A/n : Thank you so much for the review! This chapter isn't the most exciting till you get toward the bottom, but I promise the next is going to be awesome, i'm working on it right now!

Chapter four: Sparkles, Bows and Roses.

Hermione left the boy's to discuss the letter, and to come up with as many conspiracy's about Anna and the locket; while she walked out into the beautiful warm sunny day, to see what Fleur had wanted her for. A garden gnome hid innocently underneath a pair of mangy old boots, hiding gardening sheers behind its back, as Hermione past. Finally she reached the small paddock that the Weasley's used for a Quidditch pitch. Fleur was laying on the grass, obviously cloud gazing; slowly she walked over.

"Uh, Ginny said you wanted to see me?"

"Oh eets you! I'm so happy to see yew!"

"What are you doing out here all alone anyway, where is Bill?"

"Oh; eet's been 'ard on him since that 'erewolf bit 'im"

"Is it the full moon already?"

"Yes and he 'ent with that Lupin 'ellow"

"Oh well you don't need to worry, I'm sure Professor Lupin will take care of him.."

"Oh eet's not that Ermione."

"No?"

"No, I wuss wonderzing if you 'ould help me wizth the wedding."

"Me? Are you sure? I mean I'm sure Mrs. Weasley would like to help you… I'm not good with decorations."

"Oh no iz notzing like that at all! I was wonderzing if you 'ould be my 'aid of honor."

"Me? Why me?"

"'cus you 'eem to be the only one who likes me"

"Oh Phleg-Fleur." Hermione began, "Don't be silly of course the Weasley's like you!"

"Ginevra 'ates me I know."

"Ginny just has a different way of showing how she -"

"I 'ont need ezplanations, I juss need to know if yew aczept"

"Of course I accept Fleur!" Hermione said with a halfhearted smile."

"Good zen I need yew to go to Diagon Alley and pick up ze drezz, iz at Madam Malkins."

"Do you need anything before I go?" Hermione asked, anxious to get out of Fleur's company, because of the fact that Fleur was known to start crying for no reason lately."

"Oh no I'm fine."

"Ok then, bye."

Hermione wasted no chance to escape from Phlegm, as she ran back up to the Weasley's home.

"Anyone fancy to go with me to Diagon Alley?"

"Fat chance, Mom wont let us out of the house! Have you been reading the Prophet lately?"

"No, why?" Hermione suddenly experienced a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Nobody - err - died did they"
"Loads!".. "No one we know though." Ron added at Hermione's pale face.

"Accept for Snape, but that's not really a tragedy is it?" Harry said with a grin.
"Snape? He's dead"
"Yeh some Auror killed him three nights ago, Mum read it in the Evening prophet."

"He got what he deserved." Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone"
"Yeah." The other three chimed in.

"D'you reckon we could sneak out and be back before anyone misses us?"

"Hermione I can't believe my ears!" Ron teased. "When have you ever done something your not suppose to do"
"Oh shut-up Ronald, you can be such a wank sometimes."

"I-well-uhm, cant you just take a joke Hermione!"

Hermione rolled her eye's and ignored Ronald's whining. "Anyone up for it? I'm going I have to get my Maid of Honor dress for Phlegm's wedding."

"Maid of whatta what?" Ron said clueless.

"Fleur made me her Maid of honor"
Ginny stiffened in her chair, Hermione noticed.

"Now Ginny don't be mad, it's not like I wanted to be."

"I'm not mad, I'm just trying not to laugh.. I saw that dress when Phlegm bought it, its retched."

"It can't be that bad"
"No she's right mate, your going to look like a frilly pumpkin pasty." Ron said snorting.

"Your such a prat!" Hermione said smiling at Ronald, "Now lets go you lot!"

Walking over to the fire she grabbed a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the blazing fire, instantly turning the flames green. "MADAM MALKINS, DIAGON ALLEY." shouted Hermione as cool flames lapped against her legs. She began to spin and then in a blink of an eye hundreds of fireplaces zoomed past her, and then she abruptly stopped in a sooty old fireplace, which looked like it hadn't been cleaned for some time, stepping out she noticed that she was in the back of Madam Malkins. She brushed off the black dust as she slowly walked toward the front, she heard a loud clunk which told her that the other three had landed in the fireplace and would be joining her shortly. Hermione opened the door to the main part of the shop and entered, it was dimly lit and was littered with ton's of cloaks and dress robes.

"Uh, Madam Malkin?" She called out, looking for the short squat old woman who ran the shop.

"Yes dear"
"I've come for the Weasley Dress."

"Oh, yes, yes, yes. I was beginning to worry that I'd be stuck with it."

She watched as the plump women bobbed past her and into a different back room then the one that she had just left. Hermione looked around the store, She never quite liked Wizard clothes much, usually she just wore some muggle jeans and a tee.

"That thing looks like it was made out of Crookshanks, its horrid."

Hermione turned around, eye's locking on the ginger red head boy standing directly behind her.

"Where are the others?" Hermione asked Ron.

"Didn't want to come… Harry said that he and Ginny were going to get some practice on there Quidditch skills."

"Mhm, I bet you a knut there shaggin-"

"Here you go deary, quite.. uh beautiful isn't it?"

Hermione could tell that the lady was lying through her teeth, nobody in there right mind would call the monstrosity that was the dress, Beautiful. Out of the corner of her eye Hermione could tell that Ronald was struggling to not crack up laughing.

"Wow.. It's wow, so unique!" Hermione said.

"I hope it's the right color orange, Fleur wanted a mango color, and she precisely wanted 17 bows"
Hermione nodded as she looked down at the ruffled dress with dinner plate sized bow's around the hem.

"Its perfect." Ronald said with a grin on his face. "I'm sure Hermione will be absolutely brilliant looking in it."

Hermione gave Ron a cold look as she walked over toward the sale's counter with Madam Malkin.

"It will be 14 galleons"
Hermione handed over the money and Mrs. Malkin packed the ugly garment into a box, handed it over and Hermione and Ron walked out into the sunny Diagon Alley.

"Now we know why Ginny wasn't the Maid of honor." Ron said, "That color orange would go terrible with her hair."

"Oh shut-up Ron, one of these day's it may happen to you"
"I know at our wedding you better not make me wear some orange frilly tuxedo"
Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, "Are wedding?"

"Well, uh, um, well.. you know.. one of these days"
"Would you like to get a bite to eat before heading back?" Hermione asked.

"Like a date"
"Er - well.. I guess." Hermione looked down at her feet, blushing slightly.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about Hermione"
Ron reached for her hand and took it into his much larger one.

"I'd love to go on a date with you."

Hermione smiled up at him as he led her hand in hand to a tiny tea shop that had just recently opened.

'The Serpentine tea house.'

"Oh, its lovely in here." Gasped Hermione as she took in the elegant little tea house, with its snug little fireplaces and armchairs. It was more like the inside of a common room then a restaurant. Walking in Ron led her to a secluded corner, were a cheery fire was burning merrily inside the grate, with a loveseat and coffee table in front. Barely anybody else was in tea house, a young man walked over and introduced himself as the waiter and asked them what they would like.

"Uhm, what's good here?" Hermione questioned; there wasn't any menu's.

"Tea." He said with a board voice.

"Oh. Ok I will have some Tea with biscuits"
"I'll have the same." Ron said as he scooted closer to Hermione on the couch. The waiter walked away and Ron and Hermione was alone once more.

"Hermione.." Ron said softly.

"Yeh?"

Ron looked down at his hands, his ears started to turn a light shade of red, a tall-tail sign that he was embarrassed.

"Ron, it's ok; there is nothing to be embarrassed about."

"Hermione, you're the greatest girl I've ever known. Your all that I well.. Think about anymore.."

"Really? Aw Ron!"

He looked up and lost himself in Hermione's cinnamon brown eye's, "I promise that I'll protect you, nobody is going to hurt my princess"
Hermione smiled, she moved closer to Ronald and started to slowly lean in, tilting her head to the side - there lips only bits apart when -

"That will be three sickles."

Ronald jolted away from Hermione and came back to earth.

"Wha?"

"Three sickles."

"Oh, yeh." He rummaged through his pockets and pulled out three sickles and a knut."

"Er, here." He handed the waiter the money, and once again they were alone.

"Mione" Run moaned as he leaned in toward her again, bringing his hand up to carress her cheek, "Since that kiss we had in my room that's all I can think about, I need you."

Hermione bit her lip, she knew that she was blushing.

He slowly moved his hand from caressing her cheek down to her chin, and lifted up her head with his finger. Hermione closed her eye's as she leaned forward and there lips softly brushed against one another, Ron's kisses were nothing like Hermione had imagined, they were soft and slow; not clumsy like everything else he does. She felt the hand on her chin run slowly up into her brown locks, were he playfully messed up her hair, the other one roamed her hip.

Hermione gently nipped at his bottom lip, and ran her hand along his neck and into his tangled fiery hair.

After moments of nothing but him and her, Hermione pulled away; Ron reluctantly let her.

"I love you Ron."

Ron reached into his cloak pocket and pulled out a single white rose, he put it into her curly brown locks.

"Here."

Hermione reached up and felt the tiny flower, she leaned in and kissed him again.

"Thank you love."

"Guys!"

Hermione turned around and noticed that Harry was standing a few feet away."

"I knew it!" Ginny said, coming out from behind a potted tree, "Congratulations."

"What the bloody hell are you two doing here." Ronald said with a high pitched tone.

"We come to tell you that Mrs. Weasley want's you home NOW or you wont have dinner for a week."

"Harry! How did she find out!" Hermione jumped, running to her friend.

"That stupid clock we have, she noticed that Ronald's hand had turned to 'traveling' instead of 'mortal peril' replied Ginny.

"Shit." Ronald said, as he grabbed Hermione's hand and all four walked toward Madam Malkins, and back into her sooty fireplace.