MetaFic

~*~

When they arrived at The Burrow, they were greeted not by the usual organised chaos that accompanied Molly as she prepared breakfast for her family, but the sight of Ginny’s parents sitting at the kitchen table clutching steaming mugs of tea whilst they carried on a whispered conversation. They were so deeply occupied by their conversation that Ginny was able to summon the tea pot from the work surface where it sat wrapped in it’s ‘world’s best mum’ tea cosy. This was followed to the table by three mugs and a bottle of milk. As the tea pot landed her parents looked up and greeted the new arrivals with a cautious nod.

Puzzled by their less than enthusiastic welcome, Ginny turned to Harry for reassurance but was met with an equally quizzical expression. He shrugged his shoulders at her before taking a seat at the table. She attempted to communicate with him using her Legilimency but his only response was to send her back feelings of love and reassurance.

Somewhat disgruntled, she sat down next to him resisting the urge to kick him for his non-verbal response to her. As they were pouring their drinks they were joined by a very sleepy Ron who looked even less pleased than normal to be up before midday. He sat down with a yawn before claiming the spare mug and helping himself to a cup from the pot.

Everyone watched intently as he added milk and three heaped spoons of sugar to the liquid before stirringly it rigorously. Slowly becoming aware that he was the centre of attention he looked up.

“Sorry, guys,” he said, trying but failing to stifle another yawn, “I was an official observer at the Cannons game last night, didn’t get home before one in the morning.”

There was an awkward silence as Ron slurped his tea and Ginny began to regret their decision to announce everything so formally. As she started down at her mug, it was her mother that broke the silence.

“Well, Ginny, Harry, what do you have to tell us?”

She could see that her mother was bracing herself for a shock. Despite her parents support during her earlier pregnancy scare, she knew that being told her only daughter was pregnant and unmarried would not be welcomed by her mum. Ginny looked to Harry who nodded that she should proceed.

“We’re engaged, Mum,” she said and held out her left hand to show off her ring.

In an instant, the awkwardness that had dominated proceeding so far disappeared as quickly as if someone had cast a banishment charm on it.

“Oh Ginny, that’s wonderful!” declared Molly a beaming grin on her face as she rose to envelope her daughter in a hug.

Arthur stood, his smile not as broad as his wife’s but his pleasure was just as apparent. He held out his hand to Harry.

“Congratulations, Harry," he said as he shook the younger man's hand.

"I know that we’ve had our ups and downs over the last six months, but I know now that you love Ginny as much as she loves you."

He paused for a moment as if the effort of continuing to be so positive towards Harry was an effort.

“Welcome to the family,” he finished as he let go of Harry's hand. There was an awkward pause during which both of them looked around the room uncomfortably.

“Thank you, Arthur,” Harry finally managed to reply. Further embarrassment was avoided by Molly's effusive questioning of her daughter.

“So,” Molly asked Ginny, “was it romantic? Did he get down on one knee when he proposed?”

Ginny turned towards her husband to be who laughed before speaking.

“No, Molly. We were in my vault at Gringotts and Ginny proposed to me.”

As they had been predicted, Molly Weasley looked horrified.

“Ginny! What were you thinking of?”

Before her mother could build up a head of steam, Ginny stopped her.

“That Harry was going to do what I’d asked him to-”

“And that was?” interrupted her mother impatient for more details.

“If you’d let me finished, you would know by now,” she replied more forcefully than she intended.

“Sorry, Ginny, it’s just that…well continue, please.”

“As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted,” she replied glaring at her mother. She felt Harry’s hand on her shoulder and his presence in her mind calming her down. Taking a deep breath she continued.

“As I was saying,” she continued as Harry continued to assuage her anger, “Harry had agreed that he would wait until August before proposing again and I decided that I didn’t want to wait that long. And besides, yesterday was Leap Years Day.”

She folded her arms across her chest and waited for her mother’s response. As if sensing that this was neither the time nor the place to talk about the etiquette of marriage proposals, her mum remained silent. Ron, however, with a sense of timing and delivery that would impress the most seasoned of comics broke the tension that was threatening to build.

“I see Ginny’s starting as she means to go on, Harry,” said Ron with a smile. “It’s a good job you’re the Most Powerful Wizard Alive,” he joked, “otherwise I think you’d have trouble with her.”

His remark earned him a basilisk level stare from his sister but he merely shrugged his shoulders at her and returned to slurping his tea.

The initial excitement of the announcement over, Mrs Weasley rose and pulling out her wand began breakfast. Soon the five of them were back together at the table chatting and eating as Ginny and Harry told them more about the proposal. Throughout the conversation Ginny could see that her mother was itching to ask about the details of the wedding but Ginny was determined to have that discussion another day. In the end it was Ron who asked the question his mother had wanted answered.

“Have you decided when you want to get married and where?”

Ginny bristled with indignation and made a point of looking at the clock as if she could avoid answering by announcing a pressing engagement. It was Harry who came to her rescue. Recognising that it was his mother-in-law-to-be that was more interested in his reply rather than his friend, Harry addressed his answer to her.

“No, we haven’t actually. It’ll probably be in the summer, after the season is over, but as there’s still a chance that I can make the England team, we might need to wait until August.”

“And,” Ginny added quickly before her mother could respond, “we only want a small wedding, close friends and family only.”

“Ginny,” replied her mother irking her daughter with her patronising tone of voice, “there are a great many people who would love to be invited to your wedding. Its not often a Weasley girl gets married especially-”

“Especially not to The Boy Who Lived,” added Ron with a mischievous grin.

“We know that, Molly,” said Harry quickly, “but we have discussed this and it has to be that way or everything will get out of hand. It’s either that,” he paused for dramatic effect and then added with a smile; “or we elope.”