Saga
A/N: Inspired by a sign my husband and I bought for our children's rooms: "I'm a Jedi, like my father before me. Unless I get my Hogwarts letter like my mom." Post-Deathly Hallows Harry/Ginny fluff story. One-shot. Rated T. Everything belongs to JKR.
It had started as a desire to have the things that had been denied him in the 17 years of living with the Dursleys and fighting Riddle. Harry had always wanted the ability to watch what he wanted on the telly, and so shortly after he took the position with the aurors and found a Muggle flat to rent in Birmingham, Harry decided to get a small television and a VHS player. When he asked the sales associate for some movie suggestions, the associate handed him a few movies, describing the best situation in which to watch each one. He bought them and then forgot about them since Hermione's owl arrived that evening with instructions to hook up the telly so he could get the broadcast networks.
Harry found that he didn't have much time for the telly after auror training really kicked in, especially with how short staffed they were, training happened almost exclusively on the job. If he happened to turn the telly on it was simply to look at what the news was showing to ensure that nothing from the wizarding world was seeping into the muggle world. "That's not your responsibility, Harry." Ginny had told him over Christmas break. He knew that, but that didn't mean he didn't worry that no one else would catch problems if he wasn't paying attention - the government hadn't necessarily gained his trust in that department.
The VHS tapes he had bought sat on the little shelf on the television stand untouched for months, which Harry was fine with. The fact that he had them was comforting in itself. It was a reminder that things really had changed.
It's a week or so after the girls are done with school when somehow Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Harry end up at his flat eating take away lunches.
"What are all the little boxes under your telly, Harry?" Ron asks noticing the brightly colored images under the thin layer of dust.
"VHS tapes," Harry answers through a mouthful of food.
Hermione rolls her eyes at him, "They have movies on them, Ron, like what we go see in the cinema."
"No shit!" Ron says excitedly going over to the tapes. "We should watch one!" And he starts going through the small number of tapes. "What's one I'd like Hermione?"
Ginny shakes her head and moves towards the VHS tapes. "The question is what one we all would like. What's your favorite, Harry?"
"I haven't watched any of them, honestly." Harry runs his hand through his hair, feeling a touch awkward that he's not watched a single movie since he bought them almost a year ago.
Ginny gives him an encouraging smile. "We'll watch one today then."
Hermione and Harry move to the VHS tapes too, Hermione describing plot lines of ones she's seen, Ginny reading the summaries on the back of the boxes for the movies Hermione hasn't seen.
"What about this one? It's got three in the box." Ron says handing it to Hermione.
"Oh, Star Wars, I've not seen it but I've heard it's a lot of fun. It came out in the 70s. It's a Space Odyssey." Hermione says as she takes the box and pulls all three VHS tapes out of the large box, revealing their individual covers.
"Space what?" Ginny moves to look at the backs of the boxes.
Hermione chuckles, "Space Odyssey. It's a long story about a space hero. What made you choose this Harry?"
Harry shrugs, "It's one of the movies the associate who sold me the telly and the player recommended."
Ginny's face takes on a strange look as she's reading the summaries and she stares up at Harry. Harry suddenly feels the familiar butterflies in his stomach that Gin still gives him and he clears his throat. "What?" His hand nervously runs through his hair.
"It's about you!" Ginny exclaims.
Then Harry's moving to the floor next to her and Hermione and Ron are crowding over him to look at the summaries. Ginny's not wrong, the summaries are eerily similar to his life. Before he can really process it Ron has grabbed the first tape.
"Hermione, how do I work this thing? We are definitely watching this!"
"Ronald! This is Harry's flat, he gets to choose!" Hermione responds perhaps a bit sharper than intended and Harry's jarred from his thoughts.
"No, it's fine, Hermione." Harry manages a smile. "I'm curious too. It's not every day that you find a movie about you."
Everyone laughs and Hermione shows Ron and Ginny how to change the telly over to the player and pops in the tape. Ginny curls up next to Harry and he's breathing in her flowery scent as they're reading the words scrolling up the screen.
The movie isn't really about him, but Harry's a bit taken aback at some of the similarities. And he and Ron both agree that the lightsabers are pretty cool. "Magic's a bit easier though." Ron remarks as Ben teaches Luke about the force.
As the movie ends Ginny is jumping up to put in the next one. "I want to see Luke kill Darth Breather!" She says in response to Harry's teasing about her being overly eager.
It's Ginny's turn to tease him when the second ends and he's tripping to put in the third. "They have to get Han!" Harry responds fiercely and Ginny realizes he's internalizing this, reliving past moments.
When he sits down she grabs his hand and whispers to him. "This is a story, love. It's not your life. This is all just for fun." He takes a deep breath, suddenly realizing how fast his heart is racing and how his hands are trembling. Pulling Ginny close, he repeats her words over again in his head. This is a story; it's not my life; this is for fun.
The final installment ends and they sit in silence as the credits roll until someone's stomach growls and everyone suddenly starts laughing.
"That was really good!" Ron says as he stretches.
"Definitely!" Ginny nods as she stands. "But I'm starving, so we should go get dinner somewhere. And then you two can go back to either of your flats unless you enjoy watching me snog Harry."
Ron makes a retching sound but Harry is halfway to the door, pulling on his trainers. "We should really get going!" And he grins cheekily at Ginny.
It's a few days later and Ron comes into their shared cubicle so fast Harry wonders if he's solved their case.
"There're more of them!" Ron says excitedly.
"What?" Harry's not sure what's going on, but based on Ron's face it's probably a good thing.
"Star Wars! Hermione and I went to the cinema last night and I saw a poster for it!"
"Really?!"
"Yeah! Send Ginny a patronus, the four of us are going to the cinema tonight!"
It's years later and Jamie and Al come running off the train for Christmas holidays. "Did you bring your mobiles?" Jamie asks. "I want to see the trailers as soon as we're in the car!"
Ginny laughs and hugs him. "It's good to see you too, dear! Yes, we missed you too! I'm so happy to have you home for Christmas!"
"And yes the mobiles are in the glove compartment so you can see the two trailers." Harry nods as he hugs Al.
"There're two!" Al exclaims excitedly.
Lily smirks at him, "Yep! And they are amazing!"
"Let's go!" Jamie says pulling his trunk towards the barrier. "I want to see the trailers before anyone else can say something! And before we go see it tonight!"
Lily smirks at him. "Han didn't die and General Snokes is really Finn's dad!"
"You didn't already take Lily, did you?!" Al demands.
Harry chuckles. "No, we've all waited for the two of you to get home, and I've already bought our tickets to see it tonight."
Al grins up at him. "Let's go! I want to see Rey kick Kylo's but again!"
Harry and Ginny share a smile and help the boys with their things. Who would have thought that a random movie trilogy he picked up after the war would leave a legacy big enough to make it to his kids?
"As long as it's better than the fiasco that Attack of the Clones was I'll be happy," Ginny says as they get to the car.
Harry smirks at her. "At least we know they aren't bringing Jar Jar back at any point."
"Thank Merlin for that!" Ginny agrees as she's turning on her mobile and unlocking it for Jamie and Al.
"But I like Jar Jar!" Lily protests buckling her seat belt.
"All of you shush!" Jamie says as he plays the first trailer.
Harry chuckles looking in the rearview mirror as Jamie and Al huddle over Ginny's mobile. He once heard someone say that the best stories never die, and keep us returning for as long as the saga continues. Harry smiles as he realizes that this story will go on and on, because this is not just a saga, it's a tradition.