Hey all! Lauren here, with good ol' chapter five. I have much more confidence in this chapter for some reason, probably because I added a little humor to this one. I love me some Fred and George, don't you? Okay, well, enjoy! And make sure you review afterwards! Pwease? Ah, that's how we do it…

Oh, and Allie, this story starts a couple of weeks after the end 7th year…just so you know!

You faithful co-author,

Lauren

Disclaimer: do you have to keep rubbing it in? Isn't once enough?? I already know that I don't own Harry Potter, okay, so you don't have to go and rub it in!!! Geez! *sobs* I'm sorry, it's just—so hard—to deal with…

Chapter five

Bursting Bubbles

As Ron and Hermione, newly engaged, approached the door of the burrow, and Ron leaned in for another kiss, Hermione saw two excited faces move away from the window. Before she could think too much of it, she was embraced in what had to be one of the most wonderful kisses she had ever received from him. After a few moments of bliss, she pulled away, remembering the faces in the window.

"Ron, you wouldn't happen to know anything about the two heads I saw in the window just then, would you?" she asked playfully.

Ron looked up at the window, knowing that they still wouldn't be there, but he was naturally inclined.

"No, I wouldn't. Who was it?" he asked, honestly confused. He hadn't known about Harry and Ginny seeing the ring.

"Oh, just a couple of nosy prats, that's all," she said jokingly. She knew it had been them, but since Ron hadn't…

Ron went on about how Fred and George had always been nosy prats (for he was successfully led to believe that it was Fred and George in the window…clever Hermione) even after they had walked inside and headed upstairs. When they reached Ron's room, Hermione was forced to stick a sock in his mouth (literally) because he really was going to wake someone. Ron finally heeded her and took out the sock silently. He took off his shoes and, too lazy to change, and far too happy, he simply lay down in his bed and watched Hermione unpack the bag. Oddly enough, instead of telling her to stop unpacking, he got up and helped her. She laid down on his bed and watched the ceiling, another habit she had picked up from Ron, and Ron laid next to her. He pulled her close to him, and she stretched her arm out above them. Ron chuckled as she proceeded to play with the ring that fit so beautifully on her finger; she had the hugest grin on her face, and this made Ron so unbelievably happy. After admiring the ring once more, Hermione took her outreached arm and wrapped it around Ron, and they lay there, watching the ceiling, and envisioning the future.

Harry and Ginny had gone unnoticed on the couch, and they had stayed their until Hermione had led Ron and his big mouth upstairs. Harry was holding Ginny closely, and she couldn't stop talking about how happy she was for them. (a/n: perhaps nonstop chattering is another Weasley trait?) Harry was practically silent; he was trying to get his mind to absorb the fact that his two best friends were actually getting married… he couldn't say he didn't expect it, he had been teasing them about it for the past five years, but now that it was actually happening, it was, well, a bit strange really. He didn't voice these thoughts to Ginny; he thought she may take it the wrong way. Harry was, of course, very happy for them. But it would take a while for it to seem normal.

The next morning, Harry woke up next to Ginny, still on the couch. Ginny was still sound asleep, so he quietly slipped out from under her and decided to head upstairs to see if Ron and Hermione were awake yet. He waited outside the door and listened before he knocked; he didn't want to disturb anything. But what he heard told him they were very much awake indeed, and it wasn't just them in there.

"Ron, we didn't do anything! Honestly, we were asleep the whole time!" That was unmistakably George. What did they do? Harry wondered.

"I didn't say you did anything! Sheesh, I was just wondering why you were watching us out the window, that's all," Ron said besieged.

"But we weren't, so I don't know what you're talking about!" Fred joined.

Hermione felt bad, she was sitting in the corner quietly. She didn't mean for Ron to approach them about it, but now she couldn't admit what she had done, Ron would probably get upset about fighting with them over nothing. Luckily for her, Harry knocked on the door and came in silently, thinking he should explain the situation.

"Ron, it was me and Ginny at the window last night, not them. We were waiting to see if you had done it." Harry said, not realizing what exactly he had said. All of Fred, George, Hermione and Ron looked at him, bewildered. Half of them wondered what exactly he had meant by that, while the other half wondered how he had known…

Harry looked back at them sheepishly. Now what am I supposed to do? he thought panicked. He looked at Ron, who was absolutely perplexed, and then at Fred, who had a mischievous grin on his face.

"Done what?" he asked with curious inquiry.

Ron looked at Hermione, who in return gave him a look that said might as well…

"Well, Fred, George, I'm not sure how Harry knew, but…Hermione and I are engaged…" he said, unsure of their reaction. Though he had the feeling teasing would be involved.

Fred looked at George with wide eyes. They both simultaneously looked from Ron to Hermione, to Harry, and back to Ron…

"Engaged? Really! Well, that's just fantastic! That's great!" cheered Fred. What the- Ron thought, confused.

"Well George, looks like our ickle Ronnie is all grown up! What are we gonna do now? We've only got Ginny left, and it seems like that won't last long, eh Harry?" he teased. Ah, there's what I was waiting for…Ron thought it somewhat twisted that he found Fred and George's teasing comforting.

"Hermione, welcome to the family!" said George, patting her on the back. "God bless you…well, looks like we've got some news to spread, eh Fred?"

"No, actually, I think it'd be better if me and 'Mione did it…" Ron said, thinking that he would much rather not have to tell the rest of his family.

"Alright then, good luck!" they cried as they left the room and headed downstairs. Harry tried to sneak out as well, but Ron was at least quick enough to know sneakiness when he saw it.

"Harry, uh, how exactly did you know?" he asked.

"Well, we weren't going to tell you, but last night, I thought your pants were mine, and uh, the box uh, fell out of the pocket when I picked them up…" he lied. He couldn't tell Ron he went in his pocket.

"Oh, well, alright then," Ron said passively. Harry nodded, and after a brief pause, made his way down the stairs.

Ron looked at Hermione.

"Well, that's four down, five to go…" he sighed.

"And that's only your family…" Hermione answered.