"So, this spotted fly thing? Can it play any music or just muggle music?"

Hermione smiled, watching her husband look for the speakers on the laptop he was forbidden to touch.

"I could probably charm it somehow but, this wand... It was good in battle, just not for everyday - it was too used to her."

She paused, her mind on the scar that marked the middle of her throat, the only mark of the terrible pain she had suffered at Malfoy Manor.

"Besides," she continued, trying to prevent Ron from being reminded that tomorrow was five Christmases without Fred. Five years without the older brother closest to him in age and no matter how many times the twins had terrorized him as a young child, Ron knew George would never be the same.

" I like hearing the Christmas songs that I grew up with, and that 'Blizard flying' song, it's not exactly in the spirit of Christmas, is it?"

Ron rolled his eyes, but there was a smile in them all the same.

As he turned to give the resistant fire a cautious prod with his wand, Hermione eyed the box half-hidden behind her as she wrapped presents. Maybe she should wait, but he needed this. Ron needed the extra gift, held in an old watch box wrapped with sparkling paper, he needed -anything that could make tomorrow a brighter day than the last four had been - a better day for the whole family.

And, of course, she wanted him to open it, she just wasn't sure the timing was right.

"Ron?" she picked up the box, holding it out to him, her stomach churning a little with the worry.

"What's this?"

"A sort of early Christmas present, although it won't really arrive for a while."

He looked confused but came and sat on the floor near her.

"D'you get it from that online river place?"

"River pla- Oh! You mean Amazon? No, it's not from there." She smiled, an idea coming to her, she was beginning to enjoy teasing at the answer.

"Actually, I suppose, you helped in ordering it."

Now he looked beyond confused, his brow furled and his lip lifted.

"Just open it!" she laughed.

He squeezed the lid off the box impatiently and lifted out the contents which she had carefully surrounded by white tissue.

"It's a plastic stick?" She could tell he was almost disappointed, something that would have a muggle smiling and being incredibly excited meant nothing to the Wizard. She had expected this.

"I'm going to explain it, it's a sort of test."

His face fell, and eyes widened.

"It's not a lie detector is it?"

"No, it's not. Have you and Harry been skiving again? Kingsley will find out you're in the Three Broomsticks and not out making inquiries."

She allowed a beat of silence,

"It's a quick test - a muggle one - for something more special. You see that little pink tab? I've stuck it over a little window, take that off."

Hermione held her breath, maybe it wasn't the right time, maybe he wasn't ready yet - maybe she wasn't ready yet. Of course, they loved James, Lucy, Victoire, and Dominique, and they would love Ginny and Harry's second child too, but this?

"It says," Ron announced, pulling off the strip of post-it note.

"Pre-."

He froze, his eyes going wide once more, looking from the stick in his hand to his wife and back again.

"No!" His face broke into a wide grin, so wide it should have hurt his face, and he began to stumble over his words.

"No, I mean, really, it's really not a joke, I'm, I'm going to be a Dad."

Relief flooded through Hermione. This was the reaction she had been praying for. She couldn't help a smile creeping onto her own face any longer.

"Yes," she laughed as he scrambled across the rug they sat on, tripping over himself as he moved to hug her, a hug which ended up in more of a rugby tackle.

"Watch it, you big lump," She laughed, pulling herself back up of the floor, only to be greeted with a strong and searing kiss which slowed both of their heart rates once more.

Ron still held the plastic test stick in his hand, he drew it closer to his face and before Hermione had a chance to react, kissed it too.

"I can't believe, It's taken such a long time, I didn't think," He was unable to finish a sentence in his shock and delight.

"I know," She smiled, nodding.

He needed to let it all out, she had known for a few weeks, only testing that morning but now, seeing his reaction, that made everything better, made all the worries float away - for a while at least.

They would be a proper family, a family that was theirs and theirs alone. She had always known Ron would be the best of Dad's and his thrill at the news made her even more sure than she had been before.

Ron took a breath, looking down at the stick in his hand,

"So, how do you get them to work, do you put it in your mouth or something?"

As he said it Ron demonstrated, putting the end in his mouth like a thermometer. Hermione shuddered inside,

"Ugh, yes, something like that."