto her shoulder, allowing himself a deep sigh.

"I don't know if she wants me, love. She says she still likes me in a physical sense and she wants me to be there for Elliot, but she's worried our worlds are too different."

"Oh, Charlie." Hermione had hoped it would be more straightforward but, if she was honest, she wasn't surprised. Lauren had only known about the existence of the wizarding world for a couple of days and, although Charlie's feelings had grown in the time that they had been apart, their initial relationship had been a physical one without any promises of more. Hermione squeezed Charlie in a tight hug, wanting to convey love and support to him, and he got the message, squeezing her back. He held onto her and took some deep breaths, allowing her steady presence to calm him, and he would probably have held her for longer except for Fred's voice interrupting them as he called through the roof hatch.

"We've decided it's nice enough to eat up here, but we're getting hungry. If you two are going to keep faffing about down there, can you send us the wine up, love? And maybe the olives; they're in the fridge…"

"Don't move," said Hermione, stopping Charlie with a touch on his arm. "I'll be right back." She searched the fridge for the olives and popped them on the wooden tray. Then, picking up the bag of wine in one hand and using her wand to levitate the tray with the other, she sent both on their way through the roof hatch and up into Fred's waiting hands. "If you and Lauren can open the wine and set the table, we'll be up soon with the rest of the food."

"Red, white or pink?" Fred asked Lauren, taking over the levitation and offering her an olive before arranging everything on the table. We didn't know what you liked, so we got one of each. Or there's butterbeer if you prefer?" He reached for a large olive and popped it into his mouth.

"How very decadent!" smiled Lauren. "I'll have pink, please. I always think pink's nice on a summer evening."

"That's very romantic of you," grinned Fred. "Charlie's a lucky wizard."

Lauren's face fell a bit. "I don't know about that, Fred." She spoke quietly as he poured them both a glass of wine. Lauren took hers from him with a nod of thanks and the took a sip before continuing. "I don't know if I can give him what he wants…"

"Oh fuck, I'm sorry love," Fred was embarrassed. "I have this habit of speaking before I think and putting my foot in it." He touched her arm. "I didn't mean anything by it…"

"I know, Fred; it's OK. You've not said anything wrong. It's just that this is all a bit sudden for me." She swept her arm around the roof garden. "This … this is all everyday for you … levitating wine onto the roof and disappearing in a twist and making sparks come out of your wands. That's great. I am awed by your world and by what you can all do." She reached for another olive; glad of something familiar. "It's very new for me, though, and I'm not sure how to make sense of it, and whether I can fit into it."

She gazed at the horizon before looking back at Fred. "Which is a bit ironic, because I'm an anthropologist, so I'm used to making sense of different cultures, but usually I at least know a bit before I study something. This time, I didn't even know there WAS a wizarding culture, let alone that I had spent a summer and made a baby with someone who belonged to it. And now, well there's the question of grandparents, and whether Charlie and I can make a life together and how I am going to cope with a child who can do magic and … do you know, Fred, I am genuinely one of the most open-minded people I know, and yet this is completely doing my head in!"

Fred looked a bit stunned as understanding dawned. He shifted from one foot to the other, wanting badly to help but, having gained insight into how weird the situation was for Lauren, he was unsure what he could say that would make any difference.

But then it came to him. "Right, love," he said, reaching into his robes. "This I can do." He put his wand down on the table and showed her his palms. "Other than the ear," he indicated the side of his head, "this will be a no magic dinner. I'll make 'Mione and Charlie give up their wands when they come up. That's the least we can do."

A smile broke out on Lauren's face. In just that one gesture, Fred had reminded her of one of the main reasons that she hadn't freaked out three years ago when she first found out that her child would be inheriting Charlie Weasley's genes. He, and clearly this brother, were kindness personified, not to mention creative in their desire to help her to adjust. "You're very thoughtful, Fred."

He gave a quick bow of his head before grinning at Lauren. "Can you do me a favour and tell my mum that when you meet her? You won't miss her; she's the one who'll be telling me off."

That time, Lauren managed a laugh. "That will be my pleasure."

"And…" he spoke slowly, thinking his words through and not wanting to say the wrong thing. "Look, I do put my foot in it a lot, love, so this might be a crap thing to say - though, actually, just so you know, I am a fucking world class diplomat compared to our youngest brother Ron – but can I make an observation?"

"Please do, Fred," she said. "I'm open to any words of wisdom, crap or otherwise." Lauren took another sip of her wine.

"Well I know I'm a bit younger than you and not very experienced and all that, but I've been married to a bit of a worrier myself for three weeks now, so I've got some understanding … and it seems to me you might be thinking a bit too much." He checked her face and, when she continued to look interested and not unhappy, he carried on. "I mean, you don't need to know tonight how it's going to work for the rest of your life. You just need to decide whether you'll stay on pink wine or move onto something else. How many bits of fish. Ketchup or mayo. Whether you want to sit next to Charlie or me or 'Mione. Just figure out the small stuff; the rest will come in time. Otherwise it's going to do your head in."

Lauren's eyes had softened. "Do you think Hermione would mind if I hugged you?" she asked Fred.

"Nah; she can sense my feelings so she'll know we're just being friendly," he reassured her, opening his arms for her to step into. He realised that he needed to reach down a bit as well, as the top of her head barely reached halfway up his chest. "See, this is why it's a good job you met the shortest Weasley," he teased her.

She laughed. "Thank you, Fred," she said to his chest. "I really needed to hear that."

"Hear what?" asked Charlie, as he and Hermione climbed onto the roof.

"Oh, just some secrets about you that I thought Lauren had better know sooner rather than later," Fred joked, giving Lauren one last squeeze before releasing her. "Put your wands down there, please." He pointed to the wooden tray that was still holding the napkins and condiments as well as his own wand.

"Huh?" Charlie looked confused.

"Well…" Fred looked at Lauren.

"You can tell them; I don't want to have secrets from Charlie or Hermione," she reassured him.

"Well Lauren's finding it a bit hard to adjust to all our wizardy craziness, so I'm declaring this a muggle evening. Wands on the tray and we'll behave like so-called normal people for once."

Charlie and Hermione obeyed, and they spent a couple of minutes deciding who would sit where, but Fred's inability to hide his desire to snuggle Hermione made the decision easier, and Charlie and Lauren ended up on the bench across from them. Fred took more wine orders and made a big show of manually pouring wine and handing Charlie and Hermione their glasses before unwrapping and sharing out the fish and chips, also by hand.

As they settled onto their bench, Charlie looked at Lauren questioningly, to check she was OK with that arrangement. She touched his leg and nodded. "I'm feeling a bit better, Charlie. Your brother's very wise. He helped me see that I don't have to have all the answers right now. Or overthink things. I just need to decide how many bits of fish I want."

Hermione laughed. "That sounds like a very Fred thing to say!"

Charlie reached out his arm, raising his eyebrows in a question. Lauren accepted his offer of a cuddle with a smile and curled up against his side. "That's good then."

Lauren raised her glass. "Here's to new friends. And adjusting to new cultures."

They clinked glasses before diving into their food. Fred kept them all entertained by telling the story of an escaped pygmy puff who George had had to chase around Diagon Alley for a good half hour earlier in the week, and then they caught up with Charlie's news from the reserve. Although he tried to tone down the magical parts of his adventures, Lauren's eyes kept widening in wonder when things slipped out. "Shall I stop, love?" he asked on more than one occasion.

"No," she reassured him. "I want to learn about your real life, not just the muggled-down version you shared with me before…"

Fred laughed loudly at her phrase and Charlie opened his mouth to apologise again, but Lauren nudged him with her shoulder. "I'm just teasing, you big old silly ... tell me more about what your home is like…"

As he had promised, Fred ran downstairs after they had licked and wiped the last of the fish and chips from their fingers and returned with one of the still photos from their wedding which had been taken for Hermione's parents. It showed the entire Weasley family and their significant others and he stood behind Lauren and talked her through it. "You already know Charlie, me and 'Mione. That's Georgie, of course, and Mum and Dad. Angelina goes out with George, Bill has the ponytail and he's with Fleur who is French and very badass despite appearances, just so you know," Lauren smiled, wondering if he was expecting her to remember all of this, especially after three glasses of wine. Fred continued to point. "And then Percy and Penelope, Ginny and Harry and then Ron, who prefers to be called Ronnikins."

"Fred," warned Hermione, laughing."

"Well OK, but you should totally call him that when it's just us."

"Ron and Harry and I were in the same school year together; that's how we originally all got to know each other," Hermione explained.

"Saved the world, they did," Fred said, proudly looking at his wife. Lauren looked a bit startled.

"Do you think that should perhaps go on the list of things to save for later?" Hermione pulled a face at him. They were working on getting Lauren to feel relaxed and detailing the craziness of the last few years of their lives probably wasn't the best way to do that.

"Sorry, love." Fred gave Hermione a contrite look and Charlie chuckled. "Long story, which we'll tell you another day. All good now; nothing to see here."

"We do need to have a bit of a chat about what to do about them though…" Hermione pulled an equally apologetic face at Charlie as she said that. She didn't want to be the one to raise it, but it needed saying. "The family, I mean. Because we're probably on safe ground until the morning on the basis that you two have only just met up again, so we don't need to make any decisions tonight, but those of us who know about our newest family members are going to be given hell if you don't tell them soon and they find out that we knew…"

"Shit," breathed Charlie. "You're right." He looked at Lauren. "It wouldn't have been as much of an issue if it was just you and me, love, but…" He broke off, imagining Molly and Arthur's reactions to the news that they had a grandson."

Fred nodded. "George'll be here first thing, though he already knows, of course."

Hermione reached her hand across the table towards Lauren's. "You don't need to make a decision tonight. I was just meaning, well it's something we need to think about in the morning."

"I'd love to meet them," said Lauren, looking at Charlie. "And I understand. I don't want to get off on the wrong foot with them by keeping it from them. I just wanted to tell Charlie about Elliot first, and we've done that now. Tell them tomorrow, and I'd like to meet them if they'd like that. And Elliot loves meeting people, as you can probably tell." She looked wistful for a moment. "I'm not sure he really understands what grandparents are though, just so you know … both my parents died before he was born."

Charlie scooped her closer when he heard that. "He'll be the apple of their eye, love; you can't even imagine…"

"Where do they live?" Lauren asked. "And how would we get there if we visited? Would we floo, or should we go to mine and get my car?"

"Devon," said Fred. "And any of those, or we could try you at apparition." He winked, remembering what Hermione had said about Lauren wanting to save apparition until she knew them a bit better. "You've eaten and drunk and hugged with me now, so it's OK to throw up on me, yes?" he teased. "Though now you've got Charlie here, you could go with him instead…" He was about to crack the twins' usual joke about Charlie having had to take his apparition test a second time because he had landed on an elderly woman a few miles from his intended destination when Hermione sent a sensation through the bond to warn him. Nodding, he shut his mouth again; it would be unkind to add a layer of doubt to Lauren's slowly growing confidence in the magical world.

Lauren did look a bit uncertain about the magical transportation options. "Can we decide that tomorrow as well?" she asked Charlie.

"Of course, love. Tonight is just about fish and fun, though I'm wondering if I'm allowed to have my wand back and cast a warming charm if we're staying up here?"

Hermione murmured in agreement. "It has got a bit nippy. Although," she looked at Fred, sending another non-verbal message through the bond to explain her next words, "I'm feeling quite tired myself, so I might turn in after we've cleared up here."

Fred got the message that she wanted to give Charlie and Lauren some more time alone. "Yeah, I'll come with you, love. I didn't get a chance to tell you in all the excitement, but Kings sent a letter over today to explain his plan for the next few weeks, so we could read that together before we go to sleep."

"Good idea, sweetheart," Hermione said as she stood from the table.

"Thank you." Lauren looked from one to the other. "I feel so much better."

"It's probably the wine," Fred said, with a lopsided grin. He had been deliberately topping up her glass in the hope of helping her stay in the moment.

Lauren laughed, turning to Charlie. "These other four brothers of yours are going to have to be pretty amazing to knock Fred off the top of my favourites list."

"See," said Fred to Hermione. "At last! Someone appreciates me!"

"Lots of us appreciate you," Hermione told him calmly, patting his hand. "But we know your ego's quite big already so we try not to tell you very often."

When Lauren stood from the bench, she realised that, actually, the wine had affected her more than she thought. The anticipation of seeing Charlie again and telling him about Elliot had curbed her appetite and she hadn't eaten much during the day. Charlie saw her swaying a little, and took her arms gently in his hands. "Steady, love, let me help you."

"We've got this," Fred told his brother, and he cleared the table quickly as Charlie helped Lauren down the stairs.

"I should check on Elliot," she said, and they tiptoed to Hermione and Fred's bedroom door, opening it quietly to see their little boy tucked up in the bed. He was sleeping soundly with his rabbit under his arm and Graham sitting on his head, keeping watch. The little pygmy puff squeaked in excitement when he saw Charlie and Lauren moving towards the bed and Charlie smiled.

"Settle down," he whispered, scratching the little purple creature's head before returning his gaze to Elliot. "I can't believe we made a baby," he said.

Lauren breathed out a quiet laugh. "That's real magic, right?!"

"Too right," Charlie replied.

They turned and smiled at each other and Lauren tipped her face towards Charlie. "Do you want to join me in George's bed tonight?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Tempting as that is, love, I don't think it's a good idea…"

"Seriously?" she frowned, finding it hard to believe that he was turning her down.

"I'd love to join you," he whispered into her ear. "And make you feel good all night. But the only thing that's changed since we decided that that wasn't a good plan is that you're full of wine, love, so I feel it my duty to be the grown up and say I'll stick to plan A and sleep on the sofa." He began to lead her from the room and towards George's bedroom door. "If that offer's still open tomorrow, I'll get into any bed of your choice and stay there as long as you want me to. Right now," he kissed her cheek tenderly, "I'm kissing you goodnight before my hormones start a war with my gentlemanly reason."

Lauren smiled. "OK, but would you give me a proper goodnight kiss? I won't regret that in the morning, I promise."

Charlie bent his head and their lips met. He had intended to keep it gentle, but that idea went out of the window as soon as Lauren found his tongue with her own. She tasted of wine and salt and forever, and it took everything Charlie had to retain control of his desire and not scoop her into his arms and carry her to her bed.

Fred and Hermione watched them quietly from the kitchen. "Do you think they have a chance?" Fred asked his wife in a whisper.

"I hope so. I think so," she said. "Charlie understands that she needs time to adjust, and I think she's got more chance than most of adapting to our world if she wants to."

"It does look like she wants him…" Fred chuckled. He would have added more, but Hermione pulled him quietly to their bedroom, so as to not disturb the snogging couple. A few minutes later, as she and Fred were re-reading Kingsley's letter over the head of their tiny sleeping nephew, they heard the soft click of George's bedroom door and then Charlie's footsteps padding back to the sofa on which Fred had left a quilt and pillow for him.

"We should say nox and go to sleep, love," Fred said, snuggling down on one side of Elliot.

"Mmmmm." Hermione leaned over to collect a goodnight kiss before she settled down herself. "Are you tired?"

"Not massively," said Fred. "But if more Weasleys are going to find out about our little man tomorrow, I want to be well-rested so I can enjoy the fun!"

Hermione laughed softly, stroking Elliot's hair with one finger and then reaching her hand under the pillow so that she could entwine her fingers with Fred's while they slept.