A/N: Hello people and thank you so much for your support! A fun lil time with this guilty fluff pleasure pair; part 2!
A big thanks to my Betas and Discord Staff - Alec, Fox, Metzger, BaptismByFire and Zevoros!
Special thanks to Discord users: 5Firehawk, Guiding Moonlights, Kovacs, Dr Maou-Senpai, Post Mortem, Denduck, Wumjumba, Ac, R3, Shirokama, TrustTube, Zachary, JDH, Avatar, CJ07, Echoh, Elizabeth Wilbrooke, Jacks_, Kappe, Kryn_Womble, Mr. E, Pat, Plut0, Presno, Shawnjohn120 and Trop C'est Trop for supporting my writing and commissioning works!
Feel free to join my Discord for updates, giveaways (for those who actively chat), early access, information and now, commissions/free one-shot giveaways, link on my profile. Without any more rambling from me, I hope you enjoy the story!
(Sorry if you don't like the work!)
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE KIND REVIEWS. We now get so many that it's impossible to respond to all of them, but each and every one of you taking the time to speak your support mean the world to me. Please, by all means, speak with me in Discord!
Katie's confidence had soared in the time since they'd first officially become a couple, but that didn't mean there weren't days in which she'd feel as she did towards the start. Yes, it wasn't uncommon for a sudden spike of insecurity or the like to take hold of her, and when that occurred, Harry would need but reaffirm that he wouldn't be leaving her for some other witch that would, anydown now, come and try to steal him away — it'd never happened before, and given that he still didn't read Witch Weekly, he wasn't sure where this tale was coming from.
It'd only been Katie that he'd noticed before they'd been dating that was staring at him from time to time. Nobody else. At least, nobody else that he'd taken notice of.
He shook his head and glanced down at the flowers in his right hand, and the chocolate in his left. It was their one month anniversary, and Angelina and Alicia had told him such an anniversary was one which needed celebrating. Such was the reason he now found himself standing outside the entrance to the girls' dorms in the Gryffindor Common Room with the aforementioned items in his grasp.
Harry had been in that same spot for nearly five minutes already. He was patient though. He'd heard from Fred and George that witches usually take an extra five, ten, sometimes fifteen minutes past what they say to get ready — the twins had even said it wasn't uncommon for that time to stretch into that of an hour, but Harry hoped that was a joke.
Katie had— Katie. He blinked as the girl of his thoughts started to descend the stairs. She was dressed casually, given it was the weekend, and they could do as they'd like.
"Hi, Harry," Katie swept down the staircase quicker when she saw him, and when she reached him, she pulled him away from the stairs to a corner of the room with two chairs and a table; she sat him down in the closer of the chairs and joined him not a second thereafter, perching atop his lap. "You're blushing."
Harry opened his mouth to respond, but then he heard a noise from behind them. It was like a chorus of whispers, soft-sounding and feminine. He tried to look over the chair, but the thing was tall, and he was only greeted with dark hair well out of his field of vision ducking behind one of the couches. When he turned his attention back to Katie, grinning like she was, the redness she'd mentioned had receded a small bit.
"Here," he handed her the flowers, and then the chocolates. "I thought you'd like these."
"You thought about our one month anniversary?"
He blinked. Wasn't that what he was supposed to do? "Yeah?"
Katie let out a coo-like sound and wrapped her arms around him, the flowers and chocolates still in her hands and resting against the back of his head; it was rather ticklish, the petals of the flowers and Katie's hair — they smelt similar too.
"You're adorable," Katie pressed a series of kisses against his forehead and cheeks, and then pulled back, giggling and red-faced. "I'll run these back to the dorm, but… do you wanna go to the lake when I come back down? We could take a walk, or have lunch, we could even just sit on a bench and watch the water."
Harry was fine with any of that and said as much. He also reckoned he could poke a bit of fun at her too. "You're blushing too now, y'know."
Katie shushed him and rose quickly from his lap, hurrying back towards the girls' dorms… but not before she was intercepted. Angelina and Alicia, two girls that had what could be the same shades as those that he'd seen earlier, had made it to her with the objects in-hand very quickly.
He was about to see if he could overhear a word or two when he heard snickering from before him. Deep in thought as he'd been, he hadn't heard anybody arrive.
"Reckon those two are going to be keeping a watchful eye over you and Katie."
"I'd say so. They've been waiting for them to get together almost as long as Katie has."
Fred and George nodded at Harry then, speaking jointly. "Have fun."
He wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean until they ran off, and were soon after replaced by Angelina and Alicia; Katie had gone up the stairs now that they'd finished with her.
The two older girls fawned over him like no others save for Katie herself.
A few minutes later, Katie had come back down, extracted him from Angelina and Alicia, and with a hand holding one of his, pulled him out from Gryffindor tower. Katie grinned at him once they were far enough away from the others.
"Were they interrogating you the same way they did me?"
Harry shook his head. "Before you came down they were telling me that I'm an 'Adorable gentleman' and 'cute'," he reckoned he'd take handsome or something of that ilk, no bloke was cute or adorable. "The only question they asked was when you were coming down."
"If you wanted to go to Hogsmeade, right?"
'Yeah."
Katie scoffed and rolled her eyes, pulling him closer as they finished descending the stairs that'd seen them to the ground floor of Hogwarts, and near enough to the doors that'd see them on the grounds thereof. "They're supposed to be good influences."
Harry laughed. "They go out with Fred and George all the time using secret passages — they're the good influences?"
Katie shushed him. "You know what I meant."
He supposed when compared to their boyfriends, Fred and George, Angelina and Alicia were the better influences. Good wasn't exactly the word he'd use with the two older-sister-like figures, but they'd certainly taught him a ton and helped him to boot. Especially when it came to matters of Katie.
The pair continued with banter and levity, gliding through Hogwarts until they found themselves at the door that'd seem them outside. Harry pushed it open and held it as such for Katie. Neither made to leave immediately though, for the day was bright and sunny, and warm, and each took that in for a fair few seconds before Katie thanked him with a kiss on the cheek as she made her exit.
Harry followed right along after her, their hands still joined as they'd been since first they left Gryffindor Tower. The surprising warmth and brightness of the day so soon after the cold was beyond enjoyable, as was the lack of cloud coverage.
"There aren't many people out," Katie's words made Harry glance around the gaf instead of focusing on nought but her; it was easy to do just that.
Sure enough, as he did so, she was right. There were a dozen or so of their peers across the vastness that encompassed Hogwarts' grounds. He was fine with that — ecstatic even, when he saw the area surrounding the lake only had three others thereround. It meant they could pick just about anywhere and have it be nice and isolated.
"There aren't," he agreed, nodding towards a far side of the lake where trees offered a bit of shade, and the ground wasn't remotely muddy. "Fancy that spot, or do yo—"
"That works," Katie didn't even let him finish his question before she started them off theretowards. He wasn't sure why that was until he saw a few of the others growing nearer to them; Slytherins, and all three were girls. One of them was Daphne Greengrass, a witch many considered to be the most beautiful in the school.
To him, that wasn't the case.
"You know," Harry said aloud, as they grew further away from the Snakes and closer to the spot he'd found. "I really like you."
Katie side-eyed him as her other arm wrapped around the one which she was already holding, the girl basically walking sideways to keep herself pressed close to him. "I really like you too," she grinned at him then, a happier, teasing expression taking hold. "Are you trying to flatter me for a kiss?"
"Would it work?"
She arched a brow at him, and her lips wiggled as she tried to fight a smile; she lost. "Maybe."
"Maybe?"
Katie laughed and as they reached the spot which they'd agreed upon, pulled away… but not before darting back in for a peck on the lips that left the pair of them red as ever. When they caught wind of the blush the other had, they broke out into a stupid, happy fit of giggles before those tapered out and they set about getting a blanket on the ground. They sat down then, close as could be and with Katie's head resting on his shoulder.
"This is nice." Katie sighed after saying the words, and then she 'yawned', an arm wrapping around his torso. "I wish we could lay here until the stars come out. It's always such a nice, calming sight."
"We could come back out tonight too, if you'd like to." Harry didn't mind any extra time with her at all.
"You're just hoping I kiss you again."
"Think so?"
Katie scoffed. "Know so."
The pair shared a laugh, and then, as silence began to fall again, Harry called out to an old friend in the hopes he'd be able to help this spontaneous time spent upon a blanket. "Dobby?"
Katie opened her mouth to say something, but then, Dobby appeared, wide-eyed and happy as ever to be called. When he saw Katie alongside Harry, and the former saw the newly-present house elf, they peered curiously at one another.
"Katie, you've probably heard us talk about Dobby before, but he's my friend — Dobby, this is my girlfriend, Katie," Harry watched the two share a nod, and then he grinned when Katie shook Dobby's hand. He continued speaking shortly thereafter. "We were wondering if you could get us some snacks for a picnic. Nothing messy."
Dobby nodded emphatically, and with nary a word more, he popped away.
"I didn't know you had a house elf."
Harry shrugged. "I don't. Not really. Dobby's free, but he always answers when I call him."
"That's so wholesome." Katie sat up and turned, facing him as she sat with her legs folded under her. "While we wait, wanna play a bit of a game?"
He raised a brow. "What kind of game?"
"You list the things you like about me, and I give you a kiss every one that I like," Katie grinned when he shook his head with a chuckle. "Sounds like a fun game, doesn't it?"
"I think you're underestimating ho—" Before Harry could so much as finish what he was saying, Dobby popped back into existence right before them with his arms full-up. Not only full-up, but stacked with containers, one atop the other. Harry had just about offered to help, nearly rising to his feet when his friend snapped his fingers, and saw all the containers levitate, before coming to rest around the couple.
Dobby smiled wide then, and asked Harry if there was anything else he wanted. The latter's response was simply for the former to take care of himself; he gave thanks too, as did Katie.
And then the pair were left alone together once more, but this time, with many a tasty snack; strawberries dipped in chocolate was the one the pair sought out first.
"I guess we'll have to play that after the meal," Katie opened her mouth and tapped her lips.
Harry blinked, but then he understood her desire with a shake of his head; he still grabbed up a strawberry and held it aloft for her to bite, which she did.
"Tasty."
"I'm sure."
Katie plucked one from the bowl. "Your turn."
Harry wondered if she were serious, and when she arched a brow, daring him to decline, he simply snickered and accepted.
And then she dove towards him.
The giggle fit betwixt the two was louder than ever.