And here's a special treat for having taken so long to update – another (albeit short) chappie!

Once again, I own nothing. Harry Potter still and always will belong to the wonderful J.K.R.!

Chapter 5

Hermione whacked Harry upside the head as soon as she'd erected silencing and privacy charms around the vault.

"Ow, what was that for?" Harry exclaimed with mock hurt as Lily and James watched the scene unfold with curiosity and amusement.

"For giving them extremely high expectations of an ordinary girl!"

"Ordinary?! Says the girls who got Os on all her OWLs?!"

"This is coming from the boy who single handedly defeated Moldy what, seven no eight times?!"

"And I would have died the first time round if you hadn't been there! We never would've even gotten past the devil's snare!"

"What about the tournament?"

"You helped me every step of the way! Even when Ron abandoned me – just like during out Horcrux hunt – you were there for me every step of the way. Hermione, love, I love you. You're a brilliant, wonderful, yes – the most incredible witch I've ever had the honor of meeting – and I had to wait so long to tell you. All those years Mione, all those years… I wouldn't have survived without you."

"Harry James Potter! Don't you dare even try to lay all this on me! You defeated the basilisk in the chamber of secrets, you were the one who saved the philosophers stone!"

"You're the reason we saved Sirius! I didn't even know time-turners existed!"

"You fought him off! After watching Cedric die, you still fought him off!"

"You were the one who figured out how to get us out of Gringots on that dragon! You taught me the summoning spell for the fourth task!"

"You are the one who figured out how to get us into Gringots in the first place! You damn moron walked into those woods WITHOUT EVEN DRWING YOUR WAND! YOU BLOODY DAMN DIED HARRY! YOU LET HIM KILL YOU! I… I lost you!" Hermione was sobbing now, clutching Harry's shirt; holding him close.

Even after all these years, she still had nightmares about it. Seeing his body, limp and lifeless in Hagridʼs arms… She sobbed harder, and Harry pulled her in close.

"But I came back. I'm here Mione, I'll never leave you again. I promise. I'm sorry love, I'm so, so sorry." He murmured, rocking her gently back and forth.

"I'm so sorry love."

Hermione eventually calmed down slightly. "I love you too Harry. I'm sorry, I don't even know what we were arguing about – I just… I can't loose you again, I can't…"

Harry cut her off with a kiss. A deep kiss, holding her close and showing her how much he loved her, needed her; how much she meant to him. How he couldn't do it without her.

Lily sighed contentedly, and James (ever delicate) decided he couldn't wait any longer. "Could someone please explain what the bloody hell is going on?!"

Lily hit him upside the head with a wink at Hermione. "Language James!"

"So here we are. Stuck in our eleven year old bodies once again – with a chance to either screw everything up or fix the world." Harry concluded.

Needless to say, James and Lily were now sitting in their portraits, their heads slightly reeling with the information they'd just been given.

"I … wow. Just wow." James muttered.

"You said it," Lily agreed.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle lightly as he regarded his shaken parents. Then remembered that Griphook still awaited them outside.

"Mum, Dad," Harry asked, grinning at the fact that he was able to say those words, "Is there anything in particular I ought to grab from this vault? Besides your portrait, of course."

"Yes, ask the book for the rubies of Illean. They resemble the philosophers stone if I recall – save the Flamels if you can, they're old family friends."

"Oh and dear," Lily added, "Take Hermione to go look at the jewelry section. You might find her a ring that'll please you both."

Harry grinned, "I could finally make it official, couldn't I?" Hermione blushed and grinned, and Lily and James smiled at the happy couple.

"Besides, they have certain … benefits you may find incredibly useful." Lily added.

Together, Harry and Hermione picked out a smooth platinum ring, with a hazel topaz and an emerald twisted together across the surface, interspersed with twinkling diamonds.

"Oh! That's perfect!" Lily exclaimed when they showed it to her. "Looks like was made for the two of you!"

Harry smiled, and bending down on one knee proclaimed, "Since this is a new time, I might as well ask again. Hermione Jean Granger, would you marry me?"

"Of course."

They kissed again, and Hermione added with a slight chuckle, "Need you really ask?"

"It's polite."

Laughter filled the vault as Harry shrunk his parent's portrait, and holding Hermione's hand, cancelled the spells and lead her out of the vault.

"Oh, and Harry?" James called out, just before they stepped beyond the doors. "If you're going to do this twice, do it with style. Turn Hogwarts upside down son."