Harry stared at the displays in front of him. There were too many to choose from. How in the world had Ron done this when Ron was one of the most indecisive people he knew? All he wanted to do was close his eyes and point, but that was not the way to make this decision. This was one of the most important things he would ever do and he was going to do it right, damnit.
"Can I help you, sir?" a salesman asked. Harry thanked Ron again for telling him to shop in a Muggle store where no one knew who he was.
"I'm...um...I'm..." He couldn't get the words past his lips.
The salesman chuckled and took pity on him. "Looking for a ring?" Harry nodded, desperately grateful the man could read his intent.
Then again, Harry thought to himself, he probably sees dozens of tongue-tied men in here every week trying to do the same damn thing.
"Diamond?" Harry thought about it for a moment then shook his head. Hermione wouldn't want something everyone else had.
"What would you recommend?" Harry asked. He knew it was a stupid question, but he couldn't stop himself from asking.
The salesman eyed him knowingly. He rubbed his palms on his jeans and glared back.
"What sort of woman is she?"
He would ask the difficult questions, Harry thought to himself. How was he supposed to sum up Hermione?
"She's the world to me." Harry thought for another moment. "And she's unlike any woman I've ever met."
The salesman smiled. "They all are, son." Strolling the counter, Harry following, he asked, "When is her birthday?"
Harry, thinking hard, replied, "September."
"What's her favorite color?"
Harry stopped. He tried to remember and couldn't. It was escaping his mind. "I don't know." He felt like an awful boyfriend. He could barely remember Hermione's birthday and couldn't remember her favorite color. He did remember she loved strawberries.
The salesman's smile widened. "So, you want something out of the ordinary? Let's see. Do you want a solitaire or not?" Harry shook his head. Solitaires had always looked cold to him, even ones that weren't diamonds. "No solitaire, okay. Is it okay to have diamonds?" Harry nodded. "Just not entirely diamonds?" Harry nodded again.
The salesman walked further down the counter until they were at the sapphire and ruby area. Humming to himself, the salesman opened the back of the counter and pulled several trays out for Harry's inspection.
Harry was beginning to feel overwhelmed again. Too many choices and I don't want to screw it up. He scanned the trays, ruling out the rings with ostentatious sizes or settings.
After several minutes, he narrowed down to four rings, two each of ruby and blue sapphire. There was a half-carat princess-cut ruby flanked by small princess-cut diamonds; a three-quarter carat marquise-cut ruby flanked by round diamonds and rubies shaped in a triangle; princess-cut diamonds and sapphires alternating in a channel set; and, finally, a nearly three-quarter carat oval sapphire flanked by half-carat round diamonds.
He held each one up, trying to imagine them on Hermione's hand. He eventually ruled out the rubies. They would get lost against her skin and hair and wouldn't sparkle they way they should. They had her warmth, but not her fire.
He held the two sapphire rings up side by side, staring at them. The salesman said nothing, just rocked on his heels. Eventually he decided upon the oval sapphire rather than the channel set.
He could picture the stones burning against her skin and shining next her to eyes. He had to close his eyes and curse himself when he pictured her wearing only the ring.
"I'll take this one," Harry said to the salesman nervously. "Do you think she'll like it?"
The salesman smiled again. "Sir, if it comes from you, she'll love it - especially on bended knee." Harry blushed.
Harry felt as if he was carrying a bomb when he left the store a short while later.
Now, to give it to her.
Author's Note: The sequel is entitled Questions.