Disclaimer; I own nothing in this story...sadly JK Rowling does.

A/N Hello, another chapter down and ready for your reviews! I know it's a bit shorter but I will make it up to you next chappie. Happy reading and don't forget to review!

A proposal

The next day passed quickly with no mention from the boys about what they had heard and no mention from Hermione about her ominous dream. They went about their day as if it were any other, even thought the tension in the house was so thick you could cut it with a knife.

After dinner that night Lupin sent everyone up to their rooms to pack a small bag to take.

"Just pack a change of clothes." he told them. "Nothing that will weigh you down."

Up in her room Hermione put her things in a small bag, and sighed heavily. The dream she had the previous night had been on her mind the whole day and she had not shared it with anyone. It was so real. The scream she heard the moment before she woke up had curdled her blood. Just as she was closing her bag she heard a knock at the door.

"Come in." she said.

Draco entered the room carefully and closed it behind him.

"Everything alright?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes…I was just finishing up." she said not looking directly at him.

"You seem distant, was it something I said?" He asked.

"No…" she said biting her lip. She debated on telling him about the dream, but first she would have to own up about her glance in the mirror of Erised.

"Well then I'll just go take a shower." he said, looking into her eyes attempting to catch a bit of what she was thinking.

"Mmmm…alright." she said, her head still lost in her own thoughts. Draco sighed heavily before making his way down the hall and into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and stripped down. Slowly he turned the shower knob until the water was nice and hot, just the way he liked it. Steam began to fill the room blurring his image in the mirror over the sink. The hours left before they were to leave for Godric's hollow were ticking away and knew this might be his last proper shower.

"Might be my last night here." he said aloud looking at his distorted image. He pulled the shower curtain back and stepped inside. The hot water hit his back relaxing him almost instantly. It ran over his head drowning any thoughts at that moment. The water simply washed it all away. He lathered his body and his hair the clean musky scent of the soap helping to clear his mind. When he was done he put on a clean pair of boxers and headed back towards the room he was going to share with Hermione. She was still sitting on the floor, lost in her thoughts.

"I'm going to bed." he said flatly.

"No, wait. I'm sorry." she said turning her head to meet his steely eyes. "I am just so…well, worried."

"It's understandable. This is big. Bigger than any of us, besides Potter that is, realize." Draco said soothingly.

"I don't know if I can bear to lose anyone. Harry, Ron, Ginny…you." she said softly. Her cinnamon eyes had become glassy with tears. Draco said nothing, but pulled her close into a warm embrace. Her cheek lay against his bare chest. He felt her tears slide down his skin.

"I can't promise anything Hermione. But you are all I have anymore. I don't know what I would do if something happened to you." he told her as his hand stroked her wild curls. This seemed to upset her even more as her sobbing increased.

"I don't know what to say Hermione. Please don't cry." he told her as his hand pulled her face upwards towards his. His eyes calmed her instantly. She stopped crying and held his gaze feeling an intense sense of peace. She took a deep breath before tilting her mouth upwards to meet his soft lips. His tongue grazed her lips as she opened her mouth allowing him full entrance. She kissed him for what seemed like hours but in reality was just seconds before pulling away at the sound of someone approaching the door.

"Hermione? Are you in there?" Harry's voice called from the hallway.

"Uh, yeah Harry, come on in." she said straightening her hair and shirt and wiping her eyes.

"Could you come downstairs? Remus is having a quick word with everyone." he said eyeing Hermione's red eyes. His brow furrowed as he looked back at Draco, thinking he was the cause of her tears.

"Everything alright here 'Mione?' he asked.

"It's fine Harry. I am just worried about the trip." she told him.

"Okay, well both of you come downstairs." Harry said before leaving the room.

"We better go see what is going on." Hermione said. Draco nodded before kissing her forehead softly and helping her up off of the floor. He threw on a shirt quickly.

They left the room and headed down the rickety steps before finding their way into the sitting room where everyone else was already gathered.

"Ah, Hermione and Draco…" Remus started. "Good everyone is here. I just wanted to say that we will be leaving at 8am tomorrow. We will be apperating to a glen just south of Godric's hollow, and we will have to walk the rest of the way. Muggle clothing is required; after all it is a muggle village. We don't want to stand out too much…" he said glancing at Hagrid who stood out wherever he went. "There is an inn in the middle of town that we can stay at if need be. Our first priority will be to get to Lily and James' house and search it for Helga Hufflepuff's goblet. Then we will try to find Voldemort. And from there, anything goes." he said looking at Harry who then stood to speak.

"For those of you who don't know we have reason to believe that he is hold up in a small cabin near the edge of the woods on the west side of Godric's hollow. If we find the cup, the next thing would be to lure his snake, Nagini, away from the cabin and kill it. Dumbledore believed that Voldemort made her into a Horcrux, and I have no reason to doubt him." The rest of the room was paying rapt attention and nodding in agreement.

"If we manage all of that, Voldemort will be mortal. And then he is fair game for me to kill him. I want your word that none of you will try to interfere. I am going to finish him. Period. End of story. Everyone okay with that?"

Everyone again nodded, in a more somber way. Tears were falling from Ginny's eyes.

"I don't want this night to end on that. We have reason to celebrate. We have hope…we have each other." he walked over to Ginny and grabbed her hand.

"Ginerva Molly Weasley, I love you. When all this is finished would you do the honor of being my wife? Marry me Ginny?" he said pulling a beautiful diamond and peridot ring out of his pocket. Ginny stood there silent for a moment, tears steady streaming down her face. She opened her mouth to speak but Ron interrupted.

"Mum, Dad…she's only 17. She can't get married!"

Hermione whacked him on the shoulder.

"Ron you prat!' Ginny said still holding Harry's hand.

"I didn't mean now Ron…" Harry said. "I just want to show your sister how much I love her…just in case."

"I will Harry. I'll marry you." Ginny said through her teary eyes. "And I know you love me. And I love you. And both of us will come through this just fine. We will have a long time to plan our future." she hugged him tightly.

"Oh Arthur" Molly sighed. "Our only daughter…" tears were now flowing down her face. Arthur Weasley walked over to shake Harry's hand. Ron shrugged his shoulders and did the same. Hermione was also moved to tears, as her emotions were already fragile that night.

"I'm so happy for you Harry." she said hugging him.

The mood of the house changed dramatically after Harry's proposal. Somehow trips to Godric's hollow, Horcruxes and Voldemort seemed less important than the happiness of two order members. After half an hour or so Remus ushered everyone out of the room and up to bed. Everyone was ignoring the previous sleeping arrangements and just sleeping wherever that night. Harry outright refused to spend the night away from his fiancé. Luna, Neville, and Ron decided to sleep in the sitting room and agreed to go right to bed after a stern warning from Remus not to stay up all night.

"Everyone get some rest. Tomorrow it begins." he said taking Tonk's hand and going up to their room.

Within minutes everyone had taken Lupin's advice and headed off to bed.

Hermione got ready for bed quickly and headed back towards the bedroom. Draco was sitting on his bed looking out the window again into the starry sky. Mists of clouds clung to the moons bright light somewhat shadowing its presence. Only bits of inky sky were visible and it seemed doomed to rain. A candle on the nightstand flickered as the cool breeze drifted in the open window. The flames light seemed to dance on Draco's pale chest. Hermione's white cotton gown swirled around her legs as she went to sit next to Draco on the bed. He glanced at her as she sat down and smiled slightly.

"Hey." he said "Ready for bed?"

"I suppose. Not really tired though. I know I should go to sleep but I just don't know if I can." she replied.

"Well," he said smirking "I could think of things to tire you out…"

Hermione hit him with a pillow from the bed.

"You!" she said. "Is that all you think of?"

"Yes." he said in a wicked voice.

"I guess honesty is the best policy." Hermione grinned. "But I do think we should try to rest. Who knows what tomorrow will bring."

"You are right, as usual." he said. "Goodnight. Sleep tight. I love you."

He pulled her into bed with him and under the cool sheets. He lay behind her spooning her, his heart beating into her back. They both fell asleep quickly relishing what might be the last night spent together.

Morning broke and everyone was up and ready by 7. Molly made breakfast, though no one felt much like eating.

"Eat up." Molly said. "You will need your strength."

Everyone pretended to eat but merely picked at the food. By 8 the group was lined up in the sitting room waiting for Harry.

Harry was up in his room pacing. His heart felt like it was in his throat. Everything was riding on him, and he had never been more scared in his life. He looked up at the ceiling and spoke.

"Mum, dad I know you can hear me. I don't know if I can do this. Everyone downstairs is waiting for me, depending on me and I am scared. Heroes aren't supposed to be scared are they? Gods how I wish I could go back in time and change things, have Voldemort mark someone else. I don't want to be 'the chosen one'. I don't want to be 'the boy who lived.' And yet I am, and no amount of time turners on earth can take me that far back. I know you will be with me during all this. All I can pray for is that no one I care about gets hurt, I don't know how much more of that I can take."

A single tear slid down his cheek and he wiped it away quickly. He didn't want the others to know how frightened he was. He took a deep breath and picked up his wand off of the side table. He walked down the steps and into the sitting room.

"Let's go." he said to the others.