Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my ideas. Everything else belongs to J.K. Rowling.

Author's Note: WOW GUYS, IT'S BEEN A TIME. I'm so so sorry ONCE AGAIN as it's taken me literally forever to post a new chapter. I promise I'll see this through no matter how long it takes me. If any of you are still here and reading, you have my eternal love and gratitude. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW! xx

Chapter Twenty-One: Learn to Let Go

"Darling, it's okay." Hermione soothed.

Isobel had woken up in a mood that morning and was now very reluctant to let Hermione and Harry go meet with Ginny. Ron and Bliss were due to arrive with Faith in a few minutes to stay with Isobel while Harry and Hermione went to meet Ginny at Ron's flat. Ron and Bliss had stayed up with them for a while, causing Isobel and Faith to be up later than usual, which was probably why Isobel was in a mood.

"B-b-but Mummy…" Isobel stammered through her tears, clinging to Hermione's shirt.

Hermione cradled her close, softly petting the back of her hair as she looked at Harry. He was sitting across from them in their kitchen, drinking a cup of tea with anxiety written plain across his face. She knew he was nervous. More than nervous.

And so was she.

But she knew that she needed to be strong for him.

"Izzy, we'll be back before you know it. Besides, you'll have fun with Faith and Uncle Ron and Auntie Bliss." Hermione said.

Isobel pulled her head back and Hermione wiped a few tears from her daughter's cheeks before kissing her forehead.

"B-b-b-but —" Isobel whispered.

Hermione pulled her back in, shooting a look at Harry. He nodded, getting up and walking over to them, pulling Isobel into his arms.

"Monkey, we'll be back as soon as we can, okay? I promise." he said softly.

Isobel buried her head in Harry's shoulder and Hermione stood up, leaning in and kissing the top of Isobel's head before locking eyes with Harry.

"It's going to all be fine." Hermione said, both to Harry and Isobel.

She leaned in and pressed her lips to Harry's, finding herself feeling slightly calmer when they pulled away, and noticing that he looked the same. Hermione heard the familiar crackle of flames coming from the living room and they made their way to greet their friends. Ron was standing with Faith in his arms, who looked just as tired as Isobel did.

"Rough morning for you, too?" Bliss said, sitting down on the couch with a hand on her stomach.

Hermione nodded. "Yeah. She doesn't want us to go."

Isobel lifted her head up from Harry's shoulder and held out her arms for her mother again. Hermione sighed, pulling her close and kissing the top of her head.

"Darling, look. You can play with Faith now, okay?" she said. "And then Daddy and I will be right back."

"Come here, Izzy." Bliss said.

Isobel poked her head out and looked at her Aunt. Hermione could tell that she was wearing down and she decided to take a chance and place Isobel down next to Bliss on the couch. She immediately curled up in her side and Hermione felt a sigh of relief. It would just made her feel so much better if Isobel was happy — or at least not in tears — before she left.

Ron placed Faith down on Bliss's other side before stepping to Harry and Hermione. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and pulled him close, pressing a kiss to his cheek as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Are you ready for this?" Ron asked.

Hermione pressed her lips together, not wanting to answer. Of course she wasn't ready for this. But she knew it needed to happen. She looked at Harry who was now looking rather pale. She could see the guilt written all over his face. Guilt that he didn't need to have, even though she had it too. She just hoped that it would lessen somewhat — at least for Harry — after talking to Ginny.

"Whether we're ready or not, it's happening." Hermione decided to say. "This has been weighing on us for too long. The only way to move forward is to get through this."

She looked back at Harry who slowly nodded at her before leaning in and kissing her lips.

"Together, love." he whispered.

Hermione nodded. "Always together."

The two said a quick goodbye to Isobel before detaching themselves, just in case she got emotional again and then disapparated into Ron's apartment. Ginny wasn't there yet, thankfully, but they both knew it would only be a matter of minutes. Hermione could feel herself shaking and clenched her fists together as they both sat down on the couch.

"Hey." Harry said.

Hermione looked up at him, his hand on her knee. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"We just have to be honest with her." Harry said.

Hermione nodded. "Honest and apologetic."

"Well, yeah. That too." Harry sighed.

Last night when Harry and Hermione had tried to formulate a plan about the best way to speak to Ginny, all they had been able to come up with was being honest. They couldn't tiptoe around their feelings, not when they were having a go as a proper family. And besides, their dishonesty had been what had hurt Ginny in the first place.

Honesty and not acting like too much of a couple in front of Ginny.

And then there was the loud and familiar crack of Apparation. Hermione tried her damnedest not to hold her breath as she took her hand off of Harry, looking in front of her.

Surely enough, there was Ginny. She was staring at Harry and Hermione with a look of understandable apprehension. The first thing Hermione noticed was her hair — it was far shorter, coming down just below her shoulders in a bob. She was tanner than before, though Hermione knew that had to be due to being near the beach at Shell Cottage. Hermione swallowed deeply, knowing that someone had to say something.

"Hi." Hermione said.

Ginny let out a deep breath, nodding. "Hi."

"Hi." Harry echoed, his voice hardly audible.

Ginny sat down on the armchair across from them, and Hermione fought off the urge to take Harry's hand in her own.

"Ginny — " Hermione started, stopping when Ginny shook her head, effectively cutting her off.

"No. I need to go first." Ginny said. "I… I have been so incredibly hurt over the last little while. I had a suspicion about Isobel before you went to the beach, but I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't let myself believe it. Not until I found that… that photo album and finally had some concrete proof that told me I couldn't keep living in denial about it anymore. About any of it."

Hermione was afraid to move, or say anything. She knew that Ginny was nowhere near done yet. She looked slightly at Harry who's eyes were wide and face was pale. She shifted slightly closer to him, hoping to offer him any sort of comfort with her presence.

"The moment I laid eyes on that little girl… it should have been obvious. What with Hermione never talking about the father, and how similar she looks to Harry… it was obvious. I just was in deep, deep denial." Ginny continued. "About that and the way that you two feel about each other."

Ginny's eyes filled with tears and Hermione fought to stop hers from doing the same. She couldn't fall apart there. Not in front of Ginny. It wouldn't be fair.

"Harry." Ginny said, staring directly at him. "I've known how you felt about her for a very long time now and I guess I just… I always hoped it would go away. Even though a part of me knew it wouldn't. I thought that maybe it was just my jealousy talking, but eventually I had to admit that it wasn't just that. You kept looking at those damn photos all the time."

Hermione wasn't sure what photos Ginny was talking about and her confusion must have shown as Ginny turned to look at her.

"He had photos of you, or photos with you in them, that he would look at all the time over the last three years when he thought I wouldn't notice." Ginny explained with a sigh and a sniff.

Hermione looked at Harry to find him already staring at her. He nodded slowly and Hermione offered him a sad and feeble smile.

"What were you planning on doing, Hermione?" Ginny said, her voice rising slightly as her emotions became more apparent. "Harry and I were supposed to be getting married. Were you waiting for the right time to ruin that?"

Hermione shook her head instantly. "No! No, Ginny, I swear I never wanted to ruin your wedding. I came back because you asked me to, and if I hadn't, you would have come to Australia and found out about Isobel anyways."

Ginny stared at her for a moment unmoving before turning back to Harry. "Is it true that you had no idea about Isobel? I've been told that you didn't, but… I need to hear it for myself."

Harry was quiet and Hermione gently nudged him in the ribs with her elbow, forcing him to speak.

"I had no idea, Gin." Harry said. "I didn't know until they arrived at the flat that first day. I… I wish I had known, but…"

"And that's not on Harry." Hermione interrupted. "That's on me. That's all on me. I was the one who left and didn't say anything."

Ginny wiped a lone tear from her cheek, nodding her head slowly. "Okay. I believe you."

. . .

Harry knew he needed to keep on talking. He couldn't shut down as easy as that would be to do. He needed to apologize. He needed to try his best and hardest to make things as right as they could be.

"Yes, Hermione left and I had no say in that, but…" Harry started. "I shouldn't have… I…"

He pressed his lips together and exhaled through his nose. How the hell did he apologize for causing someone so much pain? Someone he cared about? Someone he would care about forever?

"Did you ever love me?" Ginny whispered.

Harry nodded without question. "Of course, Ginny. And I'll always love you. I just…"

"You're not in love with me. You're in love with her." Ginny whispered.

Harry looked at Hermione who was staring at him and nodded before turning to look back at his ex-fiancée.

"Yes. Yes, I am. And it's not new. And I'm so sorry for everything I've ever done to you, Ginny. I know that I've hurt you so much and I would do anything to change it, and I will regret hurting you forever. I'm not expecting your forgiveness, but… just know how sorry I am." Harry said.

"Me too, Ginny." Hermione added, her voice small. "I didn't… I didn't want this to happen to you. I'm so sorry."

Ginny was quiet for a minute, looking down at her knees and sniffling. Harry knew that he and Hermione had agreed not to act like a couple in front of Ginny, but he reached for Hermione's hand and intertwined their fingers anyways, resting them between them. He knew they both needed it. Even just the slightest touch from Hermione always helped to make him feel at least a tad more calm.

"I'm, uh, I'm sorry about ripping up that picture with Isobel in it." Ginny finally said. "That wasn't cool of me. Not that any of this has been cool of you two, but that… Isobel's innocent in it all. And I love that little girl, I really do."

"She loves you, too." Hermione whispered. "I'm sorry that things have seemed to move so quickly between Harry and I since… well, you know. But I just… we just want to do what's best for our daughter."

Ginny stood up, crossing her arms over her chest as she nodded, looking away from them. Hermione looked at Harry and tilted her head towards Ginny. He knew that she was telling him to go and speak to her — without Hermione present. Harry nodded, knowing that it had to be done. She stood up and made her way over to Ginny.

"I'm going to give you two some time." Hermione said. "I really hope that one day we can be friends again, Gin. I'm so sorry that I've hurt you."

Ginny let out a sigh, nodding her head. "I'd like that, too. I just… I need some time."

"Take all the time you need. I'm still going to be here for you." Hermione said.

With one last look at Harry and mouthing an I love you, Hermione disapparated, leaving it just the two of them. Harry stood up, taking a few nervous steps towards Ginny. She was still silently crying, staring at him.

"I'm much more angry with you than Hermione." Ginny whispered. "In fact… I know that Hermione would have stood by and let me marry you, wouldn't she?"

"Yes." Harry said. "Yes, she would have."

"Why did you propose to me if you were in love with her?" Ginny asked.

"Because it… it seemed like the natural next step, even though it… it didn't feel right. And all of that's on me, Gin. I should have never proposed to you. You deserve someone who loves you. Someone who loves you with every beat of his heart."

"Just like you love her."

Harry opened his mouth for a moment before closing it, finding Ginny staring him right in the eyes. Her lip was quivering and Harry felt his eyes fill up with tears — something that he really, really did not want to have happen in front of her. It wasn't fair to cry in front of Ginny. Not when she was the one who was in so much pain. Because of him.

"Yes." he whispered, his voice quiet.

For a long moment they just stared at each other. Harry didn't know what to say. There was hardly anything to be said. Ginny knew the truth. Harry knew she was hurting. There was nothing more to be done except for move on.

"I'm selling our flat." Ginny said. "I know you aren't living there anymore and I don't want to live there."

Harry nodded immediately. "Whatever you want to do with it is fine by me."

"I should hope so." Ginny said with a curt nod.

Harry ran a hair through his hand and opened his mouth. He just wanted to keep apologizing, even though he knew that simple words couldn't always make a difference.

"I'll see you, Harry." Ginny said.

Before Harry could say anything, Ginny was gone, leaving Harry alone. He sat back on the couch with a flop, placing his head in his hands and letting the tears fall. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of tears they were.

Tears of guilt, of pain, of remorse.

But also tears of relief.

He had done it. He had made it through the conversation with Ginny. He had no more strings connecting him to her in that way. He could be free to move on with Hermione and Isobel. He knew he would always feel guilty about what he had done to Ginny, but he couldn't let the guilt control him. Hermione and Isobel deserved so much more than that. They deserved the world.

And he wanted to give it to them.

He stood up wiping his eyes and disapparated, appearing in the hallway of Grimmauld Place. He knew that Isobel would be either up in her room or in the living room and he didn't want her to see him just yet, knowing his eyes were most definitely red. He just hoped that Hermione had heard the sound of his apparation.

Surely enough, the door to the living room opened, Hermione appearing and stepping through.

"Hi. You're back." Hermione said.

Harry nodded, immediately pulling her into his arms and kissing her lips deeply. She kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him. After a long moment, they pulled back, Harry resting his forehead against hers.

"Where's Izzy?" he asked.

"Upstairs with Faith. Ron and Bliss are just through here." Hermione said with a gesture behind her through the door. "Are you alright?"

Harry shrugged, sliding his hands down to Hermione's waist. "I mean… not really. But, based on how she initially reacted with the apartment and everything… I think it went as best as it could."

"Yeah. I think so, too." Hermione agreed, locking her arms around his neck. "Now we just… have to move forward."

"Yeah we do, love." Harry whispered, leaning in and pressing his lips against hers. "I love you so much, Hermione Granger."

"I love you, too, Harry Potter."