Gregarious boy

"Ah... um... Hermione..." Ron stammered, hands twisting together. "Ah... I was thinking..."

Hermione looked over at him curiously. He hadn't acted this flustered since the first time she had asked him out. "What is it Ron, darling." She asked, reveling in the feeling of finally being able to call him by pet names.

"I... well... we've been together for a while..." Hermione blinked. Two days? A while? It felt like barely any time had passed at all. But he said it had been a while. Did this mean he wanted to call it off? "And... well... since we're going out... and I want to... keep going out with you... I... I bought these." He held out a shaking hand, fingers clenched around something.

Hermione smiled at him in mingled relief and curiosity. She was relieved – stupidly so she knew, she never should have worried, Ron wasn't that kind of person – that he wasn't going to dump her. Ron was just such a gregarious boy that she thought he should have been able to find a girl who was more like him that he liked. The fact that he actually loved her was too strange for her to accept without questioning it at least five times a day. It was like a miracle that he'd ever thought of her as more than a friend in the first place, much less that he was continuing to think of her as more than a friend.

What was it that he had gotten, though, that had gotten him so embarrassed? He hadn't been embarrassed when his brothers had started selling their skivelling snack packs in Hogwarts after all. Why should he get so worked up over something that he had bought her? She peered closely at his hands, seeing a glint of metal. What could he possibly be holding. Ron was still staring at her though, and sort of shaking, so she figured she ought to say something to put him more at ease. It would probably just make him worse – after all, she wasn't very good with words – but she had to at least try.

"Yes, love?" She asked gently. "What is it? You know I still love you."

Ron smiled at her gratefully. "Yes," he agreed happily, opening his hands. "I bought promise rings. Would you accept one love?" He gave her a hang-dog look, silently begging her to agree.

Hermione smiled brilliantly. "Of course I will!" She exclaimed. "I love it! It's such a sweet idea!" She leaned over his hand to see the two identical rings, one in gold and one in silver, with her name on the silver one and Ron's on the gold one.

"The gold one's for you and the silver one's for me." Ron told her hesitantly, his speech coming more easily with each word as he gained courage. "They're meant to show that the one who's name is on the ring has a claim on us."

"That's lovely!" Hermione exclaimed, taking the gold ring and slipping it onto her left ring finger. "I love it!" She looked up at Ron, suddenly fierce. "And you had better wear yours. I'll never forgive you if you don't."

Ron smiled, slipping his ring onto his own ring finger; the same side as hers. "Of course I'll wear it." He said happily. "I bought it didn't I?"

"And I love you for it." Hermione told him. Then, more slowly, as if unsure of what to say. "Would you... kiss me again?"

Ron glowed, taking another step towards her, and bending to pull her into a kiss. Gently, as if she was made of the finest porcelain and would break if he moved too fast, he wrapped his arms around her waist, lips barely brushing hers at first, hesitant, and then with greater urgency as he caught the fire that had been there the first time, he kissed her, both of them reveling in their love. It wasn't spring, but it felt like it; like everything was new and beautiful, and lovely things were growing out of the rich ground.

As she leaned closer to him, afire with the need to know him better, to be closer to him, she saw him shut his eyes; but she couldn't bear to close her own. She didn't want to miss seeing the expression on his face as he kissed her. It was beauteous, and she thought he looked like a guardian angel, tender and loving, yet still strong and ready to defend the innocent if that was what was needed. She didn't want to miss one moment of her time with him, because she knew that even though Voldemort had been defeated there were still other threats in the wizarding world, and every moment with him could be her last.