The Ice Queen [s.b.]

Brighter Than the Stars - 66

December 28th. One hundred and three days left until... ?

It's long after the sun had set when Anna, Sirius, Ginger, and Remus had finished moving into their little cottage.

"Welcome home," Remus grins as he hands out some tea.

Anna pushes it away with a groan, "Have any fire whiskey?"

At the same time Remus says indignantly, "Of course not," Ginger pulls out two bottles seemingly out of nowhere and Sirius asks, "Shots or a glass?"

Anna beams. "I knew there was a reason I loved
you both."

Remus pouts, earning a kiss on the cheek from Ginger.

Before Anna can open her mouth to ask for some, Remus sends Sirius a sharp look.

Sirius's eyes widen and his hands instinctively go to his jean pocket.

Ginger raises an eyebrow.

"Urm, Princess? D'you think we could go for a walk?"

"'Course," Anna nods, dragging herself off the newly-bought couch and to the door.

Sirius sends Remus a look which Remus returns with an excited thumbs-up.

Ginger starts smiling giddily, hoping she's reading the room correctly.

Sirius and Anna walk outside and apparate to Diagon Alley.

Diagon Alley is still buzzing with life, despite the late hour.

"I love you," Anna says loftily, as Sirius guides her into a shop that would one day become Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Not that she knows that, of course.

Inside is a small, red and gold checkered blanket with fairy lights twinkling overhead.

Anna looks to him in bewilderment, but nothing could smother the growing hope in her chest, even if she knows it's wrong.

"I love you, too," Sirius murmurs, grasping one of her hands with his, his other hand going to his pocket as he kneels down. "For so long. I know we haven't graduated yet and we're not eighteen and there's so much that could go wrong and dammit, Prongs told me to practice my speech more, but I didn't listen. I'm getting off track. Because there's so much that could go wrong and I love you so much and we're going to be eighteen soon, even if you won't tell me when, I want to be engaged to you. Even if we don't get married the day we're old enough or the day after or the day after or month after that, I want to be your fiancé. Your future husband. I love you more than all the stars in the sky, water in the ocean, Orion loved Merope, and Romeo loved Juliet. So, Princess Annalee Julliet Fawley, the love of my life, will you marry me?"

It takes Anna a moment to finally choke out, "Merlin, yes. I will, I love you, I love you, I-"

He cuts her off by kissing her. "Godric, I love you, too."

Sirius shows her the ring, which was picked out with the help of Marlene and Lily.

It's a silver band with a single diamond mounted. Anna can't help but think that it glitters like the stars.

"Promise me something," Anna all-but-begs as he slips the ring onto her finger. "Promise me that you'll never hate me. Ever."

"I couldn't. Not even if I tried."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

Sirius wraps her in a tight hug.

And honestly? Anna knows he can't keep that promise, not when he doesn't know what she does. But she takes comfort in the words nonetheless.

After a minute, Annalee blurts, "July 31st."

"I'm sorry?" Sirius puzzles, drawing away and looking at her in confusion.

"July 31st," Anna repeats. "I'm eighteen on July 31st. I was born July 31st in 1960. My mother went into labor on July 31st and I was born four hours later."

With one of the most brilliant grins she had ever seen, he beams, "So July 31st is your birthday?"

"Ew," she wrinkles her nose. "Don't use that word, Siri."

"I know your birthday, I know your birthday, I know your—," he chants softly.

"Yeah, yeah," she mumbles. "You do. Sleep?"

"Sleep?" he grins. "Or sleep?"

"Sleep, you buffoon."

He chuckles.

UNKNOWN TIME, UNKNOWN DATE

Remus muses as he walks through the newly-formed Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, "I once had a picnic in here. Well over twenty years ago, a friend of mine proposed to his then girlfriend."

Fred Weasley cocks an eyebrow, "What happened to them?"

"Did they fu-" George begins.

Remus interrupts, "I wasn't there. I just set it up. With James Potter and Lily Evans, actually."

"My mum and dad?" Harry Potter interjects, walking inside the shop with Ron Weasley.

Remus nods, "It was a really long time ago. Too many terrible things happened afterward. I'd go back and change it all if I could."

A/N K, so this one was super short. The next one, a while bunch of shit will happen and I'm very sorry. You'll only find out what Anna's been ''preparing'' for at the very, very end. It'll be a time-skip to Easter, then when they get back. Again, I'm so sorry.

Lastly, please don't stop reading. It's not the ending, it's just another beginning. Everything will be going quicker, in case you haven't noticed.