Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters.

Original A/N: Thanks to MaeSilverpaws1, who is beta-ing this story.

Chapter One Hundred Twenty-Six

Hermione's Birthday

"But don't you think I should do something special?" Ron asked.

"I don't know?" Harry shrugged. "I'm sure if you just get her something it would be okay."

"But I always get her something," Ron said. "I'm her boyfriend now; I can't just get her something."

"Hermione's not really like most girls though," Harry pointed out.

"Doesn't mean she doesn't want something nice," Ron said.

"Well, clearly you don't want me to say you don't have to do something special, despite the fact that you were asking my opinion on the matter," Harry sighed, they had been having this conversation for the last five minutes.

"Well I wasn't sure until we started talking," Ron said. "The more you said I probably didn't have to, the more I realized I did."

"Well I'm glad you think my advice is crap," Harry grumbled.

"I don't think it's crap … but honestly mate, you don't know a thing about being a boyfriend," Ron said and then laughed at the glare Harry gave him.

"Git."

"Sorry."

"So what do you want to do for Hermione's birthday then?" Harry asked, still grumbling over what Ron had said.

"No clue. Maybe we should throw a party," Ron suggested.

"Do you mean like with everyone, or just our group?" Harry asked, when Ron didn't answer for a while as he thought, "honestly I don't think Hermione wants a big party."

"That's true, she's not really the party girl type," Ron agreed.

"So my advice isn't so bad anymore," Harry commented.

"Sure, you might not know a thing about being a boyfriend, but you do know Hermione," Ron grinned at him and Harry punched him on the shoulder. "As if that hurt."

"Do you want me to try again?" Harry asked.

"That's okay," Ron said. "So, what about a party with our group then?"

"I don't think that fits your 'special' quota," Harry said. "Besides, I think Fred, George and Ginny are already planning something."

"They are?" Ron asked. "You could have just told me the whole party idea was a bust."

"Watching you struggle is too much fun," Harry shrugged and he was the one that was punched this time. "You really don't know how to ask for help. Insulting and then attacking me. Remind me, why am I helping you with this?"

"Because you have nothing better to do," Ron supplied.

Harry chuckled, that was true. "So what's your next brilliant idea?"

"I don't know … maybe a picnic?" Ron suggested, his ears turning red as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Are you at the picnic stage yet?" Harry asked, feeling just as uncomfortable talking about this as Ron seemed to be.

"I don't know," Ron said. "To be honest I don't know much more about being a boyfriend than you. I just figure I have to do something that I wouldn't have done as her friend."

"Then a picnic might be good," Harry shrugged. "Or you could just snog her like you've been doing everyday … I don't think you did that when you were friends."

"Hm … do I have to get her a present too," Ron said, ignoring Harry's second comment.

"Definitely," Harry answered.

"Argh, how am I supposed to do that here," Ron complained. "I don't have that much money either."

"You could make her something," Harry suggested.

"I'm the bloody worst at making things," Ron said. "I tried to make Mum a card once … it ended up in ten pieces."

"So … not a card," Harry said sagely.

"Git."

"Thanks."

"Maybe if I make the food," Ron wondered. He had never tried doing that before, though he had watched his mum cook a lot.

"That might work," Harry said. "But then you might have to make that card after all."

"Seriously Harry, just let it go," Ron grumbled.

"I'm just saying …"

"Why did I even bother coming to you?" Ron said throwing up his arms.

"Because you didn't want your brother taking the mickey out of you," Harry suggested.

"Because it's so much better having my best mate do it for them," Ron grumbled.

"Oh come on, I gave you light teasing, they would have laughed their arse off for an hour before they helped you out," Harry reminded him and Ron had to agree with that.

O

"Buggering effering hell!" Ron hissed as he pulled his hand back from the pan he had just grabbed. His hand was slightly burned, and he blew on it until he heard the hissing sound and was reminded why he had just grabbed for the pan. This time he pulled out his wand, turning off the stove and levitating the pan to the counter. "Should have done it this way the whole bloody time," he grumbled to himself. It wasn't like he had set out to do things the Muggle way, he had just forgotten about using magic as everything started to burn at once.

He looked at the pan that was burning, the sauce he had made was clearly not how it was supposed to look, but he stuck his figure in it so he could taste it.

"Ha!" he said actually smiling, it might not look good, but it taste pretty much the same as the one that his mum made. He knew that Hermione loved his mum's spaghetti and meat balls; she always had at least two servings whenever she had them. He also knew spaghetti wasn't really picnic food, but he figured making something she liked would be the better option. Not to mention his mum had told him spaghetti was one of the easier things to make (which right about now made him sure he'll never be a cook since he was having so much trouble with it). Of course he could have made sandwiches but that didn't scream special to him.

He heard a rattling noise behind him and he turned to see his water was starting to boil over. He levitated the lid off, threw in some noodles and then lowered the lid again. He wasn't sure if that was right. He turned his attention to the other pan he had the meatballs in and rolled them over. He frowned as he looked at them closely. They were fairly good sized meatballs and he had to make sure they were completely cooked. He was pretty sure they weren't quiet the right shade of brown as they should be, which he knew because he had watch his mum cook them so many times in his life.

When they turned the right color, he turned off the flame and then got a big pot out, poured in the sauce he had nearly burnt and the perfectly cook meatballs (he had opened the biggest ball he had and saw that it had cook through and he ate it to make sure it taste right … it was excellent in his humble opinion). He turned the flame back on its lightest setting so that the sauce would stay warm while he finished the noodles.

Maybe cooking wasn't so bad, Ron thought as he wiped the sweat off his brows, at least the food tasted good.

Naturally after that thought he could smell the strong scent of burnt food and he turned to the oven. He had completely forgotten about the pie he was making. "Bloody hell."

Slightly less confident, Ron finished cooking the spaghetti, put it in a container and headed out of the Room of Requirement.

"Did it work?"

"Bloody hell Harry!" Ron exclaimed and clutched his chest. "Don't do that."

"Sorry," Harry said, stuffing his invisibility cloak into his bag. "I just didn't want to be seen waiting out here all day."

"Why are you even here?" Ron asked.

"Well, you weren't so sure about making food so I figured I'd wait here and see if you burnt everything or not," Harry shrugged.

"Wanted to have a laugh did you?" Ron grumbled. "Well I only burnt the pie … and forgot to make the salad … but everything else turned out fine."

"I wasn't here to laugh," Harry said. "I'm here to back you up just in case. Dobby!"

"Dobby?" Ron questioned.

"Well I would have asked Kreacher to come, but he's not allowed in Hogwarts unless he works here," Harry said. "It's not like it would stop him from coming, he'd just have to injure himself."

"Right," Ron said, he wasn't really questioning the elf that Harry was using, but the need for an elf.

There was a popping sound and Dobby was there with them, talking and holding up a pie, "Dobby is bringing a pie, Harry Potter sir. Is his Weezey needing more?"

"You figured I'd burned the pie?" Ron glared at Harry.

"I figure you won't say no to an extra dessert," Harry corrected with a laugh. "Did you remember to bring plates and forks and stuff?"

"Of course I did … I'm not a completely idiot," Ron grumbled.

"I just figured you'd be crazed today … my bad," Harry said to him and then told Dobby to get a salad for Ron.

"Sorry mate," Ron took a deep breath. He was a little crazed, still trying to think if he forgot something.

"I think you're forgetting to calm yourself down," Harry told him as if he could read Ron's mind. "Remember, you're trying to have a good time with Hermione … not be a nervous frantic wreck."

Ron rolled his eyes, but as he put the pie in the basket, Dobby having come back, and adding the salad too, he felt better. Harry had prattled on about some stupid story that none the less had Ron laughing as they walked to the Entrance Hall. When they got to the final corridor Harry turned to the Great Hall, slapping Ron on the back as he went. Ron took another deep breath and then made the final turn and saw Hermione standing by the doors waiting for him, though she was looking outside.

"Am I late?" Ron asked.

"I don't think so," Hermione answered, as she turned to beam at him.

"Happy birthday," Ron said when he got closer and gave her a quick kiss.

"You've already said that today," she reminded him.

"So," Ron shrugged. "You ready?"

"Yeah," Hermione said, grabbing the arm that he held out for her. "Where are we going?"

"Hm … that's a good question," Ron said, and with some difficulty, not wanting to let go of either Hermione or the picnic basket, pulled out his map. He scanned it until he found an area that no other people were near and that was also by the lake. "How about here."

"Perfect," Hermione smiled at him in a way that suggested she would have said that to anywhere he had picked.

When they got there, Ron put the basket down and took out the blanket he had in his bag and made quick work of setting everything up.

"It looks like you thought of everything," Hermione commented.

"Yeah, though I burnt the pie so it was a good thing Harry had my back," Ron commented.

"You mean you cooked this," she gasped.

"What, you thought I just went to the kitchen and nicked the food?" he asked. "I wanted to make this special."

"You're amazing," she beamed at him.

"You keep saying that and I just might have to believe you," he smiled in return.

"You're amazing," she repeated.

Ron couldn't help it, he reach over to her and cupped her face and pulled her to him for a breathtaking kiss. "You're the amazing one," he whispered when he pulled away from her. "But if we keep doing this the food will go cold."

"Okay, I wouldn't want to put your hard work to waste," Hermione said.

"It wouldn't have been a complete waste," Ron said squeezing her close to him for a second before letting her go. Once she was freed from him she walked so she could sit across from him. Once she was sitting he handed her the container with the spaghetti in it and he saw her eyes light up. Proud that he had picked the right meal to make, he continued to hand her food. Still when she was actually trying his food, he felt nervous, hoping she liked it.

"Yum … Ron this is delicious," she moaned.

"You're not just saying that," Ron said rubbing the back of his head, not really sure why the hell he was so nervous about this.

"I'm sure I could eat all this by myself," Hermione answered, already taking another bit.

"A girl after my own heart," Ron laughed and she rolled her eyes, unable to say anything because she was eating. "If only you'd talk with your mouth full you'd be perfect."

"I think you have that reversed," Hermione replied.

"I do eat with my mouth full, so it's nice to hear you think I'm perfect," Ron said nodding his head.

"You're impossible," Hermione rolled her eyes and Ron grinned.

They kept up a conversation as they ate lunch, despite Ron's comment, he made an effort to not to talk with his mouth full. A while later he nudged the last of the meatballs towards Hermione, noticing her bit her bottom lip and looking at it. He had thought he was being chivalrous giving her the last meatball, especially since he would really like to eat it, so he was a little perturbed when she started laughing.

"I'm sorry," she said, still laughing. "It just reminded me of Lady and the Tramp."

"Er … okay," he was too confused to stay annoyed.

"It's a movie," she tried to explained, and he had heard what a movie was so he nodded his head, though he was still confused. "It's about these dogs …"

"Dogs?"

"Yes, it's a cartoon."

"You mean like that Taz guy we named Neville after," Ron cocked his head to the side and she nodded her head.

"Basically, but they're dogs," she went on to say. "And there's this scene when there are sort of on a date and they have spaghetti and meatballs … it's my favorite part of the movie … at the end the Tramp pushes the last meatball to Lady …"

Ron grinned; he really did pick the right meal because the smile on her face was beautiful and completely new to him. He really liked learning new things about her. "Is that why you've always liked Mum's spaghetti?"

"That and the fact that it's really good," she laughed, splitting the last meatball in two and taking half while handing the rest to Ron. "But I think I might actually like these better."

"Come on Hermione, these are pretty good, but they're not on Mum's level," Ron said.

"I wasn't talking about that," Hermione said, as she sat up and crawl towards him to give him a kiss. "I'm talking about everything … it's perfect Ronald."

Ron shuddered as he always seemed to do when she said his full name like that. He then pulled her down for another kiss.