Disclaimer: The only things that are mine in this fic are Sibby, Meulen, Zocira and the Cream Coloured Knarl. All the other characters and settings are JKR’s.
Also, the lyrics are from the song “Who am I?” by Will Young.
August 5th, 2005. It was eight years after Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort. He was just seventeen when that happened. He couldn’t go to Hogwarts while he was searching for Horcruxes. He defeated Voldemort in June, 1997. Three months later (September 1st to be precise), he returned to Hogwarts, a carefree teenager. His best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, went back to the school with him. He dated Ginny again. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all completed the year with several NEWT’s under their belts. That summer, Harry asked Ginny to move in with him, to Grimmauld Place. It was hard for him, living in the house that once belonged to his godfather. Over time, he got used to it. They went to the Burrow every Sunday for Sunday lunch. Hermione was nearly always there too, eating and talking to the family that had, over time, become her own. Two years after living together, Harry asked Ginny to marry him. She said yes. Harry, Ron and Hermione all began training as Aurors. They helped to track down the remaining Death Eaters. All of this meant that wedding plans were put on hold. Finally, they settled on a wedding date--August 5th 2005.
It was a beautiful summer’s day. Ron Weasley looked around his fairly big flat with a smile. It was his best friends’ and little sister’s wedding day. He picked up his dress robes (thankfully much better than the ones that he had had to wear to the fourth year Yule Ball) and black shoes. Holding these things in one hand, he reached out with the other and grabbed a pinch of Floo powder. He preferred travelling by Floo powder than by Apparation. His favourite method of travelling was flying, but it was too risky. The Muggles might see him. In fact, only two summers ago he was offered the job of Keeper for the Chudley Cannons. He would have dearly loved to say yes, but he had to go to Peru the next week to search a house that was suspected to belong to a Death Eater. He had had to say no. He still hoped that he would get offered it again, now that Death Eater rumours were rare. Ron threw the Floo powder into his fireplace, stepped into the green flames and said in a clear voice:
“The Burrow”
The green flames consumed him as he span round and round. Here and there he caught a glimpse of a room or some people. He recognised his destination and put his arms out to try and steady himself.
“Ron!”
Ron stumbled out of the fireplace and into the kitchen of his childhood home. The next thing he knew, he was being pulled into a tight embrace by his mother, Mrs. Weasley.
“Hello mum,” he greeted her.
“It’s so good to see you again dear. Are you all right?” she asked, holding him at arms length and surveying her son.
“You’re getting thinner, dear. Come on in, I’ll make you a proper English breakfast with sausages and crispy bacon, just how you like it. How does that sound?”
“Great. But don’t go to all that trouble for me,” replied Ron.
“Oh, don’t worry. I’m expecting Hermione to arrive by Floo in a few minutes and the twins should Apparate any minute now,” Mrs. Weasley said, bustling around the kitchen.
“Hermione?” asked Ron, his heart rising. Ever since his fourth year at Hogwarts he had been madly in love with his best friend. It had started out as a crush that he hoped would go away. Then, in his sixth year, he realised just how much he loved her. Ginny told him during an argument that she had snogged Viktor Krum. How he hated “Vicky.” He was madly jealous of him. When he found out that she hadn’t, in fact, kissed Vicky, he couldn’t help but smile. He knew he had hurt her when he dated Lavender Brown. She refused to speak to him for weeks. He didn’t like it when they weren’t speaking. He didn’t like it at all, because he missed her too much. They made up. They always did when they had a fight. At Dumbledore’s funeral at the end of the year, he had hugged her. He had never held her that close. He knew it was one of those moments he would never forget. When Harry defeated Voldemort Ron hugged her again. They just stood, amid unconscious Death Eater and he never wanted to let her go. Then Harry ruined it all by yelling that Bellatrix Lestrange had escaped.
Ron was brought back down to Earth by the sound of Mrs. Weasey cracking some eggs.
“I’ll go and put these in my old room,” Ron said, lifting up his dress robes and shoes.
“Ok, it’ll be done in about 15 minutes.”
Ron climbed the staircase to his old bedroom, right at the top of the house. It was a little different to how it was when it was his. The Chudley Cannons posters that once covered the walls were now in his flat. The goldfish bowl that used to contain a frog was empty. The room was tidier than Ron had ever seen it. There were few cardboard boxes along one side of the room, containing his dad’s collection of plugs. There was still a bed in the room. Somebody, his mum probably, had placed a large collection of books on his bed (yet it was still tidier than he had ever seen it). He picked a few of them up. Gilderoy Lockhart smiled up at him. He put them down, wrinkling his nose up in disgust. He shoved all the books in one pile, and placed his dress robes down beside them, trying not to crease them. Putting his shoes down on the floor, he left the room and headed back downstairs.
Fred and George were already in the kitchen when Ron came back down and sat on a stool.
“Nearly done,” announced Mrs. Weasley.
“Where’s Hermione?” Ron asked.
Fred and George passed knowing looks and smiled to each other as if they knew something that Ron didn’t, which did not go unnoticed by him.
“What? Why are you looking like that? Where is she--no. No no no. What did you do to her? If you’ve harmed her, I’ll...I’ll…”
“Stutter at us?” suggested George.
“Stop bickering you three,” Mrs. Wealsey said. “Breakfast’s done.”
“But Hermione--”
Green flames erupting from the fireplace cut off Ron’s voice. Hermione stumbled out, coughing and clutching a long black bag. Ron rushed to help her. He prevented her from falling and took the black bag from her. He started to peek inside when Hermione grabbed it back off him.
“Don’t look in there,” Hermione told him.
Ron tried to ignore his heart’s sinking feeling. She had only just got here and already he had annoyed Hermione. “Are you ok?” Ron asked, gazing into her face. He wiped some soot off her shoulder.
“I’m fine, thanks. Why wouldn’t I be?”
Ron mumbled something about Fred and George, and Hermione shot them a puzzled look.
“I’ll just take this up to my room, Mrs. Weasley. I’m sharing with Ginny, right?”
“Yes dear. Could you please get her up while you’re in there, and tell her that breakfast’s ready?”
Hermione left, taking the black bag from Ron. He and the twins settled down to a big plate of breakfast, and a few minutes later Hermione and Ginny, who was still in her pyjamas, joined them.
After breakfast, Mrs. Weasley announced that Ron and the twins had to go to Grimmauld Place to get ready for the wedding, and then they would all meet up in the Hogwarts Grounds for the ceremony.
“I thought I was getting ready here,” Ron protested. “That’s why I came, isn’t it?”
“No, you came so that you could eat a decent meal. You don’t look like you’ve been eating properly since you’ve been living on your own. You’ve got to keep your strength up if you’re going to be running around all over the place, capturing dark wizards.”
Ron went back to his old room to pick up his dress robes and shoes. Then he, Fred and George went out to the back garden and Apparated to Grimmauld Place.
Harry and Ron stood side by side near the front door of Grimmauld Place. They both looked handsome in their robes.
Harry’s were grey with tiny stars embroidered on them. If you looked closely, you could see that they changed colour every so often and were moving slightly. Underneath he wore a white shirt. He had a small red rose in one of his buttonholes. His brilliant green eyes sparkled like emeralds from his pale face. He had attempted to smooth down his mop of black hair but failed. It stood up as it always did. It looked a bit of place; his messy hair against his neat robes.
Ron’s robes were black. On his were little swirls. They were rainbow coloured. Every so often, the colours would change around, and it would look like the swirls were moving, spiralling outwards as the colours all came from the centre and settled down at the edges.
“Shall we go?” Harry asked nervously.
“None of the others are ready yet.”
“Please. I just want to get there. I think it’ll help to calm me down. I don’t want to be stuck in here until we go.”
Ron scribbled a note telling the others where he and Harry had gone and attached it to the front door. He was sure that someone would see it there. Then Ron and Harry Disapparated out of Grimmauld Place.
They both appeared with a pop just outside the Hogwarts Grounds.
“Should we go to the Quidditch Pitch?” asked Harry
“No,” answered Ron. “Mum’ll be here already, checking all the last minute things. Maybe we should just explore the castle until it’s time.”
Harry and Ron went into the Entrance Hall.
“Do you mind if we…er…go down to the kitchens for a cream cake?” asked Ron.
They turned to go down to the kitchens when a voice called out.
“Hey!”
It was Hermione. She looked beautiful in a baby pink knee length dress. Little opals were scattered across it. She had done something to her hair again. It had been pulled back into a bun. Curls flowed over the top of it. A single, soft curl caressed the side of her face. Ron couldn’t help but be reminded of how much he loved her.
“What are you two doing here?” she asked, looking at Ron.
“Well I do believe there’s a wedding taking place here, and we’re part of it,” Ron answered.
“It doesn’t start until half an hour.”
“You’re here,” Ron pointed out.
“Of course I’m here. I’m the maid of honour. I’m just checking over things, making sure nothing goes wrong.”
“If you have the right to be here then I have just as much right as you”
“What makes you think that?”
“I’m the Best Man!”
“Fine, just make sure that you do not go outside. Especially Harry, because if he sees--” Hermione stopped talking and looked at the space where Harry had been standing.
“Where is he? Where’s Harry? He was here a minute ago, I saw him, standing next to you but…where’s he gone?”
Ron’s freckles stood out against his deathly pale face.
“Ron!” Hermione exploded, a curl or two coming loose from her bun. “You’re supposed to be looking after him! Now you’ve gone and lost him right before the wedding.”
“I was doing that perfectly well until you showed up and had a go at us,” Ron snapped back. “Anyway, if I’m supposed to be looking after Harry, then surely you’re supposed to be keeping an eye on Ginny. I’ve been with Harry all morning, but it’s funny, I don’t see Ginny now,” Ron said, looking around pointedly.
“She’s with your mum.”
They stood glaring at each other for a few seconds.
“Come on then, what are we waiting for?” Hermione demanded.
“What?”
“Let’s go and find Harry.”
Ron and Hermione left the Entrance Hall and started to climb one of the long, sweeping staircases onto the first floor corridor.
“This is all you fault,” moaned Hermione. “As if we didn’t have enough to do. I’ve still got to check who’s arriving, arrange the presents neatly on the table, I want to help the house elves with some of the cooking…but that’s after the wedding. Let’s see…what else...ah yes…” Hermione continued her rant until they’d finished searching the third floor corridor.
Ron grabbed her hand to stop her.
“If you make us late, boy will I make you pay, Ronald Weasley.”
Sometimes you know you push me so hard I don’t know how I feel
“Hermione, calm down,” said Ron soothingly.
“Calm down! Ron, we have twenty minutes until the ceremony starts and there’s still no sign of the groom.”
“We’ll find him,” Ron reassured her.
“Rings,” Hermione exclaimed.
“What?”
“Rings. Do you have the rings?”
“Don’t worry,” advised Rom, patting his left front pocket. He expected to feel the two rings in that pocket but could feel nothing but his body beneath the fabric. He put his hand inside it. It was definitely empty. He gasped.
“Ron!”
He did the same with his right front pocket. Again, it was empty.
“You’re joking, right? Please, you’ve got to be kidding me,” pleaded Hermione.
“Oh, it’s ok, I remember putting them in my inside pocket,” Ron said.
He reached into his left inside pocket. Yet again, it was empty, save for a few Sickles and Knuts. Ron’s face turned, if possible, even paler.
“No! I definitely put them in the inside pocket,” he said to a worrying Hermione.
“You had two main jobs. Two jobs, Ron. To make sure Harry made it here ok and to give them the rings during the ceremony. How can you fail if you don’t even have a lot to do? How stupid are you?”
You almost make me doubt I feel at all
The last comment hurt Ron. He desperately searched all of his pockets again. His hand brushed against another, smaller, hidden pocket on the inside, right hand side of his dress robes. There were the rings.
“Got them,” he announced, with a sigh of relief.
“Thank Merlin!”
They kept searching the castle for Harry.
“Not everybody’s as perfect as you are, you know,” he blurted out. “Just because I make a mistake here and there doesn’t mean you have to rub it in that you’re so much better than me and that you’re cleverer than me.”
“Oh, come on Ron, you are clever. You’re also one of the bravest people I’ve ever had the fortune to meet.”
“But--”
“No buts. You’re perfect in your own special way. I like you just the way you are.”
It's not as though I always listen
But there's just so much I don't hear
“Bet that’s what you said to Vicky to get him to snog you,” Ron said before he could stop himself. As soon as the words had come out he regretted it. Hermione stopped walking and stared open mouthed at him.
“What?” she asked in a dangerously low voice.
“I--oh, Hermione, I didn’t mean it, honestly I didn’t, I just--”
“I have never snogged Viktor.”
“Yeah, right,” snapped Ron.
“Ron, why do you always have to bring him up?”
Hermione sighed angrily. Why did he always have to do this? She hadn’t seen Viktor for about a year, since she stayed with him in Bulgaria for two weeks. Ron had been acting strangely around her then. He would keep asking questions like “what do you see in him, Hermione?” or “would you be going to see him if he hadn’t take you to the Yule Ball?” Once, he had even asked “If…say…I had taken you to the Yule ball, would you have kept in touch with Vicky?” When Hermione had come back from her visit, he asked her numerous of things about her visit. He was a bit grumpy with her. She often thought Ron was jealous of Viktor. Maybe he didn’t like him because he, not Ron, had taken her to the Yule Ball. At least, that’s what she hoped the problem was. A few days after she had come back, she said to him, “Me and Viktor really are just friends. You do know that, don’t you?” After that his mood towards her had considerably lightened and they got on fine. Now, on their best friend’s wedding day they were arguing about the same old person.
“What is wrong with you? Why can’t you just drop it with Viktor?”
Ron’s heart felt like it was full of lead. Here he was, yet again, arguing with Hermione. He always managed to say the wrong things. If only he hadn’t opened his big mouth and said something about Vicky. Vicky, of all people! If there was one thing, just one, that was a sure way to get them into an argument, It would be to bring up Vicky. He didn’t even know why he had said it. She had just paid him a compliment, hadn’t she? But she couldn’t have meant it…could she? You’re perfect in your own special way. I like you just the way you are. Ron managed to convince himself that of course she didn’t mean it. Hermione, clever Hermione, brilliant Hermione, brightest witch of their age, perfect, daring, brave, beautiful Hermione, like…him, Ron? No, of course not. He would never be good enough for her. He only annoyed her.
Maybe I’ll never be what you want
“Well? Why do you keep on bringing him up?”
“Because I’m jealous of him dammit!” yelled Ron.
Hermione’s heart rose. Ron was jealous of Viktor! That was, in her mind, great news. There could only be one (she hoped) reason why Ron could possibly be jealous of him. Ron must like her! Hermione was brought back down to earth from her dream by approaching footsteps.
“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all over the place! You’d better get a move on, it’s going to start in ten minutes.”
Ron and Hermione turned around to see Harry walking towards them.
“Where have you been?” asked Hermione in a shaky voice.
“The kitchens. Ron said something about a cream cake, and it made me feel a bit hungry. The house-elves aren’t down there though,” Harry replied. “But then again, I don’t suppose they’d stay here all summer if there’s no one to feed, would they?” he added as an afterthought.
“You’ve been looking for us?” Ron asked incredulously. He was still looking at Hermione.
“Oh, come on, let’s just go. We wouldn’t want to be late now, would we?” said Hermione.
The three of them left the castle and went down the Quidditch Pitch. Harry noticed that there was a strange kind of tension between his two best friends, but decided not to say anything. He had witnessed their bickering and numerous arguments before. He had learnt it was always best to keep out of the way. Hermione seemed to be thinking very hard about something. Ron seemed a bit uncomfortable, a bit awkward. Like he didn’t know what to do next. Harry could tell that something would happen between the two of them later. He hoped it wouldn’t be a big shouting match.
The wedding ceremony was quite small. Family members, Order members and a few friends were the only people in attendance. Ginny looked stunning in a white wedding dress. It flowed like silk over her body and came to a rest at the ground around her feet. Two real live fairies held up the hem of her dress as she walked down the Pitch. Her beautiful red hair rested freely half way down her back, framing her face that shone with excitement.
“You look beautiful,” Harry said as she reached him.
“Thanks,” she whispered back.
Then the ceremony began.
After the ceremony (during which Mrs. Weasley had broken down in silent, happy tears), the guests wondered around the grounds of the school. Hermione had Apparated back to the Burrow to help the house elves with the food, which was due to magically appear at one pm (the ceremony had started at eleven o’ clock).
Ron started to mingle with the guests. He hugged his sister and told her how beautiful she looked. He started to give Harry his “if you ever hurt her you’ll have me you answer to” speech when Remus stopped him.
“Give him a break, Ron, it’s his wedding day. And I’ve already heard Fred and George give him a talk, similar to yours. Oh, and Harry, I’d steer clear of Charlie too, he keeps throwing you funny looks,” said Remus.
Ron would have liked to hang around with Harry and Ginny but Tonks arrived and before long, she and Remus were reminiscing about their wedding day. Then, to make things worse, Bill wondered over with Fleur and started talking about their wedding day. Ron started getting bored with all this wedding talk and left them to it, wondering aimlessly around the Quidditch Pitch. He strolled over to one of the goalposts laid a hand upon it, fondly remembering when he had been Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team.
“Aw, look at him.”
“Lost as a little puppy.”
“Don’t be silly, Forge, he’s as lost as a little lovesick puppy.”
“Alas, I stand corrected Gred.”
“Lost without her, isn’t he?”
“I mean, we always knew you were a bit clumsy, Ronnie, but to have lost the love of your life…”
“What makes you think ‘Mione is the love of my life?” asked Ron.
“’Mione? Why, we never mentioned Hermione,” said George in an innocent voice that fooled no one.
“I was talking about Moaning Myrtle.”
“Really? I thought we were talking about the Giant Squid.”
“It seem like we’ve got our wires crossed, Gred,”
“It does indeed, Forge,”
“Anyway, isn’t it funny how, when we started talking about the love of his life, little Ronnie’s mind jumped straight to Hermione?”
“It is. Anyone would think that she is the love of his life.”
“But we know better. We know that she’s the love of his life.”
“What do you two want?” asked Ron, whose ears were now as red as his hair.
“Well, after your little lover’s tiff with our lovely little ‘Mione earlier, we thought you’d want to make up with her.”
“How do you know about that?” questioned Ron quickly.
“Always have a pair of Extendable Ears handy, little bro, remember that,” replied Fred solemnly.
“Anyhow, do you want to find her or not?” asked Fred.
Ron glared at his brothers for a moment.
“Yes,” he said.
“Aw, look, he’s all red.”
“Can we come with you? We’ve been waiting for you to get together with her for quite some time now.”
“Then again, so has everyone else”
“Just tell me where she is,” demanded Ron wearily.
“She’s at home, helping the house elves with the food.”
Ron turned slowly on the spot to Disapparate. The familiar sensation of being squeezed came over him and then went as quickly as it had come. His body felt a bit tingly. He was still in the Hogwarts Quidditch Pitch.
“Honesty, haven’t you ever read Hogwarts: A History?” chorused Fred and George together, imitating Hermione. “How many times do you have to be told that you can’t Apparate into, or Disapparate out of, the Hogwarts Grounds?”
Ron left the Quidditch Pitch and sneaked out of the Grounds. Nobody noticed he was missing because the guests were all congratulating Harry and Ginny.
“Not even a thanks,” muttered Fred, watching Ron as he turned again and this time managed to Disapparate.
Ron Apparated into the back garden of The Burrow. He made his way to the back door. Delicious smells made their way to his nose. He sniffed eagerly. He opened the door and stood in the doorway to the kitchen. Hermione was crouching down, her shoes abandoned near where he was standing. She was surrounded by three elves, which were talking to her. One House Elf was cutting up an assortment of vegetables, while another was boiling potatoes in a saucepan. All of the elves wore tea towels with the Hogwarts crest on it. Ron tuned into what Hermione and the elves were taking about.
“But miss must return to the wedding!” exclaimed an elf with a very squeaky voice. This one must have been female. It had a very small nose, like a rubber, and big blue eyes.
“I don’t mind Sibby, really, I want to help,” said Hermione.
“We is very grateful miss, for your kindness, but we elves is not needing any help,” declared another of the elves that was standing by Hermione. This one had grey eyes and a long nose, like a carrot. It was male.
“Oh, thanks Meulen, but I’d feel bad if I just stood here watching while you do all the hard work,” Hermione insisted.
The third elf wiped her enormous brown eyes on her tea towel.
“Miss is so, so kind,” she said. “Dobby told us all about Mr. Potter and his friend’s kindness, but I didn’t know you would be this kind.”
“Dobby?” asked Hermione. “Is he still working at Hogwarts then?”
“Ah, no Miss,” said Meulen, “He…(he lowered his voice to a whisper) he retired two years ago.”
“Good for him,” praised Hermione. “You know, you should take a leaf out of his book. Do you get paid for your work?”
The three House Elves looked as though she had just uttered a disgusting swear word.
“P…paid? Retire?” asked the third elf, Zocira. She began twisting her ears and backed away from Hermione a though she was mad.
“We Elves is not supposed to get paid Miss, and we is bound to serve one family until we die. We is not supposed to retire. Some Elves think that Dobby is a disgrace to our race,” explained Sibby.
“Disgrace? Now, that’s going a bit far,” stated Hermione. “You deserve to be treated better, get paid for your work and take holidays. You’re treated like you don’t even have feelings.”
“Maybe Miss should go now,” suggested Meulen bravely. “We has cooking to finish and you is upsetting Zocira.”
This was true. Zocira had backed away into the wall and was staring at Hermione as though she had just escaped from St. Mungo’s Spell Damage Ward a few weeks too early.
“We could give you a cake, then you could leave with your friend, please, Miss.”
“No, no, I don’t want a cake,” said Hermione. “Er…I’ll go if you want me too. But what friend?”
Ron cleared his throat, causing Hermione to whip around.
“How long have you been standing there?” asked Hermione, getting up.
“Long enough. I don’t think the Elves approve of your spew aims,” Ron answered.
“It’s S.P.E.W,” Hermione muttered.
They both felt a bit awkward.
”Ron, why did you say you were jealous of Viktor earlier?” asked Hermione quietly.
”Because…because…”
Was this Ron’s chance to finally tell Hermione that he loved her? He should probably seize this opportunity. It didn’t come along very often. But…
Who am I to tell you that I would never let you down
That no-one else could love you, half as much as I do now?
He looked into her beautiful brown eyes, alight with curiosity.
”Hermione, I…” he started
And who am I to tell you I’ll always catch you when you fall?
Well I, I wouldn’t be myself at all.
He was her best friend. He didn’t want to ruin their friendship. He thought that he should probably tell her the truth, but…he was Ron. He might be a Gryffindor, but he just didn’t dare. He had never said anything remotely romantic to her. She would probably just laugh at him.
I wouldn’t be myself at all, at all.
“Do you love me?” asked Hermione abruptly. Her heart was beating faster than it had ever before.
“Yes,” Ron answered, surprising even himself. “I…I do.”
Hermione hugged him fiercely.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to hear you say that,” she whispered in his ear. She pulled back slightly, tilted her head and closed her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was finally going to kiss Ron.
They were three inches apart.
Two inches.
They were just one inch apart.
A pop disturbed the silence (the House Elves had stopped working for a moment to watch Ron and Hermione).
”Aw we missed it!” came Fred’s voice.
Ron and Hermione pulled apart instantly. They had been so close.
“Idiot!” said George, “They were about to snog! I can’t believe you ruined our ickle Ronniekins’ big moment!”
Fred and George were standing amongst the House Elves, who had gotten back to work.
“Have you finished with the food yet? It’s coming up to one o’ clock and the guests are getting hungry,” George told a near by Elf.
“Yes, Sirs, we is nearly done. We is just needing to put the icing on the wedding cake then we is done, Sirs,” squeaked Meulen
Fred and George waited patiently for the Elves to ice the cake. Their eyes never left Ron and Hermione.
“You can get back to where you were, if you want,” offered George.
“Yeah, don’t let us stop you,” agreed Fred.
Ron and Hermione both blushed fiercely.
“Finished! We has done working now, Sirs, the food is ready to go,” exclaimed Sibby.
Each of the Elves took a plate laden with food and Disapparated, to Apparate back to the Burrow a minute later with empty hands.
Hermione picked up a plate to help them, but Zocira took it out of her hands.
“You should be going back to Hogwarts, Miss, we is done here,” said Zocira, looking at Hermione as though she expected her to grow wings at any minute. She rushed away with the plate, muttering something that sounded like “Miss is not in her right mind…retirement…pay…surely Confunded…”
When most of the food had been finished, the guests all went into the Great Hall. It had about twenty small tables with four chairs around them near the huge double doors, and a dance floor took up the rest of the Hall. The Cream Coloured Knarl--a music band--was on a platform at the other end of the Hall, where the teacher’s table used to be when Harry was at school.
When the first song had ended, everyone clapped and the dance floor started to fill. There were a few people who had not been invited to the ceremony but had been invited to the party. Fred was swinging Angelina Johnson (who had arrived at almost exactly the same time as the food) around wildly. Everyone gave their area of the dance floor a wide berth.
Hermione and Ron were not in the Great Hall though. Hermione had led Ron into an empty classroom.
“Did you mean it?” she asked him. “Do you really love me?”
“Yes!” said Ron, surprised by the question. “Of course I do.”
She leaned in close to him, and closed her eyes again. This time their lips met.
After a minute, Hermione pulled away reluctantly.
“What is it?” asked Ron.
“Well…it’s just…you and I are infamous for our arguments. What if we keep on arguing, all the time, and it just gets worse and worse until we have to break up?”
I didn't want to do what everybody does
And hide the truth to find we never knew a thing about love
“I won’t let that happen,” promised Ron. “Yeah, we fall out a lot, but we always make up, don’t we? And we’ve definitely got better. I mean, in third year, we weren’t speaking for ages because of our stupid pets. In fourth year, we weren’t speaking because I was jealous of Vicky--Viktor, sorry--and again we weren’t talking for ages. Then again in sixth year, we weren’t talking, because…because…”
“I was jealous of Lavender.”
“Oh, right. Well this morning we had an argument, and we’ve already made up! We’re not half as bad as we used to be. All that matter’s is that I love you, and you love me, so there’s no reason why we won’t work out.”
Cos this is real life, real love
And knowing what it comes down too
It just might be enough
Hermione smiled at Ron. “You’re right,” she said, as she leant in for another kiss.
“We should probably go into the Great Hall,” said Hermione after a few minutes. “Somebody might be wondering where we are.”
They left the empty classroom and made their way to the great Hall.
“There they are,” exclaimed George, as he saw Ron and Hermione enter the Hall together. He elbowed Fred (who was taking a break from dancing) and motioned in the direction of the couple.
“Are my eyes deceiving me, or are they actually holding hands?” asked Fred disbelievingly.
“I believe you’re right, old chap!” agreed George. “Looks like they’re finally together then.”
Fred and George hurried over to Ron and Hermione.
“Well well well what do we have here?” asked Fred when he and George reached Ron and Hermione.
“Looks like a young couple in love,” commented George.
“It’s about time,” said Fred. “I mean, it’s been not one--”
“--Not two--”
“--Not three--”
“--Not four--”
“--Not five--”
“--Not six--”
“--Not seven--”
“--Not eight--”
“--Not nine--”
“--Not ten--”
“--Not even eleven!”
“But twelve years!” finished George.
“But you do know what this means, don’t you?” asked Fred seriously. “The Giant Squid will be disappointed,” he joked, at the same time that George said:
”You’ve given Myrtle something else to moan about!”
Ron laughed as he led Hermione onto the dance floor.
Everyone stopped what they were doing as they noticed that Ron and Hermione were dancing. Was it true? Were they finally together? After all these years? When the song finished, Ron pulled Hermione into another kiss. Everyone clapped loudly. Harry and Ginny rushed over to congratulate them, as Mrs. Weasley cried silent tears of joy for the second time that day.
A month and two weeks later, on Hermione’s birthday, Ron proposed to her. She gladly accepted and they started making their wedding plans straight away. At Christmas, both Ginny and hermione realised that they were pregnant. A pregnant, and happy, Hermione waked down the aisle on July 25th the next year. On August 31st, Hermione gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, named Melissa. Not long after, on September 5th, Ginny gave birth to a lovely baby boy, called James.
The End.
A/N: so, did you like it? I hope you did. It’s rather fluffy, but who doesn’t love a bit of fluff? Thanks reading and please review :) Oh, and the red rose that Harry had is a symbol for love, passion and beauty.
And who am I to tell you that I would never let you down
That no-one else could love you half as much as I do now
And who am I to tell you I'll always catch you when you fall
Well I, I wouldn't be myself at all