Second time around

by Billybob - csagun36

It is said that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. What if this old saying was applied to Harry and Hermione? What if, in an attempt to protect Ron and Ginny from the Death Eaters, Harry and Hermione had concocted a plan which although su

8. Chapter 8

Title: Second Time Around

Author: Billybob

Chapter: Eight …Entitled: Queen to H3

Category: AU alternate universe  PGFH Post Graduation from Hogwarts

In other words; it takes place after J. K. Rowland's - seventh and last book

Number of Words: 19,955 (plus or minus a word or two) hey another short one … LOL

Rated; PG-13, for adult language, UK slang and profanity, with implied sexual innuendo

Author's disclaimer: This story is based in the wonderful magic world created by J. K. Rowland, she owns all legal rights to the characters, setting, etc. - I am merely borrowing the contents of the JKR world for my own amusement and that of my readers. In other words…her characters…my plot - savvy?

Author's thanks: to his hard working beta readers for making this readable

Author's apology: for being so slow in updating this tale. The holidays and pure laziness on my part are the sole blame and for that and I humbly beg your forgiveness

Timeframe: Saturday evening after 9 PM, the Seventh anniversary of the battle for Hogsmeade.

Place: Room Number three, upper floor, the Three Broomsticks Pub

Begin Flashback

"Swear it, Harry, make a binding wizards vow to me here and now, that the moment you see Ginny again, you will ask her to marry you, and if she says 'yes' you'll do so right away. Swear it Harry," Jon said in a deadly serious tone.

"ON ALL MY MAGIC, I SO SWEAR…that I will ask your sister to marry me the moment I see her," Harry swore, the magic binding his words. "Now where in bloody-hell is she!"

"Your wish is granted," Jon said.

End Flashback

"What are you going on about Ron…quit gallivanting and speak English will you? What do you mean by 'Wish Granted', Great Merlin, I swear you're talking nothing like you use to. What's with all this posh…high-brow junk?" Harry asked exasperated.

A soft chuckle could be heard coming out of the intercom speaker. "I'm sorry if my way of speaking offends you, Harry. But you must understand that I was all but a mental blank slate when I regained consciousness in St. Mungo's Hospital. The Healer who was in charge of my case was a bit of a stickler about proper diction and somewhat of a proper old English gentleman himself. Just imagine a male equivalent of Professor McGonagall. At any rate, being under his care for more than a year and not knowing any better, I copied his way of speaking. I mean I didn't know any better, did I? It was Monkey see, Monkey do. Reflecting back on my time with him it proved to be some of the most frustrating of all my remembered experiences. He made a comment one time that educating me on grammar and verbal etiquette was like teaching a pig to use cutlery, and about as safe. However now, thanks to him, when I chat to people in the street they view me as a man of substance and education. Not a lollygagger who goes about saying 'Blimey' or 'Bloody Hell every other word." Jon said in an apologetic tone.

"Oh - okay, I understand now, but can you cut it out…will you, it's a bit unnerving. You sound like the Queen's grandfather or something. Honestly Ron, its weird hearing you talk like a toff." Harry replied somewhat pacified.

"Just more proof that the man I am now, has little if anything to do with the Ronald that you remember Harry. By the way, you don't actually sound all that much like an eleven year old kid yourself, and you shouldn't at your age. So please be kind enough to refrain from condemning my diction simply because it doesn't match your prejudiced notion of how the Jester of the trio should speak," Jon pointed out tactfully.

"Never mind that now," Harry said sidestepping the irony of being politely scolded by Ron, for apparently, the intellectual pecking-order of the old Trio with Hermione on the top and Ron at the bottom was now turned on its ear. "You promised that you'd take me to Ginnydidn't you?"

There was a pregnant pause following Harry's question before the voice from the intercom replied. "Personally take youno. Tell you how to get to heryes. But I think it only fair to warn you, Harry, that there is one final obstacle laid for you to face before being reunited with your future bride and that hurdle is…my dear – sweet, Mum and Dad." Ron said as Harry facial expression changed abruptly to worry and concern as he dealt with the trepidation of dealing with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley again.

"You still have to win their blessing and Ginny will be yours… of course that's assuming that my little sister is daft enough to accept you as a husband, being second hand goods and all!"

Harry's face soured at the last comment but said nothing for his 'first' marriage had…in fact, been a right ruddy – disaster!

"Now stand-up, turn around and look to your right," the disembodied voice declared. "No Harryyour other right. Honestly, Mr. Potter, how did you ever manage to beat Voldemort without knowing your left from your right?

With his face bright red in embarrassment, Harry turned the opposite direction, his emotional torment only increased when he heard a chuckle of amusement come from the intercom speaker on the table followed by cutting sarcasm. "Stop the presses; news flash banner headline, the great and honorable Chosen One is human after all. No wait cancel that, they'd only print that in the Quibbler, as no one in the Wizarding world would ever believe that you're merely human, well no one except me and what do I know? - - I'm legally dead!"

As serious as the situation was, Harry couldn't help but chuckle a little at that last bit. It was comforting to the Auror that in spite of everything that had happen to him, Ron, if that was indeed who the man on the other end of the intercom was, still retained his sharp wit and ironic sense of humor.

"Any road, as I was saying," the voice from the intercom continued, "by looking to your right Harry, you'll see a cheap tapestry depicting a scene from the battle they commemorated yesterday. An overly dramatic rendering of what actually happened don't you think? My recollection of that day was a bit less idealist and a lot gorier. But nothing can be done; revisionist history is all the rage these days as you and your wife know better than most eh?

I hope you don't take offense at this Harry , but the torn shirt and the physique exposed by the dramatically torn remnants of you upper clothing, displays far more muscles per square inch than any of your dorm mates ever saw when you emerged from the shower with a towel wrapped around your waist. Those rippling pectorals seen on that tapestry make you look like the picture perfect Adonis, the extra Handsome, grand Hero – 'The Potter' and I'm sure such images of you over the years has been the 'key' that unlocked many a bird's knickers."

"Are you done making fun of me? It's not as if I posed for that, you know." Harry griped loudly as he beheld the ridiculous image of him on the magical tapestry constantly flexing his exaggerated muscles under his torn open shirt, his long black hair flying in a gentle breeze like some male-Veela come to life.

"Oh all right, if you insist," The intercom voice intoned with a chuckled. "The more important the celebrity, the easier it is to hold up the raw light of truth as compared with the myth you and your former spouse made up. You're as big a fraud as the tapestry behind you depicts. Anyroad, behind that tapestry is a door leading into the next room. Inside of that room you'll find my parents. People who have been listening in on our little chat via the same Muggle intercom system I have used to speak to you. They have been just one room over all this time. Unknowingly standing guard over a similar tapestry that leads to my little sister, but to get to her you have to get by them."

The revelation reminded Harry of many a wizard's chess games with Ron where it was not uncommon for his friend to pull off a decisive blow from out of nowhere.

"They came here tonight initially, for the same reason you did, for a face to face with the remnants of what was at one time, their youngest son. I am sure they are as disappointed with this little disembodied voice set up of mine as you have been."

At the door Harry could now hear an echo of his own intercom playing in the room next door.

"The voice from the intercom became softer and heavy with genuine remorse. "Mum, Dad…I'm sorry, but I just can't meet with you right now. As you have just heard, I have placed the High and Mighty Potter on probation. He has great expectations of becoming my friend again…with time itself being the judge if that friendship is to be reborn or not. I'm sorry to say this but the past is gone beyond retrieval and with it my old identity as your son. Hopefully, tomorrow beckons for us all to move on and heal old wounds. Which means - - I hope, that you will do your youngest son a favor and give Potter here a second chance to do right by our family."

Harry exhaled slowly in relief. In just a few words Ron had laid the ground work for it maybe to be possible for him someday be reaccepted by his future in-laws.

Mum, Dad, I can't begin to imagine how tough it has been for you both these last seven years, especially after reading Dr. Potter's book. Before I realized who I was I had no reason, like many in the Wizarding Community, to disbelieve its contents to be anything but totally factual. I laughed along with the rest of the Wizarding world at the trio's bumbling sidekick, not once realizing that the idiot of that best-selling book was in actuality…myself."

Harry groaned softly in guilt as he pulled aside the tapestry. Ron continued to speak as Harry reached for the doorknob and turned it.

"When I recovered a little silver ring taken from me without my knowledge years ago, which I came across by accident Tuesday evening in Hogsmeade, all of my illusions of being a disinterested bystander were striped away from me. It has been a crushing blow to try to rectify my taters of memory of 'Ron' with things that bloody book implied about me. I cannot visualize the shame that each and every member of the Weasley family must have endured all these years because of what was in those pages…because of me.

Harry froze a bit in fear as he listened to his former Best Friend speak to his mother and father.

In my 'new life', before I regained the thoughts of my 'old' existence, I would often spy the Weasley Twin's walking down the street. I felt such pity for them to be lugged with the knowledge that 'Ronald Weasley' was a younger brother of theirs. I am sorry for that, Mum and Dad. I truly am.

"Perhaps, I am not so much suffering from a split personality as one of my Muggle doctors once suggested; perhaps I am more akin to a man suffering from a form of prolonged amnesia. Like someone who suddenly awakens from a dream of forgetfulness, only to be horrified by what their 'real' memoirs were. The only way I can explain how I feel now, would be to compare a kind hearted small parish Vicar who wakes one day only to suddenly realize that in the past he'd been a 'cold-blood' murdering Death Eater.

"There is no way to go back now, and rewrite established history, not for just one man, there are to many people with a vested interest in the way things are to undo the past. Though I am your son, I can never reclaim the name you gave me. And I am ashamed to confess this to you both but I do not want it. The damage done to 'Ronald' is far too great to be repaired."

Harry hung his head in shame with one thought tormenting him "Sweet Merlin, Hermione, look what we did to him, no - - to his whole family"

Sniff - - I'm rambling again, sorry about that, I'm not all that talkative normally. Merlin knows it's been a busy week for me. Well, as I was saying, Harry Potter here has just made a magically binding vow to ask my sister to marry him the moment he sees her. In my personal opinion I think she can do better in selecting a husband than by settling for this git. But when push comes to shove there is no use in denying that she has always loved the blighter. And what kind of person am I to stand in the path of love, when it is 'real love' that will forever be denied me?

Harry frowned upon hearing this last bit, "RON - you colossal – GIT!" Harry said to himself "Why don't you listen - - I know a girl that feels real love for you, and I going to get both of you together if it's the last thing I do on this earth!"

"If this is the bloke she wants," Jon said, "then in the humble option as the only member of the family who hasn't disowned her, I say let it be. In spite of what she has done in disregarding the established morality of the family, I hope you too will be able to put the past behind you to forgive and forget and welcome them both back into the fold. What happened before today should not prevent the Weasleys as a family from reuniting again."

Harry's heart swelled with hope that he would someday be a welcomed visitor to the Burrow again.

"With that said, I hope you'll forgive me, for bowing out of the upcoming nuptials, I think it best that I ask for a rain-check on our first family gathering since my earlier 'departure'. I'll get back with you all after the first of the New Year, when things have settled down a bit, for all of us.

There is an old Muggle saying that goes 'when I was a child, I acted as a child'; in my case that child is the Ron that you all remember. The saying goes on to declare; 'but when I became a man, I put aside my childish ways', and so I have with my clownish past. For now I am a man and you can build a relationship with the new me of today, or rejected the whole thing and put the memory of the teenage Ronald to rest at long last. The choice is yours," Jon said

Harry stood there gob-smacked, "He's going away again?" He thought to himself. "Hermione is not going to take kindly to this bit of news"

"Oi Ron, why wait until the New Year?" Harry asked in a desperate attempt to change his friends mind. "Its only mid September now, January is three and a half months away. We just got reacquainted - you can't just pop in…say hello and pop off again."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Harry." The voice from the inter-com responded with a touch of honest humor. "My…work, - calls me away for a bit, but I be back, soon enough. Besides, there will be plenty of things to keep a newly wedded couple, their in-laws and the rest of the Weasley family quite busy until then. After all, there are family ties to reconnect, fences to be rebuilt, a honeymoon to be enjoyed. And do not think for one second that all this will be happening without the Press taking note.

It's going to be scandal of the century for everyone involved, especially you Harry. Think about it, no sooner is your marriage dissolved on a technicality from one woman than you turn about and marry your not so secret mistress. The bloody press is going to go barking mad about it all. Sweet Merlin am I, going to enjoy, watching what you make of it all," said the voice from the intercom with more than a few satisfied chuckling.

Harry shuddered at the thought, but had to agree that Ron was spot on about the media, especially Rita Skeeter of the Daily Prophet.

"In fact I'd suggest an extended honeymoon holiday on the continent for a couple of months to get away from the hoopla until things settle down a bit. There is also the 'small matter' of tossing the old ex-wife out of Potter Manor and moving the new and improved 'old lady' in.

Knowing as I do that the wizarding press is even now besieging your manor in anticipation of an interview or two concerning your break up with Hermione. I find myself looking forward with delight at the media circus that will surround Doctor Granger's departure from Godric's Hollow. Not that you'll kick her to the curb tossing her stuff out the door in a fit of rage, you're not the sort to do that. You never went in for the kinds of 'rows' that Hermione engaged with Ron…I mean me. Sweet Merlin, I still don't have that straight in my head yet. Besides after removing the ex Mrs. P from your home, you still have to win over the good will of my Brothers and acquiring the forgiveness of Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George will not be a 'walk in the park' - believe you me."

Harry's face went pale when he thought of his future brothers in law, and for a brief second actually gave thought to leaving England for good right after the wedding.

"Also, there have been several 'new' developments, since you last saw my sister, developments of which you have no knowledge of, but will I'm sure, have a big effect on your life. However, I will let my not so 'little' sister tell you about those, in her own special way. Yes indeed," the voice from the intercom said with a chuckle. "I don't need to be a Sybill Trelawney to foresee a busy time for you extending well beyond the first of the year."

Harry was left more than a bit confused by that last bit. Ron was sending him a message about some kind of surprise, but what it was…

"Ginny, assuming you've listened to all this, you know better than any other person alive why I need time to sort out how I feel about the situation. I've given you the best solution to your little problem that I could come up with, the rest is up to you and your chosen prat. All I ask is that you break the news to Mum, Dad and Harry…gently.

"If you run out of things to talk about, tell them about how we met and some of the things we have talked about during our few days together. Try to convince them to leave things alone for awhile. Time heals all wounds and as to your currentlittle problem, well…that too will bring its share of pain and joy in the next few months.

"I promise that I'll get back in touch with you all…in January. In case of an emergency only and this goes for all of you. If you 'absolutely must' get in contact with me, talk to Ginny. My house elf Tiki is under instructions to keep tab on my little sister while I am away. Any message for me can be relayed through Tiki."

"Ron, wait," Harry said interrupting Jon's farewells. "What about Hermione? She wants to talk with you as soon as possible, to explain things to you. She loves you Ron, she really does. I swear on my love for Ginny, she does."

"You swear …Mr. Potter!" the voice all but growled out from the intercom, startling Harry. The conversation had been going well for the last few minutes with probation being preferable to an outright banishment. "How many times do we have to go through this? The credibility of the sworn word of the high and mighty Chosen-one…somehow doesn't have the power of persuasion with me, as it once did."

"Ron, I'm real sorry about that, but listen - - she does love you," Harry said in a pleading tone.

"Prove it," the cold and hard reply came from out of the intercom.

"I can't, you know that, only she can," Harry retorted

"Listen to me." The resigned and tired sounding voice from the intercom declared with forced calm. Until just yesterday, the entire Wizarding world…including me - I might add, believed that you and your spouse the Doctor were the virtual role models of the perfect Magical marriage, with only mistress, my sister Ginny saying anything different. Now you're telling me that what everyone believes is a huge lie. That what you told me seven years ago concerning how you felt about Hermione was yet another lie. That you and Hermione have been living a sham of a marriage for six long years."

Harry nodded his head yes, and then voiced it as well. "Yes Ron, that's exactly what I'm saying."

"That's rather a huge shift in reality for me to swallow in one go, don't you think?" the voice from the intercom said - paused a moment - and then uttered an audible sigh.

"Come-on Harry, give me a break here!" the voice pleaded. "I need some time…to sort all of this out. I need to attempt to reconcile the lies of the past with the reality of today. Your little confession just now has turned the world on its head and its right hard for me to balance who I was to who I am now.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but I just can't rush into things as fast as you might think I should. I've got to figure out - how - I'll be able to relate to friends and family from my reawakened past. My bloody emotions toward your 'ex-wife' in particular - - are so mucked-up at the moment, I don't know what I feel anymore - - and until I sort it all out, I'm no use to anyone, especially myself."

Harry could understand this, considering all that Ron had gone through since Tuesday, a bit of time to think things through made a lot of sense. He and Hermione had made far too many mistakes to expect a quick forgiveness.

"Look, I realize that I can't run away and hide forever from Doctor Potter…excuse me, its Doctor Granger now isn't it? Especially if she, as you now claim, is determined to discover my secret life. After all, she was a lot smarter than the two of us combined when we were at school. What peace from ridicule that I have enjoyed up to this point is due to the common perception that the great Gryffindor clown was dead?"

"Bullocks! That's a daft thing to say." Harry shouted at the intercom.

"Page 287 - half way down - third paragraph! Merlin, Harry, you need to sit down sometime soon and really read that bloody book! But never mind that right now, as I was saying; I know Hermione will eventually figure out who I am now and where I live and work. In discussing things with Ginny over the last few days she pointed out to me that Hermione hated not knowing the answer to every question. This ruddy painful truth is confirmed, by what I myself remember of the girl.

"No offense meant to your Auror skills Harry, but Hermione wasn't regarded as the smartest witch of our age for nothing you know. It's obvious to me, that this is a puzzle that will drive our favorite know-it-all mental until she figures it out. So please, for all our sakes, especially mine, try to slow her down a bit. Tell her what I said tonight about needing time.

Before she comes charging into my workplace looking for me, tell her that this protective plan you chatted about ended up getting me used and discarded. I don't desire her pity nor to have anyone feel sorry for me over an out of date idealistic memory of the most romantically gullible student in Hogwarts history." Ron snapped with a lovesick frustration that Harry used to remember he carried for Hermione.

"Tell her I am no longer the 'thick-as-a-post-about-girl's', immature, emotional depth of a teaspoon 'git' that she loved to boss around… then belittled and humiliate in front of everybody."

Harry fought back a smirk as he mentally pictured his two best friends in the middle of a gigantic row over Ron's worthiness.

"So you can inform your ex-wife that I'm no more worthy of her time now, than I was back then nor am I as innocent, or as easy to manipulate as I use to be. Being made to look like a moron in love does have a tendency to force a bloke to grow up and I have, if reluctantly.

"Tell her yourself Ron; I'm not a ruddy Owl!"

"Look… Potter, face facts – damn-it!" The voice screamed form the intercom box. You're more likely to see Granger before I do…savvy? So why don't you quit acting like the spoiled self-absorbed prat we both know you are and do a bloke a tiny favor! "

Now, as I was saying, before being so rudely interrupted. You and your celebrated ex-spouse, live in the fast paced world of wealth and privilege, which I can never be a part of. To tell you the truth, Harry, I have learned the lesson of the cost of being in the shadow of another bloke's fame, and I've discovered that I'm better off without it.

"So without further ado, I say to you all - - Good luck and goodbye…for now!" Jon said in parting, followed by an audible click.

"Rondon't go!" Harry begged in a pleading voice, but there was no answer. The tiny light on the camera went dark, the intercom went dead, and Ron Weasley, his once-best friend in the entire world had again, exited his life as quickly and as dramatically as he had returned to it.

"Buggers, he got away…again," complained Kingsley Shacklebolt as he became visible in the room. "Merlin, he knew there were two of us in here from the get-go, but how did he do that? This new invisibility spell was supposed to be detection proof."

"Who bloody cares about the spell," Harry replied kicking himself for his gullibility, "How do I let people talk me into things," he said to himself. "Here I go and tell Hermione that she couldn't come and yet I allow Kingsley to tag along. I knew it was dumb to go against his wishes, had I followed his instructions and played fair with his demands for this meeting, then maybe I would have had a face to face with Ron instead of chatting with a bloody intercom box."

Harry had a lot to think about, but he set aside his concerns about what Ron had just told him as he finally drew back the tapestry and opened the door behind it revealing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley who were rising from a table with an identical brown intercom box on it. "You, err, heard everything, I take it?" he asked them while entering the room passively and with a hint of shame, watching as they nodded their heads.

"I realize it's a lot to ask, but can I have your blessing?" Harry asked in a worried tone.

Molly looked toward her husband, Arthur, as if to gage his reaction to Potters request, a young man that at one time she had considered a surrogate son. "My blessing…No, you don't have that. Not by a long shot…Mr. 'High and Mighty' Potter," Molly declared in an angry tone her with hands on her hips and her stance firm.

"Arthur has told me about the pressure that's been put on him this week by certain people about leaving history alone. And I see you bring Kingsley the enforcer along to a private meeting. Did you really come here tonight to renew old ties to a lost friend or was your mission to permanently silence a potential embarrassment to the Ministry?"

Harry stood there shocked, unable to think of a reply. Had Mrs.Weasley really thought, that Harry would murder his old best friend, just to prevent the truth from coming out?

"Your little stunt of seven years ago almost destroyed my family Mr. Potter. It robbed me of my happy little girl and killed…or thought to have killed my youngest son. Have you come tonight to finish the job of the Death Eaters?

"Molly, you know me better than that." Kingsley said obviously hurt by the accusations.

"I'm sorry – Kingsley, but after all I heard tonight I don't know what to think anymore. The good reputation of the Weasley name was shattered when Potter here authorized that slanderous account of his years at Hogwarts with Ronald. Everyone in the wizarding world thinks my youngest son was a total idiot thanks to this prat and his disloyal berk of an ex-spouse."

Harry stood there silent, knowing he deserved this abuse and more for his part in that bloody book.

"I don't know anything about this protection plan that you mentioned to Ronald," Molly continued, "but the recorded history of that time doesn't mention anything along the line you just discussed. So until I'm shown different I'll err on the side of caution and stick with the already established facts surrounding your betrayal of my two youngest children. In fact, had they not caught you two in the act, I'm sure Ronald would have gone to his…alleged death, foolishly thinking that you where his friend and that…that… 'Scarlet - - jezebel'…cared for him."

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, she does care for him and I for Ginny," Harry said defensively. "Everything I told Ron in there was true. We made a calculated decision that ended out being the worst mistake of both our lives. It was all pretend … just for show.

"I'll be the first to admit that our plan was - - misguided - - in our miscalculation as to its effect on those we intended to protect…but it did work - - it did, draw Death Eater attention away of Ron and Ginny."

Molly snorted loudly in disbelief as she crossed her arms and glared at Harry.

"So you say now, but excuse me if I don't believe you. If it was an act, why did you not expose the truth after the war, why did you and Miss Granger marry, why is there no mention of this masquerade in your wife's tell-all book?" Mrs. Weasley said growling at Harry

"Look, I'm sorry alright…I mucked it up - - big time, don't you think I know that?" Harry said with tears of remorse pouring down his face. "When we realized that the book didn't turn out the way we thought, we tried to get in touch with you…to explain…to apologize. But, you wouldn't talk to us, our Owl-post were returned unopened, you avoided us like the plague, direct confrontation was out for I feared that it would have led to violence.

"While somewhat justifiable at the time, it made it impossible to explain our motivation when you refused sit down and listen to what we had to say?

"Molly…please, this isn't helping." Arthur spoke up ignoring everything Harry had just said. "Mr. Potter knows better than most how we Weasleys view him, after all we once considered him one of us, and betrayal of family is the worst crime any Weasley can do. Percy and later Ginny did that and both have paid heavily because of it." Arthur said trying to clam his furious wife down.

"Hush…Arthur; I've waited years to tell this ungrateful big-headed, self-absorbed, brat, exactly what I think of him," Molly said furiously.

Harry could do nothing in response to this except study the floor with his eyes. Ron's parents were spot on, and totally justified in seek retribution after what he and Hermione had done. At long last, he realized, this was to be the day for Harry Potter to finally face the music, first from his best mate - Ron and then from his almost 'second' Mum. This particular dressing down was long overdue and Molly Weasley had more right to tear strips off him then anyone else alive.

For it had been she and Mr. Weasley, that had become, while he had grown up during his Hogwarts years, for lack of a better term, Harry Potter's second family. For almost six years he had been a Weasley in everything but name. With the twins, on at least two occasions, attempting to change his hair color to red, much to the amusement of everyone, except - of course…their Mum.

Harry's biggest crime was in forgetting that there was only one thing this wonderful red-headed clan valued above everything else and that was 'Family', and family meant loyalty to the Weasleys. They could and did prank each other without mercy while at the same time standing united against all outside attacks.

"When Percy turned against his family, in taking sides with the Minister against his father. Retribution for this crime was to be viewed as an enemy of all Weasleys, an outsider, cut off from the family, exiled for all time and this had been Harry's fate as well after the Charms classroom fiasco.

"We took you into our home, Potter, treated you and that slag you married like you were one of our own, and how do you two repay us? You stabbed us all in the back." Molly's declared her anger and rage now released at long last. "First was the way that you both openly deceived not only the Weasley family as a whole, but worse still, to your so-called best friend, my son. You kept from him, for Merlin knows how long…your so-called 'real feelings' toward that bushy haired harlot. Now you claim that it was all a charade, that both of you lied to him to protect our Ginny. But back then, with a straight face, you told my son that you'd played him for a fool."

"We were trying to protect both of them Mrs. Weasley…" Harry said his head down, feeling ashamed as he tried to explain.

"Damn-you, Potter, haven't you read your wife's book. There was no mention of this 'Half Baked Plot' that you told Ronald about just now, anywhere in its pages. Are you now trying to tell us that you and the Misses 'deliberately' perpetrated a public fraud, a 'solid year' after the Dark lord's defeat and death? No wonder my Ronald doesn't know what to think. That poor dear is as confused about your sincerity as we are."

"I'm really sorry about the book, I had no idea until after it was published that she had wrote all that dung." Harry said repeating what he had already told Ron.

"The great Hero and his unfaithful jezebel consort are now self confessed liars…not that Arthur and I weren't already aware of this." Molly said with obvious contempt. "It was you and your slag wife that killed my son the night he found out the… what do I call it now…the 'protective' lie, with the Death Eaters merely finishing your job for you, four months later. I lived though those last months watching my baby-boy fall apart while you and your piece-of-fluff paraded across the front pages of the Daily Prophet.

"We kept up the act…after Ron - - died - to protect Ginny!" Harry said. "Not all the Death Eaters were caught after Voldemort's death, - not right from the off."

"The biggest irony of it all" Molly continued, acting as if Harry hadn't spoken at all, "is that we in the family have had to live with the fact that Ron met his fate…defending with his last breath that worthless piece of filth you married. He never did get credit for that now did he? Ron's self-sacrifice went unreported by the newspapers, and there was no space set aside in that little tart's book, for an inconvenient truth like reporting his 'heroic demise' as that fact just might contradict the carefully fabricated image of the idiot clown that the high and mighty Doctor Potter described Ronald as being in her awful book."

"Molly, that's enough now! You've had your say, and it doesn't change anything."

"But Arthur, he has to know what he's done, the lives the two of them destroyed." Molly said, turning her head to Arthur's chest sobbing openly.

"Of course he knows; just look at the shame on his face my dear. What you don't seem to realize is the sad fact that that until now he didn't have a chance to marry Ginny. For two years now Potter here was more than willing to allow our only daughter to be publicly humiliated repeatedly, by having her seen by the 'Press' as his Scarlet Mistress, encouraging her to give up all ties with her family for the sake of his love. What good would it do to deny our permission now? They'll just get married anyway." Arthur sadly admitted to his wife.

Harry, with cheeks burning in regret and shame, slowly raised his gaze from the floor to look into the eyes of the man he respected more than anyone else and said. "Mr. Weasley, believe me, I never asked Ginny to cut-off contact with her family…"

"…Not in so many words…no," Arthur said in an angry tone, interrupting Harry. "But you did arrange things so that Ginny felt compelled to make the choice between breaking it off with you or losing her family. And don't waste your breath trying to tell me that the famous Auror hadn't realized that!

"What you 'still' haven't done yet is explain to Molly and me how you could do this to your so called best friend. The rationalization you spouted to my son over the intercom sounded shallow to us and a little late in coming."

Harry opened his mouth to reply but stopped when he saw Arthur's upturned hand

"Save your breath Mr. Potter, for nothing you have said tonight so far is supported by a single verifiable fact. The empty words coming out of your mouth now, do indeed contradict your already published account, but you have nothing solid to back up your new so-called truth in comparison to the old in-print truth.

"For example: You had to know how Ron felt about the Granger girl. Everyone at school knew, from what Ginny has told the family, how deeply my son was in love with her. You and Granger weren't stupid, which means you both had to also know how your betrayal of his trust - both as his friend and his girlfriend, - would utterly destroy my youngest son. You have much to atone for Mr. Potter, not just to us in the family but to Ginny herself. Like my wife, I can't bring myself to give you our blessing, for what you stole from us."

Never before had Harry felt so disgusted with himself, the disappointment in Mr. Weasley's tone cut him like a knife into his very soul.

"However, I'm also a realist and that means our blessing or lack of it won't stop you. With time I can forgive what you've done to us Weasleys… but forget?"

"Arthur…no, he…" Molly began only to be cut off by her spouse.

"Molly, not another word, as Head of the House, this is my decision. And as unpopular as I will become amongst our brood over this…" Arthur said with unusual firmness to a woman he usually yielded to. "…I am prepared to endure it in exchange for Ginny's happiness.

Arthur's conditional blessing was like seeing the light at the end of a long tunnel, "perhaps…just perhaps there is a way out of the darkness Hermione and I made for ourselves," Harry thought.

"As I said, Mr. Potter, with time we Weasleys may forgive what you've done to us as a family, but don't disregard the fact that just because we practice forgiveness doesn't mean we'll ever forget your callus humiliation of our children.

"I … I… Thank you, sir!" Harry said overwhelmed with heartfelt gratitude.

"Don't thank me yet boy, forgiveness from us, like Ron has already told you, has to be earned and that won't come easily. I don't trust you anymore, and with good cause I think you'll admit. I believe I can speak for the entire family in this. You have a long road before you'll be welcomed again among us, Harry, but it is doable if you're prepared to stay the course.

"You set whatever tasks you wish sir and I rush to meet them. When it comes to Ginny, I'm in for the long haul." Harry said sticking out his hand, which Arthur glanced down at…and ignored.

"We don't ask you or Dr. Potter to come clean about Ron, to retract the lies of your book, I agree with my son on this point that clearing his name is no longer possible. If for no other reason than the disturbing fact, that I have been approached by several highly placed Ministry officials in the last five days, each warning of the dire consequences to my career if certain historical facts about the war were challenged at this time." Arthur said sadly as he noted the look of horror on Harry's face.

"Mr. Weasley, once again I have to say, that I had nothing to do with…" Harry began

"…Nor did I imply that you did." Arthur replied coldly. "However, seeing as my son doesn't appear to want to come back to us as Ronald, and wants to put the past behind him, the truth doesn't appear to be an issue. You and your former spouse have hurt this family very deeply Mr. Potter and marring my only daughter won't heal the breach all in one go.

"Let's consider you to be on the probation that Ronald suggested and take it from there…shall we?" With this, Arthur walked over to another battle-scene tapestry on the wall and drew it aside to reveal yet another door that opened on yet another room. Then he stood aside as Harry hung his head in shame and walked slowly pass Ron's fathers disapproving gaze.

This room contained three people, Ginny, along with another young woman that Harry didn't recognized at first and a former Gryffindor - Colin Creevey, holding his camera. A teary-eyed Ginny rose to her feet as Harry entered the room, beside her on a small stable sat an identical intercom box to the others Harry had seen in the other two rooms.

From what Harry could see, Ginny wore a 'plain' loose fitting cream colored dress that extended down to just above her knees with long sleeves and high collar decorated with a small amount of tasteful white lace. This was her best formal dress with its matching covering robe draped over the back of her chair.

888 Ginny Point Of View 888

The entire outfit understated what few curves Ginny had so as to cover up her growing middle. She had only been told that this 'meeting' was intended to be a reunion between 'Jon' and Harry, a confrontation that Ginny had 'naturally' insisted on attending, if for no other reason than to prevent her brother from killing her now formerly married lover.

Ginny had deliberately not been informed of the Potter Annulment or that her parents would be in the next room to the one she was waiting in. Nor had Ginny had been informed that the room was accessible to the next one over by an interconnecting door covered by a tapestry, she had only known about the door that led into the outer hallway.

Frankly, Ginny had been so gob smacked by what she had heard over the intercom between her brother and Harry that she didn't really known what to think. She had known for awhile that Jon wasn't happy with her renewed relationship with Harry, but never in her wildest dreams had she imagined that Jon had only agreed to meet with Harry for with the 'sole purpose' of tricking her lover into making an unbreakable vow to 'MARRY' her the moment he saw her, which is of course exactly what Harry did the moment he entered the room.

- - - - -

"Ginny, will you marry me?" Harry blurted out, as he rushed over to his unusually pale girlfriend and dropped to one knee, fulfilling his vow.

"YES" Ginny shouted, tears of joy pouring down her cheeks, as Harry rose from bended knee to take the love of his life into his arms and passionately kiss her.

"What are you doing here Colin?" Arthur asked, regaining his composure as he entered the room where his daughter stood embracing her new fiancée, with Molly looking on still furious at the way things turned out following right behind him.

"I invited Colin and his fiancée…Orla Quirke, to this little…reunion, Daddy," Ginny replied, in between repeated kisses of 'her' Harry. "After all, Colin was the one who found Ron when Harry couldn't." Ginny said in a tone that underscored the extent of her emotional delight. "He has voluntarily entered into a binding magical contract with my brother to make a film record of this alleged reunion between Ron and Harry.

"He agreed to keep quite about Ron's new identity in exchange for the exclusive rights to the pictures he would be taking this evening. By the way Harry, as part of his deal with my thought to be lost brother, I retain the exclusive right to chose what will appear in the Daily Prophet and what will remain private.

"As for Orla, from the smile on her face, she appears to have known in advance that my daft prat of a brother had, at the last minute changed his plans for tonight - - from a reunion with you into 'MY' engagement party.

Nor did Ron tell me that Mum and Dad would also be here for this gathering. For you see…had someone 'told' me about the change in plans I would have been more suitably attired for this UNEXPECTED event." Ginny growled in her best 'I'll kill you later' tone as she glared with open hostility at Colin and Orla.

"Your brother didn't want you to get your hopes up concerning tonight Miss Weasley." Orla declared politely, trying hard not to giggle. "He didn't tell you of his change in plans due to the fact that Mr. Potter has been known to be less than reliable, when it comesto his sworn word."

Ginny noticed a frown on Harry face and a look of approval on the face of her Father.

"Orla, he gave an unbreakable oath." Ginny protested as she held furiously onto her intended's hand.

Orla looked cold and hard at Harry before she replied. "You may trust him, Miss Weasley, your brother however does not; it's as simple as that. And to be honest, from what I just overheard I don't really blame him."

Just then the door to the hallway opened and an elderly wizard stepped inside. He was in his late nineties with a grey-white beard and a big warm smile on his face.

"Excuse me, dear people," the old man said politely. "But I was wondering if I had the right room. I'm the Chief-Magistrate for the village of Hogsmeade. I was paid earlier today…in advance, to come here to officiate a wedding. Am I by chance, in the right place?"

The prospective bride-to-be eyes went wide in amazement upon hearing this announcement, first in surprise and then moments later - in growing annoyance. She angled both arms into the air with her fists clenched, titled her head upwards and declared to the ceiling of the room. "Ron, - 'ARGH'- you - you…mega Colossal Prat, how dare you…arrange 'my wedding' - - for tonight, and forget - - FORGET - To. -Tell. - Me!" Ginny growled in barely controlled rage.

Everyone smiled at Ginny's complaint, except Molly, of course who was still glaring her disapproval at the prospective groom. Colin was grinning in delight as he pulled two small velvet covered boxes from the inside of his robes and Orla did the same with the marriage license forms. The bride's information all filled out the grooms deliberately left blank.

Unnoticed in the shadows of the partially opened hallway door, a brown haired war veteran with an eye patch over one partially blind eye listened in on this touching scene with heartrending melancholy. Once again, Jon, found himself standing outside the sweetshop window looking in, and although it was his choice to walk away…he knew deep down that it was Ginny's big day not his. Sighing softly in regret, he slowly turned around, walked down the stairs and out of the noisy pub.

Meanwhile back in room number three, the room was undergoing a remarkable transformation courtesy of Tiki, Jon's energetic house elf.

The tiny elf had quickly transformed the room where Harry had first spoken to Jon over the intercom box into a small bedroom bridal suite, complete with a soft king size canopied bed and a magnum of chilled sparkling apple cider (instead of champagne, due to a 'little problem' with the bride). There where also two long stem crystal champagne glasses chilling in the same ice bucket as the cider. The Room next to it, where Jon's parents had listened in was then similarly transformed into a small private dinning room, appropriately decorated, for a cozy if informal post-wedding supper.

Against the wall next to the door of the now transformed bridal suite was set a small suitcase, which contained all the magically shrunken down personal belongings of the soon to be Mrs. Ginevra Molly Weasley-Potter. On a side table next to this suitcase sat a small multilayer wedding cake. Next to the cake was a fancily addressed envelope containing reservations for two at one of Muggle London's best hotels for a prepaid, five-night honeymoon stay.

"The game had been well played, but the outcome, when all was said and done, had been unavoidable". Ron thought to himself as he walked down the lane that led out of the village. He had never lost to Harry a single wizard-chess game, not once in seven years, and Jon's skill in outthinking the opposition had only improved in the last six years of attending Hogwarts, and Jon's skill in outthinking the opposition had only improved in the seven years since his…death.

Jon really hadn't expected Harry to come alone and of course the 'Git' hadn't. When the 'Chosen One's invisible escort hadn't spoken up during Jon's explanatory monolog, the silence convinced the cunning chess player that Harry's invisible companion hadn't been Hermione. Everything he remembered about the girl, told him that it was impossible for the bushy haired know-it-all to remain silent for such a long period of time.

"Just as well," Jon thought to himself as he walked toward the apparition point just outside of the village, unable to deny the small amount of regret that Hermione hadn't come to the…wedding. "I don't think I could have pulled off my plan, had 'she' been in the room."

Although Jon seriously doubted that Hermione felt any more for him than guilt or pity, Jon, himself, couldn't deny that he still adored and worshiped Hermione. The pain of unrequited love which both of the two youngest Weasley's had come to understand so well, was now a cross that Jon was going to have to bear alone, apparently for the rest of his life.

For the thing that Jon hadn't dare tell Harry, was the painful truth that the majority of the intact memories that he still retained from his past life, all centered on the bushy-haired woman who had run off with the chosen-one while brutally rejecting the humiliated sidekick

"What would be the point anyway," Jon argued with himself for what felt like the thousandth time. "She is a well known, brilliant, Doctor of Arithmancy. A young woman who will…without doubt, though long hours of super hard work, someday become the 'first' Muggleborn Minister for Magic. Or at least that appears to be her ambition anyway. For such a woman, having a half blind, scarred, and sickly - - war veteran as a…consort, would quickly turn out to be a glaring political liability."

Shaking his head sadly, Jon tried once again to crush the impossible dream that had haunted him since he had learned of the Potter annulment.

"What in Merlin's name would such a woman, who had been married to the Great Harry Potter for the last six years,"- Jon thought becoming deeply depressed yet again – "a woman who had experienced expert lovemaking in the arms of the richest, most famous wizard in all of England, what would she find romantically interesting about a middle class - - inexperienced…virgin shopkeeper? Sweet Merlin, I need to get shagged…or neutered!"

As Jon approached the jump-off point for his trip to Rome, he felt an overwhelming feeling of bitterness course through him. The irony in all that had happened since regaining his identity had left an unpleasant taste in his mouth.

The dragon ring had revealed who he had been before his massive injuries, but this knowledge had come with a terrible price. Jon now knew who he had been seven years ago. He had been Ron Weasley…the laughable court-jester of the famous Golden trio, the idiot from Hermione's book who had been so stupid that he had fallen in love with the hero's girl.

Now it seemed to be his life long curse, to remember as if it happened yesterday, all the pitiful looks he had received from classmates when his closest friends' duplicity had been revealed. The jeers and taunts of humiliation thrown at him by countless Slytherin's among others, as they all laughed at his foolish gullibility. "She used you like an expendable pawn…you Git," his brothers had said to him at the time, mocking him without mercy for weeks on end after the truth became known.

Ginny had told Jon during their time together that Fred and George hadn't meant to be cruel; instead they were attempting the Weasley brand of 'tough love' with their goal to get a rise out of their emotionally comatose sibling. They felt it would be healthier for ickle Ronniekins to become angry at what his best mate and the disloyal jezebel had done to him, the twin's believed that it would be therapeutic to seek revenge. They assumed that any slight - big or small - demanded a retaliatory prank. This attempt to break Ron out of his funk backfired as their brother didn't react to their teasing as expected. Instead their verbal taunts only reinforced their brother's feelings of unworthiness, that he wasn't just a lousy Quidditch player and poor as dirt, he also was so stupid he didn't know the difference between being a lover or being a fool.

It was only then, after becoming the laughingstock of all of Magical England, that the then Ron fully came to understand the concept and the irony of the expression "ignorance is bliss."

"It's too late to leave the UK for good," Jon said to himself, " to sell the shop, move to New Zealand, raise sheep, live like a hermit, change his name and start over… yet again, with a new life. Although your duty as a big brother to Ginny is done, after all she did get the prince she always wanted, there is still the rest of the family to consider. Mum and Dad will honestly want to see me and I'm sure they'll be alright about letting Ron stay dead.

"The rest of my brothers on the other hand, will be an altogether different matter. It's rather ironic really, that Fred and George's joke shop is right across the Alley from mine. They would certainly take the 'Mickey' out on me if they discovered that I had the gall to still be alive.

"So why stick around and go though all that abuse, Veselkin? Be honest with yourself Jon, the name of Ronald Weasley must be a source of great shame and humiliation to the entire family Not only because of the way I had been played for a fool all those years ago, but even now with that bloody book of Doctor Potter, which continues to drag the Weasley name through the muck every time its read.

"So with the historical so-called truth of my life unaltered, any return from the grave for me would only make matters worse for everyone involved A walking-talking Ronald Weasley would just reopen old wounds of humiliation for the whole family and why should I put them through that?

"Yes, admit it - Jon - there is no going back now, not for me. They'll have to accept me for who I am now, or the move to New Zealand will still happen, because one way or another, Ron is going to stay dead."

For several minutes, Jonathan Veselkin, stood a few meters away from the official Hogsmeade apparition point, silently weighting the pros and cons of his situation in his mind. "I'll think about this later," Jon said to himself unable to reach a decision. "Give your full attention to the upcoming event and to bringing the European Chess Championship...back home to England. Your pitiful personal life, such as it is, can wait until that task is done. Besides, with the 'Fidelius' charm firmly in place, my identity as a Weasley, will be hopefully…safe, until the first of the year at least."

Never having been a 'good' long distant apperator in either identity, Jonathan would have to use a series of relay points to get him from Hogsmeade in central Scotland to the channel port city of Plymouth, where he had arranged in advance to spend the night. The following morning there would be a boat trip across the channel and from there a leisurely Muggle train trip to Rome.

Jonathan preferred to travel the Muggle way, for with the Ministry for Magic controlling the international Portkey office, using one meant tipping off the media to the movements of Great Britain's reining Wizard Chess Champion. Even disguised as he was now, using the name of Veselkin at the Portkey office would bring the sports media vultures that were always hanging about at the terminal down on his head.

In fact, what little freedom from the press that Jon now enjoyed was all due in large part to the Muggle disguise subterfuge that he had developed for his far too numerous to count visits to Muggle London to see his non-magical Doctors to repair his body. Especially after wizard medicine had declared that there was nothing more magically they could do for him. In fact, it had been a healer intern, who'd been raised by Muggle's, which first suggested non-magical plastic surgery to repair what magic could not.

Years of painful surgeries later, Jon was once again 'somewhat'human in appearance. It had taken a lot of chess tournament winnings to pay for it all, and by adding Muggle theater make-up and wigs to fill in the final gaps, Jon was finally able to be free of the totally concealing hooded robes he had been imprisoned in for six years.

During the course of his treatments, in Muggle London, just like his father before him, Jonathan had gradually acquired a taste for all things Muggle. In fact, how non-magical folk did things without magic became a major passion in his 'new' life. The now reawakened Ronald inside of Jon had always considered Muggle studies a colossal waste of time. However, the all but burnt-alive war veteran thought differently, first out of a medical necessity, but later this halfhearted interest in the non-magical world gradually transformed into out-right honest fascination proving that no matter how many changes one went through, fruit rarely falls far from the tree.

8888 Meanwhile; back at the Three Broomsticks 8888

"Hold on a second, good lordI almost forgot," Kingsley said just as the marriage bonding ritual was about to begin. Reaching up, he took a fancy broach off of his robes, then waving his wand at the broach; the piece of jewelry began to throb with a reddish glow with the pulsing glow rapidly expanding to about seven feet in circumference before fading into nothing. The reddish glow revealed a frail looking, Doctor Hermione Granger-Potter, who was still so physically weak as to be unable to stand. Tears of regret and angst poured down her cheeks as she all but collapsed into a nearby chair that was provided for her by her former husband.

"Kingsley, you lied to me!" Hermione wailed in-between sobs. "You promised me that you would transform me back the moment you saw him, YOU SWORE! Yet there I was, unable to see or speak, just listening from the side lines while Harry had a nice little chat with the man I love"

"YOU!" growled Mrs. Weasley, her hands balling into fists.

"Molly, not a single word," Arthur warned in harsh whisper as he reached down to physically restrained his wife, whose barely controlled anger went to a full boil upon hearing Hermione's 'claim' of love for her youngest son.

Hermione seemed a bit stunned at the venom coming out of Ron's mum.

"But that's just it, Doctor Granger," Kingsley said interrupting Hermione in mid-rant, speaking up in his own defense. "Ronald outsmarted us once again. He wasn't here physically. In fact he had orchestrated the meeting to the point that he could have disengaged at anytime and neither Harry nor I could have stopped him. It was a credit to Harry that he was able to maintain Ron's interest beyond the obvious acknowledgement that we had breached the pre-conditions of the meeting. Clearly Ronald knew there was someone else in that room."

"He's telling the truth, Hermione, Ron used Muggle technology to keep his distance from us," Harry explained. "The crafty bugger used an intercom system and a remote video camera to talk to me; he was never in the room at all."

888 Magistrates Point of View 888

The old wizard who was there just to officiate the wedding took the whole scene playing out in front of him in stride. In all his years as a Magistrate, the old man had seen all manner of strange goings-on at magical nuptials. So unexpected guests appearing out thin air, and unhappy with the groom in-laws yelling at the guests was not unusual at all for him. Truth be told, the old wizard preferred fireworks to the more usual mundane ceremonies. From all appearances he was going to have quite the story to tell his Missis when he got home.

888

"No way, that's an outright lie. Ron couldn't have used a Muggle video camera," Colin whispered into Orla's ear just a bit too loudly as he smiled knowingly at the apparent prank that Jon had pulled on everyone. Colin's mistake was that his whisper had just enough volume for Kingsley to overhear. The sharp eared Auror spun about to face the Prophet Photographer, his eyes narrowed as he gave the young man his full attention.

"And why couldn't Ronald use a camera, Mister Creevey?" Kingsley demanded to know.

Colin gulped nervously, at finding himself suddenly under the spotlight of everyone in the room. "Well, mainly because, he's legally…err blind," Colin replied. "He can see…a little…about twenty feet in front of him in fact, all of it crystal clear. Anything beyond that limited range however, is like looking through a really thick fog. His visual impairment also means that he can't see his own reflection in a mirror, or in any kind of picture either Muggle or magical."

This announcement was met with stunned silence, and in a hollowed whisper that seemed to echo around the room Harry asked, "You say he's blind?"

Time seemed to stop for a moment or two before Ginny reached out, and taking her new fiancée's hand spoke in a soft tone. "Yeah, at least partially, it's a war injury that he got from the last battle. He was literally fried by three Maxima Fireball hex's…"

"While…he was…defending – me!" Hermione interrupted with a heartbreaking sob as tears poured down her cheeks like rain.

"Don't cry Hermione," Ginny said in a comforting tone. "Ron actually considers his handicap a sort-of blessing. He's always saying that it could have been worse; 'better to have lost a little sight than to have none'. So you see, Harry, there's simply no way that Ron could use a Muggle television monitor to see what was going on in another room."

Now that you know about his disability and if you don't mind me asking. Was there by any chance a large wall mounted mirror in the room?" Colin asked, for being raised with a Muggle Dad, he knew more than most about non-magical ways of doing things.

This question went right over the head of everyone except Hermione, whose eyes were filled with tears over Ron's injuries suddenly went wide as she exclaimed; "He used a two-way mirror."

"Yeah - that's my guess," Colin replied with a smirk.

888 Hermione's Point of View 888

To her credit, Dr. Potter kept her composure as Molly Weasley's eyes narrowed in pure hatred as she looked at her. Inside her mind however, every inch of Hermione's soul was crying out in angst over the injuries that she felt responsible for, crying for the indescribable pain that Ron must have suffered for her sake. These intense feelings tore at the young woman's emotions, like a deep slashing curse. "But, if he can't see things remotely, then that means…he's still here…inside…this building!" Hermione suddenly realized, instantly becoming excited and struggling to get up.

Shaking his head sadly Colin replied in an apologetic tone. "I doubt it, Doctor Granger. He did what he wanted to do, meaning that he got Harry to make his vow to marry his little sister and then most likely he left. He told us, Orla and me, that is, that he didn't think a reunion with him, in any way compared in importance, with his sisters wedding."

"But if you know his plans, that means – you know who he is!" Hermione shouted in a near hysterical tone.

"Colin …I need to talk to him…I must talk to him. How can I beg forgiveness from him, if I can't speak to him? Colin, I'm willing to do anything, pay any price, for just ten minutes … and if not minutes then ten seconds alone with him. Please I'm begging you, Let me apologize to him!

"I never got the chance to tell him when he was alive how much he meant to me…how much he still means to me. He marched off to his doom thinking of me as a two-timing faithless jezebel. A cold hearted slag that could calmly cheat on him with his best friend! He did this for me while at the same time thinking the very worse any Weasley could think of a girl.

Damn-it Colin, don't you understand? Ron stood over me taking hexes meant for me! I was the Death Eaters Target, not him. I was supposed to get hit with those fireball hexes…not him. Let me at least tell him I'm sorry and whatever happens after that - I will accept. But please, Colin, you've got to give me this chance!"

888 Colin's Point of View 888

Up to that moment Colin had disliked Hermione Granger-Potter intensely. Like many of the know-it-all's former school chums, Colin had lost all respect for Potter and Granger after the Charms classroom fiasco. Now - However, after seeing that the prim and proper Bookworm had been reduced to a broken shell of a woman filled with regret and remorse, Colin couldn't help but feel pity for the heartbroken witch.

"I'm truly sorry, Doctor Granger, but I just can't," Colin said with genuine regret. "He put all of us, Ginny, Orla, and me under a variation of the 'Fidelius Charm' which prevents us from telling you anything important about Ron or the man he is now. I'm ruddy surprised I was able to tell you of his near total blindness, to be honest."

After seeing the bushy-haired know-it-all breakdown from lovesickness, the young Prophet photographer had found himself rethinking his options about the Potters. He was finding himself more than ever wanting to help and he was certain that his fiancée standing beside him felt the same way.

Hermione's trembling hands rose to meet her pale face as she declared softly into her palms. "I'll never find him. Thanks to that horrid War, there are countless near blind wizards in the Britain." Colin stood a few paces off and watched as Hermione then drifted off into a vacant state of deep depression and sunk back into her chair."

"Good," Molly retorted loudly in an angry tone toward the now listless Hermione.

"MUM," shouted Ginny outraged.

"I said it and I meant it." Molly replied, unmoved and unrepentant by her daughter's reaction to her harsh gratitude to Hermione's predicament. "By giving up all contact and accepting banishment from your family Ginerva, you have proved your love for Potter to my satisfaction. Ronald clearly believes this too or he wouldn't have gone to such pains to arrange this wedding for you. However like he said on that Muggle talky-box thing, when Potter 'claimed' that his now ex-wife…all of a sudden, and at long last, was 'in love' with your brother. Remember what your brother shouted Ginny? He said…'PROVE IT.'

Colin noticed the effect that Mrs. Weasleys words had on the crestfallen Hermione, the young woman seem to wilt even further into a mere shadow of her public image. Gone was the strong and unstoppable Dr. Potter that person had been totally banished by the realization that she wouldn't be able to speak with her Ron anytime soon. Colin felt convinced now that he had misjudged the Gryffindor 'Know-It-All' rather badly.

"Your mother is right poppet," Arthur said in a resigned tone of voice. "With everything we have read in the papers over the years, her book and numerous interviews on the Wizarding Wireless Network. The timing of the appearance of this alleged 'secret love,' so soon after Mr. Potter appears to have dumped her to marry you, well, it is suspicious to say the least."

"Hermione does love Ron, Mr. Weasley, I swear it's true," Harry pleaded.

"Like my son said, Mr. Potter, your sworn word has little value to a Weasley," Arthur said cynically.

"I believe Harry," Ginny said without hesitation.

"Well, of course you do pet, you love the lying prat," Molly snorted, clearly unimpressed. "At least Ronald has the good sense not to trust the convenient new lies of these - - disloyal friends." A back stabbing boy who took away what he most wanted and this…" – Mrs.Weasley declared pointing at a softly sobbing Hermione. "Ungrateful, deceitful, know it all, scarlet woman. - Pah."

As if slapped awake from Mrs. Weasley's verbal blows Hermione responded "What does it matter anyway, he's gone now," Hermione sobbed, "and I'll never see him again."

"Oh, I don't know about that," Orla said brightly, coming to a decision. Then turning to her fiancée, she looked him in the eyes as an unspoken question passed between the two lovers. When Colin smiled and nodded his head in the affirmative, Orla turned back to Hermione and said with a smirk. "What you need, Doctor Granger is a cupa of my home brewed Earl Gray."

"Tea," Colin asked, "I thought you meant…oh never mind what I thought. How will a cup of tea help?"

"Dearest, you know we cannot speak about him, or take them to his cottage, but I don't see any reason why I can't take Doctor Granger back to our Diagon Alley 'flat'do you?" Orla said with a wicked grin on her face. "Things will be so much clearer to the smartest witch of our age, after a cupa in our lounge."

Colin looked at Orla with a puzzled look on his face for a moment or two before realization hit. Then he smiled, a smile that would not have been out of place upon a cat sitting besides an empty birdcage with its door busted open, with feathers scattered everywhere. He pulled his girlfriend into his arms and kissed her good and hard on the mouth before declaring. "You're brilliant you are, I love you so much right now…it hurts."

"What are you two going on about?" Ginny asked.

"You remember where I live don't you, Ginny; I live over that tiny shop in Diagon Alley?" Orla said, all but bubbling with excitement.

This time it was Ginny's eyes that went wide in understanding. She smiled from ear to ear she asked; "Oh my, yes! Then you think he went there before leaving?"

"Oh no, I'm sorry. He was going to leave the country straight from here, if everything went as planned…which of course it did. Orla declared in a 'matter-of-fact' tone.

"I didn't know that," Colin said

"Hush luv," Orla said, touching her boyfriend's cheek affectionately. "Any road, at first I was thinking on the lines of the good Doctor waiting in ambush when he arrives at his…mmmhh… Drat I can't say it. Well, it doesn't matter because later I discarded the idea. Because…one): we don't know where the….arg! …This Fidelius charm he put us under, is a royal bugger…place…he is staying at exactly is, and…two): security at the…mmmhh…will be so tight that the good Doctor will have little chance to get anywhere near him."

Colin watched as Hermione's eyes filled with hope upon discovering that she had an unexpected ally in Orla. Silently cursing the Fidelius charm which prevent Orla from telling her where to find Ron.

"Besides, and I hope you'll forgive me for saying this, Doctor Granger, but right now, you're a bloody-mess physically. If we wait until he gets back after the event, it will give Doctor Granger time to regain her strength as well as get her L. B. D. ready for action.

"Do you think the situation is bad enough for the deployment of a L. B. D?" Ginny asked already knowing the answer.

"L. B. D. - what's that? Is it one of those secret female things that we blokes don't have a clue about?" Colin asked, giving voice to the question every male in the room wanted to ask.

"Ginny, my friend, how else is she going to get him to sit still and listen to Doctor Granger's explanation?" Orla replied with a smirk, "Sometimes desperate situations –'require' - desperate measures."

"But I don't own a L. B. D." Hermione said depressed. "I never felt the need for such subterfuge."

"WHAT?" Ginny and Orla shouted at the same time.

"I never needed one, well not before now that is." Hermione replied sheepishly.

"You have no hope of winning him back without one!" Orla said firmly, more than a little shocked that the brilliant Dr. Potter had never used her feminine charms, even once. "Okay here is the plan, after the wedding you will come home with Colin and me and spend the rest of the night at our flat in Diagon alley. First thing tomorrow, after everything becomes clear to you, we go shopping for a customized L. B. D.

"HoneyI have asked 'nice' several times, now I demand to know…what in bloody-hell is a L. B. D?" Colin demanded beginning to lose his patience.

"Colin…Language! We're in front of company after all." Orla replied making everyone chuckle at the pure 'Hermioneism' of the gesture.

"Sorry," Colin said sheepishly.

"That's alright luv, just behave yourself…as to the L.B.D." Orla said with a smile. "Do you remember that blonde tart from the Daily Prophet that you told me about? The berk who had been flirting with you shamelessly for more than a fortnight, the one who vowed to your co-workers that she was going to steal you away from me?" A question to which Colin replied by nodding his head. "Do you also remember the 'little black dress' I wore at that party that got that cow out of our lives permanently?"

Again Colin smiled and nodded in the affirmative, but this time there was lust in his eyes. It had been the sight of that skin tight, plunging neckline; hugging the curves like a second skin black dress that had chased away the flirt and the same dress that had finally convinced Colin to ask Orla to marry him. Then he understood what the L. B. D. was and the power it held over men.

"He'll never know what hit him." Colin said with near pity.

"Why can't we go now, and…?" Hermione asked sadly.

"Now you hold on here," Molly said loudly in her firmest commanding tone. "I want it clearly understood that as Ronald's Parents, we will not tolerate any kind of 'conspiracy' to seduce my son just so the high and mighty Doctor Granger can gain some sort of closure by confronting my youngest son with some yarn about hidden love just so she doesn't have to live alone for the rest of her hopefully lonely and miserable life."

Hermione lowered her head downcast as if Mrs. Weasleys idea wasn't too far off from the truth.

"Haven't you hurt him enough already Granger, with all the lies and that book of yours? Can't you resist the temptation of playing with his emotions yet again? Ronald made it quite clear that your book has made it impossible to come back to the name I gave him at birth. You have robbed him of his heritage."

8888 Hermione's Point of view 888

Hermione flinched as if in response to a physical blow at the reminder of the pain that the 'Golden Trio' had caused. Not only to Ron, but also to the family that she had loved so dearly when she was growing up and the same family that she desperately wished to be a part of at some time in her immediate future.

888 Molly's Point of View 888

"Ronald has renounced everything he was because of your treachery," Molly declared twisting the emotional knife into the heartbroken young woman. "And all you both have to offer him in recompense is empty words. Neither of you have offered to clear his name, instead you both want to move on, go beyond what you have both done to him and behave as if nothing has happened. That my Ronald is even willing to consider having anything to do with either one of you - - well, it frankly makes me question his sanity in comparison to that of his brothers."

Mrs. Weasley was on a roll, with the full force of this hurricane of outrage centered on Hermione. Accepting Harry as a son in law would be hard enough, although Molly was wise enough to realize that there was no way to stop a stubborn Ginny when she made her mind up about a boy. So as much as she didn't want to, a Potter prat in the family was unavoidable. Granger, on the other hand, she still had a chance to stop, there was no-way she was going to allow her Ronald hooking up 'again' with a scarlet woman.

"Molly, I wouldn't go there if I were you," Arthur advised in a stern unbending tone. "Ginny and I had some long talks about Ron after he…left us, and I have reluctantly come to the conclusion that you are as guilty of belittling him as Doctor Granger was. And that perhaps Ron took verbal abuse from Doctor Granger, because that's what you taught him to expect from all women."

"Arthur how could you…accuse me of that?" Molly replied shocked and more than a little hurt

"I'm to blame as well…I imagine, I should have stood up to your brow beatings more often to show my sons a proper example." Arthur said apologetically. "All I am saying is that may be more than just what the Potters did to him that makes it so easy for Ronald to give up his name. He made it clear that he wants to put his past behind him and that includes not only the disloyal Potters, but the abuse we in the family heaped on him - especially Fred and George.

"You thought, as I recall it now, that Ron had gotten Harry's prefect badge by mistake and the twins were always making fun of Ron's accomplishments. I'm willing to bet that their jokes at his expense deeply affected his feelings of self worth and little pride he had in his place among us Weasleys.

"But we will talk more about this…later. The important thing now, is the fact, that I have discovered that a son we thought dead is in fact alive, but it's more than that. I have a second chance to get to know my youngest son and I'll be damned if I will stand here and let you or anyone else sabotage this rare chance to be welcomed back into his new life, just because your unwillingness to put the past mistakes behind you."

888 Molly's Point of View 888

Molly was stunned at her husband's outburst, but rallied quickly. She knew Arthur rarely stood up to her, and when he did it was over something important. She would put aside his words for now; in a place in her mind where she kept things she needed to remember. She would think about what Arthur said later, but right now she had the bit in her teeth and refused to back down.

"Arthur, there may be truth in what you say, and we will discuss this – at home – later! Your point however doesn't chance the fact that the Potters came here tonight out of some desperate need to be forgiven by a man whose reputation they destroyed seven years ago. Their request to let 'bygones be bygones' isn't enough to make up for what they did to him or us as a family, not in my book anyway!"

"Molly I understand your attitude about this, really I do, and you desire for Justice, however…"

"…Mr. Weasley, with all due respect," Hermione said, interrupting the Weasleys row and drawing on all of her diplomatic skills in her confrontation with the intimidating presence of Molly Weasley and her husband. This woman was Ron's Mum and family meant everything to her long absent heartthrob. Alienating Ron's Mum wouldn't help Hermione wiggle herself back into Ron's heart. "Ron isn't a child anymore…"

"WRONG! HE'S MY CHILD!" Molly snapped as she pointed an accusing finger at her heart.

Unfazed by Molly's outburst, Hermione bravely continued to speak calmly, repeating again her last sentence in an attempt to win over Ron's Mum with logic. "Mrs. Weasley, I mean – Honestly! Ronald is twenty four years old now which means he isn't a child anymore in any sense. Even he admitted over the intercom that we clearly have unresolved emotional issues between us.

"He is confused right now and considering how recently he regained his memories of 'who' he was before the final battle; no one can blame him for his uncertainty. I realize that you don't believe me when I say that I love your son, but I do. WITH ALL MY HEART! At the very least…allow me the courtesy of speaking with him to plead my case.

"NO! You leave him alone, do you hear me…or I'll…" Molly began, reaching for her wand only to be stopped by her husband.

"Molly, stop it!" Arthur said becoming angry himself. "I don't like this situation any more than you do, but our son…himself - did admit to having feelings for Doctor Granger and she deserves a chance to make amends to him."

Mr. Weasley pointed over to Hermione. "They both deserve the opportunity, at the very least; to clear the air between them and find the closure they desire…one way or the other. I see no reason why we should interfere with what is obviously going to happen whether we permit it or not."

Hermione's heart rejoiced when Mrs. Weasley nodded in acceptance at her husband, reluctantly accepting the inevitable.

"Alright Doctor Granger," Molly said, sneering in a less than happy tone. "I'll see to it that none of the Weasleys interferes with your chat-up with Ronald. However, in exchange for this concession, you must agree to refrain from using any feminine tricks on him, no L.B.D. deployment. No love potions, not so much as a single 'Chocolate Frog', is that understood?

Hermione, didn't like the terms, but she nodded her head in agreement anyway. After all there were other forms of sweets besides 'chocolate frogs'. No L.B.D. deployment was disappointing; there was no way around that. However Mrs. Weasley didn't exactly forbid her from wearing skimpy and sheer undies underneath her 'normal' clothing…now did she? - - after all, the art of being seductive is over ninety percent attitude. "I wonder how far I can strain these restrictions? Hermione asked herself mentally, "What is needed here - is a spot of research. There just has to be more than one way - to seduce a Weasley. Maybe, someone makes eatable sugar-quill flavored underwear. - Hum - have to look into that."

Seeing Hermione thinking hard caused Mrs. Weasley to begin to worry so just to make sure there were no loopholes she added one more restriction to the deal. "You will approach Ronald as you are now, and only upon his urging. He must invite you to a meeting of his own free will, and there is to be no ambush…unlike what Harry tried to pull off tonight." She declared in a clearly disapproving tone. "Your first meeting must be at the Burrow, at the kitchen table where I can keep an eye on you."

Hermione didn't that at all and the panic on her face showed it. Luckily Mr. Weasley came to the rescue.

"Molly…NO" Arthur interrupted. "They will feel far too inhibited at the Burrow, we want them to sort out there feelings for one another, not bottle them up."

"Alright then Arthur, what do you propose?" Molly retorted in a huff.

"They will meet at a open public place like the Leaky Cauldron or here at the Three Broomsticks and we will have someone that neither Ron nor Doctor Granger knows personally keep a discrete eye on them during their little chat. In exchange for agreeing to a non-private rendezvous, I will personally 'guarantee' that no member of the Weasley clan - especially Fred and George - will be in attendance either the background or pulling pranks." Arthur said giving his wife a warning look.

"For your part Doctor, you must promise to be on your best behavior." Arthur said in a more reasonable tone. "I have to agree with Molly about you not using trickery when chatting–up my son. However, the most important thing I want you to keep in mind when meeting Ronald is that if he insists on a private chat, 'YOU DAMN WELL BETTER - COME ALONE!'

"Don't you dare try to pull off some dim-witted ambush stunt like your imbecilic ex-husband tried to do tonight, do I make myself clear!" Arthur said forcefully staring cold and hard at both Harry and Kingsley, who, getting the message nodded in silent agreement.

"Yes sir, and thank-you." Hermione replied genuinely grateful that the senior Weasley was at least prepared to accept the thought of her reconciling with his son. While Harry stood a few paces away looking down at his feet, feeling properly chastised. "I'll umm, go now; I don't want to ruin my ex-husbands wedding."

"OH, no you don't. You can't leave!" Ginny declared steadfastly

"And - why not?" Molly demanded to know totally incensed.

"Four reasons," Ginny said ignoring her Mum's angry outcry. "One, this is my wedding day and have the right to invite to my nuptials anyone I want. Two, I'm going to need witnesses to make this legal and who better than Harry' ex-wife and a Department head from the Ministry of Magic. Kingsley by being here can truthfully testify that everything that Harry does tonight is of his own free will, meaning that there were no 'Imperious Curse' style duress or potion trickery employed.

"Three, when people read in the Daily Prophet tomorrow that Doctor Hermione Granger was also an honored guest tonight the likelihood of the slander-mongers in the media sensationalizing the rushed nature of my wedding will be greatly diminished. I think we both know who is going to get the majority of the blame for the break-up of your marriage Hermione. The press will need a villain to blame in this drama and I'm not sorry to say that you will fill that requirement rather nicely. And lets face it, when it comes to Harry, well - - the press always did turn a blind eye to the miss-deeds of the 'Chosen One'."

"You hate me, don't you?" Hermione asked deeply hurt.

"Hate you? - Sweet Merlin, NO! However, I must admit that naturally, you're not my favorite person at the moment either. You see, by not using - a lot sooner, - whatever blackmail you had, that compelled our overly generous Minister into granting you and Harry an unprecedented annulment. You caused me to suffer years of humiliating emotional pain.

"To make amends for all of my suffering, being here as a wedding guest tonight, will give the impression to the public of your unspoken blessing to my marriage to your ex-husband, Harry. This notion will reinforce in the mindset of the wizarding community the image that these proceedings are perfectly correct and above board.

"Just keep in mind…old friend," Ginny said in a deeply sarcastic tone, "that Ron wasn't the only victim of your protective lie of seven years ago. Harry has already asked for my forgiveness and after suffering a bit…received it. You however, have yet to apologize for the harm that - - you did to me!

"I want my pound of flesh in payment for what you have done, and being a guest at my wedding is how I intend to collect it," Ginny said this with a seriously evil smirk, while her mother, who stood behind her and to the left, looking on with the only expression of approval on her face that Harry saw that entire evening.

"Finally, Four, You need to learn what REAL LOVE looks like. What kinds of hell that a real woman will go though to be together with the man she loves. You always took Ron for granted, always assumed he would still be there for you…no matter what. I on the other hand, never had that luxury; I tossed aside everything for my man, my pride, my family, even my reputation to aggressively pursue the one true love of my life."

"Ginny, please I was just as guilty as Hermione," Harry said trying to be fair.

"Hush Luv," Ginny replied to her fiancée with a bittersweet smile. "You admitted to me your mistake years and years ago, Hermione is just coming to grips with it now, from what I just overheard on the intercom." Then turning back to Hermione she resumed her rant. "Your marriage to Harry was the biggest, the most pathetic lie you ever pulled on the wizarding community of Britain. It made you look good at the expenses of Harry, my brother and me."

Again Hermione hung her head down in shame, unable to think of a response to this painful night of brutal truths.

"I suffered estrangement from my own family in the name of love, ridicule and embarrassment by the press to be at Harry's side at social events. What have you suffered for my brothers love that I can point to and say 'here is the proof my brother requires?' Just saying you love someone doesn't cut it…with me, or as you've probably noticed tonight…my family.

"Actions speak louder than words, Hermione. My brother in meeting his fate the way he did all those years ago made it plain how he felt about you. And that's the real reason you never put his manner of – death in your book…isn't it? Because the painful truth is that you never sacrificed anything for anybody you loved in your whole pathetic self absorbed life.

"Ginny, enough already," Harry pleaded as he watched Hermione break down into tears once again.

"I truly think my brother loves you Hermione, and that's a real tragedy…for him anyway." Ginny said sadly. "You're Ron's biggest weakness and you always have been, In fact I seriously doubt that he'll ever get completely over you. But some one has to tell you plain and clear that 'empty words' alone - won't win him back.

"By the way, tomorrow morning you're going to have your name changed back to Granger." Ginny said forcefully. "Tomorrow there will be a new Mrs. Potter and I don't want anyone confusing me with you…do I make myself clear!" Ginny then turned back to a gob smacked Harry, gently took his hand before approaching the Magistrate.

888

The old wizard, officiating the wedding had never had a more enjoyable time. He knew he'd have to keep quite about what he had seen and heard that night, especially now that he knew he was conducting the binding ceremony for the famous Harry Potter. His wife would be the only one filled in on the gory details, she never forgive him otherwise. Besides his couch was the most uncomfortable bit of furniture in all of Hogsmeade and no secret was worth that punishment.

It really was a small wedding, free of the kind of media circus that you would expect from any bonding ceremony involving the 'Chosen One'. Harry didn't have the best man he wanted, because the Git had outsmarted him yet again. Nor wasGinny surrounded by her family and friends on this most important day in a young witches life.

"As Harry had stood there hearing the Magistrate drone on about the duties of marriage he couldn't help but smile at the irony of how things had worked out. Kingsley and a half dozen of the Ministries best Aurors had set up a cozy little ambush for Ron, but it had been Harry that ended up being trapped – if that was the right word for it? For Harry's former best mate had carefully arranged this marriage for his sister, and the bride had no more idea what Ron had set up than the groom did!

"Not that Harry or Ginny were about to complain about the outcome of Ron's scheme. After all, it had been what they had both wanted for years now. On the plus side, Ginny's estrangement from her family was at an end, for the only married man she would be fooling around with from now on would be her own husband. For Harry, it was a foot in the door, both with the people he had regarded as a second family and a chance – however small, of becoming best mates again with the only steadfast…true-blue friend he had ever made. The only down side to his wedding as Harry saw it, was the slim chances he had surviving the long over-due wrath of his new brothers in law.

After the ceremony, the Magistrate made his farewells and departed, as the newlyweds were introduced to Tiki, an individual that Orla explained to be "her employer's" devoted House Elf. This tiny creature appeared to be a happy and contented elf wearing an elaborate and somewhat 'costly' brand-new dish towel which had been magically transfigured to resemble a china doll's party dress. From all indications this was uncommon, as most house elf females wore old-stained worn-thin pillow cases for garments.

Upon hearing that this pleasant little house elf actually belonged to 'RONALD" Hermione seemed to somewhat come out of her depression by taking a sudden great interest in the busy house elf. Asking Tiki numerous questions on how well he had treated her. Being a very happy elf and extremely proud of her master, Tiki went on and on about her own room, her steamer trunk worth of new dish towel garments, how she had been ordered to visit her family while he was gone and the gifts of galleons for work well done.

As she listened to Tiki boasting about how good and kind a master she had, Hermione couldn't help but smile. Without realizing it, Tiki had all the benefits of freedom, regular pay, holidays and her own room without the social stigma that went with being a free elf. That 'her' Ron would do this, offset somewhat Hermione's disappointment that he 'owned' an enslaved House-elf.

Tiki, while unashamedly praising her kindhearted master led the newlyweds back into the room where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had overheard the conversation between Harry and Ron. But this was not the same room it had been just a half hour ago. Because now it had been transformed into an elegant (if small) wedding-reception supper, complete with fine china, silk table cloths and a small multilayer wedding cake.

Harry and Ginny were naturally stunned by what they saw; in fact they were pleased beyond words. Harry noticed that Ginny couldn't help but blush at how all of this had come to pass. Ginny's cheeks turning as red as her hair, when she peeked into the last room on the floor, it was a bridal suite.

"I thought the parents of the bride paid for the wedding?" Molly grumbled to Arthur while looking about the room. She still wasn't happy about any of this, especially her only daughter's choice for husband.

"We disowned her remember, for bunking up with Mr. Potter out of wedlock." Arthur whispered in his wife's ear loud enough for Ginny's new husband to hear.

And yet, despite the feeling of awkward reluctance at welcoming Harry Potter back into the embrace of 'Family' on probation. Arthur couldn't help but marvel by what Ron had done for his sister. He was in fact, deeply touched by Ronald's efforts to give his only sister a proper marital send-off. A bursting with pride Arthur Weasley couldn't resist proudly declaring: "Yes yes, my son Ronald is most certainly alive, this alone proves it. I remember how fond Ron was of Ginny when they were growing up and his thoughtfulness in setting all this up for his little sister is the kind of gesture that my youngest son would do, if he had the Galleons to do it.

"He does have the Galleons to afford this, I hope?" Arthur asked turning to Orla for reassurance.

"Oh, yes…Mr. Weasley, your son is pretty well off. Of course he'll never be swimming in dosh like mega-rich Mr. Potter over there, but he makes a real good living at what he does, in fact, no one makes more in his profession.

"Is that so, well-well that's good to hear," Arthur said very pleased as he looked pointedly at Orla.

"You shouldn't concern yourself about this extravagance," the young woman replied. "He would have been happy to pay twice what he did and more to bring a smile to Ginny's face. He … he's a very special man." Orla replied without thinking unaware she had been tricked.

"Then I was right in assuming you know who my son is and that your relationship with him is …close?" Arthur inquired with a warm smile.

Hermione head snap up and turned sharply in Orla's direction, her intense interest in Tiki suddenly forgotten upon hearing how Orla described Ron. She seemed to freeze in place as her whole body began trembling in dread.

Harry, who knew her best, could almost read her mind. "I'll bet she's wondering if Mr. Weasley is implying some kind of romantic relationship between Ron and Orla" Harry said to himself. "Didn't think of that - did you, Hermione? It never accrued to you that Ron's heart might be already taken, or at the very least that maybe you have a rival for his affections."

"Yes, Mr. Weasley," Orla replied deciding to be honest. "I'm ashamed to confess this to you, but I have suspected who he really was, his real identity before the last battle that is, - for almost a year now. I work for him you see; three years now actually and you get to know a man pretty well in that amount of time.

"So even before the famous picture appeared in the Prophet, I had plenty of circumstantial evidence that my employer might be - in fact, your son Ron. That's why Doctor Granger has to come home with Colin and me tonight. A cupa in the morning and everything will be clear to her, I promise.

"You see, I'm also under the same 'Fidelius Charm' as Ginny and Colin, so we can't say anything more than we already have. I can however, lead the horse to water, but whether she drinks or not isn't up to me," Orla said smiling at her own cleverness.

"Would, I be imposing, if I stopped by in the morning for a 'cupa' as well, Doctor Granger isn't the only one in need of enlightenment?" Arthur asked politely.

"Arthur Weasley, I'm appalled! I forbid you to have anything to do with that 'Jezebel' chatting up our son." Molly shouted at her husband.

"Fine then, stay home…woman!" Arthur snapped back, responding to his wife with uncharteristic anger, they very fact that he had declined to call her by name emphasized that point.

"Of course you can come, Mr. Weasley, in fact I would be honored if you did. Your Ronald as you call him is … well he is a very big part of my life now. You see, Sir, Tiki and I are both orphans. We both lost our immediate families during the War; like many others I'm afraid. What makes our stories different from all the other orphan's was that although we lost our families in a physical sense, we never really lost the "feeling of being loved" which is the true heart of being in a family, at least, not for very long anyway.

Your son took us both in, Tiki and me. He became…he was … well, he is…family to both of us in every way. He became my new second family. He was and is my big-brother, and favorite uncle all rolled into one person. I suppose, in a round about way, I guess that makes you my family as well. " Orla said shyly, embarrassed at her own words.

Harry had to smile as he noticed Hermione utter a huge sigh of relief upon learning that there wasn't anything romantic going on between Ron and the painfully attractive Orla.

Harry also noticed that Orla's claim of kinship was going a long way in warming up the atmosphere in the room. There was a warm look of affection on Mr. Weasley's face, as well as a softening of the hard expressions on Mrs. Weasleys. Harry couldn't help but feel envious of the instant acceptance that both Weasleys were showing toward Orla

"My flat is located above a small shop squeezed in-between Ollivander's and SecondHand Robes for all Occasions," Orla replied blushing hard, "just across the way from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

Arthur gently reached out and placed a hand on Orla's shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. You must call me Arthur from now on, my dear. There should never be formalities with Family, isn't that right, Molly?"

"He's right, dear. If you have claimed Ron as your family, then we certainly exercise the right to claim you as ours. And you can call me, Molly – my dear." Mrs. Weasley warmly said as she also embraced Orla as a daughter.

Harry watched as Hermione's eyes look haunted at the quick acceptance of Ron's parent's toward Orla and it was clear by the shine of her gaze that she was remembering a time in her past that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had once openly and actively accepted her into their hearts as well.

Ginny then proceeded to tell the story, during the wedding supper, of how she had 'found' Ron, and then went on to describe as much as she was allowed of her first meeting with Orla and Colin. She did however become quite frustrated when she couldn't give any details of Ron's cozy cottage or his business in Diagon Alley. Ginny's anger began to build until Orla, as gently as she could, reminded her of the Fidelius Charm that she was under, which eased the growing tension considerably.

Sitting off to one side holding tightly onto Colin's hand under the table, Orla surrendered to the sweet bliss of acceptance. She only half listened to Ginny as she told the tale of Ron regaining his forgotten past to Harry, Kingsley, Hermione, and Jon's mother and father.

But as Orla's eyes drifted over the faces of everyone in the room, she felt an impossible pull towards the one face that held the largest amount of envy toward the family warmth that was being displayed around her. Hermione's eyes look haunted at the quick acceptance of Ron's parent's had shown Orla and it was clear by the shine of her gaze that she was remembering a time in her past that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had once openly and actively accepted her into their hearts as well.

Orla had felt embarrassed by the attention she had just received, but she was not ashamed of the offer both parents had made to her. But still she felt the need to offer the young Doctor some comfort as well.

"He does love you, Doctor Granger he really does." Orla said taking Hermione's hand into her own. "More I think, than he will allow his heart to believe. You hurt him deeply and it's only natural for him to be cautious when risking being hurt again." Orla declared with absolute certitude to the teary eyed young woman.

"I hope more than anything that he still does," Hermione said with a reluctant smile. "Still, when he finally listens to reason I think I can successfully persuade him--"

"No offense, Doctor Potter," Orla said politely interrupting her. "But it's going to take a lot to convince my employer of anything."

Hermione truly smiled for the first time that night when she replied. "You're right of course; the Ron I remembered was extremely stubborn about some things."

Orla nodded her head in agreement and then turned to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley having a heated 'discussion' in forced whispers. She couldn't make out what they were saying as the pair were at the opposite end of the table from where Colin, Orla and Hermione sat. However, every now and then Mrs. Weasley would point in Hermione's direction while arguing quietly with her husband and that gave Orla an insight as to the nature of their disagreement.

There were several empty champagne glasses in front of Mrs. Weasley, which Tiki was having trouble keeping filled and Orla began to fear that there was another explosion in the making at the other end of the table. Hermione seemed to be aware as well of trouble brewing on the horizon for the young witch leaned closer to Orla and whispered, "Maybe it would be better if I leave soon. I … I have a bit of a habit in saying things about Ron and having people misunderstand. I suppose that's more my fault then anyone else. No … no, it's ALL my fault."

Hermione watched as Orla silently nodded in agreement before she said anything else.

"I don't know how deep the hole is that I've dug myself into. It's so deep that I can't even see my way out of it. Nevertheless, I know that in Ron's heart there exists a piece of love for me. It may only be a small piece surrounded by a lot of distrust and hurt, but it's there. I know it."

Orla squeezed Hermione's arm in a show of support as she continued to confide to a woman she had just met "My heart is … I could never love anyone as deeply as I have always loved him. That's the truth to how I feel for him. I'm confident that when he sees this true love for him… inside me that his own love for me will … will grow."

Orla steadily surveyed Hermione and softly reassured her. "I was listening too, to what he said over the intercom and frankly it appears to me that your ex-boyfriend is utterly heartbroken, totally convinced that you never felt the same way about him as he felt about you. Over the years I have seen all sides of him and I know that he can be real stubborn about things when he believes he's right."

"But that's just the point, He's total wrong in what he thinks I feel for him. Fame and wealth don't mean squat to me, never did! No man I know holds a candle to Ronald, it's always been him for me," Hermione confessed to a highly sympathetic Orla, that's why I was so willing to go to any length to protect him…and Ginny too – of course.

"Just keep in mind that just telling him that you love him isn't going to be enough." Orla pointed out as tactfully as she could. From what I know of my…employer, and his sister for that matter, the Weasleys as a general rule are firm advocates of the 'seeing is believing' philosophy

"Remember the proof he demanded of Mr. Potter? You're going to have to provide to him with evidence - the beyond a reasonable doubt kind of evidence, that you're not claiming to love him out of guilt or pity or that you're not 'settling' for him just because Harry threw you over. If he believed he was 'runner-up' or 'second fiddle' that would be a thousand-times worse then believing you never cared for him at all.

"Deep - down, Hermione. I'm sure that he wants to believe that you still love him, truly love him. However, it will take a lot to convince him." Orla said to her table mate, who had listened very carefully to everything the younger girl had said. Orla sat there silently surveying Hermione Granger and found herself caught between somewhat conflicting loyalties, balancing her own hopes for Jon's happiness, with her recent perceptions of Dr. Granger as a potential life-mate for her shop-brother.

The two young women were unable to speak any more privately as Mr. Weasley had gotten up from his end of the table and with a final firm look at his clearly unhappy spouse approached where Orla and Hermione sat.

"When would be a good time to come over to your flat in the morning?" Arthur inquired with a warm smile.

"For first tea tomorrow, Mr. Weasley," Orla replied smiling sweetly at her 'new' unofficial Dad. "As long as you understand the Fidelius Charm 'restraints' placed on me by your son. Shall we say around nine? From the look of things, I think Doctor Granger is in need of a bit of a lie-in."

"I will be there, my dear. Nine sharp," Arthur said determined in spite of the glaring looks he was getting from Molly. "I, for one, am very interested in what Ron has been doing with himself all these years. As to the romantic ambitions of Doctor Granger, well, that's up to my son to decide."

From what Orla could see of Mrs. Weasley's sour expression, Jon's mum was hoping that her son would decide to have nothing to do with someone Mrs. Weasley referred to as a 'Scarlet' woman.

"My personal feelings on the subject" Arthur declare while openly glaring at his wife, "has always been that Ms. Granger joining the Weasley family was something I had hoped would happen seven years ago, and although I do admit to sharing in my wife's initial displeasured at the thought of the possible reconciliation that may arise between them. My son deserves his shot at anyone he considers to be his dream girl. That is provided…she is capable of honestly and in a strait forward manner, chat-up my son in a public place without trickery and convincing him of her true feelings."

Hermione looked Mr. Weasley straight in the eye and nodded her agreement to his terms.

"If as it turns out, her romantic ambitions for Ron prove successful, Doctor Granger will be welcomed back into the Burrow on the same probationary status that Harry is under now. There will be some difficult times ahead before we all put the past behind us. It would be foolish in the extreme to believe that there won't be some members of the family that will not be particularly overjoyed at welcoming either of these two through our doors again." Arthur said, once again looking hard at his wife. "But that is a bridge over troubled waters that must be passed in the fullness of time.

"A huge bridge" mumbled Mrs. Weasley as she gulped down yet another class of Champagne in one swallow.

"However, make no mistake you two." Mr. Weasley advised as he pointedly looked at his wife to be quiet. "Just because Molly and I are stepping aside to allow you to pursue your romantic inclinations towards our children, it does not mean that you have our support or the quick endorsement of other member's of the family. My influence can extend only so far on this issue."

"It won't be easy, Doctor Granger," Arthur said with a tiny hint of sympathy in his voice. To tell you the truth, I feel that it's the contents of your 'book' that is going to be your biggest enemy in this, after all, the way you described my son wasn't flattering."

Hermione blushed in embarrassment, but then once again looked Mr. Weasley in the eye and drawing on her Gryffindor bravery declared, "Sir, I really do love your son, and I know it won't be easy to convince him of that fact. As for my book, which I wrote all by myself, I take full responsibilities for the glaring errors that it contains…"

"Damn - - witch! …Should have been burned at the stake for bloody slander" Molly slurred drunkenly, as the massive quantities of champagne which she had ingested finally began to take effect, while Tiki, wearing a wicked grin - and apparently with deliberate intent, refilled her glass yet again, in a valiant effort to keep the woman from spoiling her masters party for his blood-sister.

"Thank you Mr. Weasley," Hermione said grateful once again for the elder Weasley's easy-going nature. Then she sadly shook her head in Mrs. Weasley's direction, knowing in her heart of hearts that rebuilding any kind of relationship with Ron's mum might well turn out to be the hardest task of all.

"WHAT IS THAT?" Harry shouted as he casually glanced down at his new bride's lap, abruptly interrupting Arthur's end of the table conversation with Hermione. For while Harry had been listening in and watching the discussion about Hermione chatting up Ron, Ginny had subtly canceled the minor figure altering glamour charm she had been using all evening.

Ginny smiled over at him as she put her wand away, then she reached over and took his hand and gently placed it upon her heavily laden with child stomach. Harry's eyes going wide in shock as he felt a kick from within his brides expanded belly

"Sweet Merlin on a bike, Ginny, you'reyou're…pregnant!"

"Oi - Well spotted Potter, you got that in one!" Ginny declare with a huge smirk on her face.

"How could this happen?" Harry asked trying hard not to pass out from shock.

"Well, - the way it usually works is…when a boy hippogriff falls in love with a girl hippogriff…" Ginny began - chuckling softly.

"Ginny, you know what I mean, when did this happen?"

"What does that matter? Although I do swear on all my magic, that you were in the room at the time, you might even have been conscious." Ginny said smiling in delightfully from ear to ear. "The important thing is that you're most likely going to be a daddy before Ron gets back. Which I think is why, that 'Git' of a sibling of mine, so subtly hinted that we'll be 'busy' from now until well into January."

888 Molly's Point of View 888

Of course pandemonium broke out in the room after Ginny's little-problem was announcement. Even a somewhat pissed-face Molly … 'temporarily', forgot her animosity toward her new son-in-law over the news of a soon to be born grandchild.

This would be only the second grandchild to be born to the Weasley family since the end of the war. As Bill and his French wife Fleur, had only produced the one child due to Fleur's concerns over the damage to her figure. Much to her regret 'none' of Molly's other sons had settled down and gotten married. "Perhaps, Arthur had a point" Molly said to herself as she half-drunkenly pondered the lack of grandchildren. "Maybe, I have unknowingly turned my sons off of women for life, by brow-beating my husband all this time?"

Mrs. Weasley in the midst of this joyful celebration turned her attention back on Hermione. She couldn't help but notice the obvious jealousy that she saw on Hermione's face. Molly suspected that the bookworm was envious of the baby Ginny carried, and yet as desperate as Molly was for grandchildren to spoil. The very though that this bushy-haired…scarlet-woman, this unfaithful know-it-all jezebel, would perhaps one day be adding to the Weasley grandchild count, spoiled the sweetness of her only daughters pregnancy more than just a little bit.

The prospect that the far off look in Hermione's eyes were somehow the girl's visualization of some future day when her own belly would swell with Ronald Weasley's offspring - - was infuriating to Molly. "Well that isn't going to happen anytime soon, if I have anything to say about it," she said to herself with grim determination.

A few feet away Harry caught Hermione's eye, and silently mouthed two words "Your next."

Hermione took great comfort from her friend's faith in her and in spite of the glaring of Mrs. Weasley toward 'that woman' it was still several hours before the excitement surrounding this new cause for celebration wore off.

8888

To be continued

Coming up next…White Queen to H3… one move closer to checkmate