One-Shot: Grabbing the Brass . . . Cauldron?
Title: Grabbing the Brass . . . Cauldron?
Author: mollywheezy
Pairing: Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny
Words: ~1200
Rated: PG-13
A/N: This is an extended version of the drabble I wrote for the 2011 Checkmated Valentine's Day Challenge, for the prompt "courtship".
Ron was nervous about Hermione's Valentine's Day gift. He'd had it specially engraved, but this was such a big step. Were they ready? Ron wasn't sure he could survive Hermione's rejecting his gift. . .
%*
Hermione was nervous about Ron's Valentine's Day gift. Her teacher had assured her it would fit, but Hermione didn't know . . . She'd worked so hard on it, and she would be crushed if he didn't like it.
%*
Ron Apparated into the lounge of Hermione's flat, clutching a medium-sized box wrapped neatly, but simply, in white paper and tied with red string.
Hermione heard the pop of Ron's Apparition and came out from the kitchen.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ron!" She kissed him quickly.
"Happy Valentine's Day, love. I hope you like your present . . ." Ron tried to hand the box to Hermione.
"I want you to open your present first, Ron." Ron put Hermione's gift onto the coffee table.
Ron pleaded, "Are you sure you don't want to go first?"
"No. I mean, yes. I'm sure." Hermione handed Ron a beautifully wrapped package-red paper with gold hearts and an elaborate red and gold bow.
Ron opened the box and gasped. "Wow, Hermione! Where did you get this? It's so soft . . ." Ron caressed the dark blue wool.
"I took a class so I could learn how to knit the Muggle way. I bought the softest wool I could find, to match your eyes and chose Gryffindor colors for the borders . . ."
Ron quieted Hermione by kissing her. "It's wonderful, love. It's even more special since you made it." Ron pulled his jumper over his head, mussing his hair, and put on the jumper Hermione had made him. "Fits perfectly."
Hermione caressed Ron's chest and hugged him. "I'm so glad." She kissed him, her hands roaming his back . . .
Ron pulled away, wiping the palms of his hands on his trousers. "Please open your gift now, Hermione."
Hermione picked up the box and unwrapped a brass cauldron, engraved with an intricate design.
"That's beautiful, Ron. Thank you." Hermione set the cauldron on a bookshelf. "It looks pretty there, don't you think?" Hermione glanced at Ron, and saw his face was getting pale. "Are you okay, Ron? You must be hungry. Ready for dinner?"
"You don't want it."
"Of course I want it! I just said it was pretty."
"How could I have thought . . . Of course, you wouldn't want me . . ." Ron Apparated.
%*
Ron Apparated to the top step outside Grimmauld Place. Why Harry wouldn't allow anyone to Apparate directly into the house was beyond him. Well, maybe Ron didn't want to know. Harry was shagging his baby sister, after all, and Ron certainly didn't need to see that.
Ron rang the bell, and waited. In a moment the door opened, revealing Kreacher.
"Good evening, Master Weasley," Kreacher croaked in his deep voice.
"Hi, Kreacher. Is Harry around?" Ron struggled to keep his voice from cracking.
"Master Harry is celebrating the Valentine's holiday with Miss Ginevra Weasley. Would Master Weasley like to come inside and wait for him?"
"Yes. Thanks, Kreacher." Ron walked into Grimmauld Place as Kreacher held the door open for him. He went into the drawing room and flopped onto Harry's overstuffed, extremely comfortable couch. Kreacher left the room. Ron sighed and put his head in his hands.
Ron didn't know how long he had been sitting like that, when he heard Kreacher's deep voice tentatively say, "Master Weasley?"
Ron looked up and saw Kreacher standing in front of him with a tray. "Yes, Kreacher?"
"Kreacher thought Master Weasley could use some Firewhisky."
"That'd be brilliant, Kreacher." Kreacher set the tray on the end table, poured Ron a generous glass of Firewhisky, and left the bottle on the tray.
"I will tell Master Harry you are here when he returns home."
"Thank you, Kreacher." Ron downed the glass in one, and poured himself another.
%*
"Ron?" Harry walked into the drawing room and saw his best mate sprawled on his couch. "Ron? What's the matter?"
"Dunnowhattado," Ron mumbled, knocking over the empty Firewhisky bottle as he sat up.
"You don't know what to do about what?" After years of friendship, Harry could decipher Ron's drunken mutterings.
"Mioneduzzitwannamarryme."
"You proposed?! You didn't tell me you were planning that . . ."
"Ithawshelovedme," Ron choked on a sob.
"Come on, mate. You can stay in the guest room." Harry put Ron's arm around his shoulder and helped him stand.
%*
The next morning, Harry dressed for work and checked on Ron. Since Ron was out cold and snoring, Harry left him a note to send a Patronus or Floo as soon as he woke up. Something was very wrong. How could Hermione turn down Ron's marriage proposal?
%*
After searching for Ron for hours without success, Hermione was exhausted for work the next morning. Distracted and worried, she almost knocked Harry down in the Ministry corridor. Before she could apologize, Harry yelled at her.
"Ron's devastated! I thought you loved him, so why won't you marry him?"
"What are you talking about, Harry?"
"I'm talking about my best mate, and the man I thought you loved, crying on my sofa because you turned down his marriage proposal!" Harry stormed into his office slamming the door behind him.
Confused and hurt, Hermione started to cry. She went home, owled her boss to say she was sick, and Flooed Ginny, asking her to come over.
Ginny Apparated into the lounge of Hermione's flat, took one look at the bookcase, squealed, and threw her arms around Hermione. "It's so wonderful! I knew he would eventually! I'm so happy for you Hermione! Soon we'll really be sisters!"
Hermione burst into hysterical sobs. "Has everyone gone insane? I don't know what anyone's talking about anymore!"
Understanding and then shock registered in Ginny's eyes. "You don't know, do you?"
"What is it I don't know?" Hermione shrieked.
"It's an ancient courtship ritual. A wizard gives a witch a brass cauldron for Valentine's Day to declare his intention to propose-a precursor to an engagement ring. It's always been a way for a nervous wizard to propose without actually saying the words. Then he sees the witch's reaction to the cauldron and knows she'll say yes."
"Why didn't Ron just tell me that? I have to find him, Ginny!"
"Have you asked Harry?"
"Harry's furious with me. He thinks I turned down Ron's marriage proposal."
"I'll find Ron, and bring him here. Then I'll go sort out Harry."
"Thank you, Ginny."
%*
Hermione wrung her hands until Ginny reappeared about an hour later dragging a blotchy, reluctant Ron.
"I didn't know what it meant!"
"But you know everything!"
"I didn't know about brass cauldrons. I thought the brass cauldron was just that-a pretty brass cauldron. Ginny explained."
"You really didn't know?" Ron's eyes widened with hope. Ginny quietly Apparated away.
"I really didn't know." Hermione hugged Ron, craning her neck to look into his eyes. "I love you. I want you forever, t-"
Hermione couldn't continue because Ron kissed her.
Author: mollywheezy
Pairing: Ron/Hermione, Harry/Ginny
Words: ~1200
Rated: PG-13
A/N: This is an extended version of the drabble I wrote for the 2011 Checkmated Valentine's Day Challenge, for the prompt "courtship".
Ron was nervous about Hermione's Valentine's Day gift. He'd had it specially engraved, but this was such a big step. Were they ready? Ron wasn't sure he could survive Hermione's rejecting his gift. . .
%*
Hermione was nervous about Ron's Valentine's Day gift. Her teacher had assured her it would fit, but Hermione didn't know . . . She'd worked so hard on it, and she would be crushed if he didn't like it.
%*
Ron Apparated into the lounge of Hermione's flat, clutching a medium-sized box wrapped neatly, but simply, in white paper and tied with red string.
Hermione heard the pop of Ron's Apparition and came out from the kitchen.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ron!" She kissed him quickly.
"Happy Valentine's Day, love. I hope you like your present . . ." Ron tried to hand the box to Hermione.
"I want you to open your present first, Ron." Ron put Hermione's gift onto the coffee table.
Ron pleaded, "Are you sure you don't want to go first?"
"No. I mean, yes. I'm sure." Hermione handed Ron a beautifully wrapped package-red paper with gold hearts and an elaborate red and gold bow.
Ron opened the box and gasped. "Wow, Hermione! Where did you get this? It's so soft . . ." Ron caressed the dark blue wool.
"I took a class so I could learn how to knit the Muggle way. I bought the softest wool I could find, to match your eyes and chose Gryffindor colors for the borders . . ."
Ron quieted Hermione by kissing her. "It's wonderful, love. It's even more special since you made it." Ron pulled his jumper over his head, mussing his hair, and put on the jumper Hermione had made him. "Fits perfectly."
Hermione caressed Ron's chest and hugged him. "I'm so glad." She kissed him, her hands roaming his back . . .
Ron pulled away, wiping the palms of his hands on his trousers. "Please open your gift now, Hermione."
Hermione picked up the box and unwrapped a brass cauldron, engraved with an intricate design.
"That's beautiful, Ron. Thank you." Hermione set the cauldron on a bookshelf. "It looks pretty there, don't you think?" Hermione glanced at Ron, and saw his face was getting pale. "Are you okay, Ron? You must be hungry. Ready for dinner?"
"You don't want it."
"Of course I want it! I just said it was pretty."
"How could I have thought . . . Of course, you wouldn't want me . . ." Ron Apparated.
%*
Ron Apparated to the top step outside Grimmauld Place. Why Harry wouldn't allow anyone to Apparate directly into the house was beyond him. Well, maybe Ron didn't want to know. Harry was shagging his baby sister, after all, and Ron certainly didn't need to see that.
Ron rang the bell, and waited. In a moment the door opened, revealing Kreacher.
"Good evening, Master Weasley," Kreacher croaked in his deep voice.
"Hi, Kreacher. Is Harry around?" Ron struggled to keep his voice from cracking.
"Master Harry is celebrating the Valentine's holiday with Miss Ginevra Weasley. Would Master Weasley like to come inside and wait for him?"
"Yes. Thanks, Kreacher." Ron walked into Grimmauld Place as Kreacher held the door open for him. He went into the drawing room and flopped onto Harry's overstuffed, extremely comfortable couch. Kreacher left the room. Ron sighed and put his head in his hands.
Ron didn't know how long he had been sitting like that, when he heard Kreacher's deep voice tentatively say, "Master Weasley?"
Ron looked up and saw Kreacher standing in front of him with a tray. "Yes, Kreacher?"
"Kreacher thought Master Weasley could use some Firewhisky."
"That'd be brilliant, Kreacher." Kreacher set the tray on the end table, poured Ron a generous glass of Firewhisky, and left the bottle on the tray.
"I will tell Master Harry you are here when he returns home."
"Thank you, Kreacher." Ron downed the glass in one, and poured himself another.
%*
"Ron?" Harry walked into the drawing room and saw his best mate sprawled on his couch. "Ron? What's the matter?"
"Dunnowhattado," Ron mumbled, knocking over the empty Firewhisky bottle as he sat up.
"You don't know what to do about what?" After years of friendship, Harry could decipher Ron's drunken mutterings.
"Mioneduzzitwannamarryme."
"You proposed?! You didn't tell me you were planning that . . ."
"Ithawshelovedme," Ron choked on a sob.
"Come on, mate. You can stay in the guest room." Harry put Ron's arm around his shoulder and helped him stand.
%*
The next morning, Harry dressed for work and checked on Ron. Since Ron was out cold and snoring, Harry left him a note to send a Patronus or Floo as soon as he woke up. Something was very wrong. How could Hermione turn down Ron's marriage proposal?
%*
After searching for Ron for hours without success, Hermione was exhausted for work the next morning. Distracted and worried, she almost knocked Harry down in the Ministry corridor. Before she could apologize, Harry yelled at her.
"Ron's devastated! I thought you loved him, so why won't you marry him?"
"What are you talking about, Harry?"
"I'm talking about my best mate, and the man I thought you loved, crying on my sofa because you turned down his marriage proposal!" Harry stormed into his office slamming the door behind him.
Confused and hurt, Hermione started to cry. She went home, owled her boss to say she was sick, and Flooed Ginny, asking her to come over.
Ginny Apparated into the lounge of Hermione's flat, took one look at the bookcase, squealed, and threw her arms around Hermione. "It's so wonderful! I knew he would eventually! I'm so happy for you Hermione! Soon we'll really be sisters!"
Hermione burst into hysterical sobs. "Has everyone gone insane? I don't know what anyone's talking about anymore!"
Understanding and then shock registered in Ginny's eyes. "You don't know, do you?"
"What is it I don't know?" Hermione shrieked.
"It's an ancient courtship ritual. A wizard gives a witch a brass cauldron for Valentine's Day to declare his intention to propose-a precursor to an engagement ring. It's always been a way for a nervous wizard to propose without actually saying the words. Then he sees the witch's reaction to the cauldron and knows she'll say yes."
"Why didn't Ron just tell me that? I have to find him, Ginny!"
"Have you asked Harry?"
"Harry's furious with me. He thinks I turned down Ron's marriage proposal."
"I'll find Ron, and bring him here. Then I'll go sort out Harry."
"Thank you, Ginny."
%*
Hermione wrung her hands until Ginny reappeared about an hour later dragging a blotchy, reluctant Ron.
"I didn't know what it meant!"
"But you know everything!"
"I didn't know about brass cauldrons. I thought the brass cauldron was just that-a pretty brass cauldron. Ginny explained."
"You really didn't know?" Ron's eyes widened with hope. Ginny quietly Apparated away.
"I really didn't know." Hermione hugged Ron, craning her neck to look into his eyes. "I love you. I want you forever, t-"
Hermione couldn't continue because Ron kissed her.