AN: Happy Friday! I can't believe this is the end of this story, and that there's only the epilogue left to share with you. The response to this story has been overwhelming. I didn't think it would get as much attention as it has, with tiktok videos and comic strips being made about it. In a time where life has been more than just shit, it has been just the therapy I need.
Of course, this story would be nothing without my fantastic team of betas - Adenei9, be11atrixthestrange, cheesyficwriter, quicksilverfox and smjl. They work magic with some of my nonsensical ramblings and I love them all so hard. If you haven't already, then please make sure you catch up on their stories, because they're amazing.
I hope you enjoy this story, I wrote it with everyone who has left me a review or comment in mind, and I hope it's the conclusion you hoped for. The epilogue will be Wednesday, as I have an office day on Tuesday. As always, please let me know if you enjoyed this chapter, and if you don't, feel free to leave me a review anyway, but don't forget to be kind and constructive xxx
Ron takes Rose to meet Victoire. Later, he finally puts his plan in action to win Hermione back.
Ron drums his hands against the leather steering wheel in time to whatever pop song is playing on the radio as he peers up at the apartment complex. For once in his life, he's arrived too early, and he's waiting for Rose to appear from the wooden doors he stood in front of only three weeks ago.
Everything has changed since then.
After turning up to finish with Hermione, he never thought that he'd be pulling up outside the flats only weeks later to pick up her teenage daughter after roping the poor kid into helping him win Hermione back. But Rose is keen and has a wealth of ideas she is eager to share with him. Plus, he needs all the assistance he can get.
Apart from a handful of minor scuffles, the rest of the school disco passed without trouble. Cormac's set, which mainly consisted of tinny kids bop songs, whipped the children into a frenzy. The more hyper they were, the warmer the hall got, and by the time it was all over, Ron was glad to be out of the Junior School and into the cool summer air, even if it meant feeling further away from Hermione than before.
He tried catching Hermione's eye a few times, especially when Cormac was shouting ridiculous things at the kids, commanding them to 'wave their hands in the air like they just don't care,' and 'to get on it,' which Ron found highly inappropriate.
Still, he tried not to take her lack of attention personally. Like him, Hermione had probably banked on getting all of their feelings out into the open and the last of the weekend's argument resolved during the evening. But hopefully, tonight's dinner and romancing should make up for that.
Ron spent the morning tidying every inch of the house, even though he knows Hermione won't see anything past the kitchen or the garden. As he cleaned, he told Hugo about their plans for the day, and the kid had been excited enough to help his uncle with the rest of the chores without Ron needing to resort to bribery. Last night, Ron had decided to be open with him about potentially having a relationship with Hermione, and he'd been ecstatic. Sure, there was a risk that the night wouldn't go Ron's way, and Hugo might be upset about it, but honesty is the best policy, after all.
Given the amount the kid has already been through and survived, Ron is pretty sure Hugo will be able to deal with Ron's and Hermione's relationship not working out, should it happen.
Now, Ron and Hugo sit in the car outside Hermione's block of flats for Rose to come down. Ron has still arranged for her to meet Victoire, his niece, as she and Rose will be in school together from September, and Ron doesn't want Rose to have wasted her whole day, especially as it'll mean she has less time to spend with her mum.
The bushy-haired teenager steps out of the entranceway after a five-minute wait, accompanied by Hermione. Ron toots the horn to get their attention, giving the pair an enthusiastic wave when they glance his way. Rose grins, but Hermione scowls at him. Although she's in a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt, with her hair scraped back into a tight ponytail, she still looks fucking amazing. Even with the look of hatred on her face.
He's going to have to do a lot of grovelling tonight.
After sharing a brief hug with her mum, Rose makes her way over to the car, her rucksack bouncing on her back. She yanks open the passenger front door, making Ron wince at the grating noise.
"Afternoon." She grins as she settles into the seat and fastens the belt.
Ron opens his mouth to speak, but he's interrupted, as usual, by Hugo.
"Hi Rose, I've been doing chores!" he exclaims.
Ron rolls his eyes. "You've been tidying up the mess you make in the house."
"Nice to see your uncle likes to use all the children in his life for slave labour."
"Oy!" Ron shouts, his eyebrows knitting into a frown. Hugo and Rose erupt into giggles as the car pulls away from the pavement. "You two be careful, or I won't feed you tonight." Once he's back on the main road, Ron turns his attention to Rose. "Was your mum okay with you being out this afternoon?"
"Yeah, she wants me to make friends before I start school in September. I'll send her pictures of Victoire and me while we're hanging out. Mum doesn't suspect a thing, although she was a bit annoyed that she couldn't come and hang out with us."
"Given the look she gave me, I'm surprised about that. I wouldn't have thought she'd wanna be anywhere near me."
"She'll get over it," Rose quips. "Remind me of the plan?"
"We're going to my parents' house where you'll meet Victoire. While you're there, I'm going to pop to Tesco. Do not tell your mum I left you at the Burrow," he adds, worried about Hermione's wrath, "Because she trusts me to look after you, and that's huge. Then we head back to mine, and I'll cook a tasty meal for us. I'm hoping this nice weather stays. I want to sit outside. Your mum said she loves gardens."
"I have all my fingers crossed that it will be okay." Rose smirks at him.
"And then Miss Granger is your girlfriend," Hugo interjects, clapping his hands. "Then we go to Thorpe Park, and then you get married."
Ron laughs. "One huge life task at a time, buddy. It's all about patience."
Rose joins in with the laughter. "I like you two. I reckon you'll win my mum over tonight easily. She doesn't like to admit it, but she's a sucker for romance."
"I hope so, Rose. Because after tonight, I'm all out of ideas."
⁂
The Burrow is quiet when they arrive. Only his dad's and Bill's cars sit in the drive. Ron pulls in next to them, smiling as Hugo is out of the vehicle as soon as they stop, hopping from one foot to the other while he waits for Rose to join him. He grasps hold of her hand once she's standing next to him and pulls her through the front door, not bothering to knock.
"I need to teach you more manners, kid," Ron mutters to himself as he locks up then follows at a more sedate pace.
The truth is, his mum prefers to have an open-door policy and encourages all of her children and grandchildren to turn up whenever they want. She loves a busy house, and if they'd let her, she would spend her day cooking, cleaning and doing whatever her family needs her to do. Ron was the last to move out of the Burrow, and they were worried she might go a bit mad with empty nest syndrome. He and his brothers tried encouraging her to get a job or different hobbies apart from knitting jumpers for everyone to keep her distracted and happy, but if looking after her brood was what she wanted to do, who were they to argue?
Of course, on occasion, she takes it a step too far, but since Ron asked her not to last weekend, she'd been a lot less nosey and inquisitive, and a new kind of peace rests over the Burrow.
"Hiya, love," his mum's voice cuts through the silence as Ron enters the house and shuts the door behind him. He can already hear Hugo shouting in the garden—the kid has to do everything as loud as possible, but Ron reckons that's a symptom of being a Weasley and having a million other voices to compete with. At least there are no close neighbours to annoy here.
He kisses his mum's cheek before replying, "Hi Mum, how are you doing?"
"Not too bad. It's quiet though, even with Bill and Victoire here."
"He hasn't brought the rest over then?" Ron follows his mum over to the kitchen, giving his eldest brother a nod as he passes the kitchen table. Without even thinking about it, he puts the kettle on as he usually does when he arrives at the house, then leans against the counter.
"Nah, I needed a break, mate. It's mental with three in the house. I don't know how you two did it!" Bill eyes his parents with a sceptical look.
Molly chuckles. "Having seven of you was the best decision me and your dad ever made. You're still young, Ronnie." She reaches up to ruffle Ron's hair. "You have plenty of time to have a brood of your own."
Cringing away with a laugh, he focuses on getting cups and tea bags out of the various cupboards, debating whether to let them know his plans for his date with Hermione tonight. After thinking for a moment longer, he decides to bite the bullet and go for it. His mum has been respectful all week, and it's about time he rewards it with a nugget of information.
"Actually, Mum," Ron says as he divides the hot water in the kettle between four mugs (knowing his dad is probably out in the shed, tinkering as per usual). "I'm seeing Hermione again tonight."
"I wondered why her daughter was with you."
Bill thanks Ron for his tea before teasing, "Looks like you might be having two more mouths to feed at Sunday dinner, Mum, if Ron gets his way tonight."
Ron's cheeks heat up, and he ducks his head to avoid his family noticing how pink his ears have gone, but he can't help the pride that bubbles in his chest. He longs to introduce Hermione to the rest of the family, even if it's to prove that she's the right choice for him and Hugo. Ron turns to the sink to rinse off the teaspoon, smiling as he watches Victoire and Rose chatting in the garden.
An idea springs to his mind at Bill's mention of Sunday dinner. Ron's cooking is okay, but he needs to blow Hermione's socks off tonight. Plus, if he can get his mum involved in all of this, too, he might be able to help her warm up to Hermione.
"Mum," he asks, turning his attention back to the plump lady, who is settling opposite Bill at the kitchen table. "What are you doing this afternoon? Do you reckon you can help me prepare a meal for Hermione?"
⁂
Ron straightens the cloth he has draped over the rattan table in the back garden before taking a step back, admiring his handiwork. As soon as they arrived back from the Burrow, he got to work with Hugo and Rose, although the teenager was the one in charge. In a move that mirrored how Hermione planned for the summer fete, Rose turned up with a list of tasks she felt they needed to do before they were ready for the evening. More tidying, including a clean up of the garden, all of his best cutlery and china out (not that he owns any posh plates, his ex took most of the nice stuff when she left), and a tablecloth was a must.
Their dinner is now warming in the oven whilst the kids get into the true spirit of the evening. Rose had a white shirt packed in her bag, which she now has on over her vest, tucked into her black jeans. Not wanting to feel left out, Hugo has a black pair of football shorts on and a white t-shirt. Ron was too afraid to lend the child a shirt from his wardrobe; he didn't want the delicious chicken in white wine sauce his mum cooked spilled down it.
Ron's phone buzzes in his pocket, stirring up the flurry of nervous butterflies. He pulls it out and reads the message from Harry.
Picked Hermione up. She looks confused!
Trust Harry to be brief and to the point. Ron isn't sure if Hermione's confusion is good or bad, but he tries not to linger on it, or he'll end up talking himself out of this altogether. Letting out a shaky breath, he shoves his phone away then wanders through to the kitchen to check on Rose and Hugo.
"We have five minutes before your mum turns up. Are we all ready to go?"
Rose nods. "Wine is opened and ready to pour. I turned the lights off in the front room. It'll be funnier if she thinks nobody is here. I will open the door when the bell sounds, and Hugo will take Mum's coat if she's brought one."
"Alright, brilliant. What about serving the food? Will you be okay with that? It'll be hot."
She raises her eyebrows with a tut. "I'm fourteen, Ron. I can handle the oven. I've been cooking for myself for a while now. I'm probably better than my mum."
"Sorry." Ron lets out a nervous laugh. "I'm not used to teenagers or what they can do. We stop babysitting them at thirteen, and now they do the looking after."
He's babbling now; the nerves in his belly have grown from butterflies to full-sized dragons, stomping away at his insides. He might explode in anticipation if he has to wait a moment longer. If only you could click your fingers and be transported instantly to where you needed to be. Then Ron wouldn't have to obsess over whether Hermione is going to show or not. Although Harry is delivering her to the front door, she could still turn and run away.
Placing a hand on Ron's arm, Rose's voice is gentle as she says, "Go and get some fresh air. Hugo and I will bring Mum through when she gets here. Don't forget to turn the fairy lights on."
"Yes, boss." Ron salutes before heading back outside, flipping the switches to turn on all the tiny lights he's draped over the pergola and bushes over the years he's been here. They light the place up like little fireflies, dancing in the light breeze that blows through the garden.
There's no way he could make this night any more perfect. The awful storms and weather that have made this week gloomy have taken a pause, and the late afternoon sky is taking its time to turn into a beautiful sunset. Purples and pinks paint the sky as the sun makes its journey to bed, giving the garden a romantic glow. Still, it's not all that warm, but Rose has thought about that, collecting up all the spare throws and blankets in the house and stacking them near the table, ready should they be needed later.
The doorbell rings through the house, and the kids let out an excited squeal. There's a cacophony of noise as they get into position. From where he's standing next to the table, Ron can see right through the kitchen and down the hallway, and he squints as Rose heads to the front door and pulls it open. He pulls at the sleeves on his shirt, a light grey button-down that Rose pulled from his wardrobe earlier and insisted he wear, as he waits for the next stage of his plan to begin.
"Good evening, Mum." Despite the distance, he can hear Rose's voice loud and clear, probably because she's accentuating every word like a posh maître d'.
"I-I thought you were getting on well with Victoire, and her dad had invited you for dinner at theirs?" Hermione stumbles, her voice a little quieter, forcing Ron to strain to listen.
"Change of plans, it seems. I had a much better offer. Follow me."
A knot forms in Ron's throat as his heart pounds a steady rhythm in his chest. He's sure he's forgotten how to breathe, and his lungs might burst as he keeps his eyes on Hermione's endless journey through the house. The more he sees of the woman he's now pretty sure he's in love with, the more he believes his knees might give way.
Ron clenches his sweaty hands by his sides to stop them from shaking as she steps out into the garden. He's almost bowled over by how stunning she looks. When he got home from the Burrow earlier, he sent Hermione a text message, asking her to dress up because Harry would pick her up at six. Of course, she sent a barrage of messages back, wanting to know the finer details of what was going on, but Ron decided only to give her enough information to help her get ready for the evening.
It was a risk, especially given the note things ended on last night, but he had to give it a try, or he'd ruin the surprise completely.
But it looks like the gamble paid off.
Hermione's brown curls cascade down her back, and in the small amount of light, Ron can tell that she's even put on a tiny bit of makeup, accentuating the frown on her face. She has chosen a beautiful yellow sundress with a matching shawl thrown over her shoulders.
And she looks fucking stunning.
"Wow," Ron breathes out, finally remembering how his lungs function. "You look amazing!"
Hugo and Rose giggle behind Hermione, and Ron throws them a warning look, sending them scampering back into the kitchen. "Sorry about that, the wait staff here are horrendous. I should fire them, but they're cute. For now, I'll keep them as I don't have anyone else to take their place, but they're on their last warning."
He takes one step towards Hermione, offering her his hand. She eyes it with a suspicious look.
"What's going on?" she asks, her voice gravelly as if she's struggling to squeeze the words past her lips. As Ron moves closer, he notices tears shining in her eyes.
He lets out a low chuckle. "Have you never seen a romantic gesture before?" He pushes his hand towards her once more. "Because this is me trying to do the whole romance thing."
"It's beautiful. Oh, Ron, this place is astounding."
Hermione's face softens as her eyes lift to meet with his. Her lips curl upwards as she slides her fingers against his palm, tightening her fingers around his. Heat blossoms at the contact, journeying up his arm and filling his heart with happiness. It's a small gesture, yet her acceptance of his offered hand says a lot more than words can ever. It tells Ron that it will all be okay, that they can fix the wrongs that have happened between them, and it shows him that Hermione is open to talking about their relationship, even though he let her down last night.
Unable to resist, he lifts her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss against her knuckles. Guiding her towards the table, Ron then pulls out a chair for Hermione. "S'just my garden, but I'm glad you think that. We've put in a lot of effort this afternoon."
"Wait. You persuaded me to let my teenage daughter spend the day with you on the premise that she can make friends before she moves a hundred miles away from her hometown, and instead you're using her for slave labour?" Hermione cocks an eyebrow at Ron.
He pauses in the motion of tucking her chair into the table. "W-well, I mean, I guess, if you put it like that, it sounds a little wrong…"
Rose saves the day by reappearing in the garden, Hugo hot on her heels. She's carrying the bottle of red, and she waits for Hugo to place the glasses on the table before pouring wine into them with a precision that makes Ron think she's done it before.
"I did it willingly, Mum. And I still got to see Victoire, didn't you see the pictures? She will be my new best friend. She's cool and pretty."
Hermione plays with a glass, her smile growing. "I should be worried then if the two of you are teaming up on me already."
Ron's confidence grows as he takes his seat across the table from Hermione. The easy banter helps him relax, and it feels like the first time they were in this garden, trying to come up with an idea for the fete. It was only a month ago, yet so much has happened that it feels like a lifetime.
"I'll always be on your side, Mum." Rose leaves the bottle on the table. "Dinner will be ready in five."
Once the children have disappeared again, Hermione lets out a happy sigh. "This is lovely, Ron, thank you."
"You're welcome." Ron smiles over at her, fiddling with the edge of the table cloth. Their meal has all the vibes of a first date. Even though they've already slept together, he can't work out where he should put his hands or if it's okay to slide his foot against her leg. He decides to concentrate on keeping his limbs to himself, for now, hoping that'll distract him from all the conflicting thoughts bouncing through his mind. He wants to talk, he wants to touch her, but most of all, Ron wants to snog her senseless, none of which he can do until he has her permission.
"I'm sorry if I disappointed you last night," he mumbles, twisting the white linen even further and risking upsetting his wine glass.
Hermione grimaces, but it doesn't linger on her face long before the smile reappears. "Yeah, you did a little. I spent all day yesterday looking forward to getting a chance to talk to you again. I was distracted enough to let the kids watch all of the Toy Story movies so that I wouldn't have to keep them entertained. It's a good job Minerva didn't want to assess my last lessons of the year."
A tingle of pride washes over Ron's body as he remembers the news he heard yesterday.
"Yes! You got the job, didn't you? You don't know how hard it was for me to play that cool. I wanted to sweep you off your feet and congratulate you yesterday. I mean, having kids around helped keep me under control, but yeah…" he trails off, rubbing the back of his neck.
"It did burn a little. I started to worry that you might not want me to stay, that you were going to deliver bad news. Until I got your text this afternoon, commanding me to 'dress nice and keep an eye out for Harry', I was still expecting you to tell me there was no chance for us."
Ron's stomach plummets. He assumed Hermione was a bit annoyed when he asked for another day to think it all over, but he didn't realise it might have caused such a downward spiral. Guilt twists his heart as he takes in her now sad face, and he lets out a heavy sigh before replying, "Hermione, I—"
"Dinner is ready!" Rose interrupts them again as she carries plates full of food out of the kitchen towards the adults. The aroma of his mum's white wine sauce fills the garden, and the growl of his stomach distracts him from the anguish at upsetting Hermione.
Hermione gives him a nod that tells him it's okay before turning to greet Rose. "Did you cook this?"
"Nah, he got Molly to make it." Rose chuckles.
"Dude! You're supposed to be my wing-woman!" he chastises the teenager. "It's your job to make me look good in front of your mum."
"But you got it home safely and made it look nice on the plates, Ron," Hugo intervenes as he slides a basket of bread onto the table.
"See! This kid is my favourite now because he has my back. You're on thin ice, Granger." He gives the teenager a pretend warning look while he points his finger at her, catching Hermione's delighted grin at the banter between them.
Rose's eyes light up as she teases back, "It's a good job I kept Mum's name. I'm not sure Krum would have sounded as threatening."
This plan is working. Asking Rose to get involved was a genius idea, and Ron is on his way to winning Hermione back.
"Have you eaten too?" Hermione asks as Rose puts a plate in front of her mum.
"Molly made enough for us, but we're going to eat inside to stay out of your way." Rose kisses her mum's cheek before guiding Hugo back into the house.
"Smells lovely."
"My mum's cooking is the best. And I was going to tell you it wasn't me who cooked it, I promise," he adds as an afterthought.
"I trust you," Hermione replies with a smile that seems to tell him it's not just the dinner she's talking about.
"Alright," Ron breathes. "Tuck in. We can talk more after."
⁂
Ron and Hermione make small talk while they eat, skirting around the main reason they're sitting in the back garden together that night. It's not until they've emptied their plates and they're both reclining in their seats, half-drunk glasses of wine in their hands, that he decides to broach the subject.
Before he can open his mouth, however, small footsteps reappear to whisk the dirty plates away.
"Did sir and madam enjoy their meals?" Rose cheeks as she stacks the dishes up in Hugo's unsteady arms.
"It was delightful, thank you." Hermione smiles at her daughter. "You two make a good team of waiters. Did you enjoy your meals?"
Hugo speaks from behind the load of plates, "It was tasty. I love Nanny Molly's cooking, and we will get more tomorrow."
"Well, aren't you lucky?"
Ron chuckles as he watches them interact, cementing even more what he already suspects—that the four of them together are going to make a fantastic little family. Images of holidays away, a wedding with Hugo and Rose by their sides, maybe even a third child cradled in Hermione's arms.
He stops himself before he gets too carried away and sits up more in his seat. "Put those dishes on the side, then go hang out in the living room. I'll do the washing up later. Put a film on, although not a gory one," he adds, knowing how much the kid likes to push the limits of his boundaries. "No showing off for Rose."
"Fine."
Hugo walks away with a sigh, watching the top of the stack in his arms with his tongue stuck out. Rose gives them a cheeky grin then follows, coaching Hugo over the step and into the kitchen. Ron notes with a smile that the smallest child is doing all the hard work whilst the eldest is in charge. Precisely like a Weasley.
Now that they're alone, he's keen to get the conversation moving along. Hermione is smiling across the table at him, her eyes twinkling in the fairy lights. With a big breath, he summons all his courage and stretches his hand across the table. His heart soars as she rests her palm against his, her thumb rubbing circles against his skin.
Ron groans as a chorus of giggles emit from the kitchen. Fed up with all the interruptions, it's time to take a more drastic approach.
"I'm beginning to think roping the kids in to help was a bad idea." He jumps to his feet without letting go of her hand and pulls her around the table. "Care to join me for a small wander?"
"That would be delightful," Hermione replies with a squeeze of his hand.
They meander down the long garden, following the wavy cobbled path until it reaches a wooden bench nestled under a large wisteria. The plant's purple flowers are beginning to peek from its green leaves, illuminated by the fairy lights Ron has wrapped around the branches. It's the perfect spot for the couple. They can see straight up the garden if any small people are spying on them or if anything goes wrong, but the branches and leaves of the other plants and trees decorating the garden border also protect them from said tiny eyes.
He takes a seat and pivots his body to look at Hermione as she settles next to him. Their knees bump together, sending jolts of electricity up his thigh and straight to his cock, even as her bare skin touches him over his jeans.
Hermione lets out a nervous laugh then uses the hand that's not intertwined with Ron's to push her curls out of her face. The sight of her trembling hand gives him a small amount of relief. She's as anxious as him, even though neither of them needs to be.
"That's much better. Those two are as thick as thieves already. We're in for a ton of trouble, I think."
"We?" Ron grins at her use of the word, even though it was an innocent enough statement.
"I'm a little fed up with beating around the bush, Ron, aren't you?"
"Yeah. All this waiting and let's talk then not talking but still kissing; it's driving me crazy. I thought I had made the right decision trying to take my time and think about it all, not rushing it like I did the last time. But the truth is I can't get you out of my mind. It's bloody infuriating."
"That's good to hear because it's the same for me. I was worried that I wasn't going to pass my interview and that I'd have to leave Ottery without fixing my friendship with y—"
"Never," Ron interrupts, his mouth wide open in shock. Does she think that he'd behave that way, especially with her? "That would never happen. Because number one, you're too fucking fantastic. I'd march over to the school myself and tell McGonagall off if she fired you. And two, I wouldn't let you leave without us at least being friends. I've never hated you, Hermione.
"It should be you hating me. How I treated you, well, it was shit, wasn't it?"
Hermione frowns. "Was it?"
"I slept with you then dumped you the next day. All because I let my mother get into my head and fuck me up. I was stupid to listen to her."
"Ah, that's what happened!" She laughs. "I was wondering how you went from the way we were to stressing out about upsetting Hugo. I adore that child, Ron. I've told you a hundred times already. And I don't care that I work in the same school as him. I'm not his teacher anymore. He moves up to Flitwick's class in September."
He raises his hands in surrender. "I know, I know. But Hugo is important to me, and he was fucked up after Lavender left."
"Lavender?"
"That's my ex." Ron sighs. "I try not to mention her name because I don't want him hearing it and getting upset. He even said the other week that she didn't like him. That's shit for a kid, don't you think?"
Hermione squeezes his hand. "Yeah, it is. But I promise, if we decide to make a proper go of this relationship, then I'm in it for the long run. There's no way I could walk out on you two. I—I'm head over heels for both of you. And I know that's ridiculous to say after only a month of knowing you, but I can't help it."
Ron's breath catches in his throat as her words seep into his brain. He's losing control over the conversation but in a good way. Earlier, he wrote a whole speech in his head, wanting to tell Hermione how wrong he was to walk out when she told him the truth about Rose and how he wants them both in his life, but Hermione has stolen all the words from him. How is it that she can see into his mind? Are they that perfect for each other that they can communicate with without needing to speak?
But of course, it's always been that way since they set eyes on each other that fateful Friday night. If he hadn't been late to the meeting, then he may not have been paired with Hermione and wouldn't be in this position now. Sure, it's been a painful journey to get to this moment of realisation, but he wouldn't trade it for the world.
Ron reckons it's going to make them stronger.
Now, he's done with words, waiting to talk, needing time to think. There's been enough of that over the past few weeks. He has to take action to satisfy the yearning he's harboured for Hermione since their first night together.
Without asking for further permission, he untangles their fingers and slides his hand to the back of her head, a small moan escaping his lips as his fingertips graze along her soft, silky curls. Licking his lips, he pushes her head towards his, being careful not to hurt her as he captures her mouth in a gentle kiss, putting a stop to any of the remaining nervous babbling. Their noses bump together, and his grip on her hair tightens as he holds her to him, tasting her as if it is the first time again.
Hermione is home for Ron, and he hopes that will never change again. He no longer wants to live in a world where he can't freely kiss the woman he loves. To prove his point and lay his claim on her further, he parts his lips and runs his tongue along the seam of her mouth, groaning as she grants him entrance straight away.
"Ron," she moans against his lips, the vibration sending a jolt of excitement directly to his lower belly, where it seems most of his blood is pooling too.
"Oh God, I love you so much." He breaks up the long, hard kisses with smaller ones, sliding his spare hand around her waist before lifting her onto his lap to get her even closer to him.
Her fingernails dig into his neck as she presses her side against him, but the small amount of pain only heightens his pleasure. It's like they're horny teenagers again, making out in a spot where parents and other adults can't find them. He wants more, no, he needs more from her, but he's also hyper-aware of the two children they're supposed to be setting an example to, even as Hermione grinds her hips against his hard cock.
Despite their frenzy, it's Ron who breaks away first. He gets a brief glimpse of her radiant smile before he moves his lips to press lazy kisses against her jaw. When he reaches her mouth once more, he rubs their noses together before resting his forehead against hers.
"Shit, that was hot," Ron admits. He's sure the creeping heat covering his cheeks matches the blush on Hermione's, and he doesn't even care. "If the kids weren't here, I'm pretty sure I would have taken you right here on this bench."
"Same, but I think we should probably take things a little slower this time anyway, don't you think? Do the whole dating, romance thing. I've quite enjoyed this evening, and I selfishly want more of it. Maybe even some time without the kids."
"That sounds good, actually. I'd do anything if it means I get to have you and your crazy secret family."
"Really?"
"Yeah! And the only reason I put off speaking to you yesterday was because I wanted to prove to you that I accept you with Rose. She's fucking brilliant, Hermione, and you can already see that Hugo is smitten with her. I reckon we'll be a great little family. If you'll have us, that is."
Hermione raises her eyebrows, a tight smile appearing on her lips. "Are you asking me what I think you're asking me, Ron Weasley?"
"Maybe. Hermione Granger, will you be my girlfriend? Before you rush to say yes," he adds, his grin growing so wide, his cheeks ache. "Know that doing so means you accept Hugo and me as a part of your life."
A laugh escapes her lips as she tightens her arms around his neck, pushing her body even closer to him. "Yes, one hundred times yes. As long as you accept me and Rose as a part of your life."
"You're kidding me?" Ron reaches up to brush an escaped curl off Hermione's forehead. "She's already a part of it. Me and her and going to be best friends."
"I think so too!" Hermione presses one last kiss against his lips before untangling herself from around him. "Shall we go and tell them, then?"
"Better had, because you know they're trying their best to spy on us, despite the fact we came up here to get away from them."
He waits for Hermione to slide off his lap, helping her straighten her dress as she adjusts his collar. Hand in hand, they make their way back up to the house, laughing as Hugo and Rose are waiting in the kitchen doorway.
"Oy! Super spies," Ron calls. "Get over here."
The couple settle back at the table, this time sitting as close as they can to each other. Once the kids have joined them, Ron exchanges a look with Hermione. She smiles back and gives him the nod to go first.
"Hermione and I have had a chat, and we reckon…." He pauses for dramatic effect, laughing as the kids shuffle to the edge of their seats in anticipation of his following words.
"Ron, come on!" Rose pleads. "You can't leave us hanging like this." She jigs in her seat, a huge grin plastered over her face.
Hermione must decide to put them out of their misery because she squeezes Ron's hand before continuing, "We've decided to have a go at a proper relationship, be boyfriend and girlfriend, if that's okay with y—"
The rest of her words disappear into the dark garden as both Rose and Hugo let out massive whoops and throw themselves across the table at their parents. They attack Hermione and Ron with an enormous group hug, and Ron is grateful he's sat down as he's sure both children would have knocked them off their feet. He can't tell who's embracing who or where Rose's limbs stop, and Hugo's begins and quite frankly, he doesn't even care.
It's perfect, their little family, and he never wants this moment to end.