No Time For Epilogues
Disclaimer: All recognizable person, places and things are credited to JK Rowling and I'm making no $$$ is made from this fanfic. DH spoilers abound!! Chapter 3- Ron Weasley
Keeping a journal must not be too barmy if Harry does it. He writes in his a lot. Ginny gave me one to use, so here goes. The mood around the Burrow is sad, but I know Fred would never have wanted us to, as he put it, "to wallow in grief" if he passed. George is talking again, mainly to Ginny about the Hogsmeade WWW shop, since she now has part ownership. After lunch, we're going to Gringotts to see about Fred's vault.
Didn't we just leave Gringotts? On the back of a dragon no less? Poor Hermione, I know how much she hates to fly. She must have plucked up every ounce of courage she had to get on that dragon's back. After she was tortured and had a chandelier fall on her, I would have understood if she wanted to leave. Hell, I would have thought about it, had that happened to me.
No matter how times she keeps telling me how smart and brave I've been, it doesn't seem much compared to what she did. The cleverest witch of her age? Hardly. It's more than that, way more than that. Of course, she would never say that. She would just say 'it's applying what you've learned.' And how about dropping those basilisk fangs and kissing me! Where did she learn to kiss like that? I never wanted to stop! For a few moments, there was no war, no Voldemort, no horcruxes. It was just me and her, like I dreamed for years. As it turns out, she likes to kiss. Let me say that again: not only is she a bloody brilliant kisser, she likes it. Am I a lucky bloke or what?
Evidently, Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes was doing better than anyone thought, because Ron's half of Fred's vault was just over 4000 galleons. He and Ginny were shocked. Ginny broke out in sobs.
"F-Fred! He left us this!" she wailed. "Why?"
He drew her in for a hug. "No idea, but he would want us to put it to good use, wouldn't he? Have some fun with it?"
Ginny smiled through her tears. "Y-Yes."
"Let's take a bit and do just that, what do you say?" he asked.
They returned to the Burrow just before lunch, laden with treats and gifts.
"Ron, this came for you," Molly said, waving a letter for him. He took the letter, saw who it was from and left the kitchen with a smile.
"Isn't young love wonderful?" Molly asked.
In his room, he read his letter.
The Weasley family jumped when they heard the loud "YES!SHE LOVES ME!!" from upstairs.
Ron stood ready to leave with a boquet of roses and a small sack of Hermione's favorite treat, rasberry fudge galleons.
"Wait, I've never been to her house, much less know what her back yard looks like," he said.
"Don't worry son, I've been there to help ward the home a few times. I'll drop you off then leave," Arthur said. "Mrs. Granger keeps very nice rose bushes."
Seconds after arriving in a perfectly manicured back yard, the back door opened and Hermione ran out, tackling him with a hug and their lips came together until a man cleared his throat. Hermione gave him one last squeeze and turned around.
"Daddy, meet Ron Weasley," she said.
Ron walked forward and extended his hand. Mr. Granger was taller than he was. "Pleased to meet you, Master Granger."
"Ian Granger," he replied and looked at Hermione curiously.
"Daddy, among wizards, that's the form of address when a wizard meets the parents of a witch," she said.
"Well, none of that, I'm no one's master. Mr. Granger if you please," he said kindly.
"Oh, this is for you," Ron said, giving her the flowers and sweets.
Hermione gave him another smile and quick squeeze around the waist. As soon as the three walked in the door, they were met with a loud, "So there's the young man who stole my only child's heart!"
"Oh God," Hermione mumbled.
Ron's eyes left Hermione's face to meet with a Hermione look-alike, only older.
"Mum, meet Ron Weasley. Ron my mum, Elizabeth."
And just as his dad taught him over the years, he bowed slightly and kissed Mrs. Granger's hand. Hermione giggled. She had never seen Ron kiss anyone's hand. He learned more about Hermione at lunch it seemed than he did the past seven years. She had a younger sister who died in an accident when she was two. She also played the piano, football when she was younger and took dance lessons growing up.
"I can't tell you how pleased I am to meet you, Ron," Mrs. Granger said. "I was wondering if our Hermione was even interested in boys."
Hermione choked on her bite and dropped her fork. Mr. Granger was chuckling and Ron wasn't sure if he heard Mrs. Granger correctly. Hermione swallowed her bite, wiped her mouth and rose from the table.
"Are you done?" she asked Ron.
"Sure," he answered and they left the dining room.
"What did I say?" Mrs. Granger asked.
They cuddled and chatted on the sofa in the den. Hermione liked cuddling, which Ron was pleased to learn. She was tucked under his arm, her head resting on his chest. He loved the feel and scent of her long, wavy hair. It wasn't like he thought, but was thick, soft and smelled flowery, but not overly so. It also wasn't bushy or frizzy, but full.
"Sorry if mum embarassed you. She can be...enthusiastic sometimes," she said.
"You've met Molly Weasley, haven't you?" he asked and kissed the top of her head. "You know Dad would have a fit if he saw this room. That," he said, pointing to the computer, "would give him a joyful heart attack, hands down."
"Or the electric pencil sharpener," she said.
"Play something for me," he requested, nodding at the piano.
"You want to hear me play?"
He nodded. "I only wish I had some kind of talent."
"That's where you're wrong," she said, sitting on the piano bench, flipping through sheets of music. "You're the best chess player I've ever seen, better than Daddy even. You can play Quidditch, that takes talent."
"Your Dad plays chess?"
"Yeah, the set is in that slide-top table in front of you," she said, gesturing to the table at Ron's knees.
Ron slid the table top back to reveal the most astonishing chess set he had ever seen. The black marble board with crystal pieces left him breathless.
"I think he likes it," she said softly and started a slow, romantic tune.
Ron went back to the Burrow a happy man. Hermione loved him, her parents liked him, and he left the Granger home with a black marble and crystal chess set. He showed it to his family.
"Mr. Granger said he had a spare set in the basement and just gave it to me," Ron said. "They invited our family to dinner Friday night too."
"How generous," Molly said. "This must be worth a small fortune."
"Well...they seem to be well off," Ron said. "But they're not snobby, not at all."
"Of course they aren't, look at Hermione," Arthur said.
"Now sit and tell us all about your afternoon," Molly said.