"Good morning!" Called a cheerful Hermione from the stairs. Her hair was pulled back in a sloppy ponytail, and she was still in white nightclothes.

"Morning, dear." Replied Mrs. Weasley, stirring a bowl of pancake batter. "Sit down, breakfast won't be long." Harry and Ron were sitting at the table, fully dressed, and contently concentrating on a game of chess. Neither had acknowledged her arrival in the kitchen, neither had probably noticed.

She sat at the table next to Ron. "Good morning, boys." She said again. Harry raised his hand in a halfhearted wave.

"Hi." Said Ron. Hermione wasn't sure if he was actually aware he'd said it, his eyes had never left his game. But she smiled anyway, and hooked her foot around his ankle.

Ron gasped startled, and his concentration broke, as he looked around to see what could possibly have touched him. "Oh!" He said, when he saw Hermione next to him. "When did you get here?" She laughed.

"Never mind. Who's winning?" She asked, pretending to be interested. She never liked Wizard Chess. Or any intellectual game that Ron could beat her at.

"No one really, we've only just started…"

"Their fifth game." Finished Mrs. Weasley, setting a plate in front of Hermione. "I don't get it. All the boys love chess, I don't know where they get it from." She set plates in front of both boys, who did not acknowledge them.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." She picked up her fork. Ron was again deep in thought, but now had his right hand on her knee. She brushed her fingers against his before turning to her pancakes. It was nice to finally have things out in the open… with eachother. They still couldn't let anyone else know, for fear of Harry finding out, or…

"Hello." Hermione gasped. She threw Ron's hand from her knee, and pulled her foot back toward herself. "Where'd you disappear to last night, Hermione? You never came back from the bathroom." Ginny sat herself at the end of the table, where she'd neither have to sit next to Harry or look across at him. Hermione, relieved, pushed her foot back over to Ron.

"Couldn't sleep, I've been up for a while." She said, shoving some pancakes in her mouth. Mrs. Weasley placed a plate in front of Ginny.

"Thanks, mum." She said, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "You seem relaxed for someone who didn't sleep at all last night." Hermione shrugged, and simply ate her breakfast, avoiding any further conversation.

"Ronald, if that game is not put away in ten minutes I'm taking back your meal, it won't be any good once it's cold." Said Molly firmly. "That is your last warning, I told you twice to be done before breakfast."

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley." Both boys stood up to pack away their chess game.

"Not your fault, Harry, Ron knows the rules." She waved off his apology. Hermione laughed at Ron's scowl.

"Morning, Ginny." Said Harry without looking at her. Ron and Hermione paused. They looked back and forth from Harry to Ginny. Neither had said a word to each other in several days. They weren't sure whether to expect an explosion or silence, but they couldn't help but take interest.

"Good morning, Harry." She said calmly. Ron and Hermione stared at Harry for a reply, but when none came, Hermione turned back to her breakfast, and Ron helped put all the chess pieces in a little bin. Harry picked up the bin, and Ron took the game board, both tried to leave the room with them, before Ginny stood.

"Sit down, Ron, I'll help Harry with this." Hermione's jaw dropped. Ron, looking confused, handed her the game board and sat back down next to Hermione. Harry and Ginny both left the room before anyone spoke again.

"Man, this wedding's been so hard on them." Said Hermione. "I wish they'd just get back together, they can't even speak to each other…"

"Harry's miserable." Said Ron. Finally pulling over his plate.

"So is Ginny." Hermione nodded. Molly set five more plates out on the table, and counted them just to be sure.

"Five, right." She said, putting away her apron. "It's after nine o'clock, I'm going to go wake everyone else." She walked out of the room, her curly red hair bouncing up behind her as she hurried out. Hermione leaned back in her chair, and returned to their conversation.

"It's so sad." She said, frowning down at her food. She picked at it with her fork, but didn't take another bite. She felt Ron's hand on her back.

"Yeah, it's sad." He nodded, but when she looked up at him he was smiling. The look in his blue eyes brought her back to her original cheeriness. "But we're alone and I haven't wished you good morning properly."

She smiled wider, and leaned in for a kiss. Sneaking around was tiring, but if this was what came of it, it was definitely worth it. She'd waited long enough to get this far, she could wait a while before the news spread throughout his overwhelmingly…(sigh)… loving family.

"Hermione Granger?" Or not. A familiar voice echoed from the stairway. Neither even had to turn to know who it was. Or that he probably wasn't alone.

"You seeing what I'm seeing, Fred?" Said another voice. Ron and Hermione became suddenly very small, as they sunk down into their chairs. Ron became so red; it was hard to tell the difference between his face and his hair. Hermione just shoved more pancakes in her mouth.

"I think I am, George." The twins sat on either side of them, grinning so widely their faces might have cracked in two. "And I must confess, I always thought she was a smart one."

"I guess we all lost money on that one." Agreed George.

"Shut up." Said Ron, through gritted teeth.

"I don't think we can let this one slide." Said Fred.

"Shh! Don't tell Harry!" Pled Hermione. "We'll tell everyone soon, we just don't want Harry and Ginny to have to feel any worse than they do... Seeing all these happy new couples… Bill and Fleur… Lupin and Tonks…"

"Just one question…"

"What's in it for us?" Hermione looked nervously to Ron, who hesitated before speaking.

"Er… We know what you did… to Percy earlier this month." Said Ron threateningly. "And I'll tell Mum." Fred and George looked at one another briefly.

"Well, I'm sure she already knows…"

"But I'm feeling generous today, how about you George?"

"All right, Fred." Said George, and turned to Ron and Hermione. "We won't say a word to Harry or Ginny. For their sake." He got up and sat next to his twin.

"Do you promise?" Asked Hermione.

"We promise." Nodded Fred.

"Thank you." Said Hermione, relieved, then moved closer to Ron. "What did they do to Percy?" She whispered. Ron shrugged.

"Had to be something." The door swung open, and Mrs. Weasley rushed back over to the stove.

"I have to set more places, Remus and Nymphadora are coming over…" She retrieved the plates from a shelf close to two feet above her head using her wand, and planted two pancakes and some sausages neatly on each.

"Oi, Mum!" Called Fred

"Ron kissed Hermione!"

Hermione sighed. It was now quite easy to distinguish Ron's face from his hair: his face was redder.