Disclaimer: I'm sure you've read it in all previous chapters.
A/N: As always, thanks for the lovely reviews! You guys rock my world.
Engagement News
"Are you nervous?" Hermione asked Harry as he parked the car in front of the Granger's home. She was taking off the scarf she had tied around her hair since they had driven from London with the top down.
"A bit, yes. Its normal, isn't it? I've never asked a father for his only daughter's hand in marriage before."
"Harry, my parents adore you. They are going to be thrilled by the news, I know it."
He turned to look at her and the smile on her face put him at ease. "Will you still marry me if they say no?"
"Of course, darling! We would just elope tomorrow," she said and kissed his cheek lovingly.
"Then let's go in and tell them. I can't wait for your mother to know, since she seemed so pleased with the news of our relationship when you told her."
"If all else fails, mention we want to have our first child soon and that should about do it," she said smiling reassuringly at him and squeezing his hand.
Harry kissed her lips softly and they got out of their car. Harry reached into the back seat of the convertible and picked up a bouquet of white calla lilies and a bottle of wine they had brought for her parents. He wanted to make a good impression on them.
Hermione linked her arm through his and knocked on the door. It was opened a moment later by Mrs. Granger and she smiled lovingly at them. Hermione let go of his arm and hugged her mother tightly.
"Oh, darling, it's so good to see you both! Your dad and I were so pleased when you called with the news that you were coming today. It's been a while since we last saw you."
"We're really happy to be here as well," Hermione said and kissed her mother on the cheek.
"These are for you," Harry said offering the bouquet to his mother-in-law.
"Oh, Harry, these are lovely! Thank you so much," she said as she took the flowers and kissed his cheek.
"I'm glad you like them," he said smiling down at her.
"Come on in, your father is in the living room reading a bit since he is anxious to see you."
Harry and Hermione walked in and headed over to the living room, while her mum went to the kitchen to put the flowers in a base and to open the bottle of wine.
"Hi, daddy," Hermione said as she spotted her father.
"Darling girl! Oh, it is so good to see you again. Come here and give your old man a hug," Mr. Granger said as he put the paper down and got up grinning widely at her.
Hermione immediately walked into his open arms and hugged him tightly. "I've missed you, daddy."
"And I you, little one. When your mum told me you were coming today I was so happy."
Hermione stepped back and kissed his cheek lovingly. "We're happy to be here, daddy."
Harry went over to them and shook Mr. Granger's hand. "It's good to see you again, sir. Thanks for having us over on such short notice. I hope we didn't interrupt any plans."
"Nonsense! Even if we did have plans, we would have cancelled immediately. Now, sit down and tell me what's been going on with both of you."
Harry waited for Hermione to sit and then sat down next to her. They chatted for a few minutes about their jobs and how much they loved living in London. Her mother came in at that point with the bottle of wine and four goblets.
"Darling, Harry brought us the most wonderful bottle of wine. I can see he has very good taste."
"Actually, Hermione has been teaching me all about it and it was her that picked the bottle. I just paid for it," he told them grinning.
"You're going to do just fine with the Granger women, I see," Mr. Granger said smiling approvingly at Harry. "That's the first rule about making them happy, just go along with them most of the time and things will go smoothly for you. Step out of line a bit and they're all over you!"
"Daddy!" Hermione said laughing at him. "We're not that bad, right mum?"
"Of course not, darling. We've just trained them really well is all," Mrs. Granger told her daughter laughing as well.
Once their laughter and teasing had died down, Mrs. Granger finished serving the wine and passed the goblets around.
"Before we drink the wine, Harry and I have something to tell you," Hermione said as she rested her hand on Harry's knee.
"More news?" her mother asked surprised.
Harry nodded at them and took a deep breath. "I've asked Hermione to be my wife, and although she already said yes, I wanted your approval as well," Harry said quickly before he lost his nerve.
"Oh, darlings, that's the best news we've received in a long time. Of course we approve!" Mrs. Granger said as her eyes filled with happy tears.
"Do you love my daughter?" Mr. Granger asked Harry.
"More than life itself, sir. To be honest with you, I don't know what I would do without her in my life. She gives me strength, she makes me a better man, and she loves me for who I am, not because of my status within the wizarding world. She knows me better than I know myself and she is the most amazing woman I know. I promise you both that I intend to spend the rest of my life loving and cherishing her," Harry finished looking at his in-laws and covering Hermione's hand with his.
"That's more than enough for me. If my little girl is happy, then we approve of her choice and we are glad her choice is you, Harry. I know how smart my daughter is and if she loves you, we love you. Welcome to our family, son," Mr. Granger said and got up.
Harry did too, and was surprised when Mr. Granger pulled him into a tight hug and patted his back. Then Mrs. Granger hugged him as well and patted his cheek lovingly. Hermione joined in the hugging as happy tears ran down her cheeks. She had been serious when she had told Harry she would marry him no matter what, but the fact that her parents were so happy about their impending union just made everything so much better. Life had finally taken a turn for the best.
"I propose a toast," Mr. Granger said smiling at them. They all grabbed their goblets and raised them. "To my lovely daughter and her future husband, may they be as happy as I have been in my own marriage and may love always be the one thing that ties you together for the rest of your lives."
"Thank you, daddy," Hermione said as she wiped another tear from the corner of her eye.
"Cheers, darlings!" Mrs. Granger said as they all brought their goblets together and then drank the wine.
"I know I've done this already, but I'd like to do it again in front of your parents," Harry told Hermione as he took her engagement ring from his pocket, where he had been keeping it since leaving London. He got down on one knee and looked up at her. "Will you marry me, Mione?"
Hermione's eyes filled once more with tears, finally understanding why Harry had asked if he could keep her ring for a while before going to her parents. The fact that he was proposing in front of them once more meant the world to her.
"Of course I'll marry you, darling. Nothing would make me happier than to be your wife," she told him as her tears fell once he put the ring back on her finger. She had felt naked without it, even though he had just given it to her the night before.
Mr. and Mrs. Granger were both smiling, and he took his handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to his wife, since she was crying just like her daughter. When Harry was done, he got up, kissed Hermione softly, and then hugged her tightly.
"You make me so happy, Mione," he whispered in her ear. "I love you."
"I love you too, Harry; more than you'll ever know."
They finally broke apart and turned to look at her parents. Her mother was crying while her father stood by her with his arm around her shoulders. His eyes were suspiciously watery as well, although he pretended not to notice.
"I say we go out and celebrate this happy occasion," Mr. Granger suggested after another round of hugs and kisses.
"That was the idea all along, daddy. We came to share our good news and to take you out to dinner."
"Nonsense, darling, your father and I will take you. It's not everyday our daughter gets married."
Harry was about to protest when he caught his father-in-law's look. He remembered his advice from earlier and nodded in understanding. "That would be lovely, Mrs. Granger. We'd be happy to accept your dinner invitation."
Hermione and her mother beamed at him and he knew he had made the right choice.
"I'm going to go freshen up and then we can leave. And Harry, from now on, please call me mum."
Harry, surprised by her request, just nodded. He had never felt so welcomed outside of the Weasley's home and her request filled him with joy. The Boy Who Lived now had an extended family that loved him and he was no longer alone in the world.
Hermione followed her mother down the hall, chatting excitedly about the news while Harry stayed behind with Mr. Granger.
"I wanted to second my wife, Harry. Hermione's told us all about your parents, and while I have no intention of replacing them, I would like it if you called me dad instead of Mr. Granger from now on."
"I appreciate that more than you know, dad." Harry smiled at him and felt at ease. "I hope that it won't be too long before we have a little one calling you granddaddy as well!"
"Oh, son, that would make me the happiest man on this earth, not to mention my wife. She would want to move in with you at that point just to be close to the grandkids. That is of course, assuming there will be more than one."
"We hope so. Hermione wants two to begin with; maybe three if we're good at being parents."
"I have no doubt of that and two is a good number to start with. I know she got a bit lonely at times when it was just her and that is why we made sure she was surrounded by books and we took her traveling around the world. She really flourished when she went away to school and met the lot of you. My little girl was not alone anymore and we were happy for her. I think she has loved you from the time she met you, Harry. Even when she was with Ron, her letters were mostly about you, and the things you did together. Like my wife said to her the other day, we've been expecting the news for a while."
Harry was surprised to hear his words and happiness exploded in his chest. They were meant to be together. After years of pain and uncertainty, here was his shot at happiness and at having a family of his own in the near future. He knew then it had all been worth it if it meant spending the rest of his life next to the woman he loved with all of his heart.
"Thank you for telling me that. I'm going to make sure she is safe and happy for the rest of her life."
"I know you will, son. I can see it in your eyes."
Hermione and her mother finally came back down and they left. They took the convertible, since her parents wanted to ride in it. Hermione and her mother sat in the back already making wedding plans while Mr. Granger gave Harry directions to the restaurant as they chatted amicably.
~*~
"It was a wonderful evening, love."
"Yes, it was. I told you my parents would approve."
They were laying in bed, cuddling and talking after making love. Dinner with the Granger's had been wonderful and they had ended up spending the night at their home. To Harry's surprise, they had suggested they spend the night in Hermione's room. It was a good thing that Hermione was always prepared and there was always an overnight bag in the trunk of her car. They had made plans to have breakfast with her parents and then drive back to London. They were supposed to be at the Burrow for lunch.
"We should get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be another busy day."
"I can't wait to tell our friends about our plans, Harry. I'm so happy."
"I am too, darling. In fact, I cannot remember the last time I felt this way. And it's all thanks to you."
"You're a sweet man, Harry James Potter. And I love you for that."
~*~
"Here we go, love. This should be interesting, since by the sounds of things everyone made it," Harry told Hermione as they stood in front of the door leading to the Burrow's kitchen.
"When do you want to make the announcement?"
"How about when we sit down to lunch?"
"Are you kidding? Ron would have your arse if you interrupt his eating time."
"He'll get over it. It won't kill him to wait a minute or two."
Hermione smiled at him and finally knocked on the door. She quickly turned her ring around so the gems were not visible and it looked just like a platinum band. Luna and Ginny would notice the ring right away otherwise.
Mrs. Weasley opened the door and enveloped them both into a huge hug before they could even say hello. "It's so good to have you kids home again. We've missed you."
"It's good to be here, Mrs. Weasley. We've missed the Burrow and your cooking more than you know."
"I was glad when I received the owl saying you were coming. And of course, I invited everyone and now that you're here, we're just waiting on the twins."
"Can't start a Weasley reunion without those two," Harry said smiling at her. Now that he thought about it, he had two mother figures in his life. He was one lucky bloke.
More hugs and kisses followed as they made their way through the house. The twins arrived not long after them and it wasn't long before they were all seated at the table. Ron was eying the food appreciatively and it was all he could do to hold himself back. Before they began to eat, Harry cleared his throat and stood up. Hermione lowered her hand to her lap and turned her ring once more.
"Hermione and I have an announcement to make, and that is why we asked Mrs. Weasley to gather everyone together."
"And this can't wait until after we eat?" asked Ron frowning at Harry.
Ginny, who was sitting next to him, smacked him in the arm. "Don't be an insensitive git, Ron! Harry has never interrupted one of our meals before, so this must be important."
"Yeah, but I'm starving. Can't I eat while he talks?" he insisted.
Hermione rolled her eyes, Ginny shook her head, Luna just smiled serenely as if the situation was a common occurrence (which, of course, it was), and Fred threw a roll in Ron's direction, hitting him in the forehead. George gave him a high five.
"Ronald Weasley," his mother said in that tone of hers they all knew so well and he immediately blushed. "Surely you can wait a moment. It's not like you're dying of starvation since I caught you more than once stealing food from the kitchen while I was cooking it."
"I promise this won't take long," Harry said trying to salvage the situation.
"Go on, dear," Mrs. Weasley encouraged him and her husband nodded.
He pulled on Hermione's hand and she stood as well, making sure to conceal her ring for a few more seconds. "I'm not sure if this will come as a surprise or not, since everyone seemed to be aware of it before the two of us, but Hermione and I are together now."
There were nods all around and a few jesting comments from the twins. Once the laughter had died down, Harry continued.
"Since I love her, and lucky for me, she returns my feelings, I've asked Hermione to marry me and she has accepted," Harry said smiling at them and then turned to look at the love of his life. Hermione smiled back and kissed his cheek lovingly.
The table erupted in applause, squeals, questions and delighted laughter. Even Ron stopped looking longingly at the food and smiled at them.
"When's the happy occasion?" Mrs. Weasley wanted to know after congratulating them and telling them how happy she was with the news.
"In six months, since we see no point in waiting longer than that," Harry told them.
"Let's see the ring!" Ginny said looking at Hermione.
Hermione finally lifted her hand and there were gasps from all of the females at the table, while the men looked at Harry and nodded their approval. He knew he had scored big all around. When he had gone ring shopping, that particular ring had screamed out her name and he had not bothered looking at the price or at others. He'd even had the words forever engraved on the inside of the band. Hermione had loved that detail.
"We want to have the wedding at Hogwarts and have Professor McGonagall officiate the ceremony. Then, if it's okay with you and Mr. Weasley, we'd love to have the reception here at the Burrow," Hermione said when the squeals and questions had finally died down and they were all once more sitting down.
"It would be an honor, Hermione, and we are more than happy to host the wedding reception here. Molly likes nothing better than to have a house full of happy people," Mr. Weasley told her.
"I'll get in touch with your mother, Hermione, and we'll start planning everything right away. You just tell us what you want and we will get it done. I know how busy your work keeps you and you are going to need all the help you can get since we only have six months to prepare. Oh, kids, this is just so exciting!" she finished beaming at them, happy tears in her eyes.
"We were hoping you would say that Mrs. Weasley," Harry said looking at her and smiling.
"Will you two stop calling me Mrs. Weasley already? It has been years and it makes me feel so old. Why don't you call me Molly? The same goes for Arthur. You're family to us."
"Okay, Mrs. Wea-I mean, Molly," Harry said blushing a bit.
"Can we eat now, please?" Ron moaned. He was hit by another roll, and this time it was George and the roll hit him on the nose.
Before a food fight could erupt, Arthur gave the okay and Ron wasted no time piling his plate high. It seemed to hold together and not spill on the table by sheer magic.
~*~
Later, while the boys played a game of quidditch, Hermione sat with Luna and Ginny under the shade of a tree and watched them play.
"I still can't believe he proposed so soon. I knew he was in love with you for ages, Hermione, but it still caught me by surprise," Ginny told her friend.
"It took me by surprise as well. I did not expect it either. He proposed Friday night after you lot left and we told my parents yesterday."
"How did they take the news?" Luna asked her.
"They were both so happy for us. Told us they had been expecting the news for some time, since they knew we have loved each other a long time. We went to dinner and then we spent the night there. The biggest surprise of the night was when they told us we could sleep in the same room," Hermione finished smiling.
"Your parents are good people, Hermione, and our mothers are going to have the time of their lives planning your wedding," Ginny said.
"I know it. And I am going to be happy letting them plan away. Molly was right; we are going to need all the help we can get to get this wedding planned in just six months."
"It's going to be beautiful. And once Molly finishes planning yours, she can start on Ron's and mine. Who knows, maybe six months after that, we'll be planning Ginny's as well."
"Wouldn't it be nice? We all get married within a year and a half of each other and live happily ever after," Ginny told them and smiled warmly at her friends.
"Since we're on the subject of weddings, there's something I wanted to ask of both of you," Hermione started. "You both know I love you like sisters, right?"
Ginny and Luna both nodded at her. "It's mutual. Like you, I had no sisters or brothers growing up and Ginny and you have become family to me."
"Glad to hear that. Harry and I talked and we decided together on this. I'd love it if both of you would be my maids of honor," Hermione said looking at both of her friends.
Flying overhead, Harry turned at the squeals he heard coming from the ground. He looked in time to see Luna and Ginny throw themselves at Hermione, enveloping her in a huge hug that sent them all tumbling to the ground between tears and laughter. He smiled at them, knowing Hermione had just asked her sisters of the heart to become their maids of honor.
He took a deep breath that expanded his chest. He felt at peace with the world and his heart was overflowing with joy. He looked up at the sky and sent a prayer of thanks to his parents, knowing they were happy for him as well.
"Oi! Get your head back in the game, Potter. You look like a git gazing up at the heavens while there's a snitch with your name on it flying around," Ron yelled at him.
"Why don't you find it yourself if you want it so much, you prat!" Harry yelled back cheerfully.
Life was definitely good in Harry Potter's world.
~*~
Hermione was sitting down at the table, drinking a cup of tea and reading the front page of The Quibbler later on that week. She smiled when she saw the headline and the picture of her and Harry, arms around each other, beaming at the camera. They had given Luna the go-ahead to confirm their relationship and upcoming wedding plans. Luna had been ecstatic. The huge headline made her laugh. Leave it to Luna to put her own special spin on things. The editors at the Prophet were probably having a coronary that same instant.
THE CHOSEN ONE HAS PROPOSED AND HERMIONE GRANGER SAID YES! MR. POTTER CONFIRMED THAT HIS HAPPINESS WHEN MS. GRANGER SAID YES CAN ONLY BE COMPARED TO LIBERATING OUR WORLD OF VOLDEMORT OR CATCHING THE GOLDEN SNITCH TO WIN THE WORLD CUP, BOTH OF WHICH HE HAS ACCOMPLISHED IN HIS SHORT LIFE. CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM BOTH!
Hermione was sure Harry would love the headline and accompanying article once he came down and read it. She picked up her cell phone and called her sister. Luna deserved to be congratulated for her wonderful job.
~*~
A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Up next, wedding plans and the wedding of the year!
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