Disclaimer: I DO NOT own these characters, nor do I claim to. They are the property of JKR. I just like to let them run wild in my imagination (and on this page for all of you to enjoy, too!)


"I held a jewel in my fingers
And went to sleep
The day was warm, and winds were prosy
I said, "Twill keep"

"I woke - and chide my honest fingers,
The Gem was gone
And now, an Amethyst remembrance
Is all I own"
("I Held a Jewel" - Emily Dickinson )


"'Mione! Oi! 'Mione," He yelled while stomping up the stairs. "Hermione!" The door to the upstairs bathroom was partially shut. He pushed it open slowly and poked his head inside and saw Hermione standing at the mirror putting her make-up on in a frenzy. "There you are! Couldn't you hear me yelling for you?"

She quickly applied her lipstick and dropped it into a green zipper bag.

"I'm afraid most of London has heard you, Ronald," She answered tartly, before swiping a mascara wand across each eyelash. "What do you want?"

"Does this tie go with my robes?" He held a ridiculous purple and brown paisly tie against his brand new black velvet dress robes.

Before bothering to look, Hermione answered.

"The reason I bought you those robes is because everything goes with black and black goes with everything, dear." She turned to face him and her mouth dropped.. "Except that!" Whisking the tie away from him, she held it out away from her, pinched in her thumb and forefinger, much like one would hold a smelly sock. "Good Lord, where did you get this horrid thing? Oh let me guess, your mother." She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I have half a mind to burn all of your father's old clothes so that your mum will stop giving you all of this junk." And then she dropped in swiftly into the rubbish bin.

"But!" Ron protested.

"Will you stop being so absurd? You weren't actually planning to wear that, were you?" Hermione brushed passed him and down the hall to their bedroom. She wrenched open the wardrobe door and pulled out a hanger loaded with a rainbow of ties. She selected a smart burgundy one and threw it at him.. "There! Wear that one! Now if you'll please leave me alone, I'm running late!" She rushed out of the bedroom, flew down the stairs and slid into a pair of shoes laying near the door. Ron slowly made his way back downstairs just as Hermione was pulling on her overcoat and gliding out the door.

"Have a good time at your Auror's Conference today. Try not to fall asleep like last time and be sure to say 'hello' to Remus and Harry for me." She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't forget, we're having dinner with your parents tonight. Please don't tell your mother about the tie...I don't want to deal with one of her guilt trips."

Ron shrugged his shoulders, still looking much like a young boy, only in bigger packaging. He watched the door click shut, then shuffled into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. He still had another hour before he had to leave, so he decided to sit quietly enjoying the silence. Ron loved his wife, but it seemed that their life together was a gigantic whirlwind. They'd gotten engaged a year after leaving Hogwarts. Ron and Harry began Auror training immediately after graduating, while Hermione took on a university apprenticeship with the Ministry of Magic. They'd all been living in Grimmauld Place as roommates when Ron decided to pop the question. They'd married only 3 months later and moved into a very modest flat in the magical community within London. That was four years ago. To any outsider, muggle or wizard, Ron and Hermione Weasley seemed like the perfect couple. They hadn't any children yet due to the intensity of their careers (a fact that Molly Weasley was quick to remind them of up at any occasion). They both maintained poweful posistions within the wizarding community (not to mention the fact that their best friend was "The Boy Who Lived to Defeat Lord Voldemort"), and their "apposites attract" personalities always seemed to make them a hit at parties. He'd rib on her for being a pedantic know-it-all, and she'd razz him for being a goof. All in all, theirs was the relationship most people only dreamed about, but then again, appearances could be quite deceiving.

Ron swallowed the last few drops of coffee, set his cup in the sink and moved in front of the foyer mirror to straighten his burgundy tie. He'd known full well that the paisly tie was hideous beyond control, but he really just wanted a reason to talk to her about something. He'd noticed that over the past few months they hardly had anything to talk about. They spent their mornings rushing around, their days working too hard, their evenings spent among various friends or family, and by night they were usually too exhausted to spend any quality time together. They had slowly become strangers. The girl he had known for so long had somehow become a woman whom he knew nothing about. The clock on the mantle chimed 8:30, meaning it was time to leave. Ron slipped on his cloak and set off to endure another average Wednesday in the wizarding world. Before he walked out the door, he glanced at the picture frame next to the clock. It contained their wedding picture, both of them smiling and giggling as if they hadn't a care in the world. Ron saw the amazing twinkle Hermione's eyes had in the photo as she tipped her head back in carless laughter; it was something he hadn't seen for a while now. With a heavy sigh, he closed the door and made off through the snow toward the enchanted red call box that would take him to the Ministry of Magic's Semi-Annual Aurors' Convention.


Okay, for those of you who have been reading "Infatuation", this is the story I've been hinting about. I know the prologue is a little vague, but I can assure you this is going to be a HGSS fic eventually. This plot bunny has been nibbling at me ever since I began writing "Infatuation" and sometimes I think it's prevented me from updating more often because of it. Time to set the bunny loose! (Don't worry, I won't abandon the other fic...you'll get both! Lucky You! Hahahaha :) ) Please Read and Review to let me know if you're interested in more. Cheers! TelevisionDiva :)