Yours
The Wizengamot's hall was one of the places where verdicts of new proposed laws were either accepted or rejected. The hall itself was gorgeous, crème-white marble floor, wall and ceiling, decorated with a turned pink and light silver pattern. Today, on the fourth of September, the hall was filled with all kinds of wizards, witches and creatures. I stood in the back because even now, when the war was over for seven years, I didn't feel comfortable with people standing behind me.
The Wizengamot was deciding on taking on a new law, that mandated equality among all self-thinking magical creatures, giving them more rights and support. It was no surprise or secret that Granger made the law and pushed everyone to think the same.
The opposition of the new law had overcome a lot of previous law proposals, but I felt like today would be different. With Granger pushing her opinion onto every member of the Wizengamot, more and more members were inclined to listen to her reasoning. The opposition stood just in front of me in the grand hall, and was looking anxious and sour at the same time. Adrian Pucey and his wife Tracey Pucey, former Davis, Marcus Flint and even Greg Goyle, were looking at Granger like they were ready to kill, simply because they found everything about the new law atrocious. Giving rights and support to filthy creatures that lived in forests and such? I could see my late father and mother roll over in their graves.
I was a boat stuck in a bottle
That never got the chance to touch the sea
Just forgot on the shelf
No wind in the sails
Going nowhere with no one but me
I was one in one-hundred billion
A burned out star in a galaxy
Just lost in the sky wondering why
Everyone else shines out but me
All of the opposition seemed to be filled with something I gave up a long time ago, hatred and rejection of everything that is different. It was only a few seconds until the Wizengamot's verdict when Greg caught my eye and seemed to be walking towards me. Not wanting to discuss all the opinions of this new again I turned my head away, hoping it would stop him from coming towards me and having a dumb discussion about matters his brain would never be able to comprehend. Luckily, the speaker of the Wizengamot spoke.
"The Wizengamot has decided that the proposal for a new equality law for magical creatures, also known as Granger's Law, made by the Ministry's Department of Magical Law Enforcement is accepted. Congratulations to the Head of the Department, Ms. Hermione Granger."
Clapping arose from almost the whole hall and enthusiastic 'woo woo' yells sounded from Potter and Weasley, who were both Aurors now. Wizards and witches that had fought for the new law were hugging each other, representatives all magical creatures, werewolves, veelas and even centaurs that were present all seemed happy and satisfied with the verdict. All of those parties had fought for equality and they'd succeeded. My eyes fell on the elderly Mr. Weasley, who was a member of the Wizengamot since the war ended, hugged Granger warmly.
When she released him, she shook hands with the Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt and hugged Potter and Weasley too. Before shaking all the hands of the representatives, she headed in my direction and passed by all the opposition, who eyed her with all the venom they had. She walked up to me and then I felt a warm, small witch hugging me tightly.
"I did it!" she said beaming, radiating utter happiness.
I felt so proud that I had to swallow it down, before being able to speak.
"I never doubted you," I said, looking down in her bright shining eyes.
I came to life when I first kissed you
The best me has his arms around you
You make me better than I was before
Thank God I'm yours
The worst me is just a long gone memory
You put a new heartbeat inside of me
You make me better than I was before
Thank God I'm yours
She smiled even brighter and then she kissed me deeply. I engulfed her in my arms, pulling her as close as I could so that I could feel her utter happiness radiating onto my skin. I could feel her pure heart beating rapidly.
Becoming aware again of our current surroundings I unwillingly stopped kissing her.
"I'm so proud of you," I whispered, pressing my forehead against hers.
"I love you," she breathed.
"I love you too," I said smiling, looking deeply into her eyes.
Then, she sighed and pouted just a little bit.
"I want to leave and celebrate with you," she murmured.
"We will celebrate, I have something special planned, but first be a good girl and shake all the representatives' hands," I teased, smiling so genuinely happy that I would hate myself if I didn't know myself.
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy," she said before hungrily pecking my lips again.
She tried to pull away, out of my arms but for a second I couldn't let her go. Then, when her eyebrows shot up questioningly, I released her with a small loving pinch on her hand. She hurried away to the representatives, shaking their hands, hugging them, thanking them, celebrating.
I smiled to Potter and Weasley, who were headed to the Minister of Magic. Weasley waved back in such a friendly matter, that I'd almost felt ashamed and Potter gave me a thumbs up, giving me a meaningful look which I chose to ignore.
My eyes moved to Granger, my Granger. She had no idea how she'd saved my life and I would go out of my way to save hers over and over again.
When we met again after the war at Hogwarts for our 'eighth year', I was broken. My parents were both sentenced to 'The Kiss' by the Dementors, Crabbe had died and I was a complete failure at life. I was so lost that I broke. I thought back of the worst me, the one who I was during Hogwarts first seven years, the one I was during the war. In eighth year I was broken, I couldn't fight off the ones who rightfully hated me. After a few months, all of sudden, Granger defended me. Threatening to hex all of them into oblivion if they said one more thing about or to me.
All the bullies had sauntered away, surprised by the Golden Girl's reaction to a Death Eater being bullied.
Then I had thanked her.
That is when it started.
A new heartbeat inside of me. A heartbeat fuelled by hope. Hope of a second chance.
After a while talking, we decided to study together, and after that eating together, seeing each other more and more.
When I think back of that time, about six and a half years ago, I remembered.
I remembered when I had kissed her.
I had kissed Granger.
I was a boat stuck in a bottle
That never got the chance to touch the sea
I came to life when I first kissed you
The best me has his arms around you
You make me better than I was before
Thank God I'm yours
The worst me is just a long gone memory
You put a new heartbeat inside of me
You make me better than I was before
Thank God I'm yours
An arm interlocking with mine disrupted my reminiscing.
"Ready to go?" her happy voice filled my ears.
I swallowed feeling nervous because of what was about to happen, and nodded.
"This way."
We walked to the fireplaces and flooed to our home.
When we exited the fireplace, I heard her gasp. I didn't gasp, because I knew it would look like this, but I felt a tingling sensation through my body. I couldn't back down now.
Our whole living room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom were filled with burning candles and bouquets of various flowers. Now I saw the complete picture, I figured I might've overdone it a little bit, but I shrugged mindless, I couldn't change it now. Soft music was playing and the complete picture was perfect. On the dining table stood a lovely meal, vegetarian lasagne, her favourite.
"Let's have dinner shall we?" I suggested, guiding her to the dining table.
"O-kay," she said hesitantly.
I pulled her chair out when she sat down. I walked to the kitchen and took out the elf wine that I had ordered especially for this evening. I poured us both a glass and raised my glass to hers.
"To Granger's Law," I said, feeling proud.
She repeated my words but her face was still gawking at me, solely in surprise. She felt awkward and surprised, but I had decided that I wouldn't ask her right away. She made better decisions on a full stomach.
I started about her law which made easy enough conversation, but the utter happy Granger was gone and she was still anxious, even after twenty minutes of dining.
"D-did you do this just for celebrating the Law?" she asked stuttering after being silent for a minute or two.
I smiled at her, taking a last sip of my wine and stood up.
It was time.
I walked over to where she was seated and pulled out the ring box while kneeling down on one knee. My heart beat loudly in my throat and I swallowed the nerves down.
"Oh my goodness," she whispered.
I moved my eyes over my bushy-haired muggleborn, she was wearing her Bordeaux-red dress, my favourite. The so-claimed smartest-witch-of-her-age still didn't know about how she'd saved me. She had no clue, my saviour, my personal heroine. I held the ring box in my left hand and looked up at her. Taking a deep breath in, I smiled at her nervousness and decided to put the love of my life out of her misery.
"Hermione Jean Granger, my sweetest, smartest and loving Granger, before you I was a boat stuck in a bottle that never got the chance to touch the sea. I was a burned out star in a galaxy, lost in the sky and wondering why everyone else shines out but me. After the war I was broken, empty but filled with hatred. Then you came into my life, showed me forgiveness and gave me a purpose. My life had meaning again. When I first kissed you, I became alive. I wasn't lost anymore. I believed in you, in your purpose, in mine. My purpose to do good and help you to do good. You make me want to be better and you make me better than I was before. The best me wishes to hold you in his arms forever. And I can assure you that the worst me is just a long gone memory, nothing more. Granger, my everything… I'm so indescribably grateful that I'm yours. You gave me everything, but me being selfish as I am, I just have one question that I want an answer to. Granger you are the love of my life, will you be mine forever and marry me?" I asked, emotion filled my voice when I opened the ring box.
She looked from me to the ring, when her eyes widened in recognition.
"My mother's… but how?" she stammered.
"I asked Potter to help me."
Her face seemed to find this explanation plausible and then she stared back at me.
"Are you su…-?" she started.
"Salazar, Granger, of course I am sure, didn't you hear what I just said?!" I said half-joking half-serious, my legs were whining at the strain they were positioned in.
"I'm sorry, okay! Today was a little stressy!" she yelled back, agitated by all her nerves.
I raised my eyebrows at her and smirked, completely amused by my girlfriend's mood.
"Ask me again," she demanded, straightening her clothes.
I smiled up at her, lovingly, because I could never imagine being able not to love her.
"Granger, I once made a promise to myself to never call you by your first name until I made you mine, but I will make an exception. Hermione, I promise to be yours forever, will you promise to do so as well by marrying me?" I said, a small hint of begging.
"Yes."
I put the ring around her finger and leaped up to put her in my arms. I kissed her passionately, gratefully, lovingly. When I released her, I guided her to the middle of the living room, took her in my arms again to slow dance, snapped my fingers and then the song sounded.
The best me has his arms around you
Sending this out into the gorgeous, loving world that is Harry Potter. Credits are all for J.K. Rowling for creating Harry Potter and Russell Dickerson for creating Yours.
I hope you love this as much as I loved writing it! I know song-inspired stories are often worse than non-based (or that seems the common opinion) but still, spread the love.
Aimee
Ps. If this is really bad, I'll delete it, but I love it so much…..