I don't own HP but if Santa wishes to leave them for me he's more than welcome.
This is from Ron's POV of what happened in Chapter 5 of Ron's Fail Safe to Charm a Witch. But it can be read as a standalone. Ron has a special present for Hermione at Christmas but he's not sure how she will take it.
I apologise for the extreme fluffiness of the piece. Thank you again to Valkyriexx for BETAing for me.
Merry Christmas to all! And to all a goodnight.
I think Harry had warned me about ten times that if I didn't stop pacing he would hex me into next week. I didn't have a clue why I was pacing. I mean it was only Ginny and Hermione coming over to spend Christmas Eve at Harry's.
We'd spent a lot of time together over the summer, the four of us as two couples. We didn't venture much into the Wizarding world on dates as every time we did we were bombarded with people wanting to shake our hands, hug us and thank us. And to be honest I'd found it a bit, well, bloody scary. I don't know how Harry had coped with all the attention over all these years. Harry and Hermione had taken us to a few muggle entertainment places called a cinema and McDonalds. I remember, those burgers were good! And we had spent a lot of time just lazing by the pond or walking around the local countryside. Hermione and I had time alone too. I remember one perfect, sunny afternoon when she had made a picnic and I had taken her exploring the forest near the Burrow where I, Ginny and our brothers had spent many a summer camping out. We had sat and eaten our lunch in a clearing of trees by a stream, although, as I remember it, the lunch had been left partially uneaten as other things had, er, sprung to mind. I smiled as I replayed that afternoon in my head.
"Ahem! Earth to Ron!"
"Sorry? What?"
"You'd gone somewhere for a moment there" Harry smiled at me. "At least you'd stopped pacing! Are you going to help me finish the tree or am I going to do it all myself?"
"Oh, er! Yeah, sorry!" I looked down at the tree decorations in my hand and passed them over to Harry who was balanced on an arm of a chair. "You know Harry, it would be far easier to use a spell to decorate the tree?"
"I know, but I was never allowed to touch the tree at the Dursleys house, so I just wanted to decorate this one, my first one, without magic. Does that sound stupid?"
"No, not at all. Just seems bloody hard work, that's all"
"Actually it is. How I haven't fallen in the tree yet, I don't know!" Harry and I laughed. He jumped down and stood back to admire his work. "How does it look?"
"Not bad! Not bad at all! But you missed a bit."
"What? Where?" Harry scanned his tree concerned. Then looked back at me "Prat!"
"Seems I'm not the only one feeling a bit tense about the girls coming over!"
"I'm not tense; I just want the place looking its best."
I scanned round the room. "Harry the place is looking bloody amazing. You're right; the decorators did a fantastic job. You wouldn't think it was the same place."
"Yeah, well, I couldn't see myself living here in the condition it was in."
"You could have stayed at the Burrow. You know Mum would have loved it "
"I know, but I just needed to do this ... You know?"
I smiled at my best mate "Yeah, I know."
"The offers still open for you to move in here. That room you're staying in tonight, it can be yours. All you have to do is say the word."
"I will, I mean, I do want to move out of the Burrow, it's just when I'm on leave at the moment, I feel I should be at home with Mum and Dad. I think they still need us at home, even if it's only for a few days at a time ... You know?"
It was Harry's turn to smile at me. "Yeah, I know."
We stood looking gormlessly at each other for a moment before Harry clapped his hands together. "Right! Let's get these boxes cleared away and then we can get that table looking good." I started grabbing the empty packaging.
We needed to get a move on. The girls would be arriving soon. I did wonder if they would think what had got into us. All these romantic gestures. The living room had its beautiful tree and decorations and a fire crackling away in the hearth. Butter beer, fire whisky and Champagne sat by the fire waiting to be served. Chocolates from a muggle shop Harry promised me Ginny and Hermione would love lay on a silver platter. We had a meal cooked expertly for them. OK so it was by Kreacher. Harry and I could barely manage beans on toast, and that was after a couple of attempts. But you had to admit that the romantic gesture was there. And here we were putting the finishing touches to the table.
But the most important gesture, for me, was Hermione's presents that I had secreted away in my room. My stomach turned at the thought of it. It seemed such a good idea at the time, but now, as it came close to the moment of me giving it to her, it suddenly seemed a bloody stupid idea.
HPHPHPHPHP
The idea all came about after I received an owl from Hermione halfway through Aura training. I sat on my bed rereading the words over and over again. I had received loads of letters from her throughout training, and had actually managed to write back nearly every day. Amazing, I know. I missed her terribly and her general chat in the letters about what was going on day to day made me feel closer to her. She just prattled on about her lessons, the teachers, the new young kids in Gryffindor and her duties as head girl, but right at the bottom of this letter she had written;
"It's not the same without you here Ron. I can't sit in the common room without looking for you or Harry. But especially you. I walk the halls, expecting to see you round every corner or eating at the Gryffindor table, or walking to the Quidditch pitch with your broom over your shoulder. And you're not there. I miss you so much Ron. I miss your eyes looking at me, your smell as you hold me close in your strong arms. I miss your lips kissing me. We haven't been a couple for very long but I have got so used to you being mine. Do you know what Ron? I even miss our arguments! I just can't wait to tell you and show you how much I love you and miss you when I see you at Christmas."
I found myself reading these lines over and over again and had an overwhelming urge to jump onto a broomstick and fly to her, take her away some secluded spot, shut the door and never have the outside world interrupt us ever again. I had never wanted to be with her as much as I did right then and I just kept reading her words over and over.
"OI!" I came round to Harry throwing his pillow at me."Ron! I've been calling you for the last five minutes!"
"Sorry." I said, giving my head a shake. "Sorry, miles away. Did you want something?"
"I was just telling you that dinners ready in the mess if you're wanting?"
"Urm, actually Harry, I'm not hungry right now." I said, glancing back down at Hermione's letter.
"Pardon?" Harry asked looking surprised.
"I'm not hungry – I'll catch up with you in a bit." I returned to the lines and read them again. I felt Harry flop onto the end of my bed and l looked up at him.
"OK" Harry said peering at me "Where is Ron and what have you done with him?"
"Eh?"
"Well, either you are someone who's taken polyjuice potion to disguise themselves as Ron or you've been at Romilda Vanes cauldron cakes and got an overdose of love potion again, because I have never known you refuse food apart from that one occasion!"
I laughed. "You've got a point there! But seriously Harry, I'm OK. Go and get some dinner."
"Alright!" Harry said as he jumped off the bed. "But I can't believe Ronald Weasley is missing out on free food! What will people say?"
I rolled my eyes at him. "Oh alright! Fine! You have made your point! I climbed off my bed, folded Hermione's letter up and tucked it into my jacket pocket and followed Harry to the mess.
"You know you can talk to me" Harry said as we strolled along.
"Mmmm?"
"Something's bothering you Ron. You are seriously moping here mate. I know neither of us are into this "Baring your soul" stuff but if telling me whatever it is that's bothering you would help, then spill."
"Harry ... I can't. Honest mate. It'd just be weird."
"Ah!" said Harry.
"What?" I asked.
"Hermione."
"What's Hermione"
"That's what's bothering you" I stopped and stared at Harry.
"She isn't bothering me. Far from it."
"So what is it then?"
"Harry, just lay off, OK. She's not bothering me."
"Have I hit a nerve there?" Harry grinned at me and I felt myself begin to glow. Harry stopped outside the mess hall doors "I have, haven't I? Oh my God! You are seriously love sick"
"Shut up Harry! I am no worse than you! Moping over my kid sister!"
"Yeah you are!"
"Am not!"
"Yeah, you are! And you're sounding about five years old!" He said laughing. I walked off in front of him, flopped down at the closest table and started helping myself to food. I concentrated hard on the chicken, attempting to ignore Harry's incessant grinning.
"Ron, come on admit it, you are so in love with Hermione! Next thing I know you'll be proposing to her!"
For some stupid reason I began to feel myself get very, very hot.
"Oh My God! You're not? Are you?"
"No! Of course I'm not! Well, I wasn't until you mentioned it!"
"Seriously?"
"Well, no! I mean, we've only been together a few months, you know, as a couple"
"Yeah, I had sort of been hanging around with you two for the last few years, so I had noticed."
I pulled a face at him. Then lent across and said quietly "I dunno, I just really miss her Harry. Maybe giving her a ring wouldn't be such a bad way of letting her know how much she means to me?"
"But an engagement ring? Ron? Really"
"Yeah, maybe it is a bit ..."
"I'm getting Ginny a locket with our pictures in for Christmas! How about that?"
"Did that for her birthday."
"Oh" Harry fell silent whilst munching his way through his dinner. I carried on picking at my chicken. We continued to eat in silence, then Harry suddenly looked up and pointed his fork at me. "That ring idea."
"Drop it Harry, its stupid."
"No, hang on a minute, hear me out a minute. There's an old muggle tradition involving a ring called a promise ring. Men can give their, er, young ladies "He raised an eyebrow at me "a ring, but it's like a pre engagement ring. It sort of tells the lady how much the bloke loves her without it being the whole engagement thing. You know, you can get a really nice ring and get a phrase personal to you and Hermione engraved on the band or something."
"Oh! Right" I said. I carried on chewing. "Right ... "
"It's just an idea, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, it is an idea..."
HPHPHPHPHP
So, here I was, standing in Grimauld Place, waiting for Hermione to turn up, with a ring nestled under my pillow in the room up above me. And I felt sick. Really, really sick. When Harry had told me about the ring it had seemed such a good idea. But right now it felt bloody stupid. What if Hermione laughed at me? What if she didn't feel the same about me? I found that I had a sudden urge to run away and hide!
But it was too late. We heard the front door open and Hermione and Ginny were calling out to us.
"We're in the kitchen!" Harry yelled up to them.
The girls came bustling in. "Well! I can't imagine you doing that a few months ago!" Ginny laughed
"What?"
"Yelling down the corridor. Mrs Black would have been screaming back at us."
"Ah!" Harry said "That's my decorators for you. They managed to box her in. And they cast a muffliato spell over the whole area, so she can't hear us and we can't hear her. She could be yelling away and we wouldn't hear it!"
"Urgh! I'm not sure I like the idea of her being boxed in!" Ginny said wrinkling her nose and taking the glass of butter beer Harry offered her.
""Well, we couldn't remover her, so it was either that or we lived with her shouting at us forever more. Can you imagine when we have kids and they're screaming down the stairs having Mrs Black yell at them?"
I raised my eyebrow and looked at Harry. "When you and Ginny have kids? Something you want to tell us?"
Harry and Ginny both blushed "It's not like you and Hermione haven't thought about it is it Ron?" Harry came back with. I felt myself begin to colour and could see Hermione looking on with a shy smile. I tried to think of a comeback but was interrupted by Kreacher.
"Master Harry, dinner will be ready in fifteen minutes."
"Thank-you Kreacher" Harry said. He looked round at us. "So, er, that gives me enough time to show you what's been done to the house then?" We all placed our glasses down on the table and followed Harry out of the kitchen to have the grand tour of the made over Grimauld Place.
HPHPHPHPHP
The meal Kreacher had cooked was amazing. Hermione had passed comment about the fact the house elf having cooked all the food. But Kreacher had told her of our beans on toast exploits and the mess we had made so she decided that it was better he had cooked for us.
I now found myself relaxing by the fire, sipping the fire whisky with Hermione curled up next to me enjoying the muggle chocolates Harry had bought. Ginny, however, was clambering under the Christmas tree, hunting through the presents to find hers from Harry.
"You're not going to find it!" Harry laughed.
Ginny sat back on her knees and sulked.
"Where have you put it then?"
"You'll have to wait til tomorrow!"
"You are such a spoil sport Harry James Potter!"
"I know!" he said laughing as Ginny pushed him backwards. "But you still love me!"
"Hmm! Wizengamot is out on that one Mr Potter! You have hidden my present too well!" She laughed. She turned to where Hermione and I lay "Hermione aren't you interested in what Ron has bought you?"
"I'm sure whatever it is, it'll be perfect" Hermione smiled up at me. My stomach started to do somersaults and the doubt crept in again. I sat up and pushed Hermione off of me. She looked up at me as I stood up.
"Where are you going?" She asked.
"Er! I'm er, just nipping to the loo" I said as I headed out the door. I felt myself getting sweaty and the sickness was coming back.
"Alright, don't be too long!" She called after me. I ran up the stairs to my room, slammed the door behind me and flopped onto my bed. Oh God, what was I thinking? I mean, we'd only been together since May. When I gave her the ring she'd think I'd gone round the twist! And what was worse I didn't have anything else to give her! How the Hell did I get myself in this situation? I lowered my head onto my bed and screamed into my pillow. What was I going to do?
I heard the living room door creak open and someone climbing the stairs, then Hermione calling my name.
"Ron? Are you OK?" I got off my bed and peaked outside the bedroom door.
Hermione stood outside the bathroom with a concerned look on her face.
"Ron?"
"I'm here" She jumped and turned around to where I was standing.
"You've been gone a while."
I felt my face redden. "Sorry" I said "I didn't realise I had been up here so long." She walked over to me and pulled me into a hug.
"It's OK. I was just worried if you were ill."
"No, not ill exactly." She pulled away slightly and looked up at me.
"So what's up?"
"Nothing really, I just ..."
"What?" I decided I should tell Hermione about her present. Then she could decide if she wanted it. If she didn't then she would still have the chocolate frogs and sugar quills to open.
"It's your present" I sighed
"My present?" She looked at me quizzically. "Tell me Ron, you haven't forgot to get me something"
"NO!" I said just a bit too loudly. "Sorry, no, I haven't. It's just now I bought it, I'm not sure it's a good idea..."
"Oh!" Said Hermione. "It's not underwear, is it?" she asked warily.
I felt myself blush "No ..." I said "It's not; it's just a little ... I dunno."
"Ron, whatever it is, I am sure it's fine."
I sighed again. "C'mon then." I said and pulled her into my bedroom.
"Come on what?"
"You can have your main present now if you want."
"Really?" She asked.
"Yeah," I said. I walked over to the bed and lifted the pillow revealing the small parcel underneath. I picked it up and walked over to where Hermione stood. "This is for you" She smiled up at me as she took the neatly wrapped the present. She pulled the paper off, revealing the deep blue velvet box inside. She looked up at me quizzically as she started to pull at the kid, then gasped as she revealed the cluster of rubies set on the gold band.
"Ron? Is this ... Is this an enga..." she gasped
I looked at her face, trying to gauge how she was feeling.
"Not if you don't want it to be." I said "It's what's called a promise ring. Harry old me about it being a muggle tradition, like a ..."
"Pre engagement ring!" Hermione smiled and looked up at me." Ron, it's perfect!" She said and kissed me.
"So I did good?" I asked her with a hesitant smile.
"You did perfect" She said smiling back at me, before handing me the box. I took the ring out and then gently took Hermione's hand before slipping the ring onto her ring finger.
"When we're ready Hermione, when we've finished school and training..."
"It can't come soon enough." She said as she reached up to kiss me.