Name: BookWorm530 (Signed) · Date: 04/14/11 8:36 · For: one-shot

I always look forward to your stories! Poor Ron...just another reason to believe Harry gets everything. I agree with you, I could definitely see this happening in that supposed eight year gap. Thanks, as always, for sharing : )

Author's Response: Oh, I didn't even think of the Harry factor for Ron... I was more just thinking how awful it would be to watch someone close to you going through something you want so desperately for yourself. But yeah, more angst for Ron. ;) Glad you liked it. Thanks for the review.

Name: September December (Signed) · Date: 04/12/11 18:25 · For: one-shot

This is adorable! I don't know if I've told you before, but your Ron and Hermione are perfect. They're exactly what I had always imagined them to be after they were married. Great job! :)

Author's Response: Comments like that make me grin from ear to ear. :D Thanks so much--I appreciate it!

Name: Accioronmione (Signed) · Date: 04/12/11 17:49 · For: one-shot

I have enjoyed your stories immensly. Especially "Shell Cottage". Can relate so much to this story, my husband and I have been trying to conceive for 4 years now. Tests run, no known issues, just not happening. And many friends and family getting pregnant without trying. So thank you so much for sharing this. I understand that this is an adult topic, but not all fans are late teens or early twenties. I happen to be 34. Thank You Again!!

Author's Response: Ah, we are in the same age bracket. ;) Thanks so much for sharing that. I have not experienced this exact scenario, but something similar, and in the worst of it, I think I had NINE friends who were pregnant. Crazy. I'm so glad you've enjoyed my stories... that means a lot. Thanks again!

Name: Betamax (Signed) · Date: 04/12/11 12:54 · For: one-shot

Your understanding of these two characters continues to surprise me. A very good story describing a difficult time in their lives. I like it.

Author's Response: What a nice thing to say. Thanks so much!

Name: Sternbetrachter (Signed) · Date: 04/12/11 12:45 · For: one-shot

great story

no reason at all? that is awful! in other stories, it's because of either the brains attacking Ron, or Dolohov and later Bellatrix attacking/torturing Hermione but nothing? aww

Author's Response: I know, that makes it tougher on them, and I do feel a bit bad about it. But we know they do end up having two children, so there is no need to give them some horrible situation that cannot be overcome. And truly, I know quite a few people who have been through it without an obvious cause. I must not be aware of so many other stories on this topic... I am curious now and will have to hunt them down. Hehe. Thanks again for the review. I'm glad you liked it.

Name: RonW (Signed) · Date: 04/12/11 8:00 · For: one-shot

finally a mature shot from you.. you always portrait the characters of Ron an d Hermione so well and i love you for that.. i could easily say that this one is indeed your best one after "scenes from shell cottage" of course.. keep writing and inspiring :)

Author's Response: Thanks so much for always reviewing--I really appreciate it. I'm glad you liked this one so much and thought the characterization was good. :)

Name: ahattab33 (Signed) · Date: 04/12/11 6:27 · For: one-shot

Oh, this was wonderful!!

Truthfully, I nearly cried, but that's because it was so sweet and sad. You write so so so well, do you know that, Lori? When Ron was watching Hermione cry and thinking about how great a mother she'd making and how he hated her pain and how much he loved her...it connected with me, and I nearly cried.

I love all forms of Ron and Hermione- this is very much an adult one, dealing with adult themes, but in their own way, and I feel like you just GET them so well they just pour out of you.

This was really really wonderful, and I'm not just saying that because I get to claim it. :) So thank you!! I loved it, and I hope others did, too.

~Amanda

Author's Response: Yay, you liked it! :) I'm glad you connected to it, and you thought it worked. It has been in my head for a while, and I wavered on whether to go with this for your day or to do something a little lighter... so I'm glad you didn't mind the angst. Then again, you are the queen of angsty Ron, as far as I'm concerned. ;) I'm so glad you had a fun birthday, and--right or wrong--I have completely shared in all the R/Hr love you received! :D *hugs*

Name: The_Real_Hermione (Signed) · Date: 04/12/11 1:30 · For: one-shot

This is a very interesting story, Lori. Firstly - I absolutely loved your characterisations. Ron was still Ron, still threw in a humorous comment, yet he was so caring and aware of Hermione's feelings (which showed how he had matured... he wasn't exactly the most sensitive boy in canon). I really liked the ending, it showed that their life continues and they'll just keep trying and moving through life together.

I think this is an interesting topic... I've always wondered, too, why Ron and Hermione didn't have a child earlier... to me it seemed like they'd be ready for a family earlier than Harry and Ginny. I've written a story about this in which Ron and Hermione lose a child, but I think the events in your story are almost more poignant, and more difficult for them, because, as you said, there's always that question of what if they can't.

I really liked the way you described their reactions to Ginny's pregnancy, and how they will struggle to be happy for their friends but they will be nonetheless because their friendship is important.

So all in all, I really liked this story, you dealt with the topic really well, your writing and dialogue were great and your characterisation spot on.

~Katrina

Author's Response: Hi Katrina. Thanks so much for leaving me such a thoughtful review. I think it's interesting that so many others seem to have wondered at them not having children earlier, just like did. If you imagine them marrying later on, it's not so strange, but I personally think they would have married pretty quickly... so yeah, you wonder. Thank you so much for what you said about the characterization. I care a great deal about that and it is rewarding when any reviewer thinks it rings true to canon.

You mentioned that you liked how mature Ron was in his sensitivity to Hermione's feelings (thank you!) and how he wasn't like that in canon. You may have only been referring to earlier canon, and if so, cool. But I do think Ron began to show a lot more sensitivity starting when Dumbledore died. (Before that, I grant you that he was a pain the behind. Hehe.) But yeah, from the comfort he gave her at the funeral to the comfort he gave her when they were talking with Harry before the wedding (I love the part where Harry marvels that Ron is giving lessons in tactfulness--lol). Then at Grimmauld Place, Ron jumps down Harry's throat for snapping at Hermione... it goes on and on through the book, and even when they do argue about the Elder Wand, it's not the mean-spirited kind of thing they used to do when they were younger. In DH, Ron is really only mean/insensitive when he's wearing the Horcrux (unless I'm forgetting something). But yeah, you are right that he was a butthead to her for ages before all of that. :) I imagine the issue at hand (in this fic) maturing him quite a bit as well as the war and the loss of Fred.

Anyhoo. :) Thanks again. I'm glad you liked it--thanks for taking the time to tell me.

Name: Padfoot Patronus (Signed) · Date: 04/11/11 23:52 · For: one-shot

I agree that this is a grown up topic and I have to say I love how you handled it. The story had such a slow, steady pace, sometimes a reader just needs that to read about an ordinary afternoon that subtly becomes tense, important, important enough to be narrated and delivered. I love how that pace somehow seemed to reinforce what they were going through. They are so mature here, I loved that too. There's weight in Ron's consolations and jokes even. He was adorable here and I love how he behaved.

Very nicely written.

-Akay

Author's Response: Thank you so much for reading this and reviewing. I have a few other stories in me on this topic w/regard to R/Hr, but I honestly wasn't sure how well it would be received. How many people out there want to read about R/Hr having fertility problems? ;) I'm so glad you thought the slower pace worked, and that you felt the sorrow under the surface with Ron--that was important to me. Thanks again... I appreciate you taking the time to review!

Name: nevilleherosnape (Signed) · Date: 04/11/11 19:39 · For: one-shot

I love this very much! Very beautifully written! Excellent!

Author's Response: Thanks! And thank for always taking the time to review!

Name: yogababe (Signed) · Date: 04/11/11 18:39 · For: one-shot

This was heart-rendingly beautiful. I was so touched. You are very talented. Thank you for sharing your gift.

Author's Response: That is so sweet--thanks!

Name: Gmariam (Signed) · Date: 04/11/11 17:29 · For: one-shot

Aww, this is so bittersweet! And so well done. Lori, you really know these characters. I love how well you balance them as adults. Ron is still Ron but more mature. I particularly love that he still has his sense of humour with lines like, "I can see I didn’t need to, since you’ve taken an afternoon off for the first time in five years and you’re lying in bed in the fetal position." That was just a lovely line, so perfect for their relationship.
Contrasting their waiting with Harry and Ginny's second pregnancy really makes it more poignant. Hermione's pain was so heartbreaking when she finally voiced the unfairness of the situation. I'm glad I know that they do end up with a lovely daughter soon!
Well done, Lori! And Happy Birthday, Amanda!
~Gina :)

Author's Response: Gina! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, you sweet thing. ;) Okay, unless my math has gone sour (wouldn't be the first time), this is Harry and Ginny's first pregnancy--James. As I mentioned during our chat, I imagine R/Hr getting married rather quickly, perhaps a year and a half after the battle, so 1999, right? James is born in 2005 and Rose in 2006, so Ginny would have got pregnant in 2004 that would be 5 years after R/Hr got married (in Lori Canon--lol). Does that sound right? I know you imagine H/G getting married first, so maybe that is why you imagined this was her preg w/Albus. Anyway, it doesn't really matter... except I think it quite painful for Hermione and Ron to watch the excitement of their best friends' first pregnancy when they have been wanting it for much longer.

I'm glad you liked Ron's humor. This didn't lend itself to much of that, but I think Ron would try to make her laugh, and I can see him saying that. I love these two so much--sigh. :) Thanks again for the sweet words. I appreciate it! :)

Name: Crazydad123 (Signed) · Date: 04/11/11 14:40 · For: one-shot

Nicely done and very sweet. My wife and I went through a 3 year wait, and then 2 false pregnancies between our son and daughter. Now--they need to relax and get a start on Rose.

Author's Response: I'm sorry to hear of your difficulty, but am glad this story connected enough that you liked it. I completely agree, and I believe they would have got started on Rose that very evening. ;)

Name: ronhermione15 (Signed) · Date: 04/11/11 14:20 · For: one-shot

I really love this story!! You are a very good writter I like many of your stories!! Keep up the good work!

Author's Response: Thank-you! :)

Name: Equinox Chick (Signed) · Date: 04/11/11 14:04 · For: one-shot

OOOH, this is so lovely. I always had this feeling that having kids didn't come easily to Hermione and Ron. It's not something you can get out of a book, after all.

This is a really heartfelt fic, Lori, and it made me sad (just a little bit) although I know that it all ended happily for them.

Ireally like Ron in this. He knows how to react and it shows how he's matured as a person. I don;t find it at all OOC because I think we saw this side emerging in DH - the screams for Hermione when she was being tortured, his return to the tent, saving Harry's life and becoming more of a leader when Harry was brooding. It's all there in canon and you've extended that fantastically.

Really lovely story. ~Carole~

Author's Response: Thanks, Carole, I'm glad you liked Ron here, and am relieved that you don't think I've stretched his maturity too much in this. I imagine they are well into this particular trial with many months more to go of it, and I do think he would have an understanding of how she is feeing, as well as dealing with his own feelings on it. It's so interesting that you thought they had trouble, too... not sure why, but I always imagine them getting married rather quickly (after taking so long to figure out their feelings), waiting a a couple of years, and then wanting to start a family, never considering that it might not happen according to their plans.

Anyway, thanks so much for reading this and taking the time to review. :) I'm thrilled you liked it.