A/N: So, I was listening to some Pink Floyd ('cause they're awesome) and Mother came on. I've always liked the song, but this was the time that I actually heard the words. And the lines "Mother, do you think she's good enough for me" to "Mother, did it need to be so hard?" sort of reminded me of a conversation Ron and Molly might have about Hermione, not to mention the fact that Molly would so totally "stay up until you get in" and would "always find out where you've been", so I wrote this. It has become my baby; I am so proud of it that I can't even put it into words (which, let me tell you, is a major piss off for a writer), and even a bunch of my friends think it's amazing. I was re-reading it for spelling and grammar errors and I found that by the end of the last page, I had this huge grin on my face (which earned me some pretty weird looks from other people: I was in the laundry mat. Oh well). Anyway, this is a part of the missing moments series, but it can be enjoyed separately. So, SURPRISE to everyone who loved the missing moments; I guess I'm not finished with them :)

Through Her Eyes

Through her eyes, he would always be five years old. Through her eyes, he would remain five, but grow taller, attend Hogwarts and save the world. And he'd always be five. But as she watched him with his best friend and girlfriend, he aged. In less than ten seconds, her baby boy had gone from being five years old to being eighteen. And all because he had kissed Hermione lightly on the mouth.

She watched as Hermione blushed slightly, as Harry rolled his eyes and then jumped into the pond, and as Ron brushed back some of Hermione's hair before kissing her again. She watched as his arms wrapped around Hermione's waist and watched as Hermione leant back, taking Ron with her. He crawled on top of her, still kissing her, and eventually Ron pulled away and grinned down at Hermione lovingly.

Deciding that she had watched enough, Molly Weasley walked down the stairs of the Burrow and headed for the pond. When she got there, Ron and Hermione were sitting so that they were facing each other, Hermione's feet in Ron's lap. She heard Hermione giggle slightly and saw that Ron was playing with Hermione's toes.

'Ron, stop!'

'Why?' Ron asked archly.

'It tickles!'

'Well then, why would I stop? My goal was to tickle you.'

Before Hermione could say anything else, Ron brushed his forefinger up the sole of her bare foot. Hermione squealed and squirmed, trying to escape, but Ron had a firm grip on her foot.

'I'll – HA! – use my – HAHA! – wand!' Hermione threatened through her laughter.

Ron's grin grew and Molly stepped forward.

'Lunch, you three!' she announced loudly so that Harry could hear her as well.

Hermione immediately brought her feet back to herself, blushing.

'We'll just be a minute, Mum,' said Ron, smiling up at her.

Molly sighed.

'Well, hurry up – George is here; don't keep him waiting!'

They shot glances at each other all through lunch and again through dinner; Ron would get on about something and Hermione would scold him about his language before the words had even registered in Molly's mind. They would pick on each other playfully, but when George attempted to tease Hermione, Ron stood up for her. And now, watching Ron and Hermione curled up on the couch and talking, Molly could see that her baby boy was head over heels in love with the girl in his arms.

'Are you OK, Mrs Weasley?'

Molly blinked a couple of times before realising that Hermione had spoken.

'Oh! Yes, Hermione, dear, I'm fine,' said Molly, smiling.

Hermione smiled back and then climbed off of Ron.

'I'm exhausted,' she said. 'I'm going to bed.'

Ron gripped her hand and pulled her back. Hermione yelped slightly as she fell but Ron hugged her to him.

'No goodnight kiss?' he asked softly.

Molly didn't think she had ever heard Ron speak so softly in his entire life. Hermione smiled at Ron and pecked his cheek.

'Goodnight, Ron,' she whispered, trying to get up.

Ron held her in place and, before Hermione could protest, pressed his mouth to hers. Hermione visibly melted against Ron, her arms travelling up and wrapping around his neck. Molly looked away to give them some privacy; obviously they had forgotten that she was sitting there.

'Wow.'

Molly turned back and saw Hermione gasping for breath, her forehead pressed against Ron's, their eyes boring into the other's. Ron was grinning at her; he reached up and brushed some of her hair back behind her ear. Hermione grinned back and lightly pressed her mouth to his once more before climbing off of him. She blushed slightly when her eyes landed on Molly.

'Goodnight, Mrs Weasley,' she squeaked, her face suddenly burning as she turned and all but ran up the stairs.

Ron watched her leave, a huge grin on his face. He turned to Molly. She tried to look at him disapprovingly but the huge grin on her son's face disarmed her. Molly sighed and slumped back into the armchair.

'Mum?'

Molly looked up at Ron.

'Yes, dear?'

'May I ask you something?'

May I? When did my baby start using proper grammar?

'Of course, dear,' she said.

Ron took a breath.

'What do you think of her?' he asked.

Molly blinked.

'Of Hermione?' Ron nodded and Molly let out a gentle laugh. 'Ron, I've always been fond of Hermione; she's a sweet girl and -'

'No, Mum. I mean ... as my girlfriend. What do you think of Hermione as my girlfriend?' Ron asked, the tips of his ears turning bright red.

It was like being hit by a lorry. The fact that Ron had used the word 'girlfriend' to describe Hermione was a wake-up call for Molly. Finally realising that he was in fact eighteen and very much in love, Molly sighed.

'She's good for you,' she said quietly.

Ron shifted on the couch.

'Are you just saying that? Because if you are, Mum, don't. I'm asking you because I know that you'll give me the truth on what you think,' he said.

Molly looked back up at her son and gave him a small smile.

'No, Ron,' she said. 'I mean it; she's good for you.'

'Then why does it sound as though you don't mean it?' he asked.

Molly noticed the hurt tone of his voice and got up from her armchair and moved beside him on the couch; there was room now since he had shifted. Ron turned his head to her and Molly wrapped her arm around his shoulders, hugging him.

'You've always been five years old to me,' she whispered, resting her head on his.

'How d'you work that one out?' he asked.

Molly gave a soft laugh.

'When you're a parent, ask your wife how old she sees your children,' she said.

'And if Hermione sees them as the age they are?' Ron asked.

Molly let the words sink in before answering.

Hermione sees them…

'You think she's it for you, Ron?'

Ron lifted his head from his mother's shoulder and nodded.

'Mum, I'm completely in love with her. I'm almost – no, I'm completely – positive that she's the one for me. She's just … she's Hermione. She's everything that I'm not and more. We're complete opposites, and because of that, we complete each other,' he said. 'Mum, I just … I can't see myself without her. Surely you feel that way about Dad.'

Molly nodded slowly.

'Yes,' she said gently. 'But I had other men before your father, Ron.'

'You said that you and Dad got together when you were in Hogwarts!' Ron exclaimed, jolting up from the couch. 'You said so back in fourth year! Talking about the old caretaker who caught Dad after hours and whipped him as a detention or something! And look at you now! You have seven bloody children!'

'Language, Ronald!'

Ron let out a frustrated groan as his voice rose steadily.

'Why can't you just accept her? Why is it so difficult to accept the FACT THAT I AM IN LOVE WITH HERMIONE GRANGER?' he bellowed.

Molly sighed.

'Because you've gone back to being five years old,' she mumbled. 'I saw you kiss Hermione this afternoon and you aged. But now that she's left the room, you're five again.'

'Is everything OK?'

Molly and Ron both looked over at the stairs; Hermione was peering around the corner. Ron strode over to her and gripped her shoulders, pulling her against him and kissing her. Molly watched as Hermione's hands slid to Ron's back and gripped his shirt fiercely, heard as Hermione moaned and saw Ron press her against the wall. Ron pulled back a bit and Hermione's hands dropped from his back and ran up to his chest. She cleared her throat a bit.

'What was that for?' she asked him.

Ron shrugged.

'Sorry,' he whispered.

'Don't be,' said Hermione, smiling slightly. 'It was wonderful.' Ron's face became hard and Hermione's smile wavered slightly. 'Are you all right?'

'Do you love me?' he asked.

Hermione blinked.

'What?' she asked.

'Do you love me?' he repeated.

'As in, am I in love with you?'

'Yeah.'

Hermione cupped his face in her hands.

'How could I not be?' she breathed.

'Can you see us getting married in like, ten years or so?' Ron asked.

Hermione looked shocked.

'Um, a bit fast, don't you think, Ron?'

Molly watched as Ron brushed his lips against Hermione's.

'Please,' he whispered, 'answer me.'

Hermione moved her hands from his face and draped her arms on his shoulders.

'Yeah,' she said. 'Yeah, I can.'

Ron smiled at her and kissed her again.

'You should get to bed,' he murmured against her mouth.

'Are you coming up soon?' she asked him, her voice deeper than normal.

Ron nodded and Hermione kissed him again.

'I'll be about ten minutes,' he whispered.

They detached themselves from each other and Hermione walked back up the stairs. Ron walked back over to Molly and looked at her.

'See?' he asked.

Molly sighed.

'All that was to prove that she's it for you?' she asked him.

Ron nodded.

'More or less,' he said.

Molly sighed again.

'I'm going to send you to bed now, and I'm going to pretend I didn't hear Hermione ask you if you were going to join her soon. Goodnight, Ron,' she said, looking at the ground. 'At least be safe.'

'We are,' said Ron quietly. 'Why wouldn't we be? You taught me better than that, and Hermione's a smart woman.'

Molly looked up and sighed.

'Go on,' she said.

Ron knelt down and kissed her forehead.

'Love you, Mum,' he said softly.

Molly looked up at him and smiled.

'I love you too, Ron,' she said.

It was early morning when Molly headed downstairs; she normally would have waited another hour and gotten some more sleep, but attempts to sleep were futile. Instead, she had slid her slippers and housecoat on and headed down to the kitchen to make breakfast for the house. Arthur would be up in an hour or so to go to work and Molly had been so busy lately that she didn't really mind the fact that she would be alone in the kitchen; it would give her time to think about everything.

When she walked into the kitchen, she saw Hermione at the table nursing a cup of tea wearing Ron's Chudley Cannons t-shirt and a pair of his boxers. She sighed gently, but apparently it was loud enough for Hermione to hear, for she started and turned, her new wand pointed and her eyes flashing. Molly held her hands in the air, completely unfazed by Hermione's reaction.

'Oh! Sorry, Mrs Weasley,' said Hermione, lowering her wand. 'Automatic reaction.'

Molly smiled at her and walked into the kitchen.

'Not a problem, Hermione, dear,' she said. Molly poured herself a cup of tea from the pot on the stove and sat down across from Hermione. 'Why are you up so early?'

Hermione blushed slightly.

'Went to bed early last night,' she said.

Molly nodded, trying not to smile; last night, Hermione had whispered something in Ron's ear during dinner and not five minutes after nine had they raced up the stairs.

'Yes, I noticed that,' said Molly.

Hermione's blush increased and she kept her eyes glued to the surface of her tea.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered.

Molly swallowed her mouthful of tea and looked at Hermione.

'Sorry for what, dear?'

Hermione looked up at Molly, her eyes shiny.

'For taking your little boy from you,' she whispered. 'Ron told me about the conversation you had last week. I feel like I've stolen him away from you. And after everything that you've done for me, how I could just snatch him like that … I feel awful.'

Molly shook her head.

'Don't, dear,' she said softly. 'You're not stealing him from me; I'm just a mother who will always see her baby boy as a five year old, no matter how old he really is.'

Hermione shook her head.

'I think it's more than that,' she said. 'Mrs Weasley, I love Ron. So very, very much. I can read him like a book, and when he was telling me about the conversation, he was … he looked like he was confused about why you kept saying he was five to you. Why five? Why not three? Or even two?'

Mrs Weasley sighed.

'Five was when he learned how to take care of himself,' she said. 'I had Ginny and all the other boys to look after. I guess I just … I just figured that he would be all right on his own as long as he was in the house. And then I turned around and he was heading to Hogwarts. And then he's telling me about this girl with long, brown hair who knows everything and is bossy and controlling, but he was best friends with her. And then he's asking if this girl that he was talking about three years before could come over and watch the Quidditch game with us.

'And then he's saying that he's headed off with this girl and their best friend to save the world. And next thing I know, he's telling me that he wants to marry this girl that he once claimed to be bossy and controlling and brilliant. Saying that she's his complete opposite and it's because of that that they work well together. And now I'm talking to the very same girl that my little boy has fallen in love with, and I'm finally realising that you really are complete opposites, but just dropping his name, your eyes light up and you sit up a little straighter, and you're more interested in the conversation than you were before. And now I'm realising that the girl my little boy has fallen in love with has fallen in love with him too. And it scares me, because through all this, he stayed five years old.'

Hermione sighed and buried her hands in her hair.

'I'm sorry,' she whispered.

'Don't be, Hermione,' said Molly. 'He's not five to you; he's eighteen. And that's OK.'

Hermione looked up.

'I feel like I'm dressed inappropriately,' she mumbled.

Molly gave a slight smile.

'I'm sure he'd be pleased to know that you're dressed the way you are,' she said. 'I used to wear Arthur's clothes all the time.'

Hermione gave Molly a shy smile.

'He lent me his Christmas jumper once; the one you knitted for him,' she said. 'It was before we got together. Years before, in fact. I still have it. I wore it once, afraid to wear it more than that because it smelt just like him. I didn't want to wash it; still haven't. And I still haven't worn it again. When we were fighting in sixth year, I almost set it on fire. I had the flame so close to the sleeve, but then I heard that he had been poisoned and I still had it in my hand when I went over to my bed to get my wand.

'I think the sleeve might be singed; I didn't check. I just threw it back in the bottom of my trunk. And when I'd miss him during the summer, I'd pull it out of my school trunk and just hug it to me. Freshly cut grass from a Quidditch field, new parchment from when he'd finally start his homework freshly baked goodies from all those times he'd get food from you as a Christmas present and the smell of his hair. It was horrible when we fought; I always thought I had lost him forever. But then one of us would apologise and I'd feel my heart relax and just float and things would go back to normal.'

Molly watched as Hermione told her tale to her cup of tea. Finally, Hermione looked up at Molly and blushed furiously.

'We take care of each other, Mrs Weasley,' she whispered. 'I'd die for him, and I think the feeling's mutual. All throughout that war, we fought our hardest to make sure the other got out of it alive so that we could finally start something properly. I love him as strongly as you can love someone, Mrs Weasley. I truly do. It hurts when I'm away from him, like now. Why else would I be wearing his boxers? His Cannons shirt?'

Molly nodded.

'I've always thought you were a nice girl, Hermione, and I've considered you one of my own since I more or less adopted Harry. Just make sure that you wait until you've got a steady job before officially becoming a part of my family, OK?'

Hermione smiled at Molly.

'I can do that,' she said softly.

Through her eyes, he would always be five years old. Through her eyes, he would remain five, but grow taller, attend Hogwarts, save the world and fall in love. And he'd always be five. But as she watched him with the love of his life, he aged. In less than ten seconds, her baby boy had gone from being five years old to being twenty-two. And all because he had married Hermione.

Fin