Maple Syrup

Rating: G
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. No infringement intended.
Summary: Ron invites Hermione over for breakfast. (future fic)
Spoilers: None

Ron soaked his pancakes with maple syrup and Tabasco sauce.Hermioone grimaced at his plate.

"What?" Ron mumbled, his mouth full of pancake. He smothered his food with more syrup, then dug a forkful of fat-free-simulated-margarine out of the container that She had bought weeks ago, and dropped the buttery-flavored mass onto the thick layer of syrup.

"That," she said, pointing to the mess on his plate, "is an abomination. I mean, what did Bisquick ever do to you to deserve a punishment like that?"

"Funny," Ron said. He shoved more pancake into his mouth.

Mione picked at her plate, the looked at him. She made faces at his food, then looked at Ron. She drank some of her orange juice, then looked at him again.

"What?" He finally asked.

"You called me up at seven o'clock on a Saturday morning and practically begged me to I come over here. After getting over the initial shock of hearing *you* beg *me* for anything, I get up, get over here and what are you doing? Eating pancakes." She squinted at the plate. "At least, I think those are pancakes. I can't even tell with all that stuff covering them up. You really should work on the eating habits, Ron. I don't think there is anyway that stuff can be good for you."

Ron gulped down about half a glass full of the skim milk that she had bought days ago. "You gonna finish that?" He asked, pointing his fork at her half-eaten stack of pancakes.

She watched a gob of maple-Tabasco-flavored-simulated-butter drip from his fork, onto her plate. "Go ahead," She said, trying not to smile. "So why did you call me over here, anyway?"

"I thought you might be hungry," He said, chewing. "How are those pancakes?"

She squinted at him again. "They're great. Really. But, I'm guessing that you didn't call me over here just because you wanted me to try out your new recipe for what I hope are low-fat pancakes. What's going on?"

"Well I thought you might also enjoy my company while you're eating. Considering you do love me, and all." He gulped some more of his milk. "I know that the combination of maple syrup and my charm is irresistible to you."

Mione laughed. "Well aren't we cocky this morning."

He laughed, too. "*We* are not cocky. We are simply stating the truth." He aelooked her squarely in the eyes. "You love me, Maria. And that's good, 'cause I love you too. I honestly don't know what I'd do without you."

She blushed a little, then tried to compose herself. "All right, spaceboy. Since it looks like we're gonna be stuck with each other for a while, we need to set some ground rules." She shook her finger at him when he rolled his eyes. "And don't give me that look."

Ron was already working on his second stack of pancakes. "All right. I'm listening."

"Rule number one, I do love you. You need to remember that. Number two: I want what's best for you. You need to remember that, too."

"And rule number three?"

"Rule number three" A melancholy smile crept across her face. "Don't pull any more disappearing acts on me. 'Cause I don't know what I'd do without you either."

He smiled and nodded. "I think I can deal with those."

"But I have a few rules of my own," He pointed his finger at her when she rolled her eyes. "Fair is fair."

"Fine,Fair is fair."

He cleared his throat. "Rule number one: don't make fun of my pancakes."

Mione laughed.

"Rule number two: I love you. You need to remember that."

"And rule number three?"

"Rule number threeYou have to wear this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a little diamond ring. He walked over to Mione, took her hand, and placed the ring on her finger.

She stood up and faced him. "Ron this is"

"Yeah."

"So you mean you want to"

"Yeah."

"So you want me to"

"Yes"

It was a pretty little ring. And on either side of the pretty little stone lay a pretty little emerald.

"They reminded me of your eyes," He said softly.

Mione smiled. [Hold on girl.] She thought again. [Don't let him get to you just yet.]

"I just don't know what to do with you. You're my pig-headed, obnoxious, strange, passionate, vibrating .And and now you're asking me to marry you?"

"Yeah."

Mione looked up at him.

"Yes."

He enveloped her in a hug that swept her off the floor. The two of them whirled around the syrupy breakfast table, laughing. When he set her down, she looped one arm around him and put her ringed hand on his shoulder. She smiled at the ring, then at Ron.

"Mrs. Hermione Granger-Weasley. How's that sound?"

Ron kissed her forehead, then rested his chin on her hair. "I think I can live with that."

The End

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