a/n: Happy belated Hanukah? This unedited fic full of self-indulgent fluff was inspired by 'keeping your head above water' by ashen_key on ao3. If you like Gender AUs, then please check out what I've already written, or you can also PM me for a fic rec list.
The title is from Sun by Sleeping At Last.
Please review. I am a needy person who wants validation.
Disclaimer: Ha.
Title: universes we hold inside
Words: 2K
Summary: Four snapshots of being in love throughout the seasons in different universes.
i.
Late in the summer, Harry sat by the bank of the river that cut through the Burrow's property. He had one bare foot in the water, his other leg folded over his knee. He was content sitting outside, hearing the background sounds of the wind against the trees, the babbling water of the river, Ginny's voice…
He raised his head and caught the way the late sunlight glinted off Ginny's bright hair first. She sat down next to him, her pale, freckled legs folded and her hands in her lap. She leaned forward and knocked her shoulder against Harry's, sending a jolt through him from the contact. Her touch was the pause after a lightning strike and the start of sunrise.
"Deep thoughts, Potter?" she asked. She picked up a river-stone smoothed over by water and tossed it from one hand to the other before handing it to him.
Harry took the stone from her hand, his fingertips brushed against the palm of her hand. He wanted to linger, to trace her hand and the freckles that dotted the inside of her arm. "Not really," he said. Harry dragged his eyes away. He flicked his wrist and let the stone skip over the water. "But I think that's okay."
"Any shallow thoughts?"
Harry stretched his arms over his head, and he stacked his hands behind his head as he laid on his back. Ginny's long hair tickled the side of his face when she copied his movements. "Can't say much for that either."
She rested her cheek on her palm, watching him. "Is that all?" She then cleanly plucked the glasses from his face, and rolled to her back to hold them against the sunlight. "No wonder you can't think of anything! Do you ever clean these, Harry?" She batted his hand away. "Please," she said, rubbing the lenses clean with her shirt. "Once you put these back on, you'll be seeing clearly in no time."
"What you're saying is that I can save the world, but I can't seem to do the same to my vision?" He nudged his shoulder against hers. He stole his glasses back and put them on, blinking at the sudden clarity.
"Told you," said Ginny. She crossed an ankle over his, and he started to play with the long strands of her hair that spread over the grass. "What are you thinking of now?"
There was something the way she looked at that moment with him, a soft breeze rusting the long grass and the babbling of the creek by their feet. Ginny touching the back of his hand when he reached over to the cup the side of her face, stoking with his thumb as if she was something precious. She was to him, something precious. Someone real that made his heart beat faster, making him feel almost like a sunflower angling toward the sun every time she was near.
"That you really are leaving soon," Harry said, his voice breaking through the halcyon that had surrounded them. The realization that Ginny would be going back to Hogwarts in September lurked in every interaction with her, the early morning broom-rides, the late nights talking in the corridors full of moonlight, his fingers curling in her sweet-smelling hair whenever he slept by her side because of the nightmares they shared … Back to Hogwarts for her and Hermione, and he and Ron would be starting their Auror training only a week later. The summer was ending and the rest of reality was waiting for them.
"So are you," Ginny said. "It's changing all over again."
And Harry wasn't ready to see Ginny go.
"Come on." She stood up, tugging on his hand to join her. "Enough moping about what's coming next. We should go flying instead."
"Yeah," he said. "I like that."
ii.
The autumnal rain had caught her by surprise. Sudden sheets of cold water struck the Quidditch pitch, turning everything into a hazardous mud-pit that Halley slipped as she struggled to make her way to the locker rooms. By the time she made it to the door, her heart beating wildly, the soles of her Auror-issued boots were caked in mud and there were wet leaves in her hair from the wind.
The Quidditch team. Halley was dead certain that the training schedule hadn't changed much since her own time in charge. She muttered the password to the imposing door, and watched it swing on its hinges to bathe her in the leftover warmth wafting from the Heating Charms and showers.
"Gin?" she called out, the anticipation warming her chilled fingers. She entered further and closed the door behind her. "Surprise…" There were signs of the Gryffindor team being there recently: Demelza's barrette that she was always forgetting was in her cubby, footprints and scuffed marks dirtied the floor, the pipes were creaking from overuse, and Ginny's distinctively scuffed shin guards from her own cubby.
This was a good sign. Whenever the weather had been like this in Halley's Sixth year, it wasn't uncommon for Ginny to stay behind to take a longer shower. She claimed it was one of the few times she had absolute privacy, something to do with the absolute chaos of the Burrow and the dormitory she shared with the other girls in her year. Now that she was Captain, it made sense that she would also spend some time in the captain's office in the back.
A radio crackled nearby as the pipes rattled. One of the Weird Sister's song echoed in the air, diluted by the water running in the showers and the wind howling outside.
Halley took a moment to acclimate in her surroundings, taking in the familiarity of the scent of old broom polish and warm leather. There was a trophy case built into a wall parallel to the back of the lockers and cubbies, their awards glinted in the low lights and the people in the pictures waved. Scented steam warmed the air, smelling like Ginny's shampoo. In a haze, Halley followed the sound of her girlfriend trying her best to sing along to Pixie Parade, clearly unaware of the surprise visit.
"And dust to dust…" Ginny warbled. Halley let her soaked outer robe fall to a bench. Quietly, she started to hum along and crept behind the lockers to where the shower section was only to have her mouth drop, some strangely embarrassing sound leaving her at the sight… The plan had been to surprise Ginny with a visit on Friday so they could enjoy the majority of the weekend in romantic bliss…
Ginny was already done with her shower. She had left the cubicle and was wrapped in a red towel that went around her torso. Halley saw a lot off freckled skin and damp red hair sticking the skin where the towel sagged. She had her back to Halley, still singing with the radio that was perched on a bench next to a pile of clothes for her to change into. Halley swore that she saw one of her old jumper's Molly had knitted for her neatly folded on the top of the pile. (Though Halley wasn't in any room to argue; she had several of Ginny's shirts back at the flat she shared with Ron.)
The song ended and Ginny yelped as she turned around.
"Halley!" She clutched the towel tighter, her exposed skin turned pink and Halley was trying in vain not to look anywhere other than the soft curve of her shoulder.
There was a baffling moment in which all they did was look at each other: Halley in the once-crisp white shirt and dark trousers of being an Auror, mud at the hems and leaves in her messy hair; and Ginny painfully blushing red with only a towel.
"Surprised you…" Halley began to babble. "Wanted to…I, uh…wow…." She shook her head from side-to-side, trying to center herself and rid the thoughts of what Ginny looked naked (probably bloody fantastic, that's what). "You stole my jumper?" she managed to squeak in the end.
Some of Ginny's blush was dying down. "You're telling me that you came for a surprise visit and to ask why I've been nicking your jumpers?" She grinned at her girlfriend's expression. "You really know how to charm a girl, Potter. Hand me my bag so that I can get some clothes on, and you can work on wooing me on the walk back to the castle."
"Might be more practical to stay here."
"Hmm, why's that?"
"Bit of a mess outside." Halley plucked a leaf from her hair. "And the privacy might be nice…"
The towel dipped, revealing more skin. "Oh?"
It didn't take much convincing for Halley to join Ginny for another shower.
iii.
Harry woke with the sudden jolt of too much time passing. For the briefest of moments, he couldn't tell where he was, but his room slowly swirled into focus with heavy shadows draped over his surroundings. The heavy curtains had blocked most of the weak winter sunlight, but there was enough to softly illuminate the room, giving everything a hazy, dream-like quality without his glasses. All Harry could sense was the warm presence next to him, the soft sounds of a heavy snowfall outside…
Then his boyfriend snored. Loudly.
Broken out of his reverie of warmth and blankets, Harry fumbled to find his glasses somewhere in the tangle of sheets and limbs. Now able to see clearly, he cursed at seeing the owl-shaped clock on his bedside table, mocking him with its judgmental eyes. No wonder there wasn't much sunlight out, it was already late in the night!
Anxiety coursed through him before he could remember that they had nothing planned for the day. Or the night. All of that day's earlier activities had been more spur of the moments, with Harry showing Gid around Muggle London for a rare date away from everyone else and the reporters that were always trying to follow him around.
Harry ran his hands through his hair, and he stared at the ceiling. "I should be on vacation more often..." He folded his arms behind his head, and he thought about more about taking a hypothetical extension to his current vacation, wondering if he could also drag Ron and Hermione for a non-fatal adventure full of mundane activities.
The idea felt almost deliriously brilliant.
He rolled to his side. "Do you really have to go back to Hogwarts in a few days?" he asked, noticing how Gid was waking up. He took a moment to savour the sight of his boyfriend barely dressed under the red bedcovers with him. This was the recent change in their relationship. It had taken them some time, but they were able to find comfort in exploring each other's bodies, translating words to curious touches and soft sighs. Harry had been initially worried because of all of his scars, but Gid didn't mind.
There was something terribly soppy about spending their first the winter holiday together, being able to have a pillow that smelled like Gid's woodsy shampoo, stealing kisses under mistletoe and going on long walks in the parks in London; the domesticity that came with waking up next to him, sharing meals in the kitchen of the flat Harry lived in with Ron. The idea that it was all going to end by next week made his heart ache.
"You don't really need your NEWTS if you're going to play professional Quiditch," added Harry thoughtfully. He wedged a thigh between Gid's, rolling so that he could be on top of him. Gid laughed. "You could stay here, and maybe I can sneak in you in the Auror Department while no one's looking…"
"As what, your secretary?" Gid smiled. "Sounds scandalous." He yawned, stretching his tall body out from under Harry. "My mum might protest if another Weasley doesn't take their NEWTS."
"Ah, disappointing your mum; my only weakness."
"Careful, you might give those Dark wizards an idea."
Harry let his weight drop against Gid's body, their foreheads touching. The freckled skin was flushed warm with sleep. "I hate how you make me feel selfish, Gideon."
"But it's hard for me to say no when you use those dreamy eyes on me." Gid sighed. He tilted his head so that he could bury his face in Harry's messy hair. "Selfish Harry might be my favorite, he's cuddly and he wants me to drop out of school."
"Feel like making more bad decisions, Weasley?" Harry grinned at him.
"As long as we're in the holiday season…"
iv.
"Should it be making that sound?"
Halley's legs hit the workbench. Jars full of nails and bulbs rattled in their shelves. "I'm not sure anymore." She eyed the motorbike warily, wondering what else it was capable of other than sounding like a gnome was trapped in the exhaust pipe. She shed her oil-stained jumper and handed it to Gid. "If it starts spitting fire, you know what to do."
"Admire the muscles Auror training has given you?" he asked, his brown eyes lingering over the cut of her vest.
"I'll make sure that's my last thought before the flames fully engulf me." Halley rolled her eyes. She dug a Muggle notepad out of her back pocket of her jeans, reading over the notes Mr Weasley had given her about the modifications he had made to the motorbike a year ago. It was clear where Rory had gotten her handwriting from. "So, the button that I pressed should control the headlight." She squinted. "Or turn it invisible. I'll need the wrench."
"But will it still fly?" Gid sounded anxious. He placed her jumper by the toolbox and started looking through it. "And what does a wrench even look like?"
"Wrench-like. How do you not know? I thought you spent part of your childhood in here?"
"Yeah, but did I learn anything?" He shrugged.
The motorbike let out another sound of a gnome being trapped somewhere inside the mess of metal and magic. Dropping the notebook in shook, Halley jumped back, colliding against her boyfriend. She pushed against his shoulders. "I think we need to get away from here!"
They hurried out of the shed, slamming the crooked door behind them before violet steam filled the inside of the space, fogging the small window and escaping through the cracks in the wood paneling.
"It feels great being back home," said Gid in a casual tone. "But I think it's missing something."
The steam turned into purple sparks, and Halley watched in horror as small flames sputtered from the exhaust pipe. In a fluid motion, she kicked the door open and drew her wand out, the several Auguamenti Spells drenching the motorbike and everything inside with freezing water. The flames died out and the smell of dead fish lingered in the stale air.
"Lunch?" he asked.
"Sure. It sounds less dangerous." Halley slid her wand back in her back pocket.
They walked back to the Burrow together, laughing about how it was typical for a Weasley to be in proximity of a magical fire.
"What if that happens during your first try-out?" She wound her fingers against his. His hand was warm and there was enough of a chill in the spring air that made Halley wished her jumper hadn't been in the fire., "It might be just me thinking, but I don't think the Appleby Arrows would appreciate that if things like the Quaffle start exploding in midair. What you need to do is find a team that likes fire."
"The Canons do end in a fiery death at the end of each season…" he contemplated. "But I also have standards. Unfortunately, some of those are the teams that are also trying to bribe me so that a certain someone will join. Something about my former captain being exceptionally talented on a broom."
"She sounds good," Halley said, grinning.
"You are," he said. He brought the back of her hand to his mouth for a kiss. "Don't tell Gwenog Jones, but you're my favorite Quidditch player." There was a pause and he slid an arm around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head. "Hey, almost a year ago we were sitting by the river and almost afraid to talk about the future. Now you're an incredible Auror and I have try-outs starting in a week." He shook his head from side-to-side. "I like it."
"Good, because I like us."