~ Ice

Hermione scribbled furiously on the rapidly growing essay she was writing for her Department. Every few minutes, she would shoot an icy glare at her redheaded husband, who would meet her eyes and give her a sheepish grin. She would narrow her eyes even further and go back to her essay.

Their flat was silent for hours as she wrote her essay, and he lay on the couch reading a Quidditch magazine. Finally, after many glances at his wife, he put the magazine down and snuck up cautiously behind her. He swept her hair to the side and gently kissed her neck. She frowned and pushed him away. "Stop it, Ron, I have a deadline."

"C'mon, Hermione, I told you I was sorry."

"And I said I don't care."

Ron sighed and wearily ran a hand through his violently red hair. "You know, I've never met someone who could be so warm one minute and turn so icy the next."

"I'm only "icy" because of what you said," Hermione replied coldly.

"It wasn't even that bad of a comment!"

Hermione ignored him and turned back to her essay. Ron let out something between a scream and groan and raised his voice. "This is so typical of you! Here you are, writing a five-hundred-page essay on a Friday night! You hardly ever have time for your personal life anymore, because all you do is work!"

Ink splattered everywhere as Hermione slammed her quill down and jumped up from her seat. "Oh, I don't have any time for my personal life, Ron? I've gone out with you every weekend for the last six months! Is it too much to ask to stay in for one Friday night? Or do you constantly need to go out and party every weekend?"

Ron glared at her and looked like he was about to shout back, but he simply turned away and left the room, mumbling, "Merlin, all I said that we should go out to dinner and leave the house-elves for later."

He didn't know it, but she shot another icy glower at his back and went back to her essay.

~Water

Ron had surprised her by buying their first house after they got married. He had been saving the money he made as an Auror to buy the small cottage by the sea. He knew how much she loved Shell Cottage, especially because it was on the water. She had envied Bill and Fleur since she had set foot into their home, and once the war ended, Ron noticed instantly how much she loved the seaside. During the summer, they would find a new beach nearly every weekend by which to spend the day. Once Ron had bought the house, the two spent days outside in the water.

Ron remembered the first time they swam in the sea by their new home. They had just finished unpacking their small number of possessions, which had only taken three days, and Hermione had immediately insisted on swimming off the small cliff in their backyard.

When he found her outside after changing into his bathing suit, she was already in the water, her back turned to him. She wore a one-piece bathing suit, only because she had never been comfortable enough to wear a bikini like Ginny usually did. However, the neckline of the suit plunged rather lower than Ron would've expected from Hermione, and this always caused him to grin when he saw her in it.

He ran through the sand noiselessly, and into the shallow water, causing Hermione to spin around and the sound of splashing water. She laughed as he grabbed her around the waist and twirled her around, kissing her neck. She wrapped both her arms around his shoulders and pulled both of them down under the surface.

Under the water, despite his eyes being closed tightly, he could still feel her hands on his bare chest, and her lips on his. The water swirled around them as he grinned and kissed her back, tasting both her and the saltiness of the sea. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled them back above the surface.

They both broke apart as they gasped in the fresh air, their arms still around each other. "You're a bit more passionate when you're near water," he informed her. Hermione chuckled and left a trail of kisses from his face to his neck. Her arms dropped from around his neck and grabbed his hands, dragging him back ashore.

They both collapsed onto the sand, Ron hovering above her with his hands around her waist. She kissed him once more and gently pushed him off, pointing into the distance, where the red sun was setting over the glassy, sparkling water. "Ron, look."

He looked at the sun, which was sinking in a colorful sky of orange, pink, violet, and red. Its reflection danced over a sea of shining, still waves that looked silver in the evening light.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked, her eyes looking mesmerized by the view. Ron looked at the sunset, and then back at her, taking in her beauty. She noticed him staring at her, and her soft brown eyes settled on his face, studying him as if he were an interesting painting that had a deeper meaning. "What?"

"Yeah, the sunset is beautiful," he told her, leaning toward her until his lips were an inch from hers. "But you're more beautiful than any lousy sunset, Hermione."

She smiled at him lovingly and traced a finger down his face, finally sealing the space in between them with a kiss.

~ Rain

The overcast sky hung over Diagon Alley for three days, threatening to release a downpour on the small wizarding shops. Ron and Hermione sat outside in front of the Leaky Cauldron, eating lunch as the clouds above them moved faster and turned blacker.

"You know, I've always liked the rain," said Hermione, smiling up at the sky. "It's always a good day to sit by the window and curl up with a good book."

Ron smirked. "Don't you do that every day?" he teased. She rolled her eyes and threw one of her chips at him. He grinned at her good-naturedly as they finished their food, and left the pub to stroll down the old, cobbled road.

Just as they passed Flourish and Blotts, a raindrop hit Ron on his temple. Hermione noticed and smiled as she wiped the drop away and kissed the place it had hit. More drops fell from the sky, and they both looked up. The rain began to fall faster until it had transformed into a downpour. Hermione laughed and Ron grinned at her.

"C'mon, let's go find cover!" he said, grabbing her hand and tugging her toward the nearest shop. However, she kept her feet firmly on the ground and protested, "No, Ron! I want to stay!"

Ron, who had begun to head for the nearest shop five feet away from her, looked at her like she was mad. "Hermione, it's pouring! We're going to get soaked!"

"Yes, isn't it brilliant?" said Hermione, her hair already getting flat as the rain drenched the both of them. Ron stared at her as she opened her arms to the downpour, allowing the rain to drip down her entire body. He had never seen her in such a dreamlike state that made her mood almost worthy of Luna Lovegood. Nevertheless, he liked the way she was acting.

She was still entranced by the rain as he ran toward her and tackled her with a tight hug. She laughed and turned in his arms, kissing his nose. He stared at her beautiful face that was now completely wet with rain. As he looked into her soft brown eyes, he decided he had never loved her more than he did at that moment. Before she could say anything else, he grabbed her shoulders and kissed her with all the passion he could muster. She smiled against his lips and snaked her arms around his neck, clutching him closer to her body. To the outsider's eye, it would be quite a sight, two young adults gripping each other in the middle of a rainstorm. But for Ron and Hermione, there couldn't be a more perfect moment.

Thunder rumbled overhead, and Hermione broke apart from him, laughing as she turned her face to the clouds. Ron wrapped his arms more firmly around her waist, and kissed her neck. "Hermione."

She met his eyes, and he knew there probably wasn't a better moment for what he wanted to do. He grabbed her hand and, with the rain still pouring around them, sank to the wet ground on one knee. He took out the ring that had been in his pocket for the last five weeks and presented it to her. She gasped and her hands leapt to her mouth.

"Hermione," he said, as she squeaked his name, "You've been the light of my life since I saw you in that bloody dress at my brother's wedding. There's nothing I want more than to be yours for the rest of our lives. And if you'll have me, I want to have you too." He kissed her hand, feeling the cool rain on her skin. "Hermione, would you marry me?"

He was sure she was crying, but her tears mingled with the rain, making it hard to tell. She started nodding frantically and whispered, "Yes, Ron, yes!" He stood and she flung her arms around him, kissing every inch of his face.

Ron Weasley had never cared for rain, but that day it became his favorite kind of weather.