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

Chapter 10

The hospital arranged a car for Hermione and Rose, only after Ron made sure it was a trusted driver. They said their goodbyes and gave their gracious thanks to the St. Mungo's staff. Hermione left with a mound of paperwork which laid everything out about what had occurred and such since Rose was admitted, also containing the limitations and concerns about her recuperation. Rose had grown tired and fell asleep as Ron carried her to the car.

"So, I was thinking I would Apparate over and prepare things for your stay…" Ron watched Hermione to see what she thought. No change occurred in her face, so he continued.

"Would you be okay with that? I mean, are you comfortable with having the driver take you over?"

Without me… Ron's brain filled in the words he did not say.

"That's fine," Hermione said as she took Rose from him and fastened her safely in a car seat; something she had to explain to Ron. It left the two of them standing feet from one another and staring wordlessly. Hermione spoke first.

"I guess I'll see you in a few hours then," She spoke formally and to the point. She then walked to the other side of the car and slid in next to Rose.

Ron watched her go. He wished he could have held her hand, or given her a hug, or kiss… He had to shake his head of the thought. Now was not the time. She had a drive ahead of her to think over everything, and he had no idea what she would sort out and decide during the time they would be separated. He bent down and ran his index finger over Rose's cheek lovingly.

"I'll see you soon Rosie," He gave a quick kiss to her forehead and stood back up to shut the door. The car pulled out, and started to drive into the distance. Ron stood with a conflicted heart and watched his girls leave him; hopefully for the last time.

Ron took a deep breath and Apparated to his flat. He swiftly began cleaning up the place. It was quite the mess, mainly because it belonged to him. And because there was no one to clean it up for; Harry came over often but he didn't need to clean it for Harry. He waved his wand and cast spells to do the various things to make a better impression on Hermione. Clothes were being thrown into the bin and then into the wash. Dishes were scrubbing themselves and being put away. The furniture was being straightened and becoming fresher. With all the chaos in the living area, he headed to his bedroom. He looked around and knew it would take a while. Instead, he stepped in the bathroom and set it to start becoming presentable for his guest. His mother would cringe if she knew he was using all the cleaning spells he knew. He gave a small laugh at that. She was the one who taught him how to cast them all, but she liked it better when elbow grease was put in… If she'd only seen the state the place had been. He started to put the clean clothes back in their rightful place; making sure things were orderly and organized. He also made sure to leave a few spots open in his closet and drawer.

"Just in case," He whispered to himself. He looked around the room. The balcony had some dying plants on it, he went out and made them look alive, or close to, he was never great at Herbology. He entered the room again. Against the wall there normally was a large king size bed with a modest headboard, and a quilt his mother had made him. Instead of being where it should, it was unceremoniously thrown on the ground and shoved halfway under the bed. Ron remembered who slept in his bed last. Cursing himself for letting her stay, he sent the quilt off to be cleaned. The bed sheets were another story. Rumpled, ruffled, ripped?

What was she doing in here?

He physically shook his head- he'd rather not know. He took off the sheets and pillows and sent them to the garbage. He couldn't sleep in sheets he knew she had slept in. More importantly he couldn't let Hermione sleep in sheets he knew she had slept in. He would make sure to run out and get another set before Hermione got there.

He went to the two end tables next. They were covered with various things- discarded drinking glasses, Firewhisky bottles, tissues, food wrappers, an occasional book… He started sorting through the trash to reveal what he had on the tables originally. By the time he was done, he found an old picture of him and Hermione at Bill's wedding, right before the hunt. He smiled at the photo as a tingle of warmth ran through his body. It was of him and Hermione dancing; swaying slightly to the music. Hermione looked up and grinned at him. He was so nervous at the time, trying not to crush her small feet. But, in that photo, the nerves weren't there. Just a tall boy dancing with a curly haired girl. He cleaned off the frame and placed it in its rightful place on the bedside table, thanking Merlin that Lavender had not seen it.

Finishing in the bedroom, he went back to check on the living area. It had cleaned up nicely, with much of the room polished to a shine. His stomach started to growl, reminding him to check on what he had food wise. He opened the refrigerator, seeing a few condiment containers, a full bottle of Firewhisky, half a dozen eggs, beer cans, some spoiled milk, a partial bottle of vodka, and three takeout containers. He decided to throw them all out and get food while he was getting new bedding. He glanced at the top of his refrigerator and saw the abundance of half-filled alcohol and fine liquor bottles. He wondered if Hermione saw that when she was there. He shuddered, hoping not, and left only two completely full bottles of wine, and an unopened bottle of Firewhisky. He doubled checked every room was how he wanted, checked the time on his watch, and ran out the door.

He came back a half-hour later with groceries to stock the kitchen and a new bedding set and pillows. He sent the bedding to be washed quickly before setting up the bed. It was fairly simple, but thought it was something Hermione would like. The sheets were soft, and a light teal color: very close to Rose's eyes. The comforter was large, and fluffy, and stark white. Ron had his quilt folded and placed at the foot of the bed. He returned to the kitchen and began to put away the groceries. He grabbed a bit of everything, not knowing what Hermione ate anymore, let alone what Rose consumed. He was glad be bought some prepared food to eat when his guests arrived. He wasn't the most talented cook, and he didn't have time to be that day.

He sighed and sat on a chair in the living room. He glanced and the clock and was relieved to find he was completely done and they were to arrive at any moment. That's when it finally hit him. Not just Hermione, but also Rose was going to be staying at his flat. That included eating, sleeping, and bathing. Ron could have kicked himself. He didn't have a highchair, or a cot, or -wait- what did babies bathe in? He just went to town to get items for the flat! He didn't even consider that it took different things to care for adults, than for children.

Hermione's going to think I was just lying about not doing anything for two hours instead of going and getting what Rose needed.

That's when he heard a car pull up along the street. He did a final check of the flat, and opened the front door. Hermione was already hallway up the walkway with her bag and Rose slumped on her shoulder, still sound asleep. He met up with her.

"Here, let me." He indicated to the nappy bag, and Hermione let him take it off her shoulder, giving him a small thanks. They walked into the flat, and Hermione stood in one spot and looked around the room. She then settled in a chair with Rose's face still snuggled into her neck. Ron placed the nappy bag by her seat and sat on the couch. An awkward silence hung in the air. He rubbed his hands together and shuffled back into the couch deeper.

"How was the drive over?" Ron asked, hoping to break the tension. Hermione brought her eyes to meet his.

"It was fine. Pretty actually," She left it at that, but then continued.

"Rose actually woke up halfway here and was upset. But, I told her we were on our way to see you. It calmed her down a bit and she fell asleep about fifteen minutes before we got here." Ron nodded and watched the girl who was resting on her shoulder.

"So... I was thinking I could Apparate home and grab some items for the two of us, if we are to stay here for a few days. It might also be an easier trip for an owl to deliver a letter to my boss from there… and since Rose is sleeping, it would probably be the most convenient time." Hermione concluded. Ron nodded his head.

"Yea, I guess that would make the most sense," Ron replied. Hermione stood and hesitated. Normally, she would just put Rose in her cot, or at least in her bed. But, Ron's bed was territory unseen in three years. On top of that, she had witnessed what came out of that room the last time she was here. Ron sensed her uncertainty.

"I think the bed would be best? It's big enough she shouldn't roll off… plus I'll be watching her, so that won't happen at all!" Ron quickly recovered, though he knew he was failing miserably. Hermione bit the inside of her lip, trying not to let him see her lack of confidence at his words. She bent down to the bed, which looked new and smelled fresh, and softly laid her daughter on the white duvet.

She was wearing a sleeveless pale pink dress, which had small white flowers and bees buzzing around them; perfect for the warm August they were having. Teal blue leggings with elegant lace came to her chubby calves. Hermione removed her petite white sandals, and set them aside. She then bent down and tucked a stray curl away from her daughter's face, and gave her a quick peck to her cheek. Rose stirred at the movement and rolled onto her belly, and proceeded to stick her bum into the air. She tucked her arms and legs beneath her and comforted herself with her dummy.

Hermione smiled at the sight of her daughter: happy, healthy, and sleeping peacefully. She could hardly believe she was so close to losing her. She walked to the doorway of the room, as Ron followed her. She stood outside the doorway in the living room. Ron stayed on the inside of the door; staying in the room Rose was in.

"She should sleep until I get back… I'm hoping to be quick," She whispered, not taking her eyes off Rose until she finished speaking. She turned her gaze to look up into Ron's eyes. He was standing less than a foot away. He towered over her as usual and he was currently looking down upon her. Swallowing, she continued.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" She spoke so softly she wasn't sure if he would hear her.

"We will be fine Hermione. We will both be here when you get back," Ron responded keeping his voice low. Hermione's skin broke into goosebumps at his voice. It was deeper and rougher than it had been before. She wasn't sure if it was because of speaking so quietly or perhaps because of the change in proximity… Hermione gave one last look at Rose, and walked to the living room to Apparate home.

Ron heard her leave with a crack. At that, he turned back to his daughter who continued to sleep soundly on his bed. He grabbed a Quidditch magazine and lay down next to her as gently as possible, making sure he didn't wake her. He stared at the small child. She looked so much healthier than the first time he'd seen her. Color had returned to her skin, giving her a hint of a honey glow. Instead of the dull, almost lifeless sleep she was in before, she now slept with expression on her face, movement in her lips as she sucked on her dummy.

Ron considered that watching a child sleep so closely like this was a fairly creepy thing to do. But, he quickly threw that thought away. This was his child. The only one he helped create. And one who was born and grew up for two years and three months without him. He knew he missed something incredibly special during that time. And now that she was here, he wasn't going to let her slip away. He would try to somehow make up for lost time. At this very moment, while his daughter shuffled in her sleep, scrunched her eyebrows, and then let them relax again, he was determined to know everything there was about her and to find whatever – or whoever – kept them apart.

Hermione had been rushing around her cottage attempting to gather everything she needed for Rose and her. She packed day and night clothing, toiletries, plenty of nappies, toys, books; anything she and Rose used on a daily basis that she thought Ron wouldn't have. She shrunk it all down to fit into one suitcase. Twenty minutes later she looked around her flat, trying to remember if she had missed anything.

Why didn't I make a list?

She scanned the room one last time, and shrunk down the high chair and placed it in the suitcase. She quickly penned a letter to her boss explaining all that had happened, told her she would submit her work from home, and that she'd be taking a few more personal days. Once the owl flew off with her letter, she checked her suitcase once more, and Apparated back to Ron's flat.

When she got back she didn't hear a sound. She set the suitcase down and silently crept over to Ron's bedroom door. As she peeked in, she saw Rose still fast asleep on the bed in the same position she left her in. Her eyes trailed over to the right of Rose, where Ron was facing her, and also sleeping peacefully. A smile grew on Hermione's face at the sight. She slowly closed the door.

A/N: Thank you to all those who are reading and to those reviewing as well. Words cannot express how much I appreciate all the feedback and support. I promise you will find out what is going on with the letters. We just need to get through the first few days of them being together; I feel that's what Ron would do anyhow. Excited to reading your reviews to this chapter!