A/N (the first): Remember when I said this fic would be around 30-35k words? As usual, I was way off. New estimate is 50k.

Teddy had a blast, and even managed to break Megan out of her dour mood with his shenanigans by the time they Floo-ed back to Harry's home. An old house elf made an appearance when they arrived, but she decided to make him an afternoon snack on her own.

"What do you like to eat?" she asked, lifting the little boy up to sit on the countertop.

"Cake!"

"Hmm, looks like we're all out," she said, opening the chiller to see what was available. It was stocked to bursting. "How about some cheese and crackers?"

Teddy made a face, but she just laughed and pulled the cheese out anyway. Preparing food in Harry's kitchen was radically different than her experience at home. Her studio flat didn't provide much counter-space, and all of his tools and appliances were so new they practically sparkled. She hummed a tune to herself while listening with one ear to Teddy exuberantly recounting his favourite parts of the playground in Laudffen she'd taken him to.

Despite the circumstances of her being here and the wild highs and lows of the day, Megan felt at ease. Peaceful, even. She nibbled on some of the snack when it was finished, encouraging Teddy to eat his fill and finish his glass of milk. Then, after a carefully enunciated teeth-cleaning charm, she lifted him into her arms and made her way up the stairs for naptime.

Teddy seemed to be nodding off in her arms after the teatime food and his full day. Rather than wake him for directions, Megan quietly crept through the upstairs corridor, searching out his room. The house was far bigger than she'd anticipated, and she had to travel all the way to the third floor before she came across a room with a twin-sized bed, snitches flying over the bedspread.

Her tuck-in duties complete, Megan returned to the parlour she and Andromeda chatted in not long ago so she might sit by the fire. With how long she'd been with Teddy, Harry would no doubt be back soon and she wanted to make sure she knew what to say.

A pop interrupted her thoughts as Kreacher appeared in the room, handing her a cup of tea before vanishing again just as quickly. Somehow, he'd even managed to prepare it exactly the way she liked.

Cradling the cup with both hands, she allowed herself just a moment to imagine. A lovely child upstairs asleep, a warm fire to sit next to on a cold day, and a handsome man-

She shook her head, as though in an attempt to dislodge that thought. Teddy wasn't her child, this wasn't her home, and Harry certainly wasn't her husband. The only reason she was even offering this was for Teddy's sake, to make up for the wrongs Gwenog did to her. That's it.

The fireplace flared green, and in total defiance of her mental assertions Megan's breath caught as Harry stepped into the parlour, wandlessly vanishing the ash clinging to his clothes.

"How's Andromeda?"

He seemed well and truly lost, collapsing into the armchair across from her and putting his head in his hands. "It doesn't feel real. Even seeing her, lying there in that bed, it still doesn't feel like this is actually happening."

"I'm sorry, she seems like an incredible witch. It must be terribly difficult to lose her like this."

Harry just nodded, and when he raised his head she could see the anxiety from before replaced by a tired, exhausted grief. "I don't know what I'm- I mean, what Teddy and I are going to do."

"Have you thought of what you're going to tell him? How to let him say goodbye to her?"

"I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye, much less how to deal with him doing so."

"I rather suspect Andromeda will have a few ideas about that. Talk to her," Megan encouraged, reaching out and putting her hand on his knee.

She'd only intended on it being a gesture of support, but the moment she touched him, something shifted in his expression. It was like some energy, an unknowable force transmitted between them the instant her hand brushed against him. How easy would it be to lean a little further, to slide her hand just a bit more up his thigh to…?

Megan felt her face go aflame, positive she must be putting out at least as much heat as the roaring fire nearby. What was she doing, thinking such things? She'd never- the very idea of something like that, good heavens!

She snatched her hand away as if she'd been burned, but it was too late. He might have said her name, but his voice was more a strangled groan than audible speech, so she couldn't be sure.

"Teddy had a lovely day!" she said, her artificially cheerful voice jarring in the suffocating, charged atmosphere. "We played outside, and I made him a snack and put him down for a nap."

Harry blinked several times. "That's good, thank you."

'It's now or never' she thought. "I know it's a lot, all of the sudden, but he can't wait for you to figure out what you're going to do. How exactly are you planning to take care of him and still fly for Puddlemere?"

He paled. "I- well, Kreacher can watch him while I'm at practice and during games." Megan frowned; no one left children out of infancy with house elves. A young child with magical creatures bound to obey a family's orders was a dangerous combination. Harry obviously came to a similar conclusion a few moments later, because he added, "I'll start the search for a nanny tomorrow."

"I don't think it will be quite as easy as you think. Even if you weren't the starting seeker of the top-ranked team in the League, you're Harry Potter, the Man-Who-Conquered. You're going to have people from all over the country applying for all the wrong reasons."

"Maybe Mrs. Weasley could help," he muttered to himself.

"I had an idea," she said slowly.

"At this point, I'm willing to consider almost anything."

"Well, since Teddy seems to like me, I thought I might be able to help you out." On pins and needles, she watched him intently as he weighed her offer.

"How do I know you're not applying for the wrong reasons?" Harry asked in a voice deeper than usual. His pupils dilated, and Megan swiftly looked away, not wanting to dwell on the thoughts so transparently forming in his head.

Still staring into the fire, she ran her tongue over her lips, trying to restore some moisture in her suddenly dry mouth. "It's purely professional, I assure you. Trust me, if you agree, you'll definitely be paying for the privilege."

"When can you start?"

The next day, Megan Floo-ed to Grimmauld Place in the morning. Harry had taken the day off from practice and planned to spend the afternoon with Andromeda, so they spent the morning working out exactly how this arrangement was going to work.

"Here, this is for you, for the week."

She accepted the slip of parchment, giving it a double-take as she recognised it as a Gringotts draft slip. "What- you're joking! This is for one week?"

His jaw tightened, and he looked unsure of himself. "Is it not enough?"

The slip showed a fifty Galleon transfer. "You're planning to pay me GG200 a month to watch Teddy? That's more than I made with the Harpies!"

"Well, part of it is for Teddy; I mean, I'm sure you'll need to buy him things, and I won't be there to pay."

"What sorts of things would I buy?"

"If he's hungry, or if he wants a toy, or needs clothes. I don't know," Harry shrugged helplessly. "I'm sure kids are expensive."

How much did he think food, toys, and clothing cost? "Okay."

He sighed in obvious relief. "Great! Okay, well, Kreacher already gave him breakfast, and I think he's upstairs in his room."

"Wait - where are you going? I thought you weren't going to St. Mungo's until this afternoon?"

"That's right."

The ridiculous salary he was offering made a bit more sense now. "If you're here, go be with your godson." She turned around and started for the Floo.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Home. I'll be back at noon. Teddy's waiting, Harry."

He ran a hand through his hair. "You can't just leave!"

Tossing a pinch of powder into the flames and calling out the Dusty Dragon, Megan paused to grin over her shoulder. "You can dock my pay, if you like," she said, and vanished.

"Well, you seem happy."

Megan nodded, her eyes tracking Teddy as he held onto a merry-go-round that an older girl pushed. "I guess I am. Does that make me a bad person?"

"Why would you think that?"

"It's just- this all happened because his grandmother is ill. She should be here, watching him laugh and play, not me." It had been a week since she'd started taking care of Teddy, and Harry told her Andromeda was worsening by the day.

"You don't have any control over her health. All you can do is your best to make the transition easy on that little boy," Brynne said. "And on his father."

"Godfather," Megan automatically corrected.

Brynne shook her head. "No, I meant father. To Teddy, Potter is the only family he's got left. The circumstances of his birth aren't important any longer - he's his dad now."

Megan pondered that, taking a sip from her coffee. She was right, whatever stumbling block Harry had that made him keep his distance from Teddy couldn't survive Andromeda's death, not if he wanted to do what was best for the child. She was still confused by the way he did his best to avoid one-on-one time with his godson.

Those thoughts came to a screeching halt when Brynne spoke up again. "Are you sure you know what you're doing, getting involved with Harry Potter?"

"What do you mean? I'm just the nanny," she protested, although the flush she felt creeping down her neck revealed the veracity of that claim.

Brynne laughed. "Right, because men have never tried to play with 'the help'. You're a big girl, I'm not going to lecture you, but I hope you're being careful to protect yourself. In every way."

"Brynne! Nothing of the sort is taking place. This is strictly business."

"If you say so."

"How's work?" Megan asked, more out of a desire to change the topic than for any legitimate interest.

"It's been hectic, what with the team getting ready for tonight's match against Falmouth."

Right, the long-awaited semi-final. "It's a shame you have to extend your season like this. Normally you'd be on holiday in Australia by now." Since her son died in the war, every year when the season ended Brynne would travel to Australia with her daughter-in-law and grandchildren, returning after the Yule holidays. "Look on the bright side, they could lose tonight."

She got a nudge from her old mentor for that. "The whole staff gets bonuses for making the postseason, so I won't complain about the extra gold. If Holyhead wins the title, I might even retire."

"Yea, but how likely is that? The Harpies had to claw their way to the semi-finals."

"You might be surprised. I think we match better against Puddlemere than against Ballycastle. If Puddlemere wins next week when those two play, I'd say an upset is likely in the championship."

Megan smiled politely and shrugged, her tolerance for quidditch talk having long since expired. She turned her wrist, checking her watch and swore as she realised the time. "Speak of the devil, I'm late. Harry's taking Teddy to the Harpies' match tonight, I need to get him back. Teddy! It's time to go!"

Brynne offered a brief hug, squeezing her tight. "I miss you, but I'm glad you're doing well. I told you everything would work out."

Moving as fast as Teddy's size would allow, Megan hurried back to the Dusty Dragon, grateful for its proximity to Laudffen's public park. She spared Garth a distracted wave and ushered Teddy to the Floo, calling out their destination and following him through.

Harry was waiting in front of the fireplace. "Where were you? You were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago!"

"I got caught up conversing with a friend and lost track of time, I'm sorry."

He seemed more irritated than the situation justified, so Megan helped Teddy out of his coat and took him upstairs to change into the mini-sized Puddlemere jersey Harry got for him. "Quickly now, your dad's in a hurry," she said, using her fingers to try and straighten the little boy's windswept hair.

Because of the rush, she picked Teddy up to safely navigate the stairs faster, only to find Harry in the same place she left him, without his coat and having made no moves to get ready. "Shouldn't you be going? The match is starting shortly!"

"What are you doing tonight?"

"Teddy, run along and go get your shoes, I'll lace them up for you in just a moment." She waited until he was out of earshot to round on Harry. "You are not going to back out of taking him. He's been talking about spending the evening with you all day, and-"

"Whoa, easy!" Harry held his hands out to forestall her irritated lecture. "That's not why I was asking. So, what are you doing?"

"Oh." Caught flat-footed, Megan wasn't able to think of a convincing lie, and the truth spilled from her lips. "I'm just going home."

"Would you like to go out for dinner?"

"With you?"

"And Teddy, but, yes."

Speaking of, his godson came back in, and Megan used the distraction of tying his shoes to buy herself a few seconds before answering. Why was he acting so strange? "I thought you were taking Ginny out to celebrate after the match ended."

"I changed my mind," he answered in a churlish tone. "So, what do you say?"

Something was wrong, but with the way he was acting, Megan didn't feel much like prying into his personal affairs. Looking Teddy in the eye, she said, "Have a good time with your dad." Rising to her feet, she marched to the Floo. "Goodnight, Harry. I'll see you in the morning."

Megan rinsed the shampoo out of her hair and turned off the water, stepping out of the shower and wrapping a towel around her body and another in her hair. The warm, steamy bathroom along with the light aroma of her coffee brewing invigorated her after a long night spent poring over her old Potions textbooks. She may not be able to study at St. Mungo's yet, but there was no harm in shoring up her weaknesses until she could.

Fastening her brassiere, she pulled up her panties and slipped on a loose jumper before zipping her skirt. Her coffee was ready by the time she finished dressing, and Megan sat down, going through her mail while her hair dried.

"Morning, Miss Jones! Lookin' as lovely as ever!"

"Thanks, Garth."

"Going to bring that darling little boy of yours through today?" Both Garth and Mable fussed over Teddy whenever they Floo-ed to Laudffen to visit the park.

"I'm not sure," she replied, passing over a handful of Sickles in exchange for a bag of muffins. "Wow, they're still warm!"

He winked. "The perks of early rising. Pretty soon you'll be waiting outside for us to open to get at the fireplace!"

She chuckled and waved goodbye. Her schedule had changed quite a bit since she started watching Teddy. Working for Holyhead, she typically had her mornings free, rarely getting out of her flat before ten at the earliest. Things had changed so much, so quickly.

As she stepped forward into Grimmauld Place from the Floo, her eyes locked onto the primary impetus for that change. Harry was laying on his back on the parlour sofa. Sprawled out on his chest, still in his Puddlemere jersey, was Teddy. The scene was so- they looked so much like a- Megan felt something squeeze at her heart, watching the two of them sleep.

Tip-toeing past, she was greeted by the faint sounds of the Wireless coming from the kitchen. Kreacher had neatly piled the mail on the counter, and Megan idly listened to the recap of the Harpies' blowout win over the Falcons the night before while she prepared a simple breakfast for Teddy and Harry.

As she filled Teddy's glass with juice and Harry's cup with tea, the front page of the Prophet caught her attention. Ginny the Great Clips Falmouth's Wings! read the banner headline, a moving photograph beneath showing the young chaser and Gwenog, an arm slung over each others' shoulders with confetti falling around them. Several of Ginny's teeth were cracked or missing, and one side of her face was swollen and bruised. Nevertheless, she looked ecstatic. Megan paused as Gwenog leaned in to kiss the chaser's cheek, photo-Ginny reciprocating a moment later before the picture paused to replay the moment.

'Oh.'

The Wireless clicked off, and in her surprise Megan spilled orange juice all over the counter.

"Harry! I didn't hear you get up!" She scrambled to put the juice down to clean up her mess, but he'd already stepped forward with a rag in his hand. "Wait, I've got it! You can… just…"

She trailed off, watching him pause with the rag outstretched, looking at the headline she'd just been observing. He froze for a moment, then set the rag down, and used wandless magic to vanish the mess and the paper.

"Thank you for the tea," was all he said, picking up the cup and walking out, followed by the sound of him ascending the stairs.

Megan was tempted to follow; she suspected, from years of experience when she was growing up, that she knew exactly what was going on. Instead, Teddy wandered in, rubbing at his eyes with tiny fists. "May-gun," he mumbled, a toothy grin splitting his features. "I'm hungry."

"Then I guess you're lucky I picked up some chocolate chip muffins from the Dragon, hm?" Teddy cheered, spinning in a circle in a celebratory dance of sorts. "You can have one, but only after you eat your eggs and toast, okay?"

The three of them stumbled out of the Floo into St. Mungo's. Today was the day Teddy would say goodbye to his grandmother. Harry, pale-faced and somber, led his godson by the hand into her room.

She waited for a few minutes before wandering down to the children's ward to visit with Ruby and the others for a bit, waving hello to Patricia as she left to return to Andromeda's room. It wasn't long after she got back that Harry emerged with his cheeks wet, holding a confused and upset Teddy.

"We're going to go home. The team knows- I mean, I've got the day free, so we won't need you today."

"Oh. Alright, then," she said, but he was already walking away.

'Was it alright, though?' she wondered. Perhaps he simply wanted the space to grieve, alone. It wasn't as though she was family, after all.

Observing that silent truth stung, much as she wished she could deny it.

Rather than continue that line of thought, Megan instead turned back to the door they'd just exited from. "Andromeda?"

Whereas before the woman looked weak, now she was beyond frail, a shadow of her former self. "Megan, dear. Come in."

"Are you alright?"

There was a bitter smile on her face. "No. Please, sit down." Megan pulled the chair a little closer and obeyed. "I used to think it was so unfair, the way my husband and daughter were taken away from me. You don't know how many times I wished I could have had one more conversation, told them I loved them one more time, or even just made more of the time we did have together. The 'what-ifs' plagued me for years."

Megan knew all about what-ifs, so she simply nodded and put a hand on the older woman's shoulder, trying to offer silent comfort.

"I think leaving Teddy like this might be worse, though. Before, I thought how lucky I am that I got to say goodbye, that he and Harry weren't losing me suddenly or unexpectedly. But-" her red eyes welled up with fresh tears. "It sounds so selfish, but I wish it had been sudden. I don't want to say goodbye."

Soft sobs shook her weak frame, and Megan felt herself crumbling inside. "I'm so sorry." Whether because the emotion of the day wore on her, or she simply was too weak to continue, Andromeda's tears didn't last long. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes." Some of the fear and pain faded, replaced by a wan determination. "Megan, I'm going to tell you what I told Harry: grab onto life with both hands, and don't let go. Find what makes you happy, and don't give up until it's yours. Harry needs to stop pussy-footing around and make an honest woman out of Ginevra, and you should do the same, dear. I know you're ambitious, but life is about more than work or career. Life is-" her voice dropped. "It's so short."

Megan stayed with Andromeda for another half-hour, most of it spent in solemn quiet, until Gertrude Fulbright arrived at the door, a pitch-black potion held in her hand. "Andi?"

"Hello, Gertie," came the weak reply. "I'm glad you're here. It's time."

"What is that? What are you doing?"

Gertrude leveled a serious gaze at Megan, approaching Andromeda's bedside and gently stroking her friend's hair. "St. Mungo's provides terminal patients hospice care, and when the time comes, offers palliative sedation to ease a patient's passing."

Her breath caught in her throat, but Andromeda's hand found Megan's. "This is what I want. I'm glad I met you, Megan. Remember what I said."

"Why don't you leave us to chat, Miss Jones? Andi and I go back a long way, and I'd like to remember better times with her."

Positive that the only way she'd be able to hold back her tears was to keep her mouth clamped shut, Megan could only nod. She pressed a kiss to Andromeda's cheek and squeezed her hand one last time, and then left the room, closing the door on her way out.

She stood in the corridor, feeling hopelessly lost and painfully alone. The hustle and bustle of the hospital felt egregious, like a transgression against the woman dying in the room she'd left just now. Megan couldn't be here, not at this moment. She had to get out of here, had to go home…

Woodenly, she stumbled her way to the Floo, only when the flames turned green, it was Harry's address she called.

Andromeda's death hung over Grimmauld Place like a cloud. Over the next week, Teddy began acting out, prone to fits of irritability and anger and, much to Harry's chagrin, started to have problems wetting his bed. Megan found herself coming earlier and staying later, trying her best to provide a positive touchstone for the boy to lean on.

Harry was present around the edges, but he spent much of the week at the stadium, preparing for the semifinal round against Ballycastle. When he was around, his interactions with Megan were cursory, routine queries about Teddy and how they spent their days. It was as though he treated her like… it felt like he was her boss.

Which he was.

'So why does that bother me so much?' she thought as she stepped out of the Floo into Grimmauld Place, finding Harry leaning against the kitchen counter, a cup of tea in his hand.

"Good morning, did you sleep well?" His hair was mussed - more than usual - and he wore a loose v-neck t-shirt over a pair of low-rise pyjama pants. Megan felt her pulse speed up.

"Just fine." Why did it bother her? Who was she kidding? Certainly not herself! "Has Teddy already eaten?"

"Kreacher made him some oatmeal. I wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

"I realised last night I have no way of getting in touch with you. You haven't even given me your Floo address."

"That's because my flat's not connected."

He stared at her over the rim of his teacup, pausing before taking a drink. "You Floo here every morning."

"Oh, well, I walk to the local tavern and use their fireplace."

"Why don't you just apparate?"

'Because I splinched myself so often I didn't get my license until I was nineteen' "I don't like the sensation, I prefer Floo travel." Megan set down her bag on the small kitchen table. "What's this about?"

"I was wondering if you'd be willing to keep Teddy overnight, I don't know how late I'll be out celebrating after the game."

She snorted. "What if you lose?"

For a moment, he was the old Harry again, flashing her a roguish grin. "That won't happen."

"Right, well I guess it's alright if he came over." Teddy could take the couch, she'd make it work. "What time should I bring him back?"

A slight flush coloured his face. "I sort of feel like I should see your place first." Then, reading the way she stilled at that statement, he hurriedly continued, "I mean, I don't know what sort of wards you have, or how to get there in an emergency."

"What, today?" She desperately tried to picture the state she'd left her apartment in. It's not as though she'd spent much time there lately!

"Well, yes."

Unable to come up with an excuse, she nodded weakly and resigned herself to what would surely be a humiliating home inspection. At least the replies from the Prophet weren't out on her table any longer; what would Harry think, seeing letters from so many different men?

"Great! I'll get dressed, if you can handle getting Teddy ready."

In no time at all, they were off. Garth immediately recognised Harry, shaking his hand and bringing Mable out of the kitchen to meet him, urging him to come back and share a drink with them sometime after the playoffs were over.

While they talked, Megan kept imagining what he'd think when they went into her flat. It was only a studio, after all; just one room and a bathroom. He'd be able to see where she slept, he'd see her dirty laundry! Oh, Merlin, had she thrown her bra and knickers in the basket, or were they still in a pile on her bed?

"Are you alright?"

"What?" she squeaked, then looked around, seeing they were standing outside the Dusty Dragon. "Oh, uh, it's this way."

Teddy held on to one of each of their hands, standing between the two of them, occasionally running and swinging back and forth. Passersby smiled and offered cheerful greetings as they walked past them to start their day, and it struck Megan how, to an observer, they must look identical to the young families she used to see on her daily commute.

That thought thankfully distracted her, and before she knew it Megan was leading them up the steps of her building, fishing her muggle keys and wand out of her purse, unlocking the door physically and magically.

Teddy immediately ran inside and began exploring, but Harry paused, ducking his head as he entered, like he was in danger of hitting his head on the ceiling or something. "It's- well, you live here?"

"What's wrong with it? It's not as though I need a lot of space!"

"Right, of course," he quickly said, probably realising how his words came across. "Sorry. Just not what I imagined."

He took out his wand, casting some detection spells to check on her wards. Keeping one eye on Teddy, who'd by now discovered the bathroom, she idly considered how this was the first time she'd seen Harry use his wand to cast a spell. He really was a powerful wizard.

Once he'd slipped his wand back up his sleeve, she spoke. "See? No lethifolds under the bed. He'll be fine."

"Why don't you move into Grimmauld Place?"

She couldn't have been more stunned than if he'd used his wand to cast a Stupefy. "What? Why?" she choked out when she could finally reengage her brain.

"This place was built as a muggle residence. There's still electrical wiring in the walls! There's no telling what could happen if you use the wrong sort of magic here. Plus, your wards are practically nonexistent! Anyone could just walk in!"

"I cast those myself!"

He gave her a guilty look and measured his tone. "Sorry, that didn't come out right. What I'm saying is, there's plenty of room in Grimmauld Place. So why live here?"

Drawing her lips in a firm line, she pushed Harry out the door and closed it behind her. "I happen to like living here! I'm not your live-in servant, or your wi- I just take care of Teddy. You don't have any right to tell me where I should live!"

For a moment, he looked like he was going to argue further, but instead took a deep breath. "You're right. I'm sorry. That- I spoke out of turn. It won't happen again; and for the record, I don't think of you as a servant. I know this is temporary." At her confused expression, he continued, "Andromeda told me you're going to be a healer."

Rather than reply, she opened the door and looked inside. Teddy froze, a tube of her lipstick in his hand, four-fifths of his face painted red. Megan sighed and closed her eyes. "Guess what, kiddo? We're going to have a sleepover tonight."

Megan jerked awake, hearing a clatter from downstairs. She fumbled for the activation rune on the light in the guest room she'd slept in, checking her watch to see the time. Just after three in the morning.

She slipped out of bed, stepping into her house shoes, grabbing her wand and padding down the stairs. He'd better not wake up Teddy, she thought heatedly, coming in at this hour after being out all night carousing!

He was pacing the length of the first floor as she came downstairs, walking back and forth with a manic smile on his face, one that grew wider when he caught sight of her. "Megan!" His eyes, pupils the size of Sickles, lit up with his greeting, holding up a half-empty bottle. "I brought champagne! We won!"

"That's great. I don't mean to spoil your mood, but can you keep it down? You're going to wake Teddy."

"Right, sorry." He was unapologetic, although he did lower his voice. "Shall I pour you a glass?"

Megan took in the way his tie was loosened, hanging off the open collar of the shirt he wore under a trim, pinstripe sports coat. "You look to have had enough. How long have you been drinking?"

He shook his head vigorously. "The game only ended-" he gestured with the champagne bottle, and ghostly numbers appeared backwards in mid-air from his miscast Tempus. "-an hour and a half ago!"

A quick mental calculation put the match's length at around nine hours. "You must be exhausted!"

"Nah, they gave us some nutrient potions to keep us going, I feel great!" He slung an arm over her shoulder, leading her to the kitchen. "C'mon, it's no fun drinking alone!"

That gesture caused his jacket sleeve to ride up, exposing the edge of a medical wrapping. "You're hurt, what happened?"

"Had the snitch right within my grasp, damn bludger shattered my wrist."

Redirecting his path from the kitchen to the parlour, she walked him over to the sofa. "Let me see it."

"It's fine, the healers fixed me up during the match. I hardly feel a thing."

Given how he was obviously high as a kite, Megan wasn't surprised. "Please, Harry, just let me look it over."

He turned into her, squaring their shoulders. "Only if you have a drink with me."

"Fine, I'll get us some glasses, just sit down." He obeyed, taking a swig from the bottle as she went to the kitchen. She obligingly let him fill her glass with the warm, flat champagne, then took a seat next to him. "Give me your hand."

Carefully unwrapping his wrist, she grimaced at the sight of the purple, swollen joint. She whispered the diagnostic charm, clinically cataloging the information it returned. The Skele-Gro he'd assuredly taken after the match was repairing the bones, but without sleep and stabilisation it wouldn't heal correctly.

"Tell me about these nutrient potions they gave you," she said, reaching across his body to take the bottle away from him. "What did they taste like?"

"What do potions ever taste like?" His riposte was delivered with a wink. "I don't know. Earthy, bland, like I was eating grass or a dandelion."

It sounded like Jitter-Juice, a high-powered stimulant restricted by the Ministry. 'Well, if you're trying to get athletes to keep performing at a high level for almost ten hours, what else would you use?' It was little wonder he was pacing the house at this hour.

Those fucking League healers! "You need to get some sleep, let your wrist heal right."

"I'm not tired, too excited."

"Here, lie down. I'll give you a back rub, it'll help you relax."

"A back rub?"

"Yes, it'll help, trust me. I used to do this for a living, remember? Here, let's get this jacket off." She helped him out of his jacket, stilling his shaking hands when he began fumbling with the buttons on his shirt. "Let me do that."

Harry was unusually quiet while she removed his shirt, and as she leaned forward to pull his sleeves off, she felt it, too. This wasn't at all like what she used to do. Seated on a plush sofa in front of a roaring fire, in a spaghetti strap top and loose pyjama pants. Harry, shirtless, restless and intense, his smooth flesh interrupted by scattered scars.

No, Megan had never done anything like this before.

"I said lie down," she said, wishing her voice didn't come out so husky. It was too late, anyway; his eyes had already locked onto her breasts, and for a ludicrous moment she wished she'd worn a bra to sleep in.

After a long, lingering stare, he obeyed, and she stood next to the couch, bent over to work on his back, trying to loosen the knotted muscle. He let out grunts, but after several minutes the tension began to leak out of his body, followed by the occasional sigh here and there.

There was something familiar, almost comforting about getting to do this work again. After spending years with Holyhead, she almost missed the feeling of satisfaction that came with working flesh and muscle, curing aches and pains. This setup wasn't ideal, though; having to lean over to the couch was starting to make her back hurt.

Maybe she could…? No. That would be crossing a line, it would be too- too intimate.

But after a few more minutes, the ache in her back grew worse. Harry was still awake, judging by the occasional movement, shifting himself side to side as her hands kneaded and squeezed. He needed his rest, she justified in her mind, and he was potioned to the gills, anway! He'd never remember.

Pausing her work, she swung a leg over his back, gingerly straddling his rear end. Just as she'd thought, Harry displayed no visible reaction beyond a brief straightening of his body, to give her room to more comfortably perch atop him.

After some time, he spoke, his voice hushed and quiet. "Thanks, I feel a lot better now." And indeed, his voice was more himself, no longer rushed and hyperactive.

"Alright, let me just see your wrist one more time and I'll let you get to bed."

As she rose off of him, he twisted his hips and rolled over, catching hold of her arm with his uninjured left hand. "Thank you, really," he said, putting his other hand beneath him to raise himself up.

"No, don't use that hand, are you-" she abruptly went quiet as they fumbled together, all her weight coming to rest against him as she reached for his wrist. The feel of him, hard and ready beneath her, practically blanked her mind.

Timidly, Megan ground her hips against his once, letting out a hiss of pleasure as she did. She repeated the action a second time, then a third, settling into some instinctual rhythm she never knew she was capable of. His hands, loosely holding onto her hips, slipped beneath the hem of her top and began a slow journey upward, his fingertips lightly grazing her skin.

Almost panting with need, she put her hands on either side of her head and leaned down. His hands were brushing the underside of her breasts as he craned his neck, raising his face to meet hers. The champagne on his breath tickled her nose, and-

'I'm sorry. The champers must have gone to my head'

She turned away, feeling his lips slide along her jaw and she quickly pulled herself off and away from him, still breathing heavily.

"Megan, what-"

What was she doing? He'd pull away again, once he sobered up. He wasn't in his right mind, and she practically- she- well, it was a clear violation.

"Let me see your wrist," she ordered, and her no-nonsense demand seemed to snap him out of his surprise. He obligingly held the injured limb out, and she straightened the joint, cast numbing and stabilising charms, and then patted him on the arm. "There, all better. Kreacher?"

The elf appeared with a pop.

"Please take Harry to his bed." The elf gave a serious nod and touched Harry's shoulder, disappearing alongside him.

Megan put away the glasses and poured the rest of the bottle down the sink, then gathered her wand and returned to her room. She'd almost made a terrible mistake, and not just for Harry's sake, either. Did she really want her first time with a man to be like that? Cramped together on a sofa, with someone who could never promise anything more than one night? That's not at all how any witch imagined their first time to be!

But lying in bed, just one floor down from him, Megan did just that, her mind filling in the blanks of what might have happened, her hand sliding into the waistband of her pants, stifled moans muffled by her pillow.

A/N (the second): Going to have to raise the rating pretty soon, Megan's a little too spicy for a "T"! My discord channel could tell you that I've been consulting a lot of romance novels (given that I forced them all to read a freaking essay I wrote about tropes/caricatures seemingly EVERY novel in the genre uses), so I'm pretty sure that I can write a racy scene without getting too smutty. Guess we'll see.

Also, I've written an absolutely crazy amount of this story in the last 4 or 5 days, so I might take a bit of a break. I don't know. The weather still sucks, and more snow is on the way, so boredom and a lack of snacks might get me back in front of the keyboard.

BTW: have any of you ever read the 'extended canon' on Gwenog Jones? I felt a little bad about how I'm bashing her, but honestly, she is a total asshole even in JKR's mind. So fuck it; I'm gonna run with it.

Stay safe, healthy, and happy! ~Frickles