The fire was booming in the fireplace at the Burrow as the Christmas air began to settle around the home. The residents were bursting with excitement as they were getting ready for Christmas Day. The cold air and festive spirits were welcoming Christmas Eve as it dawned upon them.
Hermione looked across the room as she sat on the sofa with Ginny and Fleur whilst bouncing Victorie on her knee. Hermione was wearing the red dress that was presented on her body at Bill and Fleur's wedding a couple of years back. The material flowed nicely above her knee. Across the room were Ron and Harry, who were munching on mince pies and having a brief conversation about the Ministry. Ron glanced over at Hermione and smiled sweetly at her, which made her heart splutter out of her chest. Hermione smiled, that's what love can do to you. Hermione watched discreetly as Ron suddenly turned to Harry nervously. She frowned and that was when she was dragged back into the girls' conversation:
"Dis could be you and 'arry next year," Fleur spoke to Ginny in her sweet foreign accent as she watched her sister in law play with her baby daughter. Ginny turned to Fleur reluctantly and chuckled, "No it won't, I've just been proposed with the title as the Captain of the Holyhead Harpies," Ginny boasted, holding her head up with pride as before Christmas, she had been promoted to be the Captain for one of the most famous Quidditch teams. "Besides, I think Harry is aiming to go pretty far with his Auror career. So there's no time for children right now!"
"I don't want children yet either," Hermione added, with her face scrunched up like a paper ball. "I want to get a stable career."
"O ye, how is de Magical Law 'nforcement?" Fleur asked intriguingly.
"It's going great," Hermione smiled politely. "It gives me money at least!"
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a bush of red hair rise. She resisted the urge to grin as she continued to involve herself in her conversation with Ginny and Fleur. All of a sudden, there was a loud cough erupting at the side of them. The three women turned their heads to find Ron standing in front of them wearing jeans, brown boots and a brown long sleeved shirt.
"Ron," Hermione blinked a few times to reassure herself that this was reality. Ron, the only man she has ever loved, the only man she has ever cried over, was standing above her.
Ron gulped and looked towards Hermione, "Darling, may I have a word?" He coughed awkwardly.
"Of course Ronald," Hermione smiled timidly and got up on her own two feet, clutching Ron's hand within hers.
"Awe, you wanna give Hermione a kiss under the mistletoe?" Ginny teased, making kissing noises with her lips puckered. Hermione reluctantly looked away, feeling her cheeks heat up. Ron glared at his only sister, "Shut up Ginny." He snapped.
"Shall we go somewhere…private?" Hermione asked awkwardly, running her fingers through her hair.
"Yes dear, I think that's a very good idea," Ron smiled at his girlfriend of two years before looking back at his sister, gazing at her coldly as he walked away with Hermione in tow. Some members of the Weasley family and some of their friends noticed Ron lead Hermione out towards the back yard.
George frowned as he walked over to Harry, who was now isolated from the party with a butterbeer in his hand. "I wonder what Ron's going to do."
"10 galleons that he will propose," Harry smirked, leaning in towards George.
"Ron, I think your bedroom would have done perfectly," Hermione advised as her eyes wandered round her surroundings as they now stood by the open doors of the back yard outside, feeling the cold air radiate her pale skin.
"My bedroom wouldn't have done us justice," Ron told her sternly as he stood still in front of her. A grin started to perform on Hermione's lips as she had started to become suspicious of Ron. Then, she felt a cold drop fall onto the scalpel of her bushy brown hair. Both Ron and Hermione looked up at the deep blue sky to notice that snow was slowly starting to scatter around them.
"We've known each other since we were 11 years old haven't we," Ron chuckled as he remembered the young bushy haired girl who was dressed in her school robes on the Hogwarts Express, who was so full of herself!
Hermione giggled, "Yeah we have. It's crazy to think how far we've come."
"I think I've always loved you y'know," Ron admitted, nodding his head. "I may have been a prat but I think I have and I finally realised in fourth year." He sighed dreamily, "How much I wanted to ask you to the ball, I was scared to ask you. Then, to find out that someone had already asked you, that I was too late," he added, resting his hand on his heart. "It broke my heart."
Hermione let out a breath, softening reluctantly at his words. She hesitated for a moment before resting her hands on his shoulders, staring into his welcoming green eyes, "It's the same way I felt when you started dating Lavender Brown in sixth year," she said sternly, but with a hint of sadness considering that Greyback killed Lavender during the war.
Ron nodded sadly, "But then I knew that you felt the same way about me," he sighed annoyed. "Then I got scared again! Of course I knew that I was saying your name in my sleep in the Hospital Wing. I'm just a coward!"
Hermione hushed him soothingly, resting her hand on his cheek and stroking it with her thumb. "Ron, it's okay, it's all in the past now. We're together. It's the future that we need to think about now, we need to stop dwelling on the past, what happened, happened."
Ron nodded and took a step back from his astonishing girlfriend, "You're right, we do need to think of the future and I know what I want from it. Realistically, I have loved you since we were 11 years old and we're now 19 and that hasn't changed and I don't think it will. My family adore you just as much as I do! Well, maybe a little more." Hermione chuckled softly at his words. "You are the future and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you so much!" His tone sounded like a plead.
Ron closed his eyes, allowing the cold air to travel up his nostrils before opening them again to find Hermione standing in front of him with a confused expression written all over her face. Ron looked down at the vibrant green grass as he scrambled through his pocket. He pulled out a small velvet red box. He opened it up in Hermione's view to reveal a gold ring with a white stone, its simplicity lingering throughout the box. Hermione gasped, smacking her hands over her mouth, feeling tears burn up in her eyes. She slowly looked up at Ron to watch him drop down on one knee and take her petite hand in his with the ring box in the other. Ron kissed her knuckles gently before his green eyes joined with Hermione's chocolate pools. "Hermione Jean Granger," Ron began. Hermione giggled as tears started to stream down her face at the sound of Ron saying her full name. "Will you do me one hell of an honour and become my wife? Will you marry me?" Ron waited patiently as he stared at Hermione. Hermione was speechless. She nodded with tears of happiness continuing to run down her face. "Yes!" She said loudly. "Of course I'll marry you," she laughed covering her mouth. She watched as Ron kissed her left hand, in which he was holding, again. He removed the ring from the box and slid it down Hermione's ring finger. Hermione couldn't stop laughing with joy, tears spontaneously running down her face, she couldn't control it. Ron smiled up at his now fiancée, to him her laugh was beautiful.
"Get up you prat," Hermione exclaimed happily as she had finally overcome her tears and laughing and was wiping her tears away with the back of her right hand. Ron chuckled as he stood back up and put the empty ring box back into his pocket. His thumb gradually ran below Hermione's eye as he wiped away the remaining of her tears. Just by looking closely at the tears, his eyes started to well up.
"I love you," Ron whispered.
"I love you," Hermione repeated in a whisper.
They reluctantly welcomed each other's lips into a passionate embrace. Hermione's arms tangled themselves round Ron's neck as she got pulled closer towards him. Ron's arms tightened around Hermione's back as his tongue wanted to enter Hermione's mouth. Hermione grinned against his lips, deciding to tease him. Ron growled softly and bit down gently on Hermione's bottom lip. Hermione gasped and suddenly felt Ron's tongue slide into her mouth and glide across the roof of her mouth. Ron and Hermione grinned as they continued to kiss each other deeply, their tongues fighting for dominance.
A few minutes later, the happy couple pulled away, smiling lovingly at one another.
"We should go in," Ron said softly, tucking a strand of Hermione's hair behind her ear. "I'm sure the others would love to hear our news."
"Your mum would want to start planning the wedding tomorrow," Hermione giggled. Ron smirked, "All the better. I can't wait to get you down that aisle."
Hermione grinned and grabbed Ron's hand, "Come on!"
With that, Ron and Hermione headed back into the warm and comfort of the Burrow. It was like they had never disappeared. Everyone was enjoying the festive celebrations.
"Did you two build a snowman or something? You've been out there long enough," Bill joked, taking a swig of his fire whiskey.
"No," Ron simply said. Ron coughed looking down before looking back up to engage everyone in the Burrow, "Hermione and I actually have something that we'd like to announce." Ron held Hermione's hand tighter.
"You haven't got Hermione up the duff have you Ickle Ronniekins?" George smirked. The room filled with laughter; only three people weren't amused. Ron glared at George, whereas Hermione looked down blushing furiously. Molly Weasley, on the other hand, had a completely different reaction as she smacked George across the arm, disgusted of the words that crept out of her son's mouth.
"No I haven't got Hermione pregnant," Ron retorted.
"Then what is it?" Percy inquired. "Come on, spill the beans!"
"Well basically," Ron began. "There's going to be another Weasley wedding." Ron smiled broadly at Hermione. Hermione smiled happily.
"You're getting married?!" Audrey exclaimed smiling, standing beside Percy.
Hermione nodded her head enthusiastically as she held up her left hand, the engagement ring flashing in the spotlight. Everyone gasped as they stared at Hermione's hand. Ron grinned and kissed Hermione on the cheek tenderly.
"You two, after all this time are finally getting married," Molly squealed happily, yet surprisingly, which was known to be her normal tone whenever she heard good news.
"Always the tone of surprise!" Ron and Hermione said simultaneously. They quickly looked at each other and smiled widely.
A/N: My cousin got engaged yesterday and I got in the wedding mood. I already wrote a wedding one shot so I decided to do Ron and Hermione getting engaged. I have become obsessed with this couple lately; they are just so amazing together!