They were late.
Ron fumbled with the straps on the car seat. Several times he connected one to the incorrect slot. He groaned miserably while Rose watched him with big baby-blue eyes.
Hermione was still in the house with Hugo and he was alone, helpless, and out of ideas.
He looked at Rose, who nibbled on her thumb. "Do you know how to do this?" he asked while gesturing to the various disconnected and tangled straps. She giggled and Ron sighed.
For a moment he began to fiddle again with the straps, hoping that they would suddenly make sense to them, before the realization struck him like a Chaser on a Nimbus 3001.
He brought his palm to his forehead with a sharp smack. "How could I be so stupid? It's so simple!" he cried. "What kind of wizard am I?"
He desperately rummaged for the slender stick that was the answer to his dilemma in several pockets until finding it in his back pocket.
"That could have gone bad," he said to himself in remembrance of the mad man with one eye who grumbled about keeping your wand there and the dangers of doing so.
With a quick jerk of his wand, he murmured a simple spell he took from one of Hermione's books that had been lent to her by his mother. Rosie gave a bubbly laugh as the straps nimbly connected themselves in the right sequence and order on their own.
As if she had planned it, Hermione stumbled slightly out of the house while balancing Hugo in her arms just as the spell finished its work. "Have you got everything?" she yelled to him.
He nodded. "Yeah I think so."
He adjusted the small, festively-themed hat on her red curls. It was a habit that had been given to him by Hermione and Harry, who doted over his kids more often than Ginny did. In no time flat Hermione had Hugo in and properly secured. After a big kiss on Rose's cheek Ron shut the door and climbed in the driver's seat.
"You can't drive?" she said.
"It's not even a half an hour's drive there, we'll be fine."
She looked as though she greatly doubted his ability to ensure that. Eventually she sighed and evidently gave in before climbing into the car.
"Just go. We're already late."
Ron grinned and started up the rickety old car before putting his foot down on the gas and heading off down the dirt road, leaving the house behind.
.,.,.
As soon as the door opened there were squeals of joy heard from both sides. Ron grimaced and Rose held tighter onto him. Both his sister and his wife eagerly embraced.
When they broke apart, Ginny beamed brilliantly. "You're late."
Hermione shrugged. "We know. The kids threw a fuss of course. Ron also got lost somehow on his way here, or else we would have been here earlier."
Ginny made a sound of sympathy. "I should have guessed. Must be cold, come on. Get in here."
Ron shuffled in after Hermione, more than eager to get out of the cold. No sooner than had he stepped over the threshold Harry finally made his appearance, with a little bundle of havoc in hand.
He grinned warmly upon seeing them nonetheless. "Hey glad you finally made it."
Ron returned the grin. "So am I."
Rose reached out with tiny hands as though she believed she could reach her cousin from across the room. Harry and Ron both laughed.