"Hermione Granger," he gently pulled the top up as she continued to hold the box, "Will you let me have the honor of being your husband?"

Her eyes were wide, her mouth unable to work. She watched his eyes searching her own for an answer. After a few minutes of silence he pulled further away from her, sitting straight up. His back was rigid, his hands shaking.

"Draco,"

"I'm sorry, I guess it was too early, much too early. I mean I only told you I love you two weeks ago. It's only been two weeks. Much too soon. Yes, I'm sorry." He still wasn't looking at her, sitting in the same position whilst he rambled on about it being too early. It wasn't too early. That she did know.

In fact, she would have accepted him even if he had asked her the first night he had said he loved her. Why couldn't he see that?

"Draco, please, let me talk," she said quickly as he opened his mouth to interrupt her. She was sitting next to him, facing him, even as he continued to stare straight ahead of him. Gently, she took his face in her hands and turned it so he was looking at her. His eyes were pained, his hands still shaking.

"Draco, I would love to marry you."
"But?"

"But? What do you mean but?"

"You said it in that, 'but…' tone. I would love to marry you but… but what?"
"There is no but Draco. I would love to marry you." Smiling gently at him, she placed the box back in his hands. He looked back at her, confusion showing darkly on his face.

"I don't understand," he whispered as he looked between her and the box she had lain in his hands. A smile still brushed across her face, she pulled his other hand to the ring sitting innocently on the soft interior padding.

Then she held her left hand out to him. Finally he understood what she wanted. Completely mesmerized, he slipped the ruby on her finger. He brushed his lips gently across her hand after the ring had fit itself onto her finger.

When he looked back into her eyes, his own were still captivated. She was still smiling and softly she pressed her lips to his again before resting in his arms.

"Mum, Brett, we have something really important to tell you," there was a small pause and then, "Where's Bryan ?"

"Oh, he said he might be late, duty and everything. Would you like to wait for him?" Josi asked as they sat at the dinner table. She watched her daughter fiddle with her hands and tried to hide her smile.

Hermione looked at Draco who gave her an encouraging smile and nodded.

"Yes, yes it would be better if we waited for Bryan ."
"Ok, well, he said that if he was running late he'd just grab something else for dinner. Are you okay honey?"
"Oh, yes, yes I'm fine." Throughout the meal, Draco had to keep touching her arm in an effort to calm her down. Just as they finished eating, Bryan knocked on the door.

"Oh good, good, he's here. Well I'll go show him in, why don't you three go to the living room?" Josi asked as she again watched her daughter begin wringing her hands. Draco nodded and followed Brett into the living, his arm wrapped around her daughter's waist.

"So, whatever you have to tell us must be extremely important for you to wait this long to tell us," Brett said with a knowing smile on his face as they sat down on one couch and he on the opposite.

"How do you know already? We haven't told anyone!" Draco asked incredulously.

Laughing he tapped his head, "Remember? And anyways, I know you Draco, I could see the differences. But don't worry, I haven't told anyone. I promise."
"You're sure?" Hermione asked in a small voice.

"Of course I'm sure, what are you so worried about?" he asked gently.

"I don't want Mum or Bryan to be angry with us."

"Why would we be angry with you?" Bryan asked as the former and the latter both walked into the room.

"You might want to sit down," Brett said and patted the sofa next to him. Josi gave him a death glare.

"You already know don't you? I hate it when you do that."
"Sorry, but I figure it's their secret to tell."

"Well, it's not really a bad secret, Josi. Atleast, I hope you don't see it as a bad one. Maybe bad that we didn't tell you right away, but not bad overall." Draco's words seemed to soothe Hermione as she gripped his hand and took a deep breath.

When she opened her mouth to speak, no words came out. Apparently, the talk of marriage shut her up. Or atleast the talk of her own marriage.

Chuckling at her, Draco uncovered her left hand and she held it out to her parents. After a moment of silence, Josi leaned in closer to her hand and whispered, "It's beautiful. It looks-" she was cut off as Brett grabbed her hand. When she looked back at him, he just stared at her. Ok, she would get him to explain later.

"Congratulations," Bryan said as he stared at her hand. A million thoughts were running through his head. Why didn't the boy ask him if it was ok? Didn't he have more class then that? When did it happen? But most importantly, who was she going to ask to walk her down the aisle?

"When did it happen?" Josi asked, with a smile on her face. She definitely approved. Do I? Bryan thought to himself. He did want what was best for his daughter. No, she wasn't his daughter, not by blood. And sure, at the beginning she had said that he would always be her dad, but now? Now that she had gotten to know her real father, did she still consider herself his daughter?

"Dad," he didn't respond, so lost was he in his thoughts.

"Dad," she said slightly louder, jolting him out of his mind.

"Yes?"

"I want you to walk me down the aisle." Her words stopped him in his tracks. He quickly glanced at Brett who wore a sad smile.

"You want me to walk you down the aisle? And give you away?" she nodded as she gripped Draco's hand harder. He chuckled once and turned to Brett.

"We also would like for you to marry us Brett."

His words stopped everyone but Hermione who leaned further back on him. His arm was wound tightly around her waist.

"Marry you? As in the 'you may now kiss the bride' part?" Brett asked, completely stunned.

"Oh so you knew they were engaged but you didn't know that they wanted you to marry them? Yeah, right," Josi said with a shake of her head.

"But, but why?" he asked, ignoring his wife, "I mean, surely anyone would do right?"

"It just," Draco looked at Hermione, unable to speak the words the way he intended them to be said. "It seemed like the best thing to do, but if you don't want to, I'm sure we can find someone else to do it."

"No, no I would love to but, I just, didn't see that one coming."

The two engaged soon left, remembering that they had to get up early the next for that was the only time that their friends would all be together.

"Ok Brett, why did you shush me when I started saying that it looked like the one you got me?"
"Josi, it is yours. The one you had with Bryan was actually your moms. I didn't want you to keep the one I gave you because, you know, memory triggers and everything. I figured your mother's was safe. But when Draco turned sixteen, I gave it to him. You know how when everyone turns sixteen they get something from someone, well I figured that he really wouldn't because he had Lucius as his father and all. And since I completely consider him my son, I figured he should have it for the woman he loves. I figured I'd tell you about it if you ever asked, but otherwise I was just going to let you keep the one you have."

She was silent for a minute before she said, "And you never thought that maybe our real son would like to give it to the woman he loves?"

"Yes, but I never planned on him knowing who I was, nor that Lily and James weren't really his parents."

"So that made it ok? I mean, Draco is much better suited for Hermione than Ron, or pretty much anyone else but still. He isn't really our son."

"He may not be your son, but he is mine. And soon he will be our son in law. So won't that count?"
"Brett, Brett,"
"What Josi? Surely you can't have had that much of an objection to it?" he whispered as he moved closer to her, pulling her by her hips closer to him. He could feel the small bump that was slowly becoming their children.

She shook her head as she looked downwards.

"Then what's the problem?" There was silence for a moment, as if she didn't really know how to answer him. Finally, she said, "I really liked that ring."

"You're what?!?!?!" Ron very nearly yelled. Hermione backed further into Draco's chest, his arms wrapping protectively around her.

"We're getting married Weasley. I don't care if you don't like it, but you're going to have to deal with it if you want to come to the wedding. If you can't handle it then we just won't send you an invite."

"Oh he'll be able to handle it if I have to force him to," Ginny said with a mad glint in her eyes. When she turned to look at Hermione, she was grinning, her eyes sparkling, "So you are getting cuddly with him."

Hermione laughed lightly and Harry and Draco chuckled. Ron just stared angrily between them. Then he turned to Harry, "You're going to let you're best friend marry him? He's a bastard; he's the enemy, the guy who's going to screw us all over. You hate him, always have, and yet you're just going to let this, this thing happen? What a great hero you are Potter, can't even help you're friends." And then he simply strode away.

They stared between themselves for a few moments before Hermione whispered, "I knew he wasn't going to like it, but I didn't think he would be that much against it."
"Hey, Hermione, it's ok. Ron's just a big git who thinks everyone should be on his side. He doesn't realize that he's usually wrong and makes a fool of himself."

"I know, I just… Oh I don't know, I wanted everyone to approve."

"Everyone who matters approves. Isn't that enough for you?" Harry asked gently.

She nodded. Everyone who did matter approved: her parents, her dad, her brother, her best friend in the world. If Ronald didn't care for it, couldn't handle it, then they would do as Draco proposed, simply not invite him.