A/N: Thanks to PTB for beta-ing this chapter for me! Thanks also to those who pushed me to write this story. Mandy, Rachel, I love you!
This story takes place six years after the last book.
Disclaimer: I own nothing *tear*! I only own the plot. JK owns the characters. :( :( :(
Remember: Reviews are like having Draco in my bed at night!
"I had a great time tonight, Ron. Thank you," I said as we walked out of the restaurant he had taken me to for our six year anniversary. We had been together ever since that first kiss in the Chamber of Secrets during the war. Never would I have thought Ron and I would be together, but Merlin must have listened to my heart. I had been in love with Ronald Weasley since the day I met him.
"Of course, love. You know I would do anything for you – even if that means eating food I hate," he replied with a glint in his eye.
I couldn't help the chuckle that rose from my throat. Ron enjoyed making fun of my love for Muggle food. Muggles and Wizarding folk certainly had a different way of cooking it. For some reason I couldn't fathom, food tasted better prepared by hand instead of Molly's preferred way of preparing it-by wand. "Well, you put up with my barmy ideas very well. I love you."
"I love you, too, Hermione, which is why I've got something to say." He retrieved something out of his Muggle jacket I had bought for him just for that night. In the dark of the night, I couldn't see what exactly he had, but I had a good idea when he sank to one knee. "'Mione, I can't believe it's been six years tonight since we became a couple, since I finally had the bollocks to tell you how I felt about you. I never would have thought it would be next to that awful basilisk skeleton, but apparently Merlin thought differently.
"In six years, I have come to realize even more how wonderful you are. I've realized that I would be honored to be able to spend the rest of my life with you, to wake up next to you every morning. Could I have the privilege of calling you my wife?" Slowly, he opened the small box he had in his hand.
My teary eyes traveled down from his face to the box. There, within the blue satin fabric of the box, was a very old looking ring. A small ruby sat amidst four smaller diamonds on a yellow gold band. It was absolutely gorgeous.
"The – the ring has been handed down through my family. It was originally bought by my great-great-great grandfather for his girlfriend when he was p-p-proposing. I-If it's not alright, I can buy you your own."
He was so adorable when he was nervous. With a smile, I placed a hand on his face. "No, I'm just shocked. I wasn't expecting this." I paused to take a deep breath, trying to calm myself. A chuckle left me as I said, "Of course I'll marry you, you silly bugger."
Excitedly, he jumped up and wrapped me in the tightest hug I had ever felt from him, and twirled me around in a circle, laughing. He set me down and just held me for what felt like hours.
As we walked around my apartment later that evening, I was so happy. I couldn't wait to be able to tell everyone. I was going to be Mrs. Hermione Weasley! Nothing could have made me happier.
I could picture it – walking around our house, being together forever, sitting on the porch of our home in wizard London when we're old and gray. It made me even happier to think about it. I would have to start planning our wedding bright and early tomorrow. Thankfully, I worked at the bookstore on Diagon Alley. There would be plenty of material to look at.
A visit to the Weasley home was definitely in order for the weekend. Molly would help me with the planning, and maybe she could even make my dress for me. Maybe Ginny, Ron's sister, would help out, too.
As I worked the next day, all I could think about was marrying Ron. I was so excited. Finally, my dreams seemed within reach.
Ron and I would need to sit down, once married, and talk about where we wanted to live, what house to live in, and make a plan to get to those dreams. Then, we would need to discuss children. Of course, we couldn't have them right away! We were so far from being ready; money needed to be saved, that dream house moved into and settled, a nursery decorated. How many children would we even have? Would he expect us to have as many as his family did?
Just as I started to get nervous, my heart beginning to pound in my ears, the bell above the door rang, signaling a customer's arrival. Somehow, I kept the groan from escaping me. Now was not the time for a customer. I had a wedding to plan, a future to worry about. Customers were not wanted.
This wasn't just a customer, though; this was Harry. He was like a brother to me. Ron, Harry, and I had been through school together and had become friends fast. Since we had graduated from Hogwarts, we had kept in touch. We didn't always see each other, but that never mattered. Owls were always being sent back and forth between us.
I smiled as we stepped toward each other. Wrapping me in a hug as tight as a bear, Harry brought me the comfort I needed. It was a skill that had embodied him since he was young. He used to be an insecure boy but that never stopped him from being a comfort to others around him.
We walked over toward the sitting area and began to catch up, since there wasn't anyone else in the store. It had been a month since we had last talked. "So, Harry, how are things going in the Auror Office?" I asked as I poured us tea.
"Good! We found some Death Eaters hiding out near Birmingham. They made themselves look like Muggles, but they couldn't hide. Our intelligence was spot on. It would have taken a nutter to miss them at any rate."
I was so happy things were going so well for him. It still made me uneasy that even though it had been six years since the war ended and Voldemort died, there were still Death Eaters out there doing his work. It proved the point that even though the leader was gone, his ideals weren't. Those that believed most strongly in the evil wizard's plans were the ones I feared the most. Those were the ones that were the fiercest, most cutthroat, most bloodthirsty, and scariest.
"We had to take a team of ten just to take out a handful of them. It's assumed that these were some of Voldemort's highest ranking; they were very skilled. A lot of us got hurt that day."
My head bowed at this. I knew what he was trying to tell me. He didn't even have to say the words, but he did.
"I wish you would reconsider. We could really use you as a Healer. It would sure make things better."
"Harry, you know I don't want that life. It's bad enough that I have to worry about you getting hurt. I don't want to see it firsthand. I couldn't bear having to see your wounds fresh. It would probably drive me insane more than the worry does."
He grabbed my hand, trying to emphasize his point. "I miss not being able to see that beautiful smile of yours every day, and I hate not knowing how things are going with you. Can't you do this one thing for me? Can't you let me have this one little thing for my peace of mind, to know that you're okay?"
"Harry, you know why I can't! I can't just run away from everything I love."
"What would you have to give up? You love Healing! You love saving people's lives. You wouldn't have to leave Ron or your books. So what's the problem?"
"The problem is: I don't want to be a Healer as a profession. I love working with books. That's what I want to do with my life, Harry. I want to be here, in this store, every day, smelling the books, being surrounded by them. Why do you have to do this all the time? Accept what I want, Harry, or you can leave." So much for being calmed by The Boy Who Lived. He had successfully aggravated me more than anything else had.
"Alright. Alright. I'll drop it for now, but you have to realize, 'Mione, that you were meant for more than this. You were meant for great things. The greatest witch in our year is wasting her talents in a bookstore instead of saving lives."
"Maybe I don't feel like I was meant to save lives, Harry. I like who I am and what I do. That should be enough." Frustrated, I got up and walked behind the counter. I began rifling papers and looking like I had things to do. Truth be told, I did love working in a bookstore, but it could get very boring. Very often, there were days when hours went by without a customer. Why couldn't that day have been one of those days?
"Fine. We'll drop it. Waste your talents if you want to, but I won't stop asking you. Now, Ginny's wanting everyone to get together at the Weasley house to celebrate this weekend. It's the sixth anniversary of Voldemort's fall. Are you and Ron going to come by?"
A light of hope ignited inside me. This was perfect. We could announce the engagement this weekend, and Molly and I would be able to talk about it. How could I have forgotten what that weekend was?
"Of course we'll be there. We have some news of our own to deliver and the party will be the perfect place. We may want to keep any and all wands away from Fred and George though," I said with a chuckle. I loved my soon-to-be brother-in-laws but they could get out of hand at a party.
We had almost lost Fred in the final battle, but I had somehow saved him. I'm still not sure what I did right that day; to me it was just a miracle that he pulled through. Since then, none of us took for granted that we were all alive and well.
That one instance helped seal the deal for me. I had always wanted to be a Healer but when we almost lost Fred, I decided that I needed to stay as far from battle as I could. The knowledge of magical healing stayed fresh in my mind, however. In fact, I studied it constantly. I still had a love for it. I just refused to get caught up in a battle any longer.
Harry used Fred's almost-death to tell me often how badly I was needed at the Ministry for situations just like that. Every time someone didn't make it, he would reference Fred and tell me I could have saved that poor soul.
Why did I remain friends with Harry? I asked myself that on a daily basis. He meant well, but sometimes he went about things the worst way possible. I couldn't fault him for wanting to save his co-workers, but I just couldn't do it.
As he walked out of the store, I couldn't help but be thankful that it was over. The ridicule for my choices in life was over for now. Hopefully it wouldn't be this bad when we saw the Weasleys in just a few days.