Sybill sat in her tower, gazing into her crystal ball. She hid her talents within her charade as a crazy old fraud. Dumbledore would have probably had Severus poison her if he knew she remembered everything. She wanted to keep Harry Potter far away from herself, so she kept telling him he would die horrible deaths. It was rather entertaining. But, back to the ball. She was drawn into a scene in a swirl of smoke, of herself with a young man, happily married, with a child. Hmmm, a ginger. Probably a Weasley. Not William, he would be too hard to work with, but oooh, Ronald! I must find the best way to tell him. The image changed, showing Ronald asking Hermione Granger to the Yule Ball, then changed again, showing him and Hermione at Kings Cross with two children... I can't have that. This is the first time I ever see myself with any happiness. I must stop it.
Hermione's a girl. And she likes me mostly, even when I'm a git. So, I'm going to ask her to theBall. Ronald Weasley had made up his mind as he headed up to Divination that fateful Thursday. Class was fine, Ron and Harry were making up horrible ways to die, when Trelawney asked him to stay behind.
"Yes, Professor?"
"Mr. Weasley, I see a great future for us, a happy marriage and a child. Now, I know you are underage, but I am quite willing to wait. I know you don't believe I'm a real seer, but I am." Sybill looked at her prey, well, suitor to be, expectantly.
Ron passed out. Not even a Rennervate could revive him, so Sybill had Harry, who had been waiting outside, help her take him to the Hospital Wing.
"Ronnie, what happened?"
"It was horrible, Mum! She said she saw us in the future, together, with a sprog! She meant it, too! I don't want to be at school if she's going to be making cow eyes at me, Mum!"
Molly looked helplessly toward Arthur.
He shrugged. He knew as well as she did that if Sybill Trelawney wanted Ron, she would get him. There was that old marriage contract in their vault. They never expected it to be exercised... but if wishes were broomsticks, then Muggles would fly.
"Minerva, would it be alright if we took Ronald home for the rest of the school year? If the teachers would send his assignments, I will make sure they are done and owl them in. There are things he's going to need to know, for his future," Molly said.
"That should be fine, Molly. Although his friends will miss him, this absence may be for the best. He was being a bit divisive this year," responded Minerva.
So it was settled, and Ron headed home with his parents.
"Yew look sad, Hermioninny."
"I'm not really sad, Viktor. I'm just confused. What could make Ron just leave like that?"
"Vhy does this matter? He vasn't wery nice to yew."
Hermione looked up into the earnest face of the young man speaking to her. "I guess you are right. But it still bothers me that I've had two good friends in my life and now one of them is gone. And he probably won't be coming back, at least not as anyone I can call a friend after this."
"Do not vorry. I vill entertain yew. I be better friend. Maybe more, ya?" His rather thick brows drew together in a furrow. "Yew come vith me to Ball? Vear pretty dress?"
"Why me?"
"Vhat do you mean?"
"I'm bookish, boring, unattractive..."
"I do not understand. Yew have beautiful eyes, and a more beautiful heart. So yew like books, so do I! I like talking vith yew, I do not think boring is good vord."
"He's right, 'Mione. About all of it," said a very quiet Harry, who had gone seeking his friend.
"Harry?"
"So, are you going to go with him?"
Hermione turned to look at Viktor, who raised an eyebrow at her, then waggled it, making her grin. "Yes, yes, I think I will."
"Vonderful! I get best vitch at Hogvarts as date!"
As the happy Bulgarian left the library, Hermione turned to Harry and started giggling. "Do you have a date yet, Harry?"
"No. I know Ginny Weasley's been angling for me to ask her, but I think it is a bit strange to date someone everyone says kind of looks like my Mum. They can't have my parents back by having me date a red-head."
"What about Luna Lovegood?"
"Who?"
"Her." Hermione pointed at a fey looking blonde girl sitting at the next table, missing her shoes.
Harry shrugged at her, then walked over to the girl. "Hi, I'm Harry."
Luna looked up at him with wide blue eyes. "Yes, I know that. Did you get lost?"
"I don't think so, why do you ask?"
"No one comes over to talk to me voluntarily. Not usually. They think I'm looney."
"Why do they think you are looney?"
"Because, because, oh, I think there are Nargles!"
"What's a Nargle?"
"They are little magical creatures that make your thinking fuzzy. You must be infected if you are talking to me."
"No. I think I like you. Would you like to go to the Yule Ball with me?"
"Really? Why?"
"I need a date. At least that is what McGonnagall said."
"No, why do you like me?"
"You treat me like Harry, not 'The Boy-Who-Lived.'"
"Maybe there aren't Nargles."
Hermione smiled. Luna had distracted Ron one day for her, and although she found the girl strange, she felt like she had paid off a debt by sending Harry her way.
"Ronnie, dear, we have something we need to explain to you," said Molly.
Ron just looked at her wide-eyed. Nothing that starts THAT way can be good.
"There is a marriage contract between the Trelawney family and the Weasley family. It hasn't been used, but if Sybill wants you, then she shall have you. She isn't really that old, dear. She was only nineteen when she became a professor. She's not quite twenty years older than you are. The hair and glasses and tons of gaudy clothing are a bit of a ruse, you'll see."
Can't do any thing about a contract. It's usually the girls that get caught, but not always. Guess I might as well make the best of it. "All right, Mum. If there's a contract, then I'm bound by it, just like Harry and the stupid Tournament. So, what do I need to know?"
Molly smiled. "Good show, Ronnie. I'm glad you could be a man about it. Since we are going to have to have you ready for marriage early, I'm going to teach you some useful home-maker spells along with your school work. You never know what you might find useful."
Ron sighed. "Fine, Mum. I wasn't very nice to Harry or Hermione this year. I guess I can at least work hard at learning how to be a grown-up."
It would be weeks until he could get his thoughts together well enough to write his friends. He was in for quite a surprise when they wrote back.
Dear Harry and Hermione,
How are you doing? I've been learning lots of stuff. Not only the school stuff, which is easier to learn when there isn't anyone around to distract you, but home stuff. I made a copy of my notebook for you, Hermione. You might find it interesting.
Harry, I was a lousy friend. I hope you have found some people who are good to you and for you. I certainly wasn't.
Anyway, I would appreciate it if you could update me on your lives.
Your friend,
Ron
Harry and Hermione were quite pleased to get a letter from their friend. They showed the note to Viktor and Luna at lunch, about a week before the third task.
They began to gather photos and mementos to return to him in a package, along with good tickets to see the final task.
Dear Ron, the letter began in Harry's handwriting...
First off, thank you for the note. It is really nice to see that you are being mature about things you can't change. We are proud to call you friend.
Hermione thinks you should get all your notebook stuff together and write a book. Something like "Wizarding Housekeeping for Dummies." Before you get upset, we included a couple of the "Dummies" books for you and your dad, so you can tinker with stuff. You will see what we mean.
We heard about the contract from your brothers. You know, Professor Trelawney is really really beautiful. She was just hiding. We've included a few photos. There is one of Hermione and Viktor and me and Luna at the Yule Ball.
Yes, Viktor Krum and Luna Lovegood. Be happy for us, will you? And maybe you can talk to your sister, Ron. You are all like family to me. It would feel weird to date her, even more because of the way they say she resembles my mother. I want to be my own person, not James Potter reincarnated just because it makes other people happy. I'm not a fairy-tale prince, you know?
Ron was a bit jolted when the letter changed to Hermione's handwriting.
Please, please, make your Mum see that we are people and not just playthings for Dumbledore and everyone around us. Ginny needs some help. She's obsessed and it isn't pretty. She tried to do something nasty to Luna the other day, and Harry got so angry, she was hanging upside down in the Great Hall before any of us knew it, and he yelled for her to tell the truth, and she's been in the Hospital Wing ever since. Oh, and Dumbledore got arrested. Madam Bones was in the hall and although she agreed with the silencing bubble, she was inside of it and heard everything.
She's also Harry's new guardian, but that is another story. Harry's fussing at me for telling that, but I think you needed to know.
Anyway, here are some tickets to the final task. We talked to Professor Trelawney and Professor McGonnagalland Professor Flitwick and we have a plan.
Harry and Hermione
Ron opened the package Hedwig had delivered with trepidation. He read the first few lines of the letter and smiled. Then he read the rest and called for his father. He was pretty sure no one had told his parents about Ginny.
He handed Arthur the letter then sat down to sort through his stuff.
He smiled at the photos. Hermione looks grand, and she looks really good on Viktor Krum's arm, like she belongs. Harry and Luna look nice, too.
There were other photos of his friends. Hermione and Viktor laughing at a meal, he was holding out a forkful of something to her. Harry and Luna on brooms, playing tag. Sybill Trelawney looking like Ron's fantasy woman, all curves and blue eyes and curly hair. No glasses, either. I can see myself spending the rest of my life happy with her.
He saw the tickets to the final task, enough for him and his parents.
He heard his mother start to yell, then his parents went through the Floo to Hogwarts.
"Are you vell, Hermioninny?"
"I'm a little worried, Viktor. I wonder what is wrong with Ginny."
"Yew said she vas possessed, correct? If she vas not treated by specialized healer at time, things could be wery bad."
Hermione wondered why no one had noticed that. She decided it was the fact that Durmstrang taught the Dark Arts as well as how to defend against them. "I wonder if that is why Dumbledore was arrested?"
"Partly," Luna's melodious voice broke in. "Also, all the illegal things he did to Harry, including sealing his parents' wills. He's been mentally broken for a while, and covering that up is illegal. Snape was going to be arrested as well, but since he was blackmailed into providing the potions, they just asked him to leave Britain. He's talented, so it should be fine."
Harry just sat there looking shell-shocked.
Viktor put his arm around Hermione. "Do not vorry, my Nin. I vill alvays take care of yew. Yew and new friends as vell," he said, including Harry and Luna.
The final task was quite interesting. First off, they played it on large screens, through someone's omniculars, so that everyone could see. Luna got quite a bit of money from Omni-view for the idea.
Harry and Viktor stuck together, thwarting a few traps. They were soon joined by Cedric, when Fleur just disappeared. When they reached the center, Viktor cast a spell at the cup, and they all realized it was booby-trapped. Cornelius Fudge was angered by this and stormed into the maze to prove them wrong. His head was returned via cup almost immediately with a note.
The war finished almost immediately, what with Voldemort stuck in the puny body he had stolen. Dumbledore told Amelia Bones about the Horcruxes and she enlisted the goblins to help her. Hermione and Harry ended up spending the summer at Viktor's home in Bulgaria, along with Luna and Susan Bones.
"Velcome!" called Viktor when he saw the arrival of his girl and his friends.
They had a wonderful summer, Viktor asking Hermione at the end if she would consider wearing a promise ring.
She accepted.
Ron Weasley made a fortune with his "Wizarding for Dummies" books. Sybill was thrilled that the layabout boy she had decided upon had made himself a wizard worth marrying. They married as soon as he was of age. He did take his NEWTs, she insisted, but only so the buyers of his books could say they were written by a fully qualified wizard.
Hermione and Viktor waited a bit longer, marrying on the tenth anniversary of the Yule Ball, in the Great Hall of Hogwarts. She had trained to be a Healer, specializing in dark curses, and he had retired from Seeking, and had become the owner/manager of the Chudley Canons, making Ron very happy.
Harry and Luna married as soon as she finished Hogwarts. They made the Quibbler into the news standard. The Daily Prophet didn't stand a chance.
This was written for my dear friend Kyria of Delphi, who needed some new HG/VK fic. I'm not sure this quite counts, but here it is.
And many thanks to Rose of the West for the beta and allowing me to use the following brilliant prompt.
Here's the prompt, courtesy of E.C. Scrubb.
Alright, I actually really like Ron's character, and think he's severely misunderstood by a lot of fanfiction. However, with that said, there are still some great ways of getting rid of him.
Ron actually has a brain waive and is about to ask Hermione to the Yule-ball. However, Trelawney has a vision of him asking her, and instead, Trelawney confesses her own unrequited love for Ron.
Needless to say, Ron is traumatized and goes home immediately, staying there for the spring semester. Hermione is a little down because of it, and Victor cheers her up.