They had kissed that day, that faithful day when everything changed. For one moment amongst all that terror they had come together and everything had been alright. Since then it had been awkward between them. Ron would put his arm around her, hold her hand, kiss her check, but always with hesitation. It was as if he was afraid she would recoil from his touch, which was the furthest thing from her mind. They had not talked about themselves as a 'couple', there was no opportunity too. After all, there was an entire world to rebuild, loved ones to put to rest, a time for starting over.
A week or so after the final battle, after they had buried Fred, Remus and Tonks, Hermione went to her room at the Burrow and sat on her bed. Without really thinking about it, she began to cry. In an attempt to stop her tears, her cries increased and she began to heave. She had worked herself up into such a state that she was soon sobbing uncontrollable, unable to deal with all of the reality that surrounded her. She felt trapped, enclosed, the room felt like it was getting smaller by the second.
She was so consumed be her grief that she didn't notice Ron enter the room. He stood at the door, agape, unsure as to what he should do. There was Hermione, who he loved more than anything else in the world, and he wanted nothing more than to stop her tears, to make everything all right. But he didn't know how to do that, what is she wanted him to leave? What if she wanted to be left alone to grieve?
"Her-Hermione?" he said gently, hesitating.
"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, embarrassed by her tears. Her hands went instantly to her face in an attempt to hide her sadness. But this gesture embarrassed her further, made her even more upset than she already was.
"Are you, o-okay?" Ron said, moving closer to her but still hesitant to touch her. Hermione had been so strong the past couple days, this outburst of sadness frightened him, made him unsure of what to do.
"I just, I just—oh Ron! I just don't know what to do! I feel so-so useless!" she sobbed, her tears increasing.
"It's-it's okay Hermione" he said as he went to her on the bed. He sat beside her and without thinking about it put his arm around her. She immediately put her head on his chest and clung to him, her sobs turning into sniffles.
"How will it ever be okay Ron?" she asked, looking up at him, eyes big and red with tears.
"I don't know how, but it will be—I'm-I'm sure of it" He said resolutely, with certainty.
"But how?" Hermione responded, uncertain. She was confused by his certainty, unable to understand how he believed things could ever return to normal.
"I—because of this—" he said and then kissed her, passionately and deeply, unlike he had ever kissed her before.
"Oh, oh my…" Hermione said after they had parted. She knew a line had been crossed. They had never been connected like that before, and yet, it felt as natural as anything ever had.
"I'm—I'm sorry Hermione. You were upset, I-I took advantage—"
"Don't be ridiculous," she smiled, "you prat. I did kiss you back you know. And besides, if I didn't want you to kiss me I simply would have hexed you senseless. I am rather good at magic you know." Her smile was beatific, magnetic, and Ron felt that he had never loved her more than at this moment.
"Well, yeah I suppose. I was never as good at hexes as you…" Ron replied, still embarrassed slightly, but glad that she had stopped her tears.
"Exactly. And—and I would very much like if you would kiss me, um, again…" she was tentative, unsure of herself or what he would say.
"Oh, um, sure. That's if… I mean… you want me too…" Ron replied, suddenly dumbstruck by the whole situation. This was Hermione after all, Hermione who loved the library and was full of information and was far to wonderful for poor old Ronald Bilius Weasley.
Rather than respond with more muddled words Ron simply kissed her again. It was effortless, as if they were meant to be together all along and the last 3 years of fighting and bickering was instantly erased.
Things escalated quickly, and before either of them knew what was happening Ron was without his shirt and Hermione had her jeans unbuttoned. As Ron attempted to pull off Hermione's shirt, it got entangled in her hair and before long Hermione was in a fit of giggles with Ron sitting up, slightly frustrated and still attempting to get Hermione's shirt off.
"R-Ron!" she said between giggles, the shirt over her face with the buttons tangled in her hair "it's okay, just—just let me do it". Before long she had managed to untangle her hair and take of her shirt while Ron sat beside her, watching her. Seeing her there in just her bra he was overwhelmed, he did not know what to do. Or, he know what he'd like to do, but he wasn't sure how to exactly begin the process, as it were. Besides, all this laughter would be the end of them, he knew that for sure.
Having removed her shirt, Hermione became aware of Ron's gazing at her and just how exposed she actually was. Immediately she put her hands to her chest, covering her breasts and looking down, embarrassed and flushed.
" 'Mione, don't do that." Ron said as he grabbed her wrists to move them from her chest. As he did this, however, the door opened and all of a sudden there was Ginny.
"Hermione? I heard you crying earlier and I thought I'd see—OH! Oh! I'm so sorry—" Ginny's face flushed scarlet, having walked in on her brother and best friend in what appeared to her as a compromising position. Her hand went immediately to her face and she began to shut the door, apologizing, "I'll just come back later the, shall I?". As she shut the door Ron thought he heard her whisper "finally" and then definitely heard her begin to giggle as she walked down the hallway.
When Ron looked back to Hermione he noticed that she had darted under the covers of the bed and was, if possible, more embarrassed than he was.
"Mione?" he questioned, "Are you okay?" He pulled back the covers so that he could see her face more clearly and she sat up, wrapping the sheets around her torso.
"Yeah. Oh, I'm fine. I just think that was the most embarrassing moment of my life, that's all…" she laughed uneasily, but then smiled warmly at him. "I mean, Ginny is a vault, I doubt she will even tell Harry, but still," she laughed "I always thought our first time together would be more… intimate." Hermione realized what she said after the fact, and immediately looked down, once again going red.
"You, you really want to do this 'Mione? I-I didn't think, or, I thought about it but I mean, it's so soon after everything, and, I mean…" Ron was digging himself into a hole and he knew it, but he felt obligated to keep speaking. He didn't want to push Hermione into something she didn't want to do, but he could not deny that he had thought about this for a long time, since at least forth year.
"Ron," Hermione looked up at him and smiled, "I don't want wait anymore. Too much has happened, we've lost so much. I don't want to lose things anymore, I want to build a new life. And," once again she looked down, "I want to build this new life with—with you."
Ron was taken aback, he did not know what to say. To have Hermione this close to him, to have her say such things to him, he felt overwhelmed. It was as if the emptiness in side him, the loss of his brother, all the terrible things they'd been through, had been filled. Filled with her, with her love for him. He didn't know what to say, everything he was thinking seemed too corny, too complicated. So he simply said "I love you 'Mione" and looked right into her beautiful eyes.
"Oh Ron. I love you too, so much" she hugged him, pulling him to her.
"I-I should have told you before. I-I always have. Even with—even with Lavender, it was always you, it's always going to be you 'Mione." Ron felt that he could stay like this forever. That he could stay there in Hermione's embrace for all time, and the world would simply melt around them. He did not think, after all that had happened, that he'd ever be this happy again.
Hermione separated them slightly, looked into Ron's eyes and simply said "I know" and kissed him lightly on the mouth. She put on a feigned pout and said "but, for all intensive purposes, you are never to mention Lavender 'Won! Won! Brown again, alright?" Ron laughed at that, kissed her forehead and said, "Deal. As long as I never hear the name Viktor 'Look at my muscles' Krum ever, ever, again. Okay?"
"Honestly Ronald" Hermione sighed, but she was smiling. "Nothing ever happened between Viktor and me. We were friends. At least we didn't spend half the year making out in the common room." She feigned hitting him in the shoulder but he caught her hand and kissed her fingers, then proceeded to move up her arm, placing kisses repeatedly until he planted a final kiss on her mouth.
"I've forgotten it all, all except you" he told her, and it was true. She drew him in for a deeper kiss and her hands grabbed his hair. She told him once again that she loved him, and that she trusted him and it melted his heart.
"Um, Ron?" Hermione said between kisses, "I can cast the preventative charm. But, should we, um, cast a silencing charm? And, um, possibly put a spell on the door so that we don't have any more… um, interruptions?"
"Right, um, good idea. Hold on, I need to locate my wand…" Ron looked around the room frantically, attempting to get back to Hermione as quickly as possible. He hopped off the bed, located his want, and quickly cast both spells while Hermione cast the preventative spell on herself. As he turned around he heard Hermione suddenly giggle then clap her hand to her mouth.
"What?" he asked, but then suddenly realized 'what' when he noticed where Hermione was looking.
"You know," he said, slightly irritated but more embarrassed (he had gone as scarlet as his hair) "it just does that, it's, um, not like I can control it…" Her giggles were unnerving him, laughter would be the end of them.
"No," Hermione started, mortified that she has embarrassed Ron "I-I just, I'm just new at this. I-I was just surprised, that's all. I-I…oh I've made a right mess of this situation haven't I?" Ron was still standing away from the bed, looking down. Rather than try and convince him with her words Hermione simply said his name aloud and held out her arms to him, inviting him to her. He came back to the bed and they embraced.
After several minutes of passionate snogging, Ron and Hermione found themselves lying on the bed, entangled in one another's arms. Things were getting heated, and Hermione could feel how eager Ron was and it was making her all the more eager in turn.
"Um, Hermione?" Ron said between kisses, "Should we, um, take off—or I mean, remove, clothes? It's just, I—I want to see you." He said this so genuinely, without embarrassment, that Hermione felt a tug in her heart. She pushed Ron off of her, sat up, and removed her bra. Once again she was overcome with embarrassment and began to move her arms to cover her breasts. However, unlike before, Ron stopped her arms, clasped his hands in hers and moved to kiss her. He said 'you're beautiful—please don't hide from me' and pushed her down on the bed. He removed her jeans and her underwear and there she was, before him, and he felt as if he could die right then and have no more regrets.
Hermione looked away from his gaze, unable to handle the intensity with which he was staring at her.
"'Mione, you're beautiful. I—you're beautiful." Ron almost gasped, overcome by the girl he had loved for so long suddenly so vulnerable in front of him.
Before long Ron's clothes were removed and he was on top of her, feeling her, exploring her body as she responded eagerly beneath his touch. He longed to be closer to her, for them to be one with one another.
"Are you sure you want to do this Mione?" Ron said breathlessly as he pushed her matted hair back from her face.
"Yes," Hermione said, no hesitation in her face, "I am definitely sure."
"Okay," he kissed her, "so you're sure?" Ron wanted this, but he would not force Hermione to do anything she did not want.
"Yes. Ronald Bilius Weasley. I am one hundred percent positive. Okay?" Hermione responded with bated breath, wanting to have this connection with Ron, wanting them to be together.
"Okay" he said as he slowly made them one. He felt her flinch, felt her body becoming tense. The thought of him causing her pain made his heart break. As much as it would go against everything his body was telling him, if she needed to stop, they would stop.
"Mione? I'm sorry." He kissed her forehead. "Do you want to stop? It's alright. Just tell me what to do." It was becoming difficult for him to remain still, he was becoming unnerved by her silence.
"I—no. Don't stop. Just, give me another minute okay?" Hermione responded weakly, eyes still shut tightly.
"Mione? Open your eyes. Look at me. Please." He needed to make her calm down, he didn't see how this was going to work otherwise. She opened her eyes and stared deeply into his. He kissed her on the mouth and whispered 'I love you' in her ear very softly. He bombarded her face with kisses, whispering sweet nothings to her as she slowly relaxed.
"Ron?" Hermione said faintly.
"Yes 'Mione?"
"Move. Okay?" She kissed him on the mouth, and everything changed between them. Their movement was awkward at first, but it had its own sweetness and eventually they found their rhythm. It was as if this was what they were made to do: be together like this forever. As they moved together, Ron's rhythm increased and became more frantic. Urged on by Hermione's panting and whispering his name, Ron gave himself completely over to her and finished, collapsing on top of her.
They lay still, enveloped in one another for some time when Ron realized that he must be crushing her. He made to get off of her, but Hermione grasped onto him and whispered 'please stay'. He rearranged them so that they were nestled together, him spooning her with his arms wrapped around her maintaining their closeness. He planted kisses on her neck and in her hair, so contented that he felt for once everything was right in the world.
After a short while he noticed that there were tears rolling down her face. He turned her slightly so he could see her face better. He grasped her tighter and said, "Mione? Mione what's wrong? Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."
She turned towards him and kissed him. She smiled.
"No. I mean, yes it did hurt but not too much. You're just so wonderful. These aren't sad tears, I promise. These are happy tears." She nestled herself closer to him and felt that she had never been happier in her life.
"Okay…good. I love you Mione. And… I have a question, um, to ask you…" He turned her around so that they were still holding one another, but now facing one another.
"Um, yes Ronald?" She said with a big smile.
"Um, well. I don't want you to think that I'm saying this because we… um, well, you know. I was going to ask you anyway. But, um, one day. And I'm not saying it has to be soon, but one day in the future…would you, um, consider…" he paused. He was not sure how to continue without making a further fool of himself. Their proximity to one another was also making him nervous. He felt that he was doing this wrong. With a sudden thought he jumped out of the bed and knelt before it on one knee.
"Oh, Ronald!" Hermione gasped, aware of what Ron was going to ask her.
"Hermione Jean Granger. At some point in the future would you, um, consider… becoming my wife?" After about thirty seconds of silence, Ron was feeling rather foolish once again. It was too soon, he had chosen the most inappropriate time to do this. He was completely naked for goodness sake, hardly romantic…
"Of course," Hermione finally whispered, "of course. Yes, I mean, a thousand times yes. Ronald Bilius Weasley I would be honored to become your wife…um, oneday." She once again held out her arms to him and smiled. They embraced, and came together once again, both enthralled with the idea of their future together.
After they had finished Hermione lay in Ron's embrace and let out an almost inaudible giggle.
"What is it?" Ron asked kindly, placing a kiss on her cheek.
"Oh nothing," she said, "I just never pictured you proposing to me completely starkers, that's all." And as she said this she let out another giggle.
"Well, if we are going to be together forever, you better get used to me starkers." He said and kissed her once more.
"Oh, I'm sure that wont be a problem." She smiled again, snuggling closer to him.
"So, you've thought about this a lot have you? Us being together?" he asked her, beginning to drift off to sleep.
"Oh yes," she replied with a yawn, "pretty much since I was twelve. Obviously then it wasn't that…explicit… but you've been the only one for me always."
"Oh," he replied, "that's ironic."
"How so?" Hermione yawned again.
"Cause I felt the same. Seemed silly we've spent the last 7 years fighting…" Ron yawned as well.
"Yeah. Silly…"
As they lay together once again, Hermione cuddled against Ron with his arms around her, they drifted off into sleep together. Before she drifted off, Hermione whispered 'I love you' and Ron whispered back 'Forever'.
The next morning when they awoke and Ron snuck back into his room so his mother wouldn't murder them both before breakfast. They went down to breakfast holding hands, and when they told the family about their 'engaged to be engaged' arrangement it was met with excitement and joy. Harry said, just a little too audibly, 'making an honest woman out of her eh Ron?' but if Molly noticed this comment, she didn't acknowledge it. Besides, the second he said it Ginny elbowed him, rather forcefully, in the ribs and said far more audibly 'you total prat'. Apparently Ginny wasn't that good at keeping secrets after all…