Symbol Of Love
Author's Note: I had to take a small break from my other fic and write something a bit different. My There For You readers, don't freak out, I'm working on the next chapter. This is just a little idea I had and I've always wanted to write a snow scene. And another reason for us (girls) to fall in love with Ron. So, enjoy!
"Singing in the Rain! Just singing to the drain! What a gloriful feeling, I'm snappy again!"
Merlin, Ron can never get a song right. He heard it once and thought it to be quite funny to sing about singing in the rain and now bellows it in the shower. It's very cute I suppose.
Luckily, Leila has a soundproof charm on her nursery or she'd never get any sleep. Actually, she inherited Ron's sleeping genes and could probably snooze through a tornado.
I've decided to check on her anyway. I reach into her crib and smooth back her feathery, light red hair, so much like Ron's. I'm sure all our children will be redheads but I'd be disappointed if they weren't. Leila has my hazel eyes and that suits me perfectly. I feel goose bumps as two hands take my waist lightly.
"Did you enjoy my performance this morning?" my husband teases softly.
"It was thrilling."
"I know, I know. I don't know how you ever passed a day without me serenading you each morning."
"Quite well actually." I suppress a giggle as he digs his fingers in to tickle me. He takes my left hand in his and rubs the top of it with his thumb, then slides gently over my wedding ring. Every time he does this, it takes me straight back to that day at the Burrow…
"Ginny, why are you taking so bloody long?"
"Ron, don't swear!" Mrs. Weasley yelled from the kitchen. He pounded on the loo door anxiously.
"Some of us have to do more than fluff our hair for Harry!" The door swung open and the youngest Weasley gave Ron a glare that could make you shrink to the wall.
"You shut your mouth! You know I haven't seen him for a month and I won't have you poking fun at me!" She thrust her wand threateningly at him and he held up his hands in concession.
"Bloody Hell, I just have to pee!" He ran into the loo before Ginny could hex him.
"Why on earth do you love that obnoxious git, Hermione?" she asked me. I shrugged. It wasn't something I could easily put into words.
"He's just teasing. He could be much nicer about it though. Are you very excited?" Ginny nodded enthusiastically, the thought of Harry taking Ron off her mind.
"He's been at Auror training for so long, it seems like years, yet it's only been a month." I smiled widely at her and she screamed very quietly, taking my hands and jumping up and down. "He's coming home for Christmas, this evening!"
Harry had begun Auror training almost as soon as he left school, just months after defeating Voldemort. Now at nineteen, he was only months away from graduating. He and I had a flat in London together. Unfortunately, my parents were victims of the Death Eaters and did not survive the war. The Weasley's offered to take Harry and me in but we felt being roommates was a better idea. I was a frequent visitor to the Burrow and Harry normally was but for the past weeks he'd been on a training mission. He and Ginny had been dating since our sixth year and being away for months at a time was very difficult, especially when Ginny saw Ron and me together.
Ginny was positively miserable the day Harry left for his mission. He took a train from Hogsmeade to Merlin knows where and couldn't owl anyone or make familial contact whatsoever. All the trainees were allowed one week off for Christmas and New Year's before being sent on three more training missions. Each would last a month and have a week off in between. Harry and Ginny had hugged for ten minutes at the train station after we'd all said our good-byes to Harry. Ginny cried as Harry smoothed her hair, whispering in her ear. I got a bit teary-eyed myself. I couldn't imagine Ron being gone for so long.
I was lucky, actually. After leaving Hogwarts, Ron had been immediately scooped up by none other than the Chudley Cannons. Despite his training schedule and games, Ron saw me every day, the Burrow being so close to where they practiced. Over the holidays, however, he was free to spend time with his family, though mostly me. We went to Hogsmeade, Diagon Alley, around muggle London, and roamed the area around the Burrow. With Harry gone, Ginny often accompanied us when she felt spirited enough. Otherwise, she sat and stared at the necklace. She didn't show it to me until a week after Harry left. Right before he'd boarded the train, he pulled out a fine silver chain with a ring on it. The ring was also silver; with a red princess cut stone winking brightly up at her. It wasn't a proposal by any means but something to keep with her, showing how he felt. It also deterred any blokes from trying to put the moves on Ginny Weasley. She wasn't allowed to put it on her finger, Harry had said, until he decided she could. I knew she longed to ignore this and slip it on but she kept her word.
I was happy for her, really, but I wanted something like it from Ron. It didn't need to be a ring or anything expensive, just something with the same message. He wouldn't even say he loved me until months after the war. I knew he really did but he was afraid. He was afraid the moment he declared it, and that happiness from admitting it filled us, something would happen to one of us. When I finally heard the words spill from his lips, I'd all but leapt onto him and snogged him senseless. Even as I watched Ginny finger her necklace, knowing how Ron felt about me, I knew he didn't say it half as much as Harry did to Ginny. For Ginny to be able to look at the symbol of his love over and over and over again like that…it made me feel like crying. And I did.
Since Harry was gone, I was all alone at the flat. This was all right the first night. The second night I was a little afraid. The third night, I flooed to the Weasley's in the middle of the night, tumbling loudly to the floor despite my intentions of subtlety. Everyone ran down to see what had happened and Ron had laughed endlessly. It didn't bother me. Yes, it did. He was right. He told me I would be too scared to stay at the flat by myself for a month but I waved a hand dismissively and held out my wand for proof I could handle it. How wrong I was. The war had made me very jumpy. Despite his mirth, Ron had come into my room that night, the twins' old room, to see if I was all right. He'd sat beside me, looking into my eyes and wordlessly told me he loved me. I fell asleep wishing he'd say it out loud, as I had.
Harry was due back that evening, Christmas Eve. Mrs. Weasley was cooking up a storm for all the friends and relatives to come and celebrate Harry's return. Ginny wandered around, straightening pillows and pictures, unsure what to do until he arrived. Since it had snowed the night before, Ron and I went out to build a snowman. It was silly but Ron was bound and determined to do it.
"What is the use of it snowing if we don't do anything with it?" he'd asked me in what he thought was a reasonable argument. I reluctantly followed to the biting temperature outside. Instead of beginning with building the snowman, he took my gloved hand in his and pulled me toward the trees yards away to find sticks for the arms and anything else useful for it.
As I bent over to grab a stick out of the snow, something hard and wet hit my bum. I turned around sharply, grabbing my bottom, and saw Ron impishly making up another snowball. He grinned cheekily at my stunned expression and threw it, barely missing my arm before I moved.
"Ronald Weasley! What on earth are you doing?" I rubbed the sore spot on my bum.
"Only having a bit of fun. You game?" He had just challenged me to a snowball fight. We were nineteen and he wanted a snowball fight. I couldn't resist. Before long, we were running frantically around, dodging trees, flinging snow, and yelling at each other. I'd never laughed so hard in my life.
Suddenly Ron was gone, hiding behind a tree no doubt, a snowball at the ready. I quietly scooped up a ball for myself then began creeping around the trees slowly. I heard a branch snap and whirled around as he caught me by the waist. I shrieked as he twirled me before we tumbled hysterically into the snow. He landed on top of me, pushing me in to the soft, whiteness beneath. We continued to laugh, my stomach beginning to hurt as I watched Ron trying to stop. We finally quieted, still breathing heavily and Ron lifted his body up to settle more comfortably onto me.
"Is this okay?" he asked, his voice almost husky. He'd never tried anything with me unless I said it was okay. I nodded, a little overwhelmed at having him lay on me like that, though I felt no objection about it. His azure eyes bore into mine and my pulse quickened. "You're too beautiful," he whispered, pulling his rough fingers through my thick hair, from my forehead back to the snow. I swear my heart expanded with this statement. A blush spread over my cheeks. His face dropped to hover an inch from mine. I parted my lips and tilted my chin up. Slowly, almost agonizingly slow, he lightly touched his lips to mine. His face lifted a second later and he tilted his head to the other side and kissed me again. I pressed harder to him, wrapping my arms around his back, and he massaged my lips. His hand took my cheek and rubbing his thumb under my eye, he opened his mouth, waiting for me to do the same. I responded immediately, letting his tongue slide slowly in while I wrapped my right leg around his left.
He tasted like gingerbread, obviously nicking a biscuit from his mother's goody plate before stepping outside. Our tongue's moved against each other, more sensuously than ever before. I was sure the snow would begin to melt from the heat emanating from me. I inadvertently moaned and Ron pushed his face and chest farther into me. But a second later he broke away. My eyes snapped open, wondering what would make him stop. If I was so intent on continuing, I couldn't fathom why he wouldn't be.
"Are you sure this isn't too much? You've never let me keep on like this." He was a bit breathless, with flushed cheeks. His lips looked swollen and I knew mine were no different. It was so appealing I wanted so badly for him to kiss me again. I wanted to keep making him turn red like that. I shook my head, looking in the sea that is his eyes.
"You've never tried," I said softly, earnestly. He looked calmly surprised.
"I thought you wouldn't." No words came to my mind as only his lips filled my sight. I took hold of his shirt collar firmly and pulled his mouth onto mine. The passion he gave me with only his lips against my lips, on my neck, cheeks, and upper chest made me breathless. His hands stayed on my face and shoulders, while I ran mine all over his back, gripping his robes tightly, then running them through his ever-soft hair. Our thighs rubbed as I moved my leg up next to his hip, down to his knee, and back up. After who knows how long he lifted his face once more.
"Bloody Hell," he gasped. I didn't even try to reprimand him for swearing as my brain had become as mushy as the snow under us. I knew my hair and back were soaked but it was the last thought on my mind.
"Yeah," I finally managed to exhale.
"We really need to do that more often," he grinned, going back to the jokes he always had to add. But I had to keep him serious a little longer.
"Tell me you love me," I said.
"I love you," he replied simply. I looked at him, trying to decide whether to say what was on my mind. He said it as though he did it everyday but this was the first time in over a month he had expressed in words his feelings for me.
"Then why don't you ever say it?" The words tumbled off my tongue without my full permission, almost snapping. He seemed confused and it almost angered me to see him so oblivious.
"You know how much I love you…don't you?" I did know and yet I sometimes doubted it.
"Yes…" I answered unconvincingly. His demeanor changed completely with that one word, and his hand immediately took my cheek lightly. He looked searchingly in my eyes. His face softened and he kissed my forehead, my left temple, and finally my lips.
"Hermione, I feel for you more than I could ever put into words. I had no idea you needed me to say it more…I thought you knew it. I thought you could see it and sense it…and just feel it from me. I'm sorry you were unsure." His eyes were mixed. I could see he wanted to laugh at my silliness. But he was also sad and I wanted to take that look from his face as fast as possible, despite how stupid and speechless I suddenly felt.
"I-no, I knew…of course I knew…I just wanted you to…but you didn't need to…" I tried so desperately to remedy the horrible mistake I'd made but I had no clue how. He kissed me again then laid his cheek to mine.
"I love you, Hermione," he whispered in my ear. "I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you-"
"What are you doing?" I suddenly found myself crying lightly, tears escaping from my eyes to roll down my free cheek and fall on his face beside mine.
"Making up for every day I should have told you." I laughed in spite of my crying. He looked down at me again and one of my tears slipped back off his cheek, disappearing into my hair. It almost gave the allusion he was crying.
"It's ok, I understand now and I should have before. I was stupid."
"No, I was. I didn't know you were upset so much you would question my love but I guess, why wouldn't you?" My heart hurt from him saying this. The last time I'd seen him so serious and sad we were at the final funeral of the war. "I'll always say it now." His face became determined and intense. "I always want you to know. You're everything to me. I love you." I closed my eyes, squeezing more drops out. I opened them again and sniffed loudly.
"I love you too," I choked out.
"I better give you this then," he smiled, his eyes finally changing back to normal. He reached back into his pocket and pulled out a little black box. I almost had a heart attack, my jaw practically dropping to the snow through my chest. "I was actually going to stick this on the snowman when you were turned around but I think this is a better time." He pushed himself up and sat on his feet, pulling me up under my elbows to sit in front of him. My wet hair clung to my neck, curlier and heavier than usual.
"Hermione," he said, taking my right, gloved hand in his left, bare one. With his right hand, he opened the box and I sobbed at the sight of the diamond inside.
"Ron," I gasped. It wasn't big; in fact the stone was much less than a karat, that much I could tell. But he had bought me an engagement ring, which was all I cared about. This was the symbol I had been hoping for but moments before I'd realized that Ron was the only symbol I needed. "Are you sure? This isn't just because of what I just said is it?"
"No," he laughed. "I bought this a week ago. I've been planning how and when to ask you for so long."
"Oh, good." He pulled my glove off slowly.
"So…will you marry me?" I smiled like a mad woman, shrieked, and throwing my arms around him, knocked him back into the snow. I was engaged.
We made it back to the Burrow as night began blanketing the white under our feet, thoughts of building snowmen completely gone. The ring glinted in the moonlight as we walked with my hand tightly clasped by Ron. Upon entering the kitchen, Ginny ran in excitedly.
"Harry's here, Harry's here! He got back earlier than we thought! No one else has even arrived yet." Although my thoughts were still back in the imprint of our bodies in the snow, I smiled at her widely as Ron dropped my hand and jogged to the living room to greet his best friend.
"Come on, Hermione!" Ron called.
"Hermione!" Harry yelled out to me. "Get your arse in here!" I smiled again and Ginny pulled me into the next room. Ron and Harry were playfully punching each other and I put my hands on my hips.
"Harry Potter," I said sternly. "What have I told you about swearing?"
"Like I ever listen to you. Now come here!" He came forward and I threw my arms around my best friend, and he lifted my feet off the ground. With all my friends in the same room and having just gotten engaged, I was ecstatic.
"How was your mission? Was it terribly hard?" I asked as he put me down and stepped back to put his arm around Ginny. Last time he'd come back with his arm in a sling.
"No, not too bad. I got a good cut on my leg," he said and pulled up the right side of his jeans to show a large bandage. "But otherwise, I'm fine." My eyes and Ginny's had widened at the sight of his leg but he wasn't limping so I supposed it was all right. Ginny looked at me funny then, her gaze down next to my thigh.
"What are you wearing there? On your finger?" I looked where she indicated and held up my hand. Her eyes widened again. "You…you two…are you?" I smiled gently and Ron put his arm around my waist.
"Yeah, I actually got the balls and did it," Ron grinned. The exclamations from Harry and Ginny were thunderous and soon had Arthur and Molly running down to see what the commotion was. Molly was torn momentarily between hugging Harry since he'd just arrived, Ron, or me. She grabbed Harry hurriedly, and then Ron, then examined my hand, and cried.
As the night's guests arrived, everyone discovered the engagement. I'd never been hugged, kissed, and had my hand pulled on by more people in my life. That night, Harry told Ginny she could wear her ring. To be engaged. And not just because Ron had asked me.
I was engaged. Ginny was engaged. I thought nothing better could ever happen.
And then, I had my baby. This came after the wedding of course. But now I know that Leila is the best thing to happen in my life. She is my symbol of love.
"So, Love, what's for breakfast?" Ron asks me as I come out my reverie. He takes his hand off my ring and kisses our baby softly. Leila stirs but continues sleeping.
"I don't know, what would you like?"
"Anything, I'm famished after my singing."
"You realize you didn't get the words to that song even close to correct?" I tease as we walk out of the nursery and down to the kitchen.
"What are you talking about? I know them perfectly." He has a smirk on his face and I swat his arm. "Well, maybe they aren't correct but they are better. You must admit I improved the song immensely." I roll my eyes and pull a pan onto the stove. "Hermione?"
"What?" I turn to look at him sitting at the kitchen table.
"Do you ever think of that day I proposed to you?" I smile mischievously and shake my head.
"No, never."
"Liar. It was the best day of your life. I was like a knight in shining snow gear." I chuckle and shake my head again.
"I didn't know knights were so interested in snowmen or snowball fights."
"That's the sign of a true knight. One who is comfortable with his many talents even if they seem silly, such as snowman building."
"You're mad."
"But you love me for it."
"And you love me?"
"Don't start that. I'll have to tackle you to the ground again."
"Promise?"
The End