Author's Note: Hey kids! Sorry that this chapter took a little long to post, but I've been a bit busy. Enjoy! And, for the love Ron Weasley, review! Let's see if we can break 100 for this chapter… lol. No, seriously, though. That'd be cool… * hint! *

Chapter Two: The Perilous Seating Arrangements of the Weasley Family

"Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry! I didn't even realize!" Ginny apologized, setting the heavy box of freshly printed wedding invitations on the kitchen table of the Burrow. "I didn't even realize it until just now, and I-"

"Ginny," Hermione interjected, "Don't worry about it. I've had twenty-seven birthdays. Why should the twenty- eighth be any different? Besides, maybe it's just me, but I think that the wedding of two of my best friends- a once in a lifetime event- takes precedent over a birthday. There'll be another next year."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, apparating in and kissing Ginny on the cheek.

"Harry, did you know that our wedding is the night before Hermione's birthday?" Ginny asked, hands on her hips.

"Yeah… what's the big deal? She understands, don't you Herms?" he asked as he protectively pulled Ginny close to him, nestling his chin in the hollow where her neck met her collarbone. Hermione had to smile at the couple. How could she be mad at them? They were too cute.

"Yes… yes, I understand. Thank you, sir." The tall, redheaded man closed his cell phone and walked past the hostess to the small, candlelit table in the corner where a bombshell blond was sitting.

"Sorry about that, love, but the director wanted me to-"

"It's all right," she said, smiling and taking his hands. "I'm just glad to be here with you. Oh, Ron, I've missed you so much. Don't go away so much, all right? I don't think that I can bare it."

Ron smiled lopsidedly, and said, "Chlo, it's my job. I go when they tell me to."

Chloe Greenwood pouted slightly, batting her eyelashes. "But Darling, I nearly die every time that you go away."

Ron sighed and sat back, letting go of her hands. "Look, Chloe, we've been over this time and time again. It's my job. It may be crap circumstances, crap pay, crap accommodations and crap timing, but I love it. I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Not even me?" she asked quietly, her eyes meeting his.

He sighed once more, and stole a quick glance at his watch. If they were talking about this before their waiter even brought water to their table, it would be a long night. "Let's just drop this, all right, and try to have a nice time. We don't need to talk about it now, anyway."

"Fine," she said, resignedly.

"Madame, Messieur," said the waitress, approaching their table with bread, cheese, and sliced fruit. She placed a glass of water in front of each of them. Ron ordered champagne and his meal. Chloe did the same, and they munched on French bread in silence.

Chloe took a sip of her water, made a face, and said, "Eurgh. Tap water. You'd think that at a restaurant like this they could at least spare bottled water. Where's that waitress…"

"It's not that big a deal, Chlo," Ron said, soothingly.

"I suppose not…"

"So, how was your week?" Ron asked.

She frowned, and said, "They didn't like my designs… you know, the ones that I was telling you about, for the fall line."

"Oh. That's too bad, Chlo, but I'm sure that there'll be other-"

"That's what you said last season."

Chloe had been in the fashion business for years- first as a model, straight out of Hogwarts, until a curse during the war had left her with a minute scar above her lip. Still, according to the agencies, her face was unphotographable, so she entered designing. She was given her own line of clothing, and initially, it did well, until styles changed and her small boutique was rendered bankrupt. Now she was working freelance, designing clothes and submitting them to professional labels, in hopes for a permanent job. It hadn't quite taken off yet, to put it mildly. But Ron had been the ever-supportive boyfriend, offering a shoulder to cry on, ears willing to listen, and advice when she needed it.

"Well it's true," Ron said, smiling at her, and tucking a strand of flaxen hair behind her ear.

"How come," she said, with a bit of an edge in her voice, "You can give me opinions on my job, whereas, if I try to tell you anything about yours, you practically bite my head off?"

Ron nearly spit out his water.

"Because I'm not telling you to quit, that's why!"

"But on principle," she insisted, "If I can't give you advice about your job, then you should give me the same courtesy." She looked down at her lap and fussed with her napkin, before looking up with that same cool, statuesque stare that had made the camera love her. "Besides, I'm not telling you to quit. Just… reconsider."

"I've been nothing if not supportive, Chloe, and for you to take a shot at me, an irrelevant shot, at that, is just… is just…"

"Is just what?"

"You know what?" He said, taking his napkin from his lap and tossing it on the table while pushing his chair away. "This isn't worth it. If all we're going to do is fight about my job, a job that I love, then this isn't going to work. Goodbye, Chloe. Have a nice night."

He stood up, dropping enough money to cover the meal on the table and left the dining room to the apparation room. It wasn't worth it.

"Harry has always been like my brother. Ginny has always… well, she's always been my sister. I can't think of anyone better to take care of my little sister than my best friend, and brother. We're here tonight to celebrate their engagement- about time, if you ask me. So, if you'll all raise your glasses to the bride and groom to be…" Ron raised his champagne flute and turned to the couple. "May you two have a wonderful life together, and may you name your first son Ron. I love you guys. Cheers."

Everyone in the hall drank their champagne along with the best man and applauded. Life was good. Ron took his seat in between Harry and Hermione, slipping his arm around the back of her chair, as he was accustomed to. He winced when he heard Andrew clear his throat from the other side of her. He removed his arm apologetically, and Hermione kicked him playfully under the table. He kicked back, but not quite so hard. Hermione stifled a little giggle, causing Andrew to look reprovingly at them. Mr. Weasley was making a speech, and clearly, having fun was not allowed.

"They say," Mr. Weasley was saying, "That you're not losing a daughter, but gaining a son." He choked up, swallowing his words slightly. When he continued, most everyone else was just as tearful. "I've been preparing to gain a son for years now, ever since by daughter was born. What I wasn't prepared for, was gaining a son sixteen years before he actually married my daughter. I don't think that Ginny-"

He stopped, a small noise reverberating through the halls. Hermione turned crimson as Andrew stood and excused himself, exiting the back of the hall quickly, cell phone in hand.

"Well," Mr. Weasley faltered, not quite sure of what to say. "Erm… tuck in!" Food magically appeared on everyone's plates. Ron was quite glad for the excuse to put something in mouth besides his foot. Hermione leaned across the table, apologizing profusely on behalf of Andrew.

Ron exhaled as threateningly as he could through a mouthful of potatoes. He'd better have a good excuse.

But they wouldn't hear Andrew's excuse, for he would not return to the hall that night.

"Two for Uncle Wally, although we might need to order three plates. You know how much he can eat."

Ginny laughed as she tallied three on the list.

"So, we'll put Uncle Walter-"

"Wally," corrected Mrs. Weasley, laughing with Ginny.

"Right, Wally," continued Harry, "And Aunt… what's his wife's name?"

Ginny laughed all the harder, as Mrs. Weasley choked out, "Zinnia."

"And you're related to these people?" Harry asked incredulously.

"Well, their my husband's second cousins," explained Mrs. Weasley, "twice removed."

"You're related to them too," sang Ginny with a sly smile.

"And I'm looking forward to it," Harry teased. "We'll put Uncle Wally and Aunt Zinnia here with… Cousins Ernie and Joyce." He marked their places on the large chart adorning a wall of the Weasley kitchen.

"Nope, don't think so. Cousin Joyce and Uncle Wally aren't speaking since Uncle Wally killed Joyce's hamster."

"He killed her hamster?"

"Not on purpose… he just sat on it, that's all. Suffocated the poor thing."

Ginny shook her head sadly.

"But we could seat them close to Uncle Harold- my third Uncle, once removed. But then, Uncle Harold and-"

"How about," suggested Harry, cutting off his future mother-in-law, "We do easy seating. Ginny and I will sit here. Bill and his wife go here with Charlie and Elizabeth… Fred and George and their… dates can go here. Percy and Penny probably shouldn't sit with them… they've always gotten along with Hermione. We'll put the two of them by Hermione and Andrew… two for Hermione, right?"

"One for Hermione," said a sullen voice from the living room. A just as sullen owner walked in and plopped herself on a kitchen chair. "I'll be by myself again."

Hermione looked horrible. Her hair was disheveled, more so than usual, her face was terribly pale, her eyes were bloodshot and her cheeks were tearstained. Her clothes had obtained a wrinkled state that had probably come from sleeping in them, and Mrs. Weasley's discerning eyes noticed a chocolate stain on her shirt.

"Andrew's not coming?" Ginny asked sympathetically, sitting down by her friend.

Hermione sniffed. "No. He has a conference in Rome that weekend that he completely forgot about. He won't be able to make it."

"That means he's going to be gone for your birthday, too, doesn't it?" Harry asked stupidly, causing Hermione to relapse into tears. Ginny shot him a withering look as she placed her arm comfortingly around Hermione's back.

"Now," she sobbed, "I don't have you here on my birthday, or my boyfriend, or-"

"You have Ron," Ginny reminded helpfully, with a wink at Harry that Hermione was unable to see, thankfully.

"Right, I suppose I do," said Hermione, spirits raised slightly. "I still have Ron."

Author's Note: Ah, an uneventful chapter. Never fear, it's winter break now, and I shall have too much time on my hands than I know what to do with. Also, this is the chapter in which some of the framework of the story is still laid out. I know that this seemed like a bunch of random scenes thrown into one chapter, but it shall improve… BUT STILL REVIEW!!!