With Hermione's graduation a few days away, Ron was seeing less and less of her as she helped with the preparations. The students were going to be singing a song as a show of unity and had been rehearsing for the last few days. As well as this, Hermione was helping a friend write a speech so over the last week; Ron had only seen her at night time when she got home after dinner. Although he was missing her, wanting to be around her every second of every day, he was glad for the time spent apart as it gave him time to focus on what was going to happen to him at Hermione's graduation. Ron was going to meet Hermione's parents. The thought hadn't occurred to him originally, and it wasn't until Hermione was on the phone to her Mum and had said 'see you on Saturday' that Ron had realised with a jolt that he would be seeing them also. He had never met a girl's parents before, and this was what worried him. He hadn't said anything to Hermione, not wanting to look like he was nervous, but secretly had been worrying about it ever since.

Saturday morning was just as cold as the week had been before it, and Ron was woken up by Hermione jolting up in bed, her hair a mess and looking wildly around the room. He sat up too, though a lot slower, and put his hand on her back.

"You okay?" He mumbled, using his other hand to rub his eyes. Hermione turned to him, a scared look on her face and nodded; Ron laughed. "You don't look okay."

"I'm just a little – nervous. I'm excited to graduate but it's a little scary, isn't it? It'll be like I'm a proper adult." She told him, now attempting to flatten her hair with her hands and having no luck at all.

"Hermione, you've been an adult for a few years now – look at you. You live in your own – for now anyway – and you've got such a wonderful boyfriend." She grinned at him for that comment and he kept talking. "You've already applied for multiple jobs and have an interview on Monday. If anything, you should be proud of yourself, Mione."

She looked up, startled at his new nickname for her. She stared at him for a moment, as if trying to work out why he called her it, before smiling and leaning over to kiss him lightly. "Mione?" She asked and he nodded, not letting her back away and pulling her in to kiss her again.

"Yes, Mione." He said, pulling her down on top of him as she protested mildly. "Is that alright?" She nodded slightly, letting herself be taken away as Ron ran one hand through her hair and the other down her back. He had almost reached the small of her back when she sat up on top of him, looked over at the clock and jumped out of the bed. Ron groaned lightly.

"Oh, shut it." Hermione said sharply, and Ron looked over to see her grinning. "I have to get organised, you know that. But-" She walked back over to the bed, leant over and kissed him once more. Ron attempted to tug her onto the bed but she broke away before he could get a proper hold of her. "-if you're lucky you can continue with what you were starting later on after the party."

"Party?" Ron asked stupidly, now sitting up and stretching. "You mean the ceremony?"

"No, don't you remember me telling you? My parents are throwing a graduation party for me with a few of their friends and a few of mine. I'm pretty sure they've asked Harry and his parents, so Ginny will most likely be there too. It'll be fun."

As Hermione left the room to have a shower, Ron slumped back down into the bed, wondering how on earth he was supposed to survive a whole party with Hermione's parents without mucking it up and saying something stupid. He had been worried enough with just having to meet them at the ceremony, and no doubt sit next to them, and had thought he had prepared himself enough for that. But now there was a party to worry about too? By the time he had showered and dressed, he had imagined more than twenty different scenarios of how he could go wrong when meeting Hermione's parents. There were a wide range of possible situations running through his head, one of the better ones being spilling a drink on Mrs. Granger and one of the worst was having one too many drinks and embarrassing both himself and Hermione. That problem was easily solved, however, because he would be driving home therefore could only have so much to drink anyway. When Hermione was stood in the mirror doing her hair, Ron told her that he would drive tonight, leaving her to have a drink or two, she shot down his theory by telling him her parents didn't drink.

"They don't?" He asked, mentally thanking his lucky stars that that situation could be crossed off his imaginary list. If her parents didn't drink, surely they wouldn't be serving alcohol for others?

"No, the acidity in the drinks can damage teeth really easily, especially if you drink too much of it. They don't like me to drink too much either." She explained. "But they'll still have it all there because they know not everyone shares their views. I won't drink though – maybe just one – I don't want to annoy them."

Ron nodded, re-writing the situation back onto his list and wondering what he was going to do. Well, he thought, he still didn't have to drink much. He would accept one drink, and hold on to it for the majority of the night. Small sips was the solution to all of his problems. He snorted at how stupid this sounded in his head and Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.

The graduation was being held at the huge auditorium at the university, and it was a relief to hear from Hermione that they had recently installed more heaters for the occasion. They had not had another snow day since the last one but the rain had not let up for the past few days and the cold seemed to infiltrate every inch of Ron's unit, despite the heating he had on all day and all night long. Hermione left for the graduation in her car and had arranged to meet him outside half an hour before the ceremony where she would introduce him to her parents so they could then sit together. As Ron now drove towards the uni, he noticed his hands were shaking just slightly, and there was a feeling of anxiety that he couldn't seem to shake. He turned the radio on and heard a rock song that seemed to match his feelings. Turning it up loudly, he received a few odd looks while he waited at the traffic lights and he avoided their looks. Ignoring them, he drove off as soon as the light turned green and as the song ended he heard it was a band called My Chemical Romance. He made a mental note to look up more of their music before taking a deep breath and turning into the car park of the university. With a lurch he spotted Hermione stood near the entrance with two people who he assumed were her parents. He found a park easily but took longer than he should have getting out of the car. Each step he took closer to where they stood seemed to go much faster than he wanted it to, and he felt as if he was walking funny, that any moment he would trip over his own feet. As he finally reached them, all he saw was Hermione's smiling face and it seemed to give him some courage.

"Hiya," He said bravely, waiting for Hermione to introduce him. He gave his best smile to the two people who stood there and couldn't quite read their expressions.

"Ron! I'm glad you're here," Hermione gushed, briefly hugging Ron and kissing him on the cheek so that they turned the same flaming red as his hair. He avoided her father's eyes. "Mum, Dad – this is Ron."

There was a heartbeat where Ron thought they weren't going to say anything, when Mrs. Granger broke into a smile and pulled him into a quick but comforting hug. Surprised, he awkwardly patted her back and then accepted Mr. Granger's hand and shook it firmly.

"Nice to meet you," He said once he had found his voice.

"This is my Mum, Jean and my Dad, Graham." Hermione said, and everyone smiled awkwardly at one another for a moment. "Well, I'll show you guys to your seats and then I have to go backstage. We're doing the song first and then after the speeches and certificates, I can comeback out." She talked as made her way inside the auditorium and the three of them followed her quietly. The building was huge, the lights dim but seeming bright on such a dull day. Ron was amazed to see so many people here already, and was delighted to see Hermione led them to a seat not far from the front of the stage. He watched as she hugged her parents and they sat down. He pulled her into a tight embrace, whispering into her ear.

"You're amazing, congratulations. I love you."

"I love you, too." She breathed back and stepped away, a huge smile on her face. Ron turned and sat down next to Graham, wishing now more than ever it would hurry up and start.

"So, Ron. Hermione has told us all about you. You own a cafe, is that right?" Jean asked and Ron nodded, suddenly aware that his mouth was dry. "How is that going?"

"Oh, yes-er, great, thank you, Mrs. Granger." He stuttered, and was sure he saw her smirk slightly. "I've worked there for awhile and have wanted to own it for a long time too."

"Please, call me Jean." She said kindly and Ron relaxed slightly. "Hermione speaks very highly of you; we're happy because she is happy."

"Oh-er, that's great. I mean, she makes me happy too. I-I'm glad that you're – happy." He finished lamely, looking around desperately for a safe topic of conversation that wouldn't make him look like a prat.

"And I take it you're coming tonight?" Graham asked, now looking at Ron with the same chocolate eyes that Hermione had and Ron had to fight not to be reminded of Hermione's face for fear of getting distracted.

"Yes, sir, I am." He regretted saying sir the moment it escaped from his lips and mentally cursed himself. Graham laughed and glanced at his wife.

"Don't be so nervous, son." He said and Ron let out the breath he didn't realise he had been holding in. Talking to your girlfriend's father was incredibly nerve wracking, he thought, and there was no way he was going to survive the night without looking like an idiot more than once. Suddenly the lights dimmed slightly, and a hush fell over the crowd. Ron was thankful for the distraction as the three of them turned to face the stage. A balding old man came on stage and welcomed everyone, and made a small speech while Ron tuned out, waiting for the students to come on for the song.

The man walked off and almost immediately the students started walking out onto the stage. There were a lot of them, over 100, and Ron desperately tried to seek out Hermione's face. A grin spread across his face as he spotted her in the second row from the front and watched as she sought him out, a smile covering her face as she did.

The ceremony seemed to pass over quickly, as boring as Ron found it. The only times he paid any attention were when Hermione received her diploma and he was sure he clapped the loudest. She beamed at the crowd before letting her eyes fall on both Ron and her parents, her smile the brightest star in the sky. Ron was amazed at the feelings that filled him at that moment, and was almost ashamed to admit to himself the love he was feeling for Hermione.

Afterwards, Ron Mr. and Mrs. Granger stood outside waiting patiently for Hermione, who turned up within a few minutes of them waiting. She rushed up to them, that smile still on her face and hugged her parents tightly before turning to Ron who embraced her, trying to put all that he felt into it. She pulled away and gave him a look that told him she understood and he took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"What time do you want us to come over tonight, Mum?" Hermione asked as the four of them began walking though the car park.

"Well, I've told everyone else six, so if you two could turn up around five thirty that would be wonderful." Jean replied and both Ron and Hermione nodded. "We'll see you then." Hermione kissed both her parents and waved them goodbye as they walked off in the opposite direction to find their car. Hermione turned back and kissed Ron full on the lips, so passionately that it almost knocked him off of his feet.

"You were amazing," She breathed as she broke away and they kept walking, Ron slightly dazed from the kiss. "They loved you, I know they did. It wasn't that hard was it?"

"What do you mean? I wasn't even nervous," He said, puffing his chest out so that Hermione laughed. "Okay, I was terrified. But no, your parents are lovely."

Hermione sighed contentedly, leaning into Ron as he walked. As they reached the car, Ron opened the door for her and she smiled warmly up at him. He climbed in and sat behind the wheel, turning the car on and letting it warm up a moment before taking off.

"Do you want to go out for a late lunch?" He asked, glancing at the clock in the car. "We've got a few hours to kill before we need to be at your parents."

"Actually," Hermione began, her hand creeping over to take his and he looked at her, grinning at the look in her eye. "I was thinking we could go back home – maybe spend a few hours in bed where it's warm?"

"You are brilliant, Hermione. I love the way you think."

It snowed again that afternoon as they lay in bed, entangled in each other's limbs and blissfully happy. This time however they didn't feel the urge to head outside and play in the snow, both getting out of bed rather reluctantly to get dressed again and leave for the party. By the time they were both dressed and on their way, the snow was falling thick and fast, and Ron had to drive a lot slower than usual to keep safe. Hermione sat biting her lip the entire drive, gasping nervously every time the car felt like it was going to slide. They were both thankful to pull into the driveway of the Grangers and Ron admired Hermione's family home. It was two stories high, and perhaps it was the effect of the snow and lights, but it couldn't have looked more inviting. They climbed out of the car and ran as quickly and safely as possible to knock on the door, Hermione opening it after a moment.

"Mum! Dad!" She called out and they heard someone call out from down the hall. Ron followed Hermione as they made their way down it and into a large kitchen. The smell of food filled the room and Ron was glad of the distraction of Hermione hugging her parents once more; nobody noticed his stomach growling. They took off their coats, grateful for the warmth of the house and Hermione hung them in the hallway. Graham handed them both a glass of wine and Ron remembered his plan from earlier.

"A toast," Graham said, a large smile on his face as he looked at his daughter with pride. "To Hermione, my beautiful daughter. We are more proud of you than we can say and cannot congratulate you enough on your achievements."

Hermione blushed deeply as the four of them clinked glasses and sipped their drinks, and she thanked them afterwards. Over the next half hour, people began to arrive, though they were all people Ron didn't know so he found himself stuck to Hermione's side, shaking hands and introducing himself over and over. Harry and Ginny arrived not long after six and Ron was glad to see them.

"Hey, big brother," Ginny greeted him, slapping him lightly on the back rather than hugging him. Ron pulled a face at her and said hello to Harry. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Er – sure, Ginny." Ron answered, and they moved off down the hallway as Harry and Hermione went into the lounge. "What is it?" He asked once they were out of earshot of everybody.

"I'm just a tad nervous." Ginny replied, looking at Ron with a kind of desperate anxiety. "I'm meeting Harry's parents tonight."

Ron laughed loudly and shook his head, earning himself another slap from Ginny, although this one was slightly harder. "Ow – watch it, or I won't help you. It just so happens I met Hermione's parents for the first time tonight."

"Really? Coincidence much. How did it go?"

"Fine. I'm sure they'll love you. Just be yourself." He watched as she sighed deeply, running her fingers through her hair and swearing lightly under her breath. "On second thoughts, maybe don't be yourself. Who else have you got up your sleeve?"

Ron ducked as Ginny went to thump him over the head and made his way back down the hallway and into the lounge. He spotted Hermione and walked over to her, Ginny following with a sullen look on her face. She attached herself to Harry's side and Ron smirked as she scanned the room, obviously on the lookout.

"Are – er – your parents here yet?" She asked nervously. Ron and Hermione sat down on the couch, watching the interaction, Ron trying not to laugh. "I just can't wait to meet them."

Harry looked at Ginny's sudden change in voice as she drew herself up and looked around the room again. "No, not yet. They won't be far off, though."

"Good. Wonderful. Yes." Ginny said stupidly and this time Ron did laugh, receiving a look from Hermione. "Let's get a drink, shall we?"

"You shouldn't pick on her. Harry told me she's been a nervous wreck all day." Hermione said as the two of them walked away. Ron stretched out slightly on the couch, his arm around the back of Hermione. "I don't know why she's so nervous, they're really lovely people."

"She's nervous because she's Ginny. Perfectly pleasant one moment, and dangerous the next. She's unpredictable." Ron said and Hermione laughed. "I'm not kidding."

"I'm sure you're not." She replied, waving at someone across the room. "This should be interesting then because they've just arrived.

Ron looked over to see an older version of Harry and a woman who greatly resembled his sister. He could see Harry in her eyes, but her hair was the same red as Ginny's and he saw the surprise on Ginny's face as they made their way over. Ron and Hermione watched as she shook Mr and Mrs. Potter's hands and smiled brightly. Only Ron knew how fake that smile was, and he knew his sister well enough to know what that smile was hiding. They all spoke for a moment before Harry's mother turned and spotted Hermione, smiling warmly as she and her husband made their way over.

"Hermione!" Mrs. Potter gushed, and Hermione stood up to hug her. "Congratulations, love. We're so happy for you."

"Thank you!" Hermione replied, now hugging Mr. Potter. She broke away and gestured to Ron. "This is Ron, my boyfriend. Ron, this is James and Lily Potter. Ron is Ginny's older brother." She explained and he watched their eyes travel up to his hair and make the connection. Harry and Ginny, who had followed the pair, stood there silently watching.

"Ah, of course!" James said happily, shaking Ron's hand firmly. "Great to meet you. So it's your sister that's captured the heart of our son, is it?"

"Er – yes, I guess so." Ron replied, smiling and watched as Harry's cheeks grew red to match the Weasley's hair. "Though how my sister could capture anyone's heart is beyond me."

Ginny shot him a look but his comment got a laugh from everyone else and she soon laughed along with them. Their laughter attracted Hermione's parents and as they came over to greet the Potter's, Hermione pulled on Ron's hand and they left them to it.

"Come, I want to show you my room." Hermione said, pulling him out of the lounge and up the stairs. He followed dutifully, looking at the photo frames on the wall as they went down the hallway. They stopped outside a door and Hermione pushed it open slowly, as if for dramatic effect, and they stepped inside. The room was quite large, with lavender wallpaper and a huge single bed against the opposite wall. It looked like something out of a catalogue and Ron walked around, admiring the different awards and certificates that covered the walls. Hermione sat on the edge of the bed, watching him with a strange smile on her face.

"What's this?" He asked, pointing to a trophy. She blushed deeply.

"That's a trophy I won for winning the spell-a-thon when I was in primary school." She told him and he grinned.

"And this one?"

"That was from a story writing competition that the newspaper ran," She said, her cheeks growing redder and redder. "I'm such a nerd."

"Hey, now," Ron said, moving over and sitting next to her, taking her hands in his. "You may be a nerd, but you're my nerd." She laughed loudly, messing up his hair with her hand. "It's not being a nerd, Mione. It's being incredibly smart."

"I'm starting to really like this nickname of yours," She said quietly, looking around the room and then resting her head on his shoulder. "No one has ever given me a nickname before, aside from nasty ones."

"Who ever called you nasty names?" He asked. "Give me their names – I'll get them." He puffed out his chest and clenched his fists, causing Hermione to laugh again.

"Oh, this idiot Harry and I went to school with. He was such a prat. He came from a really posh family so obviously that meant he was automatically better than everyone else." She told him, a sour look on her face.

"What was his name?"

"Malfoy." She spat and Ron laughed. "Draco Malfoy. He was such an idiot."

"He sounds like it with a name like that. Oh well, that was primary school right? So you've been rid of him since then."

"I wish. He went to the same high school as us, though he would complain daily that he was meant to be at a private school. He went to the same uni and everything, just he studied something different. Don't ask me what, because I have no idea. I'm just glad to be finally rid of him." She said, sighing softly. "He lives around here, too."

Ron felt the familiar feeling of jealously begin to burn inside of him, though he had no idea why. Hermione clearly loathed this Malfoy, though the feeling didn't go away. There was a knock on the door and Harry poked his head around it.

"Er – sorry to interrupt you guys but – er – Hermione, there's someone here to see you." He said awkwardly as Hermione and Ron stood up.

"What? Who is it?" She asked as they met Harry at the door.

"It's – er – well, it's Malfoy." Harry finished lamely and the burning inside Ron suddenly flamed to an inferno.

Speak of the devil.

Hope you liked this chapter! I've been wondering what I could do to give this fic a bit of drama and then Malfoy popped into my head. Not sure where I'm going with it but hopefully it will be interesting. I wanted to apologise for the rugby in the last chapter; it's the Rugby World Cup here at the moment (I'm in NZ where it's being held) and those games I mentioned were being played the night I was writing it so thought it was only fitting. I also just realised I gave Ron a dog in the first one or two chapters and haven't written about him since...so...yeah, that was stupid of me. Maybe just ignore that? Haha. Reviews would be lovely! I like to know I'm heading in the right direction :) Thaaanks!