He had gone to his dad for advice, and James had given him the best advice ever... and also a ring that James knew too well.
"This was your great-grandmother Rose's ring. The one that your great-granddad Henry gave her." James said, handing his son the ring. "Granddad told me once to make sure that you give it to the woman who captures your heart, just like Rose did to him."
Harry felt a lump form in his throat as he looked down at the ring. He had heard stories of his great-grandparents and the love that they shared. The fact that his dad was entrusting him with such a precious family heirloom meant more to him than he could put into words.
"Thanks, dad," Harry said, his voice choked with emotion.
James smiled, clapping his son on the back. "She's a great girl, Harry. And I know that she'll say yes."
The following day, Harry arrived at the training centre, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. He had told Draco about his plan and his friend had promised to help him make it special.
As they were going through their drills, Draco whispered in Harry's ear. "Ok, mate, she's here. Just wait for the right moment."
Harry's heart was pounding as he caught sight of Hermione. She was watching them train, her eyes shining with pride as she saw Harry in action. He felt a surge of love for her, and he knew that the time was right.
He excused himself from the training session, ignoring the curious glances from his colleagues as he made his way over to Hermione. She looked up at him, her face lighting up in a smile.
"Hey, you," she said, leaning in for a kiss.
Harry kissed her back, his heart racing with nerves. "Hermione, I...I wanted to ask you something."
Hermione looked up at him, her eyes shining with curiosity. "What is it?"
Harry took a deep breath, his heart beating wildly. "Hermione, I...I love you. I have loved you for so long, and I can't imagine my life without you. Will you...will you marry me?"
He held out the ring, feeling a lump form in his throat as he watched her reaction.
Hermione's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the ring, her hands covering her mouth. Tears started to well up in her eyes as she looked back up at Harry.
"Yes," she whispered, her voice filled with emotion.
Harry's heart soared as he slid the ring onto her finger, sealing their love for each other. They embraced, the joy and love they shared overwhelming.
Draco, who had been watching from a distance, walked over to them, a huge grin on his face. "Congrats, you two. You're perfect for each other."
Hermione hugged Draco, grateful for his support. "Thank you for everything, Draco. We couldn't have done it without you."
Draco smiled, pulling them both into a group hug. "You two deserve all the happiness in the world. And as your best man, Harry, you better believe that I'm going to make your stag do the most memorable one ever."
They all laughed, the tension of the past few weeks melting away as they celebrated their love and friendship.
"Hey, maybe they might make it part of the Torry/Hermione storyline?" Harry joked, the lightness in his voice showing that they were all ready to move on from the previous storyline.
"Nah mate, I don't think Creative are that stupid!" Draco said, causing the three of them to laugh.
It was Harry's first match since his injury, and he, in his Tharpe Torry persona had been partnered up with his best friend, Draco.
Draco's character as 'Lord Malfoy' had changed. Following that tables match where he had won the NXT UK Championship, he had had received a lot of backlash on social media.
So creative decided that Draco's character had got repackaged, turned back into a face, a good guy. There had been a match where he had had to defend the NXT UK Championship, and drop it.
As part of the storyline, 'Lord Malfoy' apologised to Torry, admitting he was wrong, and it was Harry's first match following that apology.
Harry had still had some misgivings, following his leg injury, and his return back to the ring, but between him, Draco, Hermione and his dad, they had all been working together to get him back to his full strength, as well as dealing with the emotional side of things.
Harry remembered the conversation he and James had had. He knew his dad was a former WWE wrestler, and had seen all sorts in the ring.
It had been a few days previously, and the two of them were sitting at their family home with a mug of hot chocolate and marshmallows. It was a family tradition that if anyone had a problem in the family, they would make a mug of hot chocolate, breakout the marshmallows, and talk.
"So, how are you feeling about your match with Draco?" James asked, sipping his hot chocolate.
"I'm nervous," Harry admitted. "I mean, it's my first match back, and I don't want to mess it up."
James nodded. "I get that. But just remember, you're a talented wrestler, and you've got a great partner in Draco. You guys are going to rock it out there."
Harry smiled, feeling a little more reassured. "Thanks, Dad. I hope you're right."
"I know I am," James said, giving him a pat on the back. "And if anything goes wrong, just remember, it's not the end of the world. You'll get back up and keep going."
As Harry stepped into the arena, he could feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves, and looked over at Draco, who gave him a reassuring nod.
Their opponents for the night were two local wrestlers, jobbers as they were called in the industry, who had been brought in to put over Harry and Draco. They had practiced the match, making sure everything was planned and timed, but as Harry knew from his recent experience, anything could happen in the ring.
The match began, and Harry and Draco made their way to the ring, with Hermione acting as the ring announcer, introducing them to the crowd.
As they entered the ring, the audience cheered, and Harry felt a rush of excitement. He couldn't believe he was finally back in the ring, doing what he loved.
The match was going well. Harry and Draco were executing their moves perfectly, and the crowd was really into it. But then, something unexpected happened.
One of the jobbers had miscalculated his move and ended up hitting Harry's injured leg. Harry winced in pain, but he didn't let it show. He could see Hermione watching from where she sat, and he nodded, letting his fiancée that he would be ok.
Seeing the jobber get down to where he was, making sure he was ok, he could tell that the guy was really sorry, and Harry appreciated it.
Draco took over, making sure to keep the momentum going, the two wrestlers improvising whilst Harry got himself up.
Once Harry was back on his feet, he joined in with the action, wincing every now and then as he felt the twinge in his leg. But he refused to let it hold him back. He was determined to finish the match, and he and Draco were putting on a great show.
As the match neared its end, Harry tagged Draco back in, as the finisher called for Draco to use the move he had been working on, the "Dragons Breath.", a standing rear-naked choke hold.
Draco executed it perfectly, and their opponents tapped out, giving Harry and Draco the win.
The crowd cheered as Harry and Draco celebrated, hugging each other in the ring. Harry felt a sense of accomplishment, not only because they had won the match, but because he had proved to himself that he could still do it.
As they made their way backstage, Hermione rushed up to them, looking relieved. "Are you ok, Harry?"
Harry nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a few twinges in my leg, but I'll be alright."
Hermione smiled, giving him a quick hug. "You did great out there. I'm so proud of you."
Harry grinned, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. "Thanks, Hermione. I couldn't have done it without you guys."
Draco nodded, clapping Harry on the back. "You did amazing, mate. You're back, and better than ever."
The three of them made their way to the locker room, where Harry's dad was waiting for them. He gave Harry a proud smile, clapping him on the back. "I knew you could do it, son."
Harry beamed, feeling a sense of pride wash over him. "Thanks, Dad. I couldn't have done it without you."
"You never know, you might end up with a tag title run in the near future." James said, smiling. "I know they're planning something for you and Draco, a new storyline."
"As long as Hermione isn't the prize!" Draco chuckled.
"Nah, we don't want a repeat of that storyline again." Harry said.
Everyone laughed, relieved that the match had gone well and feeling optimistic about what the future held for Harry and Draco.
Over the next few weeks, Harry and Draco continued to work together, honing their skills and developing their characters. They were given more airtime on NXT UK, and fans began to take notice of their chemistry in the ring.
But the news had been announced. NXT UK was going to be 'rested', and that it would relaunched as NXT Europe.
James had been told that he would be part of the new NXT Europe team, but Draco and Hermione would be released.
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. He had grown to love working with Draco and Hermione, and the thought of losing them was heart-breaking. Especially as they had set a date for their wedding.
Harry had been informed that he would be moving to the NXT brand, but he didn't know if he could do it. He couldn't leave Hermione behind.
Even his dad had been shocked at the news, especially with Hermione being released from her contract. James knew that Hermione was one of the things that kept Harry going in the business.
Harry and Draco had talked about it, and they both agreed that it was the nature of the business. They had to be prepared for changes and setbacks, and this was just another obstacle they had to overcome.
He knew that Hermione had been one of the first ones to be told about being released from their contracts, and he had held her as she had told him.
Truth be told, Harry felt a bit of a heel, knowing that he still had a job. He had tried to speak with the management, to explain how he felt, but they had told him that it was out of their hands, and that it was a decision made by the higher-ups at Stamford.
One evening, as they were sitting on the couch, Hermione turned to Harry and said, "I know that this isn't what we planned out when we started dating for real, but we can make it work. We've faced obstacles before, and we've always come out stronger. We can do it again."
Harry smiled at her, grateful for her unwavering support. "You're right. We can do this. And who knows, maybe something good will come out of it."
Hermione nodded, a small smile on her face. "Exactly. We just have to keep believing in ourselves and in each other. And who knows, I mean, WWE have released talent and then rehired them. Maybe it'll happen to me."
Harry took a deep breath, feeling a sense of relief wash over him. He knew Hermione was right. They had faced obstacles before, and they had always come out stronger on the other side.
He had to keep believing in himself and his abilities as a wrestler. He knew that he had worked hard to get where he was, and he couldn't let this setback bring him down.
