Chapter Six: Sunday Family Dinner

Harry breathes in deeply as his foot steps onto the entryway of Charlie's hut. He looks at himself, mumbling, 'you should be fine now,' over and over until he gets satisfied with his own words. He plans to make a good impression in front of his family, so he paid an extra effort to look more handsome today by shaving his beard, tidying his hair, and even decided on pastel themed-clothes to create a lighter tone for a change.

Bollocks! He's only trying to impress the red-headed professor who lives right behind this door, actually.

Come on. Relax. Act normal… be confident. Don't be afraid. Heavens! You didn't turn into Lord Potter-Black for nothing, Harry! The young raven grumbled under his breath like an idiot prattling outside the house, waiting. Gathering his influx of Gryffindor courage, he steps forward and lifted his fist.

Here goes nothing.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

"Charlie?"

"Coming!"

The door swung open.

"Harry!" The ginger chirped brightly.

"H–hi." Merlin! This is bad. He thought his voice left him for good, he couldn't blurt out a single word. The sight of Charlie Weasley standing right outside the doorframe with those rippling muscles in his arms and chest took his breath away. It's not helping that he's smiling flirtatiously wriggling those thick brows, menacing, teasing him to the hilt.

"You look good." He growled.

Harry's eyes widen in shock. "Th–thanks… you too." He spluttered. The man averted his gaze somewhere else so as not to get caught checking the guy out.

"So, Potter. Are you ready to get fried?" Charlie teases him. "I can't imagine what mom would do when she spots you later at dinner tonight."

The man scowls, "forget your mum. There's Hermione I'm more worried about. The things she could do, yeah?" Let's not even go there. He faked a shudder as his thoughts made him think of jinxes and hexes he'll be getting from his bushy-haired friend.

Charlie's laughter filled the room. "Maybe I should invite you for a cup of tea first? You look stressed, mate." He offered.

"I'm good, thanks." Harry grimaces. "I think it would be best if we leave now." He whirled around. They need to be out of there before he changes his mind. Charlie and a fireplace in one picture won't be good for his heart. The last thing he need is to jump on the guy and end up in his bed of all places.

"Alright, I'm all set anyway. Shall we take it by floo or we apparate?"

He doesn't like the way Harry plasters that smirk on his face. "There's something I've been dying to try for years now."

"What is it?"

A forest green motorbike magically appears in front of them.

"Wow! Is that…?"

"Yup."

"Blimey, it looks fucking hot!"

"So I've thought."

"Err… how does it work?"

"You mount it like a broom."

"Seriously?"

"Uh-huh..."

"I can't imagine myself riding on it, though."

"How about we try it now?"

"Are you suggesting?"

"I'm imposing, actually."

A gash of horror strikes Charlie like lightning. He tries to make a protest but Harry's resolve had words written in bold lines stating he won't be taking 'no' for an answer.

"I don't think I'm going to like this at all." He muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Oh, come on, Charlie. It couldn't be that awful?" Harry's pleas melted his heart.

FUCK!

Charlie prayed for dear life. He grits his teeth grumbling, you're lucky you look so adorable right now or I won't let you have your way, you bastard!

Merlin! This boy will be the death of him.

Harry hands him a full-faced headgear which the older guy accepted reluctantly.

"Just to be safe. We don't want you losing your head along the way." He snickered cheekily.

"Prat!"

"Hahaha! You should see your face now."

"Shut up!" Charlie spat. He froze on the backseat when all of a sudden, Harry pulled his wrists and tugged them casually around his waist. "Wha-what are you doing?" He stumbled as he spoke.

"Hold on tight or you'll fall-off."

Oh, good lord! He could swear this kid is doing it on purpose!

"Ready?"

As if he has a choice. Either they leave now or he'll die of stroke!

The vehicle roared to life. Harry twinges the handle and the engines ignite. Blue jets of flames blasted out of the tubes as power turbines take the right amount of force. Then, as it reaches the engaging level, the magical components are activated.

"What's happening?" Charlie asks in a hint of panic.

"Relax, mate." Harry growled cockily. His eyes are focused on the line of circular light gradually expanding before them.

"It looks like a black hole." The red-head marveled in both fear and amazement at the sight of it.

Harry shakes his head, "it's an ancient portal technomagi experts discovered a few years ago." He explained. "It requires a series of complex enchantments to open it. Thanks to muggle technology, they have this thing called turbo power that actually did the trick."

Charlie blinked.

"Here we go now."

"Wait! Are you saying we're getting into that thing?"

"Yup!"

"What? But would it be safe? What if we end up going to WHOOOOOOAAAHH!"

And poof! Just like that and both men were gone. Charlie's screams fading in the background. Before he knew it, the bike took off and rocketed them into the opening. The castle gates where they blasted off looked surprisingly normal after the incident. Ten minutes later, no one would think something strange had happened in the vicinity.

It was the kind of a day at the Burrow when even a feather would fall without drifting one way or the other. The grass was straight and silent, the leaves dangled more as if they had been painted there. Should a person be able to feel the beating of the birds' wings - that would have been the only breeze.

It was still, utterly still.

Until faint rustles disrupt it as a cobalt-haired boy, no older than ten prowled stealthily among the bushes. His ability to morph allowed him to blend in that no one could ever notice him hiding there.

He crouches low, lungs rapidly pumping sweet rain-scented air, a feral smirk resembling that of a wolf flickers on his snout. The boy, Teddy – as he was called, waited for the precise moment to strike his target in one swoop.

But then, without warning, the young rabbit he's been watching darts from the hedge. It's white under-tail bobbing furiously as it kicks the springy ground. In a spilt second, it had squirmed in his grasp and was furiously scratching at his bare arm with its back legs.

"Hey, I won't eat you. I just want a cuddle, hmm." The boy petted the writhing fluffball subduing it until he realized he still wore that feral snout on with those large teeth staring hungrily at the frightened soul. "Oh! Sorry, sorry," he cooed sheepishly while shifting slowly back into his pale-faced looks: rosy cheeks and tiny nose with brown eyes. The bunny is now fidgeting less but remained antsy in his hugs.

"Let me borrow you for a while, please? Need some company," he begged to it, one hand fumbling its soft furs while the other supported its weight against his chest. He takes it for a cuddle under the shady apple tree. "It's too noisy in the house and Tory's not here yet. Unca' Harry's a bit late too. He said he'll be here before three and where is he now?" He ranted the same way whenever his best friend is around to listen.

The bunny just laid there nestled in his arms, round brown eyes surveying his own as if it understood and decided to pay attention to what he was saying the whole time. The boy went on blabbing about silly uncles, overprotective grandmothers, tardiness and other things until he heard his name being called by someone walking out of the lopsided house.

"Teddy?"

A young man in his late-teens shows up and approaches the kid. His presence startled the little bundle he was holding that made it squirm out of his grasp and then jumped up to disappear into the bushes.

"Hey!"

"Bunny-hunting again?"

He didn't look very pleased with the sudden intrusion of the man. "Uncle Mason!" he cried, stomping his foot.

Harry's blood-adopted brother chuckled looking highly amused. "It's getting dark. Molly's looking for you."

His hair drastically faded from cobalt blue to a sickening bleach.

"Hey, she just wants you to have some of her custard cakes." The older guy reassures him, his voice gentle.

At the sound of it, his hair brightens to fiery orange. "Really?" Teddy just loves custard cakes.

His Uncle Mason smiles, "yup and your Uncle Harry's arriving soon," he piped.

"Oh! Oh! I can't wait," he hollered as if the announcement excited him more than the cake. The boy misses his godfather so much since he went to teach in that magical school.

Beaming, the older guy wags his head in a tilting motion. Teddy looks up to his Uncle Harry like a son does to his dad. Thanks to Harry spoiling him rot, the boy thinks the sun rises and sets on his arse.

He guided the kid back inside the Burrow when a powerful gust of magic startled them. Both boys looked up and saw a spiral gate stretching across the road. There was a blast, followed by the roaring of engines until a sportsbike ejects right out of it with the force of a bolt of lightning.

"Ha-Harry?"

"Woah! That came out nicely, eh?" Pulling the headgear off his head, the raven-haired guy brushed the dust off his shirt. Charlie behind him dismounted immediately, legs still shaking from the rush of adrenaline in his nerves. "Teddy Bear! You're here!" He bellowed as soon as he sees his godson running to his direction.

"Unca' Harry! You made it." A delighted Teddy Lupin squeals happily as he launches himself into his waiting embrace.

"Promised you, didn't I?" He says cheekily. Harry lifted the boy and swirled him round and round, his voice barking a hearty laugh.

Charlie couldn't help but smile at the intimacy of the sight. It's not every day he could see this side of the great man.

"Look at you! You've grown taller now." He ruffled a hand on his hair which had immediately darkened into jet, messed it up a little bit matching his own pigments.

"I do?" He asks him innocently which he returns with a nod, affirming it.

"Yeah, little guy. Know what that means? A few years from now, you'll be ready for Hogwarts."

"Of course!" Teddy flashed a toothy grin. "And I'll be your student, right, Unca' Harry?"

Harry's lips twitched, eyes gleaming. "We will see." Then, he adds a warning, "I'm a strict teacher, just so you know."

"Well, I'll be a good student for you and the best one too." The boy puffed his chest with pride in his tone.

Again, the man pulled him closer and nuzzled his cheeks until he heard his name from a sea of red-heads approaching them.

"Harry?!"

"Uh-oh." The raven turns to Charlie for help but the guy simply nodded, smirked, and patted him on the head.

"Good luck with them, mate." He grinned and then headed inside.

Mason took Teddy and followed suit but not before whirling around to whisper, "if you die here today, I'll tell Moaning Myrtle to save you a cubicle." He told Harry with menace.

"Great! Thanks for your help." Harry hissed, feeling betrayed.

"HARRY JAMES POTTER!"

He winced at the shrill voice calling out his name. Mrs. Weasley stood behind her children with her hands on her waist.

Merlin! Help him. He doesn't want to die sooner yet.

A sharp pull in the ears and a bone-breaking hug was all Harry received from the caring woman. He looked behind him to see a tearful Hermione crying, punching him on the rib. She yelled at him for not thinking how they'd react to him disappearing.

"Wow. You survived." Mason piped. "Brother, how did you make it out there alive?"

"Git! Be quiet." Harry entered the room, feeling annoyed. They were ushered to the kitchen after a wide exchange of hugs and kisses from the rest of the family members.

Harry loves these dinner nights ever since he was a kid. It was in this house where he can be himself with no one to gawk at him as Lord Potter-Black or the boy-who-lived. Here, nobody treats him like a king that he is. Just a friend, a son, a brother with no responsibilities to think about. He can swear, he can prank, he can share a laugh with everyone. He didn't have to raise his chin to keep that pureblood façade.

It's been customary among the red-heads to make family dinners as noisy as possible. There are exchanges of 'pleases' and 'thank you's' as bread baskets and boats of gravy are passed on the table.

Harry looked around. His heart felt warm realizing how he missed them a lot. There are times his mind wandered at random. What if the war came out with a different result? Will he still have a home to go back to?

He wouldn't think so.

Yeah, it had been painful to lose a brother like Fred. Hell! That was one of the things that pushed Harry to leave. He spent an ample time dwelling in grief. Though, in the end, he knew he had to move on. They all have to. They still have each other to look after for the sake of their future.

Needless to say, Harry's homecoming was the highlight of the day. Beats him why all his favorite dishes filled the table. He gasped at the enormous size of steak and kidney pudding on the centerpiece, platters of treacle tarts surrounding it. There're minced pies and chips, boiled potatoes, and homemade bread. The man shook his head. As always, Molly went overboard with her amazing cooking skills.

Dinner turned out to be a homey affair. Mostly Harry responding to questions thrown by his family members. He filled them in on some details of his trips with Mason adding a few of his big brother's funny moments much to his embarrassment.

Arthur was thrilled to see the sports bike he had brought. Percy was more intrigued about the portal he discovered. Meanwhile, Hermione spent the rest of the meal listening to him talking about his trips in Egypt and Greece. And of course, there's Bill, Charlie and George who'd gone wide-eyed, fascinated to hear about his dangerous adventures.

Harry's eyes softened to see the surviving twin recovering from his loss. He may no longer be as prankish as he was before. But somehow, he knew. He's now building a new life of his own.

George would inquire about the vampires he met in Romania and went utterly shocked to find out the brunet had worked alongside with Chris Halliwell, a famous American actor and singer. The rest of the family hid their grins in amusement, mostly after Mason jumped into the conversation sharing his own experience hanging out with the wizard. Obviously, George wasn't too happy hearing it. More so with that passion gleaming in Mason's eyes the way he regaled his well-spent days with the guy.

All in all, Harry was pleased. He sat there for a moment chuckling over the fear of dying sooner from the wrath of his friends. He sought for Ginny, his ex-girlfriend whom he dearly loved and saw her sitting comfortably in a couch.

She looked up beaming at him and patted the chair next to hers for the man to sit in. His brows furrowed as he was approaching her.

"Gin, what're you reading?" Harry asked. His eyes widened noticing the magazine in her hand. Ginny was flipping through the outrageously familiar pages that have Harry's photos in it and lingered at a particular section where the man was riding a broomstick. He wore nothing but a pair of tight briefs. And Harry didn't care how his face turned beet red observing how the thin piece of garment failed to hide his privates.

PARKINSON! You better hide or I'm hexing you to oblivion!

Harry grumbled. His ex-girlfriend feasting on his nakedness is a sight he found unbearable.

"I didn't know you have a tattoo here." Ginny aimed a finger at the photo exposing his hips. Ignoring Harry spluttering and whining on his seat.

"I – I…"

"And seriously, a Basilisk?" She queried. Her brows raised. "I was more expecting a dragon or a Hippogriff."

"Well…" Harry, for some reason, remained speechless.

She snorted. "Nah, that makes sense. Quite fitting, actually. Considering the direction where the head is pointing at." Ginny added.

"Hey! It's not that." Harry retorted. There's no way he'll ask how on earth she figured it out.

"Pity you preferred cocks, though." The youngest Weasley looked miserable. The guy beside him couldn't even react to the blunt words she used. Harry was torn between feeling guilty and reproachful over her actions. In the end, he heaved a deep sigh.

"I still don't get why you're staring at my thighs." He smiled.

"Why not? It's nice to know about the boy-who-lived from other people's perspective." Ginny shrugged. "Besides, I didn't realize how delectable you are until I saw all these."

Harry barked. Laughing hard. He felt a little better talking to her now. "Don't you find it awkward?"

Ginny acted nonchalant. "Harry, I grew up with seven men in this house. I'm used to seeing muscles and boner and all that stuff, but I have to say you could have told me sooner, you know. That way, I could've convinced you that girls are still better than blokes." She sighed. "I could've bragged all day about my sexy husband from those whores."

His laughter was priceless. Harry found her comments more endearing and yet, less insulting than he had anticipated. Well, she's his sister. She will always have a place in his heart. And it made him feel a whole lot better that she'd easily moved on from their break-up. It didn't sit right in for Harry. For both of them. It would've been weird if they ended up together.

Harry looked elsewhere, catching Charlie's gaze who smiled to show his encouragement.

The girl leaned forward. Too late. She saw the way they interact. Ginny wriggled her brows teasing him in a whisper, "I heard you came home today with our Charlie. He's bloody hot, isn't he?"

Harry choked a lump in his throat. His face on fire, sweating all over. Ginny has been pestering him lately, introducing him to a few blokes to go out for a date. She said he has to prove his point since his sexuality was the reason why they can't be together, in the first place.

"Nah, I'd rather see you with another man." Ginny said casually when he asked her one time. "I may not handle it if you get tied up with a witch or I may bury her somewhere before you can even say, 'marriage'." That evil smile never left her lips ever since.

"… and Charlie is a nice guy, Harry. He's a good catch. Trust me."

He scowled at her gawking as if she just had Devil's Snare coming out of her head. Nonetheless, Harry heeded to her words ever since.

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