"Stand back, I said! Or I'll take it upstairs if you don't settle." Ron was saying, trying to shoo other students away.

"Harry! Wherever did you get it?" Longbottom asked.

"Can I have a go, Harry? After you, of course." Seamus asked.

Other students surrounded Harry almost immediately. "What are you talking about?"

"Quiet. Let the man through. Oh, I didn't mean to open it, Harry. t was badly wrapped. They made me do it!" Ron accused.

"Did not!" Fred and George cried in unison.

Harry looked at the incredible gift on the table. "It's a Firebolt." George told him.

"It's the fastest broom in the world." Fred added.

Harry could hardly believe it. "For me? But who sent it?" He asked.

"No one knows." Ron said, shaking his head.

Hermione stepped forward, smiling. "This came with it." She told him, placing a gray feather in his hand. Harry grinned.

Erin remained in the background just watching the scene in front of her. She smiled seeing the gray feather and knowing that it came from her dad.

Ron turned around. "Erin, what are you doing back there? Don't you want to see the broom? You love stuff like this."

Erin protested. "No, it's ok, Ron." She noticed some of the looks that came from her fellow Gryffindors when they looked at her and saw the bandages and cuts that were still healing.

Harry and Hermione noticed her too. Harry came through the crowd, carrying his new broomstick, the gray feather already tied to the handle. "You up for a test ride?" He asked Erin with a smile.

Erin grinned. "With you? Any time." Then in an undertone she said, "I have to tell you something."

Harry looked curious, though he noticed everyone was kind of bearing down on them because of the broom and well other reasons. "Yeah?" He asked, wondering if it was something she'd rather wait to tell him or not.

Erin rolled her eyes and leaned in close to his ear. "Hey, none of that!" Fred and George yelled.

She ignored them. "Remus asked me to come and live with him." She whispered.

Harry's face lit up. "Really!" He said. "That's great Erin!"

"EWWW!" Fred said. "You don't have to tell us how good she is."

George growled. "Besides we still want to kill you."

Erin hugged him. "Thanks. I want to drag you along by the way. I know I can't though."

Harry ignored the others too, hugging her in return. He nodded his head. "Yeah...I wish you could. But I highly doubt I'd be able to."

"Come on, let's go for a ride." She said taking his hand. She gave some of the girls a 'He's mine!' look.

Harry led the way out into the quad area, leading Erin by the hand, the other students close on their heels.

"Go, Harry!" A student called.

"Yeah, let's see it." Neville cheered.

"How fast is it, Harry?" Another asked along with something rather impolite from Fred and George.

But Harry didn't listen. He had Erin get on first and himself right behind her. "Hold on." He said and would've said more, but before he could get out another word they were hurtling through the air at an incredible speed.

"YAHOO!" Erin screamed enjoying the rush of the air in her face, the exhilaration of the ride and Harry so close behind her. She felt, rather than heard, Harry's laugh behind her.

"You want to take it?" He yelled over the wind.

"YEAH!" Erin yelled and took them into a steep dive over the lake coming in low and slowing the broom letting it drift over the water. Erin turned her head around and felt Harry's lips on hers. "Well, I have the most famous wizard in the world as my boyfriend and my almost-as-famous dad on the run from Auror's though he's innocent…what could be better?" Harry answered her by kissing her again.

When they got back they found out just how much of the ride everyone knew about. "What was better, Harry?" Ron asked. "The ride or the lip-lock?"

Harry raised an eyebrow at Ron. "What was better, Ron, getting your leg broken or the lip-lock you had on Hermione last night?"

Everyone now turned his or her attention to Ron and Hermione. "Harry!" Hermione wailed going bright red. Erin put her arm around Harry as he slipped his around her pulling her close.

"Which one was better?" Erin whispered.

"Which do you think?" Harry asked kissing her cheek.

"Yeah, that was some flight." Erin kidded.

"Hey, Oliver!" Harry said. The Captain of the Gryffindor team turned to Harry. Harry tossed Oliver the broom. "Take her for a ride."

Oliver looked at the broom in his hands in amazement. "Really?" He asked.

"Yeah, go ahead." Harry laughed.

As everyone was more interested in Ron and Hermione now than Erin and Harry, Harry led Erin over to a bench and they sat down. Erin cuddled in close enjoying being near him. "I know a bench isn't all that comfortable…" Harry started apologetically.

"Not as comfortable as last night…" Erin laughed. "But I'd sit on one of those gargoyles to be this close to you…"

"So you're really going to live with Lupin?" Harry asked.

"Mhhmmm." Erin murmured. "I'm so happy. He just bought a little cottage in the country, he said he couldn't take care of it by himself and needed someone to help him." Erin laughed. "I would have said yes if he had just come right out and said it instead of making up an excuse. He's making all the arrangements with Mrs. Peabroom, so he can just pick me up at the Station."

"He's allowed to do that?" Harry asked.

Erin nodded. "Yeah, he's my god-father, technically he has custody of me, he has since Dad went to Azkaban…he really couldn't take care of me then, but now that he knows he's not a danger to me, I can."

Harry smiled pulling her closer to him. "I'm happy for you."

"You know I'd want you there with us." Erin said. "I don't want to leave you, Harry, but I don't think we have much of a choice. As long as we spend as much time together as we can well two months isn't that long…"

Harry knew that she was making the best of a pretty good situation. "Two months…" Harry murmured. "Erin, when you knew you felt this way about me, how did you get through it?"

Erin smiled. "Harry, I've felt this way about you since the second week of school practically."

He laughed. "Really?"

"Basically." Erin grinned. "I just did my best, I wrote to you twice a week and thought about you non-stop."

Harry brought her chin up and kissed her. He loved that feeling he got when he was this close to her…and the feeling just intensified when he kissed her. Harry noticed that every since the boggart guys had been giving him dirty looks. It wasn't just Fred and George either, although they were the most vocal about it. Oliver had a couple of times, Lee too…a few Ravenclaw guys had practically barreled into him and Ron pretending they didn't see them…and there was Seamus and Neville who gave him sideways looks when he and Erin were together. Erin was beautiful, he never really noticed it but ever since they had started at Hogwarts Erin had been turning heads. "Erin?"

"Yeah?" She whispered with her eyes closed just resting against him.

"Why me?" He paused. "I mean why did you choose me, if you could have practically any guy at Hogwarts?"

Erin sat up and looked at him perplexed. "What are you talking about, Harry? Any guy at Hogwarts?" She laughed. "I think that's a bit extreme…sure there's Fred and George but, oh, come on, Harry…" Harry realized that Erin didn't pay attention to anyone else. "How couldn't I want you? You're kind and sweet, you see the goodness in others and you bring it out in them." She put her hand on his cheek. "You are smart and brave and you do what you have to do. There has always been a…connection between us, Harry…even before Voldemort…" She traced his scar with her finger. "I know you, Harry and you know me. I love you, no one else…I don't think I could love anyone else. I just want to be with you. That's all I've ever wanted." She grinned and grabbed the front of his robes pulling him to her. This time he was ready for her and started kissing back immediately.

"I think Harry wants to get cursed, Fred." They heard George's voice.

"I think I'd like Erin to kiss me like that." Fred said.

"Don't you ever give up?" Ron's voice came cutting through.

"How many people do you know that kiss like that?" Oliver asked obviously back from his ride.

"Not anyone I know." Lee said.

"Maybe we could trick her into kissing one of us." George said.

"You guys are pathetic." Hermione said. "Go get girls of your own!"

"I tried." Lee said. "Angelina won't go out with me."

"Maybe if you kissed like Harry I would." Angelina called out.

Harry pulled back very reluctantly. "Why is it that every time Erin and I kiss we have an audience?"

"Interesting to watch, mate." Ron said.

"All of you seriously need to get your own girlfriends." Erin said.

Ron raised his eyebrows grinning at Hermione, who giggled.