One year later

"Back rub, please." Parvati smiled as Harry sat down behind her on the bed and promptly complied. He had surprisingly soft hands, and he knew from experience exactly what she liked. She closed her eyes and sighed, enjoying her boyfriend's deft touch.

This holiday had been exactly what both of them needed. She put in long hours running her clothing and fashion shop, and Harry was very dedicated to his job as the Hogwarts Defense professor. Even though they lived together in Hogsmeade and saw each other every day, they didn't get nearly as much time together as Parvati would like, and she knew he felt the same way. She'd been looking forward to his Christmas holiday from the moment the semester started, doubly so when he surprised her on her birthday by revealing he'd arranged for them to spend the break in Paris.

This was one of her favorite cities in the world, and she was delighting in sharing it with Harry for the first time. They'd been quite busy so far. He'd told her that he didn't care what they did here so long as they were together. That had earned him major sweetness points, but she wondered if he might not be regretting those words, because she'd led him along from one popular tourist attraction to the next (with plenty of shopping in between!) Even she would admit that they needed this break they were currently taking in their hotel room. She had a marvelous view of the Tuileries Gardens from where she sat, so it wasn't as if she wasn't enjoying her surroundings even now.

"How are you enjoying the holiday?" Harry asked, making her open her eyes.

"It's magical," she said. "I've always loved this place, but being here with you makes it so much better. But how are you enjoying it?"

"It's nice." She giggled at such a bland statement. "But really I'm just happy because I get to spend time with you. I could probably spend my holiday in a smelly quidditch locker room and have a good time as long as you were in there with me."

"I'm not sure if I should be flattered or disgusted. I guess I'll go with flattered, as long as you aren't imagining that Oliver Wood is in the locker room with us."

"Not a chance. You're all mine, Patil. Better get used to it," he said faux-pompously.

"Is that a threat?" she teased. Suddenly his hands, which had continued to massage her throughout their banter, stilled on her back. She groaned unhappily.

"No," he said, and his voice didn't sound at all lighthearted all of a sudden. "It's a promise."

The sincerity in his voice confused her, but the more immediate concern in her mind was getting him to rub her back again.

"That's nice and all, Potter, but you started something, and I want you to finish..." she began, breaking off as she turned her head to look at him and realized why he'd stopped. His hands were otherwise occupied. Well one of them was at least, because he was holding a ring in his right hand.

"Finish it? Gladly. Marry me, Parvati." His free hand clasped and gently caressed her own, and then he was slipping the ring onto her finger. She stared down at their hands dumbly, her brain struggling to process what was happening right now. After several long seconds passed with her just staring down at her ring finger with her mouth agape, Harry started fidgeting.

"Uh, Parvati? Are you gonna give me an answer?"

His obvious anxiousness finally snapped her back to reality. She looked up from their joined hands to his handsome face. There was nervousness there. She gazed into those emerald green eyes she adored so much and saw that he legitimately feared she might say no. Silly boy.

She didn't trust her voice at the moment, so rather than giving him a verbal answer she tackled him to the bed and poured everything she was feeling into kissing him. If she couldn't tell him how she was feeling, she would show it to him instead.

They didn't leave the room for the rest of the day.