Title: Thank You, Buckbeak.
Rating: T
Pairing(s)/Character(s): past Harry/Ginny, Harry/Lavender, Buckbeak
Warnings: EWE, AU
Disclaimer: Don't own 'em - not making any money off 'em. Dern it.
Summary: Harry has a lot to thank Buckbeak for.
Word Count: 1,270
Notes: For the Pick a List Competition over at the HPFC forums. My prompt is Buckbeak. This is AU in which the epilogue never happened and Lavender lived. Not sure how this became my first Harry/Lavender story, but I'm now in love with the pairing.
Feedback: Yes, please
Harry gazed at Buckbeak. He looked sad. It seemed that the beautiful animal was missing Sirius as well. He was acting like he lost his best friend. Harry knew Buckbeak must be lonely.
He didn't want to give up the animal, but he had to do what was best for Buckbeak. He knew Hagrid would take good care of him. Maybe Harry could ask the half-giant to look after him, at least for right then.
Buckbeak was renamed Witherwings, to protect himself from the Ministry of Magic. Harry made sure to visit him while at Hogwarts.
He'd go to where the hippogriffs were kept, with Hagrid's approval, to just talk to him. Buckbeak was a very attentive listener, acting like he understood what Harry was saying. When he found out that Ginny was cheating on him with Zachariah Smith, Buckbeak was the one Harry sought out. He yelled and ranted about the injustice of it all before succumbing to tears of frustration that someone he trusted could be so callous.
Buckbeak stood still while Harry curled himself close. He would gently nuzzle Harry as if saying, 'There, there.'
When Harry questioned Buckbeak about whether he should give Ginny another chance, his disproval was made clear with the stomping of his feet and the shaking of his head. Harry mentioned the strain between Ron and him, and Buckbeak made a snort before shaking his head even more. He knew what Buckbeak was saying. 'Your friendship with Ron shouldn't be contingent on whether you give Ginny another chance.
His first date after Ginny was after Voldemort's defeat. He had returned with Hermione to Hogwarts as an eighth year student.
For the first time since he started at Hogwarts, he was noticing Lavender Brown, who had also returned as an eighth year student. She was no longer the vain and silly girl that was consumed with her looks that he knew before the Battle of Hogwarts. She had a long scar due to Fenrir Greyback's attack and seemed sincerer, less dramatic. She also no longer loved to be the center of attention, probably due to what she saw as her inferior looks because of the long, jagged scar on her face.
All of this made Harry notice her as a beautiful girl with a lot to offer. When he asked her out on a date, stuttering the whole time since he never got over his shyness when it came to the opposite sex, she initially said 'no.'
At first, Harry felt crushing disappointment, but that only lasted until she explained why. "I have nothing to offer the savior of the wizarding world. I don't even have my looks anymore. You should be with someone who's smart and brave, someone kind and beautiful, someone like Hermione," Lavender said, looking down at her hands as she slouched in her seat, unconsciously trying to hide herself with a move Harry knew all too well.
Harry gently took Lavender's delicate hands. "You're wrong." She looked up with wide eyes. "I'm probably going to screw up what I'm about to say as I seem very stupid when I talk to girls, but I'll give it my best shot. You are beautiful Lavender. I never once looked at you before because you seemed so immature to me. Here I was worrying about an upcoming war and whether my friends would survive, and you were focused on hair and clothes. But now, you are no longer that child. Maybe you shouldn't have been forced to grow up so soon, but you are so much attractive to me now than you were then. And to me, you are beautiful—I already said that—but it's true. I think the scar only adds to your beauty. And you have so many other things to offer. You're brave and loyal. You're kind and gentle. You're intelligent when you try and are interested the subject. You are an amazing girl, and I would be honored if you were to go out on a date with me."
Harry stopped, blushing as he waited for Lavender's reaction. When she stayed silent, he began to feel apprehensive. "I told you I'd sound stupid. I said something wrong, didn't I?"
"No, you didn't." Lavender breathed. "Did you really mean all of that?"
Harry silently nodded.
"And Hermione?"
"She's a sister to me. I never once looked at her in a romantic way, and I never will. I promise."
"Then yes, I'll go out with you."
Harry and Lavender went on two dates. They had a good time, but neither had made the move for a first kiss. Harry knew that Lavender was dealing with a lot of insults from Ginny and anyone else that the redhead could get to band on her side—it seemed they forgot that she cheated on him—and he hoped Lavender wouldn't break up with him because of the hassle. She was braving them, though. Since Harry told her what he truly thought of her, some of her old confidence seemed to be coming back. She still didn't like the spotlight, but she could be seen giggling with some of the girls. The giggling sound no longer irritated Harry; it just showed him that Lavender was getting better.
Harry wanted to kiss her, but he was afraid he would be rebuffed. For their third date, he decided to take her to meet Buckbeak, but introduced the hippogriff by his alias of Witherwings. She seemed curious.
Harry shrugged. "I hope you're not disappointed. Witherwings is very important to me; he's a good friend, so I thought he should meet you."
She showed her growth in character when she simply laughed good-naturedly. The old Lavender Brown, the one before the final battle, would have never put up with that being considered a date.
When they were talking by the Hippogriff pen, Buckbeak decided he was sick of Harry bashfulness. With its big nose, he pushed Harry's back so he fell forward and his lips connected with Lavender's.
Harry quickly pulled away, apologizing profusely while a shooting a glare over his back at Buckbeak, who Harry could swear was laughing.
Lavender put a finger to Harry's lips, effectively silencing him. "I'm so glad you finally kissed me, although I wish it had been without Witherwing's interference." She threw her arms around Harry's neck and pulled his head down so their lips met in a passionate clash.
Harry felt his toes curl as Lavender's body was pressed close to his. Initially surprised, he quickly got with the program and pulled her close, holding her securely to his body.
Harry's tongue pressed against Lavender's lips, and she readily opened her mouth. He shivered as her hands ran through his messy hair.
When they pulled back, both wore identical smiles. "We need to do that again," Harry said, and Lavender nodded.
Three years later when Harry and Lavender were saying their vows, Buckbeak was watching at the back, behind all of the human guests. When the two of them kissed for the first time as husband and wife, Buckbeak stomped on the ground before taking off in the air, flying around in his excitement.
Lavender laughed gaily while Harry shook his head at the crazy antics of his friend. During his toast, Harry made sure to thank Buckbeak for forcing Harry to kiss his beautiful wife for the first time. Lavender agreed. She even got up to go to Buckbeak and gave him a small kiss on the beak.
Afterwards, Harry pulled Lavender onto the dance floor while Buckbeak flew around in the air, circling high above the couple.
Note: I now have an AO3 account and all of my stories, including my unpublished original stuff, is posted. You can find the link on my profile page.