Chapter 23 - Ron's Birthday
March 1 st, that year fell on a Saturday, the basic plans was for Luna and Hermione to distract Ron for most of the day, to get his mind off the fact it was indeed his birthday. Everyone else involved were instructed to also ignore that simple fact. Harry and Ginny arranged the party and the refreshments. The problem was not getting Ron distracted, but getting Hermione out of the way as well. That part wasn't that difficult; all Harry had to do was include her in the plans, but only so far. To distract Ron, Luna and Hermione planed to have Luna stage a fight with Ron, and pull Hermione into the middle of the argument. Their only problem was what to have an argument over. Luna admitted to Hermione that they couldn't be happier, and that part of the plan was going to be tough, although she did have an idea but wouldn't tell Hermione, all she said was to watch for the opening.
The morning of March first arrived; Ron was the first up, and quite excited at the prospects of the day. Harry and his other roommates ignored his excitement, and simply acted as if it were another Saturday.
"Come on, mate, don't you know what today is?" Ron asked Harry, trying to get him to wish him well for the day.
"Sure I do, it's March first."
"What else?"
"Saturday?"
"And?" Ron's ears were turning a bright red, letting Harry know his friend was becoming frustrated. It was all Harry could do to keep a straight face through it all.
"And what? That all I know. I don't know about you, but I'm starved." With that he left the dorm room for the Great Hall and breakfast. Ron followed close behind, still pumping Harry with questions about the day.
"Ron, what's so special about today?" Harry finally asked to try and shut him up.
"Harry!" Dean came running around the corner. "Dumbledore want to see you, right away." He said while panting.
"Sorry, Ron. I'm going to have to run. I'll catch up with you later."
Ron and Hermione head to breakfast without Harry, on the way Ron expected to meet Luna, but she didn't show up. He decided to make the best of it, even though his best friend seemed to have forgotten his seventeenth birthday. Still, no one had remembered.
"Today's m---"
"Hermione," Lavender called, "Professor McGonagall needs to speak to you, right away."
"Sorry, Ron. I'll see you later, ok?" She gave him a slight hug and left with Lavender.
Ron stood there, alone, shrugged his shoulders and continued to the Great Hall expecting a lonely birthday breakfast. He sat at the table, in the usual spot where he enjoyed the company of his closest friends. He pushed his sausages around the plate, nibbling and mumbling to himself about how disappointing today was.
"Happy birthday, big brother." Ginny greeting as she gave him a hug and a sisterly kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks, Gin. Seems everyone else forgot."
"I wouldn't say that, maybe they haven't had a chance yet. By the way, where is everyone?"
"Harry got called to see Dumbledore, Hermione got called to see McGonagall and I haven't seen Luna yet."
"I hate to do this, too, but I need to meet my DA team for a bit, they're having some problems blocking spells. We're meeting in five minutes, you want to come along?"
"Nah, I'm going to head back to the common room, Harry should be back soon."
"See you later, Ron. Maybe we can practice on the pitch later?"
"Sure, maybe later."
He left his sister and his breakfast plate to return and wait in the common room. There wasn't another soul in the room, as most everyone else seemed to have plans for the day. He sat at the table in the back and spent the morning playing chess against himself, beating himself quite soundly twice and coming to a draw once. The games became boring and he resorted to actually reading one of the books left in the room, presumably by Hermione. One was a massive volume on Runes that he recognized as Harry's and the other was a blank journal inside the first, used as a bookmark. He thumbed through the blank journal, wondering not only who it belonged to, but why a blank journal would have worn and dog-eared pages. He figured it must be Harry's too, since it was in his book, so he brought both to the dorm for safe keeping.
He still hadn't heard from any of his friends, or Luna, and the noon hour was approaching, signaled by the unmistakable rumblings from his stomach. Just outside the portrait door to the Gryffindor common room, he ran into Hermione, who looked a tad flustered.
"Those reports are going to take hours to finish…" She kept repeating to her self.
"Oy, Hermione. Just get back from your meeting with McGonagall? I was about to…
"RONNNIEKINS!!" Luna bounded down the hall and nearly knocked him off his feet when she jumped into his arms and proceeded to cover his face with kisses.
"Luna," he started as he tried to pull himself up, "next time give a bloke some warning. Hello to you too."
"So Ronniekins, I've been looking for you all day. I REALLY need to talk to you."
"Great, I was just heading for lunch, want to go?"
"But… I… sniff… Bwahhh…" she started bawling like a baby there in the main hall.
Hermione feeling something was amiss came to her aide. "Luna? Is everything ok?" She asked as Luna buried her head in Hermione's shoulder.
"Ron… he… he… sniff… would rather… then be with… sniff…"
"Come on, I'm SURE he'll find time for you SOMETIME today." Hermione said loud enough to cause Ron's ears to burn red, again.
"Hermione," he sighed, "I'll stay with her, you go on."
"No RONALD, she's OBVIOUSLY upset and I can't believe you'd be SO callous as to be concerned about eating instead of helping her."
"But… but… Hermione… all I said was…"
"Ron, I know what you said, why don't you and Luna go talk out whatever's bothering her, I'll bring you back something."
"BWAHHH… He'd rather EAT then… then… Bwahhh…"
"Shhh… it's ok. I'll stay… Let's go sit in the prefect's lounge and you can talk to me about it. If he wants to come along, fine." Hermione wrapped an arm around her shoulder and in an uncharacteristic move for Hermione comforted her best friend's girlfriend and pulled her through the common room into the prefect's lounge, with Ron following closely behind.
"Luna, what's wrong?" He asked as he took her from Hermione's grasp. They sat on the sofa, while Hermione stood next to them.
"Ron… sniff… Remember when we left the dance to 'be alone'?"
"Yeah…" He said with a far-away look.
"Well, I just found out, I'm pregnant."
Ron slipped off the sofa when that one word hit him, Hermione's knees felt as if they would buckle and she had to grab hold of the sofa's arm to keep her from joining Ron on the floor.
"But… but… but…" was all Ron could muster from the revelation.
"Luna, have you seen someone about this?" Hermione asked. "How do you know?" She asked.
Turning to face Hermione, and away from Ron, Hermione could see through the tear-streaked face and caught an obvious wink. That's when she remembered Luna was to distract Ron long enough to set things up. She thought that Luna's act was quite convincing and was intrigued to see where she was going, but it took all her willpower not to smirk at the distress Ron was under. Once she realized Luna's ploy she decided to play along as she tried to maintain her composure. She again fought hard to keep from bursting her sides when she looked at the outright fear in Ron's face.
"I'm LATE!" She bawled as her tears kept pouring from her eyes. Hermione bits the inside of her cheek so hard she bit thru it, the slight metallic taste helped quell the building giggles.
"H-How late? After all, if you two were… ahh if you two had… OH bugger, Valentine's Day was only two weeks ago. Are you certain?" She tried to ease her friend's building anxiety; he was still stuck on 'But… but… but…'
"Well that wasn't our first time. We, well… over Christmas holiday…"
"And how 'late' are you?" She began her analytical examination of the issues.
"Well, I think about eight or nine weeks. Sniff… Ron, tell me its going to be ok?"
"Ron? I think you had a 'small' part in this, do you have anything to say?"
"But… but… but…"
"Didn't think so."
"I'm going to be sick, again… Buwwuppp…" She ran for the first toilet she could while covering her mouth, with Hermione right behind her. Ron still in a state of shock, continued to mumble to himself.
Hermione, pulled the door closed behind her as she looked in shock at the prank Luna was pulling on her boyfriend. "LUNA LOVEGOOD! How could you? You have ANY idea what you just did to him?" She turned on the faucet to cover their voices.
"Well, Harry DID say to distract him? And although he's good, I didn't think he'd last the day."
"LUNA! I REALLY don't need to know that!"
"Well? It was the best thing I could think of. Shhh… I think he's listening… Buwwuppp…" She dumped a hand full of water in the porcelain convenience, adding to the effects. "Hold this for a minute." She handed Hermione a small bag, but couldn't tell the contents.
"What's in here?" She asked as Luna disheveled her clothes to add to the effect.
"I've sorted out the really vile Berty Botts beans, and that's a bag of the vomit flavored ones I've been collecting for the right moment. I couldn't go out there smelling like a rose, now could I?"
"Remind me to never get on your bad side. How long are you going to toy with him?"
"All day, if I can keep a straight face, I mean, did you SEE the look of pure terror? This could be really fun."
"Luna, you have a weird idea of 'fun' but as long as you tell him later this was only a prank, then I'll go follow your lead."
"Ok," she tossed a handful of vomit flavored beans in her mouth, "Eww… I forgot how bad these things were." She said as her face screwed up in disgust.
"I think it's time to face him again. What's your plan?"
"Actually, I was hoping you'd have an idea."
"LUNA! Oh, alright. Here' what we'll do, I'll support you out, like you've really been sick and make sure he gets a good whiff of those beans. If I know Ron, he'll be falling all over himself to make you comfortable. This could be good fun. It's a shame Harry's going to miss out."
"Not if I don't tell Ron until the party."
"Bad Luna. Bad… Let's go."
Hermione put her arm around Luna's waist, and she put hers around Hermione's shoulder, and they left the bathroom with Hermione supporting the 'weakened' Luna, trying not to get a whiff of her breath. Ron, having regained his composure, rushed to Luna's side and gently picked her up to carry her back to the sofa, He gently wiped her face, still puffy from crying, as he look at her and smiled.
"I love you, and I'll be there what ever happens." He set her down on the sofa and leaned in to give her a kiss on her forehead to seal his commitment to her, but she grabbed him by the face and gave him a deep, passionate, soul searching kiss, and pulled him to the sofa next to her. Hermione watched as his face began to turn green, from the flavor and aroma of the Berty Botts beans she ate. He broke from the kiss, before she was ready, and tried to not show his discomfort at her 'failure' to flush the bile from her mouth.
"Umm… Love, you, umm…" he managed to choke out.
"What, Ron? Something wrong?" She asked.
"Ummm, well, have you been sick like this much?"
"Yes, most mornings just before breakfast. I thought I had the flu, but I counted back, and… BWAHHH… BWAHHH." Luna broke out into another 'mood swing' episode, Hermione turned her back and held her face, her giggles were getting the better of her. Ron however mistook her convulsions of suppressed laughter for another strong emotion.
"Hermione? You ok? Luna, don't worry… I'll stay with you, everything will be fine. Hermione? Uhhh Luna have you talked to Madam Pomfrey? Bloody hell, my mum's gonna kill me." He said as he dropped to the sofa next to her, as he ran his hands through his hair.
"What's mum gonna kill you about now, Ron?" Ginny asked as she entered the prefect's lounge.
"Ginny, who said you could come in? This is private between Luna and me."
"And apparently Hermione. I guess this isn't a family matter."
"BWAHHH… BWAHHH. If… sniff this isn't a family matter… sniff WHAT is, Ronald?" She cried as she whacked Ron on the shoulder.
"Luna? What's…" Ginny asked as she came to her friend's side.
"Sniff… Gin," she started as she stood and threw her arms around Ginny's neck. "Gin, you're going to be an aunt."
"WHAT!?" She had the same initial reaction that Hermione and Ron had; she had to hold onto the sofa's arm or risk an impact with the floor.
"Ginny, we're not sure yet," Hermione tried to dull the blow for Ron, "Luna needs to see Madam Pomfrey or a medi-witch to make sure."
"Ron, YOU NEED to tell mum, she'll know what to do, maybe I should go floo her."
"Umm, Ginny, maybe now's not the time…" Ron said with a quiver in his voice, he had a vision of the look his mum would have with this news.
"Ron's right, I think they need some time alone, come on, Ginny." Hermione pulled her younger friend out of the room, leaving Ron and Luna alone. Once out of earshot, Hermione told Ginny everything that was going on with her brother, how this was merely a stall tactic for his party.
Inside the lounge, Luna still had a fair amount of time to kill, since she wasn't told exactly when to deliver Ron to the Room of Requirements. She sat back next to Ron and nuzzled into his arm.
"Luna, love, I meant what I said and I'll be there when ever or what ever you need. I know this isn't the best time for this to happen, for either of us. I promise you will not go through this alone, I'll be there every step." He reached his arms to her and pulled her into a tighter embrace.
"Ron, you're so sweet, but this is a mistake. We shouldn't go thru with it, I knew a muggle girl that this happened to, they have ways to make it go away…" She pushed out of his embrace, but his arms still held her close.
"NO!! The only mistake is our timing, and although we're both way too young, we can make it work, I want it to work for us, the three of us."
"Ron," her voice for the first time showed an uncertainty that this was a good idea, she realized he was taking this seriously, "maybe Hermione's right, maybe I need to find out from a medi-witch. How… about we just not tell anyone else?"
"It's my birthday, and I know you don't think it's a good thing, but I think it's the best present anyone's ever given me." He wrapped his arms around her again and pulled her head to his shoulder, as thoughts of a new family raced through his mind, he wouldn't abandon her and his child.
"I think you've had enough excitement for today, please, Luna, I'd like you to try and take a nap. I'll wake you for dinner."
"Only if you'll stay with me."
"Sure." She stretched out and lay her head in his lap, first feigning to sleep then after ten minutes he heard her normal rhythmic snore she had when she was in a deep sleep. He stayed there stoking her hair lovingly as she slept.
Ron's eyes slowly started to close too, when he felt a familiar burning in his trousers. He quietly lifted Luna and held her as she still slept, kissing her on the forehead while he laid her on the sofa. The burning became more intense, and he know what he needed to do to relieve this discomfort. He kissed her again, with the hope he could quietly wake her, and the while sitting at her side, reached into his trousers and pulled out his charmed DA coin. It had a special meeting announcement to commence in five minutes.
"Hey, Luna, you have to get up, Harry's called an emergency meeting. Something must be wrong."
"Huh? Meeting? Where?" She asked in a daze.
"In the Room of Requirements. My coin just started burning. That's the signal for a DA meeting."
"Mine hasn't, See." She reached into her bag and produced her matching coin, and it too had the same message.
"Crimmy. We'd better get going."
She tried to jump to her feet, but her beau held her back. "I'll go, you stay here and rest."
"Why? It's not like I'm about to sick or about to burst. I'm perfectly fine. Now let's go." She stood and grabbed his arm, pulling him out the door.
"Oy, watch it, love, you'd been taking lessons from Hermione?"
"We've GOT to hurry," she said as if the emergency were life threatening. They hurried to the location of the room, and found Seamus standing out side.
"Ron, Luna, you'd both better hurry, they're about to start. I think it's a big one." He said as he opened the door to allow the pair access to a darkened room.
As if by reflex, he whipped out his wand as if expecting trouble, but she grabbed his arm before he could act.
"SURPRISE!!"
"For he's a jolly good fellow, for… "
Cheers and well wishes sprang out from the large crowd that filled the room, a banner hung over the far wall that was now visible once the lights were turned up that read 'Happy Birthday Ron Weasley And Congratulations on becoming of age'. His two closest friends stood under the banned, along with his sister and his twin brothers.
The crimson haired wizard was frozen in his tracks, as if petrified and most certainly was stunned. He glanced to the girl on his arm and she sported a grin that stretched from one ear to the other. He looked at her and caught a distinctive wink. He now realized the day had been a complete hoax, and with a loving nudge, she pushed him toward the center of the festivities.
"Ron," Harry began, "I couldn't let the biggest day in my two best friends' lives go unnoticed, no matter how late." He turned to his other closest friend, and said "Hermione, this is also to celebrate your becoming of age as well, even though it's a bit late." He pulled his wand, and a yellow flash on the opposite wall unfurled a banner reading 'Happy (late) Birthday Hermione And Congratulations on becoming of age'.
She had a blank stare as she saw the tribute, and realized too, why Harry plotted to have her and Luna keep Ron busy. "Harry, thanks. I know it was missed, but so much happened then, and I wasn't in a mood to celebrate then. Thank you." She threw her arms around him and gave him a hug and peak on his cheek.
"Come on, everyone help yourselves! We've got plenty of treats." Harry called out, and the crowd swarmed the two celebrants wit equal well wishes.
Fred and George, both returned for the day, had added their own special touch to the festivities. Also wishing Ron and Hermione congratulations for their becoming of age.
"Ron…"
"Hermione…"
"Harry told us…"
"About his special surprise for you both…"
"And we're both quite pleased we could…"
"Make it here today." They both exclaimed, each sharing the thought.
"Thanks guys. Only I hope you left your samples back at the shop." Ron replied to his brothers, knowing full well the mischief they must have planed for the day.
"Don't worry…"
"There's no harm done today."
"But we need to head back to the shop, it's been doing…"
"A bang-up business."
"Right, we'll floo you later for the 'highlights' of the party." George (or was it Fred) added. And with that last bit and a pair of loud pops, they vanished, back to their establishment.
While Hermione and Ron exchanged hugs, he had to ask her. "Did Harry put you and Luna up to this today?"
"Yes, he did. But I had no idea he was going to do it for us both." She replied with genuine confusion and surprise in her voice.
"Then I think Luna has some explaining to do." He said as the two friends released and he turned to deal with his girlfriend's deceit. She managed to slip off to the buffet hoping his other fondness would get herself out of trouble.
"Ron," she squealed, "they have corned beef, meat pies and roast goose. And look at the deserts. Here," she pushed a plate in his hands and began piling it high with food.
"Still eating for two?" His tone was unmistakably angry.
"Well, Harry said to distract you for a while. And, well, you did seem to like the idea."
"Aye, I did, but that don't make it right to mess with my head like that."
"Well, Ronniekins, if you're not too mad, I'll make it up to you later." She implied a much more enjoyable evening then the day had been, and reached around for an unmistakable invasion on his personal space, and his privacy.
"Here, just enjoy the fun now, and I promise tonight won't be a disappointment." She added as she shoved half of a piece of chocolate candy in his mouth. The other half she had already consumed.
Meanwhile, Harry had been left alone with Hermione, she was beaming at the surprise her true friends sprung. Harry, having spent the day with the preparations, had mulled over last night's intimacies and the warmth he was trying to ignore. He could tell she, too, was affected from their night spent together, but he knew her heart was taken.
He stood there, unable to do more then rock on his feet.
"Harry, let's join Ron and Luna, I'm starved."
"Uhhh, sure. Come on." She laced her arm through his, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As unsure as the young man was about his feelings, the simple touch of her hand in his arm felt warm and relaxed.
They approached the table from the opposite side, and were greeted by the rows of sweets meant for after they ate. She picked up two pieces of chocolate, and fed one to him while she popped the other in her mouth. "This should give us strength to make it through the spread you've laid out."
After he swallowed, he answered her " Hlæfdige min Soþ is þæt þu segst." ( My lady, what you say is true.)
"Harry? What is this mischief thou says, I understand thee not."
" Hlæfdige min , Hwa alimpan?" ( My lady, what happened?)
" We started speaking,
Looked at each other, then turned away.
The tears kept rising to my eyes.
But I could not weep.
I wanted to take your hand
But my hand trembled.
You kept counting the days
Before we should meet again.
But both of us felt in our hearts
That we parted for ever and ever.
The ticking of the little clock filled the quiet room.
'Listen,' I said. 'It is so loud,
Like a horse galloping on a lonely road,
As loud as a horse galloping past in the night.'
You shut me up in your arms.
But the sound of the clock stifled our hearts' beating.
You said, 'I cannot go: all that is living of me
Is here for ever and ever.'
Then you went.
The world changed. The sound of the clock grew fainter,
Dwindled away, became a minute thing.
I whispered in the darkness. 'If it stops, I shall die.'" She clamped her hand over her mouth, she
couldn't help herself, every word had a romantic rhythm and verse.
He looked extremely puzzled, and attempted to speak again, "Ic nat." ( I don't know.) Came out of his mouth, and he knew who he had to ask. With two large steps he was facing Ron.
"Ic þe axige, hwelc gleowian habban eower broðra dreogan?" ( I ask you what kind of joke has your brothers performed?) He asked Ron.
"?yrraH ,yas uoy did tahW" Ron's face screwed up at the sound of his own voice.
"Ah Harry, could you see my heart,
How fond, how true, how free from fraudful art,
The warmest glances poorly do explain
The eager wish, the melting throbbing pain
Which through my very blood and soul I feel,
Which you cannot believe nor I reveal,
Which every metaphor must render less
And yet (methinks) which I could well express
my love for thee." Hermione said, trying to explain but the same love-sick verse was all that came out.
"Onray, Arryhay, Iway inkthay Edfray andway Eorgegay adhay omethingsay otay oday ithway isthay. ETHAY OCOLATESCHAY! Eythay eftlay ethay ocolateschay!" (Ron, Harry, I think Freg and George had something to do with this. The chocolates! They left the chocolates!) Luna shouted.
"Awiergan!" (damn) Was all Harry could say.
Ginny stood there listening and watching as she moved the bit of candy she had in her hand away from her mouth. "Luna's right, I think my 'brothers' had something to do with this." Her face grew tighter as she tried to contain the burst of laughter.
Hermione, having realized every thing she said came from her heart, looked at Harry, and hoped he didn't see the meaning of her words.
Harry picked up the plate, which by now was half gone, and tossed the rest in the rubbish bin. Around him he heard others speaking in dialects long dead, some for thousands of years. One voice he alone heard and understood. Tonks had eaten one as was speaking in Parcel Tongue although she was unable to understand a word she said.
The verbal mayhem lasted nearly an hour, although a few people had stopped trying to talk, Hermione for one wouldn't say a word for fear he would know her secret.
- - -
That night, long after the party ended Hermione crawled into her bed exhausted from a very long couple of days, and with the effects of the candy still echoing thru her brain she had only one means to analyze what happened. She reached under the mattress for her book of comfort and secrets to transcribe the events of last night and the party, only to find it wasn't there. Franticly, she tore the mattress covers off the bed, hoping it had slipped inside. She nearly overturned her bed looking for her book when reason returned. She thought back and tried to remember the last time she had it. She had been busy with Ron and Luna after Harry's phony meeting with McGonagall. And since last night was spent sleeping with Harry, she never had the chance to record those events. 'No, it isn't here,' she rationalized. She had it last night when they were working together.
"The desk downstairs!" She cried.
"Stuff it, Hermione, go to sleep." Lavender called out.
"Sorry, left something downstairs." She whispered back. She grabbed her dressing robe and slipped out the door, so to not wake anyone else. Moments later, Lavender was the only one to hear Hermione cry out.