SECOND CHANCES 17

Author's Note: I don't own any of the characters.

Sydney-Australia-The Home Of Wendell And Monika Wilkins-Or Henry And Jean Granger

She would never be sure how long it had taken before she had come up for air with Ron on that day. Neither had any interest then in keeping track of anything besides the fact that they were back together with each other and their son. Hermione didn't even think to look up until she started to feel a bit lightheaded and Ron until he heard Henry starting to fuss. Though he wasn't sure exactly what to do as he didn't want to take him away from her, even for a few moments after everything that she had been through since his birth. Harry and Ginny had held back, though in the end both had to wipe away tears as they watched on before finally the redhead couldn't take it anymore and shed more than a few tears. Harry had tried to act all stoic but that hadn't lasted very long and so Henry and Jean Granger had woken up to four teens and a small child crying in their house.

"Jean…Henry's up again, what could he want this time," Henry groaned with a sigh as he reached a hand up to rub the sleep out of his eyes, only he found to his amazement that he wasn't sleepy at all and it wasn't even supper time yet.

"How should I know, he's only a baby, Hermione was never this fussy," Jean shot back with a slight headache just behind her forehead before she sat up and noticed a teary eyed Harry and Ginny staring at her.

"Uh hi…Mrs. Granger, Mr. Granger…I'm Ginny Weasley…you know my brother Ron, he was the one who…," Ginny tried to answer though she couldn't think of anything really helpful to say and so fell back upon the old standby, hoping that would work.

"They bloody well know who I am Ginny," Ron let out with an impatient sigh as he physically picked both Hermione and Henry up until she was standing fully upright again and then lead her to the coach, though she was understandably scared and very unwilling to let go of Henry.

"Oh yes, you're the young man that got our daughter pregnant," Henry pointed out with a less than pleased expression while it was clear to Harry that the older man was having a hard time keeping his emotions in check.

"Twice…heh…oops," Ginny snickered nervously from her spot in Harry's arms before he gave her a quick hushing sound and a strong squeeze before finally speaking.

"Nice Ginny," Harry muttered under his breath with a pained grimace, one that Ginny quickly copied, before the two edged slowly away from the others, hoping to be close enough to help if needed but otherwise not get in the way.

"Twice, what…Hermione," Jean started to wonder aloud with a confused look in Hermione's direction as she began to put the pieces together before she was interrupted.

"What is going on here, where is Henry…," Henry interjected while looking upset and angry as he stood up and looked all around the room, though he calmed a bit at seeing that Jean was not hurt.

"He's right here daddy," Hermione replied with a nervous but also extremely proud and happy smile as she held a lightly fussing Henry up to show her father, tears starting to fill her eyes and how he might respond.

"No he's not, I know my own grandson, he's a baby, barely a month old," Henry snapped angrily as he pointed a finger at Hermione before he turned to reach for a baby picture on the coffee table but couldn't find any.

"Not anymore, that was over a year ago," Ron stated in a rushed fashion as he stepped up beside Hermione and put an arm around her and hoped to ease some of the tension in the room if at all possible.

"What do you mean a year, see Hermione hasn't lost her baby weight yet," Jean tried to counter the argument as she walked up to Hermione and gently laid one hand on her shoulder and the other on her stomach before she gave Hermione a very odd look.

"Well…actually, this is Henry and I am pregnant for the second time with Ron and I am so very sorry but to protect you from Voldemort and his Death Eaters I…well I…, I'm sorry sorry…," Hermione tried to make herself explain how everything had changed to her parents as calmly and straightforward as she could before her fear got the better of her and she hit a metaphorical brick wall and couldn't continue.

"But…wait, this isn't our house…is it," Henry noticed softly with more than a fair amount of concern in his voice as he began to slowly walk around the living room before he then suddenly looked confused and turned to Ginny as she spoke.

"Um…yes…and…no…it's complicated," Ginny cautiously stated as she pulled away from Harry and then walked over to Hermione's father before gently laying a hand on his arm and smiling as innocently as she could.

"That's putting it mildly Ginny, you see Mr. Granger Hermione cast a spell on the two of you so that you could be hidden away and kept safe from danger, the Death Eaters murdered so many people that Hermione was afraid that they would try to kill you as well, she never wanted to do it but she felt that she had no other choice, and she sent Henry here with you so that he'd be safe as well, but it was terribly hard on her being away from him for so long," Harry added as he did his best to explain everything, as he noticed the look of total panic on Hermione's face and the fact that she looked to be totally overwhelmed by the situation even though he could tell that Ron was doing his best to help her, as he slowly followed the path that Ginny had taken and tried to keep himself close enough to Hermione's father so that if anything did happen he could keep it from getting to far. Though secretly he hoped and expected nothing like that to happen however the search for the horcrux's had taught him that he'd rather be safe than sorry.

"After I cast the spell on you I sent you here so that you'd be as far away from the fighting as possible, it looks like it worked…thankfully," Hermione piped up with though she sounded like a small mouse in the grand scheme of things before Ron guided her to a seat on the couch.

"So then is it over…is that horrible wizard really gone," Jean questioned softly, her voice full of fear and trepidation, as she then sat down on the couch next to Hermione and gently brushed the back of her hand against Henry's cheek.

"Yes, for good this time, the war is over and we're all safe," Ginny happily nodded with a proud smile before she reached back and took Harry's hand in her own and gave it a squeeze, one that he quickly returned with a soft smile.

"Thank God, but I think that we deserve a better explanation than that Hermione Granger, I can understand trying to protect us but how could you do that to us without at least talking it over with us, we're your parents…it's our job to protect you, not the bloody other way around," Henry told his daughter point blank with a clearly less than pleased look in his eyes and tone to his words as he walked over to stand in front of her and look down at her before Ron took the last open spot on the couch and took Henry into his arms as Hermione looked very reluctant to do even that.

"Don't you think that I…of all people, understand that…because it's exactly what I did, I sent my son…my only son away from me…his mother…and his father…for his own…for your own protection, so don't tell me that…and now that I'm…," Hermione forced herself to say calmly at first before her level of anger grew until she snapped only at her father at the end as she shot up to her feet right in front of her mother, who got a good look at her baby bump.

"Henry…she's pregnant," Jean blurted out with wide eyes as if she was finally seeing Hermione as she truly was for the first time that evening and she could only shake her head in shock and try to come to grips with what that meant for the whole family.

"But…she can't be, she hasn't…they haven't…," Henry stuttered back with a highly confused look before his expression changed to a grimace and he pulled Hermione into a warm hug as it was the only thing that he could think of doing right then.

"I have and we have…and I am pregnant…again for a second time, this time with triplets so I could really use my mum and dad right now," Hermione nodded with a large bit of certainty in her voice as she looked her father straight in the eye, though not out of any intention of challenging or threatening him but rather that it was done just to make sure that she was completely serious about her choices and didn't regret any of them.

"But you," Henry tried to argue, though he sounded more like the true fight had gone out of him, as he pulled back from Hermione enough so smile at her before then pulling her back into a tight hug.

"Henry…not now, she needs our help not our scorn, we can talk about that all later…bloody hell…three of them," Jean scowled heavily as she scolded her husband with a swat to his hip before the full meaning of Hermione's explanation made her stop and think about how to handle three babies at once.

"Heh…yeah, three of them, bit of a shock to us as well," Ron nervously chuckled as he uncomfortably shifted in his seat and seemed to act as if everything was his fault, as the last thing on his mind was shifting any of the blame to Hermione.

"But how…when, you didn't make the fight against that dark wizard sound like a trip that would be ripe with romantic opportunities, or was that all a lie," Henry argued as he pulled his hands back from Hermione and gave her a very serious look until his gaze dropped to her stomach and he couldn't help but soften a bit.

"Not a lie, let's just say that it's a VERY long story," Harry answered for Hermione after clearing his throat to get her parents undivided attention before he walked over in front of the television and smiled nervously.

"Well then…perhaps we should order in and get settled because it sounds like we've got an awful lot of talking to do," Henry declared with a short breath as he sat down in the unoccupied chair and looked to be getting comfortable before he looked straight over at Harry.

"That we do sir…that we do," Harry nodded slowly while looking very serious and a bit fearful as Hermione sat back down on the coach next to Ron, and arm in arm with her head on his shoulder and a hand on Henry's back the group got ready to talk long into the night.

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Sydney-Australia-The Home Of Mr. And Mrs. Henry Granger-One Month Later

They had talk so long that night that by the time that they had finally stopped talking Hermione and Henry had long since retreated to the spare bedroom and fallen asleep. Hermione had not let Henry out of her sight and by the time that Ron had dragged himself along after them he had found his son softly sleeping in the middle of the bed with his mother curled up in a protective ball around him. Laughing softly to himself he had just silently shut the door and then mirrored Hermione's protective position just on the other side of the bed, nearly tearing up at the beautiful sight in front of him before he fell asleep. By the time that Hermione was getting an itch to leave Australia her pregnancy was something that was impossible to ignore and could not be easily hidden. However the difference for her and Ron was that now neither had any interest in hiding it, especially since everyone around them already knew all about it. To the young couple it had quickly become an interesting way of doing things. After an afternoon at the park Hermione had returned to her parents' house with Henry to take a bath together when she heard the telltale pop of someone entering the locked bathroom without using the door.

"Don't you think that maybe you're pushing it just a bit," Hermione let out with an impatient sigh as she closed her eyes and slowly shook her head back and forth a bit as she didn't even need to look to see who had entered as she already knew.

"How so luv, not like you would have just let me in," Ron shrugged it off with ease and a soft laugh as he walked over to the toilet and closes the lid before sitting down.

"And get out of this nice hot bath with my favorite guy…I don't think so," Hermione replied with a fake huff of anger that earned her a short giggle from Henry, who seemed to find the whole situation very interesting.

"Under normal circumstances I might have been angry at that crack…but…as I'm here now, got room for one more," Ron replied with an impish grin before he slid off of the toilet to kneel down beside the tub and then leaned over and gave both Henry and Hermione a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Are you serious," Hermione asked softly with her eyes snapping wide and a quick glance back at the door before she turned her gaze away from Ron to try and hide her blush even though she thought that he was more than a bit crazy.

"I wouldn't have asked if I wasn't," Ron told her softly as they both froze and waited until they felt that whoever was out walking by in the hallway was far enough away not to hear them before Ron hopped up to sit on the edge of the tub.

"Only if Henry says okay," Hermione relented with a tired little sigh as she turned to her son and looked ready to ask him his opinion when Ron cut in.

"Hermione…luv, he's one…not exactly going to be able to carry his half of the conversation now is he," Ron interjected with a confused frown as he almost leaned over to far and had to catch himself lest he go tumbling violently into the tub on top of Henry and Hermione.

"True…oh alright, just don't get mad at me if you don't have anything to wear afterwards but a towel," Hermione shrugged with the slightest hint of a smile gracing her lips before she leaned in and gave Henry a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thought you liked me in nothing but a towel," Ron joked with a sly grin as he slid his shirt off over his head and set about having his jeans follow it into a heap on the floor beside the tub.

"Not in front of Henry," Hermione shot back through a deep blush and a soft giggle as she playfully squeezed her eyes shut and used her free hand to cover up Henry's eyes before as Ron's underwear hit the floor she couldn't help but peek and grin merrily.

"Again luv…he's too young to understand anything that we're saying…or doing," Ron replied with a quick rolling of his eyes and a soft groan before he stepped into the tub and positioned himself underneath Hermione and his arms around both she and Henry, who seemed to rather like the arrangement as he stared back and forth between the two, as if carefully studying them both for some reason.

"Still, I don't want to get in a habit of shagging in front of him," Hermione whispered softly to Ron as she turned her head just a bit as she felt his hands move to gently cover her stomach, a welcome move on her part.

"Who said anything about shagging, your mum has a very dirty mind son," Ron quipped back quickly with a quick kiss to Hermione's cheek and a sly grin as he could feel Hermione rolling her eyes at him before her and Henry shared a short laugh.

"And his father doesn't, popping in here when he knows that we're taking a bath," Hermione countered with a hint of dark amusement in her words and a mock look of anger on her face before she couldn't help but give Henry a hug.

"Also true, you know me so well luv," Ron nodded with a subtle grin as one hand slid up from Hermione's stomach to give her a quick squeeze while the other hand he used to drop a dollop of suds on top of Henry's head.

"I should by now, shouldn't I," Hermione shot back with an impatient frown before she shook her head and brushed the dollop of suds off of Henry's head before any of it could get in his eyes.

"Yes…you should, and you do…you're lucky to have such a smart mum Henry, hopefully you inherited her brains and not mine," Ron agreed happily with a gentle nibble to Hermione ear before he reached a hand up and couldn't help but smile when Henry wrapped his little fingers around Ron's index finger with a strong grip.

"You're not an idiot Ron, though you have been known to act like one on occasion, isn't that right Henry…see, he agrees," Hermione pointedly answered at first before her expression calmed down a bit and her frown turned into a smile as Henry poked the tip of her nose with the end of one of his little fingers and laughed.

"Of course he agrees, he loves his mum and understands that she only wants what's best for him, see…he doesn't blame you Hermione," Ron chided her softly though she could hear it in his voice that he meant every word that he was saying and he gave her another squeeze before be put another dollop of suds on top of Henry's head.

"I know he doesn't, but I still blame myself…I missed so much of his life," Hermione glumly answered as she dropped her chin down to her chest and forcefully squeezed her lips together as she tried to keep from shedding a few tears.

"Not quite yet you haven't, your father told me that he wasn't walking or talking yet, something about that he seemed to be waiting for something…or someone," Ron offered up earnestly in the hope of cheering Hermione up a bit before he leaned his head down and placed a soft kiss on her collarbone followed by one on her cheek.

"I don't think that's the case…and why were you talking to my father anyway," Hermione replied sadly as she picked her head up and locked gazes with Henry and honestly wished will all her heart that what Ron was saying was true, but she couldn't quite fully believe it, not yet.

"Oh uh…guy stuff, nothing to worry about…he just read me the riot act and all and said that if I hurt you no magic on Earth would save me…uh, stuff like that," Ron blushed back furiously while looking very embarrassed as he purposefully looked anywhere in the room but at Hermione, and as usual she noticed it immediately.

"You two certainly weren't at the park for long today though either," Hermione reminded him softly with a still very curious look in her eyes as she shifted a bit on top of Ron so that she could get a better look at his face without throwing Henry off balance.

"He wanted to show me their office or something, I've never been more bored…then he showed me the sights and we came back to see you two, I couldn't really tell him no if I want him to like me now could I," Ron forced himself to say as Hermione could tell that he was having no small amount of difficulty in answering her as he tried to smile through it all, though she was too tired to argue with him just then.

"I guess not, I just don't know why he wouldn't have wanted us along," Hermione admitted, more than a bit unsure as to exactly what was going on, before she took a deep breath and blew bubbles that seemed to make Henry happy as he grinned.

"Who knows, I try not to think about it, especially since we still have to tell my parents after this is all over," Ron chuckled through as he reached a hand up and brushed some hair back behind Hermione's ear and then buried his face into the crick of her neck and felt a lot of love that she seemed to return his embrace.

"Exactly why we stayed here with my parents for so long, so that by the time that we get back to England there will only be like a week or two until the next term starts," Hermione relayed proudly with a sly grin that Ron couldn't help but copy as the two shared a subtle laugh, which Henry seemed to find funny as he let out a cackle of laughter before he tried to grab Hermione's lips as if he were trying to figure out how they worked.

"But what about our books and everything," Ron asked with no small amount of concern in his voice as he glanced over at the clock on the wall so that they wouldn't spend all night in the tub together, even though he was perfectly happy right where he was.

"Don't worry, we'll have plenty of time for that, besides it'll be a good excuse to get out of the house," Hermione answered with a small nod of her head as she did look forward to getting her new books and going through them page by page like she always had.

"Besides…there are a few things we need to talk about after we're done here, just you and me…Ginny can take care of Henry for a bit, I swear that she won't let him out of her sight, she's got a year of being an aunt that she missed that she'll want to make up for anyway," Ron told her with an oddly deep breath as to Hermione he suddenly sounded both very excited but also extremely nervous about something, and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not.

"Meaning…," Hermione wondered back with her brows furrowed in concern and confusion as she sat up in Ron's lap and turned around enough to look him in the eye.

"You'll see…," Ron replied with a rather cheeky grin though in his eyes there was a huge amount of fear that Hermione could see which made her even more nervous.

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Sydney-Australia

A few hours later Hermione had found out that Ron had lied about everything that he had told her about the time that he had spent with her father. She hadn't gotten terribly mad as she had guessed that he wasn't telling her everything but before she could really get angry he had told her the truth in its entirety, and all was forgiven. The rest of their time in Australia was spent together as if they were in a whole new world. The plane rides home had sapped all of their strength and Henry's patience, though to Hermione none of it mattered. She had left England Hermione Jean Granger and would return Hermione Jean Weasley.

END OF CHAPTER 17

Author's Note: Thanks again to everyone for reading and reviewing this and the other chapters. As always reviews, comments, and questions are greatly appreciated. I still foresee this story only lasting another chapter or two before I get to the epilogues that will end about at the same time that the epilogue does in the book. I tried to keep Hermione's parents in the middle of whether to agree that she did what she had to and be angry with her. Their memories of Henry as a month or so old baby are colliding with their memories of taking care of him over the past year and that's messing them up. I've seen writers have her parents be furious and others just agree and tried to get in between them. A little more Harry and Ginny trying to help as best that they can and her parents trying to figure out that Hermione is pregnant again and not just still having her baby weight. The second half was just something that I came up with and thought that it would be fun. As for if you the reader think that anything sexually happened between Ron and Hermione in the tub with Henry then that's fine by me, if you think that nothing happened like that then I'm fine with that as well. Of course nothing to major between them would happen since Henry was there but a little can go a long way. I just view that Hermione would be more of a free spirit at her sex life, or could be, but only when it's just her and Ron and nobody else. She wouldn't be one to talk about any of this with anyone. The bit at the end, well if you guessed that it means that Ron and Hermione got married before leaving Australia then you're right, they did. Thank You.