Dean embraced Ginny upon her return home. Ginny hugged him back, but it was only half-heartedly. Her mind was on other things. Dean smiled and kissed her, running his hands through her red hair. "I have something to tell you," he murmured. Ginny smiled and turned to hang her coat on the hook beside the door. "You want a gillywater?" he asked, heading towards the kitchen.

"Sure," she answered, a bit surprised. They usually saved the gillywater for special occasions. Perhaps he would tell her he got a promotion at work. She slipped out of her shoes and flopped down on the couch in the living room. Dean reentered with two sugary gillywaters. He set them on the coffee table and sat down next to Ginny.

"How long have we been together?" he asked, surprising her even further.

"Um…five years, I think," she replied, still lost as to where he was going with the conversation.

"Wow…five years," he whispered, as if to himself. He turned so that he was facing her. She took a sip of her drink. "Ginny," he began, "After five years, I know that you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with." He slipped off the couch and crouched on one knee, holding out a ring to her. "Virginia Weasley, will you marry me?" She examined him carefully, sorrow filling her eyes.

"My name's Ginerva," said Ginny. She was frowning, too, but in a different way. It was a deciding frown, the sort of frown that one would wear when making a hard decision. Finally, Ginny huffed and stood up. She stormed to the door and grabbed her things. Dean was close at her heels. She swung the door open. "Goodbye, Dean," she said coldly. His mouth dropped open in horror.

"But-" he stuttered, but Ginny shook her head.

"Sorry," she told him curtly, and left the house without another word, never looking back.