Team: Chudley Cannons

Position: Chaser 1

Main Prompt: A reunion

Optional Prompts: (1) word — adorable, (2) object — glass bottle, (15) action — kissing someone's knuckles

TW: mentions of death in a lighthearted way, vague mentions of a car accident

WC: 1355

Together At Last

Hermione couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this nervous. Her life had been peaceful, relaxed — she hadn't had to do much in recent times other than enjoy herself.

Beside her stood her husband. He, too, appeared more anxious than she'd seen him in a very long time.

Ron offered a comforting smile and as they stood side by side, his hand found hers.

"It's been so long," she whispered. "What if —"

"It's a good thing it's been so long," Ron assured her, drawing her hand to his lips and pressing them against his knuckles. It was his favourite thing to do, kiss her there. He was always doing it, most of the time just because.

Hermione nodded. She knew that. They had been waiting for this moment for a long time, knowing that it would come eventually, but not sure when.

It was the one thing she could wait for. For as long as it took.

"Well, this is taking its time." Rose came to stand beside them, her eyes on her wristwatch. "Always late." She huffed, but Hermione noted the smile that appeared on her daughter's face.

It made Hermione smile too.

"Settle down, Rosie," Ron said with a smirk. "Sometimes it takes longer than expected."

Rose rolled her eyes. Hermione felt like a sandwich between the two of them, predicting another wave of banter between father and daughter. Not only were they almost the same height, they shared a sense of humour that Hermione didn't always understand. But she accepted it a long time ago.

"It won't be long now," Hermione whispered. "Let's just wait."

They stood in silence for some time. No one else was around them — no whispers, no voices, nothing. This was their moment and they had been waiting for it for a long, long time. Longer than they'd ever had to wait before.

At first, it had just been Hermione. She'd been alone for a bit, but then Ron had joined her and it had been just the two of them for a very long time.

Then, Rose had come and it has been many more years.

And now the final piece to the puzzle was about to join them.

Hugo.

Hugo had taken longer than the rest of them, but it was finally time to see him again.

One hundred and twenty-six he had lived until, and despite Hermione's early fears that he was too timid to survive the cruel world, he had. He'd gone on to write many books on magical charms — even ones that Hogwarts students used. He'd successfully created his own spells that were common place amongst the wizarding community.

But most of all, he'd lived. He'd been happy for a very long time.

Longer than Hermione, who made it to one hundred and ten, and longer than Ron who joined her at one hundred and thirteen.

Rose had been the shock, making it to ninety-nine. It had been a car accident for her, which had broken Hermione and Ron's hearts when they'd been called to greet her. They'd expected another ten years at least.

Not that any of them looked their ages. Apparently when one reached the afterlife, they had the ability to choose how they looked. Ron and Hermione were back in their mid-thirties bodies, while Rose said her best moments had been in her fifties.

They had gotten used to it during their time here.

Hermione wondered what her son would choose, but didn't want to dwell on it. It was up to him. She was just looking forward to seeing him again.

"You know what," Rose said, once again glancing down at her watch, "Despite him being so old, I still see him as my baby brother and still remember the sweet little face of a six year old boy. I hope that's who he comes back as — my six year old little brother."

While Rose might have looked older, she spoke like a woman of twenty. Rose always had — even at seventy years old, her tone, her sarcasm, her sense of humour had remained.

"No one ever comes back as their child selves," Ron commented.

"Yeah, but Hugo's always been different." Rose shrugged.

"We'll be happy with whoever he is," Hermione said. "Oh, I'm so proud of him."

"Me too," Ron and Rose answered unanimously.

The afterlife was a strange place. It looked different to everyone despite being present with each other. They could interact with anyone, but they each saw something different. It was a different world and nobody quite knew just what another saw.

Right now, Hermione was waiting for her son in a garden. For all she knew, Rose was standing in a bakery, and Ron on a Quidditch pitch. At first, they always told each other what they saw, but that became tiresome. They no longer bothered.

One thing they always did see, however, was the bright light. It shone so bright in the garden that Hermione had to squint. The others did the same, and then a shadowed figure appeared.

Ron's hand squeezed tightly around her own as they watched the figure emerge out of the light. Their vision became clearer and Hermione's breath hitched when her son appeared before her.

An old man walked towards them. Grey hair, a walking stick and baggy clothes. His face had a pair of square glasses sitting on his face, and just below that was a wrinkled grin.

Hermione let go of Ron's hand and stepped forward. "Hugo," he whispered.

"Hey, Mum." Despite his appearance, Hugo sounded young. Like he had when he'd been in his twenties.

Hermione rushed forward and threw her arms around the old man — her son. Her Hugo. "Oh, I've missed you," she whispered into his wrinkled neck.

"Me too," Hugo murmured against her. He pulled away, taking in his father and sister before them.

Then, after a second, they also came forward and greeted Hugo with a hug.

"Good to see you again, mate," Ron said, "though I have to ask — why this body?"

Hugo smiled. "Well, before I came here, when I was in limbo, they asked me to think of my best years, and how I died immediately came to me. Just before that… they were my best years." He held out his hand, lifting the cane, "so here I am."

Ron grunted and shrugged. "Well, I'm glad." He clapped Hugo on the back.

For a moment, Hugo stared at his father and then dug into a pocket, extracting a glass bottle. "I was allowed to take one thing, and… here." He passed the bottle to Ron, who looked shocked.

Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes as she realised what her son had chosen as his one item. "Oh, Hugo, you shouldn't have —"

Hugo waved her protest away. "I wanted to." He smiled at her. "Especially when I knew I'd be seeing you again."

Ron looked at the bottle, his own tears forming. "Mate…"

Hugo grinned, which admittedly looked odd on his old man face.

It had been a sixtieth wedding anniversary gift from Ron, Rose and Hugo to Hermione. It was in the shape of a wine bottle, but inside wasn't wine, but a bottle full of memories — the most precious memories that they could keep forever. It had sat proudly on their shelf ever since, but never opened.

Hugo, being the last one left, had inherited it.

"Maybe we can relive them now that we're all together again." Rose stepped forward and clapped her brother's shoulder. "Merlin, I saw you as an old man, but I don't remember you looking as adorable as you do right now. My cute baby brother."

"Cute?" Hugo protested. "I look older than you."

"Yeah, and old people are cute." Rose shrugged. "Good to have you home, little bro."

Hermione's heart swelled with love. Time was a non-issue here, but she knew it had been a long time since the four of them were together. And to have them all here again…

"Oh, Mum's crying," Rose said.

Hugo chuckled as Ron's arm fell across her shoulders.

"Huh," Hugo said, "Looks like nothing's changed then."

This was a last minute story to get my entry for R7 of Quidditch League in. I have been SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO busy lately. I've moved house, started a new job, my daughter has struggled to settle and isn't sleeping, we got a puppy... so yeah. This is unbetad and unedited, so I hope it's okay.

Also, I know a lot of you clicking on this is waiting for an update for WIHY. Trust me, I'm trying. I am really trying to find a spare moment to get it up. But spare moments are far and few right now. Today is the first day I have felt some semblence of routine, so I do hope to have it up by the end of this week!