Author's notes:

Standard disclaimer, I own nothing. It all belongs to JKR.

This is just a little something that bit me after reading a number of similar stories and I thought I'd give it a try. You can assume the story is canon compliant up to the just about the end of Harry's rescue of Ginny in Chamber of Secrets. It goes AU when he falls unconscious before Fawkes arrives to drip tears in the wound on his arm.

This is a stand alone story not related in any way to any of my other works

I'm going to be posting very short chapters. Don't worry though, the story is complete and I'll post a chapter a day.

Enjoy,

Sorcerer's Muse

Finally, Peace.

Chapter XXVII

Why Does it Take a Year

Some eight hours later, Lis said, "Harry?"

"I'm awake," he answered, opening his eyes.

"What happened?"

"I gave you Calming and Dreamless Sleep Draughts."

She pondered that a moment. "It was real, wasn't it?" she asked.

Harry thought about it. He really did. But after everything she had been through with her parents and being obliviated he just wouldn't betray her like that. She deserved the truth from him; no matter what it was and even if it led to her ending things with him. "Yes."

She was silent for a long time and Harry patiently waited her out. "I've almost killed you twice."

"You know that's not true."

"It is."

"We all make our choices, Lis. You told me that; the day I learned what happened with your family. I made the choice to go in the Chamber. I would do it again; a thousand times over I would do it again. I have never once regretted it… It was my choice to go in the water. Did you and Joe play into that? Yes. But not for the reasons you think. I went in because I felt safe that if I messed up you two would be there to help me. And you were. You saved my life. And no, if you two hadn't been there, I wouldn't have gone in; not that day. But if I had never come here, if I'd gone to a different beach instead of this one, well, I would have eventually found one and stayed there. And I would have made friends, and I would have grown to trust them the way I do with you and Joe. And the day would have come where I'd have gone out. It was my chance to take. It was my choice to make. And the fact I'm alive, sitting here with you now, says I made the right choice."

Lis shifted, twisting so she could face him. Tears slipped down her face as she reached to palm his cheek. "I thought you were dead. I couldn't find you. I did magic, Harry. I summoned you out of the water without my wand. I had it. I wear it in a holster strapped to my leg but I never even though to use it. How did I do that?"

Harry shrugged. "Well, you fought Voldemort off for almost a year all by yourself when you were eleven. You're a powerful witch, Lis. More powerful than I think you give yourself credit for. And thank the gods you are, because if I go in the water that day with Joe and Danni, I'm not here today."

"But it's not supposed to be possible to summon a person."

"That's not exactly true," Harry answered. "Sometimes, if you're powerful enough and the tie between two people is strong enough…" he shrugged again. "You did it, Lis. Isn't that enough? We're not here, talking about this because you convinced me to go in. I made a mistake. Not in going in, but in how I rode the wave… And you saved me. Maybe even when no one else could have."

She worried her lower lip a few moments before conceding. "It might take me a bit to believe that."

"And I'll be here with you the whole time, helping you, Lis. I'm not going anywhere. Not unless you tell me to."

She shook her head. "No… No, I don't want that. I… I just love you so much. And I lost you once already and then I thought I'd lost you again and… and I'm pretty sure it would kill me, Harry. I don't want to be without you."

Harry studied her for a long few moments before answering. "Marry me then."

Her eyes widened. "W–what?"

"I have been searching for you since the day I lost you, Lis. Finding you again has been like coming into the sun after an eternity spent in the dark. I love you, and the only thing I want in this world is to be your last thought before you sleep and your first when you wake. So marry me. Spend your life with me as my wife."

She chewed her lip – a habit he was coming to recognize as something she only did when her guard was down. "I'm not always put together, Harry. I have more days like this than I've let you see."

"And you think I'm any different? I mean I haven't worked or done anything with my life in over a year. You on the other hand, you're a professional athlete. You've built an amazing home. You've built this life with friends and family while I'm just lost. But it doesn't matter. That's what marriage is, I think. Letting the other see when you need help and then letting them give it."

"I can't decide if you're a hero or a fool," she said, though there was no heat in her words.

"Maybe I'm both."

She worried her lip another few seconds but he could see the moment he'd won, and she believed, really believed, he wouldn't do what her parents had, and made the choice to trust him. "When?" she whispered.

"Today if you like."

"What about Hermione?"

"Ok," he hedged, "maybe a week or two might be a good idea."

"A week or two, you do realize most weddings take a year to plan?"

"A year?"

"A year."

"Well that sucks."

Lis giggled. "It does. But I'm not most girls, and this isn't most weddings. I think we can pull it together in a few weeks, a month at most."

"Well let's plan it right now, shall we? Where do you want to have it?"

"Here. Right on this beach where we found each other again."

"Works for me. Where will we have people stay?"

"Well, about a third of them are here already. The rest are wizards, and except for Hermione and a few others, can apparate here without any issues at all. But we can secure a number of rooms at one of the hotels in town for anyone who wants one. I mean were talking fifty people at most I should think, yes?"

"Fifty? That sounds like a lot to me. I've got like ten and that includes plus ones."

"Well there's this lot, my family, Bill, Charlie, I think the twins will come, my teammates, any plus ones and your ten. I think that's…" she did the math in her head, "fifty-two."

Harry nodded. "What about food?"

"What if we ask Hannah?"

"She does make the best chicken I've ever eaten," Harry agreed. "A cake?"

"Mum will know someone."

"Photographer?"

"Mum again."

"Officiate?"

"Dad's the French Minister of Magic. He'll do it."

"Isn't he supposed to give you away?"

"Most cases yes. Mine, it will be Mum."

"So location, accommodations, guest list, food, cake, photographer, officiate and giving the bride away," Harry ticked them off on his fingers. "Why does it take a year to plan one of these?"

Lis giggled. "Well, you've forgotten invitations, tables, chairs, flowers, colours, a dress, bridesmaid dresses, your clothes, clothes for the best man, a honeymoon, and about a million other little details not the least of which is, where is my ring?" She held her hand out and wiggled her fingers in his face.

Harry reached for the chain tucked on the shelf above the bed. It had been sitting there for safe keeping since he'd taken it off two days ago. Holding it he let the ring dangle between them. "How about this one?"

Her eyes widened. "You want me to have your mother's ring?"

"If you want, I think she'd want you to have it. If not, well, there are about a gazillion shops in town."

"Put it on for me."

Harry undid the clasp and let the ring slide off the chain. Taking her hand in his he slid the diamond solitaire on her finger. "With this ring, I thee wed."

Author's notes:

I mentioned before that I've never surfed. One reason for that is water, or more specifically the things that live in it, are one of the few things I'm afraid of. And a surfer laying down on a board looks just like a seal to a shark. Seals are some of sharks favorite foods. In my mind, Ginny keeps her wand on her while surfing for a couple reasons. The first is she's charmed it to emit a frequency that sharks dislike. Her beach is a shark free zone.