a/n – here it is, folks! I can't believe we made it to the end. This is the first story I have finished in years and it felt great to get back into writing. Thank you to all that have read it. See y'all soon!

This love is good
This love is bad
This love is alive back from the dead,
These hands had to let it go free, and
This love came back to me.

this love – taylor swift

There's a draft coming through the window that makes her wake up shivering. Of course, it's her own fault because she didn't close her window last night.

Of course, she couldn't have because she was more focused on Harry professing his love as she tried to get them to walk in a straight line from the pub and then was worried about getting his boots off and getting him into bed. He must've woken up at some point of the night and showered and change, because he's wearing clean pajamas.

It's not like they had a reason to celebrate, her team is officially on the losing side of the season and Harry has a weekend mission coming up. But as they stood at the post game party in the middle of the pub, she couldn't have cared about anything else except the way her hand fit in his palm.

It's the day before Christmas in December of 2000 and Harry's body is behind her in their bed. Because it's now their bed. It's been since early February when they realized they couldn't keep track of their belongings, so might as well move in together instead of having to pop up at each other's places every morning looking for something. And because they both realized there was no point in delaying the inevitable, them living together, making a home of their own. Maybe her mother had a minor heart attack when they announced they would move in together with no ring, but then Percy got engaged to Audrey and that distracted her.

She gave Harry a potion the night before, so he will not have a hangover. She pulls another blanket over them and after a quick glance at the clock that confirms it's only seven, she decides to lay back down for a bit longer. They are going to Shell Cottage with the entire family to have an early celebration for Victoire's first Christmas since Bill and his family are leaving for France early tomorrow morning.

Harry stirs behind her and runs his hand under her night shirt. It grazes her scar, but he doesn't recoil anymore.

"If you think you're getting any," she tells him turning around and putting her arms around his neck. "You are very wrong."

"Hey" he answers. "I just want to hug my girlfriend, is that illegal?"

"I don't know you're the Auror, you tell me. Also, we need to start getting ready soon."

"Alright," he answers but makes no effort to move.

Ginny doesn't move either. Instead, she inspects his face. His lashes long and dark, his scar a little lighter than it was last year, his hair longer than usual on his foreheads.

"Ginny?" he calls with his eyes still closed.

"Mhm."

He finally opens his eyes and sits up, dragging her with him.

"I…"

He pauses and frowns like he's trying to get his next words out. Harry now sees Healer Khan once a week and Ginny has even joined him in a couple of sessions. And more importantly, he's trying. He tries to communicate and be honest and navigates the line between being protective and paranoid and sometimes that is enough for Ginny, that he never stops trying.

"Ginny," he continues. "I used to be so scared. And I don't think I will ever not be scared something is going to happen and we will lose this, but if I'm going to be scared, then I'll take being scared with you."

Oh. It clicks for her.

"Harry, what are you doing?"

He scrambles out of bed to the armoire they now share. Though Ginny has taken over most of the drawers.

When he comes back, he lays a box next to Ginny. It's a jewelry box. A ring box.

"Oh." She doesn't remember how to speak.

He opens the box and there is a thin gold band with a pearl.

"I never thought I would have a future, and now I know I do and I can even imagine some of it. But there are no scenarios in which you're not next to me. I don't need an answer now, I know we're young and we have time. I don't care if you answer me in months or years, even if we never get married, but I want you to know that I want this and if you do too, then I'm ready."

Ginny just slips the ring on her finger and kisses him.

Later, they will be late to Shell Cottage and this will be easily forgiven when she shows their family her ring. In a few months, they will have a small wedding at the Burrow in the springtime with their closest friends and family and spend hours dancing and laughing and experiencing the kind of joy she never thought was possible. Much later, they will move from their flat to a bigger house and fill it with all the joy they've accumulated for years.

For now, they lay in bed together as the sun sneaks in through the open window.