"Jesse, meet Ron and Hermione!" Harry announced as the four of them sat down in " The Three Broomsticks ". Harry grinned madly as he held the girl's hand, Jesse smiling back shyly.
"Howdy- I mean, hi. I'm Jesse Sulivan." The girl's accent was thick and southern, catching his two friends off guard. Was she a foreigner? "It's really nice to meet you two, Harry has told me a lot about you."
"You too, mate. So uh, how did you meet?" Ron asked, taking a sip of his butterbeer, froth coating his upper lip.
"I accidentally threw a book at him."
Hermione choked on her buttbeer.
" What ?" She asked after her coughs subsided, Ron patting her on the back.
"Well, I was practising my summoning charm on a book and it went…backwards. Right into Harry's face. Broke his nose I'm pretty sure. I ran over to see if he was okay and…" Jesse's cheeks tinted pink as she looked over at Harry, smiling.
"She fixed up face, we got to talking, and the rest is history." Harry smiled back at her, squeezing her hand underneath the table.
"Is this where you've been running off to, mate? I mean we didn't even know where you went half the time."
"That would be my bad," Jesse admitted, rubbing her neck with her free hand. "When I learned he was actually famous, I wanted to keep it a secret. I didn't want either one of us to get harassed."
"Makes sense," Ron said with a nod.
"How long has this been going on, Harry?" Hermione asked her friend. She was a bit worried, this Jesse girl was totally new to her!
"About three months now, since the end of September. I'm really sorry I didn't tell you guys."
"Don't sweat it, I don't mind, and you seem nice enough" Ron said, looking at Jesse. "So, where are you from?"
"Oh, I'm from Texas! Born and raised, except when I started here."
"Why do you go to Hogwarts then?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms.
"Well, my Daddy's dying wish was for me to go to his school, he's from London, and I agreed. Then he ended up living, and I had already promised, so I decided to go here. I really like it though, but I miss Texas food."
"What happened to him?" Hermione scoffed, giving Ron a silencing look. Jesse just laughed, waving her hand.
"He had a minor heart attack when I was ten, he had a partial blockage that eventually cleared itself out. He's perfectly fine now, in fact, I think him and Mama are visiting Florida."
"Oh, I'm glad he's good now," Ron told her, getting up to get a few more drinks. When he came back, he asked the question they had all been wondering.
"Have you said the 'L' word yet?" Matching grins grew on their faces as they locked eyes. With a shared shrug, they answered him.
"Maybe once or twice." Ron shivered, shaking his head no.
"Scarier than the twins you are." The group laughed, all but Hermione taking another glass and beginning to sip on it. Harry hadn't been happier.
"But what about her made you wanna date her?" Ron asked as they lounged in the Gryffindor common room, Jesse having told them goodnight and headed to her own common room. "I mean, no offence, she seems so normal."
"I wouldn't say it made me wanna date her, but I liked that she didn't know who I was. I mean, my whole life I wanted to be normal, even when I knew I was a wizard. Jesse makes me feel…normal."
"That's very sweet Harry, but be careful. She could be lying."
"What do you mean?" Harry asked her, raising an eyebrow. "If you couldn't tell, she's a good person."
"Well- I know that Harry, but what if she wants your fame or status?"
"Then why'd she ask to keep it a secret for so long?" Ron asked, moving a chess piece. It brutally smacked Harry's pawn.
"It could be a ruse, girls are smart like that." Hermione huffed.
"I love Jesse, but she has the mind of a goldfish," Harry told her, moving his knight only to watch Ron conquer that piece too.
"Oooh, he said the 'L' word!" Ron teased.
"Just- be careful. Now, I am heading to the library." Hermione quickly walked out the door, leaving Ron and Harry alone.
"Don't mind her, mate. She's just mad that we both have girlfriends and she doesn't have a boyfriend yet."
"I don't think Hermione cares much about that, but sure." Harry laughed, watching another chess piece fall to ruin. Sometimes Ron was too smart for him.
"Do you love her though, really?" Ron asked. "Like, willing to bring her around more often?"
"Yeah, I think I do," Harry responded after a few moments, looking away from the board. "I don't think I have felt this happy in a long time."
"I see where I stand," Ron joked. "For that, I'll checkmate you."
Harry groaned, fixing up the board with a wand of his hand as he lay down on the couch. Yeah, assert dominance over those first years, take up the whole couch!
"Do you love Lav?"
"Nah, I don't think so."
"Dang, that was quick," Harry said with a snort.
"I don't feel as mushy for her as I did in the beginning, I guess. It's not as fun anymore, and she kind of just hangs off me."
"Why don't you end things?" He asked, closing his eyes.
"I've tried, then I feel so bad I don't go through with it."
"Rotten luck."
"Okay, so we went up two flights of stairs, where are we going?" Jesse asked, Harry leading her along. She was blindfolded, Harry having picked her up for a surprise date. Most of her common room had freaked out, and they left quickly.
"We're almost there," Harry promised, pushing open one more large door. "Here, stay close."
They walked a little further, Harry's grip tight on Jesse's as he pulled her closer to them. He slowly untied her blindfold, glad her eyes were still closed.
"Here, open." Jesse slowly opened her eyes, gasping as she took everything in.
Most of the open walls were covered in sheer clothes etched with intricate designs, except for an open arch, letting the night sky gleam into their little room. The moon hung low in the sky, throwing soft light over the snow-covered landscape. The air was warm, with the faint scent of candles wafting through the room.
"Is that-" She sniffed the room. "Cranberry?"
"You said it was your favourite scent, I made sure to get some for tonight. And a few more for Christmas."
"Oh Harry, I can't believe you remembered!" Jesse wrapped her arms around his shoulders tight, squeezing him close before she shot off like a rocket to look at everything. From the maroon candles on the ground to the picnic basket full of delicacies (ranging from sandwiches to chocolates, almost all of it her favourite things. Harry was quite proud of himself), Jesse looked at everything.
The candlelight danced on the walls, casting shadows that moved to the beat of some soft music played somewhere secret. It was a hauntingly beautiful melody that sent shivers down their spine, making them want to curl into each other's embrace.
Jesse quickly sat down on the picnic blanket, pulling Harry down with her. They ate and ate, stuffing each other's faces with chocolates and treats. When the cold finally got to them, Harry pulled out a large blanket, covering them in it and a warming charm. Their fingers intertwined, Jesse laying her head down on Harry's shoulder as they stared up at the stars. If Harry could stop time, he would.
"I love you, Harry Potter," Jesse said, kissing his cheek. Harry's cheeks flushed, and he laid his head atop hers.
"And I love you, Jessie Sulivan."