Beyond the Emptiness

Hermione didn't seem to notice Ron had come outside. He'd cast a warming charm on her and settled the coat over her shoulders before she looked at him. She seemed surprised that she was covered in snow.

He tugged the coat around her. "You'll catch your death."

"Viktor's gone."

"I see that. I thought you two broke up."

"I did too, but apparently he didn't see it that way."

Ron raised his eyebrows. "But you've cleared that up?"

"Yes. I'm on my own again."

"I know the feeling."

Hermione sniffled. "I thought you were seeing someone named Michelle."

Ron shook his head a let out a soft snort. "Michelle broke it off awhile ago. She just happened to leave her jumper behind."

"Oh."

"Besides, what kind of slimy git do you think I am that last night would have happened if I was seeing someone else?" Unbidden, Margaret popped into his mind, but he pushed the image away as easily as she had always pushed him away.

Hermione shook her head. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm saying."

"I brought your Christmas present."

Hermione looked up at him and winked. "I thought last night was my Christmas present."

Ron grinned. "I considered that a mutual gift." He got serious. "I actually bought this ages ago, but then things went sour, and I didn't give it to you. That was a mistake."

"Ron—"

"Let me finish. After the war, after the last battle, when we were in the hospital wing…"

Hermione closed her eyes.

"I was having a nightmare. I was in so much pain and you—"

"Ron, please." A tear slipped.

"And you...I don't know how, because you were injured as bad as I was, but you made your way over to my bed, and got in beside me and you said 'I'm here, Ron, I'm right here,' and I was so stupid, that I thought that meant forever. And I took it for granted, and I shouldn't have. I'd lost you before I even realized you were really gone."

She pushed tears off her cheeks and wouldn't look at him.

"It's been three years, and even now, when I have a question, when I want an opinion, when I want an argument even, I naturally look for you. I still feel like you're there, just around the corner. It's been like losing a limb living without you. I don't feel like a whole man. And the other girls, they always end up with the Lavender problem."

Hermione arched an eyebrow at him.

"No matter how nice they are, they just don't measure up. They're not clever enough by half. They're not sexy enough, and they're not bossy enough." He smiled on the last part.

Hermione shook her head. "I don't—"

Ron took a small box from his coat pocket. "I know it's too soon for you to give me an answer. I know this seems like I'm trying to rush you, but really, I'm giving this to you now, because it's yours, and the offer stands whenever you're ready."

Hermione's eyes widened as she watched him open the ring box. "Ron, I…"

He held the ring out to her. "Marry me."

Her hands shook as she reached for the ring. It was beautiful, with a large, dark ruby, set in a clawed goblin gold setting. "It's perfect."

"It should be, it's yours."

She looked up at him. "I want so much to say yes."

Ron closed his eyes, girding himself for her next words. "But..."

"How would it look? To walk in there with your ring on, after just having had it out with Viktor. They'll think I'm a tart. They'll think you've gone mad."

Ron looked down at her. "Wait a minute, is that a yes?"

Hermione wiped more tears from her cheeks. "Of course, it's a yes. You're right, you know. I never should have left you. I said I'd be there, but I wasn't."

He shook his head. "You had every reason to leave me. I was a right bastard, I was."

"I should've gone to your parents for help. I should've been more patient. You weren't yourself."

"Maybe not, but whoever that guy was, he lost you." He slipped the ring on her finger. "I won't make that mistake again."

She held out her hand to admire the ring. "I really can't wear this just yet."

"Don't be so thick. My family already thinks I'm mental." He grinned at her. "And thanks to me, everyone already thinks you're a tart."

She swatted his arm. "That stupid, stupid article. What were you thinking?"

Ron backed away holding up his palms. "Hey, now! I still get owls about that. All manner of birds and blokes with their offers and suggestions."

"Join the club. What on earth? I mean, Rita, seriously? Rita!"

Ginny stuck her head out the front door. "Dinner's ready!"

"It can't be," Ron shouted back. "It wasn't near ready a minute ago."

"Dobby showed up. Come on!"

Ron took Hermione's hand. "Leave it on. You're among friends here."

She reached up and cupped his face. He leaned down and kissed her softly.

"I like the beard."

"Thanks. It covers up the scar."

Hermione shrugged. "I don't mind the scar."

Ron said, stroked his beard. "It's not so much that I mind it, but when people come into the shop, and they see it, they want to talk about it."

"I've often been grateful that mine are hidden under clothes." She took his arm and they walked back in together.

Not so hidden as you might think, Ron thought, but kept it to himself.

xXx

Christmas dinner was in the formal dining room, which Ron noticed had been enlarged, as had the table. Judging from how good it looked, he had to assume it wasn't done by his father, who was dreadful at all manner of construction spells. He figured it was either Dobby or Fred and George. He and Hermione took their seats. She had only to reach for her water goblet before his mother noticed the ring.

"Hermione, is that an engagement ring?"

Hermione's face flushed red. "Yes."

Everyone looked up from their plates.

"Gave it to her just now, I did," Ron said around a mouthful of ham.

"Damn it!" came Charlie's voice from the archway. "This was going to be the year I asked her out."

George set down his water goblet. "I'd had the same thought."

"Didn't you read the Witch Weekly article a while back?" Ginny quipped, "She's not that discerning."

"Ooh," Hermione clenched her fists. "How I hate that woman."

Everyone laughed.

Charlie took his place next to his mother and kissed her cheek. "I suppose you're still the only one for me, Mum."

"So, you're really tying the knot?" Harry asked.

Hermione tucked her head. "Yes."

"About time," Angelina said from across the table. "Who won the pool then?"

George seemed to do some quick calculations. "I believe Ginny won, but I'll check to be sure."

"Stop it," Ron grumbled, but Hermione didn't seem to mind. She smiled actually, a big warm smile that he hadn't seen in a long time.

He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "I love you like mad, you know that?"

She put her hand over his and wove their fingers together. "I'm starting to remember."

xXx

After dinner, they all crowded into the parlor to listen to a Christmas music program in the parlor. Everyone except Fleur, who took her children up to read to them before bedtime. There wasn't enough seating, so Ron and Hermione ended up sitting on the floor. She sat between his legs and rested her head against his chest as they listened to the music, but Hermione wasn't really listening to the music. Instead, she closed her eyes and listened to Ron's heart beat steadily under her ear. She felt safe and loved in a way she hadn't for a very long time.

As the evening wore on, Fred and Angelina took their children home by Floo. George and Charlie decided to go out for a nightcap, and Ginny agreed to accommodate them by opening up the Three Broomsticks. They asked Ron and Hermione if they'd like to come along, but Hermione declined.

"I have work early tomorrow. I really should be getting back to London."

As the parlor began to empty out, Arthur and Molly said their goodnights and went to bed.

Finally, it was just Bill left sitting with them. He eased himself off the sofa and stood slowly. "It's good to see you two together again," he said to them, as he stretched and the joints in his back cracked. "Well, I'm off to bed too. Fleur will be wondering where I am."

"Goodnight, Bill," Ron and Hermione said together. They smiled at each other.

"Are you really going back to London tonight?" Ron asked as he played with the sleeve of her jumper. He noticed that sometime during the day she had taken off Michelle's old jumper and put on the one his mother gave her for Christmas.

"Well, Diagon Alley is in London."

"Yes, and very near the Ministry. Come back to my flat with me."

She worried the hem of his jumper. "I really do have to work in the morning. I can't be up all night like last night." She bit her lip.

Ron thought he knew what was bothering her. "Last night, was fun, but I can't be up all night again either. I just want to make love, fall asleep, and wake up with you in the morning."

"About that, maybe we should—"

Ron kissed her. He knew there were things they should probably discuss, but he just wanted to enjoy being back together for a while. There would be plenty of time to hash out the past, but for awhile, he just wanted to enjoy the present. He'd felt the tension in her last night. She'd been strung tight like a wire. Even now, he could feel her anxiety starting to build in the way she held her body, the tightness of her jaw. "I love you," he said softly, as he came out of the kiss.

Hermione smiled, but tucked her head. Ron figured it would just take time for her to relax and be totally comfortable with him again. He pushed her hair behind her ear. "I've missed this hair. You can't find hair like this just anywhere, you know."

"Thank goodness, otherwise everyone would be as crazy as I am in the morning."

"Just leave it down," Ron sank his fingers into it, loving the softness. "It's lovely."

Hermione shook her head. "It's a mess."

"It's a lovely mess," Ron said, and moved her hair aside to kiss her neck. She melted against him, so he lay her on her back against the floor. He continued kissing her neck for a while, before returning to her lips. When his hand moved beneath her jumper to cup her breast, however, she caught it.

"I swear, if your mother walks in here, I will die."

Ron grinned. "You didn't die last time."

"I came very close, and I'm not seventeen anymore. I don't think my heart could take it."

"Then let's go back to my flat."

She took a deep breath and nodded. "All right then."

Ron stood and held out a hand to help her up.

She stood and put her hand on his chest. "You really want to marry me?"

"Pick a date." He pulled his wand out. With a pop he Disapparated.

xXx

Ron was somewhat amused to see that Hermione appeared next to the bookcase in his flat a moment later. He supposed that was the area she remembered best from last night. "How about this summer? Maybe June?"

Hermione shook her head. "I have a big conference in June."

"July then?"

"July would work." She bit her lip, but Ron could see she was trying to suppress a grin.

He hooked his fingers through her belt loops and pulled her toward him. "I believe." He ran his hand under her jumper. "That my hand was here."

She glanced back toward the wall next to the bookcase. "Mind if we take this into the bedroom?"

He reached down and caught her hand. "Come on."

xXx

Ron took his time. He peeled off each layer of her clothes as though he'd never done it before. When he got to her knickers though, she stilled his hand.

She blushed. "Let's just get under the covers."

"In a minute." He moved her hand.

"Don't. I haven't—" She shook her head.

"It's fine. I don't much go in for the prepubescent girl look myself, but it'll grow back. In the meantime, I'd like to take these off. All right?"

They locked eyes for a moment. She nodded and he slid them down. Ron wasn't sure he'd ever seen her this shy or insecure before. He made love to her with all the gentleness, kindness and compassion he had in him until she lay limp against him.

She kissed his chest. "I love you so much. I can't even express how much I've missed you."

Ron kissed the top of her head and pulled the covers up a little further, tucking them in behind her. "You can't possibly have missed me more than I missed you." But he knew that probably wasn't true. After all, he still had his family during the break up and still saw Harry and Ginny regularly. Hermione had been cut off from all that. Still, he 'd missed her enough to know he didn't ever want to feel that way again, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He noticed the change in her breathing that indicated she was asleep. He kissed the top of her head again and closed his eyes, feeling for the first time in a long time, that things were really right with the world.

~finis~

Author's Note: Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this story, please fav or follow it, or leave me a comment, and share. It really helps the algorithm show my stories to other readers. If you like my work, I have several books out with Red Adept Publishing. The latest is an urban fantasy, The 7000 Souls of Alma Drake. I also have a mystery series, The Annie Fitch Mysteries: Exposed Fury and Hidden Fury. Or my first book, a contemporary romantic novel, One Big Beautiful Thing. All titles are available anywhere books are sold and on all digital platforms. Have a look. 😊