black and white ✰ g.w.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

As they said they would, the couple left the shop (as Fred watched them with a grin) and walked down the street to Rosa Lee Teabag, the teashop in Diagon Alley that Olivia frequently visited with Angelina and Alicia. The tea certainly helped to de-stress both of them, but when it came time to Apparate to the intended destination, George found himself becoming nervous once more.

"All right, love?" Olivia asked as the two exited the teashop hand-in-hand.

"Of course I am," George answered, giving her a reassuring smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"That's why I'm asking."

"Well, I'm fine. Hold on, now."

Olivia held onto George's arm tight for Side-Along Apparition, as she couldn't Apparate herself because she didn't know where they were going. It definitely was not a comfortable experience, but since she had Apparated more times to count beforehand, it wasn't as intense as it would be for someone who had never Apparated before. And besides, by the end of the night, it would prove to be worth it.

As soon as she had found her footing on the new ground, Olivia looked up at her new surroundings and her jaw dropped slightly. They had arrived in the most beautiful garden she had ever seen. Some of the flowers and plants, she noticed, were some that she and her great-aunt Elizabeth had only dreamed of having in their own garden.

"Woah... what is this place?" she spoke with awe.

George shrugged. "I'm not sure exactly," he said. "All I know is that it doesn't belong to anyone and no one else seems to know about it. I just knew I had to show you."

Olivia smiled. "It's gorgeous."

With the excitement similar to that of the Hogwarts students visiting Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes before the start of the school year, Olivia walked on the old concrete paths through the garden, admiring the natural beauty of it all. Soon enough, she came across a blanket with a picnic basket. She turned to George with a smile.

"Oh, you are too sweet, my love," she said, having to stand on her toes in order to kiss him.

The couple enjoyed the picnic together, enjoying the alone time that they hardly ever got thanks to their busy schedules and the fact that neither of them lived on their own. They were also taking advantage of the opportunity to temporarily forget about the horror going on all around them and to just relax in each others company, even though they knew that if any of the older adults in either of their families - mostly Olivia's grandparents - found out that they had been by themselves in practically the middle of nowhere with no protection besides their own magical ability, they might get a very long lecture. Though, Fred did know exactly where they were and would most definitely come in search for them if they were gone for much longer than it took for a marriage proposal. But, of course, Olivia did not know that part.

They had been there for nearly an hour when there was hardly any food left in the basket and now the two were just lounging about, completely content for the first time in a while. Olivia sat with her legs across George's lap as she sighed contentedly with a happy grin on her face.

"I love you," she told him, "so much."

George grinned back at her. "And I love you," he responded. They leaned in for another kiss, and when they pulled away, George decided it was time. "I actually have a question for you."

Olivia's brows furrowed slightly in confusion, wondering what he could possibly be asking about that he didn't already know. "Okay, go ahead."

Instead of asking his question right away, George reached into his pocket. With a slightly shaky hand, he pulled out a small black box, and suddenly Olivia knew what was happening and she found that her heart had skipped a beat.

"Olivia Kate," George began, "will you marry me?"

Olivia's face split into the biggest smile yet as she was overcome with joy. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

The two were all smiles as George slipped the ring with the bright red ruby stone on Olivia's finger.

"Oh, George, it's beautiful," Olivia said, looking down at the ring.

George was a bit surprised to see tears in her eyes, as the woman hardly ever cried; the only time he knew her to cry was when she had led Gryffindor to win the Quidditch Cup while she was Captain of the team after being under the impression that they would lose miserably. "Are you crying?" he asked.

"No," she answered immediately, wiping her eyes. He raised his eyebrows at her. "I'm not! I'm just so happy!" Without warning, she grabbed his face and kissed him hard.

Out of nowhere, there was a tentative-sounding meow from behind them. Confused, the two slowly turned their heads to look at the thin, obviously stray black and white cat that was checking out the picnic basket of food.

Olivia looked at George. "I'm going to take a wild guess and say this cat is not a part of the proposal," she said.

George shook his head. "Nope," he told her honestly.

Olivia held her hand out to the cat for it to sniff. "Well, it is now."

[word count: 885]
[written: 9/23/20]
[published: 9/23/20]