The Proposal

Chapter 1

Taking a deep breath, Ron stood before Harry and Ginny and said, "I'm going to ask Hermione to marry me." After saying this, he blushed and quickly sat down. His legs felt like jelly.

"Ron, that's amazing, I knew it was coming!" squealed Ginny, jumping to her feet and hugging Ron.

"Yeah, that's fantastic mate! You two are great together. She'd be a fool to say no."

Harry also rose to his feet (but in a more calm, dignified way) and clapped Ron on the back, before pulling him into a brief hug. After letting go, they all sat down and Ginny began the next conversation. Planning the wedding.

"So, have you got a ring yet?" asked Ginny, leaning forward across the coffee table.

"Uh, no, not-not yet," said Ron, pulling at his collar. He was clearly slightly uncomfortable, particularly after Ginny's reaction. He hadn't expected that. "Actually, I was… kind of hoping that you and Luna would… would come with me… to help me choose it." Ron gave his trademark lop-sided grin that Hermione had fallen in love with.

Harry thought that a banshee had entered the room, before realising that his newlywed wife beside him was squealing at the top of her voice.

"Oh, Merlin!" cried Ginny. "Of course we'll come! Thank you Ron, thank you so much! I'll owl Luna now! Wow, there is so much to do! We're going to have to keep Hermione out of the way…" She now turned beseechingly to her husband who sat on the sofa looking as if he'd rather be anywhere but there. With wide, puppy-dog eyes, she fluttered her eyelashes at Harry. "Please…?"

"Please what?" Harry was confused as he had switched his ears off at Ginny's speech—I mean, come on, what human could put up with that pitch for long?

Exasperatedly, Ginny said, "Would you please keep Hermione busy whilst Ron, Luna and I go and get Hermione's engagement ring?"

"Uh, sure, sure." Leaning around Ginny, he looked at Ron. "When and where are you planning to go?"

"There's only one place he can go to buy an engagement ring, silly!" cut in Ginny. "Pilliwickle's Jewellers, of course! Now, I think we should go tomorrow afternoon—I'll sort Luna out, don't worry. Ron, meet us at Fortescue's Ice-Cream Parlour. We'll have coffee, and then we'll go onto Pilliwickle's."

Behind Ginny, Harry was sniggering as he watched Ron's face go from uncomfortable to downright terrified at his little sister's lecture.

"I don't know what you're laughing at, Harry Potter!" Ginny swung around and bore down on him. "I know for a fact that Hermione has a free afternoon, looking at your work timetable. Now, as head of the Auror Department, it's your job to make some excuse to keep her at work and away from Diagon Alley. Got it?"

Now it was Harry's turn to look terrified. He stood up and started pleading with Ginny. "Ginny? Do you remember what happened last time I tried to keep Hermione at work when it wasn't her shift? Do you? It took three hours to lift that slug-vomiting curse—" he threw a sympathetic glance at Ron before continuing "—and our living room did not look pretty after that, did it?" He raised an eyebrow at her as if to dare her to make excuses.

Ginny blanched for a second remembering the nightmare that was their slug-infested living room. "We had to call the Magical Beast Removal Squad…" she murmured, before shaking her head as if to come back to reality and resumed her glare at Harry as if to reprimand him for making excuses. "No, no more excuses, Harry Potter. You are my husband and you agreed to honour and obey, I believe, when you married me."

"So did—" Harry tried to butt in, but Ginny ploughed on.

"So, you will do as I say or I can make life very unpleasant for you. Got it?" Ginny was now (albeit on tiptoe) towering above Harry, and with one poke in his chest, he fell back onto the sofa.

"Yes, dear," he whispered.

Ginny resumed her beaming smile and said, "Good. That settles it, then. You will occupy Hermione—" pointing at Harry, "whilst we—" indicating at Ron, "will get the ring. Oh, tomorrow's going to be so much fun!" Ginny stared dreamily into space for a moment before bouncing off, her flaming hair bouncing around her shoulders as she exited the room.

"Phew!" Both Harry and Ron sighed and sank back in their chairs.

Ron chuckled. "You married her," he said, looking at Harry.

Harry chuckled too. "Yeah, well what are you marrying into? Slugs-á-la-Hermione, anyone?"