Title: Challenge: Surprises All Around

Author: hamadryad

1) Ron or Harry being naked
2) A proposal (from anyone to anyone)
3) Apple juice has to be mentioned 4) Someone has to choke on home-made cake/pie
5) Blaise's mum has to make an appearance

“I just wish that you’d given me some warning that there would be other guests, Blaise! I would have brought something. A cake, maybe.”

“Love, that’s why I didn’t tell you. I was worried that you’d try baking something yourself. I still haven’t recovered from your last attempt at baking.” To distract Hermione from her ire at his comment, Blaise gave her a bone-melting kiss. He still hadn’t lost his ability to distract her. “Besides, my mum said she made tiramisu. We don’t need another cake.”

They were both distracted by the sound of the first arrivals. It sounded as though Draco and Ginny had just stepped out of the fireplace in the next room. Blaise and Hermione both went into the next room to greet them. Pansy arrived a few minutes later, quickly followed by Blaise’s parents.

Pansy looked around and asked, “Where’s Ron? Is he back from work yet?”

Blaise threw a knowing smile in her direction and said, “Yes, my aggravating flat-mate is home from work. He’s getting cleaned up. He needed a good scrubbing after spending most of the afternoon fighting with that giant, sentient Venus Flytrap. Nasty plant, that was. Ron said we should go ahead and start without him. Just make sure to save him a slice. He loves your tiramisu, mama.”

They were just settling down to have their tea and cake when they were all taken aback to hear a loud shriek coming from the other end of the hall. It had sounded like Ron. Blaise and Hermione looked at each other in alarm.

“What’s going on?” Hermione cried. “Are we under attack?”

Blaise and Draco drew their wands and jumped up to investigate. They hadn’t gone more than a few steps when they were brought up short by the sight that greeted them from the hallway. Ron was running down the hall, swatting at his head, yelling something about a swarm of spiders as big as acromantulas. He was dripping wet and stark naked. When he reached the living room, he came to an abrupt stop, as he took in the sight of the crowd staring back at him.

His eyes widened with horror, especially when he saw Blaise’s mother looking at him with her twinkling eyes. Hermione and Ginny couldn’t do much more than gasp in surprise at the sight of him. Blaise heard somebody choking on a piece of cake. He thought it was Pansy. Ron turned as red as his hair, yelped, and ran back the way he came.

Almost everybody in the room burst out laughing as he disappeared into one of the bedrooms and slammed the door behind him. Ginny was shaking her head saying “I did not need to see that. I really did not need to see that.”

Pansy, who had stopped choking by that time, was looking down the hall with wide eyes, quietly murmuring, “Well! Who would have thought it? I never even suspected!”

Ron returned to the room, fully dressed this time, but still red-faced. He took the ribbing he got from Blaise and Draco with as much humour as he could. Finally, Blaise took some pity on him and changed the subject by asking if anybody wanted some wine. Most of the guests said they would like some, but Ginny shook her head. Draco came up behind Ginny and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands protectively over her belly. “None for Ginny. Do you have anything without alcohol? Apple juice, maybe? My little Gin is preggars and she’s been having cravings for apple juice,” he announced with a wide grin.

“Draco!” she wailed, turning around in his arms and punching his arm lightly. “How could you do that? I didn’t want to announce it that way!”

“I’m just an irrepressible Slytherin, my dear,” he said with a smirk.

“Well, you could have asked me before blurting it out like that,” she grumbled.

“Well, maybe I’ll just ask you this instead...Ginny, will you marry me?”

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