Life Goes On

Harry glanced round him with a small smile. Three full Quidditch teams and all their hanger-on's took up a lot of space. Dumbledore was right; life does go on. Time healed all wounds and there was light after the darkness. It was a travesty that he had to die for all this to come to pass. Taking a tall glass of champagne from the silver tray Harry nodded at the waitress. She looked so surprised at the idea that anybody at this party would look her in the eye that she blushed and ran away. Harry smiled wondering if she would realise it was the Harry Potter who had smiled at her.

"She won't realise. She didn't look at your scar," A small voice said behind him and Harry turned round to face the person who had always read his mind so clearly.

"How...HERMIONE?" Harry yelled drawing a silence and astonished from the crowded function room as he ran and threw himself at Hermione, "You look...wow...How are you?"

"I'm really good actually. Four years is way too long to stay away from everyone at a time, but I'm ok. Bill looked after me," Hermione grinned.

"Looked after you or looked after you?" Harry asked his voice dripping with innuendo.

"Well...he did but...this is none of your business!" A faint blush flushed her cheeks and Harry grinned.

"Outside and spill," Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the balcony.

"Well...we got drunk one night...and he told me all about...how much Ron used to like me," Hermione looked at him pointedly.

"Sorry. He made me promise not to say anything, and he was my best friend."

"And what am I, chopped liver?"

"So Bill told you..."

"About Ron. I laughed saying...slurring, 'how could anyone love me?' I was drunk, did I mention that?"

"Yeah. Go on."

"So he said everyone loved me, and listed you...and Molly...and Ginny so I said no one lusts me...did I mention I was really drunk?"

"Hermione! Get on with the story!" Harry scolded playfully.

"So he said he did and we ended up...well...you know. And then we did it more and more until we stopped." Hermione glanced at the floor.

"Why did you stop?" Harry asked pulling Hermione's eyes up to meet his.

"You try being nine months pregnant! It greatly limits positions," Hermione's eyes twinkled as she brought her left hand to smooth out her once wild hair. The pretty diamond and ruby band glinting in the lights.

"You had a baby...you got married?" Harry opened his mouth over and over.

"That's why we came back. To tell everyone and to show Freja her Uncle Ron's grave," Hermione's eyes welled up at Ron's name.

"Molly is going to kill you!" Harry jested quietly.

"You kidding? I come bearing gifts of her first grand-daughter and the promise of a new grandchild," Hermione patted her tummy.

"My God! What are you? A rabbit?" Harry smiled and beamed at his best friend, astonished at what she had just told him. If he had been paying more attention he should have known. Her robes fell forward over a slightly swollen belly and her face as rosy with happiness. She had matured in four years and the hot Egyptian sun had given her a healthy brown glow and streaked blonde into her hair. Who would have thought that little Hermione Granger would give up a job in the Ministry of Magic to chase treasure and study ancient mythology? It suited her well and Molly Weasley had made sure Bill was there to welcome her to Egypt. Harry grinned at the idea that Molly had been planning this all along.

With all her other children married off and happy Molly would have wanted Bill to find the perfect girl that could make him return home and cut his hair! Harry snickered to him self, apparently everyone had underestimated Hermione's love of leather pants.

"What?" Hermione asked running her hand self consciously across her hair.

"Leather pants," Harry replied, taking the time to laugh again.

"Explain or you will soon become the-boy-who-used-to-live," Hermione's eyes flashed dangerously.

"Bill's leathers. I take it you like them. It was supposed to be a very internal practical joke," Harry explained feebly, "Where are you staying by the way? You know the Burrow is packed with...everyone, right? It's Aura's birthday."

"Oh! I didn't know that. Bill's at the hotel. I suppose we could stay there."

"Listen. I have the whole bloody estate to myself. Well...sort...of but Sirius, Sarah and I would adore it if you'd stay here. Having a child in the house would be fantastic. Sarah is in the process of trying with Sirius at the moment, possibly literally," Harry looked helpless and peered behind her into the ballroom. Shrugging he continued, "so if you wish to maintain any sort of innocence do not go anywhere near their rooms," Harry grimaced.

"Speaking from experience?" Hermione smiled at his small nod; "We would love to stay here. At least we would be close to Ron's..."

"Do you mind he is buried in the Potter mansion grave yard?" Harry asked quietly, trying not to notice the tears that were shining in her eyes again.

"Oh of course not!" Hermione called and threw her arms around him; "He would have loved it better than some Muggle place where he is just another name. He was loved here."

"Come on," Harry sighed taking her hand, "Let's get these people out of my house. You go and fetch Bill. I need the big brother talk with him."

"Oh God! And Harry..." She smiled, "...who are those people in there?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Molly had taken the news fairly well. She was absolutely furious that neither of them had told anybody about the baby or the wedding but was easily pacified by Freja. The Burrow had been home to many new grandchildren over the last four years but this was Molly's first granddaughter. After Penelope had died during the great war Percy had been left to bring up their son, Richard, by himself. He had re-discovered his friendship and eventually a relationship with Oliver Wood and the two were the best parents they could be to Richard.

Charlie had married his own childhood sweetheart, Aura, three months after she had caught the bouquet at Percy's wedding. They had two small boys, Christian and Malachey. Fred and George had married Angelina and Katie, respectively, and both had a set of twins born on the same day in June. They were Alex and Byran, Cain and Demitri. It was a popular belief that the Weasley twins wanted thirteen children each to complete the alphabet.

Ginny was very busy being the most successful single Mother in the world. She was the most renowned interior decorator in the wizarding world and was living in style only ten minutes from The Burrow. She claimed not to know whom the father of her son, Sebastian, was but as the little boy turned four and his silvery blonde hair became his defining feature, people were making logical guesses.

Hermione and Bill stood hand in hand, both clutching flowers, at the gate that led to the end of Harry's garden. Freja was looking for the shaggy black dog that had almost become her permanent nanny. It had been trusted with her care for the last three days and Freja was adamant that she was not going anywhere without him!

"Suffwles!" She had looked up at her mum tearfully, pleading, "Bwing Suffwles, with us?"

"Ok sweetie you can bring Snuffles. If he wants to come?" Hermione said and the little girl wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'll go and see where he is," Sirius said, ducking out of the room and the adults stood in silence until ten seconds later Snuffles poked his head round the door. Freja ran over to him and pulled her arms round his neck, giggling as Snuffles wagged his tail.

The walk down to Ron's grave was a nice one. Freja and Snuffles were running round in circles chasing butterflies and the adults were walking in quiet tranquillity. As they passed through the latched gate to the Potter graveyard, Harry hung back. This was a time for Hermione to be with her child. Ron's marble plaque was clearly looked after, shining in the sun, and had the picture of a black knight next to his name. It seemed fitting, somehow, that Ron would be remembered as a knight when he so readily took on the role to save the world at age eleven.

Hermione had tears streaming down her face and Bill was trying to fill in the gaps in her story as Freja sat next to Ron's Gravestone, she was gently running her fingers across his name. She nodded at her Mother and Father wanting to understand what they were saying, Snuffles was sitting by the gate, all but forgotten for a minute.

"Do you understand, honey?" Hermione asked gently.

"Won was daddy's friend?" Freja asked slowly.

"No. Ron was Daddy's brother," Hermione placed Freja's hand on her tummy, "Like you are going to have soon. A brother or sister. Uncle Ron was Mummy's friend."

"And Uncle Harry's fwiend?" Freja smiled.

"Yeah. Ron was Uncle Harry's friend," Bill smiled.

Freja stood up slowly; "May I go now?"

"Yeah," Bill watched his daughter walk slowly away, put a loving around his wife's shoulders, and sighed, "I'm not sure if she understands."

"Uncle Hawy?" Freja was standing by him now.

"Yeah?" Harry asked kneeling next to her.

Freja put her arms round him and hugged tight. "I'm sorry Uncle Won lost you," She whispered and Harry hugged tighter.

"Thank you," Harry whispered with tears in his eyes, as she pulled back.

"Uncle Hawy?" She asked smiling, "You teach me chess?"

Harry smiled as she took his hand and he began to recognise where he has seen her eyes before. The same sparkle and mischievous glint that had challenged him to so many chess games in the past. Dumbledore was right; life does go on.