Boggart

Ron and Hermione stayed awake for hours. Ron ran his fingers along Hermione's spine as she wrapped her arms lithely around his neck. They stared into one another's eyes. Ron leaned in, kissing her gently again and again. Every hour or so, one of them would wrap up in a robe—Ron's an old, worn one he had left behind—to check that Rose was still asleep, then come back, entwining their bodies again.

Ron asked about what she had been working on and how her meetings had gone. Hermione asked about Ron's new position, a gleam in her eye to match his own as he discussed plans and schemes he and George had worked on.

"I'm doing research now for an American line," Ron said. "A lot should translate, but George wants to get a shop open in Salem in the next three years. I think we can do it in two."

They talked about the summer in Italy. Ron suggested Hermione should see if her cousin Britney might want to travel with them.

"I thought you didn't want a nanny," Hermione said.

"I don't, on a regular basis," Ron admitted. "But it would be nice to have one weekend with just us, don't you think? We won't use her the rest of the time, but a trip seems a proper payment, right?"

Hermione nuzzled into Ron as he told her about the support group and what they had suggested in terms of the nanny. The mystery of the Tuesday (and sometimes Thursday) meetings was solved. She listened quietly as he continued on about other bits of advice. Other things he was trying to be better about. And she told him about how she had scheduled another appointment with Yarborough.

"Come with me?" Hermione said. "It's a week from Monday."

"Okay," Ron agreed. She stirred beneath his touch.

"I never thanked you for that book," Hermione whispered. "The muggle one you bought."

"I had noticed it was on the shelf," Ron replied, pulling her over him, pressing his lips along her shoulders as Hermione rested a forearm on either side of him.

"I may have thrown it across the room first."

Ron pulled back, tilting his head.

"I was upset," Hermione said.

"You must have been," Ron said with a grin. "What did that book ever do to you?"

Hermione bit her bottom lip, a strange expression coming over her as she moved her hands along Ron's chest.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

Hermione shook her head back and forth. He waited a few moments.

"I was reading through the old part of the story book you helped Rose add to," Hermione said, meeting his eyes again. Ron was sure that wasn't what she had been thinking of. And it wasn't the only time in the night she had made such an expression.

"Oh?" he still said.

"That bit you wrote about our engagement," Hermione said. "Sunshine."

Ron moved his right hand to push back Hermione's hair. Training it all to one side as he hummed. "It's been awhile since you called me that, Rainbow," he said. Hermione laughed, her head falling into the nook of his neck.

Hermione kissed his neck, tasting his skin as Ron tilted his chin up, his fingers kneading into her sides before raising a hand to pull her chin up, pulling her mouth to his. It was nearly three in the morning that they fell asleep, spooned tightly with fingers laced together.

Ron woke with the alarm, turning off and watching Hermione for several minutes. In sleep, the anxious expressions disappeared. Her hair was pressed under her neck on the opposite side so her profile was perfect with the sunlight from the window kissing the edges of her skin.

Ron dressed and went into the kitchen, getting together toast and juice and a banana, placing it on a tray and walking it up the stairs. He carried it up the stairs and carefully opened the door. Rose was flung out on her bed, spread eagle with her previously tucked covers sprawled out around her small frame.

Ron set the tray down on Rose's dresser and squat next to her bed, stroking her cheek carefully. "Rosie," he whispered. "Rosie, how are you feeling?"

Rose squirmed and turned on her side, swallowing before she opened her eyes halfway. She didn't reply, smacking her lips as Ron ran his fingers through her hair. "Where's Mum?" Rose croaked out.

"She's sleeping," Ron said.

"Can I see her?" Rose asked pushing up.

"You start eating some breakfast," Ron said. "I'll go down and let her know, alright?"

"No need," Hermione said from behind him. He turned. She had put on pajamas, with her robe on top. She grinned at Ron and moved in, sitting on the edge of Rose's bed.

Rose's cheeks had some color to them, though she was taking her time in easing awake. She pushed herself up and ate a slice of toast, drinking the juice and foregoing the fruit entirely. Rose asked Hermione to read to her after she had had her fill. Hermione moved to sit beside the wall, Ron squeezed onto the opposite edge, one foot on the ground, and Rose sat between them. She looped her elbow around Ron's and leaned against Hermione as they read through a stack of books. Ron felt her forehead and cheeks repeatedly, assuring himself the fever was gone. She would just need to recuperate her strength now.

As Rose fell asleep to one of the stories, shifting so that her head rested against Ron's ribcage, Hermione closed the book and looked over to Ron. Careful not to jostle Rose, Hermione leaned over their daughter to give Ron a kiss.


By early afternoon, Rose was more herself. Hermione had taken a few moments once she was sleeping again to look through a book of wizard maladies to see if there was anything else they needed to do. There was an herb tea that was recommended and she wrote just what to gather to give Rose some with her dinner. She would check with Ginny to see if they had any of it when she went to get Hugo.

When Hermione entered the sitting room, Ron was playing airplane with Rose, lifting her against his bare feet in the air. She squealed in delight.

"Oh, careful," Hermione said, remembering how fragile Rose had seemed the day before.

Ron did appear to be particularly gentle when letting her down, though Rose immediately ran circles around the room.

"I think I'll go pick up Hugo," Hermione said. "You don't think it's too soon, do you?"

"No, I think we're okay," Ron said, still laying out on the ground. He reached out and wrapped a hand around Hermione's ankle. "Would you rather I—"

"I've got it," Hermione replied. "I'm going to pick up some tea that should help Rose get back to full form, too."

"Take that!" Rose shouted, doing an elbow drop onto Ron's stomach, making his double up and groan.

"I think she's feeling better," he breathed out raggedly and Hermione laughed.

"I want you to get a little more rest soon, Rosie," Hermione said, pulling her in and kissing the top of her head.

Hugo and James were doing their own wrestling as Albus preoccupied himself with a Quidditch mini model, whose players would play actual games once it was all put together. Lily was perfectly happy on Harry's shoulders, hand clamped over his forehead as he walked around, dusting the furniture.

"How's Rose?" Ginny asked, giving Hermione a kiss on the cheek.

"She's almost herself," Hermione said. "I did have some herbs I wanted to get. I can make a run to the apothecary, but I thought you might have some of these in your garden."

Ginny took from the list nodding slowly, then enthusiastically. "Come on," she said.

Hermione followed her outside, holding sprigs of herbs as Ginny went down the line, tapping branches with her wand, letting them fall, then moving to the next.

"Ron's with Rose?" Ginny asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "We thought we would play games as a family once I get Hugo home."

Ginny looked up, her eyebrows raised. "Ron took everything okay, then?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, looking out into the yard. "We talked and…"

Ginny turned towards her, folding her arms. "And what?"

"I mean, it was a nice evening," Hermione said, trying to suppress the kind of stupid smile she felt like exhibiting after the last couple months.

As Ron and her talked—talked about nothing and everything—Hermione felt connected to him in ways she had never thought they had been before. She could still sense a ghost of his touch. As he spoke of the group he had been attending—tempering himself by saying how it was lame and stupid while simultaneously sounding utterly enthusiastic in a way only Ron could balance—and Hermione thought she should tell him what Dr. Yarborough had said to her.

But how would it have sounded? She couldn't find a way to say it that it wouldn't have ruined the moment. And the last thing Hermione wanted was to break away from the magic that had somehow happened, despite everything else going on. There was a nagging that it couldn't last. They weren't done talking, after all. They weren't done working through things and Hermione had to push the thought from her mind to keep herself off edge.

"Did you... ?"

"Yes," Hermione admitted.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Ginny asked. "I mean, you were both… feeling like it was the right time?"

"Absolutely," Hermione said. "I mean, I think so."

Ginny's grin saddened a little. "What is it?"

Hermione swallowed. "In the moment everything seems so perfect," Hermione said. "Then… then I step away and it's such a small portion of the picture."

"That's every moment in life, Hermione," Ginny said, shaking her head. "But why not enjoy it when it does happen?"

"You're right," Hermione said, though she wasn't entirely convinced. It was easier to agree than to dissect the weightiness of her thoughts.

"I'm just happy you finally got some," Ginny said, the sly smirk returning. "I was so very close to taking you to a strip club just to cheer you up a bit."

"I'm a married woman!" Hermione said incredulously.

"So am I," Ginny countered.

"Exactly. How do you think Harry would have reacted to that?"

"Are you joking? I would have made him come with. Buy you a lap dance," Ginny said, sauntering back inside. "By the way, why don't you and Ron bring the kids tomorrow for dinner. We haven't done that in a while."

"I don't know if I trust any of your plans now," Hermione retorted under her breath on her way back in.


Ron went to get an overnight bag Saturday evening just after the kids went to bed, saying he might as well stay the weekend.

"If that's okay with you?" he said.

Hermione responded by stepping in and kissing him. "Yes, of course," Hermione said. "I do have to go through some briefings."

"Okay," Ron whispered.

By the time he got back, Hermione had papers spread across the coffee table as she sat cross legged and bent over one stack. Ron went to take a shower, then came into the sitting room, moving to the spot beside Hermione. She was concentrating on some edits made to Jodi's work and Ron scratched her back, relaxed beside her.

They went to sleep much earlier, though Ron whispered into her ear as they drifted off. When they woke in the morning, they could hear pounding upstairs.

"They're up," Ron groaned. Hermione turned in his arms and he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Rose will keep Hugo busy for a little longer," she said. "I was thinking…"

"Hm?" Ron hummed, his head back on the pillow, his eyes closed.

"Come back," Hermione said. She rubbed her lips together. "Let's go to George's flat today and we'll bring back all your things."

Ron opened his eyes and took a deep, steady breath. Hermione swallowed, knowing what that meant before he even started to talk.

"Hermione, we'll be going to meet with Yarborough, but we can take it slow. I can come back here on the weekends, maybe."

Hermione's face burned hot. Ron reached up to touch her cheek and she turned away, feeling the drop in the pit of her stomach. The same one she felt when Ron disapparated that first night. The same one when she thought she saw him meeting with Miss Ford in secret.

"Hermione, I—"

"Just go, then," Hermione said, turning to get out of bed.

Ron stood, following her towards the bathroom. She snatched a face towel from the cabinet as Ron froze in the doorway, looking at her through the mirror.

"Don't act like this is some big surprise," Ron said, one hand on his hip as he leaned against the wall. "We're getting there, I just—"

"You know, it doesn't matter," Hermione replied snippily as she dried her face. "But you could at least be straight with me."

"How haven't I—" Ron stopped midsentence. "What do you want to know?" he tried to constrain himself.

"Nothing," Hermione said. "I need to take a shower. Can you just keep Rose and Hugo from burning the house down?"

Ron shook his head and turned, walking out of the room. Hermione looked at her reflection, feeling something developing inside. A truth coming to the surface. She knew what it was, too. It was the fear. The fear Yarborough had asked her for again and again. The one she had wracked her brain for days to find. And now that it was starting to look familiar, she wanted to shove it back and erase it from her thoughts.

She reorganized her papers and continued to work as Ron played with Rose and Hugo up the stairs. Hermione didn't say anything until it was getting close to time to leave for Harry and Ginny's house. She helped fix Rose's hair while Ron had the usual negotiations with Hugo over how many toys he could bring with and they were off.

When Ginny opened the door, Rose ran to hug her, then looked up.

"I had to be brave like you, Aunt Gin," Rose said.

"Oh, is that so?" Ginny replied, kissing her cheek and giving an inquisitive look between Ron and Hermione.

"I told her about when you had Viper's flu," Ron said and understanding took over as Rose moved on to Harry, then ran to play with her cousins and Hugo took his own turn.

"Ginny's making a roast," Harry said. "Come on in."

The kids had all dispersed into various bedrooms, shouting and laughter ringing from down the hall. There was a loud bang right around James's room.

"Oi! Do I need to come see what you're up to?" Harry shouted.

Silence ruled for several moments.

"No?" James's muffled voice came, more question than answer.

"I really don't want to know what he's into this time," Harry said. "You know, I always thought Fred and George were a laugh, but I think that boy might be the death of me."

"Let him go on a bit longer," Ginny said in a chipper tone. "Then I can assign him to weeding the garden this week."

They settled in the sitting room. Ginny waved her wand and glasses of wine came out. Hermione and Ron sat in the arm chairs, facing away from one another. Ginny asked about their family night and Hermione gave a short answer. Ron didn't bother with pleasantries, sulking where he sat. There was a loud bang above them.

"Boggart," Ginny said. "I'm sure of it."

Harry sighed. "Want me to get it?"

There was a second bang from James's room, this one louder.

"Why don't you get that one first," Ginny suggested. "The one in the attic can wait."

Harry growled and made his way down the hall. When he opened the door, blue smoke plummed out. "James," Harry growled.

"It wasn't supposed to explode, Dad," James's voice came quickly through the smoke.

"So," Ginny said. She looked anxiously between the two of them. "Hermione said she's looking forward to a summer holiday in Italy."

"Oh, did she?" Ron said snippily. "I thought that was just me, looking forward to the time we have together."

Hermione's face burned. "You're going to do this now?"

"Why not?" Ron said. "You get to have sudden outbursts."

"I thought you two were doing better?" Ginny asked. "I thought you were actually getting along."

"Is that what she told you?" Ron asked.

"I figured you'd prefer that version of things," Hermione said. "I know how much you love just being able to pop in and out whenever you please."

"God, Hermione! You would think that we hadn't just spent the last three months living in different places!

"The length of time makes it easier, does it?" Hermione said. "I'm glad it's so easy for you!"

"I can't believe you couldn't just get through one nice weekend," Ron said. "Just one full weekend without an argument!"

"It's not like any of it has been real," Hermione said, looking over at Ron. It was his turn for his face to flush red with hurt.

"Enough!" Ginny snapped. "What is with you two?"

"You know, I think I'll just leave you all to have a good visit," Hermione said, standing from her chair, emotion rising in her voice. "I'm sorry Gin—"

"No," Ginny said raising her wand. "No. You two, mine and Harry's room now!"

"We are not your children, Ginny," Ron spat.

"Now," Ginny said with a flick of her wand. There were hundreds of little prods and pokes, nudging Hermione and Ron down the hall. As they protested, Ginny just pushed them further, the little hands picking Ron up by the elbows at one point when he tried to resist them.

"Bloody hell, Ginny!" Ron shouted. They were in the bedroom now. Ginny filled the doorway with her hands on her hips, looking more like Mrs. Weasley than ever before.

"It is about damn well time you two actually talked," Ginny said. "We have been patient in listening while you bungle any chance at actually mending things! You stay in here until you talk. A real conversation, you understand me?"

Ginny grabbed the door handle, then turned her glare to them again.

"And if you shag on my clean sheets instead of hold the discussion you have both been avoiding, so help me God, I will hex you six ways to Sunday!"

She slammed the door. Ron let out a huff and walked over, wiggling the handle. Hermione wasn't surprised it was locked.

"That bloody brat!" Ron snapped. He turned, seething. "Not real?!"

Hermione was acutely aware that their children were in one of the rooms nearby. She folded her arms across her chest and looked over to the dresser where pictures of Harry and Ginny smiled up at them.

"No," Hermione said. "None of it was real, was it?"

Ron took deep breaths. "What bits weren't real, Hermione? Was it all some kind of illusion?"

He moved towards her. Hermione stepped away, turning from him, pressing her lips together.

"We just both needed comfort," Hermione said. "After watching Rose like that, we both—"

"Bullshit," Ron said. Hermione stopped and turned towards him. "That is bullshit, and you know it. That night…" Ron shook his head and Hermione swallowed, looking down. "Once we knew Rose was okay. Once it was just you and me… that was the most real we've been with one another in a long time. In years, even."

Hermione teared up, feeling the walls closing in.

"Hermione, why do you keep pushing me away?" Ron asked.

She looked over to the closet. "Harry and Ginny have an access point to their attic in there," Hermione said. "Ginny probably didn't think to block it off."

"Hermione," Ron said gently as she past him, heading towards the closet.

Hermione tried to use her wand to get the ladder down, but it wasn't working. Probably something else Ginny had done. She stretched for the string to do it manually, but couldn't quite reach. Ron reached above her, grabbing it and pulling it down until she could hold it. She yanked it the rest of the way, then climbed quickly. Once above, she was able to light her wand. She searched around for one that dropped down into the study. She would figure out what to tell Ginny once she got out completely. Or she would just apparate home and make her apologies later.

Hermione was scanning the floor for exit points when something shifted to her left. She moved her wand and somehow Ron had gotten ahead of her. He looked more angry than she had ever seen him before. His face was contorted and he sneered at her in disgust.

"You," Ron growled. "You are the biggest mistake I ever made. I never should have thought I loved you."

Hermione froze, her wand illuminating him as he moved towards her. Tears began to pour down her cheeks.

"You think you're clever, but you never could figure out how to care about anyone but yourself. I would be better off never having known you."

Hermione couldn't move. He was coming closer. Hermione stood, sobbing when something jumped between her and Ron. No someone. Ron had gotten between her and… himself?

There was a crack and the Ron that had been berating her turned into a large and hairy spider.

"Riddikulus," Ron said. The spider's legs braided themselves and with another crack, it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Hermione still hadn't moved as her bottom lip trembled.

"Hermione," Ron said cautiously. "Hermione, I—"

Hermione moved as fast as she could back to where they had come. She scrambled down the steps and moved to the door, shaking like a leaf. She pounded on the door. "Ginny! Ginny I want out now, or I swear I will blast this door down!"

A confused Harry answered it instead and Hermione strode past him, wiping at her cheeks and hurrying out the door. As soon as she had space enough, Hermione turned and fell haphazardly in her apparition onto her knees in the living room of her house. She stayed put, clutching her chest with her free hand as she cried.


Ron came home after dessert at Harry and Ginny's, prodding Hugo and Rose to go upstairs and get changed.

"But where's Mum?" Rose asked.

"She's around here, I'm sure," Ron said. "Go on, now. She'll come tuck you in."

He hoped he was right. He couldn't get her boggart out of his head. The way it had mimicked him. Is that how he looked when got into arguments? Is that how he sounded? Ron opened the door to their bedroom, turning on the lights, but Hermione wasn't there. He moved towards the study. The light showed dimly through the bottom of the door. Ron eased it open, seeing the back of Hermione's head over the desk chair.

"'mione?"Ron said carefully.

She turned, made eye contact, then looked down.

"Sorry, I should have made sure you could bring Rose and Hugo back," she said cordially.

"Hermione, we need to talk."

"Please, don't," she pleaded.

Ron moved into the study and closed the door behind him. "I don't think you're a mistake at all, you know that right?"

"Ron, just please…"

"Please what?"

"Please don't say things out of pity," Hermione begged. "It's worse than when you shout."

Ron blinked, not sure if he had anything he had planned to say that didn't sound like pity, even if they were sincere. He stepped closer to her instead, wrapping a hand around her neck. He turned the chair towards him as he knelt in front of Hermione, her eyes still downcast.

Hermione bit her bottom lip, but didn't fight it as Ron pulled her to him. His forehead was pressed against hers when she began to cry again.

"You were never a mistake," Ron said quietly again. "You were the smartest choice I ever made. I mean, we both know that doesn't say much…"

Hermione snorted a laugh through crying as she finally met his eyes.

"I love you," Hermione whispered. "I do. I really do, Ron."

"I know," Ron said. He moved his thumb along her neck.


Hermione went to Yarborough's office and begged to be squeezed in the middle of that week. They still had an appointment together the next Monday, but she knew that would be better if she could talk to him on her own first. Explaining the fear to Yarborough got her going again and Hermione was surprised he could understand anything she said. She had gone through half a dozen tissues by the time she had out with it.

"Ron's going to stay with us on the weekends now," Hermione said with a shuddering breath. "Ease back into moving home."

"That sounds like progress," Yarborough said.

She talked about the fight they had at Harry and Ginny's when the issue first arose. He sat calmly, listening.

"Knowing what the fear is, you can start to counter it," Yarborough said. "It's something like knowing your enemy in battle. You can plan your strategy where you couldn't otherwise."

"But how do I counter something like that?" Hermione asked. She could still see the boggart version of Ron, scowling down at her and delivering the blow. She would have just stood there and been attacked had Ron not intervened.

"Well, you work in the law," Yarborough said. "When you're building a trial, you need evidence, right? You can't convict someone without it. Right now, you're giving yourself a very unjust trial, that fear being your sentence. But I'm seeing a lot of evidence that exonerates you. Can you?"

"We had a nice night together Friday," Hermione said. Yarborough nodded. "Ron calmed down after… after the boggart. He said that he didn't feel that way, but that's just because he knew I was upset."

"Now don't do that," Yarborough said. "Don't give the prosecution more for its case. You're on the side of the defendant."

"Ron said he didn't feel that way," Hermione amended.

"Take his word at face value," Yarborough said. "And maybe help him with his defense as well. The world likes to think that women need reassurance and men can just barrel through, but we all need it. When you both are confident that the other has respect for your opinion and being, then when arguments arise, it won't jump to that combative place so quickly."

Hermione tried to take this to heart. Every evening before Ron left, she would tell him something she appreciated about him, making sure that whatever she chose wasn't related to Rose and Hugo, remembering other conversations she had with Yarborough. That Friday night had been another of soft discussion and tender embrace.

He's just going to leave me to be on my own Monday, the nasty voice in her head taunted.

But he's here now, the other argued back, suppressing the desire to be cross at the idea.

Saturday morning she made breakfast. They got the kids looking smart, putting on jackets and she knelt down, cleaning the last of the syrup from Hugo's mouth. Angelina was having a baby shower and Ron was going to take Rose and Hugo to Diagon Alley, having a day out with George.

"No wandering off," Hermione said to Hugo. He had developed a tendency to dash away at inopportune moments. She turned and gave Rose a kiss on her cheek as well. "Listen to Dad, Rosie."

Ron took each of their hands and leaned down as Hermione stood, giving her a kiss. "Have fun at the shower," he said.

Hermione snaked her arms around his middle, tilting her head up towards him as she slipped a folded slip of paper in his back pocket. Ron kissed her again. "I'll see if there's any new titles at Flourish and Blotts."

"Thanks," Hermione said. She watched as they all walked out the front door, then turned to finish getting ready. She still needed to wrap her present as well.

Angelina beamed at her party, ready to pop at any moment. The baby shower was at her mother's house and everything was decorated pink and frilly for the coming girl. Hermione sat between Ginny and Luna. There had been a couple games and lots of mingling with everyone.

"Sorry about last week," Ginny said when everyone else was distracted. "I was just hoping—"

"It's okay," Hermione said. "We've talked a bit since."

"Good," Ginny said. "I'm glad."

Several people were just starting to head out, Hermione and Ginny began to help with clean up when a woman not much older than them opened the door.

"Angelina," she said, gasping. "Did you hear? Diagon Alley?"

Hermione froze, a stack of baby clothing in her hands.

"What?" Angelina asked, confused.

"Something's happened on Diagon Alley," she gasped, heading over to the wireless, flipping it on and tuning it quickly.

"...the barrier seems to be covering a large section of the northwest portion of Diagon Alley, incorporating some of the major shops and businesses. This includes Flourish and Blotts, Gringotts, and the owl post. Authorities are still searching for a way to break through, but it is estimated that over two hundred people and many more goblins are currently confined. All seem to have…"

"George!" Angelina cried out loudly. "George is there!"

Hermione dropped the pile on a side table.

"I have to get down there," she said, her heart racing.

Ginny grabbed her wrist and they two headed straight for the door as Angelina's mother held her there, trying to calm her while holding Fred on her hip.

Ginny and Hermione apparated together just outside the Leaky Cauldron where there were already crowds gathering around an impossibly tall wall that looks as though it were made of glass. There was no one on the streets on the other side. Ginny moved before Hermione could think straight.

"Harry!" Ginny shouted, running over to him, holding his arms and speaking fast. Hermione moved towards them.

"What's happening?" Hermione asked.

"We're trying to figure that out," Harry said. "I just got here. I had to wait until Molly could come watch the kids."

Hermione heard the panic of others, watching as civilians without connections to the Ministry were pushed back and told to wait behind another line. She looked towards Diagon Alley again. "Harry, they're all in there," she said, shaking.