Title: The Most Beautiful Thing
Summary: After a long, exhausting day at work, Hermione comes home to a surprise.
Prompt: It was absolutely the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.
Rating: K
Warnings: None
Word Count: 327
Author's Notes: Written for Hermione's month at helmetfest2008.

The Most Beautiful Thing

The meeting finally adjourned after eleven hours of the most agonizing, brain numbing legal proceeding that Hermione had ever had the misfortune of being a participant. Knowing that she was too exhausted to Apparate, Hermione quickly ducked into the nearest Floo before any of her esteemed colleagues attempted to draw her into any post meeting discussions.

She sighed with relief as she emerged from her own fireplace, kicked off her shoes, and wandered into the kitchen. There she was amazed to discover that dinner was already waiting on the table for her, complete with a charm designed to keep everything warm. She smiled at Ron's unexpected thoughtfulness and ate her dinner quickly. Then she set the kitchen back in order with a lazy flick of her wand and headed upstairs.

The house was quiet, but Hermione could hear the low, warm timber of Ron's voice and followed the sound to the open door of Rose's room. She lingered in the doorway for a moment, unnoticed by her husband and daughter. Ron was sitting in a comfortable chair by the window with Rose curled comfortably in his lap. The Tales of Beedle the Bard was open in front of them, and Ron was patiently helping Rose to sound out the words in the book.

Tears sprung to her eyes as she watched Ron teaching their daughter how to read. Ron glanced up, saw Hermione standing in the doorway, and smiled. "Look, Rosie," he said. "Your Mum's home."

Rose looked up, her expression full of delight as she exclaimed, "Look Mummy, I'm reading!"

"So I see, sweetheart. Can I stay and listen?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Ron teased. "What do you think Rosie? Should we let her stay?"

"Yes," Rose answered without hesitation.

Hermione gave each of them a kiss, sat down, and basked in the joy reflected in her husband and daughter's faces.

Without a doubt, it was absolutely the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.