"So you know the plan?"

"Of course I know the plan; you have been over it a thousand times, Draco." Hermione gave a small smile at his obvious protectiveness.

"Yeah but there are so many ways it could go wrong, I mean..."

"Draco." She swiftly cut him off, knowing he would go on for ages about what could go wrong. "Just be optimistic." Without thinking, she pecked his cheek and walked over to the fireplace. Tracing her finger over the crack on the wall, she turned back to him. "Everything will be okay. Now, go have fun with your son." With one last small smile she stepped into the fire with her son, trusting Rose to follow through when she had done whatever it was she was insisting was important.

"Goodbye, Daddy. Don't worry, everything will be fine." Rose chirped as she wrapped her arms around his leg. Absently he bent down, kissing her head before giving her a gentle push toward the fire. "I'm going to throw the best tantrum ever!" He commented she was too old to be throwing tantrums when sad, teary expression came over her face. For half a second he was alarmed, wondering what had upset her so quickly but relaxed when she smiled and waved as she stepped into the flames. He had to give it to her, the girl had a good acting potential.

"What do you want to do?" He asked his son who had just stood patiently waiting while Hermione and her kids left. Scorpius gave a small shrug before slyly pulling out a solid wooden object from behind the chair. Draco couldn't help but laugh as his son held up the broom, but didn't object.

"Flying? I should have known." He scooped up the boy in his arms and tickled him gently as they went outside. Draco had no objections to spending his time with his son flying; he loved it because it allowed them to spend quality time together on the broom and they got to make the best of the warm weather.

Despite appearing to be calm, Hermione was inwardly panicking. Like Draco, her mind had gone over all the different ways the evening could go wrong but she was trying to keep calm, for Rose's sake, if not her own. She wasn't surprised that Rose didn't appear to be worried; she knew the girl would be doing what she herself was doing, hiding the worries beneath a mask. Both knew that their parts had to be played perfectly. Even Hugo knew he wasn't to act up or anything during dinner. Daphne had left him no real role in their performance as he was so young, but also because she felt he was less reliable than his older sister.

"Hermione, ready?" Ginny spoke softly, not wanting anyone in the other room waiting to hear. Hermione nodded softly as they waited for a few seconds for Rose to join them. As she entered, Rose took her mother's hand, her sad but still sweet expression set on her face. She was determined to do a good job, to make her mother and Draco proud of her. Hermione followed her best friend, wishing she had half the confidence and grace the younger woman was showing, even though she knew Ginny was just as scared as she was.

"Hugo, your cousins are all out in the backyard if you want to join them." Ginny suggested lightly, not bothering to include his sister as she knew that Rose would want to stay near her mother. Hermione gave a small but nervous laugh as Hugo raced off to the backyard as soon as it was suggested.

Rose's grip tightened as she followed Hermione into the dining room where all the rest of the family was seated and talking in their overly loud way. Hermione just gave her a soft smile, knowing her daughter could be confident enough at time, but was often as shy as a mouse when in a large crowd. And the Weasleys certainly classified as a large crowd.

Four red headed brothers sat around the table, three of them with a wife at their side. At one end of the table, Molly and Arthur sat together, looking over their children proudly. When Ginny, Harry and Hermione sat down it made for one loud table. Rose was the only child in the room; she knew her cousins and Hugo were all outside running around as occasionally a shout could be heard indoors. She wished she could be out playing too but she knew she had an important job to do.

"Hermione dear, how are you? Where is Ronnie? Will he be along soon?" Molly rushed Hermione not long after she made it into the room. Hermione didn't answer, but let herself be squashed in Molly's arms. It wasn't long before Molly turned her attention away from Hermione and onto her daughter. Rose tried not to struggle as her face was covered by Molly's large bosom.

"We don't see you often enough, Hermione. You should come around more, bring our grandchildren." Arthur said as he held his arms out for Rose. She hugged her grandfather; she had always respected him more than her grandmother, who was a bit too touchy-feely for Rose's liking.

"How's Hugo? Ron said he had been sick lately and that's why you didn't come visit us last weekend." Molly said worriedly.

"He's fine." Hermione muttered, surprised. She didn't know Ron was still seeing his parents often, even when she was with him he didn't go very often and more often than not took the children with him to distract his parents and left Hermione at home.

"So I was thinking the children could all eat in the lounge while the adults stay in here. And maybe..." Hermione stopped listening, internally panicking. She shared a look with Ginny who looked much calmer than Hermione was.

"Mother. This table is big enough for everyone, kids included. That's why we bought this table." Ginny was firm in reminding her mother who was in charge. Molly just looked at her. Usually, the big family dinner was held at Molly and Arthurs, this was the first time a full family dinner was to be held at the house Harry and Ginny owned. At Molly's, the children ate in another room because the family had extended to 13 adults and nearly as many children.

"Yes, yes. Of course." Molly looked out of place sitting down, not flustering about the kitchen for once.

Hermione joined in conversation when others spoke to her, but generally she spent the time sitting with Rose beside her, talking softly to her every so often. When George came over to hug his niece she flinched so convincingly Hermione was left to wonder if she wasn't actually faking everything. It wasn't until all the children were seated down one end of the table and dinner was served that Ron's absence was remembered.

"He's...I don't know where he is." Hermione answered Molly's question honestly.

"Oh, I'm sure he will be along soon. He does love his food." Molly spoke with only fondness for her son. Hermione cringed; she used to be fond of everyone but after losing one of her children and many friends she became more protective of her children and the grandchildren when they came along, but less protective of everyone else.

"I hope not." Her words were only just stronger than a whisper but it was enough for everyone to hear, especially as they were all quiet waiting to hear where Ron was. Hermione cringed as almost all the adults looked at her.

"What was that, Hermione dear, I didn't quite hear you?" Arthur looked up at her with interest, while beside him Molly's expression told her that she had heard it perfectly.

"I..." She glanced down at her plate, her eyes filling with tears. "Nothing, it was nothing." Beside her, Rose patted her arm softly. She didn't see Arthur and Molly conversing quietly, or the looks of confusion that almost everyone was giving her.

"Maybe I should check if he is home." Molly suggested in a tone that indicated she had already decided what she was doing.

"No!"

"No? Why not? Rosie?" Molly's voice reflected her surprise that her best behaved grandchild was shouting and involving herself in a conversation that didn't involve her.

"He's not welcome." Rose mumbled, a little intimidate by all the people staring at her.

"Of course he is, he's your Daddy."

"Not anymore." She relied with a shrug.

"Don't be silly, Rosie."

"Don't call me Rosie."

Molly gasped at the insolence Rose was showing her. "Now, Rosie...Rose, what has gotten into you."

Rose didn't answer, merely glared at her grandmother as she shoved some potato into her mouth. Hermione knew Molly was going to be the difficult one but even so, it was hard for her to hear Rose acting like a rebellious teen. She couldn't help but hope Rose didn't go through the rebellion phase.

"Rose, answer me when I speak to you."

"What do you want me to say?" Rose almost smiled at her ability to remember all the lines Daphne had suggested she used, but managed to keep a glare on her face – no easy feat for a child.

"Why do you think Ron is not your father anymore?" Molly couldn't help but look at Hermione, wondering if she had somehow had another guy fill the father figure role in the children's lives.

"He just isn't!" Make them wonder, make a big fuss. Rose recalled Cissa's advice.

"He is your dad, how can he not be. He lives with you Rose; he tucks you in every night." Arthur spoke gently, putting a hand on his wife's arm to calm her.

Rose pressed her lips together and shook her head.

"He...what...Did he leave you?" Molly was flabbergasted but managed to direct her comment to Hermione who just shook her head.

"Wait...then how does he not live there?"

"We don't live with him! We live with..."

"Someone else." Rose stomped on her brother's foot as hard as she could to shut him up. Luckily, he took the hint and resumed eating.

A wave of silence came over the table; even the children felt the awkwardness in the air and ceased talking.

"Why do you live with someone else?" Molly's voice, directed toward Hermione, held no trace of the warmth it had earlier.

For a short while, no one said anything. Hermione was doing exactly what Daphne had taught her, only her tears weren't all fake; she was really ashamed that she was manipulating her family and also ashamed she had let everything with Ron happen. It was obvious she wasn't the headstrong girl that she had used to be; time had changed her.

"Are you sleeping with someone else?" Molly said with absolute disgust. Hermione was left to wonder how she came to that conclusion as she shook her head.

"I would never..." She whispered, while Ginny nodded in agreement with complete faith in her best friend.

"How could you think Hermione would do that?" Ginny glared at her mother, knowing she would blame Hermione for the relationship falling apart.

"Well what did she do then?" Around the table, quite a few were beginning to look at the family matriarch with disgust. Most didn't blame her though; they knew how protective she had become of her children, especially of the younger ones.

"It's not her fault! Stop being so mean!" Rose shouted at her grandmother with full volume.

"Now, Rosie, this is an adult conversation. Hey, why don't you children go off and play in the other room?" Arthur suggested gently, noticing everyone had stopped eating. He smiled as the children left the table and frowned at Rose who just crossed her arms.

The troop of children made enough noise as they left to cover Molly as she whispered to her husband about how mature Rose had become lately.

"Rose, don't you want to go join your cousins?"

She acted like she was thinking for a moment then shrugged as if she didn't care. In reality, she did care but she knew what was more important.

Molly and Arthur looked around awkwardly, both wanting to know what had happened between Hermione and Ron but neither willing to ask in front of Rose.

"Don't you want to know what happened?" Rose stared at them as they looked around.

"Rose..." Hermione whispered.

"No, I want everyone to know."

The rest of the adults stayed quiet, a rare sight to see. Finally, George rolled his eyes and gave in. "What happened?"

"Rose..."

"He drinks a lot, which you already know. And well, one night..."

"Oh, Rose..."

Rose shot a look at her mother but didn't shut up. The small girl looked around the room, noting nearly everyone was hanging on, waiting for her words.

"He tried to kill my Mummy. He hurt her so bad she didn't wake up for AGES!" She dramatised the last word while all around the faces of her extended family took on shocked or disbelieving faces.

"Rose, I'm sure that you might not be telling the truth, he wouldn't do that..." Molly tried to reason with her.

"What? He did hit her; I saw it with my own eyes! And then she wouldn't wake up, no matter how loud I shouted! It wasn't the first time either!" She looked directly at her grandmother, who still looked sceptical. "Why do you think it's all Mummy's fault? He always had a temper, he yelled at me and Hugo lots. And Mum, he always yelled at her. I wish...I wish he wasn't my father!" Her eyes filled with tears as she slid off her own seat to sit on her mother's knee, leaning into her embrace.

A chorus of gasps ran out through the room. Molly herself paled and sunk down in her seat wondering what had gone wrong with her son. No one spoke; no one knew what to say. Hermione, Ginny and Harry all found themselves holding their breath, waiting for Molly or Arthur to say something. Anything.

"Hermione?" Fleur asked softly.

"She's right, it's true. All of it."