Disclaimer: I still don't own a thing. I don't own the characters, the plot, or the magic. If I had a mind as creative as that then I wouldn't be wasting my time writing fan fiction. I only play with the Wizarding World for awhile before handing it back to Rowling for safe keeping.

Author's Note: I've decided to make a series of one-shots where various Harry Potter characters ask for their loved one's hand in marriage via their parents. I desperately need a beta, so if you're interested, please message me! Hope you enjoy!

ASKING

"A father is always making his baby into a little woman. And when she is a woman he turns her back again."

Harry was so nervous he couldn't even think straight. Any coherent thought fluttering through his head quickly turned to mush as he remembered his task for the day. It was a task that he wouldn't mind, really, since he was voluntarily doing it to follow tradition, if he didn't have to face an overbearing, overprotective monster of a father.

Okay, so Mr. Weasley was anything but a monster. He was a gentle man who had already accepted Harry as a member of the Weasley family. However, Harry still didn't think Mr. Weasley would just let him marry his daughter without his say in the matter.

Ginny said that she would go with him to The Burrow, thinking her presence would work to placate her father, in case things got a bit rough. Harry adamantly refused her numerous offers. If he was going to marry Ginevra Weasley, he had to face his soon-to-be father-in-law sometime. Harry would prefer the encounter to be sooner, rather than later, as he knew it was best to get these sort of things over and done with as briskly as possible.

It was funny how he could face Voldemort, defeat him even, but was shaking in his boots to face a man he had grown to love. Perhaps it was the absolute adoration of Mr. Weasley's daughter that really got to Harry. He didn't know how Mr. Weasley would take it, knowing his precious little girl was getting married to Harry, The Boy Who Lived Twice.

A wave of nausea swept over Harry, hitting him so quickly he turned green in the face. The Burrow stood before him, in the same friendly crooked way, that used to make Harry feel warm and welcome to enter the home. Now, all Harry could think of, was how ominous the bent roof looked. For once, Harry felt something he never related to The Burrow. Intimidation and terror ran thick through his veins, as his hand knocked the hard wooden door on its own accord.

For a fleeting moment, Harry worried that he was going to run away before the door could be answered. He rather fancied the Weasleys thinking this a game of knock-knock-ditch, rather than having to face them. As the cowardly voice in Harry's head warned him to make a quick getaway, the more sensible side scolded him to belt up! This was all for Ginny, and Harry knew she was well worth it. Ginny was everything to Harry, a simple fact that should have made this job a whole lot less of a burden. The knowledge that he would have a sweet redhead by his side the minute he was finished here, easing and soothing him, didn't make the initial asking any easier.

Just as Harry raised his hand to knock once more, the door flew open to a familiar, kind face. Mrs. Weasley opened the door, her pleasantly plump body filling up the doorway. The minute her eyes met Harry's, a smile lit up her face and she scurried him off inside, where it was nice and warm.

"Harry, dear, how are you?"

Harry visibly gulped, as he wiped his palms, drenched in sweat, against the side of his pants. He returned Mrs. Weasley's smile with an anxious one of his own, following Mrs. Weasley into the tiny living room. He took a seat on the old weathered sofa, sitting rather awkwardly in a home that had been a second one of sorts to him, throughout most of his Hogwarts years.

"I'm… I'm well, Mrs. Weasley, and yourself?"

With an arched eyebrow raised in suspicion at the raven haired boy, Mrs. Weasley placed her hands on her hips and shook her head.

"I'm just fine, Harry."

A brief pause filled the room, before Mrs. Weasley took a seat next to Harry, one of her comforting, motherly hands covering Harry's slightly shaking one.

"Are you ill, Harry? Is something wrong? Are Ginny and Ron alright?"

The questions poured out of Molly's mouth before she had a chance to stop them. Harry tried to give her a reassuring smile, turning his body so it was facing hers and placing his other hand on top of Mrs. Weasley's, so he was enveloping her much frailer hand with his own.

"No, no. Everything's fine--great, in fact! I was… I was actually hoping that I could speak to your husband, if he's not too busy?"

A curious look passed over Mrs. Weasley's face and she smoothed her apron over her skirt, nodding her head at Harry.

"He's just with Bill upstairs, dear. They should be done any minute now."

Harry winced at that bit of good news, looking towards the fireplace to hide the look of apprehension covering his face. Not only would he have to face one Weasley senior, but two?! Bill was so protective of his little sister, more so, Harry believed, than Mr. Weasley himself! With any luck Bill would leave before Harry asked for Mr. Weasley's permission to wed his only daughter. If not, Harry regretted that he might just have to call for reinforcements, namely his beloved soon-to-be fiancé.

"I'll just go tell him you're here."

Mrs. Weasley left Harry with a confident smile, almost as if she knew the very reason he was here herself.

Harry watched her ascend the spiral staircase until she disappeared entirely into the depths of the house. He held his breath as he heard a muffled exchange between Arthur and Molly, their conversation easily understandable even through the difference of a flight.

Silently, Harry cursed himself, and Mrs. Weasley, for getting Arthur to begin with. Maybe he would be upset that his impromptu meeting with his eldest son was cut short, putting him in a sour mood before he even heard Harry's proposal.

It made him a bit more nervous, as Harry had done things a bit unconventionally in the Weasley household. Instead of asking Arthur first, he brought Ginny out to dinner, before proposing. She had immediately accepted and jumped around, making Harry a bit uncomfortable at the outright display of girlish emotions. That night, however, when she slept over at Grimmauld Place, Ginny slipped the ring off of her finger and placed it on Harry's chest with a kiss. When Harry asked her what she was doing, she raised her eyebrows as if he should have known. It was then that Ginny informed him that he had to get Molly's and Arthur's blessings before they did the proposal for real.

Shuffled footsteps could be heard on the staircase, as three redheads came downstairs, wearing pleasant smiles on each of their faces. Arthur immediately moved to sit across from Harry, thumping the boy on the back on his way to the easy chair in the corner. Bill followed in the direction of his father, but took a seat on the far side of the sofa, turning his body so he was comfortably facing his father and Harry. The position of the two eldest Weasleys made Harry's mouth turn dry and his complexion pale. This was worse than those Muggle shows, where the police ran interrogations on the criminals! Harry felt like he was about to be punished, like he was being judged by two of his superiors, making him feel like an incredibly fretful schoolboy.

"Harry, my dear boy, what brings you here?"

Arthur spoke first, as Mrs. Weasley excused herself to the kitchen, with promises of tea and scones. Bill's normally natural easygoing position shifted, and his arms crossed over his chest, looking a bit more menacing than usual.

"I… Mr. Weasley…"

"Arthur, please."

"Um, Arthur…" Harry blushed at Arthur's urging to call Mr. Weasley by his first name, feeling more than a bit uncomfortable as the name passed his lips. "I came here to tell you something."

Harry finished lamely, feeling very much like a five year old child.

"Yes, indeed you did."

"Well, you see Mr. Weas... Arthur, I happen to like your daughter very much. Love her, even…"

"Are you sure, Harry?" Mr. Weasley leaned forward in his chair, with a good sense of where this conversation was going. He placed a hand on each one of Harry's knees and looked him in the eye.

"Yes. Positive. One hundred billion percent, sir."

"And… ?"

"And I intend to marry her. That is, if you'll give the okay."

"If I don't?" A hint of a twinkle formed in Mr. Weasley's eye as he asked the question.

"I… Sir, your daughter is… she's amazing. She makes me the happiest man on earth! I'd do anything for her. I promise you this, Arthur. I'll protect her, care for her, provide for her and love her until the day I die."

Arthur simply nodded his head before leaning back in his chair, his brow furrowed as he looked deep in thought.

"Harry, I know you would do anything for her. She's my only daughter, and I couldn't think of anyone who I would rather see her with."

With that answer, both Harry and Arthur broke into identical grins. Harry let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in as he was soon rejoicing in his much desired relief.

"Harry Potter, if you so much as harm one hair on my baby sister's head, I will personally make sure you find yourself dead and buried the next day. Is that absolutely, positively clear?"

Bill had stood up, his eyes narrowed and glaring down at Harry. Arthur gave his son a warning look, trying to calm down his eldest before his natural brotherly instinct overtook him completely.

"Bill… I would never, ever hurt her."

"I know. Unless you have a death wish."

At that, Bill came over to Harry, who immediately stiffened. Bill had dealt with some pretty nasty things in his life. Harry was certain he was stronger and much more powerful than himself, causing him to back away. For a brief moment Harry thought Bill was going to punch him, or hit him. But then he felt Bill's arms pulling him into a bear hug, much like one that Mrs. Weasley was infamous for.

"I would say welcome to the family, but I'm afraid you've already filled that position awhile ago."

Harry laughed at Bill's comment, nervously at first, before it became sincere. Mrs. Weasley, who had been standing by the door, immediately crushed Harry as soon as Bill let go. She started kissing him, first on his head, then on his face, tears of joy coursing down her cheeks.

"Oh, I just can't believe it! My little girl's getting married! And to Harry Potter! Imagine that Arthur?" Molly rambled, pulling Harry closer to her with every sentence.

Arthur gently pet Molly on her shoulder before she let go of poor suffocating Harry, who gave Arthur a grateful smile at the momentary reprieve.

"Oh, go floo Ginny and the two of you stay for dinner!"

Molly began flustering around, the tea and scones long forgotten for more important matters.

"Tonight we'll have a feast, a celebratory dinner in honor of our cherished daughter and son-in-law!'

Not about to argue, Harry simply smiled and nodded his head, before grabbing the floo powder and hopping in the fireplace.

As the mixture of embers and dust swirled around him, Harry Potter couldn't help but think there wasn't a man out there that was luckier than him.

Feedback from wonderful readers like you would be very much appreciated.

Don't be review shy! I don't mind if you tell me 'Ew! That was horrible.' or 'Aw, I liked it.' Just a little note would be fantastic.

x Muriel