A/N: Okay, here's the real Chapter 31, I mislabeled the one from last week and I'm too lazy to fix it, sorry. There's really not much substance to this chapter, basically a lot of fluff but it does have a few important scenes to the story.
Cheers!
Chapter 31
"Ninety-nine bottles of firewhiskey on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of firewhiskey," Harry muttered to himself, staring at the ceiling of the hospital wing.
He hadn't been allowed out of the bed on a count of the six inch hole in his upper thigh. Giggs' sword had apparently gotten a good chunk of his leg that magic couldn't repair overnight. His leg ached with pain every waking second, but he had long ago gotten over the pain, three days of constantly putting up of it did that for him.
"Hey, Katrina, are you awake?" Harry asked, glancing to the bed on his right.
Katrina gave out a soft chuckle, then immediately winced. She had told Harry that a few hours after they had brought him in, she was ambushed from behind and sent down a flight of stairs by Malfoy. The Amazing Bouncing Ferret-Boy had denied this, of course, and snaked his way out of punishment.
"No one could sleep with your singing going on, you're about as bad as Elton John."
Harry gagged on his own saliva. "Oh come on! I'm not that bad, am I?" He could almost see Katrina roll her eyes.
"You know Harry, I'm sorry for what my father did to you. I really am."
Harry groaned. They had been over this at least a dozen times already. "It wasn't your fault, so don't apologize Katrina. You aren't your father, no matter how much you may think you are."
She gave a snort of amusement. "Yeah, I only look just like him, I have his attitude, oh, and apparently I am 'honorable' just like he is. Honestly Harry, how can you call that man honorable? He tried to kill you!"
He shook his head in confusion. "He could have, but he didn't. It's so confusing, I mean, he duels me, then we knock each other's wands out of the battle, he has the perfect opportunity to just throw me off the grandstand or something, and he doesn't take it. He just says it's a draw and dissapparates. He just wants to kill me in a straight duel, not in a cheap way, and I have to respect that."
Katrina sighed, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips. "One day, I'm sure, you'll find out just why he wants to kill you. And maybe, that day, I can find myself as well, and put my father behind me."
Harry grinned and returned his gaze to the ceiling. "Ninety-eight bottles of firewhiskey on the wall, ninety-eight bottles of firewhiskey…"
*****
The next morning, Harry and Katrina were allowed to return to their common room, Harry scowling the whole way on his crutches, complaining that the arm padding wasn't very soft and that he was getting bruises on his armpits.
They were nearly halfway back when they ran into none other that the ferret-boy himself. "Malfoy." Harry said icily, Katrina reflecting his words in a glare.
"Potter. And little Giggs. Poor baby falls down a flight of stairs and cracks her ribs."
"Yeah," Harry snorted. "And I wonder why she fell, I'm sure you know Malfoy!"
There was a look of unmistakable confusion on Malfoy's face for a fleeting moment, but he quickly covered it with a smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know, Potter. I'm glad Giggs wasn't able to finish you off Potter, I'll do that myself."
What Harry did next surprised both Malfoy and Katrina. He laughed. "Yeah right Malfoy," Harry said, wincing as he clutched his sides in laughter. "You wouldn't last two minutes with Giggs, I guarantee it." Draco's eyes flashed dangerously.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Potter. I can handle myself well enough in a fight. You couldn't take me, Potter. To beat the dark arts, you have to know the dark arts."
Harry's eyes grew wide for a second, but he quickly regained his composure. "I don't need to know the dark arts to deflect your curses Malfoy." He spat, turning on his heel and walking off with Katrina. He heard Malfoy's disgusted grunt and footsteps heading the other direction, and Harry was glad that the ferret couldn't see his face.
'I wouldn't need to know the dark arts to beat Malfoy, but I would to beat Voldemort.'
"Hey Katrina," Harry said, suddenly coming to a stop near a rather gruesome painting of the goblin rebellions.
"Yeah Harry?"
"Go on without me, I've just realized something that I have to do."
She gave him a penetrating look, but asked no questions and walked off to Gryffindor Tower with a wave. Harry returned the gesture and then immediately ducked out of sight, casting the Disillusionment charm on himself when he was sure that he was completely alone.
Smiling grimly to himself, he headed towards the library.
*****
Harry had missed Hermione's birthday. The second night he had been in the hospital wing had been it, and Hermione had come flying in, grinning ear to ear, and thanked him profusely for the owl. She had then preceded to tell him excitedly that Ron was going to pull through, and apologized sincerely for her assumptions.
Now Harry was waiting on the quidditch pitch, nervously fingering a small velvet box in his right hand, which was hidden away in the pocket of his robes.
He saw the love of his life walking towards him, positively glowing in the moonlight. She looked a goddess, the moon and sun should be bowing to her will, nothing could compare to her beauty. Harry was too entranced by her to even notice that she had begun to speak to him.
"Yeah, so, I caught Snape and Malfoy snogging in the dungeons earlier. They were both dripping with this love potion and couldn't keep their hands off one another,"
This brought Harry back to reality. "Ugh, Hermione, you have a sick, sick mind, you know that?"
She grinned and kissed him softly. "Yeah, but you love me for it."
Harry gulped as butterflies skyrocketed throughout his stomach. "Come on," He said, taking her hand. "I want to show you something."
Hermione straddled the broomstick in front of Harry, leaning back against him. He kissed her softly on the top of the head and shot off into the sky, and over to the lake, where the moon reflected brilliantly off the glassy surface of the water.
"Hermione, turn around and look at me," Harry whispered, praying to Merlin that she would say yes. Hermione complied and turned around, now straddling the broomstick and facing Harry.
The reflection of the moon in her eyes made her even more beautiful than before. Combined with a slight, brisk, cool breeze that blew through her chestnut locks softly, and the plain fact that she was his Hermione, took his breath away.
Finally gaining his composure, Harry spoke to the most wonderful person the world had ever seen. "I love you Hermione," He started, and she smiled sweetly, making Harry once again revel in her beauty.
"But we're at war, and, as much as I try not to think about it, some of us aren't going to make it," Hermione's expression had hardened, but Harry put a finger to her lips before she could interrupt.
"If you or I don't make it, I want the world to know how much we cared for each other. I don't want them to look at you and see Harry-Potter's-girlfriend-at-his-time-of-death. I want them to see something more. I want them to know that we were something more."
Hermione's eyes had started to tear over, making her look absolutely adorable. His hands shaking violently, Harry reached into his pocket and pulled out the box, now holding it in quivering hands.
"Hermione, I love you. For now and forever, in life and in death, I will always be here for you. Nothing can ever change that. So Hermione, I ask you, will you make me the happiest and luckiest wizard on the planet? No - I'm already both of those things, I became that when we started to date. Now, I just, well, there's only one more thing I could ever ask for."
Harry smiled at her, flipping the box open. Hermione gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth as tears ran freely down her cheeks. "Hermione Jane Granger, will you marry me?"
Hermione, bringing her eyes back up to Harry's, smiled the most innocent, sweet, and beautiful smile ever known to mankind. "Yes." She whispered, smiling broadly, tears of happiness flowing down her cheeks.
Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized that he had been holding, the leant in and gave her the most passionate kiss of their relationship, a kiss that she returned with just as much passion. They stayed there, suspended over the lake, kissing passionately and lovingly, long into the night, knowing that no matter what happened, they would always be in each other's hearts.
*****
A few days later, Harry was amazed at how little of the school population knew about the engagement. Hermione wore the ring proudly around the corridors, but no one seemed to notice it; and this suited Harry and Hermione just fine. They didn't want to be bothered non-stop with questions of their engagement.
The Victors had figured it out immediately of course, Hermione had told Harry that Lavender and Parvati had demanded to see the ring only seconds after she was in her dorm room. Ron and Neville had already known, of course, and Dean and Seamus were unsurprised at the news.
Outside of the Victors, it seemed that only a select few people had noticed the engagement. Dumbledore and McGonogall knew, though they had never confronted the couple about it. Katrina had figured it out as well, though she still gave Harry some strange looks for his trip to the library.
But it all proved too good to be true, as they both knew it would. They were practicing stunner curses in DADA class, Harry, Hermione, and Neville (who had now joined Harry and Hermione in learning hexes after he had mastered his animagus transformations) when Malfoy 'accidentally' stunned Parvati while she wasn't looking.
"Oops," Malfoy said with an innocent smirk. "Guess that one got away!" Parvati had woken up by this point (apparently Malfoy's hex wasn't all too powerful) and got in his face about it.
"What? You need to stun a girl from behind, when she's defenseless? Why don't you try to beat me in a proper duel?" Harry smiled proudly at the flash of determination in Parvati's eyes, noting Malfoy's surprised expression before he gave her a satisfied smirk.
"Too bad we're in class, Patil," He spat. "Or I'd be sending you to the hospital wing looking nearly as miserable as Potter's mudblood."
Harry whipped out his wand, ready to hex Malfoy to hell, but Hermione squeezed his hand and walked forward briskly. Harry wondered what she was doing, noticing that she was twirling the fingers of her left hand suspiciously.
Without warning, Hermione slapped Malfoy hard across the face, slicing his cheek open. Harry realized what Hermione had been doing was moving the ring around to afflict the most pain possible on the insufferable ferret-boy. Malfoy fell to his knees, clutching his cheek in agony.
"What's wrong Malfoy?" Hermione asked sarcastically. "Embarrassed that a girl injured you? Now what'll you do? Go tell your father? Oh wait! He's a convicted death eater, so he doesn't have any power over anybody anymore does he? In fact, I'll bet you don't even know where he is, because if you were questioned for his whereabouts, you would crack immediately and tell them everything from his location to his favorite pair of underwear!"
Harry and Ron were laughing hysterically behind Hermione, although both were clutching themselves in pain from the wounds that Giggs had inflicted on them. Malfoy was furious, but he was beaten, and he knew it.
Without a word, he fled the classroom and headed for the Hospital Wing. "Now, now Miss Granger," Frank Longbottom said, clicking his tongue. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to deduct thirty points from Gryffindor for your behavior."
Hermione hung her head in shame, but nodded. "I will also be taking fifty points from Slytherin for Mr. Malfoy's language and threats."
The Slytherins broke out in an outrage while the Gryffindor's grinned. "That's favoritism!" Pansy Parkinson shrieked. "She obviously used a curse on him! How else could she have made Draco bleed?"
Hermione gave her a proud smile. "Oh, that. Well, I happened to hit him with my engagement ring."
Pansy's jaw dropped along with the rest of the mouths in the room that had not already known of the engagement. Harry and Hermione only smiled, knowing now that within twenty-four hours the entire wizarding world would know of their engagement. But they didn't care, they were in love and now everyone was going to know it.
Frank and Alice, who were smiling at the couple and chuckling softly at the rest of class' astonishment, finally spoke up. "Well now, we still do have another fifteen minutes of class to fill up, so why don't you go back to your stunning hexes and maybe a few exploders as well."
Frank smiled at his wife and addressed the class. "Yes, or anyone who would like to go to the library and research some more spells may do that as well."
Harry immediately took this opportunity to go to the library, unfortunately Hermione came with him, so he couldn't read the books that he had planned on. Harry and Hermione put their heads together over a joke-jinx book that they were sure had been worn thin from Fred and George for a few minutes until it was time for them to get back to the common room for their homework.
By the time Harry and Hermione had returned from dinner that night, the entire school knew of the engagement.
"Is it true?"
"Wow! You're so lucky!"
"Can I see the ring?"
"When are you setting the date?"
Eventually the couple retreated to Harry's room, and laid on his bed together to escape all of the prying eyes and questions. Harry groaned and said, "So, what do you think the prophet will say about this tomorrow? The-boy-who-lived snagged by perennial bookworm? "Secret love affair between the-boy-who-lived and girlfriend Hermione Granger finally goes public after three or more tantalizing years?"
Hermione giggled and swatted Harry's arm playfully. "Oh, Harry,"
"Oi! Will you two save that for the honeymoon!?" Came the voice of their Irish friend a few beds over. "First you've got the groan, then the giggle, and finally the 'Oh, Harry,' Why don't you two just put up a sign that says 'Do Not Disturb: We're busy shagging'?"
"Put a sock in it Seamus!" Hermione yelled, doing her best to throw a pillow at him, but missing horribly.
"Wow, good thing you don't play quidditch Hermione, you'd throw the quaffle in the wrong hoop!"
Harry rolled his eyes and turned to face Hermione, who was biting her lip nervously. "What's wrong 'Mione?" He asked, stroking her cheek lovingly.
"Oh Harry," She said, looking like every word was a struggle. "I know how much you and Ron want me to play quidditch, but with N.E.W.T.S. and football and all these extra Victor training sessions, I just don't think that I'm going to have time for quidditch. So please Harry, don't be upset with me, but I'm not going to try out for quidditch this year."
Harry looked at her, somewhat dumbstruck at her words. "Hermione, how could I ever be angry with you over something as trivial as this? I know that your studies are more important to you than sports ever will be, of course I'm not angry with you."
Hermione let out a long breath and smiled, leaning in and kissing Harry on the nose. "Okay then," She said smiling. "I guess it's time for me to get back to my own dorm. I'll see you tomorrow Harry."
"Goodnight 'Mione."
Harry waited for about twenty minutes after Hermione left, then he got up, pulled his invisibility cloak out of his trunk, threw it on, and headed towards the library.
A/N: Okay, so did you like it? Drop me a review and let me know. Also, yeah, I know I forgot to writ in that Ron had come back, and that Harry was off his crutches, among other things, but I'm not perfect, if you've noticed I've screwed up quite a lot in this fic and have left some plot holes, though thankfully no one has really pointed them out to me. No more previews from here on out, it kinda does kill the suspense, even though this installment wasn't a cliffhanger. Expect another chapter up on either Tuesday or Wednesday, seeing as I don't have to go into school until late on those days. If a chapter doesn't go up one of those days, it'll probably be next weekend when one goes up.
p.s. anyone see Freddy Adu score his first professional goal yesterday? I did! It was awesome! Well, not the goal itself, that was just a pathetic breakdown in the defense, but just the fact that he score was awesome.
Cheers!