A/N - thank you so much for all the reviews! They are fantastic. I hope you enjoy this chapter - it took a bit longer than expected considering I only had to write the epilogue but hey, its here now. I hope you enjoy it!! Until next time…
She got an owl the following day saying that Hugo would be staying at The Burrow and that Ron needed some space so she wasn't to go anywhere near the Weasley's for a while. Ginny had added to the end of the note that Hermione wasn't welcome at St Mungo's either.
Living alone for the first time in her life, Hermione felt lost. She tried to work, but she couldn't concentrate so instead spent hours just thinking about what a mess everything was. Her parents had listened to her when she had turned up on their doorstep in tears, but she only did that once. This was her bed and she knew she had to lie in it.
It was a week later when Hermione heard the door open and Ron tentatively call out her name. Frowning, she got up from her chair in the study and made her way down the stairs, seeing Ron waiting for her in the entrance way. He looked as bad as she was sure she did, but no longer angry. He seemed more…deflated.
"Hi," he said after a moment of them looking at each other.
"Hi," she replied, not moving from her spot on the stairs.
"Er…we need to talk," he mumbled then made his way into the lounge. After a moment's hesitation, she followed him.
She found him pacing in front of the fire, his hand randomly going through his hair, making it stick up every which way. She didn't say anything, waiting for his first move. It was a little while before he spoke.
"Do you love me?" he asked, stopping to look at her with such pain in his eyes, she gasped.
"Of course I do, Ron," she breathed, "you were my first love! You are the father of my children…"
"But not like you love Harry, right?"
"Right."
He started pacing again.
"I thought you were it," Ron said thoughtfully, sadly, "that you were the perfect girl for me. Every time we rowed, I just thought that was the way it was supposed to be. I mean, we had lots of fun too, we made each other laugh - you know?
"But now I know I was wrong, that what we have…had was wrong. That people in love don't make each other feel like rubbish the way we do.
"That Harry treated you better than I ever had."
"You and I, we're just so different…"
"Too different," Ron sighed, "I realise that now. We shouldn't have ever got married."
"No, we shouldn't have."
"I…I've been talking to dad a lot," he continued, "and he pointed out some things and I know that I've got to set things right now. I…I've got to let you go."
He looked at her then, his eyes full of emotion.
"I'll shift out, go back to The Burrow," he stated calmly, "and dissolve our marriage. Hugo…Hugo can stay with you during the week and I thought with me in the weekend until he goes to Hogwarts. We'll let the children know first and then the rest of the family. I think mum will be the only one surprised though Ginny's going to be right annoyed." He let out a little snort as he thought of his sister, but then continued, "I don't know if you know, but Harry woke up not long after you visited. He's going to be fine…"
"He's awake?" Hermione gasped, unable to help herself.
"Yeah," Ron answered, ignoring her look of relief, "which is pretty good for me 'cause I think many were thinking I was the one that pushed him off the cliff…"
"What?"
"Yeah," he shrugged, "I wanted to, but I didn't. The stupid thing was, I had no right to get as mad as I did. He was right about Luna, right to be suspicious. We haven't…I haven't done anything wrong, but…but I want to."
"I guess that makes us even then," she said quietly.
"You really haven't slept with Harry?"
"I really haven't slept with Harry," she answered, "but I've wanted to."
Ron just nodded, lost in his own thoughts for a moment before looking back at her.
"How long have you guys been in love?"
"A long time."
Ron nodded absently then continued.
"I…it's going to be difficult for me for a while," he told her, more in control, "but I'll get over it. Especially since now I know how what it's like…"
"Luna?"
"Yeah."
Ron started to head towards the door with Hermione just standing quietly, watching, her arms wrapped around herself in some sort of comfort. She couldn't quite believe it was actually over, or that Ron was being so calm about it all.
"Ron," she called to him, stopping him just before he opened the front door, "um, how 'bout I sort out the dissolvement since I have contacts in that area."
"Okay, sure."
"And…thanks."
He gave her a small, sad smile as he opened the door.
"We had some good times, didn't we?" he asked quietly.
"We had many great times, Ron," Hermione told him, taking a deep breath as he nodded and left the house.
The next few days were filled with finishing what began twelve years before. The dissolvement, the wizarding equivalent to a Muggle divorce, happened with little fanfare and extremely discretely. The children were told and accepted the situation with a compliance that told Hermione it was expected although Hugo was more sourly than usual, losing Lily as a fellow classmate didn't help, and his week under the new arrangements was full of angry silences.
It wasn't until Sunday arrived, a brisk autumn afternoon where Hermione had started on the werewolf project once more, that she got to meet the man who had been so often in her thoughts but out of her reach. When she opened the door and saw him standing there, she was so relieved that she engulfed him in one of her bone crushing hugs.
"Oh, Harry," she squealed, close to tears, "I thought I'd lost you! I thought I'd never see you again!" She pulled away from him and held him at arms length, checking him out for any remaining injuries, "are you okay?" she asked, concerned, "are you sure you're okay?"
"I'm fine," he assured with a smile, "can I come in?"
"Of course!"
She followed him into the house, noticing how he limped just a little and how he still seemed so pale. She frowned.
"I…I would've come sooner," he stammered as he stopped in front of the fireplace, the same spot Ron had stood just over a week ago, "but I haven't had the chance to leave the house until now. Ginny and Molly have been keeping a very good eye on me…"
"How'd you get away?"
"Ginny had to go into the office," Harry explained, finally sitting down, "some big emergency. Lily is at The Burrow," he paused and looked up at her, "I needed to see you."
"I've been so worried…" Hermione started, sitting down on the sofa opposite him.
"I've been thinking of you so much…" Harry said at exactly the same time; they both chuckled.
"Ron's really left?" he asked, serious once more.
"Yes," Hermione confirmed, "the dissolvement has been finalised. We're no longer married."
"Wow." He stood and went back to his spot in front of the fire, staring into the dead embers.
"What happened, Harry?" she questioned, frowning, "at the Beacons, did…did Ron really attack you?"
"No," he shook his head in emphasis, "he wanted to, but no - Ron didn't attack me."
"Then what happened?"
"We were talking and he started going on about Luna - Luna this, Luna that," Harry recalled, "I remembered what you had said, that you thought they were having an affair and I called him up on it. He denied it, accused me of sleeping with you - which I denied - and then he threw the first punch…"
"So he did attack you!"
"It wasn't an attack, Hermione, it was a punch," he corrected with a smile, "unfortunately, we were tailing someone and suddenly coming out of hiding bashing the living daylights out of each other wasn't particularly good at keeping our cover. Some of Lestrange's friends saw us and that's when the attack started in earnest."
"You were nearly killed."
"I know."
They stopped and looked at each other for a moment - he by the mantle and her sitting on the sofa - and a silent understanding passed between them that reminded her so much of all those times in Hogwarts where they knew what the other was thinking without having to say it.
"I'm leaving Ginny," Harry suddenly blurted out, his eyes never leaving hers.
"What?"
"I'm leaving Ginny," he repeated, quickly moving to her side on the sofa, sitting down and taking her hands in his, "I can't stay with her, Hermione, not now. It's you, it's always been you and now…now is our chance!"
"Are you sure you want to do this, Harry?" she pressed, not ready to believe what she had dreamed for for so long could soon be possible, "are you sure you want to go through everything…"
"Yes."
That night as she lay in bed, Hermione allowed herself to dream, to fantasise that soon Harry will be laying next to her, that they would be together and it wouldn't be a lie. The following day, she tried hard to keep her mind on Hugo and his schoolwork, but she was distracted to the point where she gave up and allowed him the afternoon to play exploding snap.
They had just had dinner when Hermione heard some yelling from downstairs as she put some clothes away in Hugo's room upstairs. She quickly made her way down to the noise when Ginny came charging out of the kitchen to meet her in the dinning area, Hugo in her wake.
"You cow," Ginny snarled, pointing her wand at Hermione's face.
"Ginny, put the wand down," Hermione tried to reason, cringing as she remembered her own wand was sitting on the kitchen table, "let's talk about this…"
"What's there to talk about?" Ginny continued, advancing as she did so, "you stole my husband! Not content to break up one family, you've decided to break up two!"
Hermione glanced over Ginny's shoulder to see Hugo terrified eyes looking back at her. She needed to stop this before it got any further - she needed to protect her son.
"Ginny, please…" she pleaded but was stopped by a sudden, intense pain in her arm. Glancing to her right side, she saw a large gash running from her shoulder to her elbow, blood now staining her t-shirt. She looked at Ginny in shock as she used her other hand to stop the blood.
"You can't take Harry away from me," the redhead hissed, "he's mine! He's always been mine!"
"Has he?" Hermione fired back, standing tall, "has he really? Because I don't agree, Ginny. For the longest time, it was me he turned to for help and to talk to. Not you. You only got him when you accidentally got pregnant with James…"
"Accidentally?" Ginny scoffed, sneering in such a way her beautiful face became quite evil, "James was no accident - I knew Harry would not desert his family."
"You got pregnant on purpose?"
Ginny sprung around to see both Harry and Ron walk into the dinning room, both had wands raised and Harry was furious. Hermione let herself lean against the wall, her arm throbbing in pain but the stream of blood had, at least, lessened.
"Harry!" Ginny cried, lowering her wand and making her way over to the two men, "Ron! What are you doing here?"
"After you left, I took Lily to her grandparents so I could come and find you," Harry growled, ignoring Ginny's saccharine sweet tone, "just in time to see a distraught Hugo tell his father that you were attacking Hermione…"
"It's nothing less that what she deserves," Ginny hissed, all pretence of niceness once more gone, her wand again raised, "she dares to think she's better than me! That you would choose her over me!"
"I have chosen her over you," Harry snarled.
"Lower your wand, Ginny," Ron warned from behind Harry's shoulder.
"Or what?" Ginny taunted, "you'll make me? Come on, big brother - they've ruined your life as well! Or have you already rolled over and accepted…"
"I've accepted that our lives are better lived separately," Ron told his sister, "you had no right to air your laundry in front of my son."
"I have every right to tell this bitch what I think of her!" Ginny yelled, turning back to the watching Hermione, "you think I'll just let this go quietly? Do you think that I won't make you the laughing stock of the wizarding community? I won't let you get away with this! Your name will be in the Prophet so often…"
"No it won't," Ron corrected as he silently disarmed Ginny with a flick of his wrist, her wand easily caught in his hand, "in fact you will do everything in your power to insure the stories about our break-ups are never mentioned."
"And let them get away with it?" Ginny sneered, "oh no, Ron - I'm going to make her life hell!"
By this time, Harry had hurried to Hermione's side, his concern written all over his face as he checked her wound and healed it with a few well-trained spells. Hermione, however, was transfixed on the stranger that was Ginny, now standing face to face with Ron.
"No you won't," Ron continued calmly, his anger flickering in the back of his eyes.
"And why the bloody hell not?"
"Because of your children, Ginny!" Ron growled menacingly, "because you have two boys at Hogwarts who find life tough enough being the son of Harry bloody Potter, how do you think it would be if you drag their names through the papers? And I can tell you right here and now, I will NOT let you do that to Rose!"
"So you expect me to just walk away? To ignore the nineteen years I've given to this relationship?"
"You manipulated me in a way that disgusts me," Harry said, standing and facing Ginny, his voice low and dangerous.
"I didn't see you feeling manipulated when you made your way to my bed," Ginny smirked, "it takes two to make a baby, Harry."
"You knew that our relationship was dying, that we were going to end it," Harry continued coldly, "you knew I was going to leave. The night James was conceived, we were still trying to make things work but there was no way were ready to bring a child into the world and you knew that. You had promised me on many occasions that you would respect my wishes about having kids, that we weren't ready…"
"We had been together for six years!" she cried, "we were the perfect couple, everyone knew we'd get married eventually! You love me…"
"No I don't Ginny, not anymore," Harry turned from her and went back to Hermione, "my stuff will be out of the house by Wednesday…"
"Lily and Hugo can stay at mum and dad's until everything is sorted," Ron added firmly, glancing at his old friends but then quickly looking away, "I think the family is expecting this, especially after me and Hermione, I know the kids are," he gave a brief chuckle before sobering and continuing, "you might as well shift into here, Harry. You're going to anyway - we'll work out the details later."
"Ron…" Harry started but was quickly cut off.
"No," Ron frowned, "not yet. I can't be friends with you yet. Just look after Hermione, will you? We'll give you some time to get settled and then we can work out the details. Come on Ginny, let's go."
"I'm not leaving," Ginny stated, looking mutinous.
"Yes you are," Ron told her, then grabbed her arm, dragged her into the kitchen and flooed her away.
Harry looked down on Hermione, holding her face gently in his hands as he searched her eyes.
"Are you alright?" he asked, tenderly.
"I'm fine," she half smiled, "I…I can't believe this."
"I know," Harry agreed, "who would've thought that at thirty-seven Ron finally grew up…"
"I don't want to talk about Ron," Hermione interrupted, her hands tentatively touching his back, "or Ginny. Harry, we're free. We're finally free!"
He leant towards her, resting his forehead on hers as he looked into her very soul. She could feel his breath on her lips and all her worries, her aches and pains disappeared.
"So, what do we do now?" he asked, the venom that had been dripping from his voice just moments ago had been replaced with such a gentle tenderness that Hermione melted.
She looked into the eyes she loved so dearly and saw a future of happiness, a future of love. There were going to be some rough times ahead, but she knew with Harry by her side, she would get through them - they would get through them.
His hands had dropped from her face to her shoulders, though their foreheads were still together with the slightest of touches. He was waiting for an answer, but she couldn't speak. Instead, she kissed him - an unsure, fumbling kiss, yet the moment their lips touched, she felt like she was finally complete, that the hole that had been inside her for so long as she had waited patiently for this moment, was filled.
The dream had finally become a reality.
EPILOGUE - TWO YEARS LATER
"I don't see why we all have to meet Dick," Albus complained loudly, plonking himself down in the restaurant's chair, "it's not like I haven't met him before."
"Well, Richard wants to meet the whole family," Hermione told him patiently, manoeuvring her extremely pregnant body into another chair, "for his article. And you need to be nice, Al, he is your mother's boyfriend after all."
"Do we get a final say on what he writes, mum?" Rose asked, nudging Albus until she finally got a smile from him, "because he really is a…"
"I wouldn't finish that sentence if I was you, young lady," Hermione warned with the slightest of smiles as Rose and Albus burst into laughter.
"What's so funny?"
Hermione swivelled around in her chair at the sound of James behind her, proudly carrying his new broom that had just been purchased, the reason why he and his father were late.
"We were just talking about Dick," Rosie giggled.
"You mean Richard," Harry corrected, coming up to Hermione and kissing her fondly, "hey, beautiful."
"Yuk," Albus groaned, "why do you guys always do that? You're embarrassing!"
"Embarrassing?" Harry smiled evilly, "I'll show you embarrassing!"
With that, he took Hermione's face gently in both his hands and kissed her passionately. Hermione played along and started emitting soft moans as she ran her hands up and down his back.
"Bloody hell - get a room!" James exclaimed as they continued with no sign of stopping.
"Will you two pack it in," a new voice instructed, "you'll scarring the rug-rats!"
Hermione and Harry broke apart to see Ron walking towards them with Hugo in tow, a half- scowl on his face.
"If they're not scarred by now, then they'll never be," Harry joked as he took his seat next to his wife before looking at the children, "you lot been good?"
A general chorus of yes's resounded around the table as Hermione looked past Harry to see Ron and Luna, who were just sitting down.
"How're you going Luna?" she asked, "any problems with the baby?"
Luna ran her hand over her protruding belly, smiling serenely.
"Oh, they're doing fine," she answered.
"They?" Harry repeated, confused.
"Yeah," Ron shrugged, "it seems we're having twins…"
Whatever he was going to say next was drowned out by yells of congratulations while Ron just grinned sheepishly as he draped an arm around his wife's shoulders.
Hermione smiled happily as she put her hand over the movement in her abdomen, her little one wanting to join in the celebration. It was then that she saw Ginny breeze into the restaurant, Lily on one side and Ginny's boyfriend, Richard, on the other. She was as beautiful as ever, her red hair slightly curled and framing her face delicately. But Hermione no longer felt any jealousy, even with her own hair bunched in a casual ponytail and her make-up free face showing lines and freckles with free abandon.
"Here they are," Ginny announced when she was close enough, Lily making her way immediately to Hugo's side, "Richard - this is the Weasley slash Potter slash Granger clan. Everyone, this is Richard Saunders."
Hello's were exchanged, the men shook hands and Hermione waved from her immobile spot (she wasn't moving for anyone). Richard sat down at the head of the table, took out his notepad and quill and looked at them all expectantly.
"I've heard so much about you all," he started, his charming smile making his exceptionally handsome face even more so, "but I must admit, seeing you all together like this is quite a treat!"
"A treat?" James repeated, muttering under his breath, "blimey - we're not five…" Harry gave his son a warning glare.
"Well, I just have a few questions…"
"I'm hungry," Hugo interrupted.
"Yeah, so am I," Albus agreed and soon everyone voiced how they wanted to eat so it was decided that they would have lunch before anything else. An hour and a half later, everyone had eaten, coffee's were served and Richard once more got his notepad and quill out, ready for his interview.
"This won't take long," he smiled, "I have the bulk of the article already written…"
"I can't believe that you're getting a whole article written about you," Ron said, looking at Ginny, "I mean, you're not that famous."
"I'm the youngest editor of the Prophet, old or new, ever, Ron," Ginny informed her brother smartly, "and believe it or not, that makes me famous! People want to know who I am."
"Are you going to be Ginny Weasley or Ginny Potter?" Luna asked innocently.
"Both," Ginny answered, then when she got a few puzzled looks, she clarified with, "Ginny Potter-Weasley."
"Of course," Ron smirked while Hermione dipped her head to hide her smile.
A lot had happened in the last two years, including Ginny's recent promotion to chief editor of the New Daily Prophet. More than that, though, the youngest Weasley had finally got over the break-up of her marriage and moved on. It had taken her a long time before she accepted Harry and Hermione's relationship and even now things between her and the new Potters were pretty tense.
The fact that she was still determined to keep Harry's name after everything she had put them through made Hermione chuckle. Ginny was definitely one of a kind.
"So, if you and D…" Rose started, pausing when she got a warning from her mother, "…Richard get married, will you be Ginny Potter-Weasley-Saunders?"
"Rosie!" Hermione scolded while Ron let out a large snort - Harry just smiled.
"I don't think that is an issue at this stage," Ginny answered stiffly before turning to her boyfriend, "Richard, are you ready?"
"Of course," Richard acknowledge with a nod, "I think everyone should introduce themselves so I can put a face to the name. How about we start with you?"
"Oh, er," Hugo began nervously, suddenly put on the spot, "I'm Hugo Weasley…"
"Son of Ron and Hermione, right?"
"Yep," Hugo confirmed, "but now I live with dad and Luna."
"Right," Richard noted, then looked to Hugo's neighbour, "now, I know this beautiful young lady - Lily Potter…"
"Actually, Lily Weasley," Lily corrected, "I took mum's name after the dissolvement."
"You did?" Richard questioned, glancing between the still smiling Harry and Lily, "why?"
"Well, I wanted to live with mum and - I don't know, I just wanted to be a Weasley."
"Righto," Richard said, then scribbled furiously before moving around the table, "of course, the lady of the hour, Ginny, and then…"
"James Potter, son of Harry and Ginny and I kinda live between them both when I'm not at Hogwarts."
Hermione frowned slightly as James stated his details with some cold detachment. Out of all of the children, James had been the only one who didn't 'chose' which family he preferred and had found the separation of his parents difficult. When out of Hogwarts, he spent some time with one household and some time at the other, not really wanting to be with either.
Harry and Hermione made sure he was felt welcome whenever he showed up and although James was given a certain amount of freedom that many other fourteen year olds didn't have, he was still disciplined when needed. However, the term 'sourly teenager' definitely applied to the oldest of the five children.
"Excellent," Richard acknowledged, "and we all know who you are, Harry."
"Yep," Harry smirked, "Harry bloody Potter, father of five, nearly six, husband of this lovely lady next to me, ex-husband of your lovely lady and soon to be professor of Defence Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!"
"I still can't believe you're going to be our teacher," Albus humphed, "I mean, how could they agree to let you teach when there's five of us still at school? It's bad enough that we have to study you in History of Magic!"
"You'll get used to it, kiddo," Harry informed his son.
"Righto," Richard interrupted, trying to get back control, "which leads us to you, Hermione Potter, and then…"
"Actually, I'm Hermione Granger," Hermione corrected.
"Doctor Hermione Granger," Harry added, giving her a one armed hug.
"You kept your maiden name?" Richard quizzed.
"Yes…"
"I thought it was just because she didn't want to be a Weasley," Ron interjected from down the table, "but when she didn't take Harry's name either, it seems she's just determined to be a Granger. Bonkers."
"Oh, okay," Richard nodded, looking at Ron before crossing out what he had written, scribbled the correction and then, "so that makes you…?"
"Rose Granger," Rosie proclaimed proudly.
"Granger?"
"Yes," Rose continued on, "when mum and dad, that is Hermione and Ron, separated I wanted to stay with mum and since mum is the last Granger - I wanted to be a Granger too. So I'm Rose Granger."
"Well, I guess that makes sense," Richard frowned, shrugged, then turned his attention to Albus, "which brings us to young Albus…"
"Most call me Albie or Al," he muttered, "I've told you that already."
"And next to you is Ron and Luna Weasley…"
"I'm Luna Lovegood."
"Yep," Ron quipped before anyone could say anything, "another wife who doesn't want to be a Weasley!"
"This all awfully confusing," Richard observed as he read his notes.
"No it isn't," Rose stated matter-of-factly, "Albus and I live with Harry and Hermione, who we call mum and dad…"
"Though mum - I mean Ginny - is also my mum…" Albus added.
"And Ron is also my dad with Luna being my step-mum, but I just call her Luna…"
"…so do I," Al agreed.
"Hugo is my brother, but he lives with dad - Ron - and Luna…"
"…and Lily is my sister but lives with Ginny…"
"…and James kinda lives with whoever he wants," Rose continued, thinking, "Ginny stayed in the house she and Harry had when they were married; our house got sold and we shifted to Godric's Hollow which is where Granddad and Grandmother Potter used to live…"
"…it's brilliant there," Al put in wistfully.
"…while Ron and Luna built a place in Ottery St Catchpole…"
"…which is also pretty cool…"
"…and when we're not in school, we spend time at each place though Hugo and I don't stay with Ginny…"
"…and Lily, James and I don't stay a lot with Ron and Luna…"
"…but we all get on pretty well…"
"…though James can be a bit of a git sometimes…"
"Bugger off Al," James growled, glaring at his baby brother.
"…and it's kind of like we're all one big family any way…"
"…although it wasn't always like this…"
"…so there you go. Simple."
"Yep, simple."
There was a stunned silence as everybody stared at Rose and Albus, who stared back with smug satisfaction. Hermione shook her head in wonder - her daughter and step-son had a relationship that was so uniquely special that it constantly amazed her how close the two of them actually were.
"Er, right," Richard said, flashing an uncertain grin, "that makes everything perfectly clear. Just a couple of things - how long have you and Hermione been married, Harry?"
"Fourteen months," Harry answered without hesitation.
"And the baby is due…?"
"At the end of September…"
"Which is why I shouldn't have to go to school tomorrow," Rose declared, "this baby could come any time now so I should be here!"
"You will be the first we call when it all happens, Rosie," Hermione told her daughter with a smile.
"How about you, Ron?" Richard asked, "and Luna, of course. How long have you two been married?"
"Um, it was a year in August…"
"So you got married not long after Harry and Hermione?"
"Yeah, we wanted to wait until they came back from their honeymoon and got settled into Godric's Hollow," Ron explained.
"Ginny told me you were Harry's best man and visa versa," Richard continued, the table suddenly going very quiet as everyone realised where the questions were going, "was there no…animosity after everything that happened."
"Actually, I'm sure Ginny has already told you the ins and outs about what happened between us," Ron answered coolly, "and I don't feel comfortable discussing it all in front of the kids, so…"
"Of course, how insensitive of me, I'm so sorry," Richard gushed, not looking sorry at all, "well, that's it, I think. Thank you all…"
"You got us all together just to get introductions?" Hugo exclaimed with a frown, "I don't get it!"
As the others joined in with Hugo's displeasure of spending their last free afternoon before going to school in the presence of not one but three sets of parents, Hermione took the time to look around the table.
It had taken Ron a month and half before he spoke to Harry and could deal with Hermione when not talking about the kids. But as Ron and Luna's relationship grew, so did his forgiveness towards Harry and Hermione. By the time Ginny finally let Harry go, allowing him to marry Hermione, Ron was once more the friend he used to be and it was the four of them that planned the small, family wedding.
It had taken twenty years to for them all to end up where they were supposed to be, twenty years of realising that though they were happy - they could be happier. Twenty years of finding who they were instead of who the world expected them to be and understanding the two weren't necessarily the same. But for Hermione, those twenty years of watching and growing with Harry as a friend and not a lover meant that she knew him better than he knew himself - as he did her - and together they were so much stronger than they would've been if they had married straight from school.
She looked at Harry then, watching his profile as he listened to something Ron was saying. He must have felt her stare, as he turned to her and smiled, his eyes twinkling. She smiled back and took his hand, intertwining her fingers with his.
"I love you," she said softly so that no one else could hear. A little twinge of surprise crossed his face before he leant forward and kissed her gently.
"I love you too," he whispered before a cry of disgust from Albus at the show of affection made Hermione grin, roll her eyes and turn her attention once more to her wonderful family.