Hey all! I've missed this so much. I'm in bed now… surgery went well but I'm in a LOT of pain. I got this laptop so I'm going to finally be able to work on this story! Yay! The only problem is that I'm high on painkillers that fog up my mind so it's still taking me a while.

Review!!!

Disclaimer: not mine.

Ron's pov.

Nothings changed these past few weeks. That's good and bad. Hermione's been really quiet in potions… she hardly ever even raises her hand. Honestly, I think that it's a good thing, but I'd never tell her that. Our detention was a few days ago. A real punishment- not! We had to organize Snape's potions supply room. Now, Hermione loves to organize so she just handed me stuff and said, "Put this one here" and "That one goes there"… we talked about other things too. She thinks that Ginny's getting over her little crush on Harry. I told Minny to keep dreaming.

There is one thing that's changed. People have been talking.

Not good talking.

Gossiping.

About Hermione.

They talk about what Snape said in class that day. He had to apologize to Minny privately, but it doesn't change the fact that people are talking. I heard Lavender, Padma, and Pavarti talking about it.

"PMS. I'd put money on it. He was just saying 'sick' he didn't MEAN that she was sick"

"No way Pavarti, she's sick."

"Probably just a cold or something."

"No way- we'd know if it was a cold. She gets all red in the face and her voice gets really nasal."

"Lavender's right. We used to share a room with her."

"Yeah, what's with that? Why does she get to share a room with Ginny? Just the two of them, they're not even in the same year!"

"I know!"

"Maybe it's some gross skin condition, and Ginny already knew about it so they're sharing a room."

"Eww… but how would Ginny know if we don't?"

"Well," she dropped her voice, "I hear that Hermione spent her summer vacation at the Weasley's house!"

"NO."

"Yes, I really did hear it. Can you believe her parents would let her spend her vacation at her BOYFRIEND'S house!?"

"Well, they weren't dating then…"

"So? We all knew that they would be eventually. How many bets have we all lost because it took them too damn long to get together?"

"She's right."



I stopped listening then. I couldn't believe that those three were THAT shallow. Minny and I wouldn't do anything… even now we're engaged and we still haven't done anything like that. Mum raised me better that that, and Hermione- Hermione's Hermione. She's so conservative; her old roommates should know that!

Gossip is so sick. Girls, and boys for that matter, should just mind their own business. Seriously, gossip is disgusting. It should be illegal.

I guess a law is a little…harsh, but I don't see why we shouldn't make a rule against it, either that or find some way to make people just not care.

The gossip doesn't bother me so much as it bothers me that I heard it. That seems to make no sense, but think about it, what if Hermione had heard it? Hmmm? She'd be so upset! She'd start crying and just freak out because people knew she was sick, and that they think we would do anything…inappropriate… well that could make her quite irritated, and no one wants to be around her when she's pissed. No one but me that is, and that's only when we're in a good argument, you know… how her eyes flash and her face gets a little flushed. Her hair seems to blow away from her face like there's some sort of wind there and her feet are apart with her hands on her hips. She bites her lip really hard before she starts screaming and that makes her lips really red and I'll stop thinking about that now.

"Ron?"

It's Hermione.

"Hey Minny."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing!"

"Ron?"

"Really, nothing's wrong. I was just thinking."

"Oh… that's something new for you, no wonder you looked troubled."

"Ha ha Hermione, that's not funny."

"No, it wasn't, but unless you tell me what's wrong I'll have to believe it."

"How can I convince you that nothings wrong?" I asked her, slipping my arm around her waist. I pull her down so that she's sitting on my lap and I kiss her lightly.

"Ron…just tell me what's wrong!"

"It's nothing. Really, I was just thinking."

"What about?"

I looked her straight in the eyes and she shut her mouth.

"Oh…that?"

"Yeah."

It's sort of true. I am thinking about people thinking about that. I just don't want to worry her about it.

"Hey Minny?"

"Yeah?"

"Lets go talk somewhere more private?"

"Sure Ron, where?"

"How about… the lake. I'm getting to like it down there."

"Yeah, me too."

We walked to the lake slowly, like there was nothing happening in the world- in our worlds- like we had all the time in the world and nothing was ever going to change. When we got there Hermione turned to me and asked what I wanted to talk about.

"I want to talk about us."

Her face fell.

"It's nothing bad!"

"Oh," she sighed, then smiled and hit me. "Don't scare me like that!" she screeched.

"We're engaged."

"Yes, for a while now."

"We'll get married one day?"

"That is what happens when you get engaged."

"When? I mean, like you've said, we've been for a while now. We told our families and our best friend. The headmaster and deputy headmistress know…"

"You want to start planning the wedding?"

"I want to talk about when we want to start planning the wedding."

"You want to plan when to plan?"

"I guess you're rubbing off on me. You with you study schedules for studying."

"Ha ha ha."

"Seriously though, all I want to know is if/when you want to plan the wedding."

"There's no harm in planning…"

That's a load off my chest. I was starting to worry that she never wanted to really get married. Aside from looking at her ring all day long, she's done nothing to acknowledge the fact that we're engaged. We act like we're going out and all, but… I don't know... I was starting to feel like a bit of a prat.

"I want Ginny to be my maid of honor, and Harry should be the best man…" she trailed off looking very confused, "Ron?"

"Yes?"

"Are muggle and magic weddings different?"

"I don't know. Are they?"

"What is a wizard's wedding like?"

"Well, they're almost always outdoors. The bride wears white robes- really fancy ones. The maid of honor and best man usually have matching dress robes and the groom wears black. The black and white has something symbolic to it. Night and day, good and evil, balance and all that shit."

"Okay, what's the service like? And the other traditions?"

"Well, guys usually have a big party for the groom with…er… inappropriate things. The girls usually have a big fancy party for the bride. At the party afterwards, the bride and groom sit in big fancy chairs that are up in the air. The maid of honor and best man have the first dance, and then everyone else joins in. Oh, and most importantly: there is a HUGE cake and lots of other little, usually chocolate, desserts. YUM."

She started laughing, now I never really thought that wedding parties were funny.

"What's so funny? What are muggle weddings like?"

"I'm not laughing at the wedding, I'm laughing at the man I'm going to marry. The most important part of the wedding is the cake and assorted chocolates?"

"Oh…"

"I want, if it's okay with you, to have a wedding with some muggle and some magical parts."

"Like?"

"Well, are there bridesmaids at a wizard's wedding?"

"Bridesmaids? There's the bride's maid of honor."

"Okay, well I want a maid of honor and bridesmaids- both are present at most muggle weddings. And I want to wear a wedding dress, not wedding robes. You can still where robes though. Wedding dresses are solid white too, so don't worry about that. I'd like it outside, some muggles do that… and the floating chairs sounds beautiful."

"Okay."

"And I definitely what Harry and Ginny to open the dancing, and your brothers should be the ushers will be your brothers."

"That sure would make her happy."

"Yeah, and I highly doubt that he'd mind."

Does she really think that Harry might fancy my sister? That would be just bizarre, but it sure would make Ginny happy.

"I also think that we should invite the whole school."

"WHAT? There will be no Slytherins at MY wedding!"

She laughed.

"What's so damn funny?"

"Nothing, it's just- do you really think that they would COME? Yet, I suppose you're right. I don't want any of them at my wedding…"

"Okay, good. I was starting to worry that you had lost your mind."

"Me? Lose ANYTHING? Lose my MIND? The second most important thing to me?!"

"Second?! What on earth is more important to you than your mind? Oh…of course, your copy of Hogwarts, a History!"

"No, not my copy of Hogwarts, a History. You."

Okay, that's not funny. Not funny at all, sweet and romantic and sappy- yes- but not funny at all.

"Hermione…"

"Sorry, but it's true. You do know that don't you? That I love you and that you're the most important thing in my life?"

"Yeah, I know, and I love you too. I'd do anything for you Minny."

"Okay, I have an important question for you."

"What is it?"

"Where do you want to have the wedding? I was thinking that maybe we could have it here, at Hogwarts, or near the Burrow. It's up to you though."

"I…I don't really know. It would be nice to have it here."

"No Slytherins but."

"Right."

"In the summer?"

"This summer?"

"This summer…"

"There's plenty of time…"

"There's time to plan it, yes, but…"

"What?"

"What if… I don't make it to this summer?"

"Try. Hope. Pray. Wish. Maybe you will, if not… there's nothing we can do."

She threw her arms around my neck.

"That's the smartest thing you've ever said. Also, possibly, the best put."

"Really? Do I get a reward?"

Of course Hermione's the only girl who will issue a compliment and deny a reward. She just shook her head and laughed. =-(

"So, this summer…"

"This summer…"

"We're getting married."

"We're getting married this summer."

"Yes we are."

"If I don't die first."

I've never heard her put it so bluntly. Wait… what was that?

I guess it was nothing, but I was sure I heard a little sound.

"Ron? Why me?"

"Why you what?"

"Why do I have to have cancer? Why can't it be Malfoy? Or Pansy Parkinson?"

"I don't know, but it sure isn't fair."

"No it's not!"

She doesn't get emotional often, but I hate it when she does. I mean, we've all thought about that question- why her- but I can't figure it out and neither can Harry of Ginny. But when she cries, it's so hard for me. I never know just what to do, but it's easier now than it was before. I mean, at least I know that I can hold her now and rub her back-tell her it'll all be okay, and I'm not really ashamed to cry with her anymore. I know that Mum always said that I could cry, Dad too. Charlie, Bill, and Percy probably wouldn't care and I know that Ginny would say it was 'sweet' or something. Then there's Fred and George… Fred and George would never let me live it down. Unless maybe someone had died, I think they'd let me cry if someone was dead. They don't know about

Hermione's condition, so they wouldn't let my cry about it. I think that those two need to cry sometimes; it lets you get your emotions out.

What was that?

I know I heard something that time. There's someone there! Someone or something...

Someone, I think it was Malfoy!

Oh, I'll catch that dirty bastard…

Minny's calling me to come back, but I'm just going to ignore her for now.

What? I have to find him!

Seriously!

What if he heard us talking? Hmmm?

Got ya!

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Get off of me Weasley!"

"No way in hell Malfoy! What the fuck were you doing spying on us?"

"Why would I want to spy on you and the mudblood?"

oops, I didn't MEAN to punch Malfoy, really I didn't.

"Why were you spying on us Malfoy?!"

"I wasn't spying."

"You suck at lying, not even Snape would be able to believe that!"

"I just…overheard some things."

"What did you hear?!"

"Nothing much, just you two saps saying that you love each other and crying your eyes out. Oh, and that and she's dying from cancer, which proves that muggles are inferior: what wizards die from something like cancer?"

"Plenty have, actually. It was quite a common cause of death, until some old witch discovered a vaccine. And muggles happen to have treatments that just don't always work."

"Still proves superiority on our part."

"Shut up Malfoy. I swear that if you tell anyone I will beat you so badly that you wont be ABLE to talk!"

"Threatening me Weasley? Not a wise move."

"Just don't talk or you WILL be sorry."



That was long! My longest yet I think.

Then again, I haven't updated in like six hundred years.

Sorry! It's just that first I had surgery, then the painkillers, then I couldn't find the 3 ½ floppy drive that I have to switch with the cd drive. Then I found that and I couldn't figure out how to switch them. I finally did and I couldn't log in… so I finally did, I hope you like this story!

I'm going to update soon!

I'm also going to start winding down soon.

OWLs will be pretty soon.

Nice short Easter Hols coming up.

News of the engagement…

Summer…



ANYWAY… so how was that? Some of it was pointless, but I think that some of it was good.

REVIEW!!!!! PLEASE!!!!!