Disclaimer: J. K. Rowling owns Harry Potter, I'm just borrowing.
Written for the Houses Competition Year 4 Round 8
House: Ravenclaw
Year: 4
Category: AUs
Prompt: Everybody Lives!AU
Word Count: 1730
**To Buy A Ring**
. . . . . .
"Just pick a ring, Harry."
Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, defeater of Lord Voldemort, was hunched over a long glass display case. His face was so close to the glass that the men surrounding him could see his breath fogging up the window.
"I can't," Harry said desperately. "It's got to be perfect–it's got to speak to me."
On Harry's right, Sirius rolled his eyes, attempting to wordlessly apologize to the poor jeweler. The woman was standing on the other side of the case, clearly waffling back and forth between being totally star-struck at all the war heroes in the shop, and wanting to shove Harry away from the case so she could Scourgify the entire countertop.
"It's just…" Harry paused, staring down at the multitude of shining rings. "It's Ginny. She's perfect, but I can't find one ring that fits her perfectly! Like, I know that Ginny would absolutely adore a giant diamond, but at the same time, this little emerald is so her–but green is a Slytherin color, and…"
Draco heaved a sigh. "For the last time, Potter, there's nothing wrong with Slytherins." He folded his arms, lounging up against the wall to Harry's left.
Ron, leaning on the counter next to Harry, snorted. "That's up for debate."
"Yeah," Fred agreed. He was standing in between Ron and Draco, supporting himself on the counter. "We're all still wondering why we keep you around, Malfoy."
"'Ear, 'ear!" George said. Fred grinned, slapping his brother on the shoulder.
"You need a new joke," he said.
"You need new legs," George fired back, raising his eyebrows at Fred's leg braces, the only reminder of his near-fatal injury at the Battle of Hogwarts.
"You need–"
Draco huffed, interrupting the twins' exchange. "I'll have you know that I am a very important member of this group," he said. "If I wasn't here, Potter would've gone with the ruby monstrosity hours ago."
"Would that have been such a bad thing?" Remus murmured, pinching his brow. Sirius stood up a little straighter, turning to his friend, who was standing next to him. With the full moon only a week away, the symptoms were beginning to show.
"Alright there, Moony?" Sirius asked. A concerned look overtook his face. "I can always floo Tonks from the twins' shop; she can come and Apparate you home–"
"No, no," Remus said. "She's enjoying her afternoon away from Teddy. Not that she wants an afternoon away," he added hastily, "it's just that sometimes motherhood is exhausting."
Sirius nodded. "And fatherhood too, I'd imagine." He shuddered, an equally terrified and awed look on his face. "What a nightmare."
"I don't know," Remus said with a meaningful look at Harry. The boy, now man, was still staring, transfixed by the multitude of diamonds in the case before him. "You've done a pretty good job, Padfoot."
Sirius shook his head. "I merely gave guidance to a boy who had already grown up."
"That doesn't mean you're any less of a father, Sirius."
"Godfather," Sirius corrected. "I think you're of more use at the moment, Moony. Seeing as you're the only one here who's actually bought a ring before."
"Hey!" Ron butted in, talking over Harry's head. "I take offense to that comment."
"Oh?" Draco asked, examining his nails. "Are you saying that you've bought the lovely Miss Pansy Parkinson a ring, then?"
Ron's ear reddened, the color matching his hair as his brothers whooped. "I didn't say that! And–anyway–what about you? Have you gotten Hermione a ring yet?"
Draco just smirked. "Wouldn't you like to know, Weasel."
"Guys."
"I would, actually. Speaking as one of Hermione's best friends–"
"Guys!"
"–I think you should've at least consulted me, and Harry, about the type of ring–"
"GUYS!"
Ron stopped talking abruptly, turning to Harry.
The man was still staring at the rings, but he had moved back from the case a little bit. "I've found it," he said quietly. The men surrounding him immediately stood at attention, moving to stand over Harry's shoulder.
"Which one?" Sirius asked.
Harry pointed silently. The ring was dainty, yet somehow sturdy. The central diamond glinted in the light. It was surrounded by tiny rubies, which led the way to a solid gold base.
"Well," Draco said, choosing his words wisely, "it certainly suits her personality. Very...Gryffindor."
Ron elbowed Draco away. "Brilliant choice," he judged.
Harry nodded, clearing his throat. "I'll take that one," he said decisively to the attendant.
"Of course, Mr. Potter," she said. "Do you know the lucky lady's ring size?"
"Er–" Harry was a deer caught in headlights. He looked to his right, then left, but none of the men in his entourage knew how to respond. "I guess…medium?"
The attendant looked askance at Sirius. He nodded. "We'll come back to get it resized."
She nodded in relief, pulling the ring from the case and placing it into a small, rectangular box. Bringing it over to Harry, she carefully set it down on the top of the case.
"Good luck," she said with a bright smile, taking a step back.
Harry took a deep breath. "This is it," he said, tapping his fingers on the glass with nervous energy. The box on the counter was sucking all the light in the room into it. "Ginny is it. I'm going to ask her to marry me."
Sirius put a hand on his godson's shoulder. "She'll say yes."
"If she says no, I'll find you someone better," Draco said, impervious to the glares of the three Weasleys present.
"We know our sister," George began.
"And we know that since her second year, you've been it for her, too," Fred finished.
Ron snickered. "Believe me, we know."
Harry looked up, his frantic green eyes casting around the room for something other than that box to look at. His eyes caught Remus'.
The older man smiled, a beacon of calm. "You're ready," he said simply.
Harry took a deep breath, his gaze returning to the box. "I'm ready," he repeated. "I'm ready."
Behind him, the door opened with a small 'ding'.
"Harry?"
Harry yelped, whirling around in a flash. "Ginny?" he squeaked. "I–er–what are you doing here?"
"Buying you a ring," she said bluntly, an unabashed grin blooming on her face. "What are you doing here?"
Harry's brow wrinkled in confusion, and a blush grew on his face. He ruffled his hair with a hand nervously. "I'm–um–it's a surprise?"
Ginny folded her arms, an amused expression replacing her grin. Behind her, her own entourage crowded into the shop.
"Ginny!" Pansy whined, edging around her. "Why'd you stop in the door?"
"Dramatic effect," Tonks answered for Ginny, wiggling her eyebrows at Remus, who shrugged.
Hermione sighed from where she hovered just outside, giving up on going around Ginny and pushing her forward instead. "Let's have this conversation inside, shall we?"
Ginny shrugged, sauntering forward to where Harry was bracing himself against the glass case. The small, satiny box he had just acquired sat on the glass behind his back. "Have you picked a ring you like, then?" Ginny asked conversationally, looking over the options in the case next to Harry. Sirius leapt over the counter, to the consternation of the attendant. He winked at her, resting his chin in his hands.
"A better view of the show from over here," he whispered conspiratorially. She blushed, and dithered to a stop next to him.
On the other side, Ginny was perusing the rings. Hermione, Tonks, and Pansy crowded around her, pushing their significant others (and the twins) aside with smirks and winks.
"Hmmm," Ginny hummed, tapping her chin with a finger. "Let's see…Harry, I was thinking maybe a smaller band? Not as wide…not silver, definitely…maybe gold?"
"I thought it was my job to propose." The jumpy energy Harry had ever since he entered the ring shop had disappeared, and he was leaning on the counter on one elbow, gazing at Ginny with a soft expression.
Ginny tsked. "We'll never get married if I wait on you to get up the courage to propose."
"Oh, really?" Harry's mouth quirked up at the corner, and his eyes flashed with the challenge. In a smooth movement, he snatched the ring he had been about to purchase off the counter, and whirled to the center of the room. Taking a knee, he opened the box, and held it out.
"Ginny," he said. The woman, who had been stubbornly sticking to the glass case, turned around. Her eyes widened comically, and she gasped as she beheld Harry before her. The gasp quickly turned into a laugh.
"It wasn't a challenge, you idiot," she laughed. "I'm more than happy to buy you a ring."
"I've got a ring," Harry said. "And it's for you." He took a deep breath. "Ginevra Weasley. Will you marry me?"
Ginny put her hands on her hips. "Will you make me quit my job?"
Harry shook his head. "No. I enjoy those free Quidditch tickets, thank you very much."
Ginny smiled, holding out her hand. "Then…yes. Harry Potter, I will marry you."
The jewelry shop exploded in cheers and laughter as Harry slipped the ring onto Ginny's finger. On one side, Remus tugged on Tonks' hand, pulling her in and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. On the other, Fred and George sat on the glass display case Harry had been poring over, kindly refraining from interrupting their sister's moment with one of the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes products they had on hand for especially sappy moments. Next to them, Ron's ears turned fire-engine red as Pansy sent him a challenging look, twining their arms together and leaning her head on his shoulder. Behind them, Hermione and Draco exchanged a secret smile, pinkies linked.
And behind the counter, Sirius turned to the attendant, who had been paying rapt attention to the events alongside him.
"Luck was on his side after all," she said bravely, a hint of a blush still on her cheeks.
"He is the Chosen One," Sirius grinned.
She nodded. "That he is."
Sirius gazed out upon the temporary inhabitants of the shop, nodding to himself. He glanced at the attendant out of the corner of his eye. Then, he turned his head, giving her a long, contemplative look.
"So," he said. "Where would you like to go for dinner?"
.
.
~And they all lived Happily Ever After~
a/n: Review:)