Chapter Twelve: The Beginning to a 'Happy Ever After.'
Not.
Hermione woke to the luminous sun firing through her bedroom window right into her eyes. She rolled over, but the delirious light simply refused to retreat. She sat up and ripped her curtains closed, but sleep now seemed restricted since she'd already made an appearance to the day. Hermione shuffled out of bed miserably and headed straight for the kitchen.
"Hi Mom!" a voice chanted happily.
Destin stood in the middle of the kitchen in the board shorts Brent's parents had sent from Canada. Supposively they were all the rage there, so Destin just couldn't possibly live without them. They looked as if they were made for a teenager, but Destin had tied them real tight with the draw sting; scrunching up the waist band. They didn't fit like board shorts either; instead of cutting off at the knee the over-sized board shorts hung couple inches above her ankles. Still, she seemed to love them; they were dark blue with brilliant green pock-a-dots, which seemed to contrast with her new Chudley Canons tee-shirt Ron had bought for her. She had even attempted her hair; which hung in a lop-sided ponytail with bits of hair (which must have been missed) hanging from random spots and bumps stuck out here and there because she couldn't get it smooth.
"Destin, morning. Don't you look nice today," she yawned to cover her smile.
"You better not be tired! You're going out to lunch today while I'm at Grams." Destin concentrated as she brought a tray to the table. "I've made you coffee and toast. Come and eat."
Hermione was confused. Since when did her daughter plan her day and make her breakfast? She looked at the tray; sure enough to pieces of toast with strawberry jam were on a plate beside the biggest mug they owned full of dark coffee. "Where am I going to lunch, eh Destin?" Why not play along; how could this possibly change. Other than letting her daughter know how to get her way . . .
"Dad said he'd meet you at Grams around eleven thirty; he wants an early lunch. He didn't say where he was taking you." Destin sat down to a similar meal; though she'd replaced the coffee with orange juice.
Hermione almost choked on her toast. "What are you talking about?"
"I say a letter waiting on the table. I didn't see it addressed to anyone specific so I took it. Dad just said he couldn't come, but then asked you to lunch. Something about he had something really important to talk about with you." Destin kept eating.
"Oh, right. Thanks, Destin." She was shocked; she was going to learn about Destins case today! Was she ready? 'Of course you are, you're ready for anything that comes your way; as long as it'd help Destin,' she thought.
*
"What are you going to do today with Grandma and Grandpa?" Hermione asked as she pulled into the Weasley's drive.
"I don't know. I might cook with Grandma for a while, or look at all of Grandpa's collections. He has so much stuff!" Destin sounded amazed.
"Yes he does. I hope you have fun."
"I will," she replied as she jumped out of the car, which stopped only seconds before. Hermione laughed and was about to get out when the passenger door opened again.
"Hey Hermione, I don't have much time so lets go. I need to be back at the Ministry by two."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Worried about being late?" She put the car in gear and started backwards. "I don't think I know you very well anymore." Hermione waved good-bye to her daughter.
"Lots to do in small amounts of time."
"What?"
"I'll probably be able to explain half of the case on the drive. Want to go to Diagon Alley?"
'Why is he in such a rush?' she wondered.
"Sounds great."
He was right, by the time they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron (where they decided to eat) she knew the basics of the case. Then by the end of lunch she knew pretty much everything to know.
"Wow. This is incredible," she gasped.
"Hermione, why don't we go somewhere else for dessert? There is only a couple more things you need to know about."
"Sure, where to?" Hermione didn't really care she just wanted to know everything.
"How about Florean Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour?" Ron suggested, his mouth watering a little because he was thinking about the sundaes.
"Perfect." Hermione decided she was going for a great big sundae. They started towards the brick wall in the back.
"Now, one of the things I didn't want to tell you right away is that Dumbledore has closed the case."
"What!" Hermione was outraged.
"Trust me I feel the same way. I was so angry, I didn't sleep at all that night."
"Why does he think he can just go and close something as important as this?"
"It does seem more important, but we are her parents; its more of a personal interest for us." Hermione opened her mouth to argue. "Mione," he interrupted, "There's one thing we can do to secure her future."
"What? I'll do anything!" she cried. They'd stopped right in front of the ice-cream parlour.
Ron blushed red at her eagerness. "Anything, you're sure?"
"Yes!"
"We have to get married." He waited for an outburst, but it never came. She just stared at him, trying to figure out if this was real. When she finally comprehended that he was serious she smiled. "Mione?"
"Okay."
"Okay?"
She laughed and kissed him gently on his lips; a reassuring kiss. "Lets get married." Ron rapped his hands around her waist, hugging her. She said yes, nothing in the world mattered anymore. Destin would be safe, for sure, and Mione was to be his for the rest of his life.
*~*
A/N: Sappy isn't it? Completely not what I wanted to happen, but I have an equally evil replacement :o ! Thanks to my reviewers, Sorry I haven't thanked you in a while, but I'm over joyed you all care so much to review. This chapter came out fast eh? (It's because school starts Monday and I probably wont be able to write for about a month) I tried to stay away from the cliff hanger on this one. Also, this is one of the last chapters for the story. Sad I know, but I'm already five chapters in on the sequel! Then I'll probably write an inbetween-quel. Who knows? Oh, just so you know [this is a secret, shhh] **YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE PROPHACY, unless I decide to tell you in the sequel. Aren't I loving?
