Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to any of the Harry Potter locations, characters or anything else you recognise.

This story is separate to my other Harry Potter One Shots (The Quiz, The Answers and The Consequences). This story is obviously an AU (Alternate Universe) as it is based in the Trio's sixth year and they are at Hogwarts. I had a dream about this story the other night and it kept pestering me until I just had to type it.

Please let me know what you think.

The proposal

The hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry were surprisingly empty for the time of day. It being a Thursday afternoon and that there was still two hours until curfew one might expect to see at least a few students eagerly running from their common rooms to enjoy the remaining few hours with friends from other houses, or trying to fit in some study time . If this is what you were expecting you would be wrong, for you see a couple of Ravenclaws in their last year had worked a clever little charm in the grounds which left a large area feeling more like late summer than winter, and the majority of students were taking advantage of warmth to relax and catch up with friends.

Walking along one of the many hallways at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Ron Weasley was in a very good mood, and why shouldn't he be? He was still keeper for the Gryffindor team, he had filled himself up on the fantastic cooking offered by the Hogwarts House Elves he even had a sandwich in his hands at this moment, plus this being his sixth year of schooling he did not have to worry about O. or N.E. and no matter what Hermione Granger was saying the end of year tests were not that important for sixth years. 'Although' he thought 'If I start revising it might show her that I'm growing up' .

Despite what many people thought Ron was not stupid at least not about most things, he had noticed in fourth year that Hermione was in fact a girl and quite a nice looking one to. He had only waited until someone else had asked her to the ball in-case she said no so he would not feel to bad. He also had noticed other things about her, and the more he watched the more he learned. He knew what she had for breakfast, how she liked her drinks, how her nose would crinkle up when she read something she did not understand (this was usually followed by the way her eyes would light up when she figured it out). Of course he also noticed how much time she spent with others, tutoring Neville in transfiguration, helping the younger years especially Ginny and Luna with their O.W.L preparations and as normal hanging out with the other member of the 'Golden Trio'. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, Witch Weekly's teen heart throb etc. etc. Yes Harry may be all these things, but above this he was just Harry, their friend and honorary brother.

Ron carried on down the corridor a bit further smiling as he heard his best friends voice's coming from one of the empty classrooms which were often used to practice spell work.

"So today is a rather special day Harry" Ron smiled, knowing Hermione this would be a fact or event that hardly anyone paid attention to any more, he started to walk closer to the door.

"Really? Why?" Harry sounded quite interested, 'Probably just to make her feel like he was listening' Ron though getting closer

"Excuse me young man" Ron turned and noticed a portrait of one of his ancestors Reginald Weasley on the wall, he usually avoided this corridor as once this man started talking there wasn't much you could do to stop him. Ron nodded and made listening sounds whilst straining to hear what his friends were talking about.

"Yes, you see says in this book that it is claimed to have started in the 5th Century though most scholars say it was much later than that..."

'Ah good old Hermione giving the History behind a fact, oh Reginald asked something' "Oh yeah, mum and dad are fine ...still together ... yes that's right seven children...Really? I've gotta go" He finished not really thinking about their conversation he was know outside the classroom her heard Hermione and Harry in, the door was slightly ajar explaining how he could here them earlier he reached and grabbed the handle, taking another bite of his sandwich

"...ask if you would marry me" he heard Hermione's voice from the other side of the door, he froze his hands going limp at his side, mouth hanging open listening intently he couldn't of heard right. Hermione asking Harry to marry her? That simply wasn't done in the wizarding world, the wizard always asked the witch, usually after thinking up ridiculous settings and ways, he remembered his dad saying he once thought of trying to get the ring onto a unicorn's horn once before he just asked Molly one day out of the blue. Ron held his breath waiting on the answer, he hoped Harry would let her down gently, because if Harry was the honorary brother that made Hermione his sister, and no matter what people thought even the most pure-blooded wizards did not marry their own siblings. He came out of his thoughts and realised Harry had started talking;

"Really? I mean that's fantastic, I didn't know..." This was it, Ron realised, how had he been so blind, he'd heard the rumours of course, but he thought they were just that, school gossip. Yes Harry and Hermione did spend a lot of time together but so did he and Hermione, but then what about the times he couldn't be there? When they went after stone in first year, who knew what happened after he was taken out in the chess game. Second year Harry was always visiting Hermione, reading to her, studying in the hospital wing. Third year, they went back in time to save Buckbeak and Sirius, 'I bet it was nice and cosy on that ride and how did they spend the time between rescuing Buckbeak and Sirius' . Fourth year, Ron didn't really speak to Harry for a good part of the year 'Stupid Triwizard Tournament' and last year didn't Harry pull Hermione away to safety when we blew up the shelves? Lost in his thoughts replying the most innocent of comments, smiles and touches looking for hidden meanings Ron startled when he heard Hermione speak again, peeking through the crack in the door he could now see Hermione, she was standing a little way from Harry who had his back to the door, she was looking down and wringing her hands together, he strained to hear her whispered comment

"So what do you think"

"I think it's a fantastic idea who says the man should only be allowed to ask" Ron's heart plummeted as t last thing he saw was a beautiful smile light up her whole face before he fainted to the floor.

Inside the room the two students jumped at the sound before grabbing their wands and going to investigate,

"Oh is he OK?" Hermione asked before trying to cast the Enervate spell.

"I think so best get him to the hospital wing" Harry said before swishing his wand "Mobilcorpus" he guided Ron carefully in front of him "Hermione, I'd say yes if you asked me" he smiled at her. Thinking back to their discussion earlier, where Hermione was telling him about the tradition that women in the British Isles could only propose marriage on leap years which coincidently it was today, and if the man refused the woman could require a fine to soften the blow this used to range from a kiss to £1 or a silk gown.

"Well it's a good thing I asked then" Hermione and Harry laughed whilst they carried on to the hospital wing blissfully unaware of a book deep in the Department of Ministry that was currently updating itself.

On this day Thursday 29 February 1996 at nineteen minutes past the seventeenth hour, Miss Hermione Jean Granger born on the nineteenth day of the ninth month in the year 1979 proposed to Master Harry James Potter born on the thirty first day of the seventh month in the year 1980. Said proposal was accepted by both parties at thirty one minutes past the seventeenth hour of Thursday 29 February 1996. In accordance with the laws of Her Majesty the Queen Margaret of Scotland as set down in 1288 this record is to be taken as lawful notice of the betrothal of Master Harry James Potter and Miss Hermione Jean Granger. Formal written notices will be dispatched to both parties no later than twenty four hours after acceptance by both parties. The newly betrothed party shall have no more than one calendar year to formally announce their betrothal and a further calendar year to wed.

Author notes:

Thanks for reading this story, I would appreciate a review even just a smiley face so I know what you think of it.

I do not have a sequel planned (yet) however if any budding writers out there fancy a go please feel free. All I ask is an acknowledgement that this story is the first part / influence of yours and if possible please send me a link once it is up so I can have a read. (Obviously Harry/Hermione pairings only please).

Many thanks again

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