A/N: Hello! I know a few of you are still waiting for the next chapter of "Asleep." I promise I'll get on with it once I get more inspiration for it. LOL. So for the meantime, here's a short one-shot inspired by the song "To Build A Home" by The Cinematic Orchestra. Give them a listen, they're amazing. Anyway, hope you enjoy this! Reviews please! 3
The door swung quietly as she entered the flat. The light of the setting sun flooded the sitting room. As she hung her coat on the rack by the door, she knew that no one was home. There were no signs or sounds of movement anywhere in the flat, which she found quite peculiar. She let out a sigh and started walking towards the kitchen to get something to drink when something caught her attention. She slowly turned towards the table at the center of the room and saw something had caught the light and twinkled. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a key. She didn't recognize it and knew it wasn't there when she left this morning for work. She drew her wand to check if the item was dangerous. After making sure the key was safe to touch, she removed her right glove and picked it up. She wasn't prepared for the pull on her stomach and the sensation of swirling.
It began to start feeling like it was going to last forever when the sensation suddenly stopped, her feet landing on bricked road. After she steadied her balance and waited for the dizziness to subside, she began to examine where she was. The moment that key pulled her, she realized it was a portkey, and she already knew who put it there. What she didn't know was when and why. Once her brain began to process her surroundings, she saw several houses a few yards away from where she was standing. She seemed to be at the edge of a village and the road she was on led a bit away from it. She turned to the opposite side of the village and saw a lone house at the end of the lane. It was a white, old-fashioned, two-story mansion with vines crawling on the sides. Rows of windows lined the side of the house, which made the house seem airy and roomy. She didn't know why but she felt like the house was calling out to her. Her feet began to move even before she decided to head towards the mansion. After a few minutes walk, she encountered a huge metal gate and was mildly surprised as it opened on it's own once she was a few meters from it. Once she was passed the gate, it began to close. She didn't mind the gate at all because the grounds and gardens surrounding the mansion had taken her interest instead. She was amazed at how expanse the property was and well taken care of. Trees lined the brick road that led towards the house and flowers of different colors filled the gardens beyond the trees. Bushes grew along the fences that surrounded the property and they all seemed to be trimmed and cared for regularly.
While the gardens took her whole attention, she did not realize that she had reached the semi-circle steps that led to the house. Even if she was utterly curious now, decency still prevailed. She raised her hand and knocked a few times. Her knocks echoed through the house but no one answered. As she grasped the doorknob, she felt warmth flow through her, like the house recognized her. She expected the mansion to be dark and cold but as she stepped into the entryway, everything was warm and homey. She didn't feel the need to bring out her wand in caution. The exterior of the mansion looked dated but inside, the blend of modern and classic interior design was perfect. To her right were several double doors that opened to a receiving room with cream-colored couches that faced each other and looked so comfortable to sit in. In the middle of the room was a fireplace with a fire already going on in it. On top of it were photos, some were moving and some weren't. The whole room seemed to be as big as the flat she currently lived in, which increased her awe and curiosity. Going back to the entryway, she entered the room across the sitting room. At the center of the room was a long, wooden table with a light finish to it. Ten high-backed chairs surrounded the table. Double doors lined the far side of the room, she realized, opened to a patio with several metal, cushioned chairs and tables. She moved closer to the double doors and her next breath was caught in her throat. Beyond the patio was a beautiful view of the ocean; blue, crystalline water, it's waves crashed along the shore of white sand. She fought the urge to go out to run towards the water; instead she turned to her right and came into the most beautiful kitchen she had ever seen. There was a huge counter table in the middle with bar stools on one side. Dark wooden cabinets lined the walls above the kitchen counters, sink and stove. Without inspecting it closely, she knew already that it was a well-equipped kitchen. It must be such a joy to spend time in such a kitchen. She decided to leave the kitchen through a door on her right that led her to an open space in the middle of the mansion. A majestic chandelier was hanging from one of the most beautiful ceilings she had ever seen. When she looked down, to her left were two grand staircases, both leading to the second floor.
She would have explored that as well if there wasn't someone standing at the space between the staircases. She would have drawn her wand if she didn't recognize the man immediately. She raised an inquiring eyebrow towards the man who only smiled at her mischievously in return. He raised his hand towards her and waited. It never occurred to her not to put her hand in his, for not only she knew he would never hurt her, but she had already entrusted to him more than her hand before. As every time he took her hand in his, she felt warmth flowing from their clasped hands towards her heart. He began to lead her to another set of double doors just below the landing of the grand staircases. They stopped momentarily in front of the doors and he moved behind her. She wondered what else was up his sleeve and she let him know through a look she gave him. He simply chuckled and motioned for her to look forward. She did as she was told and his hands suddenly came around her face to cover her eyes. Now she was extremely curious. He whispered a spell and she heard the doors open. He whispered to her this time, telling her to walk forward. A few paces later, he whispered for her to stop right at that spot. After making sure she was okay and inquiring if she was ready, he opened his hands and stood by her side, facing her. She took a few seconds before opening her eyes, and what greeted her simply took her breath away. The view of the ocean by the patio was nothing compared to what she was looking at now. Rows and rows of shelves filled with books that reached the high ceiling stood in front of her. She could not contain the massive smile that broke on her face. The laughter she let out was lost on her as she ran towards the shelves to check out the variety of books there. She barely even noticed his presence anymore but he didn't mind. That look on her face when she opened her eyes, the painfully beautiful smile on her lips and that breathless laughter was music to his ears. He waited patiently for her to return, although he feared it might take a while, what with all the books there. He chuckled at the thought and it echoed in the silence of the room. The sound must have roused her from her rapt attention to the books because he noticed her peaking from one of the shelves. He simply laughed and beckoned her to him. She ran towards him with a smile on her face and threw herself on him. He caught her in his arms, and spun her around. He gently put her down, held her hands in his, and looked directly in her eyes. With his playful smile turned into a gentle one, without breaking eye contact with her, he slowly got down on one knee. Tears began to form in her eyes for she knew what was coming next. Letting go of her left hand, he opened his palm face up and a small, black velvet box appeared. The tears that had formed are now streaming down her face, but her smile remained. She could see that tears already formed in his eyes, too. He then began to speak.
"You must have been curious out of your mind since seeing the key on the center table back at the flat," he paused as she chuckled and nodded, "Took me a while to get everything done before this day. You've noticed I've been out of the flat too often than usual and I've been tired a lot the past weeks. I hope you never thought for a second that I was being unfaithful or doing something illegal," he said, smiling sheepishly as she laughed while she shook her head in response, "That's good to know. Well, I'm pretty sure you've figured it all out now. I've been practicing what I would say to you in this moment for weeks but everything just flew out the window when I saw you smile at me." He drew a deep breath and spoke in the most serious tone she had ever heard him use before. "Hermione Jane Granger, you have been my best friend for 15 years, my lover for 5 years and I hope you'll be my wife for the remainder of my days on this earth. I was utterly blind when I was young, not seeing what I had under my nose. Not until I was older and finally knew what I wanted, what I needed. And you were always there by my side, never wavering. You showed me how to see the best things in life and in others. You showed me what love truly is and how unconditional it is. And it took me almost losing you when I finally realized you have become the most important person in my life. I love you with all my being and I hope that you would make me the happiest man alive by agreeing to spend the rest of your life, and afterlife, with me. Will you marry me?"
Since the moment she arrived there, she hadn't spoken a single word. And she couldn't have spoken a word to save her life. The setting sun streamed light through the windows of the library and bathed him as he knelt on the floor, looking as if he was waiting in bated breath. Oh, she should probably put the man out of his misery and answer him soon. But her logical and calculating mind had come to a halt since he knelt in front of her. Yet, she simply need not words to convey her answer. As she fell on her knees, she placed both of her hands on either side of his face and kissed him, as passionate as she could. She hoped he would understand but then she remembered how they could easily read each other's thoughts and actions. How the slightest movement could tell them so much about what the other was feeling or thinking. She felt him close his arms around her and return her kiss with equal passion. She would have kissed him longer if she didn't need to breathe. As they separated, their breaths heavy, she looked in his watery eyes and in them, she saw nothing but love. She couldn't help but smile again, finally found her voice and spoke, "There's nothing in this world I would want more than to marry you, Harry James Potter."