ocean eyes (dramione)

Chapter 36

"I love you," I mumbled sleepily, as Draco led me outside into the pitch-black night. "But where the hell are we going?"

"We'll be there soon," came Draco's reassuring voice out of the darkness. Birds sung in the trees overhead, though I couldn't see them until we rounded a corner of the castle and something beautiful met my eyes by the side of the lake, where we loved to come together.

A little circle of my favourite red and pink roses and orange tulips had been planted in a bed and lit with lanterns hanging from a string of lights overhead, with real fireflies inside. Draco led me inside, and I looked up. All the stars had been magically magnified inside our little circle, and I could see smudges of different galaxies peppered with stars, illuminated just for us. I gasped and turned to Draco.

"Did you do this?" I asked in awe, feeling my cheeks turn pink. Draco nodded. "For me?" He nodded again, and I threw my arms around his neck again. 

"It's beautiful." I marvelled for a moment more before Draco looked at me and took my hands with an odd expression on his face. There was something in his eyes...I couldn't quite make out what.

"Hermione," he said softly, brushing hair out of my face. "I love you. You're smart, funny, beautiful, and most of the time, you're the only person I want - the only person I need. You brought me out of a dark place, you fought alongside me, and you helped me find who I really was. This year has been the best year of my life, and it's all because of you."

I blushed, a pleasant feeling building up in my stomach that felt like adrenaline.

"And I know it hasn't been long," pressed Draco anxiously. "But there's something that I have to ask you, Hermione. Because I'm so, so in love with you. I want to ask you if..."

Draco bent down on one knee and I looked at him, a little bewildered, wondering why he was doing up his shoelace in the middle of such a beautiful speech. Then he rummaged around in his back pocket and produced a beautiful black satin box, and he opened it to reveal a stunning silver ring. My heart stopped.

"If you'll marry me."

I felt my eyes fill with tears and I blinked them back, feeling my hands tremble. "Of course I will," I breathed softly, wiping my eyes. "Of course I'll marry you." I sniffed back my tears as Draco stood up and slipped the beautiful ring onto my finger before kissing me like we'd never kissed before, soft and slow and passionate.

"Took you long enough!" Somebody hollered.

Draco and I broke apart to see Ginny beaming at us, and Luna smiling avidly. Behind them, dark in the shadow of the castle, appeared to be the whole school, grinning and waving. I blushed, and suddenly all the students seemed to burst into cheers and shouts and hollers, jumping up and down and crowding around the little flower circle.

"Did you tell her to bring them all?" I demanded, though not angrily, linking my arm through Draco's affectionately. I kissed his jawline as he blushed and hesitated.

"Let's just say I asked her to bring a couple of people," he answered with a smirk. I laughed and ran to Ginny, hitching up my skirt in the mud, and hugged her tightly, feeling my tears soaking her fiery red hair.

"Thank you," I whispered, trying to dry my eyes - although the tears wouldn't stop coming.

"For what?" Asked Ginny, bewildered, smiling happily at me.

"For being there," I replied quietly. Ginny's eyes suddenly grew a little glassy, and she hastily wiped them with her thumbs, clearing her throat abruptly. I raised my eyebrows.

"It's just...the allergies," she said in a choked voice, her face spreading into a proud smile. "I'm so happy for you, 'Mione."

She leaned over my shoulder. "And you, you Slytherin bastard!" She called loudly. There was laughter rippling through the crowd again and I punched Ginny's arm again, then hooked my arm through Draco's. His best friend Blaise was giving him an awkward one-armed hug.

"Cheers!" Beamed Draco happily. He was just about to lean in and kiss me again when a sharp voice made the entire party fall silent and gasp audibly.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS? GET BACK INSIDE AT ONCE."

Professor McGonagall shoved through the crowd, lips thin, eyes sharp. She glared at Draco and I, right at the centre of the crowd, and I smiled gingerly as I offered her my hand. She gasped a little as she took my hand in hers and examined my beautiful silver ring.

"Hermione..." she gasped, her own eyes watering a little. "It's beautiful." She snapped back to Draco and glared at him forcefully. "Now, if I hear you're not treating her properly, Mr Malfoy, I ensure you that I will find you. And I will kill you, in every possibly way available to me. Do you understand?"

"Loud and clear," answered Draco sheepishly, his cheeks growing pink.

"You may resume this party," called Professor McGonagall, suddenly glowing with a smile. She turned back to me and said in a low voice, "And congratulations, Miss Granger. Although I must say, I saw it coming even before the year began. When I placed you and Mr Malfoy together in your dormitory."

"You did that on purpose?" I gasped. But she only smiled as she returned to the castle. I couldn't help breaking into laughter, and as Draco's arm slipped around my waist and hugged me close, I realised that I was one of the luckiest people in the world right now.

And I loved it.

Aww! This chapter made me so happy, I hope you guys enjoyed it just as much as I did! :)