Harry Potter paced back and forth in the parlor of 12 Grimmauld Place. Hermione sat on the sofa studying and rewording the legislation she would submit for her boss to put to the ICW about the treatment of magical creatures.

"Mione, I've decided. The Ministry ball. That's where I'll ask him. Dinner, dancing, fireworks. It'll be perfect. He will say yes, right? Mione?"

"What? Oh, yes Harry. Severus loves you. He will absolutely say yes."

"Look, Mione. I've found the official Potter bonding rings in my parents' vault.

At that same moment, 100 miles away, Severus Snape brooded silently in his suite at Malfoy manor. He held a glass with just a bit of brandy in one hand, and a small, leather-covered box in the other.

Draco entered the room and smirked at his Godfather. "I don't believe you've gotten that relic out of the Prince vaults. You and I both know that you'll never get up the nerve to actually propose. I swear, I'm going to have to lock you two in a room with Dumbledore's portrait, and not let you out until he's married you."

"For your information, I have retrieved the Prince bonding rings because I have formed a plan. The Ministry ball will be the location of my proposal. Lots of people around so he won't want to make a scene if he refuses, he'll just slip quietly into the crowd, and I can do the same. And if by some miracle he accepts, we can announce our engagement right then."

"Hah! I'll believe it when I see it."

The 2007 Ministry Ball was going to be the party of the decade. The 10 years since the defeat of Voldemort had seen unprecedented growth and prosperity in the Wizarding World, and of course, the Ministry was quick to take credit.

Harry and Severus, followed by the other heroes of the Battle of Hogwarts opened the ball by paying tribute to those lost in the fight.

Harry believed that while Tom Riddle was responsible for his own choices, and dark lords would always rise and fall, it was a combination of pureblood intolerance for anything muggle and muggle-born disinterest in wizarding traditions that fueled the conflict to its ultimate explosion. First as an Auror, and then as a writer and speaker he worked tirelessly to change that, starting with the way muggle-born and muggle-raised children were tracked before they came to Hogwarts.

After dinner and the inevitable speeches, Harry was happy to stretch his legs with some dancing. First with Severus, but also with Hermione, Luna, and just about anybody -male or female- who asked. By the time the fireworks were starting, both Harry and Severus had danced with almost everyone at the ball. It looked like a huge success.

As the Weasley Wizard Wheezes supplied fireworks got underway, Severus led Harry to a small, quiet balcony off the main terrace. Hermione elbowed Draco and whispered, "Here we go." Only to have Draco whisper back, "Yeah, but which one?"

Severus watched the display and tried to calm his heart. This was right. He knew it was. As the accompanying music built to a crescendo, he turned away from Harry and closed his eyes. One deep breath, then he pulled the box out of his pocket, swirled around, and dropped to one knee. The last thing he expected was a chuckle. Opening his eyes he saw Harry also on one knee, also with a box of rings.

"So, I guess that's a yes?"

"Truly, great minds think alike."

A few people noticed the two of them, and a cheer started to go up as the finale exploded across the sky. Reporters trampled each other to get back to their offices to be first with the scoop.

Across the terrace, Draco looked at Hermione and said, "Well, neither of us won the bet, but I'm OK with that."

Then he kissed her deeply.