Hermione stared at Draco wordlessly, not even glancing at the jewellery box or the ring glistening inside. Draco, for his part, simply waited for her to speak, his nerves growing more steadily every second Hermione didn't reply.
"Guys?" Harry's voice brought them back to reality. Standing awkwardly near their table, he took in the situation in front of him and paled. "Sorry but Fred's allowed visitors now, Mrs Weasley sent me to find you…" He trailed off at the death glare Hermione was now sending him.
"Harry Potter you did not just ruin the most amazing, lovely, romantic moment of my life so far!"
Harry stumbled back, shocked by the rage coming from his best friend, and stammered out an apology. When Hermione simply glared at him even more ferociously, Harry slowly edged away from the couple, leaving them alone again.
"So…" Draco decided to break the silence first. Hermione, who had been staring angrily after Harry, snapped her head round to face him and her gaze softened.
"Yes" she whispered, her hand stretching back across the table and slipping into his once again.
"We should probably go see Fred soon, but I wondered if you had an answer for me?"
Hermione blanched and gazed at him in surprise, "I already gave you your answer" she said, smiling softly at him.
Draco frowned at her in confusion, making Hermione's smile grow even larger, and then, a few moments later, realisation set in. "Yes?" He said, testing that he'd understood her properly.
She giggled and all but threw herself across the table, kissing him thoroughly before pulling back and beaming at him. "Yes" she confirmed, shrieking in delight as Draco pulled her up from her seat and spinning her around.
Looking around frantically, Draco swiped the jewellery box from the table and pulled the ring from its box. As he slipped the white gold band onto her finger Hermione took a moment to appreciate the unique ring. A small amethyst stone in a teardrop shape sat surrounded by tiny diamonds. It was sparkly without being too flashy, something which Hermione was truly grateful for. "Do you like it?" He asked worriedly.
"I love it, it's beautiful." Hermione whispered hoarsely, fighting back the tears.
"Well, I guess it's time for me to meet the unofficial in-laws as your fiancé." Draco joked, slipping an arm around Hermione and leading her back to where the Weasleys and Harry were.
Harry must have mentioned the scene he interrupted because as soon as they entered the room Mrs Weasley and Ginny watched them expectantly. Rolling his eyes with a smile Draco simply held up Hermione's hand, allowing them all to see the ring sitting on her finger glistening merrily. Ginny squealed and ran over to Hermione, grabbing Hermione's hand from Draco's and fussing over the ring. Mrs Weasley leaned happily into Arthur, crying quietly.
The male Weasley's watched their mum and sister affectionately before turning simultaneously to shoot Draco a threatening glare, softening only when they saw Hermione gaze adoringly at Draco and bump him with her elbow. Draco matched her giant grin and looped an arm around her waist, patiently answering Ginny's seemingly endless questioning about everything from him choosing the ring and the proposal to the wedding and where they were going to live once they were married.
All this chatter was disturbed when the doors opened and an indignant cry broke through Ginny's voice.
"Oi! You lot are meant to be visiting your ailing darling of a relative on his sickbed. I shouldn't have to wheel myself out here to get your attention!" Arms crossed in mock anger, Fred Weasley stood in the doorway with George sniggering just behind him. Ironically enough Snape had cut off the opposite ear to the one which George had lost. "You should still be able to tell us apart now mum." Fred was saying, "Between George and I, we have perfect hearing now; we just have to lean our heads together like this…" George hurried forward and leant his head against Fred's, lining up their stumps on the side of their heads. Sure enough it worked, admittedly in some kind of strange Siamese twin kind of way. As they pulled themselves away from each other Fred turned to Draco and Hermione "oh and Malfoy," he said, casually fingering the end of his wand in his pocket, "just because I'm technically less able bodied now don't think I'm unable to cause you misery if you do anything to upset our Hermione."
"Fred!" Mrs Weasley chastised, flapping at her son and uttering apologies to Draco.
"What?" He protested, holding up his hands innocently, "I'm just saying what all of you are thinking. Besides, who says there'd be anything left for us once Hermione was done with him?"
The awkward and tense stance Draco had adopted on Fred's words broke and he let out a giant guffaw of laughter, surprising them all. Hermione joined in, swiftly followed by Ginny, Harry and Ron until, eventually, the entire room was laughing as Fred stood beaming at his family. "Nutters, every last one of you" he whispered to himself, "but I wouldn't have it any other way."
George clapped a hand on his shoulder "neither would I brother. Now, what say we make a special wedding surprise for the lovely couple?"
The twins grinned wickedly at each other and fell into hushed conversation. They were so caught up with their plans that they didn't notice someone approach them.
"I don't want to know what you two are planning but if it involves my wedding and any form of scheming, plotting, pranking, tomfoolery or general ideas that will result in my embarrassment or anger then it should be you two, and not Draco, worried about their remaining body parts."
The twins jumped and blushed at being guessed so easily. "Hermione," wheedled Fred, flinging an arm around her shoulders "surely one little-"
"-teeny, tiny" added George, looping his own arm around her shoulders as well,
"itsy bitsy joke wouldn't hurt anyone, would it?"
Hermione looked between them briefly, as if considering their argument. Finally she sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess not," she conceded. The twins whooped and squeezed her between them, "because you it wouldn't happen to hurt anyone in the first place, am I clear?" She demanded in a fiercer tone than which she'd begun.
The twins paled and gulped audibly. "Perfectly clear Hermione," whispered Fred
"Crystal clear" echoed George in a strangled voice, eying Hermione's wand warily.
"Good," she grinned at them and removed their arms from her shoulders, "I'm glad we cleared that up" were her parting words as she made her way back to Draco.