Author's Note: All of you, who have already read A Weasley Wedding know what this story is about, but Ron's summuary of the events was a bit short, so I thought I give you the longer version. Enjoy!

Unintended Proposal

July, after the battle of Hogwarts.

The whole morning Ron had been busy degnoming the garden, voluntarily, because he needed something to do until Hermione would arrive at the Burrow this very afternoon. She had spent the last three weeks with her parents in Australia, helping them to move back to England, and Ron was anxious to finally see her again.

After three hours of chasing and throwing gnomes Ron was in a desperate need for a shower as he was soaked in sweat and coated with dirt. So he went inside. Exhausted but very pleased with his work, the garden had never been this gnome less before after all, he climbed the staircase and entered the bathroom.

As soon as he had cleaned up and dressed in fresh clothes, Ron went back down into the kitchen for a well deserved lunch. Luckily he found it occupied by his mother who was already busy preparing some sandwiches.

As Ron passed the kitchen window on his way to the table, he caught a glimpse of the garden and stopped disbelievingly in his track. Through the window he spotted Crookshanks, who was chasing a troupe of gnomes back into the garden.

"Bloody cat," Ron swore in frustration as he realised that his mornings work had been a waste of time. He could only suppress the immediate urge to run outside and strangle that beast by reminding himself, that Hermione wouldn't be too happy if he actually did this. But his mood, that had been fine before, damped somewhat at this point.

"Did you say something?" his mother asked.

"Ehm …, no," he said quickly before his mother could lecture him about swearing and sat down at the table to grab a sandwich.

"Where is everyone?" he asked chewing.

"How should I know, nowadays no one seems to bother to tell me anything anymore," Molly ranted.

Ron chose better not to answer to this and rather took another huge bite of his sandwich. For a moment they both fell silent.

"Ron, I want you to degnome the garden, later today!" his mother said shortly after, in a tone that didn't allow a no for an answer. "I don't want the Grangers to think we can't keep everything in order around here."

Ron almost choked on his sandwich. "I've already done it this very morning," he protested with a full mouth.

"Yes I can see that," Molly said brusquely, observing the gnomes Crookshanks had chased back into the garden.

"That is the fault of that bloody c …,"

"Honestly Ronald can't you just for once do as you're told?" Molly flared up. "I can't do everything on my own; you guys are old enough to help around here."

"And don't swear," she added yet, while Ron gaped at her, not believing the injustice he had just experienced.

The second round in the garden didn't help Ron's mood at all. After another hour of degnoming with following shower, it had reached a new low point. His only bright spot remaining today was Hermione's arrival in a couple of hours.

xxx

Ron had spent the last half an hour pacing in front of the house, impatiently looking toward the road and waiting for the Grangers to arrive. Finally at past half four a car appeared and pulled up right beside him.

As soon as it came to a halt, the backdoor opened and a smiling Hermione emerged. She instantly flung herself into his arms. Ron reacted at once and embraced her firmly.

"I missed you so much," she said. Ron hugged her even a bit tighter to him and whispered in her ear. "Not as much as I missed you."

Ron kissed her cheek before he reluctantly released her again, so that he could greet her parents as well.

x

Some time later, after being talked into staying for a cup of tea and biscuits, the Grangers were about to leave.

Both parents hugged Hermione goodbye. "We see you soon, sweetheart," and turned to go.

"I'll walk you out" Mrs Weasley offered and she and the Grangers left, leaving Ron and Hermione alone in the sitting room.

Apparently Mr Weasley must have come home at the same time as the Grangers were about to drove off, because all of a sudden there could be heard a hubbub of voices from outside the house.

"Alone, at last," Ron said smiling as he went over to Hermione and sat next to her on the couch. Hermione smiled back, then leaned over and took the chance to finally greet him properly by kissing him on the mouth.

They kissed for awhile, relishing in the feeling of being in each others company again. Eventually they broke apart and Hermione snuggled against Ron's side, her head resting on his shoulder and her left arm draped over his chest. Ron's arm was slung around her shoulders so that he could hold her in place.

"So your parents are okay with you staying here?" Ron asked, nuzzling her forehead.

"They weren't very happy of course and I had to promise that I would visit them every once in a while," Hermione sighed contently, snuggling closer to Ron, "but they eventually agreed that I can stay here at the Burrow until September."

"September?" Ron murmured into her hair. "What happens in September?"

"Oh, haven't I told you? I have decided to go back to Hogwarts," Hermione informed him rather offhandedly.

Ron immediately stopped his fondling, withdrew his arm from around her shoulder and sat up to get a better look at her. "What do you mean your going back to Hogwarts?" he said more sharply then he had intended.

Hermione sat up as well and faced him, frowning. "Well, I have to finish my education, haven't I, if I want to get a decent job later."

"Hermione we just fought a bloody war and helped to kill the darkest wizard of all times. We are heroes. No one gives a damn if we finish school. You heard Kingsley, we can start any job we want, whenever we want to," Ron exclaimed disbelievingly.

"This isn't only about the job Ron, I need to do this for me," Hermione defended her decision at once.

"And what about me?" Ron somehow felt left out of Hermione's plan and he didn't like it at all. "How am I supposed to feel about this?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked nonplussed.

"How do I fit into your plan?" Ron clarified forcefully.

"This has nothing to do with you Ron, this is about my future, you …," Hermione tried to further explain her motivation, but was rudely interrupted.

"Is that so, because I had the impression we were together now, that I might be a part of your future," Ron had the left the sofa by now and was dangerously towering over Hermione, looking rather enraged.

"It's funny that you always seem to remember this when we talk about my decisions," Hermione countered resentful, getting to her feet as well, "like when I told you I wanted to stay in Australia to help my parents, but did you ask me before you decided to take Kingsley's offer to become an Auror?"

"That is different; you always knew I wanted to be an Auror, so of course I would accept the offer," Ron bellowed.

"And I always wanted to take my Newts," Hermione yelled back. They stood very close together, their noses almost touching and both scarlet in the face from anger as they continued their shouting contest.

"That is completely mental Hermione; it makes no sense at all, taking your Newts just to be able to get a job that you can have right now without them."

"That is not the point, can't you understand that I need to do this for me."

"No I don't and I don't want you to go either."

"Good thing then that I neither need your permission nor your approval to go back to Hogwarts," Hermione spat at him and immediately regretted it, as she saw Ron's face, which was contorted in a mixture of anger and hurt.

"Fine," Ron barked loudly, "see if I even care." And with that he turned around to storm out of the room.

"Don't you dare turn your back on me like that Ronald Weasley," Hermione shouted after him. Of course she knew he didn't mean it, but seeing him turn his back on her, forcefully reminded her of that awful night a few months ago, when he had left her and Harry at the Horcrux hunt.

Maybe Ron had the same thought, because he instantly stopped as she called him, although he didn't turn around to look at her. For a moment they were silent, both ossified in their respective positions.

"It's only for one year Ron, then I will be back again," Hermione pleaded with his back. "And it's not like we can't see each other throughout the year. There are holidays and Hogsmeade weekends.

Ron huffed scornfully as he turned around. "And between those, there are weeks, maybe even months, where we can't see each other."

"I know, but we can still write each other," Hermione tried to console him. "I'm going to write to you every day if you want me to, I promise."

But it was clear, that Ron didn't like that idea at all. Hermione sighed. She didn't like that part either but couldn't he see how important going back to Hogwarts and finishing her education was for her?

"Why can't you just accept my decision and support me?" Hermione demanded to know rather impatiently.

"Maybe because the last three weeks were a complete hell for me," Ron shouted. He still couldn't believe Hermione would willingly spend a year away from him.

"And you think it was easy for me to be so far away from you," Hermione shouted back.

"Well, it seems like that, doesn't it? As you plan to leave me for good in September," Ron spat out.

Hermione looked at him as if he had slapped her. "What is that supposed to mean? I'm not going to leave you."

"Yeah, it's obvious you do everything to stay with me," Ron said sarcastically.

"What exactly is your problem?" Hermione asked angrily, starting to feel sick of Ron and his accusations.

"Don't you think we have wasted enough time already?" Ron yelled. "Because I don't want to lose you ever again."

Hermione stared at him a moment before she screamed back "I don't want to ever lose you either."

"Then marry me," Ron shouted.

The silence that followed was deafening. Ron was in a complete shock. He couldn't believe he actually just said that. He didn't dare to look up at Hermione and mortified fixed his gaze at a spot somewhere in front of his feet. Ron was sure Hermione was going to laugh at him any minute now.

But Hermione only stared at him. 'Did he just said, what she thought he had said?'

"Eh …, I …, I …," Ron stammered into the silence, still regarding the floor.

But before he even could form a coherent thought, let alone voice that thought, Hermione had flung herself into his arms and kissed him passionately on the mouth. Ron responded just as enthusiastically and they snogged until they both were out of breath.

Eventually they parted, breathing heavily. They touched their foreheads together while they tried to recover their breaths.

"Yes," Hermione whispered eventually. Ron, still completely dazed from the kiss simply frowned at her. Hermione sighed smiling, detached their foreheads, wrapped her arms around his neck and looked up at him.

"Yes, I'll marry you," she clarified beaming.

Ron looked totally flabbergasted as he starred at her wide-eyed and his mouth hanging open. Hermione was a bit irritated by his reaction. He had 'asked' her after all and she had just agreed to marry him. Shouldn't he be happy now?

Suddenly Hermione felt immensely stupid. Of course Ron hadn't truly meant it like this. Maybe she really had misheard him and he had actually said something totally different.

Her smile vanished and Hermione instantly blushed with shame. She quickly withdrew her arms from around his neck and backed a few steps away from him.

"I'm sorry," she said shrilly before she turned about to flee through the door. But she didn't come far, in a flash Ron awoke out of his state of shock and grabbed her upper arm to prevent her from running off.

He pulled her against his chest and wrapped his arms tightly around her.

"I am sorry, Hermione," he said. "I didn't mean to say that, it just came out. I guess I was talking without thinking again." Hermione felt completely numb now. She wished herself as far away from Ron as possible, but he only held her tighter as he continued.

"I …, I love you Hermione, I really do," he said, but this time these words didn't make her feel all warm inside, they only made her feel sick.

"And I want to marry you, I guess. I mean, I haven't realized it until only just, but I think I wanted that for a while now, even if unconsciously, or …, or I wouldn't have said that, right?" Ron attempted to voice his thoughts and feelings but had the impression he failed miserably.

"Bloody hell, do I even make any sense to you?" he asked helplessly.

During his speech the warm feeling had gradually returned to Hermione and finally a smile had crept onto her face. When she heard the distress in his voice she dared to look up at him again.

"So does that mean we are engaged now or what?" Hermione asked him a little unsure but still smiling.

Ron snorted relieved. "I guess we are." Then all of a sudden he looked shocked again, "Merlin's pants we're actually getting married."

"Yes we are," Hermione beamed at him once more, then she stood up on tiptoes and kissed him again. It was a lot slower and not as passionate as the kiss before but somehow more meaningful.

After a while they broke apart, both looking a bit sheepish and unsure what to do or say next.

"But I still intend to go back to Hogwarts," Hermione blurted out. "Just because we're getting married doesn't mean I change my plans."

"Well of course you're going back anyway. You're bloody mental after all," Ron rolled his eyes at her stubbornness. "Just …, just let us get married before you go back, okay? That way all the Victor Krums and McLaggens out there know you're already taken."

Hermione looked at him aghast, "is that what this really is about? You just want to marry me because you are afraid I could run off with the next best person crossing my way?"

"What? No!" Ron said outraged. "Of course not, I mean, I didn't even know I wanted to marry you, remember? All I know is that I never ever want to be without you, so I guess marriage is the best way to make sure this is not going to happen.

"Because I love you." He clarified his intentions, seeing her doubtful expression. "For everyone else knowing you're out of bounds is just an added bonus, I guess."

Hermione pondered a moment about his declaration. "I think you are right. That way the Lavenders in this world do know to stay away from you."

Ron blushed a bit at the mention of Lavenders name, but was immensely happy that Hermione agreed with him.

"So that is settled then. How does the end of August sound to you? That should give everyone enough time to get accustomed with the idea of us getting married," Ron suggested, but thinking mostly about himself than everyone else.

"Oh that is perfect," Hermione said in delight already starting to make plans, "we could get married in the yard, just like Bill and Fleur. And we could …,"

Ron let her talk but eventually stopped to take in the actual words she was saying. The only thing he was still able to do was to marvel at the sight of her, making all these plans, so full of excitement.

~End~