Ships are: Ginny/Remus and Ron/Hermione. If you don't like them, don't read it.
Oatmeal Cookies
Ever since I was little, my mum baked when she was angry or upset. It worked. It would take her mind off the subject and if someone had a mental breakdown, there was always enough comfort food to go around. That is also the reason I took up running every night as it seems that Fred and George do something wrong just as frequently. Those cookies were going straight to my hips.
I took an oatmeal biscuit off the tray and bit into it. Delicious, as always. I really shouldn't have been enjoying them, since I was the reason my mum was in a baking frenzy, but I'm only human. They are damn nice biscuits.
Ron came in and stole a slice of the chocolate cake cooling on the bench. Hmm. It looked far too good for my brother. I should have taken a piece of that instead of oatmeal cookies. Actually, it was a good idea to eat healthy. Oatmeal is good for you, right?
'You must have done something really bad to make mum cook this much food.' Ron looked mildly impressed. 'Even at the celebration over You-Know-Who's death mum didn't cook this much.'
'This isn't a good thing, Ron!' I hissed. 'I don't like mum exhausting herself with cooking.'
'At least she isn't screaming or pulling out her hair like some people's mothers.' He shrugged. 'I just wanted to come and say congratulations and that I can't wait to be bouncing a nephew on my knee sometime soon.'
I rolled my eyes. 'Just like a man to presume it will be a boy.'
'I would love a little niece as much as nephew, but you know what I'm hoping for.' He kissed my cheek and walked into the lounge room where the rest of the family was sitting.
'Hey! At least I'm getting married!' I called after him, but he didn't listen.
My mum walked in through the door that led to the garden. In her arm was a basket laden with herbs and vegetables. She was only just beginning. Soon we would be shoved out of the house by the sheer amount of bunt cakes and pot roasts. I had to talk to her.
'Uh, Mum?' I began gingerly. I may be a Gryffindor, but that didn't mean I had enough bravery to take on my mum.
She was chopping spring onions at a pace that threatened fingers. 'Yes, Virginia?' My real name, jeeze, another bad sign. Why me?
'Are you…angry…at me?'
My mother paused and looked at me. 'Why on earth would you think that, Virginia?'
'Well, you keep using my real name. That's kind of unnerving. And the way you are cooking. It's a little creepy.' Not to mention delicious.
'I'm not angry dear,' Chop, chop, chop. 'I'm just a little upset,' Her knife was getting louder as it slammed down on the chopping board. Those poor spring onions.
'If it means anything to you, I'm sorry.'
'You always say that, Ginny,' Phew, we've moved on from the "Virginia" stage. We may be in safe waters. You can put your guns down. 'And I always try to believe you when you say you'll never let it happen again.' My mother scooped up the battered spring onions and dropped them into her pot. 'Remember that nice Neville chap. Why did you ever let him go?'
'Neville was beating for the other team, mum.' I sighed. It was embarrassing trying to explain my love life to my mother. 'Besides, he wasn't the man for me.'
'And you think a werewolf is the man for you?' She hissed.
I narrowed my eyes. 'Mother…you wouldn't happen to be a tiny bit…prejudiced…towards werewolves, would you?'
'Of course not. I have nothing against them.' She wasn't meeting my eyes. I think I've hit the bull's eye.
'And of course a gentle, witty, caring soul like Remus' is totally wrong for your daughter.'
'Oh alright. I am. I admit it. I don't think it's safe for you to be marrying a werewolf. I don't want to see you get hurt.' Her back was to me and she was lining another baking tray. Maybe she would run out of trays and room before Remus came and she could get over it? Fat chance.
'What is so bad about them? For the better part of the month, they are normal wizards or Muggles.'
She turned around and she was white. 'What if he bites you? What if he bites your child? What if he kills you and…and…and wrecks your lovely cross stitch you did when you were eight?' She began crying. I hate it when my mum cries.
'Mum, I love him. I want to marry him.' I sighed. 'Can you please try and be happy for me? I'm going to need all the help I can get. This wedding is going to be hell without you.' I was going in for the kill now. 'And when the baby comes I'm not going to know what do to! I might use the wrong nappies or give it nappy rash. I am hopeless, mum, and I need you.'
'Oh Ginny!' My mum said and wrapped me in a huge hug that almost cracked a rib. She was crying and laughing at the same time and sounded rather like a duck. When she drew back, the insane look in her eye was gone. Instead, there was something far more scarier. The look of a woman preparing a wedding. Oh god. What have I let myself in for?
There was a knock at the door that led in to the lounge room; the same one Ron had exited just a few minutes before. The men in my family know us women too well to enter blindly into a room with knives. Fiery hair goes with a fiery temper, they say, and having grown up in a house of red heads, I can confirm that.
Bill stood there, cool as you please, resting against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes met mine. 'Mum's cooking? What did you do?'
'Oh, you instantly think it's me, do you?' I asked defensively.
'Sure do. Fred and George are too busy in the shop to worry about causing havoc in our house.' He shrugged and repeated his question. 'What did you do?'
'Got pregnant and engaged.' I showed him the simple ring on my finger.
'I'm surprised she hasn't turned this place into a gingerbread house by now.' He moved over to me and checked out the ring. 'Who's the lucky man?'
'Remus Lupin.'
Bill's eyebrows shot up. 'Professor Remus Lupin?' I nodded. 'The werewolf Professor Remus Lupin?'
'You aren't going to start on me too, are you?' I asked exasperatedly.
'No way.' He dropped my hand and looked around. 'Let's leave mum to clean up and go and wait in the lounge.'
I nodded again and let him take me into the living room. It is just like the rest of the house. Not elegant, not expensive, just worn and homey. It smells like cooking all the time, not surprising when that is all my mother seems to do. My entire family seemed to be waiting for the wayward daughter and her lover. Oh jeeze. This was going to be one long night.
Ron had saved me a seat and I took it. He was pouring over an article on the Chudley Cannons in Quidditch Quazy, which he evidently found more interesting than the soap opera playing in his own home. Talk about priorities.
The twins, Fred and George, were over in the corner, whispering as always. Ever since they opened their store in Hogsmeade, using Harry's prize from the Interschool Wizarding Cup a couple of years ago, they had kept their minds on other things than petty pranks on family members. They were famous within Hogwarts and elsewhere too. Everything was going well for them and neither was going to let a small thing like mum's disapproval get in the way.
Charlie was cleaning his dragon hide boots near the fire, which I thought was rather unsafe as the oily rag he was using could catch alight easily. Charlie was one of my favourite brothers. When I was smaller, he would take me on piggyback rides and we would make forts and use mum's good linen as tents.
Next to Ron, on the other side, was Percy in all his fussy glory. We had a civil relationship, we never hated each other but never got on well. He always locked himself in his room with his work and his prefect badges. When I was at Hogwarts, he tried to look out for me, but that was during my days of writing in Riddle's diary, so I never really appreciated it.
Finally, there was my father. He was balding, a little overweight and a child at heart. He was the sort of person who would agree with my mother on a punishment and then tell us it was really a neat idea as soon as she left the room. I had told him about my pregnancy and my engagement first, knowing he'd give me strength to get over mum. He gave me a smile as I looked at him, and I smiled back.
The doorbell rang and everyone jumped a little. I hadn't realised how tense the atmosphere had been until the bell sounded, and now it seemed so oppressive, I was glad to be getting away from them to open the door. Remus was standing there looking nervous. I welcomed him in and ushered him into the living room.
Ron was the first to talk. 'Good evening, Remus.'
'Nice to see you again, Ron.' Remus said with a smile.
I love his smiles. He has one for all occasions. This one was his friendly one. There was a grin that was similar to a wolf that he used when he was excited about something. His fake smile always makes me laugh because I know when he is being bored out of his skull. His smug smile he wears when he gets something right and knows it. And of course, there are a thousand other smiles he wears when we are all alone, ones that he would never show anyone else.
I must have tuned out because by the time I had finished day dreaming about how cute he looks when he smiles, Remus had been introduced by Ron to the rest of the family. Remus put an arm around my waist and it bolstered my spirits so much just by that contact. Not only was it a sign of affection, it made me feel like we were going into this together. Oh, how I love him!
'Dinner is ready.' Bill announced. 'We are having it outside because we have too many people.' What he should have said was "too much food" because that really was the case.
'What's been going on?' Remus asked me in a low voice as we walked outside. The night was pleasant enough, with the crickets chirping and the candles burning to light the way.
'My mother has been cooking non-stop. She was a bit upset.'
'A bit? From the looks of this feast, you have had a tragedy in your family!'
'I know. She wasn't very happy with the whole marriage idea.' I sighed again. I was going to have a nervous breakdown from this family.
'At least I'm making you a decent woman.' He commented mildly.
'Unlike Ron?' I suggested.
'I wasn't going to say that!'
'Were to.' I grinned and kissed him softly. 'There's something I have to tell you about my mother.'
'Yes?'
Before I could tell him to watch the cutlery for silver, my mother came out and sat down next to my father. She waved her wand and the table strained under the food. It was an interesting mix of dinner food and desserts. As long as I tested a pie before eating it, I would be ok.
'Isn't this nice?' My mum said with false cheeriness. 'Together like a big, happy family!'
'It's lovely, mum.' Percy agreed.
I closed my eyes and crossed my fingers, praying for Harry, Sirius and Hermione to hurry up and arrive. I was smart, I wasn't going to let my mother meet Remus without backup. I had also hidden the silver bullets and any jewellery that even looked silver.
Harry's face appeared over the hedge and I let out the breath I didn't know I was holding. Remus took my hand and squeezed it softly and my eyes opened again. 'I'm meant to be giving you strength, not the other way around. I've known these people my entire life!'
'Oh well. You looked like you were going to faint or something.'
Not so far from the truth...
My mother was fitting people into the already packed table. Hermione sat next to do Ron, which gave me the creeps since knowing that much about my brother's sex life is not cool. Harry sat next to Bill and Charlie and Sirius sat next to me. I could do this, no sweat.
'I think I'm going to be sick.'
I am a poet.
'It wasn't that bad,' Remus said, hanging our jackets on the coat holder by the door. 'Your mother wasn't shooting at me.'
'She was sugary and disgusting.' I said and stood on tiptoe to kiss him softly. 'But I'm glad we're home.'
'So am I.' He moved past me and further into his living room. I pouted and followed him. 'I wanted to talk to you about something.'
'You can talk to me about something later.' I told him. The only thing that had got me through the night was the fact that I was going to have fun when I got home. And when I say fun, I mean the sort you have naked in a bed.
'Ginny, I'm serious.' He said sternly. 'Sit down. I'll make some tea.'
I threw myself on to the sofa and folded my arms. He brought out two cups of tea and handed me on before sitting down next to me. I took a sip and almost burnt off all my tastebuds. 'Ow, it'th hot.' I complained.
'Funny that.' Remus said with a smile. 'Look, Ginny, tonight I realised something.'
'What wath that?' I asked, my voice hard to understand with the heavy lisp.
'That your mother isn't impressed with me sleeping with you, especially before marriage.'
'My mother is old fashioned. It's time for her to wake up and smell the coffee. I'm not a girl any more.' I took a cautious sip of tea now that my speech was normal.
'I know that, you know that, everyone in your family knows it except your mother. She's just afraid of losing you. You're her last child.'
'Ron's still a big baby. And he lives at home.'
He looked uncomfortable. 'I think you should move back in with your parents until the wedding.'
I sat there, blinking at him, for several moments before it actually sunk in. 'You must be joking!' Remus didn't say a word and I knew he wasn't. 'How can you suggest that? My parents are nuts! My mum will brainwash me and I'll start talking about cross-stitching and making eclairs!' My eyes widened as a new thought entered my brain. 'And we wouldn't be able to have sex! My parents have super hearing!'
'Ginny, calm down. Careful of the tea!' He took the cup and placed it on the table. 'It will make your mother think more highly of me. I am willing to sacrifice some things.'
I sighed. 'You had better be right, Remus Lupin.'
Author's End Notes: Ok, tell me what you think please :D. Any help on it would be really appreciated!