UNDER MY SPELL
Hello, faithful readers! I'm sorry this took forever and a day to get up, but you have NO idea how busy I've been. Oh well, it's here now so no need to get violent… Well, along with every HP fan out there, I wish I owned this, but sadly, I don't even come close to JKR. But I can pretend, right?
CHAPTER FIVE: BUSINESS AS USUAL
Hermione couldn't deal with this. She was used to everything being under control, black and white. But this, well, this was the craziest situation she'd ever been in. Well, not really, but it sure seemed like the end of the world.
She was sitting in her living room at six-thirty in the morning. She usually didn't get up until eight or nine on her days off, but this morning she had risen at five. And she had been brooding over coffee for and hour and a half.
Did Ron think they were really engaged? Were they really engaged? Did she really want it to happen this way? She had daydreamed about a romantic dinner, a stroll in the moonlight, and Ron down on one knee. She didn't want to force him into it in her parents' kitchen. Her idea was that they just say it to her parents and go on with business as usual. But somehow, she didn't think Ron got that. She needed an objective point of view. She couldn't talk to Ginny, because Ginny would insist it was fate and that she should marry Ron because that was what was supposed to happen. And I want it to happen. Just not like this, she thought. She couldn't say anything to Harry, because he'd more than likely tell Ginny. And she didn't really want to ask him to keep it from her.
She sighed. This was all so silly. She was supposed to be the practical one. The brilliant one. The organized one. But she had this tendency to panic in an emergency.
***
Ron groaned. Someone was shaking him, and someone else was poking him in the ribs. He tried to turn over, but he felt about twenty-six pounds had jumped onto his stomach.
He let out a whoosh of air and tried to breath. The he felt a loud, wet raspberry being blown on his cheek.
"Uncle Ron, Uncle Ron! Get up, up! Time to wake up!"
"Daddy said that you're lazy and we had to come make you wake up."
Ron opened his eyes to see his twin nieces, Piper and Lark, sitting on his bed. Fred said that he was lazy? He was nothing compared to the King of Procrastinators.
Ron sat up in bed and smiled at the three and a half years old girls.
"Have I ever told you that you are the prettiest girls I know?" he asked. He reached for his robe and swung Lark, the one that had jumped on him, off the bed and set her on the ground.
They giggled. "What about Auntie Hermione?" Piper asked. "Is she prettier than us?"
Ron furrowed his brow at the mention of Hermione. "You certainly are your father's daughters, aren't you? Come on, you rascals, let's go downstairs. Where's your brother?"
"Todd's looking at Grandpa's workshop. Nana was mad."
"I'll bet she was. Nana's not too crazy about Grandpa's collection." Ron grinned. His mother didn't like his father encouraging the grandchildren to collect Muggle artifacts.
"Why?" Lark asked.
"Because," Ron answered.
"Because why?" Piper asked.
"You certainly like that game, don't you? Well, why don't you go terrorize your dad while I get dressed?"
"Okay, Uncle Ron!" They said in unison. The girls grinned and giggled as they rushed out of his bedroom and down the stairs, pigtails swinging behind them.
Ron pulled on some clothes and headed down to the kitchen to find out what Fred, Angelina and the kids were doing at the Burrow at—he glanced at his watch—nine in the morning.
"Good morning sleepyhead," Fred said, grinning slyly.
"Stuff it. What's with the early morning visit?" Ron asked as he helped himself to coffee and toast.
"Well, the kids were driving me crazy, so I forced Fred to take them out with me. They've been pestering me about seeing their aunts and uncles and cousins. I just couldn't take it anymore." Angelina grinned. "So here we are."
"And it's simply lovely to see you," Molly said, refilling Angelina's mug. "I wish the rest of my children came by on occasion. Ginny's rather good about it, but the boys, well, I practically have to bribe them."
"Wait a minute, I'm here all the time mum!" Ron exclaimed.
"Listen Ronniekins, that's not something you want to brag about," Fred said. "Still living in your parents' house at twenty-four isn't something to be proud of."
Angelina jabbed him with her elbow. "And it's none of your business," she hissed.
Before he could stop himself, Ron said, "I'll be moving out soon." Bloody hell, don't I ever think before I speak? he thought. This was going to be a hard one to pull out of.
Fred, Angelina, and Mrs. Weasley's heads shot up. "What?"
"I…er…have a possible place lined up." He ran a hand through his flame-red hair.
"Where?"
"That's none of your never mind, Fred," Angelina admonished.
Molly was still looking quizzically at Ron and it seemed as if she was going to pursue the issue, but Todd, Piper and Lark bounded in with Arthur.
"Look what Grandpa gave me! Look what Grandpa gave me!" Todd yelled. "It's a—a—what is it called again?" Todd asked, looking up at Arthur.
"It's a pogo stick, Todd. You put your feet here and hop around on it. Muggle children play with them all the time," Arthur said, patting his grandson's head.
"Is it safe?" Angelina asked.
"Of course. He'll just need a little practice."
"Where did you find out about…what is it? A plogo snick?" Ron asked.
"Pogo stick. Actually, Hermione gave it to me. She said she found it in her parent's attic and she used it when she was young. She said she knew I'd like it." Arthur grinned.
"She knows you so well," Molly snapped.
"Now, don't blame this on Hermione, Mom. The kids will enjoy it," Fred said. Fred frowned when he saw Ron's face. His nose was crinkled and his ears were turning red. Something was out of whack here, and being the nosy and annoying brother he was, he needed to get to the bottom of it. He also noticed that it started at the mention of Hermione's name.
"So, what else is on the agenda for today, kids?" Mr. Weasley asked as he sat down at the table.
Fred took the opportunity and ran with it. "Why don't we all go to Hogsmeade to visit Hermione and Ginny? Today's Hermione's day off, isn't it, Ron?"
Ron's face was drained of all color. "Yeah," he said meekly.
"Smashing. Just let me finish my coffee." Fred smiled as he watched Ron push the rest of his breakfast away.
***
Hermione was baking cookies. From scratch, the Muggle way. Ginny was worried. She didn't know that the 'oven' worked that way.
"Um, what are you up to, Hermione?"
"Baking."
"Oh." Ginny decided it would be best to leave her to it. Then she heard someone knocking on the front door.
"Looks like we have company, Hermione," she called as she made her way down the short hall.
All she got was a "hmm" in response.
She opened the door to find Fred, Angelina, the kids, her parents, and Ron standing on the doorstep.
"Well, isn't this a nice surprise?" she said as she hugged everyone and ushered them into the living room.
"It's always good to see my favorite sister," Fred replied.
"I'm your only sister," she reminded him.
"You're so picky." He laughed and took the kids' coats from Angelina. "I'll go put these in the closet."
He crossed the living room, and after hanging the coats, he peaked into the kitchen.
"How're you doing, Hermione?"
Hermione jumped, then spun around. "Oh, Fred, you scared the life out of me. I thought you were R—never mind."
Fred raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. "I just wanted to thank you for the pongo slick. You knew Dad would give it to the kids."
"It's called a pogo stick. And yes, I thought they'd enjoy it." She smiled and turned back to her cookies.
"Do you want me to send Ron in here?"
She froze. Ugh, what to do? She didn't even know if she was supposed to be upset. "Is he…is he here then?"
"Of course he is. Loitering in the living room, I imagine."
Ginny popped her head through the doorway. "I'm taking everyone upstairs to see the bathroom. Mum wanted to see how we decorated it. Do you want to come, Fred?"
"Naw, I'm after nibbling on some of this cookie dough."
"All right. Be right back."
Fred turned his attention back to Hermione. He was going to find out what all this nonsense was about.
"What's the matter?"
"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about, Fred," Hermione answered. She continued rolling the cookie dough into little balls and placing them on the cookie sheet.
"Yes you do. I can see right through you. Something's off between you and Ron."
Hermione hung her head, then turned around. "I—oh, it sounds so stupid."
Fred shrugged. "Everyone does stupid things, and trust me, I've done plenty of them. Did you have a fight?"
"No. It's sort of complicated."
"I'm good at complicated."
"Oh, all right already." Hermione washed her hands and took a deep breath. "Ginny's going to move out, as you know. Well, I obviously can't afford this place without a roommate, so Ron and I decided that it would be him." She saw that Fred was starting to laugh, so she shot him a you-were-the-one-that-wanted-to-hear-this-story-so-just-be-quiet look.
"So when we went to visit my parents, and they got the idea that we were engaged because we were visiting them for no reason. I figured if they thought that, then maybe they wouldn't mind it when Ron moved in. So I asked Ron to let them believe that. And he asked if I was proposing, and without thinking I said I thought I was. So now I'm confused about what he thinks and what I think and whether or not I want him to think we are or not."
Fred's first instinct was to laugh. But he somehow felt that Hermione would belt him if he did, so he refrained. He said instead, "And what did Ron say when you told him all of this?"
Hermione ran a hand through her hair. "I…haven't exactly said anything to him. Yet."
"Well then, my advice is that you talk to him and ask him what he thinks. I think you know what you want." He winked. "He's been out of sorts as well, so he probably thinks the same thing you do. You'd better pull yourselves together before someone gets suspicious."
"You mean other than you?"
Fred's smile reached up to his eyes. "If George was around, I can tell you we wouldn't have kept it under our hats. I'll make sure that mom and dad leave with Angelina and me. Maybe I'll treat everyone to an ice cream down the street. Then you and Ron'll have some time to talk."
"Thanks Fred." She heard the group coming down the stairs. "Looks like you're on."
"Maybe you and Ron should play this game more often. It results in great cookies." He grinned and snatched on off of the warm tray.
"Oh, Hermione, I adore the new carpet in your room. Where did you get it?" Molly asked.
"I found it in a Muggle shop near my parents' house in Great Yarmouth," Hermione replied.
"Who wants an ice cream?" Fred asked loudly. Piper, Lark, and Todd ran toward him and started talking all at once.
"Yes, Daddy, yes please!"
"Can we go now?"
"May I have a peppermint toad cone?"
Fred grinned again when he looked at his children, then up at his wife. Sometimes he could hardly believe his luck. Who would have ever guessed that Fred Weasley would be a family man? And George wasn't far behind him, he mused. With the first baby on the way, he was sure George would match his three in the next few years.
"Can you grab their coats while you get your cloak, Gin?" he asked.
Ginny smiled. "This is your treat, then?"
"Of course."
"Well, how generous of you. I'd be happy to join you."
"Good. Ron, can I speak to you a moment?" Fred asked, pulling his brother aside.
"What?"
"You're not invited. You're to stay here with Hermione."
"Fred—"
"No arguing. I'm taking Mom and Dad. You'll have about forty-five minutes."
"Are you coming, Fred?" Angelina called.
"Yes, darling. I have to go. Good luck." Fred winked and hurried out the door.
Ron stared at the door. He had no idea where to begin, so he decided going into the kitchen would be a good first step.
He nudged the swinging door and stood in the threshold, watching Hermione. She was zapping the dishes that she used clean, and putting the cookies onto a cooling rack.
She turned to see him watching her.
"Are you angry at me?" Ron asked.
"Are you upset with me? Hermione asked at the same instant.
They smiled. "No," they said in unison.
"How do you feel about what we told my parents?" Hermione asked.
Ron swallowed. He'd given this a lot of thought, and had worked out exactly what to say, word for word. But he seemed to have forgotten all that and said instead, "I wish it didn't have to happen this way. Did it happen? Are we engaged?"
Hermione let out a long whoosh of breath. "Those are my thoughts exactly. I just seem to be going around in circles." She paused, and then plowed ahead. "Let's keep the lie up for my parents, since that's what they think anyway. But we won't be engaged. I don't think either of us wants to fall into it that way. It's just not…romantic. I'm sorry, but that's what I want. To go on with business as usual."
Ron grinned. "That's what I want too."
Hermione smiled as well. "And right now it's Ginny and Harry's time in the limelight. We'll just…"
"Keep going. Have you changed your mind about my moving in when Gin leaves?" Ron asked tentatively.
"No. You?"
"Are you kidding? Come here." Ron pulled her forward into a tight embrace, then bent down to kiss her.
Hehe, this chap turned out long! Again, so sorry it took forever to get up, but that's the way of it. Who saw the new HP movie? I didn't like Daniel Radcliffe in the first movie, but he was better in this one. Better, but not great. Rupert Grint, on the other hand, was amazing! I loved his expressions. And Emma Watson was good too. I loved the end when she went back into the Great Hall and hugged Harry, then hesitated and just shook hands with Ron…ohhh, they are so meant to be! I'm sorry to Contessa because this chapter had mucho fluffito (what you talkin' about, Willis?) and I know she hates that. But it's my story, so there! JK…Have a good one, fellow fanfiction addicts!