I forgot to mention this in the first chapter, but english is not my mother tongue and i have no beta which means that probably this story will have grammar mistakes. I hope not so many to make you quit reading. Hey, at least I'm trying! Don't judge me too hard.
"Draco proposed to me," she finally admitted quietly.
She was dreading for that moment the minute she decided to come here. If Ron was so against the idea of her dating Draco, what would he think of her now that he learned that Draco proposed? There was a long pause and Hermione was holding her breath the whole time, before Ron finally talked.
"I don't see a ring on your finger."
That's it. That was all he said. She had just told him that another man, his nemesis in many ways, had proposed to her and he just acted like he didn't care. Did he really not care?
"It wasn't planned. He just blurred it out during the Tornado's game," she said disappointed.
She heard Ron letting a heavy snort. "I didn't know you are a Tornado's fan."
God, why he thinks that everything must involve Quidditch! "I'm not, you know me. I told you I don't care about Quidditch. I just tag along, just like I did whenever you or Harry played."
Ron took a sip of his beer before resting again his back on the couch. "I think I can remember a few exceptions to that rule," he said almost as if he was accusing her of letting him down.
"It was one game, Ron! I missed one game of yours!" she protested sternly.
"It was the game that I won the Cup for Gryffindor," he pointed out.
"And I apologised, but you know that Harry and I couldn't be there that day!"
She was relieved that Ron decided to let it go. Honestly, the last thing she wanted right now was to debate about a stupid game when she had just admitted to him that she had received a wedding proposal. That's what she wanted Ron to focus on. But all Ron did was to turn his attention back to the television screen. His behavior was driving her insane.
"Aren't you going to ask what my answer to his proposal was?"
Ron shook his shoulders. "Why? He didn't propose to me, did he?"
"You'd like Draco to propose to you?" she asked sarcastically.
"Why not? Sure, he's not my type but think what I could do with all his money. I could buy the Cannons and make them the best team in the league!" he joked.
Hermione rolled her eyes in frustration. "Can you take it seriously for a moment, Ron?"
Ron took a sip of his beer. "I prefer not to, Hermione. Nothing in your so called perfect relationship with that wanker, I can take seriously."
"I never said that we have the perfect relationship and stop calling Draco names! He is not the same person he was at Hogwarts. He is a good man now," Hermione protested sternly.
Ron laughed. "Hermione, Draco Malfoy was a cunt and he's still a cunt, and he's going to die as a fucking cunt."
"Ok I'm not going to sit here hearing you insulting him," she said angrily and got up from the sofa.
"Leave then. No one is stopping you," Ron said pointing the door with his hand.
Hermione took one of the cushions and throw it to Ron's face. "Why are you such a prick?" she screamed at him.
When she tried to hit Ron again with the cushion, Ron caught her hands and locked them behind her back and pushed her down the sofa. His face was now inches away from hers and she could inhale his warm breath filled with alcohol. If he just moved a bit they'd kiss and Hermione was pleading mentally for Ron to do just that.
"Nice language. You kiss the ferret with that mouth?" he challenged her not releasing his grip.
"Don't care what I do with my mouth," she breathed feeling herself immortal to his strength and touch.
She saw his eyes lowering to the level of her lips and Hermione closed her eyes in anticipation. But the kiss never came. Instead Ron let her arms free and moved a bit away from her.
Hermione sadly opened her eyes again and tried to collect herself. She made an excuse and went to the loo where with the help of a lot of cold water on her face, she managed to regain control of her mind of body.
When she walked back to the living room she found that Ron wasn't there.
"You want anything to eat?" Ron shouted from the kitchen.
Typical. One moment they're fighting and the next it's like it never happened. She hated him and loved him at the same time for doing this to her.
"You have any crisps?" she shouted back.
"Yeah, I think I have some," Ron replied.
Hermione found the time to observe the living room. Ron really hadn't clean this place in a while; a sock behind the TV, two dirty shirts on the floor and dust everywhere. A frown of disapproval appeared on her face.
"You should really tidy up this place, Ron. If you don't want to do it the muggle way, then a simple scrugify spell would do the job!"
Ron poked his head from the kitchen door. "My house, my filth!"
"Very mature behaviour, Ron. What if you want to bring a girl here? This is a huge turn off, you know."
She pushed immediately all the thoughts that came with this sentence. Imagining Ron bringing a girl here, sitting on the same sofa they're sitting, watching the same films they're watching wasn't pleasant. The thought always pained her to no end. Highly hypocritical from her part, considering that from the two of them, she was the one in a relationship.
"And that's why I always go to their place and never invite them to mine," Ron said as he walked to the living room carrying a plate with a few cucumber sandwiches, before heading back to the kitchen and Hermione followed him.
"You seem to have a lot of flings, but not a steady relationship," she told him.
After Ron graduated from the Auror Academy and they started again to spend some time together, Hermione noticed that he very often received owls from different girls either inviting him on a date or to tell him how much they loved their date and all that silly girly stuff she hated.
Also once in a Ministry party a year ago, she had a talk with Parvati and she, without obviously be aware of Hermione's feelings for Ron, had confess that she and Ron dated for a while and that he was now in a relationship with another girl that worked at Zonko's. That didn't last either.
"Why settling to eat honey from the jar, when there are so many bees out there?" Ron winked.
"Congratulations, Ron. This lifestyle must be so fulfilling for you," she said sarcastically.
"It is. Thank you very much," Ron replied in the same tone.
She angrily left the kitchen and walked back in the living room. She didn't know what was bothering her more. The fact that Ron acted indifferent to the news that Draco proposed her or that he seemed to like the attention he was getting from strange girls.
"I just don't understand what all these easy girls of one or two nights could give him. He shouldn't enjoy this lifestyle. He should want more. He should want someone like…" she stopped before finishing her sentence as she heard Ron's footsteps.
"Someone like who?" Ron asked as he came back from the kitchen and handling her the crisps before taking her his place again in the sofa.
Hermione's cheeks went red in embarrassment. She hadn't realised that she was thinking aloud and for Ron to caught her while she was thinking about him.
"Come on, Hermione. Finish your sentence. I should want someone like who?" he asked again without taking his eyes off hers.
"Someone like… like me. Someone that have some brain inside her head, have self-respect and is ready for a commitment. Also someone who can be your best friend, and love you with all her heart and feels blessed everyday that she's yours and you are hers."
If Ron was staring at her expectantly before, it was no match to his now intense gaze. Hermione felt lost in the blue ocean of his eyes but after a moment or two, Ron lowered his gaze and looked away.
"Too bad you are taken, then," Ron said softly, but the evidence of sadness clear to the sound of his voice.
"I'm not," Hermione whispered.