A/N: Welcome back, to Chapter two of "Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Oven"!! Here, things get a little bit sappy, so forgive me for that, but a little surprise happens but I ain't tellin you!!! So just read and find out! :P
Ron nervously paced Harry's apartment living room.
"Geez Ron! You've paced that room so many times there should be a track engraved in there by now!" Harry called from his laid-back seat on his chair.
"Look, proposing isn't as easy as it looks! But it is for you, isn't it? You've done it what, three times now?" Ron snapped.
Harry winced, and looked away, hurt. Ron sighed. "Hey man, sorry. I'm just really jumpy. You didn't deserve that." Ron stopped and balled his hands into a fist in his frustration. "What do I do?" He asked desperately.
"The first think you have to do is chill out! No girl says yes to a guy that's asking her at a million miles an hour. Here, have my seat." Harry got up and waved his arms like a servant to the chair. Ron walked over and flopped down. "There, see? Better already. Now, answer these simple questions: Do you love her?"
"Yes duh! I wouldn't be proposing otherwise!"
"EEHNT! Wrong answer! Try again: Do you love her?"
Ron sighed. "Yes. I love her more than life itself."
"Ding ding ding! That's better! Now, do you want to marry her?"
Ron opened his mouth to give yet another smart-mouth answer, but caught himself. "To grow old with her would be one of the biggest privileges bestowed upon me. I would be honored beyond words."
"There see? You have it down. You are a fast learner!"
"I may be calm now, but what am I going to say?"
"What you just told me now. Only, don't say it like she isn't here. Say it using the word 'you' instead of 'her'. Here, practice on me. I'm Hermione."
Ron made a face. "I don't know. It's a little weird."
"No no, trust me. It helps a ton to practice on a friend." Harry straightened out his pants and sat up on the sofa. "It's the night of the proposal dinner, and I'm Hermione. Propose to me."
Ron sighed. "All right fine." Ron got down on one knee and sighed. "Hermione, I love you more than life itself. I've loved you ever since I've met you, and to grow old with you is one of my most loftiest dreams and I would be honored beyond belief if you would be my wife." Ron opened an imaginary jewelry box holding an invisible ring.
But just as Ron was saying "If you would be my wife" Fred and George stepped in and stood, frozen in the doorway looking at the scene: Ron kneeling before Harry holding an invisible box. Slowly, Harry and Ron turned to look at them.
Fred raised his head. "Yeah, ok. I don't need those galleons anymore. I think we'll get by with the sickles."
George nodded. "Yeah I agree. Come brother, let's go!"
They turned and sped out of the room. Ron groaned and fell down onto the floor. "This is hopeless!"
Harry laughed. "I guess we shouldn't have been doing this here."
Ron looked at his watch and swore. "I gotta get back home. Hermione's probably wondering where the heck I am."
"Yeah ok. See ya later, Ron. Good luck tonight!"
"Yeah, see ya Harry."
Ron turned and walked out of the room, down the stairs and out the door. He jumped into a cab and drove to his own building, to room 34D, where hopefully Hermione would be waiting.
And she was. Laying on the bed, she was reading an old charms book from her Hogwarts days. "Winagardium Leviosa!" she said lazily, waving her wand at the nearest object. It happened to be the clock that lay where the nightstand box had been. It flew up and hovered for a little bit before settling down on the wooden floor once more. Hermione blew a some stray strands of hair from her face. She looked at the clock. 'Where is that boyfriend of mine?'
The click of the opening of the door and the "I'm back!" made her turn around to see the red-headed boy who lived with her. "Sorry I'm late! Harry is uh, having problems with his girlfriend again."
"I thought he was single again. Who's he going out with now?"
"Ummm, Sally?"
"Sally who? Do I know her?"
"No you don't." Ron said while hastily changing the subject. "So, you ready for tonight?"
"Almost, I just have to change."
"Ok well, I have reservations for six o'clock, so we better get a move on."
"Yeah, ok." She said, moving to the pile of clothes that was hers and looking for the black velvet number that she chose for tonight, after seeing what he was going to do. Butterflies jumped and fluttered in her stomach. She grabbed it and went into the bathroom to change.
Ron went and pulled on his nice tux. It was a nice muggle resturant, so they figured they'd dress in the proper muggle fashion. Adjusting his tie in front of the mirror, butterflies found their way into his stomach as well. Running a final comb through his hair he went over to his clothes where the small bag with the ring of their future together rested. He pulled it out and took one last look at it before putting it in the pocket inside of the jacket.
Hermione appeared from the bathroom in a floor-length velvet black dress, her hair pulled up into a fancy bun on the back of her head. She smiled that smile that always made Ron's heart melt. "Ready?"
He stuck out an elbow for her to take. "Ready as ever, m'lady!"
"Let us off then!"
She took his arm and together they walked down the steps, but Hermione felt like she was floating. They got into the cab and headed off for 'Chez Magnifique'. It was one of the many five-star resturants in London, but Ron found this as one of the more affordable ones. Harry insisted on helping pay for it, which made things a bit worse for Ron.
Together the walked into the beautiful resturant with the ferns in every corner, and the soft, romantic lighting. Hermione's heart soared. This was going to be one of the most memorable moments of her life.
They were seated in a small booth towards the back, where they would have lots of privacy. Ron ordered the corned beef (a taste he'd finally developed for) and Hermione ordered the roast duck. The food was wonderful, and Hermione made exclamations about every bite of food she took. 'So far so good' Ron thought nervously.
Ron took his last bite of beef, then cleared his throat. "Hermione, I have something I'd like to ask you. It's, ah, sort of important."
It took every once of self restraint she had to keep from shouting 'Yes' at that moment. She merely nodded and said "Ok. Go ahead."
The butterflies worsened. Ron cleared his throat again, and reached across the table to take Hermione's hands in his. "Hermione," He began. "I love you more than life itself. From the moment I met you, I-I knew you were the one, no one else even came close. I tried to hide my emotions with bitterness and spite, and I know we fought a lot, but I love you and-" he reached into his coat pocket and pulled out the little black box. Hermione's heart fluttered. "-I would be truly honored if you would be my wife."
Tears sprung into Hermione's eyes. "Yes!" she whispered. "Yes I will!"
Ron smiled, and slipped the ring onto her finger. The leaned in on the table and kissed tenderly and lovingly. It was one of the best moments Ron and Hermione had ever had. Little did they know turmoil hid right around the corner....
A/N: yeah, it's done!! yes yes, I I know this was sappy, but you have to see this before you see what comes up next. So suck it up and deal with it! ;) Oh and please don't sue me, I don 't own any of these people or Harry Potter, because if I did I wouldn't be here typing this, I'd be in my jacuzzi and olympic sized pool while having drinks served to me on silver platters by handsome men in tuxes.....;)