A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! I truly enjoy hearing your thoughts! I truly hope you keep reading after this chapter. I PROMISE this is a Romione story. And don't hate me too much... it may not be what you think...

Disclaimer: All characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I own nothing of hers!

Chapter 6

Hermione opened her eyes to an empty street as she stood outside the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron. She read the parchment and started walking down the road. Harry had told her it was easy enough to locate. It was a small flat a few blocks south of the Leaky Cauldron. Just a few turns and up a small hill and she'd be there. She walked quickly; her heels clicking on the cobblestone street.

Hermione knew this would not be a simple task. She hadn't spoken to him in three years, and written in almost two. She thought back to the last letter she'd written him. It was the day Rose was born. She remembered how exhausted she was; Rose did not come into the world easily. Yet, she knew she needed to write him one final time. She wrote that he had a daughter; a beautiful, precious, little Rose. She gave him a final chance to decide if he wanted to be involved in her life.

She never received a response.

Before she knew it, she arrived at a set of flats. She looked for the number that Harry wrote as Ron's door. She looked up.

Fourteen.

The same as Rose's birthday. Hermione, chuckled bitterly and swallowed quickly. 'You shouldn't have thought of that right now. You've got to get it together.'

Hermione took a calming, shuddering breath. Her hands started to tremble and she raised her hand to knock. Something seemed to stop her hand from moving toward the door. She learned and rested her forehead against the white wooden door resting her palm against it as well.

'You've got to do it. You don't have time to waste!'

She allowed herself a final deep breath, trying to calm her quivering form, and stood to her tallest height. When her knuckles rapped on the door three times, the tears came flooding from her eyes.

She willed them to go away. She did not want to appear weak in front of him. Merlin knows she wasn't. 'I survived three years and raising a child without him. I survived pregnancy without him. I survived moving across an ocean without any friends or family, and without him. I can do this. I can face him.'

Yet, as she gave herself internal motivation speech, the tears kept coming. She was facing the fear she had for the past three years: facing him again.

There was a click behind the door and the doorknob slowly turned and swung open.

"What the bloody hell do 'ya want this early in the morning?" Ron rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His voice was rough as if he'd just woken. He finally looked at the small woman in front of him. His face instantly alert. His brow furrowed in confusion.

"Hermione?" He whispered uncertainty evident in his tone. Hermione looked at him. He was wearing red plaid pajama bottoms and a black t-shirt. His hair was a bit shorter than she'd seen it before, but still long enough to be ruffled and disheveled from sleep.

Hermione tried to collect herself taking slower breaths to regain control as Ron stood there dumbfounded in disbelief. Hermione wiped the tears from her face with her hands looking away to keep her eyes off of the man who made her so emotional. The movement seemed to shake Ron out of whatever fog he was in. Shaking his head as if to clear it, he cleared his throat.

"Please, come in." He moved to the side allowing a larger than necessary opening for Hermione to slip through. She slowly walked in, finally feeling like she had some sort of composure about herself. She walked into a small hallway painted a light cream color which consisted of a small table with a few items on it. A few Knuts, a couple pieces of scattered parchment, a stack of letters piled high, some spilling onto the floor, a picture frame which was lying face down as if it was knocked over. Ron closed the door and cleared his again. He seemed anxious. Maybe he was dreading this meeting as much as she was.

"I'll make us a cuppa." Ron eyed Hermione carefully and when she refused to meet his gaze he strode towards an opening in the hallway. Turning left, he led her to a small kitchen. He flicked his wand and began heating a kettle on a wood stove. His sight turned to her. She turned around to observe the room, doing anything she could rather than meet his gaze.

Behind her was the living room. It contained a sofa and a few chairs, a small table sat in the middle in front of a rather large fireplace. The sofa looked unkempt with ruffled and used blankets spread across it. The backs of the chairs contained his Auror robes. Her eyes looked around to the photos that hung on the walls displaying Harry, Ginny, the Weasley family, a few with other recruits from the Auror academy. Another punch was sent right to her stomach when she noticed none of them contained her. He'd completely washed her from his life.

The kettle whistled and Ron made two cups of tea. Hermione turned back to him. Without realizing it, he gave her the hardened shell she needed to do this. She left the tea cup on the counter as she began.

"Ron. I'm sure you're wondering why I'm here." She looked and up to meet Ron's crystal blue eyes, the very same she saw when she looked at her daughter's. He was listening intently. She couldn't keep his eye contact and make it through what she needed to say, so instead she shifted her gaze just past him.

"Rose is dy-dying. The healers say it's some curse and it's terribly complicated, but, they think they can heal her. They just need you to help. I know you want nothing to do with her, but I can't let her d-"

"Hermione, stop." The words made Hermione's eyes snap to Ron's instantly. He wore an odd expression on his face. His brow was creased and he was looking at her as if she was speaking Parseltongue.

"What are you talking about?" He continued. She sighed in frustration.

"I know it's complicated, I've already said that! But I really don't have the time to explain it now! She needs you Ron!" Hermione said exasperatedly. His expression grew more confused.

"What are you, Wha- who is Rose?" Ron asked bewildered. Hermione felt a sharp pain in her chest. She gasped sharply at the shock of his statement. She came to terms over the years that he wanted nothing to do with her. But, pretending his own daughter didn't exist was too far. Hermione's blood boiled.

"How DARE you." She was pointing her finger at him warningly. His expression displayed confusion now with fear of the witch in front of him.

"Can you not see how serious this is? How dare you act-"

"HERMIONE!" He yelled grabbing her by her shoulders, quickly cutting her off and gaining her full attention.

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" His eyes were wide and questioning. Hermione's skin broke out in to goosebumps at the contact and pushed his arms off of her and he tightened his grip on her forearms as she spoke; venom on her tongue.

"Rose. Your daughter. OUR daughter. The one you want nothing to do with? Is dying. You are the only one who can help her. Believe me, if I could do it myself, I wouldn't be here." She spat. Ron dropped Hermione's arms like they burned him and stepped backwards. The befuddled look still plastered on his face. He was shaking his head from side to side unbelievingly. Hermione glared daggers at him.

"No. What? You're telling me we have a child? How could that even be possible? Why didn't you say anything before?" Ron's head was still sorting through all the information that was thrown upon him. But, Hermione wasn't going to let him lie his was through this.

"I did tell you! I wrote you fifty times! You said we made a mistake! OUR daughter! A mistake! I gave you plenty of chances to meet her! To be a part of her life! You stopped responding Ron!" She was screaming at this point. The tears had broken through once more and her chest was becoming unbearably tight.

"I never got any letters about a child Hermione!" Ron yelled back fighting her to believe him. She scoffed instead. He was growing as frustrated as Hermione.

"Stop LYING Ronald!" She demanded, tears pouring down her face.

"I'M NOT HERMIONE!" He thundered back.

"Good morning" a singsong voice broke through the silence after Ron's outburst. Hermione's eyes snapped to the location of said voice. Leaning in the now open doorway by the living room was none other than her old dorm mate.

Lavender Brown.

She was wearing a silky golden robe with a dangerously low v cut in the front. Exposing much more than Hermione would ever like to see. The robe didn't hide much, and it was clear she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

Hermione was stunned, disgusted, and heartbroken instantaneously.

'How could he?'

She berated herself for ever thinking there could possibly be a scenario where Ron changed his mind and wanted to be with Rose and herself.

Ron closed his eyes and took a deep breath, raising his hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. Lavender sauntered towards Ron.

"Won, Won, do you remember where you kept my knickers from last night? I should really be getting them back now." She laced her arm around his middle, and peered around the counter. Ron tightened and moved her arms from him. When Ron opened his eyes he kept them solidly locked on Hermione.

"Oh here they are!" She brushed past Hermione to a chair in the living room with a black dragon hide jacket thrown across it. Just peeking out of the pocket was a gaudy pink satin thong. She slid it out and walked back toward what Hermione assumed to be the bedroom.

"Lovely to see you dear." Lavender said to Hermione in her most innocent voice. She gave a quick wink to Ron, and shut the door.

The click of the door broke Ron out of his thoughts. Hermione shook her head no longer fighting back tears. She let them flow freely as she turned to Ron. He began to speak walking towards her slowly, speaking urgently.

"Hermione you've got to listen to me. That was noth-" Hermione held up her hand.

"I see what you've chosen Ron." Hermione whispered. She apparated on the spot back to St. Mungo's

A/N: Before you leave any comments that are too nasty, please read the next chapter. Let me know what you think!