The Proposal

*************************************************************

On Tuesday afternoon at half past twelve Harry donned his travelling cloak and disguise hat and made his way outside to where Mrs Weasley was hanging out some washing.

'Okay Molly I’m off now’ He said doing up his cloak clasp securely.

‘Already dear? it’s only half twelve!’ Mrs Weasley exclaimed ‘You’re not meeting Arthur and I at the Leaky Cauldron til two!’

‘I know but there’s something I need to do before we meet up that may take a while’ Harry said.

Mrs Weasley kissed him on the cheek.
‘Okay dear you look after yourself’ She said ‘See you at two O’clock.

‘Til then’

Harry walked just past the chicken coop then thought of Diagon Alley and disapparated appearing on the apparition point near ‘Weasley’s Wizarding Wheezes’ a second later. As usual he stretched and rearranged his cloak then set off up the bustling street.

Harry filled up his money bag with as many Galleons as would fit at Gringotts then set off at a trot. He arrived at Abbott’s Jewellers a minute later puffing slightly from his exertions, the tinkle of the bell over the door alerted a witch who emerged from the back of the shop wearing dark purple robes.

‘May I help you?’ She asked.

‘Yeah I'm here to pick up a peice of jewellery' Harry said 'Surname of Potter, Hannah told me it would be ready to pick up today. It's already paid for'

'Oh yes I know the peice' The assistant said 'It's out the back in our secure vaults just wait here and I'll go and fetch it for you'

'Thanks'

Ten minutes later the assistant returned carrying a small purple velvet sack.

'Here we go' The woman said 'Would you like to inspect the peice before leaving the shop?'

'I would' Hasrry said 'Busy today?'

'Nah it's pretty quiet' The woman said undoing the knotted gold thread around the pouch and pulling out a redwood ring box 'Neville and Hannah picked the perfect time of year to get married. Buisness for any shop doesn't really pick up til just before the start of the new school term'

The assisstant opened the box and presented it to Harry.

‘Oh it’s beautiful!’ He said swallowing hard and turning the box so the shops soft lighting reflected off the largest diamond.

'I helped Hannah create this peice and we both had loads of fun creating it' The woman said 'We picked the best Australian gold and the central diamond came from South Africa'

'I don't care where it comes from it looks great' Harry said.

'It's be nice if my partner gave me a ring like that' the assistant said with a laugh 'Right now that's already labelled as paid for can I help you with anything else?'

'No er....'

'Kelly'

'Nah thanks Kelly that'll do' Harry said closing the box and returning it to the velver pouch 'Thanks for your help'

'No worries Harry good luck with everything'

'Thanks'

Harry left the jewellers and headed back up Diagon Alley. The lunch crowd had now dispersed and the street was less crowded. As a result Harry arrived at the Leaky Cauldron breathing normally having not having needed to run. He pushed open the front bar door and made his way to the back of the bar where the private booths were stifling a giggle as he went. Last time he was in the Leaky Cauldron Neville had stripped naked and galloped off down the street in a drunken stupor.

Mr and Mrs Weasley were waiting for him as he arrived. Mrs Weasley jumped up and engulfed him in a rib cracking hug as he arrived.

‘Harry dear!’ She said.

‘What’s up Harry?’ Mr Weasley asked a serious look crossing his face ‘Molly and I have been worried about you since you pulled us aside at Neville and Hannah’s wedding ‘Is something worrying you?’

Harry felt his stomach swoop with anticipation.
‘Well yeah sort of’ He said.

‘What is it dear?’ Mrs Weasley asked her face full of worry.

‘Here it goes’ Harry thought.

‘I-I want to ask Arthur and yourself f-for Ginny’s hand in m-marriage’ Harry said stumbling slightly over his words ‘I love Ginny with all my heart and soul and want to be with her til the world ends. She means absoloutely everything to me and I want her to be my wife’

There was a loud and ringing silence, broken by Mrs Weasley erupting into raucous tears.

‘Molly! Shhhhhh!’ Arthur exclaimed patting Mrs Weasley on the shoulder ‘It’s alright! It’s okay!’

It took a while for Mrs Weasley to regain her composure but eventually she calmed down enough to draw a large cotton hanky from her cloak pocket and blew her nose into it. When she looked up Harry noticed in alarm her eyes were red and bloodshot.

‘W-well?’ He stammered total panic and fear overriding every other sense he possessed ‘What d-d’you think? C-can I marry Ginny? Will you let me marry h-her?’

Mr Weasley gave Harry a hard piercing stare.
‘Will you promise to love her and to take care of her as she should be looked after?’ He asked.

‘Til my dying day’ Harry said ‘With every fiber of my being’

Mr Weasley broke into a grin.
‘Of course you may marry Ginny’ He said ‘Welcome to the family. In a different sense of course’

They laughed. Mrs Weasley got up and gave him another hug.
‘Oh Harry you’re going to be my son-in-law!’ She said with a watery chuckle ‘I can’t believe this! Oh I’m all of a dither!’

Harry slumped back in his chair relief sweeping through him.
‘Well that’s a relief!’ He said with a laugh ‘I’ve been stewing on this for a week and a half!’

‘That long?’ Mr Weasley said in amusement ‘You waited that long?’

‘Well yeah I wanted to get a ring made first’

‘And what would you have done if we’d said no?’

‘Oh Arthur!’ Mrs Weasley scolded swatting Mr Weasley on the arm ‘Be nice’

‘This is what I’m giving Ginny’ Harry said taking the ring box out of the velvet pouch ‘I got this just now from the jewelers. Hannah Abbott made it’

Mr Weasley took the box and opened it.

‘Wow!’ He said almost speechless

Mrs Weasley took one look at the ring and burst into a fresh round of tears.

‘Molly you’re turning into a hosepipe’ Harry said with a nervous laugh putting the ring box back into the pouch ‘I’ll have to cast a drying charm on your face if you keep crying’

Mrs Weasley laughed.
‘Oh Harry I am sorry!’ She said apologetically ‘You’ve just made me sooo happy! Just the tonic one needs after the goings on of the past few years’

‘When do you plan on popping the question?’ Mr Weasley asked Harry.

‘This Friday night at my birthday party’ Harry said ‘So hush hush til then okay? I want to do it in front of all the guests’

‘Of course we’ll keep quiet’ Mr Weasley said ‘Have you got somewhere safe to keep the ring?

‘Yeah I bought a nice dragon hide satchel at Scrivenshafts last week that has a permanent security charm on it I’ll keep it in there’ Harry said putting the velvet pouch in the inside cloak pocket ‘Aww gee you know I’m really nervous about Friday night what if she says no?’

‘Harry she is not going to say no’ Mr Weasley said ‘Ginny has loved you for years. ‘To be honest I’m kinda surprised it’s taken you this long’

‘Arthur I wasn’t ready before now’ Harry said ‘You’d know better than anyone marriage is not something you rush into. You have to be in the right mindset to pop the big question’

‘Harry you’re nearly twenty three how come you’re sounding as wise as a old man?’ Mrs Weasley asked Harry blowing her nose.

‘That’s just something Neville said to me a while ago’ Harry said ‘He said love is something that smacks you in the face like a wet fish and it’ll be a lightbulb moment when you realize you want to marry the love of your life and last week was my lightbulb moment. That’s when I went to Hannah and asked her to create this ring. It took her a week and a half to make it and she did it when she was in the busiest period of preparing for her and Neville's wedding’

‘She’s a gifted woman’ Mr Weasley said ‘Well I think this calls for a celebratory drink ‘What would you like Harry?’

‘Just a butterbeer thanks I want to cleanse my system before George’s stag night tomorrow’.

Mr Weasley laughed.
‘I can understand that’ He said ‘Back in a minute’

Mr Weasley left the booth and Mrs Weasley turned to Harry.
‘Oh Harry’ She said giving him a tight hug ‘You’ve made me the happiest woman in the world! I can’t believe my little girl is going to get married it only seems yesterday she was in nappies’

‘Molly she hasn’t said yes yet!’ Harry said returning the hug.

‘She will Harry she will I’m sure of it’ Mrs Weasley said.

‘I hope so’ Harry said ‘Now it’s just up to Ron to pop the question to Hermione and all your kids will be married. Mind you he’s suck a thickhead in the romance stakes it’ll probably be Hermione that pops the question. It took them ages to get together in the first place’

Mrs Weasley laughed.
‘Yeah my Ronald is a bit slow in the romance stakes but he’s found a good girl in Hermione’ She said ‘They argue a lot but it’s just superficial stuff. I know true love when I see it and those two fit perfectly’

‘Yeah they do’
*******************************************************************