A/N: Thanks as always to all that have read, reviewed, favorited, and put this story on alert. :)

PLEASE NOTE: I am flying down to Florida the day after Christmas and will be away until New Year's Day with little to no internet access. So, I will not be able to update, and it is unlikely that I will be able to respond to reviews/PMs during this time. Thanks in advance for your understanding—I'll be back online soon after I get back, so look for an update on the 2nd or 3rd of January! I'm really looking forward to the next chapter - it should be wait a bit of a longer wait!

Disclaimer: Turns out you can't wish your way into owning Harry Potter.

"The Last Train (and the First Date)"

26 June 1999

After more than an hour aboard the Hogwarts Express, Hermione had finally determined that her last ride would also be her busiest. Though technically the term was over and her duties as Head Girl were completed, she couldn't bring herself to shirk even her self-assigned responsibilities. However, after her third patrol and only two scoldings, she couldn't bring herself to do it anymore—a year of being the Head Girl and revising for NEWTs had made her tired, and truth be told, she needed some time to herself. This was her very last ride on the Hogwarts Express, after all. Without even attempting to find Ginny or Luna, Hermione immediately claimed the first open compartment she found and laid down across one of the seats, closing her eyes and breathing a sigh of relief.

So at last her days at Hogwarts had come to a close. Though she'd miss it, Hermione was far more relieved than she'd expected to be. Of course, her expectations had originally been that she'd finish her seventh year on time with her two best friends at her side. She loved Ginny and Luna dearly, but they weren't Harry and Ron. Though she'd been able to see the boys about once a month, twice if she was lucky, she couldn't deny that she was looking forward to being able to see them every day—especially Ron, if she was being honest with herself. She, Harry, and Ron would always be a trio, but they had definitely coupled off and really, in some ways, were better for it. And she was moving into her very own flat come August, around the time she was meant to start her new job (job—she really was an adult now, wasn't she?) with the Care of Magical Creatures Department at the Ministry. This meant that really, the possibilities were endless when it came to Ron. Though she was alone, Hermione blushed. Maybe finally, after more than a year of stealing kisses and writing letters, they could really start their relationship—properly.

A few moments later, Hermione was jolted from her thoughts by the sound of the compartment door opening. Her instincts from a year on the run kicking in, she immediately sat upright and shrieked, grabbing for her wand.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry and Ron chorused from the door, the latter man chuckling a bit at her demeanor. Both of them looked quite pleased with themselves. Hermione, however, did not relax immediately.

"Ron, what did you do to Scabbers on our first train to Hogwarts?" she asked with what he probably considered unwarranted suspicion. But it was better to be safe than sorry, she thought to herself.

Ron frowned a moment, as if he were thinking. "I think I tried to turn him yellow. Why?"

Harry caught on faster. "And what had Neville lost that day, Hermione?"

"His toad. Where did we spend Christmas Eve last year?"

"In Godric's Hollow, almost getting killed by a giant snake," Harry replied, cracking a grin. "Believe it's us yet?"

"Yes. Now what are you doing here?" she asked accusingly, putting her wand back in her pocket.

"Nice to see you too, love," Ron said grumpily, stepping fully into the compartment.

"Right, sorry," Hermione said absently, standing up to give Harry a hug and Ron a quick kiss on the lips. After they settled into their seats, Hermione next to Ron and Harry across from them, she resumed her questioning. "I'm serious. Why are you here?"

She didn't miss the shifty glance the boys exchanged. "We may have snuck on board," Ron said lightly.

"You did what? But there's security!" Hermione exclaimed, her voice quickly rising into a shriek again.

"Hey, give us some credit. We did break into Gringotts, y'know," Harry replied.

"She's just mad we can do it without her," Ron teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and giving her a light squeeze.

"Does your mother know you're here?" Hermione inquired wearily, realizing it was unlikely they'd pay any heed at all to her scolding.

"We may have told her we had permission," Ron said nonchalantly.

"But couldn't breaking in some place get you in trouble at work?" Hermione asked pointedly.

"Unlikely. We're on a first name basis with the Minister of Magic, y'know," Ron replied cockily.

"Relax, Hermione. We wouldn't have done it if we didn't know we could get away with it," Harry said in an attempt to calm her, but she just sent him a glare.

"You'd think newly trained Aurors would know better," she grumbled, but leaned her head on Ron's shoulder nonetheless, knowing it was better just to drop the subject.

"We couldn't let you take your last train ride alone," Harry said smoothly.

"Why are you alone, anyway? Where's Ginny and Luna?" Ron asked.

"I don't know. I was doing my patrols for awhile, but I needed a break so I took the first empty compartment I found," Hermione replied, straightening up as Ron removed his arm from her shoulders. As many times as Harry told them he was fine being the third wheel, they could both sense when he was starting to get a tad uncomfortable.

"Why are you doing patrols on the train ride home?" Harry asked.

"Because she's Hermione," Ron smirked. "Gotta milk everything out of that Head Girl position, yeah?"

"Quiet, you," Hermione said dismissively. "I'm not patrolling anymore, am I?"

"Good. You work too hard," Ron replied sincerely. "You'll do enough of that next month, why start now?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "It's always better to be prepared."

"Really? I think there's something charming about running in head first unawares," Ron quipped. "Or maybe we've just done that enough that I've grown fond of it."

Harry laughed. "Just don't tell Robards that's our strategy."

"Don't tell me about strategy, I got top marks in that," Ron said, puffing out his chest proudly.

"You got your test results back? Why didn't you tell me?" Hermione asked excitedly.

"We just got them yesterday," Harry said.

"And?" Hermione prompted in anticipation.

"Passed with flying colors," Ron said happily. "Both of us. We've got a week off, and then we report to Price—he's the head of domestic affairs—next Monday morning."

"That's wonderful! I just knew you'd pass, of course, but congratulations!" Hermione said warmly, pecking Ron on the cheek before reaching across the compartment to squeeze Harry's arm.

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry replied. "Ron really did get tops in strategic maneuvers, y'know. He did brilliantly."

Hermione turned and beamed at Ron, who was blushing at Harry's praise. "I was shit at healing charms though," he said embarrassedly.

"Top marks in anything is really impressive, Ron," Hermione insisted. More than a year of being his girlfriend had taught her that he did thrive on the praise of others, even if he acted embarrassed upon receiving it.

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her appreciatively. "And hey, I was second at dueling to this tosser," he said, gesturing nonchalantly toward Harry, who batted his arm as if he was trying to throw off the compliment.

"That's fantastic. For both of you, really," Hermione said. "See, you both could've had top marks at Hogwarts too, if you'd only applied yourselves."

Ron rolled his eyes. "It's a lot easier to apply myself when it's something I care about. Sorry, but I was never going to be interested in Potions or History of Magic."

"Well, I'm glad you've found something you can put your heart into," Hermione said, unable to resist kissing him one more time.

"Gross," Harry said good-naturedly.

"Says the man defiling my sister," Ron replied.

"That's rude, Ron," Hermione scolded half-seriously, knowing neither of the boys were particularly taking the conversation to heart but feeling obligated to say something nonetheless.

"I even missed your nagging," Ron said, laughing in response.

"I don't nag—"

"Yeah, you do," Harry said laughing. "You might as well just admit it."

Hermione threw him a dirty look. "I see whose side you're on, Harry Potter."

"The right side, of course," Ron said jovially.

"I see him more often than you, so it's in my best interest that if one of you's peeved at me, it's not him," Harry said reasonably, but his eyes gave away that his comments were in jest.

Hermione sighed dramatically. "All these years and the majority of the time you two still act like you're twelve."

"We've got to be immature when we can," Ron rationalized, "seeing as we're meant to be proper adults now."

"Y'know, we've been doing more or less everything for ourselves since the end of our sixth year, but it's only now that I actually feel grown up," Harry remarked thoughtfully.

"Me too," Hermione agreed. "I think it's because it's not as though the last two years have followed the normal coming-of-age process."

"I dunno, I kind of felt different when I left the Burrow," Ron said. "But you're right, it hasn't felt normal til now, cos we haven't really had jobs to do or bills to pay. Or easily accessible girlfriends," he added as an afterthought, throwing a winning grin in Hermione's direction.

"And in what way is having an 'easily accessible' girlfriend necessary to the growing up process?" Hermione asked shrewdly.

"Added bonus," Ron said. "Speaking of which, I'm taking you out tonight."

"You are?" Hermione asked in a tone that was probably more surprised than Ron would have liked it to be. "I don't know if my parents were planning anything—"

"They aren't," Ron said promptly. "And they know you've got plans. I asked your mum about what muggle restaurants you like."

Hermione frowned. "When did you talk to my mum?"

"Didn't I tell you? They came to the Burrow for dinner a couple weeks ago."

"They did?"

"Yeah, I was there too," Harry said. "Mrs. Weasley made some fantastic soup and your parents brought sugar-free desserts, which, by the way, are actually way better than they sound."

"How did it go? You could've told me," Hermione said, virtually ignoring Harry's comment and turning to Ron.

"It was good. Your dad's starting to like me, I think," Ron replied. "Or he likes me better than Harry, anyway. I think it's cos my teeth are whiter."

"My dad never disliked you," Hermione said dismissively, "and I'm sure he doesn't care whose teeth are whiter."

"He did suggest I switch my toothpaste," Harry said matter-of-factly.

"You're kidding?" Hermione's eyes widened. She knew her dad lacked tact in some situations, but surely….

"Yeah, I'm just taking the piss," Harry assured her. "Did you seriously believe me?"

"Her dad's pretty blunt," Ron said. "At Christmas he saw us snogging and proceeded to question my intentions in front of their dinner guests."

"No way," Harry said disbelievingly.

"It's true," Hermione sighed. "But it wasn't as bad as you're making it out to be," she added, poking Ron's knee.

"Still uncomfortable."

"Yes, definitely." Hermione shuddered, recalling the rather personal questions that had been posed to them during Christmas Eve dinner. Luckily, Ron had been able to talk his way out of the worst of it.

"Glad I'm not the one trying to date you then," Harry said. "For multiple reasons," he added teasingly.

"You aren't good enough for her anyways," Ron retorted cheerfully. "She only dates real men, thank you very much."

"Then why's she with you?" Harry shot back.

"I'll have you know, Potter—"

"That she's right here and doesn't think the two of you are funny," Hermione said smoothly. The three of them looked at each other for a moment before dissolving into laughter. Though even they weren't entirely sure what was so funny, they were laughing hard enough that none of them noticed the compartment door slide open a minute later.

"Hermione, what's going—Harry!" Ginny cried as she entered the compartment. "What're you doing here?"

"Hello, only sister," Ron shouted indignantly as Ginny leaned down to wordlessly greet her boyfriend.

When she surfaced a minute later, Ginny greeted Ron by lightly punching his arm and bopping him on the head. "Why're the two of you here?"

"They aren't supposed to be," Hermione said sternly.

"But you're glad to see us anyways," Ron quipped, grabbing one of her hands and threading his fingers through hers.

The foursome spent the rest of the train ride laughing and chatting. They were eventually joined by Luna, who gave them a thorough description of the Snorglesnuff-gathering she'd be doing in Spain with her father over the summer. Eventually, the train pulled into Platform 9 ¾. Ginny and Luna left to locate their trunks, and Ron took Hermione's for her, refusing to hear anything to the contrary. Together, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left the Hogwarts Express for the last time.

The scene at the platform was hurried; the Weasley parents were in a bit of a rush, as Charlie was due home from Romania any moment and Molly couldn't fathom the idea of him coming home to an empty house. Ron gave Hermione a chaste kiss before telling her to expect him at seven that night, and they went their separate ways. Hermione would be staying with her parents for the first few weeks of the summer until she was ready to move into her flat. It had been nearly two years since she'd last lived there for so long, and both her mum and her dad seemed to be excited at the prospect. They spent the car ride home discussing the activities they'd planned for her stay, which included dinner out most evenings and several trips to museums and cinemas.

"You can invite your friends along any night, if you like," her mum told her as they parked the car outside their house. "It'd be lovely to get to know them better."

"I'll ask them," Hermione said. "Harry and Ron have this week off of work, so I'm sure they'd love to tag along a few times. Ginny doesn't have much to do until training camp, either."

"Ginny is Ron's sister, right?" her dad asked as he helped her lift her trunk and carry it to the house.

"Yes dear, and she's going out with Harry," Mum answered for her.

"Paired off nicely, haven't you?" Dad remarked. "I suppose that makes it easier for Harry to deal with you and Ron kissing all the time."

"Dad! We don't snog in front of Harry," Hermione said indignantly, her cheeks flushing.

"Honestly dear, let's not give them a hard time. Remember Christmas?" Mum said, her eyes twinkling. Hermione shot her a grateful glance.

At six, after a pleasant afternoon of tea and reminiscing with her parents, Hermione found herself searching frantically in her room for something to wear. She'd never been the type to care much about her clothing, but she found it hard to believe that she didn't own anything appropriate for a dinner date with her boyfriend.

"Hermione dear, I almost forgot," Mum's voice came from the door as she rapped lightly and entered. "I got you something."

"Oh Mum, you didn't have to," Hermione said absently, still rifling through her wardrobe.

"Turn around, sweetheart."

Hermione did as she was told to see that Mum was holding a dark green, knee-length sundress and a light denim jacket. "I took the liberty of doing some shopping after Ron asked me about restaurants," she said, holding the clothes out to Hermione with a warm smile.

"Thank you so much, Mum," Hermione said gratefully, hugging her mother briefly after taking the dress and the jacket.

"It's not a problem, dear. Do you mind if I help you fix your hair? I've always waited for the day I'd help my daughter get ready for her first date," Mum said, looking dangerously emotional for the occasion.

"Of course," Hermione replied, beginning to change into the dress. "It's sort of ridiculous, isn't it? Having our first proper date more than a year after we got together?"

"You and Ron don't seem to be a particularly traditional couple," Mum responded with amusement. "It was so sweet of him, to ask me for advice. He seems like such a good man, darling."

"He is," Hermione said, smiling. She pulled on the denim jacket and turned to admire her figure in the mirror. "They fit perfectly, Mum. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now have a seat and let me see what I can do with your hair," Mum replied tenderly.

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes contently as Mum began to comb her fingers through her bushy curls. The only people she'd ever allowed to touch her hair were her mum and Ron, albeit for very different reasons. They had a lot in common in other ways, though. Along with her dad and Harry, they were the only people in the world she knew would always be there for her. "Mum?" Hermione asked after a moment of thought.

"Yes dear?"

"I'm very much in love with Ron, you know," she said matter-of-factly. "I don't know if I've ever told you as much."

"You didn't need to, dear," Mum responded. "The way you look at each other speaks volumes."

Hermione smiled. "I thought so. But still, I thought you might want to hear it from me."

"Can I ask you something, sweetheart?" Mum asked as she began to tease mousse into Hermione's hair.

"Of course."

"Are you being…careful?" Mum inquired hesitantly.

"Careful? What do you—oh!" Hermione exclaimed, eyes fluttering open. "I don't—we're not—"

"Even so, you will. And probably sooner rather than later" Mum said knowingly, in a surprisingly calm tone. "I have to be honest; I'm a bit surprised that you haven't already."

"I just—it's never been the right time," Hermione said vaguely, her cheeks darkening considerably.

"No?"

"I'm a bit nervous, anyway," she confessed, wishing the conversation would end but feeling as though, at the very least, she owed her mother honesty. Not complete honesty, though—she wasn't in the mood for a long discussion about her insecurities.

"Well of course you are, dear," Mum responded reasonably, reaching for some hair pins that lay on Hermione's vanity. "But don't let that stop you if you're ready. Everyone's nervous at first."

"I wasn't ready for a long time," Hermione admitted, "but I think I—I want to. Soon."

"If he's a good man, which I think he is, he'll make sure you feel comfortable," Mum assured her. "But of course, use your head, and do make sure you have all your bases covered. I'm not quite ready for grandchildren."

"Of course, Mum. We've got a potion for that, in our world. I've been—I've been taking it for awhile, actually. Just in case," Hermione said, her blush as red as Ron's hair.

"Good. I know this is strange for you to talk about with your old mum, Hermione, and I don't expect you to tell me when you decide to take that step," Mum said, putting the last pin in her hair. "But it is my job, as your mum, to make sure you're on the right track. You always have been, of course, but it never hurts to double check. There, you look lovely."

Hermione smiled into the mirror. Her hair was still twice the size of a normal person's, but her mum had pinned some of it back and tamed it a bit, which left it looking almost…pretty. "Thank you, Mum. For everything," Hermione said sincerely, taking her mother's hand.

"You're welcome, love. Now, I know you don't like to wear makeup, and you don't need it at any rate, but would you like a bit of eye shadow or mascara? At least to indulge me a bit?" Mum asked.

"That sounds lovely," Hermione said. "But not too much!" she called as her mother bustled to the next room to collect the materials.

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione spun around in the mirror one more time. She looked very nice, if she did say so herself. Mum was really very good with makeup, and had managed to put on just the right amount to accentuate her eyes in a way that she quite liked. She smoothed down the front of her dress and took a deep breath. She had no reason to be nervous—she'd been dating Ron for more than a year, after all. They already loved each other. Still, even if he loved her, she wanted to impress him.

A few minutes later, she heard the doorbell ring and made her way downstairs, grabbing her beaded bag on the way out of her room by force of habit. When she reached the doorway, she found Ron in conversation with her dad and coughed to make her presence known. Ron's goofy grin at the sight of her made her infinitely glad that her mother had found preparing for this date to be so important.

"You look great, Hermione," he said, holding out a hand which she took instantly.

"So do you," she replied, taking in his dress pants and dark blue button-up shirt. He certainly did clean up well, as Ginny would say.

"Let me take a couple of pictures before the two of you leave," Mum said as she entered the room, brandishing a camera.

"What is it with mothers and cameras?" Ron muttered, but wrapped an arm about Hermione's waist and smiled nonetheless.

After a few goodbyes and a half-serious "have her back early" from her dad, Ron and Hermione were at last out the door. They didn't make it far before Ron pulled Hermione into him and kissed her purposefully. She responded immediately, hugging his torso and deepening the kiss.

"Sorry," he said when they pulled back several blissful moments later. "You just look so fucking pretty, I couldn't help it."

"Don't apologize," she said, blushing at his compliment and taking his hand as they began to walk again. "But do watch your language."

"But it's so fun to swear," Ron teased, squeezing her hand.

Hermione just rolled her eyes. "Where are we headed, anyway?"

"Your mum said there's an Italian place you like a few blocks away, so I thought we could just walk there. Unless you want to apparate," he said hurriedly.

"No, walking sounds nice," Hermione said, smiling up at him. "So did Charlie get home alright?"

"Yeah, but not without a few new scratches for Mum to fuss over," Ron replied. "It's good I made plans with you tonight. She hasn't stopped pestering him about settling down since he walked in the door."

Hermione laughed lightly. "How old is he now?"

"Er…twenty-six, I think," Ron replied. "It's not like he's getting on in years or anything, but I think it annoys Mum that he's always been more interested in dragons than in women."

"Has he ever had a girlfriend?" Hermione asked.

"Not one serious enough to introduce to Mum and Dad. I'm sure he's had dates though," Ron said. "Fred and George always told me he was popular with the birds at Hogwarts."

Hermione noticed the hitch in his voice as he said Fred's name and squeezed his hand gently. "I've never really understood the idea of dating casually," she said conversationally.

"I dunno, he probably just hasn't met anyone special yet," Ron replied thoughtfully.

"Special?" she asked, quirking an eyebrow up.

"Yeah, special. Like—I dunno. You. You're special," he said, stammering a little over his words. "It's different with you and me, y'know. We didn't have to do the casual thing."

Hermione smiled and brought her free hand to rest on Ron's arm, leaning her head into him as they walked. "I love you," she said sincerely.

His grip on her hand tightened. "I love you too," he replied. The rest of the walk was spent mostly in comfortable silence, occasionally broken by their familiar banter. When at last they reached the restaurant, they were seated almost immediately at a small table near the door to the kitchen, which made Ron both very excited and very hungry. They were quick to order their food, and Ron even requested a fancy bottle of champagne for them to share. All in all, the evening was shaping up to be very romantic.

They were just finishing up their salads and waiting for the main course when Ron cleared his throat. "Hermione?" he said tentatively, something she considered strange seeing as they'd been talking comfortably all night.

"Yes?" she replied in what she hoped was an encouraging voice.

"I got you something," he said, reaching into his pocket.

"Oh Ron, you didn't have to."

"Just to celebrate you getting top marks in all your NEWTs."

"The results of which I haven't got yet."

"But you will, and you'll be tops," he said firmly, holding out a small box. "Take it, or I'll feel like a tit."

Hermione gave him a pointed look but obliged, too curious and thankful to argue further. She glanced up at him once more, taking in his anxious look, before opening the box and gasping. "Oh Ron, it's beautiful," she breathed, removing the small glass figurine of a castle, clearly crafted in the likeness of Hogwarts. "Where on Earth did you get it?"

"There's a shop in Hogsmeade that sells them," he said, clearly pleased that she liked it. He looked around quickly, before whispering, "Tap it once with your wand."

Hermione checked once more to make sure no one was looking before pulling out her wand and following his instructions. She gasped again as images of herself, Harry, and Ron appeared on the surface of the glass.

"Mum helped me with the charm," he said embarrassedly.

Hermione raised her eyes. "That's really impressive magic! It's so beautiful, Ron, I love it. Thank you so much." She tapped it once again with her wand to clear the pictures, not wanting to raise anyone's suspicions.

Ron smiled. "It's not a problem. I wanted to get you something special today. I know Hogwarts always meant a lot to you."

"It does. But you and Harry mean more to me," Hermione said honestly. "It's perfect."

"Remember this when I get you a shit birthday gift, yeah?" Ron joked, but he looked quite pleased with himself.

Just then, their waiter returned with their meals, and the conversation slowed as they both tucked in heartily. "This really is a good restaurant," Ron commented as he ate the last few bites of his ravioli. "If I were you I'd come here every other night."

"I would, but I'd rather not weigh as much as a bus," Hermione replied primly, taking another dainty bite of her spaghetti.

Ron rolled his eyes. "I don't think you could ever get fat, love."

"I could if I ate too much," Hermione insisted. "I've gained a lot in the past year, actually."

"Only because you were scary small last spring," Ron replied.

"Still, I haven't got your metabolism," she said dismissively.

"Whatever. You're still fit," he said, putting his fork down decisively as he finished his dinner. "Any chance you want dessert?"

Hermione, who was still inexplicably blushing at Ron having called her fit, agreed to the prospect of dessert in the form of a chocolate cake, which they shared in a way that was fitting for any romance novel. When they left the restaurant, Hermione was certain she'd explode from the amount of food she ate. Nevertheless, she managed to walk the few blocks back to her house, arm in arm and laughing with Ron all the way.

"Do you want to come in?" she asked him when they reached her doorstep.

Ron shook his head. "Mum will want me back before too long. Harry and I said we'd stay there this week. She wanted me to invite you and your parents over for brunch tomorrow, by the way."

"That sounds lovely," Hermione said. "I don't think we have any plans."

"Perfect," Ron replied, leaning in to kiss her soundly on the mouth. Hermione couldn't help but smile against his lips as they kissed.

When at last they broke apart, she sighed. "I wish you didn't have to go."

Ron bit his lip, seeming to struggle with himself, before saying, "Do you…do you think maybe—if you want that is—maybe I could come over…later, that is."

Hermione's eyes must have widened a bit in surprise, because he continued hurriedly, "Just because I know we both sleep better when we're not alone, and we've got no reason to be alone, so I just thought—but if it's weird since your parents are home or whatever, then I understand—"

Hermione cut him off with a swift kiss. "I think you should. Come over, that is. My parents don't have to know you were here. I don't think they'd mind, anyway, if we're just sleeping," she said, thinking back to her conversation with her mum earlier.

"Okay," Ron said, checking his watch. "I'll be over round midnight then?"

"Good. You can apparate straight into my room," she replied.

He smiled at her. "I love you."

"I love you," she replied, and he kissed her once more before they muttered their goodbyes, which were really just see-you-laters, and then he turned to walk toward the park they used as an apparition point.

As she entered her house, Hermione couldn't help but grin stupidly as she took the Hogwarts figurine out of her jacket pocket and thought about how wonderfully her first proper date had gone. If only she'd known, on her first train ride, all that would happen between then and her last. But then again, she'd never have believed it. She still could hardly believe it. It wasn't perfect and it wasn't a fairy tale, but it was her story. It was the story of herself, of Ron, of Harry, and of everyone she knew and loved—and she might not know the ending, but she was sure glad she was living it.

A/N: Possibly a bit rough around the edges (and almost too fluffy to function), but I wanted to make sure I got the next update posted before I leave for my trip in the morning. Please let me know what you thought and don't hesitate to point out anything that seems a bit off, because it's entirely possible I missed a weird mistake. I will get back to you as soon as possible. :)

Thank you so much again. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year to you all!