Hi all. As a prologue, this is a very short chapter. If you like, I shall continue with longer installments. So please do review and let me in on what you think. :)

Disclaimer: I am not J.K. Rowling.

Prologue

"Ron's engaged."

I, Hermione Jane Granger, have never been quite so stunned as, well...as right at this very moment. Apparently, it was a comment like this that would finally cause my brain to cease functioning properly, or rather, functioning at all. My body halted on the cobblestone pathway and my fingers released the handle to the paper bag that was so lightly dangling from my grasp, sending my tote full of brand new goodies for my stationary set plummeting to the frozen ground. Ginny Weasley, realizing that I was no longer at her side, stopped and turned around to face me, only to see an expression of utter shock etched into my face.

"Hermione?" she asked slowly, "are you alright?" The only reaction she got was the view of my jaw dropping, nearly hitting the ground if it had dared to go any lower. "Hermione?" Ginny repeated, a slight smile pulling at her lips.

No, I wasn't shocked. I wasn't upset. And nor was I in the least bit, jealous. No. This is Ronald we're talking about. Ron Weasley. My best friend, whom I at this point regretfully, hadn't spoken to in months due to my training to become a healer in London, was getting married. Ron Weasley was getting married. Ron Weasley and marriage do not go together. No, they just do not. It doesn't fit. Ron, marriage - marriage, Ron, it's just not right. He's lazy, immature, and good Merlin he's - well, you get the point.

I am in no way jealous.

"Ginny...w-what?" I stumbled on my words as I began to comprehend reality once again.

Damn Ronald Weasley!

"I said - " she started, but was quickly cut off by my useless stuttering.

"I know what you said...but...WHAT?" It was at this point when sad turned to completely pathetic. "To who? Where? WHEN?" I said quickly, words spitting out of my mouth like fire. Ginny stared at me, surprised for a moment or two before she put her hands on her hips, bags dangling from one arm.

"Hermione, don't be so thick, you knew he was dating that Katherine, they have been for months," she explained, a thin ginger eyebrow arching up over one eye.

"Yes - well...I never really...I - uh..." I paused and took a deep breath, picking my things up from the ground. Tucking a stray brown curl behind one ear, I walked up to Ginny's side as we began walking back towards our flat. "I guess I wasn't ready to hear such...startling news," I said, trying to come up with the right words to exactly describe the new information.

"I'm sure not," Ginny sighed.

"No?" I asked shortly, my eyes traveling to her face for a moment.

"Not at all," she responded, thinking for a second before she went on. "That girl has him tucked right into her pocket."

Ronald Weasley, whipped. Oh this was something I had to witness.

My mind began to linger on the subject as silence overtook our walk back to the flat. I frowned. The more I thought about it, the more I disliked the idea that Ron was engaged. I couldn't help but remember all the good times I had had with him, all the frightening, emotional, and most dear memories we had shared. My frown slowly turned into a small smile. No matter how much we bickered with one another, Ronald Weasley was and always would be close to my heart. And yes, I'm sure I'd find the sight of him under a woman's control to be extremely amusing, but at the same time, it sparked a feeling within me, a feeling that I could not put my finger on, but nevertheless, an extremely uncomfortable feeling.

To be quite frank, I hadn't even felt this shocked since the day we won the war against Voldemort, since the second I saw the Dark Lord's lifeless body slumping to the ground under Harry's weary shadow.

Finally reaching our flat on a residential street in London, Ginny let us in and I followed, shutting the door behind me and setting my bags on the table.

"Oh and by the way," Ginny started, snapping me out of my daze, "I got an Owl from my mum early this morning."

"Oh!" I smiled, "How's your mother doing?" I asked. Ginny shrugged.

"As ornery as always, I'm sure," she said, "but she's invited us over tomorrow night for dinner. It's in honor of Ron and Katerine's engagement."

I slumped down into a wooden chair at the table. Something told me I should be looking forward to the dinner, looking forward to being able to congratulate my best friend on his engagement, being able to happily bid my dearest companion good luck, and all at the same time, wear a broad smile and sparkling eyes.

But for some reason, I wasn't, not one bit.