"Good morning, my love," Hermione greeted with a smile as she bent down slightly to peck Ellie's lips. "Are you ready?"

Hermione adjusted her bag on her shoulder as she moved behind Ellie, grasping both of the handles of the wheelchair.

"I'm never been more ready," Ellie grinned as she was transported out of her room and down the halls of St Mungo's.

For the past six months, the dreary hospital served as a haunting reminder of Ellie's fate. Paralyzed from the waist down, her Healer had ordered that she stay in the hospital for a speedier recovery. Though the news was tough to swallow at first, Ellie and her loved ones determined it would be best for her health.

During Ellie's time there, Hermione came to visit every day, Amelia visiting on the weekends. Often times, Hermione fell asleep in the plastic chair by Ellie's bed, her book open on her thighs as she read to her girlfriend. Ellie's mother always brought homemade vanilla cookies, spelled with a warming charm to preserve its heat. Ellie's friends came to visit often, though they never stayed too long. Draco only ever came to visit once, as he felt uncomfortable with Hermione's constant presence.

The two entered the reception area, and they were immediately greeted by a chirpy receptionist. She leaned over her desk to take a look at Ellie, the beaded strap of her glasses swinging wildly.

"Ellie, dear! You're finally going home!" the receptionist beamed as she clasped her hands together in excitement.

"That's right. It's quite thrilling," Ellie answered, looking up at the magical quill scratching the parchment.

"Oh, yes, I can imagine," the receptionist commented as she ripped the parchment from her notepad and handed it to Ellie. "These are the Healer's orders for when you get home. She should be right out to talk to you."

"Sounds lovely. Thank you, Madam," Hermione smiled as she brought her girlfriend away from the desk.

They were quickly met by Ellie's Healer, her lime green robes catching their eyes immediately.

"Hermione. Ellie," she nodded as she clutched her clipboard to her chest. "Are you excited to go home? I assume you've already gotten my orders."

"Yes, I've got them," Ellie confirmed, holding the parchment up for her to see. "And yes, I'm more than thankful to finally be with my friends. And my mom of course."

"Good, good," the Healer nodded as she crouched at Ellie's height. "You've made tremendous progress these past months. You're very lucky to be a witch or else there'd be no chance of your recovery."

"So how long until she walks again?" Hermione questioned eagerly.

"Give it another six months, and she'll be out of that wheelchair. A year after that, she'll walk like normal. Maybe in few more years, she can play Quidditch again. But for now, just keep taking a few steps at a time," she answered.

"You hear that, darling?" Hermione smiled as she bent over to kiss Ellie's cheek. "You'll be back on your feet soon."

"Ellie, it's been a pleasure to have you as a patient. You're incredibly lucky to have a good support system. Not a lot of patients recover because they've lost hope," the Healer smiled warmly. "Anyways, I'll let you two get going. Take it easy out there."

"Thank you," Ellie nodded as Hermione wheeled her out the door of building.

"Ready, darling?" Hermione asked as she gripped the handles of the wheelchair, kissing the top of Ellie's hair lovingly.

Ellie nodded her head as she gripped her seat in preparation. Within a split second, a quiet crack erupted, Hermione Disapparating them from the hospital.

The two found themselves at the end of a long pathway, an arrangement of brick and stone leading into an empty area of land, stopping abruptly.

"Hermione, love... this isn't my mom's house," Ellie arched an eyebrow, looking up at Hermione with confusion.

"I know," Hermione winked as she began to wheel Ellie down the path, stopping just before its cutoff. "Just close your eyes."

Ellie shut her eyes as Hermione withdrew her wand and waved it at the empty area. The stillness suddenly rippled as if it were curtains being drawn.

"Open them," Hermione whispered, her tone light and excited.

Ellie opened her eyes slowly, gasping at the sight in front of her. In front of her stood a charming, single-story home surrounded by an abundance of greenery, the sunshine's rays hitting the windows lightly to reflect rainbows. Hung just above the door was a crookedly placed banner that read Welcome Home!

"Surprise!" a multitude of people yelled, popping out from a variety of hiding places, a small firework banging overhead.

Ellie smiled widely as a hearty laughter came from her, the entire atmosphere filled with happiness. All of Ellie's friends came running towards her, a few bending down awkwardly to hug her.

"Ellie!" Ron waved excitedly as he stood between George and Harry. The rest of Ellie's friends stood excitedly, some holding wrapped items.

"Hermione, can we give gifts now? Pretty please?" Ron jumped, bumping into George by accident.

"No, Ronald! Let her get settled in," Hermione scolded.

"W-What? This is amazing!" Ellie grinned, her eyes still in amazement. "I thought we were going to my mom's. By the way, whose house is this?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment as a smile grew on her face. She made her way around the wheelchair and crouched in front of her girlfriend so that they were now the same height. She placed both hands on Ellie's knees as she stared into her eyes with a serious expression.

"It's... ours," Hermione announced softly.

Ellie's mouth dropped open in shock as she glanced back at the house behind them.

"Are you joking? How are we going to pay for this? Does my mom know?" Ellie ranted worriedly.

"Ellie," Hermione cooed as she took both of Ellie's hands and held them in her own. "Your mom says it's okay. And it's already been paid for."

"By who?" Ellie questioned, scanning their knowing faces.

"By me," a blonde-haired boy answered as he stepped into view, seeming to be hiding behind others.

"D-Draco..." Ellie sighed. "You didn't have to do this. I-It's way too much. I can't accept it."

"That's too bad. Everything's already there. Granger chose it herself," Draco retorted. "Consider it a 'Welcome Home' gift."

"See, I'd hug you, but I can't really... you know..." Ellie joked, gesturing towards her legs.

Draco scoffed with a laugh as he began to walk back towards the house, motioning for the rest to follow. Hermione took the lead, pushing Ellie in front of her while her friends trailed behind closely. They stopped just before the front door as Neville stepped forward.

"Look, Ellie. Planted all these myself. Turns out those nights you let me into the greenhouses paid off," Neville claimed proudly as he gestured to the plants hanging and resting from the porch. "What do you think?"

"I love them," Ellie smiled as she gently touched one of the petals beside her. "Thank you, Neville. They look lovely."

"I want to go next! Let me go next!" Ron begged, raising his hand up in the air as if he were in class. Hermione reluctantly let him as she inconspicuously mocked his actions, earning a few snickers from the others.

"Come here, Ellie. I wanna show you your present," Ron encouraged as he ran to the side of the porch.

Ellie pushed herself to where Ron stood as he blocked it with his body, his arms outstretched in attempt to make himself bigger. After Ellie finally slowed to a stop, he stepped out of the way. It seemed to be a wooden ramp built directly into the porch, its bent nails clearly showing it had been handmade.

"Look, it's a ramp! For your wheelchair, you know. Makes it a whole lot easier than to get inside," Ron explained proudly. "Did it all by myself."

"No he didn't!" George yelled from afar, earning a scowl from Ron. "I was the one who installed it, you dimwit."

"And I cut the wood," Ginny added, her arms crossed over her chest. "Ron just nailed it in. Apparently, he did a terrible job at it too."

Ron ran in their direction and lunged at George and Ginny, yelling loud remarks as the two laughed wildly. They kicked up dust in a frenzy, causing the others to step away from the ruckus.

"Come on, darling. Let's get inside," Hermione rolled her eyes as she wheeled her girlfriend up the ramp.

Harry held the door open for the girls as the rest followed eagerly, the red-headed siblings still fighting on the ground.

The interior of the house was decorated beautifully, with massive windows that brought in a healthy amount of sunlight. The rooms seemed to merge together seamlessly, the only separation being the bedrooms. Its walls were painted beautifully, following a theme of grassy meadows and fragile flowers.

"Who painted this? This is... wow..." Ellie gasped lightly as her eyes twinkled with admiration.

"That isn't even the best part," Hermione grinned as rested her hands on Ellie's shoulders. "Look up, my love."

The entirety of the ceiling was painted like the night sky, an assortment of stars and constellations dotting the galaxy. Its deep shade of blue was mesmerizing, and Ellie soon found herself lost in amazement.

"Hermione asked me to decorate it," Luna chirped, swaying her body to the low music from the record player in the corner of the living room.

"Luna... this is absolutely stunning," Ellie smiled in astonishment as she continued to stare at the painted ceiling.

"I hope you didn't mind me painting your ceiling too. Hermione told me the story of the Astronomy Tower, when you first snuck her out. You came to apologize, remember? Well, I figured it'd be nice to have something to remember the moment by," Luna continued innocently.

"Thank you, Luna. It's beautiful," Ellie thanked kindly before Luna skipped outside, mumbling about some other magical creature.

"So, um... I'm going to give Ellie a tour of the house. Feel free to help yourself to some snacks or wander about," Hermione announced, clapping her hands to get the others' attention.

"Wait, I still need to give her my present," Harry spoke up, finally breaking his silence.

He walked over to the side of the couch and pulled out an item, quickly hiding it behind his back. Harry made his way towards the Ellie, biting his lip anxiously.

"Well, I've had some help," Harry started.

He gestured towards the empty hallway as Ellie's mother turned the corner. Ellie immediately smiled at her as Hermione wheeled her closer. Amelia placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead as she made her to stand by Harry.

"Welcome home, dear," Amelia greeted with a warm smile, almost similar to Ellie's.

"Thank you, but... I have so many questions. Like where are you going to live... and who's going to stay with you?" Ellie questioned, clearly anxious about the new circumstances.

"I'll be okay on my own. Besides, you can always visit. And uh... Harry generously offered for me to stay at Grimmauld Place with him. I'm still thinking about it, but I'd like to get to know my nephew."

"Well, obviously you've got to stay with him! It'll be great for not only you but for-"

"Ellie, let's not get too excited. Let's get on with it. We can discuss this later," Amelia interrupted before turning to Harry. "Go on, Harry, give it."

Harry pulled the item from behind him, showcasing it for everyone to see. It was a short, slender broomstick, made of dark oak with a curved end. The bristled seemed to be cut short, splitting into four even pegs. Harry handed it to Ellie, placing it onto her lap.

"Harry... you do realize that I can't really play Quidditch," Ellie trailed.

"It's not a broom. W-Well, technically it is," Harry stammered. "I know I already gave you one, but this one's special. It's a... walking stick."

"It was your father's broom," Amelia added. "You know that him and I never really got along after having you. But, that doesn't change the fact that I know you've been having regrets since he passed. Even if he made terrible choices... he still loved you. And I think you deserve to keep another part of him now that the ring's gone."

Ellie ran her fingers down the wood slowly as she reminisced the feeling of the wind blowing through her hair. She set it down at her side gently as she outstretched her arms for Harry first, embracing him tightly. Harry broke away to allow Amelia to hug her daughter, in which Ellie embraced her even tighter, thanking her silently.

"Do you have it?" Ellie whispered discreetly as they embraced.

Amelia subtly reached into Ellie's pocket and placed a small item inside, being sure that no one had seen the exchange. She broke away not too long after, tears brimming at her eyes as she dabbed at it with her finger.

"All done?" Hermione asked politely, her hands already at the handlebars of Ellie's wheelchair.

Harry and Amelia nodded as they walked away with knowing smiles, the rest of the group following to mingle in the living room. Hermione proceeded to tour Ellie around their house, slowing and stopping at notable items she found interesting. Hermione pointed out each room, taking her to the kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, and other aspects of the house. It wasn't until they reached the last room where Hermione hesitated.

"Why'd you stop, love? What's in there?" Ellie frowned, looking up at her girlfriend.

"Oh, it's nothing," Hermione brushed off. "It's just an extra room, that's all."

"You're hiding something in there, aren't you?" Ellie teased jokingly.

Ellie pushed herself forward to turn the handle, not waiting for Hermione's reaction. Displayed in front of her were items she never expected to see so early. An abundance of soft clouds were painted on the walls, surrounding the crib and rocking chair at the sides. A small library sat next to the chair, filled with both children's books and Hermione's personal collection.

"E-Ellie, you weren't supposed to see that yet. I didn't want to a-alarm you so quick after getting home. A-And it doesn't have to be a nursery or anything of the sort, I had it done just in case," Hermione ranted frantically, shutting the door behind her to avoid eavesdroppers.

Ellie slowly wheeled herself around the room, touching the items gently.

"Darling, I don't want you to take this the wrong way. I j-just didn't want to have an empty room, and I-I didn't consider if you even wanted children. I mean, we don't have to have children if we don't want to. I-It's completely okay with me, b-but if you do, we can adopt or have a donor or things like that."

Ellie turned around to face her girlfriend, her lips curled into a small smile.

"Shh, it's okay, my love," Ellie reassured. "You're adorable when you talk like that."

"I'm so sorry. I-I just didn't want to rush things, and I don't know how you feel about that topic," Hermione continued.

"Come here," Ellie instructed as she patted her lap, motioning for Hermione to sit.

Hermione sat sideways, her knees flung over the sides as Ellie wrapped her arms around her waist. It was a familiar position, as Ellie often rolled her girlfriend down the halls of St Mungo's, both of them laughing wildly as they dodged the witches and wizards.

"Hermione..." Ellie murmured as she moved her free hand to cup her girlfriend's cheek. "I do want to have kids, okay?"

A smile crept upon Hermione's face, her eyes wandering about the room excitedly.

"But not right now." Ellie continued. "I don't want to have kids that'll grow up watching me sit at the sidelines. I want to walk, and run, and skip, all of that... I want to play with them. I want to teach them how to ride a broom and throw a good punch. And I can't do that if I'm stuck in this wheelchair."

"I know, Ellie. I know..." Hermione reassured. "But when?"

"Not anytime soon, of course. Let me get healed up, and we can look into that. Besides, we're still young. We've got our whole lives ahead of us."

Hermione smiled warmly as she leaned in to kiss her girlfriend, tilting her chin upwards as she savored the familiar taste. Ellie pulled away after a few seconds, leaning their foreheads together.

"Come, I want to show you the books I've purchased for our children. Our future ones, of course," Hermione grinned as she jumped off of Ellie's lap and made her way to the small library, running her fingers down the spines.

Ellie took a deep breath as she reached into her pocket, watching to make sure Hermione was still occupied. She rolled closer to her girlfriend, stopping just a few feet away. As Hermione read the book titles out loud, Ellie reached for the walking stick Harry and her mother had given her. She quietly set it down on the rug as she leaned her weight onto it. Very slowly, Ellie eased her way out of her wheelchair, using most of her arm strength to guide her to the floor.

In the months she spent in physical therapy, Ellie was only able to progress a few steps a time before her legs gave out. Now more determined than ever, Ellie pushed the wheelchair backwards as she got down on one knee.

Ellie held the box her mother had slipped in her pocket earlier, rubbing her thumb gently along the velvety container. She nearly lost her balance as she opened the case quietly to check on it, revealing a dainty diamond sat atop of a silver band. Ellie had used her entire life savings on the ring, only ever discussing it with her mother, whom she sent to store to purchase it. She held it under her thigh as she awaited for Hermione's reaction.

"Ellie, darling, you're awfully quiet. Are you listening to me?" Hermione asked innocently before she spun around to face her girlfriend.

Hermione gasped loudly, bringing her hands to cover her mouth, already nodding vigorously. She didn't glance once at the ring, instead locking eyes with Ellie.

"I know we've already mentioned this," Ellie started with a shaky voice. "But I wanted this to be official. In my time at the hospital, I've been planning this, just as you planned this house. It was awkward, actually, telling the Healer that I wanted to practice kneeling instead of walking. She helped me though, and now, here I am."

"Ellie..." Hermione cried out softly, tears already running down her cheeks.

"I know it isn't legal, love. I've done my research. But I don't care how long it'll be. I'll wait for you, no matter how long it takes. I'd love to spend forever with you, if you'll let me. So now, Hermione Jean Granger, will you... do me the honor... of making me the happiest girl in the world? Will you marry me?"

"Yes, yes, yes, a million times yes," Hermione squealed as she lifted Ellie up, holding her waist as she pressed her lips to her girlfriend's.

After a few moments, Hermione finally set Ellie back down on her wheelchair. Ellie removed the ring from the box as Hermione held out her left hand. Ellie slipped the ring over Hermione's finger, watching her smile grow even wider.

"It's beautiful," Hermione gasped as she inspected the ring. Though most would argue otherwise, claiming it was much too simple, Hermione still found it breathtaking.

"You promise you'll wait?" Hermione confirmed softly, now looking into Ellie's caramel eyes.

"Even if it takes forever."