Work was boring and slow, but Hermione filled the time helping the receptionist get caught up on filing everything. Soon enough it was her lunch hour and she was off to meet Ron at The Leaky Cauldron. He was sitting at the bar talking to some older wizard about quidditch and how the ChudleyCannons had made such a great turn around this season. She walked up to Ron and said hi to the old wizard. Ron stood, shook the old man's hand and took Hermione's hand in his other. "Shall we?"

Hermione nodded and they exited the pub. "Well, where would you like to go?"

"Anywhere is fine."

Ron started towards their left. "I know a great little bistro just a little ways down. Sound good?"

"Sure."

Ron looked over at Hermione. "You sure are talkative today,"sarcasm dripped from every word.

Hermione looked back at him. "I...just have a lot on my mind."

"Care to load some of it off on me?"

Well for starters why haven't you asked me to marry you or acted liked you are ready to move forward or anything? Was her first thought but she decided to play it down. He would come around when he was ready and she didn't want to push him into anything he wasn't ready for."It's just work, boring stuff actually. You don't want to hear all about it, trust me."

"Are you sure? Hermione you can tell me anything."

"It's really not a big deal." Ron could tell it was a bit of a big deal but he didn't want to fight with her in the middle of the streets of London.

Lunch was great. They laughed and talked and 'shared' dessert- actually Ron ate most of it, but Hermione didn't really care. They had just paid for lunch and left the little bistro when these four guys pulled ron into an alley and proceeded to beat him until he told them what they wanted to hear. Ron fought back as best he could but then the biggest one pulled out a wand. Ron reached for his but it was knocked out of his hand by another. Hermione grabbed her and started firing spells at the other men in an attempt to help Ron. She knocked two out cold, muggles of course but they were out all the same. the other two were a wizard- the leader- and she wasn't too sure about the other. Ron knocked the smaller guy to the ground and petrified him, then the big wizard threw Ron into the wall and knocked him out. Hermione stunned him was able to get to Ron and Apparate out of there. She appeared with Ron in St. Mungos and told the medi-witches what had happened and to alert the authorities.

Ron was taken by another witch to an emergency care ward. Hermione made to follow her but was stopped by another witch behind a counter. "What is your relation to the patient?"

Hermione looked confused.

"We can't allow you to be with him unless you are related. What is your relation?"

"We're...not related." Why couldn't i just lie and say sister or cousin or...or ...wife or something? What are they going to do with him? Is he going to be okay? The witch behind the counter began to shuffle through some forms. Hermione heaved a sigh and whispered to herself, "Please let him be okay, I don't care how long it takes before he marries me, just please let him be okay." The witch behind the counter looked up at Hermione.

"Why didn't you tell me? I can let you in if you're his fiancee. Oh dear, it's ok he's in good hands. I'll take you back. If you give me the name of his other family I will be glad to contact them fro you."

Hermione was stunned. She hadn't meant for anyone to hear what she had said. she just said it. And now this witch thought that she and Ron were engaged...to be married. She should tell her the truth...., but she really wanted to be with Ron and she knew if he were awake he would want to know she was safe and well. "Yes, his father and mother are Arthur and Molly Weasley of Ottery St. Catchpole. And Could you please also alert Harry Potter at the ministry in the Auror Department."

"Yes, deary, now don't worry, I promise he'll be fine."

Hermione nodded and entered the room. Ron was lying there asleep from all the medication but he did look a lot better than he had. Hermione sat on the bed and brushed Ron's hair from his face. there was a bit of bruising but it had gone down considerably since they had first got here. She had seen Ron in much worse condition but that took her back to a place where she didn't want to be. She held his hand and watched him sleep. "Ron, I am so sorry. I love you. Get better soon." she leaned down and gently placed a kiss on his forehead. A nurse walked in. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know he had a visitor. Are you Mrs. Weasley?"

Hermione was unsure of how to answer. "Erm well, we're not married" she said. "...yet,"she added noting the look on the nurse's face. "Yeah, he only asked me today, then he was jumped and the barbarians took my ring," she said holding up her hand. Wow this lying thing is a bit easier than I thought.

The nurse was taken aback. "I am so sorry dear. I'll just come back in a while and leave you alone for now." The Nurse left the room and Hermione felt a bit more at ease. Hopefully she wouldn't have to keep up this facade much longer. Just as she was settling down and sitting next to Ron, Mrs. Weasley came bursting through the door.

"My Ronniekins. Dear are you alright?" She turned to Hermione and pulled her into a hug. "And are you alright? I'm glad it's you I found here. The nurse said his fiancee was with him but I had no idea. I might have known, I just thought he was going to wait until....oh never mind. Have you heard anything?"

Hermione stood there, shocked. Had they really told everybody that she said she was Ron's fiancee. What had Mrs. Weasley just said? what was going to happen to her when Ron woke up? She was loathe to even think about it. "Mrs. Weasley, there's something I need to tell you."

"It can wait dear. Whatever it is I'm sure it's not that big of deal. Did the doctors say when he might wake up?"

Hermione looked at the floor then at Ron and then back at Mrs. Weasley. "They haven't told me anything. Just that he will be okay- which I guess means they didn't find any permanent damage. He's asleep because of the medications and to help ease the pain. Other than that I've heard nothing."

Mrs. Weasley, who was now hovering beside Ron, kissed his bruised hand. Arthur, Ginny and George walked in a few moments later followed by Harry. Arthur and George were with molly by Ron and Ginny and Harry were over in a corner talking amongst themselves. Harry made his way over to where Hermione was by the window.

"So, Ron asked you to marry him?"

Hermione turned to face him. "Erm, can we talk later, Harry?" she whispered.

"Sure."

The med wizard came in and looked around the room. "Hello, I have only good news. He has only minor bumps and bruises and any broken bones have completely healed, all he needs is a bit of a rest. We found him to be in very good health. He can go home as soon as he wakes up. It may take a few hours however. By the looks of it he did a pretty good job defending himself. Good day.

Molly insisted that everyone go and she would stay with Ron, but Arthur knew she wouldn't rest and would only worry. "How about George or Harry stay with Ron?"

Hermione saw an opportunity and took it. "I'll stay and floo you first thing in the morning when he wakes up. George needs to be able to open his shop and Harry needs to go in and talk to their advisor and file the report. I'll be fine here really."

Molly turned to Arthur, and he immediately answered her wordless question. "It's fine. He'll be fine with just Hermione. You heard what the doctor said. I trust Hermione can hold her own. She'll be okay."

Molly nodded and kissed Ron and Hermione goodbye, and she left with George and Mr. Weasley. Ginny grabbed Hermione's hand. "Where's the ring? I want to see what it looks like on you."

Hermione sighed. "There is no ring."

Ginny looked at Hermione then at Ron then back at Hermione. "They didn't steal it did they?"

"No."

"So Ron asked you without the ring? What's the point in that?"

Hermione looked Ginny in the eyes, her own were full of guilt and shame. "There's no point in that because he didn't ask me. Ron and I are not engaged. The nurse misunderstood me and now I'm in a mess."

Harry guffawed. "I thought you wanted him to ask you. You kept on about it earlier today. 'Oh, Harry, why won't Ron just marry me already?'" He said in a falsetto voice trying to sound like Hermione.

Hermione punched him in the arm. "For one, that is not how I sound or what I said. And two, this is not how I wanted it to happen, I mean not by mistake and Ron doesn't know what's going on. He should be the one to decide."

Harry ran his hand through his hair. "I rather think he was, but I am not at liberty to say." He glanced at Ginny and she understood.

"What does that mean? Did you guys know something? He told you…when was he going to?...how …what…now I have to make sure he doesn't find out about this mess. He'll hate me. Is that what your mum meant by she thought he was going to wait until...something, then she trailed off? Oh my gosh, what if he can understand everything that's been said. He'll already know when he wakes up this is horri…" there was total silence. Ginny had silencio-ed Hermione.

She grabbed the bushy haired witch by the shoulders. "Hermione, I don't want to have to slap you, but I will. You're making a bigger deal out of this than you should be. It's not like it's been formally announced yet. We are the only ones that know. Calm yourself. You are way too high strung. Wait here until he wakes up and tell him that you're here because the nurse ASSUMED you two were engaged and tell him that you will both need to inform mum and dad of that also since it was just to difficult to find a way to do that earlier." She let Hermione go. "See, problem solved. All you have to do is wait."

She hugged Hermione bye and took Harry's hand. "Good luck. See you tomorrow." And she and Harry left.

Hermione paced the room and practiced how she was going to tell Ron what she needed to tell him. She was finally satisfied with what she had and decided to transfigure the chair beside Ron's bed into a small bed to try and get some sleep. She woke up frequently to check on him throughout the night. She woke up the next morning and Ron was still asleep. She decided to go get some breakfast since Ron had shown no signs that he would wake up too soon.

There was a place downstairs to get food. She was going to see if she could get a cup of pumpkin juice and a couple pieces of toast. On second thought she might as well bring enough up for Ron to eat also because you never knew when it came to Ron, so just to be safe she made him a tray of food. As she was leaving to go back upstairs she saw someone reading The Daily Prophet. It had a huge picture of her, Ron, and Harry on it and it said, "Best Friends of 'The Boy Who Lived' to be Married!" Hermione grabbed the food and threw her sickles and knuts at the cashier and ran upstairs just as fast as she could Ron was still in bed asleep and she heaved a sigh of relief. She set the tray down and went to floo Ginny.

Ginny wasn't home so she decided to go back to Ron's room and think. When she walked into the room there was no one in bed and some of the food had been eaten. Hermione turned to see Ron coming out of the loo. He embraced her immediately.

"Hermione, Merlin, are you okay? I woke up and I thought I heard you talking but it must have been a dream and then I realized you could've been hurt and I was going to go looking for you but the nurse told me you were great, that you had brought me here and called my parents and stayed with me all night."

Hermione hugged Ron back and patted him. "I'm fine Ronald, really. Not a scratch on me, it was you they were after. I was so worried." She tried not to but the tears just came out on their own and she cried into Ron's chest as she had done many time before.

They stood there for what seemed like ages. A nurse came into the room humming. "Ah, the happy, couple. Front page of the prophet says you two are to be married. Congratulations!"