All I gotta do

Is whisper in your ear

The words you long to hear

It had been a long week, a very, very, very long week. Work at the ministry, training, and studying when she finally arrived home left her with little time to eat or sleep. It was such a relief to finally wake up and realize it was Saturday morning and she had nowhere to be until six in the afternoon that she decided to stay in bed and be lazy for the entire day. She quickly changed her mind however, as the smell of breakfast drifting from the kitchen made her stomach growl. Chloe walked to the kitchen leisurely and found her dad with his back towards her, wand pointed at the frying pan in which large pieces of bacon were cooking.

"That smells so good" She said, walking past him and heading to the table.

"Morning sleepy head" He said, moving the bacon from the pan to a plate.

"Morning dad" She said, sinking in the chair "and morning mom" She added, looking at the photograph over the fireplace mantel.

"Any other plans today, besides work?" Dad asked, putting down the plate with the bacon in the center of the table, next to a plate piled with toast.

"Does staying in bed and being lazy count as a plan?" She asked, reaching for the bacon and taking a huge bite of it.

"Of course, I just didn't realize you were that tired"

"I didn't either"

"Do you want me to owl my brother and ask him to give you today off?"

"No dad, but thanks"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure"

"Okay…"

They ate in silence, enjoying each other's company. A few minutes later, her father stood and stretched.

"Well darling, I have to go" He said, sending his plate to the sink with a wave of his wand.

"Where?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

"Work" He replied with a sight "Things have been very busy in the office since Nimbus unveiled their new model"

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"

"Yes" He said, kissing the top of her head and leaving the room.

Having finished breakfast herself, Chloe went back to her room and climbed back on bed, where she stayed most of the day, one of their house elves stopping by her room twice with lunch and afternoon tea. It had been wonderful doing nothing all day and by the time she arrived at work, she was feeling almost refreshed.

"Hey Ava, Dan" She said, walking behind the counter and grabbing her apron.

Dan waved and gave her his usual big smile as he walked out of the door, being done with his shift, and Ava said a quick hi as she walked by with a tray of drinks, headed to a large table by the front window. Chloe looked around for a second, taking in the familiar scene. Her father was a wealthy man and she didn't need this job, but she enjoyed the time she spent with her friends and making her own money, even if it wasn't much. Dad had suggested she quit a couple of times, when the load of her training and schooling at the Ministry continued to grow, but Chloe stubbornly decline. As she continued to look around, Ava made her way back to behind the counter and it wasn't long before the routine of work settled in and the two alternated between catching up and serving the clients. The only unusual thing about tonight, Chloe quickly noticed, was the looks Ava constantly gave to the table they had set aside for Harry Potter.

"Waiting on someone?" She teased Ava when she caught her looking at his table for the twentieth time that night.

"What?" Ava asked, turning around to face Chloe.

"You keep looking at the table we set aside for Harry"

"Ohh" Ava said with a chuckle, and sounding very amused "No, I'm not the one waiting on someone my dear Chloe …"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"You will see" She said, before walking away to serve a new client.

Chloe shrugged and went about her way; it wasn't usual for Ava to behave strangely. A couple of hours later, Harry walked into the café, although he would have been there much earlier if Hermione hadn't insisted on getting his and Ron's opinions on a new law for the welfare of house elves she was currently working on. It was a very good and solid law, nothing less than one would expect from Hermione Granger, but she never ceased to impress them. He tried his best not to look excited when he saw her, currently behind the counter; after an entire week of waiting to see her, tonight was finally the one.

"I was starting to think you wouldn't come" A female voice said from behind him.

Harry turned around to find Ava staring at him, a knowing smile on her face.

"I'll have the usual, please" He said casually.

Making his way to the back, he watched as Ava walked to the counter and begun to prepare his order. When she was done, she handed the tray to Chloe, like Harry expected she would, before grabbing someone else's other.

"Good evening Mr. Potter, err, Harry… here is your tea"

"Thanks"

"Ava said you have stopped by several times… I'm glad you are enjoying the privacy of your table."

"All thanks to you, but it's not just the privacy, people here are very nice"

"Yes, we are a good group. I trust they haven't bothered you too much?"

"Not at all, and I have really enjoyed my talks with your uncle, he is a very smart guy"

"Oh yes, that he is"

"Would you like to join me?" Harry blurted out, pointing at the chair opposite his.

"I…" She began, but another voice cut in.

"She would" Ava said, appearing next to Chloe "It's about time for her break anyways"

"Right" Chloe said looking at Ava with an expression I couldn't quite figure out.

"Brilliant, I'll bring you some tea" Ava said to Chloe, before walking away.

"I'm sorry" Chloe whispered, sitting down "She's a great friend, but she can be a little much sometimes"

As promised, Ava came back with a cup of tea for Chloe and assured them both that she could handle the café herself for a while, so they were free to talk for as long as they wanted. And talk they did, for almost an hour before Chloe realized how long she had been on a break and, apologizing, stood up and went back to work.

During their conversation Harry had learned a few things about her, like the reason she looked somewhat familiar was because she went to Hogwarts as well, Ravenclaw house. She started on his third year and had just finished school that summer. She lived with her father, which happened to be one of the owners of Firebolt Broom Company, and was currently working and undergoing training as an Obliviator for the ministry of magic. True to her sorting, Chloe was very smart and witty, something he found very enjoyable. He left the café right before they were to close and arrived home feeling very content.

For the remainder of November and halfway through December, Harry continued to stop by the café almost every day during the week, and every weekend on his way to or from somewhere. Without really noticing, his mood began to improve and he felt almost like his old self. As unlikely as it sounds, Chloe and him did not have a chance to sit and talk very long during his visits and after a while, Ava no longer seemed to think they had any especial interest on each other. He was fine with Ava and anyone else thinking that, except for Chloe herself, so he decided to finally do something about it. On the Saturday before Christmas week, Harry stopped by and found the café was busier than usual; people were doing their last-minute shopping and coming inside for a warm beverage and an escape from the snow and cold.

"If I may, you might want to wait a while before leaving. It's very crowded in here and if someone recognizes you, it will be a while before you can leave" Chloe suggested, grabbing his empty mug.

Harry looked up at her, somewhat startled as he had been deep in thought. She smiled, that beautiful sweet smile, and nodded towards the room behind him. Turning around he could see she wasn't exaggerating; the place really was crowded.

"Or, you can sneak out the back door" She added with a wink.

"Let's try that" He said, standing up and putting my jacket back on. If he waited until things calmed down, he might find himself stuck there till closing.

"Just keep your head down" She said, reaching out for his hand.

Holding hands, they walked behind the counter, through a door into the kitchen, and a final door that opened to the alley behind the café.

"We made it" She said, letting go of his hand and he tried not to look disappointed at that.

"Thanks"

"Any time, now if you excuse me, I have to go back and help"

"Chloe, wait…. Before you go, may I ask you something?"

"Yes, of course" She said, kindly.

"Would you like to… join me for dinner? You know, next Saturday at err… my place?"

Harry watched, heart pounding, as she stared past him for a few seconds, her expression somewhat blank. He was about to blurt out something and leave when she smiled and nodded.

"I would love to"

He let out a deep breath and smiled back at her.

"But… can we not tell anyone?" She added.

"Yeah... why?"

"You are famous Harry" She said, as if explaining something very basic to a child "Didn't you notice how Ava was acting when she thought we were interested in each other? I don't want to deal with that, in a much larger scale, just because I agreed on joining you for dinner."

Harry nodded. She was right and it made perfect sense. People had monitored his relationship and break up with Ginny, and they would do the same to any other girl he decided to date, even they were only having a first date. Keeping this between them would be the right thing to do, at least for now. And oddly enough, he still hadn't mentioned her or the café to anyone he knew, not even his two best friends.

"Thanks" She said, looking over her shoulder at the door "I'm sorry Harry, I really need to go. Happy Christmas"

"Happy Christmas Chloe. I will owl you later this week"

She nodded and smiled one more time before turning around and walking back inside. He stood staring at the door for a few minutes before the cold wind had him shaking. With a grin frozen on his face, whether from the cold or the sudden excitement he felt, he apparated back home, anxiously awaiting Saturday.

Harry had always loved Christmas at the Burrow; it was the only place other than Hogwarts where he felt loved, got presents, and had people to share the holidays with. But this Christmas was the first one since the breakup and he had been dreading it. He arrived at the Burrow just as the sun was setting on the twenty fourth, and was soon greeted by the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen which could only mean one, wonderful thing: Mrs. Weasley was already cooking dinner. He walked in to find Mrs. Weasley, Hermione and Fleur moving around the kitchen, almost as in a choreographed dance.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted and soon his vision was obscured by her bushy hair.

"Happy Christmas Hermione" He said, hugging her back.

When she stepped aside, he was greeted by the other two women before he headed to the living room. There he found Mr. Weasley, all the guys, and little Victoire. They all exchanged greetings and he reached out for Victoire, who had been trying to get his attention from the moment he had walked in. Several minutes of conversation went by, Victoire still in his arms, and he had almost forgotten about his apprehension concerning Ginny, which quickly changed when she finally came down. The mood in the room was no longer the same as their eyes met, and he was certain everyone was attentively watching them. She climbed down the last few steps and walked towards him, while Victoire bounced with excitement in his arms at the sight of her aunt. Ginny smiled down at her, before turning her attention back to Harry.

"Happy Christmas Harry"

"Happy Christmas Ginny"

"Can we talk?" She asked and he nodded.

"Outside" She added.

"I'll take her" Bill immediately said, offering his arms to his daughter who immediately flung herself in his direction.

Harry followed Ginny back into the kitchen and out into the yard, well aware of the flabbergasted silence in the kitchen, after they walked by. They walked to the edge of the yard, her a few steps ahead. When they finally stopped, Ginny's back was still turned towards him and she was looking up, admiring the sky.

"That wasn't awkward at all" She said in an amused tone, finally turning to face him.

"It will probably be worse when we go back in"

"And mum will be disappointed; she still thinks we are getting back together"

"Do you?" He asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

Ginny seemed to notice his discomfort because she chuckled before responding.

"I'm not my mum Harry, I know where we stand"

He nodded, relived.

"You have been part of this family for many years now, Harry. I think you will agree with me that things shouldn't change because we didn't work out"

"Of course. We will never go back to what we used to be before we dated, a lot has changed since then… but I still want you in my life"

"Exactly how I feel… so we are good, right?"

"Yes"

They grinned at each other, the tension between them gone.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"Well, busy with work. You? Ron says you are a great asset to the team"

"Same, it is hard work. The other girls are great and I love playing but we spend several hours training every day, it is very exhausting"

They continued to talk for a while longer before neither of them could tolerate the cold. They were almost to the kitchen when they saw a red hair pull away from the window and Ginny turned to face him, a playful smile on her face.

"It seems we were being watched… should we make them pay?"

"How?"

"Let's just make things awkward for a little longer"

They pretended things were still weird between them, even making a scene of choosing chairs furthest apart from each other, for a few minutes into the meal until Ginny could no longer hold back her laughter and soon the air was filled with animated conversations and all the chaos that came with gatherings at the Burrow. Although all of the them had their own places by now, Hermione, Ron and Harry ended up spending the night at the Burrow. Waking up with Ron to find a pile of presents at the foot of their beds felt almost like the Christmas at Hogwarts or past Christmases at the Burrow, bringing back some good memories and they all spent Christmas day together, eating, playing games, and enjoying each other's company in the warmth of the fire and the sweaters made by Mrs. Weasley. Fred's absence was felt just nearly as bad as the first Christmas without him, but Victoire was slowly making it easier to deal with.

Harry woke up the next morning feeling very anxious and it took him a few seconds to remember why. Today was finally Saturday, the day Chloe was coming over for dinner. He was mistaken by thinking that because he wanted six o'clock to arrive, it never would, and before he knew it the clock on the mantel let him know she would arrive in fifteen minutes. He quickly walked around his flat one last time to make sure everything was clean and in place, even though he knew Kreacher had cleaned the entire place earlier, before heading to the kitchen to check on Kreacher and dinner.

Before long, they both heard a knock on the door and Kreacher went to answer it. Harry heard them greet each other and the elf's offer to take her jacket, which she accepted. Their voices grew louder as Kreacher walked her to the living room and by the time they reached him, he was even more nervous. She was dressed casually, wearing boots, dark jeans and a long sleeve shirt in a royal blue color. Her hair was still somewhat wet from the shower she no doubt had had not very long ago, and her face was free of makeup, but beautiful nevertheless. They greeted each other and sat down on the couch, where they stayed for a while talking about the holidays. They had never before spoken about his relationship with Ginny but he found himself discussing their conversation on Christmas Eve and how things seemed to be fine between them now.

Kreacher brought them butterbeer as Chloe told him about how she spent Christmas. When she was younger, the family tradition was to welcome everyone to their home, but ever since her mother passed away, a year after she started at Hogwarts, things changed. Now, they always spent Christmas at her uncle Paul's, with the rest of her dad's family and they would visit her mom's family for lunch. They moved to the dining room table soon after, and Kreacher served them dinner.

"It's unfair how all elves seem to know how to cook so wonderfully" She said as they sat down and took in the meal in front of them. "My mother taught me how to cook a few dishes, though my dad is the cooker in the family, but neither of us can cook as good as our elves"

"You are better off than me, I can't cook much at all"

"You mean to tell me there is something the famous Harry Potter can't do?" She teased.

"Disappointing huh? Just don't tell anyone, I would hate to lose my fame"

"Not to worry, your secret is safe with me"

Because he wasn't sure what Chloe liked to eat, Harry had Kreacher cook a roast chicken, sausage, carrots, peas and roasted potatoes. They continued to joke and talk as they ate, stopping long enough to chew and swallow. Neither of them thought it possible to eat more, but when Kreacher brought out a pumpkin pie, still warm, they couldn't resist the temptation. Once they were done eating, they went back to the living room and sat on the floor by the fireplace in a comfortable silence. Chloe let her eyes wonder around the room and, for the first time, noticed the two brooms mounted on the wall behind the couch. She recognized the Nimbus 2000 and the first Firebolt model, the one she had seen Harry fly during the first task of the tournament and during Quidditch games at school. She and her dad had that model and the following two on display in their living room as well, while the latest model from last year was in their broom closet. Suddenly she felt very nostalgic.

"What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, and from the corner of her eye she could see him watching her.

"That I miss flying…" She said, her voice now a little hoarse "It's been so long"

"We can go flying sometime soon" He offered and she could feel the excitement in his voice.

"I… can't…" She said, hating herself for turning his invitation down.

"Why not? Is everything ok?" He asked, finally picking up on my mood

"When I was home in the summer between my first and second year at Hogwarts, I went flying with mum and dad as we always loved to do. On our way back to the house, dad challenged me for a race and we flew back home without worrying about mum, we always raced and she always flew along"

Chloe wondered if her voice was as bad as it sounded in her head, as Harry inched closer to her. She looked straight into his green eyes, uncertain if she should or even could continue. Something in them told her she could, so she did.

"I barely won our race and once we reached the house, we flew down to wait on mum. A few minutes turned into long ones, and we finally decided to go looking for her. After a few minutes of searching, which felt like an eternity, I spotted mum's broom in the air. Dad grabbed her broom and we both flew straight down. We found her, barely alive. Dad handed me both of their brooms, told me to apparate home, floo to mum's parents and come to the hospital with them. I arrived at St. Mungo's with my grandparents less than ten minutes later, but mum was no longer alive"

Chloe stopped, suddenly unable to speak due to the huge knot on her throat. She hadn't spoken about her mum's death in a long time and although it had been many years ago, the pain was still fresh. She jumped slightly as she felt something touch her hand. Looking down she saw Harry had placed his hand over hers and was currently slightly squeezing it, to comfort her. She managed a small smile.

"The Medi Wizards weren't sure what caused her sudden death or how she managed to use a spell to keep herself from plunging down, considering how weak she must have been… her death was really hard on us. Dan, Oliver and especially Ava and my father were the main reasons why I got through it… the first few weeks back at Hogwarts were really hard but I focused on school work and with the Tournament, I had something to distract me even if not for long. It took dad almost a year to gather the nerves to fly again and going back to work was hard on him. He never flies close to where she fell, our Manor sits in a lot of land so it's not hard and I… I haven't flown since then"

"I'm really sorry Chloe" Harry said, as she blinked away a few tears.

"Thanks, I'm sorry as well… you have lost countless more people… and I just ruined this date, didn't I?"

"Thanks, and you didn't ruin anything… but if I agree that you did, will you have another date with me?"

She laughed, and some of the sadness and tension seemed to dissipate.

"I will have another date with you nonetheless" She replied, blushing.

After her sad story, Chloe changed the subject to unimportant things and Harry told her more about his life. Sometime during their conversation, Kreacher came in with tea and pastries. Too soon the clock was chiming eleven and she stood up to leave. Harry walked her to the door, where they hugged before she stepped outside, checked for any onlookers and with a final wave at him, apparated home.

After closing the door, Harry leaned against it in deep thought. Chloe, like many others he knows, was much braver on the inside than what she let out and had faced her own set of hardships. IN the few weeks he had known her, Chloe had already made a deep impact in his life and was responsible for much of his happiness, and he wanted to return that feeling. Maybe it was the Potter blood in his veins, his irrational love for Quidditch and his enjoyment at flying but he made himself a promise right then and there:

He would help her fly again, no matter how long it took.