Disclaimer: All characters and recognizable story elements belong to J. K. Rowling.

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"Did you fail to notice that Miss Weasley was giving us the evil eye just now, Mr. Potter?"

"Did she?" Harry asked distractedly, his mind on something else altogether.

"You are aware at least, I hope, that there is a tradition of welcoming the New Year by kissing one's significant other?"

"Ah."

"Which in your case, I believe, still happens to be Miss Weasley? Unless I am mistaken?"

"No, no. However, there's traditions and then there's traditions, Professor."

"I fear you will have to explain that one, young man."

"Well, there are traditions that exist because everyone believes in following them."

"That would be one way to define it, yes."

"And then there are traditions … personal traditions you might say … that exist simply because someone just did something specific under particular conditions several times."

"And doing some firework-gazing while talking with me about something more or less important happens to be one of those?"

"Hmm. I dare say so," Harry said with a fond gaze at his scowling mentor. "Which in this case, is more important to me than risking a bit of ire from Ginny. Besides, I am positive she'll forgive me," he added confidently with a rather dismissive gesture.

"Oh? And here you had me almost convinced you were nothing like your arrogant, presumptuous father?" Snape retorted with a raised eyebrow.

Harry waved an admonishing finger at the man in reply. "Now, now, Professor, no reason to be nasty. Because you see, while she might admittedly not forgive me so easily, I rather think she'll forgive this."

He then flipped his wrist over, displaying the small jeweller's box he'd hidden in his fist. It opened with a snip, revealing a gold ring. Tiny sparkling diamonds surrounded a larger ruby, giving the whole thing the appearance of a lovely flower.

"So, what do you think?"

Snape belatedly closed his mouth, cleared his throat and said: "I expect she will. Especially if you go down on your knees."

"I had planned on that as well, yes," Harry allowed with a happy grin.

"Flowers?"

"I left them inside. They wouldn't have appreciated the cold out here."

"True. Suitably grovelling speech in case she isn't in a forgiving mode after all?"

"All committed to memory. Though I'll aim for hopelessly soppy first."

"Really, the more I get to know you, the more I wonder how the hat could ever have let you out of Slytherin ..."

"But then I might not be proposing to Ginny tonight! Obviously the hat was just trying to prevent a star-crossed tragedy."

"That surely is the most ridiculous reason for a sorting I have ever heard."

"But perfectly romantic, you must admit."

"All right, Romeo," Snape admitted with a resigned shake of his head, while above them the fireworks painted their own version of the lovely engagement ring into the sky. Once again bells started ringing in a new year. "Happy New Year and all, and now go in there and be soppy at your Juliet instead of at me!"

"Aye, aye, Sir!" Harry replied with a happy grin. "And a Happy New Year to you, too!"

He skipped up the few steps to the threshold, wrenched the heavy door open determinedly … and then he hesitated for a moment.

"Ehm, Professor, would you mind terribly to keep the wedding date free for me? Well, after we've set one, that is."

"Oh? And why should I have to do that?"

"Well, someone needs to come and play parent for me, you know," Harry said, quickly ducking inside and starting to run down the corridor.

Despite the noisy fireworks outside, despite the door having almost fallen shut behind him, he still faintly heard the outraged "Potter!" that was shouted after him. He grinned to himself.

Yeah, it was going to be a great year.

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AN: I know not everybody likes Harry/Ginny, me included, but it just seemed suited for this story. If you can't stand that combo, just imagine some other girl instead, I'm not fussed. I know I left out all the bits of how Voldie got defeated, but I didn't feel like making that up. Just imagine he was vanquished because of those two teaming up and Severus providing good sense and Slytherin cunning to go with Gryffindor bravery.

Once again, this was already written in summer. In fact it was written on the very last day of summer, which amazingly was the first of October that year … we had really, really unusual weather in September 2016. Not that I was complaining. Especially since I hate the cold dreary overcast weather we tend to have for autumn and winter, so an extra month of summer was nice.

I also hate the fact that this (much too short) piece was pretty much the last bit of writing I have done since then. I still try, but …

See, I have this medical condition called CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome), or SEID (systemic exertion intolerance disease), or ME ( myalgic encephalomyelitis … and don't ask me to remember that one. Or pronounce it, for that matter). I've learned to live with it, and most of the time it's just frustrating, and extremely limiting, and at times painful, but … I can live with it, as long as I don't expect to lead an active life. Or sleep well. Or have energy. Or be able to do very much. Still, I could write. Which was fun, and gave me goals and a sense of accomplishment.

However, there is one symptom I used to get infrequently, which is something highly annoying called brain-fog. Imagine your brain is stuffed full of fog or cotton-wool. Image that thinking is kind of hard, and a bit sluggish. Imagine that you feel cut off from that part of the brain that does the creative writing.

Now imagine that for the last half year or so, this has become a permanent state for me.

Frustrating doesn't come anywhere close to describing how I feel about that, let me tell you.

But at least I can still read, and well, there is always hope it will go away again. Because I really, really would like to write some more.

Anyway, enough with the complaining! Which I mostly did because it's a bit of an insider's joke for me, developed with an old friend of mine when we used to wait together for player vs. player matches to start in Online Games. Somehow, complaining how long we'd been waiting usually meant that the next moment ... pop … up came the match invite. Really, it used to work like a charm. (after an appropriate time of waiting, at least. You couldn't complain after just a minute. And since I have now waited half a bloody year to complain … who knows. I might help!)

In any case: Happy New Year everyone!