Disclaimer……….. All characters are the copyright of JK Rowling

Chapter 11

The Proposal

Charlie opened the kitchen door and invited Nicky in. As they stood there in the doorway shaking the snow off their coats, Molly Weasley rose from her chair and went over to welcome this new visitor to her home. All the Weasley's stood as they were introduced by Charlie, the welcome they gave to Nicky was warm and generous; all the men offered her their seats including Arthur.

When Nicky looked around the kitchen of the Burrow she was amazed, dishes in the sink were washing them selves, and the pots on the fire had self stirring ladles in them. A line of washing hung across the back of the room wafting about as a jet of warm air blew them gently. She held on to Charlie's arm as they approached the table, marvelling at the strange and wondrous surroundings.

"Is it always like this?" she asked him.

Charlie smiled at her "No sometimes it gets rather busy," he chuckled.

Charlie and Nicky joined the group around the table; it was not many minutes later when he revealed to his family that he had not told Nicky very much about what was happening or about what had already happened. To his great relief his family quite happily told her all about their recent history. Relating tales about Voldemort and the war, they told all about Harry and Hermione, and their part in the ultimate victory over the evil that had threatened the entire world. By the time Nicky remembered that she had come to visit Hermione, she was feeling like a member of the family, she felt she had known them for years. Suddenly there was a slight commotion on the stairs as Ron came thundering down, he was closely followed by Harry, Hermione and Luna.

"Mum, Dad, Charlie, Bill everyone. My memory came back, we were talking and suddenly I remembered. All of it came flooding back; I remembered the spell Draco hit us with. We were in a huddle, we were about to celebrate when he found us. He used a simple imobilus charm, it caught us all, gave him the time to obliviate us," Ron suddenly stopped talking, realising that there was a stranger amongst them.

Arthur looked to where Ron's gaze was aimed, "That's Nicky, Ron, Charlie's Muggle girlfriend. We have just told her everything," he said as he introduced Nicky.

Nicky shook hands with Ron then saw Hermione standing behind the rather handsome young man with messy black hair that had visited their house with Sarah. "Sarah, are you ok, are you still Sarah, oops that's a silly question you're really Hermione sorry. But really how are you?" Nicky asked as the two women hugged each other. Hermione stepped back and took hold of Harry's hand, and pulled him to her side. "This is Harry, my husband, at least he will be, I mean he still is, but I don't remember him properly yet, well I do but not... Oh never mind all that. Harry this is Nicky, You met her at our house…" Hermione gave up; she was getting herself a little confused by it all.

Harry held out his hand and shook Nicky's politely, "I was Peter last time we met, confusing isn't it?" he laughed.

Five minutes later Hermione and Nicky disappeared up stairs. They were followed shortly after by Ron and Luna, who having had their memories restored had two years worth of… Well they had some catching up to do.

Harry sat with the remaining family members and listened intently as they told him about Hogwarts and Voldemort. They told him how he had been enemies with Draco Malfoy since their very first meeting. Molly told him all about his aunt and uncle and about the way they had treated him. Arthur chimed in saying just how angry they had all been with Harry, for keeping quiet about it. When the full extent of the Dursley's cruelty had been discovered half of Harry's friends wanted to go and place hexes on Vernon and Petunia. The other half just wanted to send them to Azkaban.

Charlie left the kitchen and joined Hermione and Nicky half an hour after Harry had sat down. Asking to be excused he explained that he needed to tell Nicky, that she could never tell anyone about the things she had seen and been told. Charlie, Nicky and Hermione soon joined the others in the kitchen where the conversation drifted from one topic to another. The clock on the kitchen wall let them know it was midnight before anyone gave any thought to calling it a day. Molly called Hermione over, telling her it was time for her to take her potion, then Molly stood next to both Harry and Hermione in turn, as they drank the potion, making darn sure that they drained all of the foul tasting contents of their goblets.

Hermione said good night to Nicky before leading Harry up the stairs to their bedroom. Molly and Arthur decided at the same time as Bill and Fleur that it was time to go to bed, they to went up the stairs quietly, Bill was deep in thought about his brothers.

By half past midnight Charlie and Nicky were finally alone, "I hope you don't mind meeting everyone on our first date? but you did say you wanted to see Hermione," Charlie said , suddenly feeling awkward.

"Well Charlie, I have to say that it is not usual for the girlfriend to meet the parents of a boy so soon, usually a couple have shared quite a few dates first, but having said that I would not have missed this for the world. This is the best date I ever had. Your family are wonderful."

Charlie and Nicky spent the entire night sitting in the kitchen, telling each other all about them selves, sharing their secrets and their dreams.

--------------------------------------

At ten a.m. the next morning Luna knocked on the office door of the Minister for magic, entering she found that Arthur and Remus were there already. Arthur was just telling Remus about the unusual greeting he had received when he went down to breakfast that morning. "Take a seat Luna my dear, we are just waiting for Minerva to arrive," Arthur told her after she had said hello and hugged Remus.

Minerva arrived soon after, and was immediately questioning Arthur as to why he had needed to see her so urgently.

"I need you and Remus here to help confirm that what Luna has told me is correct, that is that Rita Skeeter is an illegal animagus. Then we, well that is Luna has formed a plan that will expose who it is in the Ministry that keeps on passing information to the press."

Minerva looked at Luna and apologised for not greeting her before interrogating Arthur. Luna, who had not been surprised by her former Professors entrance, said good morning and stood to shake hands with her old teacher. Rita Skeeter was bought to them about half an hour later. Luna had used the intervening time to tell her friends all about her idea.

---------------------------------------

Harry woke with a jump, he felt as though he had just fallen from a step. It was this that had woken him. Sitting up in his bed he looked across the room to see Hermione was also beginning to wake, his mind rested on how he enjoyed watching her as she took a shower, how her skin would shine and glisten in the water, how her bushy hair would turn almost as dark as his. It was as he was having these thoughts, that he realised he could remember everything. His memory had returned.

"What are you doing over there Harry? Oh never mind I remember now," Hermione said as she rubbed her sleepy eyes.

Harry climbed from his bed and grabbed a towel then headed for the bathroom.

"Wait for me Harry, I need a shower too," Hermione said getting from her bed and grinning at him, hand in hand they walked to the bathroom only to find it locked. Harry knew it would be a waste of time knocking, so the couple headed back to the bedroom.

"And I was so looking forward to finishing where we left off two years ago," Hermione said with a glint in her eye.

"We were in the bath then Mione, not in the shower," Harry chuckled at the memory.

Hermione laughed "Bath or shower we were still wet, and you owe me one full body rub down Harry James Potter."

"Hermione, you got your memory back too," Harry declared.

--------------------------------------

Molly could smell bacon cooking as she climbed down the stairs, she knew it was not Ron or Luna cooking as neither of them was very good at it yet. She decided it must be Hermione but as she rounded the corner, there at the other end of the passage she saw both Hermione and Harry going into their room. Wondering who it was that was now cooking toast as well as bacon, Molly shuffled down the last flight of stairs.

Charlie and Nicky were both over at the cooker, they were so close together Molly could not tell which one of them was doing the cooking, she paused as Charlie kissed Nicky, in what looked to Molly, like a very passionate way before he picked up a plate and made his way to the table. "Morning mum, come sit down have a cup of tea. Nicky has breakfast under control," Charlie said beaming at Nicky.

Molly was not sure what to do, it was her job to do the breakfast, it had been for years, but the offer of a cup of tea sounded too good to miss, making her decision Molly sat down on her usual chair opposite Charlie. Two minutes later Nicky placed a plate of bacon eggs sausage and toast in front of Molly, everything looked to be cooked perfect. Molly looked up smiling at her son and said "You should hang on to this one Charlie, she's an excellent cook."

"I'd ask her to marry me if I thought she might say yes," laughed Charlie.

"And what makes you think I won't," Nicky asked with a smile as she placed more toast on the table.

Charlie dropped his cup as he stared with his mouth open, "Does that mean what I think it means?" he asked.

"Well why don't you ask and find out," Nicky said as she turned more bacon over, her face turning red.

Charlie sat looking from Nicky to his mother and back, he could not be sure he had just heard what he thought he had heard, taking a deep breath he blurted out, "Would you really marry me if I asked?"

"Why don't you ask? that way you will find out," Molly said looking with astonishment at Nicky.

Charlie got up and walked over to Nicky, taking the spatula from her hand and placing it on the stove, he took her hands in his and began "After all we talked about last night, I knew you were the one for me, but I had not dared to hope too much."

Molly interrupted him "Charlie get on with it or the bacon will burn."

"Nicky will you marry me?" he managed to say without stuttering.

Nicky looked at him seriously with out a trace of a smile and his heart dropped into his shoes, 'she's just been joking' he thought.

"Yes Charlie, I will, now will you finish your breakfast," Nicky said with a huge smile bursting across her face.

"Charlie lifted Nicky off her feet and swung her around the kitchen, then having put her down he did the same with his mother, leaving both women slightly dizzy, he rushed up the stairs shouting for all to hear.

"I am gonna marry Nicky."

There was pandemonium in the Weasley house that morning as Charlie made known to them all that Nicky had said she would marry him, it was as he was telling his father that Charlie turned to Nicky and asked. "You did say yes, it wasn't a dream, some charm or something?"

"No Charlie it wasn't a joke or a spell or a charm, it is what I want, I want to marry you Charlie Weasley," Nicky laughed as the breakfast proposal was cheered by all there.

A/Note, For those interested the time scale of the date and proposal between Nicky and Charlie are taken from my own life, my hubby and I met on a Thursday afternoon and were married just a day and a half later on the Saturday morning, and if you check my profile you will see that we have been together for many happy years.