The Eternal Circle

Just a little fluffy bunny I wanted to write. Thoughts are in {}s. Harry and Hermione are in their early-twenty's.

Someone commented that he thought Harry was acting too gallant. I say they've grown up and everyone changes at least a little when they grow up.

Please read and review. Love it or hate it let me know. But if you do review and don't like it please make it constructive criticism. Flames don't help people write better stories. If you spot any grammer errors let me know. I think I got 'em all but no one's perfect. Thanks! And now....on with the fluff!

Harry looked down at the small gold ring he held in his hand. {Am I really ready for this?} he thought. He gripped the galleons in his pocket and let them fall. He repeated this several times. Each time he felt like the coins were hitting the pit of his stomach and not the bottom of his pocket.

It was a beautiful ring. The band was made of braided gold. The stone was a diamond cut emerald. Harry knew it broke with tradition but for them he felt it made sense. One last deep breath and he turned back towards the counter. "I'll take it," he said to the clerk.

"Don't worry. I doubt any girl could say no to a cutie like you," the clerk said as she winked and put the ring into it's burgundy velvet box.

Harry smiled appreciatively and put the box in his pocket. He walked out the door, sat on a bench, and began dreaming of ways to ask her the big question.

Hermione lay on her back on the grass. The branches of the trees above her made intricate shadows appear across her face. She sighed and closed her eyes.

"Professor Granger?" a voice called.

Hermione opened one eye to see Tia Mason. One of her first year students. She propped herself up on her elbows. "Hello Tia. What is it?"

"The headmaster asked me to tell you he wanted to speak with you. He's waiting by the lake," she said as she smiled.

"Did he now?" Hermione grinned. "Thank you Tia. Why don't you head off to lunch now?"

"Kay. Bye Professor Granger," she called back over her shoulder as she headed toward the castle.

Hermione stood up, brushed the grass off her robes, and walked off to the lake. She smiled when she saw him. He looked ridiculous in such formal robes. He didn't belong in them. "Must be important if our esteemed headmaster sent for me by way of a student," she half giggled.

The headmaster smiled, knelt down in front of Hermione, and kissed her hand. "Your too pretty to be a teacher," he said smoothly.

"Honestly Harry. You really should take your position more seriously. Professor Dumbledore put a great deal of confidence in you," she scolded.

"He never took it all too seriously himself you know," he grinned and winked.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Anyway. What did you want to talk to me about?"

"I have a surprise for you."

Hermione smiled. "A surprise?"

Harry gulped inwardly. "Yeah. Can you meet me by the lake tonight. Say around midnight?"

Hermione looked perplexed. "Sure but what.....?"

"Great!. I'll see you later then," he said, his eyes sparkling. He turned to leave.

"Harry Potter what are you plotting now?" she said with her hands on her hips.

Harry looked back at her and waggled his finger. "Uh uh. You'll have to wait and find out," he said as he wiggled his eyebrows.

Hermione threw up her hands in frustration. "Oh have it your way. You're such a...," her sentence was cut off as Harry cupped her chin in his right hand and began to kiss her. She immediately forgot her argument. Harry brushed his lips lightly against hers. Teasing her. Finally he pressed his mouth down firmly on hers and Hermione's knees turned to butter. It was amazing that he could still have this effect on her after five years. Feeling his tongue tracing her lips sent a jolt of electricity through her. {My God he's good.} she thought.

Harry broke the kiss and began to walk away. "See you tonight," he called, "And wear something nice!"

"Prat!" Hermione yelled.

Harry laughed and kept walking.

Hermione walked toward the lake as she squinted her eyes for signs of Harry. Her dress rustled as she stepped over the soft grass. It was medium blue with pale yellow bows on the chest and at the small of her back. It was medieval in design and had sleeves with puffed shoulders that opened up to be very wide and trailing down to her waist. Her hair was braided on the sides and the back was left down.

As Hermione got to within five meters of the shore the surface of the lake started to ripple and glow. Music began to play from some where nearby. With every beat of the music plumes of water shot into the air. Each geyser was lit with a different color. The tallest ones seemed to hit twenty meters.Hermione stared in wonder. She recognized the song. It was "Crash and Burn" by the muggle group Savage Garden. She was amazed he'd found a copy of it. The song was almost eleven years old after all.

Just as the chorus came up Hermione felt a strong arm wrap around her waist and she was flung onto the front of a broomstick.

"Don't worry. I've got you," came Harry's voice from behind her. Of course she'd known almost instantly it was him. He took her too a height of around sixty-five meters and just hovered there.

Hermione was beside herself. "Harry....this is...this is just........amazing," she said, the awe apparent in her voice.

Harry held her closer and smiled with satisfaction. "I thought you'd like it," he said as he bent around and kissed her gently. She loved how he looked. He was wearing a navy blue modern dress jacket. No bow tie, in fact the top two buttons on the front of his shirt were undone. {So handsome.} she thought. They stayed there in the starlit sky just watching the display.

Near the end of the song Hermione noticed the water plums were now all blue. She also noticed some of them weren't returning to the lake surface. They just stood there, looking like living glass. "Harry what's going on?" she asked.

"Shhhh. Just watch," he replied. Letters were being formed, which in turn became words. When the music stopped and the words were complete Hermione stared slack jawed at what was spelled out. She turned to face Harry with tears in her eyes. He reached into his jacket and pulled out the velvet box. He opened it. "Hermione Granger. Will you do me the immense honor of becoming my wife?"

"You actually expect me to say no? Of course I will!" she said through her joyful tears.

Harry whooped loudly. He held her tight, made a huge loop in the air and then landed. Hermione's heart was in her throat. "Harry! That was dangerous. I could've fallen!"

Harry leaned in close and placed his forehead against hers. "I will always be here to catch you," he replied as he placed the ring on her finger.

At that moment Harry Potter felt the best he ever had in his entire life. He'd always been called 'the boy who lived'. But only now that the woman he loved would be by his side forever could his life truly begin.

Hope you liked it. :) If you like this story you should check out my other H&H fics. They're more story combined with fluff. It's going to be a running series.They're rather long but worth the read from what my reviewers have told me. :) Later all. geovisit();

This is a companion fic to my "Emerald Spellbook" series. Please read "Harry Potter and the Soul Crystal" to start at the begining. :)