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

9. Chapter 9

Title: Second Time Around

Author: Billybob

Chapter: Nine

Chapter title: King in peril - check

Category: AU alternate universe ¼ PGFH Post Graduation from Hogwarts

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

Word count: 23,055 (plus or minus a word or two)

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

Pairings: HP-HG, CC-OQ, HP-GW and HG-RW

Author's disclaimer: This story is based in the wonderful magic world created by J. K. Rowling, 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 Dennis, Mark, Wayne and BuckNC for beta-reading this.

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Contrary to popular opinion, Monday morning, as any shopkeeper of Diagon Alley will tell you is 'normally' the slowest business morning of the week. Few if any shops are actually open before ten, and even then, there are few customers to sell to their assorted magical wares too. But this wasn't a normal Monday morning not by any means. In fact, it had been a gossip filed weekend altogether.

First there was the news of Dr. Potter's 'alleged' collapse at work from exhaustion late afternoon on Friday. Now, no one had believed any official announcements coming out of the Ministry since long before Fudge held office, and the natural skepticism of the Wizarding community proved justified on the following day, when the Daily Prophet published a special Saturday afternoon edition announcing the bomb-shell of the Potter marital annulment.

To the people of magical England, the 'real reason' for Dr. Potter's indisposition and hush-hush rumored 'suicide attempt' the gossip grape vine was whispering about could be seen a mere forty-eight hours later in another Daily Prophet front page article, this time complete with magical-moving-pictures. This article gave the details and showed in magical moving pictures the surprising 'Harry Potter – Ginerva Weasley' wedding. The ten very tastefully done pictures, showed the gleefully happy bride and groom standing before the Magistrate of Hogsmeade who conducted the binding ritual. This time there were no 'technical' errors in the ceremony and in spite of the mainstream press and paparazzi best efforts, the 'abruptly dumped' Dr. Potter…now Dr. Hermione Granger one again, could not be found for 'comment' over the hasty union.

This breaking news bombshell had tongues wagging all over England and the floo network system overloaded almost from the moment the Daily Prophet delivery owls arrived in wizarding households throughout the UK. Unable to chat with friends over the floo, those that didn't have to go to work that morning and that's a lot of witches and wizard's, all descended on one of a precious few places inside of Greater Britain where magical folks could discuss the news without fear of being overheard by Muggle's. And that meant…Diagon Alley.

Many a shopkeeper awoke Monday morning only to find hundreds of witches and wizard's apparating into Diagon Alley…amass. Shopkeepers are by nature not the kind of people to forgo an opportunity which fate has dropped into their laps. So the same shops that wouldn't normally open before ten, rushed to open to accommodate the unexpected crowds. From the 'Ye Olde Junke Shoppe' all the way down to the Leaky Cauldron, shop after shop opened early for business. The Tea shops and sit-down restaurants in Diagon Alley as well as the reopened 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor' now run by the son of the pervious owner, did record breaking business that particular Monday.

Now it should be always be kept in mind that in raw square footage…width wise, the main thoroughfare of Diagon Alley, while aptly named was not very wide at all and considering the sheer volume of people in the Alley that morning, it was by pure chance that George Weasley, who was doing some rearranging of the display window of 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' looked up at the very moment that his father apparated into view not more than two meters (six feet) in front of one of his twin sons.

Although no longer as stretched for Galleons as he had been while supporting seven children Arthur Weasley's style of dress had not altered all that much now that he was living alone with Molly. Because of this, his son George had no difficulty identifying his father in spite of the fact that his Dad had apparated into Diagon Alley with his back turned to his twin sons shop.

It struck George as odd though, for his father was one of the few people who had the password that permitted direct floo network entry into the fireplace in the back of the twins shop. At first George was willing to chalk-it-up to the mess the floo network had been in all morning, but that in itself didn't explain how an expert apperator like his Dad appeared into Diagon Alley facing the wrong way.

The "something is rotten in Denmark" alarm bells really went off in George's mind and when his Dad didn't immediately turn-about and come into the shop for a counsel-of-war concerning the wedding of their sister to that Potter prat, the twin knew something was not right.

Instead, Arthur Weasley stormed off in the opposite direction, making a bee-line toward a tiny shop squeezed in-between Ollivander's and the Second Hand Robes for All Occasions shop across the way.

Being busy men, neither George nor his brother Fred had given much thought to the tiny shop sandwiched in-between its much larger neighbors. But still, it was only common courtesy to be aware of ones neighbors. The Shop that his father was approaching belonged to a grim looking gentleman that he and Fred referred to as 'Spooky'. George accepted that this was perhaps not the politest of references to a man that had never done himself, his bother or their business any harm. But to him and Fred there was no other term that was more fitting.

The man was, in many ways, a bit of a loner … as far as they could see. Though he did have to admit that amongst the neighborhood the Proprietor of the quaint Chess Shop did have its share of fans. However, for extraverts like himself and Fred, Jon Veselkin as a person and wizard chess in general just wasn't their cup of tea. And when they did spy each other on the narrow streets of Diagon there was only a polite acknowledgement, a tilting of the head, but no actual stopping and chatting.

The nickname - 'Spooky' was at first a reference to the man's appearance. He walked the streets of the Alley wearing long robes, a full hood with his face masked, allegedly to conceal injuries he had sustained during the Second Death Eater War. It presented to the identical pair a somewhat menacing and 'dark' appearance and they started calling him – respectfully…of course - 'Mr. Spooky' and as the years progressed well, they naturally shortened it to just 'Spooky'. But all evidence to the brothers dictated that the object of their perverse interest was in fact a very gentle and caring man, at least that is what the other Shop Keeper's would say to them when open discussion was made at the Monthly Shopkeeper's Guild meeting.

So when George saw his father knock on the door of 'Spooky's' small shop with a 'closed' sign clearly visible, only to be admitted a moment later by a 'stunningly attractive' young woman in her early twenties. His overactive curiosity was instantly aroused. Nor was George the only one who found the behavior of Arthur Weasley of interest.

A man named Bill, the once well known personal photographer of Rita Skeeter, who had just been released from a Ministry holding cell for the forced entry into the Potters Godric's' Hallow estate not an hour ago. He had been arrested along with Rita in a futile search of a one-on-one interview with the former Doctor Hermione Potter. Now released, the photojournalist was just on his way to the Leaky Caldron for a double-shot of Firewhiskey, to calm his nerves, when he too spotted the father of the elusive new bride of the Chosen One.

Noting with interest the type of shop the elder Weasley entered, the photographer instantly realized that this particular shop might prove to be a lead on the trail of at least one of the two youngest Weasley's, either Potter's newest wife or her so-called long lost brother. When Bill also remembered that it was widely known amongst the many people familiar with Dr. Potter's 'tell-all' book that the third member of the 'Golden Trio', Ronald Weasley, was something of a Wizarding Chess Prodigy. The possibility of coincidence concerning Arthur Weasley's destination that morning became remote. Coming to a quick decision, Bill apparated away to the flat of his favorite disgraced reporter so as to inform Rita of what he had discovered.

Meanwhile, standing in the display window, George stood motionless, beside himself in curiosity. Moments later and half dragging his brother Fred away from a busy cash register, George guided his twin brother through the crowd of people all of whom wanted to discuss their sisters surprise wedding to the Chosen-one and toward the tiny shop the father had entered. Ignoring all of those who wanted to stop the twins to 'chat' George pressed on, his brother in tow.

Pressed up against an outside wall, George and Fred peeked cautiously around the corner looking through the tiny shop's glass front door and into the interior. There they saw the figure of their father, inside a small show room amidst hundreds of different types of wizard chess sets in a diverse variety of glass enclosed display cases. Joining him in this extraordinary pleasant room was that same pretty twenty-something year-old girl that George had seen welcome him through the threshold. She was beaming a happy smile at the middle-aged father of seven…six now with Ron dead - and appeared to be explaining something with enthusiasm. With the use of their patented extendable ears the twin boys were soon able to eavesdrop on the conversation within.

"So you sell over a hundred different kinds of chess sets here," Arthur was heard as saying.

"Yes sir, as well as strategy guides. This shop is more a central front and isn't used much by the bulk of our customers. We tend to do a majority of our sales through our catalogues and via Owl-Post Delivery," the pretty girl replied.

"And my youngest…son, is a good customer then?" Arthur asked while his twin sons listening in from outside, smiled at each other in a knowing way. They had guessed that their Dads visit to the young woman had nothing to do with adultery when they saw what kind of shop their father had entered.

Not that the possibility of their Dad being unfaithful to their Mum ever really entered their minds, for the walls of the Burrow were notoriously thin and right up to the last night when the twin boys were still living at home. Their bedroom being so close to their parents…well, lets just say, that the twins had first hand knowledge that their parents 'love life' was still surprising active for people their age, knowledge that they sincerely hoped wouldn't scar them for the rest of their lives.

"No - Mr. Weasley. Your son doesn't buy anything from here, although we do sell the chess strategy books that he has written over the years to others out of this shop. Truth be told, my employer is a very talented writer, Sir. He has the ability to explain the most complex stratagems in the simplest of terms, to readers of all ages. Some of his 'for beginners' books are highly valued by the parents of young children as they make the basic moves of the game so easy to understand." Orla replied calmly, unaware that Fred and George standing outside the tiny shop and listening in where looking at each other in stunned amazement upon hearing that ickle Ronniekins had written…'several books ?'

"Sir is a title used with strangers…my dear. I thought we had it all sorted out that after last night, you were to call me and Mrs. Weasley by our first names. We are, - in a way Family now, as Ron took you in as his…what did Tiki call you…ah yes 'Shop-sister.' And any sister to my son is naturally a daughter to me."

"Thank-you sir…I mean - Arthur!" Orla said stepping forward to give the older man a brief appreciative hug. In the comfortable silence that followed the gentle exchange between their father and this female stranger came a voice that was painfully identifiable by both brothers.

"Leave the poor girl alone Mr. Weasley, she is under the same Fidelius charm as Ginny is, so she can't tell you any more than your daughter told me about Ron."

"Harry? What in blazes are you doing here? You're supposed to be on your honeymoon right now with my youngest offspring." Arthur replied in a surprise and somewhat annoyed tone.

Stepping into sight of the spying pair of brothers strode an awkward and cautious man. "Ron may have pulled off a perfect marriage-trap between Ginny and me last night, Mr. Weasley. But even a brilliant strategist like him can make a mistake in the minor details. For example, did you happen to see the front page of the Prophet this morning?" Harry asked entering the room with an amused smile on his face.

"Oh yes, that's why I was almost late for my cup of tea with Orla here. Molly and I had another 'discussion' concerning a possible Ron and Hermione reconciliation and we…exchanged some 'heated' points of view on the subject. My Molly is a strong willed woman, Mr. Potter, especially when it comes to defending her offspring's. The fact that the progeny in question aren't children anymore doesn't seem to figure into her rather forceful objection to Doctor Granger's possible re-joining to the Weasley family.

"Actually, Harry, you got off with far lighter treatment than your ex-wife did. Molly may be forced to reluctantly accept the concept that you and Ginny were 'a couple' even before last nights 'surprise' wedding. Doctor Granger on the other hand, in Molly's point of view is still an 'undecided' issue. My wife stills feels that as long Ron remains confused about how he feels about Dr. Granger, she still has a really good chance to affect the ultimate outcome…which means that she hopes and will be doing everything within her power to see to it that there isn't any reconciliation." Arthur said his smile now forced and grim.

Harry looked uncomfortably around the display room, not wishing to engage any further into the subject of Molly Weasley's displeasure at the recent romantic pursuits of two of her least favorite people in the entire world. Instead he returned his interest to the original subject instead of allowing himself to being distracted with a fresh one.

"Well, as I was saying. When Colin's pictures were published in the Prophet this morning with its accompanying article that stated that our nuptials last evening occurred in Hogsmeade," Harry said with an awkward smile. "The press, both print and wireless, descended onto that tiny village in the same way people came to Diagon alley this morning…in vast numbers. Luckily for us, Madam Rosmerta held the wild dogs of the media at bay just long enough for us to sneak out the back door under my invisibility cloak, but we only just managed to get away."

"Oh…yes, I quite understand that," Arthur replied chuckling softly, for through his families long association with the Chosen One, Arthur had learned the hard-way that journalist concern for the privacy of celebrities didn't exist. "But why didn't you just pop over to Muggle London and check into that high priced hotel that Ron set up for you, a five night stay all paid for."

"Because my long lost git of a brother, who set the whole thing up, forgot one minor detail about Muggle Hotels." A very pregnant Ginny declared waddling into the room like a duck with a wooden leg, going over and hugging her father good morning.

'Yes sir, Hermione was right after all, Ron really should have taken Muggle studies at Hogwarts," Harry said chuckling softly in amusement as he watched his new bride's unusual strides. "You see sir; the wizarding press forced us out of the Three Broomsticks at about seven this morning and check-in time for most Muggle hotels is not before three in the afternoon, leaving Ginny and I with nowhere to go until then."

"We're not complaining dad," Ginny said smiling to reassure her father's look of concern. Naturally misinterpreting her fathers' sour facial expression as being annoyance with Harry's choice of words. Rather than the sight of his only daughter's dangerously swollen abdomen which was the real catalyst for his look of disapproval. "Ron went above and beyond the call of duty arranging my marriage ceremony and the post nuptial supper afterwards, it was truly a dream come-true for me. I owe him big for what he did, we both do, and not having anyplace to go for a few hours is a small price to pay for the suite he arranged for us in Muggle London.

By the way Dad, did I tell you last night, that inside the envelope that Ron left for Harry and me, along with the hotel reservation, were tickets to some of the best theatrical plays currently on stage in London! I've never been to a Muggle stage show and I'm looking forward to it.

"One of the shows I had hoped to see is called 'Wicked'. Seamus Finnigan told me all about it during his last visit to St. Mungo Hospital for the annual physical his employer requires. Apparently, he travels a lot in America for the Irish wizard distiller he works for, selling Irish Firewhiskey, and he told that the Americans actually have a stage play about a witch. Regretfully its not playing in Muggle London right now…all the pity.

"American Muggle's know about the existence of witches? That can't be good!" Arthur said worried.

No Dad, Harry explained to me that this particular play is based on a Muggle cinema motion picture, not on real witches like me and Mum. At any rate, Harry and I popped over to Muggle London to kill time before check-in and while strolling through Kensington gardens I remembered Orla's little tea party at nine this morning.

When I casually suggested to my new husband that going over to Orla's for a cupa would be the only way for Harry to find out where and how Ron had been hiding for the last seven years, he naturally jumped at the chance. He got all excited Dad," Ginny said smiling at the memory "and we rushed over here, that a cupa with Orla would also kill the time until check-in was just icing on the cake."

Arthur placed both hands in his pockets and stared to the ceiling of the little show room. Though he had given Harry his 'reluctant' semi-blessing to wed his only daughter the disappointment in the man he once thought of as almost another son ran very deep. Though many people had always credited Arthur for being a reasonable and generous man, even he had limits. The very idea of spending an evening and then the following morning in the presence of this so-called 'National Hero' … well, it was taking all his inner strength not to openly reveal his displeasure at the thought. The sight of Ginny's advanced pregnancy and the knowledge of how close his little girl had come to the social stigma of being an unwed mother didn't make putting up with the Chosen One's company any easier.

"That's all well and good, but I'm still a bit confused," Arthur said shaking his head. "If Ronald isn't a customer of this shop, how is Dr. Granger or myself supposed to gain enlightenment about my youngest son's whereabouts, just by being here?"

Harry stepped up beside his new wife to answer his father-in-law's question. "Ginny and Orla can't tell you outright, Mr. Weasley, but I can. Hermione figured it out right from the off …but it took me a bit longer and with a few less than subtle hints from Ginny here, I finally managed to get a clue. For example: Did you notice the name of the proprietor of this shop when you came in…Jonathan Veselkin? Now think back to the first year that Ron played Quidditch for Gryffindor as a keeper.

Did Fred or George ever tell you the little rhyme that the Slytherins made up about Ron in an attempt to tease him? I don't remember all of it, but it went like this; "Weasley is our king, he can't catch anything." Anyroad, Kingsley Shacklebolt was the one who helped Hermione come over here last night after the wedding. Once he saw this shop and the name of the owner on the Shingle over the door, he rushed back to the office and did some background inquires. His owl message caught up with us not five minutes after we apperated here.

For you see sir, St. Mungo's medical records indicate that during Jonathan Veselkin's prolonged recovery from numerous full body burns, caused by repeated hits of the Maxima Fireball hex, in his pain induced delirium, according to the matrons on duty, Jonathan kept repeating what the staff believed, at that time, to be his name…Jon Veselkin. As it turns out they were wrong in thinking that. For I now believe that what he was actually mumbling was a catch phrase from his past.

"Due to the burn damage to his face muscles, Jonathan was in too much pain to properly move his mouth to form certain words, add in the pain-relief charms they were using to ease his discomfort and when you combined all these factors a distortion of what he was trying to say is totally understandable.

What he was saying to them was therefore… 'clouded'. What the medical staff thought was the answer to the question: 'Who are you?' – What they heard was - 'Jon Veselkin'. When in actuality I believe he was actually mumbling something akin to - Ron-Weasley-king. See, Mr. Weasley? Ron – Jon. Weasley-king …Vesel-kin.

"If you put a hand full of marbles in your mouth, Sir, and say Ron's name … well, it won't sound much like his name but it would be close, wouldn't it. And that's what the Matrons thought Ron had said – 'Jon Veselkin'. Kingsley of course has a different theory, he believes that the Hospital staff was mistaken in thinking that Ron was fully conscious or even in his right mind when he 'allegedly' answered the name question. Kingsley points out in his message that during Ron's year-long period of recovery he never made any attempt to correct the mistake over his name. Jonathan Veselkin was what the Matrons called him when Ron fully regained consciousness, so with no way to know any different, he accepted without objection his new name.

"Because Ron, or rather – Jon, had an assigned name when he was a patient at St. Mungo's, he never showed up on the 'Missing-in-action / unknown-person-found' List. And I doubt sir that even you, will attempt to defend the gross incompetence that still exists, even today, within the Ministry's 'Office of Records'. That Department's reputation for losing entire families is legendary. The fact that they had no previous record of a Jonathan Veselkin was not in any way considered unusual or suspicious.

With no Death Eater mark on his forearm there were no 'War Crimes Court' reason to investigate further into Jon's background which might have led to his true name and origins. The battle worn and understaffed Ministry just let the Veselkin case slip between the cracks. Jon, as he was now called, ended up being more or less, absorbed into the System along with all the other countless victims of the War."

"Hold on, are you saying that my Ron and this Jonathan Veselkin are one in the same person?" Arthur asked stunned as he once again gave the tiny shop an apprising look as if to try to judge its value. "And he rents this tiny shop to sell theses wizard chess sets?!?"

"Yes, to the first question, but no, to the second. Apparently, according to the owl-post I received from Kingsley this morning – 'Jonathan' owns this whole building outright, both the shop and the two-bedroom flat above it. As well as a cottage located somewhere near Hogsmeade," Harry replied with a beaming smile.

"He owns this place, but it's so small, he can't make much…for a living I mean." Arthur said disappointed but there held in his eye a twinkle of joy that he was one step closer in discovering the lost life of his youngest male heir

"You're wrong about that, Mr. Weasley;" Orla declared proudly, "Jon makes a very good living selling chess sets. And this tiny shop as you call it, boasts one of the largest selections of wizard chess sets in Western Europe, there are literally dozens of different styles sold from here at very competitive prices.

As I said before, we don't sell many over the counter; the bulk of our sales are through catalogue. But our overall volume of sales has reached the point that Jon has spoken to me about acquiring another shop assistant," Orla said. "In my admittedly limited experience sir, especially where your son is concerned, I have found that it's always a mistake to judge a book by its cover."

"How much exactly does 'a good living' translate into galleons per year?" Arthur asked still unconvinced of the confident claims made by the young woman.

"I don't know exactly, Mr. Weasley, Jon does the books in a small office in the back of the shop, and he keeps that locked all the time so I…" Orla said only to be interrupted by a voice from the back of the shop.

"…I can tell you Mr. Weasley," Spoke a voice clearly identifiable as Hermione's. A sound that drew the other people in the front of the shop toward the back and made the concealed twins angry as their extendable ear were already at their limit. The mere fact of the outer door to the shop being closed and locked wasn't about to slow down Hogwarts famed twin pranksters. So by unspoken agreement and with a few moments of applied Muggle know-how, the magically locked door was no longer locked and the two young men silently slipped inside the shop under the concealment of the distraction provided by Hermione's comments.

"Once inside, as quick as you could say "Bob's your uncle" the two bothers had ducked down behind an elongated display case and crawled closer to the action, thus missing only a few words of the eavesdropped conversation.

"Dr Granger, how could you! Jon keeps his office door locked for a reason. He is normally a very private person and you madam have overstepped the boundaries of hospitality." Orla said in a clearly angry tone.

"I welcomed you into my home so you might gain some sense of peace after the events of last night and get some much needed rest. And you betray my generosity by 'Breaking and Entering' into my employer's private office? You couldn't contain your curiosity for just a few hours?"

"I'm sorry Orla. You're right, of course. My actions were both rude and inexcusable. But honestly…I just couldn't resist taking a look around. How could I ever hope not too? Not when I knew that all my answers were just one floor below me. I came down at dawn, initially not to spy or to snoop, but to find perhaps a picture of him to sustain my desire to be that one inch closer to him then I was the day before. But instead I found … 'Him'."

Harry arched his eyebrows at the statement made by his former wife. For days he had been growing in concern to her mental well-being. And this claim only had him on edge. "Him …Hermione?"

"Don't look at me like that, Harry. I haven't lost the plot mentally or wandered off on some wild delusional tangent. The plain truth is that the flat upstairs doesn't have anything - 'Jonathan-ish' about it. I have always been able to have this 'sense' about things. - Almost an intuition. I can see auras and people always leave some of their essence on personal items." Hermione said in way of explanation. "There is no one on this earth whose aura-essence I remember better than Ron's."

Dr. Potter moved further into the room, bypassing three new chairs placed along the wall, selecting to sit down instead in a worn high leather desk chair that sat before an old roll top oak desk. As contact was made in her descent between the soft leather and her rump, Hermione Granger-Potter's eyes slowly slid shut. There was something very soothing and comforting about the atmosphere inside Jon's office that instantly put Hermione at ease. She knew deep in her bones that the chair she had casually chosen to sit in had been one favored repeatedly by Ron. After offering the room a small and contented sigh at this thought, her eyes returned to taking in the sights of the room.

"That's the reason why I never returned the Weasley jumper that I 'burrowed' from his trunk to sleep in just before Harry and I…were caught…in the act sixth year." Hermione said fighting back a sob of regret. "It was the only thing of his that I had to remind me of him and the love that I so foolishly threw away with my 'half baked plot.'

When I realized last night exactly what this shop meant, that I was actually in his workplace, I fully expected to sense his presence again like I did when I was younger. But when I woke up this morning and inhaled deeply, I discovered to my horror, that there was nothing in your flat that bespoke…of the aura of the Ron I remember. Nothing except the items in those two boxes you pointed out to me by the stairway door and the trace essence on those items were far to deluded for me to sense Jon's presence on them.

"And Harry, just in case you didn't notice them while running about toting and fetching for the new misses, those two boxes contained Chudley Cannon's memorabilia."

"Hermione, I have to say I'm shocked! We have known each other for nearly fourteen years and I never knew you could see auras?" Harry said in mock surprise pointedly ignoring the tease about an Auror far too busy tending his pregnant bride to notice important clues.

"Sensing Ron Weasley essence on his clothing or personal items is not a skill with a practical application Harry," Hermione replied with a smirk. It's just that his out-of-doors, natural musky scent mixed with the smell of fresh cut grass was one of my favorites from Hogwarts, his odor was as enjoyable as the aroma of a mature book."

"I knew you liked to smell old books Hermione, Merlin knows I've caught you taking in their aroma often enough," Harry said with a chuckle. "But seeing auras, that's a new one for me."

"Pish-posh Harry," Hermione replied with a casual flip of her wrist. "At any rate, as I was saying, when I couldn't find my old boyfriends scent on anything in the flat upstairs, I snuck down her hoping for better luck.

"Walking by a door in the back of the shop I hit pay dirt! Even with the door fully closed and locked, Ron's aura seemed to leak around the doorframe like water leaks out of a hole in a Dutch dike. Once I sensed his presence again, no locked door on earth could hope to keep me out.

"Dr. Potter, although I sympathize with your desire to chat-up my employer, I simply can't have you mucking-up his personal things when he isn't here." Orla said clearly miffed that Jon's inter sanctum had be violated.

"I really am sorry Orla," Hermione replied, "I'm not normally this obsessive. A successful negotiator gets nowhere if he or she forgets traditional manners. I know better, really I do! In my own defense all I can do is be open about how desperate I am to reconnect with Jon. His return has opened a whole new world of possibilities for me and because of it all common sense has fled from my mind."

"I fully understand you haven't been yourself lately Dr. Granger." Orla declared clearly miffed. "However, you have strained my normal hospitality to its breaking point. I don't like to be this blunt, but I am going to have to ask you, after you leave today to stay away from Colin and myself as well as this chess shop until Jon himself contacts you upon his returns to England."

"Then you were right about him leaving the country last night?" Arthur asked interrupting, clearly disappointed.

"Yes sir, I'm so sorry, but I can't tell you where he's gone to." Orla declared with tiny tears pouring down her cheeks. "You have no idea how sorry I am about this, Jon has instilled in me the importance of always being there for family, and letting you down like this…hurts!" Orla said regretfully.

"Don't worry about it, dear girl," Arthur said pulling the young woman into a gentle hug, "you're under the 'Fidelius Charm' at the moment, and there is nothing you can do. That you feel bad about disappointing me, well…I'm touched…more than I can say.

"No worries Dad, we can tell you where ickle-Ronniekins went,"

Knowing the voice that spoke all to well, Arthur's shoulders slumped and without bothering to turn around in a tired tone he replied. "Fred …George. Would I be wasting my time telling you both that this doesn't concern you?"

"Blimey, - Dad? This is our little brother you're talking about…our DEAD little brother; so of course this concerns us!"

Arthur silently cursed, of course they were right. This was a family matter. He just regretted that they had found out as quickly as they did. Ron, or rather Jon now, had specifically asked that these two be kept some distance from his 'regained identity' until he was ready to make the transition back into a modified form of a Weasley life. But before he could gently scold his troublesome twin son's, the voice of Hermione Granger-Potter once more consumed the awkward silence of the room with a question that was tantalizing his tongue.

"Do you really know where he is? Fred, - George … Tell me, where is 'Jon,' I mean - right now?"

The pair frowned in anger as they searched the room to find the origin of the voiced question. It was the first time in years that the duo had seen…in person, their former nemesis. Prior to this, the only images of the female Ministry Official they had viewed were in the Photo section of the Prophet. She had, in their shared eyes, as she came into view looked a lot better in her life. They smiled in grim satisfaction as they took note of the gauntness of her appearance and saw up-close that her eyes seemed haunted and redden. She looked deeply tormented by to numerous to count personal Demons and although neither twin shared a word to one another both knew that there existed within the mirror-brother a perverse contentment in her apparent misery.

With a smirk betraying a dark happiness, George, looked once more towards his father utterly ignoring the woman who had asked the question. "Dad, why didn't you tell us you knew that Ron was alive?"

"Because I didn't know myself for certain until just yesterday and when I did find out I was sworn to secrecy about it by your brother."

Fred looked both dejected and angry, but he wasn't foolish enough to raise his voice or display his temper to his own father. "Okay, I accept that you didn't know until yesterday, but when you did find out why didn't you let us know. Forge and I have been pretty much feeling our way in the dark without a candle for a week. All we had was a Prophet picture and our suspicions. And now to discover, by accident - mind you, that our brother is actually old 'Spooky' from across the way, …well - c'mon dad. That's bad form…all around."

"I'm sorry, son. But as I said your younger brother's conditions for contact with the family were quite specific, especially where you two are concerned. He wants some time, free of your brotherly teasing and pranks in order to come to terms over his recent self-discoveries and he believed if you both were aware of his identity and circumstances that you would not allow him the peace and quite he needs to sort himself out."

"Flippin' right we wouldn't. That tosser has been hiding from us all this time, while we grieved for him like a new widow without a pension."

"In all fairness chaps's, Jonathan Veselkin, wasn't even aware he was actually Ron until just six days ago." As soon as these words left Harry Potter's mouth he began to regret them. The Twin's turned in his direction as one and he knew his comment's, no matter how familiar and impartial, were certainly not welcomed by them.

"We got nothing to say to you, Potter."

"So do yourself a favor and shut it. This is a family matter and that doesn't concern you, 'National Hero' types."

"You got that in one go, brother mine. You may have wedded…ickle Gin-gin. But that doesn't make you squat amongst the Weasleys."

"Then how about your lot's standing, within Ron's family?" Ginny shot back with obvious anger. "Whether you like it or not, - Fred, - George, Harry is now my husband and that make's him, - Ron's ... or rather, Jon's, Brother-In-Law. You kicked me out of the family, remember? Well Ron, I mean Jon…damn-it all! I swear to Merlin, this name thing is going to drive me mental

"Any way…Jon found me in my darkest hour and took me in; he's the only one in the family that hasn't disowned me. So as of right now, Jon's family consists of me, Orla here and Harry who Jon has put on probation at the moment. His relationship with everyone else…is on hold. Harry and I may not be the most popular people in the Weasley clan at the moment, but I think I can state with total certainty that we'll be welcomed to become part of the Veselkin family.

"So if you want to be part of Ron's…Damn-it …I mean - Jon's - life once again. Either shut your yaps and accept it, or leave. You weren't invited to be part of this gathering, and Ron asked specifically to make sure you weren't even made aware that he was alive. So if you are not going to be civil and contribute in a constructive manner to this "family" reunion, well, you know where the door is."

"All the time you spent shagging the Potter prat here, must have driven you mental, little sister - Us? - Leave?"

Ronniekins was…IS our brother and Ginny… hang on, - sweet Merlin on a bike, do you see what I see, George, our little Gin-gin isn't so little anymore, and she's big time into the pudding club." Fred said finally catching sight of his sister's swollen abdomen.

You have it spot on Fred, little sister has a bun in the oven for sure and it ain't hard to figure…who did the dirty deed…now is it." George said his hands balling into fist.

"Back off you two," Ginny said stepping in front of her husband. "Harm one hair on Harry's head and I'll not let either of my child's 'mental' twin uncles teach him…or her, the fine art of being a Weasley Hogwarts prankster."

The thrill of becoming uncles consumed the pair as all hurt and historic anger was forgotten in order to address a more current and pressing concern

"Gin-gin, say it ain't so…" Fred deadpanned.

"…You just can't do that to us," George continued

"…we need someone from the family bloodline to carry on our prankster heritage." Fred intoned

"…Bill and Phlegm's nipper is showing no signs of mischief at all," George said in a disgusted tone, continuing his brother's comment without interruption. The two brothers alternating in a rapid fire form of speech as if speaking as one person.

"…That boy had to have been adopted…"

"…More frog than Limey…he is…"

"…too bloody well behaved to be a real Weasley…"

"…Six years old and has never been on a broom…"

"…it's his French blood, that's holding him back…I say…"

"…your nipper on the other hand…"

"…will come from good stock…"

"…the mare was a chaser and briefly a seeker, the stallion… well, although not exactly a trust-worthy bloke - has a habit of betraying his mates. Still all-in-all, he was a decent seeker in his time, or so I heard."

"Stop it boys," Arthur said. "Ginny is correct about this. Harry is officially family now, so you can't…"

"…We know that Dad - couldn't be happier about it in fact…" George resumed although the warmth and accepting nature of his words did not make it to the twin's eyes.

"…if we pranked the disloyal prat before yesterday, we would have broken our promise to Ronnie-Jon as well as have been charged with criminal assault," Fred said with a huge smirk.

"…But now that he is related to us by marriage, the Potter-prat automatically loses the Ronnie-Jon's protection, because what we do to our precious ickle brother-in-law is…" George continued.

"…outside the jurisdiction of our promise to ickle Ronniekins," Fred said finishing his brother's sentence with a downright evil smirk that made Harry's blood run-cold at their implications.

"Are you sure you want to be a part of this mental family Harry?" Ginny said smiling and hugging her clearly worried spouse.

"Yes - Luv, I'm perfectly sure. Besides, if they get too far out of queue, I'll just ask Hermione to box their ears again like she did as a prefect whenever they stepped out of line at Hogwarts." Harry said smiling brightly at his twin brothers-in-laws as their conspiratorial smirks abruptly disappeared.

"Eat dung, Potter"

"We had a deal Mr. National Hero. You and that Brainiac-Slag of yours stays out of our lives and in return we stay out of yours. Bugger it all; even with the joy filled prospect of morally corrupting a niece or nephew taken into account, you're still not even worth breaking our promise. For Gin-gins sake though, we might be forced to accept you as a remote leaf on our Family Tree. But Granger here is dead to us!"

"Dead, buried and pushing up daisy's at the bottom of a Dung-Hill."

The mood in the room had suddenly changed from tolerably light, to dark and heavy and everybody, with the exception of the identical twin's, directed their looks to a frail looking former bookworm. Over the past few days, Hermione had gotten used to people looking at her with either concern or contempt in their eyes. Prior to yesterday she might have reacted to the twins looks of hatred and disapproval by retreating into herself, or backing off into a corner of the room and begin shedding tears. But that was yesterday. Since then she had heard Jon's voice once more and she knew she wasn't ... or wouldn't be worthy of him if she allowed herself to fold at any and every oppositional word.

As an experienced Ministry politician, Hermione had to carefully choose her battles. Her career relied heavily upon always taking the higher ground. But if there was one thing she had learned over the past twelve-hour's it was this – She would much rather receive the scorn of the entire remaining Weasley clan then to go through another seven years of no contact at all with a certain romantically confused Veselkin.

Hermione knew she had a heavy penance to pay, not only to Jon himself but to his entire family. It was, after all, she who had wrote the Book exposing the so-called 'Truth' of the Golden Trio allowing the reasonably respected Weasley name to be scoffed at. She never considered that people would view Ron's parts in her book as depicting him as a pathetic loser, or worse yet, a laughable buffoon, categorizing him forever as the 'comedy-relief' of the trio, as compared to Harry's Heroic bravery or her dazzling intellect.

With her jaw set, Doctor Hermione Granger-nie-Potter took five slow-careful paces forward and stood defiantly in front of her twin righteous accusers. She hadn't felt this exhilarated in a long time, seven years in fact. There was something about the temper of a Weasley male that made her heart quicken. But she had yet to meet one that made her knee's tremble quite like Jon did during their numerous and somewhat famous 'spats'.

If she ever wanted to be accepted again, she had to confront them all. Last night it had been Arthur and Molly Weasley, although admittedly Molly had been the worst of the two. This morning apparently, it would be Fred and George. But unlike last night Hermione Granger was not going to cower and snivel and wail like some weak willed girl. She was a Gryffindor. She wanted 'her' Ron back, and she was gambling that this Jon - as he now called himself - fancied the same kind of woman that 'her Ron' of old did, someone who had the backbone to stand up and fight for what she wanted. Not someone like Cho "hosepipe' Chang who reached for a handkerchief every time things got a little rough.

Nervously clearing her throat and doing her best to meet the twin pairs of hot piercing blue eyes boring into her forehead, Hermione visibly squared her shoulder's and spoke in a deliberately even tone. "I will not be ignored. You don't like me - that's ruddy obvious! Truth is, at the moment I don't like myself all that much either.

"What I did to Jon, was ... no - I'm not even going to try to justify it. Not anymore. Plain and simple, I made a mistake. Harry and I both made a mistake which has haunted us both ever since. I don't know how to even begin to apologize for the pain that you and your family have suffered, but you must understand that the pain was not just yours alone. Harry and I also suffered."

George sneered out a "Sod off." which was followed by Fred advising her to; "Go shag yourself." Twenty-four hours in recent time now seemed to have lasted a lifetime to Hermione, for the return of her long lost love had brought about a major readjustment of the Ministry's Chief Negotiators outlook on life. Harry had even once told her in private that 'her' Ron has once commented about a need for Hermione to; 'Sort Out Her Priorities' - he'd been right about that, especially when safeguarding Ginny gained more importance than the new found love of her boyfriend. She had paid a heavy price for that decision and she was determined to never be that person again.

"Say what you will, we all know that I deserve your hatred, call me foul names, I can take it. However, I warn you so that you are aware that the old rules of the verbal abuse games you have played at my expense these seven years, has abruptly changed this week. Henceforth, I shall refuse to anymore ignored your vile heckling or accept such abuse without any kind of response from me. Out of guilt and remorse for the harm I have done, I have allowed you and the rest of your family full reign. I have made every effort to always be somewhere you were not.

I am painfully aware that you and the rest of your brother's and your mother have spoken badly about me and Harry both in public and privately among friends; I know exactly what has been said, you see, because the Ministry has ears everywhere. Only your father, out of all of you, has been polite enough not to revel in his animosity either publicly or privately towards Harry and I, even though I am sure he detested us as much as the rest of you.

"There were a few really nasty rumors spread, rumors that transcended mockery to border on flat outright lies. I also knew that for the most part these bits of slander originated from you two." Hermione said looking straight at the twins. "I never retaliated because, well, to tell the truth, most of the claims were always too ridiculous to believe by anyone with an ounce of common sense.

"In fact I have gone to some considerable trouble up to now, in refraining from overreacting to your imbecilely childish verbal assaults on Harry and me. And I have always tried to take the high ground morally by turned the other cheek, allowing you to say what you wanted to precisely who you wanted to because I knew it all came from anger, anger that was perfectly justified. You may never forgive me, and I understand that fully especially after the book was published."

"Bugger the Book! The ruddy Book has nothing to do with this." Fred shouted at Hermione. "People who are our friends, people who really know us ... who knew the 'real' Ron, all bleeding well knew that your Bloody Book is a huge pile of fresh dragon dung. And for those who didn't we couldn't give a flaming Knut about ... unless their customers and only then are they always right."

Hermione had to suppress a twitch of a smile. Only the twin's could close with a joke during a ... debate. "Regardless, I won't be ignoring your taunts anymore. Not anymore."

"Yeah? – That's all well and good, Granger, go ahead - bring it on. …Forge and I have been itching for a straight fight with you for a long time. Only one thing has restrained us up till now from declaring a blood feud.

"Gred, for Merlin's sake - - shut it! And I mean right now. You know we can't declare open war on Granger.

Hermione nodded in a steady fashion. "You have indeed been very wise to avoid open war with Harry and myself, up to now. For I can with a moments notice call in enough favors owed to me by other Ministry department to see to it that your little joke shop is regulate quickly into bankruptcy."

Fred smirked. "That's a sweet little threat, Miss 'Know-it-all', and truth be told we have wondered about the reason behind your forbearance. My guess is that what probably restrained you all this time is the same thing that has kept our wrath in check, - - the memory of our brother; Ronald Weasley. So until he tells us different, until he changes or cancels the promise we made to him concerning you lot, you and Potter Prat here don't exists for Forge and me."

"What?" Arthur said clearly confused. "Explain yourself, boy! Ron would never have asked you to ignore his friends."

Hermione looked to Arthur, grateful that he had asked ... no, demanded, the question she herself wanted to know but suspected neither George or Fred would be willing to share with her.

"FRIENDS? - Dad, how could call Potter and Granger…Ron's friends? George shouted, before abruptly stopping mid-rant to take hold of his temper and putting it aside. Then, once his composure was somewhat regained, he looked to his brother and shook his head in disappointment. "You had to bring up the promise - didn't you? You couldn't resist, just this once, when that slag bookworm went and pulled your chain."

Fred cheeks went bright red in embarrassment as he looked down at his shoes in shame and then in a tone that was clearly apologetic he spoke, but it wasn't directed to Hermione, nor his father, or anyone else in the room other then his twin brother. "I'm Sorry, Forge! I don't know what came over me - I just got carried away – I guess. But ... she makes me so angry. Potter at least had the decency to break it off with, Gin-gin before-hand. But, - her?

Blast it all, Forge. She destroyed him. You know she did. You remember that night, - what he said to us when no-one else was around. What we saw! She doesn't deserve forgiveness. She deserves a bugger-lot more than just the cold-shoulder routine that ickle Ronniekins asked for, but damn it all to hell – we did promised. When I think of the things I have wanted to do to that frigid sow my blood boils …She deserves ...""

"... Your right you know, I do deserve punishment for what I did to him and I'd be the last one on earth to deny it. However, you two have no right to decide what form that punishment will take, only Ronald has that right." Hermione said in a determined tone, that brooks no nonsense. "So if your going to talk about me…like I'm not even in the blasted room, then at least have the decency to call me by my name and not 'her' or 'she'."

Hermione's eyes sought out the senior Weasley. She knew she was a long way from being forgiven by him, but she knew that the twin's were as stubborn as 'her' Ron was. She also was aware that Arthur Weasley was now as curious about the 'Freudian slip' uttered by both of his twin children as she was.

As though reading her mind, Arthur removed the hands from his pockets and laid them one in front of the other. He then drew in a deep breath and released a tone of voice he had used successfully many times when dealing with his children while they were growing up and had gotten themselves in a state that deserved a firm talking too. "Now Boy's, I need to know right now, and the truth this time. Did our Ron make you lot promise to do something?"

The pair looked uneasy, but it ended up being George who actually answered his father. "No Dad. It was more like what he made us promise NOT to do. We just kind of took his leave them alone concept and flew with it a bit further down the Quidditch Pitch, that's all."

"Yeah, - Dad. I mean if the slag and the prat didn't give a damn about Ron an' Ginny's feelings back then - - why should we give a toss about them now? They were the ones who made the decision that we Weasley's weren't 'good enough' for either of them."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Even Hermione was surprised at how loud her claim was. Startling the small group she apologized and repeated her words more softly to the twin troublemakers. "That's not true. We never said that to any reporter, we never implied that to anyone, not in word, thought, or deed, that any member of the Weasley family wasn't good enough romantically. Not once, even for a second.

Bitterly, George's, voice assaulted the room. "Naah, you just prefer to snog each other senseless right in front of them and then run off to give exclusive interviews to The Prophet telling the whole bloody world how much 'in love' both of you were with one another. That nobody else came close to giving you both - - what you called at the time? That 'warm-and-magical rush of love and passion'."

Harry groaned and Hermione's secure face faltered when she heard once again, the often repeated 'famous' quote from that first up-close and personal interview that the Daily Prophet did on them when their so-called 'relationship' became public knowledge. It had been an awkward interview and both she and Harry had to push the lie hard in order to make it believable.

Their first date and other such 'romantic special occasions' that they offered up to the reporter had been total fabrications but when the interviewer inquired into the range of feelings that they felt for one another. Hermione and Harry had felt compelled to transpose their own romantic experiences with Ron and Ginny and just transplant those feelings to the name for their 'sham' romantic opposite.

That line, the one that George had just thrown back in her face, the – 'warm and magical rush of love and passion' were the ones Hermione herself had used in the interview. She had in fact used those precise words to describe the pleasant tingle she would feel whenever Ron had looked deep into her eyes, had hold her ... or kiss her. And then she had gone and with deliberate forethought mutilated that tender memory to describe her 'false' feelings for Harry. By forcing her to recall it now George had nearly caused tears to sneak out of her eyes. But she was resolute; she wasn't going to cry, not this time.

HARRY'S, Point-Of-View.

Harry saw Hermione glaze and become lost in the distant pain of the first of many false interviews that announced their 'love' to the Wizarding World. He decided that she had been strong enough for the moment and decided that he would once more throw himself into the fray. "Regardless of what you may have believed at the time, we did care. Hermione is spot on; we have caused you, Ron, Ginny your entire family nothing but pain. And you have every right to deny us forgiveness, but do try to keep in mind that we endured pain too.

"Maybe our grief wasn't of the same intensity as what you Weasley's suffered, maybe it was on a lesser scale but it was still agony. It is a form of heartache that I wouldn't wish on a Malfoy, something I never wish to go through again, and neither does Hermione.

"With Ron thought to be dead, we couldn't see anyway to make amends. We all lost something we valued back then. I lost the best mate a bloke ever had and Hermione her one and only true love. But things are different now, because with him back from the grave we're determined to seize this opportunity to fix things …after all; 'better late - than never'.

"It's far too late for apologies Potter," George growled.

"Pish-Posh …George! You're just as eager to reconnect with Ronald as we are." Hermione declared with a half smile trying to lighten the mood a bit. "Don't you see - we all have 'missteps from the past' to apologize for. This is our change to take back that slice of happiness we lost so long ago. Ron's, return isn't something we should use to re-open old wounds or rekindle old grudges."

"Hermione is right you know", Harry said in support, "If anything, the return of your brother should be seen as a sign that we all do indeed have a second chance to take back what fate has stolen from all of us.

"Nothing was stolen, Potter. It was thrown away," George said with contempt. You want to make nice-nice to Gin-Gin and finally make her an honest woman – all well and good. You won't hear me or Gred complain over that-bit, but don't you dare think for one bloody second that you can put one of your Muggle band aid over what 'she' and you did to ickle Ronniekins.

"The truth of the matter was that your secret love affair revealed in that charms classroom destroyed more that just Ronniekins," Fred continued, "Dad was crushed by your betrayal of our family and tried to do damage control by giving fatherly advise for his youngest son, the 'plenty of fish in the sea,' mantra that no one suffering a heartache ever takes seriously. While Mum said very little, concentrating instead on her outrage over being deceived by those 'uncaring brats' who had made fools out of her two babies.

"There wasn't any secret love affair. It was a fabrication – ALL OF IT!" Harry screamed loudly at the pair.

"Sweet Merlin …Gred, why didn't we see this before," George said very sarcastically, "after seven years of the same story repeated over and over - all of a sudden – but, not until ickle Ronniekins comes back form the dead – mind you! The whole Granger Potter love affair is 'abruptly' all made up! Very convenient timing for this eleventh hour confession isn't it.

"Spot on - Brother Mine! Feorge here got that on the first go - didn't he, Potter?" Fred asked with obvious distain. "You could have told him it was 'all made up' at the time, but – oh hell no, where would be the fun be in doing that? Why deny yourselves the pleasure of watching our brother's agony as he watched you play sucky-face time-after-time - right in front of him in the common room and hallways. There must have been a perverse thrill in not giving Ron any advance notice – what so ever - before those lovey-dovey articles started to appear in The Prophet? You know the ones I'm referring too, the ones about how much 'in-love' you both were and your intention to spend every precious moment of the Hol's in each other's arms. There was enough sugary fluff in those articles to make a bloke ill.

Did any of you even once try to explain it all; - did you even send a single Owl to him over that last summer? George said piling on.

Harry was tempted to tell the twins that they had indeed sent Owls, or at least Hermione had, but what good would it have done, Fred and George would never believe that their attempts to explain in numerous letters had been returned unopened. There was simply no believable answer to the twin's charges that Harry or Hermione could make.

GINNY'S Point-Of-View.

Harry's and Hermione's faces expressed their guilt and remorse far better than any words could hope to describe. Ginny, who knew full well her 'new' husbands inner torment over this very issue, and because she knew she found herself reaching out to grasp Harry's hand to squeeze it gently in silent support. Harry had only learned, years after the fact, during pillow talk with Ginny after resuming their relationship, the full horrifying extent of the hell that Ron had endured during those last few months between the breakup of the trio and the final battle where Ron had thought to have died.

Ginny had remained silent during her brothers rant inside Jon's chess shop due to her own feeling of guilt over what she herself had done in delaying her brother and Hermione's get together during their sixth year. She was just as guilty as the twins in teasing her self-doubting brother over the romantically unattainable Head Girl. She had ignored Ron's pain and reveled in her parent's attention during the first part of his last summer.

"Being a light sleeper Ginny, on many a night and had heard Ron shuffling down to the kitchen at three in the morning, to get a dreamless sleeping draught or a bite to eat. She would get up out of her own bed and go down to the kitchen to try to get him to talk to her - which never happened - or just to keep him company. He was sensitive enough to appreciate what she had tried to do for him and would give her a small heartbroken smile before returning without a word to his room.

In hindsight there was nothing Ginny regretted more than her inability to help Ron that summer. She had her own breakup with Harry to deal with and although the attentive support she received from her parents had been comforting, she would later feel very guilty that she hadn't reached out to give comfort to her brother. She walked by his door countless times that summer and heard nothing but silence from his room. Part of her knew in her heart of hearts that he was awake and in there, silently coming apart at-the-seems.

What had made matters a thousand times worse was the truth in what the Twin's were saying. For a lot more fuss was made over Ginny at Hogwarts and at home than Ron ever received. She had everyone's sympathy and support at school, she was even complimented for breaking it off with Harry before he was caught snogging Granger. She got compassion and understanding from her peers, where Ron, on the other hand, was regarded as a gullible fool, cockled by the more virile Potter.

It was no different at home, she got sympathy and Ron received nothing but scorn and verbal abuse non-stop from the family, especially the twins. Even her mother had mocked Ron for his naive gullibility. Ron response had been to quietly accept the insults and scorn as if they were fully justified and Ginny to her eternal shame had piled on like the rest, at least at the beginning.

When she finally realized how the family's ridicule had added to Ron's own feelings of self loathing, Ginny found herself at a lost as to how to undo the damage that she had done to Ron's feelings of self worth. She watched with ever growing despair unable to help as his depression deepened, saw him express his angst and broken heart in silence. Either alone in his room or while wandering out in the paddocks just behind the Burrow.

Whenever she had half-heartedly asked if he wished to talk about his breakup with Hermione, he would answer in the negative, ignore her, or smile sadly and just walk away. Yet, Ginny, who had far too much of her own guilt over what she had done to her kind hearted brother, felt unqualified to interfere with the battle between the Twins and Hermione.

And now, back to the center ring!

George's P.O.V. – explaining the Weasley male curse

"I hate to admit this to people like you and Granger, but Forge and I were pretty ruthless toward Ron that last summer," Fred declared with a sad frown. "We knew Ron had it bad for you for the longest time and we had warned him, over and over, that in our opinion what our little brother felt for the cold hearted bookworm was all 'one-sided.' That romantically speaking Miss know-it-all didn't even know he was alive.

"When he proudly announced to the family by post that he was finally dating the Gryffindors' frigid Prefect-Prefect," George continued, "we owled him right back and told him he was nothing more than just filler – a bloody distraction until something better came along, and we were right about that, - weren't we Potter?" George declared with distain, looking a Harry with an expression of pure malice, twisting the emotional knife deeper into the Chosen Ones guts.

"We even told him that we had a betting pool going on at our joke shop wagering on how long their relationship would last," Fred went on to say. "And then when Potter Prat here stole the love of his life – right out from under his nose our often repeated 'I told you so' over the course of his last holiday made a bad situation for him only worse. We deliberately piled it on just like his classmates had at Hogwarts. We laughed at his gullibility, we made jokes about his romantic failure, we brutally taunted him every chance we had. We rode him - hard – non-stop, and then put him away wet, to suffer even more.

Sorry about this Dad, but the painful truth is, we Weasley males are cursed. We just don't have any luck with women; never have – and probably never will. We always seem to choose strong willed women who bully and walk all over us - all the time.

"We are fun loving blokes, Dad, always respectful to the ladies - just like you taught us, and look what our good behavior got us! Angelina cheated on her three year boyfriend, George, by sneaking out and shagging - behind his back – of course - that Slytherin bad-boy Marcus Flint.

And then there is the sad tale of our own brother Bill, only one nipper in seven years of so-called 'blissful' marriage. Dad, do you remember what he wrote to us in his last letter to the family - you know – that stuff about - Phlegm's so-called; 'out of town overnight business trips that she insists on taking without her husband, even when you and mum volunteer to baby-sit.

The thing is Dad,: George admitted sadly, "…even flat-chested, plain featured, totally heartless Birds like Granger here, didn't fancy poor as dirt if really nice blokes like Ronniekins all that much, - Witches apparently seem to prefer the mega-rich, hump and dump, kind of bad-boys, with multiple notches in their bed-boards like that creep Krum or the Chosen One – our National Stud - Harry Potter.

"Yeah - Potter Prat, that's right," Fred spat-out with contempt, literally spitting on Harry's robes. "We knew all-about the multiple times you've cheated on your Brainic-slag-wife, and we didn't shed a tear each and every time we heard of yet another of your sexual conquests, Harry ol' bean! Granger deserved to be betrayed in the same fashion as she did Ronnie-Jon, - one shag at a time. Even when years later our own Gin-Gin joined the queue to climb into the National Hero's bed, we didn't expect our sister to get any better treatment from Potter than any of the other birds he humped and dumped.

"The way we see it," George continued, "poor ickle-Ronniekins big mistake was being a nice-guy while courting a fame-hungry…self-promoting …high-maintenance slag like Granger here. As his brothers, we knew the git had romantic ambitions way above his station in life, because the always right bookworm was a one hundred percent material girl – and Gred and I saw it - right from the off.

We finally figured out that Granger was deeply embarrassed by Ron's lack of money and patched hand me down clothing that our pathetic lovesick sibling wore. That the Weasley family semi poverty status was the primary reason why during all the years she knew him, no once was Ron invited over the Granger home to meet her rich friends. And you Potter, by wearing Dudley's cast offs all those years – well…that probably kept you off the invite list as well."

"That's not true," Hermione protested. "I was just safer at the Burrow, with its wards and all"

"Sorry to disagree with you Dr. Granger," Arthur said speaking soft and calm, "but your home was warded as well, Albus arranged it early on. Truth is, your parents told Molly and I that they didn't feel comfortable as Muggle's around Magic folk and you knew this.

And yet in spite of this attitude of your parents about wizards, they did make one notable exception, didn't they? - At your personal request! I know as a matter of fact from a friend of mine who works at the International Portkey Office, that Viktor Krum was a guest in your home during the Christmas holiday during your sixth year"

Hermione stood there with a deer in the headlights look on her face by this news, as she had believed Viktor's visit that Christmas had been a complete secret.

Fred meanwhile, seemed unsurprised by this startling revelation. Paying little or no attention to Hermione's gob-smacked facial expression, in full rant mode he continued his tirade against greedy self-serving bookworm. "Didn't think we knew about that, did you Granger? And apparently, you never got around to sharing this little tidbit with Harry."

From the stunned look on Harry's face it was clear that he knew nothing about it.

Seems to me," George declared with a sneer, "that Potter and Granger both are really good at keeping uncomfortable truths from one another. One engaged in a secret Christmas tryst with Viktor Krum, and the other in massive post marital adultery!"

"Oh come-on – Harry – 'old chum'," Fred said with heavy contempt. "You don't really think that you were her first, did you? No-no-no, sorry old-boy, the Bulgarian beat both Gryffindors to that prize!"

"Hermione - is this true?" Harry asked clearly hurt

"Harry, - I can explain this - Viktor's visit wasn't the way the twins describe it!"

"But it did happen! He did visit your home and you did lie about it to Ron…and to me!"

"Harry - please - let me explain…"

"What's to explain?" George said in a mocking tone. "Harry was only…what…sixteen at the time - a mere boy - and you wanted your first time to be with a real man, - - of say - - twenty. Blimey Harry, didn't you know? There are some toff bookworms who only allow their knickers to drop for a really 'mature' Quidditch seeker. Those few players who had a ton worth of galleons in the bank - although you're rich enough now, even famous enough, you weren't mature enough 'at sixteen' to be first in queue - - to take our Know-it-all Head Girl into her first foray into physical passion.

"Harry, don't listen to them, - it didn't happen that way at all! They're making it sound like it was some sordid one-night-stand, and it wasn't." Hermione tried to explain but her sincerity was lacking and Harry's disbelief was painfully obvious.

"Shut it, Granger, its clear your ex-hubby isn't buying your just an innocent fling explanation anymore than we did. " Fred declared completely misinterpreting the reason for the anger that was now visible on Harry's face. "Ginny told us you went off on the Christmas holiday in a foul mood but came back all happy and full of giggles. If a bloke went home and then came back like you did, we'd say he got lucky, is that what happened to you Granger? Did you get lucky – at home?

HARRY'S Point-Of-View.

For what Fred didn't know was that Harry wasn't the least bit upset about the possibility of Hermione being sexually unfaithful - Merlin Knows - he knew better. Harry's anger was centered on the discovery that his long time friend and virgin ex-wife, had lied to him about her relationship with Krum, that he had been nothing more than just a pen-pal. Believing that, Harry had spent years trying to convince Ron that he'd had no cause to be jealous of the Bulgarian. Hermione's had lied and that meant Harry had been manipulated …and there was nothing that Harry hated more than being played like a puppet on a string.

How far had the Krum affair actually gone, was what now tormented Harry's soul. After spending years having casual adulterous sex with too numerous to count, National Hero - fame hungry - groupie witches, Harry was more than experienced enough to know that there were ways of having sex while still technically remaining a virgin. Harry had known for years from Ginny about the library snogging that fifteen-year-old Hermione had engaged in with then eighteen-year-old Viktor Krum and Harry had never thought less of Hermione because of it. But keeping the ten odd days she spent with Krum at her parent's home during 1997 a secret all this time, implied, as Fred was now suggesting that something had happened that Hermione wasn't proud of.

Harry had to find out the exact details of the 1997 Christmas 'fling' before the twins spilled the beans to their back from the dead sibling. If Ron found out that he'd been justified in his Krum jealousy from someone other than Hermione. Especially before she and Harry had figured out how to do damage control, then Hermione's hope of a romantic reconciliation with Jon would end before it begun. Gradually Harry's reflections on this new danger to his best friends getting back together faded enough for Harry to once again become aware of the conversation around him.

"You see Harry," George said to a now refocused Harry. "Poor Ron found out the truth about Granger 'the hard way' when he learned some of the details of her love-life with Krum from our sister after his hallway run-in with Ginny when she was caught red handed snogging Dean just prior to the Slug-club party. You were there for part of it, Potter, or don't you remember?"

"Unfortunately Ronniekins, being the glutton for punishment that he was, went and talked to Ginny again on her own later that night in the Common room. And she being a true prankster that she was and seeing his weakness for the know-it-all twisted the knife a bit more into her brother by telling our lovesick sibling how she had seen Granger and Krum snogging like mad in a dark corner of the library during 1994, the Tri-wizard tournament year."

"Oh, Ginny, tell me you didn't!" Harry asked his new bride, but see her cheeks turn red in shame, the truth was obvious.

"With five brothers - all bigger than you," Ginny admitted sadly. "A girl learns to strike first, strike hard, and take - no prisoners. I wanted revenge for the things he said about me and Dean, and I got it – Merlin, forgive me – in spades!"

"Is that why he suddenly turn so cold on me, is that why he took up with Lavender?" Hermione asked stunned by the revelation.

"Yup, you got that in one, spot on Miss Know-it-all" Fred replied sarcastically

"Look you two," George said to both Harry and Hermione, "we as a family have had seven bloody years to investigate Ron's romantic downfall. Let us now share the time line we came up with." Fred and George said at the same time before altering every other line

…You didn't tell him who your date for the Yule ball was in advance…

…you implied that Krum had been coming to the library, just to talk to you…

…you showed up with him at the ball and had a great time…

…he invited you that summer to Bulgaria, and you have still to tell anyone whether you went or not… Forge and I think you did!

…you wrote to him and him to you, huge letters - contents of which still remains unknown…

…you tell both Ron and Harry that Krum said that he'd never felt the same way about anyone else

…Ginny catches you snogging Krum senseless in a dark corner of the library… which our smart sister wisely keeps to herself until needed.

Do you see a pattern here Potter, when it comes to Granger's love life, even her two closest friends in the whole world - were kept totally in the dark. Come to think of it - Granger never 'admitted' to snogging Krum's senseless, he was just a 'pen-pal'…just friends, but Ron found out different, and we're surprised that even today that your still clueless about how far she took things with Krum."

"We really didn't do all that much Harry, we just kissed a few times – that's all," Hermione said half heartedly.

"Shut it Granger, the whole school knew that our pathetic brother wasn't the first bloke you swapped spit with, that was Krum or the second, and that would have been oh yeah - dear old ex-goal keeper Mclaggen, so don't bother denying it now. Sweet Merlin, with you playing the field with Krum and Mclaggen sixth year - both at the same time I might add - how could you possibly get upset with Ron taking up with Lavender?

"Ron wasn't suppose to – not with her - he was supposed to be – with me. It was his fault that we didn't get together -sooner" Hermione replied with an embarrassed pout.

"What was our brother suppose to do, take a number and wait patiently in queue?" Fred asked sarcastically, "both Viktor and Cormac were older men, and it seemed to us at the time...that's…what…you…fancied…older…mature…adult…MEN."

"Besides," George added without missing a beat, "after Ginny told him what she had seen in the library and feeling he couldn't compete with a twenty-year-old, mega-rich and famous, 'good' Quidditch star. He took-up with – and strictly on the rebound, mind you - the first girl that would have him. Still, all-in-all, the Lavender thing might have turned out to be a mere temporary moment of weakness for our brother if you hadn't sent birds to attack him and then rub salt into his 'Krum-wound' when he heard about your under the mistletoe slap and tickle with Cormac.

"IT WASN"T LIKE THAT AT ALL! - THAT COLLASAL GIT! – HE ASSULTED ME! – DAMN IT!" - Hermione screamed, tears flowing freely.

"That's what you say now; Granger, but the other guests at the Slug Club party saw it quite differently," Fred said with thick scorn. "With all the gossips at Hogwarts that year, you had to know that your little mistletoe 'slap and tickle' with Cormac was bound to end up being told to Ron. And don't even try to tell us that the idea of him finding out about a you and Cormac snog didn't please you, on some level.

Hermione blushed hard in shame and everyone in the shop knew that Fred's comment had been - spot on target.

"Look Granger, don't take this the wrong way, We have known that you were a self absorbed cow for a real long time and we were also aware that ickle Ronniekins knew all about your numerous character flaws and in spite of all your personal baggage was head over heels in love with you anyway, - Merlin only knows why! He never got any encouragement from you that his feelings were reciprocated. So why he stayed devoted to you all those years was beyond our understanding," George admitted, shaking his head in puzzlement.

"It just never entered our calculations that you would ever allow yourself to 'lower your standards' far enough to actually date - however briefly - our little brother. After all, not only was he poor as dirt, you considered him rubbish at Quidditch without a Luck Potion and stupid or lazy in all of his classes. All in all you gave the impression to just about everyone that you regarded him as nothing more than Potter's sidekick with zero job prospects.

"That's the one issue that Gred and I still don't understand." George declared in a soft puzzled tone. "Why…after years of barely acknowledging his existence, taking him for granted at every turn, showering him with non-stop belittling insults. You turn around all of a sudden and go from rowing with him non-stop, to snogging our little brother brains out?

Why in the name of Merlin did you suddenly feel the urge to do that?

"You really want to know?" Hermione said, seeing an opening.

"Well yeah, it's been driving us mental for years…you see"

What would the total truth be worth to you? No evasions, No lies, just the brutally blunt, honest truth!"

"What would you want in exchange?" George said suddenly suspicious.

"A fair shot at Jonathan Veselkin, no pranks, no interruptions, no interference."

"How will we know we are getting the truth?"

"Harry knows, because I have had years to sort out how, when and why I fell in love with Ron, but if that's not good enough we'll get some Veritaserum. So - do we have a deal?

Yeah, alright, you got a deal." Fred said speaking for both. "So tell us, why the sudden change of heart, why did you dump Krum after Christmas for our little brother.

Over the next twenty minutes Hermione explained the whole plan to protect Ginny and Ron from the Death eaters and how it had backfired by crushing Ron emotionally. Although Harry interrupted his ex-wife several times to remind everyone that he was equally to blame for this stupid scheme by the time Hermione was finished most of the fault for what had happened rested squarely on Hermione's shoulders.

"It's a classic tale, Gred," George said to his twin when Hermione had finished her explanations, "Once again a sidekick is thought to be disposable for the benefit of the hero and heroin

"Too true Forge" His brother replied. "But it seems to be ickle Ronniekins destiny to be taken for granted by these two National Heroes types. He is better off without them, in my view, her in particular. And as much as we love fairy tale bed time stories…"

Listen here you – Prats! What Hermione told you is true, and she is willing to undergo the truth-drug to prove it so back-off now," Ginny threatened loudly.

Oh we believe her little sister. The twins replied in unison …

…No one could invent such a whopper…

…especially Granger, who is not known for flights of imagination …

…as her soul source of knowledge comes from ancient tomes…

…however, our deal was a free shot in exchange for what changed the Head Girls mind concerning Ronnie-Jon and we haven't heard squat on that subject. If our brother was so irresistibly lovable how was it, a mere two weeks into what Potter Prat here called the 'LOVE OF YOUR LIFE' could the same bloke be suddenly so disposable?"

"Oh I haven't told you yet have I?" Hermione confessed blushing hard. "This isn't easy for me…"

"Too personal to talk about?" George asked with contempt.

"No, I came to terms with my feeling for Jon long ago; admitting that I love him is actually quite easy. Telling you that you had me pegged right from the off – that's the hard thing."

"What, we don't understand?" the twins said as if in stereo.

"Plain and simple, I took things, particularly Jon for granted. I had it all planed out from …hell, first year actually. I would graduate from Hogwarts, get married and have it all! A devoted, loving husband, kids and a smashing career. By fourth year I had my life-mate picked out, all I had to do was wait for him to mature a bit."

"You fancied Ron in fourth year?" Ginny asked surprised.

"No, I think it really started way back with the troll in the loo and McGonagall's giant chess set."

"You thought about shagging our brother during first year?" Fred said

"Don't be gross you git, I was only eleven, if I wasn't ready for sex during seventh year then I defiantly wasn't ready during first."

"That was a little sick Gred," said George looking at his brother with disapproval slapping him hard on the back of his head.

"Any road, I had it all planned," Hermione continued. "I didn't want to get involved with Ron to soon, because once the snogging starts the pressure to do more quickly builds!" Hermione said shaking her head in regret over the memory of the pressure to put-out that Viktor quickly imposed on her.

I freely admit, here and now to a relationship with Viktor. However, I did not allow it to go beyond what is commonly called a slap and tickle. We snogged, several times, passionately, for he was an excellent kisser. I will also reluctantly admit, to allowing him to fondle me - occasionally, but only on the outside of my clothing, the slap part of slap and tickle came in whenever he tried to slip a hand inside my jumper."

"You're telling us you never bunked-up with Krum."

"That's right!" Hermione replied.

"No sex of any kind…"

"No, not of any kind, Kissing and heated petting yes, but nothing more"

"And we're supposed to believe this without a truth drug, not bloody likely!"

"Believe what you like, It's the truth all the same."

"Well this is all well and good, but what does your chaste affair with Krum have to do with our brother."

"When I came back from Christmas holiday sixth year, I had gotten lucky, just not in the way you perverts think. I was in a very good mood due to the good snog I had enjoyed with Viktor. However, at the same time the experience felt wrong to me. Not just because he had pressured me about having sex, but because I found him to be a lot more self absorbed in person than the impression I had gotten from his letters.

He basically wanted a submissive little bare-foot and pregnant type of woman that worshipped the ground he walked on. He changed the subject every time I brought my post Hogwarts career as if it wasn't as important as his. Long distant love affairs rarely work and that Christmas I found out why.

"What does - this have - to do - with RON?" Fred all but shouted.

"Isn't it obvious? I came back to school, with my romantic fascination with Viktor rapidly fading only to get hit square in the jaw by reality. Ron was never intended to be filler until something better came along as you claimed, that was Viktor's role to play. As I said, I had my sights set on Ron almost right from the off. In hindsight, I realize now that I had perhaps rubbed Viktor in Ron's face once too many times to make him jealous.

Wandering hands Cormac McLaggen on the other hand, turned out to be a huge tactical mistake. I tried to use him to get revenge on Ron when Lavender stole my man away from me, unfortunately going out on that one and only date with that walking egotistic was a disaster, it just drove my planned future husband deeper into Browns massive cleavage. I don't need you two twits to tell me that taking Ron for granted and thinking that he would always be waiting for me loyal and untouched, mine for the taking, ready to be snatched up at my leisure was a fatal mistake.

There is an old saying that goes: 'You never appreciate what you have until it's gone!' It took me taking him for granted twice in six months for me to realize how neglect can destroy love. I took for granted my chosen life mate to the point where he just gave-up once and for all any hope of winning my heart.

"Bloody right, you took him for granted, you treated him like dirt." The twins chimed together

"So you're right about me - both of you! Looking back with hindsight I realized that by never given him any encouragement to believe that I wanted to be more than friends. He having seen my interest in Viktor over the years, and although I'd had tried to be very discrete about snogging him, It was foolish to think that I could keep something secret at Hogwarts."

"So, what you're saying now, as I understand it." Fred said to clarify, "old Vicky, - Cormac and even the great Harry Frigging Potter – all three of them blokes were more or less, just a series of practice runs! Just sewing a few wild oats that's all – weren't you? Having yourself a bit of a lark, before settling down with our totally emasculated little brother, the long planned…intended victim – of your carefully thought-out future!" Fred asked.

"I wouldn't have expressed it in exactly those terms, but yes, I always intended to marry Ron."

"You're a piece of work - you are! But Lavender nearly ruined your little plan didn't she?

"Yes, it was a near thing, that. For the first time since I known Ron he was looking to snog a girl, that wasn't me. Lavender Brown was a wake up call for me, let me tell you. But what could I do, she had him and from all indications she was going to use every inch of cleavage at her disposal to keep him. I had lost the finest man I had ever met to a slag who wouldn't take him for granted like I had. I tried following Christmas to at least salvage our friendship without much hope for more, but then came his birthday in March, when he was poisoned."

"You heard him call out your name while he was unconscious" Fred said

"You heard it too?" Hermione said.

"You only heard him say it once," George replied, "we heard him say it a half dozen times before you were allowed in the room. The third time he said it and Mum heard him, was the time she insisted that you be allowed in to the room. Mum was right too, once you touched his hand he settled right down. She thought back then you two were destined to be together."

Hermione sat there and smiled at the memory for a moment before continuing. "That's when I knew I still had a chance. The moment Lavender broke up with him, I was determined not to repeat my previous mistake and well, the following night actually - during Prefect patrols outside the same charms classroom he later caught Harry and I - well – I – sort-of – attacked him!"

"Granger You – Shameless - Hussy!" Ginny declared laughing softly

"Well done Hermione" Harry said applauding.

"It was rather brilliant, actually" Hermione responded blushing

"Yeah ruddy brilliant" George spat bitterly. "But then, no two weeks later, in the same bloody room…he caught you and Potter red handed," George said coldly

"Yes" Hermione replied with overwhelming regret in her voice, "I had fallen into my old habit …yet again"

"Meaning, she took him for granted" Harry said sadly. "We both did actually! We thought our sham relationship wouldn't last long enough to cause irreparable damage. We arrogantly believed that we could explain away our betrayal of him and that he'd forgive us without hesitation… however, it didn't work out that way"

"Bloody right, he was devastated, all his dreams permanently crushed." George all but screamed.

"After you abruptly dumped your two week old boyfriend Ron, by cheating on him with Harry," Fred said to Hermione with genuine hate in his eyes. "We felt it our duty - as Ron's brothers, to make bloody sure that Ron 'finally' learned the bitter lesson about expedient, gold-digger bookworms. So we never gave him a chance to walk away from the biggest romantic mistake of his life. To drive our point home we deliberately bullied him something awful as soon as he came home that last summer"

HARRY'S: Point-Of-View.

Harry had heard all of this from Ginny before, and he was always upset that Ron had received this kind of torment from his sisters and brothers. There were pranks and teasing but what Ginny did to her love sick brother went beyond the pale. It was also clear as Hermione's facial expression altered to shock and dismay that Harry had never gotten around to sharing the brutal verbal abuse that Ron received from his family with her.

Frankly, to tell the truth, Harry had never really wanted to tell her. Hermione already carried far too much day-in, day-out agony over Ron, to know that he spent his last months being cruelly mistreated by his own siblings, well it would have been more then she could bear.

And it was.

The female Politician stammered out the question that logic could not address. "Wh---why would you do that to him? If he was suffering like you said because of what we did, then why would you continue to pour salt into his open wound like that?"

Fred answered Hermione's question with defeated shame thick in his voice. "We tried what the Yanks call 'tough love'. We felt that he needed to have his face rubbed in his romantic mistake just a bit, so as not to do it again. You both destroyed him and then walked away and never looked back, leaving us in the family to pick up the pieces.

"Forge and I had to watch as Ron mentally crawled into a mental hole and pulled the lid over him. You didn't apparently seem to care that Ron shut down completely that he lost all outward signs of emotion after his disloyal best mates turned the trio into a duo. We couldn't just stand by as he withdrew into himself and we desperately tried everything we could think of to get him to crawl out again.

"To do that, we needed him to get mad, either at us for teasing him, or at you two for what you'd done to him. We wanted him to react… yell, scream, and go into a rage... anything, except what he was doing. And what he was doing was surrendering... he was giving up on life. And we'd be damned before we let any brother of ours be a quitter, all because his so-called friends stabbed him in the back.

"Sure we became deliberately crueler in our comments," George continued. "Yes - we were brutal, but we were also desperate to get him out of his funk. Nothing we did however, nothing we said had any effect. He was behaving around the Burrow like one of the 'Inferi' walking about like an animated corpse and we were getting really frustrated.

"Any road, one afternoon in late July, he must have overheard Gred and I talking about getting some long overdue Weasley 'revenge' on you and Potter. Its funny really, you can insult Ron up and down all day long and nothing sticks, but just mention doing something to you lot, and he comes out of his shell faster than lighting.

All of a sudden - and out of the clear blue sky, mind you," Fred declared with a soft chuckle. "Ickle Ronniekins marches over to us and quite 'literally' drags the two of us – 'by the ear' - to the far corner of the paddock for a private little chat. Once we are out of earshot of the house, he then outright begs me and Forge, not to retaliate on what you did to him. He made us swear on a Wizard's Vow that we would leave the two of you alone.

"I wish you had been there to see him - pleading with us, to leave you-lot be… blimey, I swear, you wouldn't even have recognized him. He was as pale white as a zombie – the living dead, so worn thin from weeks without eating that a light breeze would have blown him over. Seeing what you did to him, I swear to Merlin that the deepest level of Hades isn't hot enough for a pair of backstabbers like you two."

Panting, George took a moment to compose himself for the memory of his brothers sad shape that day still tore at his heart.

"We couldn't put him back together again, Damn-it…Merlin knows we tried, but in the end we couldn't fix a 'Bloody' thing. Just to have him talk to us again and Gred and I found ourselves agreeing to anything he asked. Which ended-up benefiting you scumbags – by the way, for in the end we gave Ron our promise. That's why you have remained all this time physically untouched. And Damn-it-all, in spite of very strong temptation to do otherwise, we've kept that bloody promise!"

It was clear from the emotion in which the jovial pranksters spoke and presented to the rooms occupant's that something of great significance had occurred between them and Ron. With fatherly authority, Arthur Weasley, approached his twin son's, obvious concern showing clearly on his face, just as clearly as his determination to receive an answer to the unspoken question of the origin of their oath to the younger brother.

Speaking in soft tones that did not diminish the parental power to compel obedience concerning what the twins had let slip, Arthur spoke words he would forever wished never were answered. "What happened, boys? Tell me exactly what Ron made you promise."

"Well first off - Dad, it wasn't just us," Fred began, "ickle Ronniekins made Bill and Charlie agree to this hands off policy as well. That's the main reason the family shunning both of them was accepted without argument. Ron had asked us…well begged actually, to take no revenge for what he referred to as his own failure.

"The colossal git had the gall to agree with us," George continued, "on everything we had been saying about his romantic prospects with Granger …"

"…ruined all our fun by doing so, I might ad," Fred declared with a sad smirk. "Forge and I have been scornful concerning women almost right from the off, they use us - we use them, no harm – no foul. But Ronniekins, being the misguided git that he was always thought girls - especially bushy haired brilliant ones - were special.

"So our baby brother suddenly becoming cynical about the 'birds,' threw Forge and me off our game, we didn't know how to respond! He told us that it wasn't Grangers fault that a bad tempered, overly jealous, poor as dirt bloke - in hand-me down robes with hardy a 'Knut' in his pocket. Just couldn't seem to be able to complete, with two mega-rich, famous ladies men - and all around bad boys, like Krum and Potter.

"He told us that we had been right all along. That apparently – witches are more interested in the price of the robes a bloke wears on his back and how many galleons are in his pocket than anything 'non-materialistic' that an average bloke could offer. Hermione, he said to us, had told him that she fancied only 'good' Quidditch players, which we took to imply that she didn't consider himself to be a good one."

"Thanks to some cutting remark you made about him no doubt." George said looking hatefully at Hermione.

"Poor blokes like us Weasley's, he said to us, just aren't able to provide the kind of monetary gifts at Christmas and birthday's like Potter did over the years, nor could a poor bloke take their birds out to fancy restaurants or invite them to Eastern European holidays like Krum did.

"Truth be told, Forge and I stood there gob smacked as all our verbal abuse backfired on us. We wanted to teach him about coldhearted bookworms, not turn him off on all women permanently.

"We have been told, on good authority," George said with a smirk, "that there actually are nice girls out there, girls that don't take their boyfriends for granted. Not that Gred or I would be interested in any 'good girls' – mind you!"

"All we can say Dad," Fred continued in a more serious tone, "is that Ron went into a big rant on us that day. He went on-and-on about how witches say they are looking for a nice bloke and then run off and drops their knickers for the first rich and famous Bulgarian seeker they meet, blokes who can't even say their names correctly.

"I never slept with Victor," Hermione growled in frustration over what Fred and George kept implying.

"Shut it - Granger," Fred said with contempt. "Don't you see, it doesn't matter whether you actually did or didn't, because by not outright declaring in clear terms that you didn't. Your continued refusal to answer any question concerning your relationship with Krum, beyond saying that he was 'just a pen-pal'. Especially when Ron bloody well knew is was a lot more than that. Just convinced our jealousy prone brother that not only did you shag Krum…and we mean a lot…you apparently enjoyed this carnal experience so much …every bloody moment of it. That you didn't tell Ronniekins, how bloody good it was, so as not to embarrass the poor smuck for his pathetic lack of similar 'bedroom skills'.

"I never told Ron that he was unskillful in the snogging department! Because believe me he wasn't, just a single kiss and I was instantly randy as hell. " Hermione shouted.

"Did you ever tell him that?" Fred demanded to know.

"No of course not, it would have been too embarrassing" Hermione replied blushing hard.

"You should have, then maybe he would have felt his kissing wasn't rubbish, like he told us after you dumped him."

"He said that?" Hermione replied stunned

"Yes he did, but your snogging other blokes was the least of his troubles," George shouted at the top of his voice. "What ickle Ronniekins was really tormented about at the end, was who you might have been shagging."

"I never shagged Viktor, Cormac or Harry while at Hogwarts! Not that it's any of your business anyway," Hermione said sharply, interrupting the twins. "We told you the Potter-Granger love affair was a sham intended…"

"Yeah-yeah you told us already, blah-blah-blah. Besides you're doing it again! After all theses years, you're still giving conditional answers. Take a bloody moment and think about what you just said Granger!" George said throwing up his hands in frustration. "I never shagged Viktor - - - while at Hogwarts. Which leaves open the possibility that you shagged Krum's brains out. Until the poor bloke couldn't walk, while at your HOME during your 1997 Christmas tryst with him. As your home and Hogwarts are two different places!

"It wasn't a tryst, Damnit! – alright then, let me make myself perfectly clear – I did not have sex with that man – Viktor Krum!" Hermione declared trying her hardest to be sincere.

"You sound like some bloody Muggle politician, which means you're lying and we don't believe you!" Fred snorted.

"What does it really matter Granger, one way or the other? Even after he was poisoned and you knew he didn't love Lavender, by mumbling you name in a coma, you still didn't tell him you fancied him. Ginny told us he accidentally say out loud that he loved you while getting homework help and your response – "Better not hear Lavender say that" Blimey, no wonder Ron delayed breaking things off with Lavender. He'd become convinced by then that he had zero chance romantically with you. Especially, after he found out about you playing tongue hockey with Krum.

"All I ever did with Viktor was snog - and maybe our hands did wandered a bit - but that's all!" Hermione admitted in a determined tone, "I am not and have never been a Scarlet Woman"

"You know Gred, first it was just a few kisses, now she has added wandering hands. Who knows, if we keep pressing her on this shag question, maybe she finally admit to what positions of the Karma Sutra she and Krum tried out that infamous Christmas holiday."

"Damnit, how many times do I have to tell you…I didn't shag Viktor, the only 'man' who I will 'EVER' let inside my knickers is your brother – Ron! - I wasn't ready for sex at seventeen!" Hermione admitted not really thinking before she spoke.

"Did she just say - what I think she said?" Fred asked turning to George, "Does that mean she is still a - - virgin?"

"You may not have been ready but Lavender sure was" Harry said trying to divert everyone from Hermione's Freudian slip, before they realized the implications.

"Oh really, do tell." Fred asked suddenly interested "And you know this for a fact precisely how?" The twin asked as the rest of the room turned their attention toward Harry.

"Well…Ron told me that she had aggressively offered to…do things with him, - several times. She even suggested a three way with one of her dorm mates. But Ron turned her down flat, saying he couldn't do that with someone he didn't love." Harry said with pride at the steadfast morals of his former friend.

"Blimey, he turned it down, just because he didn't love either of the girls involved? Gred, our brother is one sick puppy," George declared in clear disgust. "Curse-you, Granger, don't you realize how you have corrupted our innocent brother? Don't you see that his sick devotion to the vile concept of monogamy is directly linked to his never ending love for you!?"

"I pretend I didn't hear that last bit George," Arthur declared tight lipped. "Your mother would wash you mouth out with soap for that crack."

"Sorry Dad!"

"Lavender may have been a little sluttish at times, down right kinky, if she was considering a three way." George said shaking his head in admiration …"I wonder who she was going to ask?"

"Not now brother mine, you need to stay focused when in the presence of the enemy" Fred said pointing at Hermione.

"Oh, yeah, - sorry Gred! I just never realized how kinky that bird was that's all. What a colossal waste of impressive cleavage, I say. And to think, our pathetic little brother turned down the amorous advances of that randy vixen in favor of futile chasing of a nineteen-year-old, cold as an iceberg, no interest in sex, life-long virgin."

"I beg your pardon, what makes you think I have no interest in lovemaking?" Hermione replied clearly insulted.

"Oh I don't know, didn't you just tell us that your marriage to potter prat was a fraud. No wonder he was playing alley cat, especially if he wasn't getting it at home. Even someone of easy virtue, like Miss Brown, would have been better for our Ronniekins in the long run.' George declared. "You could have gotten grandchildren out of Lavender Dad. She would have been a better wife than having our brother spend the rest of his days - pining away - for an openly frigid and sexually unattainable know-it-all.

"Make up you minds boys," Hermione said with disgust. "One minute I'm a slag who can't keep her knees together and the next I'm frigid ice queen who can't pry them apart, - you can't have it both ways."

"We haven't made up our minds on that yet." George said with a smirk. "Besides, Lavender did have one quality that you didn't, and still don't. And no…we aren't speaking of the impressive 'size' of her bosom, although that's true too," George said with a smirk, cutting off the derogatory comment Hermione had been a moment away from making.

"Yeah," Fred declared, "Lavender, for all her randiness, did make it crystal clear right from the off, that unlike you she actually wanted to be Ron girlfriend. She aggressively went after him at the first sign of interest. She didn't give a hoot about Ron's bank account, nor did she ever even once imply that he needed liquid luck to play good Quidditch. From what Ginny tells us she did everything she could to make him feel, needed, appreciated and most importantly sexually desired. You on the other hand, even when you finally agreed to date our brother made him feel as if you were doing him a big favor.

"That was then, this is now! I am older and so is Ron, the rules for dating are one way for teenagers and different for adults. Am I not right - Harry?

"What do I know? The only semi-normal relationship I have ever had with a woman has been with Ginny, everything else was just one-night stands with National Hero groupies?" Harry replied shrugging his shoulders. "When it came to you and Ron I just thought that your non-stop rows, constant put-downs and lack of public signs of affection on your part - was the Head-Girl preferred form of sexual foreplay. After awhile, I got the impression that your big rows were some kind of ' SICK' courting ritual."

"Don't try to shift the blame to the Potter Prat for your crimes," Fred interjected, "Sweet Merlin don't you realize that Forge and I were just as guilty at putting Ron down as you were. The only difference was that he knew, at least on some level, that our harassment was a form of family horseplay. Your put-downs the poor git always took to heart. But Harry's right, for once. You rowed with Ronniekins in public but never 'kissed' him that we know of. Now you claim that you've never had sex. Old Spooky has to be twenty five now, and as his long lost brothers we'd like to see him – get some – if you know what we mean."

"Boys, don't go there!" Arthur said in way of warning.

"Dad, bad form, Spooky deserves to get lucky, maybe even put a bird in the pudding club like Harry did to Ginny"

"Boys, I'm warning you for the last time."

"Come-on Dad, you and mom had six male children, and we, your offspring inherited your baby making appetites"

"Well to be honest Forge, we do the deed without planting the seed"

"Too true brother mine"

"Granger here apparently has no interest in doing the nasty, or hasn't since hitting puberty. So why give her a crack at old Spooky when there is zero chance of seeing any little sheet covered 'specters' floating around the Burrow a few years down the road?

"Your mum agrees with you, she doesn't want me to see Ron either…that should make you happy," Hermione replied.

"Smart woman our mum," Fred snapped, "but how our mum feels about you doesn't affect us in the same way it once did. My brother and I are willing to admit here and now that we did Ronniekins wrong while he was growing up. We deeply regret what we did to him during his last summer with us. Between us we messed up Ron's head good and proper, at least - concerning women.

"Like we said," George said with a satisfied smirk. "We always knew that there are somewhere in England, morally-upright – always faithful - constantly randy - baby making birds out there that would jump at the chance to hook up with a kind-hearted bloke like our ickle brother. We don't know any ourselves of course, but that doesn't mean they don't exist.

According to Potter Prat here, Ronnie-Jon or whatever he wants to call himself from now on, had already proven, when he was just plain ordinary Ron, by turning down Lavenders three-way invite that he's a dinosaur. His commitment to a monogamous relationship with a single woman and remaining steadfast and loyal to that one woman for the rest of his life is undeniable. Naturally, such a qualification puts any disloyal, brainy, frigid birds that he might have known at Hogwarts off the list." George said looking daggers at Hermione.

"Excuse me, what makes you think that Jon and I are incapable of having an active love life."

"Answer: Spooky's fireball burn scars and your lack of interest" George replied.

"As I was saying before I was interrupted by the know-it-all ICE QUEEN," Fred said with contempt glancing over to Hermione. "Forge and I don't understand why a bloke could settle for just one witch when the world is full of so many randy birds. Perhaps poor Ronniekins had one too many hits on the head as a child, which gave him such medieval ideas about the primitive custom of settling down and having children right out of school."

"You don't mind that some of us find the concept of Marriage neither primitive nor medieval." Arthur said with a sneer, as he looked at his twin sons with clear disappointment. "Your mother and I married right out of school. She will not be pleased when I tell her your views on monogamy.

Both twins shuddered in dread simultaneously in fear of their mother's wrath. "Look Dad," George said looking his father in the eye. "Settling down was your choice and Mum's. Ginny's taken that route too. And yes, - Ron the teenager clearly showed back in 1996 that he embraced the whole marriage concept - totally. But we're not talking about Ron, now are we?

One hour ago our neighbor, Mr. Spooky, was just that, he was a stranger who owned the shop across the way," Fred chimed in. "Now we learn that the bloke in the all concealing robes is the Fire-Ball-Hexed remains of our little bother. You lot seem to just assume that he's the same bloke he was seven years ago but why do you think that? Major body burns changes people, Lee Jordon got hit with just one fire ball hex and he became so embittered, we had to let him go, because he frightened the customers. Ron got hit by at least three, according to eye-witnesses, so is he really the same man now as he was back then?

"Don't invent problems we don't already have Fred." Ginny said with a chuckle. "I lived with Jon for four days and I'll be the first to agree that he's still as honorable as his teenage variation. Who else but a royal nutter would be the kind of bloke who would befriend a total hottie like Miss Quirke here, with no other motivation in mind than to give this delicious bird a sense of family?"

"I'm of the same opinion as Ginny on this," Harry said a small smile. There are way too many wizards who would have taken unfair advantage of an innocent and stunning beautiful girl just out of Hogwarts like Orla."

"You think she's stunning beautiful do you Potter?" Ginny growled in obvious jealousy

"Is this one of those questions like an extremely pregnant woman asking her husband if she looked fat?" Harry asked with a smile as he glanced down at Ginny's enormous abdomen. "I promised you to be honest about everything when you took me back as your lover. So – yes, Orla is stunning."

"Right answer Potter, stay honest and you have – a chance – to live to old age.

"I think Hermione is beautiful too," Harry said, "in a strictly platonic brotherly way. We were married - yes, but we never kissed or slept in the same bed. However, keep in mind, that just because she didn't do anything with me doesn't mean that she behave the same way around Jon."

"Your rambling Harry" Ginny said

"All I'm trying to point out was that Jon in his behavior toward Orla has been every inch a gentleman. But with the right girl, like Hermione here, in spite of his numerous burns. I'll be willing to bet that he'll behave like a typical randy git that all blokes are under the skin. His octopus hands will go everywhere on a bird that she'll let him roam, he'll always be touching her – and he'll be just as eager to shag as any other bloke.

"Ron and I were alike in many ways, when he was passionate about something, like a girl he fancied, he kept it contained longer than he should have. His willingness to take a total stranger into his life and treat her as a sister, like I did with Hermione is the same kind of man that any girl should be happy to have as a brother."

"And I am happy about that Mr. Potter. Jon has been really good to me," Orla said with pride

"So, Old Spooky is a ruddy peach! Glad to finally see that the Potter Prat - at long last - realizes that the best mate that you betrayed – had a moral center and sense of integrity that you and Granger apparently never acquired. Your somewhat belated acceptance of this great truth naturally, prompts the twenty-four thousand galleon question?" Fred asked turning abruptly once more toward Hermione; "Why is it Granger? That you personally never publicly acknowledged how 'rare' and valuable a bloke like Ron really was. Actions speak louder that words Doctor, and your actions over the years as a self-serving material-orientated bird and your apparent preference for famous bad-boys like Krum and Potter here, is just the kind of behavior that encourages nice guys like ickle Ronniekins into becoming womanizers like Gred and me.

"You Know boys, I've been thinking about the burn injuries that Fred brought up. Perhaps Ron – I mean Jon, is physically unable to - - be with a woman."

"Oh no sir, I mean Arthur," Orla said with an embarrassed, blush. "When I first interviewed for the clerk position, Jon was on the rebound from a failed romance. His scares were the issue of course. It was this heartbreak that prompted Jon to begin experimenting with Muggle make-up, contact lenses and wigs."

"Jon has had Girlfriends?" Hermione asked suddenly worried.

"Oh, Yes Dr.Granger, Jon has always been a bit of a flirt. He once told me that innocent sexual banter with elderly ladies was a great way to increase the comfort level of customers face to face with a man in all concealing robes.

"Oh, simply smashing! So Mr. Spooky is a ladies man after all, well that's just bloody fantastic!, even if these birds were older than dirt…which is kind of kinky in its own way …at least it's a start, something to work with. Fred said as he and George did a small happy dance in the display room of the tiny shop. "Now all we have to do is convince old Spooky to turn his flirting talents toward the 'younger' birds of child bearing age and The 'Good Girl Conspiracy' can go forward.

"Conspiracy? What are you two going on about?" Arthur asked suddenly very concerned.

"What Gred and I are determined to do now Dad. After Granger here gets her clear shot at Spooky as we agreed," Fred said in a grim tone. "Is to see to-it, that our little brother is finally hooked up with a nice looking …,

…caring,

…devoted to her man,

…physically demonstrative,

…ready to settle down

…One-man-woman. Naturally such a female would be the total moral opposite of you Granger.

"Gee-whiz, thanks loads," Hermione sarcastically mumbled.

Someone who'll appreciate his unshakable fidelity and not take him for granted like you always did." George said, ignoring Hermione's comment completely.

"I did do that, didn't I," Hermione admitted sadly.

"Bloody right you did," Fred said in an angry tone. "Our brother needs a girl who will put him first – well at least as much as any woman can. Forge and I don't mind the no-strings kind of friends-with-benefitswomen that we date, like we said they use us - we use them, no foul – no harm. Because we are admittedly emotionally shallow fellows, who never wanted to settle down.

"Ron on the other hand, was the nesting type, Ginny use to tell us plenty of stories about how great Ron was when it came to dealing with the younger Gryffindors as a prefect. He was always a lot more approachable than you were Granger. He never talked down to them like you did, never overwhelmed them with too much information.

"Sweet Merlin, even we noticed his likeability before our departure. We're willing to bet that neither Granger nor Potter ever noticed how rarely the younger Gryffindors came to Miss Know-It-All for anything other than homework help? Our little brother on the other hand was an easy to talk to – big brother - like figure to a house full of homesick first years to talk to. He may have called them midget or titchy, but that never prevented them from rushing to him when they had a problem. Right under your bossy nose, he showed a paternal quality with younger children that someday would have served him well, with his own nippers in nappies.

"Mr. Spooky, in his treatment of Orla here seems to display the same kind of parental tendencies. If we overheard correctly with our extendable ears, by arranging your marriage Ginny in Hogsmeade yesterday night, he reinforced his sense of family loyalty and his belief in the institution of marriage.

"Forge and I have long accepted the fact - that we will make awful uncles, always ready to spoil and corrupt into pranksters any family rug rats that crossed our path. We'll do it for your future nipper Gin-Gin free of charge!" Fred said smiling as he glance at his sister's swollen belly, while she visibly shuddered in dread.

"Phlegm already knew this about us, and that's why she keeps her son as far away from us as possible." George added with a knowing smirk.

"Face facts, little sister! You've always known this is true about us and worst yet you'll likely help the process along, because you're a bit of a prankster yourself. You'd never trust Forge or me to baby-sit your future offspring's, anymore than Phlegm does now; because we're openly irresponsible and bloody proud of that fact.

Truth be told, when it comes right down to being a positive influence on children, to teach them loyalty to friends, and how to play chess… well - that was suppose to be Ron's destiny …now wasn't it?

"Anyroad, with ickle Ronniekins gone, Gred and I became increasingly worried that there wouldn't be any prankster training with Bill's 'only' child. This is mainly because; Phlegm and Mum never did get along, not all-that-well anyway. On the other hand it was commonly accepted that a certain French Veela always had a soft spot for our little brother. A potential, uncle Ronniekins, would have been the one member of the Weasley Clan that the former Miss Delacour would have trusted alone with her son. For teenage Ron wasn't the kind of relative to lecture Phlegm's ear off on how to bring up her nipper like Granger here would have done, given half the chance."

"I never would have interfered…" Hermione began

"Shut your pie-hole Granger! - We all know better, isn't that right Harry?" George asked interrupting Hermione. And much to her shock Harry seemed to agree with the twin's analysis

"Your ex-wife isn't the kind of person to resist putting her oar in the water on any subject, now is she? Ronnie, on the other hand, wasn't the type to just repeat stuff he read in a dusty old book. He would have shown his natural gift at parenting by example." George said with distain

"Alright, so I'd make a horrible single parent," Hermione conceded in a hurt but determined tone, "but married to Ron our individual deficiencies would have balance out. He'd fill in for my shortcomings as I would fill in for his. Marriage is a life long series of compromises.

"We have a deal, and I intend to hold you pranksters to it. But even without it I don't need to point out to you both that despite numerous provocations I have left you and your business alone, in spite of your attempts at personal slander, so just for my lack of response, I figure you owe me.

If the deal we made for the information I provided, somehow fails to move you to stay neutral in my proposed reconsolidation attempt with Ron. I will feel no hesitation in employing good old fashion blackmail. I have, in a safe place, several files containing evidence of copyright infringement on several high selling products sold in your shop, evidence which could legally tie-up the assets of your business in the Wizengamot for years.

"Your father is graciously allowing me the chance to find out whether or not Ron can move on and put my mistakes behind us, I strongly suggest that you follow his lead."

"Is that a threat Granger?"

"No Fred, it doesn't have to be, just stay out of this. Let Ron and I settle the unresolved issues between us in our own way and nothing will happen. Neither of you comprehend how important this second chance with Ron means to me. Win or lose I want that chance."

"We'll keep our word," George said, "You'll get your free shot on the goal posts. But do you truly believe that you can swallow your colossal pride; climb down from your high seat of power in the Ministry and live the rest of your days as a simple Chess shopkeeper's wife? We are willing to wager just about anything that you can't!"

"Hold on boys, I have a question," Arthur asked in a puzzled tone. "If you just found out mere minutes ago that Ron was alive. Are you now saying that in just the last few minutes you two have decided amongst yourselves to play matchmaker with you little brother?"

"Oh no Dad, we didn't mean to give you that impression. The 'Good Girl Conspiracy' dates back to the last weeks of the Second Death Eater War. After Ron talked us into leaving Granger and Potter alone, Fred and I got together with Bill and Charlie and came up with the idea of finding the right kind of girl for Ronniekins. However, our brother sacrificed himself to save the 'Know-it-all' before we could implement it."

"Okay, I can see the concept," Arthur admitted with a small smile, "however it's in the execution that the problems pop up. You've admitted that you don't personally know any 'good girls' so where are you going to find this perfect witch? Put an advert in the Daily Prophet and then hold auditions?"

"You know – Dad, you have a great idea there!" George said instantly warming to the suggestion. "A well written advert would bring out the birds. We'd have to be honest about Spooky's physical drawbacks of course. Covered head to foot terrible scares is bound to make more than a few of the ladies squeamish."

"That's true my brother," Fred retorted without missing a beat. "However to offset the down side we play up the plus side. Apparently Mr. Spooky, our neighbor across the way owns outright an impressive bit of 'Diagon Alley' real estate, as well as runs a successful catalog business. And that doesn't even take into account the several years' worth of Wizard Chess Championship tournaments cash prize winnings, both here in England and World wide. Spooky may be a bit creepy to look at, but I'll wager his Gringotts bank account balance isn't frightening at all.

"You see Dad, it just so happened - that Forge and I recently entered into a friendly wager with a bloke who runs a joke shop in Paris. We were at a novelty convention over there and the Frog had the gall to bet us that the French chess master would win the world championship over our U.K. Lad. Being true-blue Englishmen, we weren't about to let said slimy frog get away with being better than us Brits. So we made a bet on the outcome.

Honestly Dad, we didn't know bugger about Wizard Chess, beyond what you taught us and the fact that our git baby-brother was ruddy unbeatable at it. Now, stuck in a wager due to National pride, we did some digging. Frankly we were gob smacked to no end to discover that old Spooky was a three time all U.K. Champion. Then we found out how much lolly Jonathan Veselkin made at the Wizard Chess tournament last week. Well lets just say…that there's a lot more dosh in that silly board game than we thought possible. And Dad, what Ronnie made last week…that's chump-change in comparison to how much he potentially take-in if he wins the world tournament in Rome next week.

"So that's where he went?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, we think so." Fred replied reluctantly not wanting to tell the bookworm anything.

"Orla, is that true?" Hermione asked.

"Due the charm I'm under, I can't confirm or deny anything concerning your son's whereabouts …Arthur, it hurts me to keep anything from you believe me.' Orla said as a single tear ran down her cheek. "However, it is also public knowledge that Jonathan Veselkin, my employer, the combined wizard chess champion of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland is expected to be in Rome a week from today for the all European Chess Championship."

"Then I'm going to Rome" Hermione said with grim determination.

"I wouldn't advise that Dr. Granger" Orla said in a matter of fact tone. "Security at the European Championships is extremely tight, especially for the participants. Although not as popular as Quidditch, wizard chess has its share of rabid fans. Individuals whose devotion to their favorite players parallels the devotion of the fans of the Muggle game of football which is also called soccer across the pond. Jonathan, as the defending European champion has already received death threats from the rabid fans of the Greek and Italian champions."

"Someone wants to kill him?" Harry said worried, as Hermione turned as pale as a sheet.

"Perhaps kill is too strong a term, but making him - 'unable' to participate in the tournament, - yes I can see them doing that - most definitely!" Orla replied. "So the tournament officials in Rome will be keeping Jonathan and the other players unapproachable to anyone not on a pre-submitted guest list.

"Jon doesn't allow visitors before a chess match, especially while he is in game-prep mode, so don't feel bad about his 'do not disturb' attitude. Merlin knows, even I am not allowed and he considers me…well he did up to just recently, to be his only family."

"So your saying I wouldn't be allowed anywhere near him." Hermione asked clearly disappointed.

"Nope, - sorry Doctor,"

"Miss Granger, are you forgetting the terms you agreed to last night concerning your meeting with my son?" Arthur said his temper growing.

"No sir, - I didn't forget, in a public place and discretely supervised by someone you trust but not a recognized member of the Weasley family."

"I understand Mr. Weasley, and I appreciate the tension at home you're undergoing to give me my time with Jon." Hermione declared humbly.

"I don't want to make things harder for you, but words cannot express the amount of displeasure my wife will feel if she was to learn that you had your meeting with her youngest son outside of Great Britain." Arthur stressed firmly.

"Yes sir, I understand completely, in England, somewhere in an open park within London, broad daylight, nothing seductive."

"Muggle London, not Diagon Alley?"

"No offense sir, but among Muggle's, we will have a better chance to talk without fear of interruption."

"Dad, when can we run the advert in the Prophet?" Fred said attempting to interrupt. "A nice bloke like Ronnie should have options that go beyond settling for this anorexic bookworm."

"Hey you two, my employer won't take kindly to being pranked by his twin brothers during his first days back from Rome." Orla said worried. "And that what he'll think your little advert is if a load of gold-digging, husband hunters descend on his shop in vast numbers."

"She has a good point, boys," Arthur said turning to his sons for a solution.

"We'll keep the advert anonymous Dad, and not mention anything that will directly link the Wife Wanted ads either to his chess shop or Mr. Spooky himself. We'll even give Orla here finally say on the content of the ad and let have her sit in on the auditions with ultimate approval on the final selections.

"I get final approval of the wording of the advert? …Yes I can agree to that!" Oral said with an evil smile on her face.

"This isn't fair" Hermione protested

"Tough" replied the twins as one. So Dad when can the advert appear in the Prophet?"

"Not before he returns to England and not before Dr. Granger has her first meeting with your brother. I'm giving you a head start over the others, any more than that and Molly will have my head." Arthur conceded and then taking note of Hermione's worried expression declared. "You're not afraid of a little feminine competition - are you - Doctor?"

"No – yes – I don't know, I thought you were going to give me my chance with him?"

"I am, and my twin sons will do the same, just like I promised, but as you want more than friendship from him – and you do want that - don't you? Well if it's a romantic relationship you want with my son, then your powerful intellect will be of no use to you. You can't knock him over the head with a book and drag him back to your cave like in ancient times

"Dad, what in Merlin's name - are you doing?" Fred asked stunned.

"Giving advice to a girl I had once hoped would one day become your sister-in-law," Arthur replied before turning back to Hermione, "Ron has seen your brilliance back at Hogwarts, now it is time to point out to JONATHAN that you are also a desirable woman.

Your gender is attracted to a man by abstract things, flowers, candy, walks in the park, and a romantic candle light dinner's. We males on the other hand are very visual animals. If your physical appearance the first time he sees you again can't stir lust within him right from the off, then I'm afraid that friendship will be all you'll ever get back from him."

Looking Arthur Weasley straight in the eyes, Hermione saw the sincerity to back up the advice. Glancing over to Ginny and Orla she saw both young women nodding their heads in agreement.

The problem for Hermione was, she had never seduced anyone in her entire life Dr. Granger didn't know the first thing about make-up, perfume, or how to dress sexy. She suddenly felt like a fish out of water and panic started to build inside her mind.

"Don't worry Hermione," Ginny said with an evil smirk. "Orla and I will help you turn temporality into the Scarlet Woman you'll need to be, - won't we Orla?"

"I don't know all that much about seduction myself, but I know an expert on this kind of thing that we can consult."

"You do?" Hermione said in a desperate tone. "You know a seductress? - what's her name?"

"Lavender 'Brown' Finnegan"

END Chapter 9