***DISCLAIMER*** I don't own Harry Potter or anything you may recognize. I DO own Marc Davis, Kevin and Kristy Weasley, Keric Figg, Mr. Cummings, and my plot! Please don't sue me for having fun and writing!

A few people reviewed chapter 5 after I posted chapter 6 (it took a while for chapter 6 to show up online) and those people are: Lily Michelle and Jaxi.

Lily Michelle ~ First of all, thanks! As for questions . . . Ron's first real idea is in this chapter! But it's going to take a lot more than that; consider Hermione's perspective. She's not about to fall for him that easily! As for H/G, I'm not really a fan of that pairing. My friend and I were talking about it the other day and she brought up the fact that it would be like one of my guy friends dating my little sister. There is evidence that JK might make them a pair, but I decided it would be more fun to come up with my own pairing. However, I may do some stories with them as a pair, hmm, but I'm not going to commit to anything. Enjoy!

Angelofboox ~ thanks - you make me feel really special; in response to your comment in the first review (hehe I got 2 from you!) consider where Hermione is coming from. And I know how you feel with exams - my AP exams start this week, and then I have finals in June! Thanks for taking the time to read my story even though you have to study!

Jaxi ~ thanks!

Tears from the Moon ~ thanks girl! I'm *almost* done with the next part of "Jessica," I promise I'll send it before this week is over!

Christy ~ Hey, catalyst here! : - P THANKS! Haha, I think if Harry came to our school it would damage him for life. LOL It's ALREADY damaged ME for life, and I didn't even go there freshman year! And Bill and Fleur needed a "K" name, so it had to be Kristy, but it's still your name!

A/N This story is mainly Ron/Hermione. I will have some parts with Ginny/Marc and Harry/OC but the story will not focus on them. I'm pretty hesitant in those areas b/c JK has said that Ginny will play a big role in OotP and I don't want to write something and then have canon totally refute it a month later! I do have a paragraph in this chapter explaining the Ginny/Harry relationship in one way I could see it happening, but it's liable to be changed and edited once OotP is published! It's pretty much a given (in my opinion) that R/H will eventually get together so I'm not worried about that! Enjoy!

A/N I don't know British terminology for food; I know it's different, but I don't know the correct words. SO when I am referring to food, think American vocabulary. Not exactly "authentic" but what can I say? Thanks.

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How Many Ways

Chapter 7 ~ Happy Birthday

By Americanangel

Summary in first chapter.

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Hermione spent her weekend helping Ginny get settled into the apartment. They each took turns making meals and divided up the cleaning chores so that everything got done, and they were doing the same amount of work. Marc came over to help his girlfriend get settled and Hermione decided that she really liked him as a person. He was friendly and funny, yet he also knew when to be sensitive and listen. He was helpful, while at the same time he could joke around and be difficult playfully.

Ginny had gotten over Harry in her 4th year when she realized that he was her brother's best friend and she didn't love him; it had made a world of difference in their relationship and he became a friend to her as well. They did go to a couple of dances in their last years at Hogwarts, but Ginny, like Hermione, now thought of Harry as a playful brother. A person she could talk to and have a great time with, but she couldn't see herself marrying him; not at that moment, at any rate. Marc, on the other hand, was different. Ginny met him all on her own, and he wasn't best friends with her brother either. Plus, Marc Davis was a man she could see herself marrying someday, if he proposed, and if things didn't change between them.

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The following Thursday was September 19, Hermione's 23rd birthday. She got up early and went downstairs to make herself breakfast, but found that Ginny had already done that.

"Surprise!" Ginny said as she handed Hermione a plate of warm eggs, sausage, and a biscuit (A/N that would be an American biscuit, not a British one; so it really is a biscuit and not a cookie!), "I decided to make you breakfast for your birthday. I hope you like it."

"It smells wonderful, Gin," Hermione replied, and then took a bite, "Mmmmm, it's good! Thank you so much!"

Ginny gave her a warm smile, "No problem, it was the least I could do. Are you going to see Ron today?"

Hermione shook her head, "No," she said in a dejected sort of voice, "They called him in for another day mission off in Wales and they said not to expect him back until tomorrow."

Ginny nodded, "Oh, I see. Well, that's awfully rude of him to miss your birthday."

Hermione sighed, "Yes, it is. But he can't help it. Anyway, thank you for breakfast, but I have to run! Percy left yesterday and left me a whole stack of tasks to complete for him. I'll talk to you later!"

Ginny grinned and gave Hermione a hug, "Have a great day, Hermione! I'll see you tonight!"

Hermione nodded, "Yes, tonight." She then Disapparated and appeared at the Ministry of Magic. After checking in, she went upstairs to her new, larger office, which had a window. Although her view was only of London, and not some nature setting, it was still nice to have sunlight flowing into the room. Ron had helped her set up her things in the room the day before, after bringing her lunch in her office.

The first thing she noticed when she walked inside was a bouquet of roses and a teddy bear sitting on her desk. She ginned a wide smile and walked over, spying a note sitting next to the flowers which read, "Open first, do not touch bear." Thinking this was an odd message, she opened the envelope.

Dear Hermione,

I'm so sorry that I could not be there for your birthday. That's one downside to this job, you don't get to be with the people you love all the time, but I hope you like the flowers and the teddy bear. Give that bear a squeeze at 10:29 this morning and hold it for a minute or two. I promise you won't regret it.

Love,

Ron

Hermione stared at the bear as if something was inherently wrong with it, but seeing nothing, she picked it up. Nothing happened. Figuring it was okay, she placed it in her lap and held it while she worked on the assignments Percy had given her. At 10:29, she went over and locked her door and then hugged the bear. For thirty seconds, nothing happened; but then, she felt a tug behind her navel and before she realized what was happening, she was no longer in her office.

"A Portkey!" she thought in her head, and as such, she knew she couldn't do anything about it but just hold on. She finally landed on a great grassy hill above a small seaside village. She could see the harbor below and hear the waves crashing on the shore, as well as boat horns sounding in the distance. She had landed on her back, but within seconds there was a hand reaching for hers.

"Hey Mione," a familiar voice whispered softly. Hermione looked up and saw Ron leaning over her with outstretched hands. His red hair gleamed in the sunlight and his cheeks were flushed, but he was smiling as if he had just won a million dollars.

"Ron! What did you do? Where are we?" Hermione asked, flustered, as she reached for his hand and he pulled her up.

Ron grinned at her, "First of all, I didn't lie to you - I am in Wales and this is a day long trip, I just didn't tell you that you would be involved in the trip. Second, I already talked to Percy and he is completely fine with it, as long as the work he gave you is done by Friday, and I figured you had probably already finished half of it," Hermione blushed; he was right, "Third, happy birthday!"

Hermione was speechless as she looked around. Ron had set up a picnic blanket a few feet away. Next to it was a small picnic basket, but Hermione was sure that it had been enlarged inside. Ron took her hand led her over to the blanket. She was shivering a little since she had expected to be inside all day and there was a slight breeze coming over the ocean towards the hill. Ron handed her a zip-up grey sweater from the basket as he began taking items out of it and setting them on the blanket.

"Here, I figured you would dress as it you would be inside all day so I persuaded Ginny to give me one of your sweaters for you. She gave me pants for you too, but I can't see a place for you to change unless you want to go down to the village," Ron said hesitantly, trying to be helpful.

"Oh, the sweater is great," Hermione reassured him, "I'll be fine in the skirt, don't worry. Thank you for being so thoughtful!"

Ron blushed and said, "You're welcome." Hermione, of course, had been correct in assuming that the picnic basket was enlarged inside. Ron brought out carefully made sandwiches, oranges, apples, a knife, a cutting board, two bottles of butterbeer, some chips (A/N again, those are American chips), and a bag of cookies.

Hermione took one of the apples, the knife, and the cutting board and began to slice the apple into wedges, but Ron put his hand on hers, "I'll do that, Mione. You just sit now and relax. It's your birthday! Tell me how your day has been."

Hermione began to protest, "Ron, you've already done all this, let me help."

"No, no!" he teased, "You just relax and talk to me." Hermione rolled her eyes at Ron's stubbornness, but consented and told him about Ginny's breakfast and her morning at work. She started to tell him about the work Percy had given her as well, but decided to cut it short since she knew he would get bored. When he finished cutting the apples and oranges, he poured some butterbeer into two glasses, handed one to Hermione, and said, "Cheers! Happy birthday Hermione."

She replied, "Cheers, thank you so much."

Ron grinned and they began to eat.

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After lunch, Ron and Hermione packed the picnic into the basket. Ron made it feather light and they walked hand in hand down to the seaside village. Ron led Hermione down to the docks and they sat and looked at the harbor while finishing the small bag of cookies. Hermione found a bathroom and changed into the blue jeans and sneakers Ginny had given Ron from Hermione's closet. She pulled her bushy hair into a low ponytail at the nape of her neck and then returned to where Ron was leaning against a wooden railing by the docks staring up at the sky. His red hair blew all around his face in the wind, but the sky was a brilliant blue and the day was warm for the time of year. He smiled when he saw her, took her hand, and said, "Come on," as he led her down the dock to a small rowboat tied at the bow.

"Are we going out there?" Hermione asked with a bit of apprehension.

Ron nodded, "Yeah that was the plan. Some cousins of ours live in the village there and we used to visit here during the summer sometimes. Dad would take us out on the water in this rowboat when we were little and row around the harbor. I always loved the ocean; it's so peaceful and the whole seaside atmosphere makes me feel at ease. Do you want to go out? We don't have to; I just thought you might like it. I wasn't sure if you had ever been out in a rowboat before."

Hermione felt a tingling sensation as she thought of how much Ron had put into making this day special for her, and knew that she didn't want to mess it up, "That sounds lovely, Ron. I've never been in a rowboat before. My parents didn't take me to the ocean in England very much as a child; we only went to the beach when we visited Mum's relatives in Italy, and even then we didn't go out in boats much."

Ron looked at her in surprise, "Well, we must remedy your lack of ocean memories. Step inside." He extended his hand and she accepted it as he helped her into the boat, "Sit in the middle, there, and hold the oars while I get in," Ron instructed and she did what he said. He stepped into the boat, knelt in the bow, and untied the rope binding it to the dock. He then pushed off the dock and brought the rope into the boat.

"Alright, Hermione, now, go to the back of the boat there," Ron said and she did so, "Right. Okay, let me give you a quick course in boat terminology. You are currently sitting in the stern of the boat, which is the back. You are facing the bow, which is the front. To your right and my left is the starboard side of the boat and to your left and my right is the port side. So, don't think of it as right means starboard, because depending on whether you are facing the bow or the stern it is different. Make sense?" Ron asked her.

Hermione nodded, "Yes; stern, bow, starboard, port," she said as she pointed to the appropriate side of the boat. She marveled at how Ron had developed the ability to give instructions, commands really, without sounding demeaning.

"Right," Ron said with a tone of admiration, "Now, when one rows they face the stern, so they can't see where they are going. Your job is to tell me if something is in the way so I can steer us clear of it. I'll listen to you and do what you say, since I can't see anything. If one is rowing in a real rowing boat, called a racing shell, your position is called a coxswain. Coxswains have to steer normally, but you don't have to do that. All you have to worry about is whether or not we have obstacles. I'll turn around from time to time in tricky spots, but the show is all you. Ready to try?"

Hermione hesitated, and then nodded yes as Ron straightened out the bow of the boat and got a point. They rowed around the harbor for about an hour before heading back in toward the dock. Hermione had a bit of trouble at first, but by the end of the hour she had gotten used to the names for the different parts of the boat and to instructing Ron. They talked about everything while they were rowing - memories, work, Harry, their parents, Ginny and Marc - and they had a great time.

Afterwards they walked around the village. It was a Muggle village filled with small shops among the houses and restaurants. There was a glass making shop where Ron bought Hermione a small glass rowboat, a few small bookstores, as well as a small candy shop where Ron was appalled to find that there were no chocolate frogs; however, Hermione showed him which sweets were the best and they bought a small bag to share. Around five o'clock they walked to a seaside restaurant where Ron had made a reservation for dinner and enjoyed a dinner of seafood while looking over the ocean. Finally, Ron Apparated with Hermione back to the Ministry so that she could gather her things, and then back home.

"Ron, thank you so much," Hermione said as she squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, "This was the best birthday present, and so thoughtful. I had a wonderful time."

Ron smiled as he looked into her eyes longingly, "I'm glad you liked it, Mione. I wasn't sure if you had ever experienced a little seaside town like that one, and if you hadn't, I wanted to give you that experience. I hope I didn't distract you too much from work?"

Hermione gave him a little laugh, "Ah, well, it is Percy. I'll get it done, no problem. I must be going in now, though. Good night."

Ron blew her a kiss, "Good night, Hermione. Sleep well."

"And you."

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Review!

Hope you liked it! I had SO MUCH FUN writing this! My friend can tell you; I was having such a great time in our history class, so I'm really excited to hear what ya'll think!

Hope you have a great week!

~Americanangel