Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, I do not have any rights to Harry Potter and I do not make any money from writing these fics.
A/N: Written for the A Bit of Motivation Competition, the One Million Words Added Challenge, the Chocolate Frog Challenge, the Pairing Diversity Boot Camp Challenge, the 335 Pairing Bonanza Challenge, the If You Dare...Continued Challenge, the Disney-A-Thon Challenge, and the Quidditch League Challenge.
Prompts: Picture Perfect, Harry Potter/Eleanor Branstone, Big Bang Theory, Write about someone whose had a hard life (Cinderella), Write a one shot focusing on a passion of your character - mine is Harry Potter, (Word) Possible, (Setting) Godric's Hollow, (Restriction) No using the word 'Hogwarts'.
Encouraging Conversations
"I never thought that this would be possible. I always thought that I was going to end up working for the Ministry of Magic alongside Kingsley and Tonks," Harry said with a thoughtful expression on his face as he looked out at the rest of Godric's Hollow from his front garden bench. "I also never thought that I would be able to rebuild my childhood home like this."
"Well, at least you are able to do something that you have a passion about," Eleanor said softly with a smile on her face. "You know, all of this talk about doubt is making me remember a book I once read about something called the Big Bang Theory."
"Please do not tell me that Hermione has gotten to you," Harry gasped out in mock horror as he shot Eleanor a playful look. "I thought that all of the problems with Molly Weasley when she found out about us and how I was not going to marry her daughter were over! But no! Now you bring a load more problems to the table!"
"I still can't believe how Mrs. Weasley did not seem to be able to understand how you were gay and we are only housemates," Eleanor said with a shake of her head. "So." Eleanor drew out the 'o' sound. "Are you really going to take the offer up?"
The playful atmosphere between the two disappeared, giving way to a much more serious atmosphere. Eleanor watched and waited as one of her dear friends collected his thoughts while allowing the afternoon sun to warm his body. A soft summer wind blew through Godric's Hollow, causing a small smile to form on Harry's face as the soft sound of the wind chime in the trees reached his and Eleanor's ears.
"I-I think I am going to, this Quidditch Team wants me for me, they want my talent, they have come to the Quidditch matches when I was still in school and saw how well I played. They want me; they have the same passion for Quidditch that I do," Harry replied finally. His voice held an almost dream-like quality to it. "I always thought that I would be forced into one of those picture perfect marriages with Ginny. You know the type where you have a certain amount of children and a white fence?"
"Yes, and I still cannot believe that the Wizarding world has picked up on that too instead of frowning down upon it," Eleanor said with a small snort of disbelief as she raised the cup of squash she held in her hands and carefully took a sip. "I still remember the day that Ginny saw this place for the first time and how she kept going on about living here in Godric's Hollow with you."
"Too bad she never got her way, but at least she's happy now. I believe that she is going out with a Muggleborn student who moved to America and began to teach at a Muggle Elementary school, which apparently is something similar to our Primary Schools," Harry replied as he lowered his hand and touched the soft red cushion that he was sitting on. "I am just happy that Ginny is no longer going on about becoming my wife."
"And that you get a chance to play Quidditch professionally," Eleanor said with a knowing look. "When are you going to let them know that you have accepted their offer and you will show up for tryouts?"
"Hey now, how did we suddenly go from talking about Ginny and her lover to me and the Quidditch tryouts?" Harry asked with a raised eyebrow, only for Eleanor to snort and shake her head. "What?"
"You started it all by changing our conversation to Ginny," Eleanor answered as she placed her drink down on the small table in front of them. "And I am not letting you get out of this so easy. Quidditch and flying is one of your greatest passions. Every time I see you up in the air flying about I can see how all of the stress and tension has gone from your shoulders. Every single time that you come back down to the ground you look so much healthier, happier and, and to me it looks as if you are not meant for walking but for flying."
"Should I be worried that you have been watching me this much?" Harry asked as he folded his arms and turned to stare at Eleanor. "I have to warn you that you are starting to sound a lot like a stalker. Would you like me to pop over the road to the nearest clothes shop and buy yourself a trench coat? We could use some magic on it to turn it any color you want it to be."
"Harry!" Eleanor shouted out as she stood up quickly and a bright red blush formed on her face. "I did not mean it like that and you know it! I was only asking about the Quidditch tryouts is all!"
Harry let out a joyous laugh. "I know, but I couldn't help it. Living here at Godric's Hollow, being free of everything that has weighed me down in the past and being able to finally work towards my dream job and concentrate on my passion is amazing. It makes me feel so, hmmm, it makes me feel like I am a totally different person."
"Idiot, getting rid of the amount of stress and pressure that you have been under for the majority of your life would have the same effect on anyone, though I am not sure if anyone else would of coped with it as well as you have." Eleanor replied as she sat back down with an angry huff, not caring when she knocked the table, causing some of her squash to spill slightly. "But really now, this is your future! This is what you have been aiming for! You are free Harry, free from all of those idiots and this is-"
"The icing on the cake minus the strawberries," Harry said, cutting Eleanor off, a thoughtful smile played on his lips which brought a frown to Eleanor's face. "I guess I am just in shock, you know? I cannot believe that Kenmare Kestrels would ask me! Me of all people to be on their Quidditch team. You know. I talked to them all about my fame and the injuries I had from the final battle, and how I feared that they might treat me differently, and how I might cause them to be treated differently."
"What did they say?" Eleanor asked, leaning forward in her seat towards her longtime friend. "If they refused you or you refused them because of the questions and the answers than you would not be so relaxed right now. I know you Harry. You would not allow others to be treated horribly, you would do something to help them out and protect them even if it meant that you had to sacrifice something. You have a saving people thing."
"I know, but they said that it would not be a problem, that there are even rules about this in the official Quidditch rule book," Harry said after a few thoughtful seconds.
"Really?" Eleanor asked in surprise as she thought things over. "I guess that makes a lot of sense, through. With Quidditch players like Krum, they would have to make sure everything is fair."
"That is what they told me; they also told me that they would not take 'no' for an answer," Harry replied with a short laugh, his eyes twinkled happily at the memories and many pats on the back he had received that day. "They said that they all liked me as a person and that they are impressed with my Quidditch skills. They cannot wait to see me in action when training starts up."
"That's wonderful, Harry. What did they say about your leg?" Eleanor asked happily, glad that her friend was finally getting a chance to be happy and he was finally taking it."
"They said that a lot of Quidditch players have gotten injuries over the years very similar to mine, and they have a special pad that you put on under your clothes to protect the injured area," Harry said, his hand going down to rub his left leg out of habit. "The coach told me that a lot of people had gotten caught up and injured during the war too and they have to rethink and redesign a lot of the Quidditch items and equipment and rules so it should not be a problem."
"Do you think that Mrs. Weasley will make an appearance? You know how she can be, even if you are not going to be marrying Ginny," Eleanor said as she shot Harry a pointed look. "She still thinks of you as one of her children."
"She does, but I think that with all of the grandchildren that her biological children are giving her she will forget about me," Harry said with a bittersweet smile on his face. "If I had married Ginny it would be a different story but life goes on and I am pulling away from them all on purpose, I have already caused them so much pain."
Eleanor sighed. "Harry, you know they don't blame you; they have just been grieving and sorting themselves out after the war is all. Now, no more depressing talk! I know this is a sudden change in topic, but this should be a happy time for you! What date are the Quidditch tryouts on?"
"Each position on the team has its own tryout day so if someone wants to try out for more than one position then they can." Harry answered as he mentally went over all of the information that the coach had told him about that very morning. "The coach told me that because the Seeker tryouts can go on for a long time as they do not stop until one of the people trying out has caught the Golden Snitch, the Seeker tryouts are held on the very last day."
"Makes a lot of sense," Eleanor said with a grin on her face. "Do you think you might be going along on any other day to see how the rest of the tryouts go? Do you think you might want to bring little old me along?"
"Honestly El, you are as passionate about Quidditch as I am," Harry said with a crooked smile. "I was thinking of going along to see the Beater tryouts which happen the day before the Seeker tryouts. Oliver Wood once told me that I would make a 'bloody good' Beater and he would have made me a Beater if it was not for the little fact that I was a great Seeker and we had both Weasley Twins on the team."
"They are a pair of human Bludgers themselves," Eleanor said with a wry smile on her face. "I remember overhearing Wood boast about the Weasley Twins and how the Hufflepuff Captain used to go on long winded rants in the common room. It was quite funny really."
Harry nodded his head and looked up at the sky. it was slowly turning from a bright clear blue into a soft orange and red. Eleanor turned her attention back to watching the people of Godric's Hollow walk past their house as they went about their business. Sitting on the patio bench on the small wooden porch in their front garden was one of Harry's and Eleanor's favorite ways to relax and pass the time.
As seconds turned into minutes, Eleanor bit her lip and shot Harry a thoughtful look.
Even through Harry was watching a couple holding hands walk past their house, a small knowing smile came to his face. "What do you want to know, El?" Harry asked with a small smile.
It took Eleanor a few seconds to work up her courage to finally ask her burning question. "Harry?" Eleanor said finally as she pushed a piece of stray hair behind her ear. "What are the strawberries on top of the cake for you? You mentioned that this big chance for you to do something that you are so passionate about was only the icing on the cake minus the strawberries."
Harry simply smiled and looked out at the now slowly setting sun. "A large family of my very own."
End.
