A/N: We're getting caught up to what I have written! There is still much more in this story to tell, so be prepared! Responses to reviews will be listed below.

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

Chapter 8

Hermione awoke to the room being darker as the sun must have just set outside. He looked down and saw her daughter curled into her, but facing Ron. Hermione smiled at the thought of her finally meeting her father and being just as in love with him as she was with his pictures, and the stories Hermione told her, of course. She inhaled as she still awoke and noticed that a blanket had been carefully draped over her and Rosie. Hermione had fallen asleep in an almost sitting position and was now terribly uncomfortable, but Rose needed her sleep; she didn't dare to change her position. Hermione bent down the rest of the way to kiss Rose's head, and raised her own. She saw Ron still sitting in the wooden chair on Rose's left. He was awake and observing the two. He met Hermione's eyes and then quickly shifted them sheepishly to solely Rose once he was caught.

A few minutes passed; just the sound of the muffled rush of witches and wizards outside the door was heard. Ron swallowed, Hermione watched as his Adam's apple bobbed before he turned to look at her.

"Hermione," he whispered, his voice was low, serious, and so quiet. "I swear to you, on my career, on my magic- on my life, that I never knew about her. I never received any letter mentioning a child. The last letter I got from you was the one where you said what we did was a mistake and you never wanted to see me again."

Hermione watched him carefully, debating if she believed him or not. She never knew Ron to be deceitful. But the things in his letters to her were so personal, and many just as hurtful as he described hers. She would admit, she had been angry writing a few of them -okay many of them- but she would have never said what he had mentioned. On top of that, she also knew for a fact she wrote to him many times about Rose. She looked the man she loved in the eyes and tried to make her decision. Ron stared back eager to hear what she had to say.

"I believe you." Her voice was quiet and steady. Ron let out a huge exhale, looking extremely relieved. He knew he needed to convince her that he was telling the truth. He loved this woman, as crazy as she could be. But, why hadn't he received any letters from her about Rose like she'd mentioned? The last one he'd acquired said that night had been a mistake; that she was just emotional because he was leaving for the Auror Academy and needed comfort. She wrote it would be best if he stayed out of her life… Ginny owled him a week later explaining that Hermione took an internship in America. His heart broke thinking back on the time he read those letters for the first time. He hadn't a clue why she penned those things. The night they spent together was special; they finally confessed their feelings to one another in his bedroom at the Burrow, whispered tones of love deep in the night. It had been something he dreamed of for years, and it was more than he could have ever imagined. The girl he had loved for years, with him. Could she have been telling the truth in her letter? That she was worried for her 'friend' and just wanted some physical company for the night? Had he misread the situation? Ron just wasn't sure. He was broken when she left without telling him. He drove himself mad trying to conclude why she would say those things and leave the country. He looked closely at Hermione. He knew this was his chance to do things again, to have her again. To be and have a family with her and their beautiful daughter. His face was serious when he spoke.

"And this morning, with, erm, Lavender-" Hermione was shaking her head.

"No, it's your life, Ron. It doesn't matter who you're seeing." Hermione lied, successfully hiding the hurt in her voice and keeping it completely professional.

"Hermione, listen. Last night, the Ministry had a get together at a local pub and Lavender was sloshed. When I apparated back to my flat, she grabbed my arm and was taken with me. She was bloody lucky neither of us were splinched. She was pissed- could hardly walk without wobbling. I couldn't let her just walk out the door, and I couldn't Floo her because I don't know where she lives. She was, er, getting a bit frisky, so I convinced her to take my room, and I slept on the couch."

Hermione watched him explain. It was a plausible situation. Lavender had always been a bit desperate when it came to Ron. Ron had always been a gentleman, so it would make sense that he would have her stay instead of letting her go and someone taking advantage of her. Hermione thought back to her short, yet eventful, visit to Ron's flat. The picture frame was knocked over in the entry way, the sofa was disheveled; clothes were discarded on the chairs… Everything he said made sense. But, what about her knickers being in Ron's jacket pocket? Lavender was also wearing her own robe. Why would she have her own robe in the morning if she just apparated with Ron there the night before? Hermione's heart clenched. Her head started to ache with the processing of so much information just after waking. She blinked back tears that started to form. She would not cry over him.

"Like I said Ron; it doesn't matter." Hermione couldn't meet his eyes. Instead, she watched her daughter sleep trying to absorb relief from earlier that she would be okay. Ron continued to stare at the pair, looking pleadingly at her. She raised her gaze to search the room.

"Is Harry still here?" Hermione voiced, still unable to meet Ron's eyes.

"He left a few hours ago." Ron swallowed and continued, shifting so his back could lean on the chair. "Ginny sent him a few nasty letters, demanding him to tell her where he was and what he was doing. He came back in here to speak with you, but you were already sleeping. He sat talking with Rose and me for a few minutes and then he left." Hermione took in a sharp breath, meeting Ron's gaze and feeling the panic rise in her body.

"Don't worry." Ron responded to her silent plea. "I told him not to say a word about you to Ginny until you have decided what to do." Ron attempted a smile, but miserably failed. The anxiety left Hermione as quickly as it had come. She still had to decide what she was going to do. Would she tell the family? If she did, surely the whole Wizarding World would know soon after that. Is that what she wanted? One wonderful thing about America was that the wizarding community didn't care about her every move. In fact, she was just another witch there. No one really cared that she was part of the 'Golden Trio,' at least not where she lived.

"Rose met Healer Clarke. She has her wrapped around her little finger." He gave a small, nervous laugh then. "They love her; her whole medical team has been in and out talking to her and giving her gifts." Ron nodded towards the pile of small toys, candies, and flowers on a side table in the room. Hermione looked at the table, but did not respond to Ron. He shifted again apprehensively, clearly loathing the silence she was giving him. He rubbed his hands together as if warming them.

"What time is it?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.

"Just after 8:00. Are you hungry?" Hermione thought and nodded, she slept for quite a while, and had missed several meals in the days past events. Ron gave a nod to her, stood, and walked out the door. He returned a few moments later.

"The staff will send some food up in a bit. I asked them for a variety since you've been out for a while." He pulled his broad shoulders back, stretching his sore muscles. He then lowered himself in the chair.

"Thank you, that was very kind." Hermione said quietly. Ron's ears turned slightly red. He cleared his throat. Silence filled the room once more.

Ron bounced his leg quickly and cleared his throat again. Then he spoke.

"What have you been doing the past three years?" He blurted. He slightly cringed at the way it came out.

Hermione stared at him, blinking. She then looked down. Out of her peripheral vision she saw Ron look at his shoes and rub the back of his neck. She knew he would be curious to what she had been doing since she left. She looked down at her daughter, and started to play with the red curls that sprang loose from her plait. She began to speak.

"I took an internship at the Ministry of Magic in America. I moved to the head of the northwestern division and started in the fall. I must have done well, because they hired me, and that's where I work currently." She ended her sentence and looked into his eyes. He was still leaning his elbows on his knees with a hand wrapped around the back of his neck, now looking at her. He dropped his hand and clasped them together. He swallowed and released a breath.

"Really Hermione? Is that all you'll give me?" He sounded slightly exasperated. Hermione glared at him.

"Well it's not like I know how to talk to you anymore Ronald!" Hermione argued. Her voice was louder than she had been speaking.

"And whose fault was that Hermione?" Ron's voice raised in volume as well as the quarrel became more heated. Rose stirred in her sleep, making a quiet cry. Hermione whispered soothing words to her and she snuggled deeper into her mother, and nestled back into her slumber. Ron watched and calmed his temper.

"I'm sorry. It's just… Look, I didn't mean it." He sighed and wiped his face with his hands. He took another breath and straightened. "Will you just humor me and pretend I hadn't a clue what happened to you since I was at the academy? And I'll do the same?" Hermione looked into Ron's eyes skeptically. She saw honesty in them, and hurt, deep hurt, mixed with something she couldn't place. She looked away deciding to indulge and nodded.

"After you left for the academy, I spent time visiting my parents. It was a good distraction from… you leaving. Your family was helping me too. Staying with them helped me as much as it helped them, I think. Your mum, she… she had a difficult time with you leaving on top of, 'healing' from the war." She swallowed and continued. "I would help out around the house and such, and around the beginning of August I started feeling ill. Your mum noticed and insisted I saw a healer. That's when I discovered my little surprise here." She smiled down at Rose, still playing with her hair. Rose was quite the shock, but it was the best thing that ever happened to Hermione.

"I wasn't sure how I felt. I mean, I was scared. Really scared. But, at the same time, it was this life- this, this, new beginning after all the carnage of war. And on top of that, she was yours… I wrote you. It was the day after I found out. I, I needed a night to sleep on it. To decide how I was to write you with such big news." The smile fell from her face then as she blinked back tears.

"When I received your response, I was heartbroken. I must have owled you fifty times. You know what happened after that. I couldn't stay anymore. I felt your mother getting suspicious, so I applied for an internship in America. Luckily, I received excellent recommendations and was accepted that week. I rented a small cottage a few miles outside of Portland in the countryside." Hermione looked at Ron expectantly. It was his turn now. Ron was still trying to put together the pieces.

"Well, I was at the Auror Academy. Leaving was difficult for me too… the last letter you sent me was in August, and it never mentioned you were pregnant Hermione." She started to cut in, but Ron rushed to his next sentence.

"No, I'm not saying you're lying- I'm just explaining what happened to me. …Anyways, I couldn't understand why you weren't responding. I was driving Harry mad asking him to find out, but he wanted to stay out of it. It wasn't until Ginny sent an owl about you leaving for America that I found some sort of answer. And then it wasn't for weeks before I could leave that bloody island! I Flooed right home, and they said you left and didn't say where in America you were." Ron gaze shifted to Rose. He paused and continued.

"I left that same day. To America." Hermione raised her eyes at this confession. 'He came to America to find me?' She narrowed her gaze, thinking about what it could possibly mean. Ron spoke.

"I wasn't sure where you were. I mean, it's a bloody large country. I started at the head of the ministry in New York City. They had no record of you there, so I moved on to the next biggest. I talked to the branches of the ministries all over and nothing about a Hermione Granger. I was there for two weeks looking. Then I was called back to start my Auror career…" Hermione looked up at Ron when he stopped talking. Ron stared hard at Rose. She could see him blinking back the tears that formed in his eyes. He took a breath and started again.

"It hurt. It hurt like hell losing you Hermione. Not being able to find you- to solve whatever happened between us." He looked into Hermione's eyes, trying to convince her of the truth.

"When I got back I kept searching. Since I went over there, I now had contacts I could ask to help. It went on for months. I would take any mission that sent me to America, just in case…" Hermione softened. She had been trying to keep this wall up to keep Ron from seeing how much she actually needed him. But now, she could see that this was not the Ron she communicated with, or the one who purposefully didn't return her letters. This was the Ron who wanted their daughter- who wanted her. Tears blurred her vision.

"Ron… I-" A knock was heard at the door. Hermione straightened slightly and pulled Rose closer to her as Hermione became more comfortable. Healer Clarke entered the room as well as Nurse Bell who levitated trays of food in. Healer Clarke helped by conjuring a small table which the nurse set the trays on.

"I'm glad you got some rest Hermione." Healer Clarke smiled. Hermione nodded and smiled as well.

"I thought it would be best to go over the specifics of Rose's improvement while you had some nutrition. Would that be alright?"

Hermione nodded and Healer Clarke set to work explaining while making a plate for Hermione. Ron watched the two and regrettably listened to the Healer, disappointed that he would not have the chance to hear the end of Hermione's sentence.

Once Ron and Hermione had eaten, the Healer finished explaining all she needed to and left to prepare a few arrangements for the next day. Rose awoke for a bit, still very drowsy, for a bottle and a story before she drifted into sleep once more.

Hermione had a chance to make herself more comfortable this time, and dozed off with her daughter. Ron was still there around eleven that night. He was unsure if he should stay, but he didn't want to go home. There was still a chance of them disappearing and never seeing them again; a chance he didn't want to take. Instead, he chose to sleep on the extra bed in the room that was hardly used. He laid down facing the two girls he now loved more than anything in the world. Sure, he'd only known Rose for a few hours, but he knew. He knew that he would do anything for her; do anything to stay in her life. He took in her hair: a deeper red than his and as wildly curly as Hermione's. Her nose was small and pert and just adorable, and all Hermione. Her eyes were closed now, but he remembered them wide open just hours before. Large, bright, Cerulean blue. Full of curiosity, spark, and wonder.

He didn't know what the future would bring, but he knew he had to have a part in her life. And if all goes well, a part in their lives.

A/N: Thank you so much to those who have taken the time to read and review. This has been a huge challenge for me, often discouraging at times. Being able to read the reviews (much of them showing support) it is a huge help. So leave a review if you'd please!

Here are some responses to past reviews.

EMZ fan: I never thought I'd be able to write like this too. I used to hate writing, but that has clearly changed!

"Kerry": Here's chapter 8!

AzaleaBlue: Thank you for all your support! Nice theory... :) We'll be seeing more Ron & Rose moments soon!

lovehr: I felt that Hermione, no matter how livid with Ron, would still tell Rose about who her father is. Especially if she is/was still in love with him. Just my thoughts!

ksouza3: Thank you! I'm so glad you felt the emotions!

Robbie1979: I promise there is a reason Lavender was chosen instead of making an OC. It will all come out! Thank you for your support!

Gabbygirl14: oh Yes!