Now and Forever

Chapter 11: The Proposal

Returning back to work over the next week was surprisingly odd. He hadn't missed that much, but people still stared at him like he was some kind of freak in the zoo. Most of his mind though was busy planning through for the weekend. He'd been to several jewelers after work and was hitting one last place tonight to pick out the ring, and then start planning the proposal for the weekend. "Okay Potter, you're free to go for the evening. See you tomorrow?" One of the heads of his floor named Tim told him.

"Thanks Tim, yes tomorrow, bright and early," he replied gathering some paperwork together and apparated to an alleyway outside a small shop in downtown London. Walking in the shop he was amazed at all the different options of rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings.

"Excuse me, but can I help you?" A middle aged woman asked noticing him looking around.

"Er I'm just looking for a ring for now," he replied going up to the glass. There were hundreds he knew he couldn't afford and were beautiful, it was so hard to even pick any to actually look at. He needed something classic, pretty, but yet was Hermione...It wasn't until almost the last case of rings when he actually found one that made him ponder. "Miss, could you get me out that ring in the middle?" he asked pointing. She smiled and nodded her head, unlocked the storage and pulled it out for him. It was a medium size, white gold band and was a couple carats cut into a variety of shapes.

"It's a beauty huh?" the clerk asked him.

"Sure is...probably can't afford it though," he replied looking at it some more.

"Need a price range?" she asked, "It actually is pretty reasonable, and I'm not one who means reasonable as like $20,000."

He was just too curious now and had to ask, "How much is this ring...?"

That night at the Burrow, he snuck upstairs while Hermione was in Ginny's room so he could hide the ring. He was planning on catching her totally off guard come this weekend. He didn't make it far before he herd, "Hey Harry, what's in the bag?" Fred asked following him. George was right on his tail and tried to peer in.

"Something special...?" George asked trying to get it out of him.

"Shhh!" he told them looking around the hall, "It is something special, but you can't know right now."

"Oh c'mon Harry, that's not fair!" they complained, "Why can't we know now?"

"There are a few other people I gotta tell, but I promise you two that you'll find out tomorrow," he replied.

"Promise?" they asked in unison. How could he say no to that?

"Promise," he told them firmly. The Twins smiled and apparated simultaneously to their own bedroom. He looked over the room thinking where to hide it. He remembered the pouch that Hagrid gave him, and he dug it out of his case and put the red velvet box it was in and tied the strings. Lupin's voice was coming from the hallway, and he opened the door to see him just finishing talking with Mr. Weasley, who had apparently just returned home too.

"Hey there you are," Lupin told him, "How've you been?"

"Pretty good actually, feeling loads better. And yourself?" he asked back.

"Just fine thanks," Lupin replied. Harry looked to make sure the coast was clear and pulled him into his room.

"Something you need to share?" Lupin asked curiously.

"Actually..." he began to say undoing the strings again, "There is something. I've been going out after work all week and today I bought this..." he said pulling out the box and opening it up. "I'm asking Hermione to marry me Saturday night after Mrs. Weasley's big family dinner thing."

Lupin looked to him and smiled and after a short pause told him, "It's beautiful, I think Hermione will love it."

"Really? Phew that's a relief," he sighed and laughed a bit.

"Yes really," Lupin said patting his shoulder, "Hermione loves you Harry and anything you do for her. It's just her style. Thanks for the fair warning by the way."

"It's no problem. I thought some people other than Ron, and possibly Fred and George, who I promised could find out tomorrow, should know. Everything else I want to be a surprise." Lupin smiled and then took both his arms and looked at him smiling still.

"Honestly Harry, this is great. She's going to say yes, so don't even fret about it. You're happy together," Lupin told him.

He smiled back and only could think of saying, "Thank you."

Saturday evening came. He told Hermione to dress nicely for a nice date at a restaurant downtown, and then they would come back to the Weasley's after to hang out with everyone else who was coming over for dinner. As it neared 5:30PM, he stood in front of the mirror adjusting his nice pants and sweater, and he patted his pocket to make sure the ring was in there.

"Harry, are you about ready?" Hermione called from somewhere in the hall.

"Coming!" He called back taking a last look and headed out to find Hermione at the stairs waiting. She had on a nice black dress, not too revealing that went down just past her knees.

She smiled and kissed her lightly as she said, "Ready to go now?"

"You look great tonight, and yes I am," he replied heading down. He knew Ron was peeking out thought the kitchen doors as they walked outside and apparated nearby the restaurant. Hermione smiled and took his hand as they walked through the door of the restaurant, and he gave the hostess the reservation name. They sat down in a booth and began to skim through the menus. They ordered some champagne to drink, while they both ordered some kinds of chicken, baked potatoes and salads for a meal.

"Harry you look so handsome tonight, I don't know if I told you before we left the house or not. Any reason for all of this?" Hermione asked. In his head he was thinking, 'Well of course there is.'

"Thanks, and as I said before, you look so pretty tonight yourself...reason for this? Nah, just taking you out for a nice dinner is all," he tried to make up an excuse. She gave him a funny glance while smiling.

"I'm not even going to ask what's on your mind," Hermione told him, "Because knowing you, it's something complicated."

"Oh c'mon, I'm not that complicated am I?"

"I think you have your days," she told him giggling. He laughed too taking a sip from his glass while the waiter placed their dinner on the table.

"I'll that one go for now," he said to her beginning to eat his dinner.

"Harry don't be ridiculous, everybody knows that pumpkin sprouts are better fried," Hermione said to him laughing, "Even if I'm not much of a fried food person."

"Well I still prefer them cold. Don't ask why, I just do," he replied squeezing her hand tighter. They were walking up the steps of the Burrow porch and walked into the living room.

"Hello?" Hermione called. "We're in here!" A voice echoed from the sitting room. Taking off their jackets, they headed in the room to find it filled with people. There was Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and all of their children except for Charlie and Percy, Fleur was with Bill, and of course Lupin and Tonks.

"Hey you two, nice evening out?" Tonks asked. She moved over to the edge of Lupin's chair so they could sit in the other arm chair.

"Yes we did," Hermione told her, "We had a great dinner at this restaurant downtown and took a walk through the town after wards." Mrs. Weasley was eager to hear about everything, but Fleur seemed just as eager to talk to everyone else. Everyone sat talking with each other, especially Bill and Fleur since they had been busy working extra hours with little free time. But after Fleur began to ask Mrs. Weasley about redecorating certain rooms, it was obvious that she needed a change of subject.

"So you two went to a restaurant downtown for dinner? How was it?" Tonks asked before Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"They had good chicken," he replied smiling a bit at Lupin who had been eying him anxiously.

"Just good? I thought it was great!" Hermione added on laughing too. "It really was a lovely evening. The restaurant was so nice and I hadn't been anywhere like it in a while," Hermione said kissing his cheek.

"I'm glad you had a nice time," he replied kissing her back lightly, "We'll have to do that more often huh?"

"Yeah...that'd be nice," she replied nodding and smiling a bit.

He took her hands and smiled back, "Hermione..." he said and knew now was the time. "Hermione...I have known you since our first day on that train to Hogwarts. We may have been a little younger and bushier haired, but we're still those same people today. Ever since that end of our year, I just knew that you weren't going to be just another person our age. Not just because you were clever, but because you became one of my best friends and have always been since. These last years with what I've been through have proved it. I love you so much..." she had taken his hands and looked at him sincerely with a curious face. He began to reach inside his pocket and pull out the little box smiling while she began to look at him more. "Hermione, will you marry me?" he asked opening it for her to see the ring. Everyone else in the room looked at him smiling, while the select few held off on cheering. Hermione put her hands over her eyes in shock smiling, a few tears welling up as well.

"Oh wow..." she muttered, "Yes Harry," she began to say removing her hands to look at him again, "Yes I'll marry you." He jumped up smiling more and kissed her deeply on the lips, while she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed back. Those select few (being Fred and George) were cheering, while Mrs. Weasley gave a gasp of delight, Tonks squealed a bit and Lupin got out of his seat smiling just as wide too. They broke apart after another couple seconds, and he placed the ring on her finger and kissed her again. The whole lot came over squeezing them in a death brigade and congratulating them. Tonks, Ginny, Fleur and Mrs. Weasley were all taking turns observing the ring; Hermione blushing almost the entire time.

"Is there a date set?" Mrs. Weasley asked still very excited for them.

"Er well seeing as I just proposed, then no," he told her. As much as he loved how happy his friends were for him, he just wanted to take Hermione get out of there; which brought them back to problem number one again. Hermione came over to him smiling still, and he kissed her long and slow again.

"I can't believe this," she whispered in between kisses. "I have been thinking about what could become of us, but I...I'm so happy," she told him.

"I'd be a lot happier if we had somewhere quiet to go right now," he whispered back. She smiled and kissed him again.

"As would I."

A/N: Sorry if it was a little fluffy, but what'd you think? I should have more up during this week (I promise).