Happy Friday! Sorry this one's bit on the late side, I had a lot of running around to do after work today and am finally settling in at almost midnight. Hope you all like the next chapter. :o)

As always, thank you so much for being here, thank you so much if you reviewed, and a special thanks to pianomouse for not judging all the fill-in-the-blanks I put in when I'm in a zone and don't want to ruin my flow. I really appreciate all of you!

Love Always,

Adrien

P.S. I went back and added in a Percy POV/partial version of chapter one in an AN at the beginning of chapter two if you want to check it out. :o) if you guys want to check it out. :o) I meant to do it when I first posted it but it totally slipped my mind.

TRIGGER WARNING: INFERTILITY IS A MAJOR THEME AND DRIVING FACTOR IN THIS STORY ESPECIALLY IN CHAPTERS TWO AND FOUR SO PLEASE TREAD CAREFULLY IF THAT IS AN ISSUE FOR YOU.

Disclaimer: I don't own any recognizable characters or settings, those belong to J. K. Rowling. I just enjoy making things in her sandbox.

Chapter Three: Some People Stay

"Are you sure this is ok?" Hermione asks for at least the fifteenth time.

"For the last time, Hermione, I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't happy to have you here," Percy states more firmly than Hermione thinks she has ever heard him speak before, placing his hand on her shoulder to squeeze it comfortingly.

"I'll be out of here as soon as I find something else,"

"You're welcome here as long as you'd like. It's honestly always been a bit too quiet for my liking around here,"

"Thank you, Percy,"

"Whatever you need, Hermione."

The next few hours are spent in the same companionable silence they spent the majority of their work days in. Percy liked to get things done with efficiency both at work and at home–it was one of the first things she had noticed about Percy, and one of her favorites, because she was the same way and Percy understood that. Neither of them felt the need to fill the quiet with needless chatter or to pause at everything they unboxed to reminisce (not that this particular move was something Hermione wanted to reminisce about to begin with).

By the time the two collapsed onto the couch with the cold Chinese food they'd ordered hours ago but forgot about in the midst of unpacking, the only thing that appeared out of place was the small pile of boxes next to the front door that needed to be taken out for recycling and the few boxes in the entryway closet that contained the shrunken furniture Hermione hadn't been able to part with and the books there hadn't been space for on Percy's bookshelves.

A documentary on the Titanic plays in the background but Hermione doesn't think either of them are really watching it despite how much Hermione knows that Percy loved documentaries and that the Titanic in particular was one of his favorite subjects because it had breached and sunk near a magical hotspot even though none of the people on board were known magicals.

Leaning forward, Hermione sets her nearly empty container onto the coffee table before pulling the blanket Molly had made her for her last birthday over her shoulders as she slid down to rest her head against the arm of the couch. She knows that she should get up and go to bed but she can't bring herself to leave the room. As much as she always prided herself on being able to stand on her own, she really didn't want to be alone right now.

The next thing Hermione remembers is waking up to her usual alarm sounding from her wand. It takes her a moment to remember exactly where she is. Kingsley would understand if she took another day but, honestly, Hermione didn't know what she'd do alone in Percy's house for a whole day now that everything was unpacked and she didn't want Percy taking another personal day on her behalf.

The kettle whistles in the kitchen at the same moment Hermione walks down the hallway with her heels in her hand.

"Good morning," Percy greets her with a familiar crooked smile before pushing a still steeping cup of tea her way and turning back to making two separate lunches. Hermione wonders if this is his routine every time it was his turn to make their shared lunches or if today was different because she was here and they'd been up late last night.

"Anything I can help with?"

"It's my turn today, you can do tomorrow's," Percy replies easily, sealing their lunches with a flick of his wand and pulling his own mug to himself before taking a bite of the half eaten toast Hermione hadn't noticed on the edge of the counter.

Hermione nods absent mindedly as she pulls the infuser from her mug and sets it on the small plate in the center of Percy's island where his own infuser sat before taking a sip of her tea, a soft hum escaping her chest at the familiarity. He was one of the few people who knew exactly how much honey to put in her morning tea without overwhelming it. He was also one of the few people who didn't harp on her for not eating breakfast–she'd learned a long time ago that if she ate too early in the morning, she'd feel sick for the rest of the day.

"Thank you," Hermione says as she cups her mug in her hands, her eyes following her best friend. She isn't sure if she's thanking him for letting her stay or for not questioning whether it's a good idea for her to go in today or for knowing her well enough to keep her morning routine seamless even if it was happening somewhere she'd never been this early in the morning.

"You'd do the same for me–Hell, you have done the same for me, Hermione," Percy replies, giving her a crooked smile though the look in his eyes is meaningfully serious.

"That was different," Hermione replies, her eyes flickering away from his as she tugs at one of her curls. He hadn't stayed with her and Ron after things with Penelope had fallen apart, she just helped him move his things into the house he'd already bought.

"You spent nearly every moment of your free time with me for over a month after things with Penelope fell apart, Hermione. You helped me make this place my home when I felt like I'd ruined everything. The only difference is that I had somewhere I could go away from her, you didn't but you helped me make this a home and you'll be welcome here as long as you want it," Percy's voice was low and serious as his hand covered hers, pulling her gaze back to his.

Tears blur her vision as she uses Percy's hand to pull him into a slightly awkward hug over the island.

The rest of their morning flows easily from Percy's house to the Ministry, the two of them only separating when Percy gets off the lift a floor before her to go to his own office in the Council of Magical Law.

Hermione has just begun reading over the latest draft of legislation on werewolf rights as sentient beings when she hears a ruckus outside of her office moments before the-man-with-too-many-titles is bursting through her door.

Hermione rises to her feet and gives her bewildered assistant a reassuring smile before closing her door with a flick of her wand just seconds before Harry pulls her into a tight hug.

Hermione returns the hug on instinct, her right palm rubbing soothing circles on Harry's back the way she'd done since the first time she'd found him after one of his nightmares in their first year.

"Merlin, Hermione, I was so worried about you," he murmurs into her unruly curls, breathing her in a way that he hadn't since the hug he'd given her the first time he'd seen her after her petrification her second year.

"Harry?" She has so many questions but she doesn't know where to start or what exactly she should be asking, she didn't understand why he was this distraught. She just hoped he understood what she was trying to ask.

Harry takes a deep breath before pulling away enough to meet Hermione's gaze, though his hands still grip her arms like he's trying to make sure that she's really there.

"Ron went back to your house the night before last and all of your stuff was gone but you weren't at my house and then you weren't at work yesterday and none of our owls could reach you…"

"Oh, Harry. I am so sorry," Hermione sighs and pulls him into a quick but firm hug. "I didn't realize that he would come back so soon and yesterday…yesterday, I just needed space so I diverted my OWL post here and I haven't had a chance to check it yet… Did Ron tell you…everything?"

Sorrow wars with rage in Harry's gaze for a moment before he gives her a sharp nod and takes a shuddering breath. "I'm so sorry, Hermione…I can't believe…After everything we've…That he would just…Hermione, whatever you want to do. I just want you to know that I am on your side. Ron is my best friend but you're my sister and I know that I haven't always been good at showing you that but I'm here for whatever you need–"

Hermione lunges forward, cutting off the rest of Harry's speech as her arms wrap around Harry's neck in another tight hug. "You're my family, Harry, I would never leave permanently without telling you. I'm sorry I worried you."

"Where are you staying?" Harry asks once Hermione pulled away for the second time. "Gin put fresh sheets in the guest room, it's yours for as long as you need it, and we've got room in the shed for anything that doesn't fit the room."

"I appreciate the offer, Harry, but Percy's already offered me a place to stay. We've already moved my things in and I'm settled there."

Harry's eyebrows rose continuously with every word that came out of her mouth, his head tilting slightly to the side in contemplation as he watches her, "You're sure?"

"More sure than I've been of anything in a long time."