Standing on a humped, wooden bridge, overlooking a large pond bathed in the silvery-blue glow of the moonlight, surrounded by trees, grass and flowers, were two figures. These two figures were oblivious to the nocturnal beauty surrounding them, as they were engulfed in a tangle of lips and arms, their eyelids closed. Both felt full of some indescribable power and passion, surging through their connecting point - their mouths - and into both hearts.

When they drew apart, Ron gazed into Hermione's eyes, reflecting the full moon hanging above.

"You know, I can't believe we're finally doing this," he said, just to make sure they WERE doing it, and that this wasn't some extra-vivid dream. "After all the times I imagined it, I mean."

Hermione grinned and Ron's heart leapt several inches. "I can't believe we could have been doing this seven years ago."

"Maybe it's better this way," said Ron, making Hermione stare. "If we had been on these terms at Hogwarts, we might not be doing this now."

Hermione frowned quizzically. Ron explained. "Look, we never really had a clean record for arguing if you remember..."(Hermione grinned)"Firebolts, house-elves, cats, Grims, homework.... one of those arguments could have completely destroyed our relationship if we had had one at the time. Besides, we're a bit older now, so we know what we want...."

"Oh, I know what I want all right," said Hermione, grinning. She grabbed a handful of Ron's jumper and pulled him closer to her, raising her face to his. Moments later, they were tangled in part two of the kiss they had shared not a minute ago. They were heedless of the world, the setting, anything or anyone around them or who might be watching as they shifted their grips on each other's lips, tightening the kiss. They were even unaware of the two faint popping sounds behind them, announcing the Apparition of two people.

"Oops, looks like we got our timing wrong, Gin," said an amused voice Ron recognised, but hadn't heard for four years."Maybe we'd better leave the two love-birds to it and come back later," although it was obvious from the tone in the speaker's voice that he had no intention of leaving.

Ron broke the kiss apart reluctantly and turned around. Leaning on the wooden rail of the bridge with his arm around his, Ron's, sister and a mischievous grin spread across his face was....

"Harry?!" Ron exclaimed.

"All right, mate?" Harry grinned.

Ron dashed over to him. They shook hands, they hugged, the slapped each other's back they hugged again and bombarded each other with questions.

"So, where have you been these past few years, Ron, eh?" Harry inquired.

Ron unfolded his story again. Hermione and Ginny had both heard it before, but they stopped talking to hear it again anyway. Hermione noticed that Ron had not embroided the story in any places to make it sound more tragic, or to give himself a more heroic figure and felt even closer and warmer towards him. When Ron had finished, a thoughtful frown crossed Harry's face.

"Hmmm, well, I hate to be the voice of doom, Ron, but I reckon old Malfoy was thinking of his own means of revenge," he said finally. "I don't think he was planning to leave it to the Ministry. You know what he's like."

"Yeah, I was thinking the said thing," Ron admitted. "But he's had four years to get me back and he hasn't yet, so...."

"Besides, I'll bet Malfoy expects you to be long dead anyway!" said Hermione brightly. "So why don't we get off this depressing subject and talk about something else?"

There was a moment's silence as the four minds searched for a subject to bring up, then Harry turned to Ron.

"So, after all these years, you finally decided to tell Hermione what you felt for her, eh?" he asked, grinning.

"Yep," Ron replied, smiling at Hermione. "and the funny thing is I could have done it seven years ago and got the same reaction."

"Well, I could have told you that," said Ginny.

Ron raised an eyebrow as if to ask "Well, why didn't you?" but instead said, "So, are you two love-birds still at it then? After all these years since your Hogwarts dates?"

"Why shouldn't we be?" said Ginny, beaming at Harry.

"Well, I know you got very upset when Harry didn't write to you in your last year at school," Ron replied pointedly to Ginny."Kept writing home, asking if he'd sent any letters to the Burrow by mistake...going on about how much you miss him...."

"Yeah, well we've made up for that now," said Harry quickly. "In fact, we've got a bit of news we'd like to share with you, haven't we, Gin?"

"Oh, yes."

Hermione had a feeling she knew what was coming, but still said "Well, go on. Don't keep us in suspense," very expectantly.

The was a moment's silence, then Harry burst out "We're engaged!" just as Ginny squealed "We're getting married!" flashing her engagement ring so the moonlight caught it. There were various combinations of hugs that followed this statement - Ron and Harry, Ginny and Ron, Hermione and Ginny, Harry and Hermione....

Ron slapped Harry on the back. "Well, you've picked a good partner-for-life, there, Harry," he said, then raised his voice slightly and added, "a bit of a brat sometimes, but she's okay, mostly."

Ginny stuck her tongue out at Ron, who rolled his eyes in reply.

"Have you got a date fixed for the wedding?" Hermione inquired.

"Well, no," Ginny replied slowly, "but it won't be too far away...."

"Because we can't live without each other," added Harry with a whine as he and Ginny exchanged a wistful glance. "Anyway, we'd better go and break the news to your mum and dad, Gin. Then we'll pay Sirius a visit."

"Congratulations, both of you," smiled Hermione as Harry and Ginny prepared to Disapparate.

"Thanks."

"We'll let you know when we've got a date set."

"Bye!"

Harry and Ginny vanished with two faint 'pops'.

Hermione stood in Ron's arms as she stared at the spot where her two best friends had disappeared (Ron was now, thankfully, a lot more than just a friend) and let out a soft, contented sigh.

"You know, I can't think of two people who deserve each other more than Ginny and Harry do," she said after a while.

"What about us?" Ron asked quietly, feeling so relaxed with Hermione in his arms and her head on his shoulder, he was only half-thinking about what he was saying.

"Apart from us, silly!" Hermione snapped cheerfully. "We belong together."

"Yeah, we do," Ron grinned, then added more thoughtfully, "you know, it's weird, I've known Harry for what? Twelve years now? And I've known Ginny all her life - that's about twenty two years - and I've never seen either of them so happy."

"I've never seen anyone so happy, let alone Harry and Ginny," said Hermione.

There was another long pause, then Ron heard himself ask before he'd quite realised why or what good it would do, "d'you reckon we could ever get to that? You and me?"

"Oh, I'd love to," said Hermione softly and Ron desperately tried to determine the tone in her voice. "I'd really love to."

"Yeah," he replied, semiconsciously, "me too."

Hermione snapped out of the dreamy trance she often got when being with Ron, raised her head off his shoulder, looked into his face and said, "Hang on. Did you just propose to me?"

Ron gazed unseeingly over Hermione's beautiful head, thinking. He did sort of propose to her, didn't he? Stupid thing to do really, but he had done it. Well, it wasn't too late to deny all, but for some reason he didn't seem to want to. He'd loved Hermione for eight years and could easily see himself loving her till the day he drops dead. If he was honest with himself, he could think of nothing he'd want more than to marry Hermione, to devote the rest of his life to her and to share absolutely everything with her - something that had always seemed like such a far-fetched fantasy, yet now, all he had to do was to say one word and it might just happen in reality....

Ron turned back to Hermione. "Yeah, I suppose I did, in a way," he said softly, gazing affectionately into her eyes.

Hermione's eyes widened. "really? You mean you actually want me to...." but she was cut across by Ron, who had swiftly withdrawn a hand from Hermione's back and slapped himself hard across the face, shaking his head furiously, muttering "what was I thinking? It's stupid, why was I even....?"

"Ron!" Hermione gasped, completely taken aback by the way he was beating himself down. She grabbed his hand to stop him slapping himself any more and said more calmly, "Please tell me what you were going to say."

Ron shook his head and mumbled, "No, it's too soon, it's stupid. I don't know what I was...."

"Ron, please?"

"Lovely moon, isn't it?" said Ron, raising his eyes to the starry heavens. "Mars is bright tonight...."

"RON!"

Hermione plunged a hand into his pocket, pulled out his wand and rammed in his hand, careful to keep to tip of it pointing directly at her.

"There!" she said firmly. "Say whatever it is you've got to say and if it really is as stupid as you make it out to be, which I very much doubt, you can do a Memory Charm on me, okay?"

Ron stared at the determined look in her eyes and lowered his wand arm, appalled at the prospect of raising a wand on her of all people. Then, resigned to the worst, he sighed and said in defeated, very rushed tones, "Well, it's just that....it's just that I love you so much, and you've done so much for me, over these past few weeks and over the past four years...."

"What do you mean?" Hermione interrupted. "How could I have possibly done anything for you if I had no idea where you were?"

Ron took a deep breath and went rambling on in his flat, defeated tone, "well, you won't really understand. It's complicated, but basically the hope that some day, I'd be able to..to meet you and tell you what I felt -FEEL! - for you and the very far-fetched wish that you might have the same sort of feelings for me and maybe we could start something....that was the only thing really...kept me going over long sleety nights of sheltering under park benches and things. And I really really love you, and

I couldn't bear to lose you and" he continued in a lower, more shameful tone, "and I was sort of hoping that maybe we could make Harry and Ginny's wedding a...a..."

"Yes?" Hermione prompted gently.

"A double one" Ron muttered, sounding like he was confessing the worst crime known to mankind. He hung his head rather shamefully and stared at the ground, failing to notice the excited and joyous glimmer in Hermione's eyes as he said this.

Hermione smiled at Ron for a while, trying to find some way of putting her current feelings into words.

Before Ron could quite realise what he was doing, his wand arm had raised itself, wand pointing at Hermione.

"Oblivia-"

"Expelliarmus," said Hermione casually, as she whipped out her wand a split-second beforehand and Disarmed Ron of his own, which had soared into the air and performed several impressive cartwheels before landing neatly in Hermione's delicate palm. Ron bowed his head again.

"Sorry about that," said Hermione, her eyes twinkling. "But I couldn't have you making me forget that. It's not every day a girl gets proposed to, you know."

Ron continued to stare at the ground and said nothing, so Hermione pressed, "Well? Don't you want an answer?"

"No," muttered Ron, now gazing blankly at the park bench to their right. "No, it's okay, Hermione, I think I can guess the answer and thank you very very much for everything you've done for me and thank your parents for putting me up and everything, but maybe it's time I went home, and I'll probably see you at work on Monday and then we...."

"Yes," Hermione interrupted suddenly.

Ron's eyes snapped onto hers. "What do you mean, 'yes?' Yes what?"

"Yes, I'll marry you," Hermione smiled.

Ron's mouth fell open as he stared at her, the he shook his head and said "No. No you won't. Believe me, Hermione, you don't want to marry me...."

"Why not?" she inquired in a innocently puzzled tone. "I love you and...."

"I know you do," said Ron, suddenly very serious. "And I love you, too and that's why I can't bear to see you miserable...."

Hermione started to laugh. "Miserable? Don't be silly, Ron, why on earth would I be miserable if I married you?"

Ron took a deep breath and burst out "well, think about it! What have I got to offer you? I'm a toilet cleaner! I wouldn't even be that if it weren't for you! I've got nothing! How am I supposed to support you? To insure that you've got...."

Hermione's astonishing smile broadened. "Ron," she said gently, "I couldn't care less what your job is or how much or little money you've got. If we get married - and I'm all for the idea, I really am - it'll be because we love each other, okay? And besides, you're not going to be a toilet cleaner for long. I promise you, we'll get your job back at the Ministry and you're going to go back to being the best Auror since Moody, and you're going to capture Malfoy and get him back for everything he did.

All we've got to do is prove to the Ministry that you've still got what it takes and that you were innocent. And until you get your job back, I'll support you. We're in this together. And I'll tell you this, I'd marry you if it meant we both had to spend the rest of our lives living in that dingy alleyway off Victoria Street. I love you, Ron, you know I do."

Ron gaped at her, his mouth hanging open. After a long silence, where Ron had tried several ways of trying to express the things going on in his head, he gave a small sheepish smile and said, very quietly, "So, um, are, uh, are we on then?"

Hermione's gorgeous smile widened. "Here's your answer, Ron. Take it any way you want to," then she leaned forward and slowly pulled him into another kiss, except this time, she took a daring step forward and jerked her previously stationary tongue into life as it slid slowly across the border between the two mouths and into Ron's. Ron was taken aback at first, but as he tried to retaliate, Hermione, feeling this was going a bit too fast after all, pulled apart and whispered, "Save it for the honeymoon. And, yes, we WILL get there," she added, reading the look on Ron's face.

Ron could only nod, feeling rather stupid for not having anything to say or do on the subject.

"So, now what?" Hermione asked, biting her lip in an nervously excited sort of way.

"Well, should, uh, should we go and see if we can sort this whole double-wedding thing out with Harry and Ginny? I mean if it's okay and if we can fix a date for it or, you know...." Ron suggested, wishing he could have thought of a different answer.

"Yeah, okay!" said Hermione brightly. "I think it's a wonderful idea, three best friends getting married on the same day."

"I surprise myself sometimes," Ron shrugged, grinning.

A/N Right, that was all the mushy stuff. It gets a lot more interesting in the next chapter. Less mush, more action! Not that there's anything wrong with mush....

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