46"Will you marry me?"
Hermione broke out in a huge smile and opened her mouth to reply, but before she did Fred leapt in between Ron and Hermione, shutting the ring box in the process.
"Fred!" Hermione gasped.
"Hermione!" he said back.
"What are you doing!"
"Saving my poor, sad little brother from a heap of trouble!"
"Whats that supposed to mean!"
"SHUT IT!" George cut in, coming to stand in between them. "Whats going on here?" Hermione demanded.
Fred who was trying to hold Ron back opened his mouth but Hermione silenced him by sticking out her hand.
"Hermione, my naive brother didn't mean to propose to you because he has drank a LOT of our potion. He wanted to, but he didn't plan to..." George started but Hermione cut him off.
"I don't care if he didn't plan to!"
"Hermione, just listen for a second!" George said, frustrated.
There was silence for a few moments as he waited for Hermione to interrupt, but she didn't so he continued.
"Ron, and everybody else in this room, besides you and me and Fred, obviously, won't remember this in the morning..." he said.
Hermione felt something rise up in her throat and she closed her eyes to keep from crying. Only Ron would be able to effect her like this.
"I have to go." she chocked, pushing past them and stalking out into the hallway. For the second time since she came here she vanished to the outside.
Leaning back against the wall she let the tears stream down her face. She had waited so long for Ron to propose to her and now, because of Fred and George that was ruined.
How long had Ron been planning to propose to her? He had a ring. Was he even planning on proposing? Or was it just a spur of the moment thing?
Hermione hated not knowing and she couldn't think straight enough to figure it out. Slowly she sank to the cold ground, still sobbing.
She was beginning to have trouble breathing and for a moment she wished she would just stop. She wished that she could die! Thinking straight was definitely forgotten by now.
Then she started to wonder, what if she had never left? What if she hadn't fallen for Lucius Malfoy's plan? Where would she be then? What if she had never decided to come back?
Slowly, she got to her feet and wobbled down a few steps before apparating back to her house, where she was certain no one would be.
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It was no longer snowing back in Godric's Hollow, but the cool night air seemed to steal her back into the present for long enough for her to unlock the front door and stumble to the steps that lead to the second floor.
Sitting there, shattered inside and crying on the outside she recalled all the times they had in Hogwarts.
In first year, when she felt awkward and felt as though she had no friends they had come back for her when that troll cornered her in the girls bathroom. Ron and Harry and her had fought there way through all the obstacles guarding the Philosophers stone and postponed Voldemorts rise.
In her third year she felt horrible, all for trying to do the right thing. But then Ron had said that he would help her research things for Buckbeaks trial and all had seemed to be forgiven.
Until fourth year.
Then in fifth there had been Dumbledore's army, but she didn't even know if all the members of that where even still alive.
She had always been with Ron and Harry and when she wasn't, she had been broken. Now she felt as though she had in sixth year, when Ron and her had been fighting. Damaged. Without. Forgotten and neglected.
She couldn't explain why she felt like this, but she still did.
Trying to control herself and stop her weeping she walked up stairs, then she saw Crookshanks curled up against the wall and broke down again.
She dove into her room and laid down on her bed. Fully clothed and fragile.
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Hermione woke early the next morning. She sat up, rubbing her eyes and stretching. Changing quickly into a pair of blue jeans and a gray shirt she started her daily routine.
She knocked on Harry's door, knowing that Ginny had to stay at St Mungoes. Then she waited until she heard him fall out of bed and she moved onto Ron's room, but she paused. She couldn't face him, not right now.
Hurrying down the stairs to make breakfast she felt slightly better about herself, knowing that she wouldn't have to face him if she played her cards right.
Putting a box of cereal on the table with two bowls she then wrote a note telling the men that she had gone to see Ginny.
Which she hadn't because St. Mungoes didn't have visiting hours this early.
Not knowing what to do she got her wand and a few coins and slipped them in her pocket before departing for Diagon alley.
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After buying three new books and several pairs of multicolored socks she thought it safe to return home.
Ron had practice this afternoon and Hermione assumed that Harry had gone to visit Ginny and his two new babies.
But when she returned home she found two crying twins, one ruffled looking mother and one bewildered father.
Gently taking one of the twins from Ginny so that she could move Hermione looked down at Lily. "Happy your here, listen, Hermione, Ron is coming home before his big game tonight so can you tell him that Ginny and I took the kids out for a walk in the park?" Harry asked.
Hermione stopped mid-rock and shifted her gaze from the baby to Harry. "Sorry, I-er-I wont be here – I have to -er – meet Fred and George at the shop!" she lied.
Harry groaned and took James from Ginny because she was wobbling, cross legged, clearly having to use the washroom. Ginny nodded and around the corner and out of sight.
"Are you avoiding him?" Harry asked, gently rocking his son back and forth in his arms. Hermione's eyes went wide. "Was it that obvious?" she asked.
Harry smiled "Hermione, your a lousy liar." he said.
"What happened last night?" he added.
"Nothing!" Hermione squeaked.
Then she handed gently handed Lily back to Harry and hurried out to the kitchen.
"You know you cant avoid him at the game!" Harry called, over the wails of the twins.
"Yes I can, he'll be flying and I'll be in the stands." Hermione said, trying to busy herself by re organizing the magnets on the freezer.
"But after the game, your going to have to go down and see him. These games decide what teams get to play in the Quidditch world cup!" Harry insisted.
"Are you going to go see him?" she asked wisely.
"I can't, I have to take care of my kids." he said proudly, then he added. "I'm a father!"
Hermione groaned, "I will not go down to see him!" she growled, storming out into the hallway and outside.
Then she slammed the door and she heard the babies start to cry behind her.
While walking past the house she saw Harry, his face pressed up against the glass of the living room window.
"You are going!" he mouthed.
Hermione waved at him and pretended she didn't know what he was trying to say and apparated away.
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By the time 5:00 rolled around Hermione had devised a plan so that she wouldn't have to talk to him.
She would watch him in the stands, wave at him after the match and hurry home and pretend to be asleep when he got there.
She knew it was childish but it was the best she could do, she just couldn't face him.
Finding a good spot in the stands she watched as the game began. Ron had given her a ticket weeks ago so getting in wasn't any trouble.
She was never much of a Quidditch fan but somehow she found her eyes glued to the pitch. But she wasn't watching the game, she was watching the keeper.
She loved him, she knew she did. He loved her, she knew that to. But what she didn't know was how much he loved her.
Was it real love? Or was he just in love with her because thats what everyone expected? Was that why she was in love with him?
Suddenly she was overwhelmed with doubts and worries.
But something brought her back into focus. Ron had been hit by the opposite team's beater! He was falling!
Hermione rushed down the stands, running frantically past all the people who where gasping and standing up to get a better look.
Suddenly, a foot came out and tripped her and she landed on the hand steps, grazing her forearms.
She looked up and saw Draco Malfoy and a few of his friends laughing, Malfoy having just tripped her.
"Oh, is the poor little Mudblood hurt?" he cooed.
She tried to push past him but he kept getting in her way. Straining to see Ron over his shoulder, he was lying on the ground, two healers kneeling beside him.
Something inside of her snapped and before she knew what she was doing she had punched Malfoy right in the nose and he stumbled to the side.
Hermione didn't waste time, she continued her run to the pitch.
She got to ground level and met a security wizard.
"Miss, you can't go in there." he said, stepping out in front of her. "Get out of my way!" she growled.
The man chucked and the thin bit of thread that had been holding her together was no more.
She whipped out her wand "Levicorpus!" she bellowed.
Not stopping she ran right past him and onto the pitch.
Now all she could hear was her heart pounding and her mind going 'Please let him be OK, please let him be OK, please let him be OK.
Finally reaching him she collapsed down onto her knees. He was breathing. "Ron, Ron!" she cried, one hand on his chest and one on his face.
"Please, Ron." she cried "Please..."
As if her wish had been granted, he started to smile and opened his eyes.
Wait, thats not right.
"Ron!" she exclaimed.
Ron slowly, sat up, taking her hands in his. "What?" she breathed, looking around at the healers who where all smiling as if sharing an inside joke.
The beater who had attacked Ron was a few feet away, smiling like the rest.
Hermione turned back to Ron, confused."Ron, Whats..." she started.
Smiling he raised his and her hands to his chest and stared longingly into her eyes.
"Hermione..." he started, so quietly that she had to hold her breath to hear him.
He leaned in close to her ear and whispered. "I didn't have anything to drink last night." and Hermione's heart, that had been beating so frantically before seemed to stop.
"I love you with all my heart, Hermione." he continued
There was a pause that seemed to last forever before he finally said: "Will you marry me?"
She took her hands out of his and placed them on his face, then kissed him. All the doubts she had been experiencing earlier where now gone. She felt so right, like she never wanted to be anywhere else, ever again.
He brought one of his hands to her waste and the other up to her face.
Finally they pulled apart, Hermione's eyes where still closed as she tried to save that moment in her memory forever.
"Is that a yes?" Ron asked.
Hermione laughed "Yes, Ron, thats a yes."
As they both stood up, Hermione came aware of all the eyes upon them. But all that was forgotten as Ron closed his arms around her and kissed her again.
The roar of the crowd faded and the sound of two hearts beating rang though Hermione's mind.
This was heaven.
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The End
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URG! Its done! Its over! FIN! Huraah! I hope every body enjoyed the story and thanxx to last chapter's reviewers:
Magic Owl: I updated, now you know what happened. I hope you liked that chapter.
Ginnyweasleyrules: 10 ? Done! No problem.
Mesaqt: Its done, sorry. I think its good this way, I hope it is anyways.
Amrawo: I'm glad you like the story. Hopefully you liked this chapter to.
Witches with awsomeness: Thank you, I hope you liked this chapter as much as you liked the others.
Zarroc: I guess this chapter answered the question. Yes, HAHAHA, the other chapter was another cliffhanger. I like those. laughs maniacally. Mwa ha ha.