Ch. 36

Hermione's POV

I couldn't stop staring at the ring as we were lying in bed next to each other, coming down from an intense love-making session. I sighed and looked at him as he rolled over onto his side, propping himself up on one elbow and grinning at me.

"Do you like it?" He asked, nodding towards the ring.

"It's absolutely stunning, Draco!" I exclaimed, glancing back at it and straightening it out for the hundredth time. "I love it so much, almost as much as I love you!"

His grin widened and he leaned forward to give me a quick kiss. I looked back at the ring again while asking in confusion, "How long have you had this? We've only been together for a few months!"

"Hermione, I'm not going to lie..." He shifted slightly and his grin faltered. "I've honestly had that since our last year at Hogwarts."

I stared at him. "Are...are you serious?"

He nodded. "Do you remember that Christmas?"

It took me a few moments but then the memory came back to me.

I stared at him, my mouth hanging open slightly. He simply smiled and nodded towards the ring. "That was going to be your make-up Christmas gift."

"Were you going to propose back then?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged. "I considered it, but I knew you were still with Weasley. I figured I could just give it to you as a gift, not as an engagement ring."

Then he frowned and rolled over onto his back, staring up at the ceiling. "But then he proposed to you on New Year's..."

I looked back at the ring, shifting it slightly so the diamonds would sparkle as he continued talking. "I was crushed, but you seemed happy so I kept the ring hidden and bought you the books instead."

I shook my head. "I was honestly not happy. His proposal was sloppy and ridiculous."

Draco turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "Really? You never actually told me how he did it."

I sighed and shook my head, resting my hand on my chest. "He decided that taking me for a ride on a broom was the best way for him to pop the question, and he nearly dropped the ring over the Black Lake."

"Ohhh, anyone in their right mind would know that was not a good idea," Draco cringed. "I know how much you hate flying."

"I was terrified the entire time," I said, turning to look at him. "Especially when he nearly dropped the ring, we almost fell into the lake because he lost his concentration. It was a mess, yours was so much sweeter."

Draco sighed then and looked back up at the ceiling. "I had a plan for a better proposal, honestly. But after this whole incident, I decided that I didn't want to put it off. I probably could've still planned it out better though..."

I shook my head and moved across the bed, putting my head on his chest and laying an arm across his stomach happily. "Draco, you didn't scare me half to death with your proposal, and it was still sweet. I wasn't expecting it at all, and I actually prefer that. With Ron, I knew he had something planned; the surprise just wasn't there. But you certainly caught me off guard and I love it."

He kissed the top of my head. "I'm glad. I had that ring custom-made for you too."

"Really?" I asked, sneaking another look at it.

"Yeah," He nodded. "Actually, the day after I opened the gifts you bought me. I went to the jeweler in Hogsmeade and had him do a rush job so that it would be ready on New Year's Eve. I'm just happy to finally give it to you after all these years."

I looked up at him and smiled. "What would you have done if it wasn't me?"

He shrugged. "No one else was going to get that ring."

"No one at all?"

He shook his head. "Absolutely no one."

I smiled and gave him a kiss. "Why was it here though? I'm surprised you didn't have it at your apartment."

"Remember when I said I was slowly starting to move my stuff in?" He asked. I nodded and he smiled at me. "I really meant that. I know you haven't noticed, but I've been slowly moving all of my clothes into your closet and all of my valuables into the other rooms. Even my books. But the ring was one of the first things I moved over. I wanted to have it close just in case, and since I was starting to spend all of my free time over here..."

"Draco, that is so sweet," I said happily. Then I leaned up to press another kiss against his lips. "I love you!"

He  grinned  as  he  kissed  me  in  return.  "I  love  you  too,  Hermione!"