Title: The Wrong Way

Author: Cassieopeia

Ship: Ron/Hermione

Rating: T

Word Count: 1721

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Series and all it's characters and plots are the work of JK Rowling and belong solely to her, no copyright infringement or profit is being made.

Summary: Ron is proposing to Hermione. But when have they ever done anything the right way?

Hermione vigorously crossed out lines in her proposal. It seemed like everything was wrong. It was incorrect. It was stupid. It was pointless. Once she had gone through the entire thing, it was with a frustrated groan that she realized that every other line had been marked out.

Great, she thought, now I've got a whole paragraph to deliver tomorrow.

Tomorrow was a big day for Hermione. She was presenting the proposal she'd been working on for months on equal treatment of house elves. It was vital that she say the exact right words, otherwise there wasn't a chance in hell she'd be able to sway anyone. It was a touchy subject, house elves, and most magical beings disagreed with Hermione's ideas. But she was determined and she was sure that this would make or break her progress with SPEW. Not to mention if she managed to pull this off well enough she just might get promoted.

She was behind. Terribly behind. Her presentation wasn't ready. She'd have to write out an entirely new proposal. Her research was shaky and her subject was controversial. For the first time in her life, Hermione Granger wasn't ready. Not nearly ready at all.

And to top it all off, her boyfriend had not yet gotten home from his mission, which distracted her and she found her eyes drifting to the clock when she should've been working. He was supposed to be home by five. Five came and went with no sign of Ron. Five turned to five thirty which turned to six which turned to six thirty. It was now seven o'clock and she'd neither head nor tail of him.

But sometimes they ran late. Sometimes extra paperwork had to be filed. Sometimes they'd gotten separated. Sometimes St. Mungo's was busy when they went in for the mandatory routine check-up. Sometimes Ron had to get his team in order.

Sometimes things didn't go as planned, she thought darkly.

But she didn't have time to worry about her boyfriend or her best friend or any of the rest of the team. She had to finish her presentation, not sit in the dark and imagine every single possible treacherous outcome, when really they'd only decided to have coffee in the break room before they started the paperwork.

Hermione snorted. It would be so typical of Ron to do that. Sit around and waste time while she sat at home overreacting because he'd forgotten to owl her and say he'd be late. He was never worried about his job and brushed her off every time she started in on him about it, telling her that she was far too high strung and needed to relax. But she couldn't relax when the people she loved were in constant danger.

She should've been used to it. She'd worried about Ron ever since they were only friends and her nerves had only increased when they'd become a couple and skyrocketed when they'd decided to move in together and he could no longer hide the fresh bruises from her prying eyes the second he stepped through the door.

She dropped her quill and rubbed her eyes, a headache quickly blossoming. Hermione felt as though she'd never get this done, especially not with Ron waltzing about in the conference room, shirking his responsibilities as usual.

Or worse, her mind spouted, lying facedown in a pile of rubble.

She tensed and got up to go sit down in the sitting room of their flat to stare at the fireplace and wait for him to arrive.

It was at least fifteen minutes before he stumbled into the flat, flames licking his heels and robes swirling about him as he came out of the fireplace.

"Where in the hell have you been?" Hermione screeched, jumping up immediately. Ron took his time hanging his robes up before he turned back to his girlfriend, grinning lazily.

"Sorry. Mission went on a bit longer than expected, lots of paperwork. Then I had an errand to take care of after work," he explained. "What's for dinner?" She ignored him.

"Do you have any idea how worried I've been? It's been two hours, Ron! You could've been dead for all I knew!" He scoffed, rolling his eyes and walking past her into the kitchen. She followed him. She wasn't giving up that easily.

"Of course, I wasn't. I'm sure you would've gotten a call if I had been." His tone was light, as if his death were impossible and he dug around in the cabinet for something to eat. Hermione stared at the back of his head incredulously.

"Don't you have anything to say to me? Anything at all? Not an apology for worrying me to death? Not for making me unable to concentrate and finish my proposal which I'm supposed to present tomorrow? Nothing at all? And for God's sake, look at me when I am talking!" He turned to look at her.

"Sorry. I'll send an owl next time," he said sheepishly, then turned back to the job at hand.

"Next time? Next time? That hardly helps me now! Do you understand how important this presentation is? It could make or break my career! I have a lot on the line! But God forbid you think of anything besides yourself and your stomach!" she yelled, then stormed out of the room, back to their bedroom where she'd been working on her proposal.

She was writing furiously when she sensed another presence. A quick glance to the left confirmed that Ron was standing in the open doorway watching her.

"Sorry, Hermione," he said, earnestly regretful. She didn't give any acknowledgement that she'd heard him. She felt arms go around her. She shrugged them off.

"C'mon, I said I was sorry, didn't I?" Hermione threw down her quill and turned in her seat to glare at him.

"You do this every time. Every single time. You never take me seriously. You always disregard it when I worry and tell me that I'm being silly. You're not behind a desk, Ron, you're fighting death eaters. Alongside Harry Potter. You're just as wanted by them as he is. It's dangerous. Why don't you understand?" she demanded angrily. He frowned and looked up to the ceiling, rolling his eyes.

"We've been through this."

"And you never listen," she snapped. "What's the point of me every talking to you? You're just going to do what you want without even consulting me."

"Ginny doesn't worry about Harry! Luna doesn't freak out about Neville! Why do you always give me hell about my job?" he demanded, now angry himself. She stood up out of her chair, drawing herself to her full height. She only came up to his shoulder, however she didn't hesitate.

"Well, Harry doesn't cringe when Dean is around. In fact, Harry likes Dean. But mention Viktor and you go ballistic!" she yelled, throwing her hands in the air.

It was low. She knew it was a sensitive subject and she knew that bringing it up was dangerous. But she didn't seem to care at the moment. She was making a point.

He narrowed his eyes and took hold of her wrists, holding on firmly. He was careful not to hurt her, but to hold tight enough that she wouldn't be able to get free until he decided he was ready to let her go.

He took a step forward and she backed up, her legs hitting the desk. He glared down at her and Hermione realized just how much taller Ron was. But she didn't shrink back, instead glared up at him with more fervor just to prove that she wasn't afraid. She raised her chin.

"Why do you insist on doing this to me? Are you really that irresponsible or do you just not care?" she asked, trying to tug her arm away, but he wouldn't budge.

"I don't care? I don't care? Do you honestly believe that I don't fucking care?" he shouted. She cringed back a bit at his volume, but didn't hesitate.

"Well, you have a peculiar way of showing it if you do!" Hermione yelled back. He advanced even closer.

"Do you know where I was today after I'd finished with my mission?" He didn't wait for her to answer, he dropped her hands and fished in his coat for a moment, before slamming a small velvet box on the desk behind her, then crossed the room, still glaring darkly.

Hermione looked at the little box then back to him.

"Go on," he ordered angrily. "Open it."

She did as he said, plucking it up in her hands and popping open the top. There, nestled in white velvet was a diamond engagement ring. She plucked it up to examine it, then looked back up at Ron in shocked confusion. He was still scowling at her.

"I was out getting your damned ring. I want you to marry me," he grumbled. She looked between the ring and her boyfriend, part of her elated, the other part unwilling to forgive him so soon. Embers of fury were sparking inside her again. She knew that if she forgave him now that they'd have this argument again. Besides, forgiving him now would mean that he won and she was far too stubborn for that.

"Well, you could've told me!" she shouted defensively. He openly gaped at her now, looking as though she'd just told him that the sky was green and that fish could talk.

"It was supposed to be a surprise! Why the bloody hell would I tell you when I was going out to get your sodding ring?" he demanded angrily, gesturing to her and the ring that was still in her hands and back to her. Embers had turned into flames of irritation.

"So I would know that you're okay maybe! And you didn't even ask me earlier!"

"Because you were nagging me about my job as usual!" he shouted.

"Well, are you going to ask me now?" she yelled back, still across the room from him.

"Yes, I am, actually! Hermione, would you please do me the honor of marrying me!"

"I'd be delighted!"

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

And with that, she stormed from the room, leaving Ron to wonder what on earth had just happened.

What the hell was he supposed to tell his mother when she asked him how he'd proposed?

A/N: It kind of bothers me when I read fanfiction and Ron proposes to Hermione and it's so sweet and romantic and just... not them. I could never see Ron being particularly romantic and I could never see Hermione playing the part of a swooning heroine. It just seems natural that they'd be arguing! It is what they do best, after all!

Reviews are lovely!

-Cass