People were nearly finished lunch when Scorpius's cutlery clattered onto his nearly empty plate, and he began to wave his little arms in the air.
"Uncle Blaise. I'm here, Uncle Blaise," the four-year-old cried excitedly.
Waving back at Scorpius, Blaise Zabini made his way over to where his friends were sitting. Since there was no room at the table, he sat himself on the table beside his friends and swivelled his chair so he was part of the group.
"Are you wanting to eat?" Draco asked his friend as Hermione warned Scorpius that the only way he could get dessert was if he'd finished his meal, especially all the vegetables.
"Nah, I'll just wait and have some dessert with the kids," Blaise answered. "Or better yet, I could grab some popcorn for the show that is heading this way."
"What show?" Daphne asked with a frown.
"I've just passed Weasel, Weaselette and a baby Weasel," Blaise replied. "It looked like they'd been corned by McMillan. I almost felt sorry for them as you know how deathly dull he always was. As I passed, I heard Weasley mention they were heading here for lunch."
"That doesn't mean there's going to be a show," Hermione pointed out. "It's been ten years, surely Ron and Ginny have matured in that time."
"How mature can Weasley be if he's passing off his sister's kid as his own?" Draco questioned.
"He's doing what?" Blaise asked, convinced he'd heard wrong.
"We think it's what he's doing," Harry explained. "Since we're still friends with the rest of their family, we know that Ginny had a baby boy called Milo a few months ago. Yet when Neville and Luna ran into Ron earlier today, he claimed that Milo was his son."
"Maybe he is," Blaise snorted. "Maybe that was why he took his sister to the end of year party all those years ago."
"Don't be so ridiculous," Hermione said with a dismissive shake of her head. "We also know from the Weasleys that Ron's love life is a bit of a disaster. It sounds to me like he's trying to make his life sound better than what it is."
"By inventing a girlfriend and claiming fathership of his sister's kid?" Blaise queried. "That is seriously messed up. And it's not like there's anything to be ashamed of if you're single. I don't have a girlfriend, or any children, but you don't see me inventing a fake family for myself."
"You're happy with your life though," Daphne pointed out.
"Yeah, if Ron is making these things up to make himself look better, it means he's not happy with the life he's got," Harry added. "And I think that's pretty sad."
"Enough about Weasley, if he's heading this way, the truth will come out soon enough," Draco said. "I see clean plates, so I guess that means it's time for dessert. What does everyone want?"
While the children picked what desserts they wanted, both Luna and Daphne excused themselves to go to the bathroom. After much deliberation the twins decided they wanted ice-cream. Scorpius also opted for ice-cream, but while the twins already had their favourite flavour of strawberry picked out, he didn't know what he wanted, so Draco suggested his son accompanied him to the bar to pick out what kind of ice-cream he wanted. Deciding to join the children with their ice-cream, Blaise also headed to the bar with Draco and Scorpius so he could place his order and grab a drink.
Draco, Blaise and Scorpius had barely reached the bar when the door to the pub opened and Neville, who was the only one facing the door, muttered a warning that trouble might have arrived. Even though they knew who had entered the pub, Harry and Hermione couldn't help but turn around to see for themselves, and sure enough Ron and Ginny had just entered the pub with a pram. Ernie McMillan had also entered with them, and spotting Hermione, Harry and Neville, he greeted them loudly and made his way over to them.
"Hello, how nice to see you all," Ernie boomed, smiling warmly at the three former Gryffindors.
"Hello Ernie," Hermione replied as Harry and Neville also said their hellos.
"Isn't this a coincidence, I was just talking to Ron and Ginny, and now here you are," Ernie remarked. "Friends, reunited."
"Something like that," Harry muttered. He was guessing Ernie was hoping for drama as unless he had a terrible memory he had to have known that before they left Hogwarts things had soured between them and Ron, and since they weren't together now, it didn't take a genius to work out that nothing had been resolved.
If Ernie was looking for trouble, it seemed like he was going to get his wish as after hesitating for a short while near the door, Ron and Ginny had turned to head their way. Although whether they were also looking for trouble, or just felt it was rude not to come over since Ernie had done so, remained to be seen.
"Hello again Neville," Ginny greeted brightly as she and Ron arrived beside the table everyone was gathered around.
"Ginny," Neville greeted with a brisk nod of his head as he glanced at the twins, who were chattering away to each other and seemed oblivious to the tension around them.
"And look who else is here," Ginny added, making a show of looking Harry and Hermione up and down. "Hello Harry, you're looking good."
"Thanks," Harry muttered, not returning the compliment which made Ginny pout.
"Hello Ron," Hermione said tentatively, not sure how she should greet her ex given some of the things that had been said when they had parted ways.
"Hello, Hermione," Ron returned with a small smile. "It's good to see you again."
"You too," Hermione replied politely.
"Although it is such a shame to see you alone, Harry," Ginny remarked cattily. "I am so sorry it didn't work out between you and that Slytherin tart you chose over me."
"Her name is Daphne," Harry spat through gritted teeth. "And what makes you think it didn't work out between us?"
"We've seen the proof, Harry," Ginny chuckled. "Haven't we Ron?"
"Yeah," Ron added with a malicious smirk. "Proof that is standing at the bar."
"Oh, I hadn't spotted that," Ginny crowed, chuckling when she turned around and spotted Draco and his look-alike son at the bar with a dark-haired wizard she was fairly sure was Blaise Zabini. "You can't have missed your ex then, Harry. She's clearly in here with her family."
"Family?" Harry questioned, not quite sure what Ron and Ginny were getting at. Clearly at some point they had made some inaccurate deductions about what his life was now like, and quite honestly with the way they were gloating, he was quite happy to sit back and let them make complete fools of themselves.
"I did warn you," Ron said with a shrug. "I said she would run off with another Slytherin. So how long did it last before she ran off and got herself hitched to Malfoy?"
"Malfoy?" Harry snorted in amusement, aware that both Neville and Hermione were also hiding their laughter.
"We saw them in the village, wandering around as bold as brass," Ginny said smugly. "Them and their little mini-Malfoy brat. And it looked like a second one was on the way. What a shame, Harry. After everything she cost you, and you couldn't even keep hold of her."
"Daphne cost me nothing," Harry answered with a shrug as out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his wife and Luna emerging from the bathrooms. "Or at least nothing I lament losing."
"Seriously?" Ron snapped. "You don't even regret it a little bit? You picked her over us, and then she didn't even stick around. I bet as soon as she could, she hopped into Malfoy's bed."
"I knew she was a tart," Ginny sneered.
"It takes one to know one, sweetheart," a sweet voice remarked from behind Ginny.
Harry couldn't help but chuckle at the bewildered look that appeared on Ginny's face. However, it was nothing compared to the stunned look that came over her face as she whirled around to find a smiling Daphne standing right behind her.
"What are you doing here?" Ginny demanded, ignoring the fact that Luna was behind Daphne and had made her way around the table to join Neville.
"Enjoying the reunion with my husband," Daphne replied with a bright smile. "How about you, are you enjoying your day? And is your son having a good time?" she asked, bending over the pram and smiling down at a content Milo. "He's adorable."
"Thank you," Ron answered sharply, jumping in before Ginny could unthinkingly accept the compliment about her son.
"Oh, is he your son?" Daphne asked, feigning innocence as out of the corner of her eye she spotted Draco and Blaise turning in their direction as Scorpius still seemed busy choosing his dessert.
"Yes, Milo's my son," Ron announced loudly.
"Funny, no-one mentioned you having a child," Harry remarked mildly.
"And who would mention it to you?" Ron snapped.
"Plenty of people," Harry chuckled. "Any of your brothers, or maybe even your mother. Molly was so excited when she found out Ginny was pregnant, and she's always talking about her grandson, Milo."
"So what happened, do you both have children called Milo?" Daphne asked.
"No, of course not," Ginny muttered as Scorpius ran back up to the table and squeezed back in between the twins, while Draco and Blaise also returned to the table, carrying a trayful of ice-cream that they gave to the children.
"Is there a problem here?" Draco asked mildly as he sat down with Blaise at the table next to the one his wife and son were sitting at. Daphne also joined them in sitting down as to get back to her seat, she would have to get past Ron and Ginny and they didn't seem like they were moving any time soon.
"Not one that involves you, Malfoy," Ron snapped. "Sod off and leave us alone."
"I'm fine where I am, thanks," Draco drawled. "Now weren't you discussing which one of you is a parent to little Milo here?"
"This has nothing to do with you," Ginny hissed.
"Yes, Draco, butt out," Harry said with a smirk. "Is it any of our business that Ron is claiming that his sister's son is his?"
"You're doing what?" Ernie spluttered, having been watching the interaction with wide eyes. "You said that boy was your son, Ron."
"He is," Ron muttered.
"Not according to your family," Draco snorted. "They all think he's your sister's son."
"And how would you know that?" Ginny demanded, turning on the annoying blond who kept interfering in their conversation.
"I happen to know several members of your family," Draco remarked with a casual shrug.
"You do not," Ron spat.
"I do, but I don't think that's the point right now," Draco chuckled. "Right now, everyone in this pub is waiting to hear who is really the parent here? You or your sister?"
"Unless you really are very close," Blaise remarked with a smirk.
"Don't be so disgusting," Ginny spat.
"They know the truth, Gin," Ron whispered, looking around the pub and realising that everyone was looking at them. "Somehow, they know Milo is yours."
"We know because we're still friendly with your family," Hermione explained. "And you would know that if you'd simply asked any of your family about us. You assumed that they would dump Harry and I just like you did, but they're not like you. They know we've done nothing wrong."
"So what, we lied," Ron spat. "My life is pretty empty, and I just wanted people to think I wasn't a loser. I don't have a son, I don't have a girlfriend, and I might not even have a job before long. I just wanted everyone to think I'd made something of my life."
"You've got nothing to be ashamed of, Ron," Ginny remarked. "We lied, big deal. At least we didn't throw away our friends for a Slytherin tramp."
"If you call Daphne one more name, I will not be responsible for my actions," Harry snapped.
"How can you defend her?" Ron asked. "You gave Ginny and I up for her, only for her to dump you like a hot potato. So why are you sticking up for her?"
"You may not know this Ron, but husbands tend to defend their wives from insults," Harry answered. "Especially when they have a pregnant wife."
"Wife?" Ginny laughed. "She isn't your wife, she's married to Malfoy."
"No, I am not," Daphne laughed. "Harry is my husband."
"Whoops," Blaise remarked with a smirk. "Looks like someone has made a big mistake."
"But we saw them together," Ginny protested. "They were in the village with their son."
"No, I was in the village with my son and my friend," Draco corrected.
"I want to know what you saw that made you think Daphne and Draco were married," Hermione said with a slight frown. She didn't for one minute believe anything was going on between her husband and friend, but she was curious as to what had led Ron and Ginny to think they were married.
"You're not jealous, are you?" Draco laughed.
"I suppose that depends on what they saw," Hermione replied with a shrug. "Do I have reason to be jealous?"
"Why would you be jealous?" Ginny snorted.
"Well, according to you and your brother, my husband is married to my friend, and my son is really theirs," Hermione answered.
"Your husband? You mean Malfoy?" Ron spluttered, taking a stunned step backwards.
"I do," Hermione replied. "So, what did you see? What led you to think they were married?"
"Nothing," Ron confessed in a whisper.
"Nothing?" Hermione queried. "So, you just saw them together and assumed? What am I saying, of course you just assumed. It's what the pair of you do best. You were so convinced that Harry was making a mistake with Daphne that you simply saw her with Draco and assumed the worst. I really shouldn't be surprised by anything either of you two do at this point."
"How were we to know what was going on?" Ron demanded sulkily. "We're not mind readers."
"There were plenty of people around to ask," Harry pointed out. "You could have asked Neville when you were talking to him."
"We saw Neville before we saw them," Ron muttered.
"Even if they had seen us first, they wouldn't have asked any questions," Draco predicted. "They wanted so desperately to believe that they'd been right all along, that they would have jumped on anything that proved their theory. And they were so quick to come over and gloat. They were loving this, until they realised that they were wrong. Oh, and that we knew about the desperate lies they've been telling people all day. So, tell us Weasleys, are you still having fun?"
As Draco's question lingered in the air, it suddenly hit Ron and Ginny that aside from the children, tucking into their ice-cream, every eye in the pub was on them. No doubt every word in the exchange had been heard by most people, and since the village was full of people attending the reunion, no doubt they would all be gossiping about them as soon as they could. They'd made complete and utter fools of themselves, and they only had themselves to blame for the mess they'd made of the reunion.