-1Disclaimer - Not mine people, just came up with the idea during a long and particularly random conversation with my mate one devastatingly long day in work! We'll see how it turns out…
As soon as Ron stepped through the door he was accosted by his youngest daughter Kate, who ran towards him and hugged his knees.
"Daddy!" she cried, "You's home!" Ron smiled, and picked his four year old daughter up and squeezed her.
"Hello sweetheart." he replied, "how was your day?"
Kate chatted away about the day she had spent with Molly Weasley at the Burrow while Hermione and Ron were in work, as he carried her into the kitchen, met with the delicious smell of his wife's dinner cooking. He bent and kissed Hermione in greeting.
"Hello darling." she smiled, "dinner won't be long. Lamb chops tonight!" Ron groaned appreciatively.
"You spoil me 'Mione!"
As the three ate dinner, talk turned to the next day, when they would pick up their two oldest children, fourteen year old Joseph and eleven year old Aimee, from the Hogwarts Express for the summer.
"Where's Ben tonight?" Ron asked, referring to their eight year old son.
"Oh, he's staying at Harry and Ginny's with Sirius." Hermione replied, fiddling with her cutlery. "Ron, I need to talk to you about something. Witch Weekly are doing a series of articles, fun sort of things, about family life and how it differs between families, and they asked me if I would take part." Ron frowned.
"Sounds interesting. Let me guess, they asked us after Harry and Ginny said no?"
"Ronald! No they did not. Anyway, I sort of said we would, but the only catch is that it's a kind of wife swap…"
"This isn't some weird sex thing, is it?" Ron interrupted her, looking worried. Hermione laughed at his expression.
"Ron, I wish you wouldn't talk like that in front of the baby!" she exclaimed, looking at Kate who was engrossed in a miniature toy broomstick, hovering a few inches above the dinner table. "It's basically a sort of social experiment. Nothing weird, it just means I'd be living in another house with a different family for two weeks, and the mother of that family would be living here." Ron frowned again, clearly thinking.
"But we wouldn't have to share a bed with the person, would we?" he asked.
"No, nothing like that. It just seems interesting, that's all. If you don't want to do it, we don't have to."
"Sounds like just the sort of thing that would interest my weird little wife," Ron laughed, "if it makes you happy love, we'll do it." Hermione stood and began to clear the dishes away.
"Don't call me weird!" she mock sulked. Ron chuckled.
"I'm sure I can think of a way to make it up to you." he replied suggestively, winking at Hermione.
Two weeks later, a post owl arrived at breakfast, addressed to Mr. and Mrs. R Weasley. Ron opened it curiously, and reading through it the colour drained from his face.
"Ron, something wrong?" Hermione asked worriedly. Ron thrust the letter towards her silently. Hermione's eyes grew wider as she read the letter.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,
Witch Weekly would like to extend their thanks to you for agreeing to take part in our articles on family life. The family that have agreed to swap with you are Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy, and their two children. The swap will take place at six pm this evening, and we would appreciate it if Mrs. Weasley could be packed and ready to leave for two weeks in Malfoy Manor.
Many thanks,
Cassandra Capulet
Editor, Witch Weekly