Resilience, that's the key apparently. At least that's what the healers and the family keep telling her and she is trying, really she is but it's hard. Nearly three months have passed since she was told that she would recover and Christmas was fast approaching but she was still in her chair. Granted she had been able to stand a couple of weeks ago, with support and only for a few minutes, and she was able to move her feet and toes freely now but it frustrated her that she still couldn't walk and it worried her that they had been wrong, that there would be other things wrong with her too. Every night she wheels herself out to her tree, her's and Charlie's tree, and Bill's she supposed, and sat looking up at the sky and praying that she would get her legs back soon and every night Charlie would find her there when he came back from work and coax her inside.

Tonight was no exception and he sighs slightly as he leaves the warmth of the house and steps out into the frost of the night, able to see the slight glow from the candles she has hovering around her.

"Hey Princess," he whispers as he bends to kiss her and she smiles sweetly up at him.

"Hi," she murmurs back and for a moment they are both silent, enjoying the stillness of the night together.

"It's cold out here Princess we should go inside," he says quietly after a while and she sighs again as she turns to him.

"I always feel like I'm getting under everyones feet when I'm inside," she replies in a whisper and he crouches in front of her grasping her hands in his as he tries to get her attention.

"Sasha, you are not getting in anyone's way I promise you that but I understand that it is getting a little cramped at home with us all here, how about we start looking for a place for after christmas?" he asks and she looks at him fully now her eyes betraying her shock and apprehension.

"Together? Like you and me, a place for us to live together on our own?" she asks breathlessly and he laughs even as he tucks a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yes princess, you and me together, just like we would have been in Romania," he smiles and her brain takes a little while to catch up with her furiously blushing face.

"Oh… I guess that makes sense. You really want to? With just the two of us even though I still can't walk again yet?" she asks and he sighs deeply before leaning forwards and kissing her gently before trailing kisses down her neck.

"Sasha when we you believe me when I tell you that I love you no matter what? Of course I want to live with you, I want everything with you and I want forever with you," he murmurs and she wraps her arms around his neck pulling his face back to hers so she can kiss him.

"I love you more," she whispers into his lips a little breathlessly and he chuckles again before moving to stand.

"Not possible princess," he whispers as he begins pushing her chair back towards the house.

Christmas day dawns bright and clear and with a thin layer of perfect white snow on the ground. It is beautiful and by the time the sun has risen into the sky the whole household is in full swing. The order of the day was set out last week by Mrs Weasley and sent out to all family members so they knew where to be and what to do. It had to be done this way with a family so big and Sasha had already heard Bill and Fleur and the twins floo in as they all began gathering in the living room for breakfast rolls and tea and present opening.

"You ready princess?" Charlie says from the doorway and she turns to look at him and laughs a little at the childish excitement on his face.

"Not quite, you go down and I'll call for you when I'm ready," she replies and so with a quick kiss he sprints down to join his brothers and the rest of the family. Sasha, still smiling, turns back to mirror and sighs a little. She had a surprise for the family this morning, she was going to walk in to the living room in a minute and she really hoped she was strong enough to get all the way there. She had been practicing so hard the last few weeks. Every time she went out to the garden by herself or was left alone she would try to stand and walk a step or two and now she was almost certain she could make it and she so wanted them to be happy and for them to see her better. Looking down at her outfit of black skinny jeans and the traditional Weasley jumper, a tradition she loved more than she could say, she takes one last deep breath and pushes against the table to stand up. Her progress isn't exactly speedy and she worries more than once that her legs were going to give out but she manages to make it to the bottom of the stairs without anyone noticing and she can hear them all chattering in the living room as she pauses outside for a moment to get her breath back.

"Where's Sash?" George asks from inside and she can hear Charlie explaining that she was still getting ready.

"How is my little whirlwind doing?" Bill asks as he approaches his little brothers and they both grin at the nickname,

"She's doing so well Bill, you'd be proud, she's working really hard at her rehab and I think she'll be walking again in no time," Charlie smiles before spinning around as he hears the gasps of her name and stops short as he sees her standing in the doorway. tears springing to his eyes as he sees her, her face full of a beautiful beaming smile of pride.

"Surprise," she says walking unsteadily into the room and twirling slowly, several of the family members jumping forward as she wobbles slightly before sinking into a chair with a sigh of relief, "still need to work on my stamina a bit," she giggles and Charlie is brought back to life as he leaps forward and pulls her up and into his arms.

"You did it!" he cries out swinging her round and burying his head against her neck, "I'm so proud of you Sash," he whispers so only she can hear and a blush rises on her cheeks even as she holds him tighter.

The joy that day is palpable in the Weasley household and not one member of the family can remember being happier. Everyone is there to celebrate and the family felt truly complete and safe and content as they sat around on mismatched furniture and shared gifts. Of course Ron had been running late which drove Hermione insane not understanding how someone who still lives in the house could the be the last one to be ready and that in turn made everyone else laugh at how perfectly mismatched the couple were. Harry had a smile of peaceful contentment plastered across his face the whole day, Ginny close by his side also looking happy and fulfilled. Throughout the morning gifts are exchanged (several then confiscated as Sasha exclaims that she had told the twins they weren't allowed to give shop products to the family for christmas) this of course turned out to be a fabulous double bluff as Percy and Ron then both tuck into a box of sweets Sasha had given them thinking they would be safe only to turn into a turtle and a rabbit respectively. Needless to say Mrs Weasley went mad, although there was a tell tale smirk trying to break through and the rest of the family could barely breathe for laughing. Even when, after five minutes both brothers became human again they couldn't quite stay mad at her.

"I'm starting to think you are worse than the twins princess," Charlie whispered to her as she wiped away tears of mirth from her cheeks.

"Did you see his little turtle specks though?" she exclaimed peeling off into another round of giggles and not one member of the family could stop themselves from laughing along with her. It derails the whole morning to the point where Mrs Weasley exclaims that they all needed to help prepare the table for dinner and then they could continue presents later. As she says this she gives Bill and Charlie a wink which Sasha is oblivious too and suddenly the whole family is bustling around.

"Come on titch lets go for a quick walk," Bill says appearing beside her and helping her up. Slowly they make their way outside and down to their tree and by the time they reach it she is leaning heavily on him for support, her legs still too weak to handle much. She sinks onto the bench there without really even noticing it at first which makes Bill chuckle a little as he watches her. Soon enough though she focuses on her surroundings and suddenly sees that she is sitting on a beautifully ornate bench surrounded by tiny flickering candles that floated in the air around them and it made her gasp.

"What's going on Bill?" she asks in a whisper and he simply smiles his eyes shifting behind her for a second before he moves to sit next to her.

"Sash, from the second you flew straight into this tree I knew you were going to be a part of this family and you have become so much more than that over the years. You are my best friend, you are the person I can tell anything, the one I can trust with my deepest secrets and I love you. I will always be by your side to protect you and be your family. Always," he finishes his little speech and kisses her on the forehead and then before she can say anything he gets up and Percy takes his place.

"Percy… I…" she is confused as to what is going on here and for a second thinks that this may be revenge for the pranks but the look on his face says otherwise.

"Sasha, I'm not very good at all this stuff, you know that, I've been a fairly terrible brother, a pretty rubbish part of this family to everyone, including you. I should have done more, I should always have done more but I need you to know that I will be better and that despite the tricks, I know you are the one with the brains, my brothers are clever but there's no way they're smart enough to come up with a transfiguration chocolate," he chuckles and she blushes a little ducking her head and then sensing movement looks up to see the twins beside her.

"Okay what is going on?" she asks and they both laugh,

"Can't tell you that ruin…"

"The surprise," Fred finishes for his brother with a smirk, "listen Sash, there's not much for us to say that hasn't been said over the last few months to be honest but let us just reiterate, you are our third part,"

"You make us a trio and without you we wouldn't work, that and we'd lose a ton of money," George finishes and they both laugh as she jokingly moves to hit them and they jump out of the way disappearing into the night and being replaced with Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny and this time she stays silent as she waits for them to speak.

"Listen Sash," Ron starts stumbling over his words until with a good humoured frustration Hermione steps in for him.

"You've saved our lives more times than any of us can count or care to remember and even though you never got the credit most of the time, no, all of the times that we won, that we beat him it was down to you and we need you to know that we're grateful for that. I need you to know that I have always looked up to you, that everything I do is to make you proud that I was always trying to be as good as you," she finishes with a blush and turns into Ron slightly as he nods his head in agreement.

"Sash, I told you how important you were to me back during the war when we were forced to speak and nothings changed, I love you like a sister. You are my sister and I will never stop seeing you that way," he says this almost fiercely and she has to fight the tears as emotion threatens to overwhelm her. Ginny then moves forward and pulls her into a tight hug.

"I love you sis," is all she says but it is enough and the dam is very nearly overspilling as the four of them move away and now she is faced with Mr and Mrs Weasley. Molly is already weeping and that makes a few tears break free and make a path down her furiously blushing cheeks. Arthur squeezes his wife hand as he steps forward knowing that she would not be able to speak.

"Our little Sasha," he murmurs as he pulls her to stand, holding onto her hands, "you have been through so much, so many terrible things and throughout it all you have remained strong," he pauses her and she cringes a little wanting to interrupt him and remind him that she hadn't been strong at all, that she had locked herself away and broken for a long time. That it was actually them that had been strong the whole time but she doesn't have the heart to stop him. "We know that we can never replace your parents, we would never want to but you have always been our daughter and we will be honoured to continue being whatever you need us to be," he finishes turning her gently and stepping back as she suddenly finds herself facing Charlie who is on one knee holding a ring towards her.

It takes a second for her brain to catch up with what is going on and is it does she gasps, her hands flying up to her mouth.

"I have been in love with you for a really, really long time Sash, since before I even knew what it was and I can't imagine going through a second of this life without you so… Sasha, my little dragon tamer, my princess will you please do me the honour of making me the happiest man that has ever lived? Will you marry me?" he asks, breathless as he finishes speaking and waits for her answer. Tears are spilling over her hands that still clasped over her mouth as she begins to nod her head, her legs barely holding her up anymore as she finally moves her hands and whispers her answer.

"Yes," she murmurs over and over again and then she is in her arms and the ring is on her finger and she is spun around and the whole family are shouting and whooping and laughing.