Snow was falling gently from the sky, the brisk, bitterly cold wind sweeping it up and swirling it about in miniature, snowy cyclones.

Harry Potter and Hermione Granger walked the snowy path up to the Burrow, their heads bent against the wind and blowing snow.

They had apparated into a quiet alley in Ottery St. Catchpole, deciding that the walk from the village up to the Borrow would allow them some time alone before they entered the chaos of the Burrow.

They were quiet as they walked, each lost in their own thoughts, their clasped hands resting comfortably between them.

Today was the day they were finally going to tell their family and friends about their secret relationship.

The decision to do so had not been taken lightly. Nor had it been agreed upon right away. But in a way, they were both glad. Finally, they could stop hiding their feelings in public. They could finally do the things that regular couples did.

Though the backlash of the press and the rest of the general public finding out was something neither of them really wanted to think about at the moment.

However, with each step they took, bringing them that much closer to their loved ones, the more nervous they each became.

Harry was the first to break the silence that had enveloped them since they had started on their walk up the long drive.

“This is it,” he said quietly, looking up as they stepped through the small gate that led up to the Burrow's back door.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Hermione said, adjusting her scarf to cover her neck more so the wind would not blow down her parka.

Silence descended on them once more as they reached the Burrow's back door. Harry gave Hermione what he hoped was a reassuring smile and raised his hand to knock.

However before his knuckles could touch the worn wood of the door, it was thrown open by Molly Weasley, who quickly seized Harry in one of her famous bone-crushing hugs.

“Oh, Harry dear! It's so good to see you!”

“It's good to see you too, Mrs. Weasley,” Harry managed to get out.

“Hello, Hermione dear,” Mrs. Weasley said as she released Harry and gave Hermione a hug of her own.

“Hello, Mrs. Weasley,” Hermione said as she and Harry stepped into the Burrow's warm kitchen.

The smells wafting in the air were first things Harry noticed. Several pots and pans were simmering on the stovetop and something was sizzling in the oven. The smells made Harry's stomach suddenly ache with hunger.

“Wow, it smells good in here,” he said as he shrugged out of his coat.

“Yes, it certainly does,” Hermione seconded, hanging her coat on one of the wooden pegs near the door. “What are we having?”

Molly Weasley blushed at their compliments before saying, “Oh just a little of this and a little of that.”

“Well it smells delicious. I can't wait to taste it,” Harry said, smiling at her.

Blushing again, Molly gave him a warm smile saying, “Thank you Harry, dear. Now, why don't you and Hermione go on through to the sitting room. Fred and George, and Ron, Ginny, and Luna are in there listening to the wireless.”

At the mention of Luna, Hermione looked curiously at Mrs. Weasley. “Did you say Luna? As in Luna Lovegood?” she asked, hoping she didn't sound rude.

“Of course, she's a friend of Ginny's. She has been staying here a lot since the end of the war. Her father has been working a lot of long hours and with Hogwarts still closed…” Mrs. Weasley explained, stirring a white colored sauce in one of the pans.

Harry nodded. Hogwarts had been closed ever since that night when the Death Eaters had invaded and Dumbledore had been killed.

Even now that the war was over, the fate of the school was yet to be decided. Harry hoped that it would be re-opened soon. He knew that is what Dumbledore would have wanted.

Shaking his head to dispel the unwanted thoughts, Harry turned to Hermione, “Shall we?” he asked, motioning towards the doorway leading to the sitting room.

Hermione nodded, smiling, slipping her hand inside his.

“Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes dears,” Mrs. Weasley said as they went through the doorway.

Entering the dimly lit, narrow passageway that ran from the kitchen to the sitting room, Hermione paused in her steps, turning to face Harry.

“Harry, wait. Do you think we should tell Ron first? I mean, this is big. This will affect the three of us most…” she asked, nervousness shining through her eyes.

Harry turned this over in mind, weighing the opinions. He knew that Ron would be angry with them. Whether for just keeping the relationship a secret or for the relationship itself he wasn't sure yet. So maybe it would be a good idea to talk to Ron first. They owed him that much.

Looking back up at Hermione, Harry nodded. “Yeah, I think you're right. Come on; let's go tell him we want to talk. Then we'll tell everyone else at dinner.”

Hermione swallowed her growing anxiousness, and put on a determined face. “Let's go, we can do this,” she said.

Harry nodded and stepped into the Weasley's sitting room, holding his breath.