(A/N) I have to start with a disclaimer. I know this chapter seems highly political, and if you are American and a right wing, I implore you to keep reading. I, myself, am a political science major and thus find it hard to keep this kind of stuff out of my writing. Plus, with a girl as bright as Hermione especially being a doctor at this time, no matter her magic, I feel like she would contemplate on the current socio-political situation.

Keep in mind, if you are conservative, she is a doctor, and that does fuel most of her instincts, so she's probably fiscally pretty right wing.

And also left-wingers, she is probably socially liberal. And that's how I'm going to be writing it. Why? Because it is my story haha, I know I sound mean when I say that, but it is something that is important and near and dear to me, so it does get pretty political. I am sorry about that in advance, but just bear with me, if now, read on and enjoy. Remember these are my views and are in no ways associated with the views of JK Rowling or Warner Bros Pictures (Or Disney even…doesn't Disney have replay rights to Harry Potter cause ABC family plays them…ugh god Disney owns the world…)

Soooooo, also, I'm thinking like her, and she is a pretty conservative character (minus the whole premarital sex thing…but that's just a plot device and I know plenty of conservatives who have…well never mind, I live in DC does that count? Lolz)

Anyways, now that I've written a tome of an A/N, how about the STORY?!

Danke schoen. :D

"Mooooom," Anna groaned as they both sat on the steps, "Its too early!" She exclaimed. Hermione knew she was right, as she also yawned at four in the morning, clutching a travel mug of coffee. Although she was used to waking up this early for work, she did not enjoy the early rising for the parade. But this was the first time she had been able to score the tickets for Herald Square, and she wanted to be sure to make it in plenty of time so that they got good seats. As soon as she was about to pull out her cell phone to call Ryan she saw him and Melanie heading up the street. As soon as Melanie saw Anna, her face lit up, as did Anna's, both of their expressions went from exhausted to excited. Ryan walked up to Hermione and kissed her softly, keeping in mind their kids were there.

"Hello," he said.

"Well, hello there," she replied.

"Shall we?" He asked with a grin. Hermione nodded and the four of them walked down the street, anticipating the large crowds of people they would very soon be hitting. It was at this time that Hermione missed the simple joys of apparition. She no longer would have to go through the crowd, she could have just appeared when she needed to and also have slept longer. She smiled at the thought as she reached out to grab Anna's hand.

The crowd was considerably less this year. Because of the economy, not as many people could make it out to New York. Also, people were saving to go down to the Inauguration in January. From what Hermione could hear, there were over two million people making the trip out to Washington DC to herald in the new era of promised change. There was a different feel to this thanksgiving; however, although the prospects of rising out of the slumps seemed rather far away, there was a renewed spirit amongst everyone, a new hope of light in these dark times. She sighed as she remembered this feeling that she had before, ten years ago in fact. She stopped for a second as the light turned against them and gripped Ryan's hand reassuringly. He seemed surprised at the gesture and squeezed back, holding on to her hand tightly.

They finally made the long strenuous journey to a subway stop where they ducked down, looking forward to making their journey to Herald Square much simpler. Anna and Melanie chattered away about various things as they marched onwards, but Hermione and Ryan didn't listen, for he was too engrossed with her, and she with thoughts of George.

"So how cool is it that my dad is like totally dating your mom," Melanie said when they were sure their parents weren't listening. Anna shrugged.

"Mom doesn't date much, so I guess its good. Plus, she's been smiling a lot more. I don't even wanna ask cause that's gross," she said.

"Yeah but we could be sisters!" Melanie said excitedly.

"Do you wanna fight all the time?" Anna asked. Melanie punched her lightly on the shoulders.

"But we can plot so much more, and we can finally get Jimmy back for putting those fake spiders in our lunch bags." Anna nodded.

"I was thinking, something involving snails," Anna began.

"We're not deaf," Hermione said looking behind her.

"We can still hear you," Ryan commented.

Melanie and Anna both grumbled and put their hands in their pockets as Hermione and Ryan took each girl's respective hands and clambered aboard the subway. Hermione smiled as she saw Ryan, caring and gentle with his daughter. She wondered if this is how George would have been with her. How she would have been the only reasonable voice in the house while George allowed Anna to play practical jokes. She smiled to herself, seeing the full picture in her head. She probably wouldn't have had to have had the help from her parents, they could have stayed in England, Emma would not have been necessary, and her grandmother wouldn't have been too. In fact, they probably would have lived somewhere in England.

She sighed and felt Ryan's hand on her knee, and she placed hers on top of his. Anna and Melanie both rolled their eyes and giggled.

Dear Hermione,

I know things did not end with us on the best of terms. I know I got mad, you got mad, and I left. I've been thinking non-stop of how idiotic I was being. I'm jealous of George to be honest, ever since the battle he's taken you away from me, and I've been angry. And for that, I'm sorry. I did not stop to think of the utter horror he's been through.

After all, Fred was my brother as well. I also experienced loss, but not at the degree he did. I miss Fred, I miss that stupid git every day, and I realize that the pain I'm feeling is not equivalent to even a fourth of the pain George must feel on a day-to-day basis. He needs a friend that sees him for himself, and I regret none of us have been able to be that without seeing Fred's face. Its haunting, and a terrible admission, and of this I am aware. But you don't see Fred, or if you do, you make a good job of treating George as George. How he deserves to be treated.

He needs you there for him, and I do not, at least not in the extent that he does, and I apologize for treating you in the way that I did for showing such a kindness to my family. You've been a part of us for so many years, and I keep forgetting that. I keep on feeling like, well, you're mine. Laugh if you will, or even get angry, for I know you are not a possession to call my own. But Hermione, I always had been rather possessive of you; I never would want to lose you.

And I realize that by the mere act of not trusting you, I come closer and closer to letting you go. I need to be more trusting in the future, and more considerate to the needs of other people around you. George needs you now

You make me better and bring out the better in everyone around you. And you deserve someone who does that for you. I hope that I can be that person for you. I want to be that person for you, for I love you. I regret that the first time I say this and truly mean it must be in the form of a letter, and not a very eloquent one at that, but I do. I could not bear to lose you under any circumstance. What you've done for my family over the past few months has been absolutely touching and phenomenal, and I realize now, that I can never ever bear to lose you. You are my other half, dear Hermione. You are the person I want to wake up next to always. But you know all of this, in your heart, you know that we're just right for each other, we're best friends. What could be more perfect?

Love, Ronald

PS. Tell George hi for me!

Hermione folded the letter closed and clutched it to her breast. A tear fell down her eye as she realized how much it must have taken Ron to write that letter, to get the courage and strength to finally open up. She regretted everything she had done to him. She leaned back against her windowsill and looked out at the still lake.

George was busy at the store, and it was not something she was needed for that day. In fact, today he would close it down for the final time until the grand opening after Christmas. He and Hermione decided that they should take a well deserved break, she would help him opening day and then she would go on to begin training for the Healer program at St. Mungo's. Nothing was decided for what would happen when Ron would come back. He was to arrive the night before the grand opening, exactly four weeks from when he sent the letter. Hermione did not know what to do. She did love Ron dearly, and she did not know if it was the same feeling she had towards George.

She and George had been consummating a purely physical need for each other. They, for the past few weeks, had been completing each other. But she did not know if that was a result of the pure passion they had felt, and just the newness of it, or if it was feelings of an unknown nature. To be honest, she was scared, the thought of George and a future scared her, but in a way that she was excited to see what the future brought. But she knew that with Ron she could have had a stable future where nothing would be unknown.

She hugged her knees to her chest and watched the wind moving through the trees. She heard the door open downstairs and she decided to shake all of her fears, and think about it some other time. For now, she craved the physical relationship she had been reveling in for the past few weeks. She rushed downstairs and saw him enter and she felt her heart jump to her throat. All other thoughts immediately left as she wrapped her arms around his waist. He immediately obliged, picking her up and swinging her around. They both retreated to the sitting room after he had hung up his jacket.

"Hermione," said George hesitatingly, something clearly was in his mind and bothering him.

"Yeah?" She asked, her eyes closed, in pure bliss.

"Nothing." He said softly.

"No, what?" She asked sitting up on her knees on the couch, facing him. He faced forward towards the fireplace.

"It's nothing," he said laughing. "Your hair smells good," he added. Hermione knew that was not what he was thinking, but decided to let it slide. She pushed back his hair and touched the scarred remains of his ear. She traced the outline of where his ear was. She leaned up and placed a small kiss on the side of his head, below the damaged area. She felt him tense up slightly and his pulse raced. He had his eyes closed, and she leaned forward to kiss each of his eyelids tenderly. She leaned over him and straddled his hips, kissing his nose, his forehead and both of his cheeks. A faint smile began to form as she captured his lips in hers, tracing the top and the bottom with her tongue, gently caressing each. Her tongue was granted entrance and she willingly obliged as they began kissing even more deeply and passionately.

He gripped her hips and pulled them closer to his, slowly becoming more and more of an active participant. Before they both knew it, they were lying on the floor of the sitting room, lying on the carpet, listening to the crackling of the fire.

"Well that was new," said George smiling down at her. She looked up in his eyes.

"You don't know what I'm capable of, do you?" She asked with a wink. He kissed her hair.

"So what do you want to do tonight?" Hermione asked after they had been lying there for a few more minutes. George groaned.

"Knit," he said sarcastically. Hermione slapped his shoulder playfully.

"No seriously," she said, "We always do the same thing. Let's change it up." She sat up and began to redress. George looked at her disappointedly. She looked at him. "What?" She asked.

"I'm a bloke, watching a woman dress is like the opposite of good!" George exclaimed. Hermione threw him some trousers.

"It's freezing!" She exclaimed, fixing her jumper and making sure it was not inside out before she put it on. George rolled his eyes and began to dress as well. He walked up to Hermione and placed both of his hands on either side of her head.

"You do realize, we're not going to remain clothed for long," he said capturing her lips in a kiss. She pushed him away.

"Now that you've said that, I'm not putting out tonight." She grinned and plopped herself down on the couch. George sat beside her and put his arm around her.

"Meh, I'll live," he said grinning. "I can always take care of myself." He winked. Hermione shoved a pillow in his direction.

"Disgusting George, way too much information!" She exclaimed. He laughed, he loved making her uncomfortable, she had the cutest giggle when she was nervous. They both spent the next few moment staring at the floor.

"Let's watch a movie!" Hermione said. "I haven't seen one in a while." George raised his eyebrow.

"A movie?" He asked.

"Moving pictures," said Hermione trying to clarify, "Except they talk and tell a story, and its good fun." She said with a grin. He looked as if someone was bashing his head open with a comically sized gavel. "Oh you'll see," Hermione said, standing up and heading to where a black rectangular box sat. She opened up the cabinet underneath and pulled out some really thin books that popped open and had a round circular metal thing in them.

"I think you'll like Casablanca," she said picking one out. He walked over, took it out of her hand and regarded it confusedly. Hermione laughed at his inability to tell what that was.

"It's called a DVD," she said. "Digital Video Disc."

"Okay, digital what?"

"It means, I can pop it in this thing, she said pressing a button. He watched a little slider slide out and stop. She placed the disc in his hand into the slider and pushed it closed. It went back in, without the help of wands, electricity he thought, and a little screen popped up that said "Loading." She then went back to the couch, picked up one of the rectangular blocks with buttons on it on one of the end tables and pressed the center button. George followed her and studied the rectangular block carefully. He looked up and suddenly words appeared on the screen in front of him, as if it was one of the moving billboards he saw in Picadilly circus.

"So this is a television," he said, slowly sounding out the syllables. Hermione laughed and placed a comforting hand on his arm.

"Yes, that's a television," she said pointing, "That plays the DVDs," she said pointing at the little box under the television, "And this is a remote." She smiled.

"Fascinating," said George sarcastically looking straight at Hermione. She threw the remote in his direction and he caught it and calmly pressed play and went through the menus and started the movie. He calmly put the remote down on the end table and put his arm around Hermione. She stared at him in shock.

"What?" He asked, clearly amused at her anger at his clear knowledge of the workings of a remote, and a TV.

"You knew?" She asked.

"Shhh," he said holding his finger to his lips and pulling Hermione closer to him, "The movie is starting!" Hermione lightly punched his chest and snuggled into his embrace.

"The parade was really good this year," Hermione commented as Santa made his way in front of them, signaling the end of the show. She was clutching Anna's hand tightly in one hand and Ryan's hand loosely clasped her other. Melanie sat beside her father and the four of them were all smiles and giggles throughout the show.

"So how'd you get tickets?" He asked, "These are nearly impossible to get!"

"Well, one of my friends at work, her dad works at Macy's, and he got her these tickets, but she wanted to go visit her boyfriend and his family for the holidays in Washington D.C., so I mean, she didn't want the tickets to go to waste, and I thought, might as well," she said laughing. Ryan smiled. She leaned against his shoulder.

"Ew," said Anna out loud.

"Yeah totally gross," Melanie echoed. Hermione playfully slapped Anna. They began to walk with the crowd, heading back towards the subways hoping they could get back uptown with minimal trouble.

Hermione sat on the front steps of the cottage and stared as the sun peeked its way out through the mountains. She held a warm cup of tea in her hands and had a blanket wrapped around her. George was still asleep, finally he had stopped tossing and turning and crying out. For the first time in months, he admitted to Hermione he had been sleeping soundly. She began to cry as she realized she had backed herself into an emotional corner. She did still love Ron, although the passion was not there, she had never tried anything with him. It might develop. She did not know why on earth she was sobbing but she was, falling apart because she was falling for two different people. She was utterly and hopelessly confused, and she watched as the few remaining birds sang a sad tale of loss, and the remaining leaves left clinging on the trees began to sink and fall.

Crookshanks, who was most at peace in the house by the lake, jumped onto her lap and meowed as she pet the ugly cat. He began to dutifully pur and he snuggled against her stomach, knowing that she was in need of comfort.

"What do I do?" She asked Crookshanks, "What do I do?"

"Mia!" Jenny exclaimed, "I thought you had the day off, isn't it Thanksgiving?" Hermione shrugged as she tied her hair back.

"Was on-call, Thomas, from the car pileup, he's apparently needing bowel resection, and as the general surgeon in-training, I was called." She said a little indignant that her date and one time that she could spend with her daughter had to be cut off. Anna understood, she always did, but Hermione knew that she could not continue breaking her heart in this way.

This is why she picked general surgery as her specialty, after her residency and training, she would hopefully get an attending spot and would not have to work nearly as much as the cardio or the neuro surgeons.

"Helloooo, earth to Mia!" Jenny said waving her hand forward. Hermione snapped out of her reverie.

"Sorry Jen, what were you saying?" She asked.

"Oh no, I was just saying, I talked to Mark like you said I should, and he thought I was being ridiculous, and then I don't know, I might just break it off with him, its getting too much," said Jenny rolling her eyes. Hermione put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Jenny looked sadly down at the ground. "Problem is, I actually was beginning to like him." She shook it off. "Oh well, off to surgery!" She said marching down to the operating room.

Hermione shook her head and smiled to herself as she walked down to the patient rooms to prep her guy. She passed George's room on the way and he was calmly flipping channels looking bored. He did not see her as she passed, and she was thankful. She did not quite wish to talk to him at the moment; her life was complicated enough as it was. Just as she was about to enter her room, her phone rang.

"Hey mom, you got my message?" She asked walking down the hall.

George peeked after her, he had seen her, but he was not sure if it would be appropriate to call after her. He sighed and continued flipping through endless brainless channels of gardening and home shopping. Once in a while he would catch the last twenty minutes of a good movie, but that's all that the damn thing seemed to offer him. He sighed and stared at his watch. They wanted to keep him for observation for a few more days and then he would convalesce at home, on strict bed rest for several days afterwards. He groaned at the thought of the amounts of work he had to do. Adam called him several times to tell him not to worry about it, and he knew he had capable people working under him to temporarily absorb his workload, but he did not know what else to do with his life at that point.

He stared intently at the changing channels, as he did not even stop to see if there was a program that he enjoyed. He just pressed buttons out of sheer boredom, praying to all high heavens that Natasha did not show up. Soon he saw Hermione angrily chatting with a nurse as she passed his room in the other direction. She then took on a Charlie Brown like walk a few seconds' later, head down and dragging her feet, back in the direction she had just come from. He smiled a little to himself, his skin growing taut at the unfamiliar emotion.

"You alright there?" He asked about the fourth time she paced by the room. She turned around; shocked he was observing that fiasco. She groaned and leaned against the doorframe.

"Patient drama, my OR got stolen so my surgery's been delayed for another hour, so I'm stuck here when I could be—" she stopped herself before she finished, "--making thanksgiving dinner," she said, saving herself. George laughed a little. Hermione stared down at her shoes.

"So how are you?" She asked. He shrugged.

"Not too bad, pain levels are about a five today," he said, "That's how you say it right?" Hermione nodded. "With the 'm' word, I would have been up and about by now," George said. Hermione nodded.

"I guess," she said.

"You know, there is a chair in here, you don't have to stand awkwardly at the doorframe," he exclaimed. Hermione shrugged.

"I guess," she said walking into the room and sitting down on the armchair beside his bed. Cars honked in the distance for several minutes before they came up with anything to say.

"So—" they both said in unison.

"You first," said George. Hermione shook her head.

"You can go," she said.

"No, you first," said George. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Ugh fine," she said smiling, "So what brings you to New York?" She asked.

"Work, I'm a pretty big executive of April Fools, kind of a wizard toy corporation," he said.

"No," Hermione said, disbelieving him.

"Yep," he said smiling. "I'm becoming the C.E.O, announced in two weeks at the Christmas party." Hermione placed a hand over her mouth, this was not right. This just did not sound like the familiar George she had shared such a beautiful summer with ten years ago. She stared at the pattern on her tennis shoes intently; staring at the small watch she had in her hand watching the seconds tick by ever so slowly.

"So what about you, besides big shot surgeon?" George asked grinning. Hermione shrugged.

"Nothing much," she lied, I've just been raising our child while maintaining a difficult career, she added in her head.

"How can I blame ya, this is hard stuff," George said with a smile. The smile seemed unfamiliar to him, Hermione noticed. Like it took him some degree of effort to make such a simple gesture. She sat and nervously cracked her knuckles, fighting for something to do while remaining in such an awkward situation. She longed to yell out, she longed to point out how much he had diverged from his plan, how different he was. But the truth was, she had changed as well and there was nothing she could do about it. She nervously laughed.

"It is," she said, the only thing she could think of saying to him.

He looked at her, she seemed so tired and exhausted, the years had taken a toll on her, obviously, and the stress of becoming a surgeon must have been difficult. But that couldn't have been everything that was exhausting, there must be something else.

"So you seeing anyone?" George asked. "You don't have to tell me if it makes you feel uncomfortable." He added.

"Nah its fine, fair question," said Hermione, "Yeah, this guy, Ryan—I met him through, mutual friends," Hermione said cringing to herself, wishing she could just come out and say it. George smiled sadly. He nodded, completely aware that Hermione would actually have relationships.

"Lucky guy," he said hoarsely. Hermione chuckled a little to herself.

"You and Natasha, I presume?" Hermione asked. George shrugged.

"Eh, just casual," he said. Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. Casual? Didn't sound right. She checked her watch hoping it was time to go to surgery because they were running out of things to talk about, and she did not want to tell him about his child while he was in a hospital bed of all places.

"You know what? I actually should go, check, maybe there's an operating room open, after all, how many people are getting surgeries on Thanksgiving?" Hermione asked. George shrugged. She then hightailed it out of the room, George swore if the door was closed, there would be a Hermione shaped hole in the door. He chuckled a little and then cringed. Muggle medicine was painful.

Hermione was leaning against a wall in the locker room, shaking uncontrollably. She did not know how deep the hole she dug herself was but already she could not see the sunlight, and it unnerved her immensely. She began to hyperventilate and she slowly leaned down into the ground and began to cry.

"Mia?" Jenny asked walking in and sitting down next to her. Hermione felt exactly like she did ten years ago, torn between two worlds and utterly alone. When Jenny sat next to her, she barely even noticed, caught up within her raging emotions. Suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Surgery got postponed until tomorrow, said he could wait, apparently today is a surprisingly busy day." Hermione said. Jenny furrowed her eyebrows.

"Okay Mia, I know you, like really really well, and there is no freaking way that you would be this upset over a surgery, so spill."

"No, I have to get home, I have to get home my mum and Anna are waiting."

"Hermione, you are in absolutely no condition to make it home, now sit down and talk to me, compose yourself and then get home, It's only 4, dinner can wait for a bit," Jenny said calmly. Hermione stared down at her legs. Jenny rubbed her knee comfortingly. "You wanna talk about it?" She asked. Hermione shook her head, and then nodded. She felt like a child, I mean, she had been one and even though she thought herself a perfectly capable mother, she never had a chance to grow up normally.

"You know that guy, that car crash victim?" Hermione said. Jenny nodded. "That's Anna's dad." Jenny's eyes widened.

"Seriously?" She asked. Hermione nodded. "Yeah, well, his little brother, me and one of our friends went to school together back in England when I was young. And the three of us were inseparable…we went through everything together. Well this guy and his twin brother…" Hermione began, and she continued to carefully monitor the story to leave the whole concept of magic out of it, but for the first time in ten years she opened up emotionally to someone.

(A/N) Oooo getting dramatic! I'm so so so so sorry this is late! I've been SO busy, college etc. Haha, but hope y'all liked this chapter, I certainly did. I wanted to make one thanksgiving chapter, but as you can see, this chapter is pretty long so I had to split it up, Thanksgiving pt2 might be a lot shorter so I can probably get it up this week, pray! And then I have exams and have to move out of my dorm so there might be a delay in posting that, but I'll have summer vacation and at that point, you can depend on regular updates.

Anyways, what do you think will happen? Will Hermione ever tell George about Anna? Will Anna find out first? What will happen to Ryan?

Review! Let me know what you think! Still waiting on ten! :D