Disclaimer: I don't not own Harry potter or any of its characters

He didn't know what had compelled him to do it. Maybe it was that Dumbledore's death had finally hit him and he finally realized how short life was, or maybe it was just the feeling of her lips on his. Whatever the reason was, he did it, and as surprised as he was that he did, he was even more surprised that she actually said yes. They didn't tell Harry. They didn't want it to feel awkward while they were on the run but there was something inside him telling him he couldn't put his life on the line without letting her know what he had known for a long time now; that he loved her and he always would. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, let's go back to the start. It all started pretty innocently; she was coming to spend the summer with them just like they had planned. He was pretty surprised when she turned up completely inconsolable.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he pulled her in to her arms.

"Nothing" she wiped some tears from her eyes.

"Come on" he pulled her under his arm "let's go up to my room before everyone realizes you're here and people start asking questions"

She went on to tell him about her parents, about how difficult it had been, about how she wasn't sure whether or not they would go to the city she had planned and how afraid she was that she might not find them or that they might never forgive her.

"I suppose it's for the best" she said before blowing her nose "this way, if anything happens to me, they won't know what they've lost"

"Don't say that! Don't even think it, nothing's going to happen to you."

"You don't know that Ron"

"They'll have to go over my dead body to get to you" to this day he couldn't tell you if it had been him or her that leaned in, but their lips met in a kiss that was 6 years in the making. Kissing her had been everything he had ever dreamed of and more but unfortunately it did come to an end.

"I've been waiting so long for this moment Ron"

"Then don't ruin it" he chuckled.

"Is this really fair to Harry? We're about to go on a hunt, who knows how long that will take, our focus should be on the horcruxes"

"As usual, you're right" he sighed "I wish you weren't but hey this way we'll have something to fight for"

"You're still going to want to after the war?"

"Of course,"

"You promise?"

"Hermione" he cupped her face "I love you, don't you know that by now"

"I love you too" she whispered just as she leaned in to kiss him again. This time however, it was Ron that stopped it, doing so to say something she could have never imagined.

"Let's get married"

"What?" she asked, the shock of his words quickly pulling her out of her daze "Ronald, you can't be serious"

"I am, as serious as a heart attack. Let's get married tonight, while we still can"

"Ron, we had our first kiss twenty minutes ago"

"We've been best friends for years"

"When did you get so confident? It took you six years to kiss me but twenty minutes to propose" she chuckled.

"If you don't want to, that's fine and I'm sorry if I've just ruined this but I love you Mione, I always will"

"Your mother would kill us"

"We're of age in the wizarding world, we don't need her permission"

"What about Harry? Your family? And everyone else?"

"We'll tell them when the war is won" He kissed her forehead "this war will be easier if I know I have a whole life with you to look forward to after it"

"Ask me properly"

"Hermione" Ron's smile widened beyond belief as he got down on one knee "Will you marry me?"

"Yes" she whispered before his lips crashed back onto hers.

"Do you still want to?" she asked as they were sat by the fire after everyone had gone to bed that night.

"Yes" he smiled and grabbed her hand

"So, how do we go about this? I wouldn't know how to elope in the muggle world let alone the magical world"

"Well we would need someone from the ministry to perform the spells and on such short notice it would have to be someone willing to do us a favour" he scratched his head.

"Do you think Kingsley would keep quiet?"

"It's worth a try, we would also need a witness, is there anyone you want, I know you probably didn't imagine your wedding like this"

"We'll do it properly when the war is over" she kissed him "I just want to do while we still have the chance. Who do you want?"

"Ok, bear with me here. This might seem a little crazy but I think I know who the perfect witness could be"

"You're barking mad" George deadpanned after they had told the twins of their plans.

"I mean, Merlin" Fred went on "I know this has been a long time coming but why the need to tie the knot?"

"I get that you're scared about what could happen but there's no need to rush into huge decisions like this"

"Fred" Ron began seriously "I love her, she loves me and we don't want to wait anymore. We've waited enough and who knows what's going to happen, we want to do this now, while we still can"

"You can still be together, you don't need to elope without your friends and family" George replied "it'll break mum's heart to find out she wasn't there for your wedding, and what about Harry?"

"We'll do it properly after the war"

"Ron, think about this for a minute. You're making a huge decision here" added Fred "I mean Hermione, you know we love, you're already one of the family, you don't need to rush this"

"I love her" Ron looked his brothers in the eyes "I can't go into this war knowing things were left unsaid or undone" he added, seeing his brothers' eyes soften as he did so.

"Beside" Hermione smiled "this would be one of the most epic plans this family has ever seen. Don't you want to be a part of that?

"Well" Fred grinned with a glimmer in his eyes "I suppose all that's left to say is welcome to the family sis"

In the end, the twins really came through. Hermione had been slightly worried when they disappeared for three hours in the morning but when they returned, they simply told her to meet them in the living room after everyone had gone to bed. From there they used the floo network to get to the shop. She thought it was a bit strange at first, but they quickly guided her to the roof where Kingsley and a photographer were waiting for them at the end of a flower petal aisle. The fairy lights and white streamers were beautiful with the lights of Diagon Alley twinkling in the background. They had even procured a dress for her. All Fred had said, when she asked how, was that someone owed him a "no questions asked favour"

And so, with the twinkling lights of a nocturnal Diagon Alley as a backdrop, they were wed. The rest of the summer went on without much fuss, they kept their distance aside from the occasional stolen kiss at night. Kingsley never breathed a word to anyone, not even when plans were made for Harry's exit. More surprisingly, Fred and George also kept quiet. When they left for the hunt, as far as they knew, no one was told. Harry didn't appear to notice a shift in their relationship and if he had he most certainly hadn't said anything. In fact, Ron was quite sure that had it not been for his return, Harry never would have found out. It was a few days after he had found them that it happened. He hadn't meant it to, it just slipped out although he maintains that it was really Hermione that gave their secret away.

"You left" she yelled at him outside while Harry slept, or at least that's what they believed.

"And the moment I did I wanted to come back" he grabbed her hands "You have to believe me Hermione, there wasn't a moment I was gone that wasn't spent trying to get back to you. I promised you I would always try and I always will. I'm so sorry, I know what I did was unforgivable so if you want to end it, I'll respect that, but like I told you that day in my room and on the rooftop, you're my forever"

"Ron" she sighed "You're my forever too" she whispered and finally leant up to kiss her husband for the first time in months. Unbeknownst to the young couple, their best friend was very much not asleep and was quite surprised to walk out of the tent and find his best friend snogging.

"Oh God sorry" he mumbled as his face turned red.

"Wait Harry" Hermione said, following him into the tent, Ron closely behind her "I'm sorry, we don't want to make things strange for you"

"Yeah mate, I'm sorry. We weren't going to tell you until after the war"

"Wait" Harry laughed "This has happened before?"

"Yes" Hermione blushed.

"I just saw you with your tongue down each other's throats now's hardly the time to be embarrassed Hermione" he chuckled "How long has this been going on?"

"Since the summer"

"And you never told me? I'm happy for you, Merlin knows it's about bloody time!"

"See" Ron pulled her under his arm "I told you we should have told him"

"Just keep the shagging to a minimum yeah?" he laughed.

"Oh my God" Hermione groaned although it was barely audible above Ron's "shut up" or the noise Harry made as he knocked over the table dodging the pillow Ron had thrown at him. "In the interest of being honest" Hermione went on unable to look her best friend in the eye "there's more"

"Well come on! Out with it" Harry laughed "My best friends have been snogging behind my back for six months, what could be more shocking than that?"

"Your best friends being married?" Jon replied a slight quiver in his voice as he did so.

"What?"

"We got married"

"Come on, I know we've done some crazy things but..."

"Seriously" Hermione interrupted "We got married in the summer"

"I'm not buying it" he said. Although his voice betrayed him and conveyed his doubts.

"Look" said Ron as he pulled something out of the breast pocket in his shirt.

"Oh my God" was all Harry said as he looked down at the picture of Ron and Hermione kissing in front of Kingsley. Ron wearing new dress robes and Hermione in a long white dress.

"We're sorry we didn't tell you" whispered Hermione.

"I'm going to need some time to digest this"

"We're going to sleep" Ron offered "We'll talk after your watch when you've had some time to think"

For the first time in months, for the first time since his wedding. Ron was able to spend the night with his wife. Not that there hadn't been stolen moments during the summer where they were able to explore their budding relationship, but they had never been able to spend the night together, in the literal sense of the word. For the first time since they were wed, they could fall asleep in each other's arms. The next morning, Ron, having woken before his wife, stepped outside the tent to find his best friend.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry quietly asked once he had sat down.

"We didn't want things to be weird while on the hunt, and we couldn't write to you and tell you in case the letters were intercepted"

"I'm happy for you guys, it's just that, if I'm being honest, it sort of hurts that you didn't want me there for the most important moment of your lives"

"What?" Ron replied in shock "Of course we did mate, we just couldn't. You had to stay at your aunt and uncle's and we wanted to do it before the war, while we still had the chance. We're going to have a real one when the war is over.

"I get to go to that" Harry said, stating it more than asking.

"Of course, mate, I'm going to need a best man"

"I'm best man?" he raised his brow.

"As if I would have it any other way"

"So, I get to host a bachelor party then?" he laughed.

"Actually, I promised Fred and George they could, one of their conditions for helping us"

"Fred and George know?"

"We needed witness and evil genius to pull it off"

"I don't know what's more surprising, that you're married or that they kept it a secret all this time" he laughed.

"Is it safe to come out?" Hermione poked her head out of the tent.

"Yes" Harry smiled "and in case it got lost in the shock yesterday, congratulations I'm happy for you, seriously"

"Good morning wife" Ron smiled as he pulled her onto his lap for a peck.

"Good morning husband" she smiled back.

"Okay, this is definitely going to take some getting used to"

But in fact, not much had changed. If anything, he preferred it this way because they seemed to be arguing a little less, probably because of the lack of pent up tension, and he wasn't always having to play referee between his best friends. The next person to find out was pretty unexpected. It was the day after the war, Molly and Arthur had gone back to the burrow the day before but Ron, Ginny and the eldest siblings had decided to spend one more night at Hogwarts to give their parents and George some time alone with Fred before everyone went home. Charlie had fallen asleep in Ron's old bed across from an already snoring Harry and an exhausted Percy, Bill and Fleur had opted for some privacy in the empty first year rooms and with Ginny in her bed, the seventh-year girls' dormitory had been left empty for the young couple. They almost got away with it unseen, in fact it wasn't until the next morning that they were discovered, walking down the stairs hand in hand.

"Just because you are war heroes, does not mean that you can blatantly break school rules" said a terrifyingly familiar voice from the corner "I expect more from you Miss Granger. No going in the girls dormitory Mr Weasley"

"Sorry professor" Mumbled a red-faced Ron.

"Honestly" Hermione laughed "Can you keep a secret Professor?" she smiled "we're married" she pulled a chain out from under t-shirt to show her teacher the ring "so we're allowed to spend the night together if we want to" she chuckled.

"Well" she smiled "It's about bloody time"

"You won't tell anyone will you professor" asked Ron.

"Believe it or not Weasley, I'm actually a bit of a romantic"

"Thanks"

"Congratulations" she smiled at the young couple and made her way up the stairs to inspect the damage done to the rest of the tower.

When they did go back to the burrow, there never seemed to be a right time to tell everyone. First there were funerals to attend, and once goodbyes had been said and coffins buried, it felt wrong to rub their happiness in everyone's faces. Molly was still struggling not to cry most days and Merlin knows they didn't want to remind George that the brother he shared this secret with was no longer with them. It was difficult, not being able to share a bed, kiss or even hold hands but harry helped. The three of them would go on walks during which Harry would "get lost", probably his excuse to go find Ginny.

They actually let a few of their friends in on it before they told their families, although to be honest they hadn't meant to. It was after Colin Creevey's funeral. Seamus, Dean, Neville, Parvati, George, Lee and basically all of Hogwarts had been in attendance and after, several of them decided to go out for a drink. Ginny, being two months short of her birthday was sent home by Mrs. Weasley much to her anger and Ron's humour. Dean managed to convince everyone to try a muggle bar, a decision they were ultimately grateful for as many laughs were shared while he and Hermione tried to explain how pounds worked to Neville, Lee, Ron and George. Of course, given that this was a muggle pub, Id's had to be fashioned because many of their friends had no use of muggle id's and Harry and Neville were a few months away from being legal in the muggle world. Once they were finally sat around a table, those of the wizarding world were having a great time inspecting the different Id's.

"Why do you have a passport though Ron?" asked Dean picking up Ron's passport.

"Harry and I are going with Hermione in august to go get her parents from Australia. It was crazy, she took me to this office and they took a picture with a computer, the picture doesn't even move"

"Why is mine different" George poked at the card in his hand.

"That's a driving licence" Hermione supplied "and you better not get any ideas about driving without knowing how to"

"He only drives flying cars" Seamus laughed.

"And this little book is a passport?" Lee asked picking up Hermione's passport.

"Yes"

"And what's this little M then? And why does Mine have an S?" asked Neville.

"Oh my God" Dean laughed as he inspected his friend's document "You didn't?" he asked in disbelief.

"No way" Seamus burst out in laughter "Jesus Weasley, I knew you'd eventually grow a pair but Merlin's beard! This?"

"When the hell did this happen?"

"How the hell did this happen?"

"Does anyone want to let the non-muggle born wizards in on whatever the hell you're talking about?" Lea demanded.

"I suppose now's a good a time as any" Ron began as he grabbed Hermione's hand "we got married"

"What" Neville spit his beer out.

"When?"

"Are you serious?"

"What the hell?"

"I know it's a lot to take in" Harry clapped a choking Neville on the back "but let's take the questions one at a time"

"Who knows about this?" Asked a very bemused Angelina.

"The people at this table and Kingsley"

"Well, and Professor McGonagall" replied Hermione "It's a long story" she added after seeing a look of confusion cross Harry's face.

"When?" asked Katie.

"Around a month before the ministry fell"

"This is why Fred asked me to buy a wedding dress" Seamus chuckled.

"Why did you owe him a no questions asked favour?" Ron asked.

"I'd rather not say"

"More importantly" Neville began "how are you going to tell your mother?"

"I don't know" Ron groaned "we have to tell her but Merlin, she's going to be mad. I still have nightmares about that howler she sent me in second year"

"We all do mate" Dean chuckled.

"We'll figure it out" Hermione squeezed his hand lightly "and until we do, we'd appreciate it if you could all keep quiet"

"You're forgetting the most important thing here" Seamus said indignantly "we've been denied a stag do"

"Yes" George chimed in "I've been planning it since that bloody night so hurry up and tell mum already"

"Wait" Lee started "You were there?" his friend nodded in affirmation "you were there and you didn't tell me?"

"I was sworn to secrecy"

"When has that ever stopped you" Katie joked.

"About this stag do" Seamus went on "When is it happening?"

"I really don't want anything too crazy" said Ron.

"You're not going to have a choice mate" Seamus clapped him on the back.

"Stag do! Stag do! Stag do!" the boys started chanting, banging the table as they did so.

"Ok, ok" He held his hands up.

"Don't think you're getting off that easily Hermione" Katie chuckled "we're having a hen night"

Jokes aside, their friends did manage to keep their mouths shut, not that there were that many opportunities for them to blab. Although Ron did have to hit Neville with a quaffle one afternoon when they were playing quidditch and he almost let it slip in front of Ginny.

The longer they went without saying anything to their families, the harder it seemed to bring it up. It's not like they could just drop a bomb like that over breakfast. Ron could just imagine the situation "Hey mum could you pass the sausages? Oh, and by the way, I'm married"

Of course, they couldn't go on like this forever and eventually the truth was revealed. In fact, it was on July 23rd, exactly one year after they had held their small ceremony on that rooftop and exchanged vows, that their families were let in on the development. Everyone was quite shocked when a heavy package arrived with Ron and Hermione's names scribbled clumsily across the front. It being so soon after the war, they were all afraid one of the rogue deatheaters had sent them a trojan horse. It wouldn't have been so out of the question, they were, after all, quite famously Harry Potter's best friends.

"Don't touch it" Arthur insisted "Who knows how it could be cursed?"

"Use your wand but make sure no one touches the paper" Bill agreed. Once the brown paper had been removed, confused faces filled the room when they saw a white leather-bound book drop on the table. Everyone looked confused, everyone except one person; George.

"Oh no" he deadpanned "I'm so sorry"

"What is this?" Molly asked, picking up the book and looking through its pages to discover that it was an album. A photo album full of pictures of them on their wedding night; Hermione walking down the aisle, Fred and George standing by Ron, their first kiss as a married couple, all of them standing and clinking their champagne glasses in celebration. There were at least twenty or thirty photos, all of them more beautiful than the one before.

"What the actual fuck?" asked Ginny "Please tell me that this is some joke you all planned"

"Ronald" Arthur began more calmly "is there something that you would like to tell us?"

"Umm well Hermione and I… we got married before the war"

"Oh my God!" Ginny said, clearly surprised "you can't be serious"

"Oh, he's serious" Harry supplied.

"What?" Charlie laughed "you've been married this whole time and you're still sleeping in a twin bed next to harry?"

"How on earth did I not know this?" Bill asked, more to himself than anyone else.

"You have a lot of explaining to do" Arthur said seriously.

"Mrs. Weasley" Hermione began, more fear in her voice than Ron had ever heard "are you ok?" and apparently that was enough to send his mother over the edge and into a fit of tears "I'm so sorry Mrs. Weasley, we didn't mean to upset you"

"Don't apologize Hermione" Ron cut her off "I'm sorry if this bothers you mum, but we're in love and we're happy about this so you had better get used to the idea"

"I'm not upset" she wept "I'm so very happy. I've always thought of you as a daughter and now it's official" she pulled the young witch into a fierce hug.

"I can't believe you knew and didn't tell me" Ginny hit Harry on the back of the head.

"I can't believe Kingsley didn't say anything" said Percy.

"Yes, I will definitely be having words with him" added his father.

"just to be clear" began Molly "you will be having another wedding, so the family can celebrate, Merlin knows we need it"

"Does this mean I finally get the bachelor party I was promised?" George smiled, the smile reaching his eyes for the first time in weeks.

"Yes" Ron said uneasily.

"You'll be fine" his wife chuckled and kissed his cheek.

"You know the day you told us about this crazy plan of yours Fred and I had a bet to see which one of us could keep quiet the longest. I knew he would eventually spill the beans"

"What?" asked Ron.

"When you guys arrived at shell cottage, and Bill told us you were planning something, we figured the war was coming to an end so he put this together and sent it out to arrive today, on your first anniversary"

"I can't believe he extended his reach from beyond the grave just to embarrass me" Ron chuckled.

"Ronald" his mother chastised.

"No, seriously" he went on "What a lovely way to remember him"

"And I am so happy that all of you finally know" Hermione smiled.

"Yes at least the hardest part is over"

"I wouldn't be so sure" she laughed "we still need to tell my parents"

Just a quick oneshot I wrote as, like most people, I suddenly have a lot of free time. I've been a Harry Potter fan for the better part of my life but this is my first HP Fanfic. Please let me know what you thought, constructive criticism is always welcome.