NOTE: Again, I want to thank my beta. Inspiration comes faster when at the mercy of a friend such as that. Thank you again.



The Third Five Wishes

I opened the door back up to reveal my two best friends. Harry still seems a little dazed while Ron is blushing uncontrollably. I know THAT feeling. My first three wishes were rather dull, even for me. I wanted to be Head Girl. Yeah, until I found out who the Head Boy was. Moving on, I wished to have a perfect academic record.

Good idea. That wish came out pretty okay for me. If it weren't for the last wish I made, it'd be the best of them all. Then I wanted to see how nice it would feel for a certain professor to actually praise my work for once. Pigs must have flown on that one. And it was creepy to have Snape tell me what a brilliant Potions student I was.

So now's the time. "You ready?"

Both boys looked up at me, but it was Ron who answered. "Sure."

I went back into the room that contained the mirror. It was time for our little deal. We had promised each other that we would save our last wishes so we could make them together. It was only fair. Harry made all of his while we were watching.

Ron passed me and stood on my right facing the mirror.

"Is Harry okay?"

"We talked."

I was curious. "About his wish?"

"Yeah." Ron blushed wildly. "I think he's in love with her."

"You're not angry."

He shrugged as he took my hand in his. "Nah. Harry deserves to be happy more so than anyone else I know. Who says that Ginny can't be the one to make him happy?"

I smiled, "That is a very mature view, Ron."

"I try. Let's get on with this."

"What should we wish for?"

Ron lifted his eyebrows in a rather mischievous manner. "What did you wish for last?"

"Not telling."

"Neither am I."

I tightened my grip on his hand. "Let's wish to see each other's wish."

Ron gulped nervously as his hand began to sweat. "Are you sure?"

"Why not? I trust you."

He turned to look at me and smiled weakly. "You do?"

"Always have." I frowned at him. "Are you okay?"

"You might not like what came from my last wish, Hermione."

"So, I'll forgive you."

"Okay."

*****

"Ron! Ron!"

Ron looked to his left and saw Fred or George yelling at him. "What?"

"She's looking for you!"

He groaned and stood up slowly. He was tired and annoyed and now she wouldn't leave him alone. He walked over to the picnic table and leaned down to kiss her hair lightly. "Do you need something?"

"A lemonade. Please, Ron."

"Anything else?"

Ginny giggled as she watched her brother and his very pregnant wife. "Maybe a buffet or two."

Harry glared across the table at his wife and responded, "Like you're one to talk!"

Ron laughed and kissed his wife's hair again. "Be right back." He wandered back into the house and puttered around the kitchen to find a clean glass. His poor wife was sick and tired of waiting for their baby to be born. She was hot and tired. But she always had a kiss for him when he tried to make it easier by bringing her something. Rewards are a beautiful thing.

If only Harry would learn to keep his own mouth shut about his pregnant wife. Ginny wasn't even five months along yet and the former Gryffindor Seeker was already digging his grave with wry comments. He poured lemonade into the glass and grabbed a few sugar cookies to go along with it. He pushed the patio door open with his hip and made his way back to the table.

"Here. Enjoy."

His wife beamed at him in surprise. "Cookies?"

"Thought you'd like a snack with the lemonade."

She turned to her sister-in-law. "Looks like I got the better man."

"Only cause Mum would beat him senseless for picking on a poor defenseless pregnant woman. You'd have thought that Harry would have figured that one out by now."

The Boy Who Lived lightly kicked his wife under the table. "You're the one who gets cold every night." His voice took on a high pitch. "'Oh, Harry! It's cold! Where are my socks? Find my socks!' Five seconds later it's 'Harry! I'm too bloody hot! Get these blankets off of me! Get away from me! You're too hot!'" He grinned at Ginny. "I simply follow orders, ma'am."

Ron sat down on the arm of his wife's large chair. "I went through that phase. It was awful. I even spent the night on the couch once because she thought I was breathing too loud."

His wife hit him lightly on his left thigh. "I did not!"

Ginny laughed. "You did so. He Flooed us to tell us about it that very night. We had to calm him down. He thought you really hated him for breathing too loud."

"I couldn't sleep!"

Harry nodded, "Neither did we."

Ron tossed a sugar cookie at his best friend. "Putz!"

Harry simply looked over Ron's shoulder and nodded.

Something hit him on the head. "Bugger!"

Fred laughed as George backed away from Ron. "Shmuck!"

He glared at Harry. "I should never have introduced you to any of my brothers!"

"You were exhibiting an amazing amount of stupidity. Who can blame me?"

"I do."

His wife smothered her laughter in her glass of lemonade as Ginny spoke up. "So, did you finally settle on a name?"

Ron nodded. "The middle name is going to be Harold after his godfather."

Harry blushed lightly. "Thanks, Ron."

Ron's wife answered, "It's only fair, Harry. Besides when we knew for sure it would be a boy, it was only a matter of time." She smiled brightly. "His first name is going to be Nathan."

Ginny thought for a moment. "Nathan? I like it!"

"What about you two?" Ron looked at his sister.

"If it's a boy, it has to be James Andrew." Ginny answered. "If it's a girl, we thought about Cherith Anne."

"Good names, Harry." Ron said.

Harry thanked his friend. "We have to go. Meeting with Albus."

Ron stood up and hugged his friend quickly. "As always, Potter…"

"I know. I hurt your sister, I'm dead." Harry rolled his eyes.

"You're learning." Ron hugged his sister. "Have a nice night."

Ron helped his wife up and walked the other couple to their fireplace. "Be brave, Harry. You're only Flooing to Hogwarts."

The Boy Who Lived chuckled as he let Ginny go ahead of him. He still hated the Floo Network after all these years, but pregnant women weren't allowed to apparate unless in extreme emergency. He tossed a handful of the Floo powder into the fire as he yelled, "Hogwarts!" He turned back to look at Ron and his wife. He winked, "Don't let her run you into the ground, Ron. And you," he pointed at his friend's wife. "You just behave yourself, Miss Granger!" He stepped into the fire and disappeared.

Ron looked at Hermione. "Why do we let them come here?"

"Because it keeps me from killing you, Ron."

"Oh yes. I nearly forgot."

*****

Ron gripped Hermione's hand tightly.

I could feel the fear coming from my friend. "Ron?"

"Huh?"

"What was your wish?"

The redhead answered in a near whisper. "To be happy and married and…" he paused before continuing. "To be with you."

I stared at his profile in shock.

"What did you wish for, Mione?"

"You."

He turned to look at me. His eyes were wide. "Really?"

"Really." I rose up on my toes to kiss his nose. "Absolutely and always."