Hermione stood outside the Burrow lost in thought. It has been a few months since the Battle of Hogwarts. They had already buried Fred, and all the others. Now it was just simple grieving and physical healing. George was the worst off. He lost more than just his brother. His twin...his magical twin. A part of his soul was now missing.

Hermione herself was not doing well she knew that. But she wasn't sure she could handle being in the Burrow right now. The whole family was in there, making it pretty packed. Often she slept on the couch so Harry could have some time with Ginny. And going anywhere near Ron had him thinking it was okay to try to feel her up.

She looked down at the keys in her hand. They were to the joke shop. It came to mind after she heard Percy fail to get George out of his room. Percy thought the shop should be closed down. It hurt her that despite being proud of the twins for a successful business, they never approved if it. She was sure Percy and Molly might take this chance, when the time was right, to push George to go for working at the Ministry.

She wasn't going to let that happen. That wasn't who George was. And Fred would not have wanted their dreams to fall down the drain. Decision made, she wakes outside the wards and apparates to Diagon Alley.

"Hermione?!" She comes out the back room to see Harry enter the shop with Ginny in tow. They were looking around in amazement.

"Hey guys!" She smiles at them. It had been 3 weeks since she left the Burrow. No one had really noticed... half the family tended to stay in their bedrooms anyways. Harry had noticed of course. He sent an owl to find her. They agreed later to keep what she was doing a secret. Harry told anyone who asked on her whereabouts that she had went to deal with some family things leftover from her parents.

The joke and the flat above had taken plenty of work. She had to discard plenty of expired products. Repair furnishing, repaint, and just plain clean up before she could start remaking products. The notebooks in the lab had been a real help.

"This is amazing Mi!" Ginny beams. The couple looked ready to work. It was the reopening of the shop. It had been a unison decision between Ginny, Bill, Charlie, and Arthur to had the reins to Hermione until George was ready to take over. So while Hermione ran the business and made stock, Ginny and Harry would be running the floor. Lee and the girl Verity promised to work part time on the weekends and a day here and there during the week.

Most of the shops in Diagon Alley had already been repaired or replaced with something new. Outside a few shops, the Alley was in full running again. She was glad her work paid off to add the joke shop to the list.

"Ready?"

"Ready!"

It took 6 months after the opening for George to be moved back into his room. Bill tricked him three. He had not been down into the shop yet but they hoped he would eventually be curious enough to go down. They knew he didn't take them serious when they told him they reopened the shop.

Hermione and Lee took turns making sure he ate and showered. The running off the shop and carrying for George somehow had the team taking better care of themselves and heal from their own grievances. They all gained weight to a healthy level again, the purple under everyone's eyes disappeared. Harry and Ginny started renovation of Grimmauld. They all took their NEWTS instead of going back to Hogwarts after it was offered.

It took a few more months after moving George into the flat before he decided to go downstairs. He had waited til he thought no one was around. Reality was they were all downstairs running the shop. It was a busy weekend. They all got to see him be the most expressionive in nearly a year.

"You can thank Hermione for all the hard work, we just help on the sakles floor," Harry brings him to focus.

Hermione had not expected him to hug her. She sighs happily as she hugs him back.

After that, George got back up little by little. He mainly stayed in the back with Hermione, helping stock shelves throughout the day on slow days.

Slowly too, the team split apart to follow their own dreams. Not long after Ginny turned 17, she was accepted as a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies. Ron too got accepted as a Keeper for the Chudley Canons.

To everyone's surprise, Harry went to gain his Mastery in defense. Headmistress McGonnagall was eager to take him on as a Defense Professor when he was ready.

Hermione slides up into the counter as George locks up the shop for the night. It was just them. The Christmas rush was now over. They were expected at the Burrow soon for the feast Molly was making.

She sighs as she kicks her shoes off. She was ready to be off her feat. She hums as she transfigures the flats into fluffy slippers.

She side watches him as he slips on a nice plum blazer on. She tried not to be disappointed as he prepared to leave. She had watched earlier in the week as Angelina Johnson had started showing up, flirting with George.

"I'll see you at the Burrow. Ang wanted me to pop by once the shop closed, " George smiles at her as he turns the last lights off. He gives her av kids on the cheek before apparating. She sighs one more in longing.

With a reluctance, she slides off to go down to the stock room to make note of the inventory for the after Christmas sales that will be happening in 2 days. She could wait but she needed a moment to herself before plastering a smile on her face in front of the Weasley family.

She sings as she works. Her feet moving in a dance as she floated around. Soon she was only dancing and Singing. She was lost in the movement. She had not done it in so long, her body relieved is tension as she moved. No one in the wizarding world knew she was a dancer. She had gotten so caught up in the wizarding world and then the war, it had taken a back step for priorities. Now... maybe she could get back into it during get free time. Which was more often bite that she wasn't in a school with so much homework.

She huffs in heavy breathing when she runs out of lyrics. She felt good. She could get through dinner while the man she fell for moved on with someone else. He was happy... that really ask that mattered.

She turns to head up to the flat to change. She jumps at the sight of George leaning against the door frame smirking at her.

"Mine has been holding out on us..." he arches an eyebrow at her.

"Just loosening my muscles after a long day. I best go change before dinner. I thought I would see you at the Burrow?" She tries to act nonchalant as she moves forward to go past him.

"I realized I forgot something..." he says.

"Oh... what's that?" She was facing him now. He made no move to let her pass.

"You."

She woke feeling weighted down. It took her a minute waking up to see it was George holding her in his sleep. They were tangled together.

She smiles as she remembers the night before. He had kissed her then carried her upstairs where he made love to her. They had showered after to make it to the dinner. Then continued where they left off when they got back. He had apologized for taking so long to see what was right in front of him.

"I love you George Weasley," she says to his sleeping form. He sighs in his dreams, pulling her closer to him. She wraps her arms around him and goes back to sleep.

It has officially been a year and a half since the end of the war... and she was exactly where she wanted to be.

13 years later

Hermione and George work together to get the twins into their compartment. It was their first year and they were excited. Which meant they were useless as they chatted with their friends, leaving their parents to place the trunksinside the train.

"Guy, you'll be sitting in the train together, " Harry breaks up the group. His son James Sirius goes a little red in the cheeks as his mother pulls him away in a hug. The rest of the parents follow suit, ignoring the embarrassed grumbles from an the tweens.

"Mum, why can't I go with them?" Alondra Weasley whines as she watches her older siblings leave her. Hermione kneels down to look her daughter in the eye.

"You just can't go right now, my love. You have another 3 years before you are of age to go. You know that. You still have Jay, Emmeline, and Zayden at home. "

"But Emmeline will be going to Hogwarts next year! Jay and Zayden are boys and don't want to play with a girl..." Hermione hugs her.

"You'll see the twins at Christmas. Before you know it, all of you will be at Hogwarts together. Time will fly. In the meantime, you still have your siblings and cousins and friends to be around. That won't change in or out of Hogwarts. Plus, this year we are starting ask of your homeschooling with me!"

"...Okay..." Alondra sighs as she hugs her mum. She then runs around her to jump into her father's arms.

Hermione looks around her group of people with a full heart. Life had not turned out how teen Hermione would have gone for but in her opinion, this was better.

Harry and Ginny have 3 children. James Sirius, Jonah Remus, and Lilliana Sage Potter. Bill and Fleur had 3 girls and a son, Charlie has 2 sons that loved dragons as much a their father. Percy had no children yet with his wife though they were all sure she was pregnant. Ron was still playing Quidditch, having married one of the fan girls who followed the team. They had 2 daughters Rose and Edith Weasley. They were happy and enjoyed following Ron to all his games.

"Ready to go? Mum is cooking a big lunch for us all. She is even making your current cravings." Fred pulls her under his free arm. She sighs happily as she rubs her swollen belly.

"This is the last one George. Between my cravings and Molly's meals, I'll be as round as a house is this keeps going. Plus... with this one, we have a full Quidditch team... that's plenty." He chuckles but doesn't say anything. Instead he walks his family to the floo.

They stop by Fred's grave to refresh the odd colored flowers and place the latest joke you created. Alondra stares at the headstone.

"Mummy... after Fred is born... do I have to call him uncle even though he's my brother now?" Hermione and George lol at each other startled.

"What do you mean, love?" George does the asking this time.

"Uncle Fred... his soul is in my baby brother. He's been reborn. Death says he won't remember his past life. He'll just be my baby brother... but how is he sure?" They tried not to gasp too hard at their daughter but it was hard when you hear the baby she was currently carrying was going to house the rebirth of Fred Weasley.

"Well... he'll just be your brother. We even chose his name. Conrad Fredrick Weasley. Even though he used to be uncle Fred, he'll grow up to be his own new person." Hermione tries to give an explanation that makes sense to an 8 year old.

"Does that happen to everyone after they die?"

"Um... it's possible. I've never talked to Death to ask." Alondra seemed to accept that answer.

"I'm hungry, can we go to Nana's now?"