It was a month after Ron had proposed, and both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley were mad with preparations. Ron and Harry had started their Auror careers, and many times, Ron had to go on a mission for more than two days. Death Eaters were recruiting against them, and many had already attacked several parts of both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds.

Bill and Fleur had had their second child, another girl they named Dominique. Everyone had made it to the hospital, even Harry and Ron, who both were on a mission at the time, were able to make it.

Percy and Audrey announced they were pregnant with their first child. Ron was happy for them, knowing that he was going to be an uncle for the third time.

Neville Longbottom had married Hannah Abbott a week after Harry and Ginny's wedding. Ron never knew Hannah all too well, but he and Hermione attended the wedding for Neville anyway.

Now, Hermione was driving him mad with preparations, and questions like "should we do this?" and "how do you like this for…?" Frankly, Ron didn't care about the decorations and colors as long as they were perfectly normal. He always knew blokes didn't care about those sorts of things.

One day, she forced him to stay home from going to play Quidditch with Harry and his brothers to go over the invitation list.

"C'mon, Hermione, can't we do it later?" he had said when she had pulled him away from Harry.

"No, we cannot do it later, because I know at that point you'll ask me if we can do it later again."

She's good, the annoying voice in his head told him, which he promptly ignored.

Now they were both sitting on the sofa in their flat, Hermione with a quill and parchment, both thinking of people to invite.

Hermione already had a list of people she wanted to invite and was reading them off to Ron.

"...right, so how about Seamus Finnigan?"

"'Course, he'll be the life of the party."

"It's not a party, Ron, it's our wedding. Dean Thomas?"

"Naturally."

"the Patil twins?"

"Sure."

"McGonagall?"

"Right."

"Viktor Krum?"

"WHAT?" Ron leapt to his feet, his face turning red with rage. "You still have contact with him?"

Hermione seemed to know he was going to react this way. "Ron, he's a good friend! Why are you always like this when I bring him up?" She stood up and turned her back on him, staring out the window with her arms crossed.

"Fine, if you want to play it that way, I'm going to invite Lavender Brown!" Ron regretted saying it, especially after seeing Hermione's face after she turned around. Her eyes had widened and her mouth fell open with disbelief.

"This isn't a competition, Ron! It's our wedding!" Hermione's eyes were shining with tears, and Ron tried to ignore them.

"When was the last time you even spoke to Lavender Brown?" Hermione asked aggressively.

"That's none of your business!" Ron shot back.

"You haven't had any contact, have you?" Hermione shouted.

"Yeah, I have!" Ron lied.

"Do what you want, Ron!" Hermione said, clearly disbelieving him. "But I'm still inviting Viktor. I'm not going to be afraid of inviting friends because of your jealousy!" She stormed out of the room and left Ron to deal with his swirling emotions.

The anger that had burst out of him he had no control over, it just automatically happened. He hated that he was so jealous all the time, but he was so frightened of losing Hermione, sometimes his anger came out at her. It also didn't help that she was in contact with Viktor Krum, a much more better and impressive man that Ron knew he could never be. He vented his feelings by kicking a nearby armchair, which left a good-sized bruise on his foot in the process. He left the room and walked toward the bedroom he shared with Hermione, only to find it locked. He sighed and turned back toward the living room. He knew the sofa was his bed for the night.

Ron woke the next morning, feeling regretful and remorseful of his row with Hermione. He could hear her banging the pots and pans in the kitchen furiously; clearly she was still full of rage.

Ron got up with difficulty; his back was aching from his night of tossing and turning on their uncomfortable sofa. He left a note for Hermione and headed to Harry and Ginny's flat.

Hermione had heard him wake up, but she was still too furious with him. After hearing the door slam in their entryway, she knew Ron had gone over to Harry and Ginny's flat to sulk and undoubtfully, complain.

She put away the pot she was holding, making quite sure to slam the cabinet door, and entered the living room. A note was left on the coffee table next to the sofa Ron had obviously slept on. A single blue rose lay next to the note and as Hermione looked closer, she saw that the rose was in fact, glittering with sparks of all different colors. She picked up the note and read:

My brilliant Hermione,

I've gone to Harry and Ginny's, just in case you're still furious at me for being the biggest git on earth…again.

For our little row yesterday, I'm really sorry. I only act like that because I could never handle it if I lost you to someone who is a so much better person than me, which I know Viktor Krum is. And, I'm also a bloody prat, and bloody prats have no control over their jealousy.

I'm sorry for everything, love, and I hope you decide the wedding is still on.

I love you,

Your git of a husband-to-be

Hermione couldn't help but to smile at the letter. She had trained herself over the years not to laugh at Ron's immature and sometimes crude jokes, but she always seemed to crack a smile when she knew no one was looking.

She sighed and ran to the closet to retrieve her coat…

Ron had Disapparated to Ginny and Harry's, glad to see that Harry was the only one occupying the flat at the moment, as Ginny had gone out shopping with her mother.

He had told Harry all about what had happened between him and Hermione.

"I don't get it, Harry. Why am I like this?" Ron asked wearily. "You're not a jealous git with Ginny."

"Yeah, I am," Harry confessed. "But I don't show it. You wear your heart on your sleeve, mate."

Ron heaved a sigh. "I just wish I could be what she wants."

"Are you mad?" Harry was staring at him with disbelief. "You are everything Hermione wants! She doesn't want some famous bloke for a husband, she wants you! D'you think she would be marrying you if she didn't?"

Ron stared at him, and they were both quiet. However, a third voice interrupted the silence, causing Ron and Harry to jump.

"He's right."

Ron and Harry turned to see Hermione in the doorway. "I don't want Viktor Krum, Ron. I don't need someone rich and famous to make me happy. I need someone who I love and who loves me back. Fortunately, I found that person when I was eleven."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "Harry?" he said teasingly.

To his surprise, Hermione approached him and punched him, hard, on the arm.

"Ow! What did I do now?"

"How can you say that?" Hermione asked exasperatedly. "You know I've never fancied Harry, it's always been you!"

Ron gaped at her and Hermione breathed heavily, maddened with frustration. Harry looked back and forth between them, and then said, "I fancy a cup of tea." He got up and went into the other room, but Ron and Hermione barely took notice.

"Hermione, it was a joke!"

Ignoring Ron, Hermione continued her rant. "You've no idea how maddening it is to be with you! You're a narrow, ignorant, stubborn git, but at the same time…" Hermione sighed. "At the same time, you're protective, loving and brilliant, and I can't help from falling in love with you."

Ron stared at her and after a moment's silence he decided to counter her rant, for old time's sake.

"You think I'm confusing?" Ron asked her. He stood up and towered over her as always, but she didn't even flinch.

"I will never be able to keep up with you, Hermione. One minute you're happy, and the next, I've done something wrong and you've stormed off. You're bloody confusing and the most irritating person I've ever met, but you're the only girl I would ever want."

Hermione turned back to him, for she had turned her back on him when he had started talking. Her jaw was clenched and she looked as if she was fighting down her emotions.

"So why are we fighting?" she finally asked.

Ron shook his head. "All I know is that we drive each other mad, but we always make up in the end." He raised his eyebrows, expecting Hermione to fall into his arms and tell him she loved him.

Hermione raised an eyebrow back at him and started to walk away from him. Ron caught her arm and turned her back around. "C'mon, Hermione, didn't you read my note?"

"Yes, I did," Hermione said, as if it meant nothing.

"Then don't you know that I'm sorry?" Ron asked exasperatedly.

"Ron, I want you to apologize to me in person," Hermione said. "I need to know that you mean it."

"I am sorry!" Ron exclaimed. "I'm sorry for everything I've ever done to you! I don't like being jealous of other people, it's just how I am!" He sighed and apprehensively took Hermione into his arms.

"I wish I could change for you, and you know I would. But it's this protective thing I have with you. I'm terrified of losing you because…well…I need you. I want you."

Hermione looked, for the first time, as if Ron had broken through her shield of stony pride. Her eyes showed that she desperately wanted to forgive him.

"Ron, you need to know something," Hermione said. "The game of life is not a competition between you and Viktor Krum, or someone else you feel threatened by. I am not a prize that you're trying to win."

"I know, God, I know that now," Ron said. "I'm sorry."

"I know," Hermione said. She smiled for the first time in hours, and Ron thought there was nothing better. She kissed him deeply on his lips before Harry came back into the room. He looked at his two friends snogging, shrugged, sat down on the sofa, and turned on the television.

Just another day.