This is the first story I've posted in a long time. I originally wanted to keep going with it and eventually turn it into a Fred/Hermione fic, but I want to see if anyone likes it first. So let me know if you want to read more. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Disclaimer: All of the characters belong to the brilliant JK Rowling.

*Hermione*

I've always been the sort of person who likes to be prepared. When it came to love I was no different. I remember feeling crushed at the end of my second year when Ron and Harry told me the truth about Professor Lockhart. His handsome face and charm had hidden his rotten interior, and I was determined to be wiser in my choice next time. I needed advice on love from someone who would never lie to me. So I went to my mom.

I asked her as many questions about love as I could think of. How would I know the difference between a crush and love? Can love really last a lifetime? How could I know a man's true character? Do soul mates really exist? How would I know when I've met the right guy to marry? I bombarded her with questions, but she didn't seem overwhelmed at all. She sat me down on the sofa with a cup of warm chamomile tea, and what she said that day stuck with me.

"Crushes fade with time, dear, but love grows stronger if you nurture it. I'm not sure about soul mates. I think that you might meet a few young men that you could be happy with. Never settle for a boy instead of a man, Hermione. Before you decide to marry, you need to see how your partner handles hardship. Does he stiffen his spine and face his problems? Does he run away? Does he turn to you for support, or is he too proud? And how does he act when you are facing a problem? Does he stand by you, or does he leave you to face it alone? It is important that you know the answers to these questions before you marry. In your vows, you promise to be there in sickness and in health. Will he mean it? Healthy young men and women do not always stay that way. You could be diagnosed with cancer a month after the ceremony. Or you could lose a child after several years of marriage. You want to know that your partner will stand by you through these possible hardships. If he won't, then throw him back! Most importantly, Hermione, when a man shows you who he is, believe him."

While I was still processing all of this, my mom crossed the room to the bookshelf and took down a tattered volume. The cover was creased from repeated readings, and the pages were old and soft. My mom told me that she was going to share one of her favorite book passages with me, and that she hoped that I would take them to heart.

"If you keep these words in mind, Hermione, you can never go too wrong."

And then she began to read.

"Happiness, she would explain, was when a person felt good, light, creative, content, loving and loved, and free. An unhappy person felt as if there were barriers crushing her desires and the talents she had inside. A happy woman was one who could exercise all kinds of rights, from the right to move to the right to create, compete, and challenge, and at the same time could feel loved for doing so. Part of happiness was to be loved by a man who enjoyed your strength and was proud of your talents. Happiness was also about the right to privacy, the right to retreat from the company of others and plunge into contemplative solitude. Or to sit by yourself doing nothing for a whole day, and not give excuses or feel guilty about it either. Happiness was to be with loved ones, and yet still feel that you existed as a separate being, that you were not there just to make them happy. Happiness was when there was a balance between what you gave and what you took."

"That is what I wish for you, Hermione. I want you to find a man who is not threatened by your strength and intelligence, but proud of it. A man whose love makes you feel free and accepted. A man who lets you be your own separate entity. I have faith that you will find that when you are ready."

Five years have passed since we had that discussion, but my mother's words still ring out clearly in my mind. They have repeated themselves over and over in my head ever since we won the war a month ago. The Dark Lord is dead and this time he won't be coming back. It is as though a veil of darkness has been lifted from wizarding Britain. Lives can resume, dreams can be pursued, love can be explored. The first month after we won was a whirlwind of awards ceremonies and press interviews. But now the excitement has died down a bit, and we are supposed to move on with our lives. Ron wants an answer. He kissed me in the final battle, and finally confessed how he feels. He asked me to be his girlfriend. During the battle I put him off because I wasn't sure that either one of us would survive the night. But I can't put him off any longer.

I used to write, "Hermione Weasley" in my school notebooks. I used to dream that Ron would finally realize that he liked me and ask me out. But now that it's happened I feel uneasy. I'm not so certain anymore that we would make a good match of it. I learned a lot about Ron during the war. Ron had shown me who he truly was, and I was disappointed with what I had seen. When faced with hardship, Ron left his two best friends to face Voldemort alone. Yes, he regretted it and eventually returned, but in leaving he had shown his true character. Did I want to be with a man who cracked when faced with adversity? I understand that the horcrux was preying on him. When I wore the locket it whispered its venom into my ears as well. It whispered that I would never be pretty enough for Ron to notice me, and that Harry and Ron only kept me around for my brain. Those thoughts preyed on my mind too, but I stayed. I was a loyal friend to the end, and I would have died willingly if it would have helped Harry defeat the Dark Lord. Could I respect a man that wasn't as loyal as I am? Loyalty is important in a relationship.

This led me to think about our other differences. Everyone knows that I'm a bookworm. I devour books by the dozens, if not hundreds. When I imagined being married, I always envisioned quiet nights by the fire while my husband and I read a book and cuddled. But Ron doesn't read. If I tried to read in front of the fire, he would either get sulky because I was ignoring him, or he would demand that I entertain him. I said in our fifth year that Ron had the emotional range of a teaspoon. That hasn't changed much since our fifth year. I mean he did express concern for the house-elves in the final battle, but he never really seems to understand what I'm feeling. If I were to cry in front of him, he wouldn't know what to do. He wouldn't gather me into his arms and rub my back or tell me that everything is going to be okay. He'd just panic and tell me not to cry.

One part of that passage my mom read me really sticks out. "Part of happiness was to be loved by a man who enjoyed your strength and was proud of your talents." Now that I really started thinking about it, Ron always seemed a bit threatened by my intelligence. Whenever I would succeed first at casting a spell or would brew a perfect potion in a lesson, he would roll his eyes or act irritated that I was better than him. He wasn't proud of my achievement. Is it too much to ask that my boyfriend be proud of the things I can do?

And what about that kiss? Did it set off fireworks? If I'm being honest with myself… it didn't. It was kind of awkward actually. I imagine that kissing Harry would feel exactly the same way. I think I love Ron more as a brother than as a romantic partner. Oh God. I have my answer and I feel that it is the right one. But how is Ron going take it?

So what do you think? Should I continue it? Thanks for reading