A/N: Edited 2/23/2021
Ever since I posted this years ago I haven't wanted to look at it since. I didn't know what kind of shape it was in, I might've edited it one other time, but I finally braved it tonight. I hope you enjoy this new version as much as I enjoyed finally fixing it.

"Morning love," Ron said quietly as Hermione sat at the breakfast table. She always got up before him and went to bed before him.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek absently, sitting next to her and pouring himself coffee.

"Is Harry coming over today?"

"I reckon," he replied, happy she had initiated conversation that morning and picked up a few slices of toast. "He's got business of some sort, called late last night."

"I heard a bit before I nodded off... everything alright?"

Ron shrugged. "Dunno honestly. He seemed rattled, but just in case it's Auror's business you'll make scarce, right?" He hated asking, but she nodded anyways, seemingly understanding. "I love you," he added.

He grabbed her hand and squeezed, smiling when she did, even as slight as it was. He tried to say it with enough emotion to possibly receive some ounce of it back one day, but he knew there might never be that feeling for him within her. Not when it belonged to someone else. Everyday he was grateful, however, to at least attempt to console her broken heart as her husband. At least he was allowed that, whether or not she loved him back.

Hermione slipped her hand from his and began to drink her tea once again, leaving his fingers cold and reaching.

"Ginny is expecting soon, isn't she?" She suddenly said, coming up from her tea as if just remembering.

"Yeah," Ron agreed anyways. Merlin, something to finally make her excited. Plus the look on her face was absolutely beautiful.

"I keep letting it slip my mind," Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder as she stood up, burning the unsolicited touch into him. "We need to get her a present soon if she's due so close."

Ron smiled at the mention of 'we.'

"We should," he agreed, not stopping to let her contemplate her diction, "What do you think? Something from George and Angelina's shop?"

"No, Ronald. Maybe a baby blanket or possibly a few outfits! The infant doesn't need jokes before it can hardly understand existing."

"A broom then?" Ron retorted with a smile as he stood as well, poking Hermione's side.

"No! God, you're just like Sirius, he sent James and Lily Harry's first broom."

Ron knew this.

"Hey, someone's gotta do it."

"What if they have a girl?" She challenged.

Ron rolled his eyes, "Do you know who this child's mother is?" 

Hermione huffed.

"My memory! It's going, I tell you! Being a Head in the ministry is a lot of memory-taking work."

"Yes, when your sister-in-law is a keeper on a high-profile Quidditch team, you simply forget things like that, totally understandable."

Hermione chuckled and kissed him willingly. It was chaste, and just a quick peck on the lips, but Ron enjoyed it more than he did all the others. The more passionate ones were only from his initiation. They were reciprocated, but they weren't ever as passionate as he could have hoped. This one and the ones she gave him without his asking, were far better. There was no force into doing it, so he rested easily after he let his lips tingle.

"I'll be upstairs, could you get me after Harry gets here and declares whether or not it's official business?" She asked, already headed for the stairs up to their room as he followed.

"No problem," Ron replied, watching her greedily.

She smiled and kissed him again, finally heading upstairs, leaving Ron smiling like an idiot.

It wasn't long, though, before that smile was wiped from his face with Harry's haggard arrival through the floo and the words that came from his mouth.

"What do you mean he's alive?" Ron probed Harry as he felt the rise of sickness, sadness, and anger all at once.

"Mate, I'm telling you, we just found him a couple days ago. He's recovering right now from some serious magical damage, but he will be out of Mungo's tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Ron asked as if his soul had just been ripped away from him by a dementor. In all truth and honesty, if Hermione was all his happiness, then he might as well have been fed to the dementors anyways.

"Yeah... Mate, I'm sorry. You don't have to tell her, but he gave me a note for... for her. We both love her, and not giving this to her would really be a crime."

Ron looked at the paper and at Harry with a pitiful shake of his head.

"It's our anniversary tomorrow."

Harry nodded, looking just as beaten as his friend did. Harry had not, in any circumstance, wanted to deliver the news to Ron, but he knew it had to be done. It was an ailing man's wish and a hurting woman's most desperate hope.

"I better go and get her, Hermione wanted to know when you got here so she could come and see you if you weren't on official auror business, and it's best she doesn't know just yet."

"Promise me that she gets this?" Harry asked, pointing to the note he had tightly in his grasp.

"I will... Tomorrow."

Harry eyed him suspiciously. "On your anniversary?"

"A nice present, no? I'm giving her exactly what she wants... It's better than the familiar I was going to have her pick out. You know Crookshanks passed recently."

Harry snickered. That damned cat, no one but her was sad to see it go.

"You know, I thought you were coming on much different Auror business," he mentioned as they walked through the house and up the stairs to find the witch.

"This is bloody Auror work, Ron. We found him looking for Rogue Death Eaters or so we assume... I mean technically... He's just different, a double agent, a war hero. Kingsley didn't even hesitate to erase a trial from even looking like it was going to happen."

Ron shook his head and knocked on his bedroom door.

It was only a second before Hermione popped out and suffocated Harry.

"You're going to be a father soon, Harry! I keep forgetting, imagine that! Oh, I'm so excited for you and Ginny. Why aren't you with her?" She accused suddenly, but obviously jokingly. Or so Harry liked to think.

"Work." He laughed at her and kissed her cheek.

"I know, silly. I can't wait to meet the little one."

Harry grinned, and Ron attempted to hide the fact he'd never be able to get Hermione off contraception potions. Well that, and after tomorrow he wouldn't need them anyways. He really felt like dying inside, but the moment was too happy to ruin.

"Neither can we. I reckon you'll be spending tomorrow doing something nice?"

Harry just had to shove the knife into Ron's heart didn't he? His friend didn't do it intentionally, but that certainly didn't make it sting less. He had one night left with... just one.

"Yes, I've had his present since last month," She grinned, eyeing Ron.

He raised an eyebrow, attempting to keep face. "I got mine today actually, Harry here just dropped it off, sorry I didn't tell you that's what he was here for earlier but I wanted to hide it first."

The lie came easily, Merlin he'd been watching her lie to him for years now. Why couldn't he duplicate it just a little?

"Happy to help," Harry added.

Hermione shook her head looking unoffended by the whole thing, if not impressed. She had to just be ignoring the melancholy tone in her friend's voice.

"Let's catch up downstairs..." She declared. "Since suddenly the two of you are free and no longer scheming. Did you want to get Ginny here before you stay?"

"No, even the Floo Network makes her sick apparently. She'll be alright, I told her what I was up to."

Hermione huffed.

"Send her a massage, Harry Potter. How quickly you forget you were born a muggle."

The man laughed and nodded as he flipped open a cell phone and typed one out really quick, the nine-numbered key board taking a few seconds. He got a reply almost immediately that said to have fun on his own and he smirked to Hermione.

"Come on, let's do some catching up."

Tomorrow came faster than Ron wanted it to. He thought maybe because he was dreading it, the day would take forever. But no, he descended the stairs to find her poised at their table with breakfast.

Hermione looked somewhat pleased at the idea of an anniversary celebration even, which of course only made things worse.

"Happy Anniversary!" She said with a smile and then handed him his present.

"Thanks, Hermione," he said nervously, as the long box landed in his hands. It looked uncharacteristically like a broom.

He opened it and found exactly what he thought it was, a beautiful and new mint-condition broom. Specifically the Bolt 13, one of the newest on the market with the best offered handling. His heart weighed heavy, wondering if his envelope would be enough, but figured getting the man she loves back would be more than a broom was ever worth. She was worth more than that, he knew it without a doubt.

"If you don't like it-" she stuttered at the look on his face, and Room shook his head, forcing a smile on his face to appease her. He couldn't bare to see her sad, not now in these last few moments.

"I love it..." he looked down at his robe pocket and closed his eyes for a moment. He opened them again and sighed, "I just hope my gift compares."

Then he handed Hermione hers, the small paper wrapped delicately from a quick twist of the wand. The wrappings were golden, and he held his breath when she looked at it curiously.

"What's this?" She asked with a laugh. "Hm... A certificate to somewhere?" She asked suspiciously, giggling as she knew that she tried to show him that she would love it no matter what he gave her.

It slashed his chest to watch her do that for him.

She unfolded the wrapping and then unfolded the paper, looking at the script strangely when she read it was addressed to her. Her face paled at recognizable handwriting, and a very recognizable name.

Her mouth hung open, trying to say words as she ran her eyes over the paper again and again, tears blurring her sight, if the water falling was any indication.

"Ron..." She managed to choke out, bolting upright. But she shook her head and looked at the seat she'd just vacated with remorse. He jerked his head, hardly breathing.

"Go, honestly, I understand. Happy anniversary."

Her eyes scanned him before her need to see the other man won out. Literally running from the room, he heard her grab one item and rush back down. Her infamous beaded bag, something engrained in her from the war she said. Or maybe it had been the hope of this moment for the past several years that made her keep it. Ron didn't know and dared not ask.

"I love you," he muttered when she came face to face with him again.

"I know," she replied and hugged him briefly before waving her wand and disappearing before his eyes.

Hermione was gone for the man she really loved, and Ron was left in his now empty home to celebrate their anniversary alone.

-

Her heart was beating so quickly that she wasn't sure the poor organ could take such a rapid increase after years of dormancy.

It was amazing that Severus was alive, but some distant part of her couldn't let go of leaving Ron. Or moreover, how abruptly she'd done it. He'd told her to, and as she stepped through the hospital halls, the ring on her finger slipped off into her pocket. All of her was frayed, but it was be unhappy or possibly love again. Hermione knew which option she wanted, and bloody hell she had even been given permission to do so.

The room, number 562, was closed off with a large door in front of her, no small window at all, just wood. She wanted to cry, rejoice, and jump for all it was worth, but first she needed to be let in.

"Hello, who are you?"

She turned to get a good look at the strangely familiar voice and furrowed her eyebrows at the sight. Were her nerves that frayed?

"Draco? What are you doing here?" She asked and brought the man into a hug. The years of loving Severus had brought her close to Draco before she married Ron and lost touch with him.

"Hermione, I didn't even recognize you standing outside this room." The words made her sniffle.

"I just got word this morning."

"They found him a couple days ago, you're just learning now? Potter found him nearly battered and dead from his hunt of rogue Death Eaters," the blonde replied.

"How's Luna?" Hermione asked, for she didn't know why she had only learned of this just this morning either. Well, she could guess.

"Wonderful. This is for you from my lovely fiancée. She knew you'd be coming around eventually. And it's been too long."

Hermione smiled sadly, acknowledging the fact. It was a wedding invitation. "Oh, Draco! I'm sorry I haven't written lately! You know I'll be there! It's about time!"

"Well, I am still a coward," he joked lightly and pointed to the room. "I was going to give one to him today also, but I kind of figured that since I'm seeing you, one or the other will be each other's plus one I assume?"

"I can hope," she said and tapped the invitation into her hand.

"I'll let you go! Sorry, it's been how long since you've seen him? I mean the same for us but you... you loved him." Draco said as he took out his wand and tapped the door. He must have been Severus's primary relation and had access to him no matter what.

Hermione only wished it could be her.

"Four Years."

"It really has," a distant but strong voice replied to the soft one entering his room.

"Severus!" Hermione exclaimed and ran into the room. She stopped short however, just looking at him, making sure this whole thing wasn't a fevered dream of some kind.

"Hermione," he sighed and waved Draco out of the room. She barely noticed.

"I wasn't sure you'd come when Potter told me you had married Weasley." His voice was hesitant as he looked her up and down.

Hers was less so reluctant. Sure she would be hurting Ron, but she'd hurt him more by staying.

"I can't be with him, Severus, not as long as you live. He was there for me and I needed... he really loves me. I loved him in a way, I guess. Enough to marry him but you..." she trailed off and let the tears fall when he reached out to her weakly.

She obeyed, closing her eyes as her fingers slid into his and with all her might she held onto his warm skin, overwhelmed with his presence.

Hermione was surprised with a kiss to her forehead, enough to look up to see him leaning over enough to kiss her, and she couldn't help but indulge further. His lips were a memory, like hearing a song years after forgetting the title and losing the record.

"I love you," he breathed, and for the first time the statement healed her instead of tugged on her heavy heart.

"I love you, too," she muttered as she pecked his lips again, unable to resist.

And whether or not they would attend the wedding together or simply hide from all of humanity there on out was a far away thought. For now, she clutched to Severus with her life with but a gentle and hopeful thought for the other man too.