Harry stormed into the hall, burning with anger and embarrassment. So that was why Hermione had acted so oddly – she didn't want him, one of her best friends, to know about her engagement. She'd been holding out on him, and so had Ron. Harry sat down against the wall outside the ballroom, sighing. After everything they'd been through, they couldn't even bother to tell him about something as important as their engagement.

For a while, all he heard were the sounds from inside the ballroom. The polite laughter and chatter from before had grown to a raucous melee of noise. People cheered, guffawed, and – from the sounds of it – shot sparks from the tips of their wands. It was almost enough to make him want to rejoin the party. But then he remebered why he left in the first place; No one wants you in there, remember?

Suddenly, Ron appeared in the doorway, shaking his head at Harry. "Thought I'd find you out here," he stated.

"Why is that?"Harry replied coldly.

"Because," Ron began with a wry grin, "You always run off when you feel you've been slighted." He sat down next to his best friend.

"Well haven't I been?"

"What are you, ten?" Ron asked, annoyed. "Do Hermione and I need to consult you for everything? You must have known it was coming, after all. We have been together for a decade. Not like it was a complete surprise." He sighed. "Though, truth be known, we would have liked to tell you first."

Fighting his temper, Harry retorted, "Then why didn't you?"

Ron shrugged. "Circumstances prevented it."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, his anger subsiding to wary curiosity.

Again, Ron shrugged, his ears slowly turning a deep pink. "Well, mate, sometimes things happen that complicate a situation. And given what happened with us…" he trailed off, clearing his throat.

Harry raised an eyebrow. "What's going on?"

Ron leaned his head against the wall, ruffling his fiery red hair with his hand. It wasn't difficult to tell that he was struggling with himself, attempting to find the best way to let Harry know. "You see," he started delicately, "this wasn't entirely our decision."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harry scoffed, "someone can't force you into marriage."

Ron chuckled nervously. "Oh, yes they can. And this, 'third party,' shall we say, made it very hard for us to remain unengaged. In fact, we almost had to get married after he – or she – came into play," he eyed Harry apprehensively, "you know what I mean?"

"No," Harry blurted. He was mystified. What on earth could force Ron into an engagement?

"Well then, I'll try and be more frank," Ron continued, blushing furiously. "You see, this third person is rather small, and right now quite underdeveloped, and also," he swallowed hard, "growing inside my fiancée as we speak." He became very pale under the embarrassed red that covered his neck and ears.

Realization dawned on Harry in a most violent manner. "Hermione is pregnant?!" he cried, horrified at the thought.

"SHH!! Keep your voice down!!" Ron whispered frantically, looking to see if anyone else in the empty hall had heard. Groaning, he leaned forward, putting his head in his hands. "Yeah," he sighed, after a moment, "she is."

Harry opened and closed his mouth, quite like a fish. He sputtered for words, unsure of what to say. "Why Ron, that's…that's…" and again, realization came, "that's incredible."

Ron sighed again, turning to face his friend, "I know, isn't it? It's probably the best thing that's ever happened to me. Of course," he said, laughing lightly, "it took me a while to realize it. And we're still keeping it quiet for now. Lord knows what the media would do if they knew." He said "the media" the way one might say "that cockroach."

"How far along is she?"

"A little over a month," Ron replied, "And the service is the last week in June, so she shouldn't be showing during the ceremony."

Dumbstruck, Harry leaned against the wall. He tried to grasp the enormity of the situation. "A baby," he marveled, "Ron, you're a father."

At this, Ron couldn't contain a smile. "I know, right? Here I am – the biggest git in the entire universe – and I'm going to have a little midget of my own. It's wild," he breathed.

"D'you know if it's a boy or a girl?" Harry asked.

"Nah, we want to be surprised. Though I must say, I hope it's a girl."

Harry was surprised. "Really? You don't want a mini-Ron?"

Ron shuddered. "Absolutely not. I remember being a little boy; I know how much trouble boys are. No, I want a girl – a lot of girls. I want 12 perfect little girls, a whole houseful of dainty, clean, well-behaved girls; girls who will stay safe and happy. Girls won't run off to tame dragons, or bargain with goblins, or open joke shops. I want a veritable army of girls who will stay out of trouble. After everything my family went through, I want to know that my children are going to be safe, and that they're not going to run off and do stupid things or get hurt," he glanced back to the door, as though looking to see if Hermione would be standing there, watching him. "I can't believe it, but I have to be thinking about those things now, Harry. I have a family to care for. The last thing I would ever want is for one of them to get hurt."

Stunned by Ron's passion, Harry shook his head. "Even girls can get themselves killed," he reminded him quietly.

Ron nodded, replying matter-of-factly, "You mean Ginny."

"Was it that obvious?" Harry said sarcastically.

"My sister was practically raised by boys, keep that in mind," he sighed deeply, "but yeah, I guess you can't ever fully ensure you're kids' safety."

Harry shook his head. "Must be scary to think about."

"Oh it is," Ron laughed nervously, "it's a bit daunting. To see Hermione and think 'My God, there's a tiny hybrid in there!' is slightly frightening. But, you know, I want it. I've wanted it for a long time." Ron suddenly grew very somber. "In my entire life, I've never met another person like her. She's the only one who seems to love me no matter what moronic things I do – and I do a lot of them."

"You always have," Harry reminded him teasingly.

"Very true. And she's always accepted it, too. And that's the most," he took a deep breath, searching for the right words, "the most impressive thing in the world to me. It's that even when I'm a complete fool – which is most of the time – she still stays with me, and still loves me. That's so miraculous of her."

Harry nodded, suddenly feeling very alone. There'd been a time when he'd felt the same way about someone, but those days were far in his past.

Ron continued, "I can't imagine life without her. I hate to think what I would be now if the war had ended differently. Just think, it could have been her instead of Neville, or Parvati," he turned desperately to Harry, "we came so close to losing everything, but somehow she's all right. And I'm grateful for that, Harry. I really am."

Harry turned seriously to his best friend, stating gravely, "Be thankful, Ron. You don't know what it's like to lose the one you love the most."

"No, I don't. I hope I never have to. One thing's for certain, I'm not letting her get away. I love her more than anyone, and I'll be damned if I have to spend the rest of my life without her."

Right on cue, Hermione stepped into the hall, surveying her two best friends. Harry wondered if she had heard any of what Ron had told him. She cleared her throat and said, "Have you two had enough alone time?" He noted the corners of her mouth twitching as she attempted to cover a smile.

Ron smiled broadly, pulling himself to his feet. "Yep, I think we're finished," he said, stretching his limbs. "Shall we return?" The couple turned to walk back into the party, arms linked.

Harry stood up, calling after them, "Not so fast!"

They turned around to see what he wanted, and Harry opened his arms out wide. "Congratulations, you two," he praised them sincerely, "I'm so happy for you."

Hermione rolled her eyes, stating huffily, "Well I'm glad you finally said it! I was worried you'd never get around to it." She stepped forward and gave him a large bear hug.

Ron stepped into the mix, embracing the both of them strongly. "Now this is better," he sighed mockingly.

Hermione pulled away from the two of them, briskly walking back into the ballroom and calling behind her, "Now come on, boys, we have to be social."

Smiling ruefully after her, Ron turned to Harry and grumbled, "Some tigers never change their stripes."

Harry laughed, glad to once again be a part of the festivities.