A/N: I'm trying my hardest to get my two WIPs (this and a Ron/Luna story called "Hands") finished before the seventh book comes out. So, I haven't really read through this as much as I usually would. If you catch any mistakes, please let me know!

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far! I appreciate everyone of them, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

"Hello, My Name Is Fatherhood"

Chapter Five: L

The Welcome Home dinner was in five minutes, and Hermione was still standing in front of the mirror, fussing with her hair.

"It looks good," said Anna. "Really. It does. Dad will love it. Can we go now?"

Hermione sighed, sinking down to the bed, next to Anna. A little hand, still a little sticky from an afternoon snack, was placed on her shoulder comfortingly.

"It's okay, mum."

Hermione smiled gratefully. "I know . . . ."

"And we're not mad at you either." Her mother gave her a quizzical look, and she shrugged. "Isabel said that you were probably worried that we'd be upset about you keeping us from Dad, but we're not. We were a little upset that you let us believe he was the one who left, but then I pointed out that you never really told us that, and so now everything's ok."

"I love you," said Hermione, as she pulled Anna into a hug.

"I love you too, Mum."

"Things are going to change."

"Yeah."

Isabel appeared at the door. "Dad's here," she said, and Hermione and Anna followed her into the living room, where Fred was standing in front of the fireplace.

He wiped stray piece of soot off his shoulder, before looking up and smiling. "You look beautiful," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

"Thank you," she replied, "but you didn't have to come here. We could have just met you at the Burrow."

He shrugged. "I know, but I wanted to see you first. And possibly warn you about Mum . . . ."

She raised an eyebrow. He laughed nervously.

"Funny thing, really. You see, she seems to think that, now that we're kinda . . . back together, that we've moved in . . . with . . . each other."

She pursed her lips, although she really wasn't mad. It was something that had been on her mind for a while, but she had been unsure of how to bring the subject up, unsure if maybe that would be moving too fast. It had been nine years, after all, and maybe the love was no longer there? "Well," she began, aware of the anticipating looks of Anna and Isabel, "I suppose, you can move in here, if you'd like."

There was a shout of happiness from Anna and Isabel, as they hugged her waist. Fred gave her a kiss, his hand winding its way to the back of her neck, his other cupping her chin, his thumb brushing lazily against her cheek. Her hands rested calmly on his chest.

"We're going to be late," she said, pulling back. She unconsciously licked her lips, feeling her stomach lurch nervously. She had forgotten how Fred's lips against her skin had made her feel, and nine years later, she was reminded. She wondered briefly if any of the Weasley children had any children of their own that Anna and Isabel would get along with; that way they could spend the night, leaving Fred and Hermione alone . . . .

The Welcome Home party was in full-swing when they arrived. They were greeted with a explosion of clapping, a few whistles and some shouts. She was immediately inundated into the throng and hugged repeatedly. Ron, who had always been a little reluctant to touch her (whether out of fear or uncertainty, she never quite knew), kissed her on her cheek.

"Hermione," he said, motioning towards–a very pregnant–Luna Lovegood standing next to him, "I'd like you to meet my wife."

Luna Weasley smiled. "It's nice to meet you Hermione, even though I already know you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Luna. When are you expecting?"

"August," said Ron proudly, as Luna said, confused, "Expecting what?" She looked to her husband and he pointed towards her belly. "The baby," he said.

"Oh."

"There's two more around here," continued Ron, looking around the room. Unable to spot them, he shrugged. "Well, they're around here somewhere."

Harry and Ginny joined them a few minutes later, and introduced their budding family: a boy and a girl, three years apart. Bill and Fleur, too, had children, as did Charlie and his wife. Remus and Tonks even had a small boy running around, changing his face from a bird to a wolf and then back to his own face (or what appeared to be his own face).

George, it seemed, was still seeing Angelina, although they didn't have any children yet. Hermione was welcomed by her old professor, Minerva McGonagall, and then given a rather strong pat on the back by Mad-Eye Moody. She reunited with some of her old school friends: Neville, Seamus, Dean, Pavarti and Padma..

And sitting on the couch, was Fred, Anna and Isabel. She smiled widely when she saw them, talking animatedly about something. They noticed her gaze, and they waved happily at her. She waved back with a small laugh.

And then she was engaged, once again, in a bit of catching-up, this time with Remus and Tonks. It seemed that, although she had only spoken to Fred about why she left, everyone already knew and was content to keep their mouth shut about it. George, she thought, must have told someone, who told someone else, who told someone else . . . .

She was glad, though, to not have to explain to everyone. It made the Welcome Home party run smoothly and she began to relax, falling back into the warmth and familiarity of the Weasley household.

She was home.

Finding herself suddenly alone and free to simply watch everyone as they moved about, she noticed that Fred and the girls were no longer sitting on the couch. Looking around, she found Fred talking to Charlie (probably about Quidditch, judging by the look on their faces) and she made her way over to them.

"Excuse me," she said politely, "Fred, have you seen the girls?"

"I think I saw them playing with Gabi," he said, referring to Bill and Fleur's oldest daughter.

"They're not with her," she said, spotting ten-year old Gabi in the corner.

"Er, well, they're around here somewhere. They'll be fine."

"Fred, do you remember when you and George were younger, and you suddenly found yourself without any parental supervision?" she said slowly, remembering a certain incident at the last Granger Family Reunion that involved Uncle Larry, a bowl of punch, and a little bit of magic they weren't supposed to know (or even be able to accomplish) yet.

"Good point," he said, scanning the room for two heads of mischievous red curls. "Ah, they're over there, with Ron and Harry."

"What are they doing?"

Anna and Isabel were listening closely to something Harry was saying, as Ron looked on with a conspirative smirk.

She knew those looks: they were up to no good.

She cautiously walked over to them, Fred following her. She placed her hands on her hips and said, "What are you four up to?"

Ron shrugged casually.

"Uncle Ron and Harry were telling us about the Tri-Wizard Tournament," said Anna.

"And then they were going to tell us about how you and dad got together," said Isabel.

"Yeah, and why you guys never got married."

"Yeah, and why you guys should get married."

"They were going to tell you all that, uh?" She looked at Ron and Harry, who tried to look innocent.

They failed miserably.

"I never said that I was going to tell them that last bit," said Harry, "only about the Tri-Wizard Tournament."

She nodded. "Oh, of course." She turned to Fred. "If you want to propose, you can ask yourself. You don't have to get Harry and Ron to get the girls to do it for you."

Fred gasped indignantly. "I never–!"

She merely raised her eyebrows.

"But, you know . . . if you'd like to . . . ."

"Yes," she said.

"Really?"

"Yes, I'll marry you."

"Wicked! Hey George! I'm moving out of the flat and I'm getting married!" called Fred across the room.

George called back, "All right, but I'm keeping the cat."

"We have a cat?"

"Yeah, you know that puffy thing that sleeps on the chair?"

"That's a cat?"

The guests laughed at Fred and George's conversation, and began to congratulate Fred and Hermione. Mrs. Weasley hugged them both tightly, but then something seemed to pop into place and she asked Fred, "I thought you said you already moved in with each other?"

Fred shrugged, giving his mother a guilty little smile, and wrapped his arm around Hermione. She leaned into him, giving him a kiss on his cheek.

"I love you," she said.

"And I love you."

(tbc)