Sorry it's been so long, but here's the final chapter of this fic. I got a bit lost with how to end it. I may come back to it and add filler chapters at a alater date - but for now, it's The End:
Chapter Thirteen
Harry and Hermione were both quiet the day before they were due to return to Hogwarts. Tonks and Remus were also rather subdued knowing they wouldn't be able to spend every day together for a while, and Remus especially was sad to be parted with Harry again after a happy Christmas, knowing he couldn't keep so close to Harry even with surreptitious visits to Hogwarts.
Harry and Hermione sat curled up on a small sofa in the living room, their favourite spot in the house during the last afternoon of their Christmas holiday.
"Maybe we should have told Ron already?" Harry pondered.
"We'll take him aside tomorrow and talk to him, stick to what we agreed and just tell our closest friends, it'll spread ridiculously quickly anyway, you know what the Hogwarts gossip mill is like especially when you're concerned Harry."
Harry nodded his agreement, and looked thoughtfully out the window to the quiet London Street outside.
"Who do you think will win the bet then?" Harry asked her.
"Bet?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Well you said they've been trying to get us together, usually their matchmaking attempts involve bets. Well, you won the bet about Ron and Lavender! I'm guessing Ginny will win this one." Harry said with a grin.
Hermione laughed.
"Hmm, depends if Remus and Tonks were in on the bet, but I'd guess they weren't so you're probably right about Ginny." Hermione agreed.
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It was with heavy hearts that Harry, Hermione and Remus said goodbye to Tonks and the Grangers the next evening, having spent the day gathering up all their belongings into their school trunks and trying to coax Crookshanks from his favourite spot underneath the boiler. Remus was quiet, having been parted from Tonks, and facing a return to Number 12 alone once he'd dropped Harry and Hermione off at Hogwarts.
"You look after yourself Remus." Hermione said sternly as she hugged him goodbye in Professor Dumbledore's office that afternoon.
"You too. And keep and eye on Harry for me?" Remus asked her with a smile.
"You two talking about me again?" Harry asked from across the room where he was talking with Dumbledore.
"No, much more interesting things to talk about than you Potter." Hermione replied with a grin.
"Nice to know you care Granger." Harry laughed.
Remus and Professor Dumbledore observed this exchange with smiles, as did several portraits on the walls eavesdropping on the conversations going on as they pretended to sleep.
Harry and Hermione left the office with a wave and walked through the empty corridors of the school towards the Great Hall to wait for the arrival of the Hogwarts coaches.
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[Epilogue]
"You've got to be kidding me Ginny! No way will it be on Valentines Day - it's much too predictable, and not at all Hermione." Ron argued.
"Well it's my bet Ronniekins - I don't know why you're so confident - you already lost your bet that it would be Hermione's birthday." Ginny pointed out with a grin.
"She's got you there." A drawling voice announced. Ginny turned and grinned as Draco Malfoy draped an arm around her shoulder and kissed the top of her head.
"Hey! I didn't know you'd arrived." She hugged her boyfriend before turning back to her brother and laughing at the pained expression on his face.
"So what's your bet then Malfoy?" Ron asked, ignoring his little sisters giggles.
"Memorial Day." He said simply.
"Not bad Malfoy. You never know."
"What are you three plotting over here?" Hermione asked causing them all to jump and attempt looks of innocence. Hermione looked at them and laughed out loud.
"Draco - I never thought I'd say it, but you trying to look innocent is perhaps one of the most adorable things I've ever seen!" Ron rolled his eyes and hugged his friend in greeting as Ginny agreed with Hermione.
"I'm guessing you were discussing a certain bet that I'm not supposed to know about?" Hermione asked, her eyes twinkling.
"You know?" Ron blurted out.
"Of course I know! You lot couldn't keep a secret if your lives depended on it." Hermione said affectionately.
"Does Harry know?" Ginny asked curiously.
"I shouldn't think so. He's completely oblivious sometimes." Hermione said a wink, looking over her shoulder to see him hugging Molly Weasley in greeting.
"And don't go telling him! You'll scare him off, and I don't want you influencing him…I've still got a chance to win this thing!" Three jaws dropped open.
"You've placed a bet on when Harry will propose to you?" Ron and Ginny asked in unison.
Hermione laughed again.
"Of course not. God, you three are so easy to wind up sometimes…I already know when he will." She said quietly over her shoulder as she headed to where Lupin was waving at her from across the room.
"What was that about?" Ginny asked as they watched Hermione walking away.
Draco looked puzzled, and then Ron slapped his hand against his forehead.
"What?" Draco and Ginny asked.
"Well of course she knows! She can bloody hear his thoughts!" Ron laughed.
"So if we all think he's going to propose, and she knows, why haven't they just got it over with?"
<Well you overestimated our friends Mione. None of them have a clue.>
Hermione laughed under her breath as Harry spoke to her silently. Their friends had been betting on them for years, just as they participated in bets about their friends, and she's been convinced they would realise the moment she walked through the door that she and Harry were already engaged.
<Who do you think won this time then?> Hermione asked silently as she chatted to Lupin.
<I think you're talking to him right now> Harry observed.
<Really?>
<When shall we put them out of their misery?>
<Not yet, it wouldn't fair to take away from little Sirius' birthday party. Where is he anyway?>
<Why don't you ask his Father? Talk to you later>
"Where's my Godson then Remus?" Hermione asked with a smile, looking around the room but unable to spot the three year old.
"Ah, well, it seems that he takes after his mother a little more than we thought…" Remus chuckled.
"You mean?"
"Oh yes, he's been altering his appearance nearly every half an hour for the last two days." Remus announced proudly.
"Oh that's wonderful Remus!" Hermione exclaimed hugging him. "And very advanced at such a young age. He's going to be one powerful wizard when he's older." Remus nodded and grinning suddenly, pointed over Hermione's shoulder to where a young boy stood in the middle of the room, unmistakable due to the bright purple hair sticking up in all directions from his head. Hermione turned and laughed on seeing Sirius who ran up to greet her with a hug before running off at speed to find Harry.
"Any interesting news to report Hermione?" Remus asked her teasingly.
She looked at him appraisingly, before a wicked grin appeared on her face.
Remus beamed at her.
"I thought so. Congratulations."
"It's supposed to be a secret until later. This party's for Sirius." Hermione reminded him. Remus nodded and pulled her into a hug.
"Welcome to the family Hermione." She blushed and smiled at him.
"Harry said you'd be the one to win. Any chance you had inside information?" She asked curiously.
"Now, that would be telling…" Hermione laughed and caught Harry's eye across the room. She smiled at her fiancée and Remus watched the exchange happily.
Once his tearaway son was in bed for the night, Remus curled an arm around his wife's shoulder and observed Harry, Hermione and Ron chatting quietly in a corner of the room.
"What are they talking about so earnestly?" Tonks asked as she followed his gaze. As they watched, Ron leapt to his feet and engulfed his two best friends in a bear hug, the three of them laughing.
"Ah - I may have an idea now…you knew?" She asked her husband with a smile.
"He came to me to get Lily's ring a few months ago. Dumbledore put me in charge of guarding it all those years ago."
"Sweet of them to tell Ron first." Tonks said with a smile.
"So how did you know the exact day to bet on?"
"It's the day Lily and James got engaged."
"Really?" Tonk's eyes welled up a little and Remus chuckled.
"Don't laugh at me wolf-boy!" She said poking him teasingly in the side.
"What are you so teary about?"
"Oh, just Harry - not having known Lily and James, yet he's more like them than he'll ever know."
Remus nodded sadly in agreement and watched as Harry cleared his throat and drew the attention of the rest of the family gathered. The extended Weasley family, including Hermione's parents turned to look as Harry made his announcement.
"Well, we thought it was time to put you all out of your misery. I know you're all dying to know who will win the bet, and yes, of course we know about the bet! I asked Hermione to marry me three days ago and she said yes." Harry said, beaming to the gathered family who quickly enveloped them in hugs and shouts of congratulations. Hermione's ring suddenly became visible to all those present for the announcement, and she was soon surrounded by family members clambering to have a look. She and Harry grinned at one another through the crowds.
<I love you>
<I love you too>
"I believe you all owe me…" Lupin announced loudly with a grin as a grin filled the room. Hands reached into pockets as everyone headed over to Remus, Harry laughed at the look of shock on Hermione's face as her parents sheepishly headed over to pay up as well. He wrapped an arm around her and kissed her forehead.
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