Ron certainly didn't like the way the twins were behaving. It was abnormally normal. Other than their occasional hushed voices, they weren't doing anything out of the ordinary and George actually said he understood how Ron would want to patch things up with his wife. While Ron appreciated it, it was all too cordial for his own taste. When he saw Ginny talking to Harry about something in the corner of the kitchen and then stop talking immediately when he entered the room, he knew something was most definitely up. But Reyna seemed happy and he didn't want to upset that by asking questions. So he decided to sit back and let the evening unfold.
"So Reyna," Fred began, "I hear you and Ron will be expecting a new addition pretty soon. And by the look of you, you might already have an announcement for us."
Ginny had to turn her face to cover her smile. Reyna looked down at her perfectly toned body, "Nope, not any time soon. I haven't gained a pound since I was 19." She grinned. "Actually, Ronnie and I were thinking that we wanted some alone time to get our relationship back on track. So we don't plan on starting a family for at least a year or so."
"That's too bad Ron," commented George. "I always thought you'd outdo us all the number kids. At this rate, you'll not have any."
"He's right Ron," Fred joined in, "I mean Bill has three, Charlie has one, I have one and a half, George just can't find a woman and I'm sure that Ginny plans to add to her family."
"Oh, I find women almost every night Fred" explained George. "Anyway, Hermione even has two."
"I don't mean to be rude," interrupted Reyna, "hers aren't Weasleys."
"They should have been." Interjected Harry with a triumphant smile, who until this point had been simply watching the conversation.
Reyna's eyes shot daggers at him, "well the Weasley children are all so adorable and no offense, but hers are just so ordinary."
Ron couldn't let Reyna talk badly about Hermione's kids so he grabbed her hand lovingly and said, "I know that when we have kids they'll be the best ever, but Hermione's kids weren't bad they were quite cute actually. Her son Jack is an amazing flyer, isn't he Harry."
Before Harry could say anything Reyna had to add her two knuts. "That may be but that little girl. What a whiner! And her hair was so unfortunate. Maybe by the time she grows up, they'll have invented a potion that can permanently deal with frizz."
Ron looked like he wanted to say something, but Reyna got his attention and gave him a peck on the lips while Harry tried to calm Ginny, who looked ready to launch the third wizarding war. Fred and George keenly observed all of Ron and Reyna's interactions looking for any clues as to the mysterious hold she had on him.
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Ginny couldn't stand how laid back Fred and George were being, she wanted action. She assumed by now they would have set her hair on fire and have her screaming, running for the hills. But no, they were taking the high road.
"Guys, what are you doing?"
"We are observing little sis" George explained.
"Don't worry; we just want to see them interact. That will let us know what we're dealing with; then we attack" informed Fred.
"Harry thinks we should just kidnap Ron and let whatever it is wears off."
"Gin's right, well I mean Harry is," said Fred, "it's definitely some sort of love potion or spell. It's not a curse. He'd definitely look more dazed."
"I was thinking the same thing there bro. We need to compare notes but in the mean time, I say we spike Reyna's drink." That perked up Ginny's ears. "Nothing deadly, we just need to make her sick. I don't want them to complicate things by making a Ron junior."
They all shuddered at the thought and George made his move while Reyna was chatting up poor Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. It seemed that Mr. Weasley caught on and kept her distracted.
"Ronnie," she made her way back over to Ron, giving him a sultry look. "I saw we retire soon."
"You don't need to ask me twice." Ron replied wiggling his eyes.
"Great, let's get out of…." Reyna's sentence was cut short by her intense vomiting all over Ron. Everyone made the appropriate response in trying to help Reyna.
"Dear, let's get you inside." Mrs. Weasley guided her inside and said she'd give her a potion and put her to bed. She came back down saying that Reyna was sick again in the bathroom and wanted to see Ron. He immediately ran up to her aid.
Everyone was gathered outside while Fred and George seemed to hold a mini conference. "What's the verdict," demanded Mr. Weasley.
"Well, we've compared notes" said Fred
"And exchanged ideas" explained George
"After much deliberation…"
"We've decided…"
Then in unison, "it's the lip gloss."
"Are you sure?" Asked Harry. "That seems so, I don't know, simple."
"Well you didn't think of it genius" retorted George. Harry shrugged his shoulders in resignation.
"No, Harry it's actually rather clever. She's always been so vain, we'd never think twice about it. She is always reapplying her lip gloss and every time he seems to snap out of it she's gives him a kiss."
"Well what do we do about it?" Asked Mrs. Weasley almost desperately.
"First get us the lip gloss so we can make sure." Commanded Fred.
George continued his brother's thought, "and then we can replace it with something more interesting."
"How long will it take Ron to snap out of it?" Mr. Weasley inquired. "I'd like to have my son back and that bitch gone."
"Dad!" Ginny exclaimed, everyone was looking at him in utter amazement. "I don't ever think I've heard you say that word before."
George went on to answer his father's question. "Maybe a day for the full effects to wear off, it really depends on how strong it is. But seeing his confusion at time, it can be too powerful. It's probably just enough to do the job without raising an alarm."
"Good! And sons, be sure whatever you replace it with is especially nasty."
Their mischievous grins ensured their father that he should never expect less.
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The next morning, although feeling better, Reyna felt as though she had fallen off a broom. She looked over at her husband who was still sleeping. Sweet Ron, always there for me, she thought and went to find her bag. After refreshing herself in the bathroom she applied some lip gloss and gave her sleeping husband a peck on the lips and went downstairs.
"How are you feeling this morning dear?" Asked Mrs. Weasley as Reyna made it to the breakfast table. Ginny, Harry and James were already there eating their scrambled eggs.
"Much better, I'm just so tired. Ronnie is still sound asleep up there."
"Mummy," asked James, "what's that funny smell?"
"I don't know what that is? Mum is something rotten over there?"
"I don't smell anything" offered Reyna who was trying to satisfy and itch on her chin.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ron woke with the most atrocious taste in his mouth. He jumped up and ran to the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He bounced down the stairs for breakfast having smelled the eggs and toast.
As he entered the room, "what is that smell?"
"We don't know," answered Harry, "your mum is trying to pinpoint the source."
Ron looked over and saw his mother digging through the sink and trash. "I can't figure out what it is" she said raising her hands in defeat.
Ron sat down next to Reyna who gave him a passionate morning kiss that he had to break short.
"What's wrong?" she asked, very concerned.
"Oh nothing, I just don't want to catch that bug you had." In truth, Ron was trying to figure out the best way to tell her that she desperately needed to brush her teeth. Her breath was vile and he realized that it might be the source of the strange odor in the kitchen. Must have been the illness, he thought.
"Reyna, honey, what's that on your chin?"
"What do you mean?" She reached up to her chin.
Ginny joined in now, "yeah you have some kind of pox or zit on your chin. Oh, and it looks like you have some sort of cold sore on your lip. Could it have been from whatever she had last night mum?" She asked innocently, knowing full well what the cause was.
Reyna jumped up and ran up the stairs. You heard a muffled cry. She came back down in tears. Ron attempted to comfort his wife. "It's not so bad honey."
"Ronnie my face is all breaking out and my lips are swelling."
"Maybe we should go to a healer; what do you think mum?"
"Let's wait a bit," she turned and grabbed something out of the cabinet, "here try this." She handed Reyna a small pot of cream.
She took it gratefully and made to go back upstairs. "Maybe I really am sicker than I thought." She said before leaving and the group agreed.
"Hey Ron, let's go to Diagon Alley later. Let your wife rest, you certainly don't want whatever she has."
"Maybe she got it from your boss," asked Ginny "wasn't that who she was sleeping with?"
"Don't bring that up. It's in the past; we're starting fresh Ginny." Ron said but he couldn't help but wonder if that was true. She was with a lot of guys, what if she has one of those sexually transmitted diseases? He cringed at the thought. Maybe we are rushing at getting back together. Merlin I'm glad we haven't slept together since she's been back.
Ginny and Harry could see the wheels turning in Ron's head. With a satisfied smile they asked simultaneously, "What's wrong Ron?"
