* Midnight duet *

He had been studying very hard for the past two weeks, and even though he was more than ready for it, he felt it wasn't enough. It was one of his last tests before finishing his Auror Training. So there he was, in the library of Grimmauld Place, reading over and over again his notes on parchments. Occasionally, he read a paragraph from one of the books he had opened on the desk. He was reading strategies on how to disarm the opponent when he heard a cry followed by a door opening and footsteps. He heard another door opening and the crying intensified.
"It's alright, sweetheart. Mommy's here." he heard Hermione's tired voice say before the door was shut again and the crying was muffled for a few seconds, then he heard nothing at all.
"She must have settled as soon as Hermione held her." he thought, going back to his reading. He kept reading for some more minutes before being interrupted again by the door opening and the sustained and loud crying of his daughter in the corridor as Hermione made soft shushing sounds trying to calm her down while she walked through it until he heard another door opening and then shutting again. And one more time, everything was silent. Now he wondered why his little girl got so quiet in the second Hermione closed the door. It wasn't like her at all. He was about to go back to reading again when he heard the door opening again, Belle still crying at the top of her lungs, and Hermione carrying her downstairs.
"Something's very off." he thought. So he got up and went downstairs, following his daughter's crying to the kitchen. There he found a very hysterical 1-year-old Belle clutching onto her mother's arms as Hermione tried to soothe her, flicking her wand and making a baby bottle fly before her eyes.
"Everything alright?" he asked. She startled and turned around to face him.
"God! You scared me, Ron!" she exclaimed as she rubbed her daughter's back.
"Sorry. it's just... I heard her crying and..." he began before she interrupted him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to bother you or anything." she said. He shook his head.
"what's wrong with her?" he managed to ask, concerned, as their daughter kept screaming at the top of her lungs. Her little face was already so red that it matched her hair.
"Fever. And she threw up twice in the last hour." she said. Ron sighed. "I got her potion, but I have to mix it with something, so I thought to prepare her a bottle with milk. Then, I realised she just threw up on me for the third time tonight, so probably milk is not the best thing for her stomach right now." she explained.
"Why didn't you call me? I could have helped you!" he protested.
"You have that big test tomorrow. You've been studying hard for it for two weeks straight and I know you're worried about it. Besides, I didn't want to bother you with something I can manage." she said. But it was clear she was barely hanging in there. He sighed and got closer to them, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
"Her health and yours are more important to me than any test, alright?" he said. She gave him a little smile and nodded as Belle gave a very loud screech. He quickly grabbed the bottle and filled it with fresh water, then he added a few drops of the potion that Hermione had brought downstairs and mixed it before putting the teat on it. He then gave it to Hermione who unsuccessfully tried to give the poor sick child in her arms. She sighed and gave the bottle back to Ron. Belle rested her head on her mother's shoulder as she cried.

There's something sweet, and almost kind
But he was mean and he was coarse and unrefined
And now he's dear, and so unsure
I wonder why I didn't see it there before.

He heard Hermione's voice singing softly to the baby as she rubbed the little girl's back. He noticed the crying was starting to subside and as his girlfriend was about to open her mouth, he carried on with the song.

She glanced this way, I thought I saw
And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my paw
No, it can't be, I'll just ignore
But then, she's never looked at me that way before.

Hermione looked at him with a smile on her face, kinda surprised. She's never heard him singing before. He looked at her and smiled, and she carried on singing.

New, and a bit alarming
Who'd have ever thought that this could be?
True, that he's no Prince Charming
But there's something in him that I simply didn't see.

As she did, he carefully placed the tip of the bottle on the baby's mouth. Belle was getting quiet and she slowly opened her mouth to let the teat slip in it and suckle. Hermione and Ron looked at each other and smiled at their small victory.

Well, who'd have thought?
Well, bless my soul!
Well, who'd have known?
Well, who indeed? And who'd have guessed
They'd come together on their own?
It's so peculiar! Wait and see!
We'll wait and see, a few days more
There may be something there that wasn't there before.

They both finished the last part of the song as they noticed Belle's eyes slowly closing and her slow breathing telling them that she was back asleep. Ron placed the bottle on the table and felt the baby's forehead.
"it downed a bit." he said. Hermione sighed, relieved.
"I'll take her back to bed then." she said. They both went upstairs to their room and laid on the bed, little Belle laying in the middle of it.
"I didn't know you knew all the words to the song." she whispered to him. He smiled.
"You sang it so many times I practically know it by heart already." he said. She smiled back. "it's a nice song. Reminds me of us." he added. She leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips.
"I wouldn't mind having another duet with you anytime soon." she said after pulling away from him. He smiled and looked at the baby next to him. Now that his baby was finally better and peacefully asleep, he felt more than ready for anything.

Just wanted to drop a big THANK YOU to everyone who reads and favourites the story. Any comments, suggestions... are more than welcomed!