Disclaimer: I own nothing

He was not in the best of moods when he got home from work that day. He had been assigned to desk duty for the day to get caught up on his back log of paper work. He just didn't see why it was necessary for him to fill out form after form when he could just voice record it while it happened, which he always did.

Harry & Ginny were already at the Burrow the start of Christmas vacation. He was waiting for Hermione to get off work so they could go to the Burrow together. They had all been living together at Grimmauld place for 6 months now. Hermione was getting more and more involved in her work. She was going in early, staying late and bring work home in the evenings and weekends. They barely got to spend any time together unless there were sleeping.

That was another problem that Ron was facing. It was getting harder and harder to sleep next to Hermione every night and not let anything serious happen. Face it he was sexually frustrated. He had already gone to Hermione's parents and asked permission to marry her. They were very pleased that Ron had come to them first and gave their blessing. He just didn't know when to do it. He was trying to decide between taking her out to dinner, just at the house or at the Burrow during Christmas. He was carrying the ring around with him now just waiting for the perfect moment to arrive.

The later Hermione was the angrier Ron was getting. Finally after waiting for her for an hour, he scribbled a note on a piece of parchment, attached it to Pig and sent him off to Hermione. Then he stepped into the fireplace and yelled "Burrow"

Once he arrived, his mood did not improve as everyone was asking where Hermione was. "I don't know, probably still at work. I sent a note with Pig to remind her of dinner. If she can drag herself away from her books she'll be here, if not then there is nothing I can do about it." Ron stormed off into the kitchen. He opened the liquor cabinet and headed straight for the firewhiskey. Harry knew it was going to be a long night if he was heading in that direction already.

Harry followed Ron out into the garden, grabbing Ron's travelling cloak as he went, "what's up Mate? I know you and this is a little more than Hermione being late for dinner." It was a little cold outside. Ron hadn't really dressed for being outside in these cold temperatures.

"I have been thinking a lot lately," Ron started. "Well that's your problem Mate," Ron playfully punched Harry in the shoulder, "Sorry mate go on."

"We just don't seem to spend any time together anymore. I mean she is always got her head stuck in a book. I mean ya Mione's always had her nose stuck in a book, but we could get her to do things. Now it just seems like the only time I see her is when she is sleeping." Ron ran his fingers through is hair in frustration.

"Ron you know what she's like. She had just started at this new job a few months ago and is trying to prove herself. She ALWAYS needs to prove she's the best. That's why she needs you to balance her out; 

otherwise she would never leave our library. You just need to get her to realize that what she doesn't need to work 100 hours a week to prove herself. She'll come around you'll see.

However I think you have more than that on your mind too?" Harry gave Ron a knowing little grin. Harry draped Ron's cloak over his shoulders.

"Well there are two other things floating around in my head too. I'm trying to figure out when to ask Mione to marry me. I want to do something really special for her but I'm afraid I'm going to muck it up. I was thinking of maybe something for her birthday or something, but I don't know if I can wait that long.

See I've kind of… well I've put a… how to say this." Ron took another drink of firewhiskey. "I've put some restrictions on how far our… uhm… relationship can go. Now I'm wishing I would've kept my big mouth shut. There I said it. I'm not getting any and I'm frustrated. ARUGH!" Ron downed another shot of firewhiskey. "I told Mione I wanted it to be special. I want the whole world to know that she's mine. I wanted to wait until we were at least engaged. Now I just don't know if I can hold out that long. Damn what do I do Harry?"

"Well go home, get the ring, ask the girl and get shagging would be my best advice." Harry couldn't help but laugh a bit at his friend. Ron was more than just his friend, he was his brother. Harry did have some sympathy for him though. "Really Ron, just ask her. She's been waiting for you to ask her for a year now. You'll both feel better."

Ron by now had had 4 shots of firewhiskey and was feeling better, not drunk but a little less moody. "I have been carrying the ring around with me just in case for a month now. You know just in case the right moment came about. I wonder where she could be. She's like almost 2 hours late."

"So this is where you guys are hiding." Hermione was walking out the door to join them. "Where have you been?" Ron said a little louder than he intended. He was upset with her but was more worried than anything else. "Well I've been in the house for like 45mins now talking with your family. You know there is a Christmas party going on in there." Hermione huffed.

Harry started to slowly back up towards the house because he knew this was going to escalate into one of those famous Ron and Hermione fights. "I'm just going to go back in.." Neither of them was paying any attention to him. You could cut the tension with a knife between those two. Everyone, including themselves, knew that they belonged together.

"Why were you late?" Ron roared "I waited for you for an hour. How long was I supposed to hang around and wait for you?"

"I was in a meeting Ronald, it ran over. I couldn't just drop everything and come home. I have responsibilities you know. I came right here from work as soon as the meeting was over." Hermione emotional state was catching up to Ron's.



"Responsibilities? Are you saying that I don't have responsibilities? I'm a bloody Auror, I don't know how much more responsible you can get!" Ron was taking all his frustrations and worries out on her; he just didn't know how to stop.

"Ronald I know that you have responsibilities too. I just don't understand why you don't understand that my job is just as important to me as yours is to you." Hermione decided she didn't want to fight anymore and stood up and started to make her way back inside. "I'll talk to you later when you've calmed down."

Ron decided it would be better if he stayed outside for a little while. Harry corned Hermione as soon as she came in the house. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" She nodded and they quietly took off upstairs to Ginny's old room for some privacy.

"Hermione what's going on? You and Ron haven't had a row like that in a long time." Harry wanted to be a friend to both of his best friends. He wanted to hear what was going on in Hermione's mind.

"Oh Harry. I don't think that Ron wants me anymore. I mean I know that he loves me but I think that he's gone back to only loving me as a friend and is just staying with me out of obligation. I mean we don't spend any time together anymore and he doesn't want to… well you know we haven't… I mean we have been together for well over a year and we still haven't….we've shared a bed for months and nothing. I mean what if he doesn't want me that way?" Her eyes started to fill up with tears.

Harry finally thought he had gotten to the root of the problem. They both loved each other so much that they didn't want to do anything to hurt the other's feelings. They were both frustrated but didn't know how to make it stop. He just hoped that Ron would ask her soon so they could finally give in to their temptations.

"Hermione, you are the smartest witch of our time, but sometimes you can't see what is right in front of your face. Ron loves you so much that he doesn't want to do anything that may appear as disrespectful. He wants you so much that he can't think straight and it's driving him nuts.

However back to the not spending time together, how many hours have you been putting into work? 12 hour days plus bringing work home at nights and on weekends? I know that you are new and you want to prove yourself, but can you slow it down to a normal person pace? I mean you will be able to do twice the work as a normal witch or wizard in the same amount of time.

I love you Hermione. You are the sister I chose. I just need for you to slow down and enjoy life. We didn't defeat Voldemort just so you could work yourself into an early grave for the Ministry. We did it so we could have normal lives and families." Harry needed to explain to her how much she needed to slow down bit.

"But that's the thing Harry, Ron doesn't want to have a family with me. If he did why hasn't he proposed yet? I've been waiting and waiting. I understood last Christmas when he didn't want to put any more pressure on me because of School but what about when school was done or when we moved in together or now. What's he waiting for? Doesn't he love me enough to marry me?" Hermione's 

insecurities were starting to come out. "I bring home work to do so that I have something to occupy myself so I don't jump on him every time he walks in the door. "

"Hermione, stop bringing home the work and just jump him. I'm sure that he will appreciate it. Everything is going to work out. Stop worrying about it. Just relax and enjoy him. Now come on let's get back to the party before they send out a search party." Harry was wiping the tears from her cheeks.

They walked back down stairs. Ginny was dragging Ron back inside by this point. Harry was sure that she was having the same talk with Ron as he just had with Hermione. Harry was so glad that things had just worked out with for him and Ginny. Things always seemed to just click, they didn't have the same problems that Ron and Hermione had expressing their feelings to each other. He could wait until they actually got married and he could call her his wife.

Ron walked over to Hermione, "Can I talk to you outside again?" She nodded her head and took the hand he held out for her. They walked back out door. Everyone was whispering, "Do you think he's finally going to ask her? Do you think they're going to make this work?"

"Come on everyone give them some privacy. It's Christmas." Mrs. Weasley wanted to give her youngest son some space. She too was hoping that he would finally ask the girl to marry him.

Ron led Hermione down to the pond, to the exact spot where he gave her the earrings when she got done Hogwarts. This seemed to be a special spot for them. They had spent a lot of time by the pond over the past few years.

He conjured a blanket for them to sit on. "Sit Mione please. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I really was more worried than anything else and maybe a little frustrated. I mean we haven't really spent a whole lot of time together lately. I guess I'm a little jealous of your work books, the get to spend more time with you than I do." Ron stood up and kicked a pile of snow in frustration.

Hermione stood up and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Ron you know that I love you more than anything. I'm sorry too. I've just been trying to do so well at work that I really wasn't thinking about how much time I was spending actually do it. I'm going to try and start working more normal hours. I know I haven't been putting your first and you are the most important thing to me."

Ron looked deep into those big brown eyes and he knew this was the perfect moment and he was going to take it. "Mione, I love you with all of my heart. I know that you are smarter than me, I know that you could have any bloke out there and why you chose me I don't know, but I thank Merlin you did. I love you when you have your nose stuck in a book, when you are shouting at me to hurry up in the bathroom, even when we argue. I will love you until the end of my days." Ron got down on one knee and drew out the ring that he had been carrying around with him.

"Mione, will you be with me forever? Will you take this oversized git and make him your own? Will you be the person I wake up to every morning for the next 100 years? Will you Marry me?"