Hermione and Elizabeth fell into a routine at the café that afforded each of them more time with their Weasleys. Bill's schedule at Gringotts usually left him with the weekends free, so Hermione took Saturday as her day off (with everyone sharing Sunday off since the Baker's Dozen was closed); if you had asked her a year ago, six months even, she wouldn't have dreamt of not being at the shop every time the doors were open. Bill, and to some extent Liz, helped to bring about this change in her. While she still cherished the café and proudly praised it to all who seemed interested, it had become a part of her life rather than the center of it.

Following Bill's two-week recovery period and the exhibition Quidditch match, Hermione worked up the courage to invite him to have dinner with her family. In so many ways she was no longer the shy girl that couldn't even see that Bill fancied her from afar, but in others, she remained reserved; dinner was a time for family and Hermione wanted him to be introduced to hers. Sunday lunch at the Grangers featured not only her parents, but her elderly grandfather as well. Bill happily accepted the invitation hoping to get to know her family and maybe, just maybe find favor with her dad.

Between the table talk of 'please pass the rolls' and 'would you like some gravy with that,' her grandfather spoke a little too loudly of this being the first time Hermione had ever invited a gentleman to eat with them. The Grangers attempted to stifle their laughter as Hermione's face almost instantly sported a blush reminiscent of a sunburn. Bill was taken aback at this piece of information so casually proffered by Grandpa Granger (who, consequently, seemed oblivious to the others and continued eating his green beans).

Over many meals at their flats, Bill and Hermione had discussed their families extensively - both of them sharing with pride their accomplishments and with good natured laughter the crazy incidents that only family members would be privy to. He knew that Hermione was close to her family, even more so after their separation during the war, but he hadn't realized how exclusive their Sunday family time was. He wanted to say that he was honored to have the distinction of being the first, and last if he had anything to do with it, to be welcomed in such a way but he noticed Hermione's astute attention to her plate and decided to save that for later.

After his wonderful afternoon with Hermione and her family, Bill readily agreed to her mum's invitation to return again; the hearty handshake he received from Mr. Granger reassured him of their sincerity. While it would probably never have the familiarity of the Burrow, Bill felt at ease and as if he belonged there with Hermione. They all chuckled as Grandpa Granger loudly intoned, "If he's going to be a regular, then I'm not tucking in my shirt next time."

"You know," Bill said as he walked Hermione to her door later that night, "Grandpa shared some interesting things tonight."

Snorting, Hermione laughed as she remembered some of the mis-timed comments that had left them all shaking their heads. Sweet grandpa, he just didn't pay attention so he never noticed just how awkward his conversations were some times. "And just what did you find so interesting?"

With his hand lingering on the small of her back as she unwarded the door, Bill said, "That you've never invited anyone on Sunday before."

Turning slowly, Hermione felt as if her heart were in her throat - hammering so loudly that surely he could hear it and at the same time making it nearly impossible to swallow. With a deep breath she looked up into the blue eyes she loved and whispered, "There's never been anyone I wanted to them to meet like this."

"I'm honored . . ." were the only words she heard as Bill closed the remaining distance between them, pulling her into his arms as he kissed her with everything he had. He understood . . he knew that she reserved some things that were to be kept special. So, he poured all of his love into that smouldering kiss, hoping to convey just how much it meant to him and that he was worthy to hold her heart. She'd captured his long ago and he loved the ways that were so uniquely 'Hermione' that reminded him how much she cherished him, too.

Once they'd made it inside of her flat and away from the prying eyes of Hermione's nosy neighbors, Bill invited Hermione to his own family's version of Sunday lunch. Molly Weasley was famous for her hospitality and generosity; but, once a month, the Weasleys enjoyed the relaxation and comradery of spending the afternoon with only Weasleys, and Potters now, at the Burrow. It was an unspoken rule that it was a family-only affair; rarely had that tradition been broken, with everyone understanding that any 'outsiders' who had been extended such a rare invitation wouldn't remain as such for long. Bill loved her and had begun making plans to spend forever with her.

Charlie and Liz had become almost inseparable since the Quidditch match. She was as bold and brazen as him - the saying that opposites attract was far from the truth with them.

Because he still worked in Romania on the dragon reserve, they were separated during the week. Fortunately for them, he was on a schedule that allowed him to have three-day weekends every week. The dragon tamers had the option to work four days during the week or only three days but work every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Since he had seniority, Charlie was able to work most of the same days as Liz so they could spend their time off together.

Liz gratefully accepted Hermione's offer to have every Friday off in exchange for working the shortened Saturday shift each week. The two friends quickly realized that both would benefit from this new work schedule.

Some of Charlie and Liz's dates were sweet and romantic, featuring restaurants that amazed her. Other times, they would spend their afternoons flying; when she won the international racing broom at the Quidditch match, she had offered to go riding with him some time. They both found the coziness of sitting so close together as a perfect way to spend the afternoon.

One night, Charlie cryptically asked Liz if she wanted to be his date for a very formal event - one where she would be pampered before hand and have her dress chosen for her. With an adorably confused look on her face, Charlie kissed her before saying, "I think Bill's going to propose."

Bill and Hermione were enjoying a relaxing Friday evening the night before their first anniversary. He'd brought take-away home from the little restaurant near Gringotts; like most Fridays, he'd gotten home and started setting the table before she arrived. His thoughts were so consumed with the elaborate dinner and date plans for their special day tomorrow that he wasn't really paying attention to the table and unknowingly set it correctly for what had to be the first time. Hermione was a bit puzzled by his quietness but assumed that work had been particularly taxing today.

As he watched Hermione flit around the kitchen pouring the last of the food into serving dishes, Bill felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips. He couldn't take his eyes off of her; she had unknowingly caught his attention so many months ago doing nothing more than working in her bakery. He thought she was pretty with her hair pulled back and wearing her pink and brown apron at the café; she was lovely in times like this - relaxed in her jeans and t-shirt, hair falling loosely around her shoulders; and, she was breathtaking when she accompanied him to the official Gringotts' Christmas and Voldemort Liberation Balls they had attended. In moments like this, he realized how truly fortunate he was to have such a wonderful woman by his side.

Not wanting to be caught staring, he turned his gaze to the relatively new kitchen table in front of him. He thought back to their shopping trip in Hogsmeade following the sad collapse of his old card table which had literally been on its last legs for some time.

They made their first major purchase as a couple that day, wandering down the aisles of the furniture store until they found a section filled with various shapes and sizes of tables and chairs. Bill insisted that she help him find the perfect one; noticing that they returned to the same table three times, he called the salesman over to tell them more about it. They were both surprised to learn that it had been charmed to remain sturdy (which caused them to laugh at the memory of the food spilling all over them when the old one gave way and the salesman to give them an appraising look - apparently he had a different idea of why the table would need to be sturdy) and to expand to hold up to ten people.

They looked at each other with questioning expressions. This domestic purchase wasn't lost on either of them; they talked about the future in hypothetical terms, including what each envisioned as a life with children. Bill, though, worried that if he chose this table it would give the impression that he wanted a family as large as his own. Hermione, thinking of not only future children but their own families joining them, wondered if she had found a table that might force them to exclude people they wanted to invite in the future. They both started talking at the same time.

"Is it too big?"

"Is this one big enough?"

Bringing himself out of his musings, Bill removed his hand from the top of that very table as Hermione settled into her chair. Reaching into the pocket of his work jacket that he had forgotten to remove, he felt the velvet box he'd gotten from his vault this afternoon.

Tomorrow. . . their anniversary dinner and return visit to the amphitheatre had been carefully planned, culminating in a romantic proposal that Bill had been thinking about for weeks.

Tomorrow. . . he needed to be patient and hold out for the perfect moment.

Tomorrow. . . he felt overwhelmed at his love for her - the woman who'd stolen his heart, fought valiantly for him when he'd nearly died at St. Mungos, supported him as he earned the latest promotion at Gringotts. She was the first thing he thought about in the mornings and the last before he drifted off to sleep.

Looking at the amazing woman to his right, Bill knew that he couldn't wait any longer. "Have you ever thought about closing the Baker's Dozen for the entire weekend? You know, both you and Liz having Friday and Saturday off?"

His bizarre question caught Hermione off guard. "I don't understand . . why would we both need to be gone at the same time?"

Clearing his throat, he took Hermione's hand in his as he slid out of the chair and knelt in front of her. "You might want her to be at the wedding . . . Hermione," he continued more quietly, "I love you and I . . I can't imagine spending the rest of my life without you . . . would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

He knew that if the box weren't velvet he would have dropped the moment he tried to open it one handed.

Without taking her eyes from his, Hermione whispered 'yes' as a single tear fell from the corner of her eye. Sliding the ring onto her finger, Bill's hands trembled slightly as it took an eternity to her for the ring to find its place.

She squealed as he lifted her into his arms, swinging her around the kitchen and setting her down only to take her breath away again in a searing kiss.

"I will always love you Hermione."

"And I will love you forever and always."

In the spring, Bill and Hermione exchanged vows and wedding rings in front of their families and friends. Four months later they made the rare appearance at both the Grangers' and Weasleys' family dinners to announce that they were expecting their first children. 'Grandbabies!' Both mothers had been as excited as Bill and Hermione were to welcome their new little ones.