"He's coming," Kit panted, slamming the portrait closed behind her. "Everybody, hide!"

They did, with much whispering and giggling.

They heard the portrait close again, and all at once, all the Gryffindors jumped up yelling, "Surprise!"

Ron stood there in shock, a huge smile on his face. The Gryffindor Quidditch team all went over to pat him on the back, as did the boys that shared the sixth boys' dormitory.

As the initial hubbub died down and everyone grabbed some food, Ron sat in the huge armchair by the fire and proceeded to be flooded with cards and presents.

"Thanks, Neville," he said, unwrapping a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans: the first of many sweets.

The party wore on, the huge bowl of punch decreasing in volume.

"Does this punch taste weird?" Harry asked him as the party roared around them.

"I haven't tasted it yet," Ron admitted.

As the drink reached his mouth, he spat it out, spilling the rest of the glass' contents onto the floor.

"I know, it doesn't taste that –"

"Vodka."

Harry looked into his glass.

"Are you sure?"

Ron shot him a look of venom.

"Right," Harry said softly.

"Happy birthday, Ron," a small voice said from behind them.

"Thanks, Hermione," Ron replied, turning around and looking at her blankly.

"I – er – bought you something," she muttered, thrusting a small box wrapped in red paper into his hands.

"Oh, thanks," he said, smiling slightly at her.

She gave a weak smile back.

"Can I open it now?"

"Sure," Hermione replied, sitting down next to Harry on the couch.

As he opened the box, a gasp emitted from his partly open lips.

"Oh, Hermione," he sighed, quickly getting up and wrapping her in a hug.

"I thought you might like it," she said, a grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.

"I love it," he said excitedly, letting go of her.

"What is it?" Harry asked urgently as Ron fell back into his chair.

Speechless, he passed the box, and as Harry looked into it, his head shot up. Gaping at Hermione, he asked, "Was he angry?"

Hermione only shrugged.

At that moment, Kit called for the attention of the rest of the room.

"Okay," she shouted as she stood atop the table, "listen up!"

Some third years ignored her, and Kit's eyes narrowed.

"Hey! You!"

One of them looked up, smirking at her.

"Yeah, you," she growled, causing his smirk to slide off his face, and his eyes grow wide and fearful. "That's better," she growled. Turning back the room at large, she continued with a smile.

"Now, seeing as the birthday boy is one of our prefects, it's only fitting that a round of toasts be given to him. Without jam and non-alcoholic, of course."

Some people laughed, and Hermione looked at Ron cheekily.

"Don't want to get plastered?" she asked, but her face fell as he shook his head solemnly.

"So," Kit carried on, "Ron, it's been a great year so far, and you better not screw it up. Congrats on your apparation licence, and all the best until next March when we get to torture you again. Cheers."

"Cheers," everyone chimed in, raising their glasses as Harry took the table.

"Well," he said, shrugging at Ron, "we've been best mates since we got here, and you deserve all the riches and happiness life has to offer. Happy seventeenth."

Many more 'happy birthdays' were muttered as the portrait hole opened.

Applause filled the room as Fred and George hoisted themselves onto the table.

"As our little brother –" George began.

"My littlest," Fred added.

"We've decided that what better time to offer you a job –"

"A summer job –"

"Then on your seventeenth birthday." Some of the younger students gasped slightly.

"So, on July first –" Fred continued.

"At our shop –" Some of the older students who had first hand experience with the twins' merchandise gasped.

"You're due for training –"

"At seven o'clock."

"Wow," Ron breathed, gazing, enthralled, at his twin brothers.

"But enough of the mushy stuff," Fred said, and evil grin sprouting on his face.

"All we really wanted to say was –"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RONNIEKINS!"

As the crowd roared in laughter, the twins launched themselves at Ron, laughing and carrying on as they always had.

"Thanks for the party last night, guys," Ron mentioned the next morning as they waited for the Hogwarts Express. Easter break was upon them, and for the first time they were leaving the school for a week.

"No problem," Kit said, waving her hand. "It was fun."

"Yeah, it was," agreed Hermione, grinning somewhat evilly.

"You were in on it?" Ron asked, looking outraged.

Hermione laughed.

"Of course she was!" Harry exclaimed, now beginning to laugh himself. "She was –"

"A key part of the operation," Kit finished, as Harry succumbed to laughing.

"So," Hermione said, "what else is new with the Order?"

"Dunno," replied Ron, shrugging. "But we'll find out soon enough."

The group of them lapsed into silence.

"Are you excited?" Kit asked Jonathon as the train rounded the corner.

"Very," he whispered.

"Are you sure we aren't intruding?" Hermione asked as the train began to move.

"This is mum we're talking about," Ginny said tiredly, "There's no way anyone could intrude."

"'Cept Dung," Harry said, smiling.

"His job is to intrude," laughed Ron.

They all agreed, laughing, and before any of them knew it, they had pulled up to Platform Nine and Three Quarters.

"Ready to meet the family?" Harry asked Kit quietly as they dragged their trunks to the barrier.

"Family?"

"The Weasley's," Harry clarified. "They're my family now."

"I see," Kit whispered.

"Don't be nervous," he said softly, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "They'll love you."

She smiled, and he led her out into King's Cross. Mrs. Weasley was there greeting Hermione and Jonathon.

"Who are they all?" Kit whispered in his ear, her golden eyes wide.

"Mrs. Weasley is hugging Hermione," he whispered back, moving towards the group slowly. "Mr. Weasley is hugging Ginny. Bill and Charlie are with Ron: Bill has the long hair. And you've already met the twins."

"Who are the rest of them?"

"Well –"

"Harry, dear," called Mrs Weasley, engulfing him in a hug. "How are you?"

"Fine, Mrs. Weasley, fine," he said. "This is Kit," he added, gesturing to his girlfriend.

"Oh, hello dear," she said quickly, not hugging her, which struck Harry as odd. "It's time to go!" she shouted, turning back to the group at large.

"Ginny's the only girl, right?" Kit asked Harry as they moved out of the station.

"Yeah," Harry said, and Kit saw his face fall.

"Don't worry," she said quickly, trying to hide her own disappointment, "she'll get over it."

"I hope so," Harry said, following Ron into one of the cars.

Back at Grimmauld Place, they dragged their trunks upstairs to their respectable rooms as the Order members joined for a meeting in the kitchen.

"So what did mum think of Kit?" Ron asked as the four boys made themselves comfortable in the bedroom.

"Well, she didn't fancy her as much as I had hoped," Harry said, the disappointment evident in his voice.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Oh, Ron," a voice said from the door, "you can be so tactless."

"Thanks, Hermione," Ron said sarcastically.

"It's true!" Hermione said. "Ginny hates Kit, and she told Mrs. Weasley all about it, and remember what happened in fourth year?"

"Oh, you mean you being a scarlet woman?" Harry asked, beginning to laugh.

Hermione nodded, now smiling herself.

"So all I have to do is prove myself worthy of the great Harry Potter," Kit said, closing the door behind her as she entered the room.

"You've got a lot of work to do," Harry muttered. Kit slapped him playfully on the arm, sitting down beside him on the bed.

"I think we all do," Ron said.

"What do you mean?" Jonathon asked the rest of them sighed.

"The Order wants this house cleaned up so that it's liveable again," Harry explained.

"And we have to help," Ron said, falling back onto his bed.

"There's not that much to do now – is there?" Hermione asked warily.

"Just washing walls, doors, and windows," Mrs. Weasley said from the door.

"Fantastic," Ron muttered as they all made their way out of the room.