Chapter 15: Early March 2017

The Monday after the Diagon Alley excursion, Ron headed into the office after dropping Hugo at school. He hadn't been able to get anywhere on the smuggling case yet, and he was hoping to get a breakthrough soon. The first weeks he'd been back, he hadn't been able to get past the shock of seeing Fi's empty desk. So, aside from mourning and cleaning up a bit he hadn't gotten far. He was determined to get a fresh start today.

He was actually a bit nervous. He had always had a partner – either Harry or Fi, and he was used to beating ideas back and forth as part of the problem solving process. But, he knew Harry had his own job to do and didn't want to pin him to one case. He'd call him in for help if he really needed him, but he wanted to try this on his own first. In the office he'd shared with Fi, he'd cleared one wall off and put up a board to write on or pin ideas to. Sitting on Fi's desk with his feet on his own chair, he stared at the blank board.

"Come on Fi, help me out," he muttered. "Who did you talk to?" With a flick of his wand, he placed names of all of the Fi's contacts that he knew of on the board, with their region and interest areas next to the names. Where he knew there was a contact but didn't know the name he left a blank space.

Staring at the list, he realized Fi had mentioned she'd talked to her contacts in Surrey, so he decided to start with the twenty names from Surrey. Looking at the 20 names, he realized he only knew a couple of the people. But, it was somewhere to start. So, grabbing his cloak, he headed to Surrey. He thought he'd start with a chap who worked at a distribution site. Long ago he had crossed paths with him, but Fi had always been able to get more out of him than Ron, so she had built the relationship over the years while Ron had faded into the background.

"Phillip?" Ron asked as he approached the middle aged man sitting on some boxes drinking his tea.

"Who wants to know?" asked the man gruffly.

"I'm Ron -a friend of Fi Sutherland's."

The man's demeanor changed immediately and his gruff exterior melted into a smile. "Well why didn't you say so? I'm Phillip. What's Fi up to these days? I haven't seen her in a while."

Ron sighed. He'd known this was coming, but it wasn't going to make it easier. "I hate to be the one to have to tell you this, but Fi died in January. She was in a muggle car accident with her husband and in-laws, and they were all killed."

"No! That's awful," said Phillip. "And didn't she have a wee one?"

"An 8 year old, yeah," said Ron as he kicked at some dirt.

"Is he all right?"

"He's hanging in there," Ron answered truthfully. "I was Fi's partner at work. And, the day before she was killed, she had left a note on my desk saying she'd talked to some folks in Surrey and learned some things about a case we were working on. But, the note didn't mention who she'd talked to or what she learned. She always spoke highly of you, so I was wondering if you had any idea of what she might have learned or who she may have talked to."

"Crikey, I haven't talked to Fi since – oi, last Easter maybe? So, if she was talking to someone around here, it wasn't me."

"Any guesses who she may have talked to? We are trying to track down folks switching out fake ingredients in a smuggling ring."

"Haven't heard of anything going on 'round here. But, Richie Smith might know something. Do you know Richie?"

"No, I don't think I do."

"Richie's a squib, and he works for one of those muggle package delivery services. So he tends to have a handle on what is coming and going to who – at least in these parts. I don't know how much he would know about what's going down in London, though."

"Great. I appreciate the contact."

"I know he knew Fi. He'll be sad to hear about her too. She was an incredible witch. A funny, feisty lady, that one."

"Thanks."

"Who is looking out for her kid if he lost his whole family?"'

"Me," Ron said simply.

"Whoa," said the man. "You must have cared for Fi a lot. I'm sorry. Tell her son how great she was for me, alright?"

"I will. Thanks, Phillip. If you hear anything bubbling around, will you let me know?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Thanks."

Ron moved from contact to contact around Surrey, and each time had to go through explaining about Fi's death. Each was sad to hear about Fi. None had spoken with her since before Christmas. Each suggested another name for Ron to track down. It was grueling, emotional work, and he felt like he was getting nowhere. Each afternoon he popped back to the office at the end of the day and crossed off the names from his work board of every person he'd talked to as well as adding any new contacts he'd picked up. By mid-week he'd worked through every one of Fi's contacts in Surrey that he knew of.

Staring at the board, he tried to figure out the best path forward. Did he work out geographically from there? Or did he go back and work through contacts he thought she had who may have had overlap in potions, suppliers or distributors? This wasn't his favorite part of the job. He loved the part of planning the stings or predicting a criminal's next move. This part where you had to methodically comb through mountains of seemingly unrelated pieces of information to try to figure out where to even start was not his cup of tea. Sighing he reached down and pulled out Fi's desk drawers again. He pulled out each file folder hoping he'd missed something. When the pile of folders was on the desk, he realized there was a scrap of paper left in the bottom of the drawer. He reached down to examine it. It was a muggle receipt. Ron went to throw it in the rubbish bin, but something caught his eye. He looked closer and realized the receipt was from a sweet shop in Haslemere, which if memory served was in Surrey, and it was dated one week before she died.

"Well shite," muttered Ron. "Fi, where did your sweet tooth lead you?"

Glancing at his watch he knew it was too late to go there today and still pick up Rose and Hugo at school. So, he decided he would start Monday morning at the sweet shop on Haslemere's High Street.

Ron was tired by the time he walked Hugo and Rose through the front door. The two kids threw their backpacks on the floor as Ron tried to beat them to the kitchen to throw together an after-school snack for them. A few moments later his phone buzzed with a text from Hermione offering to pick up pizza for dinner.

"YES!" he texted back quickly. Grateful to not have to cook dinner, he took advantage of having a moment to gather up some of the dirty laundry and get things in the wash.

It wasn't too long before Hermione showed up with pizza and salad, and the four of them gathered for supper. Having lived alone for so long, he had gotten used to grabbing a sandwich on the run or eating while listening to the wireless or reading the paper. But, Ron really enjoyed it when the four of them had dinner together. It reminded him some of growing up at The Burrow and the lively conversations his family would have over dinner. He especially loved listening to the kids talk about their day and was thrilled to see how encouraging they were of each other. Unlike his siblings who showed affection through teasing, Rose and Hugo seemed to genuinely like each other and earnestly wanted to hear what the other thought on different things.

And Ron couldn't pretend that seeing Hermione in the evening wasn't the highlight of his day. Whether it was a funny story from a stop at the petrol station or an interesting problem she faced working on a case, he enjoyed hearing about how she had spent her day. And this week having spent day after day on dead end leads getting nowhere, tonight he was especially grateful to have the opportunity to have what was basically a family dinner with the people he had begun to care for the most.

"Ron," asked Hugo he reached for more salad, "George asked us if we were going to go to The Burrow for Sunday lunch sometime. Can we go this weekend?"

"Well, sure, we can all go anytime. I know my mum and dad would love it if all four of us came. But, I have to warn you – those Weasley dinners can get rather overwhelming."

"What is overwhelming about it?" asked Rose.

"Partly it is just a heck of a lot of people. And that can be a load of fun – usually all of my nieces and nephews go outside and play quidditch when the weather is good. And, my family – well – they are a loud and nosey bunch. But, they pick on each other mercilessly. George tries out his jokes and pranks on all of us and that kind of thing. So sometimes that can be a bit much to take. But there will be tons of kids your age to play with, and they are all nice kids."

"Will all of your nieces and nephews be there?"

"Hmm. This is a test. Let's see…Teddy graduated last spring but he's just started working, so I don't know if he'll be there. That's Harry's godson. And then Victoire and Dominique are both at Hogwarts now - they are Bill and Fleur's daughters. And then Fred – that's George & Angelina's oldest and James, that's Harry & Ginny's oldest are both second years at Hogwarts. So – everyone but those four should be there, give or take Teddy. Rose there are a couple of kids that are your age and will start Hogwarts in the fall - Harry & Ginny's son Albus and Percy's daughter Molly. And Hugo, Harry & Ginny's daughter Lilly and Percy & Audrey's daughter Lucy are your age, as are my friend Luna's twins – but they won't be at The Burrow. Or, at least I don't think they will be. And then Rox & Louis are the year in between you two."

Ron looked up, proud that he'd remembered everyone and realized all three of them were staring at him in a bit of shock. "What?" he asked them earnestly.

"That's a lot of nieces and nephews," said Hugo. "How do you keep everyone straight?"

"Practice? Not sure. There are 11 of them I think. And at least half of them are gingers like me, so looks don't help."

"Well, based on the people around this table you have three only children and one who was number 6 of 7. So, I think the rest of us just have no concept of what that must have been like," Hermione said.

Ron smiled. "Well, I loved my family growing up, but I love this too," he said gesturing at each of them around the table. "So – do you all want to go on Sunday?"

The kids nodded eagerly and Hermione said, "I think we're in. Will you ask your mum what we can bring?"

Ron laughed, "I'll ask, but I can assure you she will say to just come and it will be no bother or something like that."

Sunday rolled around quickly, and Ron found that he was both excited and nervous about bringing his new family unit to meet everyone else at The Burrow. He was still worried he'd overwhelm Hermione with either too much magic or – well – too much Weasley, but he knew the kids would have a great time. And as he knew there was nothing he could do to try and tame his siblings and their spouses, he thought the best approach might be to adopt the Cannons motto of crossing his fingers and hoping for the best.

As he stepped through the floo into the living room of his childhood home, he was met by the cacophony of sounds that he knew so well. He was soon surrounded by his siblings and began introducing everyone. Then quite quickly Hermione smacked him on the arm.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

"You didn't tell us it was your birthday, Ron!"

"Huh? My birthday's not 'til March 1st."

"That was last Wednesday, Ron!"

"Oops," he laughed. "I guess I forgot my own birthday. It's been a crazy couple months, you know?"

Hermione just rolled her eyes and laughed. Well, good thing your mum didn't. Look – she has a banner and everything.

As if on cue, Molly entered, "Oh Happy birthday, Ronnie! I am so glad you've come and brought everyone. We've missed having you these past months," she declared as she hugged him. "And you must be Rose, it is so lovely to meet you dear, and you must be Hermione. So glad you've come. Let's you get a cuppa tea Hermione, come on."

And with that Ron watched his mum whisk her off to the kitchen. Hermione smiled back at him as he mouthed "good luck" to her. The kids instantly ran off to the back paddock with the myriad of nieces and nephews to enjoy the sunny afternoon. Someone placed a butterbeer in his hand, and soon he was sitting with Ginny, Harry and George in the living room catching up. Ginny wasted no time.

"Sooo?" she asked.

"What?" Ron pleaded innocently.

"Oh please, Ron. Give me a break. How are things with Hermione?"

"Ginny, come on. Give me a break. In the past 2 months I have gone from middle aged bachelor auror to overnight single parent to an 8 year old who is grieving the loss of his whole family. And oh by the way we just happen to spend all our time with Hermione and Rose who just learned they are both witches. We've had a little bit going on."

"Am I the only one who is noticing that ickle Ronniekins now refers to he and Hermione as a 'we'?" asked George.

"Piss off, George."

"Seriously, Ron. She's seems great," said Harry. "I am so glad you've brought her and the kids. And despite all the admittedly bizarre circumstances, you two seem to be doing really well."

"We're just helping each other out a lot right now, you know? I wouldn't know what the hell I was doing with Hugo without her. And frankly the whole 'surprise you're a witch and so is your daughter' bomb that McGonagall dropped has been a lot for her to take in as well."

"So you're not shagging her yet?" Ginny asked.

"GIN! Shut up, ok? Merlin, don't let her hear you say that. She's brilliant. I'll be the first to admit she's fantastic. But it's all really complicated right now. So, please, PLEASE don't rock the boat, ok? The four of us are in this sort of delicate balance, and I can't afford to throw it off. There is just too much at stake. Please?"

"Ok. I'll back off – a little – for now. But no promises long term."

"I'll take what I can get," sighed Ron.

"Did you really forget your own birthday?" scoffed George.

"I guess so. I just lost a week somewhere. I thought this was the last week of February, not the first week of March I think."

"Well, Happy birthday, Ron. It looks to me like 37 could be an extremely interesting year," said George.

"I would have to agree with you."

"Alright, enough with you," sighed Ginny. "I am going to go to the kitchen and get to know Hermione."

Hermione had been snagged by Molly, swept into the kitchen and quickly found herself sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea.

"I just wanted to thank you, dear, for all the help you have given my Ron these last few months. He's mentioned multiple times that he would have been lost without your help. He's been a wonderful uncle for a long time, but this situation with Hugo has certainly caught him by surprise."

"Oh, he's been fantastic. He clearly loves Hugo so much, and he's honest and respectful with him, so Hugo trusts him, you know?"

"They do seem to get along rather well. Do you think they will really be ok? Both of them?"

"I do, Mrs. Weasley. I really think they will both be alright."

Molly sniffed and dabbed her eyes with the corner of her apron. "Thank you, Hermione. I have been so worried about them both."

"Well, I have too if I am to be honest with you. That first night I was not sure I was ready to let Hugo go off with Ron. But, they seem to be really good for each other. They seem good – or at least better than is fair to expect anyway."

"Well, anyway – thank you for looking out for both of my boys."

"Oh, they've been looking out for us too. I don't know what I would have done without Ron these past few weeks. I mean, when Professor McGonagall showed up and announced that Rose and I were witches I actually thought I was having some sort of nervous breakdown. He's been fantastic – patient with our never ending questions and a great teacher as I try to learn everything,"

"Well, I am glad to hear he's been helpful. We were so thrilled when we heard the news. Ron was too obviously, but Hugo was just ready to shout it from the rooftops. I am overjoyed he gets to share this part of his life with you two, as you are as much family to him as anyone."

Molly bustled around her magical kitchen, conducting an array of tasks with her wand. As Ginny walked into the kitchen, she caught Hermione staring with her mouth open at the flying cutlery and commotion in the room.

"I guess it is rather impressive when you see it for the first time," Ginny said warmly.

Realizing she was gawking, Hermione snapped her jaw shut and laughed at herself. "Yes, impressive and overwhelming to be sure. I've seen Ron send dishes to the kitchen and such, but this – this is a whole other level. However do you keep track of what is happening where?"

Ginny smiled, "Well, first off Mum is a master. I couldn't pull something of this magnitude off quite so smoothly. We usually have five or six at our dinner table, and that I can handle. But, Mum had seven children, plus practically raised Harry so there were always a multitude of mouths to feed growing up. And, well – as you can see, she does love it."

"Wow. The most we would ever have would be when my family would eat with the Creeveys, and that was only seven people. And we treated that like a production. I can't imagine trying to pull that off every night. I'm feeling like Mum Of The Year when I manage to put a vegetable on the dinner plate, you know?"

"Well – yes, I do know. But, you work full time, don't you? And you have done it on your own. Not to mention without magic – so it is hardly apples to apples," Ginny said laughing. "When the boys were little any night they ate a vegetable and had a bath I would celebrate with wine."

"How many children do you have? Ron tried to tell me who went with who, but I know I lost track."

"It's a lot to keep up with. Harry and I have James – he's at Hogwarts now, Albus, he's Rose's age and Lilly, who is the same age as Hugo. Teddy is basically ours as well – he should pop by later. He's 19 and finished Hogwarts last year. Teddy is Harry's godson, but his parents died when he was an infant. He technically lived with his Gran, but he was more or less ours from the start, before we even got married actually. But I think we were good for each other, and he was fantastic for our boys as well."

"Wow, Ron and Harry will both end up raising their godsons? That seems unusual doesn't it? And did you say 19 years ago? That would have been the same time Collin died. Were they killed in the same accident that killed Collin and your brother?"

Ginny paused to consider Hermione's question, realizing that she clearly didn't understand the history. "Yes, Remus and Tonks died the same day as Fred and Collin. Having baby Teddy who was only a few weeks old then to focus on helped save me then. It would have been so easy to get lost in the overwhelming grief of losing so many people in a short time." She paused again and then continued, "Ron hasn't talked much about that time has he?"

Hermione thought about this. "No, not really. Right after the funerals we talked some about the grief process and what he and your family had experienced and how that could help us help Hugo, but the past ten days or so we seem to have been caught up in this whirlwind of discovering Rose and I are witches." Hermione paused, considering Ginny's expression. "There's more to it, isn't there?" she asked hesitantly.

Ginny sighed. "Oh I suppose there is always more to every story. But, yes, there is a lot more. It's much too complicated to get into here and now, but I would really encourage you to talk to Ron when you two can get a moment to yourselves and hear the whole thing."

"Can you just tell me," Hermione asked nervously, "did the Creeveys know the real story of however Collin died?"

"Absolutely," Ginny said assuringly. "His parents and Dennis were fully aware of what happened that day. And we were all so proud and so devastated to lose him the way we did."

Hermione felt a punch to her stomach and took a deep breath as she thought of something else. "I haven't even thought to ask – do I know the real story of how Dennis, Fiona and the Creeveys died?"

"Oh yes," Ginny said quickly. "At least as far as I understand it was simply an awful car accident. They were hit by a drunk driver, right? Unfortunately bad things happen, and despite all the magic in the world, we still lose people we love."

Hermione sighed. "I am not sure if I am glad to hear that or not. But, thanks for telling me."

"OK, enough of the depressing stuff. We will definitely need to whisk you away at some point to teach you about the stuff Ron will know nothing of."

"Like what?"

"Magic can be very helpful to a witch in ways we never really let the boys understand. On the fun side are things like glamour charms, altering clothes without sewing and potions for hair and skin. But on the practical side there are tons of household things that can make your life much easier that probably would never occur to him. Frankly, I am somewhat shocked that he has managed to feed, bathe and clothe Hugo on a regular basis."

Hermione chuckled. "Well, I do believe that when they don't eat with Rose and me they are more or less living off your mum's casseroles and take away. But I haven't touched the laundry, so that is all him. And now that you say it, I have no idea if he does it with magic or the muggle way, so to speak."

"You know," Ginny mused, "I am sorry you didn't get your letter. I think you and I could have had a lot of fun at school together."

"I have spent a lot of time recently trying to piece together the what-if's of all of this," mused Hermione. "But in the end, I can't regret it. I would never have ended up with Rose if I had gone to Hogwarts. And, well, she's my life. I don't want to wish away the path that took me to her, you know?"

"I like the way you think, Hermione. And I think that you and I are going to still end up good friends in the end. A lot of women are put off by my directness and, well, I cuss like a sailor. Growing up with six older brothers didn't leave me much choice on that. But, if you can handle what's been thrown at you these past two months, not to mention living in refugee camps and working through the British court system, you probably have thick enough skin to not be too offended by me. There is hope for us I think," smiled Ginny as she got up and sauntered out of the kitchen leaving Hermione bewilderdly staring after the red-headed witch.

As she sipped her tea, Fleur came in to the kitchen carrying a large salad bowl.

"You must be Hermione. I am Fleur, Bill's wife."

"Pleased to meet you Fleur. I am Hermione Granger, and somewhere around here is my daughter Rose. Are you French?"

"Yes. I grew up in France, but when you marry a Weasley, it is hard not to live in England."

"Wonderful," Hermione said slipping into her fluent French.

"How are you so fluent?" Fleur asked in French.

"I learned French growing up, but I spent a number of years in refugee camps in Africa where French was spoken. So, my accent isn't Paris-proper so to speak, but I can communicate. I love any excuse to practice, and I am trying to get Rose to learn it. But so far that has been a losing battle."

"Yes, I only spoke French to my children when they were little in hopes of keeping them bilingual. But their father is only so-so in French, so it never worked for us as a family. They understand it, and they get by when we visit my family, but they are not fluent. Makes me sad actually."

"So, if you don't mind me asking, how did you meet Bill?"

"Ah. Well, I went to Beaubaxtons, the magical school in France. But, there was a special tournament one year when a number of us came and spent a year at Hogwarts. I wanted to be in the tournament, but I also wanted to improve my English. After that year, I returned to England to work at Gringotts to keep improving my language skills, and that is where I met Bill. He is a curse breaker there. And, well, the rest is history I suppose."

"Did you grow up in a magical family like the Weasleys?"

Fleur laughed. "Well, my family was magical – I am actually part Veela. But trust me, there is no other family anywhere quite like the Weasleys! They are fiercely loving, but they can be a bit much, no?"

Hermione laughed, looking around the house full of loud gingers. "I can see that they take a bit of getting used to."

"We had a rough start, especially Molly, Ginny and I. Women tend to distrust anyone who is part-veela, not to mention Bill was the first of all of the children to get engaged and married. And I honestly didn't make it easy at the beginning either. But, we have worked through all of that, and I can't imagine being anywhere else. I am really thrilled my children get to grow up as part of such a crazy, loving family, even if it does mean I spend every single Sunday here."

"Help me remember – which kids are yours?"

"I have three children. Louis is outside with everyone – he is around Hugo's age I believe. But my two daughters, Victoire and Dominique aren't here as they are at Hogwarts. They will be home in a month or so for the Easter holidays."

Hermione considered this for a moment. "Can I ask you some personal questions? I am still getting my head around sending Rose off to boarding school, and I would love to ask another mum who has daughters."

"Of course, you can ask me anything."

"Well, I suppose it was a little different in the sense you knew your children would go off to school at eleven from the start. But, this has all just dropped in my lap over the past fortnight, and I think I am struggling more with the boarding school idea than the magic itself!"

"I understand completely, Hermione. One does not get between a mother and her child. We become fierce lions or something. Trust me – that was what happened with Molly and I at the beginning! But, in many ways, I have found boarding school to be a blessing for my relationship with the girls."

"How so?"

"Well, right at age ten and eleven girls change so much."

"No kidding!" agreed Hermione.

"I remember Victoire that last year of primary school. Right up until Christmas she was my sweet little girl, same as she had always been. And then all of a sudden it was like someone snuck in and cast a spell on her overnight, and she had totally changed. The physical part was just the smallest piece. One minute she wants to snuggle on the sofa and read together, and then next she wants to pretend I don't exist – and then she goes back and forth between the two at the drop of a hat."

"That is exactly what my life is right now!"

"It is normal, but it isn't easy. Especially for mothers and daughters. They are trying to separate and become whoever it is they are going to become. And this tension between the two is so difficult. The eye rolling and attitude that suddenly develops as they test out their new independence and personalities is awful. And at least for me, I kept trying to pick my battles with them. So, when they went off to school, it became easier to let go of the day to day nonsense. I could focus more on the bigger issues with them. Frankly, I didn't know if they made their beds or brushed their teeth. They would learn the hard way to remember to put deodorant on, you know? I didn't have to be the nag I had been."

"Huh. I hadn't considered that at all."

"And now I can write to them every day. Victoire writes back often – Dominique not as much. But, I know they will keep my letters and consider the things I say in a different way than if I pestered them over the breakfast table. And, when they are home, it is a more relaxed time. I am not coordinating school work, getting them to activities and what not. It is vacation and we can spend time as a family."

"You make it sound almost too good to be true."

"No, it's not. I miss them terribly. I wish I saw them more often, but that is a problem for me and not really for them. Parenthood is about getting them to be strong, independent, thoughtful adults. Hogwarts has helped me do that, even if I have cried in my pillow missing them while they were gone."

"That's what I am afraid of. At least for me. But what about the practical motherhood advice they need during puberty. Did you send them off wearing bras and packing tampons, or how does all of that work?"

"I made sure my girls knew what to expect, of course. I packed bras for them, and frankly as soon as the other girls in the dormitory wore them, they did as well just out of peer pressure. But the nurse there is fantastic. I have known her since I was a student, and she is wonderfully kind and maternal. When Victoire got her first period, Madame Pomfrey owled me before Victoire even had a chance to tell me. I definitely don't feel like I have just sent them off into the world. They are very well cared for and tended to there. As a parent, I have taken great comfort in that."

"And what if something happens? Either to me or to Rose? How do they handle all of that?"

"Well, I don't know how much anyone has explained the system there. But, the students on the first day are sorted into one of four houses by this sort of magical hat. Each house lives separately, and has a shared common room as well as a professor who is assigned to look over them. That individual gets to know them better, and is responsible for any discipline issues that come up, as well as any life situations. My daughters are both in Gryffindor like, well, pretty much everyone here. The head of that house is Neville Longbottom who teaches herbology."

"Neville, wait – I think I met him last week when we went to Diagon Alley. Is he a friend of Ron's?"

"Yes, he is. Very nice man. His wife owns the Leaky Cauldron, so sometimes he goes on weekends. But, when my grandmother was ill, I let Neville know what was going on. And then when she passed, he let the girls know and took care of them until I was able to get there so we could all travel to France for the funeral. He and his wife are very loving, and I trust them immensely. And, I already told you about the nurse. She isn't a school nurse like you have at a muggle primary school. She basically runs a small hospital wing there. Anything from menstrual cramps to exploding potions or elaborate quidditch injuries she can treat. I think she's regrown Harry's bones a couple of times. He and Ron practically had their own beds there when they were in school. But if it is something beyond her skill level, she can floo directly to St Mungo's – the magical hospital- or the healers can come to the school."

Hermione spontaneously hugged Fleur. "You don't know how much I needed to hear all of that," she exclaimed. "I have been so terrified of sending her off."

"She will love it, Hermione. I promise. You will be sad, but as a mum it will be a very positive experience for your relationship with you daughter, at least if mine are any prediction."

Hermione and Fleur were so caught up in their conversation that neither noticed Ron and George walk into the kitchen.

"How many languages is she fluent in?" George gawked quietly at Ron. "You should run, now mate. This can't end well. Or, you know on the other hand, you may have just won the lotto. One of those."

"Didn't even know she spoke French, so, yeah. I have no idea. I knew she was bloody brilliant, though."

"What does she do again?"

"Muggle solicitor who works with refugees. She worked with some big international group doing that and traveled all over the world with them for a while. Now it is just in England, but I think she has quite an important job from what I can put together."

"How in the hell did you end up with a multi-lingual genius?"

"Um. Well, we aren't actually together you know. Life has just thrown us into this unusual situation for the moment."

"Uh huh. Right. No chemistry there at all," deadpanned George. Then, smacking his brother roughly upside the back of his head he said, "Are you a fucking idiot?"

"Ow! What was that for?" Ron protested, rubbing the back of his head.

"Look. I have been around the two of you together for I don't know, maybe a grand total of 20 minutes, and even I can see the sparks fly between you two. Not to mention how you can't stop staring at her. Or how you get this sappy dreamy look on your face whenever you talk about her. I know it's a weird or delicate or whatever-word-you-want situation, but don't bugger it up Ron. You don't get this kind of chance twice."

Ron simply stared at George for a moment before George marched up to the table where Fleur and Hermione were nattering away in French.

"Ladies, come on now, we can't have you plotting against us Weasley men in French in Mum's kitchen. Stick to English and I'll help with whatever plot you are coming up with to get Ron and Bill."

Fleur laughed and reverted to English. "Nothing quite that sordid George. We were just discussing what it's like to send a daughter off to Hogwarts. And I so rarely get to use French here, it was a delight to converse with Hermione."

Hermione spotted Ron in the doorway to the kitchen and gave him a tender smile, which he returned.

"We can't have you stuck in here the whole time. Do you want to walk down and see where the kids are playing?" Ron asked.

"Sounds great. I am not sure I am of any help in a magical kitchen anyhow, so I think I would just be in the way."

"Oh you're not in the way, dear," Molly assured. "You just haven't learned how yet. We'll put you to work eventually, but not on your first visit. Go on down to the paddock and see what the children are up to."

"Are you guys going to come as well?" Hermione asked George and Fleur.

"No, I'll help Molly here," said Fleur.

"Nah. You go on. My kids will just grumble if I show them up on a broom," bragged George.

"Right," scoffed Ron. "Ok, we can go out this back door," he said as he showed Hermione where to head. He accio'd their jackets as they walked out of the kitchen and towards the back fields.

"Having fun, or are you completely overwhelmed?" Ron asked laughingly.

"Oh, maybe both," admitted Hermione. "But, I am so glad I had the opportunity to talk with Fleur. I've been so nervous thinking about sending Rose to Hogwarts. It was good to talk to a mum who has been there and can tell me how it was for her and her daughters, you know? Ten and eleven is such a pivotal time for little girls. I hadn't been able to get my head around how to throw boarding school on top of everything else. But, she helped me see it in a better light I think."

"Good. Raising little girls is just one more thing I know nothing about, so I am glad Fleur could be helpful."

Hermione laughed. "Well, you've done a great job figuring out Hugo."

"Thanks, but you forget – I have had some personal experience with being an eight year old boy. Being a ten or eleven year old girl, however is completely out of my realm of understanding. I didn't understand eleven year old girls when I was an eleven year old boy, and I am rather sure I don't understand them at 37 either."

"37 huh? I cannot believe you actually forgot your own birthday. Did you just say that as an excuse?"

"No. Honestly I didn't. I just missed a week somehow. I thought my birthday was next week. I didn't mean it to be a secret, I swear. I worked all week but didn't really spend much time in the office. Fi was always the one who was good at record keeping and the paper work stuff. I blew most of it off, so honestly – the only calendar in the office was hers. And, well, I haven't had the heart to flip it past January yet."

"Sorry," said Hermione as she touched his arm lightly. "I forget sometimes that you are grieving Fiona as well. I know how much I miss Dennis, and I didn't spend nearly the amount of time with him that you spent with Fiona."

"I loved her like a sister. And I spent more time with her than I've spent with my own sister since I was ten. So, yes, I miss her a lot. But, it's hard at work too. We were partners and so we were good at different things. We balanced each other out, you know? Without her I am just struggling. I have realized I just really suck at parts of my job that she carried me in for years without me even realizing it. Feels a bit like salt in the wound, yeah?"

"Yeah," agreed Hermione solemnly. They walked in silence a bit more before she added, "But the good thing is that you really knew Fiona. And I really knew Dennis. And so between the two of us, Hugo can really know both of his parents. We will make sure of that."

He looked at her and smiled. "Thanks. You're right. We will. Because he had great ones." He put one arm around her shoulder and gave her a bit of a sideways hug as they walked.

As they came up to the small hill near the edge of the paddock, Hermione gasped at the sight ahead of her. "They're really flying on brooms!" she exclaimed.

"Well, yes," he laughed. "That's our quidditch pitch. And you definitely can't play quidditch without flying on brooms." He waved to Rose and Hugo who were watching from the ground with some of the smaller kids as he led Hermione towards them.

Soon Ron found himself explaining the rules of quidditch to Hermione and the kids, as well as pointing out who was who on the brooms. Rose and Hugo quickly followed the game, but Hermione seemed to be unable to get past the shock of seeing children flying around on broomsticks. Shortly after Ron and Hermione arrived down at the pitch, Lilly caught the snitch ending the game. With his various nieces and nephews landing around them, the group soon became boisterous. Before Hermione could object, Ron had asked Albus and Lilly to take Hugo and Rose up on the brooms.

"Be gentle though," said Ron. "This is Rose's first time on a broom. No fancy maneuvers, Al. Got it? Just up, once around the pitch and back, alright?"

"No worries, Uncle Ron. I won't freak her out. Come on, Rose." Soon they were up in the air, with Lilly and Hugo close behind.

Hermione tried hard to be relaxed about it, but could feel herself clenching her jaw in anxiety. Ron sensed he may have overstepped.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I should have asked you first. Do you want me to bring them down?"

"No, no. It's ok," she said. "I am just trying to convince my brain it is all real. And, you know – safe."

"I should have asked. I am sorry. But, do you want to try? I'll take you up if you want."

"Oh, I don't know. I may be a witch, but I am not sure I am cut out for any flying that doesn't involve a British Airways jet."

"This is way safer than a plane, Hermione. Trust me. Give it a whirl. You might enjoy it."

"I might," she conceded. "Or I could have a stroke before I land. You know. Either one."

"I won't push you, but I think you should do it."

Hermione glanced up at Rose who was grinning ear to ear as she flew around the pitch. Hugo and Lilly were too far off for her to see his face clearly, but she knew she would never live it down with those two if she didn't at least try it once.

"Ok," she said reluctantly. "I'll try it. But, really calmly, ok? I don't think I can handle going as high up us they went. I don't even like roller coasters at the fair."

"One safe, smooth broom ride coming up," assured Ron. He nicked his old Cleansweep away from Percy's daughter and gestured for Hermione to join him.

"Just sit here behind me and hold on tight, alright? If you need me to land just yell in my ear and we'll go down straight away. And try not to keep your eyes closed the whole time or you will miss all of the fun."

Hermione nodded nervously, not trusting herself to speak. She sat behind him and put her arms around his back and waist as he'd instructed. She was rather dizzy with emotion. There was pure terror shooting through her at the idea of riding so high up without a plane wall or seatbelt or something to hold her in. But, she was also rather dizzy at being so close to Ron and having an excuse to hold him so tightly. His muscles felt so toned under her arms, and his scent was rather intoxicating to her swimming brain. She clutched him tightly, pressing her torso up against his back, placing her forehead and nose into the indentation between his shoulder blades and closing her eyes tightly.

Seeing how nervous she was, he talked to her as he got them up in the air. "It's ok, Hermione. I promise. Look, we are up in the air now. Just about two meters above the ground, so it's lower than if you were climbing a tree. Have you opened your eyes yet?"

"Not yet," she confessed into his back.

"Do want me to go back down?"

"No. I'll be ok. I just need a minute. You can keep going. But keep talking, ok?"

"Ok. I can do that," he said gently as he moved them up at a gentle slope into the air above the quidditch pitch. "See, from here you can see the pond we fished in when I was growing up." He patted her clutched hands against his abdomen and felt her relax a little. "Can you see it?"

"I think so," she said hesitantly.

He kept a light grip on her hands and forearms which were holding him tightly as they flew. He knew she was nervous and probably wanted to land, but he wasn't ready to have her let go of him yet, so he flew a bit longer.

"From up here you can really see what a crazy, crooked house I grew up in. It seems to defy gravity, I think. Growing up I was always embarrassed by it, but now I really have grown to love it. But I still think it needs more than one bathroom."

"You had one bathroom for the nine of you growing up?"

"Yup. You had to get up really early to get a hot shower."

"Wow. If I had been your mum I would have secretly built another bathroom to have all to myself."

Ron chuckled, "Would have been a brilliant move. But if she did, no one ever found out about it."

He felt her grip him closer and take a deep breath behind him, letting it out very slowly. When she inhaled, her breasts pressed tighter into his back and he realized he needed to land them soon before his thoughts about Hermione became visible to everyone. Enjoying the last moments of feeling her pressed up to him, her face in his back and her breath on his neck, he reluctantly brought them gently back down.

"There we go," he said quietly. "Back on the ground safe and sound." He helped her stand up and gain her footing again. "Did you enjoy it?"

"Yes, I did" she confessed. "Though, I think it is safe to say I would never want to count on my flying ability when it counted. But thanks for taking me up."

"Anytime," he said shyly as he finally let go of her hand.

As he let go, the kids ran up to them, and Rose squealed in excitement. "Mum, wasn't that incredible? I can see why Ron and Hugo love flying. That was the most amazing thing ever! I think I want to be a quidditch player like Ginny was. Do you think you will get a broom so you can fly more?"

Hermione laughed, "No, Rose. I definitely do not think I will be getting a broom anytime soon. But, it was incredible. As for your flying future, I will trust that Ron and Ginny will help you learn it, as it will not be my area of expertise to be sure."

Hugo was still beaming, "But now you see why I love it, Hermione, right?"

"Yeah, I do," she said fondly.

With that, they heard Molly yelling from the house that it was time to come get washed up for supper, so the entire group headed back across the field.

At supper, Hermione found herself at the long table seated between Hugo and Harry. Hermione was enjoying simply observing the chaos of the scene. There were plates flying and dishes soaring back and forth to the kitchen while the two dozen people around the table animatedly engaged in at least 5 or 6 different conversations.

"It's a bit overwhelming at first, but it is rather wonderful once you get used to the noise," Harry said quietly to her.

"Fleur said not all magical families are quite this boisterous," Hermione said. "Good to know that it is still a bit overwhelming to people who grew up in the magical world."

"Oh, I didn't learn I was a wizard until my eleventh birthday," explained Harry.

"Really? Your parents weren't witches and wizards?"

"Well, actually they were, but they were killed when I was just a baby, so I was raised by my aunt and uncle who were muggles. They knew I was a wizard but didn't tell me."

"Why?"

"Who knows," Harry sighed. "I've asked myself that more times than I care to admit. Bitterness? Jealousy? I don't know. In the end I have to keep coming back to the fact that Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon were more or less just really horrible people. Now that I am a parent and I look back on it, I just scratch my head even more. But, once I went to Hogwarts and met Ron, the Weasleys more or less took me in aside from the brief time I had to spend with my aunt and uncle each summer."

"They seem the type of family who could do that with no question," Hermione observed.

"They are. And thank God for it," he said. "I cannot imagine what my life would have been like without them. But, I do understand what it is like to suddenly feel like you're Alice in Wonderland and have somehow falling through the looking glass. I think I kept shaking my head for the first few years after I discovered magic somehow convinced I would soon wake up and find it all a dream or something."

"Well, that is exactly what I keep thinking," she laughed. "The past few weeks – well, really ever since the night of the car accident, I feel like I have suddenly started living this completely different life. And while there are fabulous parts of it, it is quite disorienting I have to say."

"Ron says you are doing splendidly learning magic. Actually I think his words were something like 'she would have blown us away at Hogwarts.'"

Hermione laughed. "Well, he is picking up the parenting thing rather quickly too. He is splendid with Hugo."

"I knew he would be. It's why Ginny and I had asked him to take care of our children if anything ever happened to us. He is a natural with kids. Not to mention he loves Hugo desperately and will be sure he knows how great his mum and dad were. That's all any of us can hope for in that situation, right? That our kids are loved and cared for and that they know us?"

"I suppose you are right," said Hermione quietly. "Especially coming from being raised by people who didn't seem to fit that description, I can see where you have a unique perspective on it. Why did your parents leave you to your aunt and uncle if they were such horrid people?"

"Well," Harry sighed trying to figure out where to start.

"I'm sorry, that was terribly rude of me," apologized Hermione. "Please don't answer that question. I just, well, I am trying to understand the magical world, you see. And it seems like so many people have died, and Ginny said you raised your godson because his parents died, and now Ron is raising his godson because Dennis and Fiona died, and then your parents died, Collin and Ron's brother all died. I guess," she paused searching for the right word. "I guess I am just trying to understand if this is all safe – you know – if this is a safe world for Rose. She is everything to me. I would rather live without magic than put her in harm's way. You understand that, right?"

"I do. I do understand that," assured Harry. "And it is safe, no matter how unlikely that seems at the moment. The death of my parents, and of all of the people we lost back in '98, they were all connected. And, well, I would suggest you and Ron have a long conversation about that at some point. I am sure that in the aftermath of learning about being a witch Ron hasn't had much opportunity to go back and explain some things. But, the death of Dennis and Fi and of Dennis' parents – that really was just an awful drunk driving accident. The person who drove the car didn't even have a license as he'd been caught doing it before. Being part of the magical world didn't cause their deaths. I promise. I even went back and investigated further to be sure. It was just a horrible thing that happened. But, the magical world is as safe, if not safer now than the muggle world. My children are my world too. If it wasn't safe for us here, I would have disappeared to live in muggle Canada or somewhere a long time ago."

"I appreciate your honesty, Harry. I do. It has been such a bizarre two months, I am still trying to wrap my brain around everything, you know?"

"I do. But, at least take comfort in the fact that this is all way easier for Rose than it is for you."

"That is so true! She is so excited to learn all of this and meet everyone."

"She just has a lot less to unlearn first compared to you, right?"

"Well said."

"And Hugo is so happy to share this with you both. I know learning about your magic now has made his transition so much easier."

"That seems to be true too. It must have been hard to keep such a secret for so long when he was just a little boy."

"It's just something that all magical children have to learn early on."

"I suppose. Do your children go to muggle primary schools like Hugo and Rose or do you homeschool like the Weasleys did?"

"Muggle school. Between our jobs, there was no way Ginny and I could have homeschooled them. But, I prefer it this way. I want my kids to be equally comfortable in both worlds. I think it is hard for magical children who aren't at all comfortable in the muggle world. Ron is better now, but he used to really struggle even with simple things like paying for something with muggle money instead of galleons."

"I can see that having watched him try to learn to use an iPhone."

"Yes," Harry laughed. "Muggle technology has never been his strong suit." The two of them laughed loudly, causing Ron to look over.

"What's so funny?" he asked.

"Just bonding over how amusing we find your inability to master muggle technology, mate," said Harry.

"Hey now," complained Ron. "I am doing much better. And you know – in fact, I can just text you if you prefer!"

"Put that away, Ron. No muggle toys at the dinner table. That goes for you too, Arthur. Don't even try it," Molly admonished.

"Ron's dad is mad about muggles," explained Harry. "He has a whole shed outside where Molly makes him keep his muggle toys. It is filled to the brim with old lawnmowers, radios and all kinds of junk. He will definitely corner you before the night is through if he hasn't already. I remember one of my first times here he wanted to have a long, academic discussion about the purpose of a rubber duck."

Hermione started giggling.

"Exactly! How do you explain that?" scoffed Harry.

At the other end of the table Ron sat next to his father, surveying the scene around them.

"You are going to teach me how to use that phone later, aren't you, son?"

"You know I will, Dad. I actually really like it now that I have figured it out."

"I am so pleased you brought them all tonight."

"Me too. I was a little nervous how it would all go. But, everyone seems to be doing pretty well. Hugo already loved it here, but now he is just beaming being around the other kids. And, well, it can get kind of sad in his world right now, and it's good for him to be surrounded by all of this life and love, you know?"

"I agree. He looks really happy. So does Rose for that matter."

"Yeah. She looks like it's Christmas morning or something. She can be a pretty serious kid, so it's nice to see her cut loose a little here tonight."

"And Hermione seems content," Arthur observed.

"I think so. It's got to be hardest for her – well, at least she has the most culture shock to work through anyway."

"I don't know if you remember our conversation a few summers ago, son, about what you wanted in life? If I recall I think I said you might be headed for an unusual journey to an unique witch. I hope I am not overstepping by pointing out that you may have indeed found her?"

"It's complicated," sighed Ron.

"Life is complicated, son. But, love is not. Tell me, could you imagine going back to a life without Hermione and Rose in it now that you have experienced what it is to have found your family?"

Ron did not reply, but just blinked his eyes back at how sick just the thought made him feel.

Arthur continued, "When something so right is so close, sometimes you just have to risk everything to grab ahold of it. Don't let her slip away."

Ron turned to his dad to say something, but was cut off by his mum leading the room in singing "Happy Birthday" to him as the cake came flying in from the kitchen. He looked around the table at a room full of people he loved, but found himself almost moved to tears as he watched Hugo, Rose and Hermione singing to him and beaming at him. His dad was right. He had finally found his family. And now he had to figure out how to hold onto them so they didn't slip away.

(Author's Note: I definitely love to hear what you think of the story. Thanks for all of your encouraging reviews and feedback so far...carrytheotter)