Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. You know that. Right? Right.
Dedication: Dedicated to everyone who remembers an awkward first kiss.
Chapter One: The Story
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THE STORY
"Mama, tell me about the first time daddy kissed you." Minnie leaned eagerly toward her mother, with her elbows on the countertop. "I bet it was terribly romantic." She got a dreamy far-away look in her eyes. She was only just eleven and a couple months. In September she'd be off to Hogwarts. At this stage in her life, she was still under the terribly misguided notion that all men were terribly romantic fairytale princes.
"You don't want to hear that story," Hermione said, laughing a little as she remembered it all too well.
"I don't want to hear that story," said eight-year-old Herman, stubbornly. He was still under the misguided impression that all girls had cooties. He carried a mock-sword of wood with him to fend off any girls that dared come his way and an orange cap that clashed horribly with his hair, but he would not be discouraged from wearing it.
"Then shut your ears, twerp. I want to hear it," Minnie said. "Tell me please, Mama."
At that moment, Ron came charging through the kitchen like an elephant and scooped up a child in each arm and swung them around. When he set Herman back down, he took Minnie's stool and set her on his knee as though she were five years old again. "Now, what's this you want your mother to tell you?"
"About the first time you and her kissed."
"You're not thinking about boys already, are you?" His face fell. "Merlin, I was sure we still had a couple more years on you." He scratched the red stubble that was his attempt at growing a beard. His wife wasn't thrilled with it and said it made him much to scratchy to kiss. He'd probably shave it off in a day or two, maybe tonight.
"Daddy, the story. I want to hear it. I bet you were really romantic. Brought Mama a bouquet of fresh flowers and scooped her up in your arms."
"No more movies for you, Minerva," Ron said. "As a matter of fact, I was very romantic."
"That's not how I remember it," Hermione said in her best know-it-all voice, wiping a smudge of dirt or chocolate or something from the corner of Herman's mouth.
"What are you talking about? I showed up at your window and—"
"That was our second kiss, dear. Now are you remembering the first one?" Hermione raised an eyebrow at him.
Ron blinked. "What, no, I was sure…Oh! Your mother's right. You don't want to hear about that at all. Why don't you go play while I help your mama with dinner?"
"What? Is it not rated for my ears?" giggled Minnie.
"Of course it is," Hermione scolded. "I was just trying to save your father some embarrassment. Go wash up, dinner is almost ready and we're having company tonight."
"Who is it?"
"Uncle Harry and Uncle Neville," Hermione said fondly. It didn't really matter who was related to whom, as far as they were concerned they were all family.
"What about Auntie Luna and Aunt Gin?" asked Herman. He liked Aunt Gin; she always brought fun things from the twins' joke-shop for him.
"They're coming too. But your cousins aren't."
"Why not?"
"Because your grandparents wanted to see them," Hermione's lips twitched. Molly Weasley hadn't changed in all the years that Hermione had known her. She even still insisted her children and (and son-in-law and daughters-in-law) all call her Mum.
"They didn't want to see us?"
"You just saw them yesterday."
"I suppose…" Minnie said. She liked her grandparents. On the other hand, she couldn't wait for Auntie Luna. She was always so much fun.
"Go wash up," Hermione scooted her children out of the kitchen. She stood in the doorway with her hands on her hips, quite unaware of her husband.
Ron had slipped quietly off his stool. "I remember our first kiss," he whispered playfully into her ear and put his arms around her waist.
Hermione couldn't help smiling. She turned around with his arms still around her. "And so you understand why I was saving you the embarrassment of telling her?"
"You're so kind," he murmured. He kissed her and was uninterrupted until there was a laugh and a cough behind him. A little red faced, he turned around and saw his best friends and their wives. "Did you have to interrupt me?" he asked, glaring at Harry and Neville.
Harry snickered at his friend. "Did we come at a bad time?"
"No, not at all," Hermione said, smoothing her dress.
"I can see that," said Luna.
"Oh, hush, Luna," Harry said, swatting her gently on the arm.
"Dinner's almost ready," Hermione told them. "I figured we could eat in the dining room. I still have to clear off the table, but that should only take a few minutes."
"Don't trouble yourself, Herms," said Ginny. "We're old friends. Who votes for saving Hermione the trouble and eating on the sofas in the living room?"
"Aye!" exclaimed her brother, Luna, Neville, and Harry.
"It settled then," Ginny said, clearly satisfied.
"You're a bully, Gin. You always were," grumbled Hermione.
"I know," Ginny said cheerfully. "You want to help us, Lun?"
"Alright. I'm still no good with cooking, but I can carry plates."
Harry muttered to Ron and Neville, "She isn't kidding about the cooking thing."
Luna overhead and said playfully, "Why should I worry about it? If I learned to cook, my wonderful husband might stop making me breakfast and dinner everyday."
The men headed off to the living room while the woman caught up and chatted.
"How are the kids?"
"Oh, they're fine. Washing up just now—" Just as the words left her lips, Hermione saw Herman and Minnie racing through to the kitchen.
Herman raced to Ginny and hugged her around her middle and Minnie ran to Luna.
"I guess a mother gets no appreciation these days," Hermione said.
"What's this?" Ginny said, looking at two soapy wet spots on her dress. "Somebody didn't dry his hands." She put a hand on her hip and looked reproachfully at him.
"Sorry, Aunt Gin." Herman gave her his best sad-puppy-dog face.
"I can't stay mad at you, Manny," she grinned.
"Didya bring me anything from your brothers' shop?" he asked brightly, all traces of sadness gone.
"I hope you didn't, Ginny. You're spoiling him rotten, you know. And you and those two are a bad influence on him. Honestly, Ron's a bad enough influence. Maybe I should just separate him from all you Weasleys," Hermione scolded, though she knew she didn't really mean it, well, most of it.
"Mum would throw a fit. She'd come storming in here, screaming about never getting to see her ickle-Ronniekins's children again and missing out on the lives of 2 of her grandchildren." She leaned down and whispered to Manny, "See me later when your mum isn't around."
He grinned mischievously and went into the living room to find the men.
"She's got more grandchildren…and more on the way I see," Hermione said with a slight chuckle.
"Am I really starting to show?" Ginny asked nervously. "We didn't tell anybody yet."
"Just barely. You've already got 3. You're not trying to beat your mum are you?" Hermione asked.
"No. Are you kidding? Imagine seven of them running around. Seven like me, or Ron, or the twins, or Percy, or even Bill or Charlie. Or seven like my hubby even. Ack, I couldn't take that."
"Yeah, she and Neville just can't keep their hands off each other," Luna grinned.
"Shut-up, Lun," Ginny told her, without really looking angry (just maybe a little embarrassed). "As though you're any better, yourself, Hermione."
"Me? I've only got 2. Luna's got three."
"I have an excuse. I had twins."
Minnie stayed, fascinated. She didn't quite understand all of the conversation, but she got the general gist of it. Then Hermione noticed that she was still there.
"Minnie, why don't you go to the living room with your uncles and your father?" Hermione asked, feeling the conversation was not appropriate for her eleven-year-old daughter.
"It's not my fault you didn't bring me anyone to play with," she said, crossing her arms across her still undeveloped chest. "Tell me the story, Mama. I still want to hear it."
Luna picked Minnie up and set her on the edge of the counter. "Which story, Herms?"
"The first time her and daddy kissed," Minnie said.
Ginny grinned, "I know that story. I was there."
"I wasn't. I haven't heard it," Luna said, her voice clearly indicating that it sounded like a story worth hearing.
"Oh, alright. I'll tell, but don't anybody tell Ron. I usually try to refrain from embarrassing him," Hermione said. She laughed and Ginny and Luna laughed back at her; torturing Ron (or Neville, or Harry) was always fun. She went and closed the doors at both ends of the kitchen so the men couldn't hear.
Luna took a spot next to Minnie on the counter while Ginny and Hermione pulled up stools to sit on.
"Okay, Minnie. Your daddy and I were in our sixth year of Hogwarts. I'd liked him for sometime. I was already pretty sure I loved him. But he didn't know that."
"Why didn't you tell him?"
"I was afraid he didn't feel the same way about me. It took him a little bit longer to realize how he felt. I'm not sure just what changed his mind. But he did. Of course he didn't tell me. He had to work up the courage first."
"I thought Daddy was brave," Minnie said, somewhat less than impressed.
"Your daddy is a very brave man," Hermione said.
"Brave when it comes to fighting bad men? Yes. Brave when it comes to standing up for what's right? Yes. Brave when it comes to expressing his feelings and talking to a woman? Er, no," said Ginny.
"Here, Minnie, just let me tell the story," Hermione said.
In the Living Room"Hey, Manny, what you doing out here?" asked Neville, picking him up and putting him in his lap.
"The girls are being girly," he said disgustedly.
"Girly?" asked Harry
"They're laughing and talking. Sent me away."
They heard a laugh from the kitchen.
"She must be telling the story," Ron said, shaking his head.
"What story?" asked Neville.
"Herms and my first kiss," he said miserably.
"That doesn't sound so bad," Neville said.
Harry grinned, "You weren't there, Nev."
"You're not gonna tell it, are you daddy? That's why I left!" Manny folded his arms across his chest and glared as all three men laughed at him.
"Well, it was sixth year…"
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Review! The next chapter will go up in an hour or two, I swear. I just didn't want it all to be one huge 5000 word chapter or something like that. This'll be in 3 pieces and it'll be done. The next chapter is the retelling of the story, and since Ron is telling it in the living room, and Hermione is telling it in the kitchen, it's got both points of view in it even though it's third person. I don't know if that made any sense.
Please, please review. The more reviews I see, the sooner I update!