The Perfect Opportunity.

Chapter 20

Last time: 'Oh Yes! Yes, yes, yes!' Hermione squealed.

***

Ron and Hermione walked, hand in hand, back to the Gryffindor common room, their faces nearly split in half due to the smiles on their faces.

The first person to see them was Ginny.

'Omg! Ron! Did you ask her? Did she say yes? Did you say yes?' Ginny asked, directing that last question to her soon to be sister in law.

With a smile on her face, Hermione said, ' SHE did saw yes, and you can probably tell, and she is also right here.'

Harry came up behind Ginny and placed his arm around her waist. 'Gin, calm down. Hermione wasn't this excited when we got engaged, and she knew.'

'You're right, I suppose.' Ginny sighed. 'Sorry, guys...'

'It's fine, don't worry about it.' Hermione said, hugging Ginny.

Harry and Ron shared a 'girls' look, and Ron took it upon himself to take the situation in hand. After all, it was his lunch at stake..

'Okay, okay. Break it up. We have more important things to tend to.'

'Oh really? Like what??' Hermione asked, a smile playing on her lips.

'Lunch. Like lunch.' Ron said, turning on his heels and painting ahead of him. 'To the Great Hall!!'

'Boys...' Hermione sighed, before following Ron. Harry and Ginny, laughed, and strolled down to the Great Hall at a leisurely pace, arms linked.

***

By the time Harry and Ginny reached the main hall, Ron was already seated, with a mound of food on his plate, a pile of chicken bones next to it, and a slightly disgusted Hermione opposite him.

'Of course. Why am I not surprised??' Ginny muttered. 'Really Ronald? How disgusting are you? I can't believe Hermione agreed marry you.' Turning to Hermione, she said, 'I can't believe you agreed to marry him. He is basically your polar opposite.'

'Wha-' Ron said, stopping mid-chew, his mouth hanging wide open.

'Even I have to agree with Ginny, mate. It is pretty disgusting.' Harry said, sitting down and helping himself to a couple of slices of beef, a yorkshire pudding and some vegetables.

Ron shut his mouth and carried on chewing, a look of belittlement on his face. He swallowed the food and then said, 'Hermione, don't leave me...'

'Don't worry, Ronald. I won't leave. Ginny..' Hermione shot her best friend a glare. 'Was just teasing.'

With that, they carried on eating their meal, until Professor McGonagall made the announcement, telling them to head back to their living spaces.

The four got up and make their way to their rooms, chatting about wedding planning - well, the girls were at least.

'What do you think about a lake side wedding?' Ginny asked Hermione. 'I have always liked the photos of them in Witch Weekly.'

'Well, they aren't my cup of tea, but I can see why some people would like them, and if that is what you want to do, then you should do it.'

Harry and Ron looked at each other. Girls. 

                                                                                  ***

They arrived back at their apartment, and they all sat up in the common room together, talking, playing chess and planning. 

'What about flowers, Mione? What types would you like.' Ginny said.

'I'm really not sure.. Maybe peonies, or roses. What do you think Ron?' Hermione said turning to her fiancé.

This went on and on, Ron and Harry's game of chess being interrupted so many times that even the chess pieces were getting annoyed.

'ENOUGH!' Ron bellowed, making everyone in the apartment jump. 'CAN WE PLEASE JUST TAKE A BREAK FROM THE WEDDING PLANNING AND THE RECEPTION PLANNING AND THE ORGANISING AND THE EXCITED GIGGLING AND HAVE A SIMPLE GAME OF WIZARD'S CHESS?'

'WELL, IF YOU DIDN'T WANT ME TO PLAN THE WEDDING, OUR WEDDING, THEN WHY DID YOU EVEN ASK ME? BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T THINK IT'S WORTH IT, THEN MAYBE WE AREN'T RIGHT FOR EACH OTHER AFTER ALL. MAYBE THE LAW GOT IT WRONG.' 

'Hermione, Ron, calm down. You are taking this way to far, guys. You just had a fight. Don't go blaming the law, and making threats you don't intend on carrying out.' Ginny said, leaping between the two.

'Yeah, guys. Ginny's right. But, Hermione, maybe you could stop with the wedding planning for a while so we can have a nice, quiet game of wizards chess. That goes for you too, Gin.' Harry said.

'Ok.' Ginny said looping her arm through Hermione's who looked like she was about to explode.

As Ginny towed Hermione through to her bedroom, the men could hear her whispering to Hermione, telling her not to be angry, that they had a fair point, and that she would have plenty of time to plan the wedding later.

Ron looked at Harry and said, 'Thank god for Ginny.'

'Yeah, thank god for Ginny. Now, are we going to play chess or not?'

                                                                               ***

The next morning, by the time the boys were finally down at the great hall, the girls were already throwing themselves into the wedding planning. As they approached the Gryffindor table, they started to hear Hermione's voice asking whether her dress should have straps or not.

Gearing himself up to be hit by a torrent of questions, Harry approached the table, and sat down next to Ginny, slipping his arm around her waist and drawing her closer to him as Ron went around the table and plopped down next to Hermione, not even bothering to acknowledge her as he reached for the bacon.

'So, Harry, what do you think about a lakeside wedding?' Ginny asked.

'Oh, for the love of god, Gin. I love you, honestly I do, but if you keep asking me these questions about the wedding, I think I might explode. I mean, it's not like I don't care, because I do, I mean this will be the biggest day of our lives, but I just don't want to eat, sleep and breathe weddings.'

'Ok, that's fine. I understand.' Ginny said, raising her eyebrows at Hermione, who then turned to Ron and opened her mouth to say something.

'Nope. What he said.' Ron said, through a mouthful of bacon and eggs, before he stuffed in a sausage as well. 

'Hmppphhh.' Hermione said, annoyed.

'Look, can we just eat our breakfasts in peace?' Ginny said. 'At the end of the day, it is just a wedding. I mean, people spend their lives together without even being married, so why does it really matter about the details.'

'I agree with Ginny.' Ron said.

'Well of course you would, Ron. You love food.' Hermione said, nudging her fiancé. 

'No, I genuinely do agree with her. I think all of this fuss about  weddings is stupid.' Ron said, swallowing his food.

'Well, that's that then. Pass the beans, Gin.' Harry said.