A New Beginning (DH -COMPLIANT)

Chapter 7 ~ Remembering (A Short Chapter)

Moonlight softly shone through an opening in the trees illuminating the small
space where Ron and Hermione sat, happy and silent in each other’s company. They
had a late supper together in a secluded wooded area, picnic-style and now Ron
rested with his back against a tree, Hermione leaning back against him.

Hermione saw him every other weekend or so. She was attending university and Ron
had secured an entry-level job at the Ministry in the Department of Magical
Games and Sports. The pair were very much in love.

Ron let out a satisfied sigh and tightened an arm around Hermione’s waist as she
lay against him, breathing in the jasmine scent of her hair.

”You know Hermione,” he began hesitatingly, “I feel like I could stay here with
you forever.”

Hermione smiled. Ron said the sweetest things sometimes, between the idiotic
statements he was known for.

”That’s sweet, Ron,” she said softly.

The wizard fell silent, but Hermione could tell by the change in his breathing
that there was something wrong. She leaned to the side and looked up at him.

”Ron, what’s wrong?” she asked him, her brow furrowed.

Ron looked down at her rather wildly for a moment, then shifted.

”Get up, Hermione,” he said suddenly, “Stand up.”

“Why?” she asked him, frowning now.

”Because I need to get up,” he said, “Please Hermione.”

Hermione shifted around then stood up. Ron popped up too, just like a
jack-in-the-box, still looking at her with the whites of his eyes showing.

“Ron, you look scared to death. What’s wrong?” she asked him again.

In answer, Ron gripped her hands and turned her so her back was facing the tree.

He deliberately stepped back a pace, then dug into his pocket, pulling something
out. He looked at Hermione, swallowing hard, then bounced down to one knee
quickly. He looked up at her.

”H..Hermione…will you marry me?” he asked her, his face ashen.

Hermione blinked down at him.

“What, Ron?” she said to him, startled.

”I said, will you marry me? I want to marry you, Hermione. I love you,” the
red-haired wizard said, swallowing again and looking as if he’d stumbled on a
cave full of Acromantula . He showed her a box and opened it. A gold engagement
ring with a very tiny diamond rested on the velvet.

Hermione started to open her mouth and Ron cut her off.

“Please don’t say no, Hermione. I’d die if you said no. I never wanted anything
more in my life than to be your husband. Not even to be Captain of the Chudley
Cannons,” the wizard pled, his blue eyes glistening in the moonlight. “We don’t
have to get married right away. I can wait. I just want to know you’ll be mine
forever. I’ll wait years for you if that’s what you want. Just tell me you don’t
want another bloke, Hermione. I can’t stand the thought of it. Please.”

“Oh Ron,” Hermione said, moved by the sincerity of his outburst.

Heartened, the wizard grasped her hand.

”No one will ever love you more than I do, Hermione. You’re brilliant, you’re
beautiful…you’re…you’re brilliant,” he said, stumbling over his words, “Say
you’ll marry me. It would make me the happiest wizard in the world, ever.”

Hermione stared down at the wizard. She did love Ron. He was strong, relatively
stable, fun and believe it or not, a gentleman. He had never pressured her for
sex the entire time they’d been together. He had a good job and a good heart. He
also came from a loving family and knew how to be kind and affectionate, even if
he had moments of…well…madness. But they didn’t bother her as much anymore. Ron
was just reactive. He straightened out after a bit of thinking.

“I love you too, Ron. Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you,” she said with a soft smile.

Ron stared up at her in disbelief for a moment, scarcely breathing. Then
suddenly he let out a whoop and grabbed her, spinning the witch around wildly
and planting a big, wet kiss on her lips, before remembering he had to put the
ring on her finger.

He carefully took it out and slipped it on, wriggling it a bit to make sure it
fit.

”There,” he said, looking down at the ring and then at Hermione, his chest
puffing out a little bit, “You are properly engaged…to me.”

Hermione looked at the ring and smiled.

”Hermione Weasley. That’s going to take some time to get used to,” she said to
him, smirking.

Ron drew her into his arms.

”That’s all right. You’ll have an entire lifetime to get used to it,” he said,
kissing her again.

******************************

Hermione awoke, her face drenched with tears and her heart aching as she sat up
in the bed. She had dreamed about Ron proposing to her. It had been sweet and
awkward and wonderful, the wizard dancing a little jig from time to time as he
took her back to her dorm, then took off to tell Harry and his family there was
going to be a new Weasley in the family. What a row that caused. Everything went
mad and Molly, Ginny and Fleur became her shadows right up to the wedding day.
It was a wonder she could get anything done.

What she remembered about her wedding day the most, was the wedding night, when
she and Ron made love for the first time. Ron was as nervous as she was, though
he wasn’t a virgin. The nuptials were interrupted as they got into a little row
about virgin wizards vs. virgin witches.

”A wizard’s supposed to know what to do on his wedding night, so he needs
practice,” Ron argued.

”Yes, but then we lose some virgin witches in the process, don’t we?” Hermione
argued back.

This went on for a bit, with Hermione trying to find out who Ron shagged for
practice and when. Luckily it had been a while back, before they were serious .
. . though he wouldn’t tell her who.

Ron’s voice suddenly lowered.

“But Hermione, I look at you . . . and I feel I don’t know anything except I
want to be as close to you as I can possibly get. Even then I know it won’t ever
be close enough, I love you so much,” he said to her, “I’ve never loved anyone
like I love you. When I . . . when we . . . it’s going to mean something.
Really mean something, Hermione.”

All of Hermione’s anger just evaporated as she looked at her new husband. Ron
was dressed in new red and white striped pajamas with a little red and white
nightcap, and she was in a white silk nightgown. Both of them were under the
covers sitting up against the headboard.

They weren’t for long, and Hermione soon found out Ron knew exactly what he was
doing.

Afterwards, lying under Ron and feeling his soft kisses on her forehead and
lips, she looked up at him. His eyes were soft and full of wonder.

”You are amazing, Hermione,” he breathed, kissing her again, unwilling to break
away from her. Then he looked a bit worried.

”Um, Hermione…did I…did I make you…you know…” he asked her, trepidation in his
voice.

Hermione lay very still for a moment, then said, “I think you did, Ron. There
was a moment there when it seemed as if the entire world just…exploded and I was
kind of whirling about.”

Ron gave her a broad smile and looked rather proud of himself before kissing her
again.

”That’s great, Hermione. Just great,” he said, gathering her in his arms and
rolling to the side, pulling her into his chest and spooning around her nude
body. He held her close just that way for the rest of the night, and the nights
that followed. Even years later, after the children were born there were some
night he held her as if he’d never let her go. He never stopped loving her.



***********************************

Hermione blinked back tears and lay back down, alone in the dark with her grief
for a bedfellow.

Even the exciting changes in her life could do nothing for the ache she felt for
her husband. Nothing could take care of the pain of his loss, but time.

And Hermione had plenty of time.

**************************************

A/N: Short chapter. I just want to intersperse some of Hermione’s life with Ron
into this story, so it is very clear that although Hermione gave up her dreams
to be a wife and mother, she still loved him very much. I think that’s important
for us to know. Thanks for reading..