Again its not mine if you recognize it. This is the last half so enjoy! ~Dray
A half hour later everyone was crammed into an enlarged booth at the Three Broomsticks. Well everyone except Fred and Hermione, who were sitting at the end in chairs and looking incredibly nervous.
"Fred start talking." Molly said. "I want to know exactly why Hermione is sitting next to you looking guilty. You didn't get her pregnant some how did you? Because if you did I will march you right down to the Ministry and get you married today!"
"Molly! Its nothing like that!" Hermione exclaimed, turning red right to the roots of her hair.
"Mum!" Fred said sounding offended. "I haven't slept with her! I just got a ring stuck on her finger that wont budge until we are married, the marriage is consummated, and we have produced at least one child." He blurted out, ducking his head to hide the smirk trying to creep across his face.
"FREDRICK GIDEON WEASLEY YOU HAD BETTER BE JOKING ME OR YOU WONT EAT FOR A MONTH!" Molly yelled, shaking the walls of the pub and causing every patron to turn and stare.
"Molly calm down. Even if that is the case there has to be a counter charm." Arthur said trying to be the voice of reason.
"There isn't a counter charm." Hermione said quietly, looking as if the very thought of being married to Fred was a fate worse than death. "I looked everywhere I could think of last night. They used to do this to unwilling brides to ensure cooperation in arranged marriages. Even if I complete the obligations I can't divorce him. This ring is a contract in and of itself, more binding than even Ministry bond." She explained, making sure Molly saw the claddagh.
Everyone stared at her for a moment absorbing what she had said. This was really happening. Hermione was really marrying Fred, she was going to become Hermione Weasley and there was no way around it.
George stared at Fred speechless before he finally spoke up. "I want to know the how. I'm losing my twin to someone who may well kill him so I at least want to know how this came about." He said sounding like the world was ending.
Hearing his brother sounding that depressed almost made Fred end the whole joke right then and there, mustering all the courage he had he took a deep breath. "It was a joke George. The ring was enclosed in a letter I got thanking me for my part in taking down Voldemort. I didn't think it was a one of those kinds of rings. When it fell out Hermione commented that it was a pretty ring so I picked it up and walked over and put it on her finger. As soon as it was set there was a flash so she tried to take it off and it wouldn't budge. That's when I went back to the letter and actually read it." At this point his voice broke off, the stress of lying to his brother catching up to him.
"It was a marriage contract." Hermione said, picking up the tale with a trembling voice. "He was supposed to touch the ring and send it back if he wanted to marry the girl. That's how the ring works. It binds the last male to touch it to the next female who touches it. He should have picked it up with a piece of paper and mailed it back but I had to say something!" She said as she started to cry.
Each person's face was a blur of emotion as they sorted through what had just been revealed. Molly and Arthur knew what kind of ring it was, there really was no way out. George was slowly sinking into himself at the thought that this could just as easily been him. Harry and Ginny were both wondering who would kill who first. Ron was seething because it should have been him making Hermione a Weasley, not Fred.
"I need some air." Hermione said after a moment, her voice wavering.
"Of course dear, take all the time you need." Molly said in her motherly way. "Fred go with her and make sure she is okay."
They both nodded and made their way out of the pub. The moment the door shut behind them they were holding onto each other to keep from falling over. This was going over better than either of them had hoped for.
"How fast can you run Fred? Because its going to be a race between George Molly and Ron to kill you when they realize this is a joke. Well actually Ron will kill you either way but still." Hermione said chuckling.
"I don't think I have to worry too much about Ron, he will be too flabbergasted when he realizes this was your idea to come after me." Fred pointed out. "Remember he doesn't think you know what fun is."
"Well I'll sure prove him wrong with this." Hermione said grinning. "Now shall we go tell them the truth?"
"We probably should put them out of their misery." Fred said agreeably.
As Fred wrapped his arm around her waist she rested her head on his should so he could escort her into the pub and back to their family. As they got to their seats Hermione lifted her head off his shoulder and kissed him soundly on the mouth before sitting down and looking at a very stunned Molly. "So I was thinking crimson and gold for wedding colors to match my ring." She said holding her hand out to reveal her original diamond and ruby ring instead of the claddagh.
"But… The ring… Its off…" Molly said staring between her and Fred. "Alright who was the mastermind behind this! Fred? George?"
George looked up confused, having missed the ring. "Whatever it is I didn't do it!"
"Wasn't me!" Fred said grinning wickedly.
Molly looked back and forth between the twins before turning a shrewd eye on Hermione. "Who convinced you to go along with this?"
Hermione started chuckling. "I convinced Fred to go along with this after he proposed last night. We knew you would think it was all a joke so we decided to play it up so when we told you the truth you wouldn't think it was a joke."
Arthur stared at Hermione for a moment before cracking up laughing. "Well you two have proven that you are more than a match for each other so you have my blessing. However I would like to know how exactly this came about." Everyone nodded in agreement to that statement.
"Well you remember how I broke my ankle at the ministry incident last spring? Fred was the one who carried me out and brought me back to Hogwarts. He stayed with me in the infirmary until Madame Pompfrey had gotten my ankle healed and I could walk out again. While we were waiting we got to talking and I realized he was much more than just a brainless prankster. The next week he took me out to muggle London for lunch to get me away from the press for a bit, and well the rest is history." Hermione said, grinning as she leaned against Fred.
"After everyone went to bed last night I proposed to her in the common room because that's really where we fell in love. Late at night after everyone had gone to bed, some nights we didn't get any sleep we stayed up so late talking." Fred said with a grin.
"Well I am happy for you but you are both degnoming the garden for a month for scaring me like that!" Molly said shaking her head. "Honestly! You should have known I wouldn't be mad at you!"
"We didn't think you would be mad so much as you wouldn't believe us. And it does seem rather quick to be engaged." Fred said sheepishly.
"They have a point you know." Harry piped up. "I for one have a hard time believing that Hermione and Fred are really together despite their differences."
"In a strange way I can see it working." Ginny said with a chuckle. "Mione does have a wicked sense of humor and Fred is amazingly smart. So it works out in the long run."
"Fred." George said to get his attention. "You best start running now before I strangle you for keeping something this big from me!" George said laughing as he hauled himself out of the booth and started toward Fred.
Fred looked at him for a millisecond before his eyes got wide and he started running for his life. Everyone remaining at the table looked at each other then got up as one and took off after them, Hermione in the lead.