Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.

I must say that procrastination has never felt this good. I've wanted to do nothing but write for about three days now so I've given up on writing my dissertation and have turned all my creative muses loose. I hope you enjoy the results!

The following days were spent mostly outside with multiple snowball fights, the creation of snow forts, and tobogganing. On New Year's Eve Day, Ginny asked if anyone wanted to try skiing again. James outright refused to go and Rose decided she'd rather stay inside. Hermione didn't want to take the risk and Teddy complained mightily when Harry said he should also stay inside until his test results came back from St. Mungo's.

"But I feel fine," Teddy said forcefully.

"I don't care if you feel like you could go to the moon and back," answered Harry firmly. "Until you are given a clean bill of health, you are not going skiing."

"But you let me do everything else outside."

"Yes so don't push your luck."

Teddy scowled at Harry.

"Come on, Teddy, you can help Rosie, James, and I make a special pudding for tonight," Hermione said. Teddy glared once more at Harry before nodding.

"Yeah, alright," he agreed. "Can I lick the spoon?"

Hermione laughed.

"You'll have to fight James for it," she said, helping Hugo with his snow pants. Albus, Lily, and Hugo were excited to try the sport again and once everyone was ready, Ron, Ginny, and Harry led the troupe to the lodge. Ron's mood had been growing consistently sour since Hugo's birthday and Harry was helping Lily fit her skis when he heard Ron's raised voice. He glanced over and saw a teenaged boy looking flustered at the rental counter. Harry and Ginny exchanged a glance and Harry hurried over.

"Uh, Ron, why don't you give Hugo a hand and I'll finish up here."

He raised an eyebrow and Ron huffed, much like Teddy had half an hour earlier, but turned to help his son.

"Sorry about that," Harry said quietly. "He's waiting to find out if he's going to be a father again. What's the problem?"

"There was no problem, Sir," the teenager answered, still eyeing Ron. Harry raised his eyebrow again, glanced over his shoulder, and then back to the boy.

"What time do the skis have to be back?"

"Five o'clock."

"Thanks."

Harry, shaking his head slightly, left the counter. He knelt before Lily and began fastening various straps and buckles on the ski boots.

"What was that about?" he muttered to Ron, who was doing the same thing with Hugo's boots.

"Nothing," Ron muttered back. "I just lost my temper."

Harry sighed.

"I know you're anxious," he said. "And I would be too but try to be happy for the kids' sake. They've started to notice something is wrong."

"They have?"

Harry nodded.

"Rose asked Hermione what was bothering you," he said, lifting Lily under the arms and standing her up. She wobbled precariously. "And James thinks you're mad at him."

"What on earth for?" Ron exclaimed.

"He thinks you're mad that so much of the vacation was spent at St. Mungo's because he broke his ankle."

"Rubbish." Ron retorted and Harry sighed.

"I've told him it isn't true but like I said, the kids are starting to pick up on your bad mood."

"I'm trying," Ron said finally.

"I know," Harry acknowledged. "And I know it isn't easy but the owl's got to come sooner or later."

"Is everybody ready?" Ginny asked brightly, getting to her feet and helping Albus do the same.

"Just about," Harry said, fastening the buckles on his own boots.

Four hours later, the skiers returned to the cabin exhausted, sore, and soaked to the bone.

"Did you have fun?" Hermione asked, greeting them at the door. A chorus of excited voices telling her how well they'd done emanated from Albus, Lily, and Hugo but Hermione couldn't help notice the tense silence from Harry, Ginny, and Ron. She sighed quietly before beginning to help Hugo remove his coat and mittens.

"Supper will be ready in about ten minutes," she said. "Why don't you three run upstairs and put on some dry clothes?"

The kids, after removing all the snow gear, dashed up the stairs and Hermione looked at Ron.

"Did you have fun?" she asked hesitantly, aware that Harry and Ginny had snuck up the stairs as well.

"I guess," Ron mumbled. "Look at that, they just ran off without hanging up their wet things. How many times have we told them to pick up after themselves?"

"It's alright," Hermione said, waving her wand and the wet snow clothes immediately flew into hooks.

"No news, I'm assuming?"

"No."

Ron scowled and Hermione approached him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

"Ron," she murmured. "Have a little patience."

"I have had patience," Ron spat back, not returning the hug. "But how hard can it be for a bloody owl to find us? It's not like we're in America or someplace exotic. It's only Scotland."

Hermione sighed again.

"You should go change," she said. "Supper's almost ready."

Hermione returned to the kitchen and soon everyone was crowded around the table, admiring the decorations Teddy, James, and Rose had made and hung up for the New Year's celebrations.

"It's very festive," Ginny said, smiling.
"What till you see what happens to the ones in the living room at midnight," James told his mother. "But it's a surprise."

"Sounds exciting," said Harry, spooning potatoes onto Lily's plate. Ron remained sullen throughout the meal but Harry, Ginny, and Hermione decided to ignore his mood and for the next forty-five minutes, the kitchen was filled with laughter. Lord Patrick was hovering in the corner, joining in with jokes and stories. The meal was almost finished when there was a loud tap at the back door and everyone turned to see two barn owls sitting there with letters tied to their legs. The owls were covered in snow and didn't look particularly happy.

"I wonder who they're from?" Lily asked as her father opened the door and retrieved the letters.

"St. Mungo's," Harry answered her, handing the envelopes to Teddy and Hermione. "The healers there were going to send some test results to Teddy and Auntie Hermione."

Teddy tore into his envelope, ripping it open without reserve and read it quickly.

"There you are," he said triumphantly to Harry. "A clean bill of health."

Harry took the letter and glanced it over.

"Good," he said. "The blood was nothing more than too much vomiting."

"Does this mean I can go skiing tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not," said Harry, smiling.

"Yes!"

There was a burst of chatter from the kids again and Harry glanced at Hermione. She'd opened her letter with her knife and was reading the parchment. She handed it silently to Ron and after glancing at it, he left the table. Hermione caught Harry's eye, shaking her head slightly, and stood to follow her husband.

"Ron?" Hermione asked quietly, pushing their bedroom door open. Ron was sitting on the edge of the bed, his back to her. Ron didn't answer and Hermione sat next to him.

"Ron?" she asked again and Ron sighed.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

"What are you sorry for?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"I got so excited about the prospect of having another baby," he said. "I didn't even know I wanted one so badly until you said you might be pregnant."

"But I'm not." Hermione said sadly.

"No," Ron replied. "How can I miss something I never had so badly? I feel like we lost an actual child."

"That's because we did," Hermione said, putting her arm around Ron. "Or, at least, we've lost the idea of a baby."

"I suppose." Ron said and he wiped his eyes. He glanced at his wife, whose eyes were also full of tears, and pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," he whispered.

"I know," she whispered back. "So am I."

They held each other for a few moments.

"We should get back downstairs," Ron murmured and Hermione nodded.

"But before we do … Ron, do you still want another baby?"

Ron sighed.

"If the past week has been any indication, I do but …" his voice trailed off. "I don't know. This might be the emotions talking. Do you?"

Hermione shrugged.

"I was excited by the idea of another baby," she admitted. "But I had concerns as well."

Ron's mind flashed back to the late-night conversations they'd had.

"I know," he answered. "We can talk about when we're home again and we've had time to think."

Hermione nodded.

"I love you, Ron," she murmured.

"I love you, too," Ron said, enveloping Hermione in a hug once more. As soon as Hermione had tried her tears for a second time, the couple joined hands and went back downstairs. Ginny smiled sympathetically at them as they came in and Hermione gave a small nod to show they were okay.

"Do you want some pudding?" Harry asked. "You and the kids did a brilliant job with it, it's delicious."

"Where did you go?" Rose asked worriedly. Hermione smiled.

"Just upstairs for a few minutes."

"Did you get bad news from the healers?"

"Don't worry, sweetie," Hermione said. "Mummy is fine."

As if to prove her point, Hermione accepted the dish of pudding Harry handed her and began eating it though she wasn't the least bit hungry.

"So," Ginny said brightly once pudding was done and the dishes were being washed. "What shall we do? We have almost five hours until midnight."

Despite playing a variety of games to pass the time, the kids managed to stay awake until almost eleven o'clock. It was then that Teddy dropped off to sleep – the others had been dozing since about eight o'clock when Hugo and Lily had curled up on opposite ends of a sofa. Albus had stretched out near the window with a sofa cushion under his head around nine; James had found the other sofa at about nine-thirty and Rose had nestled herself into an armchair shortly after that. Teddy had finally fallen asleep in front of the fire.

"I didn't suspect they'd make it to midnight," Ginny said with a small smile. "Not after a day outside."

With a wave of her wand, blankets tucked themselves around the sleeping children.

"Come on," Harry said, motioning towards the kitchen. "Let's have a drink."

He poured out four glasses of wine – red for himself and Hermione, white for Ginny and Ron. They sat around the table and could hear Lord Patrick humming softly in the next room as he watched the kids sleep.

"We're sorry about the news," Harry said quietly. He glanced awkwardly at Ron to find his best friend was not making eye contact.

"So are we," Hermione answered. "But we'll be okay."

Ginny glanced at Ron, who wasn't acknowledging the conversation but was instead swishing the wine around in his goblet. She looked at Hermione, who made the motion not to say anything about it and Ginny nodded discreetly.

"Excuse me," Ron said abruptly, standing and leaving his wine on the table. Hermione sighed as Ron went upstairs for the second time.

"May I?" Harry asked and Hermione nodded. Harry followed Ron upstairs and found him in the girls' room.

"Are you alright, Ron?"

Ron was staring out the window, the same window Rose had seen Lord Patrick William Fitzgerald the Third in when they'd been playing outside.

"This is something I always wondered about growing up," Ron murmured. "How could my mum and dad have so much love for so many of us?"

Harry didn't answer as he suspected it was a rhetorical question that would lead to a deeper conversation. He and Ron rarely had intensely deep conversations like this but both wizards knew the other wouldn't laugh or leave. They'd seen the other through their most vulnerable moments in the past and that made their friendship all the more valuable because it meant they could have conversations like these without fear or embarrassment.

"I thought I understood it the night Rosie was born," Ron continued. "And again with Hugo."

He sighed.

"And I felt it again when Hermione told me she might be pregnant. I was so excited to love another little Weasley."

"I know," Harry said quietly. "But you still might be able to one day. You don't know this is the end."

"I really thought we were going to have another baby."

"I know," Harry repeated. "And I'm sorry that you won't. The thing with loving a child – or even the idea of a child – is that it's the fiercest type of love there is. But that also means it can hurt the most."

Ron sighed, still looking out the window. The room was quiet for a while and then Ron cracked a small smile.

"Imagine McGonagall's face if she heard us now," he said, echoing the words Harry had said when they'd been taking care of their sick girls.

"She'd likely tell us to move on," Harry answered, his smile mirroring Ron's. "But I think she'd be proud somehow. So would Dumbledore. He told me once to above all pity those who couldn't love."

Ron's smile grew.

"Well, I'm good then. I'm loving so much I look like a fool, crying over a baby that never existed."

Harry laughed and so did Ron.

"Come on, let's get downstairs again for the stroke of midnight."

Ginny and Hermione were talking quietly over their glasses of wine – a box of tissues had appeared so Harry knew Hermione had been crying – but they glanced up when Harry and Ron appeared. Ron went to Hermione and put his arms around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

Ginny got up and joined Harry, who also put his arm around her and held her close. He breathed in the smell of her shampoo.

"I'd like to make a toast," he said, picking up his glass of wine and raising it. Hermione and Ron glanced at him but followed suit with their glasses.

"To family," Harry continued. "To the love that we have for each other, for the kids that we already have, and for any that are still yet to come."

"I'll drink to that," Ron murmured. "Cheers, mate."

There were several clinks of glasses before they each took a drink. Somewhere in the house, a clock chimed twelve.

"Happy New - " Ginny started to say but was cut off by several loud bangs from the living room. "What in Merlin's name?!" she exclaimed, nearly dropping her glass of wine and Hermione burst out laughing.

"I forgot," she said, the last of the four to run into the living room. Confetti was drifting down from the ceiling and all of the kids had woken up and were looking around confused.

"Happy New Year!" Lord Patrick exclaimed gaily.

"It's the new year?" Albus asked his father, who nodded.

"It is," he said. "Happy New Year, Albus."

Albus mumbled something back before letting his head drop back onto his pillow and Harry laughed. Albus was the only one who wasn't completely woken up by the confetti and Hermione suggested a midnight snack. Ten minutes later, they were sitting in a circle around the fireplace eating sponge cake and custard while Albus snored softly near the window. Harry looked around the circle – Hermione was wiping up some custard Hugo had spilled; Ron was joking with Lily and Rose, who were laughing; Teddy was eating his cake hungrily while James watched, almost in awe; Ginny was eating her cake like she always did – back to front. She caught Harry's eye and smiled. He smiled back.

Yes, he thought, here's to a family who sticks together through everything, even broken bones, finding a ghost in a wardrobe, a flu of epidemic proportions which systematically worked its way through the house, snow storms, losing parents and finding mentors, and the excitement of a new baby accompanied by the pain of losing it. His mind flashed back to the end of the Battle of Hogwarts when he, Ron, and Hermione had talked just the three of them for the first time since the entire ordeal had begun. The same warm feeling spread through him and he smiled contentedly.

Once again, all was well.

There you have it – Hermione isn't pregnant. To be honest, I only decided this a few days ago but in the end, I had to stick to the book ending (ironically, I did that in more ways than one …). It didn't feel right to change it. I hope it's not too disappointing for all of those who were hoping for another little Weasley.

It has been 265 days since I published the first chapter of this story. 265. That's 8 months and 22 days; 37 weeks and 6 days; 6, 360 hours. My life has changed so much during this period of time but I always came back to this story – it was the one thing that made me smile on the bad days and, like Harry Potter always does, it made me feel a little less lonely as I sat in a dorm room halfway around the world from my family. Hogwarts, it turns out, really does always welcome you home. Thank you so much, as readers, for enjoying this process with me – and an endless thank you for your patience!

My writing bug is still not satisfied, however, and (cue shameless self-promotion) I have two new Harry Potter pieces in the works. One's not posted yet but will hopefully become another multi-chapter story entitled Umbridge's Challenge. The other is already posted under the title Draco's Dreams. I'm very excited to continue working on both of these and would love for you to check them out!

Once again, thank you and happy reading and writing,

StoryLover18