February 2002
Hermione was in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place, making homemade cauldron cakes (one of Ron's favorite desserts) for dinner later. A part of her feared they'd never make it to dessert and that Ron would leave as soon as Harry and Hermione told him their news, but she was trying to stay hopeful.
Teddy was "helping," but had just buried his finger in the flour again.
"Teddy," Hermione scolded. "Remember what I said about germs?"
He popped his finger into his mouth. Hermione sighed and held her palm out. When he placed his hand in hers, she hit it with a quick cleaning spell. "I don't understand how you can eat raw flour. That's so gross."
"No, it's not," he retorted.
"Yes, it is."
Teddy stuck his tongue out.
"Solid argument. I use that one a lot too."
Hermione began stirring the batter and Teddy insisted on helping but just managed to get the batter everywhere. They lost a quarter of it on the counter.
"Oh well," she sighed as she cleaned it with a wave of her wand. "We just won't make as many cakes." Ron usually ate about four, so they only needed to make that many.
"Done!" Teddy announced.
Hermione peered into the bowl. He'd somehow managed to stir vigorously and also not mix the ingredients together. It was rather impressive.
"I'm just going to give it one more go." She stirred it quickly and poured the batter into the cake tins before Teddy could find a way to make more of a mess.
"Okay, Teddy. We're ready to pop these into the oven." She bent over and put the tins in the oven, holding her arm out to keep Teddy back.
When she stood up, he announced, "You have cake on you arm."
"Oh." Hermione looked down and noticed a glob of batter on her forearm. Before she could grab her wand to clean it, Teddy licked it off.
"Ew! Uh, I mean, thanks, Teddy. It's good to see that germ discussion is really sinking in."
Teddy smiled widely and pointed at the bowl. "Can I have more?"
"Well, you're not supposed to eat batter with raw eggs. But it's a lot easier for us to treat food poisoning in this world, so sure." She got a spoon from the drawer and moved the bowl toward Teddy. His face lit up and he started eating quickly, as if he feared she was going to take it away.
She scraped some of the batter off with the spatula and took several bites of her own. It tasted good and she was sure Ron would like them.
"My mum never let me do this," Hermione told Teddy.
"I don't have a mum," Teddy replied. Hermione instantly regretted bringing up the topic of mothers.
"Oh, that's not true. Everyone has a mum. Yours is just gone. But I was friends with her when she was alive and she was really great."
Teddy hummed and took another bite. Hermione scraped more batter away with her spatula to keep Teddy from eating too much.
"Harry don't have a mum too," Teddy said next.
Hermione nodded sadly. "Yeah, I know."
"Who's you mum?"
The bowl had been licked clean by now and Hermione levitated it into the sink. Once she'd set up a cleaning spell to clean the dirty dishes, she turned back to Teddy. "My mum is Martha Granger. She lives in Australia."
Hermione sighed and leaned back against the counter. Teddy picked up on her change in mood. "How you feel?"
"I get a little sad when I think of my mum. But what I'm mostly feeling is nervous about tonight. I have to tell my friend something that's going to make him sad and potentially angry. How are you feeling?"
"Happy."
Hermione smiled. "Good."
Teddy leaned in and whispered loudly, "Can I have a snack?"
"I don't know. Do you usually have a snack at this time?"
"Yes."
"Okay…" Hermione began rummaging through the pantry. She pulled out a box of crackers and placed some on a plate for him. "I suppose this couldn't hurt."
She set Teddy up at the table and took the seat herself. A few minutes later, Harry returned with an arm full of groceries. "Ahh, he tricked you into giving him a snack."
"Oh, sorry. He said he usually-"
"You're fine. A few crackers won't hurt anything." Harry bent over and took three crackers off Teddy's plate.
"Well, full disclosure, he also ate about a tablespoon of raw flour and some of the batter."
Harry smiled at her and shook his head. "You're such a pushover." He turned to Teddy. "Don't tell your gran we ruined your dinner, okay?"
Teddy nodded seriously.
"How was the baking?" Harry asked as he started unloading the groceries.
"I told you about the raw flour he ate, but we did manage to get eight cakes in the oven, then he licked my arm."
"Just once?"
Hermione looked back at him confused. "Uh...yeah? Is this a regular occurrence?"
Harry smirked. He'd finally finished putting the groceries away and took the seat between Hermione and Teddy at the table. "How many cleaning spells did you hit him with before giving up?"
"I never gave up," she said proudly.
"Well, that's just further proof that you're stronger than me." Harry leaned in and kissed her. "Oh. Yum. I see you ate some batter too." He ran his tongue along the inside of her mouth, causing her to laugh and push him away.
"Eww!" Teddy cried, his mouth full of crackers.
"Yeah, yeah." Harry waved dismissively.
"Hermy norvous," Teddy said next. His words were garbled since his mouth was filled with crackers.
"Finish that bite and try again," Harry instructed.
Teddy swallowed heavily and said, "Herminey nervous."
Harry nodded knowingly at Hermione. "Oh, yeah. Me too, Teddy."
"Herminey has a mum. Not like us."
Hermione cringed. "Sorry, Harry, we-"
Harry shook his head and cut her off. "It's fine. He's really interested in who is who's mum right now." He turned to Teddy. "Whose mum is gran?"
"My mum!" Teddy answered eagerly.
"Whose mum is Molly?" Harry asked next.
"Ron and Ginny and George and, and, and Bill and...I forget."
"Charlie's hard to remember since he lives far away. And Percy, well…" Harry winked at Hermione. "What about Fleur?" he continued.
"Vicky's mum!"
"Good job. And do you remember my mum's name?"
Teddy answered quickly. "Lily."
Hermione's chest clenched and she reached over and put a hand on Harry's leg. Her eyes filled with tears as she imagined Teddy and Harry talking about their mothers.
"What about your mum, Teddy?" she asked, trying to keep her voice even. "Do you know her name?"
Teddy nodded. "Nymphadoors."
"Very close," Hermione replied. "Nymphadora."
"But what was her other name?" Harry asked conspiratorially. "The one gran doesn't like."
Teddy gave them a mischievous smile and whispered, with both hands up on either side of his face, "Tonks."
Harry reached for Teddy's shoulder and squeezed it. "Yeah."
A sad silence settled in, but it was soon broken by a loud fart, followed by Teddy bursting into giggles. "I tooted!" he cried through his laughter.
"Yeah, we heard," Harry said with a laugh. Then he leaned toward Hermione and kissed her on the cheek. "I think I might try that tonight. If things get too tense."
She smiled and shook her head. "I have a feeling it won't go over quite as well."
Harry picked up her hand, which was still resting on his leg, and kissed it. "Yeah."
Harry and Hermione had agreed to wait until dinner was over to tell Ron they were dating. The time had come and both of them were fighting (silently) over who was going to start speaking. Hermione sighed. They should have worked this out ahead of time, maybe even practiced what they were going to say.
"I can't believe you made homemade cauldron cakes," Ron said.
Hermione nodded and sighed, "Yeah."
"Are the dinners you cook together always this elaborate? That seems like a lot of work."
"No," Hermione replied, then said carefully, "There was an occasion today."
"Oh." Ron finished swallowing his bite and took a gulp of his wine before turning toward Hermione. "What's the occasion? Is it your law? Was that finally approved?"
"I wish. Burke agreed to have the Elders review it one more time. They're deliberating in a few weeks. The occasion is, uh, something else."
"Okay...what?"
Hermione looked to Harry but could tell he wasn't going to be any help here. She downed the rest of her wine and turned back to Ron. "I have a new boyfriend."
Ron's heart fell but he tried to keep his tone light. "Oh." He looked at Harry, but Harry was focused on Hermione. "That's good," Ron continued. "Um, who is it? Do I know him?"
"Yeah." Hermione raised her eyebrows at Harry but he dropped her gaze. Coward. How was it that this same wizard had battled a giant basilisk, gone up against a dragon, and defeated the darkest wizard of all time?
"You know him well," she said, glaring at Harry. "Very, very well."
Ron shook his head. "I don't understand. I doubt you're referring to a brother, since the only single one is gay - though we know how you like to date gay blokes." He smiled at Hermione and she let out a fake laugh. That was weird, she normally would have scolded at him right then.
"My partner Jones, he's single but he doesn't seem like your type," Ron continued. He looked to Harry for help, then, finally, put it together. "You."
Harry cringed and nodded.
Ron turned back to Hermione. "Wait. What?! Harry?! No."
"Yes," she countered.
Ron leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "What is this? Like - one of those deals friends make that if they can't find someone by a certain time they'll just be with each other? Because we're all young, you have plenty of time to find someone else."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "This is not some act of desperation. We're actually dating - for real. We love each other."
Ron glowered at Harry. "You love each other?"
"Yeah, we do," Harry finally spoke up.
"Since when?"
Harry let out a sigh. "New Year's."
"So, after George's wedding, you were dating her?" Ron asked coldly.
"Yeah. And Ron-" Harry began but was cut off.
"Do you think that might have been a good time to tell me about this? What is wrong with you? You're supposed to be my best friend!"
Hermione chimed in, in an effort to save Harry from the pain Ron's words were clearly causing. "Ron. I know it's a lot and I know you're still getting over your breakup with Lucy, which isn't helping, but I think if you-"
Ron turned back to Harry. "You told her!"
Harry looked like he wanted to cry.
"You did, didn't you?" Ron pressed. "You told her what I said."
"I'm sorry, Ron," Harry replied. "I was awful. You're right to be angry. I-"
"I know I am! Fuck!" Ron stood up from the table and threw his napkin onto his empty plate. He had never felt so betrayed by Harry. He couldn't even look him in the eye. Ron marched into the sitting room and Harry and Hermione exchanged pained expressions before going to follow him.
Ron was pacing the room angrily. Hermione went in and leaned against the mantle while Harry stayed near the doorway.
"You said this started at New Year's but really, how long was it going on before that? I bet it's not a coincidence we all broke up around the same time."
"That was a coincidence," Hermione said defensively. "Our breakup had nothing to do with Harry."
Ron ignored her. "Was there anything going on at school? Or what about during the war when you stayed with him? You both camped alone together for months. You were shagging him, weren't you, Hermione?!"
"Of course not!" Hermione shouted back. "I already told you nothing happened. And you were my first - you know that. You think I was lying about that?"
"It wouldn't be the first time you've fucked my best friend and lied about it," Ron said darkly.
Angry tears sprung into Hermione's eyes and Harry walked further into the room. "Ron!" he said warningly.
"You don't get to talk to me," Ron spat back at Harry before turning to face Hermione again. "Why did you lie? If you hadn't done anything wrong, then why lie about it?"
Hermione looked down at the ground and wiped a few tears that had fallen from her face. "We only kept the truth from you for a few months," she said in a small voice. "Just so we could sort everything out, see if it was real. We didn't lie."
Ron shook his head, incredulous. "Save me the semantics, Hermione. I'm leaving and I don't want either of you to follow me." He didn't even look Harry in the eye as he shoved past him and disappeared into the hall.
They heard the front door open, then slam shut. Harry crossed the room and pulled Hermione into a hug. She linked her arms around his neck and cried into his chest.
"That went about as bad as it could have," Harry muttered.
She nodded, then leaned back and took a deep breath. "No one hexed anyone. That would have been worse."
Harry's lips turned up slightly but Hermione could see the unmistakable pain in his eyes. A few tears escaped and she reached up and wiped them away. "I know," she whispered. "We messed up, didn't we?"
He nodded and a few more tears escaped.
"We'll fix it," she said with more reassurance than she was feeling. "I promise."
It was Friday, nearly a week since their disastrous dinner with Ron, and Hermione was in her office, tapping her quill against a blank piece of parchment. She was supposed to be finding all the potential loopholes in a new law Boyle was having reviewed by the Elders next week but was having a hard time focusing.
She was trying to decide on the best way to proceed with Ron. After he'd stormed off Saturday, Harry and Hermione had thought it best to stay away from the Burrow the following Sunday. They'd hoped Ron would show up later that night, reasoning that maybe after getting a chance to talk to his family he'd cooled down, but they weren't terribly surprised when he didn't.
Then, Harry had hoped he could corner Ron at work, but Ron had been tied up with a case Harry wasn't working on. The few times Harry caught Ron alone at his desk, Ron ran away before Harry could approach him.
Hermione was wondering if it would be better if she tried to talk to Ron alone. She was thinking through ways to get to him and had started listing them on her parchment. She started with: Show up at his flat.
That's all she could think of and it seemed the most straightforward approach. Hopefully he'd let her inside.
Just then, Harry appeared in her office. "Ron's been hurt."
"Wait. What?!"
"I don't know the details. I just heard Jones's Patronus reporting to Robards. He's at St. Mungo's. Let's go."
Hermione jumped up and grabbed her bag quickly. She followed Harry to the other end of the floor, to the Apparition point the Aurors used for emergencies, struggling to keep up with Harry's long strides. When they were both standing on the Apparition spot, Harry gave her a curt nod and turned on his toe. Hermione followed right behind him.
It wasn't hard to find Ron's room on the spell damage ward of the hospital. They just looked for the room with Aurors standing outside. Jones and Robards were talking in low tones in the hall and Hermione could hear Molly's voice coming from within as they approached.
Ron was lying unconscious on the bed and covered in what looked like soot. There were three healers working on him and Molly and Arthur were talking to a fourth healer. George, Percy, and Bill were also in the room. Hermione's stomach turned at the sight of Ron and her knees buckled. She reached out and clutched Harry's arm and he leaned into her slightly.
Hermione took a deep, calming breath before turning to George, who was closest to the door, and asking, "What happened?"
Molly's head turned at the sound of Hermione's voice and Hermione stepped back, surprised by the look of vexation on Molly's face.
"You," Molly snarled.
"What?" Hermione took another step back.
"This is your fault!"
"How?" Hermione was genuinely confused. She looked at Harry but he looked just as confused as she was.
"I know that you broke his heart - again. He showed up at the house depressed Sunday and he wouldn't say why but George told me later."
Hermione looked at George and he gave her an apologetic shrug.
Hermione turned back to Molly. "I assume you're talking about me and Harry but I don't know what that has to do with-"
"He was distracted on his mission!" Molly waved wildly toward Ron. "He was upset and heartbroken and because of that he was hurt and it's all your fault!"
"Molly," Arthur placed a calming hand on Molly's arm.
Harry stepped forward and said at the same time, "Mrs. Weasley."
Molly turned toward Harry and her expression softened slightly, but the anger didn't completely go away. Hermione wanted to scream. So Molly blamed Hermione for this but not Harry? She probably had some insane narrative in her head that Hermione had tricked Harry into dating her or taken advantage of him somehow.
"I know you're upset about Ron," Harry started tersely, "but I'm sure none of what happened here had to do with Hermione and me. It's common to try to blame people for these accidents so I understand, but when this is all over, I'm going to demand you apologize to her."
Hermione's mouth fell open. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Harry was sticking up for her. She knew how much he loved Molly and the rest of the Weasleys, but he was picking her. If it wouldn't have been the most inappropriate action for the moment, she would have kissed him.
Molly was glaring at Harry but stayed silent. Hermione figured she was surprised by this abrupt change in Harry's typically easy-going demeanor. There was a fierce look in his eyes that usually only appeared when he was fighting and that, coupled with his Auror robes, made him very intimidating.
Harry stepped toward Hermione and put his hand on the small of her back. He nodded to Molly, then Arthur. "We'll leave you alone and be outside if you need anything."
The healers, who had stopped to watch the dramatic interchange, turned back to Ron and continued running diagnostic spells.
When Hermione and Harry reached the hall, the tears Hermione had been holding back - brought on first by the sight of Ron, then by being blamed for causing it - started to fall. Hermione wiped them away quickly and tried to take deep breaths. They were still in public and she didn't want to read about some contrived love triangle in the papers later.
Harry pulled her into his chest. "She's just upset," he said soothingly as he rubbed her back. "None of this is your fault."
Harry kept an eye on Robards and Jones while he was comforting Hermione. As soon as Robards left, Harry gently pushed Hermione back. "I need to talk to Jones really quickly - to find out what happened."
Hermione nodded and leaned against the wall.
"Potter," Jones sighed when Harry approached.
"Jones. What happened? What has he hit with?"
Jones dropped his face into his hands. "It all happened so fast. We found him, Rafe Vanderwaal."
"What?" Vanderwaal was a dark wizard they'd been tracking for over a year. Harry had no idea they were that close to finding him.
"Yeah. We were as surprised as you. We were searching through one of his last known locations, looking for clues, you know. It was a tip we'd received from one of Weasley's informants. But we never expected to find him there. We weren't ready for a standoff."
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"He was napping, of all things. Lying under this pile of blankets, so neither of us saw him. Weasley was rummaging through one of the bedside tables, then it happened so fast. Vanderwaal sat up, grabbed this perfume bottle thing from the opposite table and sprayed it in Weasley's face.
"Some black powder came out and Weasley crumpled right to the ground. Then Vanderwaal grabbed something else from the table and disappeared. Must have been a Portkey."
Harry frowned, thinking. "So, Ron was hit with a dark artifact. Did Vanderwaal leave it behind?"
"Nah. He took it with him."
"I need to see it," Harry demanded. "Can you show me?"
"I can give you the memory back at the office. I'll need to log it in the pensieve for Robards anyway."
Harry went back to Hermione. "I need to go back to the office with Jones for a little while. Are you going to be okay here?"
She nodded. She wasn't crying anymore but Harry still hated having to leave her behind. "Do you have your phone?" he asked. "Can you call Ginny?"
"I have it." She shook her bag.
"Call her. She should know about this. And you can talk to her too. I think she'll help you feel better."
Hermione forced a smile on her face. "Okay."
Harry leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, then went back to Jones. Hermione watched them disappear down the hall before pulling out her phone. Ginny didn't answer. Hermione didn't want to tell her everything in a voicemail so just asked her to call her back when she had time.
Hermione suddenly felt very lonely. She slunk down onto the floor and laid her head back against the wall, trying to keep from crying again. Every so often the door to Ron's room would open as healers came in and out, but luckily Molly didn't come out to continue berating her.
Was she right? Had this happened to Ron because he was distracted? It wasn't a preposterous accusation. Perhaps that's what Harry was working on with Jones - finding out if what had happened to Ron was their fault.
Hermione sighed and closed her eyes. A few minutes later, she heard someone sit down next to her. She expected to find Harry but when she turned her head, she was surprised to see the blonde Mediwitch Harry had been talking to at the opera.
"I'm Agatha," the witch said with a smile. "We've met briefly, but you probably don't-"
"I remember," Hermione said quickly.
"Oh," Agatha blushed slightly. "Of course you do. Um, anyway, I just wanted to tell you that you're allowed to conjure chairs out here."
"Right. Chairs. I didn't even think of that."
Agatha stood up and offered Hermione her hand. "That's pretty common," Agatha told Hermione. "When people are upset they forget even the simplest spells. Allow me." Agatha conjured two chairs against the wall and motioned for Hermione to sit. Once Hermione had, Agatha took a seat in the other chair.
Hermione thanked her and asked if she knew anything about Ron's condition.
Agatha shook her head. "He's unconscious but otherwise seems healthy. There's a substance on his face we can't get rid of and so far no one knows how to wake him up. But we'll figure it out," she added with an encouraging smile.
Hermione nodded and looked down at her hands.
"Are you okay?" Agatha asked.
"Did you hear Ron's mum yelling at me?"
"No. But word travels fast," she admitted.
Hermione nodded again, keeping her head down.
"So, you're with Harry Potter? That's exciting. Yeah?"
Hermione could tell Agatha was trying to cheer her up. "Uh, yeah. It is."
"You know I talked to him once, very briefly, and I could tell even then he was enamored with you. The way his eyes lit up when he talked about you. I guess you could say I saw it coming."
Hermione let out a laugh. "Apparently everyone around us saw it coming, except the two of us. Well, us and Ron," she added sadly.
Agatha put a hand on Hermione's arm. "I'm sure it will be fine. Would you like a glass of water or anything?"
"I'm okay. Thanks."
Agatha stood up. "I should be getting back to work. I'll leave this chair here for Harry Potter, when he comes back."
"You should call him Harry," Hermione said.
"Hmm?"
"He hates when people call him Harry Potter," Hermione explained.
Agatha blushed again. "Oh. Right. That actually makes a lot of sense. I'll let you know as soon as Mr. Weasley's condition improves, okay?"
Hermione nodded and wiped a few tears from her eyes. "Thank you, Agatha."
"Anytime."
Three days later, Hermione and Harry were sleeping in the same chairs Agatha had conjured for Hermione. Hermione's head was resting on Harry's shoulder while Harry's head was resting on the top of Hermione's head. They also had their hands clasped together. It was very cute, which was what Ginny was thinking as she stood in front of them.
Ginny leaned forward and shook Hermione awake. Hermione's eyes popped opened and when she tried to lift her head, Harry jumped up. He always woke up like this, ready for a fight, and Ginny had to stifle a laugh.
"He's ready for you," Ginny told Hermione.
It took Hermione a second to clear her head. "Wait. What? He wants to see us?" Ron had first awoken several hours ago, but had stated very loudly, so Harry and Hermione could hear from the hall, that he didn't want anyone besides family members in his room.
Ginny shook her head. "Not exactly, but he's unarmed and stuck in the bed. And I've managed to get all the family out of the room, so now's your chance."
Hermione turned to Harry. "I think I should go first. Yeah?"
He nodded. When Hermione stood up Ginny took her seat. Hermione walked into the room before she could talk herself out of it. Ron was sitting up on the bed with his arms crossed. He narrowed his eyes when she took a seat next to him but didn't say anything.
She had no idea where to start. She was still groggy from her impromptu nap and rubbed her eyes.
"I'm glad you're going to be okay," she started. "I was so worried."
Ron nodded. They were quiet for several moments, then Ron asked, "Did the Malfoys really help?"
"Oh, uh, yeah. Draco did. Not Lucius."
"Why would he do that?"
"Because of Harry. Did no one tell you? Harry went straight to Malfoy Manor once he found out it was a Dark Artifact that had hurt you since everyone knows the Malfoys are experts on the subject. He called in all the favors Draco owed him and he and Draco searched the library all day and night until they found mention of the object that was used against you. That's how the healers neutralized its effects so quickly. If not - it could have gone on for weeks and potentially had lasting damage."
Ron hmphed in response.
"It's typical that it happened that way," he muttered darkly. "When Harry encountered the dark wizard he'd been hunting, he managed to apprehend him. But when I encountered the bloke I'd been tracking, I ended up seriously injured and Harry turned out to be the hero even though it's not even his case."
"Would you have preferred if Harry had been seriously injured by that potions dealer?" Hermione retorted.
Ron stayed silent.
"Do you know where Harry is now?" she asked.
Ron did know but didn't answer her question.
"He's in the hall," she continued, "in the same spot he's been since he got back from the Manor. Even I've taken breaks to go home and change, take a shower, eat - not Harry. He refuses to leave. He's been worried sick about you - literally - because he's not eating and sleeping and it's making him ill."
"I get it," Ron sneered. "Harry's wonderful and you love him and wish you'd chosen him from the start. No need to rub it in."
Hermione sighed. "I don't wish I'd chosen Harry. At that time in my life, just after the war, you were better for me than he would have been."
Ron snorted.
"Really, Ron. I mean it. Harry was too distracted by his own panic attacks and nightmares to handle mine. And the whole thing with my parents, all those trips to Australia we took in the beginning. You were there for me every step of the way - you were my anchor. We both know Harry would have dissolved into a puddle of guilt on the floor."
Ron gave her a small smile. That was probably true.
"And I was so serious and overly obsessed with work. You pulled me out of that, quite forcibly at times. Harry probably would have just shut down and disappeared to fly a lot. You were good for me, Ron, and I'd like to think I was good for you. I helped you get through Auror Training, helped you cope with Fred's death, and we had fun, didn't we?"
Tears stung Ron's eyes and he looked away from her, out the window. Hermione placed a tentative hand on his and was relieved when he didn't shake it off.
"We were a good couple, then we changed. And I promise that this thing with me and Harry happened recently. There was absolutely nothing going on before." Hermione thought about addressing what Ron had told Harry, about wanting to get back together with her, but ultimately decided to leave it alone.
"You can send him in," Ron announced after clearing his throat.
"Are you going to be awful?" she asked softly. "Because I'm not going to send him in for an attack until he's had more time to sleep."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Just send him in."
Hermione disappeared and was quickly replaced by Harry. Harry did look terrible. Worse even than Ron, who'd been lying in a hospital bed for three days. Harry's skin was tinged with grey, he had deep bags under his eyes, his hair was an absolute mess and looked almost as greasy as Snape's, and his robes were wrinkled.
Even if Ron had been planning to shout at Harry, which he hadn't, he would have changed his mind after seeing him. Harry looked at Ron warily as he lowered himself into the seat Hermione had recently occupied.
He dropped his head into his hands as soon as he sat down. "Ron. I'm so sorry. And I'm also really glad you're not dead, since I don't think I would have survived that."
Ron was quiet and waited for Harry to look up at him before asking, "Why did you hide it?"
Harry sighed. "We were being selfish. We knew you'd be upset when you found out and just wanted some time to enjoy the first part of our relationship in peace. And I think both of us feared it wouldn't work out. But, er -"
"-it did," Ron finished for him.
Harry nodded.
"And the night of George's wedding. Why didn't you tell me then?"
Harry winced. "I was about to. I had the words on the tip of my tongue."
He stopped to pinch the bridge of his nose and take a deep breath. "Honestly, Ron, when you said all that, I was terrified that when you told her, she'd go back to you."
"What?" Ron asked incredulously. Harry must be joking but he looked serious. "You thought she'd choose me?"
Harry shrugged. "It made sense. You don't struggle to stay sane each day. You don't get weird, scary mail from insane witches. You have this great family and a history with Hermione. I think, maybe, you took her for granted a little but now that you seem to realize how great she is, I thought for sure she'd want you back."
Ron shook his head. Even though he knew Harry better than anyone, he was still stunned sometimes that Harry didn't see himself the way everyone around him did. It was appalling that Harry would seriously think that any witch given the option between Harry and Ron, would ever choose Ron. But it was obvious that Harry was telling the truth.
It was really hard to stay cross with someone who was this kind and modest. And it was clear Harry was sorry for keeping this secret from Ron. His eyes, which were the only part of him that didn't look faded right now, were swimming with guilt.
Ron had to look away. He would die for Harry and Hermione. He'd proven that years ago, during the war. But they didn't need him to die for them right now. They needed him to be okay with this, which, for some unknown reason, seemed harder.
"You love her?" Ron asked, turning back to face Harry.
Harry nodded.
"Like, a lot?"
"I think she's probably it for me," Harry admitted.
"You thought that about Ginny," Ron pointed out.
Harry let out a small laugh. "Yeah, well, I don't think I'm wrong this time. With Ginny, I really really wanted it to turn out. The primary feeling I had with her was just that: wanting, longing. With Hermione, there's none of that. It's just - real. It's hard to explain."
Harry's green eyes were pleading now.
"Fine," Ron sighed, holding his hand out to Harry.
Harry looked down at his hand, confused. "You're okay? Just like that?"
Ron shook his hand and eventually, Harry took it. "I told you I thought you two deserve to be happy- more than anyone. I meant it. If this is what makes you happy, so be it."
Harry smiled widely and it did wonders for his appearance. "Thank you."
"Can you please keep the public displays of affection to a minimum?"
"You're one to talk," Harry quipped.
"That was Sixth Year!" Ron said defensively.
Out in the hall, Hermione was waiting nervously with Ginny, straining her ears for shouting so she could rush into the room and intervene. When she heard laughter instead, she turned to Ginny and exclaimed, "They're laughing!" She couldn't believe what she was hearing, but it was, unmistakably, laughter. "Oh, my God. They made up. Thank Merlin."
"Wow. Merlin and God in the same sentence," Ginny joked. She nudged Hermione's side. "I told you it would be okay."
Agatha was walking by and she stopped when she saw the smile on Hermione's face. "You look a lot better. Did you all work it out with Ron?"
Hermione nodded. "Harry's in there now and they're laughing!"
"That's great," Agatha replied. "Maybe Harry can go take a shower now."
Ginny let out a laugh. "That's exactly what I was thinking."
Agatha started to excuse herself but before she left, Ginny invited her to Luna's house next weekend. "There's some animal mating ritual that looks like shooting stars but that's all I can really explain. If you want to know more, you'll just have to show up and ask Luna herself."
"Oh, uh, sure," Agatha replied with a giant smile. She couldn't believe her luck at scoring an invitation to hang out with such an impressive group of people. "I really do need to get these samples off for testing but I'll talk to you two later. It's good to see you smiling again, Hermione. Bye!"
March 2002
Hermione was in the kitchen of Luna and Rolf's house making a batch of hot chocolate while she watched Agatha and Ron out the window. They were sitting on a pair of lawn chairs slightly apart from the rest of the group, laughing at some shared joke.
After getting to know Agatha at the hospital, Hermione realized that what she'd originally interpreted as Agatha being interested in Harry was just how Agatha treated everyone. She was incredibly polite and caring and seemed genuinely interested in everyone's well-being, which was probably why she'd become a healer.
However, it did seem like Agatha liked Ron. Is that why Ginny had invited her tonight? Had she noticed some sort of spark between them at the hospital? No - Ginny had invited her just a few hours after Ron had woken up. She wasn't that good. It was too bad Ginny wasn't here, so Hermione could ask her. Ginny had been called back to Spain earlier than planned when the reserve Chaser on their team, who was supposed to play in her stead, was injured in practice.
"There's a legend that couples who meet during the mating of the Winged Novas will be together forever." Luna had just appeared at Hermione's side. Hermione turned and saw Luna's gaze was fixed on Ron and Agatha.
"Well, they met a week ago. But sure, Luna. I guess this is good luck." Hermione was trying to keep the skepticism out of her tone. Luna was under the delusion that the meteor shower they were watching tonight was actually a flock of some Winged Star Bird performing a mating ritual of some sort.
Hermione almost spoke up multiple times, about to explain the science behind meteor showers, but Harry had silenced her each time, whispering, "Let her enjoy this," under his breath.
Hermione bit her tongue now and focused back on stirring the hot chocolate in the pot. "How is your wedding planning going, Luna?"
Luna shrugged. "It's okay. We're trying to find a date that aligns best with our star charts, falls on a weekend, and isn't too cold, since we'd like to get married outside."
Hermione tried to keep from rolling her eyes. "You can get married outside in the winter. You just need a heated tent, like George and Angelina had. And it was actually lovely with the snowy landscape in the background."
"Yeah, but they didn't have to fit sixteen pets in their tent," Luna countered.
"Oh, right." Hermione thought it a bit of a stretch to refer to all their animals, some of which were very wild and likely illegal, as 'pets.'
"So, what dates meet that criteria?" Hermione asked.
"The earliest one is next summer."
"Oh, that's a long engagement."
Luna shrugged. "I don't mind. Rolf doesn't mind either. He just wants me to be happy."
Hermione wished she had a bit of Rolf's patience. If he could bottle it up and sell it, he'd be rich.
"What about you and Harry?" Luna asked airily.
Hermione coughed. "Me and Harry? We've been together less than two months. We're not thinking about weddings." Though at Luna's rate, maybe they would be married before Luna and Rolf, she thought to herself.
"But you know each other better than anyone. Right?"
"Yeah. I guess." Hermione looked out the window to where Harry was chatting with Neville and Hannah. "We have a bit to work through, first," she said absently.
She was thinking of how Harry still refused to sleep over at her flat and how he brushed away the topic any time she tried to bring it up. And how she hadn't confided in him about everything that had gone on with her parents.
Both of their insecurities seemed to be looming at the edges of their relationship, ready to strike at any time. And there was also the matter of her panic attacks. She hadn't had one since she and Harry had started dating. Would he be able to help her through it without it triggering a panic attack or nightmare for him? Or would he need to call Ron again?
Luna could see that Hermione's brain was working too hard again. She'd originally thought Hermione had an especially bad infestation of nargles but knew by now that this was just how Hermione was. She was constantly worrying about senseless things that were outside her control and Luna had to remind herself to be patient with her.
Luna placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "Do you want my advice?"
Luna's touch snapped Hermione out of her trance. "Oh, sure."
"You both love each other and you're great together. Don't overthink it, Hermione."
"Me, overthink things?" Hermione let out a forced laugh. "I have no idea what you're referring to."
The hot chocolate was finished and they poured it into mugs. Hermione levitated several mugs outside while Luna left to deliver a few mugs to some of her 'pets.' Hermione resumed her spot on the blanket next to Harry and when he grabbed her hand, she almost pulled away, then remembered that they didn't have to hide anymore. She snuggled closer to him and rested her head on his chest.
It was like a treat, getting to touch him any time she wanted. Hermione chanced a look back at Ron and saw him watching them, but he wasn't frowning or scowling, he just looked pensive. He nodded when he saw her looking and she smiled before lying her head back down.
Ever since she and Harry had got together, this situation with Ron had been looming over them, taking their attention away from everything else. But now that that was resolved, they needed to solve the rest of their problems because if they weren't careful, they'd creep up when they least expected and threaten to break them apart. And she couldn't bear the thought of losing Harry.
Harry wrapped an arm around her and placed a kiss on the top of her head. "You're so tense," he muttered. "Are you okay?"
Hermione nodded and took a sip of her hot chocolate. Don't overthink it, Hermione. Just be here with your boyfriend and try to enjoy this, like Luna said.
Approximately seven hundred miles away, Ginny squealed when she finally figured out how to read the text Hermione had sent her on her mobile phone.
"Yes! It worked!"
"What worked, Gin?" Ruby called from the kitchen.
"Come here, come here, come here!" Ginny called back from the bedroom.
Ruby sighed but wasn't too upset at having an excuse to stop washing the dishes. She was wiping her hands on her jeans when she walked through the curtain that separated their bed from the rest of the small flat. "What is it?"
"Look!" Ginny was holding her phone out, which held the smallest, grainiest picture Ruby had ever seen. She had to squint hard to make out two dark figures sitting in chairs, leaning into each other. She had no idea who they were or why the sight of them had Ginny so excited.
"What am I looking at?" Ruby asked.
"There's a message too. Here." Ginny took back the phone and started pressing buttons. "Shit! Did I delete it? No, wait -" Ginny scowled at the phone, as if that would help, and Ruby shook her head. Purebloods were hopeless with technology.
"Give it over." Ruby grabbed the phone out of Ginny's hand and quickly found the message that was sent along with the photo. She read it out loud. "Not sure if you did this on purpose, but they're hitting it off, nonetheless." Ruby looked up and nearly laughed at the look of pure joy on Ginny's face. "I have no idea what's going on, Babe."
"It's Ron and Agatha!"
"It is?" Ruby flipped back to the photo and squinted at it. The two people were dark, but it did look a bit like a man and woman. Ruby shrugged and handed the phone back. "Uh...congrats?"
"I noticed a spark between them at the hospital. I just knew it! She's so caring and will dote on Ron plenty, something Hermione had very little patience for, and, oddly, she seems to find Ron funny. This is great. If he gets a girlfriend - a good one - he'll be less mopey about Hermione and Harry and they'll be happier too. Isn't this perfect?"
Ruby nodded. Ginny's level of devotion to her relationship with Ruby was directly proportional to Harry's happiness. With Harry moving on with someone as perfect for him as Hermione, Ginny was finally able to let go of the guilt she'd been carrying since she and Harry broke up.
"Well good for you, Ginny. If this dark, grainy photo actually means Ron is going to start dating the healer. That's lovely for him."
Ginny was looking at the phone wistfully, then finally placed it on the bedside table. "I know Ron can be really annoying sometimes and he's constantly putting his foot in but, occasionally, he'll have these strokes of brilliance and say the exact right thing and be exactly who you need him to be in the moment. Then you remember why you put up with the other stuff."
Ruby shook her head and pushed a lock of hair behind Ginny's ear. "You know, I think I know what you're talking about. I also believe that may be a family trait."
Ginny retaliated by wrapping her legs tightly around Ruby, pulling her up against the side of the bed. Ruby turned toward her wand but Ginny Summoned it first with wandless magic, a skill Ruby had never mastered.
"Well, now you're trapped and unarmed." Ginny said menacingly.
"Wow. You've really put me in my place," Ruby replied sarcastically.
Ginny cocked her head and looked thoughtful. "Do you think I could be a matchmaker, once I get too old to play Quidditch? Is that a job?"
"I think Purebloods use them to arrange their marriages."
Ginny cringed. "Ugh. No thank you."
"You'll just have to get a real job and do the matchmaking on the side."
Ginny nodded. "Yeah. Guess so."
Ruby tried to pull away but Ginny tightened her legs. "Are you going to let me go?" Ruby asked.
"No…I don't think I will." She tapped Ruby's wand against her chin. "I'm still deciding on your punishment for calling me annoying."
"I didn't say you were annoying. I just implied it."
Ruby leaned in and kissed Ginny, then tried to reach for her wand while Ginny was distracted.
Ginny leaned back and pulled the wand out of Ruby's reach right before she got a hand on it. "Rubina Reynolds!" Ginny cried, affronted. "Are you trying to break Señor Guzman's rule about no relaciones sospechosas before matches?"
"Call me Rubina again and I will insist on calling you Ginevra. Also, it wouldn't be the first time we've broken that rule," Ruby said with a sly smile. "And last time I saved more goals than ever in the following match."
"Yeah, I flew pretty well in that match too. Fine. But only because of the potential performance boost." She paused to give Ruby that wicked grin that had made Ruby fall for her in the first place. "I can hex you for that earlier comment later."
"Sure thing." Ruby placed her hand behind Ginny's neck and pulled her back into a kiss. "Now please shut up. You talk too much."
"I'm going to hex you for that too," Ginny mumbled between kisses.
"Noted."
Back in London, Harry and Hermione had just Apparated onto the landing just outside Hermione's flat. Hermione pulled out her mobile phone but saw there were no texts from Ginny. She wondered if Ginny even knew how to use the text option on the phone. Luckily, Ruby's mum was a Muggleborn so she had a basic understanding of technology.
"Well? Did she set them up on purpose?" Harry asked.
"No word. I'll call her tomorrow." Hermione slipped the phone into her pocket and focused back on Harry. She leaned against the door and gently kicked his leg. "Will you stay over tonight?"
Harry frowned and shook his head. "No. Not tonight."
"Then when?"
He sighed. "I don't know."
Hermione sighed too and turned, lying her head back against the door. "Why don't you stay over, Harry?"
He moved so he was standing in front of her but she kept her eyes up on the ceiling. "You know why," he said in a low voice.
She crossed her arms and scowled. "So, what? You're willing to shag me but won't stick around for anything else?"
"Come on. You know it's not like that."
She straightened up and glared back at him. "Then what is it like?"
"Hermione," he said pleadingly. "You know. Do you really want me to say it?"
"Yes. I know you have nightmares but it's fine. I have issues too. And we've been through a nightmare together before and-"
"-and I hurt you!" he cut in.
"That was partially my fault. I shouldn't have grabbed you. I know better now."
"I don't - ugh - Hermione." He paused to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We just got through this thing with Ron. Can we wait before introducing any more drama? I don't want to lose you."
"You're not going to lose me because of a nightmare," she insisted. "I can guarantee 100% that I will not leave you for any nightmare-related reasons."
"Why are you pushing this so hard?"
"Because it's a problem and we need to fix it! We need to fix the things wrong in our relationship so they don't grow and get out of hand and - and - and - I want this to work, no - I need this to work. And if we don't work at it, then it won't. Work, that is," she finished lamely.
She looked at Harry imploringly, trying to show him with her eyes how important this was to her. He stepped toward her and did something very strange. He ghosted his fingertips down her face while making a loud, shushing sound.
After he did this several times, Hermione asked, "What's happening here?"
Harry tried to make another pass over her face but she pushed his arm away. "Harry!"
"That used to work to calm Teddy when he was really agitated as a baby. Is it not working for you?"
Hermione let out a sound that was in between a laugh and a cry. Harry pulled her into his arms and linked his hands behind her back. "Look at me," he instructed.
She looked him in the eye and pouted.
Harry leaned in and kissed one cheek, then the other before saying calmly, "Hermione, it's going to be okay. We don't have to solve every problem, one at a time, like a checklist. Ron, check, Harry not sleeping over, check. And then, I don't know what's after that but I'm sure I'll find out soon enough."
Hermione gave him a small smile.
Harry sighed before continuing. "Do you remember how you needed time before we shagged? Something that I think ended up being a really good idea, by the way."
Hermione nodded.
"I need time with this. Okay? It doesn't mean I love you less or that anything is broken. So, will you wait for me to figure it out?"
"I guess I can do that," she grumbled. "Only because you're very clever and kind and handsome and made a lovely speech and not because you tried to placate me in the same way you would soothe a baby."
"Now that I know that doesn't work, I'll try picking you up and bouncing you around next time," he said seriously.
Hermione pushed him away. "Okay. I should probably go before 'Crazy Hermione' makes a reappearance."
Harry grabbed her chin and kissed her thoroughly. When he pulled away, he winked and said, "Good night, baby."
She stuck her tongue out at him and started removing the wards on her front door. When she had it open, she turned to face him before going inside. "I'll see you at the Burrow tomorrow?"
Harry shook his head. "Sooner. Come by after you wake up and we'll make breakfast."
"Okay." She smiled and began to turn toward her flat.
"And then, I'm going to insist Molly apologize to you, as promised," he added.
"Harry. You do not have to do that, really."
"Oh, no, it's happening. She was completely out of line. And Ron's on board too."
Hermione smiled and shook her head. "You'll stand up to Molly, something even her own family rarely does, but you can't send back food?"
"I need to protect my witch."
Hermione let out a laugh. "From upset mothers but not from overly spicy Indian food."
"The chivalry comes and goes," he replied with a smirk.
Hermione nodded and turned back to her flat, laughing to herself. Just a few minutes ago she'd been spiraling, convinced she and Harry had serious issues they needed to work through but in a matter of minutes, he'd reassured her and had her laughing again. He was right, they weren't broken, not at all.
She stopped before stepping inside and said over her shoulder, "You're the perfect wizard for me. Do you know that?"
The only response he could come up with was a beaming smile.