A marriage of blood

Chapter 4: The second proposal

P.O.V: Hermione

Ron had run out of the room as soon as I had woken him up. I wanted to let him sleep for a lot longer but I knew he would be mad if I didn't wake him up. I was going to head back to my book but it wasn't more than two minutes before I heard it.

"I FOUND IT, HERMIONE I FOUND IT," Ron shouted, setting off the dolce tones of Mrs. Black.

"FREAKS, TRATORES SHAME TO MY FAMILY AND ALL BEFORE ME-"

"SHUT UP YOU ABSOLUTE BICH I'M TOO SLEEP DEPRIVED TO DEAL WITH YOU," Ron shouted looking really happy. I looked at him over again, hope swelling from my chest as he came closer with a book in his hands.

"Ron you found something," Ginny said, looking as hopeful as I felt.

"Yeah, I think so... but we need to have a family meeting about this," He told the two of us. We nodded, getting the rest of the family in mere minutes. It was just Sirus, all the Weasley children and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley at the dinner table. Ron was going over the book another time with a crazed expression on his face.

"Ok, so once a blood marriage is ordered a blood marriage has to be performed," Ron informed us. Ginny stood up looking like she was about to kill her brother.

"YOU GOT US ALL HERE JUST TO TELL US THAT! HOW SLEEP-DEPRIVED ARE YOU??" Ginny scolded, looking murderess.

"No, no there's more," he reassured, "There have been several occasions where muggle-borns have just performed a blood marriage with someone else before the week is up," Ron ranted. He put down the book.

"Where are you headed with this Ron?" Fred and George said at the same time looking slightly scared.

"She just needs to marry another pure blood that isn't Malfoy," Ron declared. I didn't see where this was going... we weren't going to find another pureblood willing to marry me in time. Even then what good would handing me off to someone else horrible do?

"Who would you be suggesting," Mr. Weasley said, shaking his head. If Ron was going to suggest such a thing he better have an answer, I thought. In a way, it kinda hurt he didn't even flinch at the possibility of me being married to someone. I knew it was stupid, he was trying to help me, I shouldn't be worried about this. Ron drew a shaky breath almost like he was scared of the next words to come out of his mouth.

"Me..." Ron whispered just loud enough for everyone to hear him. My eyes widened at the thought of being married to Ron. My previous thoughts were ripped from my mind. It took all of my willpower to not jump up and kiss him. The twins were shocked speechless, Ginny and Sirius had horrified expressions plastered on their faces.

"Ron I don't think you're in a mental state to make those decisions," Mrs. Weasley blurted out a hint of fear in her eyes.

"Do you realize what the Malfoys will do to her Mom?" he said, his voice harsh and serious "I've read almost seventy books on the old blood marriages mom. The Malfoys aren't going to keep Hermione around, they want to keep their stupid bloodline pure. They're going to keep her around long enough to torcher her and get information out of her. They're going to keep her for however long they see fit and then kill her... because that's what they used to do. Kill off the muggle-born wife so the pureblood could get themselves a pureblood wife," Ron screamed, nearly crying. A shiver of terror ran down my spine as the words came flying out of his mouth.

"Ronnie this can't be the only way," Mrs. Weasley sighed looking at her youngest son.

"I promised that I would do everything in my power to help Hermione and... the only other person whose opinion matters in this is Hermione's," Ron was no longer looking at his mother, he was looking at me as though asking for my answer. I had to stop myself from screaming YES as soon as possible. He was tired, Ron always slept at least seven hours a day, I thought. He would wake up after a full night's sleep and realize he was being stupid. Of course, that's not what I wanted. I wanted him to wake up and still want to do it.

"Ron... you know as well as I do wizarding marriages are forever you can't go undo them," Mr. Weasley disclosed. Forever, he suggested it knowing it's forever.

"I know," was his only response.

"Ron, get some sleep... if tomorrow you still think this is a good idea, I'll consider it," I told him. He nodded and walked off to his bedroom. I put a hand on my face, I realized it was hot, Ron suggested I marry him. Him! No, he was tired and despite. He just wanted me to be safe from the Malfoys. I can't let my feelings for him be a factor in this.

"Hermione, are you ok?" Ginny asked, taking a seat beside me.

"I don't know,"

"Well, you got what you wanted right. My brother technically just proposed to you," She teased, lucky the twins had left the room. The adults had left to have a hurried whisper conversation in the hall.

"NO... I, not like this Ginny," I said blushing even more. I can't say the thought hadn't crossed my mind the five years me and Ron have been friends.

"You didn't say no," she sang.

"Ginny, he's exhausted. He doesn't actually like me like that. He just wants to save me," I sighed, I tapped my fingers on the table.

"Hermione, the only way to know is to ask," she smiled giving me a look.

"I could say the same to you, about Harry," I laughed, shoving her to the side.

"Shut up!" she sniffed back.

"Let's go to the library, Ron probably didn't go through all the books," I breathed, getting up from the table. I hadn't yet entered the Grimmauld place library as it had been claimed solely by Ron over the last few days. I was expecting to see a couple of books laid out on the floor with a chair at the side, that was how Ron normally worked. What I saw was definitely not like Ron. All the books on the shelves had been taken off and piled up by category. One side of the room was full of books that weren't about blood marriages, the other a much smaller pile on the floor. There was a blanket on the floor with a cup of water and a large piece of parchment with notes scattered along with it.

"Oh wow," Ginny giggled, "Ron, my brother Ron did this all to save you. You are aware, are you not," Ginny teased. I blushed again. I had watched Ron study before and it was not like this, he was a one book at a time kinda studyer. I picked up the piece of paper which I realized was scroll paper (a paper that allowed you to scroll through your notes). At a cursory glance, he had written out the name of the book as well as any information that would help me. Some of the book titles were absolutely disgusting, so much so that Ron had censored the word Mudblood in several of the titles.

"If Ron read all of this and couldn't find anything else... he's serious about this Ginny," I said smiling.

"My brother may be an idiot but he cares about you Hermione, he cares a lot," Ginny pestered. I could only smile, even with the looming deadline of my marriage to Draco bloody Malfoy I couldn't help but smile.