Chapter 10

Hermione was the first to wake up on the first day of the new term. Rubbing the sleep out of the corners of her eyes, she lay on her bed staring at the ornate ceiling for a few moments, thinking about the students that would soon be boarding the Hogwarts Express, she moved her head to look at the clock on the wall next to her but felt a strong pain on her scalp. A large mass of her hair was caught underneath Harry's head. She rested her head against the pillow, sighing against the pillow. She didn't do mornings. Still it would be much better once Harry was awake, smiling cheekily, she leant over her boyfriend, slowly lifting his head so as to release the trapped hair from under it. Leaning forward, she pushed her lips to Harry's, marvelling at the firmness. They were still against hers, but she slowly began to massage his lips with her own, waiting for signs of life. Moments later, Harry returned in kind, and the kiss grew deeper as Harry gently brought an arm up to her chin. Hermione pulled back slowly, marvelling at the tingling sensation as their lips separated.

"Mmm, I could get used to that" Harry mumbled as his eyes flickered open.

"Maybe you might get to." replied Hermione with a giggle "Come on, it's the first day at school and it's..." she took a look at the clock "Four thirty in the afternoon! Harry we've been asleep the whole day, the train will be here in an hour!"

Bolting out of bed, Hermione made straight for the shower, with Harry's mind still in a haze, his fiancée's last words to him still spinning around in his head, and the tingling feeling of her kiss still playing tantalisingly across his lips. It was hard for him to remember being this happy with his life. After everything that had happened in the last year, after all of the problems with Ginny, it seemed like everything was finally going right for a change. He heard the shower door shut, and the jet of water hitting Hermione's body and the floor. Just the thought of her naked made his head spin, and other parts of his anatomy to become a little excited. Maybe he would need to take a cold shower when it was his turn.

As Hermione entered the bedroom again from her shower, Harry's jaw dropped. Hermione had the body towel wrapped around her head, and the much smaller towel wrapped around her body. It left very little to the imagination as the towel just covered her breasts and was very high up on her thigh. She giggled as she saw Harry's reaction, knowing that her devious little idea had paid off well, and indeed it has, as Harry strode right past her into the bathroom, and the moment that he stepped into the shower, put it on its coldest setting, causing him to yelp as the ice cold jet hit his body.

After they had finally gotten dressed, which had taken a lot of time as Harry had decided to follow Hermione's lead and only wrap a little hair towel around his middle, distracting Hermione immensely they made their way into the Great Hall, which was empty except for a few teachers that were already sitting there waiting. Taking their usual seats at the Gryffindor table, they sat and waited for the hustle and bustle of the students to arrive. They weren't waiting long, five minutes later they could hear the first of the great throng arriving in the entrance hall.

The Hogwarts students filtered into the Great Hall quickly and sat at their respective tables. Harry and Hermione noticed that Ron and Ginny both sat as far away from them as possible, glaring at our heroes as they did so. Hermione even saw Ron go for his wand before he was stopped by Ginny, rubbing his arm caringly and trying to get him to calm down. Ron moved away from her quickly, seemingly in some sort of pain.

Everyone's attention however was moved to the staff table when the new Headmistress McGonagall rapped her wand on the table vigorously to speak. The Great Hall was silent now, watching the Sorting Hat floating on a stool in front of a procession of the very nervous first years waiting to be sorted. As usual, the hat burst into song.

"So it seems the war is over,

The Dark Lord overcome,

But there are many trials awaiting,

I'm afraid the war's not won.

The darkest places lie within

These hallowed halls today

But there is always hope for all us

Our love, we must not betray"

There was only a smattering of applause in the Great Hall, as all the students were looking towards the Gryffindor table. It had seemed that the hat had been talking to them as he gave his very short song. Harry looked around the Gryffindor table warily, trying to see the source of the attention. It seemed that everyone was looking at Ginny, who had currently had herself wrapped around none other than Dean Thomas, and was kissing him furiously, before finally pulling apart to smirk at Harry. The sorting then commenced, but it was obvious that not many students were bothered about watching it; more that they preferred talking among themselves. He didn't know what to do about Ginny, so he just smiled, trying to show that he was happy for her, though this was interrupted soon by a familiar pair of lips furiously pressing against his also. He laughed inside at Hermione trying to get one over on Ginny, but he also needed her to feel less insecure about things.

After waiting for the sorting to be over, Harry disinterestedly waited to listen to Professor McGonagall's speech. It was the usual, no going in the forbidden forest, and a new head of Defence Against the Dark Arts, who turned out to be none other than Remus Lupin. Harry and Hermione beamed at him from their tables as the name interrupted them from their stupor. Finally, she told them to enjoy their meals and welcoming them to a new year at Hogwarts. Harry noted with a smirk that she did not carry on the tradition of the school song.

Finally, just as they had both finished their main courses, Harry fumbled in his pocket for a small box, and looked lovingly across the table to Hermione. Now he couldn't exactly get down on one knee, could he? He was far too nervous; she had already said yes to him, it couldn't exactly go wrong. Hesitantly, he got up from the bench and made his way around the Gryffindor table to stand next to Hermione, the hand holding the ring behind his back. She looked at him confusedly, before Harry started to speak.

"The short time that we have been together has been magnificent. I realise now that we have been getting closer and closer since we met, and now that I'm stood here in front of everyone I want to show you and everyone just how much I love you."

Harry got down on one knee, and the Great Hall became deathly silent.

"Hermione Jean Granger, I love you with all my heart, and I always will. You have always been there for me when I needed you, and you make me want to be a better person, you make me the happiest I have ever been. Would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

The entirety of the Great Hall seemed to draw breath, as Harry opened the box to reveal a single, square cut solitaire diamond ring. People all over stopped what they were doing and stared. Even Ron, who had a forkful of beans halfway to his mouth, stopped even though he knew they were engaged already.

The look Hermione gave him at this moment made him the happiest he'd ever felt. He saw an endless, unconditional love in her eyes, only interrupted by a tear of joy as he opened the box to show her engagement ring.

"Of...of course I will." said Hermione, choking on her own breath before she enveloped his lips in a deep kiss. The Great Hall almost exploded with cheers. There was even a smattering of applause from the Slytherin table, although a few of the girls in the hall looked furious, especially Ginny.