So, I got a little bored and I guess I just wanted to write this. It's kind of alternate universe. I guess. Or not. If you want to review, that'd be great, but please don't crush my soul. Thanks :)

Prologue

Ron gave a nervous knock on Hermione and Ginny's bedroom door. Hermione looked up, brushing strands of hair that had fallen from her ponytail out of her face. She looks so perfect, Ron thought. He suddenly became extremely aware of the how sweaty his palms had become.

"Can I talk to you? It's kind of important." He kicked his foot nervously.

"Well, yes Ron, of course," she smiled her perfect, pearly smile.

"Okay, thanks."

Silence feel between them. Hermione looked at Ron expectantly, but he remained in shifty silence. After several uncomfortable minutes Hermione broke the tension.

"Ron… Um… I'm not trying to be rude, but I kind of have a lot of work to do, you know, for getting back to school and getting back mum and dad's house and things. Would you mind if we made this quick?"

She adjusted some papers on her bed and finally looked into his face. Her slightly stern expression softened. He was standing straight as a board in her doorway. A nasty mixture of purple and yellow was creeping up his neck.

"Um, here," she cleared a space on the bed, "come and sit down."

He walked stiffly over and lowered himself robotically onto the bed, not looking at her.

"Ron, you've been acting a little... Off... For the past few days. Are you alright?"

He had never been good at masking his emotions. Hermione had been staying with the Weasley's until she could get her parents back from Australia and he had been feeling very awkward around her. The kiss they had shared at Hogwarts had not been discussed by either of them and neither was in any hurry to bring it up. Now that the war was over, Ginny and Harry had been able to rekindle their romance and Ron felt his and Hermione's time was next.

But what if she says no? Ron was on the verge of falling into a full-blown panic.

He glanced back at the door and saw Ginny and Harry, both crouched on the floor staring at him. Harry widened his eyes significantly signaling that it was time. Ron turned back to face Hermione. It was now or never.

"Hermione...I…" Ron stuttered "W-willyoubemygirlfriend?" He asked in one rushed breath.

"Sorry... What?" she asked, as she furrowed her brow in confusion.

Ron sighed heavily and rubbed his forehead in frustration, it was hard enough for him to say it once, and he didn't know if he could say it again.

"Ron," Hermione said gently, as she took his hand comfortingly, "It's ok, just relax. It's me; it's just Hermione. You can tell me anything."

Ron looked into her sweet encouraging face and squeezed her small, soft hand.

He drew a final deep breath, "Hermione..." he said firmly, "Will you be my girlfriend?" he stared determinedly into Hermione's eyes.

"I… Wh-… What?"

"I like you," he said simply, "I like being around you and… You know, you don't have to, but you make me really happy when I'm around you and I don't want to be with anyone else. And I don't really like the idea of you being with anyone else."

Hermione gave a small laugh; hardly believing these words could be coming from Ron's mouth. She leaned forward and she whispered into his ear, "I don't want to be with anyone else either, Ron."

Ron's face broke into wild grin. He snaked one arm around her neck and the other around her waist. They both sighed with happiness and Hermione felt her heart skip as Ron planted one kiss on her neck. Hermione finally broke the hug when she heard a giggle and turned to find Harry, and almost the entirety of the Weasley family standing in the doorway of her bedroom. Ron turned to the doorway, the purple tinge replaced with bright crimson.

"What?" he said exasperatedly.

"You know bloody well 'what', you stupid prat," snickered Ginny.

Hermione gave an embarrassed half sigh half laugh and buried her face in Ron's chest, as it turned bright red with embarrassment.

George made his way over to the couple, "Well, it's about bloody time," he smiled, "I'll be honest, I was sure he was gonna blow it" he chuckled as he playfully smacked Ron across the head.

"Shut up, George." but he pulled Hermione in closer as he said it.

"Oh, Ronny!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley.

She pushed her way through the crowd, practically knocking George to the floor, and threw a hug over Ron and Hermione. "I'm so happy for you two. I knew, I just knew!" she said fondly as she wiped the tears of joy from her eyes.

Finally breaking away, she shouted over the rest's chatter "Come along! Dinner's ready!" She ushered everyone out of the room.

Hermione and Ron stayed back as they watched the rest traipse down to the kitchen.

"Well… Um… Do you want to go to dinner?" Hermione said, looking at her hands.

She felt Ron's hand gently wind its way behind her neck and gently, he pulled her face up to his and pressed his lips against hers. After a few seconds they broke apart.

"I suppose that's okay for me to do now?" He asked, his thumb brushing her cheek.

Left slightly warm and breathless from the kiss, she smiled and nodded. Ron's wild smile was back

"Good, because I've been waiting to do that for a really long time."

Chapter One

-Four Years Later-

Ron trudged into the dark apartment dripping with rain from the vicious storm that was raging outside. It has been a particularly long, irritating day. Come to think of it, this entire month had just been like one long work day. More and more people had been claiming that their friends were being controlled by death eaters that were still at large. And as unlikely as this was, his boss was the jumpy type and had been particularly hard on him. He was not interested in anything except for a hot shower and a warm bed.

He threw his sopping coat on the hall tree and was just about to head the bathroom when a pang of hunger pierced his side. He turned and saw a faint light come from under the kitchen door and, knowing what was waiting for him, was highly tempted to go back to the unrelenting storm. Seeing how it was Ron, the hunger won the small battle. He walked down the hallway and pushed open the door.

Hermione was standing over the sink scrubbing a pot with unusual vigor. Her face was calm, but Ron was used to the passive faze of her anger and knew the aggressive was making its way to the surface hard and fast.

"Hi Hermione."

"Hello Ron." Her voice was calm, but the scrubbing became slightly more violent.

He slowly made his way around the kitchen, pulling out milk, cereal, bowl and spoon. He poured the cereal and milk and took the first bite.

"This is stale." He muttered. The pot crashed to the sink as Hermione whipped around.

"This is the fourth time this week you've been late, Ron. I don't see why it's such a difficult task for you to simply send an owl!"

"Bloody Hell, Hermione, will you calm down? I'm busy when I'm working. That's why I've been late!"

"Well, it's just a waste of food when I try to make dinner for us and you're not even here. If you would actually take some time out of your day to be considerate and let me know when you were going to be home, you wouldn't have to eat the stale cereal that I asked you to throw out a week ago!"

"I would rather eat that cereal than the shitty stuff you call "dinner" that I have to come home to on the unfortunate nights I finish work early!"

"Oh thanks Ron. That's really nice. At least I try to do something nice and have a hot meal for you when you get home. When was the last time you even thought about doing something considerate for me? 'I left my toenail clippings on your side of the bed so there will always be a piece of me, love. Happy Valentines Day!' So sweet, dear! I don't know why you don't have more girls clambering after you all the time!"

"Please! 'Do something nice for me'? All I get is scolded. I feel like I'm living back at home. Even my mum doesn't nag as much as you do. And she at least let me have a little time to myself!"

"Don't give me th-" Hermione started angrily.

The entire day began to weigh on him, three straight weeks of this. Being yelled at non-stop for all the work he was trying

"JUST SHUT UP, HERMIONE!" Ron yelled. He threw the bowl against the wall. Hermione gasped and backed into the wall as cereal, milk, and glass flew all around the tiny kitchen.

"I CAN'T GET FIVE DAMN MINUTES TO MYSELF WITHOUT YOUR BLEEDING VOICE IN MY EARS. LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE!"

He punched wall right next to Hermione's head, leaving a dent. A ringing silence fell. Hermione stared at Ron at though she had never seen him before. Ron was breathing roughly through his nose, his face livid. He jerked his fist away from the wall.

"Leave, Ron," she said quietly "Don't come back until you've calmed down."

Ron glared at Hermione for another moment and then turned and whipped out of the kitchen. She heard the apartment door slam and immediately let out a dry sob. She slowly cleaned up the cereal bowl fragments and magically repaired the wall. She was about to make her way upstairs for what would hopefully be a relaxing bath when there was knock at the door. She slowly opened the door secretly hoping it would be Ron waiting with an apology and hug.

"Her-mo-ninny?" said a concerned, familiar voice.