Fixed the last chapter- sorry about that- I tried to rush an update before leaving for work.
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George sent owls to everyone, explaining that I was back with my son- but to not come over until dinner. I told Ciaus that he would be meeting some of his aunts and uncles and cousins and the words had hardly left my mouth when Harry nearly ran through the door. I knew no one would listen to George's request of not bombarding me.
"Hi," I say lamely, as Harry stares at me from the doorway. He grins before running to me and twirling me in his arms. He hugs me tightly and I can feel the tears come to my eyes.
"I've missed you so much, Hermione."
"I know, Harry," I reply. "I'm so sorry. I've missed you horribly."
When he pulls away, he's still smiling. "I can't believe you're really here." He glances around the room, for the first time seeing George- Molly is in the kitchen working on dinner and Ciaus is sitting on the counter 'helping' right beside her.
"Um...George's note said you have a son?"
"I-" The door swings open revealing a pregnant Ginny, and Ron- holding a small child, beside her.
Ginny squeals before pushing Harry away from me so she could give me a hug. I watch as Ron hands Harry the sleeping boy- Harry places a kiss on the child's forehead. James. It's funny- most of the knowledge I have right now about my old friends comes from Draco. And the Prophet. It's easy to keep up with Harry and Ginny's lives as they're plastered all over the Prophet. Ron, too- he recently became a full-fledged Auror.
When Ginny finally releases me, she looks pointedly at Ron, who hasn't moved from the doorway. He seems to shake himself awake and slowly closes the door behind him, before walking over to me and pulling me in a hug. I swear he's about a foot taller than when I last saw him. "I'm so glad you're home, Hermione," he almost mutters into my ear.
"Me too, Ron."
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"So let me get this straight," Ginny says slowly, staring at Ciaus from across the living room where we were all sitting. Dinner was quiet and awkward, with many glances at both me and Ciaus from around the dinner table. Ciaus and James were playing with some wizard figures on the rug by the fire. Victorie, Bill and Fleur's daughter, was sitting quietly off to the side, watching.
"You and Fred...were dating?"
I bite my lip and shrug. "I guess so," I reply. "Not really...I mean, we'd meet up with each other, and went out a few times...but we weren't anything- official."
"How long?"
The room gets quiet with Ron's question- Ci and James continue to pretend to destroy each other's figurine, ignoring the adults around them.
"Does it matter?" I ask him back.
"I'd kind of like to know how long you were shagging my dead brother- yes. You ran away when you found out you were pregnant with his kid- he's dead and you act like he meant nothing."
I take a deep breath and watch as Fleur- God bless her, ushers the kids out of the room and back to Molly. No one except for George is currently looking me in the eyes.
"Shagging?" I finally ask him back. "Once, Ron. " I reply. "Just the one bloody time. Not that it's really any of your business- because it's not.
"I didn't sleep with Fred until that day...right before the battle, and right before he asked me to be his girlfriend."
I register that I'm crying- so is Ginny from what I can tell. Both Bill and Harry are doing their best to avoid my eyes as I look at Ron. I can;t really say that I expected anything else from Ron.
"Don't you dare tell me that I act like he meant nothing- when he meant...everything."
Stubborn as always, Ron doesn't back down. "You don't care about someone like that overnight."
"You do after three years."
It's Harry that's replied, and I stare at him. He's smiling- kind of sadly, but he's still smiling.
"You knew?" I ask him.
He shakes his head at me. "Not until now... I caught you two kissing at Grimmauld Place- but you slapped him nearly immediately, so I never really thought about it afterwards...I was kind of too distracted to notice, I guess. I figured he was just messing around with you...I also wasn't sure if it was Fred or George..."
I smile at Harry, thinking back to the memory. Fred and I had been awkwardly fooling around with each other for a few weeks before Harry came to the Order Headquarters. I kept telling Fred that we should stop, because we'd get caught- when Harry walked into the library. I wasn't sure how much he had seen so I slapped Fred in the face before running upstairs to my room.
I just didn't want complications. I had school. I had...I had to protect Harry. And Ron. I couldn't be distracted by Fred. By teenage romance.
"You loved him," Ginny says softly.
I don't need to reply. Just hearing the words hurts so much I can hardly breathe.
"I'm- ...I'm going to go get some fresh air," I tell them, standing. "I'm fine," I say at Ginny's look. "Just a bit stuffy in here."
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"You okay?"
"I will be," I tell George, not tearing my eyes away from the stars. George sits beside me on the large picnic table in the Weasley's back yard. After a few moments he takes my hand in his and points towards the sky.
"Gemini," he says, pointing to the constellation. "Whenever I think about him too much and start to get down again I look for Gemini and think about him watching over me...silly, but it helps sometimes."
I shake my head, wiping the tears from my eyes when he lets go of my hand. "I see him in Ciaus every single day."
George puts his arm around me and pulls me into a hug. I can almost smell Fred- not quite though. But I feel better in George's arms. I feel safe. I feel- I almost feel like I'm home.
"I know this is alot," George says, running his hand through my hair. "Especially all at once, but I want you to consider moving in with me."
I pull away from him so I can look at him. "What?"
"I live in my own house now- alone. Not only could I use the company, but you could use a place with less traffic than the Burrow, and Ciaus could use growing up with some family around. ...and I'd like to get to know my Godson- I've been absent from his life for, what, over two years?"
"He was late," I tell George, with a smile. "He was born April first."
George clears his throat before speaking. "Of course he was," he replies, shaking his head. "So a bit over two years then...please, Hermione?"
"At least until you get situated back here?"
I find myself nodding. It really would be good for Ciaus. "Okay," I tell him. "If you're sure."
"Absolutely."
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Keep telling me what you all think, I really appreciate it. Sorry again for the mix up last chapter. Love you all.