New Year's Eve...
Hermione was holding onto her glass and smiling. There have been so many good memories just in the last week. She took the next two weeks off from work and no one blamed her. Making breakfast for her boys, all of them. Andromeda let them take Teddy again and Remus secretly hoped she did not ask for him back anytime soon. He loved watching her dote on his child and could see her become more and more motherly as the week started to close.
Hermione was in a beautiful purple dress and her hair was placed up. She saw her boy sitting with Arthur on the couch and smiled as the child was pointing at pictures in a book they gave him for Christmas. Her marauders were drinking with Harry and George; even Ron was warming up to them after their forgiveness for his mistake.
Hermione threw on her coat and went outside to gaze up at the clear sky. She had slid on her snow boots despite her nice dress and walked on the softly dusted ground just outside the Burrow. It was lovely to just say her family was all together under one roof. It warmed her bones and made everything in the last six months seem like years in the making.
"Trills!" Sirius shouted happily and she turned to see her marauders run out to her.
They greeted her with kisses and she smiled, "want to take a walk with me?" She asked and the tucked her between them.
"You look beautiful tonight," Remus told her and she smiled and nuzzled his cheek.
"You both look very handsome," she replied and Sirius chuckled.
"I always look handsome, Hermione," he retorted and she giggled.
They walked a bit toward the pond and they stopped her. "We have something for you, but we have something to say first." Remus murmured and Sirius cleared his throat.
"We wanted to wait and do this proper, but things were put into perspective lately for us." Sirius declared and Remus nodded.
"Trills, you have found a way to make us both joyous. The happiest we have ever been. We may have had to come through time in a happy accident to find you, but we are ever so grateful." Remus sounded and Sirius gave her a nod.
"We are not asking to jump into it, because that isn't you. However, we are asking simply," Sirius paused and they both pulled out boxes and fell to one knee. "Hermione Jean Granger, would you marry us? We know quite positively that we want nothing more than to be with you forever."
She covered her mouth and felt their adoration as they held up matching golden rings with rubies. Hermione nodded and choked, "yes, I would love to marry both of you!" She gasped and they let out a sigh of relief and slid the rings on her finger.
Standing they kissed her and she wiped her face. "I love you, my marauders."
"We are completely in love with you," Sirius replied.
Remus chuckled and patted Sirius's back, "Precisely, Pads. We are completely and utterly in love with you."
"I hope you know this will be a decently long engagement," she teased and they nodded.
"Oh, we know," Sirius snickered and the witch giggled.
"Come on, love. Mum and Dad were waiting to see what you had to say," Sirius told her and she sighed.
They made their way back to the house and the Burrow erupted with celebration. Sirius and Remus had warned almost everyone about their plan and they were prepared. Teddy jumped into the woman's arm and kissed her not knowing what was to come; she was indeed going to be his mom.
She had tucked the boy in that night in one of the rooms up the stairs and ran her hand through his hair, "I love you, my Teddy," she whispered as he nodded off.
It was a moment she would treasure, seeing her glittery rings run in his hair, knowing they were hers, she was theirs and so was Teddy. Nothing could make this night more perfect.
They were nestled together on the couch as 1999 was coming to an end. Mere minutes left of the life changing year and Hermione gazed at her two marauders. They were smiling and glancing down at the rings sitting on her finger. She felt nothing but pride and love coming from them. How could they be so perfect for her? So wonderfully fit in her puzzle? What an exciting end to a year and a beautiful start to an adventure.
"Here's to the year 2000," Sirius murmured with a wolfish grin.
"Thank you, 1999, you were kind," Remus chuckled.
"Time to start our next journey, my marauders. I love you," Hermione responded and they kissed her as Midnight rang out; what a beautiful start indeed.
To be Continued...