Another Reason to Live: Chapter Four.
The Brilliant Plotters.
"I…"
It is strange how life plays practical jokes on you. Maybe it's funny to Life but to the victim, it isn't so amusing. Penelope Clearwater knew that she wanted to marry Percy Weasley ever since she had been, oh, fourteen! So many times, during her school years, had she written Penelope Weasley. Again and again, all over the place, until her diary would never forget the name, until her bed sheets could no longer get rid of it, until her dormitories' walls had shone with them, and until the house elves had started to despise these marking that they found everywhere.
How many times had she said, "Oh he is adorable" to her then best friend, Katherine? And how many times had she secretly spied at him in the library, too scared to ask him out.
And who could forget the day he asked her out, that beautiful day in her sixth year? And that happy time she spent with him, far from her daily life tensions.
Yes, Percy Weasley had been her dream since the time she knew what the word 'love' meant, yes; she wanted to marry him, to be his, with all her heart and soul.
But…
Could she? Did she have the right?
She didn't know, and in that moment, when Percy was looking at her, his eyes full of hope and tension, she knew she didn't want to know; neither did she want to care.
All she wanted was him.
And if that was possible, even for a day, let it be.
"I do."
"Then I declare you, Man and Wife. You may kiss the bride."
As he leaned forward, Penny decided that this was the best moment of her life, when Percy wiped away all her fears, anxieties, tension with just one touch. She knew it was the right choice.
However, she wondered how right it was.
25th December, 1998.
"Oh, Merlin, Penny, you shouldn't!" Molly Weasley gasped as she opened her gift- a bestseller's cookbook.
"What? I had to, you are my mother, after all, and this is my first Christmas…"
"First Christmases. Yes, those are lovely." Bill said fondly.
"Vat do you mean, 'those are lovely'? Aren't the others?" Fleur Delacour-Weasley's voice came floating out from where she was playing a game of chess with Ron.
"Well, of course, the others are as well, but that one is the sweetest." Bill tried to explain.
"And why is dat?"
"Because, the wife gives you the best gifts then." Harry interrupted, winking slyly at Ginny, his to-be-wife.
"Aah. Ron, this is lovely, the latest edition of Rowena Ravenclaws's biography? Merlin, I love you." Hermione Granger's shriek drowned out Fleur's scathing reply.
"Oh, well, I knew you would like it." Ron smirked and hugged her back, though longer than he really should have.
"Well, then open mine!" Hermione urged him eagerly.
"Oh. Uh, OK." He reluctantly tore open the wrapper covering what looked suspiciously like a …well…a book.
"Wow, Hermione. Wow…that is WOW…" Ron proudly held up a big, thick, orange book with curly letters printed on them.
"Quidditch through the Ages- Revised Edition? Well, Hermione." Harry flashed her thumbs-up.
"Yeah. I thought you would like it," she whispered to him, her arms around his neck.
"You know me too well..." Ron mumbled, slowly turning red as his eyes darted to the slim arms around him.
"Oh." Hermione turned away as she realized everybody was watching in an interested silence, embarrassed.
Penny watched them and smiled. They were such cute dorks, they were. She just didn't understand why they weren't together. She could practically see them together…practically see them together…
OF COURSE!
"PERCY!" Penelope practically yelled at him as she flew at him, half an hour later.
"Whoa, I understand you were waiting for me, but so impatient? Mmmmm…" He grinned mischievously.
"Shut up. Listen to THIS!" Penelope whispered to him ecstatically.
"Ah, Pens, that is brilliant, that is just bloody fantastic…I love you." Percy gushed as he nearly hugged the air out of Penelope.
"OK, OK, I understand. You love me, I love you too! But-oh- lemme go!" Penny chocked.
"Oh. Sorry."
"Let's go! Come on, we got a brilliant plan to act upon on!"
25th December, 1998. Night.
The snow was steadily falling and the atmosphere inside the Burrows was extremely warm and comfortable. Everyone was near the fireplace, drinking hot chocolates and enjoying their gifts.
However…
"Herms? Hermione?" Percy lightly tapped the brown-head's shoulder.
"Yeah?" she replied, looking startled.
"Ron's calling you upstairs…"
"What for?"
'Good grief, what for? Is Ron rubbing off on her or something?' Percy thought exasperatedly.
"I don't know. You know Ron, he can't even comb his hair these days without your help" Percy rolled his eyes and silently patted his back for the great acting.
But then…Why was she still looking so suspicious?
-
"Ronnikins?" Penelope drawled sweetly.
"Yeah, Penny?" Ron asked without looking up from his new Quidditch Through the Ages.
"Hermione's calling you…"
"She is? Why?" he asked, finally shutting the book and giving Penelope all his attention.
"Well, I dunno why. She said she wanted to discuss something," Penelope shrugged her shoulders.
"Ok, I'll be right up." He said, his hands flying to straighten his hair.
"Cool."
In Ron's room:
"Hey Hermione," Ron laughed nervously.
"Hiya, Ron." Hermione replied with a curious smile on her face.
"So…how you doing?" Ron, of course.
"Erm, just as I was half an hour ago, you?"
"Ah, same as well. It is rather cold."
"Yeah, but not more than usual," Hermione commented.
"Uh huh. You know what I just read in Quidditch Through the Ages…"
-
"Goodness, no wonder they never got together all these years. They can talk about anything but the point." Penny groaned to Percy who had been listening outside the door through the Extendable Ears.
"I know, I mean, the weather? You're kidding right?" Percy said in amazement.
"Listen," Penny shushed him.
-
"So, why did you call me?" Hermione interrupted Ron's rant.
"I called you because—wait. I called you?" Ron gawked at Hermione.
"Yes, you did. So…tell me? What's it? Fleur is waiting for me." Though Hermione had her arms folded firmly, her voice didn't sound half as sure.
"No! Believe me, I didn't! You were the one who called me." Ron accused.
"What?! Who told you that?"
-
"Here it is…" Penny cautioned.
"Get ready, OK?" Percy fastened his hands on the door handle.
-
"Penny! You?"
"Percy!"
"Wha-wait! Penny…Percy… you thinking what I am thinking?" Ron asked, hushed.
Hermione looked at him with wide eyes.
"Get the door!!" Ron yelled as he made for the door.
"Ready"
"Steady"
"Go!" Penny put all sorts of charms on the door that locked shut the door and put even a Muggle lock.
"That should do it, I think."
"Are you sure? This is Hermione we are talking about here. That girl basically knows all the spells that have ever been invented…" Percy pointed out, concerned.
Penelope looked at him unsurely as well, "so what do we do?"
"We," Percy slumped down on the floor and stretched his legs, "we camp out here."
Penelope cuddled next to her husband and sighed softly.
--
"They locked the bleeding door!" Ron roared.
"What? Move!" Hermione shoved Ron aside and tried her ever-faithful Alohmora charm.
"Reducto!" Ron bellowed as if he was in a battle with some Death Eater.
The door handle blew apart, but not the lock.
"Repairo…" Hermione sighed softly.
Though Hermione tried everything in her power to open the door, it never seemed to work. Surely the door opened many times, only to click shut at once. It was the latest Weasley couple at work, of course.
-
Hermione was a stubborn girl and so she didn't give up and in consequence Percy and Penelope had no choice but to spend the night in front Ron's door, keeping it locked hour after hour.
"Why don't they stop and just talk to each other?" Percy huffed as he locked the door again early next morning.
"What they don't realise is that after being locked in a room for eight-nine hours, you are supposed to stop acting like such fools and talk to each other and maybe get together!" Penny gritted her teeth as she too locked the door.
-
"I can't believe this! I can not believe this! How could they do this!?" Hermione stormed as she jabbed her wand again and again at the door and muttered curses at it.
Ron continued to look out of the window; he ha stopped screaming and kicking the door ages ago and had been replaced with Hermione.
Hermione threw him an irritated glance for not helping her out and tried the door again.
"I can't believe Percy would do this to me!" Hermione gave a little frustrated shriek and kicked the door—hard.
"OW."
She rolled her eyes and slumped on the bed, her right foot throbbing with pain.
-
"Pens, be careful!" Percy gasped as Penny almost tripped.
"I know…Owh…" she groaned as she settled down on the floor gingerly.
"Come here," Percy beckoned her.
Penny crawled into his arms and leant back with a sigh.
"I love you, Percy."
"I love you too, Pens."
"Open the darned door already!!!!" Hermione Granger shrieked from inside.
The lovers exchanged a wry smile.
-
Hermione grumpily settled herself in Ron's chair and took a quick peek at the owner himself; no, he still hadn't moved away from the window. What was that he was staring at anyway?
"Most likely some pretty girl out in the street…" she growled to herself.
"Did you say something?" Ron finally looked at her, a curious frown on his face.
"Oh nothing. Please, let me not interrupt your meditation of the 'view' outside," Hermione it back sarcastically.
Ron raised his eyebrows slightly and glanced outside the window.
"Yes, it is a pretty nice view…" he commented mildly, seeming to completely miss Hermione's tone.
-
"Pens…"Percy began lightly.
"I know, Perce. We tried but…"
"But it didn't work. They are too stubborn for their own good…" Percy shrugged sympathetically.
"Maybe they never really liked each other like that…" Penelope suggested looking gloomily at Ron's door.
"I would never have guessed that. They are …they are basically a couple already…But…" Percy shook his head in a mix of amazement and regret.
"So we might as well open the door?"
"Yeah."
-
"What's so great about this view anyway?" Hermione demanded Ron.
"Come see" He pointed towards the glass pane.
It reflected the room.
Hermione looked back at him in a bewildered silence.
"Go on, you will soon come up upon the most beautiful thing in the world." Ron whispered in Hermione's ears.
Hermione studied the room and still didn't find the 'thing'. What was it, exactly? Most likely some Quidditch glove…
"What is it?"
Ron smiled slowly; Hermione could not help but feel a bit creped out as Ron was not acting like himself at all.
Ron pointed at the black pane and finally Hermione saw …herself.
To Hermione' horror, surprise, delight and countless other emotions, Ron enveloped her in a hug.
"I have wanted to say this to you for a long time, Hermione. I love you."
Hermione felt as if the floor had just slipped away beneath him and she was falling, falling, falling with it yet strangely, she felt her heart soar and her eyes fill with tears.
How long has it been since she had craved to hear these words?
"I…me too. I love you too." She chocked out as tears seeped out of her eyes and flowed freely down her face.
-
"This is it. I have finally unlocked the door." Penny drew her wand away.
Percy and Penelope looked at each other and sighed softly. Percy pushed opened the door and felt Penelope's hand tighten on his hand.
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were sharing a deep kiss.
"Wow." Penny gaped.
--
"Mom, dad, we have two major news for you all." Percy cleared his throat to get the attention of the breakfasters and flashed his wife a grin.
"I hope everything is all right." Molly Weasley said, casting a concerned look at Penny.
"Oh. No, no, mother. Nothing of that sort," Percy hastily said.
"Then…what is it?" she asked, confused.
Percy took a deep breath.
"Mom, dad, we have amongst us a new couple. Now, after all these years of waiting, cursing my brother and rolling our eyes, we have FINALLY, Ron and Hermione together! And thanks to Penelope Clearwater-Weasley here!" he dramatically gestured towards the blushing blonde.
"And me, too, of course. Thank us, you two." Percy gloated. Ron and Hermione shared an embarrassed glance.
"Congratulation, Ronnnnnay…" Ginny cackled evilly.
"You were saying you had two news? What's the other one?" Arthur Weasley changed the topic lightly.
"Ah, yes, well, the other news is a bit more serious. It's…mom, dad, Penny…she is three months pregnant. I am going to be a father." Percy grinned shyly as he caught hold of her hand and gave it a squeeze.
A stunned silence followed.
Ginny was the first to break the silence.
"Oh my dear goodness, congrats, you two! I am so happyyyyyy!!!" she rushed over to give Penelope a hug.
The others too followed suit and showered the future parents with affection and well-wishes. Molly Weasley was crying with happiness and Arthur Weasley could not seem to stop saying, "I am going to be a grandfather. I, me, Arthur Weasley, will be a grandfather!"
Penelope looked around her family and asked herself if this was what Heaven was like. Because it definitely felt like one.
A.N.: Hey! Ok, Ok, Ok, I am sorry it took me forever to write this chapter. I realise that this was a change from the usual but…there is just so much grief in this world, why make you more sad, I thought. So I added this light and happy chapter.
After all, what is life without love, and humor? And let's face it, who doesn't like reading about Ron and Hermione's love story. I just love reading and writing about these two dorks… :] Ok, now do you think I should edit certain parts of this chapter and post it as one shot? You think it could be an OK story? Tell me, please?
How…? By reviewing OF COURSE!
You know I love reviews. ;)
Now, when the next chapter will come, I have no idea. My semester exams are approaching…but I will try to keep writing in my notebook.
You all,
Thanks for reading.
Love and May God protect you...
Ginny.