Like Parents, Like Teens

Part 9

A/N: Here's another one. Not the longest, or most plot-moving chapter, but I haven't really had much Ron/Hermione in here lately, so…Here's a tiny bit. Thanks to reviewers:

dancerdw, Morning Rose, Litanya, '.'.'.JessIca'.'.'., degrassichick, Katharina but call me Kat, Inuyasharocksworld, imissdumbledore, Weasel Princess, XOXRon'sBabeXOX(Glad you all enjoyed!), Lois Lane IV (Happy you think it was a good idea!), girlkight (I know, 5 kids…you're ideas are spectacular!), Silvain Star- anime fan (Yup! Got some h/g in this chapter too), QuillInkAndParchment (Coffee…right. Glad you liked anyway!), mysticofthepen (your hyperness appears to have no bounds! ;p), druccillamalfoyrox (you will find out soon enough, but not in this chapter!)

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, although occasionally it seems to own me…

"Name, name, name," Hermione muttered. Chin rested in her hand, she sat near the fire in the common room.

"What?" Ron asked, looking up from a book about Quidditch he had borrowed from Dean. "Did you say something?" He shook hair out of his eyes.

"I, for one, was thinking about names for our twins, as they are due in tomorrow!" She glared reproachfully at him. "I could use some help."

"Okay." Ron's eyes flitted back to the book.

"Ron!"

"Fine, fine." With a sigh, Ron slowly closed the book, then stared at Hermione. "So 'Mione. Got any ideas?"

"Well, I was thinking maybe Anita? Oh, don't make that face!" She looked at her feet irritably. "Must you be so rude?" Ron issued an indignant noise.

"Rude? But you can't seriously think I'd name my kid…Anita?"

"Well, why don't you come up with something better."

"All right. What about Cassandra?"

"Cassandra?" Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "I don't know…For some reason I really don't like that name…(A/N: did ya catch that, legolascrazy17?)"

"Fine," Ron grumbled. "Jennifer?"

"No. Claire?

"Nah. Hazel?"

"Possibly. Nymphadora?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"Julie?"

"Ug."

The two 'parents' continued on in this fashion for a while, until finally Hermione attempted, "Athena?" Ron opened his mouth to retort, then, after a moment's hesitation, closed it. He nodded to himself slowly, and a smile appeared on his lips. "What?" Hermione inquired curiously. She brushed a chunk of bushy brown hair out of her eyes. When he didn't respond she again asked, "What?" This time a note of impatience could easily be detected in her voice.

"That's it!" Ron grinned at her, as if magically expecting her to understand. She raised her eyebrows.

"Athena?"

"Athena Hazel!" He continued to direct that lopsided grin at her, as if hoping she'd congratulate him and present him with an award. The grin was so adorable she just might have. "Athena Hazel Weasley. I like the sound of that."

"I suppose." Hermione made a noncommittal shrug.

"Plus, it's one name for each of us," reasoned Ron. "I even put yours first, 'Mione!" She had to smile at that. "Come on. You know you want to." His blue eyes stared straight into her brown ones. She felt a blush rising in her cheeks.

"All right," she replied finally, not able to resist him any longer. He beamed at her.

"Right then. What about our little bloke?"

"Harry, this is supposed to be a joint decision!" Parvati's shrill voice carried from where she stood in the portrait hole.

"Exactly! That's why I have a say in the name too!" Harry replied heatedly, right behind his 'wife'.

"I say we name her Esmeralda."

"And I say we name her Ginny!" Ron and Hermione glanced at each other. Harry and Parvati were decidedly not the couple with the smoothest clock-work. They seemed to be fighting constantly. This time about names.

"But Esmeralda is such a nice name," whined Parvati.

"So is Ginny!" The bickering continued, the two listing virtues about different names, punctuated by loud 'Haaaaaaaaaaaarrrryyyyyyy's'.

"Erm?" Hermione asked tentatively. "Harry?" Ron shot her look that warned her to mind her own business, but she ignored him. "Harry?" She asked a little louder.

"What?" He turned towards her. She shrunk back a bit under his glare, but continued on.

"Why don't you two, um, combine the names?"

"Ginalda!" Harry sneered. "What kind of name is that?" Hermione bit her lip, whether trying to keep from crying, or retorting she didn't really know.

"Jeez, Harry, no need to go nutters at her!" Ron looked at Harry, brow furrowed. He shot Hermione a concerned glance out of the corner of his eye. "She just meant that you could call her 'Esmeralda Ginny' or 'Ginny Esmeralda'."

"I still don't like the sound of it," Harry muttered, but he didn't meet Hermione's eyes. He was already feeling bad for snapping at her. "Come on Parvati. Let's go over there." He pointed to the opposite corner and dragged Parvati towards it.

Hermione and Ron sat in silence for a while. The buzz of the common room fluctuated easily, the opposite corner occasionally issuing a 'Harry!'.

"Thanks." Hermione looked quickly up at him, then back to her hands, which were now seemingly fascinating.

"No problem," Ron replied slowly, but his mind was clearly else-where. He was staring at the space where 'Mr. and Mrs. Potter' were seated. "Harry," he breathed, and his head nodded a little.

"What about him?" Hermione cocked her head and risked another glance. She need not have worried about meeting his gaze. Ron was now nodding his head and smiling again, as he had before, and still resolutely staring into space.

"Harry," he stated again, and grinned. Recognizing this behavior, Hermione ran her tongue over her teeth.

"You want to name our son…Harry?" She said the word thoughtfully. "Harry…Harry Weasley." She nodded as well. "It does sound rather nice, doesn't it?"

"Yeah…yeah. Athena Hazel and Harry…Harry what?" Finally he looked over at her.

"Mmmmmm…Harry…" she stuck out her tongue and tapped a finger on the arm-chair. Then she smiled and let out a breathy laugh. Ron admired the way her hair bounced when she moved her head. It looked really…springy. He wondered what she'd do if he touched it…

"What?" he shook himself out of it.

"Harry Sirius Weasley," she repeated herself.

"Oooooh…He'll like that." Ron jerked his head in the direction of Harry, but kept his eyes on Hermione.

I just like her hair because…because she's my best friend? That makes absolutely no sense Ron. He imagined Hermione saying the last sentence in his thoughts and sighed. Hermione, her voice, and everything about her seemed to be cropping up in his thoughts a lot lately.

"Well, that's settled then." Hermione smiled at him. "I'll just finish filling out this form and…we're done!"

"Right then. I'll just be…g-going up to bed then," he stuttered. Blushing, he practically raced up the stairs.

He looks so cute when he blushes…He always looks cute in fact. Hermione smiled for a moment, enjoying these thoughts before she had to shoot them down.

A/N: Another chapter done. My chapters seem to be getting shorter and shorter these days, don't they? Ah well. I hope you still enjoy them. Please review!

KW