Chapter 11: The Engagement

A/N: If this has errors, please forgive me, I posted it before sending it to my beta. I wanted to post it as soon as I could!

Harry stared at the ring lying in the box. He looked up at Ron, lost for words.

After a few moments of silence, Harry managed to open his mouth. "Does this mean…" Ron glanced back down at his own box. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and he reopened his box.

"How sad is it that this ring looks nicer than anything I could afford in the real world, eh?" His faced paled as he stared down at the ring. "Merlin, I don't know how to do this. What do you think?"

"Well," Harry began, watching Ron, "I suppose it depends on whether you want to play it off as part of the game, or if there's anything else there." Harry cleared his throat. "How do you feel about Hermione?" They'd never really talked about it much before, though Harry had thought there were signs.

Ron glanced out towards the end of the hallways. "Well, she's completely mental sometimes, you know? But when she sets her mind to something, she never lets it go, never backs down. She has this intensity that's hard to describe. And she'd do anything for you and me. All those times she broke the rules for us?" He laughed and shook his head, eyes slightly glazed over. "It's kind of pathetic, isn't it? That we never realized exactly what they meant to us, until we were forced to show it?" His expression turned a bit wary as he squinted over at Harry. "I really don't want to have the whole big brother talk. I trust you, mate. Just don't hurt my sister."

Harry cleared his throat awkwardly. "Right, no, I wouldn't."

They stood there, staring at the rings.

"So…wing it then?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yup. Let's go." And with that, they both walked back into the room.

When Harry and Ron left the room, Ginny and Hermione exchanged puzzled looks. Ginny motioned for Hermione to come to her table. Looking towards the hallway where the guys had gone, Hermione stood up and pushed through a few cluttered tables to Ginny's table, sitting next to her.

"What was that about?" Ginny asked, her eyes continuing to flicker to the hallway.

"I don't know. Normally it's the women who have to leave to talk to each other in the bathroom." A grin sprouted on Ginny's face, and she laughed. Hermione smiled, too, before looking around the room.

"It really is pretty amazing, how life-like this place is." She watched a group of four people walk in and sit down, laughing. Then she noticed another group of people in a booth near the back of the room, all of whom were silent, looking tired. "That's weird." Ginny followed her gaze and saw the two groups. The happy one continued to talk and laugh after they had been seated, while the other group sat nearly motionless, staring at each other and occasionally talking quietly to one another.

"Is that how we look?" Ginny asked. Hermione clenched her jaw.

"We have to stop letting this place bother us. We should just look at it purely as a distraction from the world. I don't want to end up looking soulless like them." She glared at the table of the stiff people. Ginny nodded her head fiercely. Then she saw Harry starting to walk out of the hallway. She smiled as Hermione stood and left the table. Ginny watched her arrive at her seat by the counter the same time that Ron got there. She turned around to face Harry, who was just sitting down.

"Well?" Ginny prompted. Harry looked up with a confused look.

"What?" Ginny rolled her eyes.

"What was that all about?" Harry glanced to Hermione and Ron's seats.

"Oh, it was…nothing." Harry picked up his menu again.

Ron sat down just as Hermione did. She immediately opened her mouth, but thankfully, the waiter arrived, interrupting her. Hermione ordered, the looked at Ron. He ordered slowly, trying to give himself more time. The waiter left, and Ron felt his eyes go to Harry and Ginny's table.

He noticed Harry's hand, hidden from Ginny, tightly clenched. Harry was talking to her, and as the moments passed, Ron saw Ginny starting to smile, until she threw back her head in a loud laugh. Harry had opened the box, and he watched Ginny look inside, a smile on her face. She held out her hand, letting Harry slip the ring on her finger. Well, that had seemed to go well for Harry. He took a deep breath. He could do this. Hiding his hand on his side where Hermione couldn't see it, he took the ring box from his pocket and held it.

"Erm, Hermione? I wanted to ask you something." Hermione's expression turned curious.

"Go ahead." She waited.

Ron swallowed, feeling like someone had stuffed his brain with cotton. "Well-" he said slowly, seeing Hermione's hand sitting on the table near his, and getting an idea. He reached and took her hand, continuing, "-you know how this game seems to…to make you do something that you didn't realize that you wanted to do until it made you do it, but then, because it makes you do it, that makes it seem like you're not doing it because you want to do it? Argh, that made no sense." Ron shook his head.

Hermione laughed softly and squeezed Ron's hand, a half-smile on her face. "No, I…I think I understand. Keep going."

Ron smiled sheepishly, and as he looked into her eyes, her expression so open and encouraging, he felt something click in his mind. "Hermione, you're brilliant, you know. Just wicked smart. You care so much about what's important to you, whether it's house elves, or Harry and I, or homework. You're so passionate, and it amazes me sometimes. I admire you for it. And I guess I didn't realize how much you meant to me before. I let so much else distract me from what was right here the whole time." Hermione's eyes were shining, unshed tears reflecting in the lights. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Hermione. Do you think you could give me a chance to show you what you mean to me?" She nodded, grabbing his hand with both of hers. Ron felt a bit stunned that he had managed to get out what he felt. Then he remembered the box in his hand, and his brain short-circuited. "Oh, also, the cursor wanted me to ask if you'll marry me."

It took a few seconds for Ron's last statement to register. When it did, Hermione let out a laugh, before she dropped her head to the bar, her shoulders shaking as she held in further giggles. Ron groaned. "Ah bloody hell, I mucked that up didn't I." Hermione was having trouble reining in her laughter, but eventually she sat back up straight.

"Oh Ron, you were so sweet. I actually just think it's a bit funny that we're getting engaged, and we haven't even properly kissed yet."

Ron perked up. "Oh, well if that's all." Before Hermione had time to be nervous, Ron had angled his head down, bringing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Hermione felt heat radiate outwards through her body, and she threw her arms around Ron's neck, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss. Ron groaned into her mouth as their tongues danced, and he dragged his hand up across her back, until he was threading his fingers into her hair, holding her against him.

A thud sounded on the bar, and the two sprung apart. The waiter had just placed their plates in front of them, smiling and seeming to ignore their current state of breathlessness. He then turned and left.

Hermione stared at the plate for a second, before meeting Ron's eyes, sharing an embarrassed smile. Her eyes trailed back to the box Ron had left on the bar.

Following her gaze, Ron reached over and opened the box, revealing a pretty square diamond was set above a heart carved into the band. He took her hand in his, popping the ring out. He hesitated for a second, glancing up at her, and Hermione felt a slight push to give an answer she had yet to confirm.

"Oh, well yes then, I'll marry you." Ron slid the ring onto her finger, where it sparkled in the light. She smiled down at it, lost in thought. She could almost imagine a similar view, just a few years in her future. Her smile slipped away, as thoughts of the immediate future came back to her. There was no guarantee they would all even make it through the next year, with the looming troubles ahead.

Ron must have noticed her mood change. "What's wrong?"

Hermione sighed, "Just worrying about what's coming next for us. The thought of something happening to any of us…" She just shook her head, pushing the plate of food away from her.

Ron pushed his own away as well, and took her hand. "Let's see if the cursor will let us walk outside." He stood and wrapped his arm around Hermione's side. They walked slowly through the tables, heading for the exit. The elaborately decorated doors easily swung open, and they stepped outside. The cool breeze flew into the restaurant behind them. Together, they walked to a nearby bench and sat down. Ron put his arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. She leaned her head on his chest.

"I'm worried about Harry." Hermione whispered. "I'm actually very grateful for this little break. Bit of a diversion before we have to focus back up. But you and I, we're lucky, in a way. We're both going with him after this. We have to find the remaining pieces. But Ginny…well, I can't imagine Harry wants her in danger with us. And she needs to go back to Hogwarts anyway. I've come up with a way to hide the fact that you'll be missing, but two Weasley's missing would put pressure on your family."

Ron nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure Harry would want her safer at Hogwarts anyway."

"Exactly. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad about this." she turned and looked back toward the windows, locating Harry and Ginny. Harry had moved his chair so that he was sitting right next to Ginny instead of across from her. Their food sat in front of them, untouched. Harry was grinning and Ginny was bent over laughing. When she sat up, Harry leaned over and kissed her. He pulled back quickly and rested his forehead on hers, still smiling. Hermione turned back. "But I'm worried that Harry is just too self-sacrificing to actually let himself be happy in the long run. And he'll still have a tough time leaving her behind."

Ron pulled her closer to him. "You may be right, but I don't think I'd want to rob him of whatever bit of happiness he can get here, y'know?"

The timer in the sky flashed, pulling Hermione's eyes up. A bubble popped up with Hermione's face on it. "Now THAT'S what I'm talkin' about! Sweetie, you really put the 'dream' in Dream Date!"

Hermione's mouth twitched. "Apparently I had a good time on our date."

Ron stretched his arms up. "What can I say," he let out with a satisfied sigh, "nothing but the best with me." Hermione rolled her eyes, but snuggled in closer to him, trying to stretch the time out before the cursor would force them to go.

Original A/N: Well, it's been awhile, hasn't it? I'm really sorry; I don't think I can apologize enough. I have to thank everyone who has not given up on my story. Please, leave a review if you read this chapter. I understand if you're mad at me for not updating, but please, reviews are what brought me to finish this chapter.

Please leave a little review, and I will write the next chapter as soon as I have time. Thank you!