A Second Chance

by Breanie

Part 2 Kismet Trilogy: What if Sirius didn't spend twelve years in prison but was given a trial after 4 years? Follow the story of Sirius Black as he learns what it means to be a father/brother/guardian & the story of Harry Potter, a young boy with a loving home who learns about the Marauders from the two men who should have raised him. Slow-burn Hinny. M for sex & violence.

319. The One With the Nap

Author's Note:

Sorry to disappoint you guys — Everyone seems really excited about this scene between Harry, Misha, Kingsley, and Higgins in the Chamber of Secrets, but I never actually wrote it. At this point, I have fully written up to chapter 336 of this story so I am surprised so many people seemed to want to see this particular scene. The scene ended where chapter 318 ended and was not meant to be a cliffhanger. I am sorry for that.

However, I think you will see how it turned out very soon.

And if you all thought that last chapter was a cliffhanger… you're not going to like this one. ;)

Reviews and Comments: To the Mandalorian Terminator: Thank you! I enjoyed writing the scene with Hagrid. I missed him. Luna definitely has no shame in talking about orgasms with Harry. I'm glad you loved the Hinny smut. To Zarathos Morgenstern: I didn't! It wasn't a cliffhanger LOL. Congrats about marrying your best friend! That's amazing! I wish you a century of happiness, at least! To scrappy8: Thank you! I am glad Theo had a nice date as well and yes, what more can you say about Hinny other than that we love them? Thank you! To Wolf's scream: Thank you! I struggle to get Luna just right and Seriously Sam helped me with that scene as she always seems to write Luna very well. Yes, ROUS! I had to! To Slaidback: Thank you and nope not a cliffhanger. I know there's many different variations of sign language but since he works in Britain, I didn't feel I had to specify. Thank you. To Nuno Neves: Thank you! I loved writing all of the Hinny moments in this chapter. Ginny definitely missed Harry and missed being with him. They love just being with each other.

To ellyann13: Interesting, you think Luna and Mandy wrote the article together? Blue Yearnings yes, I love perceptive Luna! McGonagall is definitely not going to be a fan of the fire swamp. Hagrid better keep that a secret. Thank you! To Jones man: Thank you! If all of the boys in my story were challenged to tie a knot on a cherry stem, who would get it first? Harry, obviously. And on the first try. To Nightwing2013: Parvati, eh? Interesting guess. An ROUS is a magical creature because I wanted them to be and you should read the book. It is one of my favourites of all time. It wasn't a cliffhanger, the scene just ended. I really didn't expect people to want more. No, I haven't see The Batman yet. Eventually. I'm not as into DC as I am Marvel as the movies almost always disappoint me. To Chiku11: Thank you! I love having Harry and Luna look after each other. I really liked that conversation from HBP as well and I wanted to find a way to bring it into play and I loved having Hagrid be a part of it. Thank you! To oops-cant-say: Thank you! It's only January in the story, Tonks' isn't due until April. Thank you! Thanks for the second review. I'm not going to add every character's height. They've all pretty much reached their adult height now so I don't feel it's necessary. Thank you for your thoughts.

To Sara: Pesky school getting in the way of reading LOL. Don't worry, the chapter was there when you got home. Harry and Ginny are super cute and so are Theo and Bas. Thank you! To anjagpotter: I am sorry to disappoint you, but I didn't write it. To alix33: Her owl earrings do sound lovely, don't they? Yes, Blue Yearnings are definitely Luna-speak for blue balls LOL. Thank you! To pix25: Thank you! To Sam: Nope, Ron definitely deserves to be higher on the list and he knows it. I love that you still hate poor Mandy. Theo isn't going to tell Pansy because Greg doesn't want her to know. Thank you! To puttyman24: Thank you! I loved having Ginny call off the bet just because she wanted Harry so much. I think it says so much about them. To the frozen flame: Thank you! I know I keep saying soon, but it is still a few chapters away before we see more Fred and Fiadh. You may or may not find out who the author is in this chapter, but not officially for another five or six. Harry is not the most powerful wizard, but as it was a training exercise, I didn't write it.

To notthatchhavi: Harry is very awkward when Luna talks about her love life. There are a lot of similarities between Harry and Sebastian, yes. Ginny did call off the bet, she couldn't stand not being able to touch Harry. Yes, Tonks couldn't be there due to her advanced pregnancy. Thank you! To MarinePotterfan: Thank you for saying this is a unique story line that you've never read before. An emergency function on the mirror is very smart. I will keep it in mind, thank you. To Speedyconzalis: Thank you! To Steelcode: I love that you're still so excited with every chapter! To saucyswimmer: I'm glad to see you're still around! I love your reviews! Thanks for saying the scene with Harry and Hagrid was sweet. I wanted so some some sweet Hagrid, reminiscing about Lily. You are trusting me to not kill off Bas? That is asking a lot. A Theobas honeymoon in Anguilla? LOL. They have been on like four dates. The wood nymphs is actually canon, but thank you! We will see Zee soon again as well. To darkhk: Don't worry, there is A LOT of smut coming. Thank you! To Mackie919: Thank you! Luna is pretty great and yes, Ginny had to end the bed. She wanted him too badly. Thank you! I liked the training idea as well.

To Aelin Fireheart 1: Thank you! Happy 19th Birthday! Oh, how I wish to be 19 again! Yes, I missed Hagrid. I just haven't had much of a plan for him in the story lately so he has been overlooked. Thank you for loving my smut scenes and yes, Hinny are getting closer to that first time. Thank you! To Shivani: You're welcome! You think Romilda wrote the article? Interesting. Thank you! I love how excited you are about Theobas. I love blushing Bas. Trust me, there's a lot of Theobas coming. Thank you! To Lainewitch: Sorry, not yet, but they are getting closer to their first time. Thank you! To Tai Shiryuki: Thank you! The Replacements is one of my favourite sports movies. I laugh so hard I cry. To Derpdude32: Thank you! Sorry, still no rescue attempt on Snape. To Griffind00r: Thank you! Luna does always have a way with words!

To Gigi87: Thank you so much for saying you think ASC is the best fanfic you've ever read. I definitely think authors read the comments! I do! Reviews to fanfic authors are like gold! Thank you for your kind words about my story. You think the article was written by Seamus, Lavender, Parvati, and Padma all together? Interesting. Theo is a softie and he is a bit apprehensive about falling for Bas because he was hurt when he lost Finn. Voldemort doesn't have memories from Ginny when she wrote in the diary no, but he does know it was her who used his Horcrux. I don't think he's connected to any of his Horcruxes because once he removed his soul piece, he became that much more disconnected from his soul than he already was. Thank you fellow Canuck! What part of Canada are you from? This girl is from Ontario! To MinervaMcGee: Thank you! Ha, Ginny calling out "gotcha" would have just been mean! LOL. To Sloopyqueen4: Thank you! I agree, we did need some much needed Harry and Hagrid time. I'm glad to hear you say there can never be too much Hinny and Theobas as there is a lot more to come! Beauxbatons being in the south of France with majestic gardens and having singing wood nymphs is canon. I made up the rest. Thank you! To Shouldna: Thank you! Harry is happy the bet is over too!

To CorbanD17: Thank you! There is lots more Hinny coming soon. To briana_t: Theo definitely had a great date. He and Kane are most definitely falling for each other. Ginny definitely wanted to take care of him, but yes, Harry would have made it. Thank you! To AQuickRead91: Thank you! To AmericanDesi: Thank you! To shuweet: Thank you! I loved Ginny ending the bet early. Theo and Bas have had a handful of dates by now. To TatiRena: Hah, you couldn't wait any longer either, yay support of Ginny LOL. Sorry, I didn't write the battle test. I really didn't expect so many people to want to read it. To katelyn453: Thank you! Yes, everyone is curious about who wrote this article! Harry and Ginny are close, I swear. To bruh99: Thank you! Theo is definitely such a flirt. I hope I can do the final battle justice! To Lola Nymph: Thank you! Yes, there is some Remadora smut coming soon-ish. Promise.

To Bellmel: Thank you! Thanks so much for saying that my "Hinny is the perfect blend of sweet, loving, and sexy." Harry definitely just wants her close, anything else is just a bonus for him. Yes, thank you for picking up on that! Theo is still rather guarded. He's weary and a bit afraid to admit Bas could not only be attracted to him, but afraid to let his guard down considering what happened last time he jumped in heart first. Theo will get there, but right now, he's just basking in the newness. I've really enjoyed writing the progression of their budding relationship! To abhinav_india_16: Thank you! Yes, Snape is still alive. Good luck on your exams! To BadWolfKris: Thank you! To skyreader_183: Thank you!

To AnaGPotter: I will look forward to that review! Thanks for writing the second real review! I love providing some heartwarming chapters! Ginny is much too happy to break the bet. Thank you! To Fanfis01: Thank you! As to their couple name, I named them Theobas. To Joyce Foesnek: Thank you! I love that in the end it was Ginny who couldn't keep her hands off of Harry. To ravenclaw_rockchick: Thank you for reading the chapter a few times! Newcastle Brown Ale is delicious so I thought it was a good choice. Thanks for wanting to re-read ASC! I love when people pick up on little things I've dropped over the years. To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! There are dark times ahead and better times ahead. Smutty times ahead would be more appropriate LOL. Yes, my niece was born on my birthday! Thank you! To Grouchbear: Hinny will get there soon. Thank you!

To Ellieoryan7447: Thank you! I love Ginny's wit as much as Harry's and yes, I wish we could all be as confident as Ron is about his arse. No? Can't imagine a bunch of women breaking out wine and talking about men's arses and other good looking features? Strange. I can picture it so perfectly ;) Harry definitely low key suspects Theo. He's like it has to be him, who else would do this? Harry has been consistent in saying Ginny's arse is a perfect upside down heart and you are right, he's trying to embarrass her into posing when in reality, he would definitely be jealous lol. No, Ginny never confronted them about offering Harry a threesome because she knows it would just give them power. She'd rather show them that she doesn't care because she knows Harry is hers — completely. I really love Luna and I love her and Harry as friends. I just have trouble writing her. Sam was a big help in this scene and the "never change" line was definitely from her. Harry adores Luna and yet she confuses him to no end. He wants to protect her and feels like she is being taken advantage of and then sees her totally handle anything and is just so proud. He finds her baffling. It was fun to write Hagrid again and I wanted to show how Hagrid's doing and to give us a glimpse as to how he's dealing with Dumbledore being gone. Thank you for saying you're enjoying the slow buildup into Theo and Bas. I don't want want them to rush into everything. Bas is very intelligent, yes, and he is cocky about being good at his job but incredibly modest about his talents and accomplishments. It's a fun contradiction. Thank you for loving my bit about Beauxbatons and yes, Sebastian does know a bit about Harry since he was at Hogwarts for the TriWizard Tournament. I'm glad you were surprised by Ginny breaking the bet, she loves that they take care of each other and missed Harry too much. Harry is a bit of a sass monster, isn't he? I like making his sarcasm on point. Thank you! He does need to practice and prepare and this was his chance! Thank you for two such amazing reviews! You're wonderful!

To tim2604: Thank you! I was excited to choose a new Minister of Magic and wanted to use someone we knew already, but don't know much about. Jericho Jones is going to be an intriguing choice. I love that Theo's Patronus being a penguin made you laugh! Thank you! Sometimes Harry does channel his inner James Potter lol. I love writing Harry protective over Luna. He only scares away the boyfriends who aren't worthy of her. Harry is definitely going to be self-combust and yes, he turned the tables on her. It helps him not combust by driving her mad. I'm glad you liked the bit where he stole her knickers. He is getting bold. Theo and Bas don't want to rush things. It's too soon and not too soon at the same time. Yes, poor Harry. Ginny caved and he's not upset at all. They are both so happy the bet is over. I think you're right, Bas would definitely have destroyed Harry if he'd been there LOL. Thank you!

My posting schedule: Weekly.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

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!

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CHAPTER THREE HUNDRED AND NINETEEN:

The One With the Nap

Theo couldn't describe exactly what he was feeling. He saw Sebastian after every Wizengamot session, where they usually went to lunch and talked, but since they'd started these weekend dates, they'd been missing the lunch portion of their Friday afternoons. He couldn't count the number of times that Sebastian had pulled him into the alley alongside of the restaurant they were supposed to be going to and snogged his brains out instead.

Not that he was complaining.

It was like Sebastian couldn't get enough of his lips and Theo didn't want him to stop.

It had only been three glorious weeks and in those three glorious weeks, they had lunch every Friday after the Wizengamot session. They then spent every Friday evening, all day Saturday, and two full Sundays together. They spent a day walking around Muggle London going on tourist sites and taking a billion pictures like mad men. They walked hand in hand down the Thames and had hot cocoa by the icy water. They went shopping and for long walks, ate in pubs and cafés, and talked about everything. On their second Saturday date, Sebastian had officially asked him over breakfast to be his boyfriend and Theo had been giddy when he'd said yes.

The Auror made him laugh. He annoyed him with his idea of surprises on all of their destinations (which Theo secretly loved). He felt like with every passing moment they were discovering more and more about the other. It was like they never ran out of things to talk about and when they were tired of talking, their mouths locked together until they couldn't catch their breath.

It was driving Theo mad.

He wanted to snog this man senseless. He wanted to get his hands on the muscles beneath his robes and he wanted to touch him: Everywhere. But at the same time, he was really enjoying the momentum of taking it slow. Kissing Sebastian was absolute bliss and he didn't want to stop. Not even for a second.

It was freezing outside today and lightly snowing, the temperature was definitely below zero. Yet Theo made no effort to move from his spot against the cold brick wall. He was much too invested in the hot mouth pressed against his lips, the warm hands that clutched under his cloak, and the hard heated body adhered against his. Merlin, this man could kiss!

Theo wasn't ashamed to say that he'd snogged his fair share of people. He'd had some pretty amazing kisses in his life. Kisses that made his toes tingle and kisses that made him stop breathing. But no one had ever kissed him quite like this.

Sebastian's kisses were somehow both hard and soft. It was like every stroke of his lips cherished him while begging him for more. Not to mention those large hands and how they always seemed to find the perfect spot to hold him close. Yeah, kissing Sebastian Kane was the best thing ever.

He gasped for breath when Sebastian's lips left his to focus on his throat, over the side of his neck. Sebastian had met him after the Wizengamot session and asked him to lunch; officially. They'd made it out of the Ministry and into the alley next to the building. Lunch had been long forgotten.

Soft lips trailed over his neck in soft butterfly kisses and Theo slid his hands into Sebastian's hair. His hair was soft and he could feel the gel-like substance he used which made him grin. He was going to mess up his hair something awful.

Sebastian's mouth moved to the other side of his neck and he actually whimpered. Sebastian's lips curved against his skin before he pulled his mouth away, tilting his forehead against his.

"You have a sensitive neck."

"No, you have a wicked mouth."

Sebastian's smile widened. "I'm making your skin all red from my stubble. Sorry."

Theo slid his hands over Sebastian's shoulders and down his arms. "Do you hear me complaining?"

Sebastian's thumb brushed across Theo's bottom lip. "No, I suppose not. We should actually grab some lunch."

"Why?" Theo asked, standing on his toes to peck his lips. "I don't need food."

Sebastian's hands slid down his back. "How about the fact that it's freezing out here?"

Theo shrugged. "Are you cold?"

"No," he admitted.

Theo shifted, his knee moving between Sebastian's thighs. "So kiss me again."

"I just think we should — mmph."

Theo had simply pulled Sebastian's mouth back to his. Sebastian's hands gripped his hips and Theo let his hands slip under his cloak to drag him closer. Kissing him was the greatest thing he could imagine and he had no plans of stopping for something as mundane as food.

Sebastian's tongue met his and he eagerly danced his tongue right back, pressing himself closer and groaning when he felt the hot length of him pressed against his thigh. The fact that he'd made this tall, gorgeous man hot for him made his own desire increase. Sebastian's mouth met his for one more quick kiss before he pulled away.

"We can't stay here and…" He ran a hand over his chin before he looked around quickly and then turned back to him, a devilish smirk on his face. "Let's get out of here."

Theo didn't have time to ask where before Sebastian was taking his hand and Disapparating them. They arrived outside of a narrow two-story brick house. Sebastian's hands slid over his shoulders.

"This is mine. Upstairs that is. Maybe it was presumptuous of me. You have to be back at Hogwarts in less than an hour. I just thought it's um… warmer."

Theo took his hand in his again. "Take me inside."

Sebastian led him into the front and up the staircase to the door to his flat. He used his wand to unlock it and Theo was immediately charmed at the sight of it. The flat was small. The kitchen and living room were essentially one room, an arched wall frame with no door separating them, but Sebastian had peppered the room in splashes of colour. He had an old worn sofa that was faded to a dark grey with bright jewel toned pillows tossed around it. There was an antique coffee table in front of the sofa next to an old antique wooden rocking chair. A narrow winding staircase on the left led upstairs to the bedroom and bathroom.

"It's not much," he began.

"I love it," Theo declared.

Then he led him over to the sofa and pushed Sebastian down onto it.

Sebastian laughed as he sat on the sofa and then his blue eyes darkened as Theo straddled him. "You play a dangerous game, Nott."

Theo merely pressed his mouth against the side of his throat and Sebastian groaned.

"Wait. Let me…" He flicked his wand and then dropped it onto the sofa next to them. "A charm to tell us when we have to go back."

Theo only nodded and then pressed his mouth to his throat again. Something brushed against his leg and he jolted, pulling away.

"It's just Oliver," Sebastian said, pulling Theo close again. "My cat. Ignore him."

"You have a cat?" Theo asked, turning to look at the chubby cheeked greyish blue cat brushing against his leg.

"Oliver," Sebastian said. "He's not very friendly. I mean, he likes me, but he mostly hisses at anyone else who tries to touch him. He bit Durant once."

Theo chuckled. "He bit him? I didn't know cats bit people?"

"Durant says that he's a demon," Sebastian said, chuckling.

Theo's eyes widened when the cat jumped up onto his thighs. He took in the soft fur and his eyes widened when he caught sight of the black velvet collar bedazzled in rhinestones with the little oval charm that said Oliver on it.

"Um…"

"Oliver, get down," Sebastian said. He made to push the cat off of Theo, but Oliver merely rubbed his face against Theo's stomach.

Theo slowly brought his hand down to pet him and Oliver purred. "Aw, he's not a demon."

Sebastian stared at him. "Oliver hates everyone. I mean like, when people come over, he either hisses at them or hides."

Theo stroked the back of the cat, running his fingers up over his chubby cheeks. "He's sweet. How long have you had him?"

"Almost a year," Sebastian said, rubbing Oliver's stomach as the cat rolled onto his back to expose himself. "He was a rescue. He limps a little as he broke his two back legs and part of his spine. They healed it, but it wasn't a hundred percent and he's almost two years old."

"A rescue," Theo repeated as he continued to pet the cat. "You rescued a cat?"

"I didn't mean I rescued him personally." At Theo's arched eyebrow, he sighed. "Okay, a Muggle hit him with his car and I found him on the side of the road and I… of course, I took him home. He was all alone and I'd been thinking about getting a pet and don't look at me like that."

"You're a softie."

"I'm not," Sebastian said. He gave Oliver one more good rub before he picked him up off of Theo's lap and put him on the floor. "Go upstairs, Oliver."

The cat blinked big blue eyes at him before he turned, his tail up straight as he sauntered off. Sebastian turned back to Theo slid his hands up his back and into his hair.

"Now, where were we?" he asked, pressing a kiss to the corner of Theo's mouth.

Theo bushed his lips down the side of Sebastian's throat. "I think about here," he teased before he sucked on his neck; Sebastian moaned.

Theo thought his skin tasted amazing. He smelt his aftershave and the soft ivory soap as he suckled the skin there, hoping to mark him, to show that he was his in some way.

Sebastian dragged his mouth back to his as they kissed over and over. Theo could feel how hard Sebastian was, but they both made no move to do anything about it. Instead, Theo simply pressed himself closer, loosening Sebastian's tie as they kissed again and again and again…

When the little jingle went off, Sebastian swore and sucked Theo's bottom lip. Theo merely nuzzled closer. Both of their ties were loose, buttons partially undone, but neither had moved any further.

"I have to get back to Hogwarts."

Sebastian swore again, sucking on Theo's lip a little longer. "Five more minutes."

Theo kissed him once more, deepening the kiss before he pecked his lips and stood up. Sebastian dragged a hand over his face and then he grabbed Theo's cloak, tugging him back down into his arms. Theo laughed, his hands landing on Sebastian's shoulders.

"You're the one who set the charm, Bas."

"It was stupid of me," Sebastian said, his mouth moving back to Theo's neck.

"You have to go back to work and I have class."

"Fuck," Sebastian muttered, planting soft kisses over the pulse in his throat. "Okay, okay."

Theo slowly stood up again, desperately wanting to curl back up into Sebastian's arms. He dragged his fingers through his messy hair.

Sebastian stood up and cleared his throat. "Dinner tonight? Can you get away?"

"Yes," Theo said. "Where are we going?"

"Somewhere."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Why do you have to be like that?"

"Because you secretly love surprises," Sebastian said, kissing him once more.

Theo slid his hand between the buttons to touch Sebastian's chest and a moment later he was pinned against the wall of the Auror's flat. Sebastian's lips trailed down his neck, his tongue flicking over his collarbone. Theo moaned.

Sebastian stepped back, dragging a hand over his chin. "Right, we gotta go. I'll pick you up for six."

"Why can't you just tell me where we're going?"

Sebastian leaned in to nip at his lips. "Because it drives you crazy." Sebastian's hand cupped Theo's bum as he nipped at his mouth. "And because it annoys you and you get this adorable look on your face." He squeezed his arse again, brushing his thumb across Theo's bottom lip. "Come on, let's go."

Theo walked out in front of him as he spoke. "I still think you should just tell me."

"No," Sebastian said, locking the door behind him.

"How will I know what to wear?"

"Clothes would be acceptable, though if you showed up starkers, I wouldn't complain."

"Bas! Tell me."

Sebastian took his hand as they exited the building and grinned. "No."

Theo rolled his eyes. "Maybe I won't go then."

"Yes, you will," Sebastian said. "You'll be too curious not to."

Theo bit his bottom lip and glared. "You're annoying."

Sebastian only winked before he took Theo's hand and led him back outside of his flat to Disapparate back to the Ministry. Then he kissed him once more before they went inside.

Sebastian pecked him on the lips once more. "I'll pick you up at six."

Theo sighed dramatically. "Fine, but I want to be wowed."

Sebastian chuckled. "I'll see what I can do. See you tonight."

Theo made his way to the fireplace to head back to Hogwarts, sneaking one more look back at his boyfriend and thought he couldn't wait.

~ ASC ~

When Hermione ran off to Advanced Arithmancy after lunch and Ginny ran off to the Herald, Ron gestured for Harry to follow him up to the Heads dormitory. Friday afternoons meant no classes which made it one of Ron's favourite days of the week. He knew that Hermione felt that he should be spending it working on his homework, but sometimes, a bloke just needed a break.

He and Harry had sent off their Auror applications earlier in the week and Ron felt like it was a huge load off to know that he'd completed it. He wanted to be an Auror. It seemed like a cool job and he liked the idea of getting to stay with his best mate and help solve crimes. He wanted to do good and to help people, but he also wasn't entirely sure if he had what it took to do it. Sending off the application was one less thing for him to worry about. He would hear back one way or the other and he would get his answer, until then, he was just glad that it was sent off and over with.

Besides, the only thing that Ron had been trying to figure out as of late was who wrote the mysterious Wizard's Pages article. Ron knew that his sister was trying to figure it out. Her plans today were to finish up her Compass pieces, and to work on who she suspected was the mysterious author, but he had hoped that she would have figured it out by now. He just wanted to talk to them.

Yes, he was still a bit upset that he'd been put into fourth place, but mostly he wanted to know how the hell someone like Goldstein had come out in third? It made no sense to him. He huffed, working himself up into an annoyance again as he led Harry into his and Hermione's common room before making a beeline for the little kitchen nook. He grabbed two fizzy drinks.

"Want some crisps too?"

Harry shook his head. "No. You know, it worries me how we leave lunch and you're immediately thinking about food."

"Beverage," Ron corrected. "Fine, no crisps. And I'm a growing boy."

Harry snorted. "If you grow any more you'll rival Hagrid."

Ron shot him a rude hand gesture before he plopped himself down next to him. "So, Ginny find anything out yet?"

"No," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "The moment she knows, you'll know."

"Still, she has to have theories," Ron began.

Harry shook his head. "She does, but none of them have been proven right. Merlin, Ron, it was a stupid and embarrassing article about our arses."

Ron knew that his friend had a point, but he couldn't explain how much the article annoyed him. "Yeah, you say that, but you were bloody number one, Sexy Somerset, and freaking Goldstein beat me. That's complete bullshit and you know it! Not only is my arse perky and adorable, I have frickin' Merlin on my arse!"

Harry rolled his eyes. "I don't know about that."

"Come on, you've seen it! My right butt cheek has a freckle pattern that looks just like him! What do you have? One damn freckle!"

Harry chuckled. "Yeah, yeah, your arse is superior, I get it."

"Certainly more superior than bloody Goldstein!"

"What is your issue with Goldstein?" Harry asked. "We barely know the bloke."

"He's a ponce. He thinks that he's better than everyone because he has buckets of gold. Don't you hate him, he's dating Mandy?"

"No," Harry said. "Why would I care who dates my ex girlfriend?"

"Just hate him with me, Harry! Come on, it's your job as my best mate to support me in my irrational hatred!"

"Sorry," Harry said. "Goldstein sucks and we hate him."

"Yes!" Ron exclaimed. "He's a bloody flirt, too. He's always cozying up to Hermione, trying to study with her. Like big whoop, he's a smart Ravenclaw. No one is as smart as her. He's just jealous because Hermione has this big sexy brain and she won't give him the time of day. Like, go study with your own friends or your girlfriend and leave mine alone!"

"Hermione isn't interested in Goldstein, Ron."

Ron took a long drink of his fizzy drink. "I still hate him. He's a prick."

Harry shook his head in amusement before he stretched his long legs out in front of him to rest on the table. "Noted. Feel like going for a fly?"

"A fly would be nice, but it's sleeting out there," Ron pointed out, his eyes on the window.

A mix of rain and snow made looking outside almost impossible. Flying in the sleet was definitely not preferable and unlike Harry, Ron preferred to fly in only sunny weather.

"Okay, no flying. I don't want to work on schoolwork."

"Me neither," Ron admitted. "Maybe we can catch the highlights of the match between the Arrows and Canons from this morning." He hopped up to turn on the wireless. After five minutes of searching, he gave up. "We must have missed it."

Ron plopped himself back onto the sofa, stretching his long legs out until his calves were hanging over Harry's lap and his ankles hanging over the edge of the sofa.

"Oi! Shove over," Harry said, pushing his friend's legs off.

Ron ignored him and put his hands behind his head and stifled a yawn. "My common room, my rules."

Harry rolled his eyes. "So, what does Hermione have to say about you being a jealous git over Goldstein?"

"She calls me an idiot," Ron admitted. "But she gets this pretty little blush on her cheeks. I'm trying to keep her mind off of her parents and well… everything. Not having detention any more is a definite plus."

"Well, mooning the whole school warranted a few detentions," Harry said. "Though I think Uncle Rem found it more amusing than troubling."

"That's because I have a fantastic arse and everyone is now blessed because they've seen it in all of it's glory."

Harry rolled his eyes again. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"It's all right, I know you're just jealous. I'd be too if my best mate looked like me."

Harry snorted. "Caught me. That's me, seething with jealousy."

Ron grinned. "Knew it. So, how's Theo liking his Auror? You talk to him?"

"A bit," Harry said. "Ginny more. It sounds like he really likes him. They are boyfriends now and have basically spent the last few entire weekends together. Tonks speaks highly of him and he makes Theo smile, so I figure that's a good sign."

"He deserves it," Ron said. "It's nice to see him so happy again."

"Yeah. How's George and Angelina?"

"Better," Ron said. "Angelina can walk now, but she still has more rehab to go through. George thinks it will be a few more weeks before he can start looking at getting a new leg. I talked to him the other day and apparently Fred convinced him that a Firebolt for a leg was implausible. It's good that he's joking, but I don't know if it's really sunk in that he's lost a leg."

"Yeah, I don't know," Harry admitted. "I can't imagine that's an easy thing to adjust to. What about the Bats?"

Ron shook his head. "Her contract is for two years so they had to buy her out. She can't play."

Ron couldn't imagine how upset she must be. Her second year into playing professional Quidditch and it's all taken away in an instant. He filled his friend in on Fred and George's plan to rebuild the joke shop. They were hoping to get started in February as the building was finally deemed acceptable for them to return to. He yawned when Harry asked about the products and supplies and Ron explained how a lot of it was in George's house, but how they had to still start from scratch for a good majority of it.

Harry rested his head back against the sofa and yawned. Ron tried to bite back his own but yawning was contagious. They both fell quiet as they listened to the man on the wireless talk about Quidditch statistics for the year. The deep voice was oddly soothing and the last thing he remembered was Harry saying something about Goldstein not being smart enough for Ravenclaw anyway before he was blinking awake.

Ron woke slowly, his fingers threading through the soft silky hair resting over his chest. It was so soft, he thought. Soft and warm and comforting. An arm was wrapped around his waist, the warm body snuggled into his side and Ron thought that he could stay like this all day. Merlin, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had such a refreshing nap. He stroked the soft hair again, a smile on his face. He attempted to lock his finger around a curl only for the hair to reach the end of his thumb. He frowned. Hermione's hair was long. He blinked, looking down to the warmth snuggled against him. The last person he expected to find asleep on his chest was his best mate.

He dropped his hand from Harry's hair and Harry let out a little sleepy groan, snuggling closer; his glasses sitting sideways on his face. Ron froze. This certainly wasn't what he had been expecting. He shifted, attempting to get up slowly so as not to wake Harry, but Harry chose that moment to open his eyes. Green eyes locked on his before they both sprang apart.

Harry's hand went to his hair. "Erm…"

Ron dragged a hand over his face. "Look, it was just a nap."

"I know," Harry said, sharply.

"There's nothing wrong with us having a nap," Ron said, his voice a little higher than normal.

Harry fixed his crooked glasses. "No, naps are good. It's just that we've never… I mean, me and you and we… look, let's just never speak of it again."

"Deal," Ron said in relief, his cheeks reddening.

Harry shoved his hands into his pockets. "I…"

Ron ran his fingers through his hair, knowing it was all standing on end. "For the record, I slept great."

Harry stared at him a moment before his face softened. "Fuck. So did I. I think it was the best nap I've ever had."

"Me too!" Ron exclaimed. "I mean, we didn't plan it and yet it was… perfect."

"It was perfect," Harry agreed, the back of his neck flushing.

Ron nodded. "Besides, we're best mates. Practically brothers. Napping together is totally fine."

"Definitely," Harry agreed. "But I don't think that we should tell Ginny or Hermione about it."

"Definitely not," Ron said. He couldn't imagine the teasing his sister and girlfriend would give them if they found out.

They grinned at each other before Harry cleared his throat. "So, homework?"

"Homework," Ron agreed.

When they sat on the floor around the coffee table to do their homework in silence, Ron wondered if it was weird that they'd napped so comfortably together. He snuck a look over at his best mate and thought nah, Harry was practically his brother. It made sense that it had been comfortable. But it also made sense for them not to bring it up again. He had to admit, napping together was a little weird, even for them.

~ ASC ~

The last person Theo expected to get a letter from was Daphne Greengrass. But when he opened his mail the last Tuesday in January, her name was signed to the bottom of the short note. He arched an eyebrow as he read it. Apparently she needed to speak to him and would be sitting inside of the Three Broomsticks in one hour. He frowned as he read it over twice more.

What could Daphne possibly want?

And more importantly, how was he supposed to get to the Three Broomsticks for ten on a Tuesday morning? There was no way that he could just walk out the front door when he was supposed to be in Defence Against the Dark Arts class. Filch definitely wasn't going to let him out.

He finished up his breakfast and made his way over to where Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were talking by the doors to the Great Hall.

"Hi, Theo," Ginny said. "Everything okay?"

Theo shook his head. "I don't know."

Ginny frowned. "What does that mean?"

Theo gestured with his head and the four of them followed him into the empty trophy room down the hall. "I received this."

Harry accepted the note as Ron looked over his shoulder to read it. "Daphne?"

Theo nodded. "She begged me to help her sister, but claimed that she had to go home to give her sister a fighting chance. She was supposed to be married off to someone. I don't know who, she didn't say."

"Maybe she's changed her mind?" Ron replied.

"Or it's a trap," Hermione advised. "After what happened with the Tonkses, I don't know if we can trust this."

"I don't know," Theo admitted. "It doesn't feel like a trap but at the same time… I don't know what to make of it."

"Why Hogsmeade?" Ron asked.

Theo shrugged. "Well, it's not exactly easy to get into the castle, is it?"

Harry shook his head. "I'm with Hermione on this one, it could be a trap."

Theo bit his bottom lip. "I don't know… I don't think it is. I just have this feeling."

Ginny linked her arm through his. "Your feelings are usually pretty good."

"I know," Theo agreed. "I think it's too important for me not to be there. The problem is, I'm going to need some help getting out of the castle, if I'm going to make it in time."

Ron snorted. "Asking the Head Boy and Girl for help isn't the best start."

Hermione frowned. "Ron and I could be in trouble if McGonagall found out that we helped you."

Ron took his girlfriend's hand in his. "We'll claim ignorance. Besides, Harry's the one with the map."

Hermione looked like she wanted to protest, but Ron winked at her and led her out of the room before she could comment.

"What map?" Theo asked when the door closed behind them.

"I can get you into Hogsmeade," Harry told him. "But I don't think that you should go alone. Ron and Hermione will make up an excuse for us not being in Defence and I'll talk to Uncle Remus about it later."

Ten minutes later, Ginny wished them luck before closing the passage behind the one-eyed witch. Theo lit his wand, his eyes on Harry.

"Where the hell are we?"

"Follow me," Harry instructed.

Theo did, admiring Harry's backside as he followed him through the passage and into Honeydukes. It took them almost thirty minutes, but when they snuck into the shop, Theo's eyes widened.

"Blimey! I can't believe this passage has been there the whole time!"

Harry gave him an amused look. "Only for those of us who know how to get there. Come on. We've got less than ten minutes until she's supposed to meet you."

Harry and Theo left the sweet shop and made their way down the street to the pub. They slid into a booth and ordered butterbeer as Rosmerta stared at them in question. Theo held his butterbeer between his cold hands, his eyes on Harry.

"Thank you for this."

"Of course," Harry told him. "I wasn't going to let you come alone."

"Which I appreciate, but skipping class is one thing, if McGonagall finds out we were in Hogsmeade instead, there will be hell to pay."

Harry grinned. "I'll talk to her and to Uncle Remus. They'll understand once we explain about Daphne."

Theo shook his head. How was it that Harry managed to have even McGonagall wrapped around his finger? The bloke really was too good for his own good. He took a sip of his butterbeer, closing his eyes as the warmth moved through him. The sound of high heels clicking on the stone made him turn.

"Theo! Thank Salazar, you got my note!" Daphne's voice exclaimed.

"I did," Theo said cautiously as he opened his eyes to look up at her. "Astoria is safe, Daphne."

"I know," she whispered.

Theo frowned, his brow wrinkling in confusion. Theo thought she looked even more beautiful than usual and certainly didn't look any worse for wear. Her long blonde hair was straight and hung over her shoulders and back over the dark green cloak she wore with silver fastenings. She was in dark green silk high heels with a gold bow on the toe and a slim form fitting dress in gold and green. She had emeralds and diamonds at her neck and in her ears and Theo wondered just what she was so dressed up for.

"Well, you certainly look a little overdressed for the Three Broomsticks," Theo said. "Were you followed?"

Daphne shook her head, rubbing her red lips together. "No, it's all right. Why is Potter here?"

Theo stared. "I don't know if all right is the correct term. You vanished and didn't return to school. You said it was to protect your sister, which I promise you, she's safe, but you decided to go home instead of following her. Why? Why are you here now?"

Daphne rubbed her lips together again, her eyes falling on Harry once more before she slid into the seat next to him to face Theo. "My marriage is to be… postponed while a few things are put into order. My fiancé thinks that I should still look my best in the meantime."

Theo wasn't sure how to respond to that. She saved him from answering by taking his butterbeer and helping herself to a long sip.

"I chose to be married in an attempt to stay close to my best friend," Daphne continued. "I believed that she needed to be protected."

"Does she?" Harry asked.

Daphne frowned. "Why are you here, Potter?"

"I didn't trust you to come alone," Harry said.

Daphne's eyes narrowed. "You think that I'd ask Theo to protect my sister and then what, hurt him? Are you fucking kidding me?"

Harry shrugged. "You, no, but as you said, you have a fiancé now and I'm betting that he's a Death Eater."

Daphne's lips thinned before she turned back to Theo. "No one knows I'm here. I swear it."

"How did you sneak off?" Harry asked. "From what I understand, Voldemort's been keeping everyone prisoner."

"I'm not a prisoner," Daphne hissed. "I made the choice to marry Atticus to save Tori, but as I said, I chose not to run with Tori because Pansy needed me."

"Did she?" Theo asked.

Daphne frowned. Her long, perfectly manicured nails tapped on the table. "I thought so, but then she disappeared."

Theo nodded. It was starting to make sense to him now. Pansy and Daphne had always been attached at the hip. Pansy had been in the middle of everything. She'd married Goyle, had his child, and accepted the Dark Mark, and in return was granted the ability to open her shop. Unlike Astoria, she hadn't been able to run and Daphne had wanted to help her.

"I see."

Daphne leaned forward in her seat, the emeralds at her neck flashing in the light between her breasts. "The Dark Lord is furious over the idea of witches escaping under his watch. I heard what happened to the Tonkses and… you were part of that, weren't you? Isn't that why Pansy told me to come to you with Astoria?"

"I thought that you wanted to stay. You certainly don't look worse for the wear in that attire. Is that your father who dresses you like that?"

"Fiancé," she whispered. "He's kinder than I imagined, but he's old. Old enough to be my grandfather in fact. I've moved into his home and he's given me a suite to live in. He's provided me with clothes and everything I could want until the wedding. I'm hardly a threat. My fiancé isn't concerned and lets me go where I please."

"Trusting," Theo said. "And yet here you are."

Daphne's eyes met his. "I agreed to marry him to save my sister from a horrible marriage. I would have escaped with her, but I didn't want to abandon Pansy. I only went home to keep them from looking for Tori. I didn't want Pansy to get hurt or be alone and now… Pansy's missing. From what I understand, Lockhart only barely escaped the Aurors and Goyle was arrested. There's no reason for me to stay."

Harry stared. "And how did you get here undetected?"

"I don't have the Dark Mark," Daphne said, showing Theo and Harry her arms. "My fiancé says that he just needs me home, but I used the Floo in his study to come here. He could follow me, but I don't think he will. My father sold me to him, Theo. Father won't come looking for me."

"But your fiancé?"

Daphne swallowed. "Atticus is… kind."

Theo had a feeling that she was leaving something out, but he wasn't sure what. "I can get you to a safe place, Daphne, but how do I know that this isn't a trap? After what happened and what Ophelia did…"

"I'm not Ophelia," Daphne said. "Theo, please. I just want to be with my sister."

Theo bit his lip and nodded. "Okay, but you have to go right now."

Daphne didn't question it. She jumped to her feet, eyes wide. "Thank you!"

He jolted in surprise when she hugged him tight, but he wondered just what it was that had really finally made her come running. The problem was, he didn't know how to get her to the safe house. He and Harry couldn't just take her there, could they? He exchanged a look with Harry who looked to be contemplating the same question before Theo suddenly remembered the card in his pocket. He urged Daphne to sit back down before he pulled out the card, carefully touching the sword tip to it before he whispered, "Chevalier."

It was less than two minutes before Sebastian walked into the pub. Theo's heart skipped when he saw him, his eyes raking over him. Merlin, the man was seriously so bloody sexy. He was dressed in blue jeans today, dark denim with a black cotton button down, black robes left unopened. His wand was in his holster and when those blue eyes met his, it was like a shot of electricity moved through him. It almost unnerved him how much of a reaction he could get just by looking at him.

"Damn," Daphne whispered, standing up. "Hi, darling. I'm Daphne."

Sebastian gave her a quick look before he slid into the booth next to Theo. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Theo said. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course," Sebastian said, taking his hand. "It's what the card is for."

"Um, hi," Daphne said, waving her hand in front of Sebastian's face. Theo noticed she had opened her cloak, showing off more of her impressive cleavage. "I'm Daphne and you are?"

"Theo's," Sebastian said, finally looking at her. "Bit cold out to be flashing that much skin, isn't it?"

Theo couldn't help the grin from spreading across his face as Daphne gave him a nasty look. "Daphne, this is Sebastian Kane, Bas, this is Daphne Greengrass and Harry Potter."

Sebastian's eyes moved over to Harry with interest. "Nice to finally meet you. I've heard a lot of things from Lupin."

"You, too," Harry said. "Thanks for coming so quickly."

"Of course," Sebastian repeated. "How can I help?"

"Can you take Daphne to her sister?" Theo asked. "I think she's sincere and she doesn't have the Dark Mark."

Sebastian let his eyes rest on her again before he nodded. "Yes. We'll have a chat first just to be sure. After what happened with the last extraction, I will not be taking any more chances."

Harry looked pleased with this. "Good. How are you going to tell?"

Sebastian's lips curved. "I have my ways. As long as Miss Greengrass is agreeable?"

"Anything that gets me back to my sister," Daphne said.

Sebastian nodded and stood up. "All right. You're coming with me then." He turned and leaned down, capturing Theo's lips in a kiss that startled him.

Theo's hands crept into his hair as he kissed him back and when Sebastian finally stepped away, he knew that his eyes were dazed.

"I'll send word. Otherwise I'll see you on Friday for lunch."

Theo nodded, his eyes on his boyfriend's backside as he watched him steer Daphne out of the pub before he turned to Harry. "So, that was Bas."

Harry chuckled. "I gathered that. Come on. We have to get back before anyone finds out that we were missing from the castle."

Theo let Harry lead him out of the pub, but he couldn't help but wonder just what it was that Sebastian was going to do to prove that Daphne was telling the truth. He licked his lips, the taste of Sebastian making him grin. Either way, he couldn't wait until Friday.

~ ASC ~

Ginny had spent the last two months trying to figure out who had written the Wizard's Pages and yet most of her theories ran into one dead end after another. It seemed that many of the witches had chats about who they thought were the best looking wizards in the school and many of them had even done their own ranking system, but no one would own up to writing it.

Not to mention that Ginny found it a little unnerving how many witches and wizards seemed to have discussions about her boyfriend. She wondered if Harry knew how much he was talked about between his own classmates. The things she'd heard people say made her cringe so she couldn't imagine how embarrassed Harry would be if he knew. The Chosen Penis. Harry Hung Potter. The Boy Who Is Well-Hung. The Boy With Gryffindor's Sword. The Chosen Wand. The Chosen One's Firebolt. Potter's Broomstick. Each one made her flush upon hearing them.

That wasn't even including what she'd heard said about the other blokes in the calendar. Theo was high in the chatter as well. Su Li said it was a damn shame someone as adorably sexy as Theo played for the other team while Susan Bones said that she would kill for Theo's eyelashes. Parvati claimed Theo had sexy hands and gorgeous arms while Megan Jones claimed Ron was the better catch. It seemed that ever since her dimwitted brother had decided to moon the whole school, his popularity level had skyrocketed. It seemed everyone wanted to know Ron Weasley, the Sexy Keeper.

From comments on his great arse, to his broad shoulders, and kissable lips, Ginny wished there were some comments she could block from her mind. Goldstein was mentioned in passing as being handsome, but not top five worthy and Dean being in second made a lot of people comment on who ranked him so high. It only left Ginny with more questions than answers.

She usually spent her Friday afternoons with Harry since they both had a free period, but January seemed to be a busy month for her and she'd spent all of her free periods as of late working on stuff for the Herald and her homework. Sometimes it felt like she didn't have enough time in the day. Tomorrow was the first Hogsmeade trip of the new year and she couldn't wait to spend the day with her boyfriend eating delicious Italian food and hopefully snogging him senseless for a good part of the afternoon.

After almost two hours of going over her notes, she felt like she was no closer than she was before to finding out who the author was. All of her notes just kept her circling back to uncertainty. She locked up her writing box, looking at it fondly as it held all of her notes and scraps of research, before she made her way up to Gryffindor tower to find her boyfriend. She put her writing box away in her trunk just as Romilda came into the room.

"Ginny."

"Romy," Ginny said, grabbing one of Harry's jumpers from her trunk and pulling it over her head.

"Professor Lupin wants to talk to you after his last class today."

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

Romilda shrugged. "He told me so at lunch. Asked me to pass it on."

"I'll just bet he did," Ginny muttered under her breath.

She grabbed her wand and headed up to the boys' dorms to try to find Harry. She knew exactly why Remus wanted to talk to her. Romilda Vane had definitely tattled on her for not being in her bed a few nights out of the week. Ginny had suspected that one of her roommates would do so, but it still annoyed her that the witch felt she needed to tattle on her because she had nothing better to do with her time.

When she didn't find Harry in his dorm or the common room, she headed out of the portrait hole to make her way to the Head dormitory. Since the weather was clearly terrible, she figured Harry was definitely with Ron. She'd just turned the corner when she heard a loud muffled laugh.

"Kiss me, darling! You know I'm right!"

"I really love you, Seamus, but you're an idiot," Dean's voice said, carrying in the dark hall.

Seamus burst into laughter. "Hey now, no name calling. Besides, you have to admit, putting Ron in fourth place was bloody genius of me."

"He's pissed off is what he is," Dean said. "And with good reason to be. He has a great arse."

"Watching him moon the whole bloody school was totally worth it," Seamus said. "Come on, let's go do something naughty somewhere we're not supposed to be."

There was muffled laughter as they hurried off and Ginny stayed stock still, her mouth open in surprise. Seamus had written the article? Was that what she had just heard? She grabbed a notebook from her bag and quickly scribbled a few notes on it before she grinned to herself.

Seamus was definitely going to be hearing from her.

Ginny had just put her notebook away when Colin and Freya came around the corner holding hands. She was glad to see her friend had found someone who made him happy. After the whole fiasco with him sleeping with Blaise, Ginny had to give Freya credit for sticking it out. Especially because Colin hadn't been able to tell her who he had slept with because Blaise Zabini was supposed to be dead, but Freya had decided that since they had barely begun dating, she would forgive him. They both looked incredibly happy.

"Ginny!" Colin exclaimed when he caught sight of her. "I'm glad I caught you! You'd just left when Edie gave me the results from our witches poll."

Ginny wrinkled her nose. She knew it made sense for the witches to get an article posted to counter the one about the wizards, but at the same time, she was a bit worried to see the results of it.

"And what's the verdict?"

"Nothing yet," Colin said. "There were sixteen witches voted in. We'll have to write the article to find the rest. Any idea who wrote the first one yet?"

Ginny's lips twitched. "I have a theory, yes."

Colin handed her a piece of parchment. "Here's our witch names. I wrote them in order of the votes that came in. A few people had individual names, but these are the ones who were sent in more than once. You'll never guess who stole top prize!"

"Please don't say Romilda Vane," Ginny said, grimacing at the very thought of what that would do to the witch's already large ego.

"No, Daphne Greengrass," Colin said. "Which is interesting considering she never returned to Hogwarts after the winter holiday."

Ginny frowned. "Daphne Greengrass? Well, she is absolutely beautiful."

"I'll say," Freya chimed in. "She could be a model if she wanted."

Ginny nodded. "First place is good for her then."

She skimmed her eyes over the list, surprised to find herself in second place. It seemed that Harry wasn't the only one who thought she had a nice arse. She chuckled when she saw that Hermione was in third place. Merlin, her friend would hate that.

The list would obviously have to be cut down in terms of making it an article or even another calendar for charity and the votes tallied to make sure that was the right order. But before any of that could even be discussed, she needed to do some more investigating.

It was time for Seamus to come clean and Ginny couldn't wait for Ron to find out that Seamus was the one to put him in fourth place. She had a feeling it was going to be highly entertaining. She glanced at her watch and realized Remus' last class would just be getting out and sighed.

Guess it was time to figure out why he needed to speak to her. She found him erasing the board with his wand five minutes later. He turned to smile at her.

"Hello, Ginny. How are you?"

"Good," she told him. "Um… one of my roommates said that you wanted to talk to me."

Remus nodded and cleared his throat. "I did. Why don't you have a seat?"

Ginny lifted her chin up. "Professor, I think that I know what this is about."

Remus nodded. "Then you understand why we both feel the awkwardness." He cleared his throat before he leaned back against his desk, crossing his arms in front of him. "Ginny, as Deputy Headmaster and your professor, it is my duty to lecture you on the rules of this school. One of which is sleeping in your own designated bed. Now, I'm not ignorant. Students have always shared beds with their partners. They did when I went here and I know that they will find ways to continue to do so. I also know that my son sleeps better when you're with him."

"So do I," she admitted.

He pursed his lips. "Your roommates have noticed you missing from your bed half the time, it seems."

Ginny blushed. "Prof—Remus, I know it's not allowed."

"Let me finish, Ginny," Remus interrupted. "It is my duty to tell you that this is against school policy. However, if you were to put a warding around your bed that would prevent them from checking and therefore didn't notice that you were in fact missing, I most definitely never gave you the idea to do so."

Ginny smiled. "Of course, Professor."

Remus gave her an amused look. "However, as your professor I think that you should try to sleep in your own bed when possible. Clear?"

"Clear," Ginny said, blushing.

Remus gestured for her to go, his own cheeks red, and Ginny hurried out of his classroom, wondering if he'd really felt as awkward as she did over that. She knew that he knew they often shared a bed and she knew that he knew they weren't actually having sex (at least in terms of intercourse), but still, that had been awkward. She was thankful it was Remus and not McGonagall.

She ran into Theo and Hermione coming out of their Advanced Arithmancy class on her way back to Gryffindor and Theo waved at her.

"Fancy meeting you here!" Theo said, linking his arm with hers. "You missed a fascinating lecture from Professor Vector."

"I highly doubt that," Ginny said.

Hermione huffed. "You and Ron are too much alike sometimes. Arithmancy is completely fascinating."

"I'll leave that to you two, then," Ginny said.

"Where are you coming from?" Theo asked.

"Defence classroom. Romy went and told Lupin that my bed has been empty."

Theo wiggled his eyebrows. "And why has your bed been empty, Ginny? Have you been doing something naughty?"

Ginny ignored him. "It's not like I spend every night with Harry, but I like waking up with him and he does too. We sleep better when we're together."

Hermione bit her lip. "I sleep better with Ron, too. What did Professor Lupin say?"

Ginny shrugged. "He was really cool about it. Thank Godric it wasn't McGonagall! She loves Harry, but she would definitely have lectured me and probably taken house points."

"Lupin did neither?" Theo asked.

Ginny shook her head. "No, he basically just said to be more careful. It was awkward though."

"I can imagine," Hermione said. "I was terrified your mum would find Ron sneaking in and out of my room over the holiday. I don't think I would be able to look her in the eye again."

Ginny chuckled. "Mum would lose her mind for sure, but she was surprisingly good with me and Harry sharing a bed at Black Cottage. And Harry and I don't spend every night together, though I admit, I'd really like to. I sleep better when I'm with him."

Theo sighed. "And here I am with a whole dorm to myself and no one to share it with."

"You have Bas now."

He grinned. "I do, this is true. But he's not here at Hogwarts and we haven't spent a night together."

"Did he say anything about Daphne?" Hermione asked.

Theo nodded. "Yes. He and Lupin spoke to her for a few hours and they did some charms to check for potions or anything, but she was clean. She just wanted to go to her sister. When he took her to the manor, apparently she cried when she saw that not only was Pansy not dead but that Draco and Blaise were still alive. It's becoming a big Slytherin party over there, I'm almost jealous."

"Did she say anything else on this fiancé of hers?" Ginny asked.

Theo shook his head. "Nothing that I'm aware of, no. But she's safe now and with her sister so that's a good sign."

"Good. So, how was lunch today?" Ginny asked as the three of them headed to the Head Dormitory to find Harry and Ron.

"What lunch?" Theo teased. "We went to his flat again for the hour and snogged each other senseless. That man seriously knows how to kiss. His hands just glide over me in just the right way and his mouth… Merlin, I never tire of kissing him."

"In his flat?" Ginny said, her eyebrow rising. "Interesting."

Theo grinned. "He took me there last Friday first. We were snogging outside and it was freezing and today I suggested it. We sat on his sofa and just snogged and… it's been brilliant, but Godric, I want to touch him, really touch him."

"What's stopping you?" Hermione asked as they reached the portrait that led to the Head dorms.

Theo bit his bottom lip. "Nothing really, it's just… going slow is kind of nice. I like spending time just kissing him. Ties loose, shirts partially open… it's sexy and hot and kissing him is incredible. I wish I could see him or talk to him more, but he says that he's not much of a writer and that card he gave me is good, but it's really only for emergencies and I can't summon him whenever I want, or at least I shouldn't," he added, his lips curving.

Hermione chuckled as the portrait opened and she led them inside. "What about one of those communication mirrors? You have one, don't you? Oh!"

Ginny looked at her friend when she gasped in surprise. Her eyes followed Hermione's stare as she stepped down into the little living room and saw what her friend was looking at. There was her boyfriend stretched out across the sofa, sleeping soundly, soft snores escaping his lips. But that wasn't what surprised her. It was the fact that he was snuggled up, face resting over Ron's broad chest, an arm snuggled around his waist. Ron's long legs were twisted with Harry's and he had one hand resting in Harry's hair, the other arm was tossed over his forehead as he snored loudly.

Theo snorted. "Aww, how come we were in class and they get to have all the fun?"

"They sure look cozy," Ginny said, chuckling. "Anyone have a camera?"

"I do, in my trunk," Hermione whispered, hurrying off.

She appeared a moment later, fiddling with the buttons.

Theo leaned closer to Ginny. "I didn't realize that Harry was such a snuggler."

A moment later the bright flash had Ron letting out a loud snore, but Harry jolted awake. His eyes flew open and he bolted upright, eyes on the three of them standing before him.

"Erm, hi, Gin," he murmured before he hit Ron in the shoulder.

"Bugger off," Ron muttered.

"Ron!" Harry hissed. "Get up!"

Ron reluctantly opened his eyes. "Why? Is it time for dinner?"

"No," Hermione said. "But I do think it's time for you two to explain how long you've been sleeping together?"

Ron's face flushed red. "What? No! We're not!"

Ginny crossed her arms in front of her chest. "I know that he's good looking, Ron, but I don't want to share my boyfriend with anyone. Not even you."

"Oh, come off it!" Ron exclaimed. "We were just sleeping!"

"Looked more like there was some spooning to me," Theo teased. "How come I wasn't invited?"

"You were in class," Ron said, stretching his arms up over his head.

Theo snickered. "You'd mean you'd let me join? Can we assign spoons?"

"It was just a nap, Theo. We weren't spooning," Ron insisted.

"I want Harry to hold me," Theo continued. "I like having something big poking me from behind. But don't worry, you can cuddle Harry too."

"How come I have to cuddle Harry? My arse is perfect, someone should get to feel it pushed against… erm, never mind," Ron said, his cheeks flushing.

"Kill me now," Harry mumbled as he scrambled off the sofa, adjusting his glasses and shooting Ron an exasperated look.

"Aww, come on, Harry! Group naps are even more fun!" Theo insisted. "Ron's on board."

"No, I'm not!" Ron bellowed. "And this just… it just happened."

"Yeah," Harry said, quickly. "We were… listening to the wireless and fell asleep."

"The wireless isn't on," Ginny said.

Harry's eyes widened. "Well, we… okay, fine, that was the first time. It was an accident."

"The first time?" Ginny asked. "Harry, how long have you and my brother been sleeping together?"

"It only happened three times," Harry said quickly. "It doesn't mean anything, Gin. We're just napping."

"Together?" Hermione exclaimed, her mouth opening in surprise.

"The sofa's comfy," Ron said, folding his long legs down to stand and grabbing his girlfriend's hand. "And it's just Harry. It's purely two brothers having a nap. What's wrong with that?"

"Nothing," Theo said. "If you weren't snuggled together like a happy couple."

"Piss off," Ron replied. "We had a nap and you know what, it was great and I'd do it again!"

Harry's neck flushed as Ginny giggled. "Are you upset?"

Ginny stood on her toes to kiss him. "No. I love you. You and Ron are adorable."

"We're not adorable," Harry replied. "It just… happened. There's nothing wrong with having a nap. You've napped with Luna before."

"Sure," Ginny agreed. "But we didn't snuggle."

"Well, when I fell asleep, I was on the other side of the sofa," Harry defended.

"Ah, so Harry is the snuggler," Theo interrupted. "And Ron didn't protest when he moved closer."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine. I like to cuddle and you know what, Ron's right, it was one of the best naps that I've ever had and I'd do it again! He's bloody comfortable."

Ginny slipped her arms around Harry's waist. "As long as you're both only sleeping, I can deal with that."

Harry snorted, bending to kiss her. "It's only you, Gin."

Hermione squeaked in surprise when Ron sat back on the sofa and pulled her down with him. "It's fine. Ginny and I always knew you two were a little too attached sometimes."

"And we have photo evidence to back us up if you ever get out of line," Ginny teased.

Ron rolled his eyes. "You're just jealous because Harry and I had a fantastic nap and you lot were stuck in class."

"I was actually working at the paper," Ginny said. "And then I was talking to Professor Lupin about my sleeping arrangements."

"What?" Harry asked, his eyebrow rising.

Ginny shrugged. "I told you my roommates were being snarky and Romy told Remus that I haven't been sleeping in my own bed."

"What?" Ron bellowed.

"Since I just found you sleeping with my boyfriend, no comments from the peanut gallery," Ginny replied.

"What did Uncle Rem say?" Harry asked, his eyes on his girlfriend. "Do I need to talk to him?"

"No," Ginny assured him. "He told me that school policy dictates I sleep in my own room at night and that if I am going to wander off I should take precautions to make sure my roommates don't notice I'm missing. To be honest, I think Freya would cover for me if I asked. He said that he knows we both sleep better when we're together and what he doesn't know is probably better."

"You should be sleeping in your own bed," Ron interrupted. "Not with Harry. He sleeps in a room with other blokes for Merlin's sake!"

"And where do you sleep, Ron?" Ginny demanded. "Alone in your bed?"

Ron's face flushed. "I don't flaunt it in front of other blokes!"

"Ron," Harry said.

Ron clamped his mouth shut. "Fine. I'm shutting up."

"Smart move," Ginny said. "Or I'm going to let it slip to Fred and George about your napping buddy."

Harry pinched her hip. "Shut it or I'll kick you out of bed tonight."

She smirked. "No you won't."

He bent to kiss her and Theo grinned.

"You four are bloody adorable. Now, can we get back to the conversation Hermione and I were having before we found you two snuggling like lovers on the sofa?"

Hermione had her feet in Ron's lap and he was rubbing them absently. "Oh, Theo I'm sorry! Yes, I was suggesting that you get Sebastian a mirror so that you two can talk more regularly."

"Yes!" Ginny exclaimed, moving out of Harry's embrace to grab Theo's arm. "A mirror would be perfect!"

Theo frowned. "But with your brothers' shop being destroyed, where am I supposed to get one?"

"They still have some stock," Ron said. "A lot was kept at George and Angelina's house. Plus, they bloody made them, they can whip you up another one."

Theo beamed. "Would they? It would be brilliant if I could talk to Bas on a more regular basis. Only seeing him on the weekends is fine, but more would be great."

"You haven't added Wednesdays in?" Ginny asked. "You have no classes on Wednesdays."

Theo shrugged. "I know, but he works all day. I guess maybe if we had mirrors… can you ask your brothers for me?"

Ginny nodded, sitting in the armchair. "Yes, I'll ask them. They might need your mirror to connect it to the new one."

"No problem," Theo said, a big smile on his face. "I'll pay them whatever they want."

Harry chuckled as he shifted Ginny so that he could sit with her. "I'm sure just the price of the product will be enough, Theo."

Ginny kissed Harry's cheek. "So, can we get back to the real question?" When Harry's eyes met hers, she smiled. "How long have you and Ron been sleeping together?"

Harry scoffed and she laughed. When his fingers found her ribs, she squealed in laughter. Sometimes, it was moments like this when it really grabbed her by the throat. She loved him. She loved everything about him. She loved how he made her feel and how he made her smile and she loved how he loved her. She was the luckiest witch in the world, she thought as his fingers tickled her ribs. She howled in laughter as she attempted to tickle him back and thought it was moments like this that made her excited for the future they would share together.

~ ASC ~

Harry was oddly excited for the Hogsmeade trip. The first month back to school had seemed to go by slowly, but he was looking forward to taking his girlfriend out on a real date. It was the last day of January and despite the time he'd spent with Ginny, he sometimes felt like he never really saw her. She'd been so busy lately with the Herald, with homework, and the extra Quidditch practices they'd been doing to get her ready for the first tryout in a few weeks that he almost felt like if they weren't sharing a bed most nights, he'd almost never see her.

Once Ginny had caved and the bet had ended, they'd spent a decent amount of time kissing and touching each other. Six days a week they went for an early morning run around the pitch and nine times out of ten ended up showering together. Ginny was extra handsy as of late, not that Harry was complaining, and almost every shower resulted in her using her hands and mouth with equal fervour. He'd skipped potions one Monday morning to stay in his bed with her. He'd missed breakfast yesterday, but figured it was well worth it considering his beautiful girlfriend had ridden his face.

They'd been spending more time rubbing against each other, too. Grinding in his bed, in the tower room, and once in a broom cupboard where he'd come so hard, he swore someone had to have heard him shout. Touching her was incredible and it seemed like the more they touched, the closer they became.

But today he was looking forward to having an actual date.

They were going to go to the Italian restaurant and were going to gorge themselves on pasta, salad, and fresh bread. Then he was going to convince her to play in the snow before they'd see how they could warm themselves up later on. Harry was thinking hot cocoa in the tower room as they cuddled naked under a blanket in front of the fire. He thought the day sounded perfect.

He held her hand in his as they walked through the village, looking at the snow covered houses. Hogsmeade was always so picturesque and lovely this time of year. It looked like it could go on a greeting card or something.

"What are you thinking about?" Ginny asked, linking her arm through his.

"How pretty the town looks this time of year. You?"

"Spaghetti and meatballs or maybe fettuccine alfredo or three cheese penne."

Harry chuckled. "That's one of things I love most about you, Ginny. Your love of food."

She beamed at him. "Maybe we could order all three and just have a bit of each?"

Harry kissed the top of her head. "Anything you'd like."

She grinned as they walked through the snow, turning to head towards the hidden gem that was Mangia Italiano, just as a dark green glow illuminated the sky over their heads. The sight of the Dark Mark rising up over the village made Harry grip Ginny's hand tightly. The green skull rising into the sky with the serpent coming in and out of its mouth caused screams to follow. The sound of an explosion had them both jumping as fire shot into the sky.

"Get back to the castle!" Harry shouted.

"Not unless you come with me," she shot back. When he glowered at her, she pulled out her wand. "Come on."

Harry started to argue, but instead he bit back his retort and held her hand tighter as he led her through the village. When they reached the main street it was to see complete chaos. The Three Broomsticks was up in smoke along with Honeydukes candy shop. People were screaming, panicking at the alarm calls for the Official Fire Broomgade.

People in arabesque death masks and black cloaks marched through the centre of the street. Wands pointed, setting homes on fire, they hexed people as they walked by. One wand pointed at an old man; Harry's eyes widened in horror when the man was simply killed outright.

Students came running out of the Three Broomsticks in a panic. Rosmerta was the last one out and when he heard her claim that everyone was out safely, Harry let out a sigh of relief. The roof of Honeydukes caved in; witches and wizards screamed as they waited for the OFB to arrive.

Loud laughter floated across the village, as if from overhead. The Death Eaters pointed their wands as Aurors moved to shield the students and the villagers as much as they could. The deep, charismatic voice sent shivers down Harry's spine. It was the voice that haunted his nightmares.

"To those who do not follow simple requests, there will be consequences."

People began to scream and the cold laughter increased.

"Scream. Cry. Your tears won't help you. I warned you in London that those who would not comply would be dealt with. I can open your eyes to new possibilities, to new ways of life, bigger than anything you can imagine. But you must trust me. I only want what's best for all of us. Bow to me and your life will be forever changed for the better. Where is your Chosen One now?"

"I'm right here, you bloody coward!" Harry yelled, his eyes flashing in anger.

Eyes darted to him, some in fear, some in astonishment.

"He's here, my Lord," someone shouted.

Another group of Aurors had arrived and were trying to herd the crowd to safety. Official Fire Broomgade officers flew overhead towards Honeydukes while more Aurors duelled Death Eaters in the streets. Hexes and curses soared around their heads as they dodged and swerved. The Death Eaters were laughing as if they were playing a game.

Ginny's hand tightened on Harry's when black smoke erupted in front of them. When the smoke disappeared, Lord Voldemort stood there in all black. His wide mouth curved into an evil smile.

"Well, well, it seems that the Chosen One is standing by and watching as I show these miscreants where they've failed."

Harry attempted to step in front of Ginny, but she stood her ground.

"You've made your point," Harry shouted above the panic. "You've returned."

Voldemort chuckled. "I have returned. Now, why don't you bow down before me and show the others how unworthy you are of the title that they've given you."

Harry scoffed. "I will never bow to you."

Voldemort's wand flicked, but Harry was faster. The shield that erupted around him and Ginny had Voldemort's eyebrow rising.

"Ah, so you're going to hide behind a shield. Just as cowardly as I imagined you were. Aren't Gryffindors supposed to be brave?"

"The witch is brave," Bellatrix spoke from the left. "Look at the little one, trying to prove her bravery. I'd like to give her a try."

Harry felt Ginny turn towards Bellatrix, her wand raised; he tried not to think about what could happen. He kept his gaze on the red gleaming eyes before him. People kept screaming around them. He could hear shouting as others clamoured to safety. He recognized Kingsley's voice in the distance, ordering Aurors to circle Lord Voldemort, to keep their eyes on him and to not let him escape.

"Ah, the witch who has stolen Potter's heart," Voldemort taunted. "Yes, as the papers say it's all very romantic. It's really too bad Severus worked so hard to save you."

"Save me?" Ginny repeated.

Voldemort's red eyes stared into hers. "Yes. Making sure the antidote found its way into Potter's hands. I was looking forward to watching you kill him, but I suppose I should have known. If I want a job done correctly, I will have to do it myself."

Bile rose up in Harry's throat. His eyes narrowed and his fingers clenched tightly around his wand. "Touch her and I will kill you," Harry said, his voice like ice.

Voldemort sneered. "I have no desire to touch your whore, Potter, but I can assure you, my followers are more than willing to play with her a bit."

Ginny's hand touched Harry's elbow but he didn't find it assuring.

Bellatrix licked her lips. "I definitely want to play, my Lord. Can I play with Potter, too? Can we make him watch as we fuck his little whore?"

Voldemort chuckled. "Ah, Bella, always looking to have fun."

Harry increased the power of his shield, his eyes on Voldemort. He had no idea what the wizard was planning to do, but he kept his eyes on him, afraid to look away. He knew that he was going to have to fight him right now, and fear coursed through him as he tried to remember everything Misha and Dumbledore and Remus and Sirius had ever told him. Another voice inside of his head warned him this wasn't the end either. They needed to take care of Nagini first and she was nowhere to be found.

"Since Severus decided saving your whore was worth his life, we've been making him comfortable," Voldemort said. "Bart has been teasing him, making him really feel every aspect of pain we give him. It's really been a lovely treat for all of us."

"You sicken me," Harry said. "Getting off on someone else's pain? Just because you never found anyone to love you doesn't mean you have to take it out on others."

Bellatrix scoffed. "How dare you! The Dark Lord is loved more than anyone on this earth! He is our Lord, our master, our god! We will love and worship him even after I use your bones to pick my teeth!"

"You might want to start now then," Harry said, his eyes moving to Bellatrix. "That smile will take ages to look good — and unless you're going for ugly, yellowing crooked teeth, they recommend flossing with something other than bones. But if that's your goal, you look smashing."

Bellatrix's face turned red. "Why you little shit!"

Voldemort's thin lips curled. "Bella. Patience."

Bellatrix shot him a look, her face still looking a bit purple in her rage. Voldemort moved the Elder wand in a circle around his head and pushed it outwards. Harry squeezed Ginny's hand, not sure what was about to happen. The power surge that came from Voldemort felt like a tidal wave of energy. It pushed everyone and everything back like a boom of thunder, shaking the ground around them. Harry's ears were ringing as he felt his shield charm shatter. He went flying into the air, his grip on Ginny's hand dropping, and he called her name a moment before she flew backwards and away from him.

Harry felt the power punch him higher into the air before he hit what felt like a glass ceiling… and then he fell, crashing to the ground at Voldemort's feet. With the wind completely knocked from him, he lay on the ground a moment to catch his breath. But then he jumped to his feet again. When he did, he realized that the surge had branched out all around them, leaving the two of them alone in the centre of the village. Aurors were shouting as they attempted to move past the surge, only to be met by a wall. Harry could see Ginny trying to break through, but the invisible barrier had swept her out and away from him.

Harry looked at Voldemort, his wand tight in his hand; he was trapped here inside the bubble Voldemort had locked them into it. He let out a slow breath, not taking his eyes off of the red ones in front of him, and loosened the grip on his wand to hold it properly. He thought about the coin in his pocket but shook the thought from his head. Not yet. Not as long as the snake was still alive.

"Now," Voldemort said, letting the Elder wand glide through his fingers. "Let's see what the Chosen One really is capable of, shall we?"

The Elder Wand slashed through the air, the wind rushed from Harry's lungs yet again as the force hit him straight in the chest. He hit the ground, groaning at the impact. His eyes fell on Voldemort's black shiny shoes as he stepped towards him. The smooth charismatic voice pricked the hairs on the back of Harry's neck.

"Now, stand up and take out your wand."