A/N: This was a plot idea that popped into my head while I was writing “All I Want for Christmas.” Hopefully this one won't take as long beyond the holiday it's written for to finish. Needless to say, this is a Valentine's fan fic. For the record, this is NOT the sequel to “All I Want for Christmas” (I'm just saying that now to diffuse any questions on that front). I'm grateful to all those who read and reviewed my first attempt at writing fan fiction. This is my second attempt. Hopefully it will turn out as well as the first one did.

5 reviews for the last chapter?! If I wasn't so close to the end of the story and so determined to finish what I started, I'd consider abandoning this story or taking it down. I know there are a lot of people reading this story without reviewing it. Please review if you read it! I know that there are probably some of you that are disappointed that this isn't the sequel to “All I Want for Christmas”, but I would hope that you don't look down on this story because of that fact. This chapter is a little shorter than I would like, but I came to my ending point sooner than I expected and couldn't find anywhere that I could slip something more in without going off on an unimportant tangent. The next chapter will likely make up for it, as I've got a lot to do in it.

Lots of side-ships in this one. Let's see if I can remember all of them that will come up…we've got: Ron/Luna, Neville/Ginny, Lupin/Tonks, Bill/Fleur, and references to Lily/James. This story is slightly AU, but only in the sense that I've added some characteristics to some characters.

Disclaimer: Standard disclaimer applies. All I own is the plotline and a song that will appear later on in the story.

The Music of Love

Chapter 4: Giant Advice

Harry sighed as he put his guitar back in his pocket and looked out his office window at the snow-covered grounds. The kids would be returning from the Christmas holidays tomorrow and Harry still had quite a bit of work to do before they returned.

However, Harry couldn't keep his attention on his work because his thoughts kept drifting to Hermione and wondering how he could propose without her catching on to what he was doing.

Harry figured that a nice walk around the lake might do him some good, so he grabbed his coat and made his way outside. As he got halfway around the lake, Harry heard some noise from the trees to his right, so he stopped and drew his wand.

A moment later, Hagrid came stumbling out of the woods and fell down in front of Harry.

“Hi, Hagrid.”

“Hiya, Harry,” Hagrid responded, picking himself up off the ground and wrapping Harry up in one of his trademark hugs. “It's bin a long time since I've seen yeh `round here alone. `Mione's always with yeh. Yeh havn' problems with her?”

Harry smiled at him. “No, Hagrid. Hermione and I are getting along very well. When I'm not with her, I've been too busy to come out and walk by myself.”

“The two o' yeh havn't bin by ter see me lately either,” Hagrid observed.

“Sorry about that, Hagrid. We've had a lot to do since we're both teaching.”

“Yeh don' have ter tell me tha', Harry. I know how much us teachers have ter do. Come back ter my house. We'll have a spot of tea and catch up.”

Harry willingly followed Hagrid back to his hut, where Hagrid put on a pot of water.

Harry took off his coat and sat down, and Hagrid soon did the same.

“How're the kids treating you, Hagrid? Still as reluctant to help as ever?”

“The three of yeh were the most willin' students I've ever had to help me with ma examples. Except Ron when we were dealin' with spiders o' course…”

Harry chuckled. Ron had gotten better about his fear of spiders, but it would still show itself on occasion.

“But the little tykes seem to like ma class,” Hagrid continued. “How about yeh? How's teachin' treatin' The-Boy-Who-Triumphed?”

“It's going well. I like what I'm doing, even though I don't know if I'm the most qualified for the position.”

“Not qualified?! Yeh defeated You-Know-Who! How're yeh not the most qualified person ter teach Defense Against the Dark Arts? Yeh're the best who's ever lived a' defendin' the Dark Arts!”

Harry turned slightly red in embarrassment. “Please, Hagrid. You know that I don't like the fact that I got lucky and beat Voldemort played up like that.”

“Lucky?! Yeh was destined ter beat You-Know-Who. Just like yeh was destined ter end up with `Mione,” Hagrid stood getting up to pour the water for their tea.

D...D…Destined?” Harry sputtered. “What makes you think that Hermione and I were destined to be together?”

“What the two o' yeh had when yeh'all were tykes has only been seen once before…and that was between yeh mum and dad. All the teachers saw it…except Snape, o' course. He thought all three o' yeh was gonna get yehselves killed.”

“Really?” Harry asked in amazement. “We were that obviously interested in each other while we were students? I didn't realize that I saw her as more than my best friend until just before Remus and Tonks' wedding, just after we graduated. That's why I asked her to go with me that day.”

“And it was `bout time the two of you figured it out too,” Hagrid said, handing Harry his cup of tea.

“Is that why everybody kept telling us that it was `about bloody time that we noticed each other'?”

“That's right.”

Harry sat back with a stunned look on his face. “And I thought Ron was a daft git at times,” he muttered.

Hagrid laughed heartily. “Love can be a right sneaky thing when it makes up its mind ter be.”

Harry couldn't help but smile. “Like when you fell for Madame Maxime?”

Hagrid turned bright red. “I reckon so, Harry,” he said as he smile faded a bit.

Harry smiled sympathetically at Hagrid. “I wish she was still here with you, Hagrid. There's nothing you could have done, though; just like there was nothing I could do for Sirius or Dumbledore.”

Hagrid wiped a tear from his eye. “She was the best thing tha' ever happen'd ter me. I wish I coulda've done somethin' ter save her.”

“I know, Hagrid. I wish I could have done something too.”

“So what's new with yeh and `Mione? Can we expect ter have a weddin' sometime soon?”

Harry looked down at his feet and scuffed his feet along the ground while he debated how much to tell Hagrid. Harry took a deep breath and said softly, “there is something I'm working on trying to do for her without her finding out…”

“And what might tha' be, Harry?”

Harry cringed and looked up at Hagrid. “With all due respect, Hagrid, you know that it's really hard for you to keep a secret, so I'm not sure that I should tell you because I really don't want Hermione to find out what I'm up to.”

Hagrid nodded guiltily, but said, “I promise yeh, Harry, I won' tell a soul.”

Harry took another deep breath. “I suppose you'd eventually hear anyway, considering who's dragged it out of me, so I probably should tell you so you get an accurate version of events.

“A little over a month ago, I realized that Hermione and I are more ready to get married than we figured we were. So, I've been trying to figure out for the life of me how to propose.”

Hagrid's face lit up. “Yeh're actually gonna propose ter `Mione?! Tha's wonderful news!”

“You'd like to think that thinking of a way to propose to my best friend of nine years would be easier than it has been.”

“I'm not gonna claim ter be an expert, Harry. I don' have the experience tha' Remus has in love.”

“I know, Hagrid. I wasn't asking you to offer advice or anything; I was just giving you the correct version of the story.”

“`Mione is somethin' else, ain' she?”

Harry smiled dreamily. “She sure is.”

“I don' have ter ask if yeh love her. Yer dad talked about yer mum the same way.”

“I know. Remus told me.”

“'Mione's a special gal. Yeh should do somethin' special for her.”

“I know, Hagrid. I want to. I just can't figure out what that is, though. It would be even better if I can pull it off without her realizing what I'm planning.”

“I wish I coulda bin more helpful, Harry,” Hagrid said apologetically.

Harry stood up placed a hand on Hagrid's shoulder. “Don't worry about it, Hagrid. This is something I need to figure out on my own.”

Harry's eyes lifted as he saw movement outside. The coat and bushy brown hair were very familiar to him.

“Hermione's coming! Remember Hagrid, not a word about what I told you.”

“Upon my honor, Harry. My lips are sealed on tha' subject.”

Harry sat back down and tried to look as calm as possible while they waited for Hermione to knock.

About a minute later, she did so.

“Come in!” Hagrid called towards the door.

Hermione opened the door, walked in, and hung her coat up. “Hi Hagrid, Harry,” she said without turning around.

Hagrid chuckled as Harry shook his head in amazement. “How did you know I was here, Sweetheart?”

“Besides your coat hanging over here, I could smell your scent when I walked in, Hun.”

Harry stood up and walked over to Hermione and gave her a hug and a kiss. “That's my Hermione,” he said affectionately.

Hermione smiled up at him.

Hagrid let a tear drift down his face. “Yeh two look so good together. The two o' yeh look like yeh should get married tomorrow.”

Harry glared at Hagrid, but it went unnoticed by the slack-jawed Hermione.

She turned to look at Harry with an amused expression on her face. “Did you tell him that we were talking about getting married eventually?”

Harry chuckled. “I think it's probably a forgone conclusion that we'll eventually get married, just like Ron and Luna,” Harry said with as straight a face as he could muster.

“It's bin a long time since yeh've been to visit, `Mione,” Hagrid said, handing Hermione a cup of tea.

She took it with a smile of thanks and sat down. “Sorry, Hagrid. Between working and a certain somebody, I've been pretty busy lately.”

Harry whistled innocently, earning an amused glare from Hermione while Hagrid laughed heartily.

“Yeh don' need ter hide it from me, yeh two. I've known for a while tha' the two of yeh are together. The tykes on the other hand…”

Harry reassuringly squeezed Hermione's hand and smiled at her. She leaned her head on his shoulder as she took deep breaths to try to keep herself calm.

Harry looked apologetically at Hagrid. “Touchy subject,” he informed Hagrid.

“Sorry, `Mione. I didn' realize yeh get so worked up about it.”

“That's okay, Hagrid. I tend to overreact to mentions of that incident.”

“So, why'd you come here, Hun?” Harry inquired. “I'm sure you've got a lot of work to do in the castle.”

“I'd stopped by your office to see if you wanted to get some lunch, Hun, but you weren't there and your coat was gone, so I figured you'd be here.”

Harry gave her a squeeze as he smiled at her.

Hagrid smiled as he gazed at them. “Dumbledore always knew tha' the two of yeh would end up together. Too bad he aren' here ter see it for himself.”

Hermione slipped her hand into Harry's and gave it a gentle squeeze, earning a smile from him. “He was a great man and mentor.”

“Yeah, he was,” Harry added.

He looked up at Hagrid. “What do you remember most about him?”

Hagrid sat back in his chair and stroked his beard, then he looked up at Harry. “Dumbledore had a love of all types of music. Magical and Muggle alike. He said tha' music could speak things we didn't have the words to express ourselves.”

Harry leaned back in his chair as he took in what Hagrid had just said. He closed his eyes to think for a moment.

Suddenly, Harry's eyes sprung open and he leaped to his feet.

“Sorry, Hagrid. I just thought of something that I've got to do and I've got to go do it now.” Harry grabbed his coat and quickly put it on.

“Do you want me to come with you, Hun?”

“No, Sweetheart. You can stay here and catch up with Hagrid for a bit. I'll meet you later so we can get a bite to eat.”

“See yeh, Harry. Take care of yehself. Don' be a stranger.”

“I will. I'll be back by sometime soon.”

Harry smiled internally at the look of confusion on Hermione's face as he quickly left Hagrid's hut and hurried back to his office.

Harry softly hummed to himself as he made his way quickly through the corridors.

Once in his office, Harry cast locking and silencing charms on the office. Then, he dug out a clean piece of parchment and began to write frantically as he hummed to himself, occasionally scribbling out something before continuing on, with only the briefest pauses for thought.

A/N: The moment the few of you who've read my story have awaited is near. That's right, folks…the proposal is only an update away! Please let me know what you think Harry's going to do. I enjoy reading guesses by my readers as to where I'm going with my story.