After the Fighting

After the Fighting By Viper714
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling. I'm just a fan writing this for fun.

Author's note: AU? Only a little. Like so many of you, I was very disappointed with the epilogue to Deathly Hallows. In fact, now that my mother has read it, I covered the epilogue with the flap of the book jacket and taped it shut so I can enjoy re-reading the rest of the book in the future (it's really good if you ignore the last few pages). In it place, I offer you this alternative. It will be in two parts: an alternate "official" epilogue, and then a shippy H/HR extension (maybe with a little R/LL too).


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Five days had passed since Voldemort's fall. Witches and wizards all up and down the country were still celebrating the end of Tom Riddle's reign of terror. The Hogwarts grounds, however, were playing host to an altogether different ceremony. It was time for the defenders of Hogwarts to bury their dead.

Thousands had asked to come, but at Harry's suggestion they limited the funeral to the friends and families of the fallen, and the people they had fought alongside of.

Most of them would be buried in a special graveyard around Professor Dumbledore's tomb. A few would be taken to their family plots once this was over. The bodies of Voldemort and his dead followers had already been removed by Kingsley Shacklebolt. Where he'd decided to bury them was unknown, but it was popularly rumored to be the island of Azkaban. The sole exception was Severus Snape -- who, at Harry's request, would be taken back to his hometown of Spinner's End.

In a solemn procession they came down from the castle. Minerva McGonagall lead the way with the other teachers. Behind them was a long line of caskets, each guided by a single person. At the front, two coffins were being moved side-by-side towards a single grave.

Harry tried not to look around as he guided Remus Lupin's body to its final resting place. Beside him, Hermione was in tears as she did the same for Tonks.

The crowd stood as they approached, some bowing their heads in respect for the fallen. There was also some muttering going on when people saw several house-elves levitating child-sized caskets baring their own dead. Including them had been Hermione's idea -- along with extending a offer to the centaurs to bury theirs as well, but that had been politely refused.

To help guide the pallbearers, a representative of their family or house stood by their respective graves. As he came near, he saw Andromeda Tonks standing with little Teddy Lupin in her arms. Harry's godson was far too young to understand why he was out on this cold, damp morning or the importance of what was happening. All he knew was that he wanted to go somewhere dry and warm.

Harry and Hermione stood on opposite sides of Andromeda, watching the others file in. After much debate, the Weasleys had decided to bury Fred here instead, as Molly had suggested, in Ottery St. Catchpole. As Ron had been the one to case the deciding vote, and because George was too broken up to do magic right now, they had given him the honor of being his brother's escort. Behind him came Neville -- who, as the leader of Dumbledore's Army, had taken the job of guiding Colin Creevey's body to where Mr. Creevey stood.

When everyone was in place, Professor McGonagall stepped forward to speak.

"We are gathered here to commemorate, and lay to rest, the brave souls who gave their lives in the defense of this school.

"Many years ago, our people gathered in celebration because a young boy defeated Lord Voldemort. We breathed a great sigh of relief because a great darkness had passed, that the worst was over.... If we'd only known.

"For the past ten months, we've lived in a world reshaped by Voldemort. A place where suffering and death was commonplace. Yet, even in this great darkness, hope endured. People stood up and fought against this evil in whatever way they could, great and small, and suffered for it.

"In the years to come, there will, undoubtably, be many books written about Harry Potter's final battle with Lord Voldemort. But let us hope that they do not forget the others, those who lived and those who died, who also fought this evil. The people, without whom, Harry would not have triumphed."

Minerva had to pause for a moment to wipe her eyes. She had taught the vast majority of the people here, and worked with many of the others.

"Should the historians overlook these people, though, at least they will still have this." She held out her arms to indicate the cemetery. "A permanent memorial to their bravery, on the very ground on which they fought."

The professor yielded the platform to Kingsley, who read off the names of the fallen. Every once in a while, there was cry of grief as a particular name was read -- the one from Colin's mother was especially heart-wrenching. She cried openly as Neville handled the burial.

When he reached the name Remus Lupin, Harry relaxed the levitation charm so the casket gently sank into the grave next to Tonks. Once they touched, a charm was activated that merged the two coffins together so the bodies inside would never be parted again. Putting his holly wand away, Harry took Teddy from his grandmother so she could do the spell to fill in the grave.

Once the last name was read and their headstone raised, Kingsley rolled up his parchment and quietly said, "Let them never be forgotten."

They won't be forgotten, Harry said to himself as he carried his godson back up to the castle while Ron and Hermione helped Andromeda.

**********

After the feast, Harry left his friends and wandered up to the Gryffindor common room. He probably wouldn't bother trying to make up his seventh year or take his N.E.W.T.s, there wasn't much of a point. However, he did want to see it again -- assuming that he could get past the Fat Lady.

That problem was quickly solved, however, when Neville opened her portrait from the inside.

"Hi, Harry, I didn't expect to see you." Neville looked up at the painting. "It's good to see her back. Snape's cronies took the Fat Lady down and threatened to burn her portrait because she kept refusing to let them in without the password. Apparently, they thought that Gryffindor was the source of all their problems."

"Gee, I wonder why they thought that...." Harry shared a laugh with Neville. "Still, its good that someone saved her. Why are you up here anyway?"

Neville looked at him and said, "Oh, I -- I've been debating something and finally decided to do it. Come on, I'll show you."

Entering the familiar room, Harry couldn't help noticing that it was somewhat worse for wear. Tables and chairs looked as if they'd been repeatedly tossed around, rapes and wallpaper were torn in several places....

Seeing his expression, Neville explained, "Amycus and Aletco used to raid this place like every-other week. Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw had to put up with it too, but nowhere near as often as we did. I overheard the teachers talking about starting repairs soon, so it should be back to normal by next term. Anyway, what do you think of my new addition?"

Puzzled, Harry looked around the room. He didn't notice anything new until he looked over the mantlepiece where, in a glass case, Neville had mounted the sword of Godric Gryffindor.

"I know that it came to me during the battle, but I don't feel right in keeping it. Maybe it's better for it to belong to Hogwarts, Gryffindor house to be specific, instead of being in someone's private collection," Neville explained. "Hermione gave me some tips on Permanent-Sticking charms, though I doubt if anything I did will stop the Sorting Hat from summoning it again if someone needs in the future. So, what do you think?"

Harry stared at the sword, thinking about what it represented. He also though of Voldemort and his obsession with gathering objects and power, of how he wanted everything for himself.

"I think that you've grown into a very wise man, Neville Longbottom," said Harry after a moment. "Maybe you should become a teacher...."

Neville laughed. "Funny you should say that -"

Laughing and talking about their experiences, they made their way through the castle. Outside the Great Hall, they spotted Ron and Hermione talking with Kingsley.

"Harry!" shouted Hermione. "Come over here for a second."

He said goodbye to Neville and went to join his friends. "Minister -"

Shacklebolt interrupted him with a polite gesture. "There is no need for formality. We've been through too much together, and I am only the temporary Minister at the moment. I'm here because I wish to talk to you."

If this had been any of the Ministers he'd known, Harry would have walked away in an instant. But he'd seen, and fought alongside, Kingsley too much not to hear him out.

"Okay, go ahead," he said.

"As you can imagine, we have quite a mess on our hands," Kingsley started. "The Ministry in in shambles and even with those who've been released from Azkaban, our society is in ruins. Too many have died, and far more have fled never to return."

Harry nodded his understanding. "I thought as much, considering what I heard while on the run."

"Then you understand our plight," said Kingsley. "Rebuilding will take a long, long time and even if we succeed, there will always be the danger of someone else trying to tear it down again."

"So, what do you want from me?" asked Harry.

Kingsley said simply, "Your help, and that of your friends here. Albus always said that our treatment of other beings would be our downfall, and Voldemort's policies came within a hair's breadth of doing just that. The International Confederation of Wizards had our representatives removed from their council, and the Muggle Prime Minister is this close -" He held his thumb and forefinger about a centimeter apart. "- to revealing our existence to the world."

"I'm surprised you didn't put a memory charm on him," Ron said.

Hermione shook her head. "Well, you can't blame the man for being angry. Muggles were dying too. The question is: Can he do it?"

"Yes he can, and he will if we don't do something," said Kingsley. "We need to change, both our laws and how we act towards others. It won't be easy, and it will take a long time to do, but if we don't it will just be a matter of time before another Dark Lord threatens us. I don't know about you,but I doubt if we can survive another war like this last one."

Harry had to think about for a bit. For years he'd thought of becoming an Auror, but not anymore. He was tired of fighting, of death and destruction. The idea of building something definitely held a certain appeal....

After a moment, he said, "If..." Kingsley opened his mouth, but Harry didn't let him speak. "IF I take this job, would you do something for me?"

"Depends on what it is," he said.

A truly wicked smile spread across Harry's face....

**********

Dolores Umbridge came into work early the next day, as was her wont. The last week had been so chaotic, with the battle up at Hogwarts (how she hated that school!), the fall of He-who-must-not-be-named, and Shacklebolt taking over as the temporary Minister. Dolores didn't like that Auror very much, stupid Muggle-lover, but didn't worry too much about the change. She'd seen plenty of Ministers come and go and felt that she'd be just as useful to the new one as the last.

Coming to her office, she couldn't help scowling at the mark on her door caused by Harry Potter blasting the magical eye off of it. She'd liked that thing, it was so very useful. Magical Maintenance claimed that they had repaired the door as best they could, but she didn't buy it. Worthless, good-for-nothings probably had a good laugh at the whole thing.

It was only when she went inside and turned on the lights that Umbridge realized that her office was anything but empty.

"Good morning, Professor Umbridge," Harry said in a sing-song voice, sitting in her chair with his feet on her desk.

"YOU!" Dolores jumped and drew her stubby wand, only to have Ron cast a Disarming Jinx on her. Any hope she might have of escape instantly vanished when Hermione caused a set of shackles to bind her wrists and ankles -- locking them painfully tight.

Grinning from ear to ear, Harry stood up, took a scroll out of his robes, and cleared his throat.

"Dolores Jane Umbridge," he recited, "By order of Kingsley Shacklebolt, acting Minister of Magic, you are under arrest. The charges include: aiding Lord Voldemort, unlawful imprisonment, persecution of Muggle-borns, torture, and using the Dark Arts on minors. You realize that I'm one of the key witnesses for that last one, don't you?" Harry held up his right hand to show her the scars that said I must not tell lies.. "Due to the current situation, you are to be held in Azkaban prison until the Wizengamot can be convened to hear your case. By the way, you're pretty far down on the list, so it might take a while to get to you. In any case, you won't be working here any longer."

Putting two fingers to his lips, Harry blew a sharp whistle. Four trusted members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement came through the door. "Get her out of my sight."

Once they had taken the enraged woman away, Harry sat back down behind the desk. "You know," he said brightly, putting his feet back on the desk and his hands behind his head, "I think I'm going to like this job! Ugh, but I hate the decor of this office."

**********

NINETEEN YEARS LATER:


"But Daddy, what if the Sorting Hat puts me in Slytherin?"

Harry squatted down so he was face-to-face with his youngest child. "Let me tell you something: Despite what your Uncle Ron might say, Slytherins aren't all evil...just most of them!" The eleven year-old giggled when his father whispered that in his ear. "You have nothing to worry about, your mother and I will still love you no matter what house you land up in. But if it helps -- always remember that the Hat will take a person's desires into account with its decision." Harry stood and helped his boy onto the train. "Go on now, and stay out of trouble."

"I will Dad," he said. Picking up the cage holding his owl, he joined his siblings and waved. "Bye-bye."

Waving back at his children, Harry went over to where Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Luna were watching the Hogwarts Express pull away.

Seeing the expression on his face, his wife pulled Harry into a hug. "What's the matter?"

"It just feels strange to see them all going off to Hogwarts. Like something is missing now," he told her.

She gave him a certain look. "If it's the lack of children in the house, we could try for another...."

He smiled and held his wife close. After all those years, all that the fighting, life had finally become good for him. He had job he enjoyed, a family that he loved with all his heart, and best of all -- the scar had not pained Harry for nineteen years.

All was well.

**********

End part 1

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After the Fighting by Viper714
Disclaimer: See part 1

Author's note: Upon writing this part, I've decided that it might be good to add a Ron/Luna section on to this fic. It would fill in a number of spots that, while important, wouldn't contribute much to this tale of how Harry & Hermione's relationship developed over the years following the fall of Voldemort.

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Part 2

Harry & Hermione


That evening, Harry held his wife close as they sat in their living room. It was odd not to hear the sounds of their children echoing through the house. It was just them again.

Seeing that a lock of her brown hair had fallen across her face, he reached up to brush it aside. It was hard for him to believe now how long it had taken for him to really see her, to realize what an idiot he'd been. The thing was, he didn't think he was being stupid at the time.

Everywhere he went, witches and wizards admired him for saving the world from Voldemort. Yet he admired Hermione for saving him from himself.

**********

The months immediately following the Second Voldemort War were a time of great difficulty. Once the euphoria of Tom Riddle's defeat wore off, people up and down Britain began to realize just how much destruction he and his followers had caused.

Never at any point in the first war had Voldemort come close to taking control of the Ministry of Magic, and he'd used it to great advantage. Not only had he used it to persecute so-called "undesirables", but he'd also dismantled so much of the magical infrastructure that Kingsley Shacklebolt found himself restarting the government almost from scratch. Which was where Harry, Hermione, and Ron came in.

Initially, they worked in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement helping stabilize the magical community. Lots of people tried to take advantage of the power vacuum that occurred immediately following the war -- folks ranging from petty crooks like Mundungus Fletcher to a handful of Death Eaters who escaped capture after the last battle. Rounding up these people, and helping weed out those who willingly aided Voldemort within the Ministry, was one of Minister Shacklebolt's top priorities.

"I know you're tired of fighting, Harry," Kingsley said to them their first day. "We all are. But if we don't get things back under control, we won't have a society to work with."

So the trio found themselves Apparating around the country, from Dover to the Shetland Islands, dealing with the various troublemakers. However, it was his first ever trip outside Great Britain that anything happened that actually gave Harry something to stop and think about.

It was about three weeks after they'd taken their jobs at the Ministry. He had just come back from a meeting to discover that Hermione had finally been given a Portkey so she could go and get her parents. He knew that she's missed them terribly, and was anxious to bring them back. Yet she was also very nervous about it.

"So what's the problem? I though you just had to undo the memory charms on them. That shouldn't be too hard for a witch who's as good as you," Harry said without thinking.

"Honestly, Harry, you can be so thick sometimes!" Hermione rounded on him. "Think about it from their perspective for a moment. They're my parents, but they won't even know who I am until I can reverse the spell! How would you like it if some stranger just came up to you and started waving a wand in your face?"

"Not very much, I suppose," he said quietly.

"Exactly!" she said. Calming down, she then asked, "Will you come with me? I might need a friend along for emotional support...at least until they remember me again."

Harry looked at her, surprised by the request. "What about -"

"The Weasleys are taking a family holiday in France. I think that they're hoping it will break George out of the depression he's been in since Fred died." Hermione sighed, "Ron says that he can't even look at what's left of their shop anymore."

Harry had heard that the Death Eaters had burned Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes to the ground because of all the fun Fred and George had poked at them. All that remained was the boarded-up storefront.

That was how Harry had landed up in the Wilkins'...no, Grangers' Melbourne home. Because of the time difference, having worked a full day before coming here, and how long it took to convince the Grangers to let them do the counter-charm, Hermione and him were so tired that they fell asleep on the sofa.

When he woke up a few hours later, Harry was surprised to find himself under a blanket with Hermione snuggled up next to him and his arms around her. He tried to shift his position, but that only made her wiggle even closer. Since that obviously wasn't working, he decided to try lying as still as possible. Unfortunately, that did nothing to stop a series of unexpected thoughts from flowing through Harry's head.

It wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to be holding her in his arms as she slept -- and he definitely wasn't supposed to enjoy it! This was Hermione, his friend, the girl who had been through everything with him. She wasn't supposed to cuddle against him, or gently rub his chest in her sleep, or moan his name as she did so. After all, he was -

A new thought crossed his mind: Who was he? Yes, he knew his name and that he was known as the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, the vanquisher of Lord Voldemort and the hero of the magical world. Yet he suddenly felt as if he had become a complete stranger to himself. He had been fighting for so long, seen so much, but had no idea what any of it meant to him. "Who was he?" the question rattled around in his head and refused to leave.

He tried to forget the incident over the next several months. Harry threw himself into work, and into being a godfather for little Teddy. He also tried to rekindle his relationship with Ginny, hoping that it would wash the images of that night in Australia out of his mind. It came as no surprise that she was more than eager to pick up where they'd left off.

Being with her was easy. Ginny never made any demands on him, or asked any questions. So long as she had the hero of the magical world, she didn't care. But she never gave him any answers either.

So when she left for her final year at Hogwarts, Harry was right back where he started. During the week, he buried himself in work. On weekends he'd go to see his godson and smile whenever his hair changed color. All in an attempt to keep that annoying question at bay -- Who am I?

It was over Teddy Lupin's first Christmas that it all came to a head.

Everything had been going well at work. After months of scrambling, the Ministry was back on its feet (though somewhat understaffed) and the country was rebuilding. In Diagon Alley, Ollivander's and Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor had reopened. They had even started rebuilding Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes -- under the supervision of Percy Weasley of all people. Admittedly, he knew next to nothing about practical jokes (except for being the butt of them), but he was a very capable administrator and was looking for a way to make up for his behavior during the war. Harry was pleased to hear it, along with the news that George had started producing their stock of merchandise once more.

Despite this, Harry didn't accept Molly's invitation to the Burrow for Christmas dinner. Instead, he spent the afternoon opening presents with Teddy (who seemed more interested in playing with the wrapping paper than his new toys) and Andromeda. Fortunately for him, Teddy still hadn't shown any signs of inheriting his father's lycanthropy. At nine months, he seemed to be a typical baby...except for the unnatural colors of his hair.

After they left, Harry sagged into his favorite chair with a glass of firewhiskey. The question was back again, and he no longer had anything to keep it at bay.

He heard a pop come from the entry hall. There were only a handful of people who were allowed to Apparate within the confines of number twelve, Grimmauld Place. The Weasleys and -

"Harry, are you here?" Hermione's voice called out. Her soft footsteps came closer. "Harry?" Just when he thought she'd go away, she entered the room and said, "There you are. Is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm just fine," he answered.

"Then why are you sitting here when everybody was invited to the Burrow?" she asked. Hermione saw the half-empty Ogden's bottle on the table. "Please tell me that isn't the one you picked up yesterday. If Ginny saw you like this -"

"She wouldn't say a thing. In her eyes, getting drunk would be something the Boy-Who-Lived had to do. Just like hunting Tom Riddle and saving every stupid prat in the magical world." Harry chose that moment to finally look at his friend. Hermione stood there, wearing a Muggle coat over jeans and a jumper (which was strange, he hadn't seen her in anything but witches' robes since that trip to Melbourne), and giving him a puzzled stare.

"Harry, what are y-"

"Who am I?" he asked quietly, unable to stop himself.

Hermione brows furrowed even more. "I don't understand."

"WHO AM I?" Harry shouted. Desperation leaked into his voice. "All the time we were in Hogwarts, you always had all the answers. So tell me who I am!"

"You're drunk," Hermione said abruptly. "Come on and -"

"No, I'm not." Harry shook his head and handed her his glass. "The new bottle is in the liquor cabinet. You can check if you want. I haven't touched a drop all night."

Hermione spared a glance at the cabinet before sitting on the table. Staring intently at him, she asked Harry, "Okay, then what's going on? I know that something is wrong because you've been acting oddly for months -"

"Since Melbourne."

"Mel-" Realization dawned on her. "Harry, did my parents say something to you when we moved them back here?"

"No, you did. While you were sleeping." He blushed at the memory. "After we removed the memory charms."

Hermione was speechless for a time. "What did I say?" she eventually squeaked.

"Not much," Harry admitted. "You sort of moaned my name and snuggled close while rubbing your hands over my-"

"Thank you, I get the picture." Hermione's face had become even redder than Harry's by this point. Although she didn't mean for him to, he heard her whisper, "I thought that was just a dream." Louder, she then said, "But why would it make you doubt who you are?"

Harry stared at his now empty hands. "Because it made me feel something I'm not supposed to feel -- not towards you, anyway."

"What would that be?" inquired Hermione. "Harry...did you like it?"

All he could do was nod.

"Holding me, our bodies touching...?"

Same response.

Hermione slumped forward, burying her face in her hands. "Now he wakes up!"

"Excuse me?"

When she looked at him, Harry saw tears in her eyes. "If I'd known that all it would take to make you see me was falling asleep in your arms, I would have done it ages ago -- and on purpose! But you have the most horrible timing, Harry!"

Harry stared at her, not comprehending. "What do you mean?"

"I have to go," she said hastily, standing up. "I...I have to think about some things."

Speechless, Harry watched her scramble to leave his presence. Then, just before she Disapparated, Hermione turned and said, "I believe the answer you're looking for is that you are Harry James Potter -- the son of James and Lily Potter. You're a man who has suffered too much and been used by far too many people in his young life. Maybe you're confused about who you are because you've been doing everything for other people: me, Ron, your parents, Cedric, Sirius.... Perhaps it's time for you to think about yourself for a change. To finally be yourself, whoever that may be."

With that, she was gone.

***********

Hermione stirred next to him.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

Harry gave her a little squeeze. "I was just remembering the months after Voldemort fell, and the advice you gave me that Christmas."

"Our beginning, you mean," said Hermione. "We've come a long way since then."

Harry leaned over and kissed her temple. "Indeed, we have. I guess we should clean this mess up." He pointed at the dirty dishes on the table.

"Yes, we should," Hermione said wearily. Kreacher had died of old age many years ago, and they never got another house-elf after him. Despite over twenty years of Hermione's efforts, there were still very few free house-elves. The vast majority of them loved taking care of wizard dwellings too much to care about anything else. The most they would except was a change in the law that would allow a house-elf to leave a master or family if they wished to. It wasn't much, mind you -- the office had only been used once or twice in the eleven years it had been around, but it was a start.

Doing the dishes didn't take long, even without using magic. They usually didn't when it came to minor chores, unless they were very busy. That wasn't an issue tonight. Their kids were off at Hogwarts and neither of them had to work tomorrow. They had all the time they wanted.

The magical world was still a far from a perfect place. Hatred and bigotry never completely went away. However, it was better now than what they'd experienced the first time they'd stepped onto the Hogwarts Express so many years ago. Not that it had been easy....

**********

After the new year, the worst of the troubles subsided and the trio was transferred to the newly strengthened Department of Magical Relations. There, they were to oversee the official Ministry policies regarding the relations between wizards and other beings -- ranging from Muggles, to goblins, to house-elves. More than a few eyebrows were raised at this because of their age, but they were silenced when Kingsley reminded his critics of just how many senior Ministry officials had either been killed, left the country, or been imprisoned for willingly aiding the Death Eaters -- like Dolores Umbridge.

Hermione took to her new assignment like a fish to water. She always did have a thing about helping others, which is partly why she created S.P.E.W. back in school. Harry didn't mind it either because it fit well into his renewed desire to live a peaceful life after all he'd been through. Only Ron was upset with the transfer. He'd enjoyed the excitement and adventure they experienced with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and wasn't happy with all the desk work that came with this new appointment. Then again, hitting a rocky stretch in his relationship with his two best friends didn't help either.

Harry had spent the remainder of his holidays in serious thought, deciding where his life was and where he wanted it to go. That last part was still a work in progress, though he had reached a couple of decisions. One of which had made a number of the Weasleys very unhappy with him: He had permanently broken up with Ginny.

They didn't understand why he did it. Everything had been going so well to them until he'd just up and called it off one day. Hermione was the only one who knew the truth, and she wasn't telling. This drove a wedge between her and Ron too. Although Harry couldn't miss the fact that his friends' relationship had cooled off considerably, it wasn't until the following May that he learned the whole story.

Harry wasn't having a good day, as evidenced by him walking into the office that afternoon, quickly closing the door behind him, and screaming at the top of his lungs.

Hermione and Ron both looked up from their work -- or rather, where Hermione was working. Seeing the expression on Harry's face, Hermione said dryly, "I take it that your meeting didn't go well."

Collapsing at his desk, Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his hands over his face. "Bloody goblins are going to be the death of me. Can you believe that Griphook is now claiming that I stole Gryffindor's sword back from him?"

"Bill did warn us that goblins have...particular concepts of ownership," said Hermione, going over to him. She gently messaged his shoulders, and dryly added, "He should have mentioned that they'll use any excuse to create a grudge too."

Slipping the metal frames back over his eyes, Harry relaxed under Hermione's touch. "You're not kidding." Reaching back to pat her hand, he added, "Thanks, I feel a lot better now."

"My pleasure," Hermione replied.

Across the room, they heard a quill snap. Looking up, Harry saw a dark expression cross Ron's face just before he stomped out of the office.

"What's the matter with him lately?" Harry's tone held equal parts of confusion and anger. "It's obvious that he's mad at me, I'd just like to know why!"

Hermione sighed, "Now you know how I felt back in sixth year."

"But this can't just be because I broke up with his sister," Harry went on. "I get most of that grief from Ginny and Molly, not him."

"You're right, it's not just because of you and Ginny." Hermione pulled a chair over so she wouldn't have to stand as she explained. "Ron was planning to propose to me. I overheard him talking to his dad last Christmas, shortly before you and I had our little talk."

It took a minute for Harry to digest this news. Everyone knew that Ron and Hermione had been dating, but he never realized things had gotten that serious between them.

"So, what happened? Did you turn him down or something?"

"Actually, I never gave him the chance to ask," said Hermione sadly. "Your words to me, about not knowing yourself, struck a little too close to home. So, I went back to my flat to think about it. Once I had, I decided to put the brakes on my relationship with Ron until I was sure he's really what I want. Needless to say, he didn't take it well."

"Define: 'Didn't take it well'," Harry had to ask.

Hermione stared at the floor. "He stormed out of the room in a huff."

Harry nodded, understanding. "Do you have any ideas about how to fix all of this? Besides simply giving them what they want and possibly being miserable for the rest of our lives."

"Not a one," Hermione answered.

Harry wearily shook his head. "Me either."

Everything continued like this for another two months. During that time, Ginny and Luna finished Hogwarts. Exactly what Ginny was doing, Harry wasn't sure. He didn't have much contact with Ron's family during that time. Luna, however, immediately went to work investigating reports of the strange creatures written about in her father's magazine. Magical cryptozoology was what Hermione called it -- referring to Muggles who spent their time chasing various "legendary" animals (most of which were magical creatures prone to wandering out of their enchanted preserves). No one who knew Luna Lovegood was the least surprised by her choice of career.

Ron's relationship with his best friends deteriorated even more in those months, getting to where he all but refused to talk with them. Harry and Hermione both tried repeatedly to break through the impasse, but to no avail.

"No, I don't want to talk about," Ron would say. "Now leave me alone!"

If past experience was any example, something major would have to happen to break this stalemate. Usually that involved some sort of life and death situation that made Ron realize he was being stupid. Since those were in short supply in the wake of Voldemort's defeat, Hermione and Harry had no idea of how to fix this.

This went on right up until the evening of Harry's nineteenth birthday, when Ron suddenly announced that he was going away for a while.

"Luna's going to Germany to follow up on reports of scuffalumps coming out of the Black Forest," he explained. "Don't ask me what they're supposed to be, I have no idea. Anyway, she invited me to go with her and I figured why not?"

"What do you mean 'Why not'?" Hermione screeched at him. "You have a job to consider!"

Ron answered defiantly, "Not anymore. I quit this morning. Sitting around reading books and writing reports may be your idea of fun, Hermione, but it's boring me to death."

Both Harry and Hermione were taken aback by this announcement.

"Look, Ron," Harry started saying, "I know that we've had our problems this year...it's pretty hard to miss. But you walking out on me and Hermione isn't going to solve them!"

Ginny chose this moment to throw in her two knuts. "Well boo hoo, Harry Potter is losing his sidekick. I'm sure that all your fans will be there to comfort you."

"That's rich, coming from you," Hermione snapped at her.

"Did you say something?" Ginny shot back waspishly.

Brown eyes flashing and her jaw set, Hermione took a step toward the girl. "Yes, I did. I'm saying that it's long past time for you to get over this silly little fangirl crush you have on Harry," she stopped to correct herself, "make that on the Boy-Who-Lived and grow up!" She then turned to Ron. "And you! I honestly thought that you had changed, Ron. But no, here you are doing exactly what you did all through Hogwarts -- throwing a fit and then walking away!"

"What do you expect a bloke to do when he finds out his girl is cheat-"

The sound of Hermione slapping Ron across the face echoed through the Burrow.

Harry placed his hands on Hermione's shoulders to calm her down. He then said to Ron, "You should know better than to accuse Hermione of something like that. Either of you," he added, looking at Ginny. Ron opened his mouth, but Harry silenced his best mate's retort with a look. "Perhaps you're right. Maybe you should get away from us for a while, Ron, straighten out your head. When you do, you know where to find us."

Supporting each other, Harry and Hermione walked out of the Weasleys' home. They bumped into Arthur going out the front door. He gave them a concerned look.

"Where are you going, Harry? The party is just about to start."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley," Harry said in an unusually formal tone, "but we're not in the mood for parties right now." Hermione and him walked away from the Weasleys' home without looking back. Passing beyond the Burrow's wards, they Apparated to Grimmauld where Hermione broke down and cried in Harry's arms.

**********

That was, by far, the worst memory any of them had of the post-Voldemort era. True to his word, Ron left with Luna the following week and didn't come back until November. This was the beginning of a pattern that lasted for years. Ron and Luna would go away for months at a time, return to England for a few weeks, and then be off again. Exactly what kind of relationship they had wasn't clear to their friends or families for a long time -- but then again, no one really asked.

In the meantime, Harry and Hermione got on with their lives. Between their long hours at the Ministry, and all the time they spent together away from work, it shouldn't have been surprising that some folks started thinking of them as a couple. An opinion that only grew when, after receiving numerous unwelcome visits by Molly, Hermione moved into number twelve, Grimmauld Place with Harry -- where Kreacher was more than willing to protect their privacy. Yet their romance remained but a rumor until October.

They had gone to Hogwarts for talks with the centaurs and merpeople who lived there. Out of all the magical beings in Britain, they had perhaps the longest-standing grievances with the wizard community. (The goblins were a whole different matter, for they had created at least half the problems between them!) Harry and Hermione had been working toward this for months: arranging the meetings, studying the shared history of these races and learning enough of the merpeople's language so they wouldn't need a translator.

It was interesting to note that many of these complaints were essentially the same ones voiced by the Muggle Prime Minister when they'd met with him earlier that year. Many witches and wizards, even some basically good ones like the Weasleys, had a certain arrogance about them when it came to dealing with non-wizards. Not all, to be sure, but enough to make the other races very leery of wizard society as a whole.

Harry and Hermione went to Hogsmeade afterwards, discussing the matter between them. Passing by Gladrags Wizardwear, they spotted Ginny working inside, but they didn't stop to talk to her. Although they preferred the ambiance of The Three Broomsticks they instead went to the Hog's Head, where they would be less likely to be disturbed.

A quick word with Aberforth Dumbledore gave them access to a private room for their meal. They ate slowly, enjoying each other's company as they so often did.

Finally, Hermione spoke. "Is it just me, or does this almost feel like we're on a date?"

Harry thought about it for a moment. "I suppose it does, in a way. What do you think about that?"

"I'd say that if this was a date, it's one of the better ones I've been on." Hermione waited for a moment before asking, "But what does this mean for us?"

"I wish I knew," Harry said honestly.

There was another pregnant pause. Then Hermione asked, "Do you trust me, Harry?"

"With my life," he answered without hesitation.

"But what about your heart?" she asked in return.

Harry whispered, "Completely."

"Then you'll let me try something?" she asked with a hint of nervousness.

Harry nodded, unable to speak.

Summoning up all her courage, Hermione rose from her seat and came towards him. Sitting in Harry's lap, she cupped his right cheek in her hand, and gave him an almost painfully chaste kiss.

Fireworks to rival Fred and George's exploded in Harry's head and his heart leapt at the contact. Wrapping his arms around Hermione, he began to kiss her back. His tongue slid along her lips, begging entry. Not only was it granted, but he found her tongue eagerly waiting to greet his.

Finally coming up for air, Harry whispered breathlessly, "So much for you being like a sister to me." Hermione gave him a quizzical look just before he captured her lips again.

When Aberforth came in to check on them, he found the room empty save for their half-eaten meals, a small pile of galleons, and a short note on the table. He read the bit of parchment and snorted.

"Good thing you didn't permanently screw that boy up, Albus, or I'd have to break your nose again when I get to the afterlife."

**********

Eighteen years later, Harry still loved having his wife sit on his lap while they kissed and caressed each other. Somehow the close proximity always seemed to make the feelings flow more strongly between them.

Rising to her feet, Hermione took Harry by the hand and led him to their bedroom. Walking through the halls and up the stairs, they passed wizard and Muggle pictures of their friends and family.

Naturally, their children figured prominently in the collection. Their eldest, Samuel -- who had his father's looks but took after his mother in almost every other way, right down to becoming a prefect this year; Amanda -- born twelve and a half months after Sam, and possessing many of Harry's flying skills (though she had landed up in Ravenclaw); and finally Christopher -- who, despite everything his parents and siblings did and said, always struggled with his own insecurities. Although he loved all of his children equally, Harry did admit to having a special bond with his younger son, having been a lot like him when he was that age.

Although they had chosen the names together, Hermione did insist on certain ground rules. For one thing, she didn't want any of their kids named after them or any of the important people in their lives.

"They'll have enough to deal with just being our children. The last thing they'll need is another famous name attached to the one they'll be born with," she said by way of explanation. "Also, if you even think about naming one of them after Snape -- in any way, shape, or form -- you'll be sleeping on the couch until the fit passes."

Teddy Lupin also appeared in the images of the Potter kids at play. Harry's godson had grown into a remarkable young man, and was now following in his mother's footsteps by training to become an Auror. He also had the distinction of being among only a handful of witches and wizards to have personally witnessed the wedding of Harry and Hermione Potter.

**********

It was a small ceremony, purposely kept out of the eye of the wizarding public. Throughout their two-year courtship, Harry and Hermione made a point of keeping their relationship as private as possible. Their knowledge of the Muggle world helped a great deal, since most witches and wizards would never think to look for them there. Of course, some people couldn't help seeing what was happening -- Kingsley Shacklebolt and Arthur Weasley, for example.

Arthur had been the first of the Weasleys to make amends with the couple. Although he was understandably disappointed that their relationships with his two youngest children had fallen through, he didn't hold it against them.

"That's life," he said to them. "Some things just don't work out, no matter how hard you want them to. Just be thankful that you ran into your problems before any vows were exchanged."

In the end, it was Molly who held the longest grudge -- almost to the very eve of the wedding. She had really been looking forward to having Harry and Hermione as part of her family. Even Ginny had moved on by that time, dating a Muggle she had met while visiting London one weekend. Needless to say, this pleased her father no end.

Harry's memories of his wedding were little more than a blur of happiness, with few clear details. He did distinctly remember standing at the alter with Ron, seeing Hermione walking toward him on her father's arm in her wedding dress, taking her hands in his, and sealing their vows with a kiss. But beyond that...nope, not a thing.

Unlike his wedding day, Harry could remember the birth of each and every one of his children vividly. The pain in his hand from Hermione squeezing it during labor guaranteed that, along with the feeling of awe he felt upon holding each of them for the first time. Nor did he need pictures to remind of their childhoods -- him showing them to ride broomsticks and play Quidditch, Hermione teaching them to read, holidays and play-times, changing nappies and staying up with them when they got sick.... Okay, those last two definitely weren't fun, but it was all a part of being a parent. A part of the happy life they had created for themselves.

After nearly ten years of working at he Ministry, Hermione left for the private sector. Wizard laws could be fixed easily enough, but changing people's attitudes was an entirely different matter. Therefore, and with Harry's help, she founded The Organization for the Advancement of Magical Understanding. Ron often called it S.P.E.W. on "steeroids", which always made Hermione grit her teeth -- both at the mangling of a Muggle term (which was near the top of her list of things to put an end to) and the slightly backhanded way with which he said it.

But that paled in comparison to how Harry felt as he watched his wife clean out her desk at the Ministry.

"I still can't believe you're leaving," he said with more than a little sadness in his voice.

Hermione sighed and rolled her eyes. "You're acting like I'm walking out of your life, Harry, when all I'm doing is changing jobs. The only thing that will be different tomorrow is that I won't be working in this office anymore."

"But we've always worked together," he replied sharply, "ever since our first year at Hogwarts!"

"Don't you think I know that, Harry?! " said Hermione, raising her voice. "Believe it or not, I didn't come to this decision lightly!"

Both of them looked away from each other for a moment. Harry hated himself for getting upset about this now, especially since he'd known it was coming for months. It was just plain stupid. But now that it came down to her actually packing, the enormity of it suddenly hit him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I suppose that I'm just going to miss having you with me all the time."

Putting her box aside for a moment, Hermione took Harry's left hand in hers -- touching their wedding bands together.

"But you will. That's what these rings symbolize: The promise we made to share our lives with each other no matter what. This is just work. At the end of the day, we still go home to each other and our family." Hermione finished her statement by giving Harry a soft, lingering kiss.

Summoning her box, she then added impishly, "Besides, if you simply can't bare being separated from me for eight hours a day, five days a week, I could always find a place for you at...."

"Tempting, my love, very tempting," Harry said with a tiny smile creeping across his face. Then, in all seriousness, he said, "But before I could do that, I'd have to find a successor who wouldn't turn this department back into the joke it was under Fudge and Scrimgeour."

"Until then, the offer still stands." Hermione kissed Harry goodbye. "I'll see you at home."

"Always," Harry replied, still a little sad to see her walk out the office door without him.

Her departure wasn't the only change to happen at the Ministry that year. Three months later, Kingsley Shacklebolt announced that he would be stepping down as Minister of Magic.

"People who seek, or stay in, this office for too long lose sight of what's truly important," he told everyone. "They become enamored with the position and the power it provides, and hold on to it at all costs. Rather than fall into that trap myself, I have decided to conclude my term as Minister of Magic and move on to other things."

Years later, Kingsley Shacklebolt would be remembered not only for his role in rebuilding the Ministry after Voldemort, but for putting some much needed reins on the Minister's Office. Gone were the days when someone like Cornelius Fudge could simply re-write the law on a whim or try to railroad an underage wizard for saying something he didn't like. The Wizengamout would see to that -- at least in theory, whether or not it would actually work long-term would have to be seen.

Harry remained at the Ministry for another four years before resigning himself, staying on only as a consultant. He felt that he'd done all he could in the magical government and, like Kingsley, was ready to move on. To what, he didn't know at the time...though he received numerous offers ranging from working the International Confederation of Wizards, to being a spokesman for various wizard companies, to teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts. This last one he seriously considered, but decided not to take at that time because he didn't want to become his own children's professor (that just didn't feel right to him, or the kids). Maybe he would reconsider if the position opened up again after the kids finished school, but not until then.

In the end, he landed up helping Hermione with her group. Doing so garnered a great deal of recognition for the organization, and it felt good to be working with her again. Naturally there were a few people who poked fun at "the Great Harry Potter" being "under" his wife. Harry and Hermione laughed at a slightly suggestive cartoon in the Daily Prophet they saw over breakfast

"But Daddy," seven year-old Christopher said when he looked over his father's shoulder, "don't you and Mummy take off your clothes when you do that?"

Harry and Hermione both turned beet red, each remembering the time a few months before when their younger son had walked in on them after waking up from a nightmare. Across the table, Sam and Amy screwed up their faces and let out nearly identical "eewwwws".

Ah, the joys of parenthood.

**********

Late at night, Harry held Hermione in his arms basking in the afterglow of their lovemaking. Whether she would be conceive another child as a result of this night didn't really matter, just so long as their lives went on. They had their ups and downs, good days and bad, like any family...yet they were happy.

All was well. Not perfect, perhaps, but well.

**********

end part 2

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After the Fighting by Viper714
Disclaimer: see part 1

Author's note: I'm sorry about the inexcusably long delay with this chapter, but for the longest time I found it impossible to write anything that treats Deathly Hallows as if it has any business being included in the Harry Potter series whatsoever. Then my hatred of that book and Rowling's behavior since it came out led me into a completely different sort of writing project.I believe the end result of this project will be of great interest many people who visit this site. Titled Broken Wand (Or, How J.K. Rowling Killed Harry Potter), it can be ordered via

http://sbpra.com/timothyawolf/

and should be available through regular booksellers within the next 4 - 6 weeks (though some might take up to ten).

That's right, guys. I got so sick of Rowling's self-serving antics that I wrote a book exposing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, as the mass of continuity errors, inconsistant characters, and self-plagiarism that it is -- and it's just been published.


As for this fic, I'm officially ending it with this chapter. There are other stories I want to get on with writing but couldn't with this left unfinished. Most notably, I'm now working on the fifth chapter of a continuation of the story from Lies and Illusions with the working title Lines in the Sand. The two of them together will be intended to completely replace DH with something that actually makes sense. I've also gone back and re-edited Lies and Illusions into a second edition form, especially in the early chapters which I later felt had some room for improvement.

_____________________________________________________________________

Part Three

Ron & Luna


Life is what happens while you're making other plans.
John Lennon

Ron had no idea where Luna had picked up that Muggle saying, it pretty much summed up what had happened to him over the past nineteen years. If someone had told him how everything would play out right after You-Know-Who's downfall, he would have laughed in their face.

Everything seemed so simple back then. You-Know-Who was gone for good, and everything would be fine and dandy once they tied up a few loose ends. Ron had been more than happy to do his part to help, all the while envisioning a future with Hermione.

Of course, things didn't work out that way.

***********

Although he didn't know it at the time, the last major task Ron performed for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was escorting Draco Malfoy to his sentencing hearing for arranging the Death Eater attack on Hogwarts and multiple counts of attempted murder at the end of November. In truth, he actually volunteered to do this today. For, in his opinion, there were few things more satisfying than seeing slimy little wankers like Malfoy get what was coming to them.

While becoming an Auror had sounded cool in his mind, Ron had never given the idea of working for the Ministry much thought. His dreams had been more along the lines of playing professional Quidditch than doing what his dad and Percy did. But when Kingsley had personally asked Harry, Hermione, and him to help rebuild...well, they just couldn't say no.

Returning to their office, Ron found Hermione filling out paperwork.

"I've got good and bad news. The good is that Malfoy got thirty years in Azkaban," he announced.

"And the bad?" a disinterested Hermione asked without looking up.

Ron blinked at her less-than-enthusiastic response before saying, "They'll let him out in ten if he behaves himself. Not that the berk would survive half that long if Kingsley hadn't decided not to have the dementors guard the place again."

"He made the right choice, if you ask me," said Hermione. "They're horrible creatures that the Ministry should never have associated itself with. You were unconscious when a hundred of them tried to attack us by the lake. If Harry hadn't known how to conjure a Patronus -"

"Yes, of course," Ron said, recalling tip number twelve in Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches: When in doubt, just agree with her. "Anyway, what do you say we go out and celebrate?" he then asked brightly.

"I see no reason to celebrate someone going to prison, no matter what they've done." Hermione sighed, finally putting her quill down. "Have you seen Harry? We need his signature on these," she added, holding up a sheaf of parchment.

"Afraid not. He might have gone home early," answered Ron.

"You don't believe that any more than I do," Hermione stated. "He's been acting very oddly lately. Withdrawn, almost. Has Ginny written anything to you? I figured that he went to see her in Hogsmeade last month, and might have...."

Ron tried not to grit his teeth when she said that. Admittedly, Harry had been a little off ever since Ginny had gone back to Hogwarts in September. Working long hours, not socializing, going on endlessly about his responsibilities to Teddy Lupin.... If Ron didn't know any better, he'd swear his best mate was starting to act like Hermione...a thought that made him feel more than a little queasy.

"If he did, he didn't tell me," he said slowly, shaking his head. "Anyway, I'll see you later. I think I might have forgotten to log it in when I returned Malfoy to his holding cell."

Just to remind her (and himself) of what they were to each other, Ron leaned in for a quick kiss before he left, but stopped short when he saw the berating look she was giving him.

"You really need to pay more attention to your job, Ron," she firmly told him. "The last thing we need is for some Death Eater or, heaven forbid, the next Dark Lord want-to-be to go free because somebody didn't do their paperwork."

Rolling his eyes, he left the office. Figures, a part of Ron's brain that remained unchanged from their time at Hogwarts was saying. First she spends six years yelling at me for not doing my homework right, now she's telling me how to do my job!

Making his way to the lift, Ron couldn't help feeling that something was going on with her as well as Harry. He had no idea what, but it sure was putting a damper on their relationship. Their disagreements were popping back up again. Following the advice in his book had kept them from having any real rows so far, but only just. And all the while, that same rebellious voice in his head was getting ever more sick and tired of having to bite his tongue all the time.

Weeks passed, leading up to their first post-war Christmas. During that time, an idea started forming in Ron's head. That maybe all their relationship needed a little push to get it moving forward again. If so, he might have an idea....

Although he regularly saw his father at the Ministry, it wasn't until Christmas that he was able to really talk to him.

"Um, Dad, what would you think if I asked Hermione to marry me?" he said, standing in the doorway of his old room.

Arthur was just a little surprised by the question. "What would I think? I'd say that if the two of you really love each other and wish to take that step together, go ahead. Your mother and I would be overjoyed to have her in the family. Is there reason why -" Unknown to his son, he'd just seen a mass of bushy brown hair turn around behind him and disappear.

"No, no reason...." While this was pretty much what Ron had expected his dad to say, it wasn't quite the answer he was hoping for. "It's just -"

"Just what?" his dad asked.

Ron shrugged. "I don't know, but it's like we've gotten stuck somehow. And she's been going on about Harry's behavior a lot lately...."

"So what are you saying? Is this unusual for her or something?"

"No," Ron weakly answered. "Not really.... But with the war over and You-Know-Who dead, what's there to worry about anymore? And if Harry's having some kind of problem, shouldn't he be going to Ginny with it?"

Arthur didn't answer him right away. Years later he would admit that, as much as he loved his daughter, he'd always doubted her ability to truly help Harry deal with the problems in his life. That she was too hung up on the legend of The-Boy-Who-Lived to see the person he really was. For now, however, he kept this opinion to himself.

"Look, Ron," Arthur finally said, place a hand on his youngest son's shoulder. "I've never told any of your brothers how to live their lives once they left this house, and I'm not going to start with you. If you want to ask Hermione to marry you, go ahead and ask. Just be sure that you're doing it for the right reasons. Because if you're thinking that proposing is the solution to some kind of problem the two of you are having, I'm afraid you're going to be very disappointed. Marriage is many things, more than you know, but a solution to a couple's personal problems isn't one of them."

Ron nodded along with his father's words even though they weren't enough to make him change his mind.

**********

1999 came in, bringing their transfer to the Department of Magical Relations with it. As a sign of how important he felt this was -- or rather, how important he felt Harry was -- Kingsley Shacklebolt personally led them to his office to inform them of the move. Initially, Ron went along with the whole thing but came to regret move before January was even half over.

He'd been happy in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, liking the excitement that came with hunting down wizard criminals and tossing them in Azkaban (he still couldn't decide who he was happier to see hauled away in irons: Draco Malfoy or Dolores Umbridge -- they were both so loathsome). But now he was spending his days wading through an endless sea of parchment looking for ways to improve wizards' relations with the other intelligent races of the world.

Of course, once they actually started talking to various people, it soon became clear that the main reason for those poor relations was because most non-wizards saw them as a bunch of arrogant berks who sat on their arses while You-Know-Who took over their country. It wasn't something that went over well with the human magical community, especially among those who had fought in the Battle for Hogwarts...yet it was hard to deny that there was more than a grain of truth in those accusations.

More bothersome than his dissatisfaction at work, however, were the changes that started happening between Ron and his friends.

He saw Harry only once away from work over the holidays, the day before Ginny went back to school. It wasn't a happy meeting by any stretch of the imagination. Because the only reason Harry had for coming to the Burrow that day was to tell her that he was ending their relationship permanently.

The announcement had completely floored the Weasley family. None of them knew of any problems between the couple. Hell, Molly had been making some not-so-quiet wedding plans for the couple once Ginny finished Hogwarts. What's more, Harry seemed unwilling to talk to anyone but Hermione about it -- and the most any of them could get out of her on the subject was, "You'll have to ask Harry about that." It was a combination that guaranteed to raise suspicions in people's minds.

Nor did it end there, because Hermione had also started acting strangely over the holidays-- well, stranger than usual, that is. She'd never been the most sociable of girls to begin with, preferring to spend time with her books or that beast she called a cat, lately she'd been pulling back from their relationship. The fact that this had started right about the time he first voiced the idea of proposing to her wouldn't occur to him for the better part of a year.

Despite this, Ron went forward with his plan to "pop the question". Because romance wasn't really his strong point, and the book the twins gave him didn't quite get up to the proposing stage, he wasn't sure when or where to do it. Twice he took her out with the intent of doing it, only to get cold feet at the last minute. The third time was about to end the same way until they reached Hermione's flat.

But just as he was starting to blurt out the little speech he'd thought up, Hermione held up her hand.

"Ron, stop. I know what you're about to ask and I'm very flattered." She had to pause a second before saying, "But while I care for -- while I love you -- a great deal...I'm not ready. Marriage is the most serious commitment two people can possibly make. It should only be entered into if both parties are absolutely certain it's what they want," Hermione then said three words in barely more than a whisper, "and I'm not."

But none if what she said after "stop" fully registered in Ron's mind. He couldn't hear anything over the pounding in his ears or the pain of having his heart shattered into a thousand pieces. When Hermione tried to explain further, it all became too much for him. Before she'd gotten her next sentence out, he turned and stomped out her door without saying another word, never seeing the tears in her eyes.

**********

Why these memories chose to crop up now was a mystery to Ron. All Hermione did was casually mention the possibility of having another baby to Harry. Nothing to get excited about there, given how much had changed since -

"You're drifting, Ronald," Luna said beside him, interrupting his train of thought.. "And don't try to deny it. I know every expression your face is capable of."

"I think I'm cursed to be surrounded by brilliant witches my entire life," he said without thinking.

Where Luna would have once broken into hysterical laughter at just about anything he said, now she just chuckled lightly.

"Very patient ones too," she said brightly. "You require a lot of patience."

"And a thick skin," Ginny muttered as she passed behind them.

Ron threw a rude gesture at his sister that she didn't see, fortunately. Otherwise, she probably would've hexed him across the platform.

Still, Luna had a point about a woman needing a lot patience with him. Then again, few witches knew the value of such things better than her.

**********

Although he didn't want to admit it, Ron knew that his relationship with Hermione was over the moment she turned down his proposal. Everything continued to fall apart between them over the following months. At the same time, he also couldn't help seeing how much closer she seemed to Harry: the two of them exchanging looks and little gestures of affection. While he might not be the brightest bloke in the world, he could still put two and two together.

By the time spring had turned to summer, the pain he felt at her rejection had long since transformed into anger. It simmered just below the surface, threatening to erupt at any moment. Work had become nothing short of torture as his two "best friends" tried to explain away their behavior. On and on it went with no end in sight, until he literally bumped into someone in the aisle of the rebuilt Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes one day in early July.

Bending down to help her pick up her things, he muttered, "Sorry, I wasn't watching...."

"You really should be more careful, Ronald," came a quiet, airy voice. "Most girls don't like being trampled on."

Ron blinked at the voice. "Luna? I haven't seen you in ages. How was your last year at Hogwarts?"

"Much better than the previous one. I was a bit worried about all the time I missed, but then Professor Flitwick told me in private that they were disregarding everything taught under that 'vile, murderous pile of thestral droppings'. I believe he was referring to Snape."

Laughing for what felt like the first time in years, Ron shook his head and muttered, "Glad to hear that someone still remembers that slimy git for what he was. I swear, Harry's parents must've rolled over in their grave when he spouted all that rubbish about what a good guy Snape supposedly was. It's like he doesn't remember all the hell that evil bastard used to put us through!"

"True, Snape was a very unpleasant person and a horrible teacher," she said, "Do you know I still have a mark from when his friends took me off the Hogwarts Express? Here, I'll show you...." Luna started to undo the top button of her blouse.

"Wha...uh, hey...I don't think-" Ron stammered.

Luna looked at him in the oddest fashion. "Are you alright, Ronald? You're acting very strangely all of a sudden. Almost like my father. He's been in a state all year, hardly letting me out of his sight except for when I went to school. Now he's telling me that I can't go to investigate the scuffalump migration by myself."

"The scrupawhats?" Ron asked, totally lost.

"Scufflelumps. I think I have some drawings with me." Luna dug through her handbag. "They've been spotted in the Black Forest recently and...ah, here we go!"

Taking the parchment, Ron tried to make heads or tails out of the drawing. Squinting and turning it to one side, he thought he saw something that might be a snout....or was it a tail?

"Ah, that's...um, very interesting," he said, trying not to sound too bewildered.

"Aren't they? I admit that it's lacking in certain details, but it gives you the general idea." Luna took the picture back. Then, without any warning, she asked, "Would you like to go with me? I'm sure Daddy would feel a lot better if I wasn't alone."

Coming out of the blue like this, Ron had no idea how to respond to Luna's offer. The thought of quitting his job at the Ministry had repeatedly crossed his mind over the past few months. Especially after seeing Hermione fall all over Harry after his disastrous meeting with the goblins back in May. Pride was the only thing that kept him from actually doing it. In his mind, he had equated leaving the job he'd come to hate with totally giving up on himself and Hermione...something he was loath to do.

"Well, I -- I'd have to think about it. When do you plan on going?" he asked.

Excitement danced in Luna's eyes. "Beginning of August. I still have to arrange transportation, though. I don't think I like Apparating much. There's something very unnatural about it if you ask me."

The two of them talked a while longer before going their separate ways. Returning to his flat, Ron tried to figure out what just happened. Unfortunately, deep thinking wasn't one of Ronald Weasley's strong points. Mostly, it just left him going around and around in circles.

When he went into work the next day, he found Harry and Hermione already there discussing their upcoming talks with the centaurs and merpeople at Hogwarts. Nothing new there, they'd been trying to arrange these talks for months now. What caught his attention was that they were sitting on the office sofa instead of at their desks.

A wave of jealousy washed over Ron as he watched his best friends together. They looked so comfortable in each other's company, talking with an ease that he could never hope to match. All morning he watched them with hardly a word, even when they asked his opinion on something.

Noon came, and Harry and Hermione went off to lunch. On her way out, Hermione turned to ask Ron if he was coming.

"Sorry, I've got something to do," he said in a rather surly tone.

Hands on her hips, Hermione glared at him. "You do know that we'll have to talk eventually. Giving me the silent treatment all the time won't solve anything."

The only answer she got was a hard look. Throwing her hands up in frustration, Hermione stormed out of the office. Once she was gone, Ron slowly counted to one hundred before heading up to the atrium so he could Apparate to Luna's recently rebuilt home.

"Hello! Anyone here?" he shouted, coming up the walk.

The front door opened and Luna's face appeared, much to Ron's relief. Besides Luna being the one he came to see, he was still nursing a grudge against Xeno Lovegood for trying to turn them over to the Death Eaters during the war.

"Ronald."

"I just came by to tell you that I'll go with you," he told her simply. "If you're still going, that is."

Luna broke into the widest smile Ron had ever seen.

***********

And that was it. Ron's time at the Ministry was over, and with it went any hope he had for a future with Hermione. Of course, there were a few formalities to take care of first. Kingsley tried to talk him out of handing in his resignation without success, but in what Ron felt was a very half-hearted manner. Truth be told, he suspected that if any one of the famous trio had to leave government service, he would have been the Minister's choice.

Far harder was telling his friends and family about his decision. It spoke volumes about their relationship that Hermione had immediately started lecturing him about his responsibilities. Then Ginny had to toss in her two knuts, which incited an argument that led to him getting slapped across the face. Harry and Hermione left right after that, but not before his best mate coldly told Ron off.

The words continued to burn his ears after they'd left. Then, to add insult to injury, his dad came looking for him right afterwards.

"What's going on around here?" he asked. "Did you know that Harry just walked out on his own birthday party?"

"Yeah, Hermione and him probably have some important shagging to do," Ron snapped just before Apparating to his flat. Once there, he wasted no time in throwing his essentials into a knapsack Luna had provided and making his other arrangements. No sooner had he finished than Luna came by with her own pack and a Portkey and they took off.

Weeks had passed since then. Weeks of tramping through the wilderness and living out of a magical tent with Luna. Once a week they would journey to a wizard village about forty kilometers from where the German, French, and Swiss borders met for supplies. But other than that, they didn't see too many people. For a brief time, Ron got scared that this would bring back bad memories of the last year of the war -- most of which Harry, Hermione, and him had spent on the run. Luna, however, quickly distracted him from those concerns.

One thing he just couldn't get over was just how serious, yet very...Luna, she was about the whole business. She would go about planning the deployment of her special wizard cameras with nearly as much concentration as Hermione had used on her schoolwork. Then, when they were setting them up, she would give each one a few special words of encouragement and a little pat or kiss after tapping them with her wand to turn it on.

The combination both cheered him up and made him depressed at the same time. That, in turn, reminded him of a fight he'd once had with Hermione about not being able to feel so many different things at once. It seemed that he'd finally gotten past having the emotional range of a teaspoon.

Soft giggling met his ears when Ron stepped out of their tent. Nearby, Luna was sitting on a log, laughing at the contents of a book spread across her lap. Curiosity getting the better of him, Ron leaned over to see what it was -- only to stop short when he realized that it was Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches.

"W...wh...where did you find that?" he asked.

With an airy giggle, Luna said, "Saw it in the rubbish bin when I picked you up at your flat." Reading another passage put her into hysterical laughter for a minute. "Can you believe that a boy would be silly enough do actually these things just to get some girl? All they'd do is make themselves miserable."

Ron just stood there for a minute, clutching his fists. He'd tossed the stupid thing out for a reason, mostly because he got so mad looking at it that he couldn't hold his wand steady enough to vanish the book or set it on fire.

"Whatever," he said, turning his back on her.

Luna tilted her head to one side. "Ronald...."

"YOU'RE RIGHT, OKAY?!" Ron rounded on her. "I WAS STUPID! I THOUGHT THAT HERMIONE WOULD WANT ME IF I FOLLOWED THE ADVICE IN THAT LOUSY BOOK! SATISFIED?!"

An odd look crossed Luna's face as Ron started to stomp off into the woods with the intent of Disapparating. But before he got very far, Luna took the wand from behind her ear with a disappointed sigh and a shake of her head, twirled it three times in a slow, deliberate manner while muttering a spell, and then yanked it up and back like a Muggle fishing pole.

"Wwwaaaahhhh!!!!" Ron's scream echoed off the thick pine trees as he suddenly found himself flying backward through the air. He came to a stop a a couple of feet in front of Luna, dangling upside down with his arms and legs bound tightly together.

"What on earth are you doing?" he cried, wiggling against his unseen bonds. "What kind of ruddy spell is this?"

"Mother invented it when I was little. She used it to get Father's attention when he'd get too involved with his printing press," Luna said in her normal, not-quite-there tone. "Anyway, you should know by now that you can't solve your problems by running away from them any more than you can build a lasting relationship through seduction."

It was only natural to look somewhat flustered while suspended upside down in midair, your body slowly rotating on an unseen thread attached to your ankles, but Ron managed to look even more so as he said, "What the ruddy hell are you talking about? I never tried to seduce Hermione!"

"If you were following the advice in that book, you were," Luna replied simply. "The author's attitude really isn't all that different from the sorts of witches who use so-called 'love potions' to get men who would otherwise have no interest in them."

From a distant corner of his memory, Ron recalled the time he accidentally took a love potion in his last year at Hogwarts. Well, "recall" wasn't really the right word. The whole thing was more like a drunken blur. Regardless, he was quite certain that he never wanted to be under the influence of one ever again.

Deciding that he'd calmed down enough, Luna gently turned Ron right side up and released him from the spell. Now that he was looking at Luna's face instead of her toes, he contritely muttered, "I couldn't really have been that stupid, could I?"

"I wouldn't be too concerned about it," Luna told him. "Even Ravenclaws can be a bit thick when it comes to love and relationships. You wouldn't believe some the schemes I used to hear around our common room and girls' dorm."

That brought the smallest hint of a smile to Ron's face. "Yeah, I'm sure. Still, I really would like to get rid of that load of codswallop," he said, referring to the book.

"Easy enough to do," Luna said. Turning around, she picked up the copy of Twelve Fail-Safe Ways to Charm Witches and waved her wand over it. When Luna turned back to him, Ron saw her holding a rock instead.

"Here," she said, handing it to him. "Now, throw."

Ron stared at the transfigured book for a second. "Huh?"

"Pick a direction and throw. Then it'll be gone," Luna explained brightly.

Realization dawned on him. Smiling, Ron picked a distant mountain as his target, wound up as if he was throwing the Quaffle to a Gryffindor Chaser clear across the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch, and threw the rock with all his might.

Luna watched the erstwhile-book disappear among the treetops. "Feel better?" she asked once it was out of sight.

"Oddly enough, I do," he answered.

Luna nodded. "Good. Let's go swimming."

Ron blinked at her sudden change of subject.

"Swimming? But I didn't bring a bathing suit," Ron said.

"Why would you need a suit to bathe in?" Luna said, giving him a perplexed look. Giggling, she took his hand and said, "Honestly, Ronald, you have some of the oddest notions...."

Ron stared at Luna, mouth agape and his face turning the most remarkable shade of red, as she pulled him in the direction of a pond she'd found their first day there.

**********

The two of them returned to England in the middle of November. Although Luna wasn't able to find her scuffalumps, she didn't let it get her down. "If they weren't very hard to find, everyone would know about them and they'd be a lot less interesting," she said brightly while writing up the article for her father.

Although Ron was happy to be home, he also had some mixed feelings about returning to England. Despite the fact that he didn't know what to make out of her half the time, he had enjoyed his adventure with Luna. He also wasn't too thrilled by the prospect of seeing Harry and Hermione again.

But after some gentle prodding from Luna, he sent Pigwidgeon to Harry to let him know he was back. Ron really wasn't expecting to hear back from him or Hermione, but to his surprise received an invitation to meet them at the Leaky Cauldron that Friday evening. Unfortunately, Luna wouldn't be there because her father was taking her out to celebrate her first article.

Tom welcomed him with his toothless smile and pointed Ron to the back of his pub. There he found Harry sipping a pint of warm butterbeer, his outer work robes folded over the back of his chair.

Approaching the table, Ron said weakly, "Hello, Harry. Aren't we missing someone?"

"Hermione had some last-minute paperwork to take care of," Harry replied. "She'll be along soon."

"Sounds like her," Ron said as Tom set his tankard of butterbeer in front of him. "How's she doing?"

Harry paused a moment before answering. "Okay...now. She was pretty upset for a while after that last fight of ours. Then your mother started giving her a bunch of grief on top of it."

"Yeah, Mum's good at that," Ron said quietly, not looking at him. If he had, he would have seen Harry staring worriedly into his drink.

"So, did Luna and you find what she was looking for?" asked Harry.

With a shrug, Ron replied, "What do you think?"

"I think a lot of people would be very surprised if she did," Harry answered dryly.

Ron chuckled -- it was hard to deny the truth of that statement. Unfortunately, yet another of those long, uncomfortable, silences enveloped them once the laughter died.

Taking a deep breath, Harry finally blurted out, "Hermione and I started dating last month."

Though long suspected, the news still hit Ron like a thunderbolt. Hermione had moved on in his absence...to Harry. Several minutes passed before Ron could bring himself to respond.

"Is that right?"

"It is," Harry replied softly.

Silently wishing that he'd ordered something a lot stronger than butterbeer (arsenic sprang to mind), Ron very carefully asked, "And how is - ?"

"It's good. Very good," Harry answered very softly. Swallowing another sip of his drink he then said, "Look, Ron -- I know you probably won't believe this, but I didn't steal her from you. Hermione was helping me with some personal issues that came up after -"

Ron held up a hand to stop him. "Stop, Harry. Just...just stop, okay? You've got nothing to explain," he said.

Neither of them spoke again until Hermione walked up to their table.

After exchanging a warm greeting with Harry, she turned to Ron and asked, "So, how was your trip with Luna?"

"Not what I thought it would be," Ron replied. "I was thinking that we'd just wander through in the woods, waiting for something to jump in front of us. But that only lasted until she found places to put these special cameras of hers...." He stopped suddenly, seeing that his friends were paying more attention to each other than to himself. Ron downed what was left of his butterbeer before saying, "If you two would rather be alone -"

Hermione's head snapped around. She tried to stammer a few words of explanation, but Ron held up a hand to stop her

"You don't have to say anything, Hermione. Harry already told me and I'm okay with it." Ron then took a deep breath and did something he still wasn't very good at, despite all the practice he'd gotten over the years. "If anything, I'm the one who owes you an apology. Harry was right. I should have known that you would never cheat on me, or anyone else you were dating. I'm sorry I said what I did."

Even as he said it, Ron felt embarrassed by how he'd acted -- as he usually did in these circumstances. A passing waitress refilled his mug as Hermione opened her mouth.

"You shouldn't feel too bad, Ron. I could have handled things better too," she said. "Maybe if I'd just told you about what was going on instead of trying to drop hints -"

"I would have gone off even sooner than I did," Ron finished for her.

Hermione nodded with a wry smirk. "Come to think of it, you probably would have. So, did you learn anything interesting in Germany?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Would not underestimating Luna Lovegood count?" asked Ron in return. The last hints of discomfort between them vanished as Ron told his best friends some of the funnier things that had happened on his trip with Luna.

But he didn't mention the swimming.

***********

The platform was rapidly clearing out when Harry and Hermione came over, holding each other like a pair of lovesick teenagers. And they wondered why their kids gave them the looks they did.

Of course, that turned Ron's thoughts to another matter....

**********

Time passed, and things slowly changed.

Harry and Hermione continued their work at the Ministry, yet even his renewed friendship with them wasn't enough to convince Ron to return. He more than had his fill of the place, and had a better offer to boot.

The ink was barely dry on her article for The Quibbler when Luna started planning her next expedition. Something to do with a southern relative of her crumpled-horned snorkacks...or was it the blibbering humdingers...or - ? Eh, never mind. The important thing was that she invited Ron to go with her again and he accepted. She would repeat the offer later, when planning her third adventure but not for her fourth. By that time, Ron had told her it wasn't necessary. All Luna had to do was let him know when they were leaving.

It was a wandering sort of life they lived for the next several years, filled with adventure and exotic locales. Still, they always came home to England. Harry and Hermione, in particular, were always happy to welcome them back and exchange news. Molly Weasley, on the other hand, spared no effort in letting her youngest son know exactly what she thought of him giving up a promising career at the Ministry of Magic to chase a bunch of imaginary creatures with Luna Lovegood. Not that anyone would expect otherwise, given the old-fashioned sort of witch she was.

Unfortunately for his mum, Ron grew immune to her rants over time. It was his life and he was enjoying himself. Quirky as she may be, Luna accepted him for what he was while asking no more than that in return. For a young man who had always felt overshadowed by his friends and family, that seemed a pretty good deal. And as his life with her showed him the benefits of not worrying so much about how other people saw him, Ron's temper cooled quite a bit.

Eventually, of course, they became much more than just friends and traveling companions. There was no one event that marked this transition. No candlelit dinners or dances under the stars (neither of them were really into those). Yet, sometime between when Harry and Hermione announced their engagement and their wedding, Ron came to realize that Luna Lovegood had, slowly but surely, wiggled her odd little way into his heart.

Needless to say, Luna had a completely different way of putting it. Something to do with the habits of an extremely unlikely burrowing creature that...well, you get the point.

But oddly enough, this revelation didn't bring about any drastic changes in their life. Ron and Luna had already been spending half their time effectively living together in a magical tent, so deciding to share a flat the rest of the time felt only natural. Of course, this unconventional lifestyle of theirs was yet another thing his mum didn't approve of. It was a matter that often came up between them and eventually came to a head when she learned of the next surprise life threw at her youngest son -- some five and a half years after Voldemort....

**********

In the years following the fall of Voldemort, Britain experienced what Hermione dubbed "a wizard baby boom". Up and down the country, young witches and wizards were having kids at a rate that promised to make Minerva McGonagall a very busy headmistress in about another ten years or so. As so many pure-bloods had been lost to the war and Azkaban, so-called "half-bloods" were making up an even larger percentage of the new population than before Voldemort while Muggle-borns remained about the same. Not that you could tell that by visiting the Burrow at Christmas.

Five young kids, three of them Weasleys, spent the entire morning running all over the place playing with their new toys -- including a pair of toy broomsticks that had collided with five walls and eight pieces of furniture before being sent outside.

By two in the afternoon, however, things had calmed down for a while as the three young Weasleys were upstairs napping. Only Teddy Lupin, who was spending the holidays with his godparents (even though Remus and Tonks never officially named her Teddy's godmother, Hermione had no qualms about assuming the role) because his gran had come down with a nasty case of wizard flu, was still down here. Although he was curled in a chair, his eyes kept flicking open beneath a lock of his (currently) mousey-brown hair whenever someone moved.

While there was no doubt that the boy had definitely inherited his mum's sense of humor along with her Metamorphmagus ability, as he grew older he'd also started displaying a couple of things from his dad's side too. Not full-blown lycanthropy, thank Merlin, but a very wolf-like territorial streak and tendency to only take to certain people: specifically his grandmother, Harry, Hermione, and their kids.

A soft cooing sound drew Ron's attention to where Hermione was settling three and a half-month old Amanda Potter in the new Muggle baby carrier they'd gotten from her parents. The odd plastic contraption had caused quite a stir around the Weasley home, almost as much as the baby herself. Dad had been beside himself examining the thing, and Luna had been reading the instructions Hermione produced for her with rapt attention when she wasn't looking at Amy or her sixteen-month old brother, Sam -- who was using his dad's leg as a pillow while the half-eaten Christmas biscuit he'd gotten from "Granny Molly" dangled precariously from his tiny hand -- in a very peculiar sort of smile on her face.

Leave it to Mum to spoil the kids rotten, even those who aren't really her grandchildren, Ron thought to himself. Whatever happened to that short, plump, saber-toothed tiger who used to terrorize us?

Well, the answer was that she'd outlived one of her children. And while time had healed most of the pain of losing Fred, it couldn't fill the hole his death had left in the Weasley family. To this day, George always pulled an especially elaborate prank in his twin's honor on their birthday, and got piss drunk on the anniversary of his death. Ron had joined him in the latter "tradition" the last time around, and ended up needing Luna to guide him home.

In the midst of all this pondering, the aroma of Christmas dinner drifted through the room. Ron's stomach growled in anticipation, but a glance over at Luna showed her to be going rather pale before suddenly dashing off to the bathroom with a hand over her mouth.

Of course, Ron was the first to meet her when she returned a few minutes later.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked.

"Oh, yes," Luna answered. "But I must say, I'm finding the term 'morning sickness' to be very misleading."

A loud crash drew everyone's attention towards the kitchen, where Molly was standing wide-eyed.

"You -- you're pregnant?" she stammered at Luna. Then her tone turn accusing, "But you're not even married! How can you possibly be pregnant?!"

Luna's response was typical Luna in its airy directness.

"Ronald and I had sex."

Stifled laughter was heard even as Molly's eyes flicked over in Teddy's direction. However, any concerns she might have had about him hearing Luna mention the word "sex" were unwarranted. He'd been told the basics of where babies came from shortly after Hermione had announced she was pregnant for the second time.

Then Molly turned her attention to her youngest son.

"Ronald Weasley, I assume this means you will finally be giving up this irresponsible lifestyle of yours and marry this -"

Furrowing her brow in puzzlement Luna interrupted her by saying, "Well, that's not your choice to make, is it?"

Molly froze in mid-rant, along with just about everyone else in the room.

"I don't think you under-" Molly started to say.

"You think we have to get married this instant because of some silly, old-fashioned notion of propriety you have," Luna said softly. All around her, the Weasleys hid their faces...save Fleur, who was practically cheering Luna on (memories of her own early problems with Molly having never really faded), despite being seven months pregnant with twins. "If we're happy living our lives the way we are, that's all that counts. Should we decide to get married later on...well, that'll be good too. Either way, the choice is still up to us. Besides, people place way too much importance on the act of getting married. It's like they think that it's some kind of goal or ending, when it's really more of a beginning," Luna added.

"Boy, has she got that one right," Harry whispered into Hermione's ear. She gave him a sideways look, then smiled when he took her hand and kissed it.

The argument didn't end there, of course. It went on all through dinner, and right up until Ron and Luna decided it was time for them to go home.

Entering the little cottage the two of them shared, Ron took Luna into their living room to talk. But before he could even get his mouth open, she beat him to the punch.

"I really hope this isn't what I think it is, Ronald," she said, "because we're not getting married."

Echoes of his disastrous proposal to Hermione tore at Ron's heart. He'd been thinking of asking Luna to marry him off and on for some time, and seriously since she'd told him she was pregnant. And now....

"We...we're not?"

Luna rolled her eyes. "Not now, we aren't. And certainly not because I'm having a baby. Why? Do you...?"

Ron tried to sound casual and shrug the whole thing off. "Well, it wouldn't be such a bad idea, would it?"

"No, it wouldn't," said Luna, her head bowed in thought. Then she smiled and said brightly, "Tell you what...ask me again after River's born. Then I think I'll say yes."

"River?" said Ron, his heart and mind struggling to catch up with her sudden reversal. "Isn't that a girl's name?" he asked weakly.

"Of course. My body wouldn't accept anything else the first time around." she said with a radiant smile. "Want to go practice making our next one?"

As she led him into their bedroom by the hand, Ron decided that not only would he never understand Luna, but that it didn't really matter if he did.

**********

In the end, River Cameron Weasley was nearly four years-old when her parents finally got married. Sadly, though, it seemed that she was fated to be an only child in a clan of large families. For despite their enthusiastic efforts, Luna didn't get pregnant again. It was one of those things that set Ron an Luna apart from many of their fellows.

With a little help from Harry, Ron got a job testing broomsticks and Quidditch gear for Quidditch Monthly. The job turned out to be a good fit for them, giving little family a steadier income than Luna's Quibbler articles did while leaving him free to join her and their daughter on their expeditions. This included the one two summers ago when River had found her beloved pet. A bizarre creature the size of a terrier whose face and horn made it look like it had smashed headlong into a brick wall.

Seeing his little girl off to Hogwarts again made Ron think back over his life. It may not have turned out anything like what he'd envisioned after Voldemort's defeat, but it didn't matter. He was happy, and that's all that counts.

**********

The End

Author's note II: Okay, so I named Ron and Luna's daughter after a psychic killer-woman and a Terminator, both played by Summer Glau. At least it's better than the ones Rowling came up with.

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