Harry stuffed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, his eyes expertly scanning the street in front of him. He smiled a moment later as he heard someone coming up behind him and he turned. "Hello, Arthur."
Arthur Weasley stuck out his hand and Harry shook it. "Good to see you my boy. What's it been, 3 days since I've seen you at the Burrow last?" Arthur chuckled.
Harry motioned for Arthur to follow him and patted his belly as they walked. "Well you know Molly thinks I get too thin if I don't let her feed me at least once a week."
"Too right, too right. Now, don't think I don't enjoy a nice midweek lunch in muggle London with you Harry, but I can't help but be very curious as to what you wanted to talk to me about that couldn't be said at the Burrow or in the Ministry cafeteria." Arthur glanced at the younger man as he led him to a section of the street that was dotted with restaurants.
"Hmm. I was thinking Old Shades Pub. Excellent fish and chips." Harry avoided his question and pointed to a pub a few buildings away.
Arthur just nodded and decided to let Harry lead the conversation, knowing the man was stubborn as they come and would say what he needed to say on his own time.
Twenty minutes later the two men were enjoying their food at a hightop table in the corner.
"Harry you were right, these fish and chips are brilliant."
Harry smiled and sat down his fork. He took a deep breath and glanced out the window as stretched his neck side to side. "Arthur, I asked you to come to lunch with me today because I had something I want to talk to you about and it's not exactly something I want anyone overhearing."
Harry's voice had taken on a very serious tone and he had a faraway look in his eyes. Arthur waited a moment for him to speak again but when he didn't he said, "Harry, is everything okay?"
"Arthur, I know that I don't even need to explain to you how I feel about Ginny. I know that you know how much I love her and that I will spend the rest of my life loving her, making her happy, and protecting her, even if she thinks she doesn't need it."
Arthur had a twinkle in his eye and chuckled, but he didn't say anything so Harry continued on.
"I want to ask Ginny to marry me. To be my wife, to share my home, to have my children, to have the kind of life you and Molly have. But…" Harry paused. "I didn't invite you here to ask your permission to marry Ginny. We both know that if she got wind of that, we'd both be in hot water. Though, I did think I should give you a heads up. But Arthur, you are the closest thing I have to a father. Hell, most days I forget that you aren't my father." Harry shrugged and blushed just slightly, embarrassed at how vulnerable admitting this made him feel. "I wanted you to know that I was going to propose to Ginny before I do it, because well, this just felt like something a bloke should share with his father, yeah?"
Arthur had been married to Molly so long that many of their traits had rubbed off on each other and right now, he had to fight hard to push down the urge to jump up and smother Harry in a Molly level hug. Instead, he discreetly wiped the corners of his eyes and stood up to gather Harry in a tight, yet public appropriate hug. After a moment he pulled back, one hand on Harry's shoulder and the other on his cheek. "Harry, my boy. I am honored. You ARE one of my children, and I could not be more proud of you and excited for you." Harry grinned and for just a moment, didn't even care that he was a grown man crying in a pub.