His Speech

The redhead surveyed the room, full of smiling men and tearing females. He cleared his throat loudly. Surprisingly, and his eyebrows reacted, the crowd grew quiet. He remained standing and took a step forward towards his best friends to stand between them, behind the white lace-covered table. He placed a loving hand on each of their shoulders and addressed the crowd with a huge grin/

"Can’t you all see the headlines in tomorrow’s Daily Prophet? I mean, we all kept this a secret, but after all the butterbeer we have had tonight, I’ll be surprised if Harry and Hermione don’t end up shagging in the streets!"

The bride and groom’s ears went pink as their guests chortled.

"Granger, Six Months Pregnant, Weds The Boy Who Lived…. Smartest Witch Alive Calls Off 10 Year Affair With Quidditch Great Viktor Krum To Marry Yet Another Famous Face..." Ron’s newscaster voice stopped and he half-smiled. "But we all know how it really is, don’t we? We, as Harry’s brother and sister Weasleys and all other true family members know the truth."

George muttered something positive, and Fred stood at his table. "Right-O. Hermione called the Viktor fling off before she shagged Harry."

Angelina smacked him lightly on the chest with the back of her hand jokingly. George continued his twin’s banter. "And Hermione’s only three months pregnant."

A loud chorus of guffaws and knives tinking on champagne glasses made Ron grin and raise his hands silencingly.

"Come on guys! This is hard enough for me as it is without you stealing my spotlight," but he smiled at his friends, expectedly.

After the bride and groom smacked their innocuous and required kiss, the best man continued.

"I have known you two since before I really knew myself. We’ve gone from Heaven in the Astronomy Tower," all couples in the room, including the couple of honor, blushed at the memories of this infamous part of the castle, "to the Hell of dungeon detentions with Snape."

Ron’s audience groaned. The older attendants including Sirius chuckled a bit.

"And as I watch you two, happier today than any day I’ve ever seen you save one, but that’s later in this speech," he rambled. "I remember all that you have taught me, each other, and all who know or even have observed you. We learned to work together even if it meant Harry and I cheating off of Hermione’s essay. We learned to trust each other, though that took a bit of work itself. We sacrificed for each other."

He unconsciously rubbed his shoulder, the phantom pains from the most horrifying chess game of life coming back to him.

"And every minute was worth it. Of course, there was that life-changing moment when I walked into the library that one night a few minutes late for our study session and was welcomed with the sight of the two of you snogging on top of the table, Hermione still holding a book behind Harry’s already horizontal back."

Hermione and Harry put their hands over their faces, feeling their own blood pressure and temperature rise.

"Deny it you both did." He adopted a high falsetto and switched it with a deep bass every other line. "’It just happened. We didn’t mean to, Ron. I don’t even remember why.’" His voice dropped back to his normal pitch and rolled his eyes. "You could smell the sexual tension in the air. They wanted to do it again.. they wanted to—"

"Ron." Sirius looked at Ron and pointedly looked at Harry. Ron turned and saw his best friend, face completely scarlet and looking like he could use each of the Unforgivable Curses on his supposed best friend at that moment. He couldn’t even see Hermione’s face behind her shaking hands.

Ron cleared his throat, nervously. "Anyway. They each have taught us some important lessons. For example, Harry has recently taught us that yes, it is possible not to kill your best friend when he makes you look like a sex-craved prat at his own wedding." Harry’s face lit up, and the smile cleared the rouge on his cheeks.

"Actually, Harry has taught me what it is to be a friend. I learned, many times the hard way, that sometimes you just have to accept that fate makes things happen. And we forgive when things don’t work out the way you want them to." Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, and the audience grew a bit antsy in their seats, sensing some deep tension. Ron fought tears and smiled. He was happy. He was happy. He was—

"I’m really happy for you, Harry. You are the best friend a guy could ask for. Hero of the world and everything." He finished with a real smile. Sirius let out the breath he didn’t know he was holding.

"And Hermione." She glanced up at the man, once the boy, that meant so much to her and the other man/boy that was now eternally a part of her being.

"You taught us to love. You taught us to care. You taught us to breathe each other. You taught us that no matter what happened, there would always be the three of us." Hermione’s eyes watered, the memories of the past so clear. The words meaning not lost to her, she kissed the air towards Ron, giving him the strength to go on.

Harry looked at his wife with love and understanding then at his best friend who continued.

"You taught Harry that, yes, he can be tamed." The laughter broke the awkward silence once again predominant.

"I love you, two. I am so happy right now I’m crying. Can’t you see that I’m crying?" He turned towards the crowd, true to his word with tears in his eyes. He slowly turned back and walked to the main table. He embraced Harry and Hermione in one big hug. "I love you," he whispered.

Unseen by the others, he kissed Harry’s cheek and then Hermione’s. He turned back and sat down.

Silence.

And then a thunderous applause. Hermione blinked at Harry, wrapped a hand around his under the table, and leaned her head on his shoulder. Both stared at Ron with love in their eyes only second to the love they felt for each other.

Ron took a sip of his wine, already feeling the relaxation coming over him.

His wife kissed him lightly, tasting the alcohol, and he kissed her back.

They kissed with a passion rivaling the groom and bride’s as the glasses continued to be struck in the background.