Disclaimer: I own nothing from J.K. Rowling's magical world!

Chapter 3

Harry knocked on the door to the Burrow with a bouquet in one hand and a box in the other. The door swung open mid-knock and a disgruntled Mrs. Weasley appeared. Her expression relaxed when she registered that it was Harry at the door.

"Oh, Harry! You know, you never need to knock!" She grabbed the wizard by the shoulders and pulled him inside, shoving him in a chair and placing a full plate of food in front of him. "Tuck in, darling! Ginny should be down soon."

Knowing the grief he would get from Mrs. Weasley if he didn't eat, Harry spooned a couple of mouthfuls of potatoes in his mouth. He was mid-bite when a pair of lips latched onto his neck. Teeth grazed his skin causing a shiver to run up and down his spine.

"Hello, Harry." He turned his head and found Ginny standing behind him in a periwinkle dress that flowed down to just above her knees. Harry jumped to his feet and presented his girlfriend with the bouquet of flowers.

Ginny brought the flowers to her nose and smiled. She wasn't one for flowers, but Harry was rarely around so any sweet gesture he made was a gesture she treasured. Yells erupted from above them. Ron stomped loudly down the stairs, swearing loudly when he hit his head on the wooden post at the landing.

"Harry! When did you get here?" He rubbed his head and forked a potato off of Harry's plate.

"Just a moment ago." He replied, but Ron's attention shifted to his sister with a wrinkled nose.

"You can't wear that."

"Hmm... I could say the same to you, Ron." She crossed her arms and gave him a very cross look. His shirt was hanging on him, ripped to shreds from Auror training earlier that day. He always managed to damage his clothes at the end of the day, much to Mrs. Weasley's chagrin.

"I was training! What's your excuse? Half price for half a dress?" Ron snided back. Ginny pointed her wand at her brother, forgetting about the flowers entirely. Ron's eyes went wide as he bolted for the stairs, just barely missing several hexes sent his way.

"Ginny, no hexing inside the house!" A shout came from inside the kitchen. She mumbled an apology to her mother before taking a seat next to Harry, who could only duck as the red-headed siblings had it out for each other.

"You're early." Ginny looked at Harry sideways. He stared at her for a moment before speaking. How she managed to make him lose his train of thought by her presence would remain a mystery to him. He shrugged.

"Overzealous, I guess."

In two hours, the feast was going to start. It was to celebrate the boys and their hard work at the Auror office, but also to say farewell to the ones returning to Hogwarts.

"Mum, you know she may not even show." Ron said as he entered the kitchen. Ginny looked at Harry and nodded upstairs when she caught his eye. They ducked behind Ron and made for the stairs before he could stop them.

"Ronald Weasley, if you think for one moment I'm going to let you sit back while that witch works herself senseless, you had better-"

A knock at the door interrupted her verbal repercussions. Mrs. Weasley muttered something about a Confundus charm as she strode over to let George inside. He was wearing a large purple hat as he walked inside.

"What the bloody-"

"Ron!"

"-is that?"

George hugged his mother and clapped his little brother on the shoulder before offering an explanation. In the next hour, several redheads traipsed in and out of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was setting up the table when the Weasley family started to gather around, attracted from all areas of the house by the heavenly smells of the witch's excellent cooking.

The family (and its extensions) sat at the long table as Mr. Weasley stood at the head of the table and raised his goblet of wine to make a toast. All eyes were on him, although Fleur was feeding the newest member of the Weasley family and Harry was having a difficult time breathing from Ginny's hand on his knee.

"Right!" Mr. Weasley started, looking across the table. He licked his lips and smacked them together before continuing, "This family has stayed strong in the roughest and most trying times. Percy-" He turned to the wizard with curly hair and horn-rimmed glasses sitting furthest away with his new wife, "So much time was lost." Percy stood up, but Mr. Weasley held up his hand to stop him. "I'm just so happy you're back.

"We faced a loss I couldn't hope to describe." Mrs. Weasley's eyes filled with tears as her husband lowered his head, removing his wizard's hat. "We could never forget our dear Fred. We will forever be fractured with his absence." There was a moment of silence from the entire room.

Mr. Weasley clapped his hands together, "But this feast is not about our losses! We are gathered as a family to celebrate the next step! Ginny-" The witch beamed up at her father and Harry looked at her with the utmost love, "My only daughter off to her last year at Hogwarts! And Harry," The Boy Who Lived jumped in his seat and turned to face Mr. Weasley, "From the moment my sons stole the Ford Anglia, you've been a part of this family. I'm so proud of you and my son."

"I wouldn't have survived without Ron, sir." The two best friends locked eyes. Ron looked at Harry solemnly. "Honest."

A knock at the door interrupted the sincere moment. Mr. Weasley exchanged glances with his wife, who jumped up and rushed to answer the door. A moment later, Hermione emerged with windswept hair and rosy cheeks. Her eyes swept across the room quickly.

"Oh, Mr. Weasley! I'm so sorry, please don't mind me!" She said breathlessly, taking a seat next to Ron.

"Just in time, Hermione!" Mr. Weasley's smile began to spread as he looked between Ron and Hermione. "You have been another grand addition to this family. I know you're clever enough to skip your final year, but I find myself pregnant with respect at your return." Ron's face turned down in disgust as he mouthed 'pregnant' across the table at Harry. He chuckled and coughed to try to cover it up when Hermione frowned at him.

"Thank you so much." Hermione beamed, still sounding breathless.

"As the muggle saying goes," Mr. Weasley raised his glass and waited for everyone else to raise theirs. When they had, he looked at each of them and said, "To infinity and beyond!"

Hermione choked into her glass of wine. Ron clapped her on the back, as his father spoke, "Now, let's not wait any longer. Tuck in!" Plates of food were passed around the table. Unsurprisingly, Ron piled his own plate high. Hermione shook her head. It was as if they had only just returned from their arduous, hunger-staking journey.

"Honestly, Ron." He looked at her confused as the nearest wizards and witches laughed.

"You're not used to this?" Bill asked before spooning a scoop of mashed potatoes onto his and Fleur's plate, and passing it to George. The twinless wizard grinned.

"Must've forgotten with all the work she's been doing." He teased. "But that's nothing new."

"Yeah, Hermione, I'm actually surprised you made it!" Ron said through a mouthful of chicken. "Mum said she'd have my head on a plate if you weren't here." Hermione grimaced as several pieces of meat flew into her hair.

"As it happens," she looked down at her own plate and forked several green beans, "I couldn't get into the office at all today." Half of the table stared at her, waiting for an explanation. Her shoulders slumped. "Mr. Dippet put up wards."

When she had tried the door that morning, she found it wouldn't open. She could see Mr. Dippet in the window at his desk and tapped several times to get his attention, attempted to Apparate, and even tried several hexes and counter-curses to get inside, to no avail.

The table roared in laughter as Hermione turned a very deep shade of red. "You know, you wouldn't be laughing if you cared about Hogwarts!" Harry and Ron nodded while Ginny gave her a sympathetic look.

The rest of the feast was filled with stories of Ron's incessant need to bring home his clothes in tatters, Ginny's flying camp, and the work being done at Hogwarts. It was almost completely remodeled. Classes were possible while the rest was finished. Fleur and Bill bid their farewell before dessert, calling in an early night due to the newborn. George headed out not long after to Angelina's apartment for what he claimed to be new product testing.

Mr. Weasley led the group into the living room while his wife put her "final touches" on the dessert. He let out a deep sigh as he sank into his favorite armchair. Ron managed to grab one last drumstick from the kitchen.

"Mr. Weasley, how have the trials been? I missed the last..." Harry looked up in thought, counting in his head, "three or four?" The older wizard gave him a grim look.

"Well, Lucius managed to wriggle his way out a formal trial, claiming duress." He had a look on his face like he had swallowed something unpleasant.

"Bullocks!" Ron exclaimed, spraying the room with half-chewed poultry. As Ron started to argue, Mr. Weasley held up his hand.

"There was, unfortunately, evidence to support his claim. Not much, but just enough." A tense air filled the room.

Harry's jaw clenched. "Surely, there's something-"

"Not to worry, my boy!" The older wizard stood to refill his glass. "We have a few people on 'Malfoy Watch' as I like to call it." Hermione opened her mouth, but at that moment, Mrs. Weasley hovered several silver cups into the room. They were filled with golden pudding and topped with flames.

As she spooned the delicious pudding into her mouth, Hermione thought about the other day and seeing the photograph of Draco Malfoy on the cover of a magazine. She didn't take kindly to idle gossip, but sometimes gossip held a nugget of truth. She was just thankful that she wouldn't have to deal with another moment of torment from the blonde ferret.

After dessert, Hermione stood up and thanked Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for the lovely evening. Before she left, she hugged Ginny and Harry goodbye. She made her way to Ron when he set his shoulders into a square, "I'll walk you out."

"Oh, thank you, Ron." She smiled and took his arm when he held it out for her. Hermione maneuvered out of the narrow kitchen door and made for the garden wall. Ron cleared his throat.

"I know you've been busy and we haven't kept in touch a lot this summer," Ron began, his eyes flickering from Hermione's eyes to her mouth. She gave him a sheepish smile. "It gave me the chance to miss you. Really miss you."

"I've missed you too, Ron." She squeezed his arm.

"Right." He shoved his hand in his pocket, "That's why I wanted to ask you something." He fumbled for a moment before procuring a small, silver ring with a ruby. Ron took Hermione's hand and clumsily slipped the ring onto her finger. It was too big, but it made her smile.

"It's lovely, Ron." She stood on her tiptoes and placed a hand on his cheek, pressing her lips onto his. "Thank you." His ears turned red.

"It's a proposal." He shrugged. Hermione's eyebrows knitted together. Ron shuffled his feet before mumbling, "For marriage."

A/N: Sorry for the late update. I've been busy with NaNoWriMo and the gluttonous meal we had today. Hazard a guess as to what Hermione's answer is?