A/N: So here it is, the end of the road. Thank you so much all of you who have stuck with this story from the beginning through slow updates and unsatisfactory chapters. You guys made my first multi-chaptered fic an enjoyable experience, and I hope to hear from you in the future commenting on my other stories.

I've been trying to get over writer's block, and I'm not completely happy with this chapter, but I wanted to get it up before I leave for the beach tomorrow. Enjoy! I hope.

Thank you SO much for explaining the Voldemort bit. It makes SO much more sense now! Thank you!

And now I give you, the last chapter.

Disclaimer: Not mine already!

Ron and Hermione began to officially date soon after that. Ron could not think of a time he had been happier. This beat flying, eating Fizzing Whizbies, and finally finding the elusive Agrippa chocolate frog card put together.

Being more than friends with Hermione was so perfect, so right, so natural.

At the same time it was terrifying. Now that he knew how it felt to be in love the thought of what would happen if he screwed it up and never experienced it again haunted him. After the fifty-seventh time he recounted his lamentations to Harry Harry became fed up.

"Just ask her to bloody marry you! Then she's stuck with you!" Harry exclaimed, then walked off grumbling.

Ron's head began to spin with thoughts of Hermione looking down at him kneeling in front of her and bursting into laughter. Hermione laughing at the ugly ring he spent days picking out. Hermione never speaking to him again. Hermione saying "I love you." Hermione in a wedding dress. Waking up beside her every morning. Little Weasleys running around.

Hell, it was scary, no denying that. But Hermione was worth it.

Ron took Ginny with him to help pick out the ring and immediately regretted it. Ginny was so excited when Ron told her what he was planning he was almost deafened by her squeal. However, once they arrived in the jewelry shop all Ron's qualms were pushed aside.

Ginny strode down the display case, quickly demanding to see certain rings and dismissing said rings just as swiftly.

"The cut's not right."

"That's not a quality diamond."

"Too small."

"Too big."

"Too ugly."

"Perfect."

It was a good thing she finally chose a ring. The wizard behind the counter was looking at her with contempt, slowly reaching for his wand.

Triumphantly Ginny held up a ring that glinted and sparkled in the light. Ron looked at the diamond, the size of which he never thought he'd be able to afford when he was young. He could now though. Defeating the most evil wizard in history paid well.

Ron shelled out the galleons and left the store before the shopkeeper lost all self-control and attempted to hex Ginny.

And so the night finally came. Ron had made reservations at Hermione's favorite restaurant in Hogsmeade and arrangements with Dumbledore to use the Hogwarts grounds.

Ron could not eat. His stomach was flipping and his palms were sweating. Hermione noticed his diminished appetite.

"Are you alright?" She asked, concerned.

"What? Oh, yes. I'm fine…just not hungry I guess."

"I guess." She said slowly, looking at him strangely.

"Are you done?" He asked eagerly as she brought her napkin from her lap onto the table.

"I'm finished Ronald. Food is done. People are finished." Hermione said loftily.

"Right. Come on, I've got something else planned for us tonight. We're not finished yet." Ron replied, mocking her.

Of course they might be in about twenty minutes when Hermione says no to the old ball and chain. Stop thinking like that!

"Applied knowledge! That's higher ordered thinking that is. I didn't know trolls possessed that mental capacity." Hermione shot back.

"They don't." Ron said stupidly, his mind still on the ring in his pocket. "Wait! Are you calling me a troll?"

"If the shoe fits…" Hermione trailed off.

They bickered all the way to the Hogwarts gates, which swung open when Ron said the password ("Peppermint.")

"What do you think you're doing?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

Ron shrugged. "Walking around our old school grounds. It's summer Hermione, no students are here."

Hermione stared at him, her mouth open. "But we can't. What would Dumbledore say?"

"Well I already asked him and he thought it was a fine idea." Ron explained.

"Oh. Well ok then." Hermione said happily, allowing Ron to lead her onto the grounds.

They reminisced as they walked, Ron a bit half-heartedly as he tried to think. He had studied the picture of Hermione and him. He wanted to propose on that exact spot on the lake. There it was. Ron attempted to swallow to calm his nerves but his mouth had gone completely dry.

"Let's stand over there." He croaked out.

"Sure." She said amiably, not noticing his raspy voice, or perhaps just choosing to ignore it.

They stood side by side observing the lake in silence for a few moments, Ron was breathing deeply, trying to gather all the Gryffindor courage he possessed.

"Hermione." He finally said as he dropped to one knee.

She turned to face him and froze as she saw what position he was in.

"I, well, hi." He said, waving at her.

She waved back wordlessly.

"Right then." Ron continued, trying to keep his wits about him. "Well, I love you. A lot." Just then the speech he had been practicing, the speech he could recite in his sleep flew out of his head completely. "And well, um." Ron said, fumbling for the ring, trying to buy time, hoping to remember something, anything, just one line at least. Nothing came. "Even though you'd be completely mental to settle for just me when you could have any man in the world you'd make me deliriously happy if you did." Ron held out the ring to her. "Will you marry me?"

XOXOXOX

"Harry!" I looked up at the sound of my wife's voice. "For Merlin's sake they're about to get home! Get the kids to bed, and quickly!"

"But Uncle Harry!" A small redhead whined at me, stomping her foot. "You didn't finish the story!"

"Well it's pretty obvious how it turned out, isn't it Jane? Mum said yes, they got married and had us. The end. Now tell the story about how you and Mum and Dad defeated Voldemort again!" The brother of the girl said, turning to me eagerly.

"It's not the end Sirius." Ginny, crossed the threshold, a baby on her hip. "Stories like that don't have an end. We write a little more each day," she said wistfully. Her voice turned sharp again. "Now get them to bed Harry before Hermione comes home and skins us alive!"

"Ok guys, say good night to your aunt and get to bed fast. That is, unless you never want us to baby-sit you again." I said to please the woman standing in front of me.

"Good night Aunt Ginny."

"Night Auntie."

"Sweet dreams!" She called up the stairs at their retreating backs.

"You too!" The faint reply trickled down to the living room where I stood watching my wife burp the red-haired infant.

"How do they do it?" I asked her.

"Do what?" She said.

"This." I said, gesturing at the baby she was holding and up the stairs in the direction of Sirius' and Jane's rooms. "Be parents all day, every day. I'm exhausted and it's only been four hours." I continued, following Ginny into Ron and Hermione's room to put the baby down for the night.

"I'm not sure, but we'll find out in a few months." She replied, smiling.

I grinned back and reached out to touch her stomach. "I'm scared already." I said quietly. "Is that normal?"

"Perfectly normal." She said simply. "Did Ron never tell you how scared he was before Sirius was born? Oh, Hermione's told me some great stories."

I chuckled and heard the door burst open. Ginny and I came out of the bedroom just in time for Hermione to hurry past us and shut herself in it.

"The cinema went that well then?" Ginny asked, unfazed.

"Harry." Ron said, desperate for an ally. "Is 'You complete me' not the most idiotic line you've ever heard?"

"Uh." I said cautiously, my eyes flicking from my wife to my best mate. "Um, well…" I stalled. "A bit idiotic, yeah." I said, then stammered as I saw flames of anger flash in Ginny's eyes. "But a wonderful synopsis of my relationship with Ginny here."

Ginny rolled her eyes as Hermione emerged from the bedroom.

"Hermione." Ron said quickly. "I am sorry for saying that line was stupid. Please forgive me."

"Forgive you for what? I agree with you." Hermione said, confused.

"B-but I said that and you ran into the house without saying anything else to me!" Ron said flustered.

"I had to use the bathroom Ron. As common as our arguments may be don't flatter yourself into thinking that every time I shut the door to our bedroom I'm mad at you." Hermione said before turning to Ginny and I. "So how did it go? Did they behave themselves?"

"It went great." Ginny told her. "I took care of Thomas while Harry told Sirius and Jane a story."

"For four hours? Wow mate, that's a long story." Ron said, turning to me.

"Not four hours Ron because the kids have been asleep for at least two hours…right?" Hermione asked menacingly.

"Of course." Ginny assured her.

I stared at the framed picture of Ron and Hermione beside the lake that now had a proud place on their mantle. "Yeah. It was a long story--and it's not over yet." I told Ron, and looked up to beam at my best friends.

A/N: Wow! What a twist! Who saw that one coming? Well I did, but I guess I don't really count. Did any of you see it coming? Is it a stupid ending? Does it do the fic some justice?

Oh yeah, the order of Ron and Hermione's kids is Sirius (around five), Jane (about three or four), and Thomas (around ten months)

Sorry, if you don't like the Harry/Ginny bit. I'm not a die-hard shipper of that, but I started to like it a few weeks ago, and when I went back in OotP it really seemed like JKR is trying to set something up for the future between the two of them. Oh well, like I said, sorry if you don't agree.

Again. Thank you so much for sticking with this. I really appreciate those who have reviewed chapter after chapter, offering me encouragement and urging…well a bit stronger than urging…me to update. THANK YOU FOR READING!