Fate
Ron Weasley was in a hurry.
He rushed down the narrow hallway of the Ministry of Magic that lead to Auror Headquarters. He didn't stop to say, 'Hello,' or, 'Sorry,' to any of the faceless people he passed.
He had just seen a man carrying a package. A brown package! He knew that he had to rush. He had to stop that man!
He flung the door to Auror Headquarters open and ran to his best friend's office.
"Harry," he panted, "...the files! Where are they?!"
"Huh? Ron--look it's what--three in the morning? How many times must I tell you? You DON'T need to work on those anymore!" Harry stated groggily, while Ron was on his hands and knees going through the pile of papers that lay on the floor.
"NO! The sign...the--dammit! THE BROWN PACKAGE!"
Harry suddenly perked up. "You saw...oh no! I, I was sleeping. We have to find them, now!" and he too started pulling drawers out and then he paused. "But, Ron, there are tons of brown packages. Think about it. Maybe, Dumbledore was wrong or maybe you misunderstood his letter."
"No. It said, 'Be warned if you see a brown box. It is part of a new secret language the Death Eaters use. To warn...'. How much clearer can it get, Harry? We don't have much time. Quick, help me search my office!"
The two scrambled out of the room, into the next, and started going through the desk drawers.
"They're gone. They're gone, Ron. I'm sorry. I know it was my shift..."
"NO! They can't be! They're the only hope of getting the Death Eaters back into Azkaban!," Ron spat.
"Can't you re-write them or something?"
"That could take months! I don't even remember all the cases and they too have been destroyed! Why didn't I make a bloody copy?"
"What's that noise?"
"What? What noise? Harry...!"
"Ron we have to get out of here!" Harry yelled pointing to a box that was ticking in the corner of the room.
Ron and Harry ran out, but just as Harry had his hand on the door knob to exit the headquarters, there was an explosion.
It was a very odd site. All the offices around Ron's were left unharmed. Only his, was blackened and smoking.
All they could do was sigh.
It had been exactly 2 weeks since his office had exploded. There was no hope that the Death Eaters would ever get put away again. Especially, with the new minister, Theodore Nott, who supported them. The wizarding world was falling apart.
The way Ron looked at it, things couldn't get much worse. At least he still had his family, his friends, and Hermione.
He sat glumly at his desk looking at a paper card. Hermione could never find this card. If she did...well, he didn't want to think about it. He ran the pad of his thumb over it's lettering, which was raised.
David Hookly's Jewelry Store
...create some magic!
8317537 N Ruby Ln. London
"Hey! Did you forget? We've got to go to your parents' house tonight!"
Ron turned around to face Hermione. He quickly shoved the card into his pocket. He ran his hand over his face, wiping the sweat off. Yes, he had forgotten, but he'd never admit it to her.
"Uh, no. I didn't forget. Just thinking..."
"About?"
"You?" he asked tentatively.
She smiled and pecked him quickly on the lips. "Let's go. We have half an hour."
Ron hated the family dinner parties. At least they were only once every month, which made it possible for him to not have any contact with them except at the parties.
Mr. Weasley greeted Hermione and Ron at the front door. The Burrow was as clean as it had ever been and quite full of people. Ginny came up and took Hermione with her as Fred and George pulled Ron into the center of a glob of people.
"Hey, little bro!" Fred turned around and smiled at Ron.
"Hi," Ron replied dully.
"Oh, come on! Can't you be more enthusiastic? Mum's missed you and you know, we have too," George said.
"It's only been a month!"
"RONALD!!!!"
Ron was immediately smothered by Mrs. Weasley.
"Oh! You're so thin! What have you been eating? ARTHUR! Get this boy some food! And...your hair...it's so long!"
"What? Mum! This is how normal people have their hair."
Mrs. Weasley sighed and shook her head. Hermione stood in the corner looking amused. Ron flashed her a look and she patted Mrs. Weasley gently on the arm. "Can I help you in the kitchen, Molly?"
Ron then glared after the twins who had ran up the stairs laughing.
"Hey mate, don't worry. Your hair isn't that long." It was Harry.
"Thank God that there is someone civil around here! Have you seen Percy?"
"Nope. Why?"
"I haven't seen him in two years...I just thought..." he trailed off.
"You look thirsty. I'll go get you a drink."
Ron nodded. Then Bill, approached him. "Well, if it isn't little Ron. I saw Mum giving you a hard time. How's the report going?"
"It blew up in my face!" Ron said angrily.
"What?"
"Really. It blew up. The Death Eaters found it and destroyed it. Good thing I didn't have a copy at my flat, otherwise I might be living here now."
"I didn't hear anything about that," Bill asked, confused.
"That's because I'm trying to keep it quiet. If Nott were to find out he'd hang me! I've been pretending to be writing a report on an incident that happened three months ago. Oh, sure. He also pretends that he's been having us searching for all the Death Eaters, but we're not. I haven't had an assignment with some action this whole year! I've just been doing report work. Taking care of the small things. Face it, Bill, our government is running a conspiracy!" Ron flopped into a chair near by. Something flew out of his pocket.
"Is this yours?" Bill questioned, holding out a paper card.
"Uh, yeah. Thanks very much." Ron blushed and hid it in his pocket.
"Ah...you don't have to try and hide it from me, Ron. I'm your brother. In fact, that hurts. I'd have thought you would ask me about it. It is a good time to attempt it. Trust me, she won't break your heart."
Ron raised an eyebrow.
"Okay, look. Maybe you're uncomfortable with me, your brother, helping you. Do you want me to ask Ginny? I'm sure she'd be delighted."
Ron cleared his throat. "That would be great."
Ginny and Ron made their way down the snow covered paths of Diagon Alley. Ginny was so giddy she was almost skipping. Ron was just cold and wanted to get inside. Cold weather always put him in a crabby mood.
"Okay, Ginny! Just calm down. Knowing my luck something bad will probably happen anyway. Like just when she's about to answer, a bolt of lightning will kill me."
"Oh, Ron! Now you've cursed it! I'm just...my brother and my best friend!" Ginny sighed. "Okay, so where's this place? Hookly's? I think I've heard of it before."
"It should be just around the corner--ah, there."
They entered the glittering jewelry store and browsed. Ron wasn't sure what Hermione would like. Definitely not something too gaudy and extravagant. But, he didn't want it to be drabby and disappointing either.
"Oohh! Take a look at this one!" Ginny breathed. It was a gold band with diamond that was surrounded by four little diamonds. Ron ran a hand through his hair.
"I don't know Ginny. I've never really understood why women love jewelry."
"That's why I'm here, Ron. I'm telling you this is the one. I think she'd love it, especially since it comes from you."
"That's just it. I want to pick it. I want it to be my gift."
"Then why am I here?!" Ginny asked angrily.
"For guidance and because I need your finger."
"What?"
"I need your finger to size the ring."
"Oh..."
A man walked from the behind the many cases and cleared his throat. He was dressed in dark blue robes. "Might I make a suggestion, sir?" Ron nodded. "I assume this is for engagement?" Ron nodded again while Ginny sulked in a corner. "Ah, maybe this one?" He held up one that had a very large diamond.
Ron tugged at his shirt collar. "Uh, no. No, I was thinking something more simple." How could choosing something the about size of a coin be so difficult? They all looked the same to him.
The man held up another. Once again Ron turned it down. Then he held up a different one. "This one is new, sir. There hasn't been another crafted like it."
"Hmm. This is more like what I was thinking," Ron stated. Ginny walked over to look too. He turned to her, as if to question her.
"I'm not answering. This is your thing remember? Make your decision."
Ron whimpered. "Yes, yes that's the one."
Ron made his way to his office in Auror Headquarters. Harry was sitting bent over his desk scribbling frantically. Ron couldn't help but chuckle.
"What's the rush?" Ron asked.
"Huh?" Harry turned to face him. "No rush...I just want to finish this letter. It's to Neville, who wants to know if we want to go to lunch with him."
"...and you didn't ask me?"
Harry smiled. "I figured you'd want to see your brother-in-law."
Neville and Ginny had been happily married for 2 years. Neville was now a Healer and working at St. Mungo's. Ginny stayed at home watching their new baby, Rosaleen. She was also a Healer and figured she'd go back to work when Rosaleen was old enough to go to school. They really were a great couple.
Ron and Harry sat around the office doing absolutely nothing, until noon, when they headed out. They met Neville at a small café, greeted each other, and sat down.
"So, I hear your about to ask Hermione to marry you?"
Ron nodded and smiled. Harry patted him on the back.
"I was planning on tonight, actually," not wanting to think about it, Ron changed the subject. "How's Rosaleen doing?"
"Fine, fine," Neville waved his hand. "Actually, she's quite boring, but I love her. Have either one of you ever thought about having kids?"
Harry laughed. "I like being a bachelor. That way the press can't be keeping people up to date on my love life. That's all they need, another thing to talk about."
"Doesn't it get lonely?" Neville questioned.
"Er...sometimes, but I've gotten over that part. I can always hang out with my mates, right? Sure, I guess it will hurt when all my friends will have families and I'll just be sitting there, but at least I know there will be times when they'll want to talk to me about their wives!"
All three men laughed.
Lunch with Neville was always pleasant. He would tell them what his patients were coming in with, which always gave them a good chuckle. But there was one problem with their meetings. It seemed as though they always ended too soon. Ron and Harry departed and apparated back to the Ministry, where they would sit and do nothing for another 2 hours.
Harry doodled on a blank pad, while Ron was reading a book on how to perfect his chess playing. Ron put the book down and took up a piece of parchment and a quill. Harry looked up.
"Who're you writing to?"
"Hermione. Just to make sure that everything is set for tonight."
"WEASLEY!"
Ron jumped up at the voice of the Minister. "Yes. Yes sir?"
"Where are the papers I asked you to sign?"
"I, I...what papers sir?" Ron voice shook. Harry had stopped drawing and was paying close attention.
Nott smiled. "Did you not get my letter? I'm not surprised, seeing how messy this office is." Ron turned to Harry looking frantic. He moved the papers on the desk around.
"Sir, sir I was here early and I never saw any letter. Maybe you sent it to the wrong office," Harry spoke.
"Impossible, I'm never wrong. How dare you question me. I'll be cutting your salary for the month in half, Potter....and you're not answering my question, Weasley," Nott drawled.
Ron stopped with both hands on the desk and his back to Nott. "No, no I never got it, sir."
"Well! I guess you know what this means...we're dropping you Weasley. Pack your things." Nott swiftly left and could be heard laughing out in the hall.
"Ron, I'm so sorry--I..."
"No trouble, Harry. I knew he'd figure out some way to get rid of me. At least now I can speak all the shit about him I want," Ron said going through the drawers, shrinking the items and sticking them into a box. "Thanks for trying mate."
Harry nodded sadly.
The night was beautiful. It was dark, chilly, and full of stars. Ron stood by the restaurant by a lake with his hands shoved in his pockets. He could feel the box that carried the delicate ring. It made him nervous. Come on Ron. This is Hermione. No need to be shaky.
"Ron?" He turned around. Hermione looked wonderful. She had on a black dress that was plain, but it looked fantastic on her. Her hair was down; just the way he liked.
"Yeah. Shall we go inside?" Ron asked while holding out his arm.
She smiled and they entered the restaurant and were seated. Hermione picked up the menu and started reading it, so he couldn't see her face. Ron took his menu too, but started drumming his fingers of one hand on the table. He didn't read the menu, but stared right at her, or rather the menu. She pulled it down, and had one eyebrow raised.
"Are you alright?" He stopped drumming almost immediately.
"Uh yeah..."
"So, how was work?" Hermione asked casually.
"Er...well--"
"Are you ready to order?" A fresh waiter, very young, interrupted him.
Both of them placed their orders and the conversation was aimed away from Ron's job. Instead they talked about the Order, and what was going on at Hogwarts (Hermione taught Defense Against the Dark Arts there).
"So, how was work today?" Hermione asked.
"Er...that's the thing. I got fired."
"What? Nott fired you?"
"Yeah, but it's all right really. I knew he would eventually..."
"Did you stand up for yourself?"
"Of course!"
"Well, then that's perfectly fine. I mean, I know you loved your job, Ron, but standing up for what you believe is right is more important," Ron exhaled, but Hermione continued. "Nott's, such an idiot! How did he become Minister anyway?"
"I know.." said Ron.
They ate their food (Ron paid the bill), then they walked out of the restaurant.
"I went to lunch with Neville today."
"Oh, really? How's Rosaleen?" Hermione questioned.
"She's fine. Neville said that she was a little irritating at times, but Harry and I just laughed at him and Neville took it back." Ron chuckled. The conversation dragged on, until both were quiet. They were sitting on a wooden bench near the lake which reflected the moonlight. Hermione stood up suddenly.
"Well, thanks, Ron. I had a great time," she said. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, kissing the top of her head. He lowered his mouth, near to hers. He hesitated.
"Are you okay?" She pulled back, peering at his face. He ran a hand through his hair.
"I--Hermione," he struggled for the box in his pocket, "Fuck!" he said under his breath. He had dropped the ring.
"What? What is it, Ron?" Hermione asked anxiously.
He got down on his hands and knees searching for it in the dim light. She crouched down next to him.
Bloody hell, Ron! How did you manage to screw up this badly?! Typical...
"I found something," Hermione spoke, while pulling it to the light, which reveled what it was. She gave him a strange look.
He nodded. "It's for you of course. I just--" He didn't have time to finish, because he was cut off when she threw her arms around him. "Now, wait a second," he murmured into her coat, "I haven't asked you properly."
He looked her in the eye (he was already in a kneeling sort of position) and smiled. "I know I don't have a job, now, but I swear I'll do whatever I have to, to get it back," she nodded. Ron took in a breath. "Will you do me the great honor of being my wife?" He didn't need to hear an answer he knew what it was when her mouth crashed onto his.
And he also knew that the best part of life, was waiting for fate to play out its cards.