Author's notes:

Standard disclaimer, I own nothing. It all belongs to JKR.

This is just a little something that bit me after reading a number of similar stories and I thought I'd give it a try. You can assume the story is canon compliant up to the just about the end of Harry's rescue of Ginny in Chamber of Secrets. It goes AU when he falls unconscious before Fawkes arrives to drip tears in the wound on his arm.

This is a stand alone story not related in any way to any of my other works

I'm going to be posting very short chapters. Don't worry though, the story is complete and I'll post a chapter a day.

Enjoy,

Sorcerer's Muse

Finally, Peace.

Chapter XXIV

Big

Lis stretched languorously in the bed as she rolled over. "What's it like out there?" Harry was just leaving the toilet and he poked his head in the sitting room to look out the window. It had been a week since the first time they'd made love and Harry, naked, as he exited the toilet was something she didn't think she'd ever grow tired of.

"Big," he answered, drawing back. She sat up and the sheet covering her fell away. His jaw went slack.

"Like what you see?" she teased.

"A lot," he answered.

Lis climbed from the bed and, completely starkers, descended the ladder/staircase from the bedroom. Wholly unashamed she walked across the dining and kitchen area into the sitting room. "Lis," he choked.

"Oh pish," she waved him off. No one can see in these windows." She stood there, completely ignoring his mouth hanging open as he stared at her. "Those are big. I'll need to wait for you and Joe to get back from breakfast before going out I think." She turned, giving him a peck to the cheek as she slipped past him into the toilet. "Morning breath. Sorry." Harry's only response was a strangled sort of gurgling sound. She turned to face him. "Hurry and go eat so I don't have to wait too long." She tapped her finger to his nose and closed the door.

Harry stood there a minute before reaching for the door. "Like hell," he growled, pushing it open.

"Was starting to wonder if you were gonna show, Bro," Joe said when Harry appeared next to his car.

"I'd kind of forgotten just how comfortable beds were," Harry said.

Joe laughed and heaved himself off his car. "Sure, Bro. Whatever you say."

"You sure about this?" Harry asked. He and Joe had eaten breakfast and given it a chance to settle and he was now standing between Joe and Lis looking out at the waves crashing in. If anything they'd gotten bigger since he'd first looked out the window.

"I think you're ready, Bro," Joe said.

"We'll be right there with you," Lis said.

Harry considered. He wasn't ashamed to admit he was frightened. Fifteen-foot waves were not to be taken lightly. The desire to go in though was strong as well. "Why don't you two go in and I'll just watch a bit." Lis looked at him. "They're big," he iterated.

"All right," she agreed.

Joe clapped him on the shoulder. "Nothing wrong with knowing your limits, Bro."

"Thanks," Harry said.

Lis stretched up and pecked his lips before grabbing her board. "Ready?" she asked.

"Bet your sexy ass," Joe said heading for the water. Lis shoved him.

"Oi," Harry complained.

"Only speaking truth, Bro," Joe called back. Harry didn't bother responding as the two were in the water and paddling out. Every so often Harry would lose them as they fell into a trough but then a wave was beginning to form and Joe was stroking hard to catch it. He popped up a second later and Harry shouted his joy for the ride. About twenty seconds later the barrel completely enveloped him for a few seconds before Joe shot out of it like he'd been launched out of a cannon. He whipped down the face of the wave, racing the break till about another ten seconds on and he dove into the water and the wave was past him. He broke the surface, grabbed his board and started paddling back out to Lis who had been stroking hard after him behind the wave. They joined up and headed further out and then it was Lis' turn. Like Joe Harry lost her in the barrel for a few moments before she rocketed out of it riding the wave nearly to the shore before she jumped of into the foaming water and started back out. Half an hour later Harry'd had enough watching, grabbed his board and went to join them. He could at least be out in the water with them and if he felt like giving it a go… well he had them to fish him out if need be.

"You made it!" Joe said as he pushed up and sat astride his board. "Thought you were gonna get buried there coming out for a second."

"You and me both," Harry said. "It been a close thing getting over the last wave before it had crested on him.

Lis paddled over and joined them. Harry could only marvel at her. Her hair was plastered to her head and she was breathing hard for the effort of being in the water but her eyes were alight with unadulterated joy and Harry didn't think she'd ever looked more beautiful. "You gonna ride?" she asked.

"Not sure yet."

"Just get a feel for it," she encouraged.

"My turn then?" Joe asked.

"Go for it," Lis said. She laid down on her board and started stroking away in the direction Joe would ride. "Come on, Harry," she called back.

"Have fun," Harry said and paddled after her.

"Oh, believe me I am. Best break I've seen in two years."

Twenty minutes later Harry couldn't take it anymore. "All right, I'm gonna go," he said when Lis had paddled out to join him and Joe again.

"Really?"

"That's what I'm talkin' about, Bro."

"Just promise you'll fish me out if I get pounded."

"You got this, Bro," Joe said.

"Just don't hesitate," Lis said. "And if you're in the barrel, that moment you think your toast, that's when you gotta stay with it."

"I'll try," Harry said. He started stroking for the drop in point and a short few minutes later he pushed up on his board so he could see the sets coming in. He let a few pass, started after one and chickened out at the last moment. "Come on, Potter," he berated himself. "Just… do it!" He started stroking.

"HARDER!" Lis' voice came across the water.

Harry put everything he had into it. The wave started to lift, higher and higher and he nearly panicked and bailed on it. But he popped up and, Holy Shit was he flying! And the wave was roaring and he wasn't going fast enough and suddenly the only thing he could see besides water was a far too tiny window of light an impossible distance away and then, suddenly, he was out and flying away and he angled for the crest and flew off the board over it into the calmer water behind. Coming to the surface he bellowed for shear joy.

Joe reached him first and pounded his back as Harry climbed back astride his board. "Nice, Bro!"

Lis reached them and slid off her board onto his and was kneeling astride his lap kissing him for all he was worth. "You were amazing!" she said, holding him by the face.

"I don't know about the ride, but if you're gonna' kiss me like that I'll do it as many times as you want."

"You were in the barrel, Harry," she exclaimed.

"I've been in the barrel a dozen times today and I don't get kissed like that," Joe complained.

"And the barrel is as good as it's going get for you, Joseph," Lis teased. She pecked Harry's lips again before sliding off into the water and climbing on her board again. "I think I've got a few more in me before I need to rest," she said, starting to paddle away.

"Lead on, Sister," Joe said. Harry followed, still on a high from his first barrel, watching as first Lis and then Joe went and when it was his turn again he didn't hesitate in picking his wave and going for it. Each time he bailed over the top after blasting out of the barrel and quickly rejoined the others to play safety as they took their turn.

"Lis says this is the last round for her," Joe said as Harry joined him.

Harry nodded. "Fine with me." He wasn't really ready to head in yet, but they had been in the water far longer than him and the fastest way to getting hurt was to overestimate what you had left. Lis and Joe had far more experience than he did and he had no issues listening to him.

"I don't know how she does it," Joe said, watching Lis calmly drop into the waist deep water at the end of her run. "I don't think I've seen her need to bail but three or four times."

"She's pretty awesome," Harry agreed. Joe started paddling for the drop in spot while Lis waited in the shallows for them. She waved and he waved back and a few minutes later Joe was rushing by and then making his way up next to Lis. Adrenalin pumping, Harry paddled for the drop in spot, determined this time he wasn't just going to just bail over the top after shooting out the barrel again. He took a minute to spot his set, letting two pass before laying down and stroking as hard as he could. Anticipation grew as the wave began to lift him and Harry popped up and was racing away. The barrel came, enveloping him and in an instant of terror Harry realized he'd misjudged on the speed and he wasn't going to make it out. He tried bailing into the body of the wave but it carried him up and over into the crest and he was tumbling and getting thrashed around and his leg was yanked hard by the board strap and, WHERE THE FUCK WAS THE SURFACE? Mercifully, just when lack of oxygen was getting to be a real problem his head broke through into the life-giving gas. He gasped, thrashing around wildly for a second before he managed to get hold of his board and half sprawl on top of it… And then he looked up. "Oh, shit," he said. His face was slammed into the board and everything went black.

Author's notes:

To be honest, I've never surfed in my life. I've played in the ocean in about eight-foot waves though and that was more than enough for me. I can't imagine the power of fifteen feet and can only think those dudes who do the big wave surfing, the 45-50-60 and even bigger waves have something not quite right upstairs.