A/N: TWO IMPORTANT NOTES:

1. I changed the name of the fic from "The Prongslet, The Flower, and the Scoundrel" Because it made me cringe (prongslet) and because it doesn't fit the story, especially in later chapters. Also this way it's got a shorter name which cant be too bad. The new name will make sense once the time comes.

2. Right, so I get that Arithmancy has a purpose in HP canon and in real life but I don't really care. I made up a reason for it to exist and I think it's cool. Essentially, you use Arithmancy to design spells and can be used to design the behaviour of magical objects with the help of runes. It's explored briefly in this chapter which is why I wanted to clarify. Full A/N for those who care at the bottom.

Wednesday, June 30th, 1994.

Ginny,

Can't say I know why I'm writing to you; I know I haven't before, but that car ride was probably the most fun I've ever had. Yes, in my whole life. I don't know why but I've just been enjoying things a lot more, recently. Like eggs for instance. I've been cooking since I could reach the countertops and here I am, finally enjoying the taste of eggs. I really don't know what the hell is happening to me but it's welcome. Honestly, I think it just proves that I almost definitely had something of Voldemort's in my head, dampening my reactions to stuff.

Only mildly concerning.

What are you up to? I don't really know much about you if I'm being honest so you might as well start to tell me about yourself now because you're sort of the person who knows the most about me. Yes, congratulations. You, Ginny Weasley, know more about me than your brother, Ronald Weasley. I don't give you bragging rights because the git will start asking me questions that he really just doesn't deserve to know. He hasn't had to fight off Tom alone yet so until that happens (Praying that it doesn't) he doesn't need to know about my motherly mind if you know what I mean.

(Imagine me winking)

You're sort of the only person I have any interest in writing to this summer, so don't bother telling Ron about these letters. I don't want to hurt his feelings.

Anyway, I want to hear from you so don't disappoint. Two feet of parchment minimum, anything less will force me to write Snape and have you thrown into remedial potions.

Thanks,

-Harry

Ginny finished reading the letter that a rather irritated Hedwig had delivered to her in the middle of the night. The distant sounds of thunder could be heard through her window, so Ginny hadn't quite fallen asleep.

She was beyond shocked that Harry had written to her, but it was certainly not a disappointment. Harry had asked for two feet, he was going to receive two feet.

Thursday, July 1st, 1994

Harry,

Can't say I wasn't surprised by your letter, but I'm happy you want to get to know your best mate's little sister. You asked for two feet, you're getting it, Potter. (Even if I must space my words farther apart than usual.)

I'm sure Ron has told you all about my older brothers. Charlie and Bill are my favourites. Bill is a curse-breaker which is just so cool. He's charismatic and charming. I think he's had more girlfriends than the rest of my brothers combined but I don't hold it against him. If I was a bloke and I looked like him, I'd take advantage of it too.

Charlie is hilarious. Not like the twins, we don't laugh with him. We laugh at him. We're starting to consider the fact that Charlie might have feelings for dragons. I'm serious. Mum always asks him when he's going to settle down and Charlie just shrugs. He dated some metamorphmagus during school, I remember her pretty well. She was fun. But ever since then he's just been hiding out in Romania with his flying lizards. I mean, after a while you'd think he'd bring a girl home. Nope. Whatever, as long as he's happy.

I'd say I'm a combination of Bill and the twins. I do enjoy a good prank, but I care about school enough to represent Bill Weasley's adventurous side. Who knows, maybe I'll be a curse-breaker when I'm older. I'm certainly up for the idea.

I told my family about our car ride but chose to leave out your motherly thoughts. Funnily enough, out of everyone in the house, the only person who just will not accept my story is Ron. He's convinced that I'm leaving something out. (Which I am) But I just cannot fathom how he knows I'm lying. I've always thought I was pretty good at getting away with things. Mum believes me practically every time. Drives the twins mad. But Ron keeps asking me if it's the full story. He's on to you Potter, watch it.

I'm actually curious how your mum found her way into your head. I mean, if you're not being possessed, I don't understand how we got to this point. Could you give me a rundown of what happened that night? I wouldn't mind being included in one of your mysteries for once. Haha.

(No really, why is your mum in your head.)

So far, all I've done this summer is clean and finish summer homework. Might as well get it out of the way at the very beginning. Other than that, I've been bored out of my mind. How are your relatives treating you?

Alright, I've given you enough. I only deal in fair trade. Two feet or Ron finds out you're shutting him out.

Love,

-Ginny.

Monday, July 4th, 1994

Ginny,

Do you call that two feet? How small are your feet?

Also, I'm not shutting Ron out. He just doesn't need details.

I know how my mum showed up. Don't worry, it's normal. Not going to explain in a letter though. It's rather personal, and I'd like to tell you in person.

Speaking of which, I won't be able to see you for a while this summer. I'm living with Padfoot and Moony. I know you know what that means. Don't tell anyone this, as it's technically illegal. Dumbledore allowed it, and my relatives won't report me missing. They'd be happy to learn that I died to be honest.

Oh! I went to Gringotts the other day. We went down to my family vault. Fun fact, my family is really, really old. The vault is full to the brim with gold but there's this side chamber that's just as big but piled with furniture and jewelry. I was shocked when I found out. Apparently, the Potter family is actually "The Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter" which Padfoot says is utter rubbish and only gives you political power. Therefore, not utter rubbish in my opinion.

I'm the sole heir to the House of Potter so I can claim this lordship thing? Honestly, if I get another title strapped to my name I'll run away to France. No clue what it really means but I and the others have a plan in the works. I'll give you more details if you're lucky.

I'm learning so much from my Motherly Thoughts. She's so smart it's insane.

Talk soon,

-Harry

Thursday, July 7th, 1994

Harry,

Your Motherly Thoughts are not the only ones who are smart. You're the moron who holds back in his studies. Don't give me that shite about you not being powerful. Last I checked, your single Patronus fought off a-hundred dementors with very little effort on your part. Imagine what could happen if you stopped playing the idiot card? (Sarcasm)

Seriously, you're in Divination. Why? You read about runes all the time, and Hermione said you're gifted with Maths. You should be taking arithmancy. And don't give me the whole "easy O" speech Ron gave me earlier this summer, I know you like school.

You should ask Professor McGonagall about switching electives. Maybe you'll get put into my year for those classes. I'm taking Ancient Runes, Arithmancy, and Care of Magical Creatures, so I know you have room in your timetable.

About the titles: I'm going to make the twins charm a badge to say "call me Just Harry" for your birthday. You're going to need it if you accept a lordship. I'm sure you will never truly understand how important being a Lord is in the magical world. It's like that muggle royal family Hermione talks about all the time. Naturally, you'll be all modest when you claim it, so I'm not too worried about it getting to your head. Ron is going to get all jealous though. Oh, right, sorry… You said I don't give Ron enough credit. Fine, I'm sure he'll take it spectacularly well and won't bat an eye.

I do not have small feet,

-Ginny

Friday, July 8th, 1994

Ginny,

Fuck it. You're right. I do like school and after talking with Moony he agrees with you. I sent out a letter to McGonagall earlier today, so we'll see what happens. Honestly, I wouldn't mind if I had to take the courses in your year. Could be fun to make friends in different years and houses.

Anyway, moving that aside, this lordship stuff. Padfoot has been instructing me in the "Noble Ways" of these Ancient Houses, but I really don't give a damn. I'm not a politician, I'm a fucking thirteen-year-old wizard with a cut on his forehead, but if it gives us an advantage in what we're about to attempt, then so be it.

You'll see what we're planning soon enough.

Ron will understand, especially once he sees how much I hate it. I have to wear this ring all the time to prove that I'm a true Potter. Imagine your silver ring, but with a house crest on it and a whole lot more "too much".

In other news that I forgot to mention, I've finally discovered why Voldemort came after me as a baby, but I most certainly cannot write that down in a letter that can be intercepted. I'll make sure to let your family know because you're all, well, involved.

Alright, my hand is cramping. I'm going for a fly.

If that's two feet, your feet are small. Stop denying it.

-Harry

Sunday, July 10th, 1994

'No, Ron, you truly do not understand! Harry Potter…'

'...Your best mate…'

'...The Boy Who Lived…'

'...our great protector…'

'Lest we forget saviour.'

'... The youngest Quidditch player in over a century…'

'...is the son…'

'Of the magnificent,'

'Auspicious,'

'Gallant'

'Mischievous'

'Mysterious'

'PRONGS!' The twins finished together. This had been a recurring topic over the past two weeks. It had been a strange holiday at The Burrow so far, for Ron had yet to receive a single letter from Harry. He was concerned for his friend and truly could not decipher what had caused Harry's sudden change in mood and personality. He had no doubts that he and Harry were still best friends, but he had a strange gut feeling that there was something wrong with him. Ginny had discussed her and Harry's car ride in great detail. Naturally, both Fred and George gave their blessings for what they thought was an inevitable wedding between the pair, much to Ginny's embarrassment. (She kept well-hidden the satisfaction felt by such comments.) But what stuck out to Ron was the obvious cover-up of what had really been discussed in the car. However, many people would be inclined to repeat such words, Ronald Weasley, was in fact not, a dunderhead. He could confidently say that having grown up with five older brothers, all of whom, (Yes, even Percy) are considered by many as experts in the woeful art of lying, he had picked up a thing or two in reading peoples' facial expressions. A quiver in the eyes, a slight tremble in the bottom lip. Maybe a twitch here and there. Each of his siblings had their "tell" and Ginny's was a slight dilation of the pupils. Ron had known that she was not outright lying while explaining the events of her travel home. However, whenever Ron had asked if she was telling them the full story, she'd nod her head and say 'Yes Ron. Merlin, how many times do I have to say it!' Well, for Ron, he just needed her to say it enough times for him to be absolutely certain that she was leaving something out of the story. Ron had a sneaking suspicion that Ginny knew something about Harry's behaviour those last couple of days at Hogwarts, and he was determined to find out what she knew.

And so, on that rainy Thursday morning in the middle of July, the Hogwarts-aged Weasley children were chatting absently. The weather had prevented any of them from doing any chores outside, and all the tasks indoors were a great deal simpler. Everything was tidy (or, as tidy as can be at The Burrow) and they really had nothing to pass the time.

'Honestly.' sighed Ron exasperatedly, in an uncanny resemblance to Hermione that had both twins cringe. 'I don't think Harry discovering his secret prankster history has driven him into hiding. I mean, sure, he's the son of Prongs. So what? I mean, look at the facts.' Ron put both hands flat on the table and looked around at the assorted kids. 'How much do we know about the bloke? He's Harry's dad, and he married Harry's mum. Somewhere before Harry was born, Prongs, Padfoot, Moony, and the pedophile rat became the best of friends and drew up a magical map. Oh, and it's heavily implied from two sources that the Marauders had a rivalry with Snape. That is everything we know on the subject.'

George sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'How many times do I have to say this little bro. Me'n'Fred have studied and memorized that map to such excruciating detail that we could, in theory, make one ourselves.'

Fred interrupted. 'Our magical prowess is beside the point,' he said in a rare bout of seriousness. 'On the map, one of the responses to a Gryffindor attempting to use the map without the passkey is "'By sons and daughters here we stand, to live from hand to hand, one must pass through blood of the maker, for only a true Marauder can deceive the faker.'"

Ron and Ginny stared at the twins.

George threw his arms up in disappointment. 'Honesty! Ron, yeah, we knew you were thick the moment we laid eyes on you. But Ginny?'

'We had such high hopes.' the twins chorused together.

'Oi! I'm not as dimwitted as you think. I took a year in divination; I reckon I can piece together some bullshit when I need to.' said Ron angrily.

Fred gestured at Ron with his palm facing the ceiling. 'Go ahead Ronnie. In a short paragraph, describe your thoughts and emotions behind the message the Marauders left behind.'

Ron furrowed his brow. 'Well, "By sons and daughters here we stand" is just them saying they'll be there with other Hogwarts students. "Live from hand to hand" is also self-explanatory, the map and legacy of the Marauders live on through students, passed on from troublemaker to troublemaker. "One must pass through blood of the maker" Pretty sure "one" refers to the map… y'know, as its own entity. And blood of the maker is like, a continuation of the family line of one of the members?' Ron paused and looked up at his family to make sure they were all paying attention. '"For only a true Marauder can deceive the faker." I'm going to be one-hundred-percent honest here and say that the lot didn't want to bollocks up the rhyme and brought in "faker" to rhyme with "maker". If it is deliberate, then I suppose it could mean that a true marauder can tell when someone isn't a prankster? See! Even as I say it, it sounds ridiculous. I honestly think that the last word is just to rhyme with the prior verse. The rest of the phrase is irrelevant as it generally reiterates the idea of the children of the Marauders getting their hands on the map.'

Fred and George groaned. They hadn't expected Ron to pick it apart so thoroughly.

'Personally, I think the whole thing is irrelevant because if Harry is anything to go by, the Marauders were not seers. Otherwise, they would have known how fucked their lives would end up only four years after they graduated Hogwarts.' said Ginny. 'Didn't you say yourselves that the message was only revealed in the case that an unmarked Gryffindor found the map and used the revelio spell? Isn't that way too broad an audience to share a prophecy?'

Just as Fred and George were about to press the issue further; an irritable hoot and a string of angry CLICKs on the kitchen window above the sink brought the four out of their conversation.

'Well shit! Would you look at that? Potter's beady bird.' said Fred.

Ron got up and unlatched the window and watched as the drenched snowy owl flew onto the table dripping and looking thoroughly miserable. Attached to its leg was a small roll of parchment. Untying the string, Ron held the scroll.

'It's addressed to Ginny.' said Ron, bewildered. He began to unfurl it when Ginny reached up and pulled the scroll out of Ron's hands.

'You are such a git Ron! If it's addressed to me, then it's for me.' said Ginny furiously.

The twins watched their youngest siblings bicker with amused smiles. 'Well come on, open up the wedding invitation.' said George.

Blushing furiously, and muttering under her breath, Ginny unraveled the scroll. She scanned it multiple times before reading aloud.

'All it says is 'Get ready for the party of the century.'''

Far away, Harry Potter was having the best summer of his life. His furry little problem had yet to become a major concern, and he was thoroughly enjoying spending time with Remus and Sirius. The trip to Gringotts had drawn them all together in a strange way, but Harry welcomed it with open arms. He felt like he was a part of a family, however, mismatched this family was. Harry had had to implement ground rules, however.

'I'm going to say this once, and never again. No-Nicknames. I am Harry. Just Harry. Or Potter, or Harry Potter. I liked it the first time Sirius but do not call me pup. I'm thirteen. Prongslet is equally gag-worthy so please refrain. I am not the Boy-Who-Lived. I am not the Heir of Slytherin-' At Sirius's confused expression Remus quickly explained what he had learned from Dumbledore about Harry's previous school years. 'And I will only respond to Harry Potter. Alright?'

'Sir, yes sir.' Said Sirius in a mock salute. Harry glared at him before smiling.

'Good.'

Harry and Sirius had decorated Harry's new room with exuberance. The walls were a dark grey with one wall depicting a mural of Hogwarts, painted by Floppy and Flappy, as a gift to their new master. His four-poster bed was covered in a beautiful Gryffindor quilt and his trunk sat at the foot of the bed. Truthfully, it was very similar to his setup at Hogwarts, but the Four-Poster was king-sized, and personal items decorated the room. Framed photographs of his parents, his friends, and his newfound family made the room feel quaint and comfortable. Harry's desk had all the essentials, and Hedwig had finally begun to act rationally around Harr. She understood his affliction but had recognized the boy as her familiar. Harry was more than pleased to be allowed to stroke his Owl's feathers again.

Harry spent his days accompanying his House-elves as they did their regular mind-numbing tasks. After having the Dursley's ways ingrained into him, Harry would never lose his desire to help with chores. He needed to feel useful, and the Elves grudgingly obliged. When he wasn't cleaning, he was flying. The grounds were enormous, and Harry took every opportunity he had to simply fly. To let the wind blow through his hair and wash away his anxiety of the slowly approaching full moon, which would accompany Harry's first transformation.

Though still just under two weeks out, Harry could begin to feel his body react to the cycle. His muscles were a little tighter, and his tendons stretched a little farther. When Harry asked Remus about these feelings, he was told that after the first year of transformations, he would only feel his body react during the week prior to the full moon. Harry had no idea how he was going to suffer through an entire year worth of awkward pains. Let alone the rest of his life.

Although Remus said the pains were normal, Harry couldn't help but feel as though his aches had more to do with the inconceivable growth spurt he had gone through over the past couple of weeks. Harry was always a bit small, both in height and in weight. Sirius described him as "brittle" which always got a laugh out of Remus and a scowl out of Harry. Over the past two weeks, however, Harry had grown nearly a foot. He stood rather tall for a thirteen-year-old, at five-foot-ten inches. Remus figured it was a combination of the werewolf entering his body, and the sheer amount of food Harry was consuming. He had built an impressive amount of muscle as well. This, paired with his new wardrobe and lack of glasses, made Harry feel quite good about himself.

The glasses discovery had been an interesting one. Harry was walking down the grand staircase to the entrance hall when he began to pay extra close attention to his vision. Everything seemed… curved. Almost as if he was seeing it through a lens. Then it hit him. He grabbed his glasses and pulled them off his nose and was greeted with perfect eyesight. In fact, it was more than perfect. The world was shown to him in such exquisite detail it was nearly overwhelming. More shades of greens and browns became apparent as well. If only he had taken off his glasses sooner, he might have realized that his werewolf had cured him of his truly horrendous eyesight.

When Harry wasn't flying or cleaning, he was reading. The library the manor boasted would make Hermione's eyes and mouth water simultaneously. When Harry had discovered it, he had wondered why the elves hadn't shown it to him. It quickly became his favourite room in the manor, and he spent most of his time there. He had taken Ginny's advice and was actively reading up on basic Runes and Arithmancy. Trying to get everything the electives had introduced in their first year cemented into his mind. His mum knew everything off by heart, but Harry had agreed with her that he himself wanted to learn these new branches of magic. If he needed to call upon her for help in an explanation, he would receive it. Harry had also made an agreement with his mum that if he really wanted to test something or work out a puzzle that was far more complex than he could ever achieve with his first-year knowledge, he would let his mum help him. This led to some very intriguing conversations between the pair.

Harry was in fact, rather intelligent. He had come up with some interesting theories that had Lily mentally beaming with pride at her son. One of these theories was that time travel by use of a time-turner was very similar arithmetically to apparition. And that, given enough control, and perhaps a new spell, one could apparate not only through space but through time as well. It was a sound idea that Harry didn't have much interest in pursuing, but he figured it would make a good personal essay if he made it into the class.

Harry had written to Professor McGonagall under Ginny's suggestion to ask if he could change his course list. She had been extremely enthusiastic and had made arrangements for him to be placed Ginny's years' classes. She had complimented him on his commitment to his studies and had made similar comments to Ginny's about how she had always known Harry was holding himself back.

Harry had found this to be somewhat overwhelming. He knew he held back, and logically he knew that there was no threat of punishment from his uncle for his academic prowess, but something inside him was still nagging him to hide his abilities. With the help of his werewolf, which for all intents and purposes was his mother, that nagging sensation was beaten to a pulp, and Harry was determined to match Hermione in his classes and excel in his parents' best subjects. Transfiguration, Charms, and Potions.

When Remus asked Harry about why he had the sudden interest in switching up his electives Harry told them about his regular correspondence with Ginny.

Sirius and Remus gave each other a knowing smile. 'This Ginny of yours, she's Ron's sister yeah?

'Right. You already know that though, you saw her at the station. I flew home with her.' Said Harry, slightly confused.

'Say, what colour is her hair?' Sirius asked.

Harry narrowed his eyes. 'Why do you wanna know? You already saw her.'

Sirius turned to the window and gazed out to the grounds absentmindedly. 'Oh… no reason. Just curious about the women in my godson's life.'

Harry relaxed before tilting his head and looking at his godfather carefully. 'She has red hair. It's not like Ron's though. Has flecks of gold strewn throughout it and it's a deeper shade of red. Ron is a total ginger, but Ginny's hair has more of an auburn colour? Yeah... It's pretty long too. And…' Sirius and Remus looked at each other, bemused, as they listened to Harry describe his friend's hair in exquisite detail. 'Anyway, at the end of the day, it's red.' Harry finished and looked up at his two guardians.

'So, she's a friend?' asked Remus.

'Yeaaah?' answered Harry slowly.

Sirius was trying and failing, not to laugh. 'Alright go wash your grubby paws and take a shower. Your hair is so greasy I could call you Snivels.'

Harry laughed and rose out of his seat wincing at the constant aches. He walked, or rather, limped out of the kitchen and climbed the stairs.

'Five galleons says he doesn't realize he has feelings for her until the end of this year.' said Sirius.

'School year? Or do you mean the year year?'

'Year year.' replied Sirius.

'You're giving the kid way too much credit. Remember, Harry isn't James. Kids got more Lily in him than we thought. Literally and metaphorically.' said Remus.

'You reckon she's impacting his decisions?' asked Sirius.

'Fuck no. He didn't even hesitate to fly the car to London, and he rode in it with a girl he barely knew. That's James personified. I'm just saying that I highly doubt he'll even recognize what he's feeling before the end of his OWL year.'

Sirius groaned. 'So, we're gonna have to watch the two dance around each other for two years before Harry comes to his senses. Let alone, Ginny.'

Remus laughed. 'Well, we're in luck with Ginny. From what I've heard from the Weasley twins, Ginny has been quite taken with Harry since before they met. Was obsessed with the "Boy Who Lived" shite as a little girl. Then he rescued her from the Chamber, and I take it her feelings haven't changed much.'

'Thank Merlin for that.' Sirius paused. 'You know what I just realized Moony?'

Remus took a sip from his tea. 'What?'

'It's a total Jamie-Lily gender reversal.'

'What?' Remus asked incredulously. 'What are you on about now.'

Sirius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. 'Twelve years in Azkaban and I come back to the same bloke who still can't follow a conversation.'

Remus scowled. "Well spit it out then! Let baby Remus understand. Don't use any big words, mind you.'

Sirius smiled and stood up to pace, this was a habit he had acquired in Azkaban, and it had allowed him to focus his thoughts and keep his head. 'James knew from the moment he laid eyes on her that he was going to marry Lily Evans. Right?' at Remus's nod Sirius continued. 'But Lily remained oblivious until her fifth year. That entire year she kept trying to justify why she was attracted to James. Kept coming up with excuses to continue to turn him down, and let's be honest, they were valid arguments.' Remus smiled at the memories of Lily listing off the "Twelve Things I Hate About James Potter" list that had been put together by her and Alice. 'Eventually, she caved, obviously, but don't you see? Ginny is in the place of James this time around, and Harry's playing the Lily card.'

'Okay, but Ginny isn't a bullying ponce. She's actually very similar to Harry from what I saw during my classes-'

'Moony you're missing the point entirely.' said Sirius exasperatedly 'Their personalities are wildly different, but the scenario is incredibly familiar! You'll see.'

'Alright.' said Remus, the old Marauder glint shining through his eyes. 'You think Harry will realize he has feelings for her by the end of December 1994?' As he said the words a magical contract appeared in front of him, showing the terms.

Sirius nodded.

'You'll pay for your overconfidence Black. I say he'll figure it out by the middle of next summer, at best.'

Lines of text appeared on the contract. "Harry James Potter will discover his feelings for Ginevra Molly Weasley on either the 31st of December 1994 or the middle of the summer season (around August 7th) 1995 (at best). The bet is settled. Marauder gold shall flow to the other. Agreed upon (July 9th, 1994) Sirius Orion Black - Remus John Lupin. Amount owed: 5 Galleons."

Their interactions had gone entirely unnoticed by the youngest occupant of the manor.

Sirius and Remus had shown Harry the surroundings of Potter Manor. According to them, no wizarding families had lived anywhere near the grounds for hundreds of years, so visiting the nearby fishing village without any form of disguise was perfectly acceptable.

And so that was where Harry found himself on the tenth of July, sitting in a small café, sipping at a bottle of water while reading the prophet. He knew that the newspaper was charmed so that only those of wizarding descent could see the moving pictures and read the articles. Much like Hogwarts appeared as an ancient ruin to muggles, The Prophet appeared as an identical replica to the local paper's latest issue. It was an interesting charm and Harry now understood how such things were done magically. The ability to mimic the associated paper by location of the reader was an equation, and the ability to imbed this magical equation was done through a rune. Figuring out these arithmetic puzzles while observing such commonplace items in the wizarding world was quickly becoming one of Harry's favourite pastimes. For instance, The Marauder's Map was, in essence, a lot of math.

'Excuse me, erm… are those pictures moving?'

Harry looked up to see a pretty blonde girl with blue eyes, a lead pencil tucked behind her ear, openly staring at The Prophet. She seemed to be around a year or two older than him.

'Damn,' Harry thought, 'I look older now too.'

Thinking he might as well have a bit of fun; he tilted his head in mock confusion. 'Are they? Fascinating!' Harry bulged his eyes at the paper and lay it flat on the table. The girl seemed to be holding back a smile.

She walked over to the table Harry was sitting at and eyed the paper warily. 'How are you doing that?' she asked, with a faint Scottish accent.

'Magic.' said Harry, grinning.

'Uh-huh… right…' She still hadn't taken her eyes off the paper.

Harry waved his arm over the paper while he discreetly waved his wand under the table and the newspaper vanished. He figured Dumbledore could hold back his expulsion. Especially if it was a simple vanishing charm to hide evidence of magic. Certainly, he'd receive an award rather than be reprimanded for upholding the wizarding world's sacred laws.

'Magic.' Harry was trying not to laugh now.

The girl stared at him in open shock. 'How did you do that!'

'It's like a card trick. And besides, a magician never reveals his secrets.' Harry winked and then blushed. Where the fuck did that come from?

'You're not doing too bad, all things considered.' Harry could've sworn he heard her laughing in his head.

Luckily, Harry was able to school his features into a more neutral, jovial expression while she laughed.

'A magician? Pathetic career path.' the girl said.

'Well, it's a seriously misunderstood profession. Takes years of dedication and passion. You wouldn't understand.' Harry sighed dramatically and waved her away. She giggled.

'Oh, I'm sure it delivers. I haven't seen you around here before. You just visiting or…'

'My house is sort of in the middle of nowhere a few kilometers away from here. I've only recently moved in. I'm Harry, by the way, Harry Potter.' Harry offered his hand, and she shook it firmly. He was trying to see any form of recognition cross her face, but none came. So, this girl had some trace amounts of magic in her to have been able to see the paper but evidently knew very little, if anything, about the wizarding world.

'This could be fun.'

'Wait, what?'

Before Harry could stop to realize what he was thinking, the girl introduced herself. 'Elizabeth Edwards. My da owns the corner store down the street. I've lived here my whole life so if you want a look around just ask me.'

'Elizabeth Edwards? So, do you sign everything with "EE"? I like that.' said Harry.

'I do like that.'

'What the fuck?'

'That was such a shit joke, Potter.'

'What am I doing?'

Elizabeth laughed. 'Yeah, I don't sign things very often though. I reckon your auspicious career forces you to sign autographs. Everyone must be begging for your attention.'

'Oh, the irony.'

Harry hadn't noticed that she had sat down in front of him. 'Signing everything with HP seems rather lame. Like you're talking about a printer or something.' she continued.

This was an incredibly stupid joke, but Harry really didn't mind, he smiled regardless. His attempt at flirting by mentioning her initials was weak at best and-

'Am I flirting?'

'So, Harry, do you have a telephone?'

'Yeah, we've got a phone at home.' Remus had installed a muggle telephone as more of a basic comfort than for any real purpose. He had gotten very used to needing to interact with the muggle world often, due to his condition. Getting it to work under the extensive amounts of magic on the Potter grounds was an interesting task, and one of Harry's first complex runes assignments.

Elizabeth stared at Harry for a beat, before quickly snatching a serviette that rested near Harry's propped-up elbow and used the pencil behind her ear to scribble a number on the scrap. Handing it back to Harry she smiled, with a faint pinkish hue around her cheeks. 'Well, if you want that village tour... Erm, you can call. Just ask for Elizabeth.'

Harry's brain stopped working but his mouth, fortunately, filled in the blanks. 'I think I might just take you up on that.' Harry grinned up at her, absently grabbing at the serviette.

She beamed right back before striding away to take someone else's order.

Harry sat there, smiling to himself before dropping a couple of muggle Pounds on the table and exiting the small shop.

Immediately his head exploded with mental laughter as his mum broke her prolonged silence.

'You're worse than James! Oh my god, that was priceless. You just sat there and let your mouth run circles around yourself before you had even taken a moment to think!'

She continued to mentally roar with laughter which echoed through Harry's skull in a pleasant sort of way.

'This explains so much! James would just randomly say things to me, ask me out in the most ridiculous ways, and I'd always thought he was being a prat, planning all these extravagant ways to get me to follow him around in Hogsmeade. Then I'd hear him talking to the Marauder's about how stupid he was, and I always thought that was rich coming from the bloke who planned the whole thing out. NOW with this wonderfully embarrassing example, I understand that you had absolutely zero conscious thought while talking to that girl! Oh, Harry, this is… Oh, we need to tell Remus and Sirius.'

'What makes you think I'm going to tell them?'

'Are you serious? You can't-'

'No, I'm Harry, not Sirius.'

'You're spending too much time with that mutt. If you don't tell them, I will.'

'You're in MY head. How do you think you can tell them?'

'Legilimency. Oh, the suffering you'll have to endure for you not telling them yourself…'

'Fine! Fine, I'll tell them myself. Not like there's much to share.'

'You do realize what just happened yes?'

'I got a girl's phone number…'

'Harry, she asked you out.'

'Ohhh…' Harry said out loud. Comprehension flooded his thoughts. Then, a sense of pride ran through him. He asked a girl out. And it was entirely-

'Harry, she handed you the number, she asked YOU out. Not the other way around.'

'Right, I know that. Just, I had a role y'know? She was all impressed with my "dazzling charm" or whatever the hell…'

Lily mentally snorted and fell silent. Harry, energized by his accidental success, quickly made his way back to the Potter grounds, suddenly rather excited to tell his eccentric godfather about his (possible) future date and or get together with a muggle (maybe) girl from the village.

Running through the entrance hall, Harry found Sirius and Remus pouring over ancient texts that detailed the Ministry's laws. For weeks now, Harry, Sirius, and Remus had been reading through everything they had on wizarding law to find as many possible loopholes as possible. Harry was also trying to get a birthday gift for Ginny, and he found there was a connection between wizarding law and what he wanted to give her.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Harry strutted over to one of the overstuffed armchairs and popped down. Grinning maniacally at his two unofficial guardians.

'You look distastefully cheerful for a Sunday afternoon.' said Sirius as he looked up at Harry.

'Oh, well, it's nice out.' said Harry absently.

Sirius turned to look out the window. It was windy, and judging by the cloud cover, rain was certainly right around the corner. 'You're lying to yourself if you think this is a nice day.' He paused. 'Why are you looking at us like that? You look like-' Sirius's irritated glare shifted into shocked concern, before finally turning into an evil grin. 'Ho-Ho… Prongslet talked to a girl today. It's written all over your face. James looked just like that every time he got a girl to go out with him. The prat. Of course, he passed on his ridiculous face to his son. I didn't think there were any magical families around here anymore.' Sirius paused before somehow smiling wider. 'Unless she's a muggle of course.'

'Do not call me Prongslet, Padfoot.' Harry growled.

Remus had immediately taken notice of the conversation and was watching as Sirius perfectly dissected Harry's expression in a way only a friend of James could have. It was an impressive sight to witness. Sirius had been able to decipher James's facial expression so well that Lily had called it "Sirius's Special Science". The three S's was something that James insisted was deserving of investigation through the Department of Mysteries because not even Lily could read James as well as Sirius could. Harry did seem rather proud of himself, and Remus could distinctly remember seeing James wear that exact same expression far too often. Of course, when he had finally gotten a date with Lily, his expression was not so boisterous, it was not something to be shown off. No, when Lily had agreed to go to a muggle film with James in the summer before seventh year, James had simply smiled. His eyes had been unfocused, and he was so evidently happy. James always looked at Lily that way. Sirius figured it was what true love looked like and would promptly feign gagging whenever he mentioned it. These reasons led Remus to continue to believe in his theories about Harry and Ginny. Whoever this girl from the village was, Harry was clearly not in love with her. The galleons were still in the bag as far as Remus was concerned. Focusing on the conversation at hand, Remus grinned.

'Alright, alright, Mr. Potter, tell us the story!' said Sirius.

'Well, I went to this muggle corner café place to get some water and I was reading The Prophet when this pretty blonde girl comes up and asks me why the pictures are moving. Obviously, she has some magic in her, but I figured that if she's never seen moving photographs or heard about me then she probably isn't a witch. I guess she might be a squib but, oh, whatever, anyways, she was asking me about the moving pictures, and I performed a bit of underaged magic to vanish the paper and I told her it was like a card trick.'

Remus groaned at the inevitable task of explaining to Albus why Harry had performed underaged magic and why it needed to be cleared as soon as possible. Thinking he might as well act sooner rather than later, he reached for some spare parchment and scribbled the explanation before tying it together and attaching it to Hedwig. He turned back to Harry and Sirius to find them staring at him.

'Had to tell Albus why you used underaged magic.' explained Remus

Harry nodded before continuing. 'Anyway, so then we joked a bit and I guess I flirted, I don't know but mum says I wasn't actually thinking, and my mouth sort of just talked for me. But then I guess she liked it because she gave me her phone number!' Harry waved around the serviette in front of Sirius.

Sirius jumped to his feet and clapped his hands. 'Brilliant! Get to the telephone! Moony, I honestly thought you were mad for installing one of them here at Potter Manor, but now… I just can't thank you enough.'

'From the way he talks about it, you'd think he had been the one to get the girl's number.' Muttered Remus to Harry who snickered.

Harry, Sirius, and Remus walked into the kitchen. Harry grabbed the phone, before stopping himself. He turned to his guardians

'Alright let me ask a few questions before I go through with this.' Said Harry, holding the receiver in one hand. 'This prophecy, is it real? I haven't asked much about it because it was sort of less relevant at the time but if I'm really the only one that can kill Riddle I gotta know now.'

Sirius and Remus seemed taken aback at this question, but Remus took control of the conversation. 'Yes. The prophecy is real but it's in a suspended state at the moment. Voldemort isn't dead, but he isn't active either. This means that while yes, the prophecy will eventually come to fruition, currently it's inactive because of Lily's sacrifice. Until Voldemort comes back, nothing between the two of you can really happen.'

Harry frowned, lowering his arm a little. 'Right so… until he returns, the prophecy is inactive?'

'Yes.' Sirius and Remus replied together.

'And so, the whole Philosopher's Stone stuff was just coincidence? What about the Chamber of Secrets?'

'The Philosopher's Stone only happened to include you because you have a wonderfully idiotic moral code,' said Sirius.

'Oi! Without my idiotic moral code, you'd be soulless, and Ginny would be dead.' Said Harry, his frustration growing.

'Never said it was a bad thing. Loads of great things are idiotic.' Said Sirius.

'As for the Chamber, well, that was more so Lucius Malfoy being an awful person than anything relating to Voldemort's active plans. But we have something in the works for him either way.' Said Remus, winking at his ward.

'Alright. So, if I hang out with her tomorrow or, I don't know, whenever she's free, I don't have to worry about her becoming a target, right?' asked Harry.

Comprehension flooded Remus's face as he finally understood why Harry asked about the prophecy. 'No Harry, she won't be a target. Especially because she's a muggle. She'll be safe, trust me.'

'You're right. I didn't even think about how she's a muggle, or squib, whatever, in all of this.' Said Harry, tumbling over his own words as thoughts fought for dominance over his sentence. Raising the phone to his left ear, he used his right hand to punch in the number. The dead tone rang once, twice, and just before the third ring, Harry heard a man with a thick Scottish accent pick up the phone.

'Edwards' residence.' Said the man.

'Oh, er, Hello Mr. Edwards. My name is Harry Potter, and I was wondering if I could please speak to Elizabeth.' Said Harry, nervously wrapping the cord of the phone between his fingers.

Sirius and Remus were wearing identical grins at Harry's nervousness.

'Sure. OI! LIZ! BLOKE ON THE PHONE FOR YA!'

Harry recoiled slightly from the receiver at the volume of the man's voice. In the distance, he heard Elizabeth say she was coming and soon he heard the phone switch over.

'Hello?' she asked.

'Erm, Hi, it's Harry from earlier today at the café. I was wondering… you know, you offered to give that tour, and well, uhm, I'd like that. But I don't know when you're free, see, and so- well- I'm sure you… well, I was wondering when you would be free so that we could maybe get together and… do that... together.' Harry said all of this relatively fast, with short pauses in between his jumbled thoughts. He could feel the pressure in his head of his mum holding back tears of laughter at his predicament. But Harry valiantly pushed her out.

Harry heard Elizabeth laugh on the other end of the line. 'I'd love to. I'm free on Wednesday. That's the…' She paused, evidently looking for the date. 'Thirteenth. Are you free then too?'

Harry was free that day, as he was every day, but he didn't want to look like some slouch with no hobbies or priorities, so he said 'Let me just check and see…' Harry held the receiver away from him and counted an appropriate amount of time in his head before turning back to the phone, a smile stretched across his face. 'Yeah, I'm available that day. Why don't we meet at the café seeing as it's the only place I really know?'

'Sounds great! I'll see you around… eleven how about?' she chirped.

'Yeah! Yeah, that works. Alright, I'll see you at eleven then. Erm, bye then.' Said Harry, starting with exuberance that quickly faded into awkwardness. How does one leave a phone call appropriately?

Elizabeth laughed again and said, 'Bye Harry.' Before he heard the phone click and the call end.

Letting out a long breath Harry returned the phone to its holder and turned to look at Remus and Sirius. His small smile quickly turned into a self-satisfied grin as he accepted the high-five from Sirius and got clapped on the back by Remus.

'A little bumpy, but for the most part, marvelously charming.' Remus teased.

'Oh yeah, real smooth with the "er's" and awkward pauses. Let me guess, you were entirely different with her earlier today.' Said Sirius, chuckling.

'Merlin yes. Earlier I was all confident and speaking normally but now that I was actually thinking about what I had to say I got all… tongue-tied!' Harry nearly wailed.

'Don't worry Harry, you'll be perfectly fine in the moment, just like you were earlier today.' Said Remus reassuringly.

Harry nodded before he started laughing uproariously. Remus and Sirius shared confused glances as Harry broke down into tears of laughter and sat on one of the kitchen chairs. Remus's eyes widened before smiling.

'I think Lily is having a good chat with Harry about the day's events.' Said Remus as he too began to laugh at the thought of what Lily could be saying.

A/N: Next chapter we get Harry's maybe date, and the first full moon. I'm trying to do a three chapters per week thing but this chapter took forever because Every three seconds I'd get an idea for later chapters and plot lines for the latter half of the story that I always jotted down. I've got a good idea of where I want to take this fic, seeing as it's likely going to extend well beyond seventh year by the time I'm satisfied. When the school year starts things will pick up because of the Triwizard. Elizabeth is really important for later in the fic, which is why I'm incorporating her now. Just so you're all aware, the rest of the summer is broken up into three chapters before we get on the train. So, three chapters to go before we're back at school and lots of interesting stuff happens between now and then.