At the Burrow, Ron Weasley was up in his room at his window pane, watching the rain fall in the garden, and the gnomes running for shelter. He put his hand against the cold glass pane and looked back to his bed. He walked over to it and sat down, taking a piece of parchment and a quill from his stationary kit. He dipped the quill into his inkpot and hovered it above his parchment.
"Ron-Ald! Time for dinner dear!" Mrs. Weasley echoed through the house.
Ron looked back at his paper and saw a long line running wet along the parchment. "Look what you made me do," he said quietly to himself. He threw the parchment away and went downstairs to the smell of apples and cinnamon, basking in the small kitchen.
"Could you set the dinner plates up, Ginny dear?"
"Yes mum," replied Ginny. She still pertained her sweet and innocent voice from when she was younger and sprung on Harry Potter. But to look closer, there lay a ring on her left hand that symbolized the marriage of her and Draco Malfoy.
Ron looked at the place setting and saw the extra seat next to where Ginny was standing. "Don't tell me Malfoy's coming over again."
"Don't tease your sister, Ron. Malfoy is family now, and I expect you to behave yourself."
"Hmpf. A little more than kin and less than kind." Ron said lowly to himself, but Ginny heard him loud and clear and didn't stand for it. She threw a plastic cup straight at his head when their mother wasn't looking. "Hey! What was that for," he yelled angrily.
"You know exactly what." Ginny sneered and finished placing the last of the dinner set pieces on the table, then there came a brilliant emerald light from the living room. Ginny ran over to Malfoy and he brought her into a kiss.
Mrs. Weasley bustled out of the kitchen and embraced her son-in-law. "Were your ears burning my dear? We were just talking about you." Mrs. Weasley, Ginny and Malfoy all walked into the dining room now.
"Oh really, what about?" He looked particular to Ron but turned his head back to his wife and mother-in-law.
Malfoy took in the house as he always did and looked toward Mrs. Weasley. "You know you can move out of this house. Live in our mansion with my mother and I. It's not a problem, more than enough room with my father sentenced to life in Azkaban."
Mrs. Weasley sat down, just like the others before her. "Oh no dear. This house has too much memories. I just couldn't sell it and move in with you. Ginny's your wife and you both shouldn't have to only drop by every once in a while."
"But mum, I can't leave you and dad here alone. " Ginny took her mother's hand.
"Oh its no trouble. Ron will still be here. Poor thing, still hasn't found the right girl yet."
"Mum!" Ron said exasperated. "I'm right here." His face glowed red from embarrassment.
"Oh I know, but it's true."
Ron stuck his face in his food and could hear Malfoy talking again.
"What happened to you and Granger? Did she find someone else or something?" Malfoy asked in his regular voice.
"I'm going up to my room," Ron threw down his fork and ran up the stairs.
Mrs. Weasley stood up, calling him back but he wouldn't come. Malfoy looked at her sorrowful. "I wasn't trying to be mean," he said.
"It's alright." Mrs. Weasley said.
"I suppose I should have said this, that's why I asked if Granger found someone else. But–" Malfoy choked on his words and Ginny rubbed on his arm to make the words come out, "I saw her with Krum this afternoon at a Starbucks Coffee shop in London." He paused. "They looked . . . close, like at the Yule Ball...in our fourth year." He looked to Ginny.
"That broke his heart. He didn't say anything , but I knew the look on his face."
Mrs. Weasley put a hand over her mouth and looked up to the ceiling.
In Ron's room he was busily etching a letter onto his parchment. He looked at the other dozen he started to Hermione, but never really courageous enough to send them off. He sat silently in his room, but with a little interruption from everyone downstairs. He finally picked up his quill, after having been staring blankly into space and around his room that he had no idea what he was putting into his letter except for words, words, words.
When Hermione finally left Viktor's hotel room, all the boys on the team ganged up on him. "That's the girl you've been blabbing about ever since your visit to Hogwarts." One of them said.
"She doesn't look like much. And besides, didn't you say you two were just friends," another one spoke out, "But, are you hoping for something . . . more?" He emphasized on 'more' as he looked at him.
"You don't know what you're talking about. I'll see you guys later." Viktor waved off to them and went to his room.
He turned on the light and walked over to his four poster bed, but just before sitting down, he got a piece of parchment and quill from his stationary desk and began writing.
Two hours passed, all the other Quidditch players went to sleep but Viktor still stayed up to finish his letter.
"It was good to have you over Draco, give your mother my best." Mrs. Weasley kissed his forehead and he stepped into the fireplace.
"Coming Ginny?" He held out his hand before her. She took his hand and crouched in with him. Taking the Floo Powder in hand and throwing it down at their feet, they magically disappeared in the emerald flames.
After that Mrs. Weasley went up the stairs and stopped when she saw the light on in Ron's room. "Oh, my dear sweet Ron," and she walked on to her and her husband's room.
Ron finally put down his quill and stood up, walking over to Pig's cage, where he twittered and hooted excitedly.
Viktor too stood up and walked over taking out his hawk owl.
"This is for Hermione, get it to her as fast as you can." They both said, and attached their notes to their birds.
The two feathered creatures hooted in comply and flew off into the cold windy night.
All the while, at young miss Hermione Granger's parent's house, she was up in her room getting ready for bed.
Outside both Pig and Viktor's owl were flying at the same speed. The wind was ruffling their feathers as they accelerated faster and faster. Pig was so tiny, however, that when Viktor's owl came over Hermione's window, he didn't see Pig swoop underneath him. All Hermione could hear from her window was the high screeching they out let out. When the two collided, their letters were detached and began falling to the ground below,but . . . due to their instincts and training, they dived steeply and caught their letters.
By this time, Hermione went over to her window and opened up her window, glaring out in the night sky. "Oh!" Pig and Viktor's owl zoomed in and perched on her bedpost. "If I hadn't told Ron a hundred times . . . ugh." Hermione grunted in frustration and walked over to the two birds. "I don't like that he sends you out when its dark. Larger birds can get to you," she took the letters from both of them, but only Viktor's owl took off afterwards. After his long journey, Pig needed to recuperate his energy.
Hermione got settled in her bed, and ripped out Viktor's letter. Pig goggled over her shoulder as she read. Expressions changing from good to exuberant. "Oh my. I didn't know he still felt that way," she looked up at Pig. "Do you think I should go?" The little owl hooted gleefully. "Well, alright. What will it hurt anyway?" She leaned over to reach for her lamp and switched it off.