Chapter 3: The Mine Phase

A week had passed since the disastrous Quidditch match, and everyone was starting to feel the strains of the stress plaguing the family. Hermione had at last found a dress, and all the arrangements were made, but it still felt like there was stuff to be done, and it wasn't getting done.

Besides a few meltdowns and nights when Ron resorted to sleeping on the couch, their everyday lives had been fairly normal. Ron and Hermione both went to work during the day; they both had jobs at the Ministry of Magic. Offices had been clamoring for them after the final battle, all wanting them in their departments. Hermione was working with Magical creatures and Ron had just passed Auror Training.

Ron came home one evening to find Hermione on the couch in a tank top and sweatpants, reading a book. "What're you doing home early?" he asked as he made his way to the closet to put his shoes away.

"Didn't feel that well."

He turned back around to look at her. She was lying on her belly, her chin in her elbows which were propped up on the cushions. He admired her cleavage for a moment before heading her way and sitting down next to her.

"What's wrong?"

She shrugged. "I dunno, just a minor headache I think. Thought it best to just take a break for once."

"Hermione Granger, taking a break from work, never would've thought." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, ha ha." She said sarcastically, moving so her head was in Ron's lap. She looked up at him.

"How was your day?"

"My day? Oh, fine, Kingsley just talked about some missions that might be planned—" He noticed her stare up at him in disbelief. "—But, but I told him I couldn't possibly go, I've got you." He faltered, not having done such a thing

She sighed. "Oh, thank goodness. Thanks for doing that." She smiled a beautiful smile.

He started to move away. "Well…what're you making for dinner tonight?"

"I thought maybe meatloaf."

"Great! Well you better get started on that then…"

"Yeah," she said, pushing herself up and heading toward the kitchen. Ron then had a great idea.

He saw Hermione in the kitchen, bustling around for some ingredients. Right when she started to wash something in the sink did he make his move.

He carefully slid his arms around her waist from behind, drawing her near him and flicking off the running water.

"Ron! What're you doing? Don't you want food?"

"I think maybe you deserve a break from that, too. We'll order a pizza or something." Ron had taken a great liking to the Muggle food of pizza. He tickled her belly a bit.

She smiled. "Thanks, Ron! I guess I do need a break from everything right now. Except for one thing."

"What?"

"You, Ron! I don't need a break from you!"

He laughed and squeezed her waist before lifting her gently and lying down on the couch, pulling her on top of him. She kissed him, first slowly, but then it became more passionate.

"Hermione, I love you."

The next day, Ron sat at his desk at work going over some files.

"Hey Ron, meeting in ten minutes, Kingsley's office." Harry called over to him from his own desk.

"Got it!" Ron called back. This meeting was probably because of these missions Kingsley was planning.

Shoot. He thought. Gotta tell him I can't do those. Hermione'll kill me!

Ten minutes later Ron was heading to Kingsley's office, scratching his head. He was already one of the top Aurors despite minimal training, and the Minister probably wouldn't like him saying he had to skip a mission. Then again, Kingsley knew Hermione…Ron just hoped that everything would be alright.

Once everyone was seated in chairs facing Kingsley's desk, Kingsley spoke in his slow, deep voice.

"As I'm sure you've all guessed by now, this meeting is to decide the members of the team we're sending to Elephant and Castle, to check up on some disturbances there. Potter, Weasley, Ellsworth, I'd like you to lead." He nodded at Harry, Ron, and one of their colleagues, Patrick Ellsworth.

Harry and Patrick nodded. Ron cleared his throat.

"I—I actually can't go on any missions in the next month or so."

The room's occupants, sans Harry, stared at him in disbelief. Ron looked around awkwardly. "What? I just can't."

"Why Ron?" Kingsley asked. He didn't look mad, just curious. For now.

"Well, I'm getting married in a month, and then there's the honeymoon and…well Hermione doesn't want me to risk anything."

A voice spoke from behind. "Then this means I'm going, right Minister?"

Harry and Ron tried to suppress groans. They didn't know how it had happened, maybe it had something to do with his family's money and influences, but they had ended up in the Auror Department with none other than Cormac McLaggen.

McLaggen spoke again. "Minister, I'm just as good as Weasley. Send me instead. I doubt he even wants to go."

Ron gritted his teeth. "I want to go, McLaggen, but I'm getting married. I can't."

The rest of the room was staring at the two wizards.

"You're probably just too much of a coward. Don't want to look ugly on your big day?"

Ron was breathing heavily. "Just shut up McLaggen."

"No, Weasley. I deserve to go on this mission. I'm not scared. You are."

Ron's ears were going red, a clear danger sign. "For the last time, Hermione doesn't want to take any risks."

"So? Take risks, Weasley! Your little fiancée deserves a real man."

"That's it." Harry tried to grab Ron's arm but it was too late. Ron sprang at McLaggen, swinging punches at his face. He tackled him to the floor, knocking over a few chairs in the process. He smashed him against the floor.

"ENOUGH!" Kingsley's voice boomed. Ron and Cormac froze, Ron's fist raised for another blow.

"Ron, Cormac, get out. I will not have this kind of fighting in my office. You're both suspended from work for one day. Neither of you will lead this mission. Now leave!" Kingsley's fist pounded his desk.

Both men were breathing heavily as they stalked out of the office, not looking at each other. Harry looked at Ron with a mixture of sadness and disappointment.

Ron stormed down to the Atrium and took the fireplace back to the surface before Apparating to his side of London. He took the stairs up to the apartment, his feet stomping the wood floor. He burst through the door and lay down on the couch, hating himself for being so stupid. He stayed like that until Hermione came home.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asked, seeing the expression on his face.

He mumbled something.

"Didn't catch that, Ron."

He raised his voice a little louder. "I got suspended from work."

She gaped. "Why? What happened?"

"I got into a fight."

She went over and sat by his side. "With who?"

"Cormac McLaggen."

She groaned. "Oh, God, Ron. Why? What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! It was totally him!"

She looked at him skeptically. "Yet you're suspended from work, and you only have one bruise."

He sighed. "We're both suspended."

She made an upset noise. "Ron, what did he possibly say for you to risk your job like that?"

He mumbled again. She just glared.

"He was talking about you."

"Oh gosh. I don't even want to know, Ron."

Just then there was a knock on the door, but Hermione was just standing up before the door opened and a man with bright red hair walked in.

"Hey!" George Weasley called, grabbing a biscuit from the kitchen counter and stuffing it in his mouth.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Very polite entrance, George."

He smiled. "You know it. I just came over to—" He noticed Ron's state of being, with a bright red face and a bruise on his forehead. "What happened?"

"Ron got into a little—er—scrape at work."

George gave a huge smile. "Ah, Ronnie." He said, coming over and rumpling his little brother's hair. "What did you do now?"

"I got suspended from work because I got into a fight with Cormac McLaggen."

George let out a booming laugh. "What for? Over what?"

Ron just pointed at Hermione.

George laughed and gave his sister-in-law-to-be a playful slap on the butt. "Who knew this one would bring out such emotions in so many blokes?" He threw an arm around her shoulder.

"Oi!" Said Ron angrily, tapping his wand threateningly on the couch.

"Relax, Ron." Said both Hermione and George at the same time. George retracted his arm from around her.

"George, why are you even here?" Ron questioned crossly.

"Ginny sent me. Needs you for a suit fitting, Ronald."

Ron groaned. "Tell her I'll do it tomorrow. Now can you please leave?"

"Well, fine, I can see I'm not welcome here. I'll go now." He fake-cried.

"Good! Get out." Ron snapped. George gave Hermione another mischievous slap to her bum, just to annoy Ron, then Disapparated.

Ron sighed. "Thank the heavens he's gone."

Hermione sat down by his side again. "Ron, come on, lighten up. It was just a joke."

"I don't like my brothers and my coworkers and famous Quidditch players all touching you and fantasizing about you!"

Hermione gave him a sweet kiss on his cheek. "Just know that you're the only one that I want, and that you should not be getting so upset over such minor things."

He snorted. "Yes, because saying I'm not good enough for you is minor. And I don't want my brothers…touching you."

She rolled her eyes. "Just let it go, okay? And please, stop being so over-protective. It's nice when I'm being tortured by Death Eaters but when George does a prank it's totally unnecessary."

He looked into her eyes. "Fine. I'll try to ease up a bit."

She smiled. "And just for the record, I think you're just right for me."