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Hermione Granger sighed in relief as she entered through the front door of Grimmauld Place. She hung up her scarf and removed her cloak, placing it next to Harry's. Ron's hook was empty, which meant he was still at the shop with George. Ginny's was empty too, so she decided to go find Harry.
Ron and Harry had lived at Grimmauld Place the past year while Hermione and Ginny finished their final year at Hogwarts. Then they'd joined their boyfriends too, until Ginny had a rude awakening after the Harpy's training began.
She was expected to live in Holyhead for at least six months, although preferably a year. To thrive in the Harpy culture, to be available at a moment's notice for any unexpected training sessions that coach Gwenog Jones might call. It was all a part of being a Harpy, she was told, with the occasional day or weekend off, whenever Gwenog was feeling generous.
So a miserable Ginny let a flat for six months only. She'd managed one weekend off since then, which had been taken up by family and friends eager to catch up with her to find out what life was like as a professional Quidditch player.
She'd also managed one Friday night off and returned to Grimmauld Place where an eager Harry had Apparated them to their bedroom and they had come down to the kitchen by lunch time the next day, looking thoroughly ravaged, when she had to leave.
She had supposed to have had the last two Friday nights off but each time she'd fire-called to say she had to cancel. She'd sounded annoyed the first time and sad the second time. But they were supposed to go out tonight for dinner, the four of them. Hermione knew Harry had been looking forward to it all week.
“Harry?” she called, walking up the small flight of stairs after checking he wasn't in the kitchen.
She heard voices in the sitting room so headed that way, stopping outside when she heard Harry's raised voice, although she did glance in to see him in front of the fireplace.
“ – ridiculous! You deserve a night off,” he huffed.
“Well technically it is a night off, I get to go meet some sponsors at a Harpy party. The whole squad has to go,” sighed Ginny gloomily.
“It's just – I haven't seen you in a month,” said Harry despondently. “I miss you. Teddy misses you.”
“Oh, don't pull the Teddy card with me, I feel bad enough as it is. I am really sorry, Harry. I miss you too, so much. Next week, for sure,” she replied, optimistically.
“Sure,” he said, disbelieving.
Ginny glanced over her shoulder and spoke to somebody, then back at Harry.
“I'm sorry, but I have to go. We'll figure something out, Harry, I'll go crazy if I don't see you soon.”
“Bye Gin,” he replied sadly, and the flames died down.
Slowly he got to his feet and turned, stopping when he saw Hermione peeking around the corner.
“So, dinner for three?” she asked, trying to make light of it.
Harry shook his head. “You two go, I'm not very hungry.”
“I'm sorry you can't see Ginny. But it's already been a month, only five to go,” reasoned Hermione.
Harry shook his head. “I thought we were done with this separation thing, you know? I went on the Horcrux hunt, then she had to go back to school. But this is supposed to be our time together, you know? I get the training is hard for the new recruits but why does she have to live there when she can just Floo there? Why does she need to 'soak up the Harpy's culture' “ he complained, using fingers for Gwenog's quote.
Hermione shrugged. “I guess it's just a part of her job you'll have to accept. But talk to her Harry, let her know how you feel. She sounded just as annoyed as you about having to go to this party thing.”
“You and I both know Ginny loves a party,” he grumbled.
“Not for something like this,” reasoned Hermione, “ she'll feel like she's on display. After all, she's just a rookie recruit.”
“Number one recruit of the year, according to Quidditch Monthly,” boomed Ron proudly, coming to join Hermione's side. “Are we ready to go eat or do I have time to change? Or can I go like this?” he asked his girlfriend, gesturing to his clothes.
He looked at his best friend. “Ginny not here yet?”
Hermione lay a gentle hand on his arm. “It's just the two of us tonight,” she said.
Her eyes and tone must have resonated something to Ron for he looked back at Harry, then Hermione and nodded.
“Right then, let's go. Harry, want us to bring you something back?” he asked.
Harry shook his head. “No thanks. You guys have a great night out. I'm going to bed.”
Hermione and Ron watched Harry walk out of the sitting room as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.
“He'll be right,” consoled Ron, throwing an arm over her shoulders. “Once Ginny comes back, everything will be all right.”
“But that's not for another five months,” argued Hermione, turning to burrow against him. “He misses her so much. Stupid Harpy rules,” she complained.
His chest rumbled as he laughed, it brought comfort to her as she leaned against him, feeling his heartbeat against her cheek as he wrapped his arms around her.
It felt like home.
/*/*/*/*
A week later brought a similar situation. Hermione found Ron in the kitchen, making a double sandwich.
“Ron, we're going to the Burrow soon for dinner,” she scolded.
“That's at least another hour away, I'm hungry now,” he replied.
“I'm going up to change,” she told him.
“Oh, you don't want to go up that way. Maybe Apparate,” Ron suggested. “Harry's on a fire-call with Ginny.”
The way he said it made Hermione stop and look at him.
“Not again?” she asked, and Ron nodded.
“Apparently Gwenog's called for a midnight training session. Gin said she would have come here, even for a couple hours but she took a hit at training. They're keeping her for observation in case she's got concussion. If she doesn't, she'll train. If she does, well, she has to rest up for a couple days. No Floo travel, no Apparating,” he told her.
“No Harry and Ginny time together,” realised Hermione.
She looked up the stairs. “ Is he angry?”
“There was some yelling,” conceded Ron. “Not at her, no, he wanted to go check on her but she said they wouldn't allow it. Now he just sounds...resigned, I guess.”
They both looked up at the sound of Harry's footsteps, getting louder as he got closer.
“Hey guys,” he greeted them, more downcast than usual. “Ron, would you please apologize to your mum, I'm not going to make dinner.”
“ Are you sure, Harry? Maybe it would be good to be around people who love you,” suggested Hermione.
Harry shook his head. “There's only one person I want to be around and she's not going to be there because she may or may not have a concussion. I wouldn't be very good company.”
“We could stay,” offered Ron, “ get some take away.”
“No, it's fine. I've got some thinking to do,” he muttered.
“Thinking? About what?” asked Hermione, worried.
Harry shrugged. “ What's the point of being in relationship if we never see each other? I just don't think we can go on like this. Sorry guys, tell everyone I said hello.”
And with that announcement, he left the kitchen.
Eyes wide with worry, Hermione spun around to Ron, only to see him calmly eating his sandwich.
“Wha-?” he asked, mouth full, when he noticed her glaring at him.
“ Did you not here what Harry just said?” she demanded. “I think...I think Harry's going to break up with Ginny.”
Ron swallowed his sandwich in shock, making him cough.
Hermione rushed over to pound on his back several times till he stopped.
“Thanks,” he said, swallowing the last bit of sandwich and taking a gulp of water she conjured up for him. “I'm good. Do you really think Harry would do that?” he asked.
Hermione shook her head in despair. “I don't know, it was just the way he sounded. Like, he'd had enough.”
“Blimey,” said Ron, taking another bite of his sandwich and chewing slowly as he contemplated his best mate and his sister breaking up.
It was unfathomable to him.
/*/*/*/*
They returned from the Burrow in happy spirits, always glad to see all the family. They stowed the containers of left overs in the cool box, although Hermione held onto one.
“I'm going to run this up to Harry, it might make him feel better,” she said, holding up the container with a decent slice of treacle tart inside.
“Master isn't here.”
Hermione and Ron spun around to see Kreacher by the door. The old elf still lived there but rarely left his cupboard these days.
“Harry's gone?” asked Ron, and the elf nodded.
“Where?” asked Hermione.
“Kreacher does not remember,” said the old elf, turning and shuffling away. “Kreacher is getting old, too old.”
Hermione bit her bottom lip in worry.
“Hey, Harry will be fine,” said Ron, soothingly. “Maybe he went to visit Teddy, he loves that kid, says he always feels better after a visit with him.”
“Maybe,” agreed Hermione but she didn't seem convinced.
“ Come on, put that tart in the cool box and let's go to bed,” suggested Ron wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
“Fine,” said Hermione, handing him the container, “but we need to talk to him in the morning.”
Ron took the container, put it in the cool box, calmly walked back to Hermione, picked her up and, as she cried out in delight, he Apparated the two of them up to their bedroom, where she cried out for other reasons throughout the night.
/*/*/*/*
With Harry not returning to Grimmauld Place all weekend, Hermione was determined to track him down at work, so she went to the auror office on her lunch break Monday morning, only to get some unexpected news.
“What do you mean, he took the week off?” Hermione asked Gawaiin Robards.
Robards looked at her curiously. “ Don't you live with him?” he asked.
“Yes but...look, we haven't seen him since Friday night,” said Hermione, twisting her fingers in worry for her friend.
Robards shrugged. “He owled Kingsley over the weekend, asking for time off for personal reasons, and Merlin knows he has plenty of leave accumulated. Kingsley let me know last night.”
“ All right. Thanks,” she said, before turning and leaving the head auror's office and going back to her office where she had lunch at her desk while pondering where Harry could be.
It was late afternoon when she received an owl from Ron. As usual it was short and to the point.
Ginny invited us to hers for tea. 6 ish but we can go earlier if you finish on time for once, says she has news. I'm finishing at 4, see you at home. Love you – Ron.
Ginny has news.
Hermione wondered what that could be, and how it pertained to Harry. Had they broken up? Did Ginny want to vent, to get answers from them that maybe she hadn't gotten from Harry? And more importantly, did Ginny know where Harry was?
With that in mind, Hermione went to her boss and requested she be allowed to finish at four, saying she had forgotten she had an appointment and it was too late to cancel.
With her excellent work ethic, her boss agreed without hesitation.
It was close to five when Hermione and Ron Apparated into Holyhead and walked to Ginny's flat hand in hand.
Ron squeezed her hand as they walked up the two flights of stairs.
“Let's just hear her out, see what she's got to say, all right?” he suggested to Hermione gently, feeling her anxiety through their linked hands.
Hermione nodded. “I just want to know Harry is all right and they haven't broken up.”
Ron nodded back at her. “Me too. Well – ,” he took a deep breath as they got to Ginny's front door, “here we go,” he said, knocking.
The door opened and Ginny looked surprised. “Oh, you're so early,” she said, then, realizing how that sounded, she laughed. “Sorry, it's fine, we just – “
Harry appeared next to her, slipping an arm around her waist. “Hey Ron, Hermione. You're way earlier than we expected. We had something planned, you see.”
Ginny and Harry looked at each other and announced together, “Welcome to the home of Hinny.”
Frowning, Ron leaned in, sniffing suspiciously. “Are you high? What gibberish are you spouting?”
Laughing, Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled them her inside.
Harry cocked his head for Ron to follow, shutting the door firmly behind him.
“It's us,” explained Ginny, gesturing between her and Harry, “we're Hinny. Harry and Ginny, Hinny.”
“It's what her teammates call us,” said Harry, rolling his eyes.
Ginny nudged him. “ So we decided to call this dump the Home of Hinny.”
“Hey, I've spent the weekend sprucing the place up. It's not a dump anymore,” protested Harry.
“He's right, the place looks a million times better than it did. He's brilliant,” said Ginny, standing on tiptoes to cup his cheek and kiss him, making him beam.
Hermione and Ron looked around. They'd only been to Ginny's flat once, when she first moved in. There'd been a beat up old sofa and it was dark, but Ginny had shrugged and said she wouldn't be there much anyway, so no point to make it too nice. A few family photos were all she had added to make it homely, as well as a blanket made by her mother.
>But now, there was a lamp that lent a golden glow over the lounge, where a new sofa, chairs and coffee table was. The small kitchen had a breakfast bar, where Ginny told them she usually ate but tonight they would be eating in the lounge.
“Speaking of eating...” said Ginny, looking at the kitchen.
“My lasagne,” cried Harry, racing the five or so steps it took to get from the lounge to the kitchen.
“ Smells brilliant, mate, I'm starving,” said Ron, following him.
“ So everything is all right with the two of you?” Hermione asked Ginny.
Ginny nodded. “Yeah, he turned up Friday night, scared the shit out of me when I got home but said he's staying. Hope you guys don't mind.”
“Staying...as in, living here?” asked Hermione in surprise. She looked around the tiny flat, knowing there was one bedroom and a small bathroom down the hall. So much different from Grimmauld Place.
“Yep,” said Ginny. “I never would have thought to ask him to move here, what with you all at Grimmauld but he said he would make it work, and it's only a few more weeks.”
“Five months,” corrected Hermione. “ What about Teddy?” She directed the question to both Ginny and Harry.
Harry looked at her as he plated the lasagne.
“What about him? Nothing will change there, I'll still go and see him after work, stay for tea. Same as I'll still be popping in to Grimmauld from time to time. I'll just be sleeping here.”
“I told him if he has a late shift he should sleep over at Grimmauld Place or if you guys plan a night out, but he told me he sleeps better next to me,” said Ginny.
“Oh, right,” said Hermione, surprised.
“This one here thought Harry was breaking up with you, Ginny,” chuckled Ron, putting his arm around Hermione, who promptly nudged him in the side. “Oof, what the hell?”
“What? What made you think that?” asked Harry, shocked.
“You seemed, I don't know, frustrated,” shrugged Hermione.
“Yeah, with the Harpies and their stupid rules, not Ginny,” said Harry, “ but like you said, it's part of her job and if she can't come to me, then I can certainly come to her.”
“To her, with her,” winked Ginny.
“GINNY!” chorused Hermione, Ron and a blushing Harry.
“Come on, let's eat,” suggested Harry. He pointed to the lounge. “Take a seat, I'll bring it over. Gin, would you get them drinks?”
“Oh sure, sorry. Wine?” asked Ginny. “I can't have any but we do have some. Harry likes a good red.”
“Yes I do,” he said, leaning down to kiss her lightly. She laughed and pushed him away, but patted his butt as he did so.
“I'll have a wine thanks,” smiled Hermione, sitting down and pulling Ron next to her.
“Butterbeer for me if you've got it,” said Ron.
“Two wines, two butterbeers,” recited Ginny, scooting out the way as Harry brought two plates to the coffee table.
“Harry, why didn't you leave a note for us when you left? I only found out when I went to see you at work today and they said you took a week off,” asked Hermione. She smiled her thanks as Ginny set a glass of wine down in front of her.
“Oh, didn't I? Guess I was in too much of a rush, I think I yelled something to Kreacher. I just made the decision to go to Ginny's and then I was off,” said Harry.
“What are you taking a week off for?” asked Ron, breaking off some garlic bread.
“Well, I'm due for some time off. Thought I'd spend a day with Teddy but mainly just get to know my way around Holyhead and be here for Gin. I met some of her teammates last night, we went to a nice pub for a meal,” explained Harry.
“Are there any other blokes here with their Harpy partners?” asked Ron.
“ A couple. One's Muggleborn so he'd been brought up on football of course, but they both seemed all right, we played some darts last night. I was shite,” chuckled Harry.
“Well why didn't they say you could have your partners stay with you right from the start,” huffed Hermione. “Would have saved a lot of unnecessary angst.”
“None of the other two recruits are in a relationship so I guess they didn't think it would matter to any of us rookies. And I guess I didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to come home on the weekends, I mean, it's not like I'm going to get any match time this season,” shrugged Ginny. “I made it quite clear in my interview with them before I signed that my family and my relationship was very important to me."
“Suppose they thought you'd be out partying and getting pissed, like most seventeen year olds are doing after Hogwarts,” said Ron.
“Yeah, well, we're not most seventeen or eighteen year olds, are we?” asked Harry, somewhat testily, sitting next to Ginny.
She put a hand on his knee. “No we're not. We've lived through a war, you've been at the centre of it and we have a godson. That's where my heart is, when I'm not doing a hundred other things with the Harpies that doesn't include flying.”
“Oh, like what?” asked Ron.
“Like that stupid party on Friday night for the sponsors. I get they're important to the club but ugh, I felt like a prize cow being judged at the market. Or they wanted to ask about Harry,” said Ginny bitterly.
“What's so interesting about Harry,” teased Ron.
“Beats me,” chuckled Harry.
“What else, Ginny?” asked Hermione.
“Well, this week I have to do an interview and photo shoot, oh, that reminds me, wait here,” she cried, running off to the bedroom.
She returned with a poster. “Here, my first Harpy promotional poster, what do you think?” she asked, passing it to her brother.
Ron unfurled it. “Wow, you look amazing, Ginny. My sister, the professional Quidditch player,” he boasted proudly, showing it to Hermione.
He went to pass it back to Ginny but she waved her hand. “Keep it, or give it to mum and dad. Harry got the first one, and I have one for Teddy,” she smiled, thinking of the little boy.
“You better autograph it for me before you get too famous,” laughed Ron.
“Sure. What was your name again?” she teased, as Harry passed her a marker.
“Roonil Wazlib?” he suggested, making them all laugh.
“Make it out to your favourite brother, who taught you everything you know about Quidditch,” suggested Ron.
Ginny nodded and started writing. “To Charlie, thanks for – “
“Hey,” protested Ron.
“I'm kidding,” winked Ginny, quickly scribbling something down.
“ Come on, lets eat before it gets cold,” suggested Harry.
They spent the next couple of hours catching up on news of Luna's travels, whether Fleur and Bill would have a baby soon and how Ron was enjoying his transition from the auror department to working with George in the shop.
It was fun, it was easy but soon Ginny started yawning.
“I think it's time we went,” said Hermione, patting Ron's knee.
“Sorry guys, but I do have an early start tomorrow,” apologised Ginny.
“Not me,” boasted Harry, “I can stay in bed all day!”
They all stood and hugged each other goodbye.
“I am really hoping to get this weekend off, and if I do, we'll come stay at Grimmauld,” said Ginny firmly. “I need me some Teddy time.”
“He's grown so much just in the last month,” Harry told her and she groaned.
“Well, let us know if you are coming back,” said Ron. “I know mum worries about you.”
“I have missed Sunday night dinners with everyone,” she admitted.
But then she looked at Harry and slid her arm around his waist. “But the one I missed most is here, and I'm so happy right now.”
Harry gazed at her like she was the most precious thing in the world.
“We're happy for both of you,” smiled Hermione, “but if there is anything we can do for you, let us know.”
“Thanks guys,” said Ginny, hugging her again.
“Have a good week off mate. Bring Teddy to the shop,” suggested Ron as he slapped Harry on the shoulder.
They stood in the doorway, watching their dear friends walk away to the Apparition point in Holyhead, then closed the door.
Ron and Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place in minutes and began their usual nighttime wind down. She checked her briefcase for any work that needed doing but had none so went to get ready for bed and lay out her clothes for the morning.
She went downstairs to prepare her lunch for the next day, only to find Ron in the entrance.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“I'm going to hang Ginny's poster here, I was just reading what she wrote,” he chuckled, pointing.
“To Ron and Hermione Weasley” she read, blushing at the implication, “ thanks for being the first to dine at the Home of Hinny, please come again. Your Harpy, Ginny Weasley.
“Hinny,” chuckled Ron. “Who comes up with these names?"
“People with too much time on their hands,” said Hermione.
“I think it's fun,” argued Ron. “What do you think ours would be? Hermione, hey where are you going?”
“To bed. It's been a long day,” she sighed.
“Yeah, I know you were worried about Harry,” said Ron, taking her in his arms.
“About both of them,” corrected Hermione, resting her head on his chest.
“They're together now, that's what matters, said Ron. “Trust Harry to find a way.”
“He really missed her terribly,” agreed Hermione. “He looked so much happier tonight than I've seen him since Ginny left for Holyhead."
“Yeah, and he deserves a week off too,” reasoned Ron, “so all in all, a good result yeah? And now we've got this big place all to ourselves!”
Hermione blushed at his implications, then suddenly blurted out, “Romione!”
“What?” asked Ron, confused.
“Our couple name. Romione,” stated Hermione.
“Romione,” said Ron slowly, then shook his head. “Nah, you can come up with something better than that!”
“Not tonight, I can't. Come on, let's go to bed,” she sighed.
“Lead the way, Mrs Weasley,” said Ron, bowing.
Hermione's eyes narrowed. “Actually, I'll be keeping my surname.”
Ron considered it. “So Granger-Weasley?”
“Yes,” nodded Hermione, then realised what she had said. “I mean, hypothetically, of course, we haven't, er, we've never spoken about that...you know, the future and all,” she finished weakly, blushing furiously.
“You mean marriage,” said Ron, amused to see his Hermione so flustered.
“Yes,” said Hermione.
Ron took her in his arms. “Hermione, I'm as sure as anything that one day, you and I will be married with kids, just like Harry and Ginny will be married. Our kids will be best friends with theirs."
“I don't want a lot of children. Definitely one, maybe two, but that's it,” she said determinedly.
“Good to know,” nodded Ron. “Shall we go practice?”
And with that, he Apparated her to their bedroom before she could say another word.