Hermione's Little Secret

Hermione cleared the weeds from around Ron's headstone and leaned against it, rubbing her cheek against the cold stone. She wore jeans and t-shirt under her wizarding robe, so she sat with her knees bent under her chin, her arms clasped around her legs securely.

"Oh, Ron, the kids are growing so bloody fast. RJ's so tall; your mum thinks he's taller than you were at eight. I do know that I've performed the spell to mend his pants a lot recently. He and Brian are the best of friends, like you and Harry all over again. It's like seeing you on the Hogwarts Express all those years ago, eating that bloody chocolate frog with Harry, with that smudge on your nose." Hermione laughed through her tears. "He's like you, just like you, Ronald. Gods, I wish you could have seen him just once, my love." She made the same wish every year, but never got it granted, of course. Fate had dealt its hand and she'd lost her lover and best friend to an insane Death Eater on the run from Aurors.

"Adrianna gets more beautiful, and more blonde every day. She's so sweet, so kind and loving. I can't believe that she's the birth daughter of...him. You're the only father she ever knew, and Harry thinks that I shouldn't tell Malfoy that he's also created another child. Oh, yeah, the ferret's returned from America to take over teaching Severus' potions classes and become Head of Slytherin House. He's divorced nad has custody of his young daughter. I think the two girls look somewhat alike and I fear the first time he sees Adrianna." Hermione pressed her hand on the headstone. "I should have told you who it was when you were alive, but it was so fucking hard! I didn't want you to think less of me for sleeping with him." She started to cry again, but she sniffled the tears back, holding them in. She'd cried enough in the nine years since his death. She rested her head back and closed her eyes, more tired than she realized she'd been, falling asleep quickly.


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She sat on the edge of her bed, the bed in the little house she'd left when shedecided to take the kids to live at the school ranther than down the road from Molly and the rest of the Weasleys. She looked up to find Ron standing in the doorway, leaning his long, lanky frame against the door jam. He was giving her his 'come get me' smile, his hands stuffed into his jeans pockets as he watched her lay back and pull her shirt off, throwing it at him. He laughed and caught it, advancing upon her.

"I've missed you, baby."

"I missed you, too, Ron. I love you so much."

"Mione, sweetheart, I love you too. I've been watching you all. You've been doing a great job. Adrianna's beautiful and smart, like you. And RJ's definitely a Weasley." Ron smiled and allowed Hermione to pull him down into her arms. He kissed her deeply, moaning as she started to undress him quickly. She quickly had him down to his underwear, laughing when he kept trying to pull away.

"They're wonderful kids. You'd be proud of them."

"I am proud of them. But, Hermione, it's been nine years." He finally pulled away from her, sitting next to her, one of his hands sifting through her brunette curls spread out against the pillow. Gods, he missed being there with her, loving her. "You need to live again. I'm dead and gone, and you're too young to be living alone for the rest of your life." He pulled away from her embrace again. "You can't keep me with you forever, pushing away other men. I'll always be in heart, but you need to find someone else to love and be loved by. Don't let yourself become an old witch before your time." He bent down and kissed her gently, stroking her cheek with his fingers lightly. "I miss holding you, my love, but for now, you're still in the land of the living and you haven't even lived since my death. Now, wake up, get the kids and make a change, sweetheart." He pinched her playfully as he leaned down to kiss her waiting lips....


~~~~~~~~~~


...And Hermione woke with a start, her face pressed uncomfortably against the cold stone. She was breathing hard, like she had been in the dream, and she swore she could still feel Ron's lips on hers, kissing her before berating her so thoroughly. She was a witch, and knew that sometimes things weren't what they appeared. And sometimes they were. She smiled and looked down at Ron's headstone. "I love you, Ronald Weasley. Thank you for being in my life. You're right. I promise I"ll not ignore myself any longer." She could swear she heard his light laughter as she stood, dusted herself off, and left the cemetery.

The next day, Hermione left RJ with his grandmother and took Adrianna into London, first shopping in Muggle London for new clothes for Hermione. Adrianna watched her mother and wondered if she was possessed. Her mum had always worn the dark matronly clothes, but ever since her birthday yesterday, she'd noticed a lightness in her mother's step, something she vaguely remembered from when her father had been alive. She bought clothes to accentuate her figure, instead of downplaying her femininity, like she usually did. And she wore bright colors for the first time in eight years! Rianna was used to seeing her mother in black and gray. After Hermione's shopping trip, then went to Diagon Alley for Adrianna's school supplies. Her excitement reminded Hermione of her own so many years ago, before she knew anything about the magical workd besides what the fairy tales told her.

Exhausted, they returned to the Burrow, arms laden with miniaturized packages. Harry helped her return RJ to the school, while Molly would get Adrianna on the Hogwarts Express the next day. She'd insisted on taking the train even though she lived in the school. Hermione had agreed the girl could spend the night with her grandparents and come home with her new classmates. Harry followed his friend into the castle to her quarters, rubbing his nephew's back as he carried the sleeping boy. She dropped everything on the chair as Harry carried RJ into his bedroom and tucked him under the covers.

"I'll have to put his pajamas on later."

"Just leave it, 'Mione. How many times did Ron pass out fully clothed?"

"None after we were married. He slept in the nude." Hermione joked, swatting her friend on the arm as he pretended to gag. "Oh, come off it. You lived with him in the tower for most of seven years, Harry. You know he slept starkers."

"Yeah, I just wanted to rag on you. I gotta get going. Ginny's getting the kids to bed early tonight." He waggled his eyebrows and kissed her on the cheek as she in turned gagged, laughing.

"I'll see everyone for Christmas. Bye, Harry."

"Later."

Hermione let him out of her quarters, and then turned to her packages. She was excited about her daughter's first day at Hogwarts as a student, but equally excited about changing herself. Tomorrow, she'd let her hair down, sedately, of course. She smiled, feeling a little spart of her old self, before Ron's death.

a/n~~~ yep, it's kinda short, but I can't break up the next part, so that should be a bit longer, and look out for some little bits of lemons.

to everyone who's reviewed, keep it up, I love hearing from you and your opinions

to Natalie, thanks for the wonderful idea, once I get there, I'll use it

hopefully, a new chapter in 24 hours. until then, check out some of the other stories I have *hint hint*....yep, i'm an attention hound and I love it lol

really, though, thanks for sticking with the story

marti