R

It was enormous, with a golden horn, a rainbow-coloured mane, and two handles on its back. It looked completely ridiculous sitting in the middle of the Burrow's kitchen.

“Amazing,” Mr Weasley said, circling it with fascination. “It’s like those rubber ducks, but much bigger.”

The Weasley family gathered around the strange object.

“We’ve seen Muggle children playing with them at the lake loads of times, Dad,” Ginny explained patiently. “It’s a toy. You float on it.”

“But why on earth is it shaped like a unicorn?” Mr Weasley asked. “I thought the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was doing an excellent job of removing Muggle memories of magical beasts. I shall have to have a word with Bob.”

Harry wanted to laugh at the exchange, but Hermione, already giggling beside him, launched into an explanation of why inflatable toys existed in the first place.

By the end of the discussion, they had persuaded Mr Weasley to let them test the unicorn and report their findings.

Hermione assured everyone that floating on one was great fun.

An hour later, the four of them headed down to the lake.

Harry wasn’t a great swimmer. He had simply never had the chance to learn properly. He’d had a few swimming lessons at primary school, but that was about it. He didn’t even own a pair of swimming trunks and had to borrow some from Ron.

He would never admit it, but he was excited to try the giant inflatable unicorn.

He knew Dudley had once had something similar. Years ago, when the Dursleys had gone on an all-inclusive holiday in Ibiza and left Harry behind with Mrs Figg, Dudley had proudly shown off photographs of himself lounging on a huge inflatable float in the hotel pool.

Harry remembered how jealous he had been back then.

The memory bothered him a little less now. For one thing, he was actually getting to ride a giant inflatable unicorn himself.

And for another, he liked to imagine that Dudley’s had probably burst under his weight.

They reached the lake near the village and Harry saw that the beach on the other side was crowded, but the Weasleys must've had their special little spot because the small beach they settled on was completely empty.

It was hidden among the trees and they provided a pleasant shade. There was a beautiful floral scent everywhere, probably from the wildflowers growing nearby. The scent seemed to follow him everywhere lately. 

Harry thought it was simply idyllic.

There was a little wooden jetty which, the Weasley siblings informed him, had been built by their father when Bill and Charlie were little. He had insisted on building it by hand, and it showed. Harry was sure there must've been some spells protecting it from collapsing. It was crooked and missing a few planks.

Hermione looked at it suspiciously when Ron and Ginny started talking about jumping off it into the water. Harry thought it sounded like great fun.

He had never thought about Ginny as a girl.

Not before he saw her in that stupid oversized T-shirt that now haunted his mind almost as often as Voldemort.

He knew she was a girl, obviously. And a very pretty one, too. But he had never really imagined her as a girl. With all the girly parts.

Now, as she stripped down to her swimming costume, he cursed his own mind.

Tankini, they called it.

He had heard Ginny and Hermione talking about it.

“I saw yours last year and I had to talk Mum into buying me one. It's so comfy, honestly. My old one-piece is already too small for me,” Ginny told Hermione on their way to the lake, and at first Harry had wondered what on earth they were talking about.

“I brought mine with me. Honestly, I don't feel that comfortable wearing a bikini, so it's perfect.”

Girls.

Apparently, a tankini was some wonderful invention.

It looked like she was wearing a cropped top and shorts, except it was a swimming costume. It wasn't skimpy at all, really, but that little gap between the hem of the top and her bottoms, the glimpse of pale skin and her belly button, gave Harry far too much to think about.

He looked at Hermione.

Honestly, Hermione could stand naked in front of him (what a horrible thought) and he wouldn't care less. If anything, he'd be disgusted. Not because she was ugly or... unattractive or whatever (Harry preferred not to think about it), but because she was his mate. His sister. Not by blood, but just as good.

But Ginny was like his sister too, right?

Then why did he have all these feelings about her?

Why did he find her so attractive?

He blamed it on being almost sixteen.

He might've been the Boy Who Lived and the Chosen One, but he was also a hormonal teenager.

He had to stop, though. Ginny had a boyfriend, who happened to be his roommate. She was his best mate's sister, and she had become one of Harry's best friends too. It was just inappropriate to think about her this way.

He had always seen her as his little sister. He'd never had one, but he imagined that's what it was like. She barely talked to him for years and usually hung around with Fred and George. He felt protective of her and liked her despite how shy she was and despite her obvious silly crush on him when she was younger.

They had really started talking during the summer at Grimmauld Place. Cleaning your outlawed godfather's house of cursed objects could be a surprisingly bonding experience.

Then they fought the Umbridge regime together. She was one of the best students in the DA, and then there was The Department of Mysteries and... everything that came with it.

He liked this new version of Ginny.

He liked having her around and spending time with her.

She had a great sense of humour and was very smart. Smart-mouthed, too.

He also liked how much she improved his mood. Every time she appeared, she seemed to bring a new kind of fresh air into the room.

He had noticed how comfortable Hermione felt around her as well.

He liked this new version of Hermione, too.

She seemed more relaxed and actually let herself have some fun. For the first time ever, Harry had caught her reading a romance novel instead of a school book. She laughed and joked with them in a way she never used to, and Harry thought they made a great team, the four of them.  Ginny was a great balance for their trio.

“The last one in the water is a Flobberworm!” Ginny shouted and sprinted towards the jetty.

Harry laughed and followed her. Ron went after him, but Hermione seemed reluctant to even step onto the rickety structure.

The three of them jumped into the water, sending great splashes everywhere.

“Come on, Hermione!” Ron called, surfacing and pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. “You're already a Flobberworm. What could be worse?”

“I don't know. Getting a splinter?”

“Hermione, don't be a spoilsport!”

“Come in from the shore, then.”

Hermione looked at the water and then at their blanket.

“I think I'll stay here and read. Have fun!”

“Hermione!” Ginny climbed back onto the jetty and grabbed Hermione's hand before she could retreat.

“Help me here!” she called.

Ron and Harry immediately climbed out after her.

“Hermione, we're going to have to throw you in. You do realise that, right?” Ginny said.

“Don't you dare!”

“Grab her legs, Ron,” Ginny ordered.

Ron obediently reached for Hermione's ankles while Ginny grabbed one arm. Harry, laughing, caught the other.

They lifted her so she was dangling helplessly between them.

Hermione was screaming and laughing at the same time.

“Stop!”

“Are you going to get in by yourself?” Ginny asked.

“No!”

“Alright then. On three. One... two...”

“Alright! I'll go in!”

“Too late now. Three!”

They swung her once and tossed her into the lake with an enormous splash.

The three of them doubled over laughing.

Hermione resurfaced a moment later and shot them a murderous look.

“You are all absolutely horrible.”

“You look much happier now,” Ron observed and Hermione splashed him in the face.

Ginny jumped back into the water and Harry followed her, while Ron was still sputtering.

For a while they swam around, splashed each other, teased Hermione whenever she threatened to leave, and took turns jumping off the jetty.

“What about our unicorn?” Ron asked eventually.

The giant inflatable unicorn was floating peacefully a little way from the shore.

Immediately all four of them turned to look at it.

Then they looked at each other and the race began.

Harry reached the unicorn first. “Mine!” he shouted, throwing himself across its back.

“Get off!” Ron yelled.

“Never!”

Ginny grabbed one side while Ron grabbed the other. The unicorn rocked violently.

“Harry, this is supposed to be a scientific test!” Ginny called.

“I'm testing it!”

“You don’t count. Me and Ron should test it.”

“I’m a wizard too and it looks very tested to me, already!” Harry wrapped both arms around the unicorn's neck. Ginny and Ron tried pushing him.

For one glorious moment Harry was victorious, but then Hermione joined the battle.

“Traitor!” Harry cried as she grabbed his leg.

Together the three of them managed to tip the unicorn sideways. Harry let out a very undignified yelp before disappearing beneath the water.

When he surfaced, sputtering, all three were laughing at him.

“Cheaters.”

“You had it coming,” Ginny informed him.

The unicorn drifted away again. This time Ron reached it first.

“Ha!”

“Move over,” Hermione said.

“There's no room. Hermione you had plenty of chances to float on those flatables. Give the poor wizarding children a chance.”

Hermione snorted and climbed on anyway. The unicorn dipped alarmingly under their combined weight.

Harry and Ginny exchanged identical looks.

Ron had gone bright red when Hermione joined him.

They were squeezed together on the unicorn's back, shoulders pressed together as they desperately tried to keep their balance.

“Comfortable?” Ginny called sweetly.

“Shut up,” said Ron.

Hermione laughed. The unicorn immediately rolled over and both of them landed in the lake.

Harry and Ginny burst out laughing and rushed towards the inflatable together. They threw themselves onto it while Ron and Hermione were still trying to get the water out of their ears.

“Get off, Harry.” Ginny yelled at him.

“You get off.”

“I've never been on one!”

“Neither have I!”

“How about we take turns?” Hermione suggested.

Harry, Ron and Ginny exchanged mischievous looks.

“No!”

And the battle began again. Somehow Ron and Hermione ended up on the same side while Harry and Ginny defended the unicorn. It didn't help. Within minutes, Ron and Hermione had won.

Once again they squeezed themselves onto the inflatable while Harry and Ginny surrendered.

For now.

They swam a little further away while Ron and Hermione seemed perfectly content on their floating throne, laughing about something Harry couldn't hear.

“You're absolutely rubbish at swimming, Harry,” Ginny informed him.

“Do I have to remind you that I literally saved your brother from the bottom of a lake once?”

“The merpeople wouldn't have wanted to keep him for long anyway,” Ginny said. “I'm sure he'd have found a way to annoy them even while unconscious.”

Harry laughed and immediately swallowed a mouthful of water.

Ginny laughed at him. “See? My point exactly.” 

She splashed him and he splashed her back.

Soon they were splashing each other and  racing towards the wooden jetty’s pillar. Ginny reached it first by several metres.

“What you're doing isn't swimming,” she informed him. “It's floating and trying not to drown.”

“Yeah? And how did you get so good at swimming, Miss Perfect?”

“Growing up in the countryside helped.”

“Well, growing up in a cupboard under the stairs certainly didn't help me.”

The words escaped before Harry could stop them and Ginny stared at him for a moment. He thought he saw a dismay in her eyes. For a second he thought he had made things awkward, but then she rolled her eyes.

“Oh no, Potter. You're not using pity to get out of this.”

Harry grinned.

“Right. Lesson one.”

Before he could ask what lesson one was, Ginny swam behind him.

“Float.”

“I am floating.”

“Barely.”

Harry opened his mouth to argue, but Ginny shoved a hand between his shoulder blades and pushed him flat onto the water.

“Hey!”

“Relax.”

“I'm relaxed.”

Harry stopped moving and immediately drifted more easily.

“See?” Ginny said.

For the next several minutes she showed him how to move his arms and legs properly.

“No, not like that.”

“I'm doing exactly what you said.”

“Alright. Watch.”

Ginny demonstrated a few strokes before swimming back towards him.

“Now you try.”

Harry copied the movement. To his surprise, it actually worked.

It turned out he really couldn't swim.

“There you go,” Ginny said.

“I'm brilliant. Look, I'm swimming!”

She moved closer and adjusted the position of his arm.

“Congratulations. Now remember your elbows.”

They were treading water only a few inches apart and paused for a moment to catch their breath. Ginny could barely touch the bottom there, so she rested her hands on Harry's shoulders to steady herself.

They were very close now. Harry found the droplets clinging to her eyelashes strangely fascinating.

He was fairly certain Ginny noticed him noticing. Something strange seemed to settle between them. 

Ginny cleared her throat and quickly removed her hands from his shoulders.

“Your elbow,” she said. “Wrong position.”

Harry immediately attempted another stroke and nearly dunked himself underwater.

Ginny burst out laughing and the strange moment vanished at once.

Harry found himself thinking about it often in the months to come.

Later, he and Ginny sat on the jetty with their feet dangling above the water, eating the sandwiches Mrs Weasley had packed for them.

The giant unicorn floated nearby and Ron and Hermione were still sprawled across it, apparently deep in conversation.

“Look at those idiots in love,” Ginny said, nodding towards them.

“What?”

“Do you think they know they're in love with each other?”

“WHAT?”

“Harry, I know your eyesight isn't the best, but you can't possibly be that blind.”

Harry looked back at Ron and Hermione. “Do you really think they're in love?”

He had always assumed that, eventually, his two best friends would end up together. Somehow that had always seemed inevitable.

But being in love? That was a line Harry preferred not to think about crossing.

Still, now that Ginny had pointed it out, he couldn't stop noticing things.

Harry had caught them flirting a few times that summer, though it had always been subtle enough to pass as their usual bickering.

“Yes,” Ginny said confidently. “They definitely are.”

Harry looked at them again. Ron had just said something that made Hermione laugh so hard she nearly slid off the unicorn.

Maybe Ginny had a point.

That day by the lake became something of a turning point for Harry.

Not only did it give him a new perspective on Ron and Hermione's relationship, but it seemed to settle something between him and Ginny, too.

They spent most of that summer competing against each other and laughing about it.

They fooled around, played stupid games, flew together in the orchard and ate impossible amounts of Mrs Weasley's homemade ice cream.

They did chores together, swam together and spent entire afternoons doing absolutely nothing important.

Harry felt happier than he had in a very long time. Everything felt so wonderfully ordinary.  He was simply spending time with the people he loved most.

Sometimes he thought he was too happy. There wasn't a single day when he didn't think about Sirius. And sometimes, when he caught himself laughing, Harry felt guilty.

Because Sirius would never laugh again.

There was one day when that thought hit Harry particularly hard.

They had just finished another game of Quidditch, and for the first time all summer Harry realised he hadn't thought about Sirius for hours.

And somehow that felt even worse than thinking about him.

How could he forget?

He was sitting alone in the orchard, absent-mindedly pulling blades of grass from the ground and worrying.

All the summer bliss vanished in an instant.

"Harry! There you are. We've been looking for you. Dinner's ready."

It was Ginny. She must have been running through the orchard looking for him because she was slightly out of breath.

"Oh. I'm not hungry."

"Are you sure? Mum made your favourite."

"I'm sure." Perhaps his tone was harsher than he intended because Ginny looked surprised.

"Are you okay, Harry?"

"Perfect."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

She considered him for a moment. "Okay. I'll save you some scraps before Ron eats everything."

Harry was glad she didn't push. He thought they had developed a sort of understanding over the summer.

When she turned to leave, he suddenly realised he didn't actually want her to go.

"Ginny, wait."

She stopped and turned around. Harry patted the grass beside him and Ginny sat down without a word.

"I miss him too, Harry." She said quietly, after a moment of silence.

Harry stared at her. How did she know?

"It's about Sirius, isn't it?" she asked.

"Yeah." He swallowed. "How did you know?"

"I just did."Ginny shrugged. "He was a great bloke, Sirius. We became pretty good friends at Grimmauld Place."

"Really?" Harry asked. "I didn't know that. I knew he liked you, of course."

"Yeah. We got quite close." Ginny pulled another blade of grass from the ground. "You know, we were both a bit unwanted there. I was the youngest and he was..." She smiled sadly. "Well, useless, as he always called himself."

Harry laughed, humorlessly.

"But he wasn't useless," Ginny continued. "He helped me a lot. And I'd like to think I helped him too. We weren't quite as lonely when we were together."

Harry felt a pang of guilt. How had he never known any of this?

"He let me try Firewhisky once," Ginny added with a laugh "Lupin was horrified."

That made Harry laugh a little.

"Then Tonks joined us and thought it was hilarious. Lupin kept adding water to my drink, so I didn't actually get drunk." She smiled at the memory. "It was a good night though. I felt like I belonged."

"That sounds exactly like Sirius."

They sat in comfortable silence. Ginny was playing with the blades of grass that she pulled out, clearly lost in her thoughts.

Finally Harry spoke.

"Sometimes I think I'm too happy."

"What do you mean?"Ginny looked at him.

"I'm having a great time here. And I miss him, every day. But I'm still having fun. Sometimes I forget for a few hours and then I feel guilty because I shouldn't be happy."

"Harry, you've done enough grieving for several lifetimes. Bsides, Sirius would've loved seeing you like this."

"I know."Harry looked away. "But it's my fault he died."

"What I'm about to say might sound harsh." Ginny spoke with a gentle voice and Harry waited.

"I think Sirius knew exactly what he was doing. He chose to go after you. He chose to fight. He knew the risks."

Harry felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes.

"I don't think he regretted it for a second."

Ginny looked down at her hands.

"He died protecting someone he loved."

Harry blinked rapidly and Ginny pretended not to notice. He was glad.

"It wasn't fair," she said. "It was horrible. But I don't think he'd want you sitting here punishing yourself forever."

What she said was unexpectedly sobering. Because she was right. If Sirius had been given a choice, he would have gone exactly that way.

Fighting.

It hurt to admit it, but she was right.

"Sirius would be glad you're happy," Ginny said quietly. "I think that's all he ever wanted for you."

"He'd have had a blast with us this summer, wouldn't he?"Harry laughed weakly.

The image immediately appeared in his mind.

Sirius racing them on brooms, cheating shamelessly at every game, knocking them off the inflatable unicorn.

Sirius laughing.

"Yeah," Ginny said, smiling. "He would've. So let's make this summer worth it. For him." Ginny nudged his shoulder.

Harry looked at her and a smile finally appeared on his face.

He stood and held out a hand. "Let's go eat dinner then."

"Good idea. Ron really might eat all of it."Ginny took it and let him pull her to her feet.

Together they started walking back towards the Burrow.

Harry glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Ginny had really become his greatest source of comfort.

Ron and Hermione were there for him too, of course. They always were and Harry knew they always will, but with Ginny everything felt different.

And once again, Harry found himself cursing Dean Thomas.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

So, yes. If Harry had to choose the moment it all began, he would say it was that summer.

The summer he fell for Ginny Weasley.

For her oversized T-shirt and freckles. For swimming lessons in the lake and battles over an inflatable unicorn. For her comforting words when he needed them most and her painfully clever jokes when he didn't know he needed those too.

Granddad had enchanted the car so that if someone pressed the funny little button it turned invisible. Granddad was definitely the coolest granddad ever. 

When they took off, James pressed his face against the window immediately. Houses and roads got smaller and smaller underneath them as they flew higher and higher. Everything looked like toys. Clouds drifted past and Al kept making loud whooshing noises while Lily giggled, which made Mum and Dad laugh too.

James thought they got to London much too quickly because flying was great and he liked watching the world from above.

But the moment they walked through the zoo gates, he wondered why they hadn’t come sooner.

Everything smelled funny and exciting at the same time. There were children everywhere and strange noises coming from every direction. James nearly exploded with excitement.

They hurried from one enclosure to another because Al wanted to see monkeys, and then penguins, and then elephants, and then something else five seconds later. He didn’t complain, because he wanted to see everything too.

After a while James noticed that Mum and Dad had fallen behind as he and Al were running around. He turned around and saw them walking together, holding hands. They were glancing their way all the time (though James thought he didn’t need any supervision anymore, being seven), but obviously busy with each other.

Adults were weird. Why were they holding hands if they were grown ups? They surely wouldn’t get lost.

They were smiling at each other about something and laughing. Mummy kept leaning into Daddy when she laughed and Daddy looked at her like she’d just said the funniest thing in the world. That’s true, Mummy was a funny person and liked joking, but she wasn’t that funny.

He also noticed, just now, that Daddy had Lily sitting on his shoulders.

Lily was holding onto his messy hair and squealing every time he bounced her a little and James suddenly decided that his feet hurt and he wanted to be carried too.

“Sorry, mate,” Dad said when James asked, “but I think you’re a bit too big for that now.” 

That wasn’t fair. Daddy still carried Al sometimes. And sure, James was seven and big and practically an adult, but he wasn’t that big.

“I want my bicycle then. Mummy, can you summon my bicycle from home?”

“I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

James frowned. His feet really did hurt now.

And if he had his bicycle he’d be faster too. He could show off to Al that he could finally ride on two wheels properly. Uncle Dudley had given him the bike for his birthday. Daddy didn’t like Uncle Dudley very much for some reason, but Uncle Dudley always bought him and Al and Lily brilliant presents, so James didn’t really understand what all the complaining was about.

“Can you summon my broom then? I like flying better anyway, and my feet really hurt.”

“James!” Mum scolded immediately because a lady standing near the Terrarium queue looked over at them.

Then Mum smiled brightly at the woman. “Honestly, you and your imagination,” she said, shaking her head.

The lady laughed and Mum and Dad both gave him that look.

Then Daddy snorted, laughed anyway, and ruffled James’s hair. Daddy really liked ruffling his hair.

“Look, look! A snake! Let’s go see the snake!” Al grabbed James by the hand and pulled him toward an enclosure with a huge snake inside.

“Boys! Look, a crocodile!” Mummy called after them. “Come on, let’s go see the crocodiles!”

“Mummy,” James said, scandalised, “there’s a giant snake and you want to look at some lizard?”

“Well—”

James saw Mum and Dad exchange a look and roll their eyes, but they followed him and Al anyway.

The snake was the biggest snake James had ever seen. Not that he’d seen many snakes before.

He pressed himself closer to the glass.

“What does it say, Dad? Boa... what?”

“Constrictor.”

“Cool!”

James thought it looked brilliant. Mummy and Daddy, however, didn’t seem nearly as impressed. Mum actually looked like she was standing a bit farther away than usual and Dad looked slightly disgusted.

Then Dad suddenly tilted his head. “Did you hear that, Gin?”

Mum frowned. “Hear what?”

Dad looked around thoughtfully.

“I could’ve sworn I heard someone say they wanted to visit family in Burma.”

“What?”

“I’m serious. I definitely heard—”

Mum stared at him and then she groaned.

“Oh— Harry!”

She nudged him with her elbow and shook her head.

“That is not funny!” But Mummy laughed anyway.

James had absolutely no idea what was funny about it. His parents had loads of weird inside jokes though, so he decided not to think about it too much.

After they left Terrarium James’s feet actually did hurt. Not because he had made it up earlier, but this time they really hurt.

They had seen monkeys and giant snake and flamingos and tigers and elephants and seals and lots of other things. Too many brilliant things.

Even Al had finally stopped running around. Which was how James knew everybody was tired.

“Right,” Dad announced at last, stretching his arms. “Ice cream and then home?”

“YES!” James and Al shouted immediately.

Even Lily yelled ice cweam!

They sat down near a little stand with benches while Dad went to buy the ice cream.

James leaned against Mum and looked around happily. The sun was lower now and everything looked golden. Mum looked tired too, but in a happy way. Dad came back balancing an impossible number of cones.

“How are you carrying all those?” Mum asked suspiciously.

“You know that I’m exceptionally talented,” Dad said immediately.

Mum narrowed her eyes. “Harry.”

“What?”

“Harry.”

Dad grinned. James noticed Dad quickly slipping his wand back into his pocket. Adults cheated all the time.

James got chocolate and vanilla because choosing only one flavour was stupid. Al somehow managed to get more ice cream on his face than in his mouth and Lily kept trying to steal bites from everyone. Dad ended up giving her most of his anyway.

On the way back to the car park, James walked between Mum and Dad while Al dragged his feet and complained that he was too tired to walk another step.

Soon everyone was buckled into the car and Dad pressed the little button. James still thought that was the coolest thing ever.

The car gave a little bump and suddenly they were in the air again.

Everything underneath them was orange and gold and tiny lights were beginning to appear below. James rested his cheek against the window and thought that he couldn’t wait to tell Teddy that he had seen the biggest snake ever. Probably the biggest snake in the world.

Dad and Mum were talking quietly in the front for a while, but then Dad turned on the radio and suddenly they both started singing along loudly.

James thought his parents were absolutely terrible singers. But he didn’t say anything because they looked like they were having so much fun.

James didn’t know how Al and Lily had managed to fall asleep with Mum and Dad singing so loudly. James wasn’t sleepy at all.

Not even a little. Well… Maybe he could pretend to be asleep later. Then Dad would have to carry him from the car into the house. That sounded like a brilliant plan.

So James closed his eyes. Just to practise pretending.

Dad and Mum were still talking and laughing between songs and James listened.

Then he heard:

“I love you.”

“Love you too.”

That was the last thing James heard before he couldn’t fight his heavy eyelids anymore.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

That day the Potter family discussed very lively what to get Lily for her 14th birthday. Al suggested another cat.

“Well, it’s not a Hippogriff, is it?”

James suggested sending her on a long trip abroad for the whole summer (just so he wouldn’t have to listen to her constantly talking for once in his life).

“What about the Delacours in Paris? They really like her, I’m sure they’d take her in! And it’s Paris. She’d love it.”

Ginny had no idea, and Harry had even less.

What do you get a child who already has everything?

Lily Luna was, in fact, the perfect future Magizoologist. She had loved magical creatures and thrived around them since she was little, and he and Ginny were very proud of her.

Even though she had a fierce and impetuous character, she was also very gentle and warm.

Harry thought that she would be great at taking care of her own pet Hippogriff, just like she did with all the pets they already owned, but he couldn’t really allow it in his house.

There was another thing — Harry couldn’t resist his daughter.

He was like that with all of his kids, but the boys were different, and Lily… was Lily. His little Lily.

When he saw her for the first time — a tiny bundle with red fuzz on her head and her mother’s big brown eyes — he knew in that moment he would do anything for her.

So was getting her a Hippogriff really such a bad idea?

The longer he thought about it, the more convinced he became.

“Gin, I was thinking about that Hippogriff business,” he told his wife when they were already in bed.

“Mhm?” Ginny was almost asleep.

“Let’s do it.”

“Excuse me?” She immediately opened her eyes and sat up, staring at her husband.

“Let’s get a Hippogriff.” Under Ginny’s gaze, Harry wasn’t so sure anymore, but he continued anyway.

“Harry, I know you’d do anything for her, but she can’t have everything she wants.”

“Why?”

“Because we’re doing a really hard job making sure our kids aren’t spoiled. And she literally wants a magical beast. Harry, no.”

“Okay, you’re right.” He nodded in understanding.

“Silly.” Ginny laughed and kissed him goodnight.

He lay wide awake for a long time.

Until he met the Weasleys, he had never received a present for any occasion, so spoiling his kids seemed really fun.

All his childhood he had been love-starved, malnourished, and abused by his own closest family. When he found out he was going to be a father for the first time, he was scared — scared that he would somehow, accidentally turn into the Dursleys, even though he never had it in him and couldn’t even imagine treating his own children the way he had been treated.

So when he became a father, he promised himself he would do the best he could.

He was going to get Lily that Hippogriff.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

“Okay, eat your breakfasts and get ready.” Harry was sitting in a birthday hat. A mountain of pancakes topped with number 14 candles stood in the middle of the table, and everyone was very cheerful — especially Lily, since it was her birthday.

“But we’re going to the Burrow in the afternoon. Uncle Ron said the birthday barbecue will be at five.” Lily was looking at the new bracelet she had received from her brothers.

“We’re not going to the Burrow now. It’s a surprise.” Harry poured everyone coffee and tea and encouraged them to eat.

Ginny looked at him, subtly asking what was on his mind. Over the years they had mastered the art of communicating with a single glance.

“It’s a surprise.”

Lily gasped and immediately started devouring her breakfast.

After the meal, Harry led them to the Portkey — an old oil canister he had fixed for their trip.

They landed on a huge meadow.

“Okay, Lily, close your eyes and take my arm.”

Lily giggled and did as she was told. She could hardly stand still from excitement.

Ginny was still wondering what was going on, but she was excited too.

Soon they reached an enclosure full of many colourful, winged beasts.

Hippogriffs.

Ginny and the boys stood quietly, amused, but didn’t say anything so they wouldn’t spoil Lily’s surprise.

“You can open your eyes now.”

Lily opened her eyes and squealed, looking excitedly at her parents.

“You can choose your own Hippogriff. Happy birthday, Lils.” Harry grinned as Lily stared at him, her mouth wide open.

“For real?”

“For real.”

Lily squealed again but quickly regained her composure when she remembered not to scare the beasts.

She opened the gate and carefully stepped inside.

She bowed low to every Hippogriff in the pen, and every one of them seemed very calm in her presence. The Potters stayed back — they didn’t want to overwhelm the animals.

“Dad! Wow! Cool,” Al said, grinning, and James gave him an approving high five.

Harry was almost afraid to look at Ginny, but when he did she was smiling.

“I knew you’d do something like that. Let’s just hope she doesn’t start asking for Blast-Ended Skrewts next year.” Ginny grabbed his arm, and they stood together, waiting for Lily to choose her pet.

── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──

“Everything is settled with the owner. Of course he’ll have to stay here, but you can visit him anytime. And they’ll take good care of him here,” Harry said, petting the feathery back of the snowy white Hippogriff Lily had chosen.

He was a very good-natured creature, which Lily had christened Angel. He seemed to like the whole family, but he was completely taken with Lily, who was feeding him at that moment.

“Can I fly on him?” Lily asked, not taking her eyes off her birthday gift.

“Er… sure.”

Ginny sent Harry a look.

“When you’ve practised, of course,” he added quickly.

“Thanks, Dad. You’re the best.” Lily threw her arms around her father’s neck and kissed his cheek.

Harry’s heart swelled, and he felt incredibly happy.

His eyes met Ginny’s and, once again, they communicated without words.

We’re really lucky.

So when the opportunity arose after a particularly good practice, after Ron, driven by his breakup with Lav-Lav, left immediately to join Hermione, who had been watching their game, Harry decided to take his chance.

He took a quick shower and went to the captain’s office to check something, but really he just stood by the window, waiting to see Ginny heading back toward the castle.

He heard her laughter in the distance, which meant she had already left the changing rooms. A moment later, he caught a glimpse of her bright hair. She was walking with Demelza and Katie. Harry hoped they’d be easier to get rid of than Ron.

He stepped out of the office and pretended to tie his shoelaces until Ginny and the girls drew level with him.

It’s now or never.

“Ginny!” he called, a little too loudly. All three girls stopped.

“Oh, I thought you left with Ron and Hermione,” she said, smiling at him. Polite. Too polite. Harry felt a flicker of panic. It was dangerously close to turning into small talk, and he couldn’t let that happen.

“I actually wanted to, er, talk to you about something. Alone.” He summoned all the confidence he had buried somewhere deep inside, though it came out a bit too much like I’m your Quidditch captain and this is important.

Ginny’s eyes widened slightly. He had never, ever told her off before, and for a horrible second he thought it might’ve sounded like that.

“See you at dinner, then,” Demelza said quickly, grabbing Katie by the arm. Harry could’ve sworn he saw her wink at Ginny, who blushed faintly.

“Should I be scared?” Ginny asked once they were alone.

“What? Er, why?”

“Was I awful today?”

“What? No! No, no, no! You were brilliant! I mean, you played brilliantly, as usual.” He could feel himself blushing now, every bit of confidence draining away.

“Sooo… what is it?” she asked, and they started walking slowly toward the castle.

Harry briefly considered offering to carry her broom, but thought better of it. Ginny would probably hex him.

“I wanted to ask you…” he began, swallowing hard, but the rest of the sentence vanished completely as she looked at him with those wide, expectant brown eyes.

“…if practice doesn’t clash with your, uh, revising. You’ve got O.W.L.s coming up.”

“Oh! No, it’s fine, really.” She looked at him with her brow furrowed in amusement.

He felt like an absolute idiot.

“Good. I wouldn’t want you to neglect your studies.”

Ginny snorted with laughter.

“I think you’ve officially lost it, Harry. You spend too much time with my brother and Hermione.”

He ruffled his hair nervously and let out a weak laugh at his own stupidity. Brilliant. Just brilliant.

“Anyway,” she went on, swinging her broom idly, “I’m not the only one with exams. Why don’t you ask Demelza too?” Her tone was suspiciously playful now, like she found the whole situation highly entertaining.

“Don’t tell anyone,” he said, lowering his voice conspiratorially, “but you’re kind of a V.I.P.”

“Oh yeah? And why’s that?” She stopped walking and leaned on her broom, smirking at him.

And there it was, the teasing that always crept into their conversations. If he had any sense, he’d play along properly.

Instead, he was himself.

“Because you’re my mate.”

Too late. The words were already out.

What the hell was that?

Ginny burst out laughing. “Thanks! It’s an honour, really.”

“I meant you’re my best friend’s sister, I mean you’re my friend too, of course, actually you’re like a sister to me—”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Shit. Absolutely fucking brilliant.

How did he go from wanting to ask her out to calling her his sister?

“I mean, yeah, that makes sense.” Ginny nodded slowly, as if seriously considering it. “Thanks, bro. You don’t have to worry about me, though.” She laughed, bumped her shoulder into his, and then started up toward the castle.

Ugh.

Harry facepalmed and hurried after her. Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Now he’d have to wait for another perfect moment. At this rate, he might actually need Felix Felicis next time.

“So,” she began when he caught up and fell into step beside her, “I really don’t know how you did it last year. Passing your O.W.L.s with Umbridge breathing down your neck, everything going on all the time, and leading the D.A. on top of that. Mental.”

“Well, it wasn’t exactly relaxing,” Harry said. “I did fall asleep during one of the exams.”

Ginny giggled and Harry felt his heart melt all over again. He loved her laugh, loved making her laugh, especially when he didn’t even mean to. He had studied every kind of her laughter since the summer, and the one she had just let out was definitely his favorite. He glanced at her with what must have been a very blurry and stupid look.

Her cheeks were a little flushed, maybe slightly sunburned, strands of damp hair still clinging to her face. The evening light caught the copper in it. She walked with that easy confidence of hers, broom slung casually over her shoulder. It seemed like flying had left some permanent trace in the way she moved, light, balanced, and completely sure of herself.

“You’ll pass, all right, Ginny. You’re smart and funny and—”

“Funny?” She stopped short and turned to him, staring. “And how exactly is being funny going to help me pass any exam?”

“It’s important,” he said defensively, though a grin tugged at his mouth. “Confidence is very important.”

“Confidence,” she repeated, nodding solemnly. “Right. Why am I even revising? I’ll just charm the examiners into passing me.”

“You probably could,” he muttered.

Ginny’s eyes narrowed slightly, but there was a spark of amusement. “Careful, Potter. Sounds like you’re suggesting I rely on something other than brains.”

“I’m just saying,” he said, matching her tone despite the way his heart had started beating faster, “you’ve got… advantages.”

“Oh?” She took a small step closer, tilting her head. “Go on, then.”

He immediately regretted everything.

“I didn’t mean, I just meant—”

The last thing he wanted was for her to think he believed she was stupid and could only rely on her humour and looks. That wasn’t what he meant, but his brain felt like mashed potato right now.

“That I’m charming?” she offered sweetly.

“Yes, no, I mean yes, but not like—” He stopped, exhaling sharply. “You’re doing this on purpose!”

“Maybe,” she said, smiling just enough to make it dangerous.

He relaxed a bit. She wasn’t cross with him.

They started walking again. The castle loomed closer, but neither of them seemed in much of a hurry.

Harry risked another glance at her. The teasing expression was still there, luckily.

It’s now or never.

He got rid of Voldemort when he was just one year old. He surely could ask a girl he fancied on a date…

“Ginny, I—”

“Hmm?” she said, looking at him with an expression he didn’t quite recognize. Curiosity, perhaps. Expectation, maybe.

It’s now or never.

He grabbed her arm to stop her and didn’t let go. The skin of his palm burned at the contact. Her big, beautiful hazel eyes searched his face, a soft smile tugging at her lips, one eyebrow raised in question.

“I was wondering if you’d maybe want to—”

“Harry!”

Bloody hell.

He let go of her quickly, and he thought he saw a hint of disappointment on her face.

“I just remembered something about that feint we tried today and I couldn’t wait to tell you! I was looking everywhere for you,” Ron said, then stopped, clearly noticing Harry’s expression. “Why are you looking at me like that? Why were you taking so long anyway? Were you laughing at me again?” He narrowed his eyes in the exact same way his sister always did.

“Yes, Ron, we were talking about you, because you’re the center of the universe,” Ginny said, clearly irritated. Harry was strangely pleased to see it. It meant she had wanted to hear him. “We were discussing Harry’s excellent study techniques.”

Ron frowned. “His what?”

Harry stared straight ahead.

Harry snorted. “Look, I don’t want to be the reason you fail your O.W.L.s, so at least try to focus.” He picked up her Potions book again and glanced down at it. “Or maybe I should call Hermione to help you study?” he asked mischievously.

Ginny’s eyes flew open. “Oh no, you wouldn’t!”

Harry’s grin widened instantly. “Wouldn’t I?”

He started to push himself up from the grass when Ginny suddenly sat upright and practically launched herself at him.

“Harry!”

Caught off guard, he fell back slightly and his shoulders bumped against the tree trunk behind him.

“Oi—”

Somehow, in her attempt to stop him, Ginny had ended up sitting across his lap, one hand still gripping the front of his robes.

Then a slow smile spread across Ginny’s face.

“I don’t think you’d like Hermione seeing this…”

“Seeing wh—”

Ginny leaned forward before he could finish. The kiss caught him completely by surprise.

Then he smiled against her lips, one hand finding her waist as he kissed her back.

Several long moments later Ginny pulled back just enough to look at him with a very satisfied expression.

“There,” she said smugly. “Still want to get Hermione?”

Harry looked at the forgotten Potions book lying several feet away.

“No.”

Now Harry was kissing her with even more passion than before, one hand tangled in her hair while the other rested at her waist.

If he had to compare kissing Ginny to something, he’d probably say it was like flying. The rush of excitement, the lightness in his chest, the feeling of forgetting everything else around for a few perfect moments.

Actually, no. Flying wasn’t even close. Flying had never made him feel like this.

Harry had spent most of his life avoiding touch rather than seeking it out. At the Dursleys’, affection simply hadn’t existed. No comforting hugs, no careless touches, no hands ruffling his hair lovingly when he was younger. Even at Hogwarts, before Ginny, he’d never really realised how starved he’d been for simple closeness until someone finally gave it to him freely. 

There was something about Ginny that completely undid him. Maybe it was the way she smiled against his lips, or how naturally she fit beside him or how every small touch somehow felt perfect. Whatever it was, being with her awakened feelings he hadn’t even known existed.

And right now, with the warm sunlight filtering through the leaves overhead and Ginny sitting on his lap, feeling her heartbeat against him, the pressure of her chest on his and being aware of every inch of her body, Harry felt that rush all over again.

Every touch, every breath they shared every time she grabbed his hand or bit his lip or slipped her tongue in his mouth he felt like he’d melt into a puddle of pleasure and love.

It was no different now. And, being a human being and a man, sometimes what you felt could show in a not so obvious way. Like now for example.

“Oh—”

Harry pulled back slightly and pushed Ginny away so she was now sitting lower on his legs.

He looked away immediately, feeling his cheeks burning . He suddenly found the grass beside them incredibly interesting.

They’d only been together for two weeks. Even if it already felt natural somehow and though they snogged, like, all the time, there were still moments that were new. Moments where Harry still had no idea what he was supposed to do.

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

He was certain she could’ve felt him getting hard.

She looked at him puzzled, maybe a little offended. 

“What’s wrong?” There was a hint of worry in her voice.

“Nothing i just—”

The way she was sitting now, level with his calves, gave him an even better view of her. Somewhere during their studying session she had undone the first two buttons of her shirt because of the heat, and the pale skin of her cleavage showed slightly, creating a very interesting path towards her breasts. He was good at exploring hidden and forbidden paths. 

Her skirt had ridden up enough to reveal more of her thighs as they held his legs between them.

The view definitely wasn’t helping his situation. If anything, it was making it worse. He felt his pants getting so tight it hurt. And they were Dudley’s old denims so…

He didn’t answer, only stared at her, convinced he looked absolutely ridiculous. He glanced down at his (not so little) problem and Ginny’s gaze followed his.

Her eyes widened slightly and Harry closed his own in embarrassment.

She’s gonna run away. She won’t let me touch her again.

“Harry,” she said softly, but he still didn’t dare look at her.

“Look at me.” She tilted his jaw gently with her hand, and he finally opened his eyes to see Ginny trying not to smile. She was amused.

“I’m so sorry, Ginny. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything. I—”

“Uncomfortable?” she repeated, a laugh slipping into her voice before her expression softened. “Harry, why would you think that?”

“Er— I dunno. I just don’t want you to think I’m creepy or something.”

“Creepy?” Ginny stared at him in disbelief. “Harry, honestly, if anything it’s a compliment. We’re making out! Do you think I’m not horny because of you?”

Harry stared at her with his mouth opened. Horny. Ginny Weasley was horny for him.

He’d spent the whole school year dreaming about things like this, so part of him genuinely wondered whether he’d fallen asleep under the tree and imagined the whole thing. 

Ginny shifted so she was sitting on his lap again, her hips around his. His hardness pressing into her.

She smiled at him and kissed him softly and slowly on the lips.

“If this is making you uncomfortable, we can stop,” she whispered when she pulled away.

“Uncomfortable?” Harry repeated weakly, feeling completely dizzy with arousal. “Ginny, I’m a bit too comfortable.”

Ginny giggled, and that was honestly the end of him. He loved when she giggled. He slid a hand to the back of her neck and kissed her again. Feverish and desperate.

They pulled apart breathing heavily. 

“If this is making you uncomfortable—” Harry started, his voice hoarse and vision blurred.

“Harry, shut up.” She breathed and putting her hands around his neck pulled him to herself, their mouths crashing, their tongues sliding over each other and breathy moans escaping their mouths in turns.

Ginny shifted even closer to him and he tangled his hands into her sweet-smelling hair that intoxicated his senses. She rolled her hips a bit and a moan escaped Harry’s mouth.

He got red on his face again, even redder than he already was and Ginny smiled against his mouth. She rolled her hips again. 

Oh, she enjoyed torturing him.

Harry’s hands slid from her back, traced her bare thighs and reached under her skirt squeezing her bottom. He could feel the lace of her panties.

They stopped kissing just to look at each other, asking a silent permission with their eyes. 

For a second Harry thought he went too far again, but then she was literally sitting on his boner so he decided that maybe he didn’t go far enough.

The looks they gave each other were intense, Ginny was burning him with her foggy look.

She began unbuttoning her shirt still holding his gaze.

Bloody fucking hell.

He squeezed her arse again before quickly reaching for the buttons of her shirt and took her hands away. She looked at him a little shyly, perhaps thinking that he didn’t want to see her tits. Of course he fucking wanted to.

That’s why he continued to unbutton it himself. She bit her lower lip in a smile and reached for the buttons of his shirt.

They never let each other’s gaze and when they were all unbuttoned Ginny traced her hands over his bare torso sending goosebumps all over him and the last drops of the blood in his brain down.

She kissed him briefly, just to go lower and kiss his neck and then his chest. Her kisses were featherlight, testing and a bit uncertain, but enough to melt him completely. They crossed over to completely new territory.

He loved the way she was kissing him, but if he didn’t want to literally burst he needed her to stop. He was dangerously close.

He took her hands from his chest into his and brought them up to his lips. He kissed them and then kissed her lips and then the spot behind her ear that he already learned she loved to have kissed. His hands started roaming under her shirt. First he caressed her back, but then his hands reached her front. He traced his hand over her fit stomach and then between her breasts. She arched to him, evidently wanting more and allowing him to go further.

She slipped the strap of her bra from one arm and he swallowed loudly. She took his palm and put it on one of her breasts.

He took a risk of pushing the bra away. He stared at her naked breast in complete awe.

He was sure he’d come in his pants right here, right now.

She bit her lip again and he cupped the swell of her breast. It fit perfectly in his palm. He stroked her nipple with his thumb and it hardened even more.

Ginny’s cheeks were flushed and the blush crept onto her neckline too.

She roamed her hand over his chest again and reached lower to his belt and—

The loud bell rang announcing the classes.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

They both jumped, suddenly pulled back to reality from their little private heaven.

They stared at each other for a moment, the heavy tension between them almost tangible.

Then they both laughed nervously as Ginny adjusted her bra  and began buttoning up her shirt again. Harry did the same, though far more reluctantly.

“Maybe I should just skip this lesson,” she said, her voice still slightly shaky.

Yes, please do.

“No,” Harry said, despite what his mind — or his cock— was telling him. “You know you can’t skip it, Gin.”

“Yeah, I know, but—” Ginny sighed before reaching over to straighten his tie playfully. “I really enjoyed our revision today.”

“Me too.” Harry laughed softly and took her hand in his, intertwining their fingers. “Maybe you’d like to revise some more today?” he asked with a smirk.

“Meet me in the library later,” she replied immediately.

“I’ll pick you up after Herbology?”

“Oh, please do.”

She kissed him one last time, gathered her things, and stood up. Harry instantly felt strangely cold without her warmth against him.

“See you later. And I’m not kissing you again right now, because I genuinely won’t be able to stop. Bye!” she said quickly before hurrying towards the castle.

Harry laughed quietly to himself, still unable to believe what had just happened.