What happened afterward

*NOTES* Okay So I've been feeling really awful about the lack of updates. So I wrote this and it wraps up Christmas Eve and goes on to Christmas day. Yippee, I love presents. Who doesn't? So enjoy the update and everything. Oh and a side note Ron does not love Hermione. That fact comes in handy for this chapter.

Charisma had woken up grumpy and hungry. Hermione breathed out a sigh of relief when she noticed Harry wasn't around. This was the time she needed to bond with her little girl.

“Well for right now it's just you and me. But don't you dare start thinking daddy isn't going to come back. He only went to visit Uncle Remus.” She was beginning to feel a tab bit foolish. But then again she felt foolish when Harry learned that she was reading to her when she was in the womb, too. Hermione began to tell her about where they were. She explained the basics of Hogwarts and was just finishing the feeding session when the portrait whole opened.

Ron and Ginny were supporting a laughing Harry as they brought him back to his quarters. “What happened?” Hermione was about to go into her lecture stance when she realized that putting her hands on her hips was going to be a little difficult. She would just have to find a new way to look menacing while holding Charisma.

“I don't know. We found him like this, laughing and giggling while trying to make it to your quarters.” Ginny and Ron tossed Harry onto the couch and breathed a sigh of relief. “I didn't know he was so heavy. He certainly doesn't look it.” Ginny said while massaging one of her shoulders. “Good thing Neville has good hands.” Ron shot her a look as Hermione put Charisma down in her crib.

“So I'm guessing you didn't think about using the counter charm, Ron?”

“Which counter charm, Hermione?” Ron was now glaring at her. “I don't know what he has been hit with.” He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Hermione shot him another glaring gaze.

“God, Ron, do you think you could be any less helpful?” Their questions were quickly turning into a full fledge argument. Ginny looked around helplessly as she thought of trying to divert their attention, but she didn't think that even Voldemort could get them to stop arguing.

“You don't let me help. I feel completely useless. I mean you have everything you ever wanted. You have Harry and then you got married and now you have a kid. What am I suppose to do?”

“What are you suppose to do? I don't know, Ron, just being a friend would be nice!” They were now standing inches from each other's face.

“How can I be a friend when I barely see you anymore? Hell this friendship of ours has been shot to pieces a long time ago! All I wanted to do was be there to help you and Harry but you don't let me in anymore. You haven't even let me hold my godchild, yet!”

“Fine, Ron, if you want to hold her than hold her.”

“No! I don't want your pity. I've never wanted your pity. Hell, all I've ever wanted was for you to love me just as half as much as you love Harry. I just wanted to make sure I was needed, but I can see now that the Trio has finally ended.” He was speaking in a voice barely above a whisper.

“Um,” Ginny flinched as their attention was finally on her. “Harry needs help.” It was true Harry did need help. Every time he tried to stop laughing he just laughed harder and now he wasn't getting enough oxygen. Hermione quickly rushed over and muttered the counter charm as Ron stalked out of the room.

“I should go,” Ginny said in a quiet voice.

“No, Ginny, wait,” Hermione called out but it was too late. “I've really screwed things up this time. Haven't I?'

It was twenty minutes later, when Harry had finally gave Hermione the full story of why he had been hexed and Hermione gave Harry a lecture about respecting their professors, when they both touched on the subject of Ron.

“We have been awful friends this past year.” Hermione said as she slumped on the couch next to Harry. “Well maybe not you but me. I know I have been truly a hateful person to him.”

“Stop beating yourself up, Darling. Ron and you have had worse fights.” Harry was trying to come up with a worse one than this but he couldn't seem to find one. “We truly have been bad friends.”

The realization of the past year had finally dawned on them. First they were struck with their own romance. Everything about it was so new and so good that Ron just didn't fit in to their private little world. And then with the wedding, he was best man and everything but there really wasn't much for him to do. But he did give one hell of a speech. Then came the battle with Voldemort and Ron had been knocked unconscious for most of it. He wasn't even awake to see Harry finish Tom Riddle off. And the list could go on and on.

“We should go find him. We have to make things right.” Hermione said out loud to no one in particular. She turned to face Harry and he engulfed her in a hug. “He hates us. No, he hates me.” The tears started to fall and she knew there was no stopping them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Ron had spent so much time wondering the hall ways of Hogwarts that he was surprised to find he had no clue where he was. He did a full complete turn when he came to this sudden conclusion. The pictures on the walls were old and dusty; this had to be some part of the castle that no one used anymore. And he could sure tell why; it was freezing cold.

“Wonder what use to be here?” The farther he went down the corridor the dimmer it got. He was forced to light his wand tip in order to keep going. It felt like something was drawing him in.

He stepped into the last room at the end of the hall and gazed around. A mirror was the only thing to occupy the room and Ron got the sudden sense of déja-vu. This couldn't possibly be the mirror which he gazed into seven Christmas ago could it?

Ron made a final assessment of the mirror by taking a walk completely around the mirror. It was the same size and shape of it. Taking a breath he stepped in front of it and prayed he saw something good.

The scene that met his eyes was something he had seen several times before. There, sitting under an oak by the lake, sat himself, Luna, Hermione, and Harry. But in the picture he saw he and the others were much older. Well, not much older but he was guessing around the early twenties. They were laughing and chatting as they sat on a blanket with some food spread around it. After all he wouldn't be happy with out some food. There was also something off about the picture, and then Ron realized it, there was no big black cloud of worry over the three of them and they just seemed so at piece. Could this image really happen?

Ron shook himself out of his stupor and walked away from the image. The mirror could show him what he wanted but Ron would actually have to go out and get it. Frowning he exited the room and made his way back to the scene of his outburst.

This, he acknowledged, was going to take some consideration. He had been standing in front of Hermione and Harry's portrait hole for ten minutes now. He couldn't just go in there and explain. After all he was pretty sure that they knew what it was all about. But now he and Hermione had said some truly terrible things.

Violet was starting to huff at him when he finally said the password. Smiling at that thought of what Hermione might have thought when she heard it he walked into their common room. He was met with yet another scene that he was familiar with, but this time it just about broke his heart.

Hermione during her second trimester had become very over emotional. During one particular grueling transfiguration class Professor McGonagall had mentioned something about if they got the transfiguration wrong it might hurt the animal. Hermione had promptly burst into tears at that thought. She wouldn't stop crying and Harry and Ron started calling it the hormone thing. Hermione has resigned to the name but after much protesting and crying.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hermione thought she heard the door open and she looked up to see who it was. Ron was standing in the doorway staring at them. She launched her self at him all the time babbling about how she did need him.

“How could you think I don't need you? I do. I need you to come up with those ridiculous ideas that make me laugh. I need you to tell me that I'm mental and that I study too much. You remind me to eat. But most of all, Ron, I need you to just be there for me, like you always have been.” Hermione's words were punctured by some sobbing but for the most part Ron got what she meant. He was, after all, needed.

“Hermione, I came to apologize.” Harry had edged out of the room and he had taken Charisma with him. Ron nodded his thanks as he saw him go into the other room. “I was just feeling a little overwhelmed because everything has moved so quickly. I tried to hide my fears but they just keep coming back. I can't lose you two because I don't ever want to find out what life is like without you.”

That thought made Hermione smile. She stuck out her pinky finger and held it up to Ron. “This has been a week of fears coming out.” She said as Ron grabbed her pinky with his and smiled. “I promise you won't lose me.”

“And I promise to always be there.” The trio may never be the same but some things had to change with time. Though their friendship never would, Ron was certain of that.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Christmas day dawned bright and early. “I hate mornings,” Hermione mumbled into her pillow. Charisma had awoken them eight times last night and the last time Hermione almost put a silencing charm on her. “Motherhood sucks.” She said as she got up as Charisma started crying. Once Charisma had been fed and changed Hermione took her out into the common room while she looked for Harry.

“Holy shit!” She walked into the room expecting to find Harry and only Harry. Well she did find Harry but she also found the entire Weasley clan too. And that was not as much as a welcome sight because she was still wearing her pajamas. Or lack of pajamas, for all she was wearing was one of Harry's oversized t-shirts and some knickers. “I'll be right back.” When she emerged the next time she was prepared and better dressed. This time she was wearing a pair of comfy pants and the oversized t-shirt.

Harry ushered her over to the couch and she sat down. Charisma was snuggled close to her chest and Harry was holding her close. Remus got their attention and he quickly snapped a picture of the three of them. Smiling Hermione noticed that a hat was being passed around.

“Oh, mum,” Ginny whined when the hat sparkled at her touch. “You always make it so I get to be Santa.” Apparently, the hat decided which person was going to be the one to hand out gifts.

Molly simply looked a little shy at what Ginny said but before the gifts were to be passed about the food had to be eaten. They settled down to enjoy a fantastic Christmas breakfast and the company of family.