A.N.
This one'll be a long one, just a little thank you for continuing to read and vote and comment on this story even though I've been terrible with the updates.
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Getting out of bed on the day of my graduation was one of the hardest things that I'd ever have to do. For one thing, I wasn't a morning person to begin with, and for another, I was pretty hungover from the firewhiskey that everyone had consumed the night before. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose as I sat up and looked around the room, which was surprisingly clean and almost barren. Katie and I had packed up our trunks and everything that was splayed across our desk and chest of drawers was neatly packed away, leaving only the dresses, shoes, and items that we'd need to get ready with on the bathroom counter and on top of our trunks.
The graduation ceremony was supposed to begin at noon, and I had been told only last night that since I was the student with the overall highest grade averages, I would have to give a little speech on behalf of the student body and I wasn't even close to being prepared. I figured that I'd just wing it, since there wasn't exactly time to write myself elaborate cue cards and an entire speech. I slid out of bed and made my way down to the common room, where I was sure that everyone else was hanging out. I drowsily walked down the steps, tying my hair up into a messy bun on top of my head as I hit the last step.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," Fred called teasingly, to which I flipped him the bird and crossed the room to sit down on the couch next to Oliver.
"Are those my pajamas?" He asked, pointing to the red and green tartan flannel pajamas that I was wearing.
"It's your shirt, my pants. Your pants were too big," I answered nonchalantly, snuggling my face into his chest and wrapping my legs around his waist.
"You look like a sloth," George teased, causing me to again flip him the bird before I lay my hand right against Oliver's stomach.
"Mags, you reckon we start getting ready soon? It's almost 9, we have to be at the ceremony at 11:30," Katie asked, checking her little wristwatch.
"Sure, sure," I mumbled into Oliver's shoulder, pressing a quick kiss to his cheek before I stood up and followed her up the stairs, hearing Oliver whistle begin me.
"Babe, have you been doing squats?" He asked jokingly, making me blush and everyone in the common room burst out in laughter.
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After a few hours, we were both dressed up and if I may say so myself, we looked fantastic. As for me, I was dressed in a flowly, whimsical looking ivory colored dress with blue flowers scattered on it. I paired it with a simple strand of pearls around my neck and around my wrist and I slid the pearl ring that Oliver had gotten me all those years ago on my right ring finger. We were required to wear our cloaks that had been part of our uniforms and our Head Boy/ Girl and Quidditch player pins on the lapel of them. I slid on the cloak and fasten the pin before i slid on my blue heels, which were the same color as the flowers on the dress. I had curled my hair in loose waves and put in some pearl earrings, and did once last look over before I walked down to the common room.
"Maggs, Mum and Dad are here, they want to see us before the ceremony," George called to me once I hit the ground floor. I walked quickly over to where him and Fred were standing by the door and grabbed Oliver's hand from where he was standing near the couch, and dragging him behind me. We all walked of the common room and down the main flight of stairs towards the entrance hall.
"You look stunning," Oliver whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine and a mad blush to my cheeks.
"As do you," I answered, looking over at his toned physique covered in a white dress shirt, black pants, and a light grey tie.
"I love you, darling," Oliver whispered again, pressing a quick kiss to my cheek as we hit the bottom step.
"I love you too," I answered, suddenly hearing the squeals of Mrs. Weasley greeting her children a couple feet away. She currently had Ginny and Ron wrapped in a tight embrace, with Bill, Fleur, Charlie, and Percy all standing behind her and Mr. Weasley.
"Maggie!" Fleur yelled, rushing towards me with Bill following behind her chuckling. I ran towards her as well and we enveloped each other in a huge hug, Bill and Oliver laughed at us as they shook hands.
"How are you? Goodness, I've missed you!" I squealed, smiling at her and backing up.
"I've missed you too! My, you look stunning!" She answered, smiling back at me.
"Hey, Mags, nice to see you too," Bill chuckled sarcastically, which caused me to turn to him and give him a huge hug, overhearing Oliver greet Fleur behind me.
"Maggie!" Mrs. Weasley called, enveloping me in a tight hug with I gratefully returned, the smile on my face growing more and more. Mr. Weasley came up and hugged me as well, his arm lingering around my shoulders like a proud father.
"My babies are all grown!" Mrs. Weasley chanted, grabbing the twins and I and pulling us all in for a rib-crushing hug. "Oh, oh, we have to take pictures!" She yelled, instructing the twins and I to get in a line and smile to take a picture. The next one was one of me and Mr. Weasley and Mrs. Weasley, and I though it was the last one, just to be proven wrong.
"Oliver and Maggie, get together!" Mrs. Weasley cheered, giving me a gentle shove towards Oliver.
"Sweetheart, take off your cloak, it makes for a better picture," I instructed, shimmying out of my own and throwing it at Bill. Once Oliver had thrown his cloak over to Bill as well, I wrapped my arm around Oliver's waist and rested my other hand on his chest. He wrapped his arm around me as well and pulled me close, planting a tender kiss on my temple as Molly took the picture.
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The graduation ceremony was quite similar to the ones in the muggle word, the headmaster stood at the podium and called out each student's name and they would be awarded a medal if they played quidditch, were a prefect, or was a Head Boy or Girl. The end of term banquet was the night before and many students had already left on the Hogwarts Express, the only ones remaining were those graduating or that were watching their friends or siblings graduate. The whole Weasley clan was there, along with Oliver's parents, Hermione, and Amelia to watch the group of us graduate.
I was supposed to give my speech after the Headmaster's introduction, right before he would call up each individual student. I was waiting behind the doors of the Great Hall that were behind the stage, and I would walk onto the stage when it was my turn to give the speech. Professor Dumbledore was already out there greeting the families, who were sitting in rows of chairs that were behind the rows of chairs were the students were sitting. I could feel myself growing more and more nervous, my palms shaking, and my feet unable to stop tapping. With no warning, the door swung open and I nervously walked out onto the stage to thee podium, where Professor Dumbledore was standing. He smiled at me and wrapped a crimson stole around my shoulders, the reward for having the highest average. I smiled and thanked him before I turned to the crowd and cleared my throat.
"Wow," I mumbled, earning a lot of laughter from the crowd. "My name is Margaret Smallwood, and I think that I can speak for all the parents here when I say how incredibly proud I am of everyone who is graduating today. We students all know, there was many an over nighter pulled in the library, endless study sessions in the common room, and there was always the assignment you forgot to do until the last minute and spent the next hour or so rushing about like a mad person to finish it."
"AMEN!" George yelled from the crowd, earning laughter from the students and a playful glare from me.
"Hogwarts has been a home for all of us for the past seven years, and hear me out here, but it was almost like a toaster and piece of toast relationship," I said, earning murmurs and a few giggles. "We entered this school as pieces of bread, half of us having not been exposed to magic at all in our lives, completely unaware of what magic truly was and ready to learn. This school acted as a toaster, holding us in for the seven years to teach us everything we will need to know for the rest of our lives, it introduced us to our future bosses, future spouses, and I know that many if not all of the friendships made within these walls will continue to flourish outside as well. And so today, me and all my fellow pieces of toast prepare to pop out of the toaster, ready to face the world. Ready to move out of our parent's houses, ready to start a career. For some of us, ready to take that next step in our relationship, ready to have a family in a few years. Hogwarts has prepared us to do so, along with our professors of course, and to them and all the parents, I say thank you on all of our behalf," I finished, smiling when everyone applauded and standing there for a moment before I walked off stage and to my seat in between George and Oliver.
"You were magnificent, my dear," Oliver whispered before pressing a kiss to my lips.
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Person after person was called up when it was their turns, George had gone, Fred had gone, and Oliver had already gone. I was the last one to be called, and I was just as nervous as I had been before my speech.
"Margaret Elizabeth Smallwood," Professor Dumbledore called with a smile, and I shakily stood up and walked up onto the stage again. I shook his hand and got my certificate, got handed my two pins for being Head Girl and for playing Quidditch, and walked off the stage. I walked back over to my seat as the closing remarks were made, and pinned my pins onto my lapel. I was halfway to my seat, right in the middle of the main aisle when Professor Dumbledore's voice boomed out.
"Ms. Smallwood, if yo could stay right there please," he instructed, causing me to look over my shoulder at him, super confused. When I turned back to face the rows of parents, I saw Oliver in front of me, holding a small little blue velvet box and down on his knee. A wave of realization ran over me and my hands flew up to my mouth.
"You're not..." I trailed off, tears already springing up in my eyes.
"Margaret Elizabeth Smallwood, you know I love you more than words could ever express and that I love to take every chance to express it. I love you, I love you, I love you. I want to spend every second of my life with you, I want to wake up next to you every morning, I want to have babies with you, and I want to see them grow up with you. I know how important it was for me to ask your dad for your hand, and with the circumstances, it sure was difficult, but I left a bunch of flowers at his grave and at your mom's. I did ask each of the Weasleys, and everyone agreed to allow me to ask. Hell, I even asked Fred and George," he said, causing a collective group of giggles from me and the rest of the crowd. I reached out and grabbed his hand as happy tears slipped down my cheeks, his hand squeezing my own gently. "Maggie, you are the most wonderful, amazing, loving, sweet, kind, compassionate, fantastic, smart, beautiful woman I know, and it would be an honor if you'd be my wife. Will you marry me?" He finished, opening the box and revealing the most gorgeous engagement ring ever. It was sort of square-like with rounded edges and had a circular diamond in the middle of it. In between the circle and the edge of the ring were smaller diamonds that surrounded the circular diamond.
"Yes, yes, a million times yes," I breathed out, causing him to smile and stand up, pressing his lips against mine in a sweet kiss. I wrapped my arms around him as he picked me up and twirled me around, both of us laughing and smiling like mad.
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After everyone had left the ceremony, all the Weasleys and Woods went to go get a quick lunch, and after that, everyone returned home. Oliver and I's trunks had already been delivered to our cottage, and we had just apparated into the living room. I turned to face him, smirking as I grabbed ahold of his tie, leading him towards the bedroom and closing the door behind us. He leaned down and pressed a kiss to my lips, the kiss turning more passionate by the second. Soon enough, we were shimmying out of our cloaks and his hand tentatively sat on the zipper of my dress. His lips went to my neck as I untied his tie and began to undo each button on his shirt, sliding it off of his shoulders when I was done. He slowly unzipped the zipper and I stepped out of the dress, kicking off my heels when I was done. He gently lowered the both of us down onto the bed, climbing on top of me. I unbuckled his belt and he slid out of his pants before trailing kisses down my collar bone all the way to my breasts, unclipping my bra and throwing it aside. We both looped our thumbs in the waistband of each others underwear and pulled them down and threw them aside, our eyes sparkling.
"I love you more than anything, you know that? You're absolutely ravishing, my darling," he whispered, eyes running over my body in the sweetest way possible.
"I love you too, I can't wait to be your wife," I answered, grabbing a hold of his hand. He rested his forehead softly against mine before he began, and in that moment, I had never felt more love for anyone.