Author's Note:
I did receive a pretty negative review recently, which happens sometimes and people are entitled to their opinion on stuff, but I just wanted to say THANK YOU to and Sarek Fan, who before I had even read the negative review in question both commented directly back to the reviewer defending me and my writing. I was incredibly touched by that. Thank you very much! As Clupeidae kindly said to me — Breanie Defence Squad, Assemble! Thank you all very much! Your kind thoughts and words are more appreciated than you know!
I know that I dropped those two chapters back to back and disappeared last week, but after the influx of negativity I received and me considering abandoning the story due to the negativity, I've also been sick. I've been fighting a wicked flu bug since Wednesday, I missed three full days of work, and only just started to feel mildly like myself today. Still taking some more meds and going to bed early, but I do feel a little bit better and wanted to post a chapter today.
I am thankful I decided not to abandon this story as I already have so much written and waiting to be posted still. The reviews from chapter 197 definitely made me feel better about my writing and the world of ASC I have created. WOW! Thank you! I hit an all time high on review count with that last chapter, the Hinny finally happening chapter, 86 reviews on one chapter! Thank you so much!
Reviews and Comments: To Cup-of-Black-Coffee: Thank you! To Katie2001: Thanks for being with me since the beginning! We will see more of Harry and he's relationship grow and more of Tonks. Thank you very much! To Covley Hatake: Yes, Harry has made his move! Thank you so much for saying this is one of the best long fics you've read and that I make the characters human. I appreciate that. Thank you! To LifeonEarth: Thank you! Yes, I did want to keep the kiss similar to the books, just a bit different. Thank you! To hufflepuffle24: Thank you! To PlumCrazyRangerBabe: Yes, Hinny time! Thank you! To purplevictory: Thanks for your kind words. I very much appreciate them! Thanks for the second review! I am pleased Zee is home as well and yes, Harry and Ginny are finally together! Thank you! To Guest: Thank you! To plussizebarbie: Thank you! Yes, Ernie will get what's coming to him, just not yet. To alix33: Thank you! To White Squirrel: I didn't think it was a crisis, but thanks. To HPFanGirl: Thank you! I appreciate your support! To LunaFireFly11: Thank you! Yes, we'll see everyone's reactions soon. The Slytherins are all leaning on each other. Thank you very much! To Retesz: I'm sorry that you feel the kiss wasn't worth it, I disagree. As to me tweaking that canon moment — that kiss in the Gryffindor common room is one of my favourite moments of the entire Harry Potter series. I knew that I wanted their first kiss to be the same, but to change it just a little. Thank you for your thoughts. To smallwjl: Thank you very much! To : There won't be 200 more chapters lol (I don't think). Thank you! To Flymaster.a03: Thank you!
To DetroitNate: Thank you for trusting me and agreeing that it was worth the wait. To ZeeNooblet: I like to tease a little. Thank you! To CelinaGryffindor: I think Dean is a nice guy, but he took the bet to try to help his friend and it kind of backfired on him. I'm sorry you think that made him a bad friend. I will not be leaving Theo aside. He is an important character and I have a lot of his story left to tell. Thank you for your thoughts. To midnitewanderer: I love that you stopped at that scene to drop a review. I did get your hopes up, but it was worth it, wasn't it? Thank you! Praise the sun LOL. "All my tears, laughter, headaches, and patience has finally paid off." Thank you! I'm honoured that you're crying. Ha, going to cry over the potential death of Arthur LOL. Thank you and just wait and see what I have planned before you cry too much! To ladyinwaiting2005: Thank you! I'm so glad your heart is full! To supersandman86: Thank you! I thought having Dean know about their feelings made the interruption more fun. But yes, Hinny are idiots. Sirius will fill Harry in on everything yes. Thank you!
To lcwintersoldier: Thank you! Yes, Ron and Hermione are coming eventually as are Dean and Seamus. Thanks. To SilverMidas: Thank you! To aj613: Thank you! To JT8960: Thank you! To BurningPhoenix004: Thank you! Yes, asking for three back-to-back chapters is too much LOL. To Leaf Ranger: I didn't feel pressured to release this chapter, but I forced myself to do it lieu of not abandoning the story which is how the reviews from the last chapter made me feel like doing. Thank you for apology. Yes, Theo is going about trying to free himself. We'll see what happens. Thank you. To zorica: Thank you very much! To Buffythefangirl: Thank you! To al3ma: Thank you for understanding that my interruptions weren't meant as a disruption, but to show that sometimes life isn't fair. Thank you for saying you won't stop reading. I appreciate your kind thoughts! To iKingAnomalyII: Thank you! I wanted people to be ticked at Dean, but I certainly didn't expect such a backlash of negative reviews with people telling me they are refusing to read any more. Thank you very much for your kind words. I love the phrase sunlit days and definitely wanted to make sure I used it! To Hailie: Neville is a sly fox lol. Thank you for your kind words and support. To coloredwords: Thanks for the support and I appreciate you saying you can't praise this story enough. Thanks for laughing at Dumbledore's shocked expression over the Horcrux in Harry being gone. I don't love Dumbledore, but I certainly don't dislike him and I'm always sad when stories just bash him terribly. I love Neville's slyness. Thank you!
To Nobothersgiventoday: Thank you very much! To SHolmes34: Thank you for loving the Quidditch and the Hinny moment together. I appreciate your kind words and love of the story. To samjordon08: Thank you very much! I have a lot of plans and ideas and I can promise, there will be happiness and heartbreak to come! Thank you! To AnonymousHufflepuffWriter: Thank you! I love that you consider a chapter update a comfort of home! Thank you very much! To aldigomez2: Thank you! And yes, I'm sure Sirius will have something say on the matter lol! To HJP4Life: Thank you! To ginnypotter872005: Thank you for saying ASC is "unlike any of the other Harry Potter fan fictions." Thank you! To CrazyWithABook: Thank you! To scrappy8: I must have done something right this chapter because you blessed me with three whole extra words! Thank you! To Saz J: I know, about time lol. Thank you very much! I'm glad you liked the little twist with Dean and Neville. Thank you! To notthatchhavi: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the prank Dean pulled on Harry and yes, did she say cock or guac lol? Thanks for loving my Theo speech as well! Thank you! To Wolf's scream: No, Theo is trying, but he can't get his emancipation just yet. Those boys are high stakes and they are trying to figure out a plan for what and how and why. I think Dumbledore was in a bit of shock over the news, yes. Thank you!
To xOdie: Thank you for saying you don't understand how people can quit the story there. I think it's just getting more interesting myself as well. Thank you very much! To speedsONEandONLY: Things are starting to get better for Theo, yes. I love that you call him a cinnamon roll. I loved Harry looking to see if her brothers are okay with him kissing her. You'll see Sirius and Zee in this chapter. Thank you! To WarMunger98: Thank you for kind words and support. It's nice to know so many people would be sad if I abandoned this story. It helps motivate me to keep going. Thank you! To Obscure-Reference-Girl: Thank you! I love knowing you're happy dancing! To Guest: Thanks for sticking with me one hundred chapters later! To Guest: Thank you! To Guest: I'm sorry it pissed you off that I "tease the romance." I refuse to rush something just to rush it. To BioHazard82: Thank you! To Guest: Thank you! To Undead Gothic Princess: Thank you for kind words and support. I don't get any profit out of this. I write for fun and people leaving nasty and rude reviews is not motivating to the author who is doing this for free because I want to. Thank you very much for your support! To Matt9917: Yes, Hinny finally happened! Thank you! To love reading20613: Thank you!
To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! I know, poor Theo, but things will get better for him (and worse). To x-shadow-x-kisses-x: LMAO. I really don't think it was the most torturous experience of your life LOL, but thank you! To ClarieRoss: Thank you so much! To Stolen Initials: Yes, thank you! Dean was taking one for team Hinny. To Keeters: Thank you so much for saying you've never been "more enthralled with a fanfiction before." Yes, Ernie will get what's coming to him! To The8thWeasley: Thanks for the review! I appreciate you leaving a review for the first time! So much is to come and yes, Ginny's teasing. Thank you! To MaladaptiveDaydreamer: Thank you! As to my plans for Sirius, you will have to wait and see. To yofina: Thank you! Yes, Quidditch is very hard to write and I usually avoid it LOL. To Virginia: Thank you! Sorry, I will not be starting a new story where Ginny is Sirius' daughter (I don't even know why I would want to do that?). Thank you. To Atrayee: That's a lot of yeses! Thank you! To Steelcode: Thanks for your constant support, Steel. I appreciate the kind words! To Guest: Thank you! To Sparhawk537: Thank you! No promises on who will and will not die. To Runningtwiceasfast: Thank you very much! To wheezing-reader: Thank you so much for saying you're going to stay until the very end because I have so much more story to tell!
To Menna Taha: Thank you for that lovely review, I could feel your excitement behind it and it made me smile. You think the whole fae writing to Theo thing is going to be important? We will see. Yes, Hinny will be dating now! Thank you so much! To CF: Thank you! Yes, I had to use the sunlit days! I'm glad everyone appreciated my guac/cock joke — I had more fun writing it than I should have lol. I just had this image in my head of Ginny saying 'cock' and Harry basically swallowing his tongue trying not to get her to notice how affected he was by her saying that word. Thank you! To HGRHFan35: Thanks for not being able to stop smiling! To HinnyMe: Yes, Hinny has finally landed LOL. I know, poor Theo has so much going on. Thank you! To Guest: Thank you! To hellishrose: You're right, Harry does much better when he acts on instinct which is why I wanted to use that moment from HBP, it's so iconic, and to me such an important part of Hinny and who they become together. Thank you! To Guest: I will update when I usually do, thank you. To Guest: Thank you! To Bkane3: Thank you for saying you have no idea why people would stop following this story. Ha, "it's more addictive than crack cocaine." Well, it's definitely a lot healthier LOL. Thank you!
To Flymaster.a03: Thank you for loving slow burn Hinny fics, me too! I don't think Hinny will ever lose their banter or fire, but you'll have to keep reading to find out. Thanks! To Guest: Thank you! To Kejta: Thank you for your support! To Queen Raja: Thanks for catching up! I love that you keep flip-flopping between which couple to root for, that's so sweet. Thanks for loving Hinny and Remadora and Sirius and Zee. Thank you very much! To Ruby4Life101: Thank you! To hasti: Thank you! To christyannb94: Yes, Harry and Ginny have known each other since they were kids and yes, they still have Fred and George at school to tease them. Thank you for your kind words and I agree, constructive criticism is always appreciated, but downright negative or hateful reviews are uncalled for. Thank you so much for helping to remind me why I like to share my world. Thank you! To RedheadLover: Thank you! it's one of my favourite Hinny moments so I had to use it! To krelofwerewolf: Living in constant pain because of my teasing of Hinny might be an over-exaggeration LOL. Thank you for appreciating the fact that I am still going strong with my story. Yes, just because the Slyherins are friendlier with Harry doesn't mean they've lost their ideologies. I agree completely. It's a lot for them to take in. As to Blaise, Theo, and Draco, I want to show their fears and insecurities while at the same time showing that they haven't necessarily changed the way that they were raised and brought up; they still have certain beliefs that they've yet to let go of. Thank you! To Bosma18: Thank you for saying it was nice to see Harry get out of his head. Thank you for saying that I have "written all the characters they are all so real." Thank you!
To Kmi: Thank you! You said in my absolute favourite comment of the week: "JKR: Let's make it big. I want all the Gryffindors to see Hinny's first kiss. Breanie: Hold my beer." So thank you for that gem! Neville is a bit of a punk I suppose, but he's been friends with Harry and Ginny for a long time here, so he's had enough of them LOL. Thank you! To Jmcglynn522: Thank you! To musemesmer: Thank you! I appreciate your kind thoughts and support! To Pegg7: Thank you! To xXQueenofDragonsXx: Thank you! To Jaganoto: Thank you for saying my work is amazing and the buildup to the kiss driving you to insanity. I think that means it was worth it.😉 Thank you! To thedreamerswin: Thank you! To HpF2: Thank you! Take a deep breath and tell that girl how you feel — if Harry can do it, you can, too! To pottermum: Thank you! To leflemmeenrose: Thank you! To Ham: Wow! Thanks for reading up to chapter 120 twice over! Thank you for being baffled by people giving up and wow, "this is the best and now we came to the most anticipated thing since the ending of Game of Thrones." That is a compliment! Thank you very much! To DoctorAhsokaGranger: Thank you! That's the mindset I am trying to keep and to just think, thanks for boosting my review count!
To Kate: Yes, it happened after the match! Thank you! To PurpleLotus: Thanks for saying the loss of sleep to read is worth it. Thanks for saying I am "a very gifted weaver of words" and that you are "completely enamoured with the characters." A literary masterpiece is too kind. I really appreciate this! Thank you! I salute you with my ice cold Jameson as well, thank you for reading and reviewing! To Tammy: Thank you, I do try to show all aspects of our society which includes the ugly part. Anyone can be abused, not just weak women like some people think, but women you would never imagine being capable of letting someone abuse them; men and children as well and it doesn't mean sexual or physical abuse, but emotional and psychological also qualify. As for my Theo, I love him and soon he will get away from that Hufflepuff, I promise. Thank you!
My posting schedule: Once a week.
As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!
Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT:
The One Where Harry Finally Asks
Harry held Ginny's hand in his as everyone headed to the change rooms and he urged her to come up to the stands with him. Before they made it there, Bill and Mr and Mrs Weasley had come down to congratulate them on their win.
"Ginny… I can't believe how good you were, darling. When did you learn how to play?"
Ginny only stared at her mum, her eyes blazing in a defiance that Harry found ridiculously attractive. "I broke into the broom shed in the middle of the night and flew in the orchard."
Bill let out a full-bodied laugh, bending to kiss her forehead. "That's my girl, Firecracker!"
Mrs Weasley merely stared at her daughter completely perplexed. "Ginny, how long has this been going on?"
Ginny shrugged. "Since I was seven."
Mr Weasley chuckled. "Always were a sneaky one, weren't you, love?"
Ginny beamed brightly at her father. "I didn't think that it was fair that Mum said only the boys could play so, I taught myself."
"Well, you did a marvellous job and we are incredibly proud of you," Mr Weasley told her.
Mrs Weasley nodded from next to her husband. "Your father is right, Ginny. You fly better than any of the boys. I'm sorry, I should have let you join them."
Ginny smiled, her eyes softening. "Thanks, Mum."
Mrs Weasley's eyes darted down to where Harry and Ginny were holding hands and she smiled at her daughter, a knowing look in her eye as she leaned in to kiss her cheek and whisper quietly in her ear. "Good things come to those who wait, darling."
Ginny blushed and kissed her mum's cheek. "Will you come to the next game?"
"If your father is free," Mrs Weasley told her. "Write soon?"
"I will," she promised, moving to hug Bill close and then both of her parents. "Thanks for coming."
Mr Weasley smiled. "Wouldn't have missed it. I wish that I didn't work so much and could make it to more of these games. Now we must go congratulate the boys. Nice to see you, Harry. We love you, Ginny."
"Love you, too," Ginny told them.
Harry watched them head off to talk to Ron, Fred, and George with a grin before he took her hand in his again and led her up to the stands to where his own family was waiting.
Sorcha immediately engulfed him in her arms, kissing his cheeks. "You were incredible out there! We're so happy that we got to see a game!"
Harry grinned. "Thanks. It was a nice surprise to see you in the audience."
Misha smiled, his eyes on Ginny. "And voo is this?"
Harry squeezed Ginny's hand as he smiled at his grandparents "Grandmama, Papa, this is... this is Ginny."
Ginny extended her hand with a smile. "His girlfriend."
Harry beamed at her.
Misha grinned, wrapping Harry and Ginny both up in a big bear hug. "It is lovely to meet you. I vondered voo the girl vas voo made him all googly-eyed."
"I haven't been googly-eyed!" Harry protested.
Sirius slapped a hand on his shoulder. "More than googly-eyed, bloke's been pining something terrible."
Harry flushed. He turned to Zee, she was still sitting, but was grinning widely. He bent to hug her tightly, kissing her cheek. "I didn't expect you to come today. You're supposed to be resting."
"I am resting," she said with a smile. "See? I'm sitting and everything."
Sirius smiled. "She's resting. I won't let her do anything else."
Zee rolled her eyes. "He's a like an overbearing mother hen. I'm being well taken care of, I promise."
Tonks, who was sitting next to Zee, grinned. "By the way, Zee, looks like you owe me ten Galleons, he kissed her closer to All Hallows Eve then to Yule."
Harry's mouth opened in shock. "You bet on me?"
Tonks shrugged. "Damn right I did."
Remus bit his lip. "It's better not to ask."
"That was some kiss out there, Harry; in front of the whole school, too," Sirius said, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
He blushed. "It just er, happened."
"Oh? You fell on her lips? I didn't think that I saw you trip over anything? Did you see him trip over something, Moony?"
"Sirius, leave him alone," Sorcha chided. "I thought that it was rather romantic."
"Er, thanks. I need to go change and shower though…"
"Right," Sirius said with a smirk. "Shower. Go celebrate with your team. We'll talk later."
He hugged everyone goodbye and everyone hugged Ginny in turn before they headed back to the change rooms. He tugged her aside before they headed in.
"Did you mean it?"
Ginny stared at him, her eyes blazing and full of emotion. "Did you mean to kiss me?"
"No. But I've wanted to, for months."
Ginny's cheeks flushed. "Months?"
He took a step closer to her. "Months. I didn't think that I stood a chance with you. I thought that I blew it and that you had friend zoned me for good." He bent his head, brushing his lips against hers softly. "Did you mean it, Gin? Are you my girlfriend?"
Ginny stood on her toes and kissed him deeply. The feel of her pressed against him was better than anything that he had ever imagined. Bliss. Pure unadulterated bliss.
When she pulled back, the tip of her pink tongue moistened her lips. "Are you asking me to be?"
He groaned. "You're really not going to make this easy on me, are you?"
She chuckled, tilting her head slightly. "Not even a little bit. Not if you've truly been pining for me."
Harry reached out, placing his hands on either side of her waist. "I've truly been pining," he admitted. "Ginny, will you let me take you out on a date tomorrow?"
Ginny looked pensive. "I'll have to think about it. I might be busy."
Harry slid his hands up her back and pulled her against him, touching his forehead down to hers. "You're right, you are busy. You're going on a date with me tomorrow at noon."
"Oh no, I can't, I'll miss lunch."
His fingers played with the ends of her long ponytail. "I'll feed you."
She smiled, slowly and wickedly, and his entire body reacted. "You will, will you?"
Harry's green eyes met hers. "It's always been you, Ginny. I was too thick to notice, but it's always been you."
Her teasing expression vanished and her eyes darkened in desire. "It's always been you for me, too."
Harry bent his head to kiss her. "Will you be my girlfriend?"
Ginny's hands slid over his own back as she spoke. "Yes."
And then his lips were on hers and all was right in the world.
~ ASC ~
Sirius kept his arm around Zee's waist as they walked back across the Hogwarts grounds to head to Hogsmeade.
"I can walk like a normal person, you know," she said, smiling up at him.
"Indulge me," he said, keeping his arm around her.
"When do you think that they started dating?" Zee asked him. "I mean… it's been well over a month since Mandy broke up with him now. Do you think that he asked her out right away?"
Sirius shook his head. He knew how much Harry had wanted to ask her out right away, but he also knew that his son hadn't been ready to do so; not yet. But lately he had been so worried and busy with Zee that maybe he hadn't seen the signs. No, he thought, Harry and Ginny couldn't have been together that long.
"No, it can't have been too long. He would have told us. I know that he was going to ask her out two weeks ago, but news of you interrupted his plan. I do wonder how he went about it though."
Zee smiled as they stepped onto the bridge, moving across towards the village. "Me too."
When they made it to the gates and into the village, Sirius wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Hold on tight."
"I can Apparate myself, you know."
"I'm just worried about you, baby. If you don't let yourself heal, you won't be ready to go back to work. Let me take care of you."
Zee sighed into his embrace, resting her cheek over his heart. "I have another few weeks off to rest and relax. I promise to take it easy."
Sirius nodded, sighing against her neck. "Okay. But I'm still doing the Apparating. Hold on tight."
He turned on the spot and they arrived on the front step of Number Twelve, slipping through the door and into the warmth of the house. Kreacher greeted them at the door with an ugly toothy grin and gestured for them to follow him to the kitchen. Soon they had steaming mugs of hot tea in front of them and a platter of fruit and vegetables to snack on.
Within twenty minutes, most of the Order members had arrived.
Kreacher served drinks as needed before bowing and leaving them alone.
Dumbledore tapped his long fingers on the table and Sirius looked over at him, wondering what he was going to say.
"I thank you all for coming here tonight," Dumbledore said with a smile. "As most of you know, we had a minor setback. Zee was attacked in France by Death Eaters unknown. One of them was Thaddeus Nott, but those responsible escaped. It was the why of her being attacked that needs to be addressed."
"Her relationship with Potter and Black," Moody said darkly from the other end of the table. "She's a link to them. An obvious one at that. It makes sense to go after her."
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, anyone who potentially has access to Harry is in danger, that's a given. But they are not in immediate danger and I do not believe that Zee's connection with Harry had anything to do with her attack last week. I think that it had to do with her recruiting new members for the Aqua Protectors."
Moody raised an eyebrow. "Are there any Merpeople willing to join in on this?"
"A few," Zee said easily. "I'm still working on that with a few other agents. But the main reason I went there was because I was looking for a half-wizard, half Merman; a French Melusine who is believed to be living on land near the Merpeople city off of the coast of the Chateau d'If. But unfortunately I was attacked before I could locate and speak with him."
Bill leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What does this wizard have to do with anything?"
Zee wrapped her hands around her tea. "That's just it, we don't know. I was looking for him with the intention of getting his help in bringing the Merpeople on board; in seeing how he felt about joining the force. My partner, Tripp Forrester, was Imperiused by someone and was told to use me to help find this man, who the Death Eaters apparently believe to be a Seer."
Fleur frowned, sitting her own tea cup back on the table. "A Seer?"
"The prophecy about Harry," Remus said softly. "Voldemort is looking for answers."
"It's what we believe," Sirius said, his eyes on his friend. "I spoke to Dumbledore about it the other day, the idea that he is looking for a way to gain access to the prophecy directly. There's only one sure of way of doing this and that is getting access to the recording of it in the Hall of Prophecy."
"The Hall of Prophecy?" Emmeline Vance asked, looking around the room in curiosity. "I've never heard of it."
"It's in the Department of Mysteries," Zee told her. "But the location is the only thing about it that's not a mystery. We know that the Hall of Prophecy is minded by the Guardian. The Guardian is a mystery in his or herself. I believe that they may be a Seer themselves and are able to track prophecies made, record them, and hold a copy in the Hall of Prophecy. There is a research team who then studies the prophecies to try to decipher their meaning."
"But the entire process is just as much of a mystery as the department. Very few people have access and know what is being researched in there. It is only for those who need to know," Dumbledore said quietly. "But I handed over a copy of the prophecy after I heard it, as anything pertaining to Lord Voldemort needed to be studied and heard in my opinion. I was hoping maybe someone would have figured out what it was referring to, but as history has shown, sometimes fate is fate for a reason."
Sirius leaned back in his chair. "What we do know is that Voldemort wants to hear the prophecy. Harry has escaped his grasp multiple times now and he has to be thinking that there's a reason for that. Maybe he is even wondering if he is more powerful than him, I don't know. But I imagine that knowing a teenager has stumped him isn't something that he's overly impressed with. He wants to know exactly what the prophecy says and I think that we need to make sure that this doesn't happen."
Molly bit her lip nervously before she spoke. "How do you suppose we do that? You just finished saying that the Hall of Prophecy is almost a myth in itself. How are we supposed to take the prophecy, which I assume is what you are proposing?"
Sirius nodded. "In theory, yes, or at least we want to protect it. I just want to make sure that Voldemort or his followers don't get their hands on it. That's the important part. If we have anything that we know and they don't, it gives us one check against them. Sturgis, I know that you can't tell us much, but what can you tell us?"
Sturgis Podmore sipped his tea for a moment, looking around the table at everyone gathered. "I can say that the hall you speak about does indeed exist and that I may even know how to access it. However, there's one thing that you don't know. Only the Guardian has the ability to remove or place a prophecy in the hall."
Sirius frowned. "Really? There's no way for anyone else to take it?"
Sturgis shook his head. "As far as I know, only the Guardian can do it."
McGonagall looked perplexed, crossing her arms. "So guarding it might be all we need to do. It would help us keep track in case anyone does try to make a move on the prophecy."
"Dull work," Sirius admitted. "But I agree, it has to be done. It's important for Voldemort not to get his hands on it."
Andromeda smiled. "Molly and I will set up a schedule. We'll take turns."
"You'll need invisibility cloaks," Moody barked. "It's best to stay out of sight. I think staying by the entrance to the department should be good enough."
Sturgis nodded. "Yes, the cloaks are a good idea."
Everyone seemed to nod in agreement.
Ted raised his wand. "Can we get back to this Melusine… I'm sorry, Zee, I don't understand the difference between a Melusine and Merperson?"
Zee smiled. "No, of course not, Ted. It's simply the French term for a Merperson, usually considered only to be female, but they accept the word for all genders. The mythology says that Melusine herself was in fact the daughter of the fae, Pressyne, and King Elinas of Albany, presently Scotland. She made the king promise to never look at her in the bath and when he broke this oath, she took his daughters to Avalon for his betrayal. For if he had seen her in the water, he would know of her true identity. The French Merpeople call themselves Melusines in her honour. I was hoping to talk with them about the Aqua Protectors Force that the Ministry is working on. Unfortunately, I never made it to them."
Ted nodded. "But You Know Who believes one of these Melusines is a Seer?"
"We think so," Zee told him. "It's the impression that my partner gave Sirius. He could just be hunting down known Seers in an attempt to learn the prophecy; to discover who the Seer was who spoke the words."
"We know very little of what he plans. He's broken out his followers and he's recruited the giants and the Dementors. We know that he has some werewolves on his side along with some vampires. We have to assume that there's more. But ultimately what does Voldemort want?" Sirius asked the room. "Does anyone really know?"
"Respect," Dumbledore said quietly. "He wants respect. He wants reverence. And most of all, he wants recognition. He considers himself immortal, the most powerful wizard to ever have lived."
"He's not," Remus said quietly. "He's afraid of you, Albus."
Dumbledore smiled. "You give me too much credit, Remus. Lord Voldemort is not afraid of me. He distrusts me because I saw his weaknesses. I knew him as a child before he knew of his future. It worries him."
"It's not only that," Hestia Jones said. "Everyone knows that you were the one to defeat Grindelwald, if anyone could defeat a second dark wizard, it would be you, Albus. He has to see you as a threat."
"I'm an old man now and my defeat of Grindelwald was half a century ago. Lord Voldemort is much more dangerous than Gellert ever was, ever could be."
McGonagall put her hand on Dumbledore's arm, squeezing lightly. "We're not asking you to take on this fight, Albus. But we are using you as part of our defence. No matter what you say, Remus and Hestia are right, he is fearful of you — whether because of your power or because of your shared past — he knows that you are a threat to him and everything that he stands for."
"And I think that he is also starting to see Harry as one," Sirius said. "Harry's powerful. To say otherwise would be false. But he is also a fifteen-year-old-wizard. I know what you are all thinking, fifteen is still a child, but think back to what you were doing at fifteen. I had already become an Animagus by Harry's age, lost my virginity, and been tortured. Voldemort had already murdered at fifteen. As much as we like to think the word child, fifteen is more than old enough to be considered a powerful threat. Harry faced him in June and he escaped by sheer luck. Next time, Voldemort will be looking to kill him and I plan on doing everything in my power to stop that from happening."
"The paper has dubbed him the Chosen One," Emmeline said from the corner. "Is that true?"
"It is if the world wants to believe it. Hell, it might even work in our favour; make Voldemort more fearful of what Harry represents," Sirius said.
Everyone seemed to consider that for a moment.
Molly let out a slow sigh. "In the meantime, Andromeda and I will work out a schedule. If everyone could please let us know when they would be available for guard duty, we can get started on this."
Everyone murmured in agreement.
Tonks leaned in to kiss her husband's cheek. "The prophecy does elude to Harry being the Chosen One, 'the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord,' if that's not chosen, I don't know what is."
Remus nodded. "Maybe, but right now we have other aspects to worry about."
"Two of them," Tonks said.
Zee stared at them for a moment. "Can you two stay a bit later to discuss that?"
Remus nodded.
The Order quickly began to disperse, except for Bill, Fleur, Moody, McGonagall, Dumbledore, and the four of them.
Sirius smiled. "Fleur, we need to speak to Bill about something privately?"
Fleur nodded and stood up. "Oui, oui, je suis désolé."
"No need to apologize," Sirius said with a smile. "Kreacher will bring you another cup of tea. We're going to move into the study, feel free to roam the house if you wish."
Fleur smiled. "Merci."
Once everyone was settled in the study, Sirius locked and sealed the door behind them, adding a silencing charm. He grinned at Bill.
"So, the French maiden, eh?"
Bill bit his lip and shrugged. "I'm helping her improve her English and she's been teaching me some French in return."
Sirius wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "What is she teaching you? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir?"
Bill rolled his eyes, a sly grin on his face. "Piss off, Black."
Remus cleared his throat. "If you're done, Padfoot, we'd like to discuss the Horcruxes."
Sirius nodded and moved to the front of the room as Bill took his seat. "Harry, Remus, and I destroyed another one this summer. If you remember, Albus had told us that he believed Voldemort had accidentally placed a Horcrux inside of Harry the night he tried to kill him as a baby. Unfortunately, this was accurate. Healer Alexander Papakonstantinou, a well known neuro-healer in Athens, operated on Harry this summer and it was safely removed."
Zee outlined the procedure and what had happened; explaining how they had trapped it in a cigar box where Harry had later destroyed it himself using the Sword of Gryffindor.
"Which means that there are two left," Moody said gruffly, his eyes on the list on the wall.
Sirius nodded. "Harry learned about Nagini being one when he came face to face with Voldemort in the graveyard in June. She's a boa constrictor and she seems to be important to Voldemort in some way. From what we understand, she was able to communicate with him when he was possessing reptiles in Albania. Pettigrew confirmed that she had even milked him and cared for him before he was placed into the body of a child. She's almost like a familiar. She never leaves his side unless ordered and as he is a Parselmouth, he communicates with her. There will be no way for us to take her out safely until the very end."
Moody nodded. "Which leaves the diadem."
Remus tapped his fingers on the desk next to him. "This is what we believe to be the next Horcrux. It has been lost for centuries. The diadem once belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. We learned that the diadem had never actually been lost as it was claimed, but stolen by Rowena's own daughter, Helena. She is the ghost known as the Grey Lady who resides in Hogwarts. Apparently she hid the diadem in a hollowed out tree in a dark forest in Albania."
Bill's eyebrow rose. "That's how You Know Who found it?"
"We believe so," Tonks said. "We already know that he was a very intelligent child and he went out of his way to learn everything he could get his hands on. We think that he charmed its location out of Helena Ravenclaw's ghost and then he went to Albania in search of it. According to the timeline that Dumbledore helped us make, we think that he hid the diadem inside of Hogwarts when he returned in '67 to ask for the teaching job of Defence Against the Dark Arts."
"You think that it's inside of the school?" Bill asked in surprise.
"We're almost sure of it," Remus told them. "We've been trying to narrow our search, but the school is massive, not to mention magical. There are hidden rooms all over the place, and as we learned a few years ago with the discovery of the Chamber of Secrets, there might even be rooms that we don't know exist yet."
"How do you plan to find it?" Moody asked.
Sirius scratched his chin. "Remus, Minnie, and Albus are taking it in turn to search when they can, but ultimately, we're asking Harry and his friends to do just that."
"They've been looking for it?" Bill asked.
"Not aggressively, but I know that Harry has been doing what he can and I told him to get his friends to help him search for it. We need to find it. Voldemort's power is growing as quickly as his army. We still don't know what he plans to do and if we can knock another soul piece off of this list, we are one step closer to stopping him for good," Sirius told them.
Moody stared at the list. "You've done incredible work here, Black. You've destroyed two of them yourself and Potter's destroyed three. I think keeping him informed is a smart idea, but I don't know if I agree with bringing his friends on board."
"I know it's a risk, Mad-Eye," Sirius said carefully. "But Harry trusts them. They've never given him a reason not to trust them and trusting your friends is one of the most important parts of friendship, especially at his age. He counts on them and they count on him. The six of them are smart, resourceful, and brave. I think that it would be stupid of us not to give them a chance."
Moody nodded. "I trust you, Black. You know Harry better than anyone and if you think that it's a good idea to have these kids on board, I'm on your side."
"I know my son and his friends, Alastor, and trust me, if anyone is going to find that diadem, it's going to be that lot."
Remus had his eyes on the list as he spoke. "Agreed."
And he knew the words were true.
~ ASC ~
When Harry stepped into the portrait hole, the wave of noise he was met with made him grin widely. He was slapped on the back in congratulations as he was pulled inside. Fred grabbed him and pulled him over by the fire where George was sitting.
"Harry, sit!"
Harry stared at them apprehensively. They had seemed okay with him kissing Ginny on the field, but now he wasn't so sure.
"Fred, George," he said easily.
Fred grinned widely. "So, how long have you been dating our sister?"
He only stared at them. "Not sure that she would be okay with your questions."
George lifted an eyebrow. "Not quite the answer we were looking for."
Harry shrugged, a half smile on his lips. "You know how much she means to me. I don't think the rest of it is any of your business."
"Are you hearing this, George?" Fred asked, looking over at his twin with his eyes wide.
He smelt her before he saw her, the feel of her hand on his shoulder sending shivers over him. She sat on the arm of the chair.
"Harry, my brothers aren't giving you grief, are they?"
"We would never," Fred said, his voice mockingly offended.
George grinned. "Just want to make sure our Harry is treating you right, Nevra, that's all."
Ginny merely raised an eyebrow. "My life, not yours. Get lost."
They both kissed her cheek before they hurried off and Ginny sat on the arm of the chair next to him.
"Hi," he said, grinning at her.
"Hi," she said back, her eyes on his.
Harry felt the hesitation. He was used to her making herself comfortable next to him. She would never hesitate before stuffing herself into the chair with him, but now he could see the question in her eyes. He shifted over just a little and she slipped into the chair next to him, grinning when his arm came around her.
"Does it feel weird?"
Ginny shook her head, her eyes on his. "No. It feels right and it scares me a little."
Harry kissed her cheek. "I know what you mean."
Ginny twined her fingers with his, smiling widely. "Tomorrow, we'll talk about this?"
He nodded. "Yeah, tonight we celebrate with our team."
"Harry!"
They both turned as Neville hurried over to them, beaming.
"Great game, you two!" he said brightly. "And honestly, about time he told you, Ginny. He's been pining something awful."
"Have not," Harry said darkly.
Ginny smirked at him. "Funny because Tonks and Sirius said the same thing."
Harry chose to ignore this. "Ooh, look, someone asked the house elves to bring up food."
He tugged Ginny along with him, making her laugh, and the sound made his heart soar. It did feel right, he thought, and as scary as that thought was, it was also just right and he thought that he'd never been happier.
~ ASC ~
Hermione sat near the fire watching Harry and Ginny laugh as they filled their plates full of food. She had only been a little surprised to see Harry kiss her on the pitch, but she knew that Ginny had been more surprised than she had let on. The two of them belonged together she thought, it made sense.
She heard Ron's voice and she turned, searching for the tall, lanky redhead. She wondered what his thoughts were on his best friend and his sister dating. He was speaking to two first years, lecturing them on something and it made her smile. It was nice to see Ron taking his job as prefect seriously. She hadn't been sure if he would. But as she watched him, the change in him made her smile. He had grown up a lot this year and in some very good ways. She had found herself more than once checking out his backside and she was a bit embarrassed by it.
His letters all summer had been wonderful. They had talked about everything. Ron had told her all about what his family was up to and had asked her questions about her time in Germany. She'd kept him updated on herself, her parents, and her trip along with any news Desi shared with her from Bulgaria. Viktor's sister still wrote to her every few weeks. Her English was getting better and better with every letter and Hermione was proud of her. She loved corresponding with the girl, hearing about how the family was doing. Iglika even had a boyfriend now which Desi was eager to tease her about. Ron shared in her amusement.
And he gave the best hugs.
With Harry, the hugs were warm, inviting, thoughtful, and made her felt so comfortable and loved. With Ron, she felt all of that, but when he held her close, she also felt a desire to be closer to him. When he hugged her it was like she was wrapped up in this giant chair. She barely reached his heart as his latest growth spurt put him well over one hundred and eighty-seven centimetres, but when his arms held her, she felt safe. He was steady, she thought.
She snuck a look over at where Harry and Ginny were grinning at each other by the food table. They were the other half of each other's coin, anyone could see it. It was about time that Harry had kicked his butt into gear and made his move. They needed each other, she thought with a smile.
Someone sat next to her and she turned, surprised to see the tall, blond frame of Cormac McLaggen there.
"Hermione Granger," he said, grinning so widely that she could see every one of his teeth. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?"
Hermione merely raised an eyebrow. "Pretty uninterested? Yes, I am."
He put his hand over hers when she made to stand up. "Don't be like that, you don't even know me. At least give me a chance to prove uninteresting before you claim me as such."
When he grinned again she had to admit that he was rather handsome. With his full head of blond hair and perfect smile, he was attractive. She had noticed that he was a good Quidditch player as well and if she hadn't Confunded him during the Gryffindor tryouts, he probably would have proven to be even better. But he didn't need to know that.
"Calling me a thing isn't the way to get my attention," she said, smoothly.
Cormac smiled. "I suppose that's fair. A beautiful, smart woman like you deserves lots of praise and admiration. Perhaps we can chat?"
She hesitated. He was attractive and nice, she thought; not to mention that she still felt a little guilty for confunding him during the Quidditch tryout. Talking to him would be all right, she thought, it might even ease her guilty conscience for the Confunding Charm. Viktor had been gone for almost six months and while she still missed him, she didn't think about him constantly any more. He would want her to be happy, she told herself. Besides, a little light flirting hardly hurt anyone.
"What would you like to chat about, Cormac?"
Cormac's smile widened. "You. Tell me everything."
Hermione only lifted an eyebrow and smiled politely. "Where would you like me to start?"
~ ASC ~
Ron finished speaking to the two first year boys that he had found drinking Firewhiskey and shook his head. He would never have been so bold when he had been in first year. He would have to speak to Fred and George about keeping the alcoholic substances away from the younger kids. He heard Hermione laugh and when his eyes found her bushy hair, he frowned when he realized that she was talking to McLaggen. Why would she want to talk to that tosser, he thought?
He headed over to where Harry and Ginny were grabbing food and grinned at them.
"We won!"
Harry grinned back. "Knew you had it in you, Ron. Bletchley is a great Keeper and you kept on par with him today."
Ron nodded. "The Chasers are good too, even when they fight dirty."
"Slytherin always does," Harry told him.
"And you two…"
Harry grinned, his gaze moving over Ginny. "Yeah, I know, finally."
Ron only stared. "Listen, I said that I preferred you over Dean, not that I gave you permission to snog my sister in front of the whole bloody school!"
Harry shrugged good naturally, grinning at his friend. "I took it to mean you accepted it."
"And we don't need your permission, Ron," Ginny said hotly. "What Harry and I do is our business, not yours."
"Not his permission," Harry agreed. "But I would have felt pretty guilty if he was against it."
"Guilty enough not to kiss me?" Ginny asked, her eyes meeting his.
Harry's tongue touched his bottom lip as he shook his head. "Not that guilty."
Ron grimaced. "You two are going to be bloody revolting, aren't you?" When they only continued to stare at each other, he sighed. "Fine, fine, I'm happy you two are together. I admit it. Now, look, take care of each other okay?"
Harry smiled. "We will."
Ginny wrapped her arm around Harry's waist. "Now butt out, Ron."
"Brat," Ron said affectionately, bumping her hip and making her smile. He gestured over to where Hermione was chatting with McLaggen. "What's that about?"
Ginny's eyes moved to her friend and smiled. "It looks like she is finally moving on from Viktor."
Ron scoffed. "With that ponce? Please — she could do so much better."
"Yes, she can," Ginny agreed. "But right now she's laughing and smiling, nothing else really matters, does it?"
Ron wanted to protest, but he knew that his sister was right. Hermione was only just finally coming out of her shell. He knew how much Viktor's death had affected her. If she needed to sit and chat with stupid McLaggen, he wouldn't stop her.
But it certainly didn't mean that he had to like it.
~ ASC ~
When Harry finally made it up to his bed that night, he couldn't stop grinning. He'd kissed Ginny goodnight, just a soft kiss that had left him aching for more before he watched her head up the stairs to her dormitory. Only once she was out sight, did he make his way back up to his own dorm.
He felt like he was walking on air after he kissed her goodnight. He had a date with Ginny the next day and he needed to come up with something perfect. He didn't want to disappoint her, but options around the castle were rather slim. He stripped down to his boxer briefs and was just tugging his pyjama pants on when Dean came out of the bathroom.
"Hey, how was your date with Monroe before the match?" Harry asked, hoping he sounded friendly. He didn't want things to be strained between him and Dean after that little stunt he'd pulled.
Dean grinned. "It was great, thanks."
"Glad to hear it," Harry told him honestly. "Dean, about Ginny —"
Dean held his hand up to stop him. "It was obvious that you liked her, mate, and frankly pretty obvious that she fancied you back. I thought if I flirted enough, asked her out even, it might motivate you to get a move on. She's great and I can see why you like her. We had one date and I could see she liked you just as much. No hard feelings. I like her, but not the way you do."
Harry grinned, feeling bit relieved. "Good. Thanks. I still can't believe that you did all of that just to make me jealous!"
Dean grinned widely. "The constant pining needed to stop."
"I wasn't pining!"
He chuckled. "If you say so! Hey, come here," he said, gesturing for Harry to come over to his bed. He grabbed the sketchbook that he had tossed there and flipped it open. It was a charcoal sketch of Harry in the common room a look of longing on his face as he looked over near the fire where Ginny was sitting, laughing with Colin. "I drew this the other day."
"Blimey, Dean, this is… it's so life-like. But I… I never looked that bad!"
Dean rolled his eyes. "Yeah, mate, you did. You were pining, admit it."
Harry only shut his mouth in response and Dean grinned, ripping the sketch out of the book and passing it over.
"Keep this. It's a reminder for you."
"Thanks," Harry said in surprise. "It's… it's really good. I guess maybe… I was pining, a little."
Dean nodded, rubbing his chin before he flipped to the back of the book and passed it over. Harry's eyes widened at the sight there.
It was a second charcoal sketch, but this one was of Natalie lying on the bed in their dorm. Her skirt was ridden up, revealing a hint of thigh and her shirt unbuttoned except for one button in the centre just under the swell of her cleavage. The lace of her bra made her breasts look even more enticing and her tie was loose around her neck. One hand was on her stomach, the other behind her head and she had a knowing smirk on her full lips.
"Wow," Harry breathed.
Dean grinned. "She asked me to sketch her and well, we got to chatting about art and nudity and the art of seduction and well... isn't she lush?"
"Bloody hell, Dean, this is really good. I mean, it looks... it's basically a portrait."
Dean's smile widened. "I think it's what I want to do, you know, draw. It calms me."
"You have the talent for it," Harry told him honestly.
"Thanks. Anyway, Natalie and I still are getting to know each other. After she saw my drawing, she snogged me senseless. She even let me touch her tits through her bra."
Harry's smile widened. "Lucky."
Dean nodded. "So, like I said, I'm happy for you and Ginny. She's lush and well, I'd be lying if I said I'm not a little disappointed that I didn't get to grab those tits myself, but we just didn't get on."
"Well, I'm glad for that," Harry admitted, making Dean laugh. "But if you talk about her tits or any other part of her again, I'll have to knock you in the nose and remember, I get a free one."
Dean snorted. "Fair."
Seamus came in and nodded to them before he headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
"Seam okay? I heard Will's leaving Hogwarts for good in January."
Dean nodded. "Yeah, he is. He's taking it hard, but I think he'll be okay. They broke up a few weeks ago though. Seam said the long distance thing, it's too hard. He doesn't think it's worth it and I think that hurts him a bit more."
"Makes sense," Harry said, looking over at the bathroom door. "They're still friendly?"
"Yeah, they are definitely staying friends," Dean told him.
"Good," Harry said, thanking Dean for the sketch again.
Once he was settled comfortably in his bed, he placed a silencing charm around his bed curtains and pulled out his mirror to call Sirius. The sight of his father's face along with Zee's made him grin.
"Hi, Harry," Zee said brightly. "Great game today."
He smiled. "Thanks."
"Did you call to tell us how you and Ginny finally got together?" Sirius asked him in a whining tone. "I mean, snogging on the pitch was nice, I'm sure, but you should have told us that you'd asked her out. When did you do it?"
Harry blushed a bit through the mirror. "Er, actually, I didn't exactly ask her out."
"She asked you?"
He shook his head, dragging his fingers through his hair. "No. The game ended and I just... sort of… kissed her."
Sirius goggled at him. "You just — bold move, Prongslet! I love it."
Zee smiled. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that Ginny feels the same about you then."
He nodded. "I think so. We're having our first date tomorrow."
Sirius lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? And what is your first date, Mr Potter?"
Harry let out a slow breath. "Er, that's why I'm calling, actually. I want it to be perfect."
"I'm sure it will be," Zee assured him. "What did you have in mind?"
Harry felt relieved that they both understood. "Okay, so…"
~ ASC ~
Harry was nervous the next morning, which he thought was strange as it was just Ginny. After speaking with Sirius and Zee the night before he had recruited Dobby's help to set everything up the way that he wanted.
Ginny was waiting for him outside of the Great Hall when he made his way down there around quarter to twelve. She was wearing black tights and a long chocolate brown jumper that almost reached her knees. It fell off of her right shoulder showcasing her bra strap along with a dash of freckled skin. She wore a black belt around the middle, outlining the frame of her small waist.
Harry stood at the bottom of the stairs and just admired her for a moment. He saw Theo wrap an arm around her and whisper something in her ear that made her laugh before he moved towards them.
Theo kept his arm around Ginny's shoulders as he spoke quietly to her. "So, you know that I expect all of the details and I do mean all. I still think that he's rather hung and you better tell me, chick, so I can live vicariously through you."
She chuckled. "It's our first date, Theo!"
Theo shrugged. "I'll give you some pointers on how to suck him off."
Ginny blushed scarlet and he laughed.
"No, seriously. I want to know everything, okay?"
She nodded. "I promise. Theo… it's Harry."
"I know."
He heard Macmillan call his name and he tensed slightly. "I've got to go."
Ginny frowned looking over at Ernie. "Since when are you friends with that prick?"
"Ginny, you don't even know the bloke."
She rolled her eyes. "I know that he made those stupid badges against Harry last year and promoted booing Harry in the tournament, even after Cedric told him not to. And I know that he was one of the first people to spread rumours about Harry being the heir of Slytherin in my first year. He's a pompous prat and I don't like him."
"All fair points. I'm not a fan of him either, chick, but we have a project to do together. We'll chat later?"
She nodded, smiling when he kissed her cheek. She saw Harry watching her and her smile widened.
Theo chuckled. "You're whole being lights up at the sight of him. You two are disgustingly adorable. Have fun, yeah?"
She bit her bottom lip nervously. "I will."
Harry walked over to them as Theo said goodbye and he offered his hand. "Are you ready?"
Ginny smiled. "Yes."
Harry wrapped his fingers around her small hand and tugged her closer to him. "Come on. It's a bit of a walk."
Ginny's eyebrow rose in curiosity, but she didn't say anything. She let him lead her up the main staircase and higher up as he spoke.
"I went exploring a few weeks ago. I couldn't sleep and I had a lot on my mind. Some of it the Potter stuff, a lot of it, you, but I couldn't sleep. I pulled out the map and maybe had some far-fetched idea about stumbling across the diadem. But I found this hidden room at the top of one of the towers. I haven't shared it with anyone yet."
Ginny's smile was slow and her stomach curled in desire that surprised her. She liked that he was showing it to her first. They walked up the many flights of stairs, both of them a little breathless when they got to the top. Harry showed her the tapestry of elves dancing around the stone circle and tapped his wand against it, muttering the incantation.
The tapestry moved over and a door appeared.
Harry led the way inside and her eyes widened. The room itself didn't look overly remarkable. It was like a small cozy common room with a warm fire burning, but the room itself wasn't what made her eyes widen. A large blanket had been spread out in the middle of the room along with a large assortment of food dishes with two plates. Music was playing on low from a wireless.
"I mean, I know that I can't really take you anywhere since it's not a Hogsmeade day, but I wanted to do something special and Zee suggested an indoor picnic when I asked for advice and —"
"— it's perfect," Ginny interrupted with a smile.
Harry beamed at her.
The two of them settled on the blanket and Harry passed her a plate as they sorted through the food selection. They had turkey bacon club sandwiches, assorted fruits and veggies, cheese, pickles, crisps, and some treacle tart and chocolate mousse for dessert.
"Dobby, I presume?" Ginny said with a smile as she popped a fresh grape into her mouth.
Harry grinned. "I can't get anything by you, can I?"
She shrugged, a soft smile on her lips and a twinkle in her eye. "Not well, no."
Harry poured them each a glass of iced tea as he spoke. "So… is this strange?"
Ginny blew her hair out of her eyes before she looked at him. "You and me? It should be, yeah, but like I said last night, I don't know, it feels... right? Don't you think? Do you think it's strange?"
He shook his head. "No. I've missed you. I know part of that is my fault as I tried to pull away a little because I was so worried that I would muck up our friendship or something and that's the last thing that I would ever want."
Ginny took her hand in his. "I've really missed you, too, Harry. I was worried that I had done something to offend you or to repulse you in some way."
"No! You could never!" he exclaimed, his eyes wide in horror.
"And then what you said about me going to Greece with you… those words have been bothering me for months, trying to figure out what you meant by them," she admitted.
He squeezed her hand in his own. "I'm sorry that I'm an arse. Everything I did to try to not ruin our friendship put a strain on it."
"Not a strain," she said. "I was just worried about you."
"Ginny... I didn't want you to worry. It's just… I've fancied you for a while now and I tried to convince myself that I shouldn't, but you were just... you."
Ginny's eyes softened as she linked her fingers with his. "Harry, I… I never really got over you, not really. I convinced myself that it would never be and maybe if I hadn't tried so hard to convince myself of that, I might have noticed your affections sooner. Hermione told me that it started eons ago."
"Hermione has a big mouth," Harry said, making her laugh.
"No, she was honest with me. She told me that your feelings for me were changing and I thought that she was completely mad. How… how long exactly?"
Harry took a long drink of his iced tea before he spoke. "It feels like always. It was more of a… a feeling; like I was just waiting for you. It's why Mandy broke up with me."
"What?"
"She said that I'm in love with you and that it wasn't fair to any of us."
Ginny stared at him, her eyes wide. "Are you?" she asked, her voice almost a whisper.
Harry took both of her hands in his, squeezing lightly. "I think that I've loved you for most of my life, but to be in love with you, Ginny... you could make me fall, so fast."
She blushed and scooted up to her knees to be closer to him. "Kiss me."
His eyes darted to her lips. He watched the tip of her pink tongue touch the corner of her lips and he rested one hand onto the blanket for leverage, slipping the other into her hair and his lips touched hers. Softly, gently, almost a whisper of a kiss and when his lips left hers, he was still only a breath away.
"I want the chance to fall," he told her.
Ginny swallowed, brown eyes on green. "I want that same chance with you."
Harry's slow grin made her stomach clench in desire and he pressed his lips to hers again for another soft kiss, just enough to tease.
Ginny sighed into him. "We should get back to our lunch."
He couldn't stop smiling as she sat back down. He watched her crunch on a carrot stick before he cleared his throat.
"You know, I didn't realize that my feelings for you were any more than that of a protective friend until the day I saw you snogging Corner."
"You were jealous! Hermione said that you were and I insisted that you weren't."
Harry shrugged. "Maybe I was, yeah. I know I really didn't like hearing about those American blokes from the summer."
She grinned mischievously. "Oh?"
He gave her a look of annoyance and her grin widened. "No. It wasn't even that you were with them, Ginny, it was... it was that they were snogging you and I… wasn't."
Ginny smiled at that. "Oh."
Harry ate his sandwich quietly. "It feels like I've just been waiting for you, for this chance, for us, you know?"
"Yes," she said quietly. "But in my defence, the first time I hugged you on that jungle gym in the park, I knew that you were important to me. You were my first kiss."
He grinned, remembering how she had kissed him when they'd been children. "You were my first friend." Her eyes softened at his words. "I didn't plan on kissing you in front of the whole school like that. I want you to know that, I had it all planned out. I was going to pull you aside after practice and ask you out all proper like."
Ginny's grin flashed. "When did you decide to kiss me like that?"
Harry shook his head. "I don't think I did, not really. I just… reacted." Ginny stared at him, her eyes blazing and his cock twitched in reaction. "It was better than I ever imagined."
Ginny bit her bottom lip, her eyes dark in desire. "For me too, Harry."
And then her lips were on his and he thought that he had never felt happier in his entire life.
~ ASC ~
Theo avoided Macmillan on his way down to the Great Hall that Monday morning. The prefect liked to try to corner him on his way up from the dungeons so he had taken the long way to breakfast just to avoid him. He had just finished spreading raspberry jam onto his toast when an unfamiliar owl landed in front of him.
He accepted the letter with a smile as the owl began to help herself to his toast. "All right then, guess that piece is yours now," he told the owl.
The owl appeared unfazed and continued to nibble on the crust of the toast.
Theo shook his head, opening the envelope and surprised to see the familiar loopy cursive from the other day.
Dear Lord Theodore Nott,
You being part of the same house that holds Ciara means that you should be cordial to her, sure, but you went above and beyond. She told me how you helped get the prefect to speak to her and to the girls who were bullying her. She told me that you eat breakfast with her and brought her treats from the sweet shop in Hogsmeade. That's more than just doing your duty as a friendly Slytherin and it is greatly appreciated.
The new changes in the Ministry of Magic are working to help bring our government into better contact with yours, but allowing our children to attend Hogwarts was something that worried all of us. Ciara and Tara have been chosen as they are the only half-fae the right age to start at your school and the treatment that Ciara has received by you is enough to make me think that we made the right choice.
She is lucky to have a friend like you.
Respectfully,
Finley
He hadn't expected to hear back from the mysterious member of the fae royal court, let alone receive a letter with such an informal ending. Finley, he thought. It did seem like a princely name. He wondered if Finley was an uncle or a caretaker of some sort for Ciara which would explain his interest in her. He made himself a new piece of toast and finished eating before he made his way to Charms, pulling out his parchment pad to respond to the letter as Flitwick discussed the Locomotion Charm.
Dear Finley,
Since you signed your letter as such I hope that I am not offending you by using your first name, I mean no disrespect. I am unsure on how you are involved in Ciara's life as she has told me that her father is a half-blood wizard who works as a maintenance worker at the Ministry of Magic, but that her mum is a full-blooded fae. They called her a freak and I told her that no one has dirty blood, sadly something that I have only come to understand within the last few years myself. Coming from an old pureblood family, I was taught otherwise and am ashamed to say that it took me a long time to figure out what was right and what was wrong. But I am learning and since one of my best friends for the last few years is what in our society we deem a blood traitor, merely because she in fact doesn't agree with the pureblood mantra, I think that I am learning a little.
I don't know anything about the Court of the Fae, but I assume your knowledge of us is similar in your world considering we are just merging our societies now with the beginning of this new Ministry project?
Respectfully,
Theo
He smiled as he read it over. He pictured Finley as a portly man with a bowler hat similar to what Fudge normally wore; maybe with the same kind eyes as his niece. He figured the bloke was worried about her and Theo was honoured that he was the one who had been chosen for him to write to.
When he made it to lunch, he saw Ciara sitting with Mila and moved to sit near them at the Slytherin table.
"Afternoon, ladies. How were your classes this morning?"
Ciara grinned widely at him. "Great! We learned about fertilizers!"
Theo laughed. Her enthusiasm for everything was rather catching. "Interesting. I'll pass on that myself."
Ciara tucked her hair behind her ear. "Theo, how come Morrigan came to see you this morning?"
"Who's Morrigan?"
"The owl with the white wing," Ciara told him. "That's how I know it's her. Her whole body is dark grey with white spots, but her left wing is solid white. Uncle Finn calls her Morrigan and says that she's a gift from Morrigan herself so she should be honoured."
Theo raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know that was her name and well, she was here because I received a thank you letter from someone named Finley for you. Apparently someone has been writing home about me quite a bit."
She blushed. "I just want everyone to know that I'm making friends."
He smiled kindly at her. "It's all right. I appreciate the sentiment. How are you related to this Finley person?"
"He's my uncle," she said as Theo nodded. "Mum's little brother."
"Ah, I suspected as much and you're close with him?"
Ciara nodded. "He's the best. He's the one who convinced Mum and Dad to let me come to Hogwarts this year, so I think he took it extra hard when I wrote home and told him about the mean girls. He blamed himself."
"Well, he seems like a nice bloke and I'm honoured that he wrote to me. I told him that I'd be more than happy to continue to keep an eye on you for him."
Ciara rolled her eyes. "Don't encourage him!"
He chuckled, looking up as Draco sat across from him. "Hey, Draco."
Draco nodded, smiling at Ciara and Mila. "Hi, Ciara, Mila. Theo, I've been thinking about what you asked me concerning a character reference and I was thinking that you should ask Snape."
"I was thinking the same thing," Theo admitted.
He had been putting it off due to the worry about Snape's involvement with Voldemort, but Snape had told him that he was always on his side. He knew that Snape wasn't a huge fan of Thaddeus Nott either, which did mean that he would most likely want to help Theo take the estate from him just as much as he would want to help Theo.
"It will look good for the lawyers coming from your Head of House and well, I can't imagine that Snape would protest."
Theo nodded as he helped himself to some bacon. Draco was right and he had just been putting it off himself. He ate his bacon quietly for a moment.
"I'll ask him."
He just had to be careful because as much as trusted his Head of House, he still wasn't sure how much he could actually trust him.
End Author's Notes:
Melusine — actual myth about how she could only be a mermaid when she took a bath, returning to her natural self, so she made her husband promise to never spy on her in the bath and risk seeing her for what she was, he broke the promise, saw that she was a mermaid, and she took his daughters away in punishment.
(French) Oui, oui, je suis désolé. = yes, yes, I am sorry.
(French) Merci = thank you
(French) Voulez-vous coucher avec moi, ce soir? = do you want to sleep with me tonight?
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