AN: So, this is it guys. Thanks for reading, for your wonderful reviews, and the love you have for my writing. I look forward to publishing a new story, coming up soon, so get ready those of you who enjoy Hermione with one of the Weasleys...or maybe two? ;)

FIVE YEARS LATER

"Are you ready, babe?" Ginny called, making sure the two pet travel containers were closed properly.

"Two minutes!" Hermione called from the bedroom.

Ginny checked her watch and nodded. They still had about three minutes before the portkey activated so Hermione better mean that it will only be two minutes. She crouched down and looked into the containers, smiling at the sight. Checkers, Hermione's new kneazle familiar was taking the traveling as an opportunity to catch a quick nap, and she was very much grateful for it. The little bugger could sneeze fire, and they really didn't need to deal with that in the middle of portkeying. At least he will hold his own against Flori who grew to be a little menace, according to the news from Harry. The kneazle had once followed Hermione home on her way from work, and she just couldn't leave him on the street with an injured paw, seeing that he was magical and clearly lost in the middle of muggle London. And that was all it took for him to have a new home. Hermione liked to believe that they adopted it but Ginny knew better. The kneazle sensed her magic and adopted her. Either way, they were stuck with him, bless his orange and black fluffy coat and all. She looked into the second cage, chuckling when Loki blinked at her and inclined her head curiously in a silent question of what the hell was taking them so long. Ginny's friend from the border control let her know that they'd intercepted the arrival of two sets of puppies without any kind of paperwork or travel documentation. Twelve of the puppies were magical wolf dog hybrids, some sort of a grey wolf from main continent Europe mixed with a German shepherd. It was guesswork which one, wolf or dog, were somehow magical beings, but it was of little consequence as the only signs of their magical nature so far was a little heightened speed, and a golden glint in their eyes. Once they were cleared and given all the necessary potions to make sure they were healthy, the process of getting them situated began. And so after a quick chat with Hermione, she went and got one, naming her Loki for that cheeky glint in her eyes. And thank Merlin their two familiars got along rather splendidly or they would have a bloody situation on their hands…

"Right, sorry, I know, I got held up," Hermione dashed in and flicked her wand at the food on the counter to pack itself into a basket that they would bring with them. "Do you have our over-night?" she asked distractedly as she zipped up her shorts.

"All packed and ready, all of us," she promised and noticed it was time. "Alright, got a good hold?" she asked, holding onto Loki's cage. Hermione picked up Checkers' carrier cage and made sure the basket with food was magically sealed before nodding. Ginny tapped her wand on the old shoe and they were squeezed through time and space.

The landing was a little bit rough, but no one was hurt and Charlie was grinning at them as he stepped away from a large Range Rover to greet them. "Welcome to Romania, ladies."

"How are you brother?" Ginny hugged him tight, glad to see him again after a good half a year.

"Easy like this Saturday morning," he winked and turned to Hermione, giving her a hug and a peck on the cheek. "And how is my soon-to-be sister?" he asked while loading their things into the car.

"Starving," Hermione answered honestly, punctuated by her rumbling belly.

Ginny chuckled and held the door to the car open for her. "Is Harry cooking by any chance?"

"He's always cooking," Charlie grinned happily. Yes, being a good cook and enjoying it was nearly a given requisite for being in a relationship with a Weasley.

It wasn't long before they were parking beside their cabin, and were immediately greeted by a loud, happy trill. Flori, now the size of a two year old human child, came bounding towards them from around the back and jumped up into Charlie's arms, trilling at the two women coming out of the car.

"I know, baby. Auntie Ginny and Mimi are here. And look, they brought friends," he showed her the cages as they were lowered to the ground and opened.

Checkers stretched and walked out of his cage imperiously, looking around and taking a sniff. The moment he saw then dragon though, he sneezed a small stream of fire, as kneazles tended to do. Flori trilled and let out a small fireball in greeting, scrambling to get down to the ground. Charlie let her and they sniffed at each other for a moment before Loki was let out of her cage and bounded over, sniffing and prodding Flori with her snout. The little dragon licked her snout and off the three went, chasing each other to the back of the house.

Hermione shook her head in amusement and showed Charlie the food basket. "I baked yesterday, so we will be adding to the lunch, let us just eat first cause we've been on our feet since dawn and didn't get round to food yet. "

"How come?" Charlie asked curiously, unloading the rest of their belongings and sending them inside the cabin as they headed around it to the back garden.

"Ginny was at the vet with Loki, she was a bit sick in the morning so they went to check in. All good though, thankfully. And I had to pop into the office. Luke had to leave because his wife is in labour, so I had to organise all the assistants," she explained, a bit tired from the long week they've had, but very much looking forward to spending the weekend in Romania with Harry and Charlie.

"You're here!" Harry jumped out of the greenhouse and promptly found two wands aimed at his face in reflex. "Uhm… I come in peace….with…peas?" he lifted his hand filled with a few beautiful green pea pods.

Ginny snorted and pulled him into a quick bearhug before letting Hermione hold her friend for a few longer moments. It was always quite touching to see how those two relaxed in each other's presence. They were both nearing the big round 30 and will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their friendship in a couple of years, still strong and steady. Ron was still in their lives, as was the rest of the Weasley family, but Harry and Hermione took advantage of technology and Skyped at least once a week, in order to see and hear each other. Life has been very hectic over the last three months though, as Ginny and Hermione were planning a wedding after Ginny's proposal, and Harry took over as head nurse at the infirmary after Alica moved to Croatia. A week ago a small heat wave hit the whole of Europe, and so they decided to have a family weekend down in Romania while the last rays of summer still warmed the ground.

"I've missed you," Harry pecked her cheek.

"Missed you too. And since you come in peas," Hermione winked, "I come with baked goodies."

"Please tell me you have a strudel in there somewhere, cause I can never bloody get it right despite your recipe," Harry sighed.

Hermione just chuckled at his misery. "Cherries and poppy seeds in one, and apple, walnut and cinnamon in the other."

"Just one of the many reasons why I love you," Harry looped their arms and they headed for the large picnic table.

Life in Romania was much more peaceful than hectic London, and Harry took pride in the life they've built together with Charlie. They did another, smaller extension this time on the kitchen to accommodate Harry's love for cooking, and focused on their back yard next. A small playground and swing that challenged Flori's balance and reflexes, and helped her train her wings while she soared up and down on the swing. Harry insisted on having a greenhouse for his herbs, magical ingredients for potions, and even some vegetables, and Charlie was more than happy to oblige. It took some time to build and prepare all the soil beds, seeds, roots, and onions, but it was a work they did gladly, knowing it was for their home, for their family. And the greenhouse became Harry's pride and joy. They added the picnic table a couple of years ago for the spring/summer season when they could eat outside, and happily took advantage of it on such a beautiful day today.

Hermione breathed in the food contentedly and smiled. "I could eat a horse."

Harry chuckled. "No horse, but we have some roasted venison. The perimeter watch found a dead deer and shared some with us," he lifted the lid on the deep baking dish, the delicious aroma filling their noses instantly.

"Smells beautiful," Hermione praised, impatient to get some food in her system as she unpacked the baked goods.

She never cooked that much until Ginny moved in. They would still often just get some food on the way home after a long day when neither cared and just needed some sustenance, but over the last couple of years it became something Hermione grew a habit for. Her examination room got the approval for expansion, and she even trained three more assistants that switched around on shifts and could work without her there. Luke got his degree and despite the many opportunities instead insisted on staying with her, so they extended her office as well and they worked together as equals, overseeing four assistants at their disposal in total. This allowed more time for Hermione to complete her PhD, and while her office and cases were still number one priority, the two magical universities in London often sent requests for lecturing, which she grew rather fond of. With her schedule a little bit more manageable, she had more time for herself, to spend with Ginny, and to relax at home. And a part of that was discovering anew that cooking was like potions, and could be rather fun sometimes.

Ginny certainly enjoyed her cooking experiments, and put in extra gym time just to be on the safe side when Hermione began venturing into baking. Weasley metabolism was all good stuff, and she had an active job, but Hermione sure was spoiling her sometimes. Her career took a turn just half a year ago when Kingsley got married (which was of course a complete bloody shocker), and decided to get out of the field and into the policy-making branch. Wizengamot was of course more than happy to have him, and even happier to have Ginny take over the Auror department. She now dealt with considerably more paperwork but stayed very much active in the field as well, with her closest team, her boys, refusing to be headed by anyone else. She could remember it was after one of those long days in early May that she proposed…

She hated when she got home with blood on her, but there was nothing for it. At least everyone in the complex knew she worked with the 'police' so none of the neighbours questioned it. She picked up the post and headed upstairs, waving to Stella from across the hall tiredly. Hot shower and food, that was all she really needed in her life right now… That was until she opened the door to their flat and found Hermione lying on her belly, spread out on the floor with her lecture notes and a cup of tea. It was nearing ten and her girlfriend was lounging comfortably a large black jumper, the ridiculous pair of Christmas knickers she got five years ago as a joke present from one of her friends, and perfectly unconcerned for the cellulite on her thighs out for the world to see.

Ginny was tired, hungry, and achey, but at that moment she knew she was home, and wanted to come to this home every day, for as long as she could. So of course she just blurted it out before the door was even closed, like a complete numptie. "Marry me?"

Hermione looked up, startled at her sudden presence and even more surprising question. "I beg your pardon?"

Ginny kicked off her boots and padded over, plopping down on the floor beside her. "I just asked you to marry me," she repeated.

Hermione sat up and pushed a stray, bouncy curl out of her face. "I heard that, but…why?" she asked, completely throwing Ginny off.

"What do you mean? Why did I ask you to marry me?" she asked confused.

Hermione chuckled and took a sip of her tea. "No, why do you want me to marry you?" she asked, wondering what possessed her partner of four and a half years to blurt out something like that out of the blue, with ash in her hair and blood spatter on her chin. Then again for them that was kind of romantic, in a twisted sort of way...

Ginny stole her cup and took a sip, wrinkling her nose at the taste. Ugh, the green tea shite again… "I guess I love you despite the fact that you drink this stuff," she handed it back over and leaned back against the couch leg.

Hermione snorted. "Out of all the things that could annoy you about me, it's the fact that I drink green tea?" she asked in disbelief.

"No, that's just the top of my list," Ginny teased before her smile softened, "but at the end of the day I wouldn't have you any other way, and I want to be with you as long as I can," she admitted.

And Hermione finally understood what it was that Ginny meant. The war and their professions both taught them that life was precious, and sometimes entirely too short. Ginny still worked in the field and despite being a brilliant Auror, there was always a risk. And that risk extended to Hermione when they investigated together upon occasion, just like that did all those years ago on the London Succubus case. They loved each other, shared a home, and neither of them was looking for anyone else. So why not?

"You know we never really talked about these things. Marriage, children, white picket fence… What do you want in life?" Hermione asked, sitting beside her until their shoulders bumped and they gravitated towards the other's warmth.

Ginny thought about it for a moment, her eyes narrowing a little in concentration. "I would like to be married. Both for love, and for practicality. You know what I mean," she looked at her lover just to make sure.

Hermione pushed her reading glasses a bit higher on her nose and nodded. "Of course, it makes sense with how often one of us is at Mungo's. And I think I'd like that as well," she offered, noticing Ginny's shoulders relaxing a bit.

"I don't know about children though. I just…" she paused, not sure how to put it into words.

She didn't have to though. "Don't want to have a child, knowing what's out there, and risking the possibility that it might one day loose one, or Merlin-forbid both of us?" Hermione asked, ever the pragmatic.

Ginny nodded and stretched her tired feet. "As for the fence, do you want to move?" she asked.

Hermione looked around their home and remembered when it was just hers. It wasn't incredibly spacious but it served their needs just fine. It wasn't that they lacked the finances, as between the two of them they had pretty good savings. Was it necessary though? Did she want to leave London? "I don't know…it's convenient to live in London, and it has a certain…atmosphere. I don't know. Is it too strange to say that London has sass?" she grinned, lightening up the mood.

Ginny grinned, winking at her cheekily. "Definitely not. London has plenty of sass, just like you."

Hermione elbowed her in the ribs but shuffled a little closer nonetheless. "I guess we're staying then. And we should start planning the wedding."

"Just like that?" Ginny blinked, surprised that Hermione said yes without any other persuading, reasoning, or an engagement ring. Then again, it was Hermione. And she could get the brunette a ring first thing tomorrow.

"Yeah, just like that," Hermione chuckled and pecked her cheek. "Tea?"

"I love you," Ginny grinned, still reeling from the fact that they were engaged….

Harry's laughter brought Ginny out of her musings and she slouched a bit in her seat, happy to be relaxing around family.

"What's up, sis? You seem to have gone away with the fairies for a bit," Charlie sat beside her and set an over-flowing plate in front of them each.

"I was dreaming about food, entirely too hungry," Ginny shrugged and they both dug in, food very much a priority number one at that moment.

Hermione beamed excitedly. "I can't wait! Are you sure it's alright? I mean, I am a stranger technically…."

"Not at all," Harry reassured her. "Just remember to tie your hair in a bun, nice and tight, close to the head. Accidental fire streams happen up until the first year with the babies. Which reminds me, did you bring me that recipe?" he asked, rubbing his slightly dry, aching hands together. The sanitiser they used at work was harsh on the skin, as were the house chores, and gardening. His skin wasn't what it used to be, and required a bit more upkeep these days.

Hermione smiled and dug around in her bag, pulling out a small jar. "Even better, I boiled you some last night, to have a batch to start of with and have the consistency and colour in the eye. The marigold can be dried but it's much better fresh," she warned, showing him the recipe.

Ginny and her brother exchanged a quick look. Charlie was never particularly vain, considering his line of work and the many scars that stood testament to it, so basic care was good enough for him. With their greenhouse and Hermione's superior skills in brewing, their partners rarely talked about much else than cooking, medicine, cosmetics, and home remedies. They were in for a long afternoon, and by the eyeroll Ginny tried to hide from her curlier half, Charlie knew they could always sneak off to play some one-on-one Quidditch instead…

Harry padded quietly back into their bedroom after checking on Flori and closed the door, rubbing last of the oils he just used on her scales into his forearms. "She's sound asleep, and Mimi and Gin say good night," he smiled, walking around the bed to his side where he could hopefully find an elastic for his hair. It was tickling his bare shoulder blades again and he didn't have the heart to chop it off when Charlie loved it so much.

"Are we saying good night as well?" Charlie asked, closing his book and shuffling down, lifting the duvet up for Harry to climb under.

Harry chuckled, seeing right through him. "Maybe we can stay up just a little bit longer," he winked and leaned in to catch a quick kiss.

"Hmmm I bet I can find something to amuse you," Charlie whispered against his lips.

Harry snorted into their kiss before pulling away with an impish grin. "No need love, your face cracks me up on a daily basis."

"Why you little…" Charlie rolled them around and tickled his sides mercilessly, both of them laughing at how idiotic they were. It was an important life lesson, one they learnt very early in their relationship - laughing together always made life a little bit easier.

"Okay okay okay! I give!" Harry squirmed and tried to get away but Charlie's weight atop him was entirely too pleasant, so he just settled back against the pillow and looked up at his lover. That was when he noticed the curious expression on Charlie's face. "What are you thinking?" he asked, reaching up to rub the crinkles of laughter around Charlie's eye.

"I was just wondering whether marriage for us crossed your mind with how much you discuss it with Hermione," he said honestly, nuzzling into the touch. Even after five years together, Harry's touch was a blessing to him in it's ever-loving nature.

Harry raised a curious brow but shrugged. "Maybe one day, but right now I have all I need. It was never about marriage for me. It was about family," he explained softly. "I always wanted a family of my own, in a home that I love. And I have all of that, with you. That's all I need to be happy."

Charlie leaned down and kissed him affectionately. "I'm glad you stayed…"

"So am I," Harry returned the sentiment before they settled down for the night after the long day.

Life was never easy. Not for them, not for Hermione and Ginny. And they all acknowledged that the best and the worst would keep coming their way no matter. But Harry knew they would make it. For if someone was to autopsy his heart, all they would find was love.

THE END.