Chapter 30
Epilogue

He hadn't slept since she'd died.

Seven months, thirteen days, two hours. That was how long it had been since he slept. That was how long it had been since she'd left this earth- left him. The moment she'd been pronounced dead, the moment she'd stopped breathing... well, that was the moment he'd stopped caring about himself. He was done because she was done. Forever. That was it- the end. The end of her was the end of him. Why would you keep living when your soul was gone? What was there on this earth when the love of your life had gone where you couldn't follow? He loathed every breath he took because it meant that he was still alive, and why was he still alive? Breathing. In this house. Without her. Why hadn't he ceased to live the second she had? It wasn't fair. People like them should die together- they were meant to. They had grown up together, raised children together, lived together, suffered together. They had mourned together, the deaths of their friends and family members, both as teenagers and adults. But it wasn't until seven months ago that death had hit one of them. Seven months, thirteen days, two hours.

Ron's life had become fairly routine since his wife died. Even though he had retired about twenty years ago, he woke up at seven AM, like Hermione had always forced him to do. He made himself breakfast, cleaned up after himself immediately, then turned the dial on the radio with hands that had not stopped shaking in a very long time. They were old hands, withered and gnarled, but there was still something about them: something that indicated that those hands had been entwined with other hands and kissed and revered. That they had held rings and babies and grandchildren and someone very, very special. That those hands had been numb with cold and warm with passion. That those hands had lived- and they had. Because their owner had lived, and he had been happy.

The rest of Ron's day was fairly simple- work in the garden, listen to Quidditch, even read a book. Sometimes he went over to Harry and Ginny's, but most of the time he didn't, as being around them only served to remind him of what he had lost and what they still had. An overwhelming sense of jealousy hurt his heart whenever he was around them, so he simply stayed away, unable to bear it all. He did a pretty good job of distracting himself during the day, to be honest. He could busy himself enough that he only thought of Hermione once every two minutes instead of once a second. But the nights were impossible, because there was no Quidditch and no light for gardening and all he really wanted to do was stare at the wall and remember.

Remember when I had you? Remember when we were in love? Remember how we spent our lives together? How come mine didn't end when yours did?

On this particular night, his thoughts were interrupted by a noisy knock on the door. It was loud enough so that he could hear it, and he was grateful. In her last year, Hermione had all but gone blind, so that Ron was forced to read her books out loud to her. Ron himself had pretty much gone deaf, and Hermione had been forced to clarify things for him constantly. It had frustrated Ron to tears, but Hermione had always been oddly calm about the whole thing. She'd told him once that she liked how it had worked out, as it only served to show her that they were meant to grow old together. Ron smiled at this thought as he reached out to open the door. Behind it were his son and daughter, Rose carrying a casserole, Hugo brandishing an old DVD.

"Hello," Ron said, looking at the two of them with a smile on his face. There were Hermione's eyes, and there was her nose, and that was the exact color of her skin. "What are you two doing here?"

"I brought food," Rose said too quickly.

"Amanda wanted me to give back your wedding tape. We borrowed it to show the kids."

"We just happened to meet here on the doorstep. We didn't plan this at all!" Rose blurted out.

"Smooth," Hugo sighed. "Real smooth, Rosie."

"Sorry," she winced.

Ron ignored their dialog, opening the door wider and gesturing them into the house. They perched on the couch next to each other, while he settled into the armchair across from them, drinking in their faces. He loved seeing them, their spouses, and their children, although sometimes he wasn't in the mood to handle it. There were good days and bad days, and that was the thing about this part of his life. Sometimes he was happy to see the little pieces of his wife in his family members, and sometimes one glance made him fall apart.

"What are you two doing here?" he asked in a falsely bright voice.

Dropping all pretenses, Rose and Hugo exchanged glances.

"We're here to check on you, daddy," Rose said softly, concern lighting her features. Hugo shifted uncomfortably next to his sister. No matter how old Rose and Hugo were, it seemed to Ron that they always reverted back to their youthful ways when they were around their parents or each other.

"I'm... fine," he said, hesitating before the word left his mouth. He didn't feel fine. Exhausted, yes. Restless, yes. Hopeless, most definitely. But not fine. Fine was average, fine meant 'faring', that you were hanging in there. He wasn't hanging in there. Hanging in there implied that you were alive, and he didn't feel alive anymore. Not without Hermione. But how could you look your kids in the eye and tell them that they were the only reason you were bothering to hang on? That they were the reason you lived in misery every day. That you were there because you didn't want to leave them behind.

"You aren't fine," Hugo said, voice rough with emotion. "You miss mum too much to be fine."

Ron felt a pang in his stomach as Hugo spoke directly about Hermione. Usually they skirted around the subject, but for some reason Hugo wasn't able to do that. Heart sinking, Ron watched as Hugo turned bright red and Rose hid her head in her hands, unwilling to let her father and brother see the emotion on her face. Unable to find a good way to reply to this, Ron simply said,

"You're right."

It came out as a croak, and Hugo winced at the vulnerability in his father's voice. Ron Weasley- war hero, acclaimed Auror- didn't do vulnerable. In front of his children, he became quite gruff when feeling strong emotions like this. Hermione had always been the one who had gotten him to open up, cry freely. She'd talked it out with him, comforted him, and he had done the same for her. But whom did he cry to over Hermione's death? Not Hermione. And without her he didn't know how to cry, not anymore, so he simply didn't. He lived perpetually on the verge of a breakdown, waiting for the day when the dam broke and the tears poured from his eyes. Make no mistake, he desperately longed to cry. He just... couldn't.

The three of them sat in silence, Rose's back shaking up and down incessantly, but she made no noise. Ron and Hugo avoided each other's gaze and avoided looking at Rose. He could almost feel the exasperation radiating off of Hermione wherever she was, could imagine her exact words.

"For heavens' sake, you three," she'd groan. "You're a family! You love each other! Remember? Remember the bedtime stories and the vacations and the Quidditch Games and the wedding dances? You don't need me to be able to talk to each other, do you?"

Wordlessly, Ron stood up, walked over to Rose, and wrapped his arms around her trembling frame. She leaned into him as he reached across her to grip Hugo's shoulder. Like the family they were, they instantly clicked together. And it was just like when Rose and Hugo were young... except this time, Hermione wasn't there to comfort the children with him. It was ironic that the person who had held them together all those years was now ripping them apart.

"Thanks," Rose whispered shakily, pulling away. "I needed that."

"I know," Ron told her.

She smiled at him for a second, then shook her head.

"I should go. When I left the house, Jean was having some sort of emotional crisis that I left my darling husband to deal with."

"Okay," Ron said, and he stood up with her. Hugo stood too, and headed to the door as well.

"Will you be okay, Dad?" he asked.

"Of course I will," Ron replied quickly, gruff personality back in a second. "Go have lives. I love you both."

"Love you too," they chorused. Rose kissed him on the cheek, and they were gone.

Ron shut the door and turned back to his dark living room, eyes flicking to the wooden coffee table where Rose had left her casserole and Hugo had left the wedding video. Slowly, Ron walked over to it. Hands shaking slightly, he lifted the wedding video, staring at the picture on the cover- him and Hermione in their wedding finery, gazing at each other lovingly. Without thinking about it, without worrying about it, without considering any consequence it might bring on, Ron took the DVD out of its case and popped it into the Muggle player Hermione always kept in the house. Instantly, the screen sprung to life, colors and images Ron hadn't seen in years playing out before him. The first was his father, balding and old looking, but alive. Ron hadn't seen him in years, and he felt a burning in his throat as he gazed upon the face of his deceased father.

"What do I have to say on Ron and Hermione's wedding day?" Arthur asked. "Hmmm... well, I suppose congratulations. You two made it to the altar, finally. I'd like you to know that this has been coming since about 1992. No one's really surprised, to be honest. To Ron- great job selecting such a marvelous girl to join our family. I'm proud of you son. And to Hermione... well, I've felt that you were my daughter for quite some time now, so this isn't going to be a really big change for me. But it's still going to be very nice for me to know that I'll always have such a kind, patient daughter in my life to tell me all about her Muggle world and put up with my incessant questions. You both are very, very special and... well, I can't wait until you learn more about marriage and kids because, while it's going to be very frustrating, you're going to figure out that all the little things make it worthwhile."

The camera panned over to Molly, who was beaming at her husband, wild red hair blowing in the wind. An involuntary noise escaped from Ron's throat- his mother had also been absent from his life for a very long time, and it was almost strange to see that face and actually recognize it. Ron smiled to himself as the familiar voice began to speak lovingly.

"I'm so happy for both of you. Don't tell anyone I said this, but out of all my children, your love story reminds me the most of mine. It is remarkable to see such a marvelous couple such as yourselves make it to the altar, dears, because we've all been rooting for you on the sidelines. All throughout your school years, Ron, I watched with bated breath- waiting for that letter from Ginny that was sure to spill the beans about a relationship that you were having with Hermione. Which is why it made me so angry when I read all those articles about her and Harry and Viktor Krum... Merlin, I can't believe I still remember that. Anyways, I'm sorry dear, you really are the perfect girl for my Ronniekins and I am so thrilled with what you've done with him so far. Thank you for always believing in him like I did, thank you for your patience, your relentless faith and encouragement, and thank you for the ways you make him better. I can't wait to see what my grandbabies look like. Oh, and I'm glad you two get a big white wedding, unlike me and your father. You deserve it so, so much after everything you've been through. Welcome to the family, Hermione."

His mother and Hermione had always had a close friendship, possibly due to the fact that his mum had killed the woman who had tortured Hermione. Ron recalled looking across the venue and seeing his mother in a fit of tears, being patted on the back by a sobbing Mrs. Granger, the perfect cliché to complete the wedding.

The shot changed to Hermione gliding down the aisle, a bright smile lighting her face. Tiny balls of light floated above her head, the blue hue reflected on the slight train on the back of her dress, rippling behind her like a lazy river. It changed to Ron's face, devotion and love and awe in his expression before she had even reached him. If he closed his eyes, he could remember the jolt of excitement in his stomach, the emotion that closed his throat, the taste of possibility on his tongue as he kissed her for the first time as man and wife.

And then Mr. Granger's face filled the screen as he stood next to his wife, who still had tear tracks on her face as the two of them exited the venue on the way to the reception.

"Er... well, it's been a long road, but we're finally here. Weasley, thanks for making my little girl so happy, and I hope you continue to do so. She doesn't have any brothers to pound on you if you step out of line, but that isn't to say I can't, so be good to her. And, Hermione, come home any time. Your mother and I love you very much, Princess, and we always will no matter how old you get. I know you hate being called Princess, but today's your wedding day and I've already seen you and you do look like a Princess, so I think it's well earned. Though you've always been a beautiful little Princess to me. Ever since you were a little girl and you had buckteeth and bushy hair, you were still my little Princess. And if Weasley saw that in you all those years ago... well, it means I'm alright with him marrying you. Thanks, my son."

Ron laughed, slightly amazed at how formal this man was with him. The two of them had grown closer over time, and, while they were never as close as Hermione was with Ron's parents, they had formed and trust and camaraderie that was based off of Mr. Granger's understanding of the fact that Ron would never hurt his daughter. It was strange to think there had been a time when that had not been there- so much about that dynamic had changed.

"Well," Mrs. Granger said as the camera panned to her, "I honestly can't believe this is happening. Oh God, if I start crying turn the camera away. Oh, and scrap that part in editing. Well... okay... here goes. Hermione, I bought you this video because I know what age does to your mind. It eats at it, nibbling away memories and abilities slowly but surely. I know wizards and witches don't usually have these wedding videos but I always wanted you to have one. I remember how much you used to love mine and daddy's. How you'd insist we watch it for every anniversary, plopping yourself onto the couch with an adorable amount of enthusiasm that never got old no matter what age you were. You haven't seen it since you were eleven, as it's during the school year, but we were never able to break the habit of watching it. Ron, I want you and Hermione to watch this every anniversary, and I want you to make sure she watches it. Because she's going to be full speed ahead with work and children and parties and plans and you're always going to be the one that stops her, that tells her the breathe, that kisses her and makes it better. I know you can do that- I have complete faith in you. Your carefree nature is actually what my daughter needs. Please get her to let go every once in a while, no matter what. Take care of her when she needs to be taken care of. In sickness and health. For richer or poorer. For better or for worse. Because you love each other so much, and that should never and will never go to waste as long as you both shall live."

He was smirking now, remembering how young Rose and Hugo had always laughed at Nana Granger asking the camera operator to cut that part in editing, and how it never actually got cut. The realness of the sentence was actually Ron's favorite part of her speech, now that he thought about it. It reminded him that these people and this event were not something he had dreamed up, that they were quite real and apart of his life and at one time they had breathed and talked to him and been apart of birthdays and Christmases and vacations.

There was a shot of the wedding cake, followed by the appearance of George's face on the screen. Ron let out a startled yell. No one had been very surprised when George had died before any of his brothers, so it was a bit of a shock to see his face. He had never really functioned normally again without Fred, and even Angelina had been able to take console in the fact that they were together again. Sometimes, when she couldn't find her keys or when something went wrong in a funny way, she'd swear that the two of them were playing tricks on her.

"Well ickle Ronnie... not much I can say, really. Thanks for throwing a good party- bands great, even though it's Muggle. Lots of dancing to be done. Yeah. Er- so, you're married. That's cool. I always knew it was you and Hermione, of course. God, you couldn't have been more obvious. Arguing endlessly, driving Harry to suicide, making everyone beg me to develop an opposite of the extendable ear so that they could get their eardrums back to themselves. You drove everyone in Gryffindor crazy, to be honest, and many of the older students hated your guts because you were simply too stupid to figure it out. We placed bets on you, you know. Me and... Fred. Fred. He would have been so proud of you. He was actually the one who guessed the correct year and had the closest guess to the correct scenario. He never found out that he won. But he did. In the end, he had the last laugh. And thank you for giving it to him."

The screen became filled with images of Ron and Hermione during their Hogwarts years, pictures that Mrs. Granger had supplied for the video. Ron began laughing at buck-toothed Hermione's smile filling the screen. If only he had known how they would grow old together back then- seven years would not have been wasted on taking the time to figure himself out, experiment with other girls. He should have known that finding her meant finding himself all along.

A voice began to speak over the pictures, and Ron recognized it to be Charlie's. As the pictures faded out and the shot turned to his brother, Ron noticed that Charlie looked rather uncomfortable in his Muggle suit and tie, something that had nothing to do with the fact that his clothes were Muggle. For some reason, Charlie had always looked his best muddy, dirty, and in danger, having the time of his life. Ron could distinctly remember his mum whining about this on many a time.

"What do I have to say to Ron and Hermione? Er... I was in Romania for most of their dating life, to be honest. But, like everyone else in our family, I have known Hermione since she was fourteen. I met her at the Quidditch World Cup. She was really something, even then. Was voracious for knowledge, had to know the answer to all these questions about dragons. At first I was reserved- after all, I usually drive people crazy with my constant chatter on dragons. Hermione, however, kept asking questions. Her attention was unwavering, and she consumed every bit of knowledge I threw at her. Matter of fact, the only time her attention went from me to someone else was when she would look over my shoulder at you, Ron. The look on her face was fascinating- endearing, loving, adoring. She fancied you so much even back then- maybe she even loved you. Not exactly in the same way she does now, but she still loved you. So don't take that for granted, Ron. That kind of love is hard to find- hell, I still haven't found it. I'm holding out until I find someone that looks at me the way Hermione looks at you. Someone that I can look at the way you look at Hermione. And if I never find that I'll never marry, because yours is the kind of love that's worth giving up being a bachelor for and giving up your freedom for and getting tied down for. It's worth just about anything."

A second later, the shot turned to Bill, standing next to Fleur and his daughters, all of whom looked excited to be on camera. Ron let out a snort at how young they looked- Victoire had long ago gotten married and had kids with Teddy Lupin. They'd grown up together, and no matter how many times they'd broken up and made up, they had never been able to get over each other. Their marriage had been a last ditch attempt to keep them together no matter what happened, suggested by Hermione as a joke one day. She'd been sick of all the drama and had been talking about it sarcastically to Fleur, who had thought she was serious and immediately brought the idea to Victoire. Ron could still remember the shocked look on Teddy's face as he was proposed to by a girl that wasn't even his girlfriend at that point. But he'd said yes, because he'd know that they'd end up together no matter what. Hermione had been a bit shocked, but in the end wondered how they hadn't seen it coming, on account of the fact that Victoire was a Weasley/Delacour, and letting some guy propose to her with that combination just didn't seem plausible.

"Ron, Hermione... the fact that the two of you get to actually have a wedding day is absolutely a miracle to me. I mean, the second I saw you dragging Hermione's limp body on the beach, I thought she was dead. I thought I was going to have to spend years repairing the little brother that I had lost. And then it sort of occurred to me that weren't so little, are you? No, you'd grown up the second you'd realized that you never should have Apparated away from your two best friends. Ron, you did an amazing job getting back to them. Amazing. I'm so proud of you- the things you've done by far surpass anything anyone in our family has done. Which is why you got Hermione. Why she made it through- besides the fact that she is a fighter. Seriously, a huge fighter. What you two have... it's worth more than all the gold in Gringotts. I've seen treasure, a lot of it. But you have something better than that. And after all you've been through, you deserve to be happy, and you deserve to be happy together. So enjoy it. You only get one life."

Fleur's speech was next, and this was the one that started Hermione in on the tissues. Hers and Bills were also the ones that Ron and Hermione had to find strategic ways to mute or distract the children from, considering the fact that they talked about Hermione's torture and the war, and Hermione and Ron had kept these things from Rose and Hugo for several years.

"When I met the two of you, I didn't really know who you were. Yes, I was aware of Harry, but I never really cared about his two best friends. And then I got engaged to Bill, and everything changed. I was a complete outsider. That said, I was able to look in on the situation from a completely un-biased point of view. And even then I could tell that the man 'Ermione wanted was not the one everyone expected her to have. Back in you fourth year, I thought she was going to go for Harry, the obvious choice. But at the dinner table in the Burrow, it became apparent that she fell for Ron instead, Harry's best friend, the one you were always fighting with. I could see it from across a room, in a single instant. The way you looked at him said it all. Sometimes, at dinner, I would be bored because no one would talk to me. Bill was working late, everyone else was deep in conversation. And, 'Ermione and Ron, I watched you two. The way you interacted. That was how I knew my marriage was right. Bill and I were just like you. We could talk for hours and make each other laugh and smile and everyone thought the odds were against us but no one considered the fact that we were perfect. Now, all Veela have this instinct that tells them when two people are meant to be. In those moments, I understood the fact that you two were soul mates. Just knew, simple as that, because it was in my blood. Which was why it was so strange to see 'Ermione's lifeless body being raced across that beach by the man she loved... and who had by then realized he loved her back. I was so scared you two wouldn't be able to have a chance. I 'urried to 'eal 'Ermione, 'urried to get her back to normal, 'ad to make sure that your love story had a 'appy ending. Because if you two were to fail, I didn't see how any love could make it. I almost lost my faith in the world that night because of you two. Because there was nothing as innocent and sweet and wonderful as the way you looked at each other. And now, years later, when I'm loosing my faith in the world, I still look at you two. I see the look in your eyes, on your faces. And I remember. So thank you, Hermione and Ron. For accepting me. For enlightening me. For everything you're going to do to bring a little more love into this world, just as Dumbledore would have wanted."

The stiff figure of Viktor Krum suddenly appeared on the screen, startling Ron as the thick, black eyebrows took up most of his television.

"Er... I'm not sure if I should be on this... you're filming? Oh, vell, er... I guess... I'm sorry, Ron. I didn't mean to steal your girlfriend from you. In my defense, she said yes. But even then I knew something was vrong. She was never vith me. Do you know vat I mean? She'd be there, but she vasn't there. She vasn't alive like she vas ven she vas vith you, Veasley. You made her different, you made her laugh, you did things to her that I could not. I suppose I vas slightly ashamed of myself. She vas my first failed conquest since I had become a Quidditch player, and she vas really something special. No matter vat I did, I could not get her to act around me the vay she did around you. Sure, she vas polite. But vith you she vas always so playful, happy, loose. You vere able to make her stress-free vithout even trying, a feat that few have ever been able to accomplish. It vasn't my fault I vasn't enough for her, either. She just... she alvays vanted you. She vas yours from the very start, and it never changed. Ve have kept up correspondence over the years, and in each of her letters I can tell how happy you make her. So, Veasley, treat her vell. Treat her like a Queen, treat her like a female, treat her like your vife and treat her like your best friend. As for you, Herm-own-ninny... vell, you alvays did deserve someone who could pronounce your name properly, as much as I am loathe to admit it. So just know that if you ever need someone to kick Veasley's arse, I vould be more than happy to do it."

For the record, Viktor had never had to kick Ron's arse. But it had been funny the first time they watched the video and realized how closely Mr. Granger and Viktor Krum's speeches correlated. Hermione always took this as an opportunity to smugly remind Ron of how she had been right all along, and that Viktor was closer to a father figure to her than anyone else. Ron couldn't help but smile at this memory, and he almost subconsciously reached for a pillow, wrapping his arms around it as though holding it would be like holding Hermione. It wasn't soft like her, it didn't smell like her, but it was something. Something to hold on to. His knuckles turned white as Percy's face came onto the screen, and Ron chuckled, already anticipating what was coming in spite of his conflicting feelings over whether this video should make him feel happy or sad.

"Ron, Hermione- congratulations. You know, on paper your relationship doesn't seem like it would work, so I must admit it was rather skeptical when the two of you turned up holding hands a few days after the final battle. But years later you two have proven that you don't just work, you work. You're as close to perfect as one can get, and believe me- I used to try. For a couple that I would have bet against, you two have worked out remarkably well. I guess I was never there when you two were younger, because no one is surprised. And I mean no one. At all. They all saw it coming, while I was left on the ground spitting dust out of my mouth at the speed it seemed you two were going. Everyone said you took forever. I thought you went too fast. Everyone tiptoed around you two, waiting for one of their or your own footsteps to set off a bomb. I thought the bomb would go off regardless. But it never did. Somewhere along the way, I stopped expecting it to. Because I started seeing that you weren't perfect, but maybe that was why you were perfect. Does that make sense? I'm not sure if it does. But thanks, you two. Because you help me see that things with flaws are even better than perfect. They're real. You're real. You're not some fairytale that every little girl sighs over. Hermione, thanks for choosing my brother. And Ron... I'm so glad you chose a girl to marry who can match me intellectually. Nice one."

Yes, that had been Percy's favorite part about Hermione. Not the fact that she made Ron a better person. Not the fact that she loved Ron more than anything in the world. Not the fact that she was the second bravest person Percy had ever had the privilege to know (after Harry). No, it was her intellect, her smarts. The fact that she had worked alongside Percy at the ministry made her worthy of Percy's brother. How bloody ridiculous. But, then, that was Percy. Anger flooded Ron's stomach for a few seconds until he saw the next face on the screen, and he began to laugh at the face that was still present in his life. Thank god for giant blood.

"Wha can I say? Well, I suppose... maybe I told you so. I remember the first time I saw it, I do. You were both just twelve years old and Malfoy had gone and insulted Hermione. Ron, you roared to her defense, casting a spell to save her, and it backfired on ya. But I don't think Hermione ever forgot it, did you? How he rushed to your defense. It was at that moment that all the bickering started to make sense to me and I saw what you two were. Now, mind, I'm not exactly a romantic. Nah, I'm not very good with that stuff. But there was something about you two that made it so obvious it was painful. I remember the staff making bets on you... Merlin, that was funny. I joined in, because I knew. I had watched. And watched. And watched. The fights, the gazes, the frustration. It got even worse every year and it just made me laugh because bloody hell were you two stupid. Drove Harry up the wall, you did! Why couldn't you tell, huh? Hermione, you are the cleverest witch of your age! How come you couldn't tell that he wanted you as badly as you wanted him? Wasn't there some way you could have read him like a book? Ar, I suppose if there had been you would have found it. And Ron, you are the most Gryffindorish of all Gryffindors. Why didn't you just walk up to her and say it? Well, don't matter much now, I suppose. You did it, you two! You're married! A-aragog w-would h-have b-been s-s-so h-hap-ppy!"

There the screen cut over to McGonagall, although Hagrid's elbow could still be seen in the shot, shaking up and down. She had to yell over his sobs, which took up most of the sounds on the speakers. Ron could picture Rose and Hugo collapsing in fits of giggles as they watched this moment on the video, rolling around on the couch in their footie pajamas.

"Well, I'm glad you two finally got your act together. Years of seeing the progression of your relationship in my class was enough for me to want you two to get over yourselves and snog each other senseless... if only so you would stop bickering so much. And, by the way, I did partake in those bets Hagrid was talking about. Not only did I partake in them, I won them. Beat Sybil by a landslide. If it weren't for the fact that I never speak ill of my colleagues..."

But at this point she'd conveniently had to stop, as Hagrid had become too loud to hear over and she simply couldn't compete with him anymore. As she reminded him to pull out his hanky, the shot changed to another face, one that still managed to make Ron roll his eyes in annoyance. Auntie Murial.

At least she had croaked a bit after the wedding. Still, it would have been nice if the cameraman had decided not to put her in Ron's wedding video.

"He's marrying a muggleborn. What should I have to say to that besides "bad posture and skinny ankles?" Well, she's got them. No, I don't have anything nice to say! I am a hundred and... well, some number, and I ought not to be on camera for too long. Isn't it going to damage my eyesight? It's already bad enough, sonnyboy! Why do you keep asking me to talk to the bride and groom? Can they hear me? No! They're over there snogging in that corner- quite rude if you ask me. I think he made a big mistake marrying her. Who would be stupid enough to turn down wearing a goblin made tiara to their wedding? She works in what department? Dear me, this just gets worse... you there, give me your chair!"

His annoyance subsided as a friendly face appeared. Neville, smiling blissfully as the quiet Hannah Abbott rested her head on his shoulder. Even before they were married, you could tell how in love they were.

"Ron and Hermione... I do believe I was the last person who saw this coming. I'm not kidding. I mean, you two? You always fought! Every single second of the day! I'd walk into the Common Room in the evening and the first thing I heard was Hermione's high-pitched voice squealing over the sound of Ron's deeper one. After a while, it almost became like a melody, one that all of us Gryffindors did our homework to. At first I had trouble concentrating when you were fighting. Then I had difficulties without that familiar song. When you two weren't fighting, school felt weird. It wasn't Hogwarts until Ron and Hermione had their beginning of the year blow-out. But then, one day in fourth year, I was walking down to the Great Hall and I heard a bunch of girls giggling about Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger's impending romance. Seriously, that was how obvious it was. Except to me, and I was idiot enough to ask Hermione to the Yule Ball before hearing that. Once I had, however, it made me feel a bit better because I knew you hadn't rejected me for me. You'd rejected me for Ron! Who wasn't actually smart enough to ask you out anyway. Ron, you were such a bloody idiot back then. Still are, actually. I mean, the look on your face when I said I wanted to leave the Auror program to become a Herbology teacher the other day... priceless, mate. Anyways, during the weeks preceding the Yule Ball, I watched the two of you closely. And you seemed like the same old Hermione and Ron to me. But then there was the fight and the crying on the staircase and everything Ron could have done wrong he did... so I knew. I knew he liked you, Hermione, and Ron, I knew she liked you back. Then it was just a waiting game, one that I think we had to wait for far too long. But you actually did it in the end. You just got married! Maybe Ron isn't as stupid as I continue to think he is to this day... he's smart enough to marry you, Hermione. Well, it's my fault, I suppose. I still think of you two as the fifteen year olds that fought during the Yule Ball. Thanks for proving me wrong- I'll work on it."

Another face that was still a regular in Ron's life came onto the screen, and it was one that always made his lips quirk no matter what situation he was in. As soon as Luna Lovegood Scamander opened her mouth to speak, pure gold came out.

"Ron and Hermione? Oooh, I have a lot of things to say about Ron and Hermione on their wedding day, thank you for asking me." Pause. "Oh, right, yes. Well... Ron and Hermione. You're getting married! Which you probably know due to the fact that I just said 'I have a lot of things to say about Ron and Hermione on their wedding day', but in case the wrackspurts got to you and you didn't pick that up... yay, marriage! Now, to the good stuff. I do believe that it was I that first decided that these two would get together. Yes, I must have been the first one to ever figure it out. They were very discreet, you see, but my studies of the magical properties of cupids told me all I needed to know about those two. It was around their fifth year, and I remember one day just suddenly being able to connect everything I read in my book to those two. Cupids infected them very early, but unfortunately there were no vampires around to suck the venom out, so that's why Hermione and Ron are getting married today. Love was an infection they simply couldn't be cured of, and it looked like a lovely disease, to be honest. I don't know why those vampires try to suck the venom of cupid's arrows out... I got hit once. That was when I met Rolf. Do you know how I realized it? I saw the way we acted around each other and realized that it was exactly the way you two did. So then, instead of freaking out because I was infected and hunting down a vampire to cure me, I sat back and relaxed and let it happen. Because... oh my goodness, you two fight like no other. But overall, you're really quite happy together. And that's just how I want my life to be."

To this day, it amazed him how Luna could see magic where no one else could. She may have been wrong, and she may have looked a bit silly, but the fact that she was extraordinarily happy while being wrong and silly was what was so magical about Luna herself.

Ron let out a bark of a laugh as young Ginny's face showed up on the screen. Ginny... before being a mum. Before being married. Before getting old. This was Ron's little sister still in her 'little sister' days, and it never failed to make him melancholy, if he hadn't been that way already.

"Look, guys. As soon as Mrs. Granger told me about this, I started thinking. What do you say? It has to be perfect. You might be a hundred and fifteen years old and watching this video and if I don't say exactly the perfect thing you'll hate me forever. No, just kidding, I'm sure that will never happen. I hope so, at least. But after a ton of contemplation, I've realized that there's pretty much no possible way to express my love for you two and the euphoria I feel over the fact that you're getting married. You two- and Harry- are my best friends, and you have done so much for me. You talked to me whenever I had problems, you stood up for me against bullies, you stood by me through the terror that was the Tom Riddle incident, you brought Harry home to me safely after that blasted Horcrux Hunt. I am so grateful to you for that, and I will never stop owing you. But, Hermione, I hope I can start by being the best sister-in-law of all the ones you will ever have. You're already like a sister to me, and I'm so glad we're able to make that official. You have just gotten what you have always wanted- I honestly wish I could reach back into my dorm during sixth year and tell you what happens, stop you from crying, tell you that you didn't need to avoid your dorm because pretty soon Lavender would get hers and you'd have yours. As for you, Ron, you may have been a grouchy little boy sometimes, but you were always there for me when I needed you, and your heart was always in the right place. I love you both so much, and I can't wait to experience more life with you guys, because you're sure to fill it with fun and hilarity and Ron and Hermioneish stuff that I'll never get sick of, now matter how much I pretend to hate it."

In the years to come, Ginny would be known to fervently deny these words. But Ron didn't have time to dwell on his crazy sister, as his favorite interview had suddenly shown up on the screen, and he turned up the volume to make sure that he didn't miss a second.

"Er- right. Yeah, I remember you warning me that someone would ask me this, Ron. Thanks for the heads up, mate. Wish I had actually heeded it, because now I have no idea what to say. Ginny told me she didn't know what to say either, but when she said that she was grinning like a fool so I think hers must have gone well. Blimey, what do you say to fourteen years of solid friendship? Thanks, I guess. You're probably the reason I'm here, able to dance at your wedding. Er- scratch that. I've been trying to avoid dancing as much as I can. Can't deny Gin, of course, but I just don't think that's the right way to phrase that, seeing as- if I had it my way- we would be playing Quidditch right now. Actually, I think that's Ron's way, too. Shit, maybe I shouldn't have said that. Shit, I really shouldn't have just sworn on your wedding video! Sorry, sorry, sorry! Anyways... guys, I can't even tell you how happy I am that you are... married? You're... married. Married. My two best friends are married... to each other! Holy shit, that just hit me. SORRY! I just, whoa. Ron got married. Hermione got married to Ron. That is so weird. I mean... are we old enough to get married? Should I ask Ginny? No, okay, one thing at a time- I need to adjust to this first. I mean, wasn't it just yesterday that Hermione had buckteeth and Ron wasn't six feet yet and we were saving her from the troll? Wasn't it just a few years ago that the two of you decided to bloody kiss for the first time? What the hell, you two? Why are you moving so fast? No, this isn't fast, is it? It's been a while, actually. You've been heading towards this since fourth year, I guess. That was when I first saw it. Oh, you two drove me crazy that year. The bickering never stopped because you were falling for each other and you hated that and you had so much pent up anger over it. But I never thought about marriage. And when you were fighting in sixth year and Ron went and snogged Lavender Brown and Hermione was so heartbroken... I wasn't preparing myself for marriage then, either. And what about during the Horcrux Hunt, when the two of you saved my life over and over again? Do you think I was thinking about marriage then? NO! So how were you? How could you do this so fast? It's been... what, seven years since the battle. Seven years? God, where have I been? I'm still a bit shocked when I see you two snogging or holding hands or being openly affectionate. And now you're bloody husband and wife. When did Ron even grow up enough to ask Hermione to get married? Ron, weren't you afraid of confrontation only a few years ago? How did you let this happen to yourself?" He paused, face red with how worked up he had gotten himself. Then he sighed. "Sorry, I don't mean to sound like I don't want you two married. I do. It's just... I never thought we would all have a future. But now that we do... well, I'm glad you guys are utilizing it. Keep up the good work. Guess I'll have to have a kid before you, in retaliation. Blimey, a baby. Are you two going to have a baby? Am I going to be godfather? What's going to-? You know what, never mind. I'll leave that decision up to you. Happy wedding day, you guys. Love you both."

And then came the interview he was dreading: his own. Ron sighed as younger-him came onto the screen, and he resisted the urge to hide his face in a pillow. His ugly, old, wrinkly face. Hermione had sworn that he was still beautiful no matter how old they got, but Ron had peevishly complained that she was biased. Amazingly, when he told her she was still gorgeous, she'd always use the same thing on him, and when he'd promised her that he wasn't she had called him a hypocrite, something that Ron had chosen to become deaf to.

"What do I have to say to my wife on my wedding day? Didn't I already do this? Should I reread my vows? Oh, you got those on tape, did you? Right, then. So I'm supposed to talk to Hermione. Er... I love you? Yeah, good place to start. I love you, and I know that no matter how much older we are, whenever we watch this video I will still be in love with you. It's that easy, that simple, because... well... we're sort of a forever kind of thing. Aren't we? Yes, we are. That's why we got married. That's why there's this silver band weighing down my finger. It's... different. Not a bad different. I kind of like it, actually. I feel like it makes me... yours. And you're mine. And we've been like that since we were eighteen, but this is so official. This is more binding than anything we've ever done... snogging and saying 'I love you' and buying a house together. This may only be a symbol but God does this mean something. Something just feels different, like it did when we first got together. I'd look across the room and see you laughing and I'd go 'that laugh is mine'. I'd walk into the bedroom and see you brushing your hair and I'd go 'that hair is mine'. Or I'd hear someone mention your name and I'd think 'that girl is mine'. Now everyone knows... it's nice. As you have probably figured out... well, I'm sort of a jealous person. So the fact that men are going to look at your finger and see my ring on it is completely satisfying to me. You are mine, and I am yours, and that's that. Forever. I love you, Hermione, and believe me when I say that I know how lucky I am. You see a part of me that no one else does. You make me so much better than I could ever be without you. I love you so much."

It was so sudden his breath caught, but there she was. Radiant. Breathtaking. Euphoric. Because they'd done it, they'd gotten married, and he could see from the pretty flush on her face that she had never been happier.

"Ron... I've been tossing and turning for months trying to figure out what to say to you here. This video is going to be eternal... our children are going to see it, however many we have. Our grandchildren might even see it. Mum says she wants us to watch it every anniversary. I kind of agree... that would be fun, wouldn't it? Looking back on this day, laughing about how young we seem. Of course, we don't seem young now. But when I think about it, we may as well be on the train to Hogwarts again. We still have so much time with each other, so much to do together. I'm sure we'll do it all. I think we're going to complete The Plan. I sort of feel like we can do anything together... within reason. But between you and me, if we want something, we'll go after it. We'll do anything. I'd do anything for you and I know you'd do anything for me. That's a pretty damn good basis for a marriage, in my humble opinion. Earlier today... it already seems like some sort of distant memory. A fairytale. Because after all the stressing and nerves and panic over this wedding, I'm honestly more excited for what's going to come with the two of us. I want to do everything with you, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. Semper fidelis, Ron. Always faithful. I've been yours since the day I met you, and I will be forever. Regardless of pain, hardships, and catastrophes. Yours, yours, yours, and-"

But then suddenly, as always, he appeared on the screen, sneaked up behind her, and whirled her around so that he could kiss her.

"Ron!" Hermione squeaked, and he grinned at the camera.

"I've been doing that all night," Ron admitted.

"He has," Hermione confirmed.

"She loves it," Ron said in a stage-whisper, and at his side Hermione laughed.

"I do," she confirmed.

"So, wife," Ron said, turning to Hermione then and ignoring the camera, "you haven't danced with me all night."

"I beg to differ, husband," Hermione said, raising an eyebrow. "I do believe I danced that first dance with you. I distinctly remember some rubbish about 'presenting for the first time ever Mr. and Mrs. Ronald and Hermione Weasley.'"

"Oh, that's right," Ron said, breathing in deeply. "I sort of just wanted to hear you say it."

"Mr. and Mrs. Ronald and Hermione Weasley," Hermione murmured in his ear, just loud enough for the camera to pick up. Ron breathed in again, then he glanced at the camera.

"If you'll excuse us," he said, and then he grabbed Hermione's hand in his and led her exuberantly to the dance floor, clutching on as if she was the only solid thing in the world. But then, Ron thought, maybe she was. Because as they danced together, kissing and smiling and laughing and having everything that he could not, he couldn't help but think that all the solidness had gone out of his life when she'd left it.

And then he knew that he could cry, because he had her to cry to, so he turned the video back to her smiling face and paused it and would not let his eyes leave it. Everything poured to the front of him as he began to sob, letting the tears drip down his nose as the agony ripped through his body. He was crying for her, crying to her, crying about her. The pain felt so good to feel, the tears felt wonderful to experience.

Because Merlin, he missed her.

Movements unsteady, Ron stood up and walked over to his dark bedroom. He slid between the covers and wrapped them around his body, trying to get rid of the terrible cold that assaulted him. He hadn't slept in seven months, true, but he could still lie there and think. Which he did. And as he lay there, he lifted his hand to his face and pulled off the silver ring that still lay there. He squinted in the darkness, trying to see the inside.

Semper fidelis.

That was the last thing he saw before everything went black. And then he was in King's Cross station, but there were no trains, and there was a figure in the distance that was running towards him very, very quickly. He squinted as the shape came closer, and his eyes widened when he realized who it was. Hermione. Not old Hermione, but not young Hermione, either. He couldn't actually pinpoint the age she was, as a matter of fact. Somehow, inexplicably, she could have been twenty and she could have been forty. She was just Hermione... glowing, beautiful, angelic.

Angelic.

"RON!" she called, and in a second she had catapulted herself into his arms with an amount of strength that she hadn't exhibited in years. "Ron, Ron, Ron!" she chanted in his ear. "You're here!"

"I'm... where?" Ron asked, looking around.

Hermione pulled back, guilt crossing over her face. She bit her lip.

"Er- I probably shouldn't be happy about this," she admitted.

"Where am I, Hermione?" Ron demanded, alarm filling him because he thought he knew. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here to... fetch you."

"Fetch me?" Ron said blankly.

"Oh, Ron, think," Hermione sighed, endearingly exasperated. "You look different. You feel healthier. Your hair's red again and your hairline's further up than it has been in forty years."

"I'm dead," Ron registered blankly.

"You're dead," Hermione confirmed, smiling. "And this is where the fun begins."

Ron cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Really? You're happy about this?"

Hermione frowned.

"You're not?"

Ron paused, then rolled his eyes.

"Touche," he chuckled. Then he frowned. "How did I-?"

"In your sleep. It was just a minor heart attack, but your body's been so vulnerable lately that it sort of... did you in. I think, after tonight, you sort of stopped fighting."

"Why tonight?" Ron wondered aloud.

Hermione looked at him closely, trying to read him like he was a book as she so often did.

"Don't you think it had something to do with Rose and Hugo?"

"How so?" Ron asked conversationally.

"You were hanging on for them, right?" Hermione mused. "So when they came over, I think a part of you subconsciously realized that they'd be okay without you, because they have their spouses and their children and each other. And you knew that the person who really needed you was actually... me."

"You're probably right," Ron confessed, the fact that she knew about Rose and Hugo coming over not quite registering with him yet. This was all quite surreal. "So... is this heaven?"

"Not exactly," Hermione told him, glancing around. "This is limbo. The place between life and death. This is where you decide whether or not you want to go back as a ghost. It's sort of a crossroads. I'm here to guide you to where you need to go."

"Why does limbo look like King's Cross Station?" Ron inquired, and he was surprised when Hermione laughed.

"Limbo looks like whatever you imagine it to be, whatever will calm you down because... well, you've just discovered that you're dead. Your mum's was the Burrow's kitchen, for example. My mum's was a library. George's was Weasleys' Wizard's Wheezes."

"What was yours?"

Hermione smiled.

"Mine was also King's Cross Station. Remember how Harry told us all about this? Well, we internalized it, and somewhere along the way our vision of life after death became King's Cross Station. It's actually quite a fitting place to go, I think."

For a second Ron stared at her, and then he grabbed her and crushed his mouth to hers and kissed her with everything he was. She pulled back with a red face and twinkling eyes, then let her body sag against him in surrender to the emotions she was feeling.

"Have I told you that I missed you yet?" she breathed in his ear.

"I don't believe you have," Ron replied.

"I missed you," Hermione murmured.

"I missed you too," he admitted. "More than you can ever know."

"I do know, actually," Hermione said, taking his hand and leading him forward.

"How?" Ron asked, surprised. And when all she did was smile at him and let go of his hand, he asked again. "How?"

She smirked, mischievous, then took off running.

"RACE YOU!"

Ron chased after her, running towards the brilliant white light. Running towards an easily forgotten end and a brand new beginning. Running towards Hermione. Running towards forever. Running towards a place where he would never be sleepless again.

A/N: You made it to the end! Congratulations on sifting your way through thirty chapters of this story. I'm very happy that you were willing to do so. As you know, this isn't fully the end. While the story will be listed as "completed," I will be posting shorter bonus chapters every once in a while, so keep an eye peeled for those.

To those of you who reviewed, I am forever indebted to your kindness. Thank you for making me laugh, making me smile, and making me feel that what I am writing is worth something. That is by far the most amazing feeling that you can give a writer, and for that reason, I will never forget this story or you as a reviewer.

Just… thank you. ~writergirl8