Disclaimer: Doesn't belong to me.
A/N: I don't usually ship Ron/Hermione at all because I like the more forbidden ones lol. –innocent cough- I'm more so a Dramione person. But I got this idea, and I thought it was too perfect for R/Hr.
So enjoy this wild, brief tangent of mine. And I hope my pairing preference won't turn you off this ficlet, because it's an adorable fluff piece if I do say so myself.
Thanks for reading!
--Musikluver
Five Year Old Mentality
"It's our two year anniversary," Ron announced from her doorstep. He was holding a tissue paper flower bouquet in his left hand, trying poorly to hide it from her sight.
"Yes, yes it is," Hermione agreed with a small smile. Her back was turned so she could dig through her closet for a light jacket.
"Can I come in?" he asked meekly, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.
She jerked up to face him, blushing. "I—Sorry!" she exclaimed. Moving quickly to grasp her wand and wave it around, the barrier keeping Ron outside vanished. "…Never can be too safe," she muttered quietly as an explanation, embarrassed.
"Of course not," Ron replied in agreement, giving her a lopsided grin.
Clearing his throat, he brandished the flowers from behind his back, and she laughed. Fighting back the urge to frown, Ron handed her the green pipe cleaners that were tied together by another red one.
She grinned foolishly, delicately touching the realistic looking flowers made from her favorite color tissue paper. Giving him a kiss on the cheek, she transfigured junk mail into a paper-maché vase to hold the fake flowers.
"I tried charming them to feel like rose petals, but it didn't really work," he informed her, ducking his head sheepishly.
"They're beautiful," she reassured him, still grinning like a silly schoolgirl. Changing the subject she asked, "Where are we going today?"
Finally, Ron looked confident and in his element as he answered, "To see a movie."
Cocking her head in interest, she inquired as to what movie they'd be seeing.
"You'll see when we get there," he replied mysteriously.
---
Much to her chagrin, Ron has cast a spell over Hermione that kept her from seeing or hearing anything. Despite her obvious abilities to be able to whisper the counter-spell, she decided to humor him.
Grasping his hand tightly, for fear of losing him and tripping over something, she let him lead her through a maze of people.
I must look so silly, she thought nervously after she bumped into a pole. She could imagine Ron was apologizing profusely, but she couldn't hear anyway.
There was a brief halt, where she assumed he was handing over the tickets, and then he tugged her along again. He led her down a hallway, and they turned. After a few other twists and turns, Hermione felt him gently pushing her down into a seat.
She blinked in relief once he had removed the spell.
"Where are we?" she asked eagerly.
"You'll find out in a few seconds," Ron reassured her while the previews ran.
It was too dark to see any other people, to perhaps judge by their appearance where he had taken her.
Pouting, she settled into her chair and anxiously awaited the beginning of the movie.
---
Ron could tell she was somewhat disappointed with him for taking her to see a kiddie movie, but he had yet to explain why. So he reminded himself to wait patiently for her to give him a glance.
Finally she stopped, and turned around, a smile plastered forcibly on her face. Inhaling slowly she asked, "Why exactly did you take me to see SpongeBob SquarePants on our two year anniversary?"
"You didn't like it?" he asked innocently.
"It was—it was ok," she answered carefully.
Smirking, he knew she was confused and somewhat hurt. Now it was time for the explanation.
"You're always telling me I have the mind of a 5-year-old. So I thought… on this special day, I would show you how much fun being five can be," Ron explained to her.
Her forced smile melted into a real one. Without warning, she jumped into his arms and held him tight.
"Thank you," she murmured into his rumpled blue shirt.
After she let go, she smoothed her clothes – and his – and with a genuine grin asked "Where to next?"
"To the park!" he whispered in her ear, blue eyes twinkling with mischief.
They apparated to the local playground, and she stumbled gracefully on the woodchips.
---
He wasn't at all sure how long they'd stayed on the swings, taking turns flying up and down. But he knew that all the parents of the Muggle children walked away in a huff, angry that a dozen or so kids had come and gone on the other swing while he and Hermione stayed.
"I'm flying!" Hermione shrieked, her voice laced with uncontrollable giggles.
He stood back, admiring her. Ron knew this was the closest to flying she really could get, because brooms frustrated her.
"What are you doing??" she demanded. "Push!"
He followed her command, shocked when an empty swing returned back to his awaiting hands. He followed the path of the helpless swing, and saw Hermione brushing off her knees some five feet away.
"That was fun," she told him breathlessly.
The day was slowly drawing to a close, and he was grateful she was too distracted by all the "fun" to notice that they had skipped lunch, and it was verging on three.
"Ready?" Ron asked her, running a hand through his flaming red hair.
"Just—just give a minute. I need to—my breath, I can't breathe," Hermione laughed, clutching his forearm. Her grip was verging on unbearable, so he soon joined in with her, laughing without a care in the world.
Muggles were walking past them, giving them odd looks, unabashedly gawking.
Finally after who knew how long, Ron pulled her into the bushes pausing only to wink at a teenage girl who stopped and stared in awe.
He whispered the words, and with a loud crack! they were gone again.
---
This time, Hermione stumbled into a line of people. They were the last ones, and she could see an employee closing off the queue.
Coughing to hide her leftover giggles, she observed the people around them and found that there were women holding the hands of younger children. They were all in wizard apparel, which was something that made Hermione anxious and gleeful.
After roughly five minutes of Ron whispering baby babble into her ear, they were only two away from the attraction.
She shifted, her ear instinctively trying to escape his warm breath from spilling all over it.
"Ron!" she hissed, unable to hide her smile when he licked the side of her ear.
"No one is watching," he pleaded.
"Honestly, you're like a little five-year-old child—" she had begun, before stopping in her tracks at his smug expression.
"Next!" called a deep voice.
With shock, Hermione saw a tiny toy-like broom floating before them.
"No. No, no, NO!" she said, trying to resist Ron's shoves. "NOT A BROOM!" she screeched into his ear.
Before she knew what was happening, she was situated on the handle, with Ron saddling up behind her. With a mechanic hiss, the broom started its upward travel.
"Just relax. It will be just fine. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise…" Ron whispered just above her ear this time. He held her waist comfortingly, pausing to place soft kisses on her bushy hair.
Hermione found herself relaxing against him, watching to fake stars pass by her. The unreal glow of a conjured moon shone down softly on them.
Her feet touched ground some seconds later, and Ron stood up behind her. She turned to face him, trying desperately to memorize every freckle sprinkled on his face.
"I think it's just about time to eat, don't you?" he inquired, grinning down at her.
Dazed, she nodded.
---
Ron ordered the Chicken McNugget Happy Meal, and Hermione ordered the same. He handed her the tiny cup, and she moved aside to fill it with orange Hi-C.
Meals and drinks in hand, Ron escorted her to the most private spot he could get in the McDonald's dining area.
"Open your toy later," he told her, placing his big hand atop of her smaller one.
Looking up curiously at him, she obligingly removed her hand from the package and opened up her nugget case and popped one into her mouth.
He relaxed against the booth, shoving a few fries into his mouth.
Hermione was nearing her last bite of food, and his anxiousness increased so drastically to the point where he was fidgeting.
"Everything all right?" she asked worriedly.
"Just fine," Ron answered in a strained, high-pitched voice. With an undignified squeak, he apologized.
Here it comes, he thought, shaking all over. Almost…
"RON!" Hermione shrieked, looking down at her white blouse in horror. It was soaked in her beloved orange Hi-C, threatening to stain. "Ron, that is my favorite—"
"Go to the bathroom and clean it up," he offered sheepishly, clutching her wand behind his back. He had Accio'd it a few minutes earlier, in case rationality won over anger in her.
With a grunt of frustration, she rose from her seat, and stalked to the bathroom.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ron tried to quell his nerves.
"You can do it, Ronnie boy," he assured himself under his breath, reaching over for her toy prize.
Closing his eyes and pointing his own, somewhat ratty wand toward the package, Ron whispered a few words in an unintelligible language.
The door to the bathroom swung open not a second later, and Ron looked up, guilty.
"I'm so sorry, 'Mione," he apologized, his insides quaking.
"It's fine," she replied stiffly.
Ohgodohgodohgodohgod, he chanted in his head as she reached for her toy surprise.
Inhaling deeply, he watched the scene unfold excruciatingly slowly before his light blue eyes.
---
Hermione struggled with the baggie, her anger rising higher by the second.
What a horrible way to end a perfectly adorable two-year anniversary! she thought crossly.
A sneak peek at Ron revealed his anxious, nervous face. Instantly, her anger melted away at his pitiful expression.
She took a deep breath, and gave one last tug. She didn't at all anticipate what she found inside.
Out tumbled a gorgeous, sparkling ring.
"Ohmygod," she breathed, her words stringing together.
Her brown eyes looked up to see Ron, and he was swallowing forcefully. She could tell by his face that he was preparing for – Yes, just what she was thinking.
"Hermione, I—"
She looked back down at the ring in amazement, shocked beyond words. The tears shining at the corners of her eyes caused him to stop, mid-sentence.
"Are you ok?" he asked, concerned.
"Yes, of course," she gasped out, wiping away the tears while feeling foolish.
Ron's fingers closed over the ring, and his right hand reached over to grasp her left one.
"Oh god," she whispered again.
"I love you," he said quietly, her favorite lopsided smile on his face.
"I love you, too," Hermione replied, choking on the words.
"Will you marry me?" Ron asked, wrinkling his freckle-spattered nose in anticipation.
"Yes," she exclaimed softly.
A full-fledged grin took to place of his meek smile as he slid the modest diamond studded ring onto her finger.
She slipped out of the booth and fell into his arms, tears streaming down her face.
He released her briefly, just long enough to return her unnoticed missing wand and push the small cups of juice away from them. Then he pulled her back into his arms.
"You are such a child," she murmured through soft laughs and falling tears.