Disclaimer: I own nothing, and if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfics like this, would I?
A/N: Many thanks to my beta, Chris, who was my inspiration to start writing fanfics but also saved readers from excessive contractions, sentences lasting several lines, and the dreaded "had had". Thank you Chris!! Everyone else – enjoy!
"Bloody paperwork!" groaned Ron in frustration.
Ron was completely fed up. For one thing, Ron had a huge hangover. He and Harry had been to a Cannons match yesterday, and the Cannons had beaten the Wimbourne Wasps very decisively, thus winning that season's championship. Unfortunately, Ron and Harry had been rather overenthusiastic in their celebrations at the Leaky Cauldron. Ron fully expected Harry to have a worse headache even than he did. Not only had Harry drank more, but Ginny would have given him hell for it this morning. Whilst she loved her husband very much, and Harry loved her in equal measure, Ginny definitely preferred him sober.
For another thing, this paperwork was mind-numbingly dull. Ron had decided very quickly after arriving at work that filling out paperwork was not helpful when your mind was already numb enough as it was. However, what bothered Ron the most was that Kingsley Shacklebolt, his boss and the Minister of Magic, would not let him take any time off work right now. In truth, Ron could not really blame the Minister since he had not actually told Kingsley why he wanted the time off. Ron hated to admit it, but currently they really were very busy. Thus, the reason why there was a whole stack of forms that needed filling in by Monday. That did not stop Ron from wanting to go straight to Kingsley's office and shouting at the man until he got what he wanted, or just walking out of the Ministry and not coming back until he had done what he needed to do.
Ron knew that Harry would understand – he was already experienced in these matters – and maybe Harry could talk to Kingsley and make him understand. It was not really something Ron wanted to tell everyone, but he felt safe telling Harry. Unfortunately for Ron, Harry had been on assignment, despite being hung-over, the whole day and would not be back until late that evening. He had actually been meaning to tell Harry for quite some time, but both of them had been very busy which meant time for discussions had been limited. Besides, it had only been yesterday that Ron had really decided that he was going to do it and now that he had, he wanted to talk to Harry as soon as possible. Harry was, after all, the person that had made Ron realise how much he wanted this. Of course, Harry probably would not even remember saying it, but Ron did. Ron had still been at least somewhat sober, when Harry had said it. Unlike many things that had happened the previous night, Harry's words stood out very clearly in Ron's memory.
"Y'know, Ron," Harry had said with a small hiccup, "you really should get a move on, before Hermione runs off with some other wandsome hizzard..." Ron assumed that Harry had meant "handsome wizard." However, the point still stood. Ron seriously doubted that Hermione would run off with some other wizard, handsome, wandsome or otherwise, but he had decided right there and then, that it was time to take the next step in their relationship. Ron had therefore decided that he would go around to Harry and Ginny's house that very evening and have a chat with them about it. Harry because he was Ron's best mate and Ginny because he felt he needed some feminine advice – both he and Harry had repeatedly proved during their time at Hogwarts that they were by no means experts when it came to girls and relationships.
Ron would be safe for that evening as Hermione was currently spending a few days with her parents to celebrate her father's birthday, but she was getting back tomorrow. They had invited Ron as well, which had secretly delighted him, but due to work he had been forced to refuse the invitation. Ron was actually quite annoyed about this as he got on very well with Hermione's parents having inherited his father's deep interest in all things Muggle. In hindsight, he would also have liked the chance to talk to Hermione's parents about it – not that he had decided to do it when he had declined the invitation.
Ron had never enjoyed filling in forms, and had not really expected as much of it when he signed up to become an Auror. Sitting behind a desk doing paperwork was not most people's idea of what being an Auror consisted of most of the time. He remembered back to his years at Hogwarts, doing homework, and studying for exams… he and Harry would be bored out of their minds and yet there would be Hermione, wonderful Hermione, still studying away despite he and Harry telling her, quite truthfully, that she really did not need to. Hermione could probably have passed all of her exams without any of the teachers teaching her anything all year. She was just... like that. However, Ron strongly suspected that if it had not been for her nagging, her help, and her guidance, he would have failed all of his OWL's. Grinning to himself, Ron imagined what she would say if she could see him now, allowing his mind to drift off when he really should be working. He returned his quill to the parchment, and began writing again.
A few minutes later, Ron groaned as he finished another form only to turn to his in-tray and see a huge stack of the damn things. He checked his watch and saw that it was only two o'clock in the afternoon. Harry would not be back until at least six o'clock, so there would be little point going round before then and despite work officially finishing at five, Ron would probably have to stay the extra hour he really did not have an excuse for not staying. Judging by the scribbling of quills coming from the adjacent Auror's cubicles, which had been constant for the past few days, the department would continue to be very busy for quite a while.
Ron sighed; they really did have a lot of work to do. Looking at the mountain of paperwork in his in-tray, Ron wished that he could be with Hermione and her parents celebrating, and not in his office filling out paperwork. Resuming his work, Ron began counting down until he could finally talk to Harry and Ginny, and get this off his chest.
He was going to propose to Hermione.