QL - Prophet 11 - Thank you Reserves

Written for: Queen-Sheep

Word Count: 1004

Betaed by: Crissie

Hermione rapidly and carefully flicked through the book which was resting on her stomach, her breath was hitched and the sweat on her forehead intensifying. "No, no, no, that's not what I read!"

"Hermione, honey," Ron said as softly and calmly as he could muster in this situation. "They know what they're doing. Maybe your book is wrong?"

"Wrong!" she exclaimed before letting out a cry of pain as the wind was blown out of her. "No, it has to be right, Ronald! Tell them they're wrong!" she demanded.

Ron held back his grimace as his wife squeezed his hand - seriously, she was going to break his hand! "Madam," he started nervously. "Are you sure?"

The medi-witch smiled easily. "You two have nothing to worry about," she assured. "I've delivered many babies, both the magical and muggle way. So, Mrs. Weasley, at your next contraction, I want you to push as hard as you can."

"But… but... The book!"

Ron grabbed and tossed the book to one side - he'd pay for that later. "Hermione, look at me." She glared more than looked. "You are the strongest witch I know! You don't need a book to tell you what to do."

Hermione's eyes widened in pain.

"Push!"

And she did.

After the birth of their first child, Rose, they didn't have any immediate plans to have a second child. Hermione had grown up as an only child and had always wanted a sibling, therefore, the pair knew they'd have at least two children. Though, after Rose's birth, it looked very unlikely to Ron. He hated seeing his wife in that much pain.

Ron had shuffled into Hermione's hospital bed as they both looked down at the slightly red and squidgy face of their newborn baby. She was only an hour old but to them, she looked perfect.

"She has your nose," Ron commented out of the blue, a soft and content smile turning up his lips.

Hermione's expression was more filled with wonder. "We created this. We created her."

Ron stroked his wife's hair, moving it out of her face and detaching the strands from her still sweaty face. "Yes, we did. You did great." He placed a single, loving, kiss onto her forehead. "You can get some rest, I'll look after Rosey-cheeks."

Hermione let her husband take their newborn child as her eyelids became increasingly heavier. "Rosey, I like that," she muttered before allowing herself to fall into a much-needed rest.

Some people had said that Ron had the 'emotional range of a teaspoon', however, if that had been true, it wasn't now. At least, not with his wife and new child. Ron had become the most loving, passionate, and fully-involved father that he possibly could.

He always made sure to not let Hermione get up all of the time during the night, to ensure that she could sleep for longer than 3 hours at a time - if they were lucky. It was a tense timing having a newborn - they didn't follow any schedule despite the couple's best effort.

One thing that Ron wasn't the best at, however, was changing their daughter Rose. No matter how many times he tried, he still managed to do something wrong. Putting it on backward, inside out, not tightening it enough, and his biggest fail… forgetting to actually put one on after he's bathed her. That had been a lesson he hadn't expected to learn.

Regardless of this all, he loved his daughter, and the downs just made the highs even better and more fulfilling. Every messy nappy, puked up food, 1 am wake ups, 3 am wake ups, sleepless nights, and tired minds. None of that compared with the positives. Rose's gurgles to signify her happiness, the warm snuggles she gives, the joy and happiness which filled his heart just by existing, and everything that she could become. And then there was his beautiful, incredible, and head-strong wife. The way her hair flows into uncontrolled curls when she wakes up early in the morning, and how her clothes fall perfectly over her body, regardless of what she is wearing, and how her conversations are filled with so much content that he still got lost on occasions. He wouldn't change a thing.

Well, perhaps he'd change one thing: He would buy Hermione the home she deserves, instead of this small cottage. She deserved so much more than he was currently able to offer. But, she was happy, and so was he, so that's all that really matters.

"Hermione," Ron said one day when Rose was four months old. "How can I be better?"

His wife turned and looked at him in utter confusion. "What do you mean?"

Ron gave a shrug. "Ginny made a comment that I should do more, but I don't know what."

Hermione turned towards him with a soft expression and stroked his hair out of his face. "You are perfect, Ron. I don't want you to change at all."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I married you for you."

With his heart swelling with absolute joy and love, he moved closer to his wife on the bed and pulled her into a hug. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

With his wife in his arms, he felt completely content in this position. Not only was holding Hermione close heart-warming and intimate, but it also showed him exactly how good their relationship was.

When they had started dating, he wasn't sure if it would work. She was sometimes annoying, a know-it-all, and bossy. However, he was still drawn to her and in the end, the magnetic pull between them won and they kissed before Voldemort's defeat. Even then, both of them had their own reluctance over starting a relationship.

At one time, knowing that Hermione had her reservations about them officially getting together had put him off for a little while. Though, he couldn't even remember what they were now - perhaps he was simply too in love to remember any of the bad stuff.