Ron went to work on Tuesday morning alone. Harry hadn't returned from where ever he had gone the previous night. Ron hadn't slept. He didn't check Harry's office at the Ministry, but walked past it without looking and entered his own, still looking down at his feet.

"Weasley!"

Ron turned at Kingsley's bark. "Yes?"

"Where is Potter?"

Ron frowned and turned away from his boss. "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't know." Ron sat at his desk and looked sheepishly up at Kingsley, who was watching him with a softening expression.

"Send him to me if he shows."

Ron nodded as Kingsley left. Slamming his head down on the desk, Ron sighed pathetically. After a few minutes spent worrying about Harry, he sat up and forced himself to focus on his work.

When it was time for lunch, Ron walked cautiously past Harry's office. To his surprise, Harry and Kingsley were both inside. Harry was sitting at his desk, staring down at his hands, and Kingsley was leaning on the windowsill, watching Harry with concerned eyes.

"Weasley."

Ron tore his eyes away from Harry and looked at Kingsley. "Yes?"

Kingsley stood and walked to the door, pausing briefly to lay his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Take care of him."

Before Ron could ask, Kingsley was out in the hallway and charging back to his own office. Ron shut the door and turned slowly towards Harry.

"Where did you go?"

Harry blushed and looked out the window. "The Burrow."

"The Burrow?" Ron stepped further into the room, horrified. "You went to my mum?"

"No," Harry looked at everything in his office except the tall redhead, "I mean… yes."

"And you told her why you were there?"

"No, no. I didn't tell her. She knew something was wrong, but… I didn't tell."

Ron moved around Harry's desk and sat on the edge. "I wish you had stayed."

Harry looked up to meet Ron's eyes and was surprised to see the bags under them. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Ron conjured another chair and sat opposite Harry, "I'm the one who should be sorry. I was ignoring how much this means to you. I was just being selfish."

"You were being sensible."

Ron shook his head. "No. Those things I said… they don't matter. They're not really true. And, if they are, we can work around them. They're no so important. I was being selfish – I didn't want a Muggle child because I didn't think… I didn't think I could handle that. You grew up in the Muggle world, Harry. I didn't. A Muggle child is a very different thing for me than it is for you. Plus, I had already… I was only just convincing myself that I could love an adopted child like my own, and you wanted me to convince myself that I could… father a Muggle. But that doesn't matter, really, because… family, children… there's more to a family than blood or magic. You're the one who taught me that. Like I said, I was being selfish. It was bullshit. I was just scared." Leaning forward, Ron kissed Harry briefly and held his hands gently in his own.

Harry entwined their fingers. "So… you, you want… to adopt? A Muggle?"

Ron nodded sincerely, squeezing Harry's hands and swallowing his nerves. Harry needed a family, and Ron needed Harry. "Yes. I want to have a family with you."

Squeaking, Harry flew out of his chair and pulled Ron up into a suffocating hug. "Thank you," he whispered into Ron's neck, "thank you, thank you, thank you. I love you… so much."

Ron grinned and pressed his nose into Harry's hair. "Anything you want, love. Anything."

Harry pulled back slightly and looked up at Ron. "But… you want it, too, right?"

Ron nodded. "Yes… more than anything. Just remember," he winked jovially, "I want a lot of kids, not just one."

Grinning, Harry pulled Ron close and kissed him deeply. "Anything you want, love."

AN: Not the end - one more chapter to go.