Much thanks to my editor, Gwen McCormick, and to my dear friend DUJ. All mistakes are mine. Obviously, I am not JKR and am making nothing from this.

The Course of True Love

Chapter 19

March 1999

"Severus," Hermione called out, "do you have a minute? I need a taste-tester."

The Defense teacher halted in mid-stride as he was passing her classroom. Carefully, he stepped inside, lifted an eyebrow, and cast a suspicious look at the woman standing there. "Do you really expect me to voluntarily ingest anything you offer?" He walked over to inspect the chocolate cake, along with several mini-cupcakes, that sat on the table.

"Well, I know Slytherins aren't especially known for their bravery," she shot back, "but I would have thought-"

Snape gave her a cool look. "I have far better sense than to consume anything you are a part of," he retorted with a sniff. "Really, standing there you look like one of the Stygian witches. The eldest."

"Severus Snape, you take that back!" Hermione exclaimed. She tried to remain indignant, but she couldn't contain her laughter. "And I suppose you think you're the great hero Perseus?"

"Hardly," he replied with a chuff of laughter. He grinned at Hermione. Untidy little thing, he thought. Crazy curls falling from her bun. And that tiny smudge of chocolate icing on her cheek. He grinned wider, continuing to tease her. "Are you certain," he asked, "that it is safe? Please tell me Molly Weasley baked it."

"Well," she replied with a laugh, "it's Molly's recipe, but I did the baking, and I'll have you know I am an excellent cook!" Hermione giggled. She pointed with mock imperiousness towards a cupcake. "Now, eat!"

Snape nodded, set a small black box on the table, and picked up the sweet Hermione indicated. He glared at it a moment, took a deep breath, and bite into it. Rich, creamy, chocolatey icing melted in his mouth. The cake, dark devil's food, was moist. He savored the bite, chewing slowly, closing his eyes.

"Very, very good," he pronounced when he finished. "I am most impressed, Hermione," Severus said.

"Thank you." Hermione bounced on her toes and smiled from ear to ear. "Can I be nosey?"

"Better than anyone," he retorted.

"Ha, ha," she deadpanned. "What's in the box? Can I open it?"

Severus nodded. Quickly, he popped the rest into his mouth and chewed slowly. He wiped his hands and mouth on a napkin Hermione quickly transfigured from a spoon.

"Oh, my," Hermione gasped. "It's breath-taking." She twisted the box so that the ring inside caught the light. It was a half carat, square cut emerald surrounded by diamonds.

"A gift for a friend," he offered.

Her eyes flickered up to his, speculation shining. "A very nice gift," she remarked. "Not too flashy, not too small, delicate yet it makes a strong statement." Hermione cast a speculative look at him. "I'm sure your friend will think it's perfect."

Severus laughed aloud. "Like all Gryffindors, you're singularly poor in your attempt to finagle information." He took the box from her and snapped it shut before tucking it securely into his robes.

"Spoilsport," she muttered. "I thought I was your friend-"

"I am, and you are," he confirmed. "But so is she." He paused, making sure the weight of his words made their importance known. "I am also running late, so please excuse me."

"Oh, me, too," she added, quickly gathering up the baked goods to hide her blush. "Ron's birthday celebration, I'm supposed to meet him at the Three Broomsticks."

Narcissa Malfoy was waiting for him at the door. "I'm ready, Severus," she said quickly. She adjusted her cape and stepped outside before locking and warding the door. Turning around, Narcissa saw Severus holding out a tiny black box. "What? What is this?" Every ounce of blood drained from her face, and a look akin to horror crawled across it. "Severus, this isn't-"

"Certainly not," he replied with a snort.

"Thank Merlin," she sighed. "For a moment I feared you'd taken into your head some misguided idea of honoring your life-debt to Lucius by taking his widow to wife."

He stared at her. "Really, Cissy? It would be like marrying a sister." He waited for her laughter to finish and opened the box, showing her a small emerald and diamond ring.

"My ring!" she exclaimed. Reaching eagerly with trembling hands, she quickly removed the ring and placed the ring on her finger. "You've returned my ring!"

"When it came up for sale at the Ministry auction, Aurora Sinistra let me know," he told her. "Your sister and niece paid for it."

"Oh, those darlings!" she exclaimed. "And they sent you to get it?"

He nodded. "Aurora Sinistra picked it up." He snorted. "Your 'darlings' sent me because they knew no one would dare bid against me. It seems my dark reputation is good for something," he quipped. "Now, if you're ready go see Draco."

Tears were beginning to flow down her face. "Oh, Severus," she cried, "thank you! Thank you so much!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.

Uncomfortable in the extreme, Severus used that moment to apparate them to the gates at Azkaban.

Holding the cake out in front of her, Hermione walked briskly into the back of the Three Broomsticks. "Happy Birthday, Ron!" she exclaimed.

"Hermione!" he shouted back. "Hey, come join us." He hurried forward and ushered her in, closing the door behind him. "Gotta keep the door closed," he told her as he leaned down towards her ear. "Madame Rosmerta has already complained about the noise. Said she's gonna throw us out if she has to come back here again. Can you believe it?"

Hermione looked around. George, Angelina Johnson, Oliver Wood, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, Demelza Robins, Josh Perlman, and a whole group of people were partying in style. Music, drinks, food, dancing – it was like a rowdy victory party in Gryffindor Tower. It might as well have been since the whole quidditch team appeared to be there.

I don't blame Madame Rosmerta, she thought. The noise is deafening! Handing the cake to Ron, she cupped her hands around her mouth. "Ron, I thought this was just going to be a small, romantic dinner for the two of us."

"Well, George won't be able to make my birthday dinner at the Burrow tomorrow, so he sort of set this up for tonight. He brought Angelina and the rest." Ron shouldered their way through the crowd and set the cake down.

Hermione sighed. "Well, I guess we'll just have to go with it, then." She looked around. "I see nearly the whole team is here. Where's Harry?"

"Harry's at Azkaban. He swapped guard duty with me," he explained over the roar of the music, "so we could get together." He popped two fingers in his mouth and blasted a shrill whistle, which instantly halted the party. "Hey, guys, 'mione's brought cake! Come on," he told them eagerly, "let's have a slice of cake!"

"Mmm, 'mione, this is delicious!" Ron exclaimed. He held out his plate and pointed at it with his fork. Shoving another forkful in, he smacked twice and licked the frosting from the fork. "Really, this is great. It's better than Mum's!"

Demelza Robins dropped onto Ron's lap. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him frantically. The party went silent with shock.

Ron leapt to his feet, shoving the woman. "Oi!" he shouted. "I'm off-limits!" He gestured anxiously back and forth between him and Hermione. "We're engaged!""

Demelza looked confused for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said. Her voice became indignant before a sea of increasingly hostile faces. "But how was I supposed to know? It's not like she's got a ring or anything."

"And she does, too, have a ring!" Ron shouted. "Show 'em, Hermione!" He grabbed her hand, and then he frowned. Slowly, he looked up her. "Where's your ring, Hermione? Why aren't you wearing it?"

"What? You gave her a ring? Well, that's wonderful!" George exclaimed. "When did this happen?" He snatched Hermione in for a quick hug, then he turned and shouted across the room. "Hey, my baby brother's engaged!"

Hermione was embarrassed and angry now. She pulled a small box out of her robes and set in on the table. "There's the ring you sent me by owl, Ron."

"By owl?" George muttered. "You proposed by owl? Tell me you didn't, Ron."

"I did not," Ron shot back, cutting his eyes at his brother. "I sent the ring by owl, so she'd have it on time for Valentine's Day." The tips of his ears were growing red.

Angelina Johnson thumped George in the arm. "Cut him a little slack," she said. "I mean, getting engaged via owl is really tacky, but his heart's in the right place."

The angry, embarrassed blush had enveloped his face by now. "Well, open it," he demanded, "and put it on!"

"All right, I will," Hermione snapped. Locking eyes with Ron, she opened the box, snatched out the ring, and shoved it on her finger, holding it up for all to see. The crowd was utterly quiet, stunned at the sight.

"Oh, my," Angelina said, breaking the silence. "That's, that's quite an expensive ring. A wide gold band, uncut carnelian – Um, did you pick it out yourself, Hermione?"

"No, I didn't," she replied, her eyes still locked with Ron's. "I wasn't consulted."

"You didn't even ask her?" Angelina gasped in shock. "I mean about what kind of ring she wanted?"

"Look, Ron, you just don't treat your woman that way," George added slowly, "and I don't want to hurt your feelings, but that ring is, well, it's –"

"The ring is ugly," Angelina finished his sentence bluntly. She shook her head. "Merlin, Ron, what were you thinking?"

"Okay, okay, I get it," Ron exclaimed. "Hermione, can we talk? In private?"

"Absolutely," she replied. Quickly, Hermione removed the ring and returned it to the box. She closed the box, tucked it into her robes, and followed him into the main part of the pub. She walked past him and settled into a booth.

"Is that why you aren't wearing the ring?" he asked her. "I want an honest answer."

"All right," Hermione agreed. "Yes, and I thought it was poor form to send me the ring by owl –"

"I had to work, Hermione!" Ron hissed. "I'm working for us, you know. For our future! But, but I get that now." He plopped down opposite her. "I just wanted to make sure you got something good for Valentine's Day."

"You could have sent flowers, chocolates, or even a simple card, Ron," she argued. "Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to have that preposterous owl come swooping down on me during dinner with an engagement ring?"

"Preposterous?" he echoed. "And just what's wrong with Hercules?"

She inhaled. "He's-" She shook her head. "Nothing, Ron. Look, about the ring," she said softly. "Ron, I really appreciate the thought. I know you spent a lot of money, but –"

"You think it's ugly," he blurted out. "Admit it."

She could feel her anger rising. "All right," she snapped. "It's chunky and gaudy and unfeminine and ugly!" She shoved the box at him.

Ron clenched his teeth and opened the box. He stared at it for several long moments. "You know what?" he asked, snapping the box shut. "It is pretty ugly."

"That's an oxymoron," she supplied automatically. "Oh, never mind." She waved away his question.

"I'm sorry, 'mione. It's just that I want you to have the best." He blew out a stream of air, and then he gave a soft chuckle. "Maybe I ought to get Angelina to help me from now on."

"Ron," she said with a smile, "I don't need a big, expensive ring, you know."

"But you deserve one," he told her. "You deserve the most expensive-"

"Ron, you're not listening to me again!"

He stopped, took a deep breath, and let it out. "Okay, okay, sorry," he said. "So, what kind of ring you do you want?"

Hermione smiled. "I saw one today that's nearly perfect," she told him. "It was gold, of course, but the band was thin, you know, dainty. And the stone was a square cut emerald surrounded by diamonds. Now, I know you chose a carnelian because it's red and symbolizes Gryffindors, but diamonds are traditional." She paused to tuck her hair behind her ears. "I guess I don't really mind about the stone, whether it's a diamond or ruby or emerald, but I'd like a cut stone, something smaller. Much smaller, maybe only a carat."

"But that's small, Hermione. You deserve only the best. You deserve a to have a big ring, maybe five carats or more," Ron told her. "I can borrow from Harry if I need to, but-"

"No," Hermione interrupted him, "don't borrow money. We don't need to start out our marriage in debt."

"All right," he replied. "Whatever you want." He stared at her for a moment, and then he shook his head. "Please just understand that I love you, and I'll take care of you, Hermione. So, just tell me what shop you saw the pretty ring in. I'll take the ugly one back and get you another."

"I didn't see it in a shop, Ron. Severus was showing it to me, and-"

"Severus again?" he asked pointedly. "You sure are getting along famously with the greasy git. And what's with this guy and jewelry? First, he's buying you a bracelet, and now he's got a woman's ring. Is he some kind of Nancy-boy?"

"How dare you Ronald Weasley!" she exploded. "You should be ashamed using such a derogatory term! To call a gay man that would be like calling me a 'mudblood!' And for the record, Severus Snape is not gay!"

"And just how would you know that, Hermione?" he accused. "Has he made advances towards you?" Ron half rose in the seat.

"He has not!" she shrieked. "He's been nothing but a gentleman. Sit down before you make a fool of yourself!"

Slowly, Ron lowered himself back into the seat. "I'm sorry, Hermione." His voice was small. "I know you'd never cheat on me."

"No, I wouldn't," she agreed quietly.

"I'm sorry, but it just seems like I can't do anything right!" he muttered bitterly. "I was wrong. I shouldn't have said that. It's just that – oh, never mind!" He sighed and reached for her hands. "Look, Hermione, I'm sorry, really. I'll get you a ring you want. And I'll bring it in person, okay?"

"Okay, Ron," she agreed gently, "but, there's one more thing we need to discuss?"

Slowly, he pulled back his hands. "What now?"

"Staffroom gossip says we're getting married in June," she told him primly.

"Well, we are," he shot back. "Aren't we?"

Hermione shook her head vehemently. "We only talked about it, Ron. We never set a date, and now I look like an idiot who doesn't know my own wedding plans."

"Summer, Hermione, we said summer. That's June 21," Ron said from between gritted teeth. "It's a Monday. I've already cleared that day at work."

She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Summer is a season not a day, you dolt! Severus' voice echoing in her head caused her eyes to pop open. "No, Ron, that's impossible," she said quietly. "That's too soon."

He threw his hands up. "Why? We don't have to wait. You can continue your education. I just don't understand. Don't you love me?"

"Ron, I do love you," she insisted, "but you've got to stop making my decisions for me."

"Hermione, we said summer –"

"We didn't say which summer or pick a date or anything else!" she pointed out vehemently. "You're making all the decisions and not consulting me."

His mouth dropped open. Then, he snapped it shut again. "Okay," he muttered. "I'm sorry. I really am. I'm trying to start out being a good husband, like my dad, and take care of things, make important decisions for us, but-"

Hermione burst out laughing. "Ronald Weasley, can you imagine what would happen if your dad tried to make all the important decisions without consulting your mum first?"

Comprehension slowly dawned. "Yeah, you're right," he agreed with a laugh. "Hey, look, I'll try to do better; really I will."

"Good," she told him bluntly. "Look, we can discuss this more later. I hate to leave now, but tomorrow is Monday. I've got to be back by nine to go on duty." She stood up and kissed him. "Good night."