I do not own Harry Potter; everything belongs to J.K. Rowling.

AN: I'm sorry I was gone so long! I'll try to do better.

Waking up in Ron's arms was something I hadn't done in far too long a time and it was reassuring to know that it still felt so natural. After all we'd been through I'd have expected the magic to wear off eventually, but no, he made me feel as safe and loved as he ever had- although we definitely had our other moments. I smiled and stretched only to feel his hands go about me and pull me to him. His face appeared over mine and he smiled lazily.

"Morning, love," he murmured in a raspy voice and leaned down to kiss me. I giggled and turned my face away.

"Mm-mm. We brush first. Morning kisses after," I said.

Ron growled and his grip tightened. "Kisses first, you she-devil," he muttered and pinned a good one on me for my sass. I didn't giggle after he pulled away.

"I love you," I whispered.

"Love you more," he replied, then buried his face n my shoulder. "Merlin, do we really have to get up? Wait, don't answer that. We really have to get up." He put a hand on my stomach and smiled softly. "Good morning, kid," he murmured.

I grinned. "Come on, showers?"

He looked up at me and raised a brow. "With you?"

I rolled my eyes. "If you insist."

"Oh, I insist," he replied, crawling off the bed and scooping me up before carting me into the bathroom. "You know, we could just scourgify and be done with it."

"But Ron," I murmured and leaned my head against his shoulder, "why bother when you know I can't resist the smell of your toothpaste?"

He laughed and pushed the bathroom door closed with one foot while I waved my wand at the taps. A second later steam fogged up the window and mirrors and I'm not sorry to say the shower left very little to our imaginations.

After our weekend was off to a brilliant start, how could the rest of it not go just as smoothly, I reasoned. I was in a good mood, Ron was in a fantastic mood, and the baby wasn't making a peep. In all, I was quite content. I wasn't even terribly bothered when he was called away during the middle of Sunday dinner at the Burrow. Harry was called away at the same time, leaving Ginny and me to chat a bit. It had been a few days since we'd really talked and I was eager to hear about her. Molly was kind enough to leave us be, though she kept looking over and beaming at us both as we sat in our corner of the parlor.

"Don't you have plans to do some shopping this afternoon?" Ginny asked me after she'd updated me on her pregnancy and James' latest shenanigans.

"I do- interested? Finally letting the purse strings loosen a bit?"

Ginny shrugged. "Just thought you might like some company. What are you in for?"

"Some maternity clothes," I admitted. "I know it would be simple to alter them with a spell, but it's more fun to go shopping, isn't it? And it's not like I'm wearing robes all the time."

"That's true. Of course, I'm sure Mum wouldn't mind altering them for you-"

"That's alright," I said quickly. "So, want to come?"

"I will, thanks," Ginny replied, laughing. "So," she added, "Ron looked happy."

"He is," I said. "At least, he gives all the appearance of it. Oh, Ginny, I'm so happy right now. I never thought I would be, in this situation, but he's really quite, quite perfect about it all."

Ginny smiled broadly and I blushed. "Sure it's not just the honeymoon?" she asked.

"No, well, for him, maybe. I know it can't be easy for him, not knowing-"

"But he's made it pretty clear it's his choice. Don't go second guessing him, Hermione. He loves you. He has for a long time. And anyway, you've got to stop feeling bad about what happened. You weren't even really seeing Ron at the time! I don't understand our bloody society. Always willing to crucify a woman if she's sexually independent, but she's expected to stand on her own two feet financially and career wise. But does anyone care how many women a bloke sleeps with? No. Stupid double standards."

I sat back and raised my brows. It was the most Ginny had said, one way or the other, on the issue and I was a bit surprised by her attitude. She noticed my expression and looked grumpy.

"What? Didn't think I was so liberal? Please. You think I saved myself for Harry? No. Had to see what it was all about, didn't I? It's my right, my body. That doesn't make me a slag, just because I shagged the boys I was dating. What an out-dated concept."

I shook my head. "Gin, I never said-"

"No? Oh, sorry. I know you didn't. It's just that I got so much crap from my brothers over the whole thing when I was younger. I mean, what right do they have to talk, honestly? Men. Hmph."

I laughed, I couldn't help it. Ginny joined in a few seconds later, her smile sheepish.

"Well, where are you going this afternoon? And do you mind carrying James some of the time?"

I took the black haired tot from her arms and hoisted him up. He smiled at me broadly and immediately put a hand up to tug at my curls.

"Chop-ping?" he gurgled and I grinned. "That's right. Maybe if you're good your mum will let me buy you a new toy. What do you think?"

"Merlin, you're going to spoil him," Ginny said as she shrugged on her robes. "Say, Christmas is coming up though. Do you want to get in some gift shopping?"

"Why not?" I murmured, bouncing the boy on my hip a bit. He smiled and clapped his hands. "Hear that, James? Maybe you'll get a new toy and a Christmas present."

Ginny groaned.

We said our good-byes and flooed out to Diagon Alley after Ginny sent an owl to Harry's office, letting him know where she'd be. It was nice to spend time with her like that, to stroll along the worn streets and revisit all the old haunts. Many stores were closed until Monday morning, but a few were open- all the ones we wanted to visit, anyhow. James squirmed quite a bit when we passed the wand shop, for instance, and Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Give him to me- little brat." She said the words with an accompanying kiss to his cheek, though. "Merlin, this one's going to be a handful when he gets older. Know who his favorite uncle is? George. That's right."

"Oh, Gin," I said, stifling a laugh. "I wish I could say I was sorry, but I'm really not surprised. You've all got a bit of the twins in you, you know. Although Ron was certainly never as suave."

We passed into a new boutique that specialized in muggle clothing with a touch of magical style (and of magic- seams that expanded on their own and hem lines that adjusted themselves). Peasant tops, long skirts, bodices in modern material and scarves were their greatest selection. It reminded me of the hippie clothing my own mum had packed away in a trunk in our attic. Or the Renaissance fairs we went to occasionally as a family- before I'd been accepted at Hogwarts. Ginny was amused by the clothing, but I browsed about eagerly.

"That's an understatement. He's not so bad now, though, I dare say." Ginny gave me a sidelong glance and I blushed again.

"Ginny Weasley, don't go asking questions you don't want to know the answer to."

She laughed. "The only question I wanted to know the answer to was about the ferret and you certainly told me all I need to know-"

She stopped short and I looked up at her from the rack of clothes I was perusing to follow her line of sight.

Draco Malfoy. I swore I felt the twinges of a migraine the second I laid eyes on him. He pretended not to see us right away, only looking in our direction after another long, uncomfortable minute had passed. A minute in which I tried to convince Ginny to leave and she insisted we should stay. It was a free country, wasn't it? We shouldn't let him push us out.

"Ah, Granger," he said. "Wease- no, it's Potter now. Sorry." He shrugged. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," I replied shortly. "Ginny, I don't think there's anything here-"

"I'll be done in a minute," Ginny replied firmly, though she wasn't looking at any clothes at all, just glaring at Malfoy. I sighed and rubbed at my temple.

"Feeling alright?" Draco asked. "Everything okay with the ba-"

"Everything is fine, thanks for asking," Ginny butt in, smiling sweetly and putting her free hand on her own growing belly. Draco looked taken aback. I snickered in spite of myself and Draco looked at me sharply. His cheeks turned a bright pink and he frowned.

"Well, I'll just leave you to it, then," he said stiffly. "See you at work, Granger. Unless you have other plans-"

"Oh, we'll be busy the rest of the day, Malfoy," Ginny replied. I bit my lip and contorted my smile into an apologetic grimace, keeping my eyes firmly on the clothes before me.

"Right then. Bye," he mumbled and backtracked his way from the store quickly. I burst out laughing the second the store bell jingled.

"Oh, Ginny, you shouldn't have-"

"Why not? That twat," she muttered, bouncing James. "The nerve of him! Trying to invite himself to your outing- that's what happened last time, too, isn't it? No wonder Ron wants to kill him."

I started to agree with her, but my thoughts short-circuited and I gave a small gasp. Ginny glanced at me sharply.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

I didn't answer her, just stared down at my belly and put one hand against it. My thoughts short-circuited again.

"Oh, Ginny," I breathed.

Her face suddenly broke into a broad smile and she beamed at me. "It moved."

I nodded. It was the most wondrous thing I'd ever felt in my entire life- better than realizing Voldemort was dead. Better than dark chocolate martinis. Even better than sex with Ron.

I was in love.

AN: Sorry if the mid-town rant there about double standards and society's antiquated views on sexual freedom offends any of my faithful readers. I'm a rabid feminist at times. Now I will contradict myself: *squeals* BABIES! *endsquee*