CHAPTER 4 Family Dinner's Aint What They Used To Be

"Ron, are you almost ready?" a woman's voice called out from the bottom of the stairs. She had long blond hair , ice blue eyes that stood out and tanned skin. She was wearing smart black trousers, a red top and a stylish leather jacket. Everything about her appearance spelt perfection from her natural blond hair to her finely manicured and painted nails.

"God and I thought girls were the ones that take so long to get ready", Ron grumbled but smiled as he climbed down the stairs.

"No honey, that's just you", the woman replied sweetly as Ron walked up to her. "Ah now that's much better", she added surveying Ron in his new jeans, a khaki fashionable top and suede jacket.

"Is this ok, because you made me change twice already", Ron added looking rather nervous at the prospect of having to change again.

"I just want you to look smart for your family and make a good impression", she replied nervously.

"My family know me and know I never dress up and Krista, don't worry they will love you, because I do", Ron added as he kissed her lightly on the lips.

"Thank you honey", she replied smiling. "However did you get them to allow me to come to a family dinner at such short notice?"

"Oh they really wanted to meet you, so it was no problem", Ron said smiling at her, but that was not exactly true, his mother, after all was head of the 'Get Ron Together With Hermione' club and she wasn't too pleased at the idea of a 'stranger' at the family dinner, but he got her to agree. Anyway he was convinced they would love her too once they met her.

"So shall we go now?" Krista said taking Ron's arm and the two walked to the fireplace, took some Floo powder and both shouted The Burrow before jumping into the fire.

They landed in the Weasley living room and made their way to the kitchen, Ron still holding Krista's hand. The kitchen looked much the same as it had the last ten years, Bill, Charlie and family were already there, accompanied by the 2.5 kids and pregnant wives. Ginny was wearing an orange apron and helping Mrs Weasley, while Mr Weasley was talking to Bill and Charlie. The twins and girlfriend and wife hadn't arrived yet and Harry also wasn't there. Percy, with whom the family had fallen out with five years ago, still hadn't talked to the family and he would not be coming to the family dinner party.

A minute later, Harry walked into the kitchen and Ginny quickly tore off the orange apron and walked towards him and Ron and Krista.

"Hello Harry, Ron. Hello you must be Krista, I'm Ginny the youngest", she said smiling at Harry and shaking Krista's hand.

"Glad to meet you Ginny, I've heard a lot about from Ron", Krista replied sweetly.

"Oh Krista", Ron said snapping out of his thoughts, "This is my best friend Harry. Me and him are old school friends", Ron said indicating to Harry.

"Pleasure to meet you", Harry said smiling and holding out his hand for Krista to shake.

"Harry Potter, an honour to meet you. Ron mentioned so much about you two when you were in school. But wasn't there a girl too you were best friends with?"

"Yeah, that was Hermione. I'm still friends with her", Harry replied glancing at Ron, who had become very interested in watching Mrs Weasley and appeared not to have heard the conversation, was it not for the fact that he was staring into empty space and not at his mother at all.

"Ron honey, are you still friends with her, I've heard so much about her?" Krista asked turning to Ron.

"No", Ron replied awkwardly and becoming immensely interested in his mother once more. "We stopped being friends a few years ago".

"Oh what a pity, I would have loved to meet her. I was talking to an old school friend of yours, Dean Thomas, and he said you were best of friends you two especially, maybe she could tell me a little about how you were like when you were young", she added teasingly. "I don't think she would tell you much", he replied rather gruffly.

"Ok then", Krista replied rather surprised. Harry just raised his eyebrows and walked over to Mrs Weasley and Ginny to help with the food.

Just at that moment Fred and George burst into the kitchen, their wife and girlfriend following them, laughing heartedly.

"Hello everyone", Fred announced grinning at the whole room.

"The Weasley twins have landed", George added also grinning from ear to ear.

"And you had better watch it George", Alicia said mock threateningly.

"You two Fred", Angelina added.

"Come on Alicia honey, sure you knew what you were getting when you married me", George said putting on the puppy dog eyes, but they fooled no- one.

"Thank god Alicia and I aren't married", Fred said laughing at his brother, "Think of the trouble I would get into".

"You still will if you don't watch it Fred", Alicia added giving him a rather stern look, before shaking her head and adding, "You two are hopeless!"

"Ah there you are, glad you finally made it, come on now. Dinner is ready", Mrs Weasley said and everyone followed her out to the garden where three tables had been pulled together and chairs and benches were placed around them. Everyone sat down as they began eating.

Forty minutes later and halfway into the main course, Mrs Weasley asked, "So Krista, tell us about yourself".

Krista looked pleased with the attention the whole family had placed on her and sat up straight in her seat as she spoke, "Well my family, the Speketer family, originally came from Scotland, its where the rest of our family is, and my parents have been living in Kent for the last thirty years. I'm an Auror and I was three years ahead of Ron at Hogwarts, in Gryffindor also. I'm working with the Ministry of Magic for the past three years now and I'm about to be promoted to head of my field in the Department". She flicked a few strands of her hair away from her as she smiled at the whole family, her perfect white and straight teeth glittering in the candlelight.

"So how did you meet our Ronnekins?" Fred asked grinning.

"Ronnekins? Oh what a cute name!" Krista said smiling at Ron, who was slowly turning a shade of red. "We met three months ago in the Leaky Cauldron one evening. I think he had a little to drink that night and he came over and started talking to me. A few days later we went out on a date and its been great since then", she smiled sweetly.

"So tell me Harry", George said grinning mischievously, "How is dear old Hermione doing lately?"

Harry sensing where this was going, as he could see Ron was blatantly staring at a nearby tree, spoke carefully, "She's fine. She's working on my latest case, helping me out with some old book".

"Ah our dear old Hermione, how she used to love her books, I see nothing has changed", George sighed smiling to himself. Fred was smiling too, apparently he was in on wherever this conversation was going.

"You used to know Hermione?" Krista asked inquisitively.

"Oh yes very well, she used to stay with us at the Burrow nearly every summer and some winter holidays too", Fred answered.

"Oh you never told me this Ron", Krista said smiling at Ron. His gaze quickly flickered to her, smiling a 'sorry forgot' smile before looking at the tree again.

"Sure you went out with her for a while didn't you Ron?" George asked innocently.

"Just a short while", Ron replied glaring at his twin brothers before turning to Krista. "It wasn't much".

"Seemed a bit much to us, two years wasn't it?" Fred asked Ron.

"No Fred, it was three, I remember they were going out two years after Hogwarts when they broke up", George corrected him.

"Yes I remember with that nasty fight. God that was bad!", Fred added. Both were grinning at Ron, who, if looks could kill, would have murdered the twins three times by now.

"Oh I didn't know this", Krista said rather upset. "Excuse me, I have to go to the bathroom". With that she got up and walked into the house.

"Fred, George that was horrible and uncalled for", Mrs Weasley said angrily.

"What mum, its not like you are her fan either. Besides we were just wondering", Fred and George said innocently.

"Can't you just drop the Hermione issue for once. Every time I come here, its all you ever talk about in front of me. I'm sick of it. I'm with Krista now and Hermione and I are over. Over do you get it?" Ron shouted angrily as he got up and stormed inside the house. He walked out to the hall and found Krista there putting on her leather coat.

"Krista where are you going? Ron asked worried.

"Home I need to think", she replied a tear rolling down her cheek that she quickly wiped away. Her make-up looked in danger of smearing and running.

"Please Krista, don't listen to my family. They can be idiots", Ron said walking up to her.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow", Krista said, took out her wand and disappeared in a loud crack.

"Shit!" Ron cursed, before grabbing his coat and Disapparating after Krista.

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Krista, Krista you there?" Ron asked as he Apparated into her luxurious apartment. He spotted her leather coat on the expensive white leather sofa and her heels tossed carelessly on the floor. He dropped his coat beside her and walked to her bedroom. From the open doorway, he spotted Krista lying on her bed, and the sounds emanating from the room, told him she was sobbing.

"Krista please don't cry!" he said as he walked into the room and sat down at the edge of her bed. "My family are idiots, they loved Hermione and when we broke up they couldn't accept it".

"They love her, yet they don't love me", she sobbed into her pillow.

"Oh that's not true, they just haven't met you properly yet", Ron replied soothingly.

"Why didn't you tell me you had gone out with Hermione?" she asked sobbing.

"I didn't think it was important, sure I haven't told you about my other girlfriends", Ron reasoned.

"Well it seemed to me, they only seemed interested in talking about Hermione, your ex who they all loved".

With Hermione, its always going to be different. She was my first girlfriend and before that we were best friends. That's why they all loved her, but that doesn't matter. Hermione and I just in the end didn't belong together so we split up. I've long gotten over her and I'm with you now and that's all that matters. I love you and Hermione is long gone".

"But your family don't even really like me", Krista sobbed as she sat up. Her make-up had definitely run now.

"That doesn't matter. All that matters is that we love each other and nothing else", Ron replied.

Krista smiled at him and hugged him tightly as he sat nearer to her. "Stay the night".

"Ok", Ron smiled and kissing her.