After the confrontation with Ron, Severus felt an anger that he hadn't felt for a long time. He couldn't believe what Ron had done to the woman who had stuck by him through thick and thin, whom he had once professed to love. But that wasn't important now. All that was important was his wife and his unborn child.

Once he had calmed down sufficiently, he made his way back to the hospital where he found an Auror he was pleased to see was not Harry Potter, but another Auror whom he recognised. The Auror nodded at him and moved aside so that he could enter the room.

Hermione was asleep when he entered the room, and his heart broke when he saw the tracks of tears on her face. Not wanting to wake her, he took a seat next to her bed and gently took her hand.

"Hermione," he whispered softly, "I'm here for you. I promise you that he will never bother you again."

As he watched her, she stirred on the bed and eventually opened her eyes. "Severus? You're here?"

"Of course I am," he said, bending down to kiss her. "I wanted to come back and see you before I turn in for the evening. How are you feeling?"

Sighing deeply, Hermione looked at him. "I'm doing better now than I was earlier. They assigned Ron to come and guard my room. We got into an argument." She stopped and looked carefully at him. "You know, don't you?"

"Yes," Severus said reluctantly. "The Healer Floo'ed me and told me about what had happened. I could have wrung Weasley's neck."

"Severus, being angry with him isn't going to do any of us any good." She yawned deeply and took a deep breath. "I'm so tired, Severus."

"Then get some sleep. I'll stay until you fall asleep," he said, bending down to kiss her again. "I love you, Hermione," he added softly.

"I love you too, Severus," she replied, closing her eyes.

Several minutes later she was fast sleep. Severus bent and kissed her one last time before quietly leaving her room.

Ron awoke early the next morning to an incessant tapping on the windowpane of his and Lavender's bedroom. Moaning, he glanced at the clock which read 6:30. Who in the world was sending an owl this early in the morning?

He opened the window to allow the owl inside and recognised it immediately as an Auror office owl.

I need to see you in my office at 7:30.

Kingsley Shacklebolt

He gulped loudly and sighed. He knew what Shacklebolt wanted to see him about, and he had a feeling that the meeting would not go well. He turned back to the bed to see Lavender blinking at him.

"You're up early," she said with surprise in her voice.

"Yeah, I got an owl that Kingsley wants to see me. I reckon I'm in trouble for last night."

"Did that goody goody bookworm report you?" Lavender asked, making a face at him.

"Didn't have to. Two Healers came in, and one of them took me out of her room." He bent down and kissed her. "I gotta go shower. I'll let you know what happens."

An hour later Ron sat in the office of Kingsley Shacklebolt, looking at his boss, who had a very serious expression on his face.

"Weasley, you know that I consider you to be a good Auror. But I have gotten some serious complaints about what you did last night at St. Mungo's. Whatever your personal feelings may be about Hermione's choice for a husband, you can't allow it to influence your job. The way that you reacted last night was unethical and unprofessional, and I can't allow someone like that on my Auror team."

"You're firing me?" Ron asked, his eyes wide.

"No, I'm not firing you. But I am suspending you for one month without pay. I simply cannot have that type of behaviour from an Auror in this office." Kingsley's voice was grave and his eyes were steely.

Ron stood up and paced around the office. "How can you do this to me? I'm a good Auror. I've captured some of the worst Death Eaters over the years."

"I know you are, Weasley, and that is why I'm not firing you. I'm giving you some time to get your act together." He held out his hand. "I will need your badge. You can get it back once your suspension is over."

"I thought we were friends," Ron said, tearing his badge off his robes and throwing it on the desk.

"And I thought Hermione was your friend. I will see you in a month."

Ron stormed out of the office and slammed the door behind him. He couldn't believe what had just happened.

Neither Ron nor Kingsley knew that a third set of ears had listened to the exchange with a great deal of interest.