Chapter 7

"Harry!"

Harry Potter sat bolt upright up in his bed to the sound of his own name. Except it wasn't Hermione screaming it. He threw the covers off and grabbed his night robe and glasses on the way to the door.

"Harry Potter! Are you in here?"

He through open his door and peered over the landing to the floor below. There stood the second of his best friends, Ron Weasley.

"There you are. Listen, my mum and Ginny are stuck outside, something is making it so they can't come in."

He felt around for his wand in the robe pocket and pointed it at the door. "Intrare."

The door cracked open and he heard the sounds of Ron's mother and sister .

"There now, that's better. What in the world was keeping us out I wonder," Molly Weasley complained as she pushed open the door.

Harry looked back over to Ron, "We'll be down in a minute. I'll explain then. 'Lo Mrs. Weasley, Ginny."

He turned around and saw Hermione's door ajar and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. He stood there and stared at what he hoped would be his new girlfriend.

"What's happening? Was that Ron's voice I heard?"

He nodded, "Mrs. Weasley and Ginny are here as well."

She startled, "Harry, all the things in the living room."

He laughed softly, "I guess I've got some explaining to do."

Hermione relaxed and smiled sleepily, "I've got to go get ready."

He nodded and headed off to his own bedroom. Before he had the chance to close his door, Hermione stopped him.

"Harry."

He turned and saw her sticking her head back out around the door, "Yeah?"

Her smile turned naughty, "Yes." At that she pulled back in her room and closed the door before he had a chance to respond.

******************

He took the last few stairs at a leap to the floor in his excitement, and rounded to the living room to find Ginny looking at all of the things he and Hermione had bought the previous day.

"Hi, Harry."

"Hi, Ginny. Your mum seen all of this yet?"

She nodded, "Yep, and I hope you have some answers. It looks as if you have bought half of Diagon Alley here."

He smiled and made his way to the kitchen where he smelled breakfast cooking. Mrs. Weasley was apparently back home and in her element.

"Good morning, Harry dear." She picked up the skillet she was working in and upturned it onto several plates, "Breakfast is ready."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. Hey Ron," he waved to his friend.

"Hey, Harry," he set his glass of pumpkin juice down. "So what's with the all the girly stuff in the living room? Mum's dieing to know."

Harry took the pitcher and poured himself a glass of juice, "Hermione and I went shopping yesterday."

Ron was taken aback, "Blimey, I knew she was well off with her parents being dentists and all ..."

"Ronald Weasley! How much money Hermione Granger's parents have is not of your concern," Mrs. Weasley chastised her son.

"But I wasn't talkin' about their money, I swear. I was sayin' I'm surprised that they let her have all of it."

"They didn't," Harry said quietly.

Mrs. Weasley sat Harry's plate in front of him, "What was that, Harry dear?"

"I ... um ... received an owl on Wednesday from Gringott's about Sirius' will."

Mrs. Weasley's hand went to her mouth in shock, "Oh Harry, I'm so sorry. I had almost forgotten that Sirius had amended his will last year. I do hope it wasn't a horrible blow."

Harry smiled sadly, "It was at first, but Hermione helped me through it."

At mention of her name a loud noise came from the outer room.

"SquEEEEEEEE!"

Mrs. Weasley dropped the skillet on the table, "That sounded like Ginny. Go find out what happened, Ron."

He nodded and took a mouth full of fried potatoes and egg before he left. A few moments passed and Harry prepared himself.

"Bloody Hell!"

"Ronald Weasley! I will not tolerate that kind of language in this house!"

The kitchen door flew open, "But, mum, you've got to see this."

She dried her hands on her apron and rounded the table when she saw Hermione come in, "Hermione, dear. How are you this morn ..."

Harry looked over his shoulder and saw Ron holding up his new girlfriend's left hand and the ring that Harry had given her.

"Great Merlin's ghost, Hermione. Is that real?" Mrs. Weasley grabbed a hold and looked closer. "It's beautiful! Where did you get such a thing?"

Hermione smiled with pride at Harry. The feeling it brought him was nothing short of bliss.

Now Mrs. Weasley was stunned, "Harry?"

Hermione nodded and bounced on the balls of her feet, "It was a piece of the Black family jewels. Harry inherited it from Sirius."

Mrs. Weasley looked back and forth between Harry, Hermione and the ring, "Out. Into the living room. Ron you and Harry stay here. This is female talk."

Ron's face squinched up in disgust. Evidently he was well familiar with the phrase 'female talk' having a little sister in the family.

Harry was more than interested in finding out what was going on in the next room.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you, mate," Ron commented when he saw Harry nearing the door. "Last time I stuck my nose in on 'female talk' I was rewarded with a certain female biological monthly thing. Disgusting if you ask me."

"I seriously doubt they are talking about that."

"Suit yourself." He tired to keep his friend away from the door nonetheless, "Heard you ran away."

Harry waved him off as he listened intently.

"So, you and Hermione are engaged?"

Harry spun around looking as if he had been slapped, "What?"

Ron smiled knowing he finally got his attention, "Well what do ya think it means giving a girl a big fat ring on her wedding band finger."

Harry's face and attitude flustered, "Wha ... erm ...I ..."

He didn't have a chance to finish or for that matter even start his sentence before the door to the kitchen opened and a red-faced Hermione entered, "You're next."

He looked at her and back out to the living room where he saw Mrs. Weasley shooing off Ginny. Hermione's hand brushed his, "Just tell her the truth, Harry."

He smiled down at his new girlfriend and gained a measure of courage in the process.

"Harry, come in here, please."

He entered the living room and sat on the dark colored armchair opposite of the couch and Mrs. Weasley. He had once seen her in action when she was mad at Fred and George for some reason or another, and he didn't want to be anywhere near her hand that she used to 'slap some sense into them.'

"Harry, what are your intensions toward that young girl in there?"

'Young girl?' he thought.

"Hermione?" he asked.

She closed her eyes and tried to keep her temper under control, "Of course, Hermione. She is under the impression that she is your girlfriend."

The prideful feeling came back, "Well, that's true, but I just found out this morning."

"You just found out? Are you telling me that Hermione is forcing you to be her boyfriend?"

Harry shook his head, "No, Mrs. Weasley." He felt himself falling into the same weak-willed boy he was last year and shook it off. "This is ridiculous ..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence before she cut him off. "Ridiculous? I'll tell you what is ridiculous. It's when a fifteen year old boy ..."

"Sixteen," he corrected.

She stopped, "Pardon?"

"I'm sixteen. Birthday was yesterday."

She softened, "Oh, Harry dear. Happy birthday."

"Thank you,"

It was as he didn't say anything at all. She was back to her loud self, "When a sixteen year old boy gives a fifteen year old girl an engagement ring ..."

"It's not an engagement ring." Harry didn't spend all these summers at the Weasley's and not know how to deflate Mrs. Weasley's temper. The trick is to stop her before she gets a full head of steam.

She stopped and stared at him.

"It is a token of my affection, of course, but nothing more than that."

She had the answer she was searching for and let her mock-temper disappear, "You must get that ring resized, Harry, before the start of term."

"Yes ma'am."

"She's a sweet girl, Harry. Don't hurt her."

He stood and closed in on her, "Mrs. Weasley, the two most important people in my life are Hermione and Ron. I would never hurt them, on purpose."

"Of course you wouldn't, dear. I'm just being a mother."