Based on the challenge at HPFanFic.Net by silent_self_slanderess. To review this fanfiction either Email me or leave a review at HPFanFic.net.

Till Death Do Us Part

Chapter One: Engagement

With a groan, and a small snapping sound, Harry Potter stood up out of the shabby bed that he'd gotten from the Dursley's. He sighed as, with obvious contempt, he looked around the room that he was staying in, the room that was offered until Godric's Hollow was rebuilt to its previous splendor. You might wonder, if you had any sense of awe, why he was doing such. Obviously, anyone who knows who the 21 year old was would ask why he was staying in a one bedroom apartment about 93 Diagon Alley.

The answer is simple, really. Harry Potter, for all his fame and fortune, was a simple man. He rarely accepted the things in life at anything other than face value and, on the occasion that he did, gave it the proper amount of skepticism due. Really, though, no one could blame him. After all that this young man had been through, including the entire Voldemort fiasco, and the absolute hordes of women and, on occasion gay men that wanted to gain some small note of symbolism by gaining his affection, it was no wonder he stayed away as long as he had.

But, as always, what is known to one person is not always known to the others. So is the life of Nymphadora Tonks, the lovely metamorphmagus who had stolen his heart before anyone ever had the chance to gain it. He smiled as he fingered the box lying in his coat pocket, his thoughts straying to the woman that held the keys to his heart.

Said woman, who was living in an apartment above Platform nine and three-quarters, was on duty. As an auror, it was her duty to be on the lookout for anything strange and suspicious.

Harry grinned as he found the matching shirt and leather pants that was bought by Tonks for his 20 birthday from Lillibett's Leathers. His face flushed as he saw the object of his desire standing down on the sidewalk in Diagon Alley. Grinning impishly he put the pants on, affectively getting the feel of a second skin with the built in warming and cooling charms. Sighing in relief he walked down.

Placing his father's invisibility cloak around himself, Harry grinned as he stepped into the alley that centralized the wizarding British community. Walking over to the woman, who incidentally had been standing under his window, Harry brushed his not yet visible hand across the small of her back.

The auror jumped and drew her wand as the cloak dropped. She gasped, causing a small disturbance in the alley's atmosphere. As the silence of the alley dawned on them, Harry paled and she grinned before he said, "Want to go out with me tonight?"

The silence returned as a wave of groupies screamed at once, even a couple of Veela in their natural forms, and all of them were glaring daggers at the woman. She gulped but nodded and said, "sure."

He grinned. "I'll meet you at your place, Tonks."

She smirked and nodded, knowing he knew full well where she stayed. "Fine, meet me there about four thirty?"

The man grinned, and disapparated leaving Tonks with an angry crowd, especially the female population that had such high hopes.

At exactly 4:30 she heard a pop telling her that someone had just disapparated into her home. She smiled and went out, dressed in street clothes, but stopped as she noticed his form of dress. She gave a wide grin and ran back in her room changing. Harry looked around her apartment in amusement.

After ten minutes Harry smiled when she re-entered the room wearing a black dress made of the best silk. With a grin on his face, Harry remembered the first time he'd seen that dress. It was when they attended the wedding of Severus Snape and Minerva McGonagall. He smiled as she stepped closer to him. Offering his arm to her, Harry gave a small gasp when she connected with him and drew closer to his body, resting her head on his shoulder.

"So, Harry, wotcher and all that. Where are we going tonight?"

He smiled, his other hand playing with the box, his memories of the past few months coming back to him.

He was standing, very much enamored with the woman currently standing in front of him. Her features where a soft, silky mix. Her hair stood at a wonderful brunette and her skin was the color of cr�me. She wasn't wearing any makeup, as Harry could tell she had just got off the job. She was an auror, as he learned during the war, and therefore unable to wear things on the job that would draw attention to herself.

"So Tonks, will you go out with the guy that saved the world?" he asked her with a small chuckle. She smirked, "where, I don't see that sexy, vivacious and wonderfully good looking Ronald Weasley!"

His face fell in instant abandon as he thought through the underlying message that, once again, he was missing out on love because of his best friend. As he turned to leave, his arm was dragged around and a pair of soft, velvety lips was pressed against his. Opening his eyes, wanting to look into the face of the kisser, Harry was surprised to see the woman of his dreams.

He looked at the clock on the wall and apparated, grabbing her hand. They were outside of the restaurant that Harry had reserved. Smiling as he took her by the hand, they walked side by side into the Velvet Mistress.

He smiled and said, "The Velvet Mistress."

Her eyes must have given away her anticipation as he hurriedly grabbed her hand and the two shared a brief kiss before apparating away. As they approached the restaurant, that sense of "not right" came back to the auror. He watched her grip tighten on her wand so drew soft, encouraging circles on the back of her hand. It visibly calmed the inner auror.

Waiting, as always, the waiter let the duo pass the large line, to the dismay of many people until they realized the identity of the offending person. A squeal of happiness came from the large line as Hermione and Ron Weasley, married right before the Professors McGonagall-Snape, gave a large sigh of relief. At once the group made to enter the restaurant, allowed unrestricted by the staff of the fine establishment.

As a new waiter entered the room, the group silenced. "Hello sir and miss, I am Geoffrey, your waiter this evening. How may I be of assistance?"

Motioning to the woman in the front of him, Harry smiled. She looked at the brochure that stood in front of them magically suppressed and highlighted the meal for two. It was a large platter of Garlic Rosemary Shrimp, perfectly buttered to a golden crisp. For a side the duo ordered a wonderful tossed salad and for the dessert, Harry smiled and ordered a Chocolate Lava Cake. The girl looked confused for a second before Harry excused himself, smirking, and went to the bathroom for a sec.

She was gone, he come back to find. Not that he was worried, she'd be back in a few minutes. He was right, as she had come back her hair had been fixed up into a bun, she had a small amount of makeup on, and she was red with embarrassment. Harry smiled at her, mouthing a soft, "Love you".

She smiled back. As the plate of shrimp appeared, Harry looked into her eyes. Lifting the first shrimp to her lips, Harry watched them spread apart and he placed the shellfish on her tongue. When she closed her lips around it, Harry gulped and pulled out. The shrimp meat was done. Alternating, she did the same, ending the long, drawn out session with a kiss for his trouble.

Sometime between the meals, the lights had dimmed to both people's bewilderment. Harry's because he was now nervous for some reason. When the salad came out, baby tomatoes adorned it. Harry smiled, and picked up one of the small red balls between his thumb and index finger. He smiled as she took the tomato, her lips surrounding his index finger's tip as she sucked the tomato out of his fingers and a kiss was placed on top of the said finger. He blushed as he adorned her lovingly.

Finally, the piece de resistance. He smiled as the chocolate lava cake came out of the back. The waiter that had greeted them offered Harry the cake. Attached was a loving candle, representing their first six months together, on one part of the cake. He symbolically cut into this piece and offered it to her, as before. As she bit into the cake, Harry smiled when a firm clunk was heard as her teeth bit into something, hard.

She dragged out the round item and gasped. Harry took it from her and knelt down on one knee. She gasped as he took her hand and smiled. "Nymphadora Tonks, I have loved you since the moment I met you, a gangly kid with the weight of the world on his back and a vivacious, if not clumsy, auror witch. When we learned of my being a metamorphmagus, I could not help but be relieved, if only to spend time with you. When I did, and the lessons came, I was ecstatic because I got to spend time with the one person that made my life worth living. If not for you, and those months after Sirius passed, I would not have made it. You've been my anchor and my shield for a long time.

Now, it is my wish to show you that the love you've shown me is returned, and amplified. I am asking now, in front of our family and friends. Nymphadora Tonks, will you do me the honor of accepting my proposal? Will you be my bride? Will you marry me?"

His answer, a soft whisper of "yes."