Hey there. Admittedly, almost had to skip this week - neck/shoulder/back pain made spending anymore than 5 minutes in front of a computer downright awful! But today was finally a better day. (Here's hoping I don't pay for it later!)

Anyway, light chapter...kind of transitional really. Just some good wholesome mom-daughter time on the road, some reminiscing, and some of Hermione's thoughts about this newest situation in her life.

"So, how was your week?" Rose asked as I pulled onto the highway to head home.

"It was nice," I replied simply. "Quiet. I did get a good bit of work done, did some lesson planning for your next term, and was able to visit a couple museums... Did some shopping, too. Oh! I saw a play!"

"Oohhh which one?"

"Jersey Boys. It was good. We should see a play next time we're in the city together."

Rose nodded. I knew she wouldn't ask if I did any of these things with anyone, by now she's used to me venturing out on my own.

But I'll admit I was a bit thrown off when she asked about my dress.

"D-dress?"

"Yes mom, the dress hanging in the back in the clear plastic? Looks fancy...and sexy."

"Oh it's not," I waved her off. "I was invited to a charity event for Habitat for Humanity, so I ran out to Macy's and grabbed a little something." Always stick with the closest thing to the truth.

"Whoa, cool. Invited by who?"

"It was through the hotel I stayed in." Still the truth!

"That's cool mom. Habitat for Humanity... Isn't that the organization that builds houses for families who need a home? That would be a good community service project for me for next term wouldn't it? To learn about building houses and do it all the while helping other families..."

"Exactly what I was thinking," I said with a smile.

Okay, that wasn't the truth... But now that she mentioned it, she had a point. She did need a community service project for her spring term, as she was expected to do two service projects per year. And if Ron planned to be involved with Habitat for Humanities, and hold service dates for his employees and their families as he mentioned, it would be easy enough for us to jump on board too...as his...family. I'm not blushing right now, I solemnly swear...

Of course that would mean Rose and Ron meeting in the spring. Which, when I thought about it, made a decent timeline if all went well.

You see, I don't date very often, but ever since Rose was a baby I came up with a list of three rules that I follow...

Rule Number One: I tell the man I'm seeing about Rose immediately.

He needs to know from the very beginning that Rose and I are a package deal - that if he wants anything long term with me, then he has a life with Rose to look forward to as well. She comes first after all.

Undeniably, this has allowed me to weed out a couple of bad eggs in the past. "Oh, I never planned on having any children..." Well then you don't plan on ever seeing me again I suppose.

This rule was already executed with Ron, of course, on that very first night at the bar. And I was very happy with his response.

"Rose and I love coming to the city during the holidays!... Oh, that's my daughter by the way."

Ron smiled. "How old is she?"

"She's ten. And my whole entire world." I watched him to gauge his reaction.

If anything his smile only got deeper. "I hope I'll get to meet her one day."

The sincerity in his eyes and his tone told me he meant it. That he was truly looking forward to meeting my daughter. That's when we started talking about our families and I learned just how devoted to family he is.

I'm pretty sure that's one of the moments that truly did me in.

Rule Number Two: I don't tell Rose I'm dating someone immediately.

Now, at one point I had a timestamp on this rule..."I won't tell Rose I'm dating someone until six months in" or something along those lines. But I'm happy I changed it. Honestly, after only a week I was pretty sure Ron and I were headed somewhere fairly great, I couldn't imagine waiting another five months and three weeks to tell Rose!

So I'm happy I changed it. This way I can feel out the relationship and decide when is best for all of us to tell her about us. I knew it would be soon, but I still figured one week was too soon - anything could happen after all. So I decided I would wait it out a bit more.

Rule Number Three: Rose would not meet anyone I am dating until things were "serious".

This was another rule that evolved over time from having a timestamp to being more open-ended. I mean, really, how realistic was I to say "Rose won't meet someone I'm dating for one year"? When would I ever see him and how would I get to know if he's right for me if I have to truly split my time? Or if he's right for us if I wait so long to see how the three of us mesh when together?

So, at least this way, I can decide what's deemed 'serious' enough to warrant them meeting, plus feel out if they are both comfortable as well. Rose could say "no, I'm not ready to meet him" and that's fine! I want to give her that space to wrap her mind around a man in her mom's life, you know?

That being said, I was already having daydreams about Rose and Ron meeting and getting along amazingly. I couldn't wait to get the two together, but also was really nervous! What if one didn't take to the other? What if Rose was jealous that someone else was impeding on my time and attention? What if Ron is super awkward and they don't mesh?

I couldn't focus on that. If this whole thing with Ron was meant to work out, then we would all be just fine.

"So," Rose said suddenly, pulling me away from my thoughts, "this 'shopping' you did in New York...get anything for me?" I glanced over at her to catch her batting her eyelashes and staring at me innocently.

"If I did get anything for you, then it's likely for Christmas isn't it?" I tried to sound stern, but I knew my tiny smile gave me away.

She groaned. "Christmas? Mom, that's like, two months away! I can't wait that long!"

"Exactly...it's only two months away! You know I like to get my shopping done early so I can avoid the stores when all the last minute shoppers take over."

Rose huffed in her seat. "Nothing wrong with being a last-minute shopper mom. You should just let me have what you bought now, and then get something else for Christmas!"

"You would love that wouldn't you Rosie," I chuckled.

We talked for a good stretch of the three hours drive - we caught each other up more on our respective weeks, and discussed plans for the weeks ahead, including holiday plans. She was happy with my idea to spend Thanksgiving with my parents, and in the city for Christmas.

Eventually, though, Rose settled in for the remainder of the ride with a book - her favorite thing to do in the car. I debated continuing an audio book I was listening to, but then settled on the low music in the background and my own thoughts.

Of course, my thoughts immediately drifted to Ron. Specifically of our last two days together.

Ron meant it when he said he had no plans for either of us to leave his hotel room Saturday and Sunday. The only time we left was Saturday morning - I went to my room to pack up my things, and he went to the office to have my early check out authorized. "There is absolutely no point in you having your own room for the rest of the weekend," he had mumbled in my ear the night before. "You're not going to even spend a minute in there."

Otherwise, our weekend was spent barely dressed, aside from slipping on a robe to greet room service - and in bed. And while there was plenty of rolling around, there was also so, so much talking.

"Tell me about these?" I was laying on his chest, my fingers trailing along the length of his arm and shoulder. They were so magnificently toned, and then further accentuated by these gorgeous scars that swirled up and down his arms and split off like mini tree branches. If it weren't for the color, you would almost think it was a tattoo.

"Oh, I uh...I was being a git, back when I was a teenager. There was a storm coming, but I was a bit drunk and so...I thought it would be fun to run out into the field behind my house and -"

"Ron!" I sat up slightly. "You...what?"

He chuckled. "Told you, I was being a git. Thought I was invincible in those days didn't I? Untouchable. Nothing could get me. Only...lightning did. I saw it coming and threw my arms up," he demonstrated by putting his arms above his head in a sort of X, his hands touching at the wrists. "Apparently the lightning hit me right above my wrists, and traveled up my arms and shoulders."

"Ronald!"

"Yup. They got me to the local hospital, but then had to transfer me to the bigger hospital, St. Mungo's in London. It was pretty serious. After that, mum gets a bit crazy whenever there's a storm. Makes sure we're all inside and away from windows and such."

"Well, I can't blame her! That was really, really reckless of you! You could have..." I stopped talking, unable to imagine the thought of there not having been a Ron Weasley in the world for me to meet.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I could have. But, I didn't. That's the important part," he trailed a finger down my cheek, as if to remind me that he was really there beside me, alive and well. He laughed. "Besides, makes for some pretty cool scars and a wicked story to impress the birds with." He winked at me and I just shook my head.

That started a whole exploration journey as we each found scars to tell each other about - from my one time attempting to ride a bike to a car accident when I was younger, and his lightning scars to surgery on his shoulder following a rugby injury.

"I thought I could play with the big boys," he shrugged.

"You clearly had a death wish as a teenager," I supplied.

At one point, the conversation went to our previous major relationships. We talked a bit about his ex, but there wasn't much for him to tell there. They met in school and she was more into him than he was, until someone shinier came along.

"When we were together," he said at one point, "it was all very...vanilla, I think is the term."

"Very unlike us, huh?" I smiled coyly. There had been nothing vanilla about any of our time together. By that point we had used quite a plethora of different positions.

"No...nothing like us." He leaned in and whispered, as if the other furniture in the room would hear him, "she wouldn't even let me go down on her."

I mocked a gasp of shock - well, maybe I didn't really fake that. If only she knew what she had been missing! "Oh, well, that's a shame. Because you, my dear, have been wonderful down there. Not that I have anything to compare it to."

Ron watched me for a second. "Are you telling me, no one's ever...I mean...HE never...?" I shook my head. "Well, THAT'S a shame," he laughed. "But, I do love that it's something we've only shared with each other."

The way he gazed at me then sent a shiver through my body - a shiver that had nothing to do with the fact that I was in his bed completely naked. The room was pretty warm, after all. The thought that even as experienced adults, we still shared a first together was amazing.

He asked me what happened between my ex and I, so I told him about Viktor's extra endeavors with his fans. He seemed quite upset about that.

"I don't want you two to have problems," I said. "I mean...once we tell them, and you two meet. It's inevitable that you'll meet eventually." I put a hand on his arm which was tense. "You can't let the past come into play. We all have to get along for Rose's sake, remember."

He nodded and promised to behave when that time came.

I frowned slightly as I drove on. I didn't really want my thoughts of Ron to turn to Viktor but I suddenly I realized that nowhere in my rules did I layout when to even tell Viktor about Ron - or anyone for that matter. It never came up.

But...I should, shouldn't I? If Ron ends up being a big part of my life, and thus, by default, in Rose's life, I guess Viktor has a right to know what's coming.

That being said, I never truly want to know when he's seeing someone - but truthfully I never care. Even if he brings a woman home, Rose isn't there as often enough for it to make a real huge impact - I would just want to know that she's being treated well. Plus, at her age, she can now speak up and voice her own concerns should there be any while she's there.

But, in this case, where Rose is with me most of the time...anyone I date would have a bigger part in her life in a way.

Rolling my eyes at Viktor's attempt to woo me yet again just that evening, I realized I should let him know sooner rather than later. At least, maybe then the attempts would stop.

Though, likely not. What's that phrase Ron used when one of the attendees at the ball tried to approach me the moment Ron was not by my side?

Oh yes, 'slick git', I believe it was.

That was Viktor this evening - a slick git.

"Hullo, 'Ermione," he crooned when he opened the door for me. I let out a sigh - I was really hoping his mom would have come to the door...or Rose herself. "The kids are in Rose's room while she gets her stuff together...I was just having a drink if you want to come in?"

"No, Viktor, that's fine." I knew very well what 'have a drink' meant to him.

I silently cringed at how far a few drinks got me just earlier this week - not that I was complaining about that. Plus, I trusted Ron. I did not trust Viktor. Did I think he would do something truly vile? No, never. He's not that type of man. If I say no, I trust he'll oblige. He'll just try really really hard to get me to say yes. Which, in my opinion, isn't that much better.

I opted to wait outside for Rose, and asked Viktor to speed her along a bit under the pretense that it was getting late and we had quite a drive ahead of us.

"You know," he smiled, "there's plenty of room here if you want to -"

"Thank you, but no," I interrupted him. "I'm quite looking forward to my own bed tonight." I turned and walked briskly back to the car.

We really did have a long drive ahead of us, and I really did want my bed. But part of me wished I told Viktor about Ron at that point. I knew, however, that would turn into a whole thing about Rose and this evening was not the time. I didn't want to blurt it out just to curb his advances, after all, I wanted to tell Viktor when it seemed apparent Ron would start to take a place in Rose's life - otherwise who I am seeing is of no concern to Viktor.

I came to this enlightening conclusion just as we were exiting the highway. We would be home in just a couple of minutes.

I looked over at Rose, who had since fallen asleep. "Rosie," I called. She shifted and grumbled. "We're almost home my love." She nodded sleepily and yawned.

It was passed eleven when we finally got in the house. We lugged our bags to our rooms to unpack and get settled in for the night.

Well, to be fair I knew without a doubt that Rose would drop all her bags for me to unpack the next day and collapse on her bed fully clothed for the night. I figured I would let it go though, as it was rather late.

As I unpacked, I put in my earphones so I could call Ron.

He answered immediately with, "Made it home safely?"

I laughed. "Eager to hear from me were you? Yes, we made it home safely."

"Good," he sighed. "Now turn around and come back."

"Ron," I giggled, "you know I can't do that."

"I really miss you though," he said and I could hear the pout in his voice. "I don't know if I'll make it until Christmas to see you. That's over two bloody months away!"

I fell back on the bed shaking with laughter. "Okay, now you sound like Rose! She said the exact same thing in the car!"

"Is she that eager to get back to her father's?"

"No...she's that eager to get her gifts. I hinted that some of the shopping I did was for Christmas. I shouldn't have done that...now I'll have to hide them really good."

Ron chuckled, the soft sound sending shivers through me as usual. "I used to do that...tear the house apart looking for Christmas gifts. Never found them though...I swear my mum could do magic or something. Made them invisible."

"Maybe she had a special bag or blanket, that anything she put into the bag or under the blanket would disappear."

"An invisibility blanket," he said with laugh, "wouldn't put it passed her honestly."

We talked on the phone that night until we started to doze off. Ron thoroughly blamed me for 'wearing him out this weekend' to which I proudly took the blame.

The next few weeks passed with a steady flow of 'Good Morning' text messages, lunchtime phone calls, texts and even random emails all throughout the day, and evening phone calls or video calls. But I missed being near him so much more than I expected to, and he, in turn, was very vocal about the way he was counting down to the week between Christmas and New Year's - when he would finally see me again.