Request: "He liked watching her when she was in her element – the confident beauty she radiated." For hinny

A cold wind howls around the Quidditch stands, forcing Harry to pull his robes tighter around his body. Midwinter is not the best time to go for a late-night walk, and there are no clouds to protect the grounds from the bitter glow from the moon. A jar full of bluebell flames would be helpful right now, but that would alert the solo flier to his presence.

He wants to enjoy watching her fly for just a little bit longer first.

Harry never intended to follow her. He has been having difficulty sleeping recently, which is unsurprising given everything going on. So he has taken to walking the grounds under his Dad's cloak in an attempt to tire himself out. As he passed the pitch tonight, he noticed the redhead flying high above the hoops and decided to climb the steps to watch her, just for a moment.

Well aware of how creepy it could be perceived, Harry kept the cloak firmly wrapped around his body. He was sure that if she discovered him before he had a chance to explain, she would hex him so hard he would have trouble walking tomorrow morning. That would be difficult to explain to Ron.

Ginny flies back and forth over the pitch, making tight turns, looping and swooping as she throws the Quaffle at the goalposts. The ball zooms right past his head, and Harry almost loses the cloak in the breeze. In a heart-stopping moment, Ginny pauses and stares at the spot where Harry is sitting, but then shakes her head and continues her practice.

He wishes more than anything that he was up there with her, chatting and bantering as they fly.

He likes watching Ginny when she is in her element. Tonight is not the first time he's stopped to take in her confident beauty she radiates. He regularly catches himself staring during their training sessions and usually has to cover his tracks before Ron notices.

Harry's feelings for his best friend's sister are new and exciting, but also terrifying, especially as Ginny already has a boyfriend. He realises that he may have waited too long to discover his true admiration for her and has lost the chance to ask her out, but it won't stop him from trying to be a better friend to her.

Letting out a heavy sigh, Harry makes sure the cloak covers all of him before making his way back down the stands. He might be able to sleep now, maybe with visions of Ginny flying through his dreams.

He doesn't notice her landing at the entrance of the pitch until she speaks.

"Why are you following me, whoever you are?"

Harry freezes in place and clutches hold of the cloak, his heart plummeting towards his belly. He's been in much more dangerous situations before, but being discovered by Ginny might be one of the most terrifying things to have happened to him.

"Come on, show yourself," Ginny continues.

Her voice is firm but fiery, reminding Harry of Mrs Weasley when one of her children has wound her up a little too much. He knows better than to try and avoid whatever is coming for him, so Harry lets the cloak fall to the floor.

"It's only me, Gin."

"What are you doing here?" she challenges, her wand pointing at him. The severe look on her face highlights her extraordinary beauty.

"I… I… I was just out for a walk, and I spotted you flying. I just wanted to check you were okay."

"Why are you even out this late at night, Harry? It's dangerous, especially for you."

"Why are you out?" Harry throws back at her, his eyebrows raised. He's not sure where his sudden courage has come from, but he's determined to make the most of it before it disappears again.

Ginny's expression softens, and she tucks her wand back into her sleeve before picking her broom up from the floor.

"I can't sleep."

Harry frowns. "Me neither."

She sighs and gestures up the path. "Well, next time, just tell me you're here. You scared me half to death."

"Next time?"

Harry turns to study her face, trying his best to ignore the beast in his chest as it thumps its tail hard against his ribcage. He's curious to see if there's any hidden meaning behind her words, but she's not giving anything away.

"Or whenever." Ginny shrugs. "I'm just saying it's okay for you to come and see me if I'm out here. Maybe we can fly together."

Harry follows her back towards the castle, adding this encounter to the list of moments that will help him conjure a Patronus. Tonight has worked out so much better than he hoped, and now, he may even get to spend more time with Ginny without interruptions.