A/N: This will be the last proper chapter. There will be an epilogue to follow in a few days. In case you were wondering, I did make a little chart with the names, genders, etc… for all twenty-four (twenty-five counting the newborn) of Ron and Hermione's nieces and nephews. Crazy, I know, but once I got started I couldn't stop. Thanks again to all who've read and reviewed.

CHAPTER EIGHT: The Final Option

Ron was back in the waiting area at St. Mungo's. As he looked around, he noticed a few things: 1) there was no sign of Snape or Malfoy's mum; 2) something was wrong with the lighting system as it was dark 3) he wasn't alone; Hermione was sitting on the same couch she'd sat on before and Malfoy was crouched down in front of her. Hermione had tears running down her face and he thought from his head-down posture, Malfoy might be weeping too. There was no sound. It was as if they were petrified in place. Ron thought Hermione looked different, then it dawned on him: she was wearing her Hogwarts uniform…in fact…she looked…oh no, oh no… he tried to turn and run but his feet were glued to the floor. Hermione was dressed the way she used to be in his deepest, darkest fantasies about her in school! Her robe was open, falling down her shoulders and her white, sleeveless oxford, unbuttoned to reveal a hint of black lace, was tied in a knot just under her breasts. Her skirt was several inches too short and he knew if she stood, it would barely cover her naked backside. Her hair was piled in a messy up do, so he could access that long, beautiful neck. The dead give away though, were her bare feet. She was, for some reason, always barefoot in his boyhood dreams. Ron tried to close his eyes before things could get worse, but he was unable to move his eyelids. Desperate, he opened his mouth to scream, trying to yell her name to get her attention, but the sound that came out was Hermione's voice saying the words she'd said to him in their bedroom when he asked about her romance with his rival: "It was… it was like a …force pulling us together".

As though those words were their cue, the couple began to move. Ron thought he might be sick as Malfoy silently reached forward and touched his wife's face. She leaned her head toward his hand. "Draco" she mouthed. Ron tried again to yell at her, this time her voice said "We tried to ignore it, but….well; you know what it's like". Malfoy reached up and kissed her and Ron felt the tears begin to prickle in his eyes. The kiss escalated, the other wizard began to remove his wife's clothes and Ron thought he might actually go mad if he had to watch another minute of this. His heart beat wildly in his chest as Hermione pushed the black robe off of the pale man, baring him to the waist and in the process, revealing a large Dark Mark burned on his back. He pulled her legs up around his waist and leaned forward…. CRASH! Ron blinked and breathed a sigh of relief, glad to be prematurely released from the nightly torture of the recurring dream he'd been having for a little over a month, now. He sat up, wiping tears from his cheeks, trying to get his bearings in the dark bedroom. He looked over at Hermione, who was sleeping contentedly, a smile on her face. He leaned over and kissed her brow. He heard the loud crash again and realized he must've forgotten to let Crookshanks out for the night.

After tending the cat, Ron decided Crookshanks might have a good idea. A walk sounded like just the thing… well, maybe a walk and a drink. As he walked, he reflected on the radical changes his life had undergone in the last month. That day at Hyde Park was the turning point. A thousand times since then, he'd wished that he'd just told Malfoy to go to hell that morning when he'd stepped out of their floo. The park had been an absolute disaster. After an earnest attempt to teach the little witches and wizards the muggle game, Ron grew tired of Malfoy's cheating ("You mean we can't touch it with our hands…at all?" Followed by that infuriating smirk) and baiting (under the pretense of teaching Zach to whistle taught him the tune to "Weasley is Our King"). Finally, when the git actually hugged Hermione after his side scored a goal, Ron lost it and dislocated Malfoy's shoulder with a free kick gone "awry". Malfoy retaliated by breaking Ron's nose with the ball. Hermione was furious with them both and refused to heal them. She apparated home, leaving them injured and still in the company of five irritable, muddy children. They wound up at St. Mungo's, where they met Molly, who was on her way to floo them. The Smiths had a new baby sister, Zoë, another redhead. Upon seeing the state of the muddy football kits, the broken nose and catching them in the company of Lucius' son, of whom she'd never approved, Molly relieved them of their babysitting duties. The real nail in Ron's coffin occurred the next morning, however, when an owl arrived at breakfast with the words he'd been dreading. Malfoy offered his assistance in overcoming the bonding spell. In return, all he asked was forgiveness. Of course, Hermione didn't even discuss it with Ron before she hurriedly sent her acceptance of his offer. In the next few weeks, she'd taken a sabbatical from work and began spending nearly every day at "the manor". Ron hadn't felt so alone since Harry's death and it was causing him trouble, both at home and at work. He couldn't concentrate and his intuition, which had never failed him before, seemed way off. He often returned home to find an empty flat. He would sit, cold dinner in hand, and wonder if he was going mad, imagining what those two got up to, and drawing no positive conclusions. Then there were the dreams. He hadn't had a decent night in ages, because he was afraid to go to sleep, for fear of what debauchery his subconscious mind would conjure. It was unbearable. The only bright spot was that Hermione seemed really happy for the first time in a long while. She let Molly give her some old baby things (a cradle and a book about breastfeeding) and started to make long charts in which she calculated formulae for choosing baby names. (Ron told her to forget the charts. If the baby was a boy, he would be called Harry and that was final.) She ate a regular diet of pomegranate seeds, almonds and figs to boost her chances at conception and her mother bought them a muggle contraption that monitored ovulation. He knew he should be happy, but for some reason, Ron just couldn't accept the fact that Malfoy had decided, after years of obsessing about it, to just let Hermione and their lost son go.

He walked into the Restaurant at the End of the Universe and nearly turned around to leave as he spotted his brother-in-law at the bar. He wasn't fast enough, however, and Zach spotted him. "Oi! Ron! Bro! Have a seat!"

The last thing Ron wanted was company. As he drew near, he could smell the fire whiskey on Smith. The man held on to the edge of his seat to steady himself as he tapped the bar and nodded toward Ron. The bartender poured them both a drink. Zach told him to leave the bottle. Ron wrinkled his brow. Why wasn't Zach at home? He had a new baby. Surely Ginny needed the help. What reason did Zach Smith have to be sitting in a bar drinking like he'd lost his best friend? From where Ron sat, his life looked perfect.

"Alright there, Smith?" he asked

"Just peachy" he slurred

"Fight with the wife?"

"Nope. You?"

"I asked you first"

"We're in the same boat, you and me, Ron" he said as he poked Ron in the chest, rather harder than necessary.

"I don't think so" said Ron

"Oh yeah. We are. Lemme ask you. She ever call out his name, you know…when you're…"

"What the bloody hell are jabbering about?"

"I know, you know. We can talk about it. If it makes you more comfortable I'll go first. Kind of a ….sport group."

"Support group?"

"Yeah, that's the one. Hi. My name is Zach and I…I am the victim of unrequited love. Now you're supposed to say 'Hi Zach'. (Ron did, after much prodding.) Well, you know, I've always loved her. It's why I started going to those damn DA meetings to begin with. She's so beautiful, so smart, and so…fiery. But I knew she wouldn't ever so much as look my way. Not me. Not when she had HIM. Harry Bloody Potter." He spat Harry's name like a curse and Ron was just about to correct him when he looked up and, catching the look of sorrow on his face, thought Zach Smith might have been the saddest human being on the planet.

He was quiet as his brother-in-law continued.

"After the war, when we started dating, I asked her why she wanted me, of all people. Know what she said? She said she wanted someone who was the opposite of Potter. Someone who wouldn't wind up getting himself killed and leave her all alone. She wanted someone safe. She shoulda said she wanted someone boring. Not brave. Not famous. Not anything. Just 'nonymous. But I was happy with whatever she could give. I was willing to settle for bein' second choice. He was dead and gone, right? Wrong? We live in his damnable house! (He slammed his fist on the bar for emphasis and nearly toppled off the stool) Your whole bloody family sings his praises every chance they get. His birfday is the worst… We …she …she's never really been all there, you know? She keeps a little bit of herself separate. She loves the kids and maybe even me a little, but….did you know she kept all of his things? His broom. Taught Zachie to fly on it… She's just waiting…" He slumped his head down on the bar.

"Waiting for what Zach?" Ron asked, his heart beginning to thaw a little where the hated in-law was concerned. He'd spent plenty of time in Harry's shadow, but this was… just sad.

"Death" he answered

"You don't mean that."

"Yeah" he sobbed "When it looked like she might…you know…die… during Zoë's birth…she didn't say 'I love you, Zach' or have any messages for the kids. She told your mum, 'don't fret, I'll be with Harry.' When she was in pain and drifting in and out of consciousness, she called for him." He laid his head down on the bar and wept. Ron hesitated, but finally patted the poor pathetic sod on the back.

After a few minutes, Ron thought he'd better try to get Zach home before he made even more of a spectacle of himself than he had already. All Ginny needed was for him to end up on the cover of a tabloid, sauced and telling tales about Harry. Rita Skeeter had already offered a reward to anyone who could prove Zach Jr. was Harry's son (even though he was born nearly three years after Harry died). So, Ron pulled the blubbering drunk to his feet and hoisted an arm across his shoulders. Slowly, he began to move Zach out the door, figuring there was less risk of vomit if they walked rather than apparated or used the floo. Still, the drunken man wept bitterly as he leaned heavily on his brother-in-law, who could be heard to mutter "Bloody Hufflepuff" as they exited the bar.

It was a long, hard slog to Grimauld Place. Smith babbled, brokenly, the whole way. About half way there, he stopped in the middle of the pavement and waved his arms rather wildly. "Wait a mo… Wait…you didn't take your turn, Weasley" he slurred.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked, absentmindedly while trying to figure out what time it was, but having a hard time, because he couldn't read his watch in the dark.

"You didn't talk about HIM"

Ron furrowed his brow "Harry?"

"Hell no! Not Bloody Harry!" he yelled, kicking a car and setting off its alarm.

When they stopped running, he said, through panting breath, "I know… I know about Malfoy"

"Whatever you think you know is wrong" Ron said irritably.

"I'm the one who sells him the charms. Didn't you know?"

"What charms?" Now Smith looked like he'd let the cat out of the bag and was trying to get it back in.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing."

Ron grabbed him and pinned him to the wall. "What Charms?"

"You wouldn't hit me, would you? I mean it wasn' really illegal and it did keep him away from her"

Tightening his grip, Ron said "Smith, I don't want to make my sister a widow, but so help me if you don't tell me what you're talking about right now, I'll rip you limb from gangly limb!"

"Alright!" He whimpered "alright. I sold him the remaining stocks of the day dream charms."

"Malfoy? What would he want with a day dream charm?" He asked, loosening his hold on the inebriated wizard.

"Thas wha I wanted to know as well. So I used one. Modified the charm. Boring really. The one I used was a dinner party. Every day kinda stuff. In the charm, he's normal. No death eaters in 'is family. Was havin' dinner with his family, wife and kid, cute little rodent. Think 'is name was 'Ryan or something'. Tha' wasn' the interestin' par' 'nyway, guess who 'is wife was? 'Ermione! Couldn't believe it, but then, remembered the way he looked at her during Zoë's christening. It all made sense. He's got two kinds. Short ones for the school year. Guess he uses 'em at night or weekends. Got longer ones for summers. Last the whole season. Smart little bugger, I'll give him that"

"Are you telling me that Draco Malfoy is addicted to day dream charms?"

"Nah. He's quit now. 'Bout a month ago, told me didn't require my services any longer"

"How did he modify the charms?"

"Dunno" he slurred as he slipped forward, laying his head on Ron's shoulder.

Ron shrugged and dragged him toward home. He was thinking the whole way that he would tell Hermione about the perverted charms and she'd never want to have anything to do with that slimy git again, problem solved. When they reached their destination, they were met at the door by Kreacher. "What an evil pair of drunken lechers you be!" he screeched. Ron shooed him away, only to be greeted by the sight of Ginny, haggard looking and weepy, sitting at the foot of the stairs, nursing Zoë.

"Oh my God!" she cried as she rushed forward and gave the baby to Ron as she took Zach in her arms. "I was so worried! Why didn't you owl me?"

"I'm sorry, Gin. So sorry." He cried, clutching her "Sorry I'm not good enough for you. I just… I'd do anything ….I just want you to be happy…Bring 'im back if I could."

"What is this…are you drunk?" Ron nodded his head behind her drunken husband who was shaking his "no" for all he was worth. Ron thought she might laugh for a moment, but then, a stern look crossed her face. She pressed her lips together and Ron knew, without a doubt that a hangover would be the least of Smith's worries come morning.

He played with the baby while Ginny put Zach to bed. Looking down at his little niece, he began to waver on his plan to tell Hermione about Malfoy. No Malfoy meant no counter spell. No counter spell meant no baby.

He whistled as he walked home, thinking of the look on Hermione's face when he told her about Malfoy. He'd decided to tell her after they developed a counter spell. That would fix Malfoy, that sick bastard…. But then, if he'd had Hermione and been forced to let her go…well, he might've done more than pine for ten years. He'd try to get her back! Come to think of it, why didn't Malfoy try, before now, to do more than keep her from having children with someone else? Why didn't he try to get her back? It was obvious he wanted her. Then, Zach's words to Ginny came back to him. "I just want you to be happy…Bring 'im back if I could." Surely not. Did Malfoy love Hermione enough to let her be happy with someone else? Was that what he was doing now? If he helped her find a way around the binding spell, he was handing her the keys to be happy with Ron. Ron smiled a little as he began to have a little chat with Harry in his mind.

If their roles were reversed, would he be strong enough to let her go? Probably not, but thankfully, that wasn't his problem. Still, when he thought of the way Hermione looked at Malfoy in that waiting room….

Imaginary Harry told him, "if it were Gin, I'd let her go if I thought it made her happy. Hermione deserves to be happy. She's been sad for so long…."

Ron knew at that moment he wouldn't tell his wife about the day dream charms. They would have a baby and it would make her happy. Wasn't that really why Ron had wanted a baby to begin with? All he'd ever wanted was Hermione's happiness. If it meant putting up with Malfoy, he'd just have to do it. He decided to put his wholehearted trust in Hermione. Hadn't she told him "they" were the only thing she had no regrets about? Hadn't she emphasized, repeatedly that he, Ron, was the one she'd chosen? She'd never let him down before. Never. She would remain faithful. Faithful, after all doesn't just mean keeping yourself only to your spouse. It means having faith in her as well, trusting her to love you and honor the life you've built together. Yes, he had faith in her. Come to think of it, she was the only thing he had faith in.

As he snuggled back into the bed, she asked sleepily, "Where'd you go?"

"Just out for a walk. Ran into Zach."

"'m sorry. I know you don't care for him"

"No, actually, you know what? Zach's alright."

She smiled at him through sleepy eyes and kissed him on the cheek "That's why I love you, Ron."

"'Love you too, 'Ermione" he muttered as he drifted off to sleep.