Chapter III
Things are gonna start picking up soon, I promise…
A Walk to Remember
Harry was full of life again. He had regained his old joyfulness completely, and without a murderous Dark Lord after him, the outlook was certainly brighter.
The weather took a turn towards infinite sunshine and the days became longer as well.
In the cool late afternoon of one such day, Harry and Hermione could be found somewhere that held many memories - ones that were dear, and others that were not.
Hogwarts.
Actually, they were currently walking aimlessly around the lake at the school, which had been the setting for long-winded discussions, the adventurous endeavors of the Triwizard tournament, and the place, where Harry and Hermione had become more than friends nearly three years previously.
Currently, they were walking leisurely, hand in hand, around the perimeter of the lake. Memories of years gone by were being discussed. Harry was reminiscing particularly about the tournament, and how excited he had felt back then. Hermione replied with a distant smile about how worried she was for him, while Viktor Krum had valiantly been trying to attract her attention.
Fourth year had really been very exciting. It was ironical how Rita Skeeter's fraudulent article about Harry and Hermione had turned out to be eventually true. They were laughing about it now, and often joked that they ought to thank the flamboyant reporter someday.
The good memories carried them well into the evening. The sunset was beautiful over the Forbidden Forest, and the sunrays reflected in the calm lake surface. A break in the water revealed the giant squid was alive and well, before it dived back in the murky depths of the lake.
Harry and Hermione directed their steps towards the front doors of the castle. Taking the beaten path, they soon found themselves inside the Entrance Hall. There, they ran into Professor McGonagall, who was on her way to the Great Hall.
"Good evening, professor," Hermione greeted politely.
"Evening, Miss Granger," replied McGonagall with the barest hint of a smile. "Enjoying your visit back?"
"Certainly," Harry put in jovially. "I missed this place to be honest," he added.
"We were just heading for a bite to eat," Hermione explained when Harry had finished.
"Ah, as am I," said McGonagall, and the three of them departed towards the Great Hall.
Dinner was an interesting affair. The meals stayed true to their tradition of being mouth-watering, in both look and taste. Because of the summer months, the school was practically empty, save for some of the teachers who remained to ensure everything ran smoothly and that Hogwarts was ready for the following school year.
Conversation was a tad awkward, because Harry was forced to recount his tale of resurrection, and most of the teachers had not heard of the spell he was describing, and when he divulged the feeling of coming back, most visibly shuttered.
Eventually the diner came to an end, and the two visitors bid their parting greetings, before preparing to go back to London.
"Hermione?" Harry said in the silence, as they walked along the corridor to the front doors
"Hmm?"
"Can we just stay for a while longer?"
"Why?" Hermione asked in puzzlement.
"I wanted to go to the Astronomy tower. It's the one place we didn't visit today."
Hermione was taken by surprise. She had deliberately avoided the Astronomy Tower today. It brought a memory back that was too painful to remember once Harry had died, and she thought her future had lain in ruins.
She sighed inwardly
"Sure, Harry. We can go up there," she said with false cheeriness, and didn't meet his eyes as she spoke.
Tthey made their way up the stairs, and past the portrait of the Fat Lady. The pink-clad woman in the portrait squealed excitedly, and dropped the glass of wine she was holding when she saw Harry pass by. Soon she was gone to tell the other portraits.
The stars were already brightly shining in the contrast of the dark sky by the time Harry and Hermione reached the top of the tower. The night was a cool one, and a draft was blowing through the battlements, making Hermione shiver as it swept over her.
"Why did you want to come here, Harry?" she asked cautiously.
"It's just that I've always enjoyed coming here. Aren't the stars beautiful, Hermione?" he replied
"Yes. Yes they are."
They sat in silence for a few minutes. Harry placed his arm around Hermione to stop her from shivering. She gave him a grateful smile.
"Do you remember, Harry?" she asked suddenly in a quiet voice.
"How could I not, Hermione?" he answered nervously.
"You asked me to marry you here once long ago," her tone was distant with the pleasant reminiscence.
"I did, Hermione. And I'm sorry I died, but now I'm alive again."
"What are you saying, Harry?" Hermione looked at him quizzically.
"Give me a second chance, Hermione. Let me show how much I love you," he breathed in her ear, and this time the shiver that washed over had nothing to do with the chilly night.
Harry raised himself up on one knee, and with a practiced wave of his hand, he produced a small black box.
Hermione's breath hitched in her throat. She hadn't expected this, not tonight at least…
He opened the box, to reveal a most beautiful silver ring, embedded with a ruby, with her name etched with fine craftsmanship on the inside circumference of the ring.
"Marry me, Hermione," Harry said huskily.
Her voice wouldn't obey her desire to scream out her agreement. Instead, she launched herself at Harry, knocking him over on his back in the process. His face was soon covered with kisses from her.
"I suppose that's a yes," Harry said when she calmed down a bit and let him breathe.
Hermione had turn a brilliant shade of magenta and a wide smile was shining on her face.
"It is, Harry, trust me, it is," she said very fast.
"That's a relief," he said with a lopsided grin. "Come on, let's go home."
Hermione's smile did not leave her face, as they made their way down the stairs, across the corridor, and out the front doors of the school.
Along the way, they were talking about the details of the wedding, and when they should do it. In essence, the conversation was largely one-sided; as Hermione was the one asking and answering her own questions, while Harry was generally listening to her bemused.
They apparated away and materialized near Grimmauld Place.
Ron and Luna were standing at the front door, fruitlessly knocking for someone to open the door.
"Ron!" Harry called behind him as he and Hermione walked up the path to the front door.
"Oi!" Ron jumped and turned around. "There you are. We've been trying to get a hold of you all day. Where were you?"
"At Hogwarts. What's wrong?"
"The Order. They've found some new information that merits our attention. It seems You-Know-Who's legacy isn't as gone as we hoped," said Ron apprehensively.
"We have to look into that," Harry answered. "As soon as we can."
"So what were you doing at Hogwarts?" Luna asked serenely.
"Me and Hermione are getting married," Harry answered, and Hermione nodded excitedly in confirmation.
"That's bloody awesome, mate!" Ron punched Harry in the shoulder. "Wait till I tell everyone. When's it going to happen?"
"We don't know yet. Maybe next month," Hermione answered.
"Well, whenever it is, don't forget to tell me."
Before either Harry or Hermione could give their assent, Ron and Luna disappeared with a loud crack, no doubt to tell everyone they knew that Harry Potter was finally tying the knot and starting a family of his own.
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