A/N: The chapter title comes from the song by Maroon 5. Sorry for the LONG delay. I don't want to make a lot of excuses, but as you've been so patient, I feel that I owe some explanations and apologies. I was without a computer for about a month, and I've been working two jobs, which didn't leave a lot of time. On top of that, I've had a terrible case of writer's block. I've got an outline of where I want the story to go, but not how to get from point A to point B. I found inspiration this week in the most unlikely of places, so when you read this chapter, you'll know what influenced the darker tone. I was in London just a couple of weeks ago, and it's been absolutely surreal watching the same streets where I'd been on the news in such a tragic way. I stayed near the Kings Cross station and used it to get everywhere. The British people are amazing, and I have no doubt that their strength of spirit will carry them through this tragedy. My thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families. As Thomas Paine once said, these are the times that try men's souls.

Chapter 15: The Sweetest Goodbye

When he awoke, he noticed two things. The first was that he felt like he had been hit by the Knight Bus. Everything hurt, especially his chest, which was currently being sat on by an invisible troll. The second thing he noticed was that someone's head was lying next to his arm, and that someone had very bushy hair. Hermione was asleep in the chair next to his bed, with her head resting next to his arm and her hand entwined with his own. Taking in his surroundings, Ron surmised that he was in hospital, but why? The last thing he remembered was talking to Shanks in the hallway outside of Harry's room. And then it came rushing back to him – Sam's letter. He felt a leadweight in his stomach as he remembered the contents of the letter written by Harry's former partner and would-be-murderer.

Hermione awoke, wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth. Upon realizing that Ron was conscious, she embraced him as if she hadn't seen him in years. "Oh Ron! You're awake! How are you feeling? You had me so worried."

"I'll be better when you stop cutting off my air supply," Ron croaked, but gave her a lopsided grin. "What happened?"

"You've been unconscious for two days. You collapsed after reading that letter from that horrible woman. It's lucky Shanks was there – you could have died. You almost did." Hermione's voice broke, and she tried very hard not to break down into tears.

"What? What do you mean?"

"Ron, your heart stopped. Shanks called for help, and Ginny got your heart beating again."

Ron couldn't believe what he was hearing. He almost died? Certainly he'd put his life on the line many times in his work, but this was different. Now he was responsible for the lives of his children. The children! He hadn't thought what was happening to them. What if something bad happened to his babies…?

"Are the twins alright?"

Hermione couldn't meet his eyes. She looked at the floor, and Ron could see tears falling down her cheeks. Oh Merlin, no. Please, not the children. He'd do anything for them to be alright. The silence was louder than any sound he had ever heard.

"Hermione, please, I have to know. What's happening to our children?"

She wasn't hiding her sobs now. Ron reached out for her hand and stroked it gently with his thumb. Whatever it was that she wasn't saying was bad. His wife was never one to mince words.

She looked up at him after a few minutes with red, moist eyes. The anguish was written on her face, and Ron's heart felt like it would break. "I'm sorry, love. Ginny was only able to find one heartbeat. We've lost one."

The bottom dropped out of Ronald Weasley's world.

XXXXX

After a few days in hospital, Ron was moved into Harry's room. It only seemed fitting, since neither one was in critical condition anymore and it allowed their numerous family members to spend more time with them rather than having to split their time between two rooms. This should have been a comfort to Ron, and in some ways it was. Ron and Harry had been roommates for years, and were accustomed to each other's habits, finding comfort in the familiarly. But what Ron wanted now more than anything was to be left alone, a condition he had not found himself in since he woke up in St. Mungo's. There was always the assorted family member or friend hanging about to keep them company, and after all the visitors were gone there was still Harry.

Harry was doing much better, although still weak and in a good deal of pain from his injuries. All the healers were optimistic that he would make a full recovery, but he was healing slower than what they thought he should have. Eventually they discovered that the cutting curse that Sam used had been modified in some way to cause "maximum damage" as the healers said. For his part, Harry was in good spirits and greeted all the visiting Weasley's with graciousness. Harry seemed to be more concerned with Ron than his own injuries.

Ron had withdrawn into himself since finding out that one of the babies was stillborn. Harry presumed that Ron blamed himself when in fact there was no proof that he could have done anything differently. Ginny had assured him that even if he had remained stress-free and done everything by the book; it wouldn't have guaranteed that the baby wouldn't have died anyway. This fact did little to console Ron, and the whole family was worried about him.

To her credit, Molly was a pillar of strength and did not coddle her youngest son, which Harry suspected was taking every ounce of self control. She visited for a couple of hours everyday, and refrained from asking how Ron and Harry were feeling every five minutes. Ginny was there whenever she wasn't working, and Harry appreciated it more than she would ever realize. Ginny's presence was calming to both men, and even though Ron didn't say as much, he seemed a little more at ease with her there. The twins had visited often, trying their best to raise everyone's spirits with their latest inventions and stories from their shop, earning them a half-hearted smile on a couple of occasions from Ron. The rest of the family came often and none of them mentioned the loss of Ron and Hermione's baby. Harry knew it was because they were afraid to upset Ron even more, but he couldn't help wondering if that was what Ron really needed now.

The one person whose absence was most shocking was Hermione. After initially spending all of her time by Ron's side waiting for him to awake, she began to spend less and less time in the hospital and more time at work. Harry knew that she was hurting every bit as much as Ronand in some waysmore. When she was there, she talked of trivial things and made small talk about the weather and the latest happenings in the Daily Prophet. Ron's surly mood continued to grow, and he openly bated her at times, but Hermione did not rise to his challenge. It was obvious that under this calm exterior that she wanted to row with him as much as he did, but seemed to lack the energy to do so.

Harry looked over at his sleeping friend in the next bed. Ron looked pale with dark circles under his eyes. His stomach was as large as ever, and as he slept, he kept one arm wrapped protectively around it. Ginny was sitting next to Harry's bed, and they were engaged in a game of wizard's chess.

"You're not even trying anymore. I know that you have no hope of beating a Weasley at chess, but at least pretend to make an effort. You take all the fun out of it if you just openly let me beat the pants off you."

"What? Oh, sorry. I was lost in thought." Harry eyed his chess pieces, knowing that he would undoubtedly lose for the 369th time.

"I know you're worried, and frankly so am I," she said in almost a whisper, and Harry knew she wasn't referring to chess anymore.

"Do you think they're going to be alright," Harry asked, as another one of his chess pieces was being dragged off the board by Ginny's knight.

"Do you mean Ron and the baby, or Ron and Hermione?" Ginny watched her brother's chest rise and fall.

"Both."

"Physically, I think Ron and the baby will be okay as long as he remains on bed rest. Emotionally, I don't know about Ron and Hermione. When something devastating like this happens, it either brings couples closer together or drives them apart. So far, I haven't seen much togetherness." Ginny turned her head away from Ron when she felt Harry's hand reach for her own. She was grateful for the gesture of comfort.

"Does Hermione know how much she's hurting him by staying away?" Harry loved Hermione like a sister, but she wasn't helping matters right now.

"She's not dealing with the loss at all. It's as if the pain will go away if she doesn't think or speak about it. They're both so filled with grief that they can't seem to help each other."

Just then, they heard a knock on the door, and Hermione walked in. She looked tired, and her normally manicured look was a little frayed around the edges. Her hair was bushier than normal, and she wasn't wearing any makeup.

"Hi," she said, simply.

"Hi yourself," Ginny said smiling. She walked over at Ron's bed and and gently shook him awake. "Hermione's here."

"Harry, I think it's time we went for a walk. Your healer wants you up and walking around as much as you can tolerate. Come on, I'll help you." Ginny helped Harry to stand, and they made their way slowly out of the room with Harry leaning heavily on her.

"How are you feeling today," Hermione asked in a soft tone, as she sat down in the chair next to Ron's bed.

Ron's face had changed from pale to a reddish tone that was now creeping up his ears. "Let's see, my back aches, my stomach hurts, and I killed my child. So all in all, not great," he spat.

"Ron…"

"No Hermione. What did you expect me to say, 'fine'? We both know this is my fault, so let's call a spade a spade." This time he spoke with less anger and more pain in his voice.

"Ron, why do you have to be so hard on yourself?"

"Because I'm a screw up. Always have been, always will be. I assume that's why you don't want to be around me." He didn't meet her eyes.

"Ron, you know that's not true. I've been really busy at work."

"Sure. I don't buy it, love."

"I don't care what you believe, it's the truth." Hermione's calm exterior was quickly fading.

"I know you don't want to be around me. You blame me for losing the baby, as you should. I don't know why on earth I agreed to do this. What was I thinking? What made either one of us think I could carry children?" Ron rubbed his stomach as he looked down. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. Your father is a royal screw-up and it's because of me that your twin died."

"RONALD WEASLEY! YOU STOP THAT THIS INSTANT!" Hermione was furious now. If it was a row he wanted, it was a row he was going to get. "You certainly didn't set out to harm our children, so don't let me hear you say that again. If you want to blame someone, blame that bitch who tried to kill Harry. It was because of her that you were so upset."

"Oh, you mean the same woman you welcomed with open arms only days before? The same one you told me was harmless?" Ron knew after the words had left his mouth that he had gone too far.

Hermione felt like she had been slapped. "So that's it, isn't it? You're not blaming yourself or Sam. You're blaming ME. Well congratulations, Ron. You've hit the nail on the head. I'm the one who couldn't get pregnant in the first place. I'm the one that got hit with that curse when we were teenagers that ruined me. I'm the one that convinced you to carry our children. I'm the one that believed Sam's lies." She didn't even try to hide the tears this time.

Ron was shocked. That's not what he meant. "I didn't mean that, Hermione. I'm sorry. It's not your fault about Sam."

"Yes it is. You've said so yourself. And you're right. I'm not just busy at work. I couldn't face you knowing that I'm part of the reason why you're in so much pain and why our child died. I can't look at you without being reminded of the role I played it, and I don't know how you can stand to look at me. I think it would be best if we had a little distance right now."

It was Ron's turn to feel like he'd been slapped. "What do you mean?"

"I think we both need to be apart from each other right now. All this blame and guilt is killing me and I know it's killing you. That's not good for you or the baby, so I think it would be best if we spend some time apart." Hermione gathered up her jacket.

"Wait! I don't understand. I need you right now. Where are you going?"

"There's a legal case in the Department of International Magical Law Enforcement that involves a crime in America. They need one of our barristers to go to New York and I think I'm going to take it. You need to concentrate on getting better, and you can't do that with me around to remind you of what we lost. I'm so sorry, Ron. I never meant to hurt you. I'll send you an owl post once I arrive." With that, she turned her back and walked toward the door.

"Hermione, don't leave! Please! I'm sorry; I didn't mean what I said. Hermione!" But it was no use. She had gone.

The door opened, and Molly Weasley entered he son's hospital room. "Ron, was that Hermione I just saw leaving? I called her name but she didn't answer. She looked upset." Molly noticed the pallor of her son's face, and the unshed tears accumulating in his eyes. "Is there something wrong, dear?"

"I think my marriage just ended." Ron couldn't hold it in any longer. Molly sat on his bed and enveloped him in her arms. He clung to his mother as his shoulders shook and gut-wrenching sobs escaped. She soothed him, rubbing his back and rocking gently as she had when he had been a little boy. Harry and Ginny had returned from their walk, but seeing the sight before them, decided it was best to leave the mother and son alone. As Ron fell into an exhausted sleep, she whispered into his ear, "Don't worry, dear. Everything will work out fine, you'll see." Now if she could only believe that herself.

XXXXX

After a week passed, Ron had been released from hospital. Harry had been released the day before Ron, and it had been decided that Ron would move into the Burrow and Harry would stay there during the day while Ginny was at work. Molly was in her element, feeling truly needed by her family for the first time in a long time. While Harry had been recovering nicely, it made both her and Ginny feel more comfortable that he wasn't home alone in case he should have some complication. He was going to be out of work for at least six months, according to the healers.

But it was Ron that concerned her the most. He was given a room on the first floor so that he wouldn't have to climb the stairs. He had nearly died that night, and had lost a child. Molly knew better than anyone what it felt like to loose a child; she had been through it twice. Ron was feeling tremendous guilt and grief, and with him and Hermione having marital problems, she was concerned that he would never recover from this loss. Hermione had written a few days ago from New York, and Ron had read her letter and then crumpled it up. Knowing she probably shouldn't have, Molly had secretly retrieved it from the bin and found it contained superficial fluff. There was no emotion, and no spark of life that was the essence of Hermione. Ron would be angry if he knew she read his letter, but she had been doing this to all her children over the years and wasn't about to stop now. Honestly, how else was a mother to know what was going on in her children's lives if they didn't tell her? Molly had always treated the girl as if she were one of her own, and how she would like to turn the child over her knee right now. Difficulties always arose in marriages, and one had to meet them head on. Both parties needed to be in the same country for that to happen. Molly knew the girl was hurting badly, and wanted to help her deal with her loss. But now she was not only hurting herself, but hurting Ron. Merlin, how Arthur had tried her last nerve over the years, but after a little rowing and compromising, the marriage always ended up stronger than it had been before and the making up was the best part. People often wondered why they'd had seven children, and Molly attributed it to their spectacular rows and subsequent making up. She hoped Ron and Hermione could work through their problems and save their marriage. Of all her children, they reminded Molly of Arthur and herself the most.

As she prepared breakfast, she heard two pops behind her, and nearly dropped the bowl she was holding. "Honestly, you children are going to give me a heart attack."

"Sorry Mum. That smells great," said Ginny as she peered into the frying pan full of rashers, with James in her arms. Harry took a seat at the table, knowing breakfast would soon be ready.

"I'll make you a sandwich to go, dear. If you would just make a home cooked meal once in a while, you wouldn't crave mine so much."

"Why would I, when you do it so much better? How does it feel, knowing that your daughter will never live up to your culinary standards?" Ginny and Molly had been doing this particular verbal routine for years.

Molly couldn't help but smile. "Well, at least you still need your poor mother for something."

"Always, Mum." Ginny kissed her mother's cheek and lowered James to the ground so that he could run outside and play. "Before I go, I want to go check on Ron. How's he doing?"

"About the same. Although I think it's done him some good to get out of that hospital and get some real food."

"I imagine he's a little bored with the bed rest, but he doesn't have much longer to go now. Only another few weeks. I'll be right back," she said as she carried her medical bag with her.

Ginny headed for the room that had been converted to Ron's bedroom. Ginny found her brother asleep, although he was anything but peaceful. Ron's bed clothes were wrapped around his body, and he was moaning and thrashing his limbs. After his fifth year, Ron had suffered from nightmares and Ginny had been the only one who knew about them. At the time, he had been recovering from the incident at the Department of Mysteries with the brains. It had always embarrassed him, and he was adamant that no one else know about them. It was obvious that he was suffering from them again.

Ginny reached out and brushed the sweaty fringe from his forehead. She gently shook his shoulder until he awoke with a start.

"Gin?"

"Hey there, big brother. Rough night?" Ginny helped to disentangle Ron from the sheets.

"Rough couple of months, actually," he said as he sat up, running his hands through his hair.

"I just came in to check on you and see how the baby's doing." After Ginny had given him his check-up, she pulled a bottle from her bag. "Here, I want you to take this if you need it."

"What is it?"

"It's a mild version of the dreamless sleep potion. It won't hurt you or the baby. Nightmares back again, I see."

"Yeah. They've been bad since…well, you know."

"Ron, have you tried to write her, or floo her? I don't want you to bite my head off, but I'm worried about the two of you. You're both strong willed people who blame themselves when things go wrong. I know you're both hurting. But you need to talk to each other. You're about to be parents."

"I don't think she loves me anymore, Gin."

"Ron, you know that's not true."

"I don't know what to believe anymore. She said that I blame her for what happened. How can I respond to that?"

"Well, do you?"

"I don't know. Maybe on some level. I don't know how to go on."

"You have to forgive her and yourself. Blame won't change anything. You've lost a child, and it's the worst thing any parent can imagine. But you've still got another baby on the way. Don't make my niece or nephew lose it's parents too."

"Don't you have a job or something? I already have one mother hovering over me; I don't need a second one." Ron laughed as he said it, but was only half joking.

"Always the subtle one, aren't you? Yes, I'm going. Call me if you need anything, alright?" Ginny kissed Ron's cheek and left him alone to think about how horribly wrong his life had gone in the last few weeks.

A/N: Again, thanks to my betas. Also, many thanks to those of you who've read the story, especially those of you who have left reviews. I won't be replying individually, but if you have specific questions, I'll be happy to e-mail you. I'd love to hear what you think about the story. I'm also going to post more frequently on my website, so bear with me because I'm not the most computer literate person. I haven't forgotten about the Weasley twin's outtake, but it will come out after the end of this story. Only a couple more chapters to go. I'll see you all again after The Half Blood Prince comes out. After all, this is just a way for me to pass the time between HP novels, anyway.