Written By PBMAXCA
He cut some limbs out of the way.
"Why do you insist on taking me on these nature hikes?" She didn't mind being in the outdoors. She was continually amazed how a guy who had spent most of his life on the asphalt and concrete streets of the world's busiest cities chose to spend his free time in a place in the wilderness that didn't have a path for them to walk on.
"Quit yer bitchin'," he said with a laugh in his voice. He pushed more limbs out of their way, "You'll love this place. I promise."
Her feet crunched along behind him through the fallen leaves on the sandy ground. They'd been in Hawaii for almost a week and she'd thought they'd be doing the regular every day island adventures, but this one seemed to be a little off the beaten path, literally. "I'm not going to lose my cell phone again am I?"
He looked back at her over his shoulder and laughed, "No. I promise you won't lose your cell phone."
"Good." She adjusted the lightweight backpack on her shoulders and reached a hand out to touch his back. "Last time it took me months to reenter all those numbers."
"You should really think about downsizing."
He looked back at her again with a twinkle in his eye. She wasn't sure where it was coming from, but this was the most relaxed she'd seen him in weeks. She knew that he'd been having a lot better luck with work lately, but she could tell that there was something different that was making him act this way.
She could hear in the distance the sound of waves on the beach.
Everywhere in Hawaii she seemed to be able to smell the ocean, but it was only on certain parts of Oahu that she could smell the ocean, like she could right then.
Her thoughts went back to the conversation. "This coming from a guy who has, what is it now, ten cars and four houses?"
He turned back again. "You forgot the two boats, jet ski, and motorcycle-" He laughed. "-except that's my woman's so I guess it doesn't count."
She stopped walking and watched him walk a few feet ahead of her.
"It's good to hear you laugh again."
"It's good to laugh again." He kept walking as if it wasn't a big deal.
"Ron."
He looked over his should again. "Yeah?"
He stopped and look at her. "What's wrong?" He looked her up and down. "You didn't twist and ankle or something, did you?"
It took her a moment to get the nerve up but she finally spoke up.
"You aren't sick or something are you?"
"Sick?" he asked sounding a little confused by her question.
"Well--" She avoided his eyes. "Last time you and I were out in a place like this you told me that you were in love with me and we both ended up in the water and since that is all out of the way I'm wondering why you're taking me to a deserted piece of--what the hell is this place again?"
"It's a wildlife reserve," he said, "And I'm not sick." He turned back around and started hiking again.
"Then what?" she asked cautiously.
"Then what?" He took a deep breath. "What?"
"Nothing." He said.
"There is something going on."
"Nothing big," he said.
"Ron stop hiking and get your butt back here--"
He motioned towards the trees in front of him. "Only a little bit farther then I'll tell you."
"Are you sure it's nothing bad?" she asked.
He nodded. "Trust me."
It wasn't another hundred yards until they were finally walking in sand and out from under the jungle overgrowth.
"Wow."
Ron kept his eyes on the water. "It's great, isn't it?"
"I don't think great is the right word," She said as she watched the white foam from the waves lapping up on the beach. The sun was starting to go down, coloring the water an orange and black color.
"Are we going to be ok out here in the dark?"
"Yeah," he said.
"Are you going to tell me?" she asked.
"I'm getting married."
"MARRIED!" She screamed in excitement as if she was celebrating one of her girlfriend's wedding announcement. Her yell sent a few birds flying, causing another smaller screech to come out of her.
"Wait," she said, "Married?" She couldn▓t hide the fact that the whole thing made her sick to her stomach. She wanted to be with Ron, she wished they could be together, but she knew it would never work. Whatever romantic feelings they▓d felt for each other over the years had now turned into such a deep friendship that it didn▓t seem right to mess it up with romance.
⌠Yes.■
Ron looked down at his feet. "Not a church wedding anyway."
She nodded. "What'd your parents say?"
"Everyone is excited." He paused for a long time and looked up into the sky as if he was gathering his thoughts.
"It's kind of strange that I▓m marrying my sister-in-law,■ he said, ⌠Is that strange?■
⌠Not at all,■ she said, ⌠Your families are very close now.■
"And George & Fred?"
"They're ok with it," Ron said, "Not cheerleaders, since they still want me to marry you, but at least they aren▓t throwing rocks."
"Throwing rocks!"
"You know what I mean. It's like the rest of my family. They love me, but don't really throw a party when it comes to me being married to anyone but you. They know that the Gabrielle makes me happy and that's all they could ask for."
"So are you getting a wedding planner and stuff?"
He nodded. "Already got one."
"So when's the wedding?" she asked.
His head tipped downward and then he looked up at her with one eye open and one eye closed due to the bright sun. "Now."
She gulped down a breath of air. "Now?"
He pointed up the beach to a crowd of people.
She didn't move for the longest time, but soon she saw Gabrielle come out of the crowd and wave a hand over his head, holding up a beer.
"How did they get up there?"
Ron cringed a little as he turned her shoulders and pushed her towards the group. "Portkey?"
"Portkey!" she shouted.
She could hear the crowd laughing at her outburst.
He shrugged and tried to smile. "I had to have one last hike with you before I tied the knot."
"As much as I love you for your dramatics, the next time you make me go on some stupid hike--"
"I love you too," he said and pulled her into a hug.
"You're really getting married right now?"
He nodded, "That is if you'll be my grooms maid."
"Grooms maid?" she said with a laugh.
He nodded.
"I'll be your grooms maid if you promise that we don't have to hike back to the car."
He turned and started to walk back towards the woods. "It was a nice walk though."
She instantly screamed. "Ron Weasley!"
He put his hands up in surrender. "Deal."
"So is your dad going to say something old and wise?"
"Yeah," he said, "Something about it all being about the journey."
She held her hands up. "No more about hiking and journeys."
He put an arm around her and walked with her towards the crowd.
"Deal. Definitely a deal."
When he put his hand behind his back she leaned and yelled at him, swatting at his shoulders. "No crossing your fingers on this one."
(c) 1999-2007 Pit Pat Productions