Harry Potter Fiction, "Gauntlet" (Ron/Hermione)
This ficlet comes directly from writing The Week Before the Ball over at HP100 for their 'refusal' challenge. A tiny part of this story, while it makes sense on its own, actually refers to that drabble and, if you'd like, you can read that first.
Neville handed Hermione a puffapod seed. “Hermione,” he asked solemnly, “will you marry me?”
Hermione looked at him, confused. “No, Neville,” she said as gently as she could. “You know I love Ron.”
Neville grinned. When Hermione tried to hand the seed back, he told her to keep it and as she tucked it into her pocket , he gave the Fat Lady the password and said “After you.”
Just inside, Dean handed her a banner and the paint on it flashed different colors and asked her ‘Will you marry me?’ Dean cocked his head and asked, “Well, will you?”
She frowned and then looked across the room to where Ron sat with Harry, both of them watching her. She smiled at Dean. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” Dean grinned at her and gestured broadly, inviting her to enter the room.
Seamus stopped her half-way across the room. He handed her a copy of ‘Defense Against the Dark Arts: Practicals and Theory’. “Hermione,” he said, obviously fighting a smile. “Will you marry me?”
Hermione smiled and shook her head, tucking the book under her arm with the banner. “I’m sorry, Seamus, but I can’t.” Seamus grinned and bowed her on her way.
Harry stood up, blocking her from Ron, and smiled at her. Hermione smiled back, blinking away sudden tears. Harry handed her a five pound note and, when she put it in her pocket, he took her hands in his. He asked her softly, his voice serious, “Hermione, will you marry me?”
For a moment she couldn’t speak and then she managed to find her voice. “No, Harry,” she said simply. She kissed him on the cheek as his grin blazed into life.
He squeezed her hands, beaming. “You sure?” he asked
“Absolutely.”
He chucked her on the shoulder. “Well, go on then.”
She turned to Ron, seeing nobody but him as he slowly stood up. His ears were pink at the tips. “Hermione,” he said, and his voice wavered for a moment. He cleared his throat and slipped his hand around hers. “I haven’t got anything that they haven’t got,” he nodded at the room behind them, presumably at the other boys. “In fact, I’ve got a lot less, because I gave them that stuff.”
Hermione reached up and touched the side of her nose. “You’ve got dirt, just there,” she whispered.
“You’re a nightmare, honestly,” Ron responded, his smile so wide that she thought it must hurt. Hers did. “But you’ve been one of my best friends forever. Will you marry me?”
She threw her arms around him, choking back a sob as his arms automatically went around her waist. “Yes.”
Neville handed Hermione a puffapod seed. “Hermione,” he asked solemnly, “will you marry me?”
Hermione looked at him, confused. “No, Neville,” she said as gently as she could. “You know I love Ron.”
Neville grinned. When Hermione tried to hand the seed back, he told her to keep it and as she tucked it into her pocket , he gave the Fat Lady the password and said “After you.”
Just inside, Dean handed her a banner and the paint on it flashed different colors and asked her ‘Will you marry me?’ Dean cocked his head and asked, “Well, will you?”
She frowned and then looked across the room to where Ron sat with Harry, both of them watching her. She smiled at Dean. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” Dean grinned at her and gestured broadly, inviting her to enter the room.
Seamus stopped her half-way across the room. He handed her a copy of ‘Defense Against the Dark Arts: Practicals and Theory’. “Hermione,” he said, obviously fighting a smile. “Will you marry me?”
Hermione smiled and shook her head, tucking the book under her arm with the banner. “I’m sorry, Seamus, but I can’t.” Seamus grinned and bowed her on her way.
Harry stood up, blocking her from Ron, and smiled at her. Hermione smiled back, blinking away sudden tears. Harry handed her a five pound note and, when she put it in her pocket, he took her hands in his. He asked her softly, his voice serious, “Hermione, will you marry me?”
For a moment she couldn’t speak and then she managed to find her voice. “No, Harry,” she said simply. She kissed him on the cheek as his grin blazed into life.
He squeezed her hands, beaming. “You sure?” he asked
“Absolutely.”
He chucked her on the shoulder. “Well, go on then.”
She turned to Ron, seeing nobody but him as he slowly stood up. His ears were pink at the tips. “Hermione,” he said, and his voice wavered for a moment. He cleared his throat and slipped his hand around hers. “I haven’t got anything that they haven’t got,” he nodded at the room behind them, presumably at the other boys. “In fact, I’ve got a lot less, because I gave them that stuff.”
Hermione reached up and touched the side of her nose. “You’ve got dirt, just there,” she whispered.
“You’re a nightmare, honestly,” Ron responded, his smile so wide that she thought it must hurt. Hers did. “But you’ve been one of my best friends forever. Will you marry me?”
She threw her arms around him, choking back a sob as his arms automatically went around her waist. “Yes.”