A/N-Well, here we go now...
Disclaimer: Harry Potter doesn't belong to me. You knew that already though, didn't you?
When the pair reached the backyard, all of the usual guests were present. All of the Weasley children and their significant other had arrived and their children were either running about or on their mother's hip. The one notable guest was Lavender Brown, whose on again off again relationship with Ron was most definitely on again. She had become a bit more tolerable since they had left school, but Hermione still found her rather annoying, and Ginny felt the same way to a lesser degree.
Katie was the first person to greet Hermione and Ginny, as she was by the doorway helping set out appetizers for Mrs. Weasley on a sizeable wooden table set up especially for this occasion. She hugged both girls almost as tightly and enthusiastically as Mrs. Weasley.
"I feel as though I haven't seen you in ages," Katie said as she absently ran a finger around the rim of the half full whiskey glass in her hand, "I'm so sorry I couldn't make it to dinner the other night. I got tied up at work."
"Don't even think twice about it," Hermione said after another small sip of firewhisky. After swallowing she added, "So how has married life been treating you?"
"Oh, you know, it's still life," she said with a small chuckle, "it's been great. So far, so good."
Ginny shifted her weight nervously from one foot to the other during the exchange as she began to wonder how exactly it was that one went about announcing something like an engagement. She had certainly witnessed most of her brothers make similar announcements. This just felt so different, and Ginny was suddenly overwhelmed by the magnitude and possible repercussions of her and Hermione's announcement. To make matters worse, she realized that she and Hermione hadn't even discussed how they would go about things. As Ginny fidgeted nervously at the bottom of her shirt, the diamond ring glistened in the bright summer sun, catching Katie's eye.
"Wait, Ginny, are you wearing a ring?" Katie asked, taking up Ginny's hand and looking at it.
Ginny nodded and smiled, half grateful, half terrified at having Katie bring up the topic of their announcement.
"We're engaged," Hermione said, as though she had been bursting to say it. She put her hand out to allow Katie to inspect her ring as well.
"Wow! I'm so happy for you both," Katie said as she pulled Ginny, then Hermione into a hug, "so when did all of this happen, and why didn't I find out before now?"
"Right after your wedding," Ginny chimed in, glad to have such a positive reaction so far from both her mother and good friend.
"I'm assuming Harry knows then?" Katie asked, "I don't know why he wouldn't think to tell me something like this."
Hermione proceeded to explain their reasoning for keeping the engagement secret, and the very vague plan that they had made with regards to telling the party that day. As Hermione related this information to Katie, she realized the same thing that Ginny had moments before; they didn't have a plan. While Ginny could improvise brilliantly and take things as they came, Hermione much preferred having something at least resembling a plan. Though she was struck with another bout of anxiety similar to the one before arriving, Hermione grinned broadly as she finished her explanation.
"Well, you ought to tell Harry, now don't you?" Katie said, and without waiting for a response, she gestured over to Harry, who was busy loading a plate with one of Mrs. Weasley's signature dishes at the nearby table, "Harry, come here, come see Hermione and Ginny."
Harry immediately followed his wife's directions and was by her side without much delay. He greeted both Hermione and Ginny warmly, giving each a hug. It was a habit he had picked after years of being in the Weasley family, Hermione realized, since he wasn't much of a hugger in their years at Hogwarts.
"So how've you two been?" he asked after stepping back from the pair and putting his hands casually in his pockets.
"I've been well," Hermione said brightly, "of course I have a very difficult case assignment right now, but you know me, I'm always up for the challenge."
"Yeah, same here," Ginny added, half hoping that neither Hermione nor Katie would tell Harry about the engagement. Second only to Ron, Harry was the one that Ginny worried most about telling, in part because of his less than positive reaction to their coming out. "I mean, right now we're just in the middle of a really tough part of our schedule. I think if we can win against United and the Arrows, we should be set for the division though."
"Harry knows all that already," Katie said, clearly making a concerted effort not to announce the engagement for Hermione and Ginny. So much for derailing Harry and Katie by talking about their shared passion for Quidditch; Ginny usually found it a good way to get herself a little more time. "Tell him what you just told me."
"Oh, yes, we got engaged," Hermione said as though it was an afterthought. That was as far from the truth as one could get. Hermione couldn't think of anything else at the moment. She bounced unpredictably between panic, excitement and a mixture of the two at the thought of the entire party focused on their news and no plan on how to deal with all of that attention.
"Wait, hold on a moment," Harry said after pausing for a moment to comprehend what he had just heard , "engaged? You mean engaged to be married?"
"Yes, in what other way would we be engaged, Harry?" Ginny asked, trying not to sound as defensive as she wanted to be. His reaction was the first one that had not been 100% and immediately positive.
"I suppose that would be your only meaning," Harry said uncomfortably, realizing how he must have come across. He then added to unintentionally make matters worse, "it's just you two, I mean, you two being married? "
Before either woman, or a slightly perturbed looking Katie, could respond, Lavender bounced over to their small gathering of people, as she had been doing to the rest of the party. She was clearly under the influence of at least a few glasses of firewhisky, and had a half empty one in her hand. Lavender leaned unsteadily, putting her hand on Katie's shoulder, though the latter seemed none too pleased by the prospect.
"What is everyone talking about over here?" Lavender said, then added with a giggle,"it appears to be quite serious Gryffindor business, and where is my Ronnie if this is serious Gryffindor business?"
"Probably hiding," Ginny muttered, but Lavender didn't hear her remark because she was distracted by her ritualistic survey of everyone's outfit choice. Usually Lavender attempted to be much less obvious, but her subtlety had gone the way of her sobriety. The blonde stopped short when she reached Ginny's hand and grabbed it so abruptly that Ginny was startled even though she knew she was being looked over.
"You're wearing jewelry," Lavender said as though she were a teacher praising a student, then turned her attention to Hermione's hand, where she made a similar observation. It took her liquor addled mind a moment to put two and two together, at which point she dropped both hands and stepped back. One of the most painfully awkward moments in Hermione's near photographic memory stretched on for what seemed like an eternity, though it was no more than a few seconds.
"So," Lavender finally said, with a coolness to her voice that Ginny thought was edging dangerously close to bitchy, "are you, well, you know going to be joined?"
Hermione cringed inwardly at the way that Lavender put emphasis on the last word, as though it were something she didn't want to think, let alone say. In the past, Lavender had already made clear that she was uncomfortable with the thought of Ginny and Hermione being together. The reaction they got wasn't something unexpected, nor was it something that Hermione and Ginny should have given much thought to. It was unsettling though, especially since all wasn't resolved with Harry.
"You know what," Katie said with a similar bitchy coolness, as she shrugged Lavender's hand off her shoulder, "you ought to go eat something. Maybe it'll sober you up."
Lavender cast a nasty glance at Katie before putting her cup down emphatically and casting an icy glance in Hermione and Ginny's direction.
"First I have to find my boyfriend," she said, an unpleasant smile on her lips, "he can't be kept in the dark with this wonderful news of yours."
With that, Lavender turned on her heels and stormed off to break the news to Ron in what Hermione knew would be the worst possible way.
A/N-Ah, and the drama begins...
I'd be interested in hearing how people respond here: What you think of Harry's reaction and/or the character of Lavander?
I know it's shorter than the first few chapters, but adding the next scene I intend to write would have made it too long. Besides, a mini-cliffhanger is good once in awhile, right? :)
Reviews, not diamonds, are this girl's best friend. Keep 'em coming! :)