Right after breakfast, as the sky was turning a hazy purple to a now lighter blue, Sirius, Narcissa, Hermione, and Harry boarded the Knight Bus for Diagon Alley. Malfoy had refused to come, and gave them a door slamming good-bye as they left. Harry figured the reason was mainly because Malfoy had a large, ugly black and blue bruise right over his right eye, which prevented him from opening it. Harry also figured this bruise had something to do with Hermione, telling from the brighter smile on her face and the way Malfoy had glared at her very angrily all through breakfast.
Harry couldn't wait to see Ron and the rest of the Weasley family. Ron was his best friend, and they hadn't seen each other since school let out. Harry and Hermione had spent a great deal of time writing a letter to Ron yesterday about the engagement, and the trip to Diagon Alley, insisting he and his familly go and meet them there. Harry watched the interesting view pass him through the windows as the Knight Bus sped away, weaving in between trash cans and right through dense bushes, his mind remembering the great times he, Ron, and Hermione had shared during their six years at Hogwarts. Part of him was also listening to the conversation Hermione, Sirius, and Narcissa were having. They chatted lightly and laughed often.
Suddenly Hermione turned to him, placing her hand on his forearm, leaning close to him, looking up at him with intense eyes. He smiled down at her and she smiled back. "Harry, when we reach Diagon Alley, we need to head straight to Newly-Wed Witches and Wizards Houseware. I want to pick up a few things for our new house."
Harry's jaw dropped as he stared down at Hermione, feeling his eyes widen behind his glasses. A few seconds later, Hermione was giggling uncontrollably, collapsing onto his lap. Sirius and Narcissa were laughing so hard, they had to hold each other up. Soon Harry joined in too, and the four of them continued laughing until the Knight Bus dropped them off in Diagon Alley.
Their Hogwarts letters regarding their seventh year, along with the items they were recquired to have, came in by owl post a few days before. Sirius, Narcissa, Hermione, and Harry had a great time buying all their school items he and Hermione needed, and, by the time they headed down the street to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor to meet the Weasley's, Harry was ladden down with books( So It's Your Seventh Year of Potions, by Wanda Gag and many other grotesquely large ones.), and many other items. Hermione's bags were straining at the seams, and looked like they were about to rip open at any moment.
Feeling as if his arms were about to fall off, Harry looked around the ice cream parlor desperatlely, searching for a place to drop his items, when he heard a familiar voice call out," Hey, Harry! Hermione!" Harry's head shot up and he looked around, setting his bags down quickly on the ground beside him. A tall, gangly red-headed, freckled, and very familiar person came into view, holding two ice cream cones. Ginny Weasley, Ron's younger sister by one year, popped her head over his shoulder and smiled brightly when she spotted Harry and Hermione. The twins Fred and George, identical in every way, had departed from the parlor just like Ron and Ginny had, and were now heading over to where Harry and Hermione were standing, in the outside area of the parlor, the sunshine warming them generously.
" Pleasure to see you two again!" Fred greeted, coming over and thumping Harry on the back. He gave Hermone a hug.
" Care for a Canary Cream?" George asked in greeting.
Harry shook his head and Hermione giggled. They knew what the after-effects of the twins' Canary Creams could do to a person.
" Fred! George! Come help me with these packages!" called Mrs. Weasley a distance away. The twins excused themselves and hurried off to fetch the bags for their mother. Now Ron was heading over to them, grinning madly from ear to ear. For a moment, the three of them just looked at each other, smiling stupidly. Harry felt like they were back at Hogwarts, hanging out in the common room. Then Ron set his ice cream cones on a vacant table besides them and he and Harry embraced like brothers. Ron gave Hermione a tight hug.
" Fred! Don't spill those bags! George! That's Ron's new wand, don't you dare touch it!"
Harry looked behind him to see Mrs. Weasley hurrying towards them, a smile on her face. Harry smiled back and hugged Mrs. Weasley as she neared. She was like a mother to him, treating him as if he was her own son. Harry knew that was really something, since Mrs. Weasley had six sons and a daughter.
" Oh, Harry, how have you been? My, you've grown! And how spendidly, too!" she fussed, looking him up and down. She then turned to Hermione and, to Harry's, Hermione's and even Ron's great suprise, pulled her into a hug as well. " How are you my dear? You've gotten so pretty! I can't believe you two are getting married! I knew you were meant for each other."
" H-hello, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione replied back a little shakily, moments after they had broken apart. The three of them knew how Ron's mother had shunned her after reading about the fictional article the elusive Rita Skeeter had written in the Daily Prophet about how Hermione was playing with Harry's and Viktor Krum's heart during their fourth year at Hogwarts. After Harry had explained to Mrs. Weasley that it wasn't true, she had grown warmer to Hermione, but not as warm as the greeting she had just given her. Mrs. Weasley now turned to greet Sirius and Narcissa, and Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked off a few feet apart from them, after stopping to greet Ginny a warm hello.
" So!" Ron said happily, clapping Harry on the shoulder. " You two are getting married! Splendid!"
" You'll be my best man, you know," Harry said automatically, smiling.
Ron smiled back. " I'd be honored. I've already figured what to get you two for your wedding present, already! Aren't you proud? See Hermione, I'm planning ahead!"
" What are you planning on getting us, Ron?" Hermione asked curiously. " Even though you don't need to, of course," she added sincerely.
Ron turned to Harry and winked, smiling broadly. " A house-elf! Isn't that a great idea? I mean, considering the slob Harry is..you won't be able to clean up after him, Herm. A house-elf would be perfect!"
Harry couldn't hold in his laughter as Hermione gave their friend an irritated," Ron! " She still felt very strongly about the mistreatment of house-elves, and that fact made it even funnier. Ron started laughing, falling into Harry and the two of them held each other by the shoulders, trying to hold themselves up. Soon Harry could hear Hermione giggling beside them, and a great feeling of happiness swept over him. Here he was with his three best friends, just like it had been from the first year to their sixth, and how it would be up to their seventh and many years after that. He could now look forward to going home during the holidays, and he was engaged to Hermione. And suddenly Harry felt something warm inside him, and he glanced up towards the sun, where it was beating it's rays down upon them. And he knew: his parents were smiling down at him, proud.