Over the next few days, Hermione followed the rules of the healers and kept her distance from Ron, the Burrow and any member of the Weasley family. It hurt her to do it but between her House Elves presentation set for Thursday and the research she'd been doing on memory loss, she kept herself very busy. Every night, though, she'd wrap herself in Ron's Quidditch jersey and cry herself to sleep, allowing all the tears she'd held in throughout the day to come out.

On Thursday of that first week, Hermione returned to her office after her presentation, pleased with how well it went. But even more pleased when she saw a familiar figure waiting for her.

"Hello Hermione," Harry said, "Long time no see." He stood and embraced her.

"I suppose for us, 4 days is a long time," she smiled in return.

"I wanted to stop by and see how your presentation went."

"Thank you, Harry. I think it went quite well. But you know how slow real change takes, especially in the Wizarding World." Though she was grateful for Harry's visit, he'd never visited her after a presentation, so she was a bit suspect.

Harry nodded in agreement regarding slow moving change. "Is that really why you're here though?"

He blushed a bit and didn't look her in the eye which was as good as a confirmation.

"What's wrong Harry? Is Ron ok?" Hermione was feeling anxious now.

"Yes," Harry replied quickly to stop the train of thought he noticed her going down, "Ron is fine. I mean, he's frustrated and irritable but fine. Monroe won't allow him back to work until the fortnight is passed and Molly is driving him a bit nuts. Everyone is concerned that if he goes out in the world, he'll be asked about you so he's been at the Burrow with lots of visitors but hasn't ventured out much. He was super annoyed with us when we wouldn't let him go to Ginny's match against Richmond on Tuesday. He even volunteered to babysit Victorie for Bill and Fleur just to get out of the Burrow."

"Well, he's great with Victorie. She loves him." She smiled though twinged with sadness.

"Yes well, all of that to say, he's fine if not irritable."

"And any update on Alexis Dolohov?"

Harry tensed, "No. The last sighting was in Birmingham but the trail went cold. On the upside, no more attacks on Muggleborns."

"I know you're all doing your best, Harry. She's shrewd and she lured and attacked an Auror, a famous one at that, she knows she's being looked for."

"Right, she does," Harry looked uncomfortable. Maybe to someone who didn't know Harry like she did, he would just appear stressed but she knew there was more.

"Harry, why are you really here?"

Harry sighed, he needed to tell her, "The other night at the Burrow, Ron reminded me of a rare trick that some of the more talented Death Eaters would use, called a fail safe."

"What's a fail safe?" She asked.

Harry explained it and hated watching the color drain from Hermione's face. "All week we've been researching ways to detect fail safes and how to prevent someone from using it. We haven't been successful yet but we have a dedicated group focused on it."

He could tell his best friend was not listening, lost in her own thoughts. They stayed silent for a bit until Hermione finally said,

"She must really hate Ron and I, to do this to us. Even if we track her down, she can keep us apart."

"Hermione,"

"Since she'll never see her husband again, she's torturing me by being able to see him but not be with him. And Ron by forgetting our life together."

Harry didn't know what to say; Hermione was right.

"If Alexis has a fail safe, she won't be able to give Ron his memory back. I don't believe Bill and the other curse breakers are having any luck. And Healer Cruz said she's never seen someone regain their memory if the spell caster dies. So, that doesn't leave us with any options, Harry. He'll never remember me. He'll never remember our life, our love." She could try to fight the tears but she didn't want to. Harry embraced her and knelt before her.

"Hermione, we will not give up." He knew it wasn't enough but it was all he could give her. "Come to Grimmauld Place tonight for dinner. Ginny's been away at matches and training, I know she'd love to see you."

Hermione didn't respond to Harry's request but instead asked him another question. "Ginny said she believed Ron and I could fall in love again. That we've beaten the odds before, we could do it again. Do you think he could fall for me again, Harry? Or without our long history, he just couldn't find his way back to me?"

He grabbed her hands and said, "If any two people could find their way back to each other, it's you two. I believe that." He gathered Hermione in his arms and hoped she believed him.

"I'm going mental, George," Ron said to his brother over the dinner table at his and Angelina's flat above the shop. "I can't go anywhere except a family member's house, I can't go to my flat, I can't even go to the Leaky for a pint. This Healer Cruz is just over doing it!"

"I know it's frustrating but the healer doesn't want your brain to explode or whatever, so you have to suck it up for another week or so." Angelina punched her husband's arm.

"George, the healer didn't say anything about his brain exploding."

Ron couldn't help but smile at his brother and sister-in-law's interaction. After everything they went through after Fred died, he was so pleased that they found love and happiness.

"I do appreciate everyone's support but it's getting a bit much."

Angelina went to get the pudding when George had an idea. "Let's plan a night out, Saturday. Just the family but a proper night out in Muggle London instead. The chances of running into anyone we know will be much less and you can let loose and have fun."

Ron clapped his hands at the suggestion, "George, that's exactly what I need!"

"What's that?" Angelina asked as she returned.

"We are going to plan a night in Muggle London for Saturday so I can have some fun. You'll come, right?"

"A night out?" She looked pointedly at her husband. "I can't Ron, I'll be in Wales for a match. But do you think that's a good idea?"

"Ang, if I don't get out, I will actually explode."

"The man needs to let off some steam." George said, "And better he be surrounded by his family to keep him in line."

Angelina rolled her eyes and let the subject drop but would be talking to her husband later.

"I'll organize everything, Ronnie. Just look sharp and brush up on your Muggle knowledge."

Ron smiled and felt excited for the first time since he woke up in St. Mungo's.

"How is it possible that my brother is this stupid?" Ginny called from the kitchen when she heard the floo. She had gotten an owl from Angelina minutes earlier about George's bright idea.

"Do you really want me to answer that, Gin?" Harry replied.

"And you'll have to clarify which brother," added Hermione. The sound of her voice made Ginny spin around from the sink with a smile.

"Hermione! I didn't know you were joining us," she smacked Harry while reaching over to hug her friend.

"It was last minute," Harry said as he kissed his wife, "Hermione did great work in her House elves' presentation today so I thought we should celebrate her."

"I think it's too soon to celebrate," Hermione responded.

"We don't need a reason to have you over, Hermione." Ginny said firmly, hoping her friend understood her meaning.

"Come on, have a seat, the pot roast is all done." As the friends sat around the table an easy conversation started but eventually Harry told Ginny that he explained the fail safe issue to Hermione.

"I won't lie," Hermione said, "It's a blow. I've been clinging a bit to Alexis Dolohov being the solution."

"And she still can be if the team can come up with ways to thwart the fail safe. Hope is not lost Hermione." Ginny said.

Desperate to change the subject Hermione asked, "Wait which brother is acting so stupidly? We never did circle back to that."

Ginny hesitated, not sure how Hermione would react especially given how clearly raw she is after the fail safe news.

"Well, George. He feels Ron needs a night out as he's going a bit nuts. So, George has decided to organize it for Saturday. But in Muggle London to avoid running into anyone and only family."

"Why is that so stupid, Gin?" Harry asked, "I think Ron does need to blow off some steam. And then maybe he won't be so cranky."

"I agree," added Hermione much to Ginny's surprise, "We all know how tough an irritated Ron is. Let him go out, have some fun and it might just get him through the second half of this forced hiding."

"You're really ok with it?" Ginny said.

"Of course," Hermione answered, "Plus the family will be with him to keep an eye on him. But don't let him try Muggle whiskey, it goes right to his head. Stick to lagers if you don't want a sick Ron."

"Ok," said Ginny, "I guess I won't send a howler to George." The other two laughed.

"You should take him to the Kensington Arms in Kensington." Hermione offered later while clearing the plates. "It's far enough away to ensure privacy and he liked it before. He joked that the pub reminded him of me; posh on the outside, warm and cozy on the inside." Hermione smiled at the memory as Ginny and Harry exchanged a look. "We only went twice I think so it shouldn't trigger anything."

"I'll mention it to George," Harry replied.

"It's getting late, I should get home," Hermione said as she hugged Ginny.

"Thanks for having me," she gave Harry a hug, "I needed it more than I knew."

They walked to the lounge to the fireplace when Ginny suggested, "Why don't we get brunch Sunday?"

"I'd love that," Hermione answered, "You can tell me about Ron's big night out." She hugged them each again and flooed home.

Later, as Ginny and Harry were getting comfortable in bed, she voiced her concerns again.

"But Hermione's ok with it and I think it will help Ron." Harry argued.

"I see the point but you and my brothers haven't considered a very important possibility." Harry looked at his wife expectedly, "What if he meets a girl at the pub? What if he snogs someone? We can't tell him he can't but we know he shouldn't."

Ginny was right, Harry had not thought of that; he didn't even consider it. Ron and Hermione got together right after the Battle of Hogwarts. Even when they did go out, Ron never flirted or tried to get with a girl like he witnessed Seamus or even George do before Angelina.

"Would Ron even know how to hit on a girl?"

"I don't know, maybe this Ron who hasn't been with the same girl since he was 18 would know. We're going to have to watch him closely. We can't allow him to destroy the marriage he doesn't even know he's in."

Ginny turned out the lights in their room and cuddled up to her husband.

"Gin, what if he never remembers her? You told Hermione you think they can fall in love again. Do you believe that?"

"I have to believe that. We have to believe that or I fear Hermione will crumble."

Harry held his wife tightly, grateful to be in their bed together. While also feeling terrible for his best friend, sleeping alone.