Insomnia

Chapter 2 - Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day

Don't let it get away

Beautiful day

Touch me

Take me to that other place

Reach me

I know I'm not a hopeless case

What you don't have you don't need it now

What you don't know you can feel it somehow

What you don't have you don't need it now

Don't need it now

Was a beautiful day

(U2)

Hermione closed her eyes and lay back, the rough wool of the picnic blanket gently tickling the back of her neck. She let the happy sounds of the Weasley picnic filter into her mind. Fred and George playing with Percy's kids, giving them wild piggyback rides and making them shriek with delight. And, of course, Percy asking the twins to "Try not to kill my children" in the frustrated, yet defeated tone he always had when dealing with his fun-loving younger brothers. Nearby, Harry was talking to Ginny in that quiet voice that he only used with her, and Molly was seated, like the matriarch on her throne, with a grandchild on her lap and more nearby, occasionally directing Bill and Arthur to fetch something.

Somebody sat down next to Hermione, and gently stroked her hair. She smiled, and opened her eyes to look into Ron's. He grinned at her and leaned down to lightly kiss her forehead. She sat up and gazed at him.

"Hey, you."

"Hey. Taking a nap?"

She grinned. "Just enjoying all of this." Ron looked over at his family, and nodded.

"It's great, isn't it?" His face became pensive. "Almost makes you forget about everything."

Hermione squeezed his hand. "I know. It's like the rest of the world - all the death and evil and misery - just went away. I mean, just look at how happy Harry is."

Harry was in the process of blowing raspberries on Ginny's rounded belly and making her giggle.

Ron snorted. "God, he's a big wet girl, isn't he? He can't wait for that baby to arrive. I was talking to him at work the other day, and he'd just been out buying furniture for the kid's room. He was so excited. It was like talking to a women." He grinned at Hermione and ducked as she aimed a playful smack at the back of his head.

"Leave him alone. I think it's sweet." She became more serious. " He's just happy that he's got a family now."

"Oh, he could've had a family any time. I would've given him Percy if he'd asked."

Percy had given up trying to control the twin's antics and had cornered Charlie to talk about regulation dragon cages.

"You know what I mean, Ron."

They sat in comfortable silence, watching the extended Weasley clan do its thing. Then Ron spoke.

"Hey, 'Mione?"

"Mm?"

"D'you want to get married?"

Hermione giggled. "Oh, who's the big wet girl now, hmm?"

He blushed. "Shut up. I'm serious. Do you?"

Hermione chewed her lip, pondering.

"Come on, it'll be fun." He gave Hermione that cheeky smile she knew so well.

"Okay. I guess it's about time you made an honest woman out of me."

Ron beamed. "Brilliant."

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