A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

Word count:603

The sparkle of the ring was nothing compared to the way Hermione's face lit up when she saw it. Severus hadn't planned on it being this soon. He'd always figured Hermione had wanted things done a bit more traditionally than him asking her to marry him at three in the morning while comforting her from her latest nightmare. The words had just slipped out without him even thinking about it. The impromptu proposal certainly hadn't done anything about the feeling of butterflies in his stomach he'd been walking around with, waiting for the right time. Hermione had only stared at him for a moment, blinking as if unable to process his words.

"Wait, you mean it?" she asked finally. "As in you really are asking me to marry you?"

"Hermione, when have I ever said anything I didn't mean?" he asked, reaching over and pulling the onyx colored box from his nightstand drawer. He could have chosen any color for the ring box, but he knew Hermione would laugh at it being black. She claimed it was the only color he ever bought anything in. He held it up. She rolled her eyes when she saw the color of the box.

"Let me see, times you have said things you didn't mean..." she said, starting to mentally count on her fingers. Severus reached over and took her hand in his.

"When have I ever said anything I didn't mean to you," he corrected. Hermione snorted back a laugh.

"You did call me a know it all, say that you didn't see a difference in my teeth after Draco hexed me."

"I was playing a part, we both know that. And you were a little know it all," he teased. Hermione let out a little laugh.

"And now? You honestly mean what you said, that you wanted to spend the rest of your life with me?"

"I did and I do, if I didn't mean it, Hermione, why would I have bought this ring, kept it hidden waiting for the right time to ask you the most important question of my life?" he asked, popping the box open to reveal the ring nestled inside. Hermione's mouth fell open at the sight of it. It wasn't large stone, but that didn't matter to either of them. The center stone, a ruby, glittered in the dim light of their bedroom. The two tiny diamonds set on either side of the round center stone were a bit more muted, but Severus knew they held their own fire when brought into the sunlight. The silvery band caught the light as well.

"Yes," Hermione finally managed to choke out causing Severus to smile as he slid the ring from its velvety home and placed it on Hermione's finger. It fit perfectly.

"How?"

"It's a minor enchantment, often used on clothing. It allows the garment, or in this case ring, to fit perfectly even if the person grows. It will never need to be taken to be resized.

"Mrs. Weasley teach you that one?" Hermione asked, finally coming out of the shocked daze she'd been in. Severus merely nodded.

"She did, charms such as this have never been my strong suit. Now, if you wanted to talk about the creation and use of defensive hexes and charms-"

Hermione stopped Severus from finishing that thought by kissing him passionately on the lips.

"I'll take that as a 'no'?"

"Correct," she replied, kissing him again as she wrapped her arms around him, pulling the blankets back up over them as she pulled him back onto the bed to start celebrating their engagement.