"Mr. Weasley, can I have a moment?" Harry asked when everyone got up from the table after they finished eating. Ginny shot him a look but he only smiled.

"Of course." Mr. Weasley smiled and followed Harry outside.

When they were a bit away from the house, Harry turned and looked at the older man. A surrogate father, a true, honest man, who loved his family, both blood and not, who had accepted him with nothing but a question about muggles and rubber ducks. He opened him mouth, but nothing came out. He wiped sweaty hands against his jeans.

It shouldn't be this difficult. He rubbed his lips with the back of his hands. He was nervous. Why? It didn't make sense. He had absolutely no reason to be.

He ran his fingers through his messy hair.

He was going to marry Ginny. This was a formailty. The Weasleys loved him, and they would be ecstatic about their engagement.

"Harry."

He blinked and met the man's gaze. There was a soft smile on his face.

"Is there something you want to ask me?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"How did you know?"

"The ring." Mr. Weasley chuckled at Harry's face.

To be fair, he'd forgotten all about it. He'd picked it up a few weeks ago. At first he'd been worried she wouldn't like it since it wasn't big and flashy, considering what she used to 'acquire' for others, but she'd loved the simple band with three small diamonds embedded in it.

He took a deep breath. "I would like your blessing to marry Ginny."

Mr. Weasley's head tilted and his blue eyes watched him. Harry gulped. "And she said yes." It wasn't a question, truly."

"Yes."

A small formed on his lips. "Harry." He stepped forward and lid his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Harry. Molly and I see you as another son. You're part of this family. Since you came into our lives, you've done so much for us." His hand tightened. "But none of that compares to bringing Ginny back to us." He turned his head away, and Harry's heart clenched.

Ginny wasn't the only one who suffered because of their separation. "It was her idea," he said softly.

"We thought we lost her," Mr. Weasley said a moment later. "And at the time, right after losing Fred..." he paused. "It was difficult not knowing anything about her whereabouts or how she was doing." He ran his fingers through his thinning hair. "All we ever got was a few tidbits from Ron occasionally."

"She's back now," Harry told him. "There's no reason to worry about that anymore. She's not going anywhere." Not if he had any say about it.

For a moment, Mr. Weasley didn't reply. "I don't know what would happen to Molly if she..." He stopped and cleared his throat.

"Ginny's not going anywhere," Harry said again, steel in his tone. "She belongs here. With us."

And that was the truth. She belonged with him and with her family. Not trudging the gray line between right and wrong.

"When will the ceremony be?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Soon, I think," Harry said. "We want something small. Intimate. Just family and a few friends."

Mr. Weasley nodded.

"I guess you've had enough of the press to lay you a lifetime," a voice said, and they both turned as Ron and Hermione approached. Ron continued, "Glad to officially have you in the family, mate."

Harry hugged him. "Thanks." He hugged Hermione too. "Yeah, no press. Harry Potter's wedding will be a quote affair if I have anything to say about it."

"I'll talk to Molly," Mr. Weasley said, "But I figure you'll want to make the announcement yourselves?"

Harry smiled. "Yes."

"Good," Mr. Weasley said, smiling. He hugged Harry. "And Molly will insist on doing it here. You'll have no say."

Pleasure shot through Harry. He remembered Bill and Fleur's wedding. It had been amazing, up until the War came a-knocking. Having the wedding at the Burrow, there would be nothing better. He smiled back. "I'd be honored."

"Good. I'll see you all inside." He patted Harry on the back then went back to the house.

"So, another wedding," Ron said after a sigh. "Guess Ginny's the last."

Hermione smacked his arm. "Don't forget Charlie."

"Yeah, we'll, you can't marry dragons, can you?" He shrugged. "Why would he want to marry a witch?"

Harry laughed.

"Ron! That's a terrible thing to say." Hermione frowned, crossing her arms.

They went on bickering but Harry's mind drifted. They never changed. He'd have it no other way, though. While his life, still, was one obstacle after another, Ron and Hermione will always be an anchor. They would always tie him to reality and to the important things in his life. Family, friendship, love.

"You're preposterous!" Hermione told him.

"Some things never change," Ginny said as she appeared at his side. His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn't stop himself from moving closer to her and kissing her. It made his heart speed up. She smiled at him when he pulled back.

Merlin. He was going to marry her. She would be his wife. He couldn't-

"Get a room," Ron muttered.

"Stuff it," Ginny tossed back.

Harry laughed, grabbing her hand and kissing the palm. "We might as well go in too. We have an announcement to make."

"You asked him?" Ginny blushed. "I told you you didn't have to do that." But he could tell she was glad.

"Tradition is good," Hermione pipped up.

"Hermione's parents laughed at me through the entire conversation," Ron told them.

Hermione flushed. "They did not!"

He turned to her. "How do you know? You weren't even there."

She rolled her eyes. "They love you."

Ron grinned. "They do."

"C'mon, Harry, before he regales us with memories of everything wedding-based." Ginny grabbed him and pulled him towards the house. He laughed the entire way. He loved this family. He could t wait to marry Ginny and make it official.

*

Ron and Hermione watched Harry and Ginny slip into the house. She slid her hand into his and smiled.

"They really have no idea," Ron said, laughing.

A soft smile pulled at her lips. "It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out." She rolled her eyes.

He nodded. "I knew, though."

She laughed. "You didn't!"

"I did!" He looked at her, eyes narrowing. "It was so obvious."

"Yes, after I told you."

He frowned. "That's not true."

"You were stunned when I told you." She shook her head. "C'mon, let's go inside. They'll be making the announcement soon. I don't want to miss it."

She started for the house when he pulled her back. "Hermione, I knew! I knew Ginny was Fyrefox from the beginning."

"Shhhh!" She looked around and hit his arm. "Tell the whole world and have your best friend and sister thrown into Azkaban, why don't you?"

He winced, glancing around too. "Sorry, but I knew."

She shook her head, a soft smile on her lips. "We should be insulted, but it's easy to understand why they don't want anyone to know. Especially since Malfoy has been charged." She pursed her lips. "No one can ever know."

Ron nodded.

"Hey, are you two coming?" Harry called from the back door.

Hermione took in her best friend. He was happy for once. Happiness was in his hands. She'd be damned if she let anything or anyone take it away from him.

She waved at him. "We're coming!"

With a smile, Harry disappeared back into the house.

"We never mention it again," Hermione said to Ron. "Not even to each other."

Ron nodded. "Not even to each other."

*
Harry got Mr. Weasley's blessing. Aw. He's such a cutie. And him being all nervous XD And what did you think about the revelation that both Hermione and Ron know about Ginny's ex-profession? Thoughts?

Anyway, thank you as always for all of your thoughts and patience and love for the series and for me. I appreciate it so much. Thank you!

Also, remember to stay safe and healthy and kind. Always <3

* also, sorry, I typed this on my phone and it likes to change words to what it thinks it should say. Some times, I can't complain like when it changed Ginny to Hinny ;)