Ch. 3 – Food, Tempers, and Babies?

            "Wow, Harry, this roast beef is just delicious," Ron said with his mouth full.

            "Honey, don't chew with your mouth open. That's not proper etiquette." Hermione smiled sweetly at her husband and went back to eating her food. She dabbed at her chin with her beautiful Christmas napkin before speaking again.

            "So what's been going on with you two since the honeymoon?" Hermione looked over at Ginny who shot a nervous glance to Harry.

            "Well… not much actually. We traveled Europe, and that was about all…"

            "Hermione! Ron! I can't take it anymore. I've GOT to tell someone!" Ginny exclaimed and threw her fork down at her plate.

            "Ginny, what's the matter? Is it Harry? Harry how could you! She's my sister!" Ron exclaimed standing up turning red in the face from anger.

            "No, Ron. SIT DOWN! It's nothing like that, it's just…" Ginny gulped as Ron sat down again. "I'm… p-p…" Ginny was stammering for words that she couldn't seem to find.

            Hermione gasped.

            "Ginny! I'm so happy for you!" Hermione stood up and hugged her best friend, whom by this time was also standing up.

            "Pregnant? Congratulations, Harry!" Ron shook hands with his best friend and went to the other side of the table to give his littler sister a hug.

            "How far along are you, Gin?" Hermione asked curiously wanting to know all she could about the new baby.

            This was when Hermione noticed Ginny give Harry another nervous glance and she gulped for a second time.

            "Well…" Ron asked, still grinning from ear to ear at his sister and brother-in-law.

            "Three months." Harry said it before Ginny could.

            "THREE MONTHS!?" Ron yelled and stood up again. "YOU'VE ONLY BEEN MARRIED FOR ONE MONTH!"

            Ginny looked at Hermione nervously and Hermione nodded her head and mouthed 'he'll calm down, I'll just have to talk to him.' With that, Ginny gave a small smile.

            "Ron, honey. Calm down. Sit back down, yes there you go." Hermione placed her hand on her husband shoulder.

            "Harry… how could you do that to her? For god's sake! She's my little sister!" Ron was getting himself worked up again, but this time refrained from yelling and stayed seated.

            "Ron… we didn't know…" Harry felt bad. He hadn't told his friends and Ginny and he had known for two months already.

            "So this is why you married her! Get her pregnant out of wedlock and then turn around and get married because you have to?" Even though Ginny was an adult, Ron still played the overprotective brother sometimes.

            "No, it's not like that all." Ginny interjected. "I've never been happier in all my life than all the times I spend with Harry. Nothing can change that… child or no child. Ron, we decided to tell you first because we thought you'd be behind us no matter what and that you would care for this child as much as we do. Now are you going to go and prove me wrong by being a bloody prat or are you going to be the Ron Weasley I know and love?"

            Ron's mouth gaped open for the second time that night.

            "A bloody prat? Where in your right mind do you get the right to call me a bloody prat…?" Ron started going off when his wife calmed him.

            "Ron, let's talk about this. Harry, Ginny, excuse us." Hermione stood up and took her husband's hand, pulling him behind her out into the living room.

            Ron was still red in the face and it looked to Hermione as though steam would pour out his ears any moment.

            "Honey, you've got to calm down."

            "What do you mean calm down? I am calm… compared to what Dad's reaction will be!"

            Hermione stood in front of her husband and waited for him to shut up before she continued.

            "Look, Ron. Ginny and Harry truly do love each other. No matter which way you look at it, they will remain married and they will bear this child with or without you and your family's permission. So why don't we make this easy on all of us and just accept it? Okay so they did something stupid… but everyone makes mistakes, you can't just blame them. If you hated everyone that made mistakes then you'd be hating yourself and me, too. Now, how about let's go back in there and discuss this calmly with Harry and Ginny… does that sound okay to you?"

            Ron just looked down at his wife.

            "You know, 'Mione. You really do amaze me. You've made me see exactly what a bloody prat I can be. You're right. They do love each other, and I see that in Harry's eyes and in Ginny's eyes… there's no denying it. And if you can't change what's happened, then why fight it?"

            Hermione smiled. She knew she could talk some sense into him.

            "Thanks for being so agreeable." Hermione leaned up and pecked her loving husband on the cheek.

[A/N ~~~~~~~~~ Sorry for such a short chapter but I just HAD to end it here! Lol. Hope this isn't too ooc for ron, hermione, harry, or ginny… review and tell me what you think. Thanks to Robyn, Ravishingly Discreet, Kandi, and Be Boring for reviewing my first two chapters, I REALLY appreciate it!  Hope this doesn't fail to capture the same interest! Next chapter should be up soon!]