All I Know

By Stargirl

Author's ramblings: I'm a day late on my self-imposed deadline. However, it's exam week, so I have a valid excuse. I've taken the hardest ones and have to take three more. Most people have to take four, but one of mine tomorrow is a Debate exam, which was an actual debate against a partner in the class. Anyway, about this chapter—it's quite possibly the longest chapter yet! However, I figured that since its namesake is the fic name, I needed to do it some justice. More misunderstandings and the like ensue, but not of as great impact as the past one. Hehe.

Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to every reviewer! The last bit was inspired by Gossip Queen's hilarious fic "Teachers Pass Notes Too".

In regards to feedback: As always, please review! Merry early Christmas, though I'll have two more updates soon—one before, and one on Christmas. Enjoy!

Chapter Twelve: All I know

As Ron reached for a bag of Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans that sat in the highest cabinet, an owl pecked noisily at the kitchen window adjacent to him.

"Hm. A Ministry owl." Ron frowned and called into the living room, "George! Did you and Fred do anything illegal recently? Y'know, other than the usual?"

George looked up from rummaging through his and Fred's record collection, "Not that I know of, Ron!"

Ron unlocked the window and threw it open. The Ministry owl hooted and flew to catch its breath on the counter. Ron untied the rolled up piece of parchment from the owl's neck. Hermione stood on her tiptoes and looked over his shoulder to read it.

Ron read aloud,

"Dear Mr. Ronald Weasley,

We have received intelligence that Apparation and Disapparation modes of transportation were used at your place of residence this afternoon from three minutes past one until four minutes past two. At five minutes past two, Silent Disapparation was used to transport yourself to your brothers' place of residence near London."

In the living room, Harry's head snapped up. Harry sneaked into the kitchen and watched his best mate's face grow paler with each sentence.

As you know, unlicensed wizards are not permitted to use these types of transportation, because of safety precautious, and further illegal use of this type of transportation could lead to prohibiting you to obtain the proper license you need to Apparate and Disapparate, as well as expulsion from school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Unlicensed Transportation, 1978, Paragraph G).

"RON!" Hermione shrieked, horrified, "You could have been expelled!"

"Wait a tick—I'm not finished reading the letter…" Ron swallowed with difficulty, since his throat seemed to have closed up from apprehension. He continued,

"We would also ask you to remember that Silent Apparation and Disapparation is typically the mode of transportation used by Aurors and Aurors-in-training. If and when you decide to join the Ministry's Aurors, you are advised to refrain from Apparating and Disapparating silently until you obtain your Silent Apparation and Disapparation permit.

Enjoy the rest of your holidays!

Yours sincerely,

Mafalda Hopkirk

IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE

Ministry of Magic

P.S. I have notified your father, since he is the surrogate Minister of Magic. He and your mum will be home shortly."

George's eyes grew wide. He sprinted into the kitchen. "Did you…just say…" He paused, then his words came out rushed, "that Hopkirk sent word to Mum and Dad?!"

Ron and George glanced at each other with identical terrified expressions.

"Hell hath no fury like Mrs. Weasley." Harry joked nervously.

Hermione hit Harry's arm and was about to scold him for cursing, when two more Ministry owls flew into the kitchen through the open window. One rested on Harry's shoulder, while the other settled itself in George's hair and seemed inclined to nest there.

George swiftly took the roll of parchment from the owl and read to himself. He gasped, "If I do it again, the Ministry's kicking me out of the Order."

Harry's hands shook as he fumbled with the tie on his letter. He gave Owl Treats to the three owls and read quietly. His eyes bulged, "Shite! Apparently, I'm going to be suspended from the Auror training program if I ever teach a non-Auror-in-training how to Silently Apparate and Disapparate again!"

The Weasley brothers and the younger brother's best mates all exchanged fearful expressions.

"Ginny!" Suddenly, George ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs to Ginny's room.

Her door swung open, "What is it, George?"

"We've got to get back to The Burrow."

"Why?"

"Mum and Dad are on their way—"

"They're not supposed to be back for another week!"

"—because the Ministry notified them, seeing as how Ron Silently Apparated and Disapparated without a license, as did I—"

"You've had your license for years!"

"—and Aurors and Aurors-in-training are the only ones who are technically supposed to silently do so."

Ginny's hand flew to her gaping mouth. "If no one can Apparate, how the bloody hell are we supposed to get to The Burrow before Mum and Dad?! And why can't we just get rid of the letters here?!"

George started pacing, then abruptly stopped, "Wait! There's no time to think. Come downstairs and everyone will figure this out."

They rushed downstairs to confer with the Golden Trio.

Fortunately, Hermione had already formulated a plan. "Okay, since Ginny brought her broom, she can fly. George and Harry can Disapparate normally. Ron and I will Floo."

"Right!" Harry's head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. "Shall we?" He and George looked at each other. With a CRACK, they were gone.

Ginny ascended the stairs again. She opened her bedroom window, mounted her broom, kicked off lightly and flew outside.

Ron and Hermione found a cauldron full of Floo powder by the living room fireplace. They threw a handful of powder into the fireplace, and squeezed into the compact space.

"THE BURROW!" They shouted simultaneously. They held onto each other tightly as soot swirled around them, colors melding together, everything spinning out of focus. Both of them felt rather dizzy.

Soon, they found themselves in The Burrow's fireplace. Ron gestured for Hermione to climb out first. Under other circumstances, she would have thanked him for his chivalry, but at the present moment, she hastened out of the fireplace, brushing soot off herself as she went. Ron followed.

Hermione paused, "Doesn't seem like anyone's here."

"Au contraire, my future sister-in-law." George said from his seat on the couch.

"C'mon, Hermione. Surely you knew that Apparating and Disapparating are quicker than Flooing." Harry rolled his eyes, brushing his nails off on his shirt exaggeratedly as he perched on the arm of the couch.

"Not only that, but I happen to be the star Chaser for Gryffindor." Ginny flew into the room from the kitchen, her hair windblown. She dismounted her broom and held it upright by the handle.

"I'm back from Angelina's!" Fred called from his old room. He descended the stairs quickly to meet the rest of the group.

"So far so good." Ron smiled confidently, "Mum and Dad will arrive late enough so that I can destroy the evidence—"

Harry and George handed Ron their letters, which he folded with his. Taking his wand out of his back pocket, he began to say, "Incen—"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley." The voice of death whispered almost inaudibly.

Ron stopped mid-spell.

The others gasped, their eyes averting to the voice's owner.

Ron inhaled sharply and attempted to swallow. He turned around carefully and managed to squeak, "Hi Mum. Hi Dad."

The Weasley parents stood before the Hogwarts lot and the twins. Mrs. Weasley was more tanned and Mr. Weasley was more freckled than before after their summer-long trip to the Bahamas and other islands in the Caribbean. Mrs. Weasley wore a cotton sundress, a wide-brimmed straw hat and sandals, while Mr. Weasley wore a t-shirt, Bermuda shorts, large sunglasses, and flip-flops. Mr. Weasley still had a streak of zinc smeared onto his nose. He furrowed his brow, attempting to look stern.

Everyone suppressed giggles. Under normal circumstances, it was almost impossible for Mr. Weasley to look stern. But now, especially, with a blue streak of zinc on his nose…and his clothes…they were so…Muggle touristy, it was unfeasible for him to attempt to be a disciplinarian!

Mrs. Weasley's right eye twitched violently as she continued in her chilling whisper, "There is nothing to be laughing at."

The Weasley children, Hermione, and Harry simultaneously gulped. Rather loudly at that. They braced themselves. The offenders felt themselves shrinking with each passing second. Ron could've sworn that he was two feet tall.

Ginny started counting in her head. Explosion in three…two…one—

"Silently Apparating! What were you thinking—sick with worry—did you care?! Could've splinched! Suspended from order—expelled from school—killed!!" Mrs. Weasley sucked in a large amount of air. She glanced at Harry and Hermione, smiling, "Glad to have you two at The Burrow again! Hopefully, we'll be seeing both of you around here even after your Commencement this year."

"Thank you." Hermione managed to squeak, giving her a small smile.

"Thank you—and hopefully we will be." Harry echoed, sweat dripping from his brow.

George opened his mouth to protest, but was quieted by Mrs. Weasley with a wave of her hand. "George, don't even bother asking me why I'm not mad at Harry. It wasn't his fault—"

Harry cleared his throat, "Mrs. Weasley, yes it was. I suggested that I teach them how to Silently Apparate and Disapparate. Well, first, I taught Ron how to normally do so, and then I taught him and George how to silently do it. Really, it's all my fault."

Mrs. Weasley raised her eyebrows, "And what inspired you to do this?"

"Well, you see, er, the thing is—" Harry faltered. He gave Ron a pleading look that cried, "Save me!"

Ron cleared his throat. "Mum, Dad, perhaps we should start from the beginning. I'd reckon you two better sit down."

The Weasley parents exchanged horrified glances.

Mrs. Weasley's eyes darted from Ron to Hermione and back again. Turning pale, she started shakily, "You two aren't—"

Ron interrupted, beaming, "Yes! We are!"

Mrs. Weasley's jaw dropped. She looked positively horrified, "But—you both—"

"I know! Isn't it great?! I reckon you were going to say it's about time, eh?" Ron's grin grew wider. He reached for Hermione's hand. She placed her hand in his shyly, glancing at the Weasley parents as though asking for permission with her eyes.

"About time?! You two are sixteen!" Mrs. Weasley collapsed into one of their squashy chairs.

"Congratulations!" Mr. Weasley choked out, turning bright red. He clapped a hand protectively on his wife's shoulder and stood beside her.

Mrs. Weasley glared at him and muttered, "I told you we shouldn't have left them alone—"

Mr. Weasley sighed, "Oh, Molly, there's so much worse that could've happened—"

"Um," Hermione coughed. Seeing the Weasleys' less-than-enthusiastic responses, she nervously began, "Mr. and Mrs. Weasley—"

Mrs. Weasley automatically replied, "Call me Molly, dear. You're family now."

"Oh no! I couldn't—" Hermione blushed furiously, "—um, this is alright with the two of you, isn't it?"

Ron interjected again, "Nonsense! Of course it is!" He answered for them, planting a kiss on her forehead, "They love you!"

Hermione ignored Ron and continued, "—I know we're young, but I reckon that you two were sixteen when you two started—"

Mrs. Weasley did a double take. "Hermione, dear, did you just say that Arthur and I were sixteen when we…started…"

"Er…yes? It's true, isn't it? I just wanted to clarify…" Hermione said.

The parents Weasley blushed deeply. Mr. Weasley began, "Well, those were different times—we didn't know if we were going to die soon because of You-Know-Who and…"

"…yes! That's right, so we clung to each other, spent every moment together—and before we knew it, we were engaged." Mrs. Weasley smiled fondly at Mr. Weasley. He put his arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head.

Ron and Hermione traded confused expressions.

"Mum, you realize that it's a long time before we are even thinking about…" Ron gulped, "…the m word."

Mr. Weasley bolted up straight. "Now, Ron, I realize that times have changed, but I have not raised any of my boys to be…dishonorable!"

Ron's brow furrowed in confusion, "Dad, what're you talking about?"

"You! And Hermione! She's—she's—" Mrs. Weasley's voice dropped to a frightened whisper, "—pregnant."

"PREGNANT?!" The Golden Trio and the present Weasley siblings shouted.

"Yes!" Mrs. Weasley's head bobbed up and down, "There you are, all of you verified it." She began to cry, "Hermione, dear, I'm thrilled to have you become part of this family, though I wish it could've been some other way—"

"There, there, Molly." Mr. Weasley stroked his wife's hair and kissed her hand, which he was holding.

Hermione started sniggering, "Mrs. Weasley…"

"Come here, dear!" Mrs. Weasley reached out to Hermione and squashed her in a hug. Hermione hugged back, still laughing. "Hermione, I realize that you're hormonal, but this is no laughing matter!"

Hermione pulled back from the embrace and stated with a straight face, "Mrs. Weasley, I'm not pregnant."

"You're not?! Then what rubbish was Rongoing on about?!"

"He just wanted to tell you that he's my—and I'm his—y'know—"

Fred feigned whispering loudly from his seat on the couch, "Mum, Ronniekins wanted to tell you the oh-so-shocking news that he and Hermione are together. She's his girlfriend now."

George made kissing noises until Ginny elbowed him to stop.

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley dabbed her eyes with Mr. Weasley's shirt and giggled, "In that case, you're right, Ron. It's about time!"

"So that's what you meant by 'were we sixteen when we started'…" Mr. Weasley slowly nodded in comprehension.

"What'd you think she meant, Dad?" Fred asked, purely out of curiosity.

The Weasley parents looked at each other embarrassedly. Mr. Weasley stuttered, "Er, um, I—uh…"

The Triumvirate of Gryffindor, Ginny, and the twins shuddered.

"You can stop right there, Dad. I still try to maintain the belief that I was delivered from the stork." Ginny recoiled at the thought.

Mr. Weasley rolled his eyes, "Really, you lot could be more mature about this topic. There wouldn't be seven of you children if we didn't—"

"OKAY! Back to the story!" Ron said loudly. "To make a long story short, Mum and Dad…Harry and I made Hermione and Ginny quite angry, which caused them to run away. We had to find them. Harry felt that the most effective way to apologize was to make a show out of it, since that's what he does best—"

"I do not like making shows!" Harry interjected.

"—and so he taught me how to Apparate and Disapparate, since I'll be needing to get my license soon. Y'know, since I'll be turning seventeen in March and all. Then, like he said, he taught me how to do it silently. We went to the twins' flat and found the girls there. And now we're all back at The Burrow."

"Because you wanted to destroy the evidence." Mrs. Weasley narrowed her eyes at her youngest son, "Accio parchment!" She flicked her wand and grabbed the Ministry's letters.

"Molly, it's the end of summer. Fall term is going to be starting soon. I think we should let them off with a stern warning—" Mr. Weasley paused, giving them a severe look. He continued, "—and Harry can teach me how to Silently Apparate and Disapparate!"

Mrs. Weasley threw her hands up in the air, "Arthur, you're incorrigible!"

Ron and Hermione grinned at each other.

"That's what I tell Ron." Hermione smiled at Mrs. Weasley.

Mrs. Weasley shook her head, "It's the whole lot of Weasley men."

Mr. Weasley grinned cheekily, "But that's why you love me."

"That's what love is, Arthur. Loving a person in spite of it all." Mrs. Weasley pecked his cheek.

"Ooooh…" The twins chorused.

"I'm going upstairs." Ginny announced and sneaked out of the living room.

"Me too!" Harry followed her, albeit to her disdain.

"Us, as well!" Ron tugged Hermione's hand to get her to go with them.

The twins shrugged, "Suppose we will…"

-O-

The beginning of fall term came and went by more quickly than six years past. As usual, the day the term began was complete chaos at The Burrow. However, it was the first year that Ron leapt out of bed, thrilled to go back to Hogwarts. In fact, Mr. Weasley caught him dancing around the bathroom singing the Pointer Sisters' song "I'm So Excited". Rather than going through the ordeal of taking cabs to Kings Cross, Mr. Weasley borrowed Ministry cars to transport the entire clan to the station.

"Be good." Mrs. Weasley warned the Hogwarts lot as she distributed hugs and sandwiches before they boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"Yes, Mum." Ron and Ginny chorused.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley." Hermione and Harry mimicked the way the youngest Weasleys responded.

"Hermione, dear, did I tell you how fantastic it is that you and Ron are together?" Mrs. Weasley looked dotingly upon her youngest son's love interest.

"No, Mum. I reckon the first twenty billion times didn't register with the quick-witted one." Fred replied drolly.

Hermione grinned, "Thank you, Mrs. Weasley."

Ron rolled his eyes andoffered Hermione his arm, in spite of the fact that he was carrying loads of things. "Bye Mum, Dad, Gred, and Forge."

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny boarded the Hogwarts Express and settled into their usual compartment. They waved out the window to a particularly weepy Mrs. Weasley, a comforting Mr. Weasley, and a faux-nostalgic Fred and George. The twins blew kisses to them jokingly. After sitting with her boyfriend, her other best mate, and her other best mate's love interest, Hermione left the compartment for the Head Girl and Head Boy compartment.

Fred pantomimed wiping a tear from his eyes, "It was only yesterday when it was our last time to board the red train."

"Our glory days are over, mate." George shook his head, pretending to be morose.

"It's Ron's last year at Hogwarts! Then Ginny's next year!" Mrs. Weasley sniffled.

Mr. Weasley patted her back soothingly. "Just think, Molly, with all of the children having graduated, we'll have The Burrow to ourselves again! It's been, oh, almost thirty years since that's happened!"

Mrs. Weasley shrugged with a sigh, "I'll miss them, though."

"They'll still visit during holidays, like these two." Mr. Weasley ruffled the twins' hair.

"I suppose." Mrs. Weasley said quietly.

Meanwhile, on the train, Hermione took complete charge as she was born to do. She relished her new title, but not to the extent that Percy did in her third year. As Harry predicted, Draco Malfoy was named Head Boy. Ron tried to be civil to the bloke, trusting Hermione's opinion. Okay, so that was a complete fallacy. He was bloody jealous of Draco and Hermione patrolling through compartments and sharing their own. However, he kept telling himself that Hermione was his girlfriend and not Draco's. That provided some relief. And watching Ginny and Harry figuratively dance around each other provided for some entertainment.

By the first week of the term, Harry and Ginny seemed to have reached a silent reconciliation, albeit, an awkward one. However, by September, they were joking and chatting as they did prior to the infamous misunderstanding. Sans-blatant flirting, of course, since their tentatively repaired friendship couldn't endure another horrible fiasco.

On Saturday September twelfth, Ron awoke with a start in the wee hours of the morning. He bolted up in his bed, drew the curtains back and shouted, "Shite!"

The other boys grumbled in their sleep.

"Shutthebloody'ellup—" Seamus mumbled.

"Wha' 'e said." Dean groaned, throwing a pillow into the middle of the room.

"…" Neville always slept through everything.

Harry was the only one who actually responded. He sat up, rubbed his eyes, drew his curtains back and asked, "What is it, Ron?"

"It's a week 'til Hermione's birthday." Ron buried his face in his hands.

"So?" Harry shrugged, "Knowing you, you've been planning something…oh."

"Yeah." Ron nodded slowly, "I haven't been planning something grand because of term starting. I promised her that I'd make the best marks I've ever made this term. And the rest of the year! Quite uncharacteristically, I've actually been studying—"

"What is that?" Harry cupped a hand to his ear, "The apocalypse is going to happen? Yeah, that's what I thought I heard."

"—and taking notes and not bugging her for her notes!" Ron stated proudly. "I've been the model student."

"Mate, you do realize that we've been in school for a couple of weeks, don't you? Knowing you, you'll relapse and assume your old habits." Harry said realistically.

"Back to the more pressing matters…what're we going to do?!"

"No, Ron. More like what're you going to do. I'm not the one dating the crazy bird—"

"Hey…" Ron started getting up, when Harry grinned.

"—not to say she isn't a chill and endearing, crazy bird. But she's a crazy bird nevertheless."

"I just want to make her birthday…Merlin, this sounds so cliché…special. No, scratch that…extraordinary."

"Much better word."

"I agree." The redhead sighed, "She's just—"

"Hermione. And you're mad about her." The black-haired bloke nodded knowingly.

"Yeah." Ron said softly. "I am."

"Are you going to throw a party? Or have a romantic rendezvous?" Harry waggled his eyebrows.

Ron chucked a pillow at Harry, which hit him square in the face.

"So it's the latter, then." Harry sniggered.

Ron shrugged, "I'll think of something."

September 19th, Hermione's birthday

"Ron, where are we going?" Hermione asked him for the millionth time.

"I can't tell you." Ron squeezed her hand. He had blindfolded her and had his other hand clamped over her eyes in case she decided to peek.

All Hermione knew at the moment was that they were outside. For a September evening, the breeze was balmy and blew softly on her face. While she enjoyed her past birthdays being on weekdays at Hogwarts, since everyone in her classes (including, and perhaps, even more so—her professors) celebrated it in some way. Last year was full of surprises in her classes. In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall transfigured a hairbrush into an enormous three-tiered birthday cake topped with ridiculous amounts of frosting. In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid trained some of his hybrid Blast-Ended Skrewts to sing "Happy Birthday" to her. In Herbology, Professor Sprout made Neville, Hermione's greenhouse partner, do her planting for her, much to her disapproval. Fortunately, Neville managed to emerge from the lesson unscathed. Not to mention, Ron, Harry, and Ginny gave her thoughtful presents.

This year was entirely different. She awoke to Ron jumping on her bed. Unlike the regular dormitories, the Head Girl's quarters wasn't guarded with spells to keep boys out. Considering the Head Girl was the most prestigious position a female Hogwarts student could obtain, the responsibility came with a great amount of trust. For that, Hermione was grateful. It was nice to be able to have Ron, Harry, and Ginny in her room away from the noisy first years who occupied the Gryffindor Common Room.

That morning…

"Wake up!" Ron jumped merrily on her bed, "It's your seventeenth birthday, Hermione!"

"Go away." She rolled over and buried her head under her pillow.

"I won't have that! How many times have you had to drag me out of bed?"

He makes an excellent point. "Ron, that was for lessons. It's a weekend and my birthday, so I reckon you let me do what I want—" She mumbled from under the covers.

"If you're going to stay in bed, you better budge up." Ron stopped jumping and sat beside her. Kicking off his shoes, he wiggled under her covers and threw an arm around her waist, snuggling close to her back so that they were spooning. Before she could say anything, he cast a quick anti-morning breath spell on her.

"Ron…" Hermione peeked from beneath her pillow and gave him a shy smile. "You're in my bed."

"First thing in the morning, too." He gave her a mischievous lopsided grin.

She rolled her eyes, then said slowly, "We could stay here for a little while, if you'd like."

"Really?" He perked up.

"No, not really, especially since any moment now—"

Hermione's door swung open.

"Happy birthday—ack!" Harry and Ginny's eyes bulged out and they jumped back, frightened.

"Nothing's going on, you two." Hermione sat up, covering herself up with her blanket.

"Really, then why are you and Ron spooning?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

Ginny cringed, "I hate that term. It's so…eh…"

"We're fully clothed, you gits." Ron sat up, as well and held his hands above his head to prove that they hadn't been doing anything wrong.

After Harry and Ginny gave Hermione her presents, they and Ron cleared out to allow her time to take a shower and get dressed.

That afternoon…

The rest of the morning was spent entertaining Hermione by performing scenes from her favorite Shakespeare plays in her quarters. Ron also read aloud to her for a change (barring the time she was ill over the summer) from a new text called Hogwarts: The Mysteries and Unknown History that Ginny gave her.

Harry had given her a collection of Shakespearean plays. He and Ginny concluded an over-exaggerated performance of Romeo and Juliet's balcony scene, which was met by applause from both Hermione and Ron. Hermione sat in Ron's lap, leaning her head back into the crook between his shoulder and neck. His arms were looped around her waist and they held hands.

"You two should take it on the road." Hermione laughed, "The way you two somehow modernize the typically incomprehensible Old English is fantastic. The acting was superb."

Harry took a bow, "Thank you."

Ginny curtsied and grinned cheekily, "It's easy when you have a couple you're mates with whose relationship is theatrical."

Ron and Hermione rolled their eyes identically and snorted. Looking at each other in surprise, they snickered.

Harry shook his head. When are they going to tell each other how madly in love they are?

Ron glanced at Harry who was presently jabbing Ginny with his index finger. She squirmed and punched his arm. They started shoving each other, which led to a pillow fight. Ron and Hermione exchanged glances.

Hermione beckoned to Ron so that he would lean down. She whispered into his ear, "What's it going to take to get them to realize how they feel for each other?"

Ron shrugged, "They'll come around. After all, if we did, then anyone can."

That night…

"Okay. Now." Ron simultaneously lifted his hand and the blindfold off of Hermione's face.

Her eyes widened in surprise and wonder.

Ron had taken her to one of the hidden, presently moonlit gardens at Hogwarts. Ivy crept up the castle walls that enclosed the garden, which had an enormous oak tree in the center, grass instead of cobblestones on the ground, shrubs, fruit plants, millions of flowers bursting with color, and most importantly, white daisies blooming everywhere.

"How'd you find this?" Hermione gaped as Ron picked a daisy and tucked it behind her ear.

"Read it in the book Ginny gave you." Ron squeezed her hand nervously, "Is it alright?"

"It's…to borrow one of your phrases…brilliant."

"So are you." He kissed the tip of her nose.

"You're such a sap, Ron Weasley." She giggled.

He gestured to the picnic blanket he set up earlier underneath the gigantic tree. They sat beside each other. "While you're aware it's your birthday, you're probably unaware of the fact that it's also one month since Fred and George's shindig."

"We've been together for a month?!" Hermione helped Ron unpack the picnic basket.

"Yeah." Ron nodded.

They ate Hermione's favorite foods and finished off half of a birthday cake that Dobby made. After sitting in a comfortable silence, Ron cleared his throat.

Ron began, looking down at his hands, "Now, I realize that I'm not famous like that ruddy git Krum or rich like Malfoy—"

Hermione took his face in both of her hands and forced him to look at her. "Ron, you're all I know."

Ron frowned, "I doubt that's very good. You probably wonder what it's like to be a girlfriend to one of those blokes—"

She shook her head adamantly and dropped her hands to his shoulders, "That's the thing. Crazy as it sounds, you're all I know. Period. You're all I need to know."

His face reddened, "Oh." He paused, "You know I feel the same, right?"

She smiled, "Yeah." It was her turn to pause, "Wait, where's that music coming from?"

"Heh, I transfigured one of the shrubs into a battery-powered CD player. And I had Fred burn a CD with the songs that remind me of you. And that remind me of us." Ron bit his bottom lip, "Is it okay?"

"Will you stop being so bloody insecure, Ron?! It's perfect! This entire rendezvous is perfect." Hermione's ears perked up, "It's our song."

Ron jumped up, offering Hermione a hand. He pulled her up quickly. Conveniently, she fell into him. They wrapped their arms around each other and giddily danced around the garden, laughing and snogging as they went.

Unbeknownst to them, Dumbledore and McGonagall passed by on a late night "patrol" of the castle grounds.

Dumbledore sighed, "Ah, to be young again."

McGonagall looked over her spectacles at him, "When was the last time you were in love, Albus? And not that silly story about one of your pets…when's the last time you were in love with a human."

Dumbledore shrugged. "When was the last time you were in love, Minerva?"

McGonagall mirrored his shrug. "I can't recall. I definitely would if I were as taken with him as Hermione is with Ron."

"And vice-versa." Dumbledore stroked his beard pensively. "I foresee that they'll share a long, bright future together."

"I agree. With loads of ginger-haired children, undoubtedly." McGonagall nodded, "Not to mention Potter and Ginny Weasley."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "If only we could make that move along a bit quicker."

McGonagall raised her eyebrows with an uncharacteristic amount of mischief in her eyes, "Perhaps we can."

Author's notes: So? How was it? Good or bad, please review!