I ain't got no future or family tree [Rosaline]

...but I know what a prince and lover ought to be.

Michael had thought long and hard about whether or not he was going to be able to do this. Things were going so well in his life, it seemed stupid to ask for more, but at the same time, Michael wanted more. They had never really talked about marriage before, being married to each other. They had been together for a while—had it been over a year already?—and sometimes said things about what they would like to do together in the (distant) future, but marriage was a big step, and he was asking her a lot by bothering to bring it up. His worst fear was that she would blow him off, tell him they weren’t serious because he was a muggleborn, and it would ruin their relationship. That was completely possible. Best case scenario, though, he married the woman he loved and they lived happily ever after, just like the stories. He hoped the actual reaction would be somewhere in-between, but closer to a ‘yes’ than a ‘no’.

Mikey was pretty good at reading people, in all truth. He could tell she loved him, even if she never really said it out loud. He could tell by the way they interacted, by the things that went unsaid, little touches, and the way she cuddled with him after they were intimate. He could tell she was closer to him than probably she’d ever been with another lover. She trusted him and was okay being vulnerable. He didn’t peg her as that type, really. Michael didn’t know how he would have been with another lover, as she had been his first and only. Ever since they began, he hadn’t considered even trying to find someone else, even when they were not official. He didn’t want anyone else. At this point, he had a feeling Gwen could dance naked in front of him and he wouldn’t even be enticed. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted Rose. Not just for now, but forever.

He had bought her a ring, something delicate and simple, though not cheap. He wasn’t sure if she would like it, so they could certainly go ring-shopping together after0the-fact, but he didn’t think the proposal would mean as much without a ring. Without a ring, it was just a question. They had reservations for a magical dinner cruise, which wasn’t necessarily more extravagant than usual for them. He thought of all the cliché ways to propose, and didn’t want to do any of them. He wanted something simple. He would dine with her, take her for a walk under the moonlight over the water, drink some champagne, and then get down on one knee. He had wanted to spring for a private dinner cruise, but thought that might be a bit conspicuous. As such, there would be several other couples joining them. He hoped none of them watched him too terribly closely, as he was clearly nervous.

He was dressed nicely, in a suit and tie, as he met Rosaline at her door and apparated them to the dock. His palms were sweating a bit, but he tried to keep his cool. He’d been planning this for a while, and he wouldn’t have bothered if he didn’t think she would say yes to him. He smiled up at her. “Have you ever been on a dinner cruise before?” He asked, as they stood outside of the large ship, waiting for entrance. “I haven’t, I think it’ll be fun. Very memorable.” He coughed lightly as he realized he’d given her a hint. He didn’t mean to act weird, he just couldn’t help it.

“I heard about it in the Prophet, and decided we had to try it. I heard the food was very good, too. They apparently have a famous chef on board cooking. He apparently trained in France, which doesn’t mean much. I don’t care for the French, but they do cook well.” He grinned, giving her hand a little squeeze. She was beautiful. How did he get so lucky?

@Rosaline Bane

Rosaline Bane was in love with a muggleborn. It had taken her some time to reconcile herself with this fact, but it had been true for months. She knew that her family would never approve of him; certainly not her grandfather. However, she was determined. She had a plan, and took her time in her calculations. She could not afford for anything to go wrong, as it could very well cost her and her lover both their lives. After all, she was about to destroy the result of years of planning by the Bane and Stringfellow families. Her grandfather had arranged with Basil's family for them to marry.

Initially, she had almost been willing to follow through with it. She had wanted to desperately to please her family and uphold her duty. She just couldn't do it. Not only did she deserve to be happy with the man that she loved, but Basil deserved someone who was actually in love with him. Rose had always cared deeply for him and likely would always would. She just could not bring herself to marry him. She hadn't even told Michael about her family's plans. She was afraid that he'd assume the worst-- that she was somehow ashamed of him and that she would choose Basil. She took off her ring when they were together.

Michael had told her to wear something nice, and so she had chosen a nude colored lace and chiffon dress with nude heels to match. She couldn't help but to admire her lover in his suit and tie. He looked good.

"I have been on a couple of cruises, though never this particular one." Rosaline replied with a smile, looking over at him then as he spoke. He really was beautiful. "French food is very good, yes." Goodness, she was a lucky woman. "Though I do like French culture as well. I have an apartment in Paris."

“Do you?” Michael asked. He thought that he probably ought to know this by now, but, apparently, he’d forgotten. “You know, I went to Beauxbatons for a year.” He reminded her. That wasn’t exactly the best time of his life, but it was applicable in the conversation. “I was sorted into Ombrelune, which was definitely the best house. It was weird there, though, everything was so artistic and musical, and I felt a bit like I was in some alternate dimension. Nothing was useful.” He complained, taking her hand and leading her up the dock towards the boat. He paused halfway to show the tickets to the steward, and then he led her the rest of the way aboard.

“My grandmother speaks French and gave me a crash course just before I went there, but of course she couldn’t help me well enough. I barely understood anything going on in that school. Like I said, another dimension.” He shrugged. “But let’s just say I’m glad to be back. I almost stayed there, despite everything, but then I probably wouldn’t have met you, so it was good that I came back.” He left out the part about Gwen, knowing the other girl was a touchy subject for Rose. Of course, they had discussed Gwen, even in some detail, but the less they spoke of her, the better. Rose didn’t need to be afraid of ghosts in his past.

“You look beautiful tonight, you know. That dress looks incredible. I bet it cost a hundred galleons.” He teased. “Of course, you always look incredible, and you know it, huh?” He joked. “You know exactly what you do to me, and you love doing it.” He grinned. He offered her his arm, rather than his hand, once they were on board, and he made his way towards the alcohol as soon as he possibly could. “Dinner won’t start for another hour, so let’s just get a glass of champagne and find a nice spot to watch the ship go out.” He suggested. He went up to the bar and paid for two glasses of their nicest champagne, and then brought it back to her.

“To a unforgettable night, right babe?” He suggested, lifting his glass.

That hadn't been a good year. To be honest, at the time, Rose had not really noticed Michael's absence. Back then, he'd just been some muggleborn abomination. So much had changed since then. She had changed since then. To be honest, she barely felt like the same girl. She gave a small smile and nodded along as he spoke about Beauxbatons. "Yes, but I've heard that the campus is beautiful." She gave his hand a small squeeze when he took it, giving a polite smile to the stewards as they passed them and Michael displayed their tickets for the stewards' approval.

He had really outdone himself this time.

Rosaline was glad that he had decided to come back to England, after all, though she wasn't sure if she would have done the same had she been in his shoes. The war had impacted her, yes, but not quite like it had impacted him and other muggleborns. She felt guilty for her family's part in it, and was doing her best to be better now.

She smiled brightly at her lover's compliments, looking over at him. He was beautiful, too, whether he knew it or not. "That I do." Her smile widened into a grin as she took his arm. She had never meant for this to happen, but she was glad that it had. He made her want to be a better person. However, he also knew exactly when to indulge her vices. Like now, as he was leading them both right to the alcohol. "Champagne sounds perfect."

She watched as he got their glasses, and thanked him upon his return. "To an unforgettable night." She smiled warmly at him, lifting her glass before bringing it to her lips. Oh, it tasted divine! "I'm really very impressed with you, tonight. This is nice."