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Chapter Two: A Shakier Continuation

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Okay, I had made my decision and I had bought a beautiful, and quite expensive, ring. Now all I had to do was to figure out how I was going to ask the love of my life to marry me.

My first thought was obvious – the library.

When we started looking for a flat we could move into together, Hermione said that we should probably name our terms of living immediately. I decided to be sweet and told her it didn't matter how we lived, just as long as we lived together. So now we are next door neighbours to the biggest wizarding library in London. Big mistake when you like to listen to Quidditch games on the WWN and be very enthusiastic about it. After a week of various library-goers furiously knocking on our door, I actually started to miss Madam Pince, the old bat.

As I remembered this, I decided that I definitely wouldn't propose at the library. A man has to have some dignity. And also, I'm banned from entering the library building. Which is really unfair as I only brought the Fred and George there; it wasn't me who hexed the books so that they chased their readers and spat out pages at them. But, not too surprisingly, the old librarian thought I was just as bad as the twins just for bringing them into the library.

And that's when I realized that I would have to ask them for advice. After all, both of them were happily married. How Angelina and Katie survived I do not know; I know I wouldn't be able to cope if I was turned into a giant yellow canary every time I ate something my significant other offered me.

When I knocked on their door, I felt a terror in my chest. It might have had something to do with the fact that the flat both couples shared was a complete trap to every one who didn't live there. And sometimes for those who lived there as well.

I took a deep breath, closed my eyes tightly and knocked on the door three times fast.

"Who is it?" I heard a female voice yell from inside.

"Hey Katie," I called out. "It's me; Ron."

"Just a minute," Katie replied, and I heard footsteps.

Suddenly there was a bang and I heard how Katie swore loudly, before the footsteps started again. Then the door opened quickly, and before I'd even gotten inside, Katie was over on the couch rubbing her foot furiously.

"Those damn twins are going to be the death of me, I swear," she muttered, seemingly to herself. "And that George bastard is the worst. 'I love you, Katie, will you please marry me?' In sickness and health, my arse."

I couldn't help myself; I started chuckling lightly, holding a hand over my mouth. Katie's head snapped up and she glared at me through narrowed eyes.

"What's up, Ron?" she asked in a would-be patient tone.

I stopped chuckling. "I need some advice from Fred and George," I said.

Katie raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "Why would anyone ever want that?"

I just shrugged because I honestly didn't know why anyone ever would want their advice. This was starting to feel like a really bad idea.

"You make a swell point, Katie," I said. "But here's how it is. I have decided to propose to Hermi –"

I was suddenly rudely interrupted by a gigantic wail. Shooting up from the sofa, I looked to my right and left, grabbing my wand and almost shouting out a Disarming Charm before I looked down at Katie.

She was sobbing into her hands, her shoulders shaking. I almost wished a Death Eater had flown in through the window because a crying girl was ten times worse.

"Katie –"

"Ron, you sweet, sweet boy!" she exclaimed, jumping up and throwing her arms around my neck so tightly that my face probably matched my hair.

"Katie, oxygen," I wheezed, thumping her lightly on the back.

"I can't believe it; it feels like it was just yesterday you were an ickle stuttering first year!"

"Please," I moaned, "I don't want to die like this."

I found it extremely ironic that I had survived a war against Voldemort and all of his Death Eaters - and not less impressive and unlikely, a childhood in the same household as the twins – just to die in the smothering arms of a crying girl.

At last, she let me go. "Oh, Ron," she said, "you don't want the twins from Hell to give you advice on your proposal!"

"Of course I don't, but they're my only option, aren't they?"

"No," said Katie significantly, "They're not you only option."

I looked at her in complete confusion.

"Ron, will I be forced to kick your arse for you to see my point?"

I took a cautionary step backwards, almost falling over the coffee table.

"You want to help me propose to Hermione?" I said nonplussed, rubbing my aching calf.

"I happen to be an expert at proposals," Katie said in an arrogant tone.

"You are?" I said uncomprehendingly.

"Well, I got proposed to once," she said, deflating significantly. "By George," she added.

I grinned. "So you're a pro."

"Shut up and let's get to work, Weasley."

While we were looking through numerous wedding magazines and some romance novels, we heard a key turn in the lock.

Katie and I looked at each other in panic, and started running around with the magazines and books, trying to find places to hide them. I stuffed the last magazine up my shirt just as the door opened and the twins barged in as per usual. They stopped in their tracks when they saw me, and the flat turned dead quiet.

"Little brother," said Fred, actually sounding a bit surprised.

"Wife," said George, looking equally nonplussed.

"Brothers," I said at the same time as Katie said, "Husband, brother-in-law."

"What in Merlin's mouldy underpants is going on here?" said Fred in scandalized tones. "A private rendezvous right under our noses? A lovers' meeting while the foolish husband's off working?"

It went deathly quiet again, and then everyone burst into manic laughter. Everyone except me.

"What the hell?" I demanded. "What is so ridiculous about us having an affair?"

George just laughed harder as Fred slapped me on the shoulder and barked, "You haven't got the bollocks, dear brother, and we all know it."

"And – and –" George gasped, "Hermione's got you so whipped I'm surprised you can stand up straight."

Katie roared with laughter and I glared at her, wishing her pain.

"Sorry, Ron," she said softly, wiping her eyes, "but the Dirty Dos are completely correct."

"Traitor," I growled and then I made my revenge, "At least I didn't snog Oliver Wood when I was on the Quidditch team."

George gasped and grabbed onto Fred's shoulder and Katie snapped her eyes to me, looking completely murderous.

"Hey boys," she said in a cold voice, "did you know that Ron is proposing to Hermione?"

George promptly fainted.

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A/N: I'm really sorry for taking this long to update, school has been insane as always. I'll update as soon as I can, and again, I'm really really sorry and I hope that my story hasn't been completely abandoned. Love my reviewers!