AN: I know I haven't posted anything Harry Potter related for ages, but I've recently REALLY got back into Harry Potter! And I couldn't resist adding another chapter to this :D Hope you like it!

Chapter 2-

"Where's Ron?"

"Asleep," answered Harry.

"Probably dreaming about that bird from Ravenclaw." Hermione scorned.

"Yeah, maybe." Harry told her absentmindedly.

"Harry!" She punched his shoulder lightly. "Are you even listening to me?"

Harry shook his head. "Sorry, I was just thinking."

"About your parents?"

Harry hesitated. "Yes."

"Harry, I've known you too long to know when your lying to me and when you're not."

Harry sighed. "I was thinking about the mirror, about what I saw in it."

Hermione smiled, a knowing glint in her eye. "You saw Ginny, didn't you?"

"Shh, don't let Ron hear you, he'll kill me."

"He's just ... protective. It's his only sister, he doesn't want you to hurt her."

"I'd never hurt her, not intentionally." Harry insisted, slightly frustrated. "I can't help it and it's not like I'm ever going to act on it again."

"You don't know that." Hermione tried her best to sound reassuring.

"Oh I know, you know what the prophecy said, it's me or You-Know-Who."

"You could win," whispered Hermione. "Don't give up hope yet."

"You-Know-Who is my future. No matter how much I want it to be Ginny."

Hermione smiled softly. "Harry, that's a very sweet thing to say." She looked away as if in deep thought. "At least someone in the house is capable of saying something sensitive." She looked back at him wistfully.

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh come on Hermione! You know what Ron saw. And it was most definitely not some bird from Ravenclaw."

Hermione's brow furrowed. "Did he tell you that?"

Harry stayed silent.

"Harry, this is important, did he tell you who he saw?" Hermione urged desperately.

"Um, look ... Hermione, I don't think it's my place to say-"

"HARRY! Tell me right now!"

"Shh! You'll wake Ron up. You know what he's like when we wake him."

Hermione frowned. "Surely he wouldn't lie ... not unless he had a reason to lie like you did..." Hermione surmised suspiciously.

Harry shook his head. "Are you really that blind?" asked Harry.

Hermione gave a slight grin and nodded. "Yes. And it would be terribly rude of you not to help a blind person."

"Hermione, ask Ron. This has nothing to do with me."

Hermione gave an almighty pout.

"Do you really think he'd see anyone but you? Why do you think he jumped away from you when you touched him?" Harry asked in a rushed whisper.

Hermione beamed instantly. "He saw me! I can't believe that he saw me!" Hermione gushed.

"Shh! He doesn't want you to know."

"Did he say anything else? What else did he see?" Hermione questioned frantically.

"Sorry Hermione, but Ron's my friend-"

Hermione sulked. "Well if you're not going to tell me, maybe Ron would care to know about what you really saw in the mirror."

Harry grimaced at the thought. "You wouldn't."

"Fine I wouldn't, but please! I need to know."

"All he said is that he saw you and him, married with two little ones."

Hermione gasped, entranced. "He saw us with children?"

"One of each."

Hermione's grin turned into a small thoughtful pout. "So he does like me? For definite...?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't think he's quite ready to admit it to himself yet."

Hermione didn't care. "Ron Weasley likes me! He must do." She said knowledgably, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yeah about as much as you like him," gloated Harry.

"You can be quiet Harry Potter."

Harry gave a small smile, throwing a quick arm around her. "Thanks."

Hermione's brows furrowed. "For...?"

"Staying." Harry said quietly.

Hermione twisted so that they were face to face. "I won't leave you, I promise."

Harry would have laughed if he had any laughter left in him. "You say that now. But things are going to be tough ... and if you ever want to leave, to go back home to your Mum and Dad. All you need to do is tell me. I'll make sure you get to Australia safe to see them."

Hermione pushed him playfully. "I'm not leaving. Me and Ron ... we're all you have."

Harry shrugged. "Things change."

"They won't." Hermione promised. "I don't care ... I don't care if You-Know-Who is pointing his wand to my head, I'll stand by you," insisted a slightly emotional Hermione.

Harry half-hugged her. "Thank you. I appreciate that a lot."

"Well well well, turn me back for a half a bloody second and you're movin' in on her!" Ron stormed in the room, his face furious.

Harry sighed, pulling away from a confused looking Hermione. "Ron I told you." he said through gritted teeth. "I don't see her like that."

Ron bristled. "Didn't look that way to me! What did I just tell you Harry Potter? Just 'cause you're some kind of hero or whatever, it doesn't mean you can have whatever you bloody want!"

Hermione flushed pink a little as she approached Ron. "Ron, Harry was just a little bit upset."

"Oh yeah? And 'I don't care if You-know-who is pointing his wand at my head, I'll stand by you my Lord and Master!' really helps does it?" He imitated Hermione in a girly tone.

Harry clicked his tongue. "Will you get a grip? If we're gonna survive, we need to work together. You know I saw my parents in the mirror, not Hermione."

Ron, slightly blushing, shrugged. "How do I? You could have seen anyone in that mirror for all I know! Even You-Know-Who himself! Maybe you like all this danger. Maybe it's what makes you tick."

Hermione made a slight gasping noise, she knew that this was getting out of hand. With a tentative hand she reached out and placed it at Ron's neck, when he didn't shrug it away, she gently moved his face so he was looking at her. "Harry didn't see me Ron, I know he didn't, Harry and I are good friends and that's all we'll ever be. I don't know what all the fuss is about."

Ron's ears tinged red. "Well, I-I don't want you two getting together and just ... running off and ... doing stuff without me. That's the only thing I'm bothered about."

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "For heaven's sake Ron! You're Harry's best friend! It's me who should be worrying about that, not you."

Harry rolled his eyes. "I'll be somewhere else if you need me." With a groan at their constant bickering he shut the door behind him and searched for some quiet and peace.

Ron's eyes widened. "Are you mental? How could you even think that? Hermione, you and Harry are two of the most important things in me life. I wouldn't take one without the other."

"Me either." Hermione smiled softly.

Ron didn't find the returning sentiment so comforting. He gave a sniff of disdain and looked away at the wall.

"Oh, so it's fine for you to say it, but I have to find you more interesting than Harry?"

Ron shrugged. "Don't worry 'bout it. I know who's the most interesting."

"I don't care about who's more interesting for heaven's sake!" Hermione yelled, running a frustrated hand through her bushy hair.

Ron remained silent, still looking at the wall.

"You and Harry, you're all I have at the moment. My parents don't even know I exist Ronald. I just ... just need you to be okay with me."

Ron could hear a slight change in her tone and knew she was close to breaking down again. Ron turned around instantly. "I am okay with you, I'm always okay with you."

Hermione made a small squeak and flung herself into his arms, that just about opened in time.

"I'm sorry for giving you a hard time. But you know I can't measure up to the Harry Potter."

Hermione stopped her quiet sobbing to give a little laugh. "You really are an oblivious arse Ronald Weasley."

"Thanks... I think."

Hermione let go of his neck and gave a small smile. "Thank you ... for looking out for me and things. When we were back at the Burrow, I was finding it really hard and ... you really helped me pull through."

Ron smiled, pleased with himself. "You're alright, that's what friends are for."

Hermione flushed a little and looked away. "Yes, I guess. I better go and see if Kreacher's okay, you know how he gets."

Hermione turned to leave with a small smile.

"Hermione wait!" Ron blurted out before he knew what he was saying.

"Yes?"

Ron looked at his feet. "The mirror... I ... I ..."

Hermione smiled slightly. "Oh yes, which bird from Ravenclaw was it Ronald?"

"I might have lied about that..."

Hermione tried her hardest not to grin. "Oh really...?"

"Yes, I saw ... I saw ... uh ... I saw ... me and y—Lavender!" Ron blurted out when Hermione became impatient.

Hermione's eyebrows shot almost as high as her hairline. "That's ... good. I didn't know you wanted her back."

Ron shrugged under her cold stare. "I just been thinking about ... her a lot lately."

"Well I'm sure she'd be happy if you returned to Hogwarts right now, maybe you could rekindle your romance." Hermione suggested, sarcasm dripping from her tone.

Ron swallowed with a hard gulp. "Not until we've finished this mission."

"Oh, well you don't need to worry about me and Harry, you can go and see her if you like. I'm sure she'd take you back with open arms."

"Yeah ... I guess. But Harry's me mate, I gotta stay with him."

"That's nice, is that the only reason you're staying here Ronald?" asked Hermione, her voice carefully neutral.

Ron turned away from her probing gaze.

"And you, you're me mate too."

Hermione fidgeted quietly, pulling down on her sweater. "Good to know."

"We are ... mates aren't we?" Ron asked nervously.

Hermione smiled a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Oh of course, good friends I'd hope."

"Best friends," added Ron quickly.

Hermione's smile seemed to finally reach her eyes. "Good, now that's cleared up, I better go and see Kreacher's doing."

"Okay ... right." Ron said with a curt nod.

"Is it safe to come back in yet?" Harry asked from the doorway.

"Oh, very safe. Did Ron inform you of who he saw in the mirror?" Hermione asked in a careful voice, though her eyes seemed to be burning into Harry. "Because he informed me."

Harry looked quickly at Ron for some sort of sign. "He ... might have."

Ron shook his head frantically. "I told her who I saw." He motioned for Harry to stay quiet.

Hermione gave a mirthless laugh. "Yes he did."

Harry frowned, utterly confused. "Brilliant! He told you he saw—?"

"HARRY! I think I can hear Kreacher calling you!" Ron interrupted quickly.

Harry's brow furrowed and he looked between the pair. Ron had obviously not told her who he really saw due to the disappointment in her eyes.

"I'll go see what he wants." Hermione mumbled quietly, pacing away from them.

Ron smacked a hand to his forehead. "I'm so stupid! She's already upset and what do I do? I just have to try and tell her the truth."

Harry laughed in amusement. "Things not going well Romeo?"

"I don't like her alright! I was just gonna ask her if sometimes the mirror doesn't work or summet."

Harry laughed a little louder.

Ron sniffed. "It's true."

"Ron, just tell her who you saw. I assure you she wouldn't be upset. She'd be rather thrilled actually."

Ron's eyes widened. "You didn't tell her, did you?"

Harry looked a little guilty. "No."

"Harry?"

"YES! But she was all upset because she thought you saw a girl from Ravenclaw, so I thought I'd cheer her up."

Ron groaned. "YOU TOLD HER TO CHEER HER UP? Are you mental? You're meant to be me mate! And you just— ... wait a second, did you say she was upset ... because of that?" Ron's scorn transformed into a satisfied smirk, his arms folded proudly over his chest.

"It's like being Piggy in the middle," complained Harry.

"Well you do look a bit—"

"Ron." Harry warned.

"Fine, fine. I can't believe she brought the Lavender thing though, you'd have thought she's smart enough to work out Lavender's in my nightmares, not my dreams."

Harry laughed good naturedly. "As is You-Know-Who."

Ron scratched the back of his neck. "Oh yeah ... about that."

"Apology accepted." Harry gave a little smile. "I better go and talk to Hermione."

"No, no. I'll do that." Ron gave Harry a slight pat on the back as he passed him and Harry gave a wistful smile back.

He wished he could talk to Ginny when she was upset.

The thought of that made him feel more alone than usual.

After seeing that Kreacher was okay, even though he hadn't appreciated the sentiment, Hermione made her way to their current bedroom. She reached into her lilac beaded bag and searched around until she found the thing she'd been looking for.

It was a picture she treasured dearly, a picture of Harry, Ron, herself and Ginny in the garden of the Burrow that summer they'd played Quidditch in the garden almost all summer.

Hermione stood in the middle of Ron and Ginny, Harry standing on the other side of Ginny. Ginny almost had a faint blush to her cheeks which Hermione smiled wistfully at, it was probably due to Harry putting a friendly arm around her. Hermione and Ginny's faces were pressed side by side, close together, showing a slightly girly nature of them, both of them wearing shorts due to the extremely hot weather. And there was Ron, tall and lanky, standing next to Hermione with his Quidditch gear on, holding on to his broom with one hand, and the other one placed comfortably around her. All four wore beaming happy grins and laughed slightly, fidgeting in the picture. Harry fumbled with his glasses and Ron laughed, turning towards his sister and two best friends.

Hermione knew things had never been simple.

But they were a little more simpler then.

"That was a good summer." A voice came from behind her.

Hermione jumped slightly. "Ronald, do you enjoy scaring me half to death?"

"Only a little bit." He grinned and sat down next to her. "Reminiscing or summet?"

"You could say that." Hermione returned his smile. "It was a very good summer, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, wish we could go play Quidditch outside now." Ron sighed to himself and edged a little closer to Hermione.

"I'm sorry for telling you to go back to Hogwarts, I just ... I thought you were saying you'd rather be with her than me ... and Harry." Hermione added quickly as an afterthought.

"You're mental, you are. It's us three, innit? Against the world and all that." He put an arm around her quickly and Hermione nodded. "Could never let some bird come between us."

"Still I'm sorry I said it, I don't want you to leave ... ever."

"Me either. So don't worry about that. I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be, than here ... with you."

"Really?" Hermione asked in a soft voice.

"Weeeelll, except where me Mother's cooking is. But I'd want you and Harry to be there too."

Hermione disentangled herself from his arm with a slight laugh. "All you ever think about is your stomach Ronald."

Ron shrugged. "I'm a growing boy." He protested, laughing with Hermione as he put his arm back around her.

Hermione leaned her head gently on Ron's shoulder as their laughter ebbed away. "Do you think we'll make it through this?" Hermione looked suddenly solemn.

Ron took her other hand in his and gave a light smile. "You will. The world wouldn't be worth living in if it hadn't got Hermione Granger in it."

"Don't say that." Hermione mumbled softly. "If anything does happen to me, you and Harry, you need to carry on, okay?"

Ron squeezed her a little tighter. "I'm sure thoughts of Lavender would get me through it." He teased.

Hermione grumbled and inched away from him. "Gee, thanks."

"Nothing will happen to you Hermione, I won't let it." Ron assured her earnestly, playing distractedly with a stray strand of her hair.

Hermione shivered slightly. "I can look after myself. You don't have to try and protect me."

"I know, but I'll always try to Hermione, I promise." Ron gave her a reassuring smile and laid himself back on her make-shift bed. He motioned for her to lie back with him with a wave of his hand.

Hermione hesitated briefly, before twisting herself around and lying herself down next to him. He shuffled until she moved so her head was on his chest, her arm slung around his waist. "Please put yourself first Ron."

Ron chuckled to himself. "Don't you ever shut your trap? Now be quiet while I protect you from Kreacher."

"Kreacher?" Hermione asked sarcastically.

Ron nodded earnestly. "I protect you all the time you see."

Hermione finally broke and laughed. "You are quite the drama queen Ronald Weasley."

"Hermione?" Ron asked softly.

She looked up at him, her eyes still full of laughter. "Yes Ronald?"

"Why wouldn't you look in the mirror? What do you want?"

Hermione studied him carefully before saying softly. "I want my parents to be happy and safe, I want You-Know-Who to be defeated, I want to live my life without fear of being killed for who I am, I want to get married and have little children that like reading as much as I do and most of all, I want you..." Ron's eyes widened. "To stop arguing with me."

Ron laughed despite himself. "I'll stop arguing with you when you stop arguing with me."

"I don't argue with you! You always start our arguments!" Hermione insisted.

"Hermione?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"URGH! Ronald Weasley you infuriate me!"

"Quit your whining!"

"I DO NOT WHINE!"

"Have you heard yourself?"

"Yes! And I sound a lot more intelligent than you!"

"Or a lot more obnoxious."

"Don't say things when you don't know what they mean Ronald!"

"Stop calling me Ronald!"

"That's your name!"

"Yeah, and I'll just call you Hermione Jean then!"

"And I'll call you Ronald Bilius if you do!"

"Oh you'll never let that go, will you?"

"I'll let it go when you stop moaning about food."

"I'll stop moaning about food when you stop reciting facts from books every six seconds."

"You're such a pig."

"You're such a squat!"

Harry gave a fond smile at his two friends from the doorway, they were destined to argue with each other until one of them plucked up the courage to admit their true adoration for the other. This made him feel slightly better, at least Ginny knew how he felt. At least he'd got to feel the gentle pressure of her lips against his. But it also made him feel worse at the same time; he would never be able to just be with her again.

He gave one last longing look at his friends, both heatedly arguing, yet both still holding hands, unwilling to let go.

He'd never feel that connection again.

That tiny spark.

Those millions of butterflies.

Even when arguing.

And worst of all, he'd never see those three boys and one little girl that looked so much like Ginny crowding around him for a family photograph.

His second vision in the mirror was about as likely to come true as the first vision he saw.

The only family he'd ever have now was Ron and Hermione.

But it was a family nevertheless.

AN: FIN :P As they say. I hope you liked it :D It's very fluffy stuff (: Thanks so much for the 15 reviews on this! I was so chuffed! Especially with all the Harry Potter stories there are! Please review :D