The Question

The Question

Chapter two

The next morning Ron woke up from his sleep. He sat straight up in his bed. He then looked around the room. He saw Harry sleeping in peace. He then focused on Neville and for some odd reason he felt a burst of mild anger toward him.

He slowly got out of bed. He rubbed his eyes and then walked to Harry's bedside. He studied Harry for a moment and then shoved him and told him to wake up. Harry, by instinct grabbed his wand. In a moment his tired eyes focused on his best friend. He lowered his wand. With Ron's red hair ruffled he was a rather frightful sight.

He asked Ron what he wanted. Ron, sheepishly asked Harry if he had done something out of the ordinary the night before. Harry laughed. He then yelled to Neville, who was now awake and relayed Ron's question to him. Neville began to laugh with such gusto, that he broke wind.

Ron looked at them like they were both nuts. Harry stopped laughing and then told him that nothing big had happened, other than he, Ron, had asked Hermione to marry him. Ron stood still like he was petrified. Harry again yelled at Neville and told him they may have need of some the Mandrake Restorative Draught. Ron slowly lowered his head and asked Harry if he knew what Hermione's answer was. Harry, chuckled and placed his hand on Ron's shoulder and told him that he hoped that married life would agree with him.

Ron, with a frightful look, turned around to make his way back to his bed. Before he reached it, he heard Neville reassuring him that indeed, Hermione was his girl. Ron turned his head toward Neville. He gave Neville a look of total bewilderment. He reached his bed, and lay down upon it. He stared at the ceiling, and when no significant thoughts flowed across his mind, he decided to get up. He got dressed and then went out the door.

Meanwhile, Hermione lay on her bed sleeping. Her dreams of little red haired Ronnies and book loving Hermiones danced in her head. Her facial expressions switched from smiles to straight faces. These facial expressions went back and forth. Some of the girls who passed by her bed and saw these facial productions, thought that she must have went insane over the night realizing that she had said yes to marry Ron Weasley.

Slowly, Hermione opened her eyes and looked around. She saw some of the girls looking at her in a strange way. She looked at her covered body and saw nothing amiss. She was totally confused at their stares. She decided to get up. When sitting up in her bed, her eyes came to rest on her daily planner. Then it came to her mind that the reason they were staring at her was because she said yes to the "Question." She thought that they must have been waiting for her to scream, realizing that sometime in the future she would turn over in her bed and look into the eyes of Ron Weasley sleeping next to her, or better yet, snoring. She shook her head and mumbled one of her favorite expressions, saying "Honestly."

She got dressed and went out the door.

As they closed their doors behind them, they turned around and saw each other. They just looked at each other for a few moments. Nothing was said by either of them. Little by little the corners of Ron's mouth began to form a smile. Hermione returned a smile. They both walked down their stairs and joined in the middle of the common room.

Ron peered into her eyes for what seemed to be an endless amount of time. He put his finger under her chin and told her that her heavenly eyes shined like stars, even in the morning. She bit her lower lip. She then stood up on her toes and gave him a light kiss. They decided that they should go to the Great Hall and have some breakfast and talk about their future together. He gave her his arm and she took it. They were off.

They entered the Great Hall. The students sitting at the Gryffindor table, led by Ginny Weasley, began to clap, howl, and hoot. Someone threw a spoonful of rice pudding at them. Ron and Hermione stood still in total disbelief. They thought the whole school must know about the "Question." Hermione's skin tone became a deep red. This skin tone coupled with Ron's red hair made them look like two tomatoes from a garden. Hermione gripped Ron's hand tightly and kept on repeating to herself, "Oh honestly."

They sat down and tried not to look at all of the faces staring at them. They nervously began to eat. Without warning another blob of rice pudding sailed through the air hitting Ron on the cheek. The sticky substance slowly slid down his face and landed on the table. In an instant burst of anger Ron stood up, scraped off the remaining rice pudding from his face and threw it back, yelling at the same time to leave them bloody well alone.

When he sat down, someone started to hit a drinking cup with a knife. Then in unison the rest of the students joined in hitting their drinking cups. Ron looked at Hermione. He asked her what this new hazing meant. She brought her hands to her face and shook her head. She peeked through her open fingers and told him that they wanted them to kiss. Ron's eyes widened. He truly loved to snog with Hermione, but not in front of all of these people.

Hermione whispered to Ron that maybe if they kissed, their fellow Gryfinddors might allow them some peace. Ron winked and nodded his head in agreement. They bent toward each other and kissed. To their relief this slight romantic action quieted their audience.

They resumed their positions and began to eat once more. All of a sudden Ginny yelled with great gusto and clarity, "More!" The whole lot began to repeat, "More, more!" Hermione's fork dropped from her mouth. She again placed her hands over her face.

Ron pounded his hands on the table. His reaction caused his fellow students to chant the word "More" louder. He stood up. Hermione dropped her hands from her face and looked at him, trying to figure out what he was going to do. He shouted back at them, "So you want more?" He turned on his heal and walked around the end of the table. Hermione began to panic, thinking that surely he wouldn't leave her to face all of this alone. To her relief, he slowly made his way to her. She turned to him. He reached out his hand, which she took with some hesitation. He motioned for her to stand up. She slowly arose.

"Sugar," he said, "I am going to give them what they want."

With that statement, he turned and winked at the students. He then took Hermione in his arms, bent her at her back and gave her the snog of snogs. Everyone cheered, clapped, and whistled. He slowly stood her up. He looked at her. She had a silly look on her face, which gave him the impression that she wanted more of the same. The cheering, whistling, and clapping brought her back to her senses. Ron helped her get seated. He then turned toward the students again, and gave them a bow.

As he made his way back to his seat, he secretly hoped that the "Super Snog" would be enough to quiet the crowd. If they wanted some other exhibit of their love, he would be lost at what else to do. To his relief, they did indeed quiet down. When he looked at Hermione, she just stared at him with her big brown eyes and smiled.

Breakfast came to an end. It couldn't have ended fast enough for Ron and Hermione. Many walked past them, thanking them for the show. Some asked for snog lessons, others placed small bowls of rice pudding by them as they left the Great Hall. Finally the Great Hall was emptied and Ron and Hermione were left alone. They looked at each other and began to laugh. Ron then said to her that the path they were taking together had already proved interesting. Hermione giggled and then took his hand.

"Well, did you enjoy it?"

Ron looked at her and made no reply.

"The kiss I mean?"

"And how!" he said, with a big smile on his face.

"Honestly," she said.

After a dangling coversation over a cup of tea, they decided they would spend the day apart from each other. Being Saturday and no classes were taking place, they thought that they each needed time to search deep within themselves as to what marriage would mean for themselves and for each other. Ron decided he would go to the Quidditch field to think and Hermione would go the beech tree at the edge of the lake to think. They rose from their seats. Ron climbed over the table and hugged her and kissed her. As they began to walk in different directions, Ron turned and said, "Sugar, look to your heart for your bearings."

"I love you Ron," replied Hermione.