Life and Love After Voldemort

Scrambling to change out of her Quidditch gear into formal evening attire, Ginny felt her temperature and frustration rise by the minute. Everyone else had already cleared out of the dorms 15 minutes before. "Stupid mandatory assemblies... Never hear about them until the last minute, and they always cut my practices short or scrub 'em altogether like today. It better not be another Ministry recruiting pitch from Harry, or I'll kill him."

Professor McGonagall herself made the announcement to the Gryffindor Quidditch team and insisted that practice be postponed right before it was set to start. Brushing off Ginny's protests, McGonagall took her aside after dismissing the team and instructed her to look her absolute best that evening. "You will be seated at the head table and may be called upon to answer a question or two, so something in the order of that blue number you wore at the charity match banquet will do very nicely, I think." McGonagall's handing out fashion tips now? She can't hire a full-time replacement to head the school fast enough if this is what the strain's doing to her.

McGonagall didn't seem pressed for time, because she then had the team captain do an overdue inventory of the practice equipment. Ginny started to plead her team's case again and asked to hold a truncated practice after the assembly, but McGonagall wasn't having it. "Please don't make me repeat myself, young lady. Quidditch practice can wait, but tonight's event cannot." Ginny finished her inventory and rushed towards the castle, resigning herself to a thoroughly dull evening and wondering what had made a paper-thin smile crack the normally severe expression of the headmistress several times that evening when she thought Ginny wasn't looking.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After changing, Ginny left the dorms at a gallop, only to find the Gryffindor Common Room covered in darkness. But of course...

"Lumos," grumbled Ginny once she had fished her wand from the bottom of her magically expandable purse. In addition to the tip of her wand, a small figure at the base of the staircase leading from the dorm to the common room was illuminated as if a spotlight had been focused on it. The tiny figure, which appeared to be clad only with a diaper and a shoulder strap holding a quiver of arrows, burst forth with a gravel-throated warble:

Her brown eyes are bright and delightful,

Her red hair is long and luxurious;

Her Bat-Bogey Hexes are frightful,

So give her some space when she's furious!

Ginny stood at the top of the staircase and tried to figure out what she'd wandered into, then she remembered a singing Valentine she sent long ago via cupid-dwarf to the hero of her heart...

"Harry?" The spotlight expanded to reveal the sponsor of the performance, and Harry dropped a bag of coins into the waiting hands of the dwarf, who scurried away.

Harry gazed up at her and intoned: "It is I, my wicked woman!"

Ginny smirked at the pet name he'd call her when she'd regale him with tales of what she wanted to unleash on whoever had crossed her on a particular day. "That's 'witch' to you, buddy," she shot back as she descended the stairs and dove into Harry's waiting arms. After they'd properly greeted each other, Ginny thanked him for the romantic gesture but told him they'd better hurry and get to the stupid assembly that made her cancel Quidditch practice.

"You'd better blame me, dear; I'm the reason for the assembly," said Harry.

"Harry, my team's never going to round into top form if we can't stick to a reasonable schedule. So what's the big occasion this time, a speech on keeping the world's ankles safe from roving gangs of gnomes through a career in the Ministry?"

"No, it's nothing as important as that. Hit it, Winky!" There was a loud snap, and an immaculately-set table appeared beside the now-roaring fireplace and under the dimly-lit chandelier. Harry bowed and announced: "Dinner is served, m'lady!"

As he helped Ginny into her chair, Harry explained that Professor McGonagall was only too happy to help Harry with his plans for an elaborate surprise dinner before he left school. "I explained how we had first expressed our love to each other in this room, and she got as misty as the Fat Lady does whenever she sees us kiss. Speaking of which, the Fat Lady said she'd do her part to make sure we have an uninterrupted feast."

Ginny was overwhelmed with Harry's attention to detail, but was still thinking that he might have missed something. "This is amazing, Harry, but what about the assembly? What's going to keep the other students occupied for more than ten minutes?"

"I can't say for sure, but I think that dinner followed by a full demonstration of the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes product line -- complete with free samples and conducted by the head Wheezer himself and his dutiful helper, Ron -- might hold their interest for a decent amount of time."

"George is here?" exclaimed Ginny. "Oh let's go see him really quick, it's been such a long time --"

"Uh uh uh, darling," Harry stated abruptly. "We'll see him before he goes back to his shop, but right now, you're going to enjoy this magnificent supper I've arranged for you with more than a little effort and ingenuity."

"Okay, I SUPPOSE we could..." Ginny quipped with a grin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Ginny had finished dinner and were standing together by the fire. "This was so amazing, honey," Ginny whispered. "Thank you for everything you did to make this a perfect night. I'm going to miss you so much when you're away."

"I feel the same way, Ginny," Harry answered softly. "The last few months have meant everything me because I've been able to share them with you and express my love to you every day. Our wonderful time together has made me sure of what I've known in my heart ever since we first embraced and kissed in this room; I have to have you in my life forever if I'm going to be happy."

Harry dropped to one knee and produced a small red box, which Harry opened to reveal a white gold ring with a large glittering diamond twinkling in the firelight. Ginny gasped. "Oh, Harry..."

"Ginny, I'm so grateful that you waited for me when I went away. You know that my love for you grew during our separation, and it's grown even stronger since we've been together. If we can wait for each other just a little longer, I'm going to do everything I can for the rest of my life to make you as happy as you've made me. Ginny, my one and only love, will you marry me?"

"Yes, my darling, YES! I love you so much and I always will!!!" Ginny exclaimed as tears cascaded down her rose-red cheeks. She alternated between laughter and tears as Harry placed the ring on her finger and the ring magically sized itself to fit her dainty digit. Harry stood up and gazed into her eyes, bathing in feelings of joy that only Ginny could awaken in him.

Ginny reflected that joy completely. "Harry, you don't know how many times I've dreamed of this moment. I'm so glad to be able to give my heart to you for all time, because it's always been yours for the taking."

"I never thought I'd have the chance to share my life with anyone, and I wasn't about to leave your side again without making sure you'd never belong to anyone but me." Harry took Ginny in his arms and the two melted together, sealing their engagement with kisses and a lingering embrace.