"Oh come on, Harry. You know you'd have fun."
"No, I do not know that."
"I would have fun."
"Then you can go to yours. I'm not stopping you."
Harry and Ginny Potter's voices were hushed so as not to wake the kids. At the barest hint of excitement, little Albus would wake up and come shuffling into his parents' bed, bringing Padfoot along. And then Harry would have to wake up smelling like dog breath and exhaustion.
"I'm not going and that's final."
Ginny heaved herself up to turn on the lamp and turned sternly to her husband. "What's wrong?" she whispered.
The Molly voice. "Nothing's wrong," Harry said, immediately on the defensive. "I just don't want to go."
"Harry James Potter, I don't have anywhere to be in the morning. So help me God I will call your son in here if you don't start acting like an adult and tell me why you don't want to go to your bloody ten year reunion."
"Ginny…"
"Don't you test me."
"We'll talk about this in the morning."
"Say yes for now."
"In the morning."
"Oh, Alb-"
"Yes for now, yes for now!"
Ginny patted her enormous stomach triumphantly and kissed Harry on the temple. "Goodnight, dear."
"Goodnight, doe."
…
"I dun wanfa fo."
"For goodness' sake, Ron, not in front of-" But it was already too late, as it usually was. Rose stuffed her mouth with scrambled eggs and made exaggerated "MAMF MAMF MAMF" noises until Crookshanks Jr was mewing with delight. "Now look what you've done."
"Dun ack like you didn' know whatchoo were geddin' innoo." Ron grinned through his mouthful of bagel and Hermione had to smother her smile in coffee, lest the children realize they could get away with it.
After Ron swallowed, but before he could stuff another bite into his mouth, Hermione asked. "Where don't you want to go?"
"Hmm?" Ron slurped his orange juice. "Didn't you get the invitation too?"
"Invitation? To what?" But before the words left her lips, she realized. "Oh God. Has it really… I see."
Ron fished a letter from his dressing robe pocket. "Oh, right. It says The Weasleys. Heh, I guess I'm just not used to that yet."
Hermione took the slightly crumpled letter from her husband's hands and ran her fingers over the golden emboss that addressed the Class of 1997. She unfolded it gingerly and the Hogwarts class song magically filled the kitchen, enrapturing the baby.
"Bloody dreadful, innit?"
"Yes…" To Mr Ron Weasley and Mrs Hermione Granger-Weasley. You are cordially invited to the Hogwarts Class of 1998 Ten-Year Reunion, to be held in the Hogwarts Great Hall on July the 30th, 2008. Entertainment will include dancing, performances by the Flitwick Choral Group alumni and Weird Sisters tribute band Oddboys, pin-the-sock-on-the-headmaster, and much more. Come see your fellow alumni and vete-
Hermione hastily folded the letter back up and the music stopped abruptly as she slammed it on the table. "We're not going."
"S'wot I say," Ron scowled, his mouth again full of eggs. "We already see everyone we want to see. And you can't drink."
"And who would watch Rosie?"
"Well, mum would. But you have to work that day anyway."
"Well, it's a Saturday. But you have the shop to run."
"Well, George won't let me in the shop without him anymore. But it's not like anyone we know is going."
At that moment the fireplace burst into green flames and Ginny's face popped through the fire.
"Oh good, I caught you both!"
"Bloody hell, Ginny!" Ron shrieked, pulling his robe tight.
"Don't swear in front of Rosie!" she snapped. "Hullo nosy Rosie! How's Auntie's favorite?"
Hermione raised her coffee in salute. "Hullo, Ginny."
"Hey, Hermione. Tell Harry he has to go to his ten-year reunion."
Harry's face appeared next to Ginny's, annoyed. "Or don't."
"Tell him this is a great opportunity to-" The Potters both turned their heads over their shoulders to shout "Bye Teddy!" and turned back the Weasleys "-see everyone again and catch up."
"Tell Ginny that I don't want to go and it's my reunion, so she can't make me."
"Well," said Ron.
"It's our reunion," finished Hermione.
"Right," said Ginny "It doesn't just belong to you."
"Exactly," Hermione nodded.
"What about everyone else in your class?"
"Yeah," Ron agreed.
"Don't you think they want to see you?"
"Wait..."
"No…"
"Then it's settled!" Ginny clapped her hands and Rosie clapped too, giggling. "We're all going. Harry, dear, help me up."
Harry glared at Ron and Hermione before waving to his niece. "Bye-bye, Rosie-posy!"
"Bye-bye! Bye-bye!"
The Potters disappeared with the green flames and the kitchen was quiet.
"Well," Ron said after a moment. "That could have gone better."
"I'll find Harry at work," Hermione said, taking a final sip of coffee and standing up. "We'll figure out a way to tactfully tell Ginny why we don't want to go." She kissed her husband on the forehead and he kissed her on the barely bulging belly.
"Don't forget to clean up before I get home."
"Yes, darling."
…
"Neville? Hi, it's Hermione Granger. Yes, everyone is doing lovely, thank you. Oh Rosie just loves that little blanket you knitted her, she won't go anywhere without it! And how is Hannah? Oh yeah? You don't say! Actually, about that. It turns out that we actually will be able to come to the reunion. Yes, Harry and Ginny as well. Oh no, Neville, that's not necessary. We were really just hoping…no, no, no, nothing like that. Of course not. Of course we do! Neville, dear, of course we are! It's just…never mind. No, it's nothing, really. Nothing important. I look forward to seeing you. Thank you, Neville. Goodbye."