Hiya, everybody! I'm back! I know you all probably hate me for not updating, but guess what, I do too! So, no hard feelings there! -Go to my lookup for full details on this matter.- I'm gettin this back and runnin' as fast as I can, so keep checking for updates! By the way, many thanks to popsickle- it's because of you that I finally got motivated to finish these. I've been telling myself that I need to, but it took your review to give me that final shove! Much love goes to you and everyone else that's reviewed this fic!

Chapter 9: Dinner, Discussion, and Desert

"What do you think of this?"

"What is it?" asked Hermione as Ron examined a long metal object in Fred and George's shop. It was much like the one the twins had purchased the year before on a Hogsmeade trip; long and silver with pincers. It did look quite lethal.

"It says that it's used to get to hard to reach places," replied Ron as he waved it in front of her face, grasping the handle and causing the pincers to flex in front of her face.

"Ron," Hermione said sternly, "Get that away from my face before you poke my eye out."

Ron sighed annoyed. So rather than stick the device into Hermione's face, he decided to examine it up close.

"Just because you can't jab my eye out with that thing doesn't mean that you can jab your eye out with it," Hermione said irritably, rolling her eyes. "Now put it down before I take it away from you."

Ron grumbled, "You aren't any fun," but put the thing down anyways. "You know what you are? You're a-"

"Yes, yes, I'm an evil fun-sucker whom sucks the fun out of everything good in life, I know. You already told me that twice today," Hermione interrupted him to finish his sentence.

"See? You even took the fun out of that!"

Hermione sighed. "Whatever. Are you ready to go? I'm getting tired."

"All right. Let me say good-bye to the guys."

After having a quick visit with Fred and George, they exited the shop. Walking down the street toward the floo entrances, a woman in a cloak bumped into Ron and nearly knocked him over. When she didn't say sorry, he yelled after her, "Hey, watch where you're going!" But she just ignored him.

"I hate people like that," Ron muttered. "They think they can walk wherever they want and do whatever they want without having to apologize. I mean how hard is it to simply say, "Excuse me?""

They soon reached the transport station and stepped into the hearth, Ron first. Hermione arrived back at the Burrow a few moments after Ron.

"How was your day, kids?" Mrs. Weasley asked. She was standing at the sink pealing potatoes.

"Good. We ran into a friend from school and chatted for a while."

"Oh, good. And you've returned just in time for dinner!"

"Wonderful," said Ron with a grin, rubbing his hands together.

Hermione rolled her eyes. How could he even be thinking about eating right now? They had just had lunch a little while ago. Then she remembered that Ron was a boy, and that his stomach was a bottomless pit.

"I'm just going to go upstairs and wash up before dinner, then," said Hermione. She began walking up the stairs and soon reached her room. Merlin, was she tired. Rather than wash up like she said she was going to, Hermione jumped onto her bed and stretched out. She would only take a little rest, then she would get up and go down for supper. But as Hermione sat telling herself she would only lie down for a minute, she slowly started to drift off. Soon, Hermione was fast asleep.

"Hermione," Ron said, opening the door to her room, "It's time for-" He stopped when he saw her. She was sleeping peacefully, sprawled out on her bed. Guess she wasn't kidding when she said that she was getting tired. Debating for a moment what to do, Ron decided it was best if he let her be. Before returning downstairs though, he took the comforter that was folded neatly at the end of the bed and covered Hermione with it. He gave a small smile and left, closing the door.

Hermione woke with a start. She had just had a horrible dream where she was being chased by a blast-ended screwt. She was running wildly around Ron's front yard, screaming like a banshee, while Ron and the rest of the Weasleys stood and watched her, laughing. It was one of the weirdest dreams she had ever had.

Shaking the dream out of her head, she realized that she had obviously been sleeping for more than a few minutes. The sky outside was no longer bright and sunny, but a dark midnight blue, speckled with stars. Hermione checked her watch and groaned. It was already ten o'clock. She had been asleep for about four hours. Her stomach gave a loud rumble, announcing that it was hungry now.

Slowly, Hermione pushed the comforter down, and subconsciously wondered who it was that had covered her up with it. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood up. Her legs and arms felt sore, so she figured that she must've slept on them in a weird position. Hermione stretched and walked downstairs

Looking in at the family room, she found that it was unoccupied. Everyone must have already gone to bed because the house was dead quiet.

Hermione entered the kitchen quietly, not wanting to wake anyone. She tiptoed over to the cupboards, when she was startled by a voice that came from behind her.

"Your dinner is on the draining board."

Hermione turned to see Ron sitting at the table. He was eating a piece of what seemed to be cake. "Jesus, Ron. You nearly scared the magic out of me!"

"Lord, I hope I didn't. That would ruin your reputation. First a muggle, then you become a squib. They'd have to kick you out of Hogwarts."

Hermione laughed. "You know very well what I meant by that."

Ron grinned. "So I see you've finally decided to wake up?" he teased as she sat down across from him with her plate of food.

"Yes. My stomach demanded that I eat," she joked.

"Well, you missed quite an ordeal tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"Fred announced that he's engaged."

"What?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Yeah. To Angelina Johnson."

"No way."

"Yes way. According to him, they've been an item for a while now. About since our fourth year."

"Wow," said Hermione, amazed. This was quite a shock. Out of all of the kids the Weasley's had, she had expected Fred and George to get married last. It was strange to think that Fred would now probably be first.

"When are they getting married?"

"They're not sure yet. They don't know if they really want to right now because they're only eighteen."

This was very hard to take in. Hermione had never thought of Fred being married. She really couldn't imagine it.

"What does your mother think of it?"

"Well, she's a bit like you are-Really startled. But she's just so happy that one of her children is finally getting married that she's already started planning the wedding."

Ron and Hermione laughed at this. It really was the sort of thing that Mrs. Weasley would do. She finished her dinner, put the dish in the sink and sat back down.

"Oh," said Hermione in sudden realization, "Is that why you've got cake?" She pointed to the frosting covered desert in front of him.

"Yep. Mum made it as soon as the lovebirds announced it."

Hermione frowned, slightly disappointed. She had missed Mrs. Weasley's cake. Having had it once or twice before, she knew that it was delicious.

"Here," Ron said, almost as if reading her mind, "We can share. I got too big of a piece anyways." He pushed his plate toward her so that it was in the middle of the two of them. Ron also got up and handed her a fork before he sat back down.

"Mmmm," Hermione nearly groaned with delight as she took her first bite of the cake. It was so good that she closed her eyes and savored the taste.

"I take it that you like it," Ron asked, a small smile on his face, his eyebrows raised. He laughed lightly.

"Shush up Ron," she laughed back.

They spent a long time sitting down at the kitchen table, talking, laughing, and joking around.

Somehow, the topic of the night at the Ministry came up.

"I still get pains sometimes, in my chest where that Death-Eater hit me with the curse," Hermione said, her hand unconsciously raising to where she had been hit.

Ron had an understanding expression on his face. "I've got scars from where the tentacles from those damn brain things were clinging on to me."

"Really?" Hermione asked. Ron rolled up his sleeve to show her the marks across his arms. "Wow." Hermione leaned over the table to get a better look at them.

Suddenly, Hermione realized just how painfully close to Ron she was. She was so close that if she wanted to, she could've wrapped her arms around him. Ron seemed to notice this too. They both looked at each other nervously, wondering what to do.

Finally, Hermione said, "But you have to admit that it was funny watching that thing attack you." She sniggered and grinned. Next thing she knew, the little bit of cake that had been left on the table was now smeared on her face. Obviously Ron hadn't appreciated her saying that.

Wiping the cake out of her eyes with her sleeve, Hermione looked at Ron. He had a broad grin on his face. "But you have to admit that it was even funnier getting to see that," he jeered.

Ron thought for a moment that Hermione was about to punch him, but was wrong when she burst out laughing. The two of them sat there for at least five minutes laughing before they could stop. They finally decided to go up to bed, since it was now well past midnight. They stood by the table as they said their goodnights; Hermione was going up to bed while Ron was getting ready to lock up.

"G'night, Hermione," said Ron, smiling. He clearly thought that he was going to get away with what he had done.

"Trust me, Ronald Weasley, you aren't getting away with what you did to me tonight. I'm going to make you suffer a horrific revenge," Hermione threatened with a playful smirk.

"Oh yeah?" Ron joked back. "How's that?"

"Like this."

Hermione didn't know what made her do it. But she somehow found herself standing on her tiptoes and wrapping her arms around Ron's neck to kiss him, full on the lips. Ron's eyes widened as Hermione did this, but since they were both getting into it, he closed them.

Hermione suddenly pulled back from Ron, whom was looking dazed and confused, yet very happy. She seemed flustered, but also very happy none-the-less.

When Ron finally discerned what had just happened, he said to Hermione, "Yeah... I think I need you to get back at me a bit more before I've learned my lesson."

Hermione chuckled slightly before leaning up and kissing Ron again.