Ok sorry as always for the deley in updates, but it wasn't as long as last time. The challenge for this chapter was writing Fred and George and i can only hope i did them justice. Once again thanks for all the reviews they inspire me. Do enjoy.
Chapter 8
Hermione sat at the table in her kitchen rubbing the tip of her wedding ring finger as she sipped her coffee. She was greatful today was Saturday it meant she could just go about her day however slowly she wished. The only thing she had to do was meet the family at the Burrow for dinner at 3. She wasn't looking forward to it, everytime they got together they tried to convince her she needed to have a memorial service for Ron, thinking she had had pleanty of time to mourn. They didn't understand that she was not mourning. She knew he was alive still, she could feel his love still in her, the moment she stopped feeling it she would know he was gone. Sometimes it was so strong she thought she would not be able to contain the happiness and saddness it made her feel. Other times it was so weak she was certain she would lose him forever and she was over come by pain and saddness. She finished the coffee she had been drinking and went up to shower and prepare herself for the Weasley family brunch later that day.
flashback
She felt the pin prick her left hand ring finger. He squeezed the tip of her finger gently and she felt the blood begin to seep out of the tiny hole. She took the pin from him and did the same to him. She looked up into his eyes and smiled, "You're sure Ron? You're sure you want to do this?"
"Hermione, I suggested it. Why wouldn't I want to do it? I know you are going to worry about me when I'm on missions, this is one way of assuring that you won't have to worry about me as much." He leaned down and kissed her gently, "Now, what are we waiting for?"
"The newlyweds?" she replied nodding her head in Ginny and Harry's direction who, having grown tired of the disscussion, short as it was, had began snogging.
"Oy, you two, we're ready."
"Sorry, guys." they both replied.
"Ok, Harry, Ginny, you both know what you need to do right?"
"Yes, Hermione. You know it isn't really that difficult to hold a piece of paper in front of your faces.
"Harry don't get cheeky with me."
"If we don't hurry I'm going to bleed to death."
"Honestly, Ron, it is only a small little pin prick. I highly doubt it is going to cause you to bleed to death. Now, are we ready?"
"YES!" they all said at once.
"Ok now we need to squeeze our fingers again to get the blood out"
Ron and Hermione stood facing each other while Harry and Ginny held up the papers for them to read.
"We have to say it together."
Ron nodded and they both begain to speak.
"Our spirits once seperate out in the world now come together to create a new love.
Bound to my spirit." They joined their right hands interlacing their fingers. "Bound by my blood" They pressed their left hand ring fingers together. "Until my death you will feel my love." They now laced the fingers of their left hands together. "Our spirits now joined, my heart now yours, my love ever true, forever I will be bound to you. Now bound to my spirit, now bound by my blood, until my death you will feel my love."
end flashback
Hermione looked into the mirror and put on the best smile she could muster and with a pop she was gone. She arrived in the kitchen of the burrow with an equally loud pop and looked around for the family. "Hmm they must already be in the garden." she said to herself and made her way out the door to find them.
"Oh Hermione dear I wasn't sure if you would make it or not. It is so good to see you." said Mrs. Weasley, pulling her into a tight hug.
"It's good to see you too, Mum. Where is the rest of the family?"
"Oh they are up in the clearing playing Quidditch. They should be back anytime."
"Dad, too?"
"Yes, and I told Arthur he was much too old to be messing around on a broom but he didn't listen to me. He will be getting no sympathy from me when he comes back with a broken arm needing mending."
"I don't think he'll break his arm. Can I help you with anything?"
"Oh no, we're all set; I just need to get the others here. Weasley's AND Potter's. They should be around shortly dear. How bout we sit down and talk until they come."
Hermione sighed knowing full well what Mrs. Weasley wanted to talk about, and knowing she didn't want to get into it again. She reluctantly sat down on one of the wooden chairs surrounding the large table.
"So," said Mrs. Weasley sitting down beside her, "how have you been dear? You look tired. Are you working too hard? Are you sleeping enough?"
"I've been fine Mum, really. I am sleeping. I'm not working too hard I promise, my boss won't let me. I was up a little late last night trying to finish a report." She hoped the lie would work not wanting to discuss her dreams and fitfull nights sleep with Mrs. Weasley.
Mrs. Weasley gave her a questioning look and was about to say something when they heard the rest of the family coming.
"Arthur what happened to you?" Mr. Weasley came first and placed a kiss on his wifes head.
"Oh it is nothing dear, I had a slight run in with a tree but I'll be fine." His face had several scratches on it, some with bits of dried blood.
Shaking her head Mrs. Weasley pulled out her wand and preformed a healing charm on her husband and waved at her children who were striding across the yard towards them.
Bill, Charlie, and Percy were the first to arrive. They greeted Hermione with a quick hug and settled down to the table, all three popping open bottles of butterbeer. Next came Harry and Ginny who gave Hermione big hugs and settled to one side of her. Finally, Fred and George came bounding up to the table, both with the grins of two cheshire cats who had been up to mischief. "Oh look Fred, our dear Hermione has joined us."
"Well, it appears she has George. Hermione would you like a chocolate."
"I learned many years ago not to accept anything from you two gits."
"Very well. Enough of that children. Let's eat." said Mrs. Weasley.
The family ate themselves into quite a state with the delicious dishes Mrs. Weasley had prepared, talking and laughing the whole time. Fred and George naturally kept the table in fits of laughter with jokes and the pranks. The whole family nearly lost it when they transfigured Percy's goblet into a tucan bird, which they managed to do right as he was getting ready to take a sip causing the bird to squawk at him. The family then compleatly lost it when the bird, having been frightened from looking at Percy so closely, flew off leaving a present on the bill of Percy's new muggle baseball cap he had been bragging about for weeks. Percy then got up and left the table in a huff, "Honestly I would have thought the two of you would have grown up by now."
"Honestly, I would think you would know us better by now." the twins called after him in unison.
"I wonder George, how long it will take the boy..."
"to realize he has bird dung on his precious new cap?" said Fred finishing his twins sentence.
Hermione hadn't laughed so hard in years. It was good to be there with the family, Fred and George though they loved to torment her, loved her deeply and hated to see her so sad all the time.
"Hermione. We were wondering, seeing as it is starting to be a rather warm day." said George.
"Quite warm indeed brother." Fred put in.
"So, as i was saying. We were wondering if you wouldn't like to..."
"Join us for a swim?" said Fred finishing his brothers sentence once again.
"I know what you two are getting at and you won't do it again." she said as she drew out her wand and aimed it at the two twins.
"Very well Hermione, but it could be fun."
"Hmpfh" was all she returned them. As Mr. and Mrs. Weasley cleared the table Hermione remembered the last time the twins had taken her swimming.
flashback
Ron and Hermione walked hand in hand around the lake at the Burrow. Talking and laughing and enjoying their afternoon together. They had been married six months and had come out for the Weasley Family Brunch. The afternoon was warm and the air a bit muggy but the newlyweds didn't care. Ron finally led them over to a large shade tree by the lake.
"Come sit with me 'Mione."
"Ron, do you honestly want me to sit on the ground? Can't we go back to the house?"
"'Mione live a little."
"Oh fine." and she settled down beside him. He slipped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. This makes up for sitting on the ground she thought to herself. She knew she would never understand why still after all these years she never felt more at home than when she was in his arms. His arms were her comfort zone.
"Penny for you thoughts." Ron asked her using a muggle phrase Hermione had taught him.
"Oh, I was just thinking about how much I love beinging in your arms. I always feel at home here."
"Know what I like better than having you in my arms?"
"Hmm, what's that?"
"This." He leaned down and gently kissed her lips.
"Oh, yes I must agree. I do like that also. I think we should try again to make sure it is really what we enjoy." Their lips met once again this time more passionatly. Ron's hands slid around to her back and pressed her into him as her hands made their way to his hair. Their kiss deepened and their lips parted allowing them to explore the others mouth. As they continued to kiss Ron pulled Hermione down on top of him as he lay back on the ground. He rolled them over til she was lying on her back and he was half over her. They broke their kiss to come up for air, Ron carressing her cheek and moving the hair away from her face. "I'll never get over how beautiful you are." He leaned down and kissed her lips again and then began to kiss down her neck. She pressed her hands into his back as he continued kissing her neck occasionally moving up and nibbling on her ear, causing her to giggle.
"Well well well, brother what do we have here?" came the voice of Fred casing Ron to stop mid kiss on Hermione's neck.
"It looks as if Ickle Ronnikins is about to get some." replied George to his twins questions.
"Sod of you bloody prats." came Ron's voice.
"Tsk, Tsk. Language Ronnikins, language." said Fred.
"You wouldn't want us to hex you, now would you?" said George.
"Can't a bloke get some time alone with his WIFE?" said Ron as he sat up.
"Ron, honestly these two are mearly jealous because they are too big of prats to have their own women. Now boys do move along before I have to hex YOU."
"You wouldn't hex us Hermione."
"You are not near brave enough."
Hermione having sat up by this time pulled out her wand, pointed it at the twins, and calmly said "Oh but wouldn't I?"
"Fine have it you're way" the twins said in unison as they sauntered off.
"Now, love where were we?" said Ron as he settled in to resume his persute of her neck, but was stopped by her hand.
"Ron, we really shouldn't out here where anyone can see. Why don't you just hold me?"
"HOLD YOU? Come on 'Mione you can't leave me like this."
"RONALD." was all she had to say.
"Fine love." and he took her in his arms as they layed under the tree, soon drifting off to sleep.
"Finally, are you ready to initiate 'Operation Drowned Rat'?" George asked Fred from behind the bush they were hiding behind.
"Most deffinatly, it will do her some good. She'll learn soon enough not to mess with us, I don't care how bloody smart she is."
"Right you are Fred, right you are." There whispering continued as the continued making plans for O.D.R. After about an hour of finalizing and fine tuning their plan, George stuck his wand through the branches of the bush and whispered "Wingardium Leviosa" and as he did so Ron and Hermione floated into the air. "Locomoter" came the next command and George directed them over the lake, right in the middle. Not too high, but high enough. "Ready Fred?"
"Ready George."
"Oy, you two, what are you doing?"
The couple began to stir and Hermione was the first to awaken. She sat up and looked around, still in a bit of a state from her nap, she wondered out loud, "Why am I looking at a tree branch?" She looked down only to find the lake below her. "Ron, wake up. Wake up NOW!" she shook Ron furiously.
Sitting up he said, "Hermione, what's up?"
"Try looking down!"
Looking down he bellowed, "FRED--GEORGE, I'M GONNA KILL YOU!"
"And how are you going to do that from up there?" Fred called to him. Seeing him looking frantically for his wand, "Is Ronnikins forgetting that he left his wand at the house? Tsk, Tsk, you should know better than to be without it. Aren't they teaching you anything in your auror training?"
"YOU TWO PUT US DOWN RIGHT NOW!!"
"Very well, just remembered you asked for it." With that George said the counter curse and released them, the next moment there was a loud splash. They ran off leaving a dripping Ron and Hermione standing knee deep in the water.
"Ron, how did you ever put up with them as a child?"
But Ron could not answer her, he was standing there gapping at her like a fish. Her clothes were clinging to her body in all the right spots and Ron couldn't remember seeing her look any sexier than she did right now. Her hair was dripping and and clinging to her bare neck and shoulders, it was all he could do not to attack her right there.
"Hermione,"
"Ron, what are you gawking at? I swear I probably look like a drowned rat. Honestly those two. RON!"
He had waddled over closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Hermione," he whispered in her ear, "apparate to our bedroom."
Smiling she did as he requested. Once in their room he tossed her onto the bed, and tore his shirt off. "Ronald, you are acting like an animal honestly."
"GRrrrrr..." he replied as he jumped on to the bed beside her.
"OH MY." was all she could get out before he hungrily attacked her with is mouth.
end flashback
Hermione smiled to herself, that had been a wonderful night. She needed to remember to thank the boys later for that, sure it would make them squirm. She took a deep breath as she saw her mother and father-in-law coming back towards the table, a tea service floating in front of them. They sat the service on the table, which they had magically shrunk to a cozy round one, and sat in the two remaining seats. She watched as Mrs. Weasley poured the tea into the cups and handed her one.
"Thanks, Mom."
"Oh, you're welcome dear. Arthur and I wanted to talk to you about something. Didn't we?" She turned to her husband beside her who was pulling on his collar and looking rather uncomfortable.
"Um, yes, yes we did. We were, um, wondering if you had given anymore thought to a memorial service for Ron?"
Hermione, tried not to look as mad and as hurt as she felt. They had this conversation every month for the past 4 years, since the ministry had stopped looking for Ron. Hermione always refused, she could still feel him inside her and would not give up on him. She knew they meant well and were trying to get her to come to terms with his death, they didn't understand how she knew and refused to believe that he was dead. "Mom, Dad," she said looking at each of them in turn. "We have been over this. I'm not going to have a memorial service for Ron. I know you love him and me and you just want whats best for me, but I have no reason to believe he's dead. I would know if he were dead or not, I would feel it. We are connected, I know he is in trouble, I know he is looking for me also. When I stop feeling him, then I will have the memorial service."
"Hermione, please dear. Don't you think it is time?" said Mrs.Weasley.
"No, I don't. I'm not going to say it again. There will be no memorial service until I say so. Now lets have no more mention of it. And before you ask, yes I am still going on my walks every night. I promised Ron the last night we were together I would continue them, and until he is back in my arms I will continue to do so. Now before I lose my temper I am going home. I'll owl you tomorrow. Good night." and having said that she stood up and walked to the lake, she wanted to see it, to be there by it before she went home. She stared out at the water, took out her wand, whispered "I'll always love you Ron", and disapparated home.
