Title: Proposition

Fandom: Harry Potter

Pairing: Ron/Hermione

Rating: PG-13ish...Probably PG, really.

Summary: Interlude.

Author's Note: Inspired by the song "Question" by the Old 97s.

"What did you say?" Hermione Granger turned from the stove, gaping, slack-jawed.

"I said, 'Will you marry me?'" Ron repeated, from the doorway.

"Why? Because of the sandwich?" Hermione pointed to the plate that she'd placed on the side before calling Ron for lunch.

"No. Not because of the sandwich." He snorted. "God, woman, could you stop thinking about food for five seconds?"

"Me? Me stop thinking about food? You're the one who just proposed because I put a plate out for you." She shook her head, and looked to be gearing up for a typical fight when suddenly she stopped. "...You just proposed to me."

"Yeah. I did."

There was silence in the kitchen for a moment. It seemed to go on forever to Ron. He thought that he might vomit if she didn't answer soon. "Well?" He asked, trying to keep it from sounding too much like a demand.

"Yes." She smiled. "I suppose I will."

"You will?" He couldn't have kept the slow and brilliant grin from spreading over his face if he'd tried, and so it was probably a good thing that no one had asked him to.

"Yes." She nodded, tears starting to fill her eyes.

Ron crossed the room in three steps, wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her. When he pulled back, they were both flushed and slightly breathless.

"Brilliant." He grinned, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh softly at his look of pure elation. She imagined that she must look similar. "I have a ring, and all. It's in my coat pocket."

"Oh. Well why didn't you bring it in here?" She asked him in the same tone that she might ask him why he didn't bring a quill to class. He nearly laughed. Instead he just smiled.

"I wasn't going to ask you today." He shrugged. "I have dinner reservations for next week. I was going to wait and ask you, then. I was going to do it all proper and everything, but then I came into the kitchen and you..." He trailed off, looking uncertain for just a moment. "You looked so... fantastic that I couldn't not ask you. I just couldn't wait anymore to know if this was going to be mine forever or not. I simply had to know."

Hermione was stunned for a moment. He did this to her all the time. He could come out of nowhere with something and leave her feeling as though she didn't have solid ground under her feet. She settled for hugging him again, resting her head against his chest until he spoke again. "Anyway, I don't suppose I could have my sandwich now-"

She cut him off with a fierce kiss, and didn't pull back until she felt him fully relax into it.

"Can you stop thinking about food for five seconds?" She asked softly, reaching arms around his waist to pull him close to her again.

"I reckon I could, yeah." He smiled before leaning down to kiss her again.