Disclaimer: Only the super-awesome lines are mine. Everything recognisable belongs to JKR.
Written for Round One of the Quidditch Fanfiction League.
Prompts:
jitterbug, restaurant, "You have as much charm as a flobberworm"
This is for the super efficient Kira, Seeker of the Wigtown Wanderers. Hope you like it, Kira :)
Go Wanderers!
"One Firewhiskey and one cup of coffee. We'd love a sandwich, a bowl of fruits and some chocolate, please," spoke Ronald Weasley and nodding, Madame Rosmerta smiled and walked away. He turned to face Hermione Granger who was sitting across him and saw her smiling at him.
"What?" he met her gaze and asked self-consciously.
Shaking her head, she replied, "Nothing."
"Come on, what is it? Is there something on my nose?" he frowned and scratched his nose, going cross-eyed as he tried to see it. She burst out laughing at the sight and he broke into an easy smile, relaxing slightly in his chair.
"No, there's nothing on your nose! It's just...I was reminiscing," she replied softly and he raised his brows.
"Reminiscing? About what? When we couldn't legally drink Firewhiskey? I know Butterbeer is nostalgic and all, but Firewhiskey contains fire for a reason, you know," he grinned and she rolled her eyes, nodding in surrender to his absurd logic as she thought to herself.
It was about a week after the War had ended and the martyrs had been buried. There was a sudden increase in the number of people who could sight Thestrals and the creatures seemed rather perturbed by the spike in the number. Eyes would indeed redden in the Weasley household when Molly would absent-mindedly lay an extra plate at the plate at every meal. Eyes would drift toward the rather conspicuous vacancy beside George and it would feel incomplete without feeling as though looking at the boy in front of a mirror. Hearts would feel heavy when Teddy Lupin would wail pitiably through the nights, everyone taking turns at rocking the baby as he'd blink through his tears and try and spot a flash of pink. The full moon didn't seem as momentous a night anymore, and they would've given everything to hear the familiar howling that they heard each month. Arthur would calm a hysterical Molly down as she woke from a nightmare yet again, shrieking that she forgot Fred's face. George broke the mirror and rarely turned on the lights of his room. Deaths were mourned, but after a particularly poignant and emotional address by Harry on the funeral of the last slain warrior, people seemed to tap strength from a source buried deep within themselves. Harry told them of how Sirius, Remus and his parents had appeared before him and all realised that their loved ones had only left their bodies. Their memories and love was something that could never be taken away and celebrated the joys of their lives that were slain too early.
Suddenly, it seemed as though after the storm of Life, a tiny beam of sunlight pierced the clouds and shone merrily on them. The extra plate would be laid often even now, but George would gorge on the food laid out and no one minded that he stuffed a bit more. The person in charge of Teddy would no longer bite their lip and stop the quivering of their chin. No matter the age, be it Arthur, Molly, Ginny or Fleur, nobody minded blowing raspberries at the baby or magically dyeing their hair to a bubblegum pink, if only for the wee hours into the night. George still refrained from laying on his bed such that he faced the empty one on the other side of his room, but he did holler in the yard, looking up at the stars on the full moon. Molly stopped sobbing about forgetting Fred's face, when she'd fall asleep with a photograph of George in her hand, the photo wedged between her palm and her fluttering heart. It did seem a bit foreign for their lips to stretch into the initially occasional smiles just a few days after the funerals, but at least the tears didn't sting as much anymore.
The absence of their loved ones still stifled them, but all realised that they were not coming back, at least not physically. Molly baked a cake for Remus and Tonks's anniversary and everyone gathered around Teddy, cooing and singing to the only remainder of the two, raising their eyes sporadically to the twinkling stars. Life had seemed to freeze forever, but now slowly the ice of gloom was thawing. The wheels of time were inching along and they no longer dug their heels in vain, holding onto the past. Life appeared to lift them all up from the abyss of despair.
Just then, Hermione was broken out of her thoughts when Ron held her hand and whispered, "Are you alright, Mione? You seem to be blanking out a lot."
She flushed as he clasped her hand and a smile flitted across her face as he looked at her with his baby-blue eyes that flashed with worry.
"I'm okay, honestly, Ron! Don't worry," she nodded her head reassuringly and he bit his lip, still not trusting her. She made no move whatsoever to extract her hand from his, though. After all, they were a couple officially.
They had kept it under wraps for a while, not wanting to force Molly into a celebration or making everyone turn faux-happy as they still mourned the loss of the dead. They had been rather discreet too; a glance at each other when in the same room, a brush of their fingers as she handed him a cloth to wipe the table with, his squeeze of her hand as he passed by her in the corridor and a warm goodnight kiss. Their cover was blown, however, when Ginny had walked in on them leaning in for a kiss in the morning. Not looking forward to the explosion that the news would cause, they'd escaped to The Three Broomsticks and were some of the few customers at the time. It was a lazy morning for business and Madame Rosmerta seemed relaxed, preparing the orders while humming gently under her breath.
Hermione turned her gaze from the lady to her boyfriend, her heart giggling excitedly as her mind thought, and stroked his hand with her thumb.
"Ron...stop fretting, please. I assure you, I was just thinking about the past week and how things have changed," she spoke gently and he seemed to finally trust her earnestness as he sighed, relieved.
"Yeah, things have changed, Mione," he beamed at her and she ducked her head, her heart waltzing like a ballerina. Just then, the door slammed open and a voice boomed out, "Ronald Weasley! Hermione Granger!"
Eyes widening, they swivelled to face a formidable figure blocking the light from entering into the restaurant and gulped nervously. The person stomped to their table and Molly Weasley stood at their table, her eyes narrowed and her breath heavy as she panted. Her nostrils flared and she planted her feet apart, hands at her hips.
"M-Mum?" stammered Ron, swallowing nothing as Hermione blinked rapidly, "Mrs We-Weasley, what's wrong?"
She narrowed her eyes even further till they were mere slits and started, "I'll tell you kids what's wrong. Why is it that I get to know from my daughter that my son and a girl who is just like my own blood to me are in love with each other? Why is it that it was Harry who told me that the two of you have been a couple for the past week, if not a few days more than that? Why is it that neither of you felt it important enough to tell us this?" she finished with a steely glare at the cowering couple, their hands having slipped apart the moment she swooped in.
"Mum, i-it's because well...we thought-I mean, we felt..." began Ron and Molly snorted.
"Cat got your tongue, Ronald? I must say, I did not expect this behaviour from the two of you!" she snapped.
"Mrs Weasley-"
"That's Molly to you, Hermione, I've told you so many times."
"M-Molly, we weren't sure whether it was the right time to tell everyone...the War had barely gotten over and we didn't want to unnecessarily impose our relationship on all of you...we are happy, but we didn't know about you..." trailed Hermione lamely.
Molly Weasley drew a deep breath and sighed, "You children will be the death of me. Why wouldn't we be happy? We could not ask for a better piece of news! I am deeply offended you thought so bad of us, and of me in particular. I'm ashamed."
"Mum, we didn't mean to hurt you!" squawked Ron.
"Indeed. How can a son not trust his own mother to be happy for him?" frowned Molly.
"Molly, we're very sorry if we hurt you...we never meant to," pleaded Hermione, her brow etched with worry.
Snapping to a pose indicative of a warrior going to war, Molly snapped her fingers, "Alright then. You kids finish your breakfast here; can't let all the food go to waste. Roam the streets a bit and come home by lunchtime. I'll call some people in the meantime, oh! We have so much to do!"
"Mum, what's the occasion?" asked Ron, puzzled.
Looking at him with an expression of obviousness, she replied, "Why, a celebration of your getting together is long overdue!"
"Mum..."
"Molly..."
"So where was I? Ah yes, I think I'll keep it simple. A chocolate raspberry cake, some pastas, a few salads, two soups and some ice cream...yes that should be okay enough, don't you two think?" she beamed at the two with just a glint in her eye and the teenagers nodded meekly, nonplussed.
The matriarch bent and enveloped each into a hug, kissing their heads and pinching their cheeks. Muttering to herself, she walked out of The Three Broomsticks and the two looked at each other, eyes wide, mind blank. Everyone in the room looked at the two, pin drop silence all around.
"Oh, confound it!" came a groan and Arthur Weasley stumbled in, pumping an umbrella with his hands, trying to shut it desperately. When he'd finally snapped it shut, he noticed the stillness and perplexed expressions of everyone and the slightly fearful look in Ron and Hermione's eyes.
"Ah, I think Molly's been here, has she?" he questioned jovially and they looked up, mouths hanging open.
"Yes, she's been here," he nodded understandingly at their gaze and continued, "I think I should probably take off after her. Merlin knows where the woman went now. You both know how enthusiastic she gets...oh, how uncouth of me! I believe congratulations are in order, eh?" He shook their hands and continued, "I'd suspected Ron here having fallen for you all those years ago, and boy, Hermione, I'd never thought you'd fall for this boy of mine, ha! I remember him moping when your letters would get delayed in the summers, aren't I right, Ron?"
Ron glared embarrassedly at his father and bent his head down, his ears a tinge of red.
"I used to tell Molly that...oh, Merlin's pants. Molly. I should get going, she's a force unstoppable. See you soon, kids. Have fun," he winked and Apparated out with a crack. A few dazed seconds later, a mass of red hair bounced into the eatery and Ginny clapped the two on their backs.
"Ron! Hermione! Catching up from where I walked in, eh?" she smirked at the two who were staring at the other blankly. "I'd thought you'd come here. I couldn't help but tell everyone! Though why you two didn't tell us is beyond my comprehension," the girl huffed and glared at Hermione who seemed to regain her senses.
"Ginny, we thought it was too early to tell everyone. It's not even been two weeks since the War..." mumbled Hermione.
Ginny harrumphed and squinted at the two, "That's the most ridiculous and stupidest thing to come out of that wise brain of yours, Hermione. Both of you should know, thanks to this secret of yours, all of us have ended up losing 20 Galleons each and George gets to pocket it all."
Ron's eyes bulged almost out of their sockets and he spluttered, "All of you bet on us?! My own family?"
Blowing a kiss in his face, Ginny flicked his nose and grinned, "Of course, Ronniekins. We all know how despite the fact that you have as much charm as a flobberworm, you somehow manage to give our Hermione the jitterbug, hmm? Now I suppose Mum's going to go ballistics celebrating and Hermione, I want you back at home within two hours. We have so much to discuss and I need to pick out new dresses for you." The redhead grimaced as she recalled the older girl's wardrobe, but before Hermione could protest, somebody sprinted into the eatery.
"Gin-Ginny..." gasped Harry, bending over as he panted heavily, his glasses askew and his raven hair standing up in about thirteen different directions.
"Harry, mate, what's wrong?" asked Ron worriedly as Hermione handed him a glass of water and Ginny rubbed his back.
"Moll-Molly! She's become hysterical! She's banging everyone's doors and writing twelve owls simultaneously and she's calling for workforce, Ginny," gasped Harry, and then he jumped and added, "Oh, I can now officially congratulate the two of you! I don't have to hide your secrets any longer, do I?"
Ginny suddenly stilled and the Trio rose their heads apprehensively as Harry winced. The redheaded girl tilted her head dangerously to one side and looked down at her boyfriend who was praying for all he was worth.
"You knew this?" she spoke slowly, a comical look of shock on her face.
"Well, I er..." Harry could not proceed, as she hauled him up by the collar.
Ginny stamped her foot and hissed, "We have some talking to do, mister. You lovebirds, stroll about a bit and be back in two hours. I'll deal with this conspirator of yours in the meanwhile." So saying, she nodded and dragged a wincing Harry out.
Barely had the dust settled than another redhead trooped, whistling a tune under his breath.
"Ah, Ronniekins, Mione! I thought I'd try looking for the two of you here before heading off to the shop today. I must say, I'm rather happy you two are together. I mean, I am richer by about 100 Galleons thanks to you, but it's really good to know about you. Okay then, I'm running off to the shop. Mum's gone nuts. Don't tell her I ran away, yes? Cheerio, loves!" hugging each flustered teenager at a time, George strolled outside once more.
A Krancklehurt chick had barely chirruped when a flurry of robes later, Fleur waltzed in and cried, "Ah, 'Ermione, Ron! I am most pleased to hear about you two, yes! However, you must hurry and come home. Ginny's giving Harry ze scolding of his lifetime and ze poor boy waiting for you to come home. Molly's making everyone clean up ze yard. I cannot stay much longer; Bill, Percy and Charlie will not be able to find ze cleaning brooms. I tell you, men," rolling her eyes, she clapped her hands and swooped down on the two. Kissing their cheeks, she winked and Apparated away in a few moments.
All was still for a while. No one ate a bite, spoke a word or blinked an eye. Ron and Hermione breathed deeply and exhaled exhaustedly.
"Well this was..." began Ron.
"...interesting," ended Hermione, as everyone burst into peals of laughter.
A/N: Not particularly easy; I had to stop and remind myself that this wasn't Dramione xD
Oops, also written for the During The War Challenge.
Reviews are highly appreciated, as always.