Disclaimer: To be or not to be (the owner)? That is the question. You know the answer!

A/N: Well this is the next to last chapter. I am so excited I am actually gonna finish something. This chapter's song is "By Your Side" by Sade. As always I most highly recommend downloading the song and then listening to it while reading. It adds to the emotion. (I would know I listen to a song the whole time I write a chapter!) Well, Happy Reading! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Chapter 6: By Your Side

"You think I'd leave your side baby?
You know me better than that.
You think I'd leave you down
When you're down on your knees
I wouldn't do that."

Ron turned and looked at Hermione for the last time and then apparated home. He arrived in his kitchen. His hopes that no one would be home were dashed when he spotted Ginny and Harry sitting at the kitchen table laughing. The two had looked up at the loud crack and Ginny spoke first.

"Hey Ron! How'd it go?" She asked her brother cheerfully. Harry nodded at him and awaited his answer. Ron tried to put on a smile, but really just wanted to be alone.

"Hey guys, I'm really tired and this box is really heavy. I'm just gonna go upstairs." Ron told them and then turned and headed up the stairs. Ginny and Harry nodded glumly. Figuring that it didn't go well. But to their surprise less than 10 minutes later there was another loud crack and Hermione had apparated into the kitchen as well.

With the ring box clutched tightly in her fist, she frantically asked, "Where's Ron?"

"Upstairs." Ginny answered and then watched as the disheveled Hermione turned and ran that way. She looked confusedly over at Harry but his expression matched hers.

"I'll do you right
When you're wrong
I, oh, oh
If only you could see into me"

Hermione rushed up the stairs to Ron's room and when she got there she threw open the bedroom door to see Ron sitting on his bed.

Ron, startled by the sudden intrusion, quickly jumped off the bed careful to set the picture of Hermione he had been staring at down and asked "Hermione, what are you doing here?"

Hermione tried to calm herself before speaking to Ron but her emotions were a mess and she was out of breath from sprinting up all those stairs so her voice came strange and high when she spoke. "Ron what's this?" she asked holding up the ring box. "Why do you have this ring?" she said and then broke down sobbing.

"Oh when you're cold
I'll be there to hold you tight
To me."

As Hermione started crying again, Ron wasted no time walking over to her, and pulling the sobbing woman onto his chest. He held her tightly and closed his eyes as a tear ran down his cheek. He just wanted to be there for her. He would hold her like this forever, as long as she needed him. No one had ever really needed Ron. Just appreciated his help. But Hermione needed him. And he would be there for her.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled into her hair. "This is all my fault, you don't deserve to be treated this way, I shouldn't have done this to you."

Hermione pulled back and looked up abruptly at Ron.

"When you're on the outside baby
And you can't get in
I will show you
You're so much better than you know
When you're lost and you're alone
And you can't get back again
I will find you darling
And I'll bring you home."

Ginny suddenly jumped out of her seat and went over to a drawer in the kitchen and took something out. "I knew these would come in handy", she said handing Harry a pair of extendable ears. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hermione looked up, shocked at Ron. How could he blame himself for this whole mess?

"Ron you come at me all the time, telling me how great I am, how brilliant, how smart" she grabbed his hand as she went to continue but was interrupted.

"Because you are." Ron whispered.

"So are you." She told him exasperated. "I want to show you, you are so much better than you think. If not to the world, than to me. You mean everything to me." She kissed his hand and then continued.

"Ron, I have been so lost without you." All the words she had wanted to say earlier came to her. "And now when I am with you, I feel like myself again, like you've brought me home. I am so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" She asked as the tears again began to stream down her face.

"And if you want to cry
I am here to dry your eyes
And in no time you'll be fine"

Ron again pulled Hermione tightly against him. "No, no more crying." He told her this even as tears began to escape his eyes. "Of course I forgive you. All I really want is for you to be happy. With or without me. But hopefully with."

Hermione pulled back, looking up and wiping a tear off his cheek. He cried for her. Ron, who had always tried to be tough, cried at the thought of losing her. "I love you so much Ron." She stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him. Gently but firm enough that he would believe she loved him so much. She then wrapped her arms around his middle and laid her head back upon his chest.

They wouldn't cry anymore. It was the silent agreement made between them in her gentle kiss. As long as she had Ron there would be no more need to cry. The only person worth her tears, would cause her to shed no more.

"You think I'd leave your side baby?
You know me better than that.
You think I'd leave you down
When you're down on your knees
I wouldn't do that."

"I love you too." Ron told her. "More than I can ever tell you. More than you will ever know." He squeezed her to him. If he had his way, he would never let her go again. For all he cared the world could simply cease, and he wouldn't even flinch. He didn't want or need anything right now. The woman he loved so much it hurt loved him back and he had never been happier in his life.

Ron reached down and tilted Hermione's head upwards and then placed what could only be described as the sweetest kiss upon her lips. Hermione hadn't felt joy like this, ever. She wanted to stay this way forever she thought as Ron deepened the kiss. She slipped her arms around his neck. She didn't want anything but Ron. Hermione was unaware of how long the two had remained in their embrace but didn't care until as she went to caress Ron's neck, she became aware of the little velvet box in her hands.

"Ron," she said reluctantly pulling away, "Can I ask you a question?"

He looked down at her and responded, "Anything."

She looked up at him and smiled. "What are we gonna do with this?" She asked holding up the ring box.

"I'll do you right
when your wrong
I, oh, oh
And if only you could see into me"

Ron looked at her, eyes wide. After all this, she would really still marry him? He thought his happiness had peaked, but this just sent it over the edge. Hermione looked up at him expectantly. His mind raced with the right words to say. Before the fight, he had a whole speech he was going to make to her. Take her to a fancy restaurant; propose in front of a huge group of people, declaring his undying love for her. But all those words and actions didn't seem to want to come out.

"I wanted this to be really special for you." He told her.

"But everything I do with you is really special." She replied, her smile only getting wider.

He smiled. "Well in that case," he said taking the ring box from her and dropping to one knee, "Hermione, will you do me the highest honor of becoming my wife?"

"Oh when you're cold
I'll be there
To hold you, tight to me.
Oh when you're alone
I'll be there
By your side baby."

"Yes!" Hermione shouted. And squealed when Ron put the ring on her finger, as if she didn't know this was coming.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Ginny who had been standing at the base of the stairs listening, hugged when they heard Hermione's answer.

"I am so happy for those two." Ginny squealed to Harry with her arms around him.

"Yeah, me too." He replied laughing. Suddenly the two realized they had been hugging for a while and broke apart with a nervous laugh.

After Ron had put the ring on Hermione's finger she had pulled him by his shirt collars into another very passionate embrace. When they finally released each other to take a breath, Ron looked Hermione in the eye and said "Wow! I really missed that." She laughed as the two headed downstairs.

Ginny could not contain her excitement as she watched Ron and Hermione arrive in the kitchen holding hands. She immediately rushed the couple kissing Ron on the cheek and hugging Hermione.

Harry walked over and shook Ron's hand. "Congratulations." He said and then gave his best mate a hug. Harry gave Hermione a hug and a kiss on the cheek, after she and Ginny had stopped giggling and jumping up and down with chants of "Oh my goodness", "I am so excited" "I'm getting married, "You're getting married" and "I'm finally getting a sister."

The four took a seat at the table chatting over butterbeers. They had been talking for a while when Ron dragged his eyes off of Hermione and looked as if he had just realized something.

"Hey!" He said getting everyone's attention. "Harry what are you doing over here? You knew I was gonna be over at Hermione's this afternoon." Ron looked quizzically at the other male across the table.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other startled before replying in unison, "We are so excited for you two," quick to try and change the subject. Ron and Hermione looked suspiciously at each other before everyone started laughing.

A/N: Well what do you think? Does it just make you all happy inside like it did me writing it? I can't believe I updated twice in one week! That is a record considering most of the time I update once a month. I will try to finish this within the next two weeks. I must add that when I went to see where my story was I couldn't find it in the normal list of stories but some faithful readers found it and I would like to thank them. To everyone else, thank you so much for reading and please, pretty please in the name of Ron and Hermione's love leave me a review. Boo-yah! ~Treader

Special thanks:

Hermione4eva1: Hermione was originally just gonna cry but then I got kinda mad at my little sister and suddenly Hermione was angry too. But she worked it out! ( Thanks for reading!

RonPLUSHermione4eva: I'm so glad you love the story. Thanks for being a fan!

Kikikiwi330: You were the first (of three hehehe) to find my story. Hope you like the super speedy update. Thank you for reading!