It would seem neither time nor being an entirely new person did anything to brighten the Welcome Witch's mood at Saint Mungos. After all these years, she was still a right witch, in the worst sense of the word.

Ron and Hermione had landed, drawn and gaunt, tears streaming down their cheeks. She responded by staring down her sharp noise with a sour pucker to her lips. It didn't take long for the rest of the entourage to fill the waiting room—nearly a dozen Weasleys and the Aurors who'd been at Bleaker Street. Katie arrived, sans Lucius, and Hermione let out a relieved sigh as her friend rushed to her side, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders.

Next to her, Ron sat quietly bent over, cradling a cup of steaming coffee he couldn't tear his gaze from. The air felt too heavy, strung too tightly, like it was pushing in on her lungs. Everyone had the good sense not to speak to her; even Molly avoided her, fluttering about the room and tending to everyone else.

Hermione had no idea how much time passed, engrossed only in the thoughts of her children stowed behind closed doors, doors that couldn't be pushed through—not even as the Minister for Magic.

A thousand mistakes bloomed in her mind, lefts when she should have gone right, meetings she shouldn't have taken, Quidditch games she should have dropped everything for.

Finally, when she could bear the weight of her transgressions no longer, the doors opened, and the Mediwitch from before entered, a soft sheen of sweat on her brow as she searched the overwhelming number of red-heads for the ones in question. Lips wilting in fear, Hermione stood, Katie's hands helping her to her feet. Those hands were quickly replaced with Ron's, who guided her towards the front.

"Mister and Missus Weasley, I'm Healer Wright. I work closely with the Auror Department and have been tending to your children. I have an update for you, if you'd—" She paused, eyeing the sheer number of people crowding around them now, ears eager. "Would you like to go somewhere more private?"

Shoulders sagging, Hermione waved her fingers through the air. "We'll just have to tell them later. G'on."

"Rose and Hugo are going to be just fine; they're strong. Luckily for them both, it seems that they were not subjected to prolonged use of the Cruciatis, which can, of course, cause lifelong maladies." Her heart fortified and finally began beating again. "Hugo, by the grace of Merlin, seemed to be stunned, no sign of Unforgiveables." The healer's lips quirked in a smile, and Hermione's brow wrinkled. "His knuckles are bruised; I think he landed a solid punch, if I'm honest. A fighter if I ever saw one."

Pride and relief swelled in her heart, her knees buckled, giving way, and Ron caught her weight, helping to right her.

"Your daughter was subjected to the Cruciatis—" Healer Wright's voice fell, her features steeling. "We won't be able to assess the extent until she wakes fully, and we'd like to keep her under just a bit longer. But, save for some physical therapy, pain potions and, at worst, some nerve regrowth, she will be fine and back on the Quidditch pitch in the fall. If you'd like to see them—"

"Yes!" Hermione and Ron nearly shouted, and the healer smiled in kind, turning and gesturing for them to follow.

Once inside their hospital room, by far the nicest one Hermione could ever remember seeing, they collapsed at their children's bedsides, whispering in their ears how very much they loved them, how happy they were they were okay and promises that nothing like this would ever happen again.

xXx

Hugo woke some time later but was given a Dreamless Sleep almost immediately after. It was now after midnight and despite having "only" been stunned, Healer Wright was insistent he needed his rest. They'd also offered Hermione a draught, which she refused and instead curled up in the soft glow of moonlight, staring at her two resting children.

"We've really made a mess of things." Ron said, lips quirking in that lopsided smile she'd fallen in love with all those years ago. He was leaning against the far wall, hands shoved in his trouser pockets and chin tucked. "Sometimes, I look back, and I still don't know where we went wrong."

"Ron…" Her heart ached for him—for them—but it had suffered too much bludgeoning in the past few days, barely thudding enough to keep her upright.

"I know— I just... I've realized how shitty I've been at telling you some things over all these years. And—" He paused, gulping. "Now seems a good time." His clear blue eyes lifted to hers, heavy and fringed with sorrow. "I resented you and your success. I'm so sorry."

A sharp huff passed her lips, and her jaw trembled with an onslaught of unfamiliar emotion. How long had she pondered those words? How long had she waited to hear them?

He continued, "I wanted more for me, and I blamed you for keeping me from it. But now that it's over—that we're over—I realize how ridiculous that sounds. I let that get in the way of how much I loved you, and I swear that I'm sorry."

Hot tears skimmed her cold cheeks, and she shook her head, still reveling in her disbelief. "I'm sorry too, you know. I think—I think I knew how you felt. And when I was mad or jealous of what you were doing with the kids, I'd throw it at you like it was something to be ashamed of. But the truth of it is our family needed you. I wouldn't be in the Minister's chair if you hadn't been with the kids and supporting me. The kids sure as hell would be a lot more messed up." Pausing, her mind reeled with memories of their life together. "I can't stop thinking of all the mistakes we've made."

A dry laugh burst from his chest, and he grinned at his shoes. "We've made a fair bit of those, eh?" She smiled, too, finding a sliver of hope for their future as a different kind of family. "But at least we can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we didn't mess them up. They're the best parts of us, none of the bad."

Wrinkling her nose, Hermione chuckled and leaned back in her chair. "A little of the bad. Hugo sleeps with his socks on, and Rosie grumbles in her sleep— just like their father.

Ron rolled an only slightly amused glare her way, but his lips twitched, and she felt all at once okay. They would be okay.

xXx

Ron became testy around three am, unable to sleep in his makeshift cot. Hermione had shooed him away, telling him to come back in the morning and that she'd owl if anything changed. At some point she must have dozed off, because it wasn't until the door clanged open and she startled awake, belligerently wiping the drool from her chin, that she'd realised it'd happened at all.

Harry strode in, a smug spring to his step as he handed her a hot coffee. "Saw the new healer outside; they'll be coming to wake them both after morning rounds, an hour or so."

"Really? Oh, that's wonderful." Her shoulders sagged, and she smiled genuinely. "I should tell Ron…"

"Ah. Ah. Ah. I think we need to talk."

She flinched. "Okay…"

"Let's start with the most obvious: why in the hell would you meet that maniac by yourself? Do you have any idea—"

Holding her hands up in submission, she shushed him. "I know, Harry. No more cowboy moves, yeah? You're the boss." She winked and watched as his hardened features softened, humming under his breath.

"Better be," he said, taking a hard sip and wincing as the coffee scolded his tongue. "You'll be briefed as soon as the kids are awake and well, alright? Don't even try and fight me, Hermione. I'm in no mood."

Chuckling to herself she blew over the surface of her steaming cup. "I'm not fighting you."

"That's right—" Stiffening, he narrowed his glare at her. "You're not. Why aren't you fighting me?"

Her brow arched from behind her coffee mug. "Call it self-preservation; I'm too tired to fight you any longer. I'll brief as soon as we talk to the kids." A thought burst to the front of her mind and pushed past her lips before she could think better of it. "Why on earth was Lucius Malfoy there?" Her lips puckered around the name as if it were a lemon.

"Confidential."

"Bullshite, Harry. Tell me!"

Rolling his eyes, Harry flicked his fingers towards the empty chair, and it slid across the dingy floor, landing next to her. He sat, crossing an ankle over his knee and draping an arm around the back of her chair with a gleeful grin. "Lucius Malfoy is our informant. Teddy went in to check on you after you'd been in the loo for an ungodly amount of time—" Emerald eyes searched her for a crack in her well-practiced facade, finding nothing. "And you were, obviously, gone. Bloody lucky for you, our informant finally caught wind of some seedy activity. Watson was poking around down in Knockturn, the bloke owes Lucius Malfoy, and the rest is the rest. That handy little tracker you seem so fond of hating probably saved your life. We had to hold back when we arrived; there was a nasty curse at the front door."

A wrinkle formed between her brows. "Then how did Teddy..."

Harry's eye twitched and a flutter of nerves climbed up her throat. "I told you: Teddy's the best. He went through advanced training with some of the best offensive and defensive tactical teams in Europe, even in the States, I think. He used a spell, a lot like sonography, to map you in the house based on your voices and Apparated in; Watson only warded the front door, seems he was in a rush."

"Teddy… blind Apparated?" Awe colored her voice as she remembered him suddenly popping into the room and disarming Watson.

"He did." The weight of Harry's stare felt heavy and intrusive on her skin, and a hot blush climbed up her throat as she averted her gaze to Hugo who'd begun stirring.

A dry, hacking cough burst past her son's lips, and in an instant, she was falling to his side, pushing his too-long hair from his brows. Happy tears rimmed her eyes, and even as he sputtered and fussed, she couldn't help but trace her fingers over her baby's face, pressing her lips to his forehead again and again.

"Mum..."

"Oh, my sweet boy. My sweet, sweet boy. You're so brave!"

Shifting under the weight of her affection, Hugo grimaced and croaked for a glass of water.

"I'll leave you two," Harry mumbled, his hand coming down gently on her shoulder.

"Thanks, Harry. Will you let Ron know that Hugo's awake and they'll be waking Rose?"

"You got it, Minister." Harry crossed the room, his hands shoved deep in his pockets. "Say," he added, pausing with his hand on the door knob, "you wouldn't happen to know why my godson is still in the waiting room, would you?"

The blood drained slowly from Hermione's cheeks, her eyes rounding as a weight settled on her chest. "He— he is?"

"Yep. Hasn't left all night according the Welcome Witch, and he looks like absolute shite. You wouldn't know why your interim Head of Security would feel the need to stay even though he'd been dismissed for the night and you have two Aurors of your own outside the door?"

Heat bloomed on her cheekbones, and she clenched her eyes shut, fingers splaying out over Hugo's chest. "Harry…"

"Never mind." Harry's hand waved through the air. "I think there may just be some things I don't want to know—ever. Yeah?"

A heavy sigh of relief pushed past her lips, and she nodded. "Yeah… thanks, Harry."

The door clicking shut signaled his departure, and Hermione turned all her attention to Hugo, who stared at her with a curious, lidded glare.

xXx

The briefing process was mostly painless; it helped that everything had gone so fast. Rosie had woken with a pounding headache and a sharp pain in her spine, and the healers had decided to keep her mostly asleep the rest of the day. Hugo, however, was ready to be discharged, complaining endlessly about the uncomfortable bed and lack of privacy.

So Ron had brought him back to the house, and Hermione remained until her briefing was done. Healer Wright had returned for today's shift and insisted Hermione return home and rest, shower, and then come back for another wake-up this evening. At first, she'd been offended that it was even thought that Hermione might leave her children after what happened, but as the minutes wore into hours and Rosie remained steadfastly asleep, Hermione gave in.

With a heavy trudge to her step, she made her way to the Apparition point past the waiting area. From the corner of her gaze she caught a shock of teal hair, and she whipped around.

Teddy.

His hands were folded neatly over his stomach, head fallen back and lips parted as a soft snore vibrated through the air. Her heart pained, and before she'd thought any better of it, she was crossing the room in a few easy strides and falling into the seat next to him.

Startling awake, Teddy reached for his wand, and with a soft chuckle, she placed a calming hand on his forearm. He was perfectly sleepy, blinking her into focus and lips screwing up as he straightened.

"Hermoine? Is everything—"

"Everything's fine, Teddy." Lifting her fingers to thread through the soft fringe hanging over his forehead, she smiled fondly at him. "I'm heading back for a shower and some sleep. Do you—" Her throat felt suddenly too tight, too hot, and she swallowed the anxiety crowding her vocal chords. "Do you want come?"

Hazel eyes fluttered across her features, a genuine smile forming on his full lips. "That sounds great."

xXx

Still drenched from the shower. Hermione pulled her thick robe tighter around her and climbed on top of her covers. Teddy joined soon after, teal fringe sticking up every which way, a few stray pieces plastered onto his forehead. They hadn't really spoken, certainly hadn't had sex, not even a wandering fingertip out of place.

Instead, under the thick veil of steam in her standing shower, he'd dragged his nails across her scalp, running his long fingers through her curls until the suds were gone. He'd held her there a minute, letting the hot jets pelt on their shoulders, chin resting on the top of her head as she cried softly into bare chest.

But now in the safety of her bed, curled on his chest and unable to look up at him, words failed her. Of all the brilliant ones she knew, they felt watery when strung together, too weak to hold meaning. "I'm sorry." His hold tightened, chest filling with a long inhale. "For everything, really. I don't even know where to start… I swear I used to be this really put together person. I didn't have these wild emotional outbursts or get my children kidnapped." Her lips quirked in a hollow smile. "You would have liked me back then."

His lips pressed to the top of her curls. "I like you now. I'd like you more if you stopped risking your life and trying to break up with me—but lessons learned."

"I haven't been very emotionally available these past few years. Can I blame it on that?"

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest, and she felt him nod. "I suppose you could."

"The thing is, I did end up falling for you, in some way or another. And it wasn't at all what I intended to do, and I'm not really sure what to do about it now. I can't date you; I just got divorced three days ago. I don't have anything to offer you…"

"Hey…" Crooning, he shifted her in his arms, fingers tilting her chin up to look at him. "I don't expect anything from you. I'm not asking to move in or get married or anything of the sort. I am asking that you not to end things because you're scared. If you don't want to be with me or damage your political reputation or relationship with your kids, I'm okay with that. And if you decide that it's enough to make you walk away, so be it. But not because you're scared of what's happening between us. I know I'm young, alright. That's not lost on me. But I still care about you and want to be with you in whatever capacity you can manage right now. Whether that's a shag on the weekends or dinner three times a week or a coffee on Sundays."

A happy laugh broke the tension and she lifted her fingers to trace the hard edge of his stubbled jaw. "I don't deserve you."

"Sure you do." His grin widened. "Everyone deserves at least one Hufflepuff in their lives, and I'm a damn good one. Only the very best for you, Minister."

Rolling her eyes, a genuine smile spread over her face for the first time in days, and she pushed up until she could pillow her lips against his. When she moved to pull away, his hand cradled the base of her skull and deepened it. There was no demand behind it, no request for more, just the firm press of his mouth to hers before parting.

"I've been offered the job as Head of Security, you know. Jacobs is moving to a less demanding position."

She hummed in response, a yawn following closely after as she rested her head on his chest.

"I was thinking, during that first week of Christmas hols, maybe you could use a little sunshine. You've been working hard, Minister, and as your head of security, it would be my responsibility—nay, my pleasure—to escort you on a vacation."

Her eyes shot open, and she shot up quickly to stare at him, finding a wolfish grin on his handsome face. "We can't go on vacation, Teddy!"

"Why not? You deserve a holiday; we'll back by Christmas afternoon when you need to pick up your kids, at which point I will go to my Grandmother's, and all will be well. Come on… I'd love to see you in the sun with a skimpy lit—"

"Teddy!" she chastised with a laugh. But soon she found she was mulling it over, chewing on her lip in thought. Her work with the IMC was finished until the New Year, budget proposals would have been finalized, and escaping to a tropical location for a week might be just what she needed.

"Is that a yes?!" He was nearly vibrating with excitement, his hair flashing suddenly to a bright blue, and she rolled her eyes.

"That's a maybe."

But two weeks later, under the scorching sun of the Caribbean while a shirtless Teddy soaked in the warmth on a lounge chair next to her sporting hot pink hair, Hermione realized that while her life had insisted upon crumbling around her, she had been in charge of reconstruction, and with every piece meticulously placed, she had found her own happiness.

EPILOGUE

Six Months Later

"Minister!"

"Minister Granger! Can you speak on—"

"Is it true that your ex-husband is engaged? And so shortly after your divorce is finalised?"

"We've heard you have yourself a new beau. Any details?"

"Minister! Minister!"

With every clack of her heels towards the Portkey Office, Hermione could feel her ire inching up her throat, ready to spew venom on the next person who spoke.

"Reports say that you've taken a lover! There have been photos leaked of you with man in Italy and Greece. What can you say to that?"

From the corner of her eye, Teddy grinned and coughed into his fist before steeling his features and parting the crowds for her. It had been him in the photos, of course, but he'd changed his hair and worn sunglasses, so when they sat at the little patio table eating pizza in Florence, no one had really known it was him. No one except her kids, who found out two months ago, and Ron—well, and of course Harry.

"MINISTER! Are you going to give answers to your constituents about—"

At that she reeled, turning on the same mousy little brown-haired girl from all those months ago. "About what, Miss Waters? About my personal life? Why on earth would you feel that you are privy to who I'm spending my time with outside of my office? Does it in some way affect the way I conduct myself while in these walls or on Ministry business? Absolutely not. You're just nosy, the lot of you." Her lip curled in a harsh scowl.

Huffing to herself, she faced the rest of the crowd. It'd been a long year of secrets and hiding the parts of her that made her feel most alive. With a quick glance over her shoulder, she let her shoulders sag and turned back on the press.

"And you know what? I am seeing somebody. I've wanted to keep it secret because of my family, and it's a little scandalous and... he's younger than I am but, you know what, who gives a shite. If you don't want to reelect me next term because of who I'm dating, then that's fine. You'll be losing yourself a damn good Minister for Magic."

"MINISTER! WHO IS THIS MYSTERY—"

Before the question had completed, Hermoine's hands were curling around the back of Teddy's thick neck and dragging him down to her, crushing her lips against his teeth as he grinned widely. After a moment, his arms wrapped around her waist and lifted her off her toes to the symphony of a dozen camera clicks. When they parted, teeth knocking from smiling too broadly, the crowd of reporters roared to life again.

"Minister, are you trying to say—"

"Teddy Lupin, would you remind us how old you are?"

"What does your family have to say about this sordid affair? I can't imagine the infamous Molly Weasley being too thrilled…"

At that name, Hermione's face twisted in panic. Bollocks. "Forgot to tell Molly, didn't I…"

"Yep." Teddy's lips popped. "Oh well, I'm sure she'll handle it well."

"That her ex-daughter is dating her granddaughters ex-boyfriend? Fat chance."

"Oh well." He shrugged, teeth cutting into the bow of his bottom lip. "Good thing you've got the best security detail. I'll keep that adorable bum safe."

"From Molly?" She snorted. "Good luck…"

"Minister!"

xXx

A/N: That's a wrap folks! Thanks for following along this story with me; I do believe it's my longest rare pair to date! I had a bunch of fun with cheeky Teddy and mama Hermione.

I can't say enough thanks to In Dreams and MCal who saw this at it's ugliest and rawest forms and made me believe it wasn't utter trash. And to Ravenslight who took that utter trash and made it pretty. You guys have no idea how much you mean to me and I love you!

As always and forever, thank you, dear readers. I don't know how much I would write if it weren't for your constant support, it's what keeps me going when I'm sure I can't possibly. For those of you who jumped ship to follow me here, thank you extra! It means so much to me that you'd trust me no matter who Hermione is boning lol I cherish each and every review and if you'd like to chat more with me, head on over to Tumblr!

And that's all folks! I have no pieces currently being posted and it's been a hot minute since that's been the case. I have a Dramione 8th year in the works, super short- 5 or less chapters. And a first war Jamione that will probably be my next major WIP. I'll have some fest pieces in the following months and if you have prompts for me, please please please drop them in my Tumblr box because phew, I need 'em to keep me going!

Thank you again for reading and reviewing!

Until next time, LK