A/N: This is my contribution to Romione Week at hpshipweeks on Tumblr, and it's what happens when you put a bunch of prompts together and try to make it work. First, this is one of the two prompts I had left for the "Things You Said" series. Second, it features Ron and Hermione arguing (sort of) about parenting stuff. Third, an anon told me once they'd like to see R/Hr getting emotional about Rose growing up. Also making a cameo in this episode are a SW reference and a sentence prompt about rain. I apologize in advance for the existential-dread-plus-fluff-minus-plot that is this story. Thank you jenahid for giving this a read!

Things you said after you kissed me

Hermione pulled her cardigan tighter against her as she and Ron stepped out into the nocturnal Autumn air.

'Rosie's classmates' parents must think we're antisocial,' Ron commented, wrapping an arm around Hermione's shoulders and rubbing his hand up and down her upper arm. 'Or that we're sending her to a really selective school and we don't want to share the secret.'

'Or that we really don't know where she's going yet and we're terrible parents,' Hermione added with a sigh.

They were coming back from a parent's evening at Rose's school, and as it was her last year before secondary school, the conversations kept coming back to where everyone would be sending their kids to the coming year. And for obvious reasons, they couldn't say their daughter was going to Hogwarts. A wizarding school up in Scotland. Because Rose was actually a witch.

'We should have agreed on any Muggle school and say that, then,' Ron said, forcing himself to walk slowly for Hermione's sake. 'What difference would it make? Any of those kids happen to go to the same place next year, they'll just think we chose someplace else. Or moved out of the country.'

'Yes… I suppose that's right. Next time someone asks, we'll do that.'

They stopped at a crosswalk until the traffic light went green, then got moving again.

'You think you've got better at lying to Muggles—and bam! An unexpected lying situation happens.'

Hermione frowned, but she couldn't bite back a half-snort, half-chuckle. 'You say it like we do it for sport.'

'Come on, you know what I mean. And sometimes, it is fun,' Ron said, bumping his hip against her.

'Ron, it was not fun when you told Rose's reception teacher that your family was from Alderaan,' Hermione said sternly, cringing at the memory.

'That was years ago! Besides, everyone laughed, thought it was a joke!'

'Mhm, and thank Merlin for that. Let's hurry, I still have to get Hugo a box of colouring pencils and Rose needs a new pair of tights. It looks like it's going to pour down any second now.'

They went into a store for Hugo's colouring pencils and extra notebooks, then into another for Rose's tights and a supply of socks for everyone. Ron heard another sigh as Hermione tucked the pack of tights into her oversized bag. (She had replaced her tiny beaded bag that hid impossible depths after Rose was born and they started moving more frequently between the Muggle and the wizarding world. 'It's going to look very suspicious if I go around with a baby carrying only an evening bag. I wouldn't be able to pull anything out of it in public and people will think I'm a bad mother.')

'What is it?' Ron asked.

'Oh, I was just thinking… Rose is very excited about next year, but I don't think she's realised yet how much of a change going to Hogwarts will be for her.'

'Well—yeah… it's hard for everyone, going off to boarding school, not seeing your family for months—'

'Not just that.' Hermione closed her handbag and slipped an arm through Ron's. 'She won't be able to go to her dance classes anymore.'

Ron gave her a sideways glance. 'I think she'll get over it, love.'

'She loves her dance classes!'

'I know she does, but,' Ron shrugged, 'she'll have new stuff to do at Hogwarts.'

'This isn't just about the class, Ron,' Hermione said with some irritation.

'You just said—'

'I know what I said! I know,' Hermione added, softer this time. 'What I'm trying to say is that she… she'll have to give up part of her life when she goes to Hogwarts. You see, witches and wizards who come from Pure-blood families, and most who are Half-bloods, grew up in contact exclusively with the wizarding world. They didn't go to Muggle school, or have extracurricular activities… they didn't have friends they wouldn't be able to see again, or that they'd have to lie to when they asked questions.'

'Oh,' Ron said, understanding at last. He looked at her again. 'Is that how you felt? Like you were giving up part of your life?'

Hermione shook her head, tilting to one side to let other passers-by through without releasing Ron's arm. When there was no one near, she said, 'Since my parents and I had no clue I was a witch, I grew up thinking I was a freak—not that they didn't try to assure me I wasn't. Even though I had after-school activities, I didn't exactly feel great around other kids. Hogwarts felt like a new start for me.'

'But Rosie grew up knowing who she was and going back and forth between these two worlds,' Ron added, nodding vaguely and rubbing a hand across his jaw. 'Yeah. I get it. It'll be hard for her.'

'I wanted her to be part of both worlds,' Hermione said, an anguished frown forming between her eyebrows. 'I know it was the right thing, sending her to school, encouraging her to make friends, having her engage in what is half of her culture. I just never stopped to think she'd have to leave it behind, one day.'

Ron squeezed her hand. 'We'll make sure the transition isn't that hard. We can tell her she doesn't have to cut ties with her old friends if she doesn't want to, she can invite them over when she's home for the holidays. If we have to make up an elaborate lie about how we're both secret agents who have to move all over the world to explain why Rose can't tell them about school,' Ron said, putting a serious face and a hand over his heart, 'so be it.'

'You'd love that, wouldn't you?' Hermione said, laughing. Ron grinned as they kept walking. After a while, Hermione became pensive again. 'I can't believe she's already going to Hogwarts. Our babies are growing up so fast…'

'Too fast,' Ron agreed. 'It's ridiculous.'

'It's unfair,' Hermione stated. She looked up at Ron's profile. 'I didn't feel this way when we were at school, but it's as if… as if there comes a point in your life when time just flies by. Sometimes I feel like we're rushing through life. Even now—look at us! We're running from one place to the next; we're talking, but we're thinking of what we're doing next—'

'Are you suggesting we should slow down?' Ron asked, unable to contain a smirk. He knew what Hermione meant: he, too, sometimes felt as if life didn't use to move as fast as it now seemed to do. When he thought about it, he couldn't believe it had already been eighteen years since the battle of Hogwarts, fourteen since he'd married Hermione, and ten since he'd become a father. Still, Hermione was the one who literally rushed through life. It usually took a little coaxing from Ron for her to stay still for two minutes and relax—he'd become very good at it over the years.

'Yes,' Hermione said, and Ron felt a tug on his arm as she drastically slowed down.

'Uh… I didn't mean right now, love,' Ron said, looking up at the darkening sky.

'Why not?'

'What, you want to stop and feel the rain?'

'That doesn't sound like a bad idea.' Ron goggled at her and she returned his earlier smirk. 'Or are you afraid of getting a bit wet? You've got two children, you can't tell me you are.'

The first cold drops fell over their heads. Ron replaced his arm around her shoulders and, as he prompted her to walk—slowly this time, taking in this mundane but pleasant moment together—he planted a kiss on the top of her head.

'You're barmy.'

'But you love me.'

'And I love you.'