It only took a few days for my and Oliver's routines to resynchronise, and a month had passed by as if Oliver had never been gone.

"Kates …" Oliver whispered into my ear having crept up on me while visiting his parents. His arms found their way around me. "You know I love you, don't you?" I laughed softly as his fingers splayed on my stomach.

"Funny way of showing it," his little sister called through from the kitchen to the hallway where we stood. Oliver tensed a little and growled.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing as Oliver kissed my shoulder, saying loudly, "Excuse me, my love. I'm just away to murder my much younger, much weaker sibling..."

Oliver calmly walked to the entryway of the kitchen. Georgia squealed as Oliver's footsteps quickened. I watched all of this happen without intervening, as did Oliver's mother, who came out into the hall to hand me a mug of coffee and usher me into the kitchen with a smile.

"Sorry about Gi, sweetie. Discretion isn't her strong suit," Eve told me as she watched her two grown children running around outside, Georgia squealing intermittently with every grab that Oliver made for her. We watched in amusement for a moment, before Mrs Wood spoke again. "The only reason she's being so … insolent – myself and her father explicitly told her to keep quiet if she came home this weekend – is because she hated … well, and ..."

"And he was engaged to her?" I asked lightly, watching the steam swirl up from my cup.

"He just wants to do everything right with you. I'm glad he is. But Georgia – she just wants to be a bridesmaid," her mother chuckled. "I believe you could tell that during our shopping trip today?"

"Yeah, after the thirteenth bridal shop, I sort of got the hint ..." I laughed, and Eve patted me on the elbow.

"Thank you for coming with us. I love getting to know you. Oliver spoke so much about you while he was at school – even through the monosyllabic male teen phase. You were one of few topics that he would happily talk about. And far preferable to Quidditch for myself," she laughed. She paused for a moment, watching her two children for a moment. "So I hear your friends Angelina and … Fred? They're having twins?"

I nodded, beaming. "Yep. Due in five months."

"Twins. Now, that would be lovely," she said, meaningfully. I blushed at watched my boyfriend tackle his sister, both laughing.

-break-

I sat alone a while, nursing a coffee, pouring over medical texts in Oliver's childhood bedroom. My assessment was coming up, and I had some free time while Oliver and Georgia were playing Quidditch with Alex, and Eve was making dinner. I thought I'd catch up on some basic anatomy while I was waiting.

The muscles of the shoulder were: trapezium, omohyoid, sternocleidomastoid, deltopectoral, deltoid, perctoralis major, triceps brachii ...

It was very clear to me that the whole world wanted me married to Oliver as soon as possible.

Biceps brachii, latissimus dorsi, serratus, external oblique, teres minor, teres major, supraspinatous, infraspinatous, rhomboideus …

Did they realise I had no control over that? I wasn't going to ask him …

The bones of the shoulder are: humerus, scapula with its projections, acromion, coracoid and glenoid, and clavicle.

It was always like this at Oliver's parents. They'd surely said something to him. I knew the twins and the girls had. I know some of the team have asked.

Ligaments: superior, middle and inferior glenohumeral, coracohumeral, transverse humeral, coraco-acromial.

I felt guilty feeling I did. I knew Oliver was right. But it had always been in the back of my mind that he'd asked Cassie. He had asked her, and he had wanted to marry her. And I knew that he wanted to marry me. But he still hadn't. I couldn't figure out what he was waiting for.

We were young, yes, but we loved each other, didn't we?

I closed the book and put my head on it. "Trying to mind meld with it?" asked the person who was my mind's tormentor at that very moment. I looked up from his childhood bed where I had lain to study. Oliver had walked in with a towel wrapped around his waist and closed the door, going to get changed after his shower. He winked, and my frustration slipped.

This had been my favourite view ever since we'd moved in together. Something about Oliver Wood suited being in just a towel. Who am I kidding? He made my blood pressure sky-rocket.

Oliver came over and took my book from under my chin, placing it on the chair next to the bed, and sat next to me with his bare back against the wall. "Come here," he said softly, stroking my hair. I crawled into his arms and onto his towel covered lap. He wrapped his arms around me, kissing my temple. "You okay?"

"I'm always okay when you're dressed like that," I said, not checking myself before I said it.

His arms drew me closer, as he said, "Is that so?" His voice was teasing, but his lips on mine were not. Searing would be a better description.

My fingers butterflied over his shoulders as he held my lips to him, crushing my hair between his fingertips. He kissed with everything he had, and it made me breathless. His fingers trembled somewhere around my ribs, pulling me into him as if he wanted me to be inside his chest. Like he wanted everything. And I gave. My legs, being too in the way over his lap, straddled him, threading my fingers through his hair and trailed down to his chest. His lips curved up into a smile as he continued to kiss me. Curious, I pulled away, just enough. My forehead rested against his, his breath hot on my lips. He was smirking, but his lips still tried to capture mine again, his eyes hot and dark.

"What?" I asked, not letting him pull me under again.

He gave a little laugh, before smoothing the soft curls of my dark hair away from my face. "I was just thinking that if my teenage self knew what was happening in his bedroom right now, he would want a high five." I tittered quietly, as Oliver's arms held me up against him, my abdomen pressing against his chest. "You're just … amazing," he said with wonder in his eyes. "I love you, Katie," he said, his eyes fervent, serious, looking up at me.

My hair tickled at his shoulders as I leant over him, placing a kiss on his forehead. "I love you too, Oliver."

His eyes shone for a moment, before he quickly smiled, pulling me down and meeting my lips once more.

"You know," he said, brushing my mouth with his,"If we weren't in my parent's house, I would definitely not be wearing this towel right now."

Staring into his eyes, my mouth still over his, my hands trailed over the hair which began at his navel. His eyes darkened microscopically then all at once with every inch. I settled at his hipbones, where his towel clung, and traced the line which disappeared beneath. I watched as he tried not to groan. "You know, I think you might be right?" I offered teasingly. His hands gripped my hips as he kissed me again, desperation lingering on his tongue.

He pulled away, moaning, "Cruel woman!"

"I try," I breathed into his ear and watched as he shuddered.

"Merlin, please help my self control ..."

I cradled his face, kissing his nose. "Sorry, love. Too much fun."

"Tell me about it," he offered regretfully. "I'm starting to really resent my mum for having put anti-locking charms on or bedroom doors when we were teens."

I smiled at him, climbing off his lap and kissing his cheek, getting off the bed and holding out my hand to pull him upwards. "Come on, dinner will be ready soon. You need to get dressed. Although, I'd much rather you wear that ..."

"Stop it," he laughed. "Do you have any idea how much I'm having to keep myself in check here?" I grinned cheekily, kissing his chest as he playfully wrapped an arm around my shoulders hand pulled my head towards him to kiss my hair. "You're so beautiful."

I placed a hand on his chest, and said seriously, "So are you." He rolled his eyes at me, and kissed me again, before letting me go and started to get dressed.

-break-

"Oliver," I said, a little later that day when we'd returned home from Oliver's parents. The day had been filled with so many nudges into marriage that I felt bruised. Dinner consisted of Oliver's mum and little sister deciding on the flowers we'd have at out wedding, and what music I'd walk down the aisle to. I needed to feel a little less claustrophobic … just for a while. "Take me flying." His surprised, wide eyes met mine for several seconds, and he said nothing. "Please?" I asked bashfully.

"Okay," he said quietly, as if he thought if he said any more, or any louder, I would change my mind. I nodded seriously. Silently, he took my hand, and helped me up from the couch, leading me through the house to the back garden and out to the pitch. "Um … Kates?" Oliver said softly as we stood on the pitch, illuminated slightly by the pitch-side lights.

"Yes?" I asked, apprehensively looking at the expensive broom Oliver rested against his body.

"Can I ask … why it's been so long?" he asked, ghosting my clavicle with his fingertips.

I bit my lip and looked at him fleetingly, before diverting my gaze to the dusky sky. "Being thrown into the air by a curse somehow changes your perspective on flying. There's a vulnerability, you know? Like you're not in control. And I know from experience that feeling like that … even being unaware of it at the time – it's really the worst feeling in the world." I blew out a lungful of air. "I knew after my last match at Hogwarts … I knew I hated that feeling." He let the broom drop – something which was seriously out of character for Oliver – and cradled my head to his chest and kissed the top of my head. Just like he used to when we were kids. I knew this was an apology for not being there … not protecting me. Not knowing that I would be Imperiused and then be sent screaming into the air by a cursed necklace. My fingers found his ribs, telling him silently that it wasn't his fault. He couldn't blame himself for that. He threaded is hands in my dark hair, but evidently couldn't speak, as he opened his mouth to speak twice, but no sound came. "I'm okay," I said into his skin. He held me a little tighter in response.

"It's different for me – flying," he said. "I mean … nothing like what happened to you with … Nothing like that happened to me. I was only hit twice, during the War. I wasn't cursed with any of the Unforgivables … Although if I could have been instead of you, I … well, you know what I would have done, Katie.

"Flying – to me – it's just sheer freedom. Unadulterated, blissful freedom. The kind you can't experience doing anything else."

"I miss feeling like that," I said, and picked up his broom, before looking at him sheepishly. "Um … do you mind coming with me? I think I'll feel safer with you." His eyes were kind as he silently took the broom from me, and kissed me chastely. With a skill only a professional could attempt, Oliver swept himself onto his Firebolt and swirled effortlessly into the air. "Hey! Show off!" I could hear him laughing as he rocketed upwards into the setting sun. I couldn't help but beam every time I caught sight of Oliver's gleeful, serene face as he dove and volleyed in the air. He skimmed the grass with his fingertips as he twirled around me. And again, with skill that only a professional could possess, swept me off of my feet and sat me between his knees in front of him. I yelped in surprise and clung to the broomstick with a death grip. Too fast. Too fast! "Oliver!"

One of his hands splayed on my stomach soothingly, while the other held my hands on the broom and pulled upwards to slow the offending object. We were only a few metres off the ground, but I could feel my heartbeat pound at my ribs. "Try to breathe, sweetheart." His breath was warm on my neck. He wasn't teasing, just merely reminding me of basic life skills which I had evidently forgotten. "I've got you."

Slowly, as we lapped the pitch, the fear that had been clawing away somewhere around my navel let up. I still felt sick, but I knew I was calming down. Oliver could feel that I was, and hugged me a little tighter, nuzzling his face in my hair in obvious glee. I lifted a little higher, soaring upwards into the darkening sky. Hours, days … maybe minutes passed. I had no concept of time, free in the sky with my Oliver.

"Hey, I need to run into the house quickly. Can you fly down?" he asked, breaking my reverie, placing a gentle kiss on the skin of my shoulder. Without answering, I directed the broomstick down. Oliver jumped off when it was still about a metre from the ground. I laughed at his antics as I swirled upwards again.

It felt like I remembered it. Back when I loved flying. It surprised me how quickly everything came rushing back. But it was like they'd always said. You never forget how to ride a broomstick.

I was happier than I could ever remember being. I got my dream job, and it still lives up to everything I thought it would be. I have a beautiful home. My mum and I are good. My friends are amazing, and happy, and married. And I had Oliver.

Oliver appeared again on the grass below, hands in his pockets, just watching me as I gracefully swept through the lightly moonlit sky, the January dusk falling quickly. I could see his golden eyes glimmering in the falling darkness, and I smiled contentedly at the sight. As I neared him, he held his hand for me to take, and I did, slowing the broom to a halt, and climbing down into Oliver's arms.

"You looked amazing," he whispered into my hair, hugging me close.

"It felt amazing," I told him.

"Kates, I have something to ask you."

"Yes?" I asked, as he pulled away.

He took a deep breath, looking at me with the strangest look in his eye. "Katie. I have been in love with you for almost ten years. I never thought, when I was fourteen and basically terrified of making eye contact with you, never mind talking to you, that someday I would be here; in love with you, and you loving me back. I couldn't have even dreamed that back then. You were my best friend, and remain to be, and to me you are the most important person that exists on this planet.

"My entire life has always been Quidditch. I've been flying for as long as I can remember, but I still remember my first flight – my first memory. Three years old, and on the front of my dad's broom. What I felt then – total exhilaration, and freedom, and bliss – that's what I feel when I'm with you. I know that sounds ridiculous, but it's my best explanation of how you make me feel. You are everything. You are the best thing that ever happened to me, and I am so grateful that we found each other – the first time, at school, and when we found each other again.

"The five years we lost … they all seem forgotten. It's like my entire being was in hiatus until you came back into my life, and then there you were … and I was me again. I never stopped loving you. Never. And I never will." He looked down, away from my shocked eyes. "I'm not saying all this because everyone keeps pushing us. This isn't even how I planned to ask. This is just me … just asking you ..."

His voice fell away as he looked up at me to see that there were tears in my eyes. Smiling softly, he brushed away the first tear that fell, before falling down on one knee in front of me. He took a little blue box from his pocket, and opened it, looking down at the beautifully intricate silver, diamond ring held within, then up at me.

"Kathryn Bell … Kates. Will you marry me?"

I fell to my knees with him, tears falling from my eyes. He watched me apprehensively as I did so, and I sobbed, knowing then that he was actually nervous about my answer. I laughed through my tears at the ridiculousness of that, and buried my face in my hands, crying. I took a moment to almost compose myself, but as soon as I looked again at him, I cried harder and threw myself at him, knocking us both backwards onto the grass.

"Yes," I managed to cry into his neck, between sobs and hiccoughs. "I'll marry you."

He pulled back, tears in his own eyes, and he kissed me. "Thank you," he said, trying to bite back his tears and to sweep mine away.

"I love you," I wept, clinging to him.

He smiled, placing another kiss on my trembling lips. He took my left hand, and, removing the ring from its box, slid it onto my waiting finger. "Oh Katie ... you have no idea." He kissed the ring on my finger and finally let one tear roll down his cheek.

THE END.

Yes, so. There it is. About ten years in the making itself. (Not really. About half of that). I want to say thank you to everyone who read this, past and present. You guys are amazing. I hoped you liked the last chapter, and I hope I didn't leave too many loose ends. There may be a prologue to come in the future, anyway. There are Weasley and Wood babies to occur.

I love you all.

xx