A Little Blazing Secret
Harry Potter was going to drive me mental.
And honestly, he was pretty sodding lucky I wasn't already mental, because I'd had enough of his valiant escapades and stacks of intricate secrets for a lifetime. We'd finished Hogwarts ages ago. You would think we'd have gotten past this already!
I was exhausted of it, and there's only so much a woman can take before she puts her foot down, right? So, this was me putting my foot down.
I adjusted my sitting position in one of the awful creaky chairs in Harry's flat. Really, you'd think that the savior of the wizarding world could put a little effort into interior decorating, at the very least.
But that was straying from the point.
I folded my arms across my chest and aimed a scathing look towards the closed door. I'd like to say it was a bit of a trick getting in here, but the Auror in training had some serious work to do on his security measures. Needless to say, he was in for a mighty surprise when he returned home after work. He was not getting away this time.
My eyes flitted to his analog clock on the wall repeatedly, till it chimed five-thirty, the precise minute Harry got off of work. A few additional minutes passed in wait, and then the door finally swung open.
Harry didn't notice me at first, but when his green eyes locked on mine, his expression changed to that of recognition and his face was swamped with immediate panic. "Ginny! What are you — how did you . . . get in —?"
"I tickled the door underneath the knob! Honestly, you expect Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes joke items to protect you from dark wizards? You are incredibly thick for the Chosen One!" I got to my feet, face flaming, and stormed over to the doorway. Harry shrunk back instantly. "Where have you been going all the time, Harry? You've been avoiding me all week, whispering things with Ron, and if there's something you need to say, I suggest you just come out and say it!"
"Er — Ginny, I can't — erm, I can't talk just now —"
A great pop sounded from behind Harry, which sent him nearly flying out of his skin. Ron had appeared amidst the empty doorway, and Harry rounded on him within an instant.
"GINNY! Ginny, Ginny, Ginny! GINNY!" Harry was repeating my name to Ron in one great big frantic rush of breath. If I hadn't known any better, I might have said he was actually bouncing up and down on his toes.
Ron peered my way, eyes growing wide, and smiled sheepishly. "Hey, sis. Ah – catch you later!" He yanked the fabric of Harry's shirt and before I could grab hold of either of them, they'd disapparated on the spot.
I swiped the empty air, tumbling forwards, and screamed in fury, "HARRY POTTER! YOU ABSOLUTE GIT!"
I was incredibly determined to get to the bottom of this. Harry was going to have to speak to me, whether I had to take his wand and tie him down or not. I paced Harry's vacant flat, trying to think of where they could have possibly gone and what they could be up to. Fifteen minutes later, I apparated to the Burrow, and when my feet hit the ground of the sitting room, my mother flinched so hard she upturned an entire pot of bowling water onto the floor.
"Ginny!" she gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"I'm looking for Ron and Harry. Are they here?"
"Yes, they're—" She stopped dead in her tracks, face blanching at once. "I mean, no, I haven't seen—"
Her efforts went to the dust, however, as the tall, freckled red-head from only moments earlier descended the stairs. "Mum, what's that one spell for — oi, Ginny! What the bugger are you doing here?"
"Ron!" I seethed, flailing my arms about without control. "I have had enough of you and bloody Harry Potter! Either one of you tells me what is going on or I will come after both of you with a Bat-Bogey hex!"
Ron groaned loudly, slapping himself in the face with his palm and leaving it there to hide himself. "You've really got to use that one against me? Gah—Mum!" He threw his hands down and pointed at me instead. "You explain this to her somehow!"
Mum sighed, wiping her hands on her apron patiently. "Ginny, dear, if you'll just give it a little time, everything will make sense —"
"No, no, no! Where's Harry? Stop trying to hide Harry, Ron!"
"I'm not – no, no, where do you think you're going?"
I was using every ounce of body weight to shove against Ron, but he was much larger than me and wouldn't budge. "Get out of my way, will you? You sodding arsehole!"
Voices bubbled in the room somewhere behind me, though I didn't immediately recognize them or think very much of them at first. George's voice was unmistakable, however, as he said, "What's sent Ginny into a psychotic craze this time?"
I snapped around on my heel threateningly. "George Weasley, you—wait, what are you all doing here?"
Standing in the formerly empty sitting room were George, Angelina, Bill, Fleur, Hermione, Charlie, Percy, Audrey, Mum and Dad. It was almost like the Weasleys had arranged a family reunion in a matter of seconds without informing me.
"What's going on?" I demanded suspiciously, narrowing my eyes.
Charlie smiled at me, taunting. "What, we're not allowed to visit Mum and Dad? We happen to be related to them as well, in case you'd forgotten."
"I — no — something's going on! I'll — oh, I don't care!" I spun back to Ron and pushed against his chest with all the force I had. "Move, you lousy mound of rubbish!"
For several moments, we childishly squabbled as I tried to knock him over and he fought back by being nothing but the brick wall he was. I'd had a fair deal enough of it, however, and reached for my wand.
"Hey, what're you—"
"Obscuro!"
Ron cried out in surprise, clawing at the blindfold on his face, and I took advantage of his disorientation to dart past him and up the stairs madly.
"Ginny, no, don't go up—"
I heard several loud pairs of feet chasing after me, but I aimed my wand over my shoulder and shouted, "Rictusempra!" several times at my abductors, leaving them to torturous tickling sensations and in fits of maddening giggles. Served them right!
I landed on the top step of the stairs, swiveling around wildly for signs of Harry. He was obviously up here, and it was only a matter of finding him, if he hadn't apparated away already, of course . . . I went to each bedroom and threw the door open with a desperate, fleeting crashes, and my infuriation only increased with every empty room.
My search ended quickly, though, when I burst through to the bedroom that had once been mine and found Harry in the center, near the ground in a seemingly peculiar position at first glance.
I stopped at once. My heart might have even stopped, possibly, but I was at such a loss that I wouldn't have even remembered falling to the ground and crashing through the floor.
Well, considering how mortifying that predicament would have been, it's more than likely I would have remembered, but all the same . . .
There was Harry Potter, in my old bedroom, perfectly placed on one knee with a square box open in his hand, and an even more dazzling, yet bashful, smile plastered across his face.
"Hey, Ginny," he said easily, almost as if the situation was a normal incident that could have feasibly happened every day.
"Harry . . . what . . . ?"
"Well," Harry said, raising a hand to scratch his head, "I had planned this out a bit better, but you caught on too early and I had to . . . er, improvise a bit." He cleared his throat and continued. "So, Ginny, I think you should know that, even though I'm sure a lot of people and possibly even inanimate objects could have lost their lives today, you are one of the best things this world has to offer. Sure, you're fiery and you've got one of the worst tempers," he paused to smile teasingly, and then went on, "but you are truly the only person I can ever imagine myself with, ever. You're a light in the dark - not just because of your hair, of course! You've always been a reminder for me to carry on. I never wanted to let go and give in because I knew that would mean losing you. I want you, today, and tomorrow, and forever, if you'll let me. I love you, and I'll say it every day until I wear out the words and you're sick of it. Starting now. I love you." His smile grew broader, and his voice a smooth tenor, he asked, "Ginny Weasley, marry me?"
My throat constricted momentarily, but I managed to regain composure quickly and rushed over to him. I tried gathering my breath, but I couldn't manage enough breath to stay fully upright on my feet, and I ended up biting down on my lips to hold back tears. If there was anything I had been expecting, this was certainly not it. But, either way, I'd known the answer as soon as the question had left his mouth. "Oh, Merlin, I—yes, of course," I said, overwhelmed with extinguished fury and mingling nerves. "Yes, I'd love to marry you, Harry."
"Well, I meant to get flowers, but Ron and I couldn't remember the spell to conjure them - you think this ring will do?" He chuckled lightheartedly.
I covered my mouth with my hand and nodded, tears now threatening to cloud my vision.
"Here, I think it will look even better on your hand than in this box," he said, taking my hand and sliding it neatly onto my fourth finger. I marvelled at the beauty of it for a moment before returning my gaze to him.
I didn't know what to think, or say, or do, and so I dropped to the ground and wrapped my arms around him. His laugh rumbled through my hair softly, and I buried my face in his shoulder, repressing a sob. "Oh, Harry, I nearly murdered you! I was threatening Ron with a Bat-Bogey hex, for Merlin's sake!"
"Honestly, we should have anticipated it. Ron has no excuse. He's known you longer than I have, so he should have anticipated it, at least."
"Hey!" A voice called out from behind us. "Don't throw me out to the wind, mate!"
I turned to the source of the voice, and my entire family was in the doorway, peering in with enthusiasm. "Oh, really? All of you? Have you never heard of privacy? Honestly!"
George laughed loudly. "This is why we're here in the first place, Gin!"
I groaned and turned back to Harry, temporarily disregarding the audience as I returned my arms around Harry's neck and tangled my fingers in his dark hair.
"Thank you," I murmured gently.
"For what?" He tilted his head with just the slightest curiosity.
"For not letting me scare you off," I said, grinning. "And for never failing to make me beyond happy."
"Thank you," he returned, resting his nose against mine.
I laughed, leaning back into him. "For what?"
"For saying yes," he replied simply, and then seemed to think for a moment, and frowned. "And, also, for not killing anyone."
I rolled my eyes, tossing my head to the side and laughing again. I met my mouth with his delicately, kissing him sweetly and with all the restraint I could manage. He received it with more emotion, leaning back into me and kissing me in such a way that I was likely to get lightheaded. For how long it went on, I couldn't possibly know, because Ron was soon loudly gagging in the background.
"Could you two save that for the wedding? I'm going to be sick here!"
I tore myself from Harry, brought myself to my feet and pulled him up after me, and shot a glare of warning to Ron. "Don't push it. I'm still not against using that Bat-Bogey hex on you."
Percy shuffled awkwardly, glancing between Harry and me. "Just checking, you did say yes, didn't you, Ginny?"
"Obviously, Perce."
Suddenly the group of them erupted into a surprised cheer of congratulations, and I fumbled awkwardly with my words, but Harry just shushed me and pressed a kiss to my temple in reassurance.
Ron broke away from the cheers first, heading for the stairs. "I'm getting the Firewhiskey!" he called up as he vanished. "Oh, and next time someone proposes to Ginny, let's give her at least a week's warning in advance, all right? She gets so bloody scary!"
A/N: This was written in celebration of a certain hero's special day, so... HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY POTTER! And, more importantly, happy birthday to Joann Rowling. OUR QUEEN! ;) This was also written in part as an audition for the Hogwarts School of Writing and Fanfiction. Also... thanks to Marry Me by Train for the inspiration! Heh. Thanks for reading, lovelies, please leave a review on your way out! xx