A/N: So this chapter was probably the hardest for me to start. I wrote a good seven drafts, actually, and this is what I ended up with. And Ginny… well. She's definitely in here. I hope you enjoy!
Chapter Twenty-Five
"What exactly are you waiting for?"
Harry jumped and nearly dropped his food to the floor. Ginny was standing in the doorway of his flat just as Ron walked into the room.
"What?" he said warily, tightening his hold on the sides of the plate. Ginny stalked in with a dangerously purposeful look in her eye; Harry cast a look at Ron, who shrugged and gave a look that told him, in no uncertain terms, that he was on his own.
"Exactly what are you waiting on? Another war?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry picked up a fork and tried to look nonchalant, "care to explain?"
"I'll make it very simple for you," Ginny said through gritted teeth. She paused, took a step forward, and looked him straight in the eye. There was a moment of silence in which Harry sincerely wished that he could melt off the face of the earth rather than endure much longer of her stare.
"PROPOSE!"
This time Harry really did drop his plate: Pig let out a hoot of delight and whizzed around Harry's head, looking elated that someone else was breaking things for a change. The little owl then proceeded to crash into the ceiling lamp and shower glass onto the kitchen table.
"That's out of line!" Ron said angrily, obviously forgetting about trying to preserve his own life, "Harry will do it when he feels it's the right time. Stupid owl!" he added, snatching Pig out of the air and mending the lamp with a wave of his wand.
"When Harry feels it to be the right time, he won't have any teeth left to propose, and he'll probably need help getting down on one knee!" Ginny seethed, glaring at Harry, "Look, you prat, Hermione may be willing to wait around forever-she's insane like that; I suppose that's what happens when you fall in love-but I'm not and you shouldn't be either! Have you got a ring? No? When were you planning on asking her, in the next century or so?"
"Come off it, Ginny!" Harry said irritably, "I'll do it, all right? Just… just not yet-"
"What are you waiting for?" she thundered, and Harry winced. "She's not going to say `no'!"
"How do you know? She might… I don't know," he finished feebly, and this only seemed to heighten Ginny's obvious frustration.
"Look," she said, jabbing a finger into Harry's chest and barking out the words like a drill sergeant, "I'm going to Hogwarts in about two weeks, and I'm not going to be around all year to push you into making a move! So get a move on before I lose my temper-"
"Too late for that one, Gin-" Ron muttered, and he cringed when she whirled on him.
"And you!" she said, clearly in the mood for venting her rage, "What are you playing at? Are you going to let Luna go off to Hogwarts without knowing how you feel about her? That's right, you're not, or I'll tell her myself!"
"Fine, fine, I'll do it!'" Ron mumbled, avoiding Harry's astonished gaze and positively wilting. Ginny glared at him and threw up her hands.
"Right!" she barked, "You! Off to the jeweler's-yes, now, when did you think I meant? And you- no, not you-the idiot who I call my brother! Go make dinner reservations for you and Luna-where? You dunce! You can't even think of that yourself? So what if you haven't had lunch? Get moving! Go-go-go!"
As the two men hurried out the door, there was a crack of Apparition, and Hermione appeared just in time to see Ginny bawl after them, "And you had better do it properly, understand?"
"I'm sorry," Hermione said rather dryly, "I must have come to the wrong flat. I didn't want to enlist."
"You!" Ginny seized Hermione by the arm and marched her back out, "You and I are going to have a little chat-don't argue! Don't you dare argue with me, Hermione Jane Granger!"
"But what are we doing? I thought we were going to-"
"…I said don't argue!" Ginny hissed, leading Hermione down the stairs with the force of a trainer leading an unruly animal.
"But I-"
"You," Ginny announced to Hermione (and the highly interested group of people who had gathered in the lobby), "are getting engaged!"
"But Harry…"
"Argh!" Ginny's face was so red and furious that she looked quite mad; Hermione took a step back. "You three are the three slowest people in the history of this world! Where would you be without me?"
"I don't know; surrounded by a group of people who actually find their own lives more interesting than mine." Hermione said, who looked understandably angry and embarrassed. "Will you ever stop meddling? Honestly!"
"You're getting older as we speak, and I'm sick and tired of hearing that he still hasn't proposed!"
"Ginny, I'm eighteen. That's hardly old. That's actually considered quite young, at least by people who have lives." Hermione rolled her eyes and added under her breath, "and brains."
"We," Ginny said loudly, "are going to have a chat. And so help me, you are going to be Hermione Jane Potter by the time I finish my seventh year, or I'll go mad! Don't say anything!"
She dragged a protesting Hermione out of the lobby.
Once they had gone, the room was so silent that no one appeared to be breathing.
"Well," said one highly amused Healer Pruitt, "I suppose I can cancel our lesson for today."
"You know that raging tomato, Pruitt?" asked his companion in astonishment, "Don't tell me that was your trainee."
"Oh, the… ah--raging tomato wasn't a student of mine, it was the poor girl behind her." Healer Pruitt chuckled. "How do you like weddings, Brecket?"
"Oh, I love them," said Brecket, brightening, "and who will be the groom?"
"Supposedly I will," said a voice behind him. They turned and saw Harry and Ron standing in their midst with rather miserable faces.
"If Ginny doesn't murder the bride, the groom, and the best man before the engagement," Ron added mournfully.
"But I wouldn't get your hopes up," Harry said grimly, "Let's go, Ron… I'm starving."
They wandered up the stairs.
"And that, Brecket," said Pruitt, "is the reason why I will forever be a bachelor."
Brecket nodded in solemn agreement.
~*~
"Ginny, you're home!" Molly stopped short as Ginny stalked past her, dragging an alarmed and embarrassed Hermione into the kitchen after her. "What on earth are you doing?"
"I have had it!" Ginny declared. "Drastic times call for drastic measures-"
"Drastic measures?" Hermione repeated, glaring at Ginny. "Drastic measures? I don't know what you call this, but it's not just friendly intervention! This is insane!"
"Insane? Insane for wanting you happy and engaged to the person you're madly in love with?" Ginny threw her hands in the air, "You two have been dancing around the inevitable for a year!"
"Then let us dance!" Hermione said, and Ginny was surprised to notice that she sounded close to tears, "Then let us make our own mistakes! Harry and I are still working things out, Ginny, don't you see? We've never had a relationship like this before. I've never had a relationship like this! I do want to spend the rest of my life with him, Ginny, I won't pretend I don't, I love him more than I've ever loved anyone-I love him more than I ever thought I could love anything! Don't you see how frightening that-" and she choked on her words, stopping short, her eyes wide.
There was dead silence in the room as Hermione looked away, scrubbing at her tears and flushing.
"Ever since I've started taking care of these children," she said at last, her voice trembling, "Harry's been with me. And he and I… we started this relationship seriously. And… I-at first I… I knew I wanted to marry him; I couldn't imagine it with anyone else," she took in a deep breath, "but the more I thought about that, the… more frightening it seemed. Everyone seemed to expect us to, but I don't know if I… I don't know how to-I'm… what if I'm a terrible wife? What if we argue? What if… what if I… what if I ruin everything? I couldn't bear it. What if when I say `I do', I… do everything wrong?"
"Oh, Hermione," Ginny managed to say, feeling as though someone had punched her hard in the gut, "Hermione, I'm sorry. I… didn't realize-"
"Come sit down, dear," Molly said quietly, and Hermione sank into a chair at the kitchen table, burying her face in her arms.
"I'm insane. I'm completely insane," Hermione choked, taking the tissue Molly took from her, "I'm not even engaged-and I'm…"
"Having pre-wedding jitters?" Molly finished as Hermione blew her nose, "Well, I won't pretend that's not unusual, but you're right. Most of us have taken for granted that both of you were going to marry."
Hermione put the tissue down and wiped her eyes with a hand.
"It's not that I don't want to," she said, "because I do, I would marry him in a heartbeat, but… but I just don't want to-"
"…fail him." Ginny put in, and Hermione gazed at her in surprise. "You're afraid that things won't work out."
"He hasn't even proposed yet!" Hermione burst out, looking at them helplessly, "But as long as we're just dating-if things don't work out-"
"You won't do everything perfectly, Hermione," Molly said gently, "It's not like school, where you can study and be prepared perfectly. But the good thing about it is, you'll have second chances. Harry will love you no matter what, as trite as that sounds."
"And he hasn't even proposed yet," Hermione said, scrubbing at her eyes, "I've humiliated myself…"
"Ah, well… bit of humiliation never hurt anyone," Ginny said, more brightly, "And I say this from experience."
"Is that supposed to be comforting?" Hermione managed a weak smile, and Ginny grinned.
"It's my job," she said,
~*~
"Most of the time I can't believe me and Ginny are related," Ron said to Harry, examining his reflection in the mirror, "But it's times like these that I wish we weren't. Pass me that comb again, will you? Barking mad-did you see her today?"
"Course I did, mate," Harry said, making a noise of irritation, "You'd think proposing to a girl is the most normal thing in the world, the way she talks about it. It's not. It's completely terrifying!'
"Oh, come off it, it's not like you have to worry about her turning you down," Ron said, inspecting his robes and turning his head, examining both sides of his face, "She'd marry you if you proposed to her in Gobbledegook. Not that I'd suggest it, mind-she's probably looking for something a bit more romantic…"
"Look, everyone's talking about it like she's already said yes," Harry said, "but she hasn't. She hasn't shown much inclination to getting married, either-"
"Well, come on, mate," Ron said reasonably, "you haven't asked her, have you? That's the whole reason for asking. Anyway, this is Hermione we're talking about. You know, the one who's been obsessed with you since you were eleven? The one who went on the run with you for a year looking for bits of a maniac's soul?"
He paused.
"How do I look?"
Harry stared at him. "You're asking me?"
"Seriously, mate, how do I look?" Ron said, turning sideways and examining himself from that angle.
"Fine. How would I know?" Harry said, "And you don't know that Hermione will say yes. You don't. I don't."
"Well, she won't if you don't ask her," Ron said, rolling his eyes. When he saw Harry's face, he sobered slightly.
"Look, you love her, don't you?" he said, putting down the comb.
"More than anything."
"And she loves you, doesn't she?" Ron persisted, "Merlin, mate, don't look at me like that. `Course she loves you. She has for a long time, all right? You don't have anything to worry about."
He sighed and gazed at himself in the mirror.
"Me, on the other hand," he said, ruefully picking up the comb again, "I'm going on a date with Luna. Luna Lovegood. She's going to think I'm a complete idiot."
"Luna? Nah. She'll probably just think the wrackspurts have got you." Harry said, trying to be reassuring. Ron didn't look encouraged.
"What's a wrackspurt?"
"Dunno. Talk to her about it." Harry sat on the edge of Ron's bed. "If Ginny thinks I'm proposing tonight, I'd hate to think what she'll say tomorrow. I haven't even got a ring."
"Just say you don't know Hermione's ring size," Ron said helpfully. Harry stared at him.
"Rings have sizes?" he said blankly.
"Yeah, I didn't know that either," Ron said, "but it works, doesn't it? Gives her something to investigate-gives you a bit of time. She'll find it out for you, too. It's a bit scary, how good she is at finding out things about other people."
He glanced at his watch.
"Well, I'd better get going," he said with a deep breath, "Wish me luck, mate."
"Have a good time," Harry said, "ask her about the wrackspurts; I've always wanted to know."
Ron took one more glance in the mirror, squared his shoulders, and in a moment, he had gone.
Pig twittered happily and perched on Harry's shoulder. He looked at the owl's massive eyes and sighed.
"Reckon I should visit Hermione?"
Pig hooted.
"I'll take that as a yes," Harry said, standing and walking out of Ron's room, the owl swaying happily on his shoulder. "I should get something better on…"
He shut the door to his room and strode over to the closet, opening it and looking ruefully at the few clean shirts he had left.
"Suppose I should do some laundry soon," he cast a look at his hamper grimly. It was overflowing the dirty clothes.
"Well, what do you think, Pig?" Harry pulled out a green flannel button down that Ginny had given him for Christmas. He pulled it over his white T-Shirt and examined himself in the closet mirror, hanging on the door. "Works for me."
Pig hooted again, fluttering off of Harry's shoulder and perching on the bedpost.
Harry hesitated, then grabbed his wand and Apparated out of the flat.
~*~
"And then what happened?" asked Yasmine, hiding a giggle. Katy closed her eyes, tugging at her auburn braid and thinking hard, wrinkling her nose.
"And then… and then the talking, polka-dotted dog sprouted wings and flew out the window."
"And then what happened?" asked Adrian, grinning.
Yasmine thought for a moment.
"And then the talking, polka-dotted dog with wings annoyed an angry cloud, who threatened to hold him captive."
"And then what happened?" Katy asked Adrian. Adrian thought for a moment, chewing thoughtfully on his lip.
"And then… the angry cloud fried the talking, polka-dotted dog with wings with a bolt of lightning."
The girls fell into fits of laughter. Katy rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin with her hands.
"But how can we finish the story without a main character?"
"Make him come back to life!" Adrian said, grinning.
"But how?" Yasmine said, crossing her legs and hugging a pillow. Adrian smirked.
"Another bolt of lightning, of course."
"That's dumb," Jack said disdainfully as the girls looked at each other and laughed, looking up from Treasure Island, "That whole game is dumb."
"So? It's fun," retorted Yasmine, rolling back onto her back. "What else can we do?"
"We could play cards. Or read."
"We could read-" Jack began, but Ben, Katy, Adrian, and Yasmine cut him off.
"Not Treasure Island!"
"Shh!" Yasmine said hastily, realizing how loud they had been, "We can't wake up Jackie."
Everyone fell silent. In that silence, they heard a sudden crack down in the foyer.
"Harry's here!" said the girls in unison.
~*~
"How was the exam?"
Hermione dried her hands on a dishtowel, making a face. He grinned.
"Let me guess-you're certain you've failed it."
She felt her heart give a particularly enthusiastic thump as he came to stand beside her, sliding an arm comfortably around her.
"I really did this time," she said, hiding a grin. He gently kissed her forehead.
"You always say that," he said, stating the obvious, "and you've always scored higher than should be allowed."
She smiled.
"What? No retort?" he said teasingly, "Only a smile? What happened to you?"
"Are you saying I can't keep quiet?" Hermione challenged, and he laughed.
"Not if you don't want to," he said, brushing a curl of hair way from her face, "and there's nothing I can do to make you talk if you want to."
There was a pause, and Hermione leaned up against him.. He tightened his arm around her, struck by how comfortable the silence felt.
"Hermione?"
"Hmmm?"
He leaned his cheek against her hair.
"Do you love me?"
The question was so simple, so earnest, Hermione felt her throat constrict. She smiled and held the hand of the arm that was looped around her waist.
"Yes."
He paused.
"Do you mind saying it?"
"No," she turned, and he put his other arm around her, and she smiled. That smile that made him light-headed with wonder and disbelief that such a smile could be directed at him.
"I love you, Harry James Potter, and nothing's ever going to make me stop." She stood on her toes and kissed him. He put a hand on her cheek, rubbing her cheekbone with his thumb. He gazed down at her quietly, and his eyes suddenly brightened, and an expression of surprise flitted across his features. He paused, leaned closer to her, and spoke again.
"Marry me?"
She felt herself go completely limp in his arms; he tightened him embrace around her and used a hand to tilt her gaze toward his.
A shy half-smile hovered about his right cheek as he repeated his question nervously, "Marry me?"
He paused, and blurted out, "Please?"
She felt as though a great daze had captured her entire body; her knees were trembling like mad and tears were welling up in her eyes, and there was the strangest feeling sweeping over her, sapping all strength from her body, and it took her a moment to recognize the feeling.
It was joy.
He licked his lips, and fumbled, "I… I don't even have a ring-I'm sorry… I've made a mess of things as usual-but… but when you said… when you said that you loved me-I couldn't wait. I couldn't wait another second. And I know you probably wanted something more romantic, but Hermione, I can't wait- that is unless you want me to... and I didn't know rings had sizes…"
He paused and hurried on, "And I know you're supposed to kneel, but… I forgot. Merlin, I've just ruined everything, haven't I?"
He stopped.
"What day is it?"
"Tuesday," Hermione managed to whisper faintly. "The tenth. July."
"It's been a month. You said… I should ask you in a month, and- well, here I am. I've… please, Hermione?" he paused and gently nuzzled her cheek with his nose, "Be mine?"
She let out a breath and realized she was sobbing, and before she could think she had blurted out an answer.
"Yes, yes… a thousand times, yes-"
He drew back, holding her tightly and gazing at her in wide-eyed disbelief.
"Yes?" he repeated, his voice quivering, "You… don't mind?"
"Mind? I couldn't imagine… I don't ever want to imagine anything else," she buried her face in his shoulder, "Do you realize what you've gotten yourself into?"
"You said yes. I'm still trying to convince myself that you said yes, at the moment."
"Oh, Harry, I'll make such a mess of things-I'll probably be a terrible wife-"
"But you'll be mine," he said softly, "if you're trying to talk me out of it, it'll never work. It never has."
She raised her tear-stained face to him, beaming and laughing and crying all at once.
"Oh, Harry. Harry!"
He grinned, and his eyes suddenly felt very wet, and she was holding onto him tightly, and he was stroking her hair, realizing for the first time what had just happened.
She was going to marry him.
She was marrying him.
His wife.
This woman, this beautiful, intelligent, bushy-haired, brown-eyed, loving woman was going to be his wife.
She felt his chest shudder under her arms and she held him tighter.
Harry was crying.
"Oh, Merlin. How did I ever… when did I ever deserve you? How did I…"
He buried his face in her hair, and she began to cry all over again.
"Stop it, Harry, or I'll never stop crying," she sobbed, and he grinned through his tears, gazing at her through the tearstains on his glasses.
"How was that for a terrible proposal?" he choked, and she kissed him quickly, putting her arms round his neck.
"It was terrible-and the most beautiful thing I'd ever heard in my life."
Against the wall near the kitchen doorframe, Katy and Yasmine beamed and stifled laughter of pure joy, nearly knocking Dusty, Ben, Jack, and Adrian flat as they joined each other in a little dance. Yasmine peered around the door frame, then turned and looked at Katy, her eyes dancing.
"And then what happened?" she whispered.
Dusty smiled a long, slow smile.
"A new picture," he said simply, and as Katy looked at him, she found herself believing him.
"What about a happy ending?" suggested Adrian. Yasmine shook her head.
"It's a beginning," she corrected him, looking dreamy. "A new, wonderful, perfectly perfect beginning."
A/N (2): Well. There you go. The last of the seven drafts of this chapter. Hopefully you're not completely disappointed.
I should add that after this chapter, updates will definitely be slower, though hopefully I can settle into a regular schedule with them. School is coming up and I'm headed off for a vacation, so… yes. I hope this was enjoyable!
-->