Chapter Two: Growing Up
I can’t believe we let it get this far.
Well, me. I can’t believe I let it get this far.
I knew this family holiday was a bad idea and that the kids are still too young but Hermione really wanted to go to France. She said it would be just like when her parents took her when she was young. I tried to remind her that she was an only child so of course the trips were great; she didn’t have a brother or sister to compete for attention with. I never went on a family holiday like this when I was their age because we were so poor, but I have enough siblings to know that this would not be easy or relaxing. Hermione just shrugged her shoulders and said she really wanted to do this.
So now here we are. Locked in the bloody bathroom of our bloody room in this bloody French hotel having another row because the trip didn’t turn out the way Hermione planned. Thank Merlin for the Muffliato spell. I’d hate for the kids to hear us like this.
The problem is exactly what I told her. Rosie and Hugo are just too young for a trip like this. They were fine when we went to that Muggle theme park that’s so famous but that was only for a day. We’ve been here for four days now and the kids are bored. Today was awful. They pretty much cried the whole time and when they weren’t crying, they were running around screaming. We got back to the hotel after an unsuccessful attempt at having a quiet dinner at a place Hermione loves. She had been wrestling with a headache all day and was on the verge of her breaking point when I said something stupid…
“I told you this was a bad idea.”
Even after all these years, I’m still such a git. I knew I shouldn’t have said that but it came out before I could stop myself. She gave me a look the likes of which I haven’t seen since she sent those birds at me 6th year. She waited until the kids fell asleep and then rounded on me.
Now she’s yelling something about how I’m too easy on the kids. But I yelled myself out ten minutes ago so I’m just sitting on the toilet seat and letting her vent. Honestly this is one of the more stupid fights we’ve been in considering our history of rows. But I didn’t keep my mouth shut and Hermione was just so exhausted that she snapped; and rightly so. I was an arse for saying that.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Her voice quivers with frustration, her anger is finally ebbing.
I just look up at her and we read each other’s eyes. When hers soften, I know it’s okay to say it so she knows I’m not taking the easy way out.
“I’m sorry, Hermione.”
I stand up and she walks over to me with tears in her eyes and I give her the hug I know she needs. She mumbles into my shirt, “I really thought this was a good idea.”
I know, love. Everything will be all right.
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Dear Mum,
School’s been good so far. Me and Albus are in the library now. He’s trying to finish his Potions essay but I finished mine two days ago so I thought I’d write to you.
James has been bothering me and Al a lot. He keeps telling us stupid things to get us scared about first year. Al is taking it hard but I keep telling him not to pay attention to anything James says. We both made friends with some kids in our year but I still don’t feel at home here. I know you said it will take time to get used to it but it’s been two weeks!
I really miss you and Dad. Even Hugo. Don’t tell him I said that.
Oh and Neville says hello. It’s weird to have him as a professor though. And Hagrid gave us some rock cakes. Dad was right… I shouldn’t have eaten one. My teeth hurt for days.
Well, Al is complaining about his essay so I think it’s time for us to go. I miss you!
Rosie
PS: Don’t tell Auntie Ginny what I said about James. I’ll never hear the end of it from him.
I read Rosie’s note for the hundredth time since the owl dropped it off this morning. She gets more and more like me every day. I remember writing my Mum and Dad a note just like that in my first year.
The house seems a lot quieter since Rosie left for Hogwarts even though Hugo is the loud one. I cried myself to sleep the first couple of nights she was gone. Ron patted my back and held me in his arms each night until I finally started getting used to her not being around. I still feel like a part of me is empty but she’s at Hogwarts now and the best years of her life are just beginning.
I grab some parchment and a quill and write out my response to her, much like the one I got from my Mum all those years ago.
Don’t worry, sweetie! Things will get better soon!
She’ll write me a letter at least three times a week until they start to get less frequent. Eventually I’ll be lucky enough to get a letter once a month, but that’s a good sign. It means she’s fitting in and making friends. By the time Christmas comes around she won’t want to come home. Part of me is sad about that. I’ll be just Mum soon and I’ll take a back seat as her priorities shift towards friends and her life at school.
But part of me can’t wait for the day she tells me about her new best friends. If they’re anything like Ron and Harry then she’ll be in good hands.
I sign my letter, Loads of Love, Mum. I seal it and send it off with the owl.
I let out a long sigh. I really miss her.
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Hugo is beaming.
Today is his graduation day and there’s a world of opportunities open to him. I watch as he takes a picture with his best mates. He looks like me when I was his age only he’s a bit stockier like Charlie and George. He has darker hair though… Hermione calls it auburn or something. He may look like me and he certainly acts like I did when I was younger but sometimes he’ll roll his eyes or scrunch up his face trying to remember something out of a book and all I see is Hermione. Thankfully both my children inherited her smarts.
I make him take a picture with his sister just to see him roll his eyes. I look at Hermione and she mirrors the look and I smirk.
This is so stupid to say but time really does fly by. It seems like only yesterday I was teaching him to ride a broom and how to play Wizard’s Chess. Now he’s done with school with the option to join Puddlemere United as a Keeper. I raised him to love the Canons and they also offered him a position but they’re still the worst team in the league so I don’t take offense that he’s leaning toward Puddlemere. I think Hermione would have liked him to go straight to a Ministry job like Rosie but I know with his smarts, he’ll be able to go anywhere he wants when he’s ready.
I swell with pride at the thought of how far he’s come these last seven years. Rosie didn’t make it easy for him. She was top witch in her year, a prefect and Head Girl and on top of it all, she was Seeker as well. Living in his sister’s shadow was rough at first. Kids made fun of him but he stood up for himself. He has the confidence I lacked for so long. And anyway he may not be top in his class but he was made prefect and he lead the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory twice after he took over as captain two years ago when Albus graduated.
I look around at all the smiling kids and their parents and I’m grateful that my children’s school years weren’t marred by tragedy and war. I’m still haunted by everything that happened but seeing that these kids are leading normal lives just proves that what Hermione, Harry and I went through was for the greater good.
Speaking of Harry, he’s over there with Ginny talking to Lily who is also graduating today. They both look so happy for their only daughter. Like Ginny did after school, Lily has accepted a position on the Hollyhead Harpies as Chaser. What can I say? Good Quidditch genes run in the family.
I turn to look back at my son who is currently preoccupied with a girl. He obviously likes her; his burning red ears give him away.
I smile as Hermione takes my hand and leads me over to congratulate Lily.
Quidditch skills and looks weren’t the only thing he got from my side of the family.
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“Mum… Dad… Natalie and I are engaged!”
Hugo told us over dessert at the end of our weekly family dinner. I’m not really surprised, as I had been suspecting it for some time. I worried a little because they’re only 22 years old but they’ve been inseparable since the day they met and the way he looks at her is exactly the way Ron looks at me.
I went over to them and gave them a big hug and I told them how happy I was for them. Ron, always awkward in situations like this, walked over and shook Hugo’s hand and gave Natalie a quick hug then sat down again. I love that he still gets uncomfortable like that.
Now the four of us are sitting around the table talking about their plans for the future. I see Ron stiffen as we hear giggling and muffled noises coming from the living room.
He goes a little red in the face and says, “Everything all right Rosie?”
“Yes, Dad.” The annoyance in her voice is palpable.
Ron doesn’t like Rosie’s new boyfriend that much. Maybe it’s because he was in Slytherin house during school or maybe no man will ever be good enough for his little girl. I’m not too worried about it though. They’re just having fun now but I don’t think it will last. They don’t have much in common and I don’t think she’s ready to settle just yet.
Ron opens his mouth to say something else; the over-protective side of him will make him say something he’ll regret. I put my hand on his and shake my head.
He gives me a look that says that boy is no good and he doesn’t like what’s going on in there but he accepts it and shuts his mouth.
My mind drifts to a time when Ron and I snuck around trying to get some privacy in a house full of people. Thinking about the past makes my heart skip a beat. Ron and I may not be as passionate as we were back then but I wouldn’t trade the comfort of our relationship now for anything. The kids are still young though. This is their time to act a bit foolish.
I notice he has that same faraway look on his face and I know he’s thinking the same thing. He snaps out of it and looks at me, his eyes expressing all the love he still has for me. I give him a peck on the cheek. We turn to Hugo and Natalie and start up the conversation where we left off. I have a sneaking suspicion that the Muffliato spell is being used in the next room. ______________________________________________________________________
The time has come for the Father-Daughter dance. As I take Rosie’s hand and lead her to the dance floor my mind floods with images of the past 26 years.
Rosie and Albus playing with their toys in the yard.
Hugo chasing Rosie around because he can’t be anywhere without his big sister.
The family holidays we took. They were all much better than that disaster of a trip to France.
Running to Rosie after she fell off her broom and panicking because her arm was broken.
Seeing her drift away on the Hogwarts Express headed towards her first year at school.
Watching her grab the Snitch, winning the final game of the year.
Moving her into her new flat in London so she could be closer to work.
Seeing her engagement ring for the first time.
I think back to the day she told us. I knew because Oliver came to us to ask permission to marry her. I was so taken aback by the gesture and thought about how much courage he had to do that. I certainly didn’t make life easy on him because he had yet to prove to me he was worthy of my little girl. But once he sought us out like that I knew this was the man she deserved.
She certainly made a good choice. Oliver is a lot better than all her other boyfriends especially that Slytherin git. I knew that slimy bugger was no good for her. But Oliver is different. You can see it in the way he treats her. She’s always been a bit independent and he knows how to work with that. They seem to just fit together.
I twirl her around as the music plays and she laughs. We both have tears in our eyes. I can’t believe my little girl is someone’s wife now. I don’t ever want the song to end so I can hold on to her a bit longer but just as I think it, the last notes start to fade.
I kiss her on the cheek and give her the biggest hug I can give. I try to put all the love I have for her in that hug, just like Mum used to for me. I look over her shoulder to see Hermione next to her mum and mine. All three of them are sobbing.
Another song starts up and Hermione comes over to dance with me. I bring my fingers to her face to gently wipe the tears from her eyes. We lean into each other and move to the music. She whispers in my ear, “I know how hard that was for you… to let her go.”
I reply, “She’s in good hands now.”
I mean every word.
The Story of Ron and Hermione by WeasleyFamilyLove
Chapter Notes: Chapter Two of Three. I'm not very good at naming things so if you can think of a better title then I'm all for it.
Chapter Endnotes: Chapter Three is ready and waiting for approval.