House : Slytherin
Category : Drabble
Prompt : Siblings
Word Count : 387
Hermione had three rings that she never, under any circumstances, took off. The first one was her engagement ring. It was a silver band adorned with a heart shaped pink diamond, and even though she'd never admit it, she found it slightly garish. She hadn't cared, though, when Ron gave it to her. She'd just been happy he was finally proposing.
The second one was her wedding ring. It was a simple platinum band engraved with a beautiful design, and she liked it a lot more than her engagement ring. Ron's matching band, like hers, was charmed to pulse, gently mimicking the beating of their hearts.
The third ring was different. The band was silver, like her engagement ring, but it was more intricate, intertwining itself around the stone, a princess-cut opal. Of all three, this ring was her favorite. It was just the most her.
It was the promise ring given to her by Fred Weasley, minutes before the Battle of Hogwarts. "Once all this is over, we can be happy, 'Mione. Together," he had vowed. Alas, he had never been able to fulfill his promise, for the war outlived the boy, and after a year or two of emptiness, Hermione had married Ron instead. Ron was nice, and Hermione was content, but when he touched her skin, she couldn't help thinking how clumsy his hands seemed next to his brother's deft fingers, and when he kissed her, she couldn't help thinking how much better Fred tasted.
Once, Ron had asked Hermione what the ring was. Nothing you'd care about, she had replied. He had shrugged and gone looking for biscuits. When he was safely out of the room, Hermione had carefully slipped the ring off her finger, rolling it around in the palm of her hand. There was a quote engraved on the inside of the band, and she read it for the thousandth time.
I love you a lottle: it's like a little, but a lot.
Even as tears began to form in her eyes, Hermione fought the urge to laugh at the foolishness of the declaration. Then, she heard Ron's footsteps in the kitchen and figured she should probably go join him. Before leaving, she turned.
"I love you a lottle more," she whispered to the empty room, closing the door behind her.