Written for the OTP War Event at Hogwarts, using the prompt: (Dialogue) "Will you marry me?" / "Maybe if you learn how to do the dishes without being asked."

Word count: 571

Morning Proposal

The thing was, Ron had never really learned to speak without putting his foot in his mouth. It was something everyone had always told him would get him into trouble—from his mother and his ever so helpful siblings, who never missed an opportunity to tease him to his friends who always laughed at his confusion whenever he said something wrong.

Which was why, when Hermione set down breakfast in front of him that morning, Ron's first instinct as he practically breathed it in (and seriously, ever since Hermione had decided that they all need to take cooking lessons from his mother in case of 'another impromptu camping trip', she had become something of a goddess in the kitchen) was to moan his appreciation around his mouthful.

"Sweet Merlin, Hermione, will you marry me?" The words left his mouth almost without his notice, and he was so thankful he had already mostly swallowed what he had in his mouth because from the way he started choking, things would have been unpleasant otherwise. Still, he grabbed at the glass of pumpkin juice in front of him almost desperately as he tried to wash away the sudden dryness of his throat.

"Maybe if you learned how to do the dishes without being asked," Hermione replied without missing a beat, rolling her eyes.

Ron rolled his eyes right back. "Are you a witch or not?"

"And what does that have to do with you taking some of the responsibilities around this house?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Err, nothing at all?" Ron replied sheepishly. "In fact, I love you very much and I'll do the dishes for the rest of the week?"

Hermione snorted, but her eyes were fond. She leaned in for a quick kiss before turning back to her own breakfast. "I love you too. And it's a deal, though we both know you'll have forgotten by tomorrow."

"I would never!" Ron protested, before he actually considered it. "Well, I'll try to remember it anyway," he corrected himself sheepishly.

Hermione smiled at him lovingly. "I'm sure you will."

It occurred to him then, that his proposal hadn't been said as a joke. Or well, not entirely as a joke—not like the dozens of other times he had somewhat accidentally proposed to his girlfriend when she was being particularly amazing (which, considering this was Hermione, was pretty much always) or Merin forbid, the handful of times he had said the same thing to Harry, who never failed to make the most hilarious faces when Ginny said "Nope, this one's taken already".

"Say, Hermione, what do you think about getting married?"

"Why, are you proposing?" Hermione asked teasingly.

"And if I am?" Ron replied, feeling braver by the minute.

Hermione hummed in consideration, but Ron could see she was pleased from the happy sparkle in her eyes and the way her lips kept twitching up. "Aren't you supposed to offer me a ring or something?" she asked with a smile.

"Well, I figure I'd ask first so I'd know if I actually needed to buy the ring. You see, the girl I like is really into being practical and all…" He winked, and Hermione laughed.

She grabbed his hand and looked him straight in the eyes. "Well then I guess you have a ring to buy."

She smiled, and Ron smiled back. He was certain he had never felt happier.