Unofficial Portkey Archive

A/N: Back again! As I mentioned, this is one of two chapters which may not have the best content for some readers. I still hope you find them enjoyable, though. We have one more wedding to power through, and from there Ron and Ginny won't be so prominent in the story romance-wise. Some of you may love where I'm taking this from chapter 30 and up, and some of you may hate it. If you enjoy it, let me know. If you hate it, keep it to yourself, or at least let me know politely. I've managed to thankfully avoid flames so far, so let's keep it that way, shall we?

Thanks to auror_lumos09, justduck, kinikeens, Meli, eagle219406, and everyone else who reviewed!

Chapter 28: A Less Than Modest Proposal

Hermione scribbled away on the latest report that had been dropped on her desk. It had been over a month since her father had passed, and despite her vehement opposition to the choice words her mother had spoken to her on the porch, she had taken them to heart.

As soon as she had returned home after the funeral, she had suggested that Ron move into her apartment. And so far the arrangement was going relatively smoothly. There had been minimal arguments, but she supposed that was to be expected when you were getting accustomed to living with another individual. Especially a male. She refused to let herself wonder if the fact that Ron was rarely in the flat due to his Auror training perhaps contributed to the lack of confrontation.

Truthfully, Hermione did feel as if she'd made some progress over the past few weeks. She thought she felt happier. She was trying very hard to be friendly with Ron, and he was also being extra polite. She had also made determined steps to regain a semblance of normalcy in her relationship with Harry once he and Ginny had returned from their honeymoon - and succeeded, for the most part. They had resumed their almost daily lunches and Hermione felt that it was getting easier and easier to be around him. At least it was much easier than trying to stay away from him; she wondered if perhaps this avoidance had contributed to her depressed state of mind. He was married to Ginny- for better or worse - and it felt better to be around him than to hide herself away.

However, Hermione had found an enormous amount of work waiting for her when she returned to the office after her extended absence. Work that she just couldn't seem to catch up on. And, unfortunately, she was finding that her breaking point was about to reached.

She jabbed furiously as she dotted the i of her signature, then proceeded to almost rip a piece of parchment in half as she yanked it towards her. She had just pulled out her wand to mend it when a recently hired wizard from another department poked his head into her office.

"Can I help you?" Hermione said in as polite a voice as she could manage. She rapped the parchment she was holding with a bit more force than necessary.

"Got a case of a goblin claiming he was bitten by a werewolf. Wants some reimbursement. Which department does it need to go to?"

Hermione sighed. "Is the werewolf registered?" she asked.

The wizard nodded.

"Is he set up with the Wolfsbane program?"

Another mute nod.

"Then send it to Law Enforcement!" she snapped in agitation. "This is the Department of the REGULATION and CONTROL of Magical Creatures. There's nothing to regulate or control! It already happened. And goblins aren't even affected by werewolf bites! Let the Wizengamot deal with it!"

"Er, right away," the wizard said, and dashed out of sight.

Hermione ran a hand over her face and moved to dip her quill in her inkwell.

"Ms. Granger - "

Hermione twitched so badly that she knocked the ink all over the parchment.

"What?!" she said angrily, turning her head sharply to the door.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger! I apologize for interrupting you, but there's an issue with suppliers for the Wolfsbane ingredients - "

"Which would be?"

The witch looked startled. "Well, um, apparently they want an increased price for the salamander blood --"

"You tell them that we're going to pay the same price we've paid for the past three years!" Hermione said angrily.

The witch hesitated in the doorway.

"GO!" Hermione spat, and the witch's indecision ended as she darted away.

With a wave of her wand the ink was removed from the parchment. Hermione placed her quill on the paper.

"Could you look at this -"

The quill stabbed straight through the report.

"NO, I CAN'T LOOK AT WHATEVER THE BLOODY HELL IT IS YOU'RE HOLDING RIGHT NOW!" She pounded her wand on the parchment, and instead of repairing the hole it burst into flames.

"DAMN IT!" Hermione yelled, dropping the paper on the ground and stomping on it. Muggle methods felt much simpler at the moment.

When there was only a small stream of smoke emitting from the ruined report, Hermione glanced up and was pleased to see that her fit had scared away whatever unfortunate soul had stepped into her office. She laid her head on her desk and sighed deeply.

And then she abruptly stood up, picked up a few belongings from her desk, and strode to the Atrium. Surely her employees were competent enough to solve a few problems themselves. It was almost closing time anyway.

On impulse she decided to Floo home, and stepped into a line of three witches and wizards waiting on a fireplace. When it was her turn, she shouted her destination and was immediately taken to her and Ron's apartment.

Suddenly feeling dead-tired, she dropped her things on the coffee table and went immediately to her bedroom.

And broke a heel as she stumbled on the threshold.

This led to her kicking said heels off in particular vehemence, which in turn led to one of her shoes smashing into a vase, which immediately crashed to the floor.

Her unlucky streak was going so smoothly that Hermione was quite unsurprised when she stepped on one of the shards.

Typical.

Cursing mentally (and a few times out loud), she limped to her bed and collapsed onto it, ignoring the chaos she had left in her wake.

She was asleep within moments.

**********

Though he didn't have quite the rough day Hermione had, Harry was also immensely frustrated with work.

After coming home from his honeymoon, he had been swamped with a large amount of difficult and tedious missions that rarely seemed to go his way. They were still successful for the most part, but he was severely short-handed due to an influx of injured Aurors. Physically and mentally exhausted, he had also turned in early.

When he awoke the next morning, he decided spur of the moment to take the day off. Fitz had been more than happy to deliver the note to Wahler, and Harry had no intention of being around for the harsh reply - Wahler was quite adamant on having notices at least a week in advance.

Unperturbed by what his boss would say the next day, Harry treated himself to a large breakfast. Ginny had already left for an early Quidditch practice.

Sipping on his coffee, Harry mused on what he could possibly do over the course of the day. Unfortunately, nothing came to mind that he would want to do alone. Ginny was at practice, Ron was busy with field-work training, and Hermione was also at work.

While he was cleaning his dishes, he determined that Hermione was his best bet. He knew that she was similarly loaded down with work and figured she could use a break as well.

He went to the fireplace and threw in a handful of Floo Powder. Kneeling, he thrust his head into the flames.

"Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," he said clearly.

His head spun temporarily and then came to a halt, though he was still immersed in the emerald flames.

"State your name," said the cool female voice from the Ministry lift.

"Harry Potter, Auror Department," Harry said.

"Thank you," said the female voice, and then his head spun through one more rotation and came to a halt in the fireplace of the Head of Hermione's Department, Cecilia Vintreem.

"Good morning, Cecilia," Harry said politely.

"Good morning to you as well, Mr. Potter," Cecilia replied. She was a somewhat matronly witch with graying blonde hair. She smiled fondly at Harry. "What can I help you with?"

"Actually, I was wondering if you could fetch Hermione for me," he said. "I've got a question about a case she sent down."

"Oh, Hermione didn't come in today," Cecilia said. She seemed amused. "Apparently she frightened a number of employees yesterday and left in quite the temper."

"That's not good," Harry said, though he chuckled to himself as well. "I'll see if I can contact her."

"Alright," she said. "Have a pleasant day!"

"You too, Cecilia," he said with a smile before pulling his head back through the fireplace.

"Tsk, tsk," Harry muttered to himself as he pulled a dark blue long-sleeved shirt over his white tee. "Always a step ahead of me, that girl."

*********

Harry stepped gingerly over the wreckage of the smashed vase. He saw one heel lying among the shards and detected the other on the dresser halfway across the room. A set of robes lay crumpled next to the night-table stand.

Hermione still lay asleep, fully dressed in work attire and tangled in the sheets. She looked quite peaceful despite the turmoil of her room.

Harry knelt next to her bed and gingerly brushed the disheveled hair from her eyes.

"Hermione…" he murmured softly, continuing to caress her hair. "Rise and shine…"

She moved her head slightly, stretching as she slowly began to wake up. Her eyes finally fluttered open and she looked at Harry uncomprehendingly for a moment before furrowing her brow.

"What're you doing here?" she asked, her voice raspy with sleep.

"What are you still doing in bed?" Harry countered. "It's almost ten."

Hermione turned over and set her head down again on the pillow. "I've decided to stay in my bed forever and sleep my life away."

"Why would you do that?" Harry asked, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Because everything traumatic that has ever happened to me has happened after I got out of bed in the morning."

Harry thought about this for a second, and then nudged Hermione aside before lying on the bed next to her. "Don't mind me," he said, nestling himself into the pillow Hermione had just been using. It smelled very faintly of strawberries.

He heard Hermione giggle next to him and he smiled as well.

"So," he said after a moment, enjoying the feel of her arm pressed into his, "planning to go to that Weasley shindig tonight?"

Hermione laughed. "As if there was an option."

Harry turned on his side to face her, and she did the same.

"Do I want to know what happened in here last night?"

"No," Hermione replied, and sighed deeply. "Why does it seem as if most of the decisions in my department are made by drunken apes?"

Harry shrugged the shoulder that wasn't leaning into the mattress. "Decisions are made by people who have time, not people who have talent."

Hermione grinned. "Then why are talented people so busy?"

"They're fixing the problems made by the people who have time, of course," Harry said seriously.

She laughed again, and then turned her head to observe the mess she had been too tired to pay attention to yesterday.

"Whoops," she said.

"Whoops indeed," Harry said. He sent the vase flying back together with a wave of his wand.

"Thanks," Hermione said.

Harry glanced back at the now clear floor and noted a few small smears of blood leading to the bed.

"Did you cut your foot?"

Hermione seemed confused at first before her expression cleared. "Oh!" she said, and sat up so she could pull her foot towards herself for examination. A small, clean cut ran across the sole of her foot.

"You didn't even bother healing yourself before you went to sleep?" he asked, placing the tip of his wand on the cut.

"I was really, really tired," she said, watching as her skin knit itself together.

Harry chuckled, and then stood up from the bed. He pulled Hermione up with him.

"Next time try to be a bit more careful."

She rolled her eyes. "I've said the same thing to you for about thirteen years."

"And I'm still alive, aren't I?"

"Barely." She glanced at the clock on her wall. Past ten now.

"Going back to my first question, what're you doing here?" Hermione said. "You should be at work."

"As should you be," Harry said.

"Touché."

"I decided that we both deserved a break. So we're taking a hooky day. Starting now. I'll make you some breakfast while you get changed."

Before Hermione could protest, Harry had exited the room, closing the door behind him.

**********

After Hermione had eaten multiple slices of delicious French toast, Harry had immediately plucked her up and led her downstairs, where Sirius' recently repaired motorbike sat gleaming in the sun. She stopped in her tracks, staring at the bike with wide eyes.

"No way, Harry. Absolutely no way."

"Come on, it won't bite you," Harry said, swinging his leg over the bike. He already seemed extremely fond of it.

"Can't we just Apparate?" Hermione asked.

"Nope. Get on." He extended a small light-blue helmet towards her.

"Seriously?" Hermione said, taking it from his grip with a grimace as she imagined what it would do to her barely tamed hair.

"Safety first," Harry said, reaching over and tightening the strap under her chin. "See, you look adorable."

She blushed faintly as she sat behind him, but luckily Harry was already preoccupied putting on his own dark-blue helmet. She hesitantly placed her arms around his waist, but she quickly tightened them once the bike roared to life and sped down the road.

Much to Hermione's relief, Harry opted to drive the bike Muggle-style to their destination, not once making it take flight. They zipped along through traffic, the wind whipping against their faces, and before long Hermione even began to enjoy herself.

They eventually stopped in front of the Leaky Cauldron and Harry removed his helmet. He grinned widely at her when he took hers.

"What are you smiling at?" she said, smoothing her clothes primly.

He continued to grin.

"What?" she said, trying to look aggravated.

"You loved it," he said.

"No, I didn't."

"Don't try to pull that!" Harry said. "You were smiling ear to ear the entire time."

She stared back at him defiantly, and then wilted.

"Yes, I enjoyed it!" she admitted, glaring at him. "And I therefore need to punch the daylights out of you until we both forget it."

"Spare the glasses," he said, putting his hands up in defense.

"I could fix them," she said, raising her fists up threateningly. "No big deal."

"Right, of course!" He paused. "What was that spell again?"

Hermione smacked him on the arm, but the ear-to-ear smile had returned to her face.

"So what did you have in mind for today, Potter?"

"Well, Granger, I thought we might do a bit of shopping somewhere at some point, get some lunch someplace eventually, and do whatever the heck else we want to do for the rest of the day."

"Awesome, great plan," Hermione said, nodding her approval. "Very precise."

"I thought so. Where d'you want to go first?"

Hermione opened her mouth, but was cut off.

"Wait, what am I thinking?" Harry said, flipping out the kick-stand on the bike. "To Flourish and Blotts it is."

Hermione closed her mouth and smiled impishly.

"If you insist."

"I do," Harry said. "Let's go."

*********

They left Flourish and Blotts approximately two hours later, Harry clutching a large bag of books. Hermione grinned like a child at Christmas-time.

Since Hermione had had a late breakfast, Harry suggested they get an ice cream from the newly opened Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor instead of lunch. A wizard had purchased the property and had respectfully allowed it to keep its original name in honor of its late owner.

Harry deposited their purchases at a table outside the shop and asked what Hermione would like.

"I don't know," Hermione said. "Maybe just a scoop of vanilla or something."

Harry raised his eyebrows but made no comment. He entered the shop and returned a minute later with a huge sundae heaped with chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, sprinkles, caramel, whipped cream, and cherries.

It was Hermione's turn to raise her eyebrow.

"That certainly doesn't look like a scoop of vanilla."

"It is, though," Harry said. "It's just disguised by all the chocolate and whipped cream."

She took the proffered spoon, shaking her head pointlessly.

"So," Harry said, taking the first bite out of the sundae. "I've been thinking about something."

"Which would be?" Hermione asked, getting a spoonful for herself.

Harry smiled somewhat mischievously.

"We never came up with Animagus names."

Hermione ate one of the cherries from the top of the ice cream.

"That's really random," she said. "We've been able to transform for years."

"Exactly my point. We've been nameless for far too long."

Hermione sighed. "Is it really that necessary?"

"It's of vital necessity," Harry said. "My father and Sirius would be ashamed that I've gone so long without one."

Hermione took one more bite and set her spoon down. "Fine," she said, "what did you have in mind?"

Harry grinned happily. "Firstly, I think we should name each other."

"Why?"

"Because it'd be too pompous to name ourselves," he said. "Just because I'm amazing doesn't mean I should be allowed to name myself as such."

"I see your point," Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes. She then observed him thoughtfully, trying to picture his wolf form clearly in her mind. "Well, if your father and Sirius are to be our examples, we need to be named after some attribute of our forms."

"Right," Harry said, nodding. "And nothing that'd be a rip-off of Sirius' name."

"So no `pad' or `foot' involved. Got it," Hermione said, continuing to think.

"What about something like Whitefang or something?" Harry suggested, baring his teeth as evidence.

"Already taken," Hermione said. She shook her head in disappointment. "You're severely lacking in knowledge of Muggle classics."

Harry shrugged. "No skin off my back."

"What about Cain?" Hermione asked. "As in Canis lupis."

"Way too logical."

"Maybe something involving your coat… Greyfur? Greycoat?"

"Silver bullet!"

"No, that's ridiculous," Hermione said distractedly. "But the speed's not a bad idea…" After all, one of Harry's favorite pastimes was flying - he clearly loved speed…

"What about Swiftpaw?" she said after a moment of deliberation.

Harry considered this for a moment. He finally nodded.

"I like it. Your turn now. I say Bushytail."

"Do you really want me to despise you forever?"

Harry waved her off. "I'm just kidding. Hmmm. Vixen?"

Hermione thought about this and then shook her head. "I don't consider the alternative definition altogether flattering."

He nodded and then sank into thoughtful silence, gazing at her broodingly. Hermione had almost completed her half of the sundae when he snapped his fingers.

"Got it." He picked up his spoon and extended it towards her like a scepter.

"I dub thee…" he said seriously, performing the motions of bequeathing knighthood. "Copper," he finished, and dabbed a dollop of whip cream on her nose.

"Just Copper?" she said, covering her own finger in whip cream and tapping his nose.

"Just Copper," he said, filling up his spoon and aiming it threateningly at Hermione.

Hermione waved her napkin in truce. "Any particular reason?" she asked, brushing at her nose.

"It just fits. Your fur and your mind…copper is a bright reddish brown, and your mind is `bright' as well, like the metal."

Hermione nodded approvingly at his train of thought, pleased that he would've put so much thought into it.

"Shall we test out these new names with our forms, Swiftpaw?"

"I believe we shall, Copper," Harry said. He shrunk their bags and tucked them into his pocket. Then they abandoned the small remainder of their sundae and Apparated to a beautiful wooded area where they could spend the rest of the day.

**********

When Hermione was dropped off at her apartment early that evening, she felt immensely elated. She could honestly say that today had been the best day she had had in a long time. She had been reluctant to let her and Harry's outing end so early, but they knew that Molly would have their necks if they were late for dinner.

Which is why Hermione went straight to the shower, cleaned herself up, dressed, and left immediately for the Burrow.

By the noise emitting from the house, Hermione could tell that most of the clan had already gathered. She smiled as she passed Victoire, little Molly, and little Fred playing happily in the yard and entered the house, almost running smack into Ron in the process.

"Woah!" he said, backing up slightly to admit his girlfriend. "I was just about to come get you."

"Why?" she said. "Is Harry not here yet? He knew I still had to get ready."

"No, he's here," Ron said. "But it was getting a bit late…"

Hermione noted that Ron seemed quite fidgety.

"Well, I'm here now," she said, brushing past him into the kitchen. "Is dinner almost ready?"

"Er, just about."

Hermione led the way into the crowded living room and embraced most of the Weasleys, giving special attention to Fleur and Angelina, who both held infants in their arms.

"Louis is getting so big!" she said to Fleur, whose son smiled at her with chubby cheeks as he was bounced on his mother's knee.

"And you!" Hermione lifted Roxanne from Angelina's extended hands. "I haven't seen you for ages!"

"Weeks isn't exactly `ages,'" Angelina said, smiling.

"It is when you're only weeks old," Hermione said, smiling serenely at the tiny baby. Percy's youngest, Lucy, tottered over on shaky legs to observe the newest Weasley.

"Very curious, zis one," Fleur said, nodding towards Lucy.

"She's simply making sure Hermione's going about things right," George said. "She is Percy's daughter, after all."

"And Hermione is an immense trouble-maker," Harry added. "Someone needs to keep an eye on her."

"Too true," Ginny said. "She could do something really horrible…like try to teach the baby Ancient Runes."

"Ancient Runes is a fascinating subject!" Hermione insisted, looking exasperated.

"Would you look at that. Roxy's already asleep," George said.

Hermione sneered at George quite maturely and gently handed Roxanne back to her mother.

"Thanks goodness one of her parents has some brains," she said, giving a grateful nod to Angelina.

"I'll toast to that!" George said, raising his drink in salute.

Bill poked his head into the room as everyone laughed.

"Mum says dinner's almost ready. Audrey's setting the table now."

"Excellent, I'm starving," Harry said, standing up and stretching.

As George went to wrangle up the remainder of the Weasley grandchildren, the group moved outside. The table was laden down, as per usual, and everyone dug in appreciatively.

"Way to wait up, guys," George said when he returned, depositing little Molly and Fred in their seats. As if trying to make a point of her superior age, Victoire walked confidently ahead of her uncle and seated herself primly between her mother and Harry.

From across the table, Hermione observed Harry quite obviously placing a napkin in his lap. Victoire mimicked him eagerly, flapping a napkin as she covered her own knees. Hermione noted with amusement that Victoire was trying very hard to make sure that Harry didn't catch her looking.

This game lasted most of the evening. When Harry took a drink, Victoire chugged from her own glass; when he dabbed at his mouth with another napkin, Victoire wiped her face.

"Could you pass me a roll, miss?" he eventually asked her. She seemed thrilled to have been asked such an adult request and hastened to reach her short little arms out to grab the roll basket. Hermione noted that it sidled closer to her and knew that Harry was levitating it from beneath the table.

When it was close enough, Victoire seized it and offered it to him.

"Thank you very much," he said charmingly, causing the little girl to blush furiously.

Hermione kicked him from underneath the table, smirking.

Harry smirked right back and promptly kicked at her shin as well.

As neither was willing to let the other have the last word, they were soon engaged in a full-out but entirely silent foot war. They fought to keep straight faces as they listened to other topics of conversation along the table, and they only stopped when dinner had been completed and Hermione had dug her heel quite forcefully into his foot as they were about to stand up.

Harry winced and waved his napkin in truce. Hermione smiled sweetly in reply.

Caught up as she was in this war, she didn't really register that Ron hadn't said a solitary word the entire meal. She only realized this when she noticed that he looked exceedingly pale as they reentered the living room.

She leaned towards him to ask what was the matter just as he stood up, looking as though he were about to be sick. She hadn't seen him in such a state since he'd joined the Quidditch team in fifth year.

With a forced deliberation he tapped his glass, drawing everyone's attention to him.

"Er, I, um, I have something I need to say," he said in a voice a few octaves above his normal tone.

Hermione stared at him, her eyes wide.

Oh no.

Ron turned towards her and her fears were confirmed.

He lowered himself to one knee.

Oh Merlin's pants.

He took her hand, met her somewhat horrified gaze determinedly, and took a deep breath.

"Hermione, I've wanted to ask you something for a long time now -"

"Ron -"

"-but I felt that I needed to pull my life together - "

"Ron, I -" Hermione tried again, but he was not to be interrupted. He plunged on relentlessly.

"I've loved you practically since I met you -"

Hermione couldn't help recalling that Halloween so many years ago as she cried miserably in the girls' bathroom. Practically indeed.

"-and we've been together through so much -"

Minus a few exceedingly difficult weeks during the Horcrux search.

"I would never ever want to hurt you or see you sad -"

Which is why you snogged Lavender Brown senseless whenever I was in the room. Was she purposely trying to be so negative?

"-and I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy…"

The hand that was not clutched in Ron's was clenched tightly as she anticipated the next four words. She could feel her nails cutting into her palm.

"Will you marry me?"

Hermione didn't answer immediately as a million thoughts were zooming in quick succession through her head.

I can't get married…I'm only…twenty-four…okay, well we're both not ready for this kind of commitment…wait, we both have careers…and a place to live…but we've only been dating for…wow, six years, long time…

She was quickly running out of excuses and felt the eyes of all the Weasleys on her.

It all really dwindled down to one legitimate question.

Will he make me happy?

Hermione's eyes flickered over to Harry, whose eyes were boring into her, as if trying to read her thoughts. She noted that he looked almost as pale as Ron. Then her eyes took in Ginny, who held fast to Harry's arm.

She returned her gaze to Ron.

"Yes," she said in as confident a voice as she could manage. "Of course I'll marry you."

The entire family roared with cheers as Ron stood up and embraced her happily, laughing in relief. He kissed her and hugged her again before everyone crowded around them joyfully.

Hermione knew that Harry was still watching her even though she couldn't see him. She could feel his gaze on her movements.

It wasn't until half an hour later that she was finally able to escape the crowd of Weasleys. As the celebrations continued, she slipped into the kitchen and out into the yard, enjoying the fresh breeze that played across her face.

"Wasn't expecting that one."

Hermione turned around to face Harry.

"Definitely not," she agreed.

He smiled as he handed her a glass of wine. "You looked like a deer caught in the headlights."

"What do you expect?" Hermione sighed. "How would you have reacted in front of the entire family?" She shook her head. "Certainly not his brightest idea."

Harry made no reply, but leaned against the fence, swirling his own wine glass as he stared into the distance.

"Are you happy about it?" he asked.

"I suppose I am," Hermione answered.

"'Suppose'?" he questioned, glancing sideways at her.

"I guess it's one of those things that you're not completely sure about until it happens."

Harry again made no reply as he returned his gaze to night sky, instead choosing to speak moments later.

"Did you ever think that this would be us?" he finally said, glancing over at her again.

Hermione was extremely taken back by this question. She was also grateful that the darkness masked her flushed cheeks. But given the serious nature of the question, Hermione decided to answer truthfully.

"I'd be lying if I said no." She paused as she cast him a nervous look. "Why?"

Harry gave a small shrug. "Just curious, I guess. I've always thought we've had a.... special relationship, I guess."

Hermione noted that he gave no further explanation for himself, but decided that tonight was not the night to ask such questions.

"Harry, what you and I have I will never share with anyone else," she said. "You're my best friend. Which is why…" she hesitated.

"Which is why what?" he asked, turning to her curiously.

"Which is why, when Ron and I get married, I was hoping you would give me away at the altar."

She finished off her sentence rather quietly, and when she looked up Harry was smiling at her brilliantly.

"Absolutely," he said, hugging her. "I would be honored."

Hermione hugged him back more tightly, feeling that she couldn't have asked for a better person to walk her down the aisle. And she had a strong feeling that her dad would approve as well.

*********

A/N: Yes, I killed off Hermione's poor innocent father for the cheap thrill of Harry walking Hermione down the aisle. I'm a horrible person. Please let me know what you think!

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