The next morning proved to be a bright, sunny day contrast to the
week's forlorn and dark stormy nights. Hermione and Rufus woke up together,
ready to take their Saturday stroll in Hogsmeade. Hermione dressed in her
floral print skirt and a magenta-colored blouse. She put the silver
bracelet that Rufus had given to her on and the gold necklace her mother
had given to her on her 18th birthday. As she rummaged through the large
casket, she saw bracelets, then a necklace of pearls, then a Venetian cross
of gold set with precious stones of an admirable workmanship. All at once
she discovered, in a box of black satin, a superb necklace of diamonds, and
her heart began to beat with boundless desire. Her hands trembled in taking
it up. It was the necklace that Ron had given to her on their one-year
anniversary, a month before he died. Two big tears were descending slowly
from the corners of her eyes to the corners of her mouth.
At this precise moment, Rufus chose to enter the bedroom .
"Sweetie, I was wondering if..." He shut up, astonished and distracted at seeing that his girlfriend was weeping.
"What's the matter? What's the matter?" He stuttered, terribly anxious and confused.
With a violent effort she had conquered her trouble and she held up the necklace to show him. She replied in a calm voice as she wiped her damp cheeks, "Ron gave me this before he died."
Rufus turned bright red as he took the necklace from her and looked at it, at its simplicity, yet beauty. He swallowed the jealousy that burned in his throat and in his heart, and looked at Hermione with a glare.
"So? What's so special about it?" He asked rather roughly.
Hermione looked up sharply at him, "What did you just say?"
Rufus was taken aback as he watched Hermione's usual warm, cinnamon eyes grow hot with rage, her faced turned colorless as she advanced on him, snatching the necklace out of his grasp.
"Look, Rufus," she hissed, "I may love you. But do you know what Ron means to me? No! You don't! Just because I have finally gotten over the point where I can't ever see him again and I have to move on, and I finally did move on doesn't mean that he doesn't mean anything to me! Ronald Weasley was the love of my life, my soulmate, my heart...whether or not I'm with someone else doesn't matter. Not that I'm saying that we don't have a connection, we do, but Ron and I...we had more. It was unexplainable. If you can describe and define love, then you can define what our love was. It was this passionate, deep, intense feeling that we had for one another because we truly cared about one another. We respected each other, we loved each other. No matter how many women he was with before me or how many guys I date after him, he'll always hold the closest and deepest place in my heart. I love him and I always will. And that necklace is one of the most precious things that belong to me that remind me of him! It's like the last I have left of him, beside my memories." Hermione sobbed quietly as she watched Rufus turned embarrassed, then confused and surprised, then furious, then touched. He touched her hand gingerly.
"I'm so sorry Hermione. I never meant it like that...look, I know that you love Ron and always will. I can't do anything else about that; it's your heart and your feelings. But I just wanted to let you know that I'll be there for you too, whether or not he is. I love you so much Hermione and I know that maybe you'll never love me as much as you love Ron and I can live with that, but I just wanted to tell you that you hold every place in my heart that you hold him in yours." He kissed her gently on the cheek and then bended down on one knee, extracting a black velvet box from his pocket. Hermione's eyes widened with surprise as she watched him take in a deep breath and pulled the box towards her, revealing a Marquise and round Princess Cut Diamond engagement ring.
"Hermione, I don't think I want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else but you. I know that your heart will always belong to someone else but if you agree to marry me...I will try to make you feel as safe, comfortable, and loved as possible. Hermione Anne Granger, will you marry me?" He looked hopeful, as though her answer was his reason for living, his fate. Hermione felt a surge of happiness then depression and misery settle into her stomach. She turned round to the window for a minute, thinking back to about ten years ago.
Ten Years ago (Ron and Hermione's anniversary)
Ron sneaked up behind Hermione's back, lacing something round her throat. Hermione gave a little yelp then her hand caught at something sparkly and expensive there. She turned round to face Ron's beaming smile. She looked into the mirror to discover that he had brought her an exquisite diamond necklace. It felt cold as it lay on her throat, but so elegant and formal. She felt the gold diamond pearl drops hang close to her throat and the single diamond tone mesh clasp.
"Oh my goodness, Ron, how...how did you...wow." She could hardly believe her eyes. A few minutes ago, she was reading Numerology throughout the Ages for her Ancient Runes class, and now, she was the owner of the most delicate necklace she ever owned. It felt perfectly enchanted around her as she threw herself to Ron, who was still beaming brightly as he accepted Hermione's eager kisses.
"You're the best bloody boyfriend in the world! I love it so much!!! Oh!!!" She breathed heavily against his chest as he stroked her hair gently, kissing her forehead. She looked up to him and smiled.
"Why'd you give me such an extravagant gift on our first-year anniversary? I swear, if we stayed together for ten years, you'd probably end up buying me an island!" Hermione teased.
"Well, if that's what you want, I'll do my very best. I love you Hermione, and I'd do anything to make you happy." Ron whispered into her ear. She just smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"I love you too Ronald Weasley and I promise you that we'll always be together forever, so that you can buy me my island."
"I don't need you to promise me that we'll always be together forever, you can't really guarantee that. But promise me that you'll always take good care of yourself and do whatever makes you feel safe and happy."
"I promise."
Present
Hermione turned back to face Rufus who was now looking desperate as he waited for an answer. She sighed and imagined what it would be like if that was Ron proposing. And suddenly she felt like she was floating hundreds of miles above the earth, flying with him as they escaped from humanity and their troubles. She felt like she floating on clouds, felt like her breath was taken away and felt serenity and tranquility in a world she didn't understand. This image gave her the strength to know that the pain she had known and the conflict she'd experienced would give her the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with optimism and courage. And she knew that though she would probably feel alone and desperate many of the times, she knew that there was someone, like Rufus, who would always understand and love her till death parted them. And that's how she knew what her answer would be. She looked back at him with a fair smile and sank to the floor with him, holding his hands.
"Yes, Rufus, I'll marry you." She smiled as he gave her a long hug and slipped the ring onto her naked fourth finger. Then, he celebrated by giving her a loving sweet kiss.
"I love you Hermione, I always will." He promised.
She just nodded along, knew that she loved him too but didn't need to say it aloud. In her head, silently, she was thinking over about how she'd react if it was Ron who was proposing instead and found herself happier than she had ever felt in her life, like everything in life had fell into place; a huge giant jigsaw puzzle finally completed. But it wasn't Ron, though she desperately wished it was, but no matter how many times she wished it, she knew that it wouldn't come true.
At this precise moment, Rufus chose to enter the bedroom .
"Sweetie, I was wondering if..." He shut up, astonished and distracted at seeing that his girlfriend was weeping.
"What's the matter? What's the matter?" He stuttered, terribly anxious and confused.
With a violent effort she had conquered her trouble and she held up the necklace to show him. She replied in a calm voice as she wiped her damp cheeks, "Ron gave me this before he died."
Rufus turned bright red as he took the necklace from her and looked at it, at its simplicity, yet beauty. He swallowed the jealousy that burned in his throat and in his heart, and looked at Hermione with a glare.
"So? What's so special about it?" He asked rather roughly.
Hermione looked up sharply at him, "What did you just say?"
Rufus was taken aback as he watched Hermione's usual warm, cinnamon eyes grow hot with rage, her faced turned colorless as she advanced on him, snatching the necklace out of his grasp.
"Look, Rufus," she hissed, "I may love you. But do you know what Ron means to me? No! You don't! Just because I have finally gotten over the point where I can't ever see him again and I have to move on, and I finally did move on doesn't mean that he doesn't mean anything to me! Ronald Weasley was the love of my life, my soulmate, my heart...whether or not I'm with someone else doesn't matter. Not that I'm saying that we don't have a connection, we do, but Ron and I...we had more. It was unexplainable. If you can describe and define love, then you can define what our love was. It was this passionate, deep, intense feeling that we had for one another because we truly cared about one another. We respected each other, we loved each other. No matter how many women he was with before me or how many guys I date after him, he'll always hold the closest and deepest place in my heart. I love him and I always will. And that necklace is one of the most precious things that belong to me that remind me of him! It's like the last I have left of him, beside my memories." Hermione sobbed quietly as she watched Rufus turned embarrassed, then confused and surprised, then furious, then touched. He touched her hand gingerly.
"I'm so sorry Hermione. I never meant it like that...look, I know that you love Ron and always will. I can't do anything else about that; it's your heart and your feelings. But I just wanted to let you know that I'll be there for you too, whether or not he is. I love you so much Hermione and I know that maybe you'll never love me as much as you love Ron and I can live with that, but I just wanted to tell you that you hold every place in my heart that you hold him in yours." He kissed her gently on the cheek and then bended down on one knee, extracting a black velvet box from his pocket. Hermione's eyes widened with surprise as she watched him take in a deep breath and pulled the box towards her, revealing a Marquise and round Princess Cut Diamond engagement ring.
"Hermione, I don't think I want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else but you. I know that your heart will always belong to someone else but if you agree to marry me...I will try to make you feel as safe, comfortable, and loved as possible. Hermione Anne Granger, will you marry me?" He looked hopeful, as though her answer was his reason for living, his fate. Hermione felt a surge of happiness then depression and misery settle into her stomach. She turned round to the window for a minute, thinking back to about ten years ago.
Ten Years ago (Ron and Hermione's anniversary)
Ron sneaked up behind Hermione's back, lacing something round her throat. Hermione gave a little yelp then her hand caught at something sparkly and expensive there. She turned round to face Ron's beaming smile. She looked into the mirror to discover that he had brought her an exquisite diamond necklace. It felt cold as it lay on her throat, but so elegant and formal. She felt the gold diamond pearl drops hang close to her throat and the single diamond tone mesh clasp.
"Oh my goodness, Ron, how...how did you...wow." She could hardly believe her eyes. A few minutes ago, she was reading Numerology throughout the Ages for her Ancient Runes class, and now, she was the owner of the most delicate necklace she ever owned. It felt perfectly enchanted around her as she threw herself to Ron, who was still beaming brightly as he accepted Hermione's eager kisses.
"You're the best bloody boyfriend in the world! I love it so much!!! Oh!!!" She breathed heavily against his chest as he stroked her hair gently, kissing her forehead. She looked up to him and smiled.
"Why'd you give me such an extravagant gift on our first-year anniversary? I swear, if we stayed together for ten years, you'd probably end up buying me an island!" Hermione teased.
"Well, if that's what you want, I'll do my very best. I love you Hermione, and I'd do anything to make you happy." Ron whispered into her ear. She just smiled and kissed him lightly on the lips.
"I love you too Ronald Weasley and I promise you that we'll always be together forever, so that you can buy me my island."
"I don't need you to promise me that we'll always be together forever, you can't really guarantee that. But promise me that you'll always take good care of yourself and do whatever makes you feel safe and happy."
"I promise."
Present
Hermione turned back to face Rufus who was now looking desperate as he waited for an answer. She sighed and imagined what it would be like if that was Ron proposing. And suddenly she felt like she was floating hundreds of miles above the earth, flying with him as they escaped from humanity and their troubles. She felt like she floating on clouds, felt like her breath was taken away and felt serenity and tranquility in a world she didn't understand. This image gave her the strength to know that the pain she had known and the conflict she'd experienced would give her the strength to walk through life facing each new situation with optimism and courage. And she knew that though she would probably feel alone and desperate many of the times, she knew that there was someone, like Rufus, who would always understand and love her till death parted them. And that's how she knew what her answer would be. She looked back at him with a fair smile and sank to the floor with him, holding his hands.
"Yes, Rufus, I'll marry you." She smiled as he gave her a long hug and slipped the ring onto her naked fourth finger. Then, he celebrated by giving her a loving sweet kiss.
"I love you Hermione, I always will." He promised.
She just nodded along, knew that she loved him too but didn't need to say it aloud. In her head, silently, she was thinking over about how she'd react if it was Ron who was proposing instead and found herself happier than she had ever felt in her life, like everything in life had fell into place; a huge giant jigsaw puzzle finally completed. But it wasn't Ron, though she desperately wished it was, but no matter how many times she wished it, she knew that it wouldn't come true.