Call Me 9

Disclaimer: If I were JKR I'd have given money to the yes campaign not the no's.

9

Harry and Lisa spent the afternoon at The Ramps. This park was a concrete structure rather than a series of pipes. Lisa declined to have a go but was mostly sympathetic when Harry's ambition over reached his skill levels.

Harry was aware that watching him was not that thrilling an event for Lisa so he resisted heading down to the Ramps every day. They idled away the week doing very little. They stayed in, either talking or reading, cuddled up together, being casually intimate. Other days they would walk round the city, on these days Harry would take his board and they would end up at the Ramps again. Little by little Harry opened up to Lisa. Telling her of what he had really got up to in his first five years of school. With even more coxing he even talked about his early life at the Dursley's.

The weekend came and went. They spent Saturday on one of Simon's days out and the Sunday in the house as a family.

On the Monday Lisa asked Harry. "Can we spend Tuesday apart? A little headspace would be nice and it will give me time to shop for your birthday present."

"You don't have to, you know." Harry protested.

"Yes I bloody well do. You're my boyfriend I have to buy you a present. Same as you will have to buy me one when it's my birthday. Don't worry,I will remind you and drop hints too. I'm not going to pretend I've forgotten and pull a surprise, I always think they are mean. I intend to buy you something nice, I also know my parents have got you something. We'll do something too. Not just hang around the house so if you have anywhere you want to go let me know. Or I have a few ideas,of my own. You need to get used to the idea I'm going to do nice things for you.
For our age we are both ridiculously rich. I could buy a bigger house than my parents own. Your money is in galleons but you are even richer. Get rid of your poverty mindset.
Get the idea in your head that I am going to spend money on you and I don't mind. In fact I enjoy doing that.
So tomorrow I'll go get you something and Wednesday we will do something a little different if you have an idea let me know and I'll try to arrange it. Otherwise I'll come up with a plan."

Tuesday morning before Harry headed out he was stopped by Lisa. She pulled him into a long kiss. Her hand slipped something into his pocket as she did. "Here, it's a front door key. If you're staying out past seven ring me so I don't worry, also my mum's on an early shift tomorrow so I have lots of hot birthday sex planned for you, so don't come back drunk or you'll be too hung-over to enjoy it."

Harry took the key said his goodbye's before heading out. He had his board in the bag but had an idea in mind as to where he was going.

He headed out to the end of the road and called for the Knight Bus. He had a little list in his head. All the places Dudley had gone and he'd been left behind. So he'd gone to a theme park and watched a film. He'd asked Lisa if they could try bowling sometime but now he was going to the zoo.

He was avoiding heading down the country. The Ministry and headquarters and Diagon Alley where all in London, so he headed for Chester Zoo. The first thing that struck him was the smell as he got off the bus.

When it came down to it, being downwind of the elephant house on a warm day was not the best place to be. The monkey house wasn't much better. The majority of the crowds turned left past the elephants but he went right towards the large enclosures. The walls were low from his side but they had a sort of moat on the animals side to stop them getting out.

After a lunch in the restaurant he wandered the rest of the zoo. He paused outside the reptile house before decided against it. He was still slightly embarrassed by his ability to talk to snakes. He wandered down instead to see the orang-utans. He winced whenever he heard a child use the "m" word. Hoping the apes didn't take offence he headed in.

The gibbons seemed to be enjoying their time and Harry enjoyed watching them playing in their netting. As he followed the path through the house he saw something he had hoped to avoid.

There was a child about seven or eight banging on the glass behind which a large python lay.

"Go away; watch the monkeys, I was sleeping."

"They really don't like that." Harry said to the boy. "See how his tongue is tasting the air. He's trying to work out can he eat the thing that is annoying him."

The child ran off to his mother.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." Harry told the snake. He took out his wand and cast a low lever muggle repelling charm. Anyone who had business there would be able to ignore it but it would stop anyone else from lingering. "You should have a quieter day now." The snake nodded it's head and went to sleep.

Could have been worse Harry thought, at least no one got trapped behind the glass. He decided to give up on the zoo, it was enjoyable but the number of couples or families made him long for Lisa. He took a normal bus into Chester city centre.

Harry thought York had a lot of history but Chester seemed to have more or just maybe it was in a smaller space. The first thing he noticed as got to the town square was the standoff between the town hall and the cathedral. He nipped into the church but felt it was too stuffy. As he left by a different door he found himself on the city walls. An information board let him know they were complete and he could walk the whole circuit. It was a little under two miles so he set out. That was the plan. He came down off the walls when he came to the Roman Amphitheatre and again when he got to the river where he sat watching the river cruise boats depart. The next two sections were a little dull so he moved through them quite quickly. He walked back to the clock tower bridge. He watched the people shopping and scurrying around. He wasn't enjoying this day as much as last week. He kept seeing things that he wanted to tell Lisa about, he felt strangely lonely where he was normally happy in his own company. Also he couldn't see anywhere to skate in this city.

He took the steps down off the bridge and wandered into a pedestrian section. The shops where on two levels here. Some shops had doorways at street level but led to subterranean buildings. Above them was a higher level of walkway with shops coming off that. He paused a while to watch a fire breathing, juggling unicyclist, perform his act.

He glanced at his watch. Almost five. He hadn't found a reason to stay and going out drinking seemed a particularly bad idea. He was, he had to admit more than curious to find out what hot birthday sex entailed and waking up with a hangover seemed to preclude that activity.

He headed out from the city, crossing the river and into some quieter roads. He quickly concluded that it would never be completely quiet so he looked around and stuck out his wand.

It was an uneventful journey home although he realised he had no plan for what to do if there was someone he recognised on the bus. He was now such a regular that Stan didn't even ask him where he wanted to go.

He got off and strolled down the path to Lisa's house before slowing. Should he knock or use the key, what was the best thing to do? Lisa opening the door for him solved his dilemma. Her hair hung down and was freshly dyed.

He was greeted with a hug and a kiss. "Yay sober boyfriend."

"Yay, really hot girlfriend." He responded. He pulled Lisa into a more passionate kiss. Pushing himself hard against her.

"Remember I'm here, don't make me get a bucket of water out." Susan shouted from the kitchen. The two giggled and broke their kiss. Lisa whispered in his ear. "Hot birthday sex tomorrow."

"What was that?" Susan asked as she walked past with a cup of tea. Lisa gave her a long stare and Harry glanced away. "I can take a hint, I don't want to know." The two teens followed her into the living room. "Harry, Simon and I have a present for you; do you want it tonight or wait until tomorrow evening when I'm home?"

"You didn't have to..." Harry began.

"I know but I enjoy buying presents. The thing is I enjoy watching people open them too so that's why your choices are now or late tomorrow. That way I can watch you open it."

"I'm happy to wait until tomorrow." Harry saw Lisa frown at that, she knew why he was happy to wait. That he wasn't used to getting much. They watched some TV together and after a quick game of Rock paper scissors Susan choose a video from her collection.

"It's a fifteen, there is a mild sex scene in it. Let's all try to be adult about that." She told them.

Harry was a little unsure why Susan wanted to watch a film about wrestlers but it soon became clear it was about something else. He squirmed uneasily as the heroes girlfriend was kidnapped by the villain.

Lisa whispered in his ear."Not going to happen. If you're that worried you can train me like you did the D.A. last year. I'm not screamer like she is. I will stand up for myself."

In the end the good guy won, the bad guy lost his head and Harry went to bed humming songs by Queen.

Harry woke alone on Wednesday morning. He rolled over trying to find Lisa but there was no one to find.. He blearily focused on her entering the bedroom and he put on his spare glasses. She stood at the end of the bed and took off the nightshirt she wore when her parents were in the house.

"My mum's gone out." She said with a smile. "I need you standing up."

Harry got to his feet. She dropped to her knees in front of himand removed his shorts. From there she looked up longingly at him.

All the way through breakfast Harry just couldn't stop himself smiling and spontaneously kissing Lisa while saying. "Best girlfriend ever."

"You enjoyed that then?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "Best girlfriend ever."

"Open your cards." she said with a laugh handing him a small pile. He looked at them quizzically, There would be one off Lisa and her parents but who else knew when his birthday was who knew where he was? They had kept the Dursley's in the dark and they never gave anything anyway. Ron and Hermione didn't know where to find him. The first card confused him even more. It read congratulations on being a grandparent.

"That would be from Megan." Lisa explained. "A few years back she declared birthday cards boring and conventional and stopped sending them. When it was her birthday, she got upset because she didn't get any. Now she sends cards she just doesn't like being boring or conventional."

There were some cards from the lads on the skate park he had got to know and the twins had sent him one too. It opened to a firework display and fanfare. The other two were from Lisa and her parents. He knew there were presents to come and felt appreciated and cared for.

Lisa sat watching him on the opposite side of the table. "Do you want to do anything special today? The forecast is for a warm day so I've got a couple of plans."

Harry shrugged. "I don't mind providing we spend it together."

"Ok, I fancy a picnic. Put on something you can walk in. I'll put some food together and we'll head off into the great outdoors.

Harry had chosen his army surplus clothes and his DM's. Lisa's concession to walking was her boots, she wore her light and short floral dress. It was one of Harry's favourites. It showed a large amount of leg and always hinted that there was a possibility he might see a little more.

Lisa had told Stan where to drop them off and they now walked along some undulating hills covered in native trees. He allowed Lisa to lead, partly because he didn't really know where he was going and also he enjoyed the view as he walked behind her.

"Look." She turned around and pointed. "It's one of the few places in the UK that you'll see two castles so close together."

He turned and looked where she was pointing and on two separate hill tops were two castles. One a ruin the other a perfect gothic building. As he looked a breeze stirred the canopy and he watched a green wave wash towards him. He turned to say something to Lisa but she was gone. A momentary panic gripped him before he saw her a couple of hundred yards along the path. She waved and cheekily blew him a kiss before disappearing from sight.

He increased his pace and walked on after her as he got to the tree she had stepped behind a familiar pair of knickers hung from a branch. A post it note was attached to them.

"Hurry up."

He put the knickers in his pocket and did just that. A few hundred yards later he found a bra dangling off another branch. This note read, "I'm waiting." He was added a slight jog to his pace now.

He entered into a clearing, a blanket had been laid out on the grass in the centre of that was Lisa's dress. He approached looking around for where she might be.

A voice spoke next to his ear. "I hope you don't mind I borrowed your cloak."

Harry turned and saw no one. The Lisa opened his invisibility cloak to reveal she had only been wearing three items of clothing. She stepped closer enveloping him in his cloak.

"Three things." She said before kissing him. "A warming charm, a silencing one too. Then we can get you out of those clothes. I promised you lots of hot birthday sex didn't I?"

Harry followed her instructions to the letter. Then they decided a cushioning charm on the ground might also be a good idea. They froze locked together when someone else walked along the path and through the clearing. The man looked curiously at the blanket but carried on his walk.

They decided it would probably be a good idea to dress before they had their picnic. Lisa amused herself by just putting on her dress and exposing herself to him as he was taking a bite or trying to swallow.

"So you enjoying you birthday then?"

"Best girlfriend ever." They both laughed. "I am, it's not just the hot birthday sex. Everything seems so natural with you. I don't think I've ever been happier. I've had other good times, winning at quidditch, having parties in the common room but this is the longest time I've had when I felt the happiest." He paused "does that make sense?"

"It does. I wish this summer could go on forever." Lisa paused and bit her lip a sure sign she wasn't certain how he would take this next thing she said. "Can I ask your permission to do something?"

Harry nodded.

"I'm thinking about getting another tattoo. Would you mind if I got one in the shape as your scar?"

Harry paused before answering. "I think I know what you are saying but could you pick something else. I hate my scar. I hate what it means and what it marks me out as. If you want something to symbolise me and I do understand, I picked this." He flicked his ankh earring. "Because I think of it as your symbol. If you are going to do that how about this?"

So saying Harry took out his wand and just thought of how happy he was now. Prongs burst out into life as he spoke the spell. As always the silver stag looked so real you could almost smell him. When Harry looked across to Lisa he saw she was crying.

"He's beautiful." She smiled through her tears. "Yes your right. I'll get a little stag. She pulled down the strap of her dress. "I'm thinking here over my heart."

Harry looked across at the beautiful girl in front of him. Her red hair shining in the daylight, her lightly tanned face but pale skin that she was showing him now. He took a deep breath.

"If you're going to make that sort of commitment why don't I just buy you an engagement ring?"

Lisa looked confused for a second, she blinked as she tried to process the words he had just said. She then threw herself at him. Harry summoned the invisibility cloak at about the same moment Lisa's dress came off again.

Are you sure?" She asked him afterwards as they lay naked together under cloak.

"I can think of reasons why you should say no, I'm terrified that you will say no, I'm also terrified you'll say yes."

"I want to say yes. " She paused. "Look you know I'm close to my parents, yeah. If you can persuade my dad, if you ask his permission and he agrees then we'll get engaged. You can't get married till your eighteen anyway. I doubt your guardians would give their approval. Unless there is some weird pureblood law to get round it. I want to say yes. All my emotions are screaming, say yes, but there is a bit of my brain that is saying too soon, we've only dated a month."

Harry nodded. "I understand. I sort of blurted it out but I don't regret. But we haven't dated a month. We've lived together a month. I know your moods and your bad habits. I've seen you high and you've seen me drunk. I love you and want to be with you. Normally I look forward to school now I'm dreading it. The idea I won't get to sleep with you, to not wake up with your hair in my face. It's sudden and impetuous but right here right now I want to spend my life with you. Also wizards come of age at seventeen so we only have to wait a year."

They kissed then before eventually getting dressed and continued on the walk. Once they came off the path and found the road Harry stuck out his wand and called for the Knight Bus. It had been a perfect day so far and he had presents to look forward to once they got back to Lisa's house.

As they came down the path they could hear music playing and the house looked crowded. Harry looked questioningly at Lisa.

"Yes it's a surprise party. Is that ok?"

He pulled her into a hug and kissed her. "Best girlfriend ever. I thought you said surprises were mean?"

"The surprises were you pretend to forget someone's birthday and then do are party are mean. This was just a surprise."

The door was opened by Susan before they could open it. "Happy Birthday Harry." This was then picked up by the others in the house. He saw Megan and Sophie. Jeff, Chris and the lad who insisted his name was Chopper all from the skate park. Fred and George sitting together on the Sofa was a surprise but even more so was Luna who was looking at a book case when he walked in but turned and smiled at him as the others shouted their greetings.

He returned the greetings of others and nodded to their comments but he made as direct a line as possible for Luna.

"Hello Harry, you've changed."

"I suppose." He admitted, his hair was longer. He had stopped wearing glasses and had a tattoo and a piercing.

"I think this is the first time I've seen you happy."

Luna's bluntness caught him by surprise although he should have known her by now. "How did you find out about this party Luna?" He changed the subject.

"Lisa sent me an invite with Hedwig." As Luna spoke Lisa stepped next to him and he took the bottle of Newcastle Brown with barely a glance at her. Luna's eyes widened at this exchange.

"You did say Luna was one of the few you trusted completely. I took a gamble you were right."

"Thank you Harry. Ronald and Hermione aren't here, neither is anyone else from school apart from Fred and George. Do you trust me more than your best friends?"

Harry saw that they had managed to surprise Luna. "They are all sort of levels of trust. I trust Ron and Hermione with my life. They are both at the Burrow at the moment any hint they knew where I was would lead the Headmaster here and he is happy for me to stay locked up with my relatives. So in this yes, apart from the twins I trust you more than most from..." he paused seeing where he was. "School." He finished.

"Thank you Harry. I have a gift for you. She stepped back to where she been standing and produced a wrapped present. The paper was a mismatch of different styles and colours. "Will you open it now? You've changed too Lisa."

Harry unwrapped the present as Luna and Lisa talked. It was a door stopper of a book. The illuminati trilogy.

"Not really, this is the real me, in school I fit in and keep my head down. Ravenclaws can be cruel to people who don't fit their idea of the perfect student."

"Are you going to fit in next year or are you going to be yourself?"

"It depends, I'm thinking of getting some more piercings they will be hard to hide. I might just go the whole hog and turn up with red hair. Mind you in school I have the means to change it every day."

Harry drifted away from the two girls and plonked himself between the twins. "Have you got a drink guys?"

They both indicated the separate pint glasses. Fred was drinking a stout, George a lager if Harry was right in his guesses based on colour.

"We have presents but I don't think it would be a good idea to follow Luna's you should open them later."

"Maybe outside too" Fred added looking round the living room. "Although this you can open now."

Harry took the heavy parchment envelope cautiously. With much encouragement he opened it.

"How did you guys get hold of these?" Harry looked in awe at his Owl results both that he had done so well, although not as well as Lisa but the fact they had also got their hands on them.

"Best not to ask." George smiled at Harry's amazement.

"Guys I have one more big favour to ask you. Can you get my trunk from my aunts and uncles house? That way I won't have to go back there again.

The twins stared at each other, as some form of nonverbal communication happened between them. A big smile slowly crept across their faces.

"It would be our pleasure Harry."

He got up from the sofa and moved across to Megan and Sophie. Sophie glowered at him but Megan greeted him cheerfully. "You've already had my present."

"Really, I must have missed it."

Megan looked around and saw Susan was wandering around. She leaned in and whispered in his ear. "I'm the one who convinced Lisa a birthday blow was an essential."

He pulled her into a hug much to her surprise and Sophie's annoyance. "Best girlfriends best friend ever." He announced loudly. He and Megan both laughed. He glanced over to Lisa who had blushed where she was still talking to Luna. Sophie stomped off and threw herself into a chair.

"She doesn't look happy." Harry remarked.

"Fuck her, she's a miserable cow at the best of times. I think the only reason I haven't broke up her is I don't know anyone else who's gay."

"That's not really fair on either of you y'know."

"I do but..." Megan shook her head. "I can't see us lasting the summer. If we do break up can I travel to the concert with you and Lisa?"

Harry had planned on using the Knight Bus so the only comment he could come up with was "Um maybe. I'll speak to Lisa."

Harry drifted away to speak to the guys from the skate park. They pretended to give him a medical as he hadn't been there for a couple of days.

After some time chatting with them, Chopper asked him. "Who's the blond?"

"That's a friend of mine and Lisa's from our school. Her names Luna. "

Chopper checked his reflection in the windows and headed over towards her. Harry wished he had Rita's animagus form so he could listen to that conversation.

He sat in a chair and Lisa joined him and sat on his knee. "I am I the only one who would pay to listen to that conversation."

"I was wondering if I could sneak up on them with my cloak. So how was your chat with Luna?"

"Challenging. She equated me hiding my real self in school with all those people who don't speak out against death eaters. She has a strange way of looking at things but it all makes a logical sense if you take the time to think about it."

"She drives Hermione crazy."

"I can imagine. " Lisa's eyes opened wide and Harry's head snapped to look where she staring. Luna and Chopper where locked in a kiss. It looked as if the two were trying to devour each other. Harry went to stand but Lisa stayed firmly sitting on his knee.

"She's old enough to know what she is doing. She's as into it as he is. Don't embarrass them."

After a minute Luna broke the kiss. Harry who was now focusing all his attention on the pair heard Luna say. "Thank you, that was very pleasant." She patted Chopper on the arm and walked over towards Harry and Lisa.

When they asked Luna what was going on she volunteered that chopper had asked if she'd ever been kissed before then volunteered to teach her. "It was just how I imagine that Snorckacks use their horns to fight for dominance."

Harry had to remind himself that Luna had only a month before fought adult death eaters. She was perfectly capable of looking after herself.

"It was quite fun. I might try it again." With saying that she went off to find Chopper again.

They had pizza which Susan had ordered in then Harry was given his presents. Susan and Simon had got him a suit. Susan advised him to leave the tags on, as she was confident she had got him the right size but you were never certain until it was worn.

Lisa's present or series of presents took up quite a lot of space. He went to unwrap the small one first but was directed to the largest. She had bought him an electric guitar, practice amp, headphones, books, and videos on how to play. He was speechless, it was something he'd never considered but suddenly had the urge to try.

Although it was still early people started to drift off. Sophie was the first to leave, Megan apologised and left with her. Jeff, Chris and Chopper said as they had an hour of daylight left they wanted to hit the Ramps. Harry made puppy dog eyes at Lisa until she agreed to let him go. To his surprise Luna and the twins followed them.

Luna and Lisa chatted on the benches as Harry tried to teach the twins the basics. After a while the twins headed off nursing their bruises. They walked Luna to a quiet space and watched her call the Knight Bus.

"Let's go home." Lisa had a sparkle in her eye. "Do you think you can manage it once more."

Harry gave her an enthusiastic hug. "Best birthday ever."

A.N.

I hope you don't mind but I like teasing you with little details like films or places. If you recognise them you can feel clever, if you don't it doesn't matter because they aren't plot points.

The band Harry saw in Manchester went through some name changes Mr soft was one, they became better known as Elbow.

The Megan birthday card thing is a true story.

That panic you get when you forget when Stan was arrested. No? Just me then. In case you wondered after Harry is back in school but before Christmas.

I had planned to get this chapter done quicker that I did. Life and illness slowed me down. We are certainly past half way now. I think two more chapters and we are done. Three max. It depends on how much detail I write for the concert. It certainly ends on the train ride to school.

I'm not certain myself how far to take Harry's impulsive proposal. Once he has space to think he may regret it or not.

Thank you for reading. Also a special thank you to those who reviewed. I look on it as a social contract. I write, if you like it, you review. If you don't like it why are you still here on chapter nine?