A/N: This is the last chapter! Thanks to Karen for her patient beta-ing, and thanks to everyone who read and reviewed! I hope to be starting a new fic soon, so keep an eye out!
Ron and Hermione had not spoken in two weeks. During that time, Hermione's morning sickness had slowed to only every other morning, but her job was no less stressful. She threw herself into her work with ardor, and she was so far ahead in her work that other departments were having trouble keeping up. She hadn't been to dinner at the Weasleys, though she knew that Ron told them about her situation.
She assumed they were mad at her, so she made no effort to keep in touch with any of them but Ginny, whom she never asked about the family's reaction. Her parents knew as well, and though they had certainly been far from thrilled, they were quite understanding. Her mom had offered to have Hermione come and stay with them for the duration of the pregnancy. Though the offer touched her, she turned it down. Living with her parents again was not something she was ready to sign up for.
Hermione started to feel that her relationship with Ron was over. He certainly hadn't been making any effort to reconcile. She was only still a bit angry with him, but she felt that if he wasn't going to make any effort to apologize, she wasn't going to either. Dismissing her thoughts about Ron, Hermione opened another file and began to work.
Ron was kicking himself. After thirteen days of storming around, angry at the world, he finally caved the night before and spoke to Ginny. She explained how Hermione was feeling, and asked him how he could possibly be such a complete wanker. Ron was ashamed. As usual, his foot had gone right into his mouth.
He loved Hermione, and he never wanted to make her feel like he only wanted to marry her because of the baby. His baby. He hadn't really thought about marriage because they had been dating officially for such a short span of time, but the last two weeks had given him a good deal of thinking time.
He realized that he truly did want to marry Hermione, but that maybe he should have explained things to her a bit better, or not flown off the handle with such a rash suggestion. He needed to make her understand how he felt, and he figured he had a way to do it. He sent Hermione an owl asking her to please come to his flat later – he wanted to talk to her. He told her that even if she didn't want to talk, it would be very important to him if she did come.
He left work during lunch to make a quick stop in Diagon Alley's biggest jewelry store. He knew that if he was going to do this, this time he was going to do it right. Hermione was not going to tolerate him being such an arse a second time. Normally this thought would have brought out a smile in him, but currently he was more worried about losing the woman he loved. This absolutely had to go right.
Hermione's eyes widened as she read the owl from Ron. She hadn't been expecting it at all, and for a moment she considered not going, but she knew he deserved better than that. When she left work, she Apparated straight to Ron's flat. She may be giving him a chance to explain himself, but she certainly wasn't going to dress up for the occasion. When he opened the door, she merely raised her eyebrows at him and walked in, taking a seat on the couch.
Ron stood in front of her and began to speak. "Hermione… I messed up." Hermione glared at him. "Well yes, Ron, and if that's all you called me here to say I'm afraid you've wasted both our time."
Ron inhaled deeply. "Just let me speak, Hermione, please?" Hermione merely shrugged and nodded, so Ron continued. "I never wanted you to think that I wanted to marry you so that you wouldn't feel like some shameless hussy. The words flew out of my mouth, and I clearly wasn't thinking. I want to marry you, Hermione, because I love you."
Hermione was rendered speechless. She could tell from Ron's eyes that he meant what he was saying, and she decided to let him finish speaking. Ron's voice rang out again, and this time around there was no stuttering. He sounded totally sure of himself, and she knew he meant what he was saying.
"I want to marry you because you are amazingly smart, witty, and beautiful. I want to marry you because in the morning your hair all sticks to one side, and your skin is the softest I've ever touched. I want to marry you because when you talk about things I don't understand, you make me want to learn all about them. I want to marry you because you are brave, talented, and caring. I love you so much it hurts, and even though we've been together officially for such a short time, I've loved you since I was thirteen years old. You amaze me, Hermione, and I want to keep on being amazed by you every day for the rest of my life. Say you'll marry me."
With these words, Ron produced a beautiful ring from his pocket. Clearly it was a white gold ring with a small diamond. Hermione was not disappointed in the least by it's small size, she always thought women with huge rocks were tacky anyways. Actually, she was hardly focused on the ring at all.
Hermione was just plain shocked. She couldn't believe that such touching words came from Ron's mouth. She loved him, and she wanted to marry him desperately, but she had to make sure of something before she relented her anger and went rushing into his arms.
"I don't want you to propose to me because of this baby, Ron." Ron shook his head. "You can't pretend that having a baby isn't going to change things, Hermione, maybe rushed things a little. But I want to marry you because I can't see my life any other way."
Hermione rose from her seat on the couch and wrapped her arms around him, gently rubbing his back. Her own words came out in a whisper. "I will marry you, Ron. I will marry you because you're strong, loyal, and handsome. I'll marry you because you snore loudly when you sleep, because you put your foot in your mouth frequently, and because you make me want to watch Quidditch. Of course I'll marry you Ron, because you're everything I have always wanted."
Ron leaned in and kissed her. The kiss was so firm and full of love that Hermione felt like she wasn't in her body anymore; she was floating somewhere out in space with only Ron to cling to. Their kiss deepened, hands roved, and clothes slipped from bodies and landed on the floor as they moved their way to Ron's bed. Ron slid his hands over her breasts, and down to her still flat belly. He placed his lips against it in a gentle kiss.
"My baby, our baby, is in there. We're going to be parents, Hermione." The weight of it pressed upon her, and she pressed herself against Ron. He slid inside of her gently, they didn't need foreplay when they had so much love to share. Their lovemaking was slow and long, and when they each met their completion, they sighed together.
Hermione curled up against Ron, and she furrowed her brows together. "Do your parents hate me?" Ron let out a loud laugh. "God no Hermione, my parents don't hate you. They weren't exactly pleased with the news, but I told them I love you, and they seem okay. More grandchildren are always welcome in the Weasley family, and I'm sure as soon as we've been married and had our child mum will be nagging about when we're going to have more. Mum could never hate you. You're like her second daughter.
Hermione smiled. She had trouble believing that only two months ago she was suffering through a dead-end relationship with Gregory while secretly pining for more. Now she was curled up in the arms of her lover – no, her fiancé, and they were having a child. Maybe the circumstances weren't exactly as she'd planned them, but when does life ever go according to plan? Love is bigger than plans, she thought. Love is bigger than everything, and she found her love. She couldn't wait to be the next Mrs. Weasley.
Ron's hand was wrapped up in her hair and he was already snoring loudly. Hermione chuckled quietly and closed her eyes as well. She needed all the sleep she could get; tomorrow she had a feeling hat after a long day at work she would be spending the whole night at the Burrow. Her right hand touched the ring on the other hand gently, and she smiled again. Her life had finally fallen into place.
Her last thought before sleeping was that having this baby was going to be the scariest thing she had ever done; scarier than fighting Voldemort, even, but with Ron by her side she was ready to face anything.