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SWEETER THAN A NIGHTINGALE
by Tyde

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Chapter Five

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Author's note: I'm mean aren't I? I've got a chunk of reviews begging for kissage and I've been sitting on this chapter for a few days. The only reason I was dragging it out is because I still wanted to go over it with a fine toothed comb to make sure I'd said all that needed to be said. There is kissage, there is also an ending.

Fush – thank you. Reviews are always appreciated and encouragement is always welcome!

animegirl-mika (Michelle) – actually he was blinded in the bomb blast. Kidding. I love psychopathic reviewers – I am one myself! Well you know men; you need to hit them over the head for them to get a point. But Mione and Ron aren't as oblivious as you think...you'll see...

wm_law – hold your horses! :o) Kissage on it's way!

Xodox – yay, you think they are sweet? Faboo. That's what I was going for.

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He was all better, really. Well better enough to leave the hospital and go home. He'd have to have a full time nurse to look after him, a therapist that could help him further with his mobilisation exercises to get his leg back to form.

The hospital needed the bed, he was well enough to go, she just had to sign the papers and he'd be out of there. But Hermione found herself reluctant to do so. He'd made her job fun, she'd learnt a lot more about other aspects of Muggle medicine and care that she wouldn't have normally and she really enjoyed his company.

His steady influx of visitors gave the whole hospital a lighter atmosphere. Harry brought him the newest Chudley Cannons book to entertain him and also smuggled in some Firewhiskey when Hermione was distracted by talking to Percy about the latest embargos on dangerous medicines from Lithuania.

Mrs Weasley was anxious to have her 'baby' home but Mr Weasley was happy for him to stay there are long as he needed to and "if possible could you grab a couple of plugs and some other Muggle things of interest I've seen?"

It wasn't down to Ron or Hermione to decide however, Matron Sloane gave Ron his marching orders the following morning. He used a cane to support his weight as he walked. It was a rather handsome cane, cherry wood, with a carved handle that resembled a lion. The lion carved on the handle made up for the fact that when he'd first been given the cane he refused because he didn't want to appear to be anything like that "prejudiced bastard Lucius Malfoy".

Mr Weasley had borrowed a car from the Ministry to take them home, as he didn't fancy Ron's chances with a trip by Floo powder.

They all climbed into the surprisingly spacious interior of the Rolls and settled back for a quick and seemingly effortless trip back to the Burrow. As they all stood outside of the place Ron had called home for 23 years Hermione felt it was time to fess up. She cleared her throat, all the while playing it out as if it was a theatrical performance.

"Ron, I didn't hire you a therapy nurse."

"Oh okay. Should I just..." He had a sparkle to his eye that was meant only for Hermione and none of the other members of his family or Harry noticed.

"I figured I could just do it. I mean, I've read enough about it," Ron started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Is there anything you haven't read enough about? You could be the Minister for Magic if there was a book written about it Mione," She blushed.

"Now, now Ron, you're embarrassing her. Come inside dear and we'll set up a bed for you," Mrs Weasley put her arm around Hermione and led her into the kitchen.

Harry looked at his other best friend. "She's going to work you to the bone you know that? Never a moments peace, exercises left and right, have you reading half the Ottery St Catchpole library by the end of it all and you'll be begging for me to get you out".

"Shut up Harry," was all Ron said as he limped into the house, although he did swallow a secretive grin.

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"Is there any exercise in that bloody book that doesn't include me looking like a right idiot?" Ron complained as she shifted his foot up near his nose.

"Now Ron, you don't have to try to look like a right idiot, it just happens," a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

"Did the prim and proper Nurse Granger just make fun of me?"

"I believe I just did...Moaning Myrtle"

"Blimey, next you'll be transfiguring me into a badger or something"

"Don't give me ideas!"

"You seem rather cheerful of late, what's up?"

"Does anything have to be up?" Her words appeared innocent but he knew exactly what she was implying.

"You're just normally so serious"

"Well maybe it's cause I was worried about you before. You almost died twice you know, made me sick with worry," she sat down beside him on the mat. "But now that you're okay I figure I can have a little fun at your expense"

Her hand rested on his thigh as she spoke.

"Oh really? Well just cause my leg isn't fully recovered doesn't mean my hands aren't"

Leaning forward he clamped a hand down on her ankles and started to tickle her feet.

"Oooh...oh stop it Ronald Weasley! Just..." but she couldn't continue that train of thought as she broke out into insatiable giggles.

Regaining just a little bit of her composure she beat off his tickling fingers and proceeded to run her fingers up and down his ribs eliciting sniggering from her patient. Harry walked in on them and asked if being a patient was so fun could he get in on the action? Hermione was all business after that.

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It had only taken another month of therapy before Ron was back to normal. He felt a little sad to be seeing Hermione go after all they had been through. He voiced this to Harry on her last evening in the house. Little did Harry know that he was being set up.

"I like having her around, you know. It's different then when it was in school"

"Yeah, she wasn't your slave at school. Are you still making her bring you breakfast in bed?"

"I never asked her to do that Harry, she just did it," that familiar Weasley grin spread across his face.

"You know what's going on though don't you?"

"What?" Ron's expression was all innocence.

"What's going on with you and Mione"

"What, therapy?"

"Geez Ron, you can be daft sometimes can't you? You're telling me you never noticed it?" The exasperation was building on the famous man's face.

"Spit it out Harry, noticed what?" Ron scratched his knee and tried to avoid his friend's eye, he didn't want to give the game away.

"You two so obviously like each other. There were inklings at school but this whole series of events have only confirmed it"

"Of course I like her, she's my bloody best friend isn't she?" It was taking everything in his power not to laugh out aloud.

"Ron, you know what I'm talking about"

A third voice joined the conversation. "What are you talking about Harry?"

Harry gulped as he recognised Hermione's crisp voice. "You fancy Ron and he fancies you. It's as plain as the nose on my face"

Ron raised an eyebrow and Hermione cleared her throat.

"Well?" said Harry, beginning to think he'd imagined it all, "Don't you?"

Harry's two best friends started to laugh, loudly and with tears running down their face.

"Of course we do you nitwit. And you say we're not observant. We've been together for months, ever since 'Mione here said something about tying me up if I didn't behave myself. We were wondering how long we could keep it quiet before one of us cracked. It has been fun watching you get all flustered about it though".

Harry watched with amazement as Ron pulled Hermione onto his lap and gave her a rather passionate kiss.

"In fact there was something else that I wanted to say tonight, but I think it can wait until dinner".

His girlfriend cocked an eyebrow at him in question but he just shook his head "Later" he mouthed before bending down to capture her lips in yet another breathtaking kiss.

Harry just threw his hands up in the air and stormed out. "If you can't trust your best friends, who can you trust?" he mumbled.

The entire Weasley clan sat around the magically enlarged kitchen table. Arthur, Molly, Bill and his pregnant wife, Charlie and his girlfriend, Percy, Fred, George, Ron and Ginny. Hermione and Harry sat on either side of Ron.

Mrs Weasley had gone all out with the meal preparations that night, it wasn't often the whole family was together and there really was a lot of them to cater for, what with Bill starting off the grandchildren and all. They were having dessert of elderberry pie and ice cream when Ron cleared his throat.

"Um everybody I have something to say". Eight redheads turned towards him as did three brunettes and a blonde.

"As you know I haven't been altogether healthy this past year but due to the excellent care of Nurse Granger over there I have made a full recovery. Muggles are due more credit than they are given, their medical practices although seemingly primitive and painful to us really are quite effective in the end."

He glanced at his watch nervously. "Um..." his speech was interrupted by a commotion coming from the lounge room.

Two people had just flooed in and were in a heap on the floor, dust covering their neat Muggle clothing. Hermione's eyes widened.

"Mum? Dad? What are you doing here? How did you know how to use Floo powder?" their daughter was filled with questions and they all seemed to be spilling out of her mouth at once.

Her mother spoke first, "Ron invited us. Sorry we're late Ron, a little nervous about using the Floo. It's really quite bracing isn't it?"

Molly conjured up some chairs from the garage so the Grangers could join the already over crowded table. Ron looked at Mr Granger who smiled and nodded his head. No one noticed him slip something to Ron under the table. The red head quickly secreted it into his robes and stood up.

"Right, um, okay then"

Ron was twisting his napkin up so tightly that his knuckles were turning white.

"Ah, I have an announcement to make. Um, actually it's more of a question. It's something that's been on my mind for quite some time and I really think I should do something about it before it's too late"

He turned to Hermione and fell onto one knee in front of her. A small box made it's way out of the pocket in his robes and he opened it up for her to see what was inside. She gasped in shock and put a hand over her heart. He couldn't be, surely not?! But he was. Harry's eyes bugged out of his head. As if he hadn't had enough surprises for tonight.

"Hermione Louise Granger...will you marry me?"

The captive audience hung on every word. Hermione's eyes had misted over and she could see that Ron was the same way. The ring he held out to her was her grandmother's engagement ring.

A late 1940s princess cut diamond that twinkled in the candlelight. She looked over to her father who also had tears in his eyes and was holding tightly onto her mother who was sniffling into a handkerchief. It had been his mother's ring and she had left it to him in her will to give to whomever he deemed worthy to propose to his daughter. The pause was so long that Ron had started to sweat.

"Um...Mione?" He licked the sweat off the top of his lip nervously. "Kinda need an answer here"

In any other circumstance everyone would have laughed out aloud but they waited with baited breath as if everything in their lives had led up to this defining moment. Even Fred and George were speechless enough for no inappropriate comments to grace their lips.

"Honestly Ronald Weasley, don't you know me by now?" she dropped to her knees and flung her arms around him. "The answer is yes, silly".

The round of applause in the small kitchen of The Burrow that evening would have put Quidditch World Cup spectators to shame.

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THE END

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Author's note: That's it. Gee that seemed to be over so quick :o( I suppose cause the last one I wrote was 26 chapters and also I had holidays and illnesses preventing me from writing it. This was only five chapters but I don't really think I wanted it to be much more than that. If there is enough interest I may write a sequel, that'll probably be fairly short too though. Thanks to all my reviewers!