Harry's Proposal

Harry was a few days away from his 17th birthday. He would be of legal age in the Magical World. Still, there was something on his mind that he wanted to do. It was something that he'd had wanted over two lifetimes and in just a couple of days he would be free to do it.

That is, IF . . . ,

He'd done many things: Heroic, risky, dangerous, but none made him as unsure of the outcome and scared him as what he was about to do. He could start out on this road, BUT, completing it – successfully – was not up to him, not at all. That was the decision of someone else.

Meanwhile, in Ginny's room, she was looking out the window at Lily and James in the garden. Although it was evening and the sun had already set, one would not have realized it from the light that emminated from the two married lovers. They set the tone and Ginny so wanted to be held by Harry like that – lovingly married to him, but, he was just like he always was, very conservative and unsure of his own feelings.

"humm?" Ginny had an idea. It just might be time to 'push' things a little, to test the waters and see what happens, see how he really feels, or at least, reacts.

Ginny left her room and walked across the hall and knocked on a door – Harrys.

Harry was in his room, Ron's old room, laying down and thinking of someone – a red headed witch with those chocolatey brown eyes that whenever he looks into them he just looses himself in her . . . ,

'STOP!' He told himself. 'you don't even know if she wants you, let alone spend the rest of her life with you.' It was then that he heard a soft knock.

"Come in." Harry replied.

Ginny heard Harry say 'come in' and she opened the door and walked in.

Harry looked up and saw Ginny, all he saw was her Blazing Red Hair - and those eyes.

"Harry? Are you ok?" Ginny asked, gently. She saw Harry just looking at her, lost in his own private world, within his train of thought seemingly keeping out everything.

Ginny walked over to Harry and gently sat beside him. Gently she caressed his face, letting her fingers trail gently down his cheeks. To Harry, her fingers left a scorching trail on his cheeks, he felt the fingers leave a hot burning trail on his skin.

He loved it!

But, dare he tell her?

Ginny noticed his reaction to her touch, she felt his reactions, felt his trembling motions giving away his true inner feelings. She also felt, almost palphaly his emotions responding to her.

Ginny knew that feeling and liked what it meant – Harry really did like her. And, to Her, with the knowledge that she now had of Harry's feelings towards her, it was like a whole new life, a large doorway, opening up, showing her the possibilities, of a life with him.

Harry reached up to hold onto her hand, softly.

"What'cha thinking about?" Ginny asked.

Harry held onto Ginny's hand and brought it up to his face.

"Huh? Oh, nothing, nothing at all . . . ," Harry was lost, again, in his thoughts, of the feelings that Ginny brought blazing, searing into his very self.

Ginny looked at him, into his Emerald Green eyes and held onto his face, tenderly, with both her hands.

As soon as he felt her hands on his cheeks it was seemingly sudden, his thoughts had taken him into another world. Her touch was burning hot – seemingly so, and caused him to gasp, both emotionally, and verbally.

"Harry, you know as well as I do that you can't hide anything from me. You never could, so talk to me."

He looked up and all he saw were her eyes looking, piercing deep into his very soul. He was virtually lost in them.

"I was thinking . . . ,"

She continued looking at him – not blinking.

". . . of . . ." he was beginning to smile, a very pleasant thought he had was just beginning to voice itself.

Ginny couldn't wait. "Go ahead, tell me, its' alright, I'll understand. You've nothing to fear or to feel ashamed of Harry. I'm here with you and what you tell me, STAYS with me. I promise."

". . . you." Harry finished his statement.

Ginny continued looking at him for a few long moments, not saying anything, but smiling at him. Harry could see her eyes dancing and sparkling.

There, in Ginny's eyes, Harry could see, finally, happiness.

"I know what you were thinking, Harry, I always do. And, when your thoughts drift towards me, well, I like that and appreciate it. In fact, I welcome it."

He looked at her, "you do?" When Harry first heard her say she knew what he was thinking a look of fear crossed his face, but it disappeared when she finished her statement. She LIKED him thinking of her!

Hope sprang up in Harry's heart.

'I'll do it afterall.' Harry thought to himself, quickly, a decision finalized, a decision based on almost two lifetimes of desire.

"In a few days, I'll be seventeen, and of legal age in our world, and for my birthday there's - something – I want – desire – to do. I'll want to go to Diagon Ally to get it." Harry looked away.

Ginny sat there, looking at him, her eyes searching his face.

Harry looked up at Ginny, "Ginny, I . . . ," he hesitated to see her reaction, and seeing only acceptance, continued " . . . love you, I always have and always will. Ever since I first saw you in the kitchen, my heart, well, it's hard for me to put into words, but when I saw you, I knew, somehow, that you were the one for me. I've always wanted to tell you this, but back then, I had no one to talk to. I was an orphan, no parents, no family. You had it all, including six brothers who would have done anything to protect you. I had nothing to offer you. Nothing."

"Oh, Harry, you've always had a lot to offer. You give of yourself and that's what matters the most, not the material things of this world. Besides, I know you love me." Ginny's whole world just opened up for her. She'd waited many long years just to hear those few words from him, over two lifetimes.

"I've always known, deep down inside, that you cared, loved me, yet, I've not told a soul. I've just wanted to wait for you to tell me. I love you, too, sweetheart. If – when – you, well, need me, I'll be here for you with no hesitation." Ginny spilled out her true feelings in just a short sentence, and for once, she was not afraid of doing so, nor did she fear the consequences.

She bent down and kissed him completely, passionately and lovingly.

Harry never resisted.

After coming up for air, Harry told Ginny, "Just give me until my birthday, please? I'll have something to give you then. I'll just hope you'll like it and accept it."

"Ok, Harry, but JUST until your birthday, and NOT a SINGLE – DAY- Later, understood?" she was smiling as she said this, her hair falling down on either side of his face covering him in all it's Fiery Brilliance.

"Understood, my love, then I'll be all yours, and no one else's - forever."

Harry promised her.

Ginny kissed him – erotically, and pulled away, "And, Potter, I'll never let you forget to whom you belong – every single day – understood?"

"I understand, love, and I can't wait!"

"You'd BETTER wait, Potter, 'cause I'm worth it."

Ginny leaned down and kissed Harry, completely and thoroughly,

for a –very - long - time.

The next morning Harry was up early. He had an errand to run and needed to talk with his Mum first.

Lily was downstairs with Molly in the kitchen preparing breakfast when harry walked in and casualy sat down at the table.

"Good morning, Son. Sleep well?"

"Hi, Mum. Yea, I did, exceptionally so."

"Mum? I need to talk with you – and Molly – about something, if you both have the time, before the rest of the family gets down here."

The two women looked at one another, expectantly.

Lily and Molly went over to the table and sat down on either side of Harry, Molly placed her hand on his shoulder, gently, giving him support.

"What is it, Harry? We're here to help you with anything." Molly said.

"Well, I'd like to go to Diagon Alley and get something, a gift, sort of, and I'll need some galleons."

"Son, tomorrow's your birthday, you don't need to buy yourself a gift."

Harry, upon hearing this, casually cast his eyes, up towards where Ginny's room would be and then, just hung his head. "Ok, I understand, but, it wasn't . . . ," He never finished his thought.

Molly saw the look in Harry's eyes' and immediately knew what it was. She leaned over to Lily and whispered something to her.

Lily's eyes widen and a small gasp escaped. Composing herself, "Harry, I think it'd be appropriate to give you a gift ahead of time. Since you'll be of legal age tomorrow, you'll need your own vault at Gringotts. Your Father and I have discussed this and want to give it to you. We've got our own now, ever since, well. . . Anyway, we've still got your's and it still has your gold in it. We made sure of that."

"What about the rest of you? I only need to buy a ring . . . Oh, no. I didn't mean to say that. I . . . I . ."

Lily and Molly both looked at one another, utter surprise written all over their faces, but happy nevertheless.

Lily placed her hand on her son's' hand, gently, but firmly. "Son, look at me." Harry cast his eyes up towards his Mum. "To begin with , both Molly and I are happy, so very happy for you both."

"Mum, Molly," Harry began and looked at them both with determination in his eyes, and both Mums saw it. "I love Ginny. I always have and always will. It's just that up till now I've had to catch up to where I was before. I just wished I'd at least told Ginny – before – that I'd loved her, it'd made it so much easier on her. But, Now, now I can make up for all that."

"Does she know how you feel?" Lily asked.

"Yes, I told her last night. It was while you and Dad were in the garden. She and I told each other how we felt." Harry started fidgeting about, and got up and paced the kitchen floor. "Mum, every time she touches me, her fingers leave a burning, scorching trail on my skin, it's like a searing mark that she's left on my very soul. Each time I look at her, into her deep chocolatey brown eyes, I get lost. And she's surrounded by that Blazing Fiery Red Hair, . . . , Mum! I love her so much that at times, it just hurts me so. It's all I can do to stop myself from putting my arms around her and hugging her. Last night, she asked me how I felt and I told her all this. We promised ourselves to each other. Mum, I want to be hers – forever. This is something that I've wanted now for a very long time. Even before the Battle at Hogwarts, I just didn't say anything, but now I am."

Harry sat down, slumped down at the table. "We didn't do anything last night, honest, Just kissed a bit. She initiated it."

"Well," Molly smiled and laughed, "its' about time things started progressing with you two. Look, Harry, you go get her a ring –today – NOW – and this afternoon, give it to her - with a proposal of marriage if that's what you want. She'll be expecting something and this will do it. You have my Blessing." Molly said.

"And mine too, Son." Lily added.

Harry got up to go back to his room, but stopped and gave Both his Mum and Molly a hug and kissed them both on the cheek. "I love you, both!" Harry went back to his room to get dressed, but as he got to the stairs, he overheard his Mum and Molly discussing names – baby names! He just shook his head and sighed deeply and went to get dressed. "I just hope they won't run out of names for all the babies I want with Ginny.' Harry said to himself.

Later that morning found Harry in Diagon Ally with a full pouch of Galleons. He'd even inquired as to how to withdraw unusually large sums so that he could pay for Ginny's ring, so he was on his way to a local jewelry store.

Upon entering, Harry saw a wizard behind the counter looking at him.

"Mr. Potter, welcome to my establishment."

"I'm looking for an engagement ring, a diamond ring." Harry asked.

"Come over this way, let me show you what I've got." The Propriator said. "Here are some samples of what I have to offer. If you know the young witch's finger size, that would help, but otherwise it can be resized quickly with a simple charm. See anything you'd like?"

"Well, I don't know what she'd like. She has long red hair, and fair skin . ."

"Red hair, did you say? Hummmmm, hold on a minute, I may have something for you."

The shop proprietor left for the back room and came back with a small flat box. Upon opening it, Harry was astonished at the rainbow of colors he saw.

"These are all diamonds, but of different colors: Pink and Blue are rare but the red green and purple are among the rarest of the rare in the diamond trade. The cost, however, is prohibitive, I just want to advise you on that."

"Can you make a setting, a ring for the stone? I'll pay whatever it'll cost, that's not a problem."

"Yes sir, Mr. Potter, of course. Here, you choose the diamond you prefer and select the ring and setting, I'll personally do the work myself. It'll be ready in a few minutes while you wait."

"Good, I'll take the Red diamond and this Bezel setting. I have a vault in Gringotts that will transfer the necessary gold for you to your account." Harry said.

"Thank you, Mr. Potter. Your fiancé will appreciate this 2 carat red diamond. Be sure, now, to tell her it's a Diamond, and not to mistake it for a ruby. Most do, you understand, due to their rarity."

"I understand, and thank you, for your help." Harry replyed.

"I appreciate your business, Mr. Potter. You and your Fiance may come back anytime you feel the need to. Here, let me set the stone for you, I'll be right back, You may watch, if you want."

Harry waited and watched as the wizarding gemologist placed the red diamond into the setting. With the payment taken care of, Harry was on his way, the ring in his pouch and on his way back home, to the Burrow.

Now, all he needed was to work up the courage to give it to Ginny, because after he did, there would be no turning back, no backing down. This was a permanent comittment, forever. He knew he was choosing the right witch, he could feel it in his heart.