A/N: This story has 50 favorites, 118 followers, and 165 reviews. This is beyond anything I expected from my dinky little story. Thank you to anyone who has read, followed, favorited, shared, and especiallythose who have reviewed. I cannot thank you all enough. So, to show my thanks, I wrote another chapter which I feel like you all will enjoy. Let's just say something happens much earlier than I planned on. Enjoy!

Chapter 17

A grin stretched across Ron's face at her proclamation. He looked at the young woman in front of him, as she grinned at him in return. It was a hesitant grin; not completely confident. However, Ron knew deep down in his gut that this was it. He knew that this was the decision that would keep her here and with him, without a chance of bowing out. She gave a small squeeze to their interlaced fingers and brought Ron back to the cheers of the family. She chuckled slightly as Ron was brought from his daze. Ginny and Harry displayed wide grins; Ginny also kept an eye on their connected hands. Angelina was leaning her head on George's shoulder; George leaned to her and placed a kiss on her for head, both very happy with the announcement. The other family members gave a small applause, led by Molly, who was overjoyed at the thought. She tented her hands over her mouth in surprise, soon sliding up to wipe thrilled tears from her face.

Arthur clasped his hands together and stood. "I believe this is the occasion for a celebration." He looked toward his son, who often was absent from family suppers due to his demanding work schedule.

"Percy, would you mind getting the champagne glasses?" He nodded and several minutes later, returned with enough champagne and glassware for the company at the table. The slender goblets were filled and passed around by Percy. Hermione disconnected her fingers from Ron's and gently took hers with a quiet thanks, not to wake the sleeping child on her. As Percy offered Ron his glass, Hermione snuck a glance with a careful eye. She saw as he looked at the glass in front of him, and for a split second something flashed in his eyes. Then as soon as it came, it vanished. His jaw tensed, he managed a small smile, and politely declined the drink.

Hermione looked over at Harry, who happened to be observing the same situation. He raised an eyebrow and slightly shrugged his shoulders. Arthur tapped his glass for the table's attention.

"To our lovely Hermione, and dear, precious, Rose. Though we may have been separated in the past, may we all always come back to where destiny has intended us to be." He grinned and gave a wink to both Ron and Hermione. The elder man raised his glass in the air, which everyone mirrored. "To a returned daughter and a new life." The family repeated and drank their champagne. Hermione sipped from her flute, feeling the bubbly concoction slide down her throat. Ron guzzled his water and set his glass back on the old cedar table.

The table had more merriment and light conversation before Percy noted the time. It was late; the sun had gone down long ago, and the two tots were both dozing away. Several had to be at work the following morning and decided to call it a night. Goodbyes were said, hugs were squeezed in, kisses were pecked onto cheeks. Hermione spoke with Mrs. Weasley quickly about the next morning's arrangements, and before long the brunette was back in Ron's flat with her daughter and the tall redhead himself.

"I'll go lay Rosie down, then we can talk about tomorrow?" Ron agreed and sat on the couch waiting for her to return. A few moments later she walked back into the room barefoot, and plopped down on the sofa one cushion away from Ron. She pulled her hair into a messy bun at the top of her head and secured it with a hair tie. Hermione then turned toward him and tucked her legs underneath her, and leaned her shoulder into the comfortable padding. Ron couldn't help but realize how different her demeanor was from the conversation held in the same room, had it just the night prior?

"So what is your agenda for tomorrow?" Ron noticed as a few curls sprung loose from their confinement. He smirked at how she used to get so frustrated working with her hair.

"I go back to work tomorrow at 8:00. I was on a mission last week, so they gave me an extended weekend. I'll get off at 4:00." Hermione nodded her head in understanding and thought.

"Well, my plan is to leave early, around 6:00 in the morning, Floo to the cottage and pack everything up, then head to work and finish my resignation paperwork. Then I can Floo to the Ministry here and speak with Kingsley. Once I'm done, I can pick up Rose and head here." Ron looked questioningly at her.

"Your boss won't be upset at the sudden change of plans?" He raised an eyebrow at Hermione, knowing it was difficult for her to do things without notice.

"Well, I've been keeping her updated with the progress of Rose, so she knows what's been happening. This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise for her. I'll contact her tonight and let her know what is happening tomorrow." She paused and took in a breath. "Do you think you could take Rose to your mum's in the morning, and then maybe sneak away to work? Rose will be upset, but she already got to know her grandmum for a bit tonight, and if she doesn't calm down after some time then I can talk to Kingsley the following day and pick her up early." Hermione looked at Ron for a response.

To be honest, she was very nervous leaving Rose and being away from her for several hours while being such a distance away. Sure, she'd been left in the Ministry's nursery for complete days of work, but she had only been a few floors away if anything ever happened. Now she'd be leaving Rose alone with Ron to take her to someone she's never been left alone with before. She had full confidence that Ron and Molly would be fine; it was her daughter she was worried about.

"I could do that." Ron said as he stretched and placed his lanky legs on the low table in front of him, crossing them at the ankles.

"Good, alright then." Hermione nodded to herself mostly as a silence spread across the room. It would have been rather awkward if the two hadn't both been thinking away in their heads. She laid her head gently on the sofa's back thinking to herself.

"Does it happen often?" Ron asked, looking toward the brunette witch. She turned her head to him as she lifted it from the sofa. Her brows were scrunched together and raised slightly in confusion.

"Sorry? Does what happen?"

"What happened before we left for the Burrow." He watched carefully for a reaction. Ron saw exactly what he was looking for. A flicker of understanding crossed her features, as she looked down into her lap, her knees pushed together, and she picked at her fingernails. "It looked like an anxiety attack..." Ron added. Hermione's face twitched slightly as she tried to control her features.

"It's happened before in the past." She whispered discreetly, without changing her position or prior actions.

"How often?" Ron inquired, seeing how much she would let him in. She bit the inside of her lip, as she picked at her index finger's nail, chipping off a small bit of peach nail varnish that had been on there for ages.

"...maybe once or twice." She mumbled, seeming to be sinking deeper into the cushions. He doubted that very much based on the stress she'd been through the past few years and the reaction Rose had to her earlier that day.

"Hermione look at me." However, she continued to be focused on anything but that. After a moment of no response, he turned, sweeping his legs to the floor again, scooted to the cushion next to her, and rested both his hands on hers, effectively stilling them. Her hands stopped their moment and she sat staring at their connected hands in her lap.

"Hermione." He whispered, and her head rose to look him in the eye. He saw the shame that resonated there. "How many times?" She sighed deeply and swallowed to begin.

"Depends." She shrugged slightly. "At first it only happened a few times, during some really bad days before I had Rose. Just the feeling of panic and some rapid breathing. Then, after I had her it happened more. This one night, a few weeks after Rose was born, she was so upset and I couldn't get her to calm down. I tried everything, but I couldn't help her." A few tears trailed down Hermione's cheek. "I started to panic and then I couldn't breathe. It was horrid. I could just hear her screaming and I couldn't get it together to help myself, let alone help my infant daughter." She tucked her face to her shoulder, effectively wiping her tears on her blouse. "Eventually she calmed down and so did I. That may have been the worst of them, but they didn't stop. As Rose got older she would just crawl over and hug my legs until it was over." She bit her bottom lip and stifled a sob. She closed her eyes and breathed in and exhaled slowly.

"Have you seen a healer about this?" Ron asked gently, not wanting to cause her any more worry. She shook her head in negative, her eyes still closed.

"No." she whispered, opening her tear filled eyes. "I was worried that they'd say I was incompetent to care for Rose and take her away from me." She pulled in her lips tightly, more water running down her face. "I couldn't lose her Ron. She is everything I have." Hermione sniffled a few times still trying to keep composure. Ron saw the pain that she had, and knew that Rose was the most important thing in the world to her. He remembered a time, at least one night, where he had meant everything to her.

Ron looked down at their hands still in Hermione's lap. His large pale ones over hers, small and delicate. He moved them to smoothly intertwine them. She gazed down at the movement as well. Minutes ticked by as they both stared at their hands laced together; Ron spoke.

"No one will ever take Rose away from you. I won't let them." He spoke with conviction trying to assure her with his words. He tightened his grip comfortably on her hands. "The war messed us all up Hermione. I still have nights where I can't sleep, or I wake up from horrid dreams where everyone I love dies." He glanced up and noticed that she was already looking at him, her lip trembling. "And it's mad that I wasn't there to help you, and you weren't here to help me. But that has changed. We're here now. Whatever you need Hermione. Anything. I'm here now."

Hermione regarded the man in front of her. He had been her best friend, her first crush, her first love, and first lover. He'd been her first heartbreak who also happened to be the father of her child. He had grown so much since she first met him; they both had. During the war, she had nightmares; mainly of her time at Malfoy Manner. The torture she received there was ruthless. Between the Crucios, the malicious witch cutting into her arm, and being offered to a werewolf; it made complete sense that the events haunted her sleep. She would wake, and walk to the first floor of the Burrow in search of piping tea and a book to numb her brain. She would often find little comfort in either of those things. But, she did find comfort in Ron. She would arrive downstairs to find him lying on the sofa, or he would come down shortly after she had. Some nights it was physical comfort for both; hugs, lying together, comforting snogging. Other nights it would be a stroll outdoors under the stars, sharing tea and quiet talk, or a game of Wizard's Chess. Those nights got her through the past three years. Yes, she would be wholly heartbroken as she thought of them, but it was also an escape; to think about him, pretending almost, that he was there and words of hurt were never written. And now, here she sat. The only man she had ever loved, in front of her, with their hands intertwined. He was promising something permanent.

She was terrified.

He had left her before. During the hunt of course and she had a feeling it wasn't completely in his control; not that he had ever mentioned anything on the matter. Then he left again. This time to go to the Auror Academy. She didn't blame him for leaving. It was his dream, and she knew it would be good for him to get away from the bereavement of the Burrow for a while. He asked her, one night when both were woken by nightmares, if he should go. She encouraged him to leave, saying that he should still pursue his dream even though things in life had changed. Then, it was her turn to leave. She knew she couldn't 'get rid' of her pregnancy. That wasn't an option for her. She also knew Ron didn't want anything to do with her or their child. At first she was disbelieving. She tried every magical spell she could to test his letters, for some sort of corruption. Nothing. She couldn't stay, knowing the Weasley's were, after all, his family. So she left.

They had a long history of leaving each other. So now, when Ron said he is not going to leave, could she believe him?

She wasn't sure.

But, in this moment, she knew he wasn't the Ron who would write to her while he was a large distance away saying what they did was a mistake. This was the Ron who was with her that night, three years ago. The Ron who was so gentle and careful when she was nervous because it was her first time. The Ron who whispered his love to her as she experienced something she never had before. The Ron who gave her that final kiss before he turned to leave; something she told him to do. This was the Ron in front of her. Just as messed up and damaged as she was.

Before Hermione could think any further, she leaned forward and placed her lips on Ron's. He tensed as he didn't expect to be kissed at that moment, but quickly relaxed into her embrace. Her lips were soft and plump; the same lips he had been dreaming of for years. She was trembling slightly, and she shifted up a bit, closer to his full lips. It was a gentle kiss, but one full of hope and promise. After a moment, Hermione pulled back, successfully ending the kiss.

She swallowed and looked at him nervously. He opened his eyes as a massive grin threatened to split his face. She returned a shy smile to him. He leaned in again, as did Hermione, their noses brushing, when they heard Rose crying in the other room.

Hermione sat back and looked at their hands. She brushed her thumbs over the rough skin of his large hands and glanced back up to him.

"Duty calls." She chuckled, slightly disappointed that her daughter chose that moment to wake. "I guess I'll see you in the morning." She let go of his hands and stood as the cries continued to get louder. "Night Ron." She displayed another small grin as she turned to go care for their daughter.

"Goodnight love." He whispered, unsure if she heard him. His bedroom door clicked shut and he sat for a few moments as he listened to his daughter's cries soften as Hermione comforted her with soothing words. When he could hear no more, he returned to his temporary room, stripping of all but his pants, and plopped down on his bed. He reached over to his bedside table to quickly grab his wand, casting a one-sided silencing charm. Setting his wand back down, he yearned there would be no nightmares tonight. This had been the longest he'd gone without a drink for years; and without any liquor to numb his dreams, he feared the nightmares would return full force. He lay back, sighing, and tried to remember every detail about the kiss they shared, hoping it was enough to drive away the dark.

A/N: Well? I sure hope you enjoyed! Please let me know what you think!

I also love to share other stories I have enjoyed for my fellow Romione lovers. One I love is "Almost Everything I Wish I'd Said" by hey-torch. To warn you, it's a dark and twisted story. That being said, I love stories where different things happens to the characters. And this story gives you all the feels. The sequel is "Light Outside" and hasn't been completed. I cannot wait to see how Ron and Hermione heal through all they went through.

More to come!