2022
“Hugo, we gotta hurry up,” Rose insisted, rushing her brother to take the rest of the cutlery to finish setting the table.
“You need to relax,” he retorted, “it’s gonna work out.”
“Not if you keep standing there like a bloody idiot.”
Hugo shrugged and went on setting the table. Rose had come up with the idea of preparing an early engagement anniversary dinner for their parents. They had gotten engaged 20 years ago and she wanted to do something special for them. Hugo had agreed to help out, mainly because he didn’t want to get them a gift himself. Being bossed around by his sister was something he could handle, but coming up with an idea himself was not.
The two teenagers had started preparing the minute their parents left the house to go to work. They had gotten back from Hogwarts the day before and only had a few hours to get everything ready. With Rose finally being 17 and allowed to use magic outside of school, she was set on cooking duty while Hugo had been put on decorating and setting the table duty.
The siblings spent hours working on everything, Rose being stressed for about 70% of it and Hugo not caring that much about all of it. Now that they were done they eyed their combined work.
“You know what,” Rose started, “they can say whatever they want about us fighting all the time, but we can be a good team if we need to.”
“Agreed,” Hugo nodded, “should we get changed?”
“Yes!”
They each went to their own rooms and changed into muggle robes they had seen waiters wear at restaurants before. A few minutes later they found themselves opening the door for their parents.
“Good evening,” Rose greeted them, taking their coats.
“Welcome,” Hugo chimed in, “you have about 5 minutes to get changed into some better clothes.”
“Make it fancy,” Rose added, “and don’t peek into the dining room.”
"What's going on?" Ron chuckled and Hermione shot them a suspicious look.
"No questions," Rose shooed them out of the entryway and pushed them towards the stairs, "5 minutes," she shouted as the couple vanished into their room.
"I'm confused," Hermione said as the door closed shut behind them.
"Me too, but let's just go with it," Ron shrugged, "now what should I wear?" He had already stripped down to his underwear standing in front of his wardrobe.
Hermione chuckled and eyed him "just as fast as when you were 18."
He smirked at her, "I just can't help myself."
She shook her head and walked over to him to pick out the new red robes he had worn to the latest Christmas party at the Ministry. Being the husband of the Minister he wanted to look extra fancy this year and had bought them at Diagon Alley for too many galleons. But it had been worth it because Hermione made sure to match him that evening.
"I like those. They look good on you." She smiled as he took them from her and pecked her cheek, "Thanks, love."
Hermione picked out a dress for herself and then the two made their way downstairs again. When they went to enter the dining room they found their children standing in front of the door, towels over their arms.
"Welcome to Hugo and Rose’s Gourmet Restaurant," Hugo started.
"Rose and Hugo’s," Rose coughed.
"Your name?"
"Granger-Weasley," Ron chuckled.
"Very well, I'll lead you to your table."
Hugo opened the door and moved his arm to invite them into the room. Three candles were lit and placed in the middle of the white cloth-covered, table. Rose had shrunk it so it would be the perfect size for two people. There were two chairs opposite each other and plates, with cutlery placed in the right order - fork on the left, knife and spoon on the right. The rest of the room was lit by soft fairy lights going along the edge of the ceiling.
"This looks beautiful, you guys," Hermione beamed.
"Please take a seat and we'll be right with you." The two teens turned around and left their parents to themselves again.
"This is bloody brilliant," Ron laughed at Hermione's puzzled face. He walked over to one of the chairs and pulled it out for her.
"Sit down, love."
Hermione smiled at him and took his offer and sat down. Ron pushed her chair closer to the table as she straightened the silk of her dress.
When he sat down himself Rose entered the room again holding a bottle of wine. She walked over and poured it into the two glasses on the table, "Your first course will be with you in a moment."
"Ro, wait. What is this for?"
"You guys got engaged 20 years ago and we wanted to do something nice for you," she shrugged and left the room.
"Damn, who raised them?" Ron laughed.
"I don't know, but they did a great job," Hermione picked up her glass and raised it towards Ron, "to us?"
"To us," Ron agreed and they clinked their glasses together.
Soon after Hugo came in, balancing two plates full of soup on two hands. Ron rushed up as he saw one of the plates tilt a little too far to the left and helped his son.
"There you go," the teenager bowed slightly, "if there is anything you need just… Uhm… just yell, I guess. Enjoy."
"Thank you, sweetheart."
When Hugo left the room again Ron eyed the soup in front of him, "You think this is actually edible?"
"I'm sure of it," Hermione laughed, "Hugo made it and he actually pays attention in Potions."
Ron raised an eyebrow at her which made her laugh again, "okay he pays attention sometimes."
"That seems more like my son," he joined in her laughter, "well bon appetit, I guess."
Ron raised his spoon and clinked it against Hermione's.
He tried a little bit of the soup first and his eyes widened in surprise and he nodded in approval.
"This is really sweet of them," Hermione smiled.
"I agree, and I'm glad at least someone remembered it's been 20 years since we got engaged," he winked at her.
"Oh shut it. You also didn't!"
"You're right, as always, love."
"Remember our first Christmas together?"
"As a couple or in general?"
"A couple."
"Mmh," Ron nodded, "I remember and I will always be grateful for that."
Hermione waved her hand, "it was no big deal."
"But it was, you know how I felt about showing my emotions, but you didn't care."
Her eyes twinkled as she smiled again, "You deserved someone to listen to you."
"And I didn't want it to be anyone else," he rose his glass again, “to you, my love.”
She rose hers as well, “to you, Ron.”
The pair finished their soup in comfortable silence, exchanging loving eyes and smiling like idiots at one other, both feeling grateful they could still make each other smile like this.
When Rose came to collect their empty plates and refilled their glasses, she told them she would be back soon with their main course.
“Tell me something, Hermione.”
“What do you wanna know?”
“What’s been your favourite Christmas memory,” he took another sip from his glass.
“That’s a tough question.”
“Don’t tell me Hermione cannot answer a question.”
“Oh shut it,” she threw her napkin at Ron, who caught it with ease and winked at her.
“I guess your proposal was pretty memorable,” she giggled, “very Ron-like.”
“Let’s be real, you would have said no if I did it any other way,” he laughed.
“I would have said yes no matter what, you know that.”
“I do.”
“Alright, main course anyone?” Rose stumbled in but caught her balance just in time.
“Sandwiches?”
“Are you questioning the quality of this fancy restaurant, Dad?”
“I wouldn’t dare.”
“That’s what I thought.”
She put the plates down in front of her parents and left them by themselves again. Hermione picked up her sandwich and examined it carefully, “it’s the good bread.”
“Did you expect anything else from this fancy restaurant,” Ron remarked mocking his daughter’s earlier remarks.
“I wouldn’t dare.”
The pair began eating their food, seeming pleasantly surprised by the taste of their sandwiches. When Hermione dropped her almost-eaten food to the plate again and used a new napkin to wipe her mouth she spoke again, “What about you?”
“Whatchumean?” Ron mumbled through the food in his mouth.
“What’s your favourite Christmas memory?”
He swallowed and took a sip from his wine before locking eyes with his wife again, “Everything.”
“Not the answer I was looking for,” she chuckled.
“But the truth.”
“Oh come on. There has to be a favourite.”
It was Ron’s turn to laugh, “You’re still cute when you get annoyed. You’re right tho -”
“- Shocker,” she mouthed.
“- There is a favourite.”
“Tell me,” she urged, leaning forward onto her elbows.
“2004.”
Hermione smiled, knowing exactly what he was referring to, “Did you know your mum knew immediately when I asked her to help me learn how to knit?”
“I assumed, you don’t go through six pregnancies for nothing.”
“That’s exactly what she said.”
“Don’t tell me I’m becoming my mother,” Ron breathed out exaggeratedly, “I don’t think my fragile ego could handle that.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” she threw her napkin at him again.
Ron caught it once again, “Love, if you keep throwing all your napkins you won’t have any left.” He gently put it down next to her again, brushing over her arm.
“Are you guys done here?” Hugo suddenly spoke next to them, neither of them had noticed him walking in.
“We are,” they responded.
“Perfect. Dessert will be served soon,” he picked up the plates, “it’s gonna be chocolate cake.”
“Wicked.”
Hugo left the room and soon after Rose walked in with two smaller plates and a chocolate cake on each of them.
“Bon appetit,” she smiled, “once you’re done you can just leave the plates on the table. There is a record player on the cupboard over there,” she pointed, “so if you wanna do your cringey dance thing, go ahead.”
“Thanks, Rose. This was great,” Hermione beamed.
“It was nothing. Hugo and I figured you deserved something like this.”
“We really appreciate it,” Ron agreed, “tell your brother we said that as well.”
“Will do, but now enjoy your dessert. In case you hate it, Hugo made it and in case you love it, I did.”
With that, she was out the door and closed it behind her leaving a laughing Ron and eye-rolling and head-shaking Hermione behind.
“She’s truly the female version of you.”
“Excuse me? You mean the top of her class, received only O’s in her O.W.L.S and prefect, probably soon-to-be head girl Rose?”
“No, I meant Quidditch obsessed, no-filter and full of sarcasm Rose.”
“She’s all you, love. They both are.”
“They’re not! They’re all you!”
Ron laughed and contemplated for a moment, “they’re neither you nor me.”
“They’re us.”
“In the best way possible.”
“Do you remember Hugo running away that one year?”
“He didn’t run away,” Ron corrected, “he just wanted to look at pets.”
“And now he really turned out to be Hagrid’s favourite student,” Hermione laughed and took the first bite of her cake.
“Remember when Rosie snuck into Hugo’s room on Christmas Eve?” Ron asked after finishing his cake in a matter of seconds.
“I do. Or when Hugo couldn’t stop laughing when she woke him up that one Christmas?”
“He was such a happy and carefree child, I don’t know how we didn’t figure out earlier that he was gonna be in Hufflepuff.”
“You were too worried about Rose possibly being a Slytherin.”
“Bollocks. I always knew she was going to be a Gryffindor,” he waved his hand dismissing Hermione’s point.
“Sure,” she winked at him, I definitely don’t remember having to calm you down on her first day of school when we hadn’t heard back from her about the sorting.”
Ron leaned forward and whispered, “I don’t have the slightest clue what you are talking about.”
“Sure, you don’t.”
“What about you having a mental breakdown about Hugs being sorted into Hufflepuff?”
“That was only because I’ve heard all the stories from Teddy about their house parties! He’s my baby!”
Ron laughed, “You were being unreasonable, he turned out fine so far.”
“You wanna talk about being unreasonable, Mister ‘my-daughter-isn’t-going-to-date-anyone-until-she-is-25.”
“She was dating a Malfoy, Hermione! That’s hardly unreasonable, plus she’s my only daughter I don’t want her to think another man is better than me.”
“She won’t,” Hermione stated, “she’ll never.”
“Yes she will, and that’s okay,” Ron nodded, “Only after she’s 25 tho,” he added quickly.
“I’m sure that’s gonna work out for you.”
Silence fell upon the laughing couple. They felt a sense of youth between them, bickering for no reason other than making each other laugh and reminding themselves how they fell in love in the first place. Their exchanged glances were filled with the sparks that had once ignited their relationship.
“Dance with me?”
“I thought you’d never asked.”
Ron stood up and walked over to Hermione taking her hand in his as she used her wand to turn on the record player. He smiled as he heard the soft tunes of their wedding song fill the room. She stepped into his arms and they held each other close, swaying to the sound of the music. Hermione closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, noticing how Ron’s chin came to rest on her head.
The couple danced silently taking in the closeness of their bodies, remembering how they felt on their wedding day, and acknowledging how far they had come. When the song faded away, Ron was the one to pull away first to capture Hermione’s lips. She rose to her toes to deepen the kiss as her arms travelled up his arms and came to rest behind his neck.
When they pulled away, foreheads still touching, she was the one who spoke first.
“Thank you, Ron.”
“For what?”
“For deciding to spend the rest of your life with me.”
“Hey,” he whispered, “that’s been the easiest promise to keep.”
“I love you, Ron.”
“I love you more, Hermione.”
“You’re annoying,” she chuckled.
“I know,” he murmured against her lips as he pulled her close again.
Nothing could ever tear these two apart, they had to learn that lesson young. The lesson became a promise, and the promise became reality.