Last Chapter:

"I want to marry her. . .

Now on with this installment of Remember When!

***

Harry looked at his son for a moment before Caelan's words began to sink in. As they did he tensed and just continued staring at his son. Far from angry or surprised, he was stunned. Harry hadn't expected this yet, but he had expected it. As he really began to think about it the more it made sense. If Caelan didn't act now then they would leave school and then be in different countries for at least a year.

"They are in love," Harry thought to himself. He had forgotten that he was still eying his son intently.

Caelan began to fidget under his father's gaze, willing him to say something.

"Well, at least he's not angry. . .yet," Caelan thought.

"So it can't be that bad. They'll both have lucrative careers," Harry continued his train of thought. "Their children will be absolutely beautiful."

Caelan felt a bead of sweat on his forehead which he wiped away quickly, hoping his dad wouldn't see how nervous he was.

"Dad. . ." he weakly got out. Tormented, he waited for his father to say something. . .anything.

Harry looked up as though he hadn't realized just how long he had been considering the possible addition to his family. "Hmmm?" Still not completely concentrated on his son's words, he was currently lost in thoughts of grandchildren.

"SAY something!" Caelan began pacing, a sure sign of his apprehension. Harry took note of his son's anxiety and decided to pull himself away from the possible future grandchildren who captivated him.

"Well, what's the other side of this?"

Caelan stopped pacing, looked at his dad, and frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You said that you have to make a decision. What makes you not want to propose?" Harry asked in an entirely calm fashion.

Caelan scratched his neck in a continued apprehensive manner, not meeting his father's eyes as he replied. "What if she doesn't want me?"

There, he had confessed his fear, that his girlfriend of two years, and best friend of seven years, didn't love him as much as he did her.

He began thinking aloud to Harry who had been about to speak. "Or what if she wants to wait? She doesn't know I'm going to America. . . Heck, I only found out today! What if she doesn't want to go with me? Should I stay here and prove that I want to be with her? And she has her own dreams here. She wants to be a medi-witch and I can't just take that opportunity away fr. . ."

Harry cut off the younger version of him before Caelan internally combusted. "Caelan!"

Startled, but less nervous than earlier thanks to all that ranting, he looked at his dad. "I know you love her. And I am almost entirely positive that she loves you. Proposing is. . .it's taking a chance on something. . .someone you love. Zavie will do what her heart tells her, but for now you need to listen to yours. If she doesn't want to go to America with you, then she'll stay here and train to be a mediwitch."

Caelan cringed. That hadn't made him feel any better.

"But the likeliness of that happening is so slim that I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Then there's still a chance!"

"There's always a chance, Caelan Potter! Life is about taking chances! If you love her, then you need to let her know exactly how much before she's gone. Then the quaffle's in her pitch, son."

Caelan stood in awe of his father. "Was it this hard for you to propose to mum?"

Harry groaned having seen that coming. "Ten times harder for me."

Now that Caelan was sure of his decision and had been cheered on, by his father oddly enough, he reached into his pocket for a velvet black box.

As what he was obtained from his pocket became clear Harry said, "Ah, so you do have a ring already. Let's see it then."

Caelan handed the box to his father who opened it and let out a low whistle. "It's great Caelan. She'll love it. Did you have to raid the vault for this?"

Caelan almost chuckled, but was still too preoccupied. "No. I, uh, saved up Christmas and birthday money for a really long time. I mean, I didn't realy know what I was going to do with the money when I started saving it, but when I saw this last month I knew what the money was for."

"Last month?" Harry was a little thrown for he hadn't purchased Hermione's ring until a few days before proposing.

"Yeah. I've known how I felt for a long time, dad. Buying the ring just made it a little bit more realistic."

Harry nodded. "Of course. Now, you should go find you young lady and let her in on our little secret."

He patted Caelan on the back. Caelan just rolled his eyes at his father's word choice. "Sure, dad. See you later."

Caelan had walked into his father's class completely torn and an emotional wreck and was now walking out of his father's class confident and ready to take the biggest chance of his life.

***

"Riles," Caelan whispered to the girl beside him. Chills ran down Zavie's spine as her boyfriend spoke his nickname for her.

"Yeah?" she replied nonchalantly.

"Come for a walk with me."

Zavie arched an eyebrow, but nodded. Caelan took her hand in his, lacing their fingers together, and led her through the Great Hall doors.

"So, where exactly are we going? And what is the purpose of this walk?" Zavie inquired as they began their walk around the lake. The sun was set, but the air was pleasantly warm.

He just shook his head and continued leading her around the lake until they reached a rock beside the lake.

"Sit," he said quietly.

"Huh?"

"On the rock. Just, please, sit." Zavie sat without complaint, but looked up at him curiously.

He took her hands in his own and said, "Riley, I love you so much. I think you know that already, but you need to know." Caelan stopped unexpectedly, even to himself. She needed to know. Before he proposed she needed to know.

"Damn. Now I've gone and ruined it."

"You haven't ruined anything." Zavie assured him, silently wondering what this whole thing was about.

"No, I have. Because I need to tell you something first."

She smiled and said, "Well go on then."

He dropped her hands and spoke, "I got a teaching job."

"That's wonderful!" Zavie jumped up and hugged him.

He stepped away and she stood confused.

"Don't get too excited. It's in America." Caelan almost grimaced as he waited for her response.

"Still good, I think. Why, what's wrong? I mean I can come visit you in America! I've always wanted to go to America and now I have a real reason!"

The young Potter placed a solitary finger on her lips to stop her. He would do it now. "I don't want you to come and visit me."

Light that was in Zavie's eyes disappeared as she thought she knew what he was saying. "Are you. . ."

He quieted her again. "I love you Zavie. I want you to be WITH me, not visiting me."

Caelan dropped to one knee and watched Zavie's eyes widen. "Zaviera Riley Malfoy, will you marry me?"

She watched as he took the ring out of his pocket and looked up at her, waiting for an answer.

Surprised, but pleased, she responded the only way a woman in love could possibly respond to the man who she was in love with. "Yes!"

Dropping onto her knees before he could slip the ring onto her hand she wrapped her arms around him in a fierce hug. "Caelan I love you," she whispered huskily into his ear.

He reciprocated the hug, but was trying desperately not to let go of the ring. Pulling out of the hug earlier than either of them would have liked Caelan took his hand and slid the ring onto her finger.

It wouldn't go past her knuckle.

"Oh, good grief. Now I've really screwed this up. I'm sorry."

Zavie looked at him and then did the thing he least expected. She threw her head back and laughed. Then she fell back into a sitting position on the ground and pulled him down with her. Their lips met in a soft, innocent kiss that let him know that the ring wasn't the important thing. The important thing was that she loved him.

Hours later they snuck into the Gryffindor Common Room hands entwined (the ring safely tucked away in Zavie's pocket for resizing later.)

As they parted to retreat to their separate dorms she whispered. " You and America. What more could I ask for?" He kissed her lightly and she walked up the stairs to her dorm without looking back.

"You. What more could I ask for?" he thought to himself.

*********

Author's Note: This IS the end of CHAPTER 10. I know it's spread out over three chapters, but this is what it was supposed to be originally. Chapter 11 will be the last chapter and you will see Ginny and Draco again, I swear. I feel kind of bad about swinging this story into their kid's story, but I just felt like it needed some more closure. I hope you liked it. Reviews of any kind are appreciated!!!!!