Hermione cautiously approached the old green door, the paint was faded and chipped, and the glass panes covered in a thick layer of grime. The windows next to it had dusty sheets of canvas hanging on the inside, and more than a few panes were missing, she turned to the man behind her and frowned.
"The surprise is in here? Love, are you sure its safe? Last I had heard Flourish and Blotts had been condemned," she whispered in his ear, trying to not attract the attention of passersby.
He grinned broadly at her, something his mother called a rare sight before Hermione stole his heart, "I wouldn't risk something as important as you if it wasn't safe, Sweetheart."
She smiled at that, knowing it was true, he treated her as if she was air and he was a drowning man. Hermione faced the door and turned the handle, swinging the door wide open, and gasped. The room was illuminated by a huge French iron chandelier and matching sconces tucked every where they could fit. The shelves were overflowing from floor to ceiling with books of all sizes, some as large as paving stones and others the size of her fingernail. The walls were painted cream and burnt orange, the shelves all black with bronze trim, the stairs leading to the second floor were glossy black.
"Its better than I remembered! Who reopened it?" she asked breathlessly.
"Let's go meet the owner," he responded, his heart filled with joy at her excitement. He took her hand and led her to the back of the shop, past a sign forbidding entrance to nonemployees, through a beaded curtain, to a purple-brown wood door. On it hung a shining copper plaque reading, "H. Granger, Owner."
She turned to him with tears in her eyes, "This is for me?"
"Yes Love, I remember how happy you always looked when I saw you here. Its been too many years since the wizarding community had a proper bookshop," he said quietly. The Death Eaters had taken pleasure in ransacking this building, he remembered the heat in Diagon Alley that day as the mountain of books burned in the middle of the street.
She slowly opened the door to the office, emher office/em, and admired the peaceful space he had set up for her. The walls were painted with scenery from Hogwarts itself, the ceiling enchanted to look like the sky. She laughed in delight as a painted tentacle rose up out of the glossy waters of the black lake as if to wave at her, and a hippogriff swooped and soared over the tops of the trees. Hermione hadn't noticed his favorite part, the miniature version of her running around the grounds, swirls of color emerging from her wand as she performed heroic deeds.
"Do you like it, Sweetheart?" he asked her.
The woman he loved turned to him suddenly, her eyes aglow with delight, "I love it! I can't imagine a better gift. When does the shop open?"
"As soon as you wish, the outside is also fixed up, I just glamoured it for effect. I have one more question though, before you get started," he said as he took a knee, "Hermione Granger, will you marry me?"