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Author: RdeHwyll Story: Harry Potter and the Philtre of Promise Rating: Teens Setting: AU Status: Completed Reviews: 9 Words: 101,355
"Did it seem like Tom was hiding something?" asked Hermione after the four teenagers had returned home. They were lazing about by the bank of the river along the edge of The Burrow's grounds, enjoying the last few hours of sunshine. "He did seem a bit evasive about Professor Farthinwald. Did you notice how he sort of stumbled over the name?" replied Ginny. "Tom also said he'd taught at Hogwarts before," added Ron. "Harry, would you recognize him if you saw his picture?" Hermione asked, the look that usually meant hours of research in the library on her face as she opened her book bag and pulled out a large volume. "I think so. Do you think there's a picture of him in there?" Harry asked in return, gesturing to the battered copy of Hogwarts: A History that Hermione was now leafing through. "If he taught at Hogwarts, there will be," she replied, not looking up from the book. Minutes passed as Hermione continued to scan the pages, sometimes flipping back to a previously looked-at page, then jumping ahead to the page where a reference made it seem possible she would find the information she sought. As she searched, her lips tightened in frustration, until finally she said, "Here!" "You found him?" "No -- but there's a complete listing of all the teachers past and present, and each one has a picture. Here, Harry, see if you can spot him." Harry took the tome and began to run his finger down the page. He flipped to the next page, then the next, continuing to search for the face of the new Potions Master. It seemed that the pictures and information were listed in Chronological order, making the search more difficult, but Harry kept at it. Nearly a half-hour later, after several interruptions to add to the conversation around him, he stopped, his finger marking a page, and looked up. "I've found him." The others crowded closer to look, and Harry pointed. The Wizard in the photograph was obviously younger than the man he had seen in The Leaky Cauldron, but other than darker hair and fewer wrinkles, he had not changed much. The two mismatched eyes, pale green and dark purple-blue, stared out of the photograph as the potions instructor scratched his head. Harry's finger slid down the page to the short paragraph that accompanied the photo. "His name isn't Farthinwald. It's Robespierre Farmwood," said Harry. "The doctor from the States that The Daily Prophet said was kidnapped?" asked Ginny. "It appears they're one and the same," frowned Harry. All went silent for a moment as each looked at the three others, a single question burning at their minds – "Why?" *** Once more, the members of the Order of the Phoenix had gathered at Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place in secret to plot strategy. Their numbers had grown over the past year as the Ministry of Magic had recognized them officially, though their existence as a counterespionage unit was still a Priority One Government Secret. Aurors from throughout the wizarding world now found their way to the hidden house and had succeeded in removing most of the taint and artefacts left there by the Black Family, save for the single portrait of Mrs. Black, Sirius' mother, which defied all attempts at removal. Judicious use of silencing spells, however, had seriously diminished the outbursts of the raging portrait, which now could only mouth obscenities and shake her fists at whoever wandered too close. One major difference this year was that Harry was now in the thick of things, taking part in strategy sessions, voicing opinions that were listened to and making suggestions that were adopted, as a full-fledged member of the Order, alongside Remus, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill Weasley and Dumbledore, as well as all the others. Fred and George were there as well, along with Ron and Hermione. Even Ginny sat in on some of the sessions, though she seldom offered any input or made comments. He found it somewhat disturbing that so many of the Order's newer members seemed to defer to his judgment, but Dumbledore had explained it quite well. "They're just as scared of what might happen as you are, Harry, and they want someone to lead them. You've faced Voldemort and his Death Eaters and survived more times than anyone else, so by experience alone you've become their primus inter pares leader," the Hogwarts Headmaster had said. "Take it as a complement to their faith in you -- they believe you'll make all the difference in the war to come and that belief is a very powerful weapon for our side." This, however, was the final night before Harry and his friends would travel to Hogwarts to start the school year and prepare for the NEWTs, most of which were scheduled for the final month of classes. Harry found himself wandering alone through the house, disinterestedly poking into corners, behind doors, and into unused rooms, his preparations for his final year at Hogwarts finished early. He finally wound up in the attic. A single window, grimy with dust and cobwebs, allowed light from the streetlamps outside to dimly illuminate the space, which ran the entire length of the house. A number of boxes, some old furniture covered with sheets and a large trunk was pushed off to one side, leaving most of the space clear. Harry had been staring out the window, watching the Muggle traffic pass by, their headlights and taillights creating diamond and ruby sparkles as they reflected off the cobwebs, when he heard the creak of a footstep on the stairway down to the third floor. Turning, he saw the light of a lantern move up the attic stairwell, held by Ginny, who paused near the top of the stairs. "Harry, are you up here?" she called out, though not loudly. "Over here by the window, Ginny," he replied. Ginny made her way across the open expanse of the attic floor toward him, then extinguished the lantern. "I wanted to talk with you before we leave for Hogwarts tomorrow," she said in a low voice, almost a conspiratorial whisper. "About what?" "About... us," Ginny seemed unusually serious as she answered. "What about us?" he asked in puzzlement. "Harry, do you ever think about what you might do after Voldemort is defeated?" "He's not defeated yet, Ginny." "I know -- but that isn't what I asked. What do you see yourself doing with the rest of your life, if -- when he's gone?" She looked up into his eyes, waiting for an answer. "I -- I've thought about it. Quite a bit, in fact." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I know I'm going to be an Auror, and that there will still be Death Eaters to ferret out, even after he's defeated. I want to try to set things right in this world, and keep any evil like Voldemort from ever happening again. I want to... want to..." he paused, his mouth suddenly dry. The light from outside the window spilled across the two of them, illuminating her face as she waited for his answer. Her eyes shone unnaturally bright and Harry thought he saw her lower lip tremble a bit. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you." He folded his arms around her, and drew her close, kissing her on the forehead. She responded by burying her face in his chest and hugging him closer. "I want that, too," came a muffled reply. She tilted her face upwards, then stood on tiptoe to brush her lips against his. "I want it more than anything else in the world. That's why we need to talk." Ginny pulled away slightly. "Harry, I --" she said at the same moment he said, "Ginny, will--" They both smiled. "You go first," they said in unison, and then broke out in laughter. Harry then took the opportunity to bend down and kiss her gently, silencing the laughter. When they pulled apart moments later, he whispered, "You first, Ginny." "All right. Harry, do you remember what I asked you a couple of weeks back? The day I got mad at you for trying to do everything by yourself?" Her demeanour showed how serious she was being. Harry smiled wryly. "Yes, I think so." "You remember that I asked you to give us whatever time we could have together?" she continued. She was quivering with emotion, so focused on him that he felt compelled to answer. "Yes?" Harry wondered where Ginny was going with this conversation. "Harry, will you... will you marry me?" Harry momentarily felt his knees tremble and his stomach give an odd lurch. His heart seemed to race and grow larger, and a feeling of warm contentment suffused his entire being. Enfolding Ginny in a hug, he held her close. "Ginny," he replied, his voice thick with emotion, "I... I want to say yes, but --" She looked up at him with no-nonsense eyes that showed her heritage had most definitely come down the line of Mrs. Weasley, "No buts, Harry. Yes or no -- Will you marry me?" Harry's mind was racing. There, in the semi-darkness of the attic, he held her tightly, hardly daring to breathe as he tried to organize his thoughts. After a long moment, he loosened his embrace with one hand, which snaked down to his pocket and pulled out his wand. Ginny swallowed hard, her throat tightened and she began to shake with anxiety and fear. Was he going to reject her plea? What would she do if he did? "Accio Carborundus Immortalis," he whispered, far too softly to be heard, putting a particular image to the forefront of his mind. Moments later, a small box whizzed up the stairwell and into his hand. Harry released her and turned toward the window momentarily, a smile on his lips, hiding the box that was in his hand from her view. Swiftly he opened it and removed the contents, slipped the now empty box into a pocket, then turned back to her, his face now a frozen mask. "Ginny, you're asking for an answer to a question that has -- that will take time to think about. I don't want to rush into anything we aren't ready for -- I want both of us to be sure we are prepared for that step," Harry was shaking ever so slightly as he spoke. "Let me ask you this -- if our positions were reversed, if it were you who was fated to either kill or be killed by Voldemort, and I asked you that same question, what would your answer be?" Ginny started to answer, then paused, thinking. After several moments, she looked into his eyes once more. "I don't know, Harry. I -- I've never thought about it that way before. With that uncertainty looming in the future, I guess I'd have some reservations, too." Her eyes welled up with sudden tears. "Do you now understand now why I worry so much?" he asked. "It isn't just facing Voldemort; It's facing the possibility that I wouldn't be able to be there for you if I were to lose. I never want to hurt you that way. Ever!" His eyes shut for a moment as he took a deep breath. "Now let me ask you another question." "O-Okay," she sniffed. He stepped back and took her left hand in his. "Virginia Weasley, I love you. I love you more than anything else in this life, and someday I want to be able to give you everything you've asked for -- time together, marriage, a family, everything." "Someday…" she repeated softly, suddenly sure he was going to reject her. "Answer this question for me, and then I'll answer yours," said Harry. "Are you really willing to take the chance that I might not survive, that I might leave you a widow at a very young age if we were to marry?" Ginny hesitated only the briefest of moments before answering. "I -- I -- I want us to be together, no matter what," she sobbed. "I want to hold you in my arms at night in bed, I want to wake up at your side in the morning, and I want to do that every day for the rest of our lives, no matter if it's only a single day or a thousand years." Tears were now streaming down her face, her lower lip quivering as she waited for the negative confirmation. "Ginny, it's a decision I came to months ago. I want those very same things," his eyes bored into hers with intensity. "So I'll gladly say yes, but only on one condition," Harry sounded more serious at that moment than he had ever sounded in the time she had known him. "C-condition?" she asked, a sudden ray of hope lighting her eyes. "A very important condition, a crucial condition." Harry dropped to one knee. "Will you say yes to this question? Will you do me the very great honour of becoming my wife?" He held out his hand, and a glittering sparkle danced in the streetlight through the window, revealing that he held a gold ring adorned by a many-faceted diamond. Ginny stepped back, a look of surprise on her face that very swiftly turned to joy. "Yes, Harry, yes!" she cried, wrapping her arms around him, knocking him to the floor and kissing him repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!" Harry slipped the diamond ring onto the ring finger of Ginny's left hand, and then took time to draw her into a loving embrace and kiss her passionately. Minutes later they broke apart, laughing, their clothes covered with dust from the floor. Harry climbed to his feet and looked deeply into Ginny's eyes, glittering pools of warmth and love, as he helped her to stand up. "I bought that ring months ago, but I was going to wait to ask you until after I finished with my NEWTs next year. I have already asked your parent's permission to ask you, and got their blessing, but you rather beat me to the punch. I'm glad you did." He kissed her again. "Harry, I love you. When should we have the wedding? I mean, I want to get married soon, but not right away. I still have two years of school, you still have another year before you can start Auror training, and --" "... It's not that critical yet," he interrupted. "I agree, we're going to have to wait a while. I want to have a position and an income before we marry, and I want you to be able to finish school. Voldemort's still out there, but I'm taking your ‘prophecy' to heart -- I really believe I won't have to do it all alone anymore," He smiled gently. "I think we should just enjoy our engagement for now, and make plans for the wedding at a later date, perhaps after we've finished school. Okay?" "Whatever you decide, Mr. Potter." Ginny smiled and reached up to kiss him again. "No, Ginny -- Whatever WE decide." He closed the gap between them and held her close as their lips met. When they broke apart for air, he smiled at her. "Mrs. Virginia Potter -- that has a nice sound to it." "It has a wonderful sound to it, Harry. Harry and Ginny Potter! Ginny and Harry Potter! Mr. and Mrs. Harry Potter!" She broke off into giggles that swiftly turned to uproarious laughter shared by the two of them. "Oi, what's all that racket up there?" came a voice from the stairwell, and a pair of red-haired freckle-faced heads popped into view. "Harry? Ginny? What are you doing up here in the dark?" asked one. "And why are your clothes all mussed and dusty?" asked the other. "Why -- Harry Potter! What the bloody hell are you doing with our sister?" yelled Fred and George simultaneously, outrage darkening their features as they clenched their fists. From the floors below came the sound of running feet and urgent voices, and moments later, Fred and George were pushed up into the attic proper by the press of people behind them. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were at the forefront, followed closely by Ron and Bill, with Remus, Hermione, Tonks, Mad-Eye and the rest of the members of the Order of the Phoenix who were present bringing up the rear. "Virginia Weasley! What do you think you're doing?" railed Mrs. Weasley. "And Harry! What is the meaning of this? What's going on up here?" "We were kissing, mum. That's what a newly engaged couple do," said Ginny calmly. "Kissing? With your clothes all mussed up and –" Molly Weasley stopped in mid-tirade, her eyes widening. "Did you say engaged?" Ginny held out her left hand, displaying the ring on her finger, smiling as she did so. "Erm, Harry?" said Mr. Weasley, a slight frown on his face. "I thought we had agreed that you would wait until --" "I asked him first, Daddy. I couldn't wait any longer," interrupted Ginny. "Ginny --" "We're not running out and getting married tonight, Daddy," she continued in a calm and reasonable voice. "We're probably going to wait until both of us are out of school. We just wanted to know that it will eventually happen, a promise to each other for the future." "But --" "Mr. Weasley, you knew I was going to ask Ginny to marry me," said Harry, interrupting this time. "I truly had intended to wait until the end of the school year, but plans don't always go off as we might wish. When she asked me, I just knew it was the right time." Arthur Weasley still held on to a calm demeanour, but his face was getting redder with each passing moment. "All right, Harry, but --" "That's enough, Arthur. What's done is done," said Mrs. Weasley. "It happened a bit sooner than we expected, that's all. Harry, Ginny -- I know you love each other, and I believe you are both sensible enough to wait until the time is right. Arthur and I are happy to give you our blessing. Isn't that right, Arthur?" Mr. Weasley looked sharply at his wife, and then shifted his gaze to his daughter and Harry. "Well, I still think it's too soon --" he started before Molly elbowed him in the ribs, "-- Oof! -- But as Molly said, what is done is done. "Harry, you know I want what's best for the two of you," he continued after a short pause. "You've been like part of the family for years, anyway, so this isn't going to change things a great deal -- it's only going to make it official. " He held out his hand. "Welcome to the family, son! Just promise me you'll take care of my little girl." Harry grinned as he shook Mr. Weasley's hand. "I'll do my best not to disappoint you, sir." "Hmmmmmm -- All right. But don't call me sir -- it sounds too formal. Just call me Dad." "If that's what you want, si – Dad," Harry smiled. "That's much better," grinned Mr. Weasley. "So let's go downstairs and celebrate this occasion properly. Bill, Ron, Fred, George, everyone -- clear out of the way. Let Harry and Ginny have a few moments alone. Move on, everyone -- they'll be down in a few minutes." Ginny ran to her father and hugged him. "Thank you, Daddy!" she whispered into his ear, and kissed him on the cheek before turning and hugging her mother. "Thank you, Mum." Yes, dear. Congratulations. But I still have one question," her eyes twinkled even as her face became a mask showing distrust, "-- how did your clothes get so mussed and dusty just kissing?" *** The celebration lasted much longer than Harry had expected, as everyone in the house was both excited and wanting to hear how it had happened. He left the explanations to Ginny, who now seemed to glow with an inner beauty that complemented the love that was so plain on her face whenever she looked at him, and contented himself with standing at her side and saying "Thank You" to all the congratulations they received. Finally, Mrs. Weasley broke things up by telling everyone that Harry and Ginny still had to pack for the trip to Hogwarts in the morning and sent them up to their rooms. "I don't really have that much left to pack," murmured Ginny, her hand in his as they climbed the stairway. "Just my dress robes and books. Give me five minutes to finish with those, then I'll come and say goodnight, Harry." She gave him a swift peck on the cheek and scurried down the hallway to her room. Harry paused to watch her go, a grin on his face, and then headed in the opposite direction to the room he was sharing with Ron. The room was dark when he got there, with only the light from the streetlamps outside shining through the window. As he stepped into the room and reached for his wand to light the lamp, the door slammed shut, and his arms were gripped from behind. He was roughly thrown onto the bed as the lamp was lit, revealing the four Weasley brothers, Bill, Fred, George, and Ron, surrounding him, their faces contorted with anger. He swallowed nervously before saying, "What's the big ide--" "Shut up, Potter," said Bill, his voice pitched menacingly. "We'll ask the questions." "Yeah," said the twins in tandem. "I thought you were my friend, Harry. How could you do this?" asked Ron. "I thought --" said Harry before he was interrupted. "No, you didn't think. We're not stupid, Harry," said George. "We know what you were doing with Ginny in the attic. Now we want an explanation," said Fred, grinding his fist into the palm of his other hand. Harry looked from brother to brother, not knowing what to think or say. He had assumed that since they had been so congratulatory at the celebration that they were accepting of his status as their sister's fiancé. "I - I only asked Ginny to marry me after she asked me," he started to explain. "Not that, you stupid git," said Ron. "Yeah," said the twins. "We want to know why you didn't tell US you were going to ask her? How could you keep that a secret? We could have planned something special for the two of you!" said Bill as he loomed over the younger man. "Yeah, like a quiet dinner with candlelight and violins in a fancy restaurant." This came from Fred, who was shaking his head. "Or a day out in the country beside a waterfall with a picnic," added George. "Not some dusty old attic -- Where's your sense of romance, Harry? That's our little sister, and we only want the best for her," grumbled Ron, clenching his fists. "You'll just have to make it up to her somehow," added Bill, "so we came up with this list of suggestions." He handed Harry a roll of parchment. "We do hope you'll take this as brotherly advice... advice that REALLY shouldn't be ignored." "Yeah!" said the twins in unison. "You WILL do something better for her, won't you Harry?" asked Ron. "We really don't want you going to the altar in a body cast..." The grin on Ron's face told Harry that he was probably joking, but he decided that he did not really want to take a chance that he was not. After all, there were four of them -- six, with Charlie and Percy -- and only the one of him. "Erm, sure. I wouldn't want to disappoint you-- her in any way." "Good," all four of them said in unison. "Remember that." and with that final warning, Bill and the twins trooped out of the room, the twins humming Mendelssohn's "Wedding March" as they went. Ron looked at him for a moment, a silly grin on his face before he started to speak. "Hope we didn't scare you too badly. We were just a little disappointed in your choice of locale for something as important as asking Ginny to marry you. Not to mention that you didn't see fit to share something as important as that with your best friend," he grumbled at this last sentence, and Harry was not quite sure whether he was serious. "Ron, it wasn't by choice -- the time was just right for both of us. I had planned to wait until I had finished my NEWTs at Hogwarts, and then take her to Brighton Beach to pop the question," explained Harry. "There's a great little restaurant there that specializes in Italian cuisine, and it's probably the most romantic place I know. Every table sits in an alcove with curtains, so you have privacy, the only light is candlelight, the food is great, and they have a violinist who can be hired to play romantic music outside the curtain." "It's that good?" asked Ron. "Definitely. She'll love it, I promise." *** Ginny took less than five minutes to finish her packing, and felt like she was floating the whole time. "Well, you certainly look happy, Ginny." Hermione had come upstairs to finish her own packing. "Was it romantic?" "Oh, yes. He got down on his knee and was quite formal about the whole thing. And that he had the ring waiting when he asked me -- it was WONDERFUL!" "Show me again," Hermione said, and waited for Ginny to extend her hand. The lamp flame flickered as she did so, making the diamond sparkle in its setting. "You're so lucky!" Hermione sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if Ron is ever going to pop the question. I almost think I'll have to ask him to get him to think about it." "Well, my brother has always been a bit thick, but I wouldn't worry too much. I believe he's got a nudge in that direction tonight." Ginny laughed. "That is, if he was paying any attention at all to Harry." Hermione laughed too. "Maybe if I set off some fireworks..." she said jokingly. "You might try that. I'm going to go say goodnight to Harry -- Want to come along and do the same for Ron?" "Why not? Hit him while the notion of marriage is still at hand!" she laughed. The two young women giggled softly as they walked out the bedroom door and down the hall, just as Bill, Fred and George exited Ron and Harry's room. "Hi, sis -- Congratulations," said Bill, picking her up in a hug and twirling around, then planting a kiss on her cheek before setting her down. "Thank you, Bill." "What he said," piped up the twins as they each kissed a cheek at the same time. The three brothers headed on down the hall to the stairway, and Ginny was sure she heard the twins humming wedding music as they descended. "What was that all about?" asked Hermione. "Think they were giving Harry a hard time?" "Probably -- you know how Fred and George are, and Bill wouldn't hesitate to jump in, either," giggled Ginny. As they approached the door, they heard Harry and Ron speaking, and paused to listen. "...take her to Brighton Beach to pop the question. There is a great little muggle restaurant there that specializes in Italian cuisine, and it is probably the most romantic place I know. Every table sits in a curtained alcove so you have privacy, the only light is candlelight, the food is great, and they have a violinist who can be hired to play romantic music outside the curtain." "It's that good?" asked Ron. "Definitely. She'll love it, I promise." Ginny grasped Hermione's arm and pulled her back toward their bedroom. "Did you hear that?" she whispered as they retreated. "Yes. And it sounded like --" "Ron was asking Harry about where to ‘pop the question'! " Ginny was almost jumping up and down with excitement. "I think my big brother has taken the hint!" "Are you sure? Maybe we misunderstood --" "No, no, that has to be it! He's going to take you out to dinner and ask you to marry him!" "Do you really think so?" "What else could it be? Oh, Hermione, just think about it -- maybe we could have a double wedding!" "Oh, yes! With red roses --" "And an orchestra at the reception --" continued Ginny. "All our friends invited --" Hermione clapped her hands excitedly. "In the gardens, with champagne --" Plans were being generated with every sentence exchanged. "It will be so romantic," they finished together, hugging each other. "But we can't let Ron know we know," said Ginny. "He has to think it's going to be a surprise." "I agree -- besides, it's going to be so much fun!" Hermione was just as excited as Ginny. "I wonder when he plans to ask me?" "It can't be too far away -- I think he'll ask you at Christmas, when you'll have a chance to go to Brighton together." "That's got to be it. Oh, Ginny, isn't it wonderful? We're both going to get married!" "Yes! Just think about it -- Mrs. Hermione Weasley and Mrs. Virginia Potter!" "Hermione Granger-Weasley, please! I still intend to have a career." "Of course. But I'd better get down there and say goodnight, or Harry will think I've forgotten all about him." "I can't go yet -- I won't be able to keep a straight face. You go ahead, and tell Ron I'll be along to say goodnight as soon as I finish packing." *** "I was beginning to worry about you," said Harry as he met Ginny in the hallway, his smile broadening as their eyes met. "You said you would be back here in five minutes, not fifteen." "Sorry, Harry," said Ginny, falling into his embrace, then reaching up to brush her lips against his. "I thought of a few other things -- things I might need, I mean -- and took time to pack them away." "All right," laughed Harry. He bent down slightly to steal another kiss, only to have Ginny wrap her arms around his neck and prolong the encounter. "I love you, Harry Potter," she whispered as they finally broke apart. "And I love you, Ginny Weasley," came Harry's reply. He pulled back slightly to look into her eyes, then slowly leaned forward again, this time to gently kiss her forehead. "I'm so happy we're engaged, Harry. It's what I've always dreamed of." Ginny laid her head on his shoulder and held him closer. "You're not disappointed that I asked you in a dingy, dusty attic instead of someplace a little more romantic, are you, Ginny?" "It WAS romantic, Harry. More romantic than I could imagine. You could have asked me when we were--were--" she paused, "were in a pigsty, and it would have been romantic." "In a pigsty?" Harry quirked an eyebrow. "Well -- maybe not in a pigsty. I meant it would be romantic just because you asked." "You asked first, remember?" Harry laughed. "But you already had the ring, so you thought of it first. That's romantic by my definition," Ginny turned her head and kissed Harry on the ear. "Hey, that tickles," he protested, pulling away slightly. "Oh, it does, does it?" Ginny laughed. "Oh yes. See?" Harry pulled her close and kissed her ear. It was Ginny's turn to pull away slightly, as a wonderful shiver flowed down her spine. "I can think of something better to kiss," she murmured, lifting herself on tiptoe toward his face. "I think I can too," replied Harry, closing the distance between their lips. A long moment passed as a feeling of pure bliss infused them both. It was Ginny who pulled away first, a smile lighting her face as she did so. "Hmmmmmm -- I wonder..." she spoke softly. "You wonder what?" asked Harry, smiling. "Well, with the two of us getting engaged - I wonder if Ron's ever going to ask Hermione to marry him?" "When the time is right, I'm sure he will. The time was right for us tonight." "Yes it was," she smiled. They closed together for another kiss, and then Ginny pulled away once more. "Good-night, Harry. I love you." I love you, too, Ginny. Good-night." He released her reluctantly and watched her walk away down the hall. She paused as she started to enter the room she was sharing with Hermione, blew him a kiss, and was gone, the door closing quietly. *** Ginny leaned back against the closed door, a smile on her face, and sighed contentedly. "All right, I've confirmed it. My brother is going to ask you to marry him, Hermione." "You're sure?" "Harry as much as told me when I asked him if he thought Ron would ever ask you. His exact words were, 'When the time is right, I'm sure he will.' " The two young women spent most of the rest of the night talking, making wedding plans and giggling. Ron never did get his goodnight kiss.
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