A/N Sorry it's taken a while; I've reached a horrid chapter to write in the next story so have been avoiding FF. Anyhow, here it is, not the most eventful of chapters (I'm a bit meh about it), but it has that famous game, flobberworms and bowtruckles, in it :) Enjoy!

Massive thank you as ever to my reviewers; arabellagrace, I promise that one day I'll write something that doesn't make you sad... Guest #1, I'm glad you liked MLG and sorry this one's ruined it for you, but thanks for the review anyways! Guest #2, hope you enjoy this update, I will stop making people upset at some point... Or not, hehe :) Cat130, I'm glad you're loving it, hope you continue to! And last but certainly not least, Crossy70, thanks for both your review here and your lovely words on MLG! Imagine Fleur and Ron's babies though? *shudders* And at this rate I'll be writing three endings, one finishing with Stan Shunpike saying, "Oops."

Year 8

Hermione sat with Ginny in the Potter home, both watching their youngest children attempting to run around, but more often than not running into things. "Ugh, I love them," Ginny started, "but sometimes they are simply too energetic. Sometimes I wish she'd just fast-forward and be like James. He's sitting in his bedroom playing flobberworms and bowtruckles with Albus and Rose."
"Flobberworms and bowtruckles?"
"It's a board game; if you get a flobberworm you go down the board, if you get a bowtruckle you go up."
"Oh, so snakes and ladders?"
"I'm not even going to ask what that is. Anyway, they have way too much energy. Wish they'd give some to me."
Hermione laughed, knowing exactly what she meant, as Hugo had taken to attempting to discover how the handle to the front door worked. "I blame the parents. You, Harry and Ron were all troublemakers." She teased.
"Says you! You were as much a trouble maker as the rest of us!"
She grinned. "I will have you know that I was a prefect, I am the absolute picture of innocence." Ginny snorted in a way that would make Ron proud, and both collapsed into laughter.

They were enjoying their recently resurrected 'girly time', as their husbands went to the traditional pub trip on Friday night, though Ron had assured her he would be on pumpkin juice all night. Pouring them both a glass of wine, Hermione relaxed back into the sofa, one eye on Ginny and the other on the children. "So how's having three kids Gin?"
"I'm not going to lie, it's hard. I'm actually considering quitting Quidditch."
She stormed to the kitchen, grabbed a bottle of whiskey, two glasses, and returned. "Ginny, you love Quidditch." She stated as her friend downed her shot.
"If we're going to be speaking about serious things, let's floo mum." She replied, immediately contacting her mother and asking her to look after her three children, as well as Hermione's two. Molly accepted, with genuine enthusiasm.

When the eldest Mrs Weasley (and the only true Mrs Weasley in her mind) had come to pick up the five children, Ginny promptly downed three shots of whiskey in a row, grimacing as her throat burned. "I never wanted to be a stay at home mum, and even if I quit, I doubt I will be. But the season is so long, and even before that we have training... I love Quidditch, but I love my family more." She trailed off, looking miserable but resolved.
"Gin, why don't you try writing?" Hermione said excitedly. She couldn't help but scowl when her friend burst out in laughter. "I'm serious, Ginny."
"Me?!" She exclaimed. "Writing?!"
"Yes, Gin, you could be a Quidditch correspondent! Who would be better than an ex-player! And it would give you more time with James, Albus and Lily, you'd be brilliant!"
She looked shocked for a moment, and seemed to be weighing the pros and cons in her mind, before she suddenly threw herself at her best friend, and pulled her into a tight hug. "It's perfect!"

After a little while, Ginny spoke again. "So you've helped me tonight, it's only right that I help you." Hermione raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "How have things been with Ron?"
She gave a small, genuine smile. "He's been so much better; he's stopped the therapy but is still going to the AA, and he hasn't touched a drink in years now."
"You're not worried about him being at the pub?"
She shook her head. "I trust him. And besides, I know Harry won't let him slip up."
The corners of her friend's mouth turned up, but she was clearly gnawing on the inside of her cheek nervously. "And what about Bill?"
Hermione could swear her blood turned to ice. "What about him?"
"How have things been with him?"
She couldn't help but frown at the other woman. "Gin, things have been over between us for years. He's my brother-in-law and friend, nothing more."
Her companion gave a heavy sigh. "He still loves you, and I know you still love him." Hermione was immediately sent back to a year ago; his breath hot on her skin, his hard body fitting against hers like two pieces of a puzzle, how close they were to that perfect moment of beautiful betrayal. His softly whispered words in her ear, and how desperately she wanted to give in to what her body, heart and soul were pleading for. Then she remembered what happened immediately after; Rose, Victoire, Fleur. And Ron, her husband Ron. "Don't deny it." Ginny warned, clearly unnerved by her silence.

She breathed out softly. "I'll never deny it, Ginny."
The younger woman grabbed her hand. "Then why not be with him?!" She asked imploringly, her eyes seemingly begging.
"I have my family, he has his. And Ron is your brother too, do you really want me to hurt him like that?"
Ginny groaned loudly. "Obviously I don't; even though he's been rotten recently, I still love Ron. But I love you too! And Bill is the one you love, you really love!"
She frowned. "Gin, we went over this years ago, love's not enough in this situation!"
"But Victoire's older now, I'm sure she'll understand."
"And what about Dominique? And Rose, Hugo? Last I heard, Fleur was pregnant again as well, so-"
"They're not Bill's." Ginny's voice was morose, and Hermione's mouth dropped open in shock.
"What?"
"Dominique and the new one, they're not Bill's children."
"How do you know?" Her voice was barely a whisper as she stared at her miserable best friend.
"He told me. We were talking the other day and... Well, they hadn't slept together in months, and suddenly she was pregnant with this new baby. He suspects Dominique isn't either."
"Poor Bill." Hermione murmured, feeling her eyes well up in sympathetic tears, and wanting nothing more than to floo to Shell Cottage, punch the quarter-veela and hold the man she loved until she could make him better.

"He hates her." Ginny spat suddenly, jumping up and beginning to pace in agitation. "He's sure she's only done this because Victoire left for Hogwarts, and he fucking hates her for doing this again."
"He's not the only one." Hermione's voice was dark, the disgust and animosity laced through it even stronger than when she spoke about Bellatrix Lestrange. "Why doesn't he leave?" Ginny fidgeted in a way that she recognised clearly as her do-I-lie-or-not behaviour. "Ginny, the truth." She demanded.
Giving a sigh, she threw herself back down onto the sofa beside her. "Fleur suspects about Rose." She peered nervously at her sister-in-law by the wrong man, who was gazing back at her in shock. "I'm not sure how, and I don't know if she's guessed that she's Bill's, but she's threatened to tell everyone that she isn't Ron's. But," she added hurriedly as Hermione paled dramatically, "if you two tell everyone first, they'll understand after a while!"
"No, they wouldn't! It would break Rose and Hugo's hearts, not to mention Ron's."
"You could deny it though, everyone would believe you over her."
"Gin, we've already told a lie once, and we've been living that lie for eight years. We can't change now, it would hurt too many people." They sat in silence, both knowing that she was right, until the sound of their husbands' return made them paint smiles on their faces and move to greet them.
"Hey, did you guys have a good time?" Ron asked, giving her a small smile and light kiss. Hermione nodded at him, before explaining about sending the children to the Burrow, and claiming weariness. Hand-in-hand, they returned home to their life, and he didn't once notice that she was fighting back tears of distress and heart-ache.