They had no doubt they were to be together. But how to explain why they knew?

The Sign

"Hermione, Honey. Why him? You barely kn…"

"What? Know him? Mom, I've known him since age eleven."

"Of course. What I mean, You've no experience." She shifted uncomfortably.

"No experience. Hmmm, eight years working together, of putting ourselves in danger, fighting for our lives, overcoming our differences. I can see how you might feel we have no experience." Hermione snapped back at her mother.

"No, that's not what I mean, Dear." This is not how she wanted this conversation to go. "I mean, you haven't dated anyone else. How do you know he's the one?"

"Simple. Everytime I think of going out with someone, it's his face I see." Hermione sighed. It was a good thing she had rehearsed this conversation out in her mind.

"I… I want you to be happy. You two are always fighting."

"Maybe that's what makes us happy." Hermione stated simply. "It's fun, and the making up is so much better."

"But…But What…" Her mother couldn't continue. "You just... The war just ended."

"Look mom, I'm not sure if you would understand this, but I'm sure. OK?" Hermione was getting impatient.

"But how can you be sure. You're so young."

"Ok, listen. You know I'm not supposed to talk too much about the wizarding world. It's dangerous, right?" Hermione started to explain but didn't wait for a reply. "Even in the wizarding world, this isn't explained much, usually between mother and daughter. But last week, Molly and I talked it over." She paused to breath and gather her thoughts. "Some people call it soulmates, some call it finding 'the one' but really, it is called The Sign."

"The sign? What might that be? Butterflies in your belly?"

"No Mom, when everything is right, the right people, the right place, the right time, we get The Sign. It's hard to explain. But, well, I can show you." Hermione rolled up her right sleeve, to show the center of her forearm. There, throbbing with a strong pulse, was a new red blood vein, just barely under the skin.

"What in blazes is that thing?" Her mother rose from her seat and knelt in front of her daughter. She lightly touched the thumb nail sized mark.

"The Sign. Like I've been telling you. Go ahead, touch it."

"Does it hurt?" The medical professional in Mrs. Granger stood at attention.

"Not at all." Hermione held her mother's fingers on the spot, then reached for her other hand. She placed fingers on her own pulse. "Tell me what you feel."

There was silence, while Mrs. Granger felt, shifted her fingers and felt again. She made sure she felt both the pulse of the strange spot, and Hermione's.

"That's not possible. The pulses are different. How?" She looked almost panicked.

"That's Ron's heartbeat. His heartbeat is a part of mine now. He has my heartbeat."

"But, But… That takes away free-agency. It's wrong." Her mother tried to make sense of this.

"No, mom. We could ignore it if we want. The sign will just fade away. But why would we? It feels right." Hermione softened. It did feel right. It felt like the world was alright when he was there with her.

"But why now? You're so young. You're not even twenty yet. You have so much ahead of you!"

"So? I do have so much ahead of me. I have a career to start. So what? I can still have him and have all that too." She felt like her mother wasn't getting it.

Mrs. Grange sat back on her heals, resigned to the idea. "I can't say I approve. How long? How long have you had this Sign?" She whispered.

"Since the battle."

"When. When did this happen?"

Hermione smiled. "The first time we kissed." It was in the midst of battle. They were the right people, in the right place, in the right time. They knew.

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Please! review, I need to know what you think. How can I get motivated to write, if no one tells me if it is good or terrible? Please! Even if it is just one word!