Ron Weasley was devastated. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. They were supposed to get their happily ever after. She wasn't supposed to die! Now facing life as a single father, he struggles to raise their two children.
Draco Malfoy wanted a do-over! She had told him, from the time they began courting until she walked out the door, that she loved him. If she truly loved him, she wouldn't have walked out on him and their infant son. She definitely wouldn't have taken up with that damned McKay! Now he was facing a future of trying to run a business and raise a son.
They were finally able to be happy. The war was over and Hermione was making her mark on the Wizarding world. They had decided to hold off on marriage and children until they got through the training of their respective carriers. He went into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement with Harry and Hermione trained as a barrister in the same department.
Once their careers took off, they worked several years, brought her parents home from Australia and finally tied the knot. In another few years, they agreed, it would be time to start their family. They bought a home, got a dog and another cat. Hermione's old cat, Crookshanks, had passed away during the time of the second war. After all that was accomplished, they finally decided to have their first child.
Hermione's first pregnancy with Rose was very rough and difficult. She almost miscarried several times, even while being on bed rest. They almost ended up having to take Rose before Hermione managed to draw on a hidden inner strength and have her naturally. It was agreed that she would be their first and only child. Ron didn't want to see Hermione suffer that badly ever again. They doted on little Rose and showed her off proudly everywhere they went.
Then they were back to work. Mrs. Weasley gladly babysat her granddaughter. When Rose was seven months old, Hermione found out she was expecting another baby. She was terrified at the thought of telling Ron. But he took it well. All he wanted to know was, were they keeping the baby? If so, did she feel uncomfortable in any way or pressured to have the baby? Did she actually want to risk carrying another child?
Hermione wanted the baby. She wasn't pressured in any way. She was nervous but ready to take the risk of carrying another child. To their surprise, though, this pregnancy went much smoother than the first. Ron thought later on that he should have seen that as a warning sign. It went entirely too smoothly. She went to the hospital right on time. He was finishing up a case with Harry, then he'd come on over and join her.
Hermione was chatting with Molly and Ginny when she felt it. A huge twist from inside her, then a large gush of blood. Her water had broken violently. As Ron was entering the hospital, he heard them calling a code blue to Hermione's room. He rushed up the stairs, in time to see them rush her into emergency surgery. If they didn't do the C-Section on her right now, they were going to lose her.
He quickly signed the consent forms and paced until the healers came back. One of them carried a little blue wrapped bundle. It was his son. Ron held the baby and passed him to his mother. Then he turned back. The second healer had a solemn look on his face. Ron knew instantly what had happened.
She was in a coma. They didn't expect her to last until morning. He might want to go say his goodbyes. He went down the hall. He started crying as soon as he walked in. 'Merlin, she was hooked up to so many machines!' He sat beside her for the rest of the night, telling her how adorable their son was. That he'd decided to call him the name she'd liked so much last week, Hugo.
The next morning they took her off the machines and Hermione Granger-Weasley took her final breath, then she died. She was only 32 years old. Ron was in shock. His mother and Mrs. Granger took over the funeral arrangements. He tried desperately to adjust to being a single parent to two infants under the age of two. Harry and Ginny, new parents themselves, helped him as much as they were able.