Disclaimer : The Harry Potter characters in this story belong to J.K. Rowling. Many thanks to her for letting them roam about in the world I created for a bit.
Once I again want to thank everyone that reviewed. You're praise is very encouraging.
I'd also want to grovel for your acceptance of my deepest apologies for taking my sweet ass time in getting this to you. I've been doing random things to get ready for Christmas and work has been hectic, not to mention that this was by far the longest chapter of the story and I really struggled with the last part of this chapter.
Hope you can forgive me for my posting laziness and I hope that the chapter was worth the wait. Enjoy!
CHAPTER 12 – Are You Happy Now?
Nearly three months to the day of getting her memories back, Hermione sat at the kitchen table in the house she still occupied with Mark. Her elbows rested on the table that was cluttered with thick books, several file folders and a multitude of paperwork, and her face rested in the palms of her hands. She was completely exhausted from the horrible week that she was having, and it was only Tuesday.
Currently she was thankful for two things. The first was that her classes were suspended until after the first of the year and had been for almost two weeks. The second was that the office of Banyan, Broker, Boyer and Ferguson was closed for the remainder of the week for the holiday. 'Is Christmas really only two days away?'
She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly before raising her head to appraise the workload that sat idle in front of her. Although, the office was closed, she was far from being on any sort of holiday with the amount of research that needed to be completed before the office opened back up on Monday. As she had so many times over the last twelve weeks, she chastised herself for the decision she'd made regarding her future.
The night of her last performance at the Randy Buffalo she'd barely made it back to her seat before she broke down in complete anguish. Even though in her mind she just knew that she was doing the right thing, her heart was telling her that she had made a horribly terrible mistake. Now, she wished she'd listened to her heart.
She, well actually it was Miranda Chase, started her internship on the first of October with high hopes, which were squashed within the first week after she was placed with the newest partner of the firm, Jamison Ferguson III. She quickly found that her job consisted of mostly research revolving around the cases that Jamison was currently working on. That aspect actually didn't bother her; after all, research was 'her thing.'
However, her aspirations about the internship turned sour when she learned that Mr. Ferguson was taking credit for all her work when discussing the cases with the senior partners. To top things off, the newest partner had taken a liking to Hermione and had made several advances on her, thankfully none that had been too overt, but they were still there. Hermione had known what the man was doing was extremely unethical as well as illegal; however, she was too scared that she'd lose the job not to mention the respect of her professor who had put his neck on the line to get her into this internship, if she reported Mr. Ferguson's behavior. Since things had stayed at comments and remarks, she had kept her mouth shut, and she decided that if the prick attempted to move beyond anything verbal, she'd just turn him into a frog…that is if she ever had time enough to reacquaint herself with using magic.
There stood another reason why she wished she had listened to her heart and had returned to England with Ron. Even though she had her memories back and had even made a trip to a wand maker's shop in Salem with Mark a couple weeks into October, she hadn't had any time to brush up on her skills and to fine turn her magic. She was forever grateful to Ginny and Harry for sending her a package that contained several of their old textbooks even though she hadn't had time to actually go through them yet.
She let out a frustrated sigh. What was she supposed to do now, though? She had made her decision, as hard and heart breaking as it was, and she had chosen to stay here…to continue living a lie as Miranda Chase. But could she renounce that choice now? Could she return to England and beg for Ron's forgiveness and claim that she had made a stupid mistake and plead with him to take her and their children into his life? Could she ask him to give up this job that he claimed would help him to bring justice to his family so that he could make a family with her?
To all these questions, the answer was no, and it wasn't simply because her pride wouldn't let her. She couldn't do any of those things because she was too scared at getting her heart broken by the only man she ever loved when he rejected her, as he should, for her being so selfish in the first place.
Losing herself in her thoughts, Hermione noticed that she was staring across the kitchen at the picture that was hanging on the refrigerator of James Sirius Potter who had been born two weeks ago. Her heart ached and her stomach twisted at the sight of the newborn and the memory of the phone conversation she had with Harry the evening after his son was born. Even without being able to see her friend, she knew that he was beaming from ear to ear with pure joy at getting to experience the birth of this child. Hermione felt a pang in her chest.
'You say you can't go to Ron because your afraid of getting your heart broken, but you know him better than that. You know that he could never turn you away and that he'd be willing to do just about anything for you, especially now.'
With one hand clutching her shirt at her waist, she used the other hand to wipe away the tears that had started to form in her eyes. She took her deep calming breaths and reached across the table to grab the next reference book that she was going to peruse, but was distracted by Mark and the kids coming in through the back door.
"Mummy, mummy, guess what we…"
"Daniel Robert, don't you dare. I told you it's a surprise."
Hermione gave her son a sad smile as she watched his shoulders slump in defeat. Hermione had to quickly look away to divert her thoughts from straying to Ron yet again. She couldn't believe how much Daniel was exactly how she had assumed that Ron had been when he was younger. If nothing else, he looked exactly as Ron did in all the photographs that her and Ginny would sit and look at on summer holidays.
"Sorry, Mark, I forgot."
Mark ruffled the boy's already disheveled from his stocking cap hair. "That's okay, buddy. Why don't you and Emma give me your coats and then you can take these bags up to your room. I'll put your coats away and then I'll be up and we can wrap the gifts for your mom."
Daniel gave Mark a bright smile, quickly pulled off his coat and handed it along with his cap to Mark. The boy grabbed one of the bags and was already heading out of the kitchen before his sister had even finished removing her coat.
Hermione had to hide the smirk behind one of her hands when Emma handed her coat to the wizard and said in a matter of fact tone, "I knew Danny wouldn't keep the necklace a secret" before she picked up the other bag they had brought in with them and preceded to follow her brother.
Once Emma was out of the room, Hermione let out the laugh she was holding in. "I told you it was pointless to be all secretive when you were taking those two with you."
Mark just rolled his eyes at her and laughed. "Well, at least we had fun. Those two are quite the avid shoppers. They were having a blast spending my money."
"I really wish that you would let me give you your money back. It just doesn't seem fair for you to buy me something for Christmas and then turn around and use your money as well so the kids can buy me something."
"Well, it doesn't seem fair that you'd have to pay for your own Christmas gifs, now does it? Anyway, what makes you think I'm getting you anything?" He flashed a quick smirk at Hermione before he turned to hang the children's coats up on the pegs next to the back door.
"Smart ass."
Mark simply looked over his shoulder at an attempt to look at his backside. "It is, isn't it? Kinda cute too, if you ask me?"
Hermione shook her head in exasperation. "You're incorrigible!"
As Mark made his way over to pour himself a cup of coffee, Hermione sighed a long, drawn out sigh and put her face back into the palms of her hands, rubbing her temples with her thumbs. When she felt movement next to her and heard a chair scraping across the floor she turned to look at her housemate who had pulled up the chair next to her and turned so that he was resting his left arm across the back of her chair.
"Ok, sweetie, what's wrong?"
Hermione gave him a sad smile. "Same old same."
"So in other words you're still working your ass off with no recognition from your superior other than how your ass looks in the particular outfit you happen to be wearing?"
"If I'd had any idea that this is what this great internship consisted of…."
"You would've made some different choices."
Hermione just nodded then looked down at the papers sitting in front of her.
"Hermione?" She raised her eyes to meet Mark's. "Are you happy now?" When she quirked her brow at him, he continued. "Are you happy living with a man who you'll never be intimate with, working in a job that has you seriously overworked, underpaid and underappreciated and watching your children grow up without their father?"
Hermione didn't trust her voice to speak so she shook her head. Mark knew her too well for her to try to lie to him. She knew he'd never believe that she was perfectly fine living with a gay man and that weren't all jobs supposed to leave you overworked and underpaid and she'd watched her children grow up without their father for almost five years. She knew that he could read her like one of the books that currently littered the table in front of her and she really wasn't in the mood for a long drawn out debate.
"Have you heard from Ron lately?" Again Hermione's answer was a nonverbal no. "Have you written him?" Again another shake of the head but this time she looked away from him. "Do you miss him?"
Hermione took in a ragged breath. "You know I do, Mark. I miss him so much it hurts. But what I am supposed to do now? I made my decision and now I have to live with it."
She was slightly disgruntled when Mark chuckled at her response and was just about to admonish him when his next statement shocked her, because it was so simple that she hadn't even fathomed the idea.
"Well, you know, my mother use to always say that it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind."
Was it that easy? Could she just simply 'change her mind'?
"I can't just quit, Mark. I'd disappoint Dr. Calcaveccia terribly. He really pulled a lot of strings to just get me the interview with Mr. Banyan and I'm sure the professor had a hand in making sure that I got picked for the position. Not to mention the fact that I don't even know if Ron still wants me."
"But is it really Dr. Calcaveccia's opinions that matter the most to you? I understand that you don't want anyone to think badly of you, but in the grand scheme of things, don't you think that you really only need to worry about yourself and those you love the most? And as far as Ron not still wanting you, that's just bullshit. You know the man never stopped loving you when he didn't have the faintest idea where you were. I don't think that you making the choice not to completely drop everything you had built in your life when he came back into it changed how deeply he cares for you."
"But won't you be disappointed in me?"
Mark leaned forward and kissed her softly on the forehead and whispered, "I'm already disappointed in you for the decision that you've already made."
Hermione's heart broke and her eyes instantly filled with tears. She really valued Mark's opinion of her and it hurt her to no end that she had disappointed him. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I didn't think it was my place, but now, I see you sitting here, absolutely miserable and I don't think I could call me your friend if I didn't say something." Mark grabbed the sides of Hermione's tear stained face and looked her squarely in the eyes. This caused more tears to fall, and Mark's thumbs quickly wiped them away.
"I'm doing something I should've done months ago, love. I'm asking you to leave." Hermione started shaking her head in protest. Mark pulled back and smiled at her while reaching into the pocket on the inside of his jacket. "No, actually, I'm telling you to leave."
Hermione's hands were shaking as she reached out to take Mark's offering. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she looked at the three airline tickets in her hands. Upon closer investigation she found that the tickets were for a nonstop flight that left in less than three hours. Her eyes shot up in surprise.
"How?"
Mark was still smiling. "Did you know that London is five hours ahead of Boston and did you know that a nonstop flight from Boston to London is about six and a half hours? I think this flight should get you to the Weasley's about time for Christmas Eve lunch or whatever you crazy Brits call it. As a matter of fact, I believe that there will be an Auror by the name of Potter waiting at the airport with a car to take you to the festivities."
Hermione looked again to the tickets in her hand then back up to Mark. She was still completely dumbfounded. "How?"
Mark laughed at her this time and pulled her into a hug. "Magic."
Hermione couldn't help but let out a laugh and she quickly wrapped her arms around her dear friend in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much. I don't know how I'll ever repay you…for everything."
Mark pulled back and placed his large hand across Hermione's stomach. "Well you two could name your next one after me."
She just shook her head and smiled her first genuine smile in twelve weeks. "I wouldn't hold your breath, love. I still don't think that Ron was totally convinced of your orientation or that there was absolutely nothing going on between the two of us."
Mark stood and held out his hand to Hermione. "Well just tell him that unless the little one comes out with blonde hair and a dashing personality, he has nothing to worry about. Now, I believe the kids have had sufficient time to make a mess of some sort, probably attempting to wrap the gifts on their own, and we don't have time for messes because I believe the three of you have a plane to catch."
'----------
Ron stood looking in the front window of the Quidditch Supply Shop that was currently closed due to the fact that it was Christmas Eve and the new owner had family outside of the country that he and his wife wanted to spend time with…or so the note hanging on the entrance stated. As Ron looked up and down Diagon Alley at the hustle and bustle of all the last minute shoppers, he thought that the bloke was right barmy for missing out on the last minute sales. Ron, himself, would've probably spent a fortune for gifts for his family that he hadn't had time to buy as of yet.
He had returned from his latest mission only the night before and had been informed that he was to go to Madam Malkin's first thing this morning to get fitted for the dress robes that he would be needing for the wedding next week. His mother stressed that if he didn't manage to get his lazy arse (and yes she used that exact term which told Ron she meant business) out of bed in time to make it to the shop before lunch that she'd make sure that there was no Christmas feast for him this year.
He knew that it was an empty threat, but he wasn't about to chance that it wasn't. No, Molly Weasley was not a force that her youngest son wanted to reckon with these days. Ron had received a good, old-fashioned dose of his Mum's wrath when he had returned from the States without Hermione and the kids, especially the kids. She had been short-tempered with Ron ever since. Add the rather quick and surprising engagement and the short notice for a New Year's Day wedding, the last thing Ron wanted to do was upset his mother, in any way, shape or form.
Of course, Ron had absolutely no chance of missing his fitting appointment since the bride-to-be was literally rolling him out of bed at the crack of dawn. When she stated that she wanted to make sure they got an early start so that they were sure that they had enough time to do everything she needed to do before returning to the Burrow, Ron wanted to crawl back into bed…Christmas feast be damned. But as it was, Ron had endured the trip to Diagon Alley and before he knew it, they were at Madam Malkin's and he had been fitted for his dress robes.
When the bride-to-be had insisted on a final fitting of her wedding robes, Ron decided that he'd have a good half hour to sneak away and do some of the shopping that he hadn't had time to get around to. However, he hadn't made it any further than the Quidditch shop window.
Ron let out a long sigh as he continued to look through the shop window at the new line of Nimbus brooms for the entire family. Had the shop been opened, he had decided that he would've left there with at least two of the child-sized models of the new brooms. He knew that Hermione would probably have kittens if he sent the twins magical brooms for Christmas, but that thought just drove his desire to purchase them even more. Maybe he'd come back that weekend and pick them up.
Ron let out another sigh and turned to lean against the outside wall of the shop as he watched the people on the street passing by. If anyone had told him this time last year that within a year he would finally find Hermione only to leave her, he would've called them mental. But as always, Ron was the one who was mental. 'Merlin, how I miss her and Daniel and Emma! I should've never left them, because now I can't bring myself to go back.'
As much as he longed to see Hermione and the twins again, he just couldn't bring himself to go back to her, even if it was for just a visit, because he knew that he couldn't be happy with just a visit with the children, not now. He hadn't gotten to know them properly when he was in Boston, and it angered him to think about what he was missing out on their lives without them here with him. These feelings only increased after his nephew was born and he held the little boy for the first time. He hated that he had missed out on that part of the twins' lives…but, okay, that had really been beyond anyone's control.
Now, though, he was missing events in his children's lives because their mother was too stubborn to make sacrifices in her own life so that he could get to know his children. Okay, so he knew that he was just as much to blame as she was in the stubborn department, but at the moment Ron was so disgruntled with what he had chosen over her, that he needed to be mad at someone other than himself for the disaster that was called his life.
Kingsley had made it very clear that the promotion the Ministry had offered to Ron would involve a lot of personal sacrifices, and Ron had been more than willing to make them, and he had prepared himself for those sacrifices. What Ron hadn't prepared himself for was the animosity that he was receiving from his peers.
Now he wasn't one of them "playing leader," he was a superior, and superiors, no matter how fair they tried to be, were never well liked. Even Seamus, Neville and Harry to some degree were treating him differently. He went from being one of them to being the enemy within his own group. Kingsley had told him that the job had its perks, but it had its downside as well. Ron had just assumed that the man had been referring to the hours and the stress of the hunt and so forth.
Four weeks after accepting the position, Ron was ready to quit…not just the new position, but the Ministry altogether. He stuck it out because, honestly, he didn't have another job to fall back on or even a clue as to what else he would want to do with his life. Even though part of him kept replaying the last conversation he'd had with Mark back in the States about getting him into the Bureau there, Ron couldn't bring himself to go back to Hermione and admit that he was wrong in leaving her in the first place. 'No, now it's too late to go back.'
"Ronald!"
Ron was abruptly pulled from his thoughts by an angry, high-pitched voice.
"There you are. Honestly, I turn my back for five minutes and you disappear. We've got to be going. I'm sure your parents are wondering what's happened to us. And you will not be the reason that I'm late for your mother's meal!"
Ron let out a defeated breath. "I'm sorry, Lavender. I just thought that I'd try to pickup a few last minute things."
Lavender huffed but then put on her best pout. "You didn't even stay to see me in my robes."
"Isn't it bad luck or something to see the bride in her robes before the wedding?" Ron tried to act dumb, but he just received a piercing glare from the blonde. He didn't even have a fight in him today, so he relented and simply said, "You're right. I'm sure Mum is wondering where we've gotten to."
Ron watched Lavender speechlessly disappear with a soft pop and quickly followed her by Apparating to the point just outside the wards of the Burrow about twenty meters from the house.
'Bloody Merry Christmas to me.'
'--------
Hermione watched the scenery pass by outside the window of Harry's car. She had been a nervous wreck on the plane, only able to push aside her anxiety at the sight of her children's excitement of their first airplane ride. However, when they had dozed off about forty-five minutes into the flight, she had nearly six hours to work her nerves into a frenzy. She slept all of maybe twenty minutes total, so now she wasn't only dealing with the apprehension of her actions; she was also dealing with an impossible headache from lack of sleep. She hoped that Molly had a potion to help her out with that.
Continuing to stare out the window and only vaguely hearing Harry's conversation with the twins about their plane ride and how strange British automobiles were, Hermione couldn't help but wonder how she was going to be received at the Burrow. She vaguely remembered the similar feelings she experienced her first trip to the Burrow before the Quidditch World Cup the summer before her fourth year. She couldn't help but smile at the memory.
"You know, Harry, we should've looked for a hotel room before we left London. I don't expect that there's many vacant rooms left, and I really don't fancy being stranded with the kids and no where to stay over Christmas."
Harry scoffed but didn't take his eyes of the deserted dirt road. "Do you really think that me or my wife are going to let you spend the holiday in some hotel room. You and the kids will be staying in our guestroom." He quickly gave a stern look at his friend and said, "No arguments!"
Hermione just smiled, rolled her eyes and looked back out the passenger side window. When she heard a chuckle escape from Harry, she returned her attention to him.
He threw her a quick smile. "Anyway, do you honestly believe that Molly is going to let you or those two out of her sight anytime in the near, or, hell, distant, future?"
"Do you really think they'll be okay…with us… you know being there and all?"
"Yes, more than okay."
"I just feel like I'm barging in on them…you know with the holidays."
"That's just rubbish. You've been a part of the Weasley family for nearly as long as I have. Trust me…there isn't any other gift that you could give that family that would be better than the presence of you, Daniel and Emma."
Hermione returned her focus to the road ahead and could see the irregular structure that could only be the Burrow coming into view in the distance.
"Maybe I should really wait until this weekend…let them celebrate a nice, quiet Christmas with the hassle of unexpected guests."
"Nice try."
"But…"
Harry simply snapped his thumb and fingers together in a nonverbal command to zip-it. Hermione couldn't help but wonder how upset Harry would be with her if she suddenly lost her breakfast all over the floorboard of his car. She closed her eyes and took in about a dozen deep breaths. She'd learned over the last eight hours or so that her normal three just weren't getting the job done anymore. Even now, she felt more faint than calmed. She closed her eyes for what she thought was just a second, but when she opened them they were sitting idle outside the Weasley homestead.
As Harry got out of the car and was helping Daniel and Emma out of the backseat, Hermione watched the movement inside the house through the kitchen window. Because the curtains were drawn and the windows were frosted, the images were distorted, but there was no mistaking that the house was just as lively as it had always been during her previous stays.
Tears immediately formed in Hermione's eyes as a sudden wave of peacefulness washed over her. In that moment, she knew she was home…the place where she was meant to be all along. She prayed to the heavens above that her homecoming be welcomed by the only family she'd loved as much as her own, blood family.
Harry entered the house first. Hermione heard one of the male Weasleys, she couldn't be certain which one, ask, "So, Harry did you get the distinguished guest of the Ministry delivered properly?"
He answered with, "Not quite yet," before he stepped around the corner of the door and Hermione was able to see the redheaded brood for the first time in years.
Squeals of delight erupted, but Hermione wasn't sure if they were from Ginny or Mrs. Weasley or both, but she quickly found herself in the tight embrace of the Weasley matriarch.
The next hour was a complete blur. There were hugs and tears and more hugs. The Weasleys were properly introduced to the twins and vice versa. Hermione had explained to the children while waiting to board at the Boston Airport that they were going to be going to see their father and his family. It was an awkward conversation but had went remarkably well, without the dozens of questions she had expected. Of course, Ron hadn't been present when they arrived at the Burrow so the introduction of Danny and Emmy to him as their father was still to come.
Currently, Molly and Arthur were working in the kitchen to put the finishing touches on the lunch that Mrs. Weasley had now deemed a celebration. Harry was deep in debate with Bill over some sort of Quidditch scandal that had come about within the last couple of months while Fred and Daniel were huddled together in one of the corners with the elder attempting to teach the younger how to play Exploding Snaps.
Hermione was cuddled on the sofa with Emma, Ginny and little James. Most of the anxiety she had been fighting for the last several hours had dissipated, and she was simply filled with warmth as she stared at the baby, remembering when her little ones were that tiny and thinking of what it would be like to hold a baby of her own again.
"Ooh, Ronnie's back!"
Hermione's heart jumped into her throat with the statement from Mrs. Weasley. She took a deep breath, forced a smile at Ginny when she handed back over the infant and stood to face the door just as Ron entered…with Lavender Brown…on his arm.
"Ah, come on, Won-Won!" Hermione's former roommate giggled.
Hermione could've sworn that her heart had stopped because it suddenly wasn't rapidly pulsing in her throat. In an instant, she was seventeen years old again and watching Ron and Lavender walking hand-in-hand into the empty classroom she had retreated to after having her heart shattered into a million pieces by her redheaded best friend. Except this time, her eyes were focused not on that friend but on the other woman's hand that was grasped, lovingly, around Ron's arm and the brilliant diamond ring…engagement ring…on her finger.
Ron had stopped dead in his tracks with a look of shock and then complete awe on his face. Had Hermione been able to draw her attention away from the blonde's hand, she may have noticed the smile of true happiness that was beginning to cover his face.
Instead, her eyes filled with tears and she lost focus of everything. She heard Lavender squeal, "Oh my god, Hermione!" but as the woman started to step toward her, Hermione let out a heart-wrenching sob and ran up the stairs toward the loo.
'----------
Ron had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation for the vision that greeted him as he entered his home. The love of his life was standing not fifteen meters from him; just as gorgeous as the last time he'd seen her. He could feel the goofy grin quickly spreading across his face. It had to be a dream didn't it, because he never got what he truly wanted for Christmas. Now that's not to say that he didn't get things that he wanted, but he never really got that one thing that he wished for more than anything else…the one thing that in his heart of hearts he knew was completely unattainable. But now, there she was.
The squeal that came out of the woman standing next to him, brought Ron back to his senses and he realized that it wasn't a dream. Then he saw the tears in Hermione's eyes and heard the sob that came from her as she darted up the rickety old stairs.
Ron stood looking around the room at all the confused faces staring at him and wondered if they were all thinking 'what the hell just happened' when his gaze fell on Lavender standing next to him and everything suddenly fell into place.
"Shite!"
Ron was thankful that it only took a few seconds for realization to dawn on him and that his legs were quite a bit longer than Hermione's because he was able to catch her on the third floor just before she made it into the loo. He threw his arms around her waist, only registering for a moment that something about her felt different, and pulled her shaking body into his.
"No, Ron!" She cried out and struggled to pull out of his grasp.
"Hermione, you don't understand. Please, you have to calm down and listen to me." Ron was beginning to feel panic spread through his body. He couldn't lose her, now that she was finally here, over some complete misunderstanding.
"Get your hands off of me, you bastard!" Ron was slightly startled by Hermione's scream.
"Everything alright up there, son?" Ron's father yelled up the stairs.
"Just fine, Dad."
The last thing he needed was any sort of intervention in this dispute. Ron quickly pushed Hermione inside the lavatory, kicking the door closed once they were inside. He was sure that there would be more outbursts from Hermione before she would listen to reason so he needed to get even further away from prying ears so to speak. Without another thought he released his grasp on Hermione and quickly sealed and silenced the room from any outside interruptions.
"Let me out of here you big brute! My children are out there and they're probably scared to death at seeing me like this."
Well, at least now he wasn't dealing with an upset and crying Hermione anymore. He had much more practice in dealing with the angry and crying Hermione, so this was old ground. She was currently taking her frustrations out on the door that wasn't budging.
"Hermione, our children will be just fine! In case you've forgotten, they are in a room full of their family members and I'm sure Mum and Ginny are making short work of answering any questions they may have." Ron stepped up behind her and was just reaching out to lay his hands on gently on her hips when she turned toward him, obviously ready for a fight.
Just as she opened her mouth to surely start yelling at him, he stopped her rant with his mouth against hers, pulling her body into his once again. 'Now this is how I should be greeting Hermione.' He could feel her just start to melt into his touch when she quickly pushed him away.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Saying hello. I've missed you."
"What?" Her voice actually broke as she screeched out in astonishment. Ron could imagine the string of names she was probably calling him in her head, and he was sure that some of them were quite colorful.
Ron stepped toward her but she took a retreating step backwards that put her back against the door. "I said I've missed you."
"I heard you the first time, Ronald! Have you lost your mind? I believe you have a fiancée waiting downstairs."
Ron knew that Hermione was becoming quite agitated with him. He could see tears starting to fill her eyes again as he started to lean in for another kiss, but it dawned on him that he probably should try to explain what she had saw downstairs. After all, he'd much rather be 'saying hello' to Hermione with her 'saying hello' back.
Ron ran the fingers of his right hand lightly over her left cheek, wiping away the tears before he whispered, "Fred's," before his lips were on hers again.
This time Hermione didn't let herself get engrossed in the kiss before she pushed him away. Ron watched as Hermione's brow knitted in confusion. Once again he felt a goofy grin starting to spread across his face. He still couldn't get over the fact that she was actually standing there in front of him…that she had actually come home.
"What? Ron?"
"Lavender. She's not my fiancée. She's Fred's."
Ron smiled when Hermione's eyes went wide. "What?" Ron could hear the astonishment in her voice.
"Yeah, that's kinda what we all thought, too."
Her lip was trembling when she asked, "Really?…Fred's?… so you're not…"
"Yes, love, really, and I am most definitely not…you should know by now that there is no one else for me but you."
"Oh, god, Ron!" Suddenly Hermione had thrown herself into Ron's arms sobbing once again. Ron was pretty sure that this time it was tears of relief and joy that she was crying.
They held each other for several moments with Ron soothingly running one hand up and down Hermione's back as the sobs subsided. When she had finally calmed, Ron kissed the top of her head and whispered the question he'd been dying to ask since he saw her standing downstairs. "Hermione, what are you doing here?"
"Are you happy?"
To say that Ron was a little thrown off by her answer would've been an understatement. He pulled back so he could look into her glistening eyes. "Er…huh?"
"Ron, I've been totally miserable the last three months. That damned job is absolutely dismal, and I haven't had anytime to work on regaining my magical strength. Add to that the nausea and all the heartache, and I've felt completely and utterly wretched. I made a mistake, Ron. I made a poor decision and I need to know if I can take it back…if I can change my mind. Mark asked me yesterday if I was happy and it took his question to make me admit that I wasn't. I want to change my decision, but first I need to know if you are happy now…with the choices that were made…the choice that you made?"
"Love, the happiest I've been since I left Boston was about ten minutes ago when I walked into this house and saw you standing there. I should've never left you. You have to understand that this place will always be my home and my family has always meant so much to me. I never should've chosen them over you because this really isn't an issue of them against you because honestly, Hermione, you've always been my family and now with Daniel and Emma you're even more so. And isn't there some crazy Muggle saying about home being where your heart is. Well, my heart has always and will always be yours, so if you don't want to leave the States because of University and all that, then I'm there with you. We can even look for a place near Salem like you suggested."
Ron once again found a crying Hermione wrapped in his arms as she flung herself at him. "Oh, Ron. I don't want to go back. This is where I belong. I knew it the moment I stepped through that door downstairs. I want to come home, Ron."
"You are."
Suddenly Ron found himself getting lost in yet another kiss with Hermione; although this time it was filled with much more need and desperation. He had quickly lifted her off the ground and had her body pushed against the door once more. For her part, Hermione's legs were wrapped tightly around Ron's waist and he was sure that she'd have to be able to feel his arousal pressed against her center.
"Ron." Hermione's breath was deep and raspy when she broke away from his lips.
He quickly started worshipping her neck with tiny kisses until he had worked his way to her ear where he whispered, "I need to be inside you, love."
He nearly cried out when she released the grip her legs had on him and slid down his body before she pushed him away. He was just about to protest when she put a single finger over his lips.
"Ron, you know we can't…not now. Everyone is waiting downstairs and if we don't get down there soon, they are going to think that I've murdered you and Apparated away."
Ron flashed her a cocky grin before stepping up to her slowly and claiming her lips again in a soft, chaste kiss. "No they won't. Anti-Apparation wards."
Hermione chuckled against his lips and pushed at his shoulders again. "Then they'll know that this is what we are doing."
Ron couldn't believe how much more he got turned on just by watching the light shade of pink start to creep across her cheeks. "I think they already know that we've shagged, love."
He laughed as she shook her head in annoyance before she turned her back to him. He assumed that she did this so that she could avoid another round of snogging. He thought she was absolutely adorable when she was annoyed. He stepped up behind her, placing his hands on her hips and then running them along her waist to her stomach. That was when he noticed the slight bump that was there. He was just about to make some snide remark about her eating her fair share of Chocolate Frogs lately when he stopped himself…suddenly remembering a very vivid conversation he'd had with Fred a couple years back about how 'birds don't like you mentioning anything about their bodies that isn't a compliment.'
Lots in his thoughts, Ron barely realized that Hermione had placed her hands lovingly over top of his. "Come on, Ron. Let's get downstairs. I'm sure your mother has the meal ready by now, and then we've got a lot to figure out. Like, for starters, what a 23 year-old witch who hasn't practiced magic in five years and didn't even finish her proper magical schooling is going to do with herself."
"You're the brightest witch of our age, love. Practice or no practice; schooling or not; you can do pretty much anything you want to." Ron was glad that she had turned around to face him again. He quickly kissed her forehead before you ending the spells on the room.
Hermione took his hand in hers as she opened the door. "Of course, there is also the matter of where the five of us are going to live."
They exited the lavatory hand in hand, and Ron had taken one step down the stairs when the oddity of her statement hit him and he became confused. "Five of us?"
Hermione's answer was a simple but teary-eyed, "Yes, five." Ron was still confused until she took the hand of his that she held in her own and placed it on top of the little bump of her stomach that he had almost just teased her about.
"Bloody hell."
Ron felt his trademark goofy grin spread across his face.
Then he fainted.
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Reviews Encouraged!
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Well thank you to all that have stuck with this story and enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.
This is the end of the main story, but we aren't quite finished yet. I hope to have the Epilogue written and posted much sooner than I did this chapter. In the Epilogue I hope to give everyone a good standing of how things turned out in this little HP world. I won't be answering every question that may still be lingering in anyone's mind in hopes of some day continuing with a sequel. However, I won't just leave anyone hanging either because I have several ideas for other stories involving our favorite Gryffs that I want to pursue before even contemplating a sequel.
Thanks again for all your support and keep an eye out for the final update of this story!