1977

Severus looked up as a familiar shadow fell over his textbook. Lily was watching him, her green eyes intense; her slender fingers wound tightly together. Severus stood, the respect automatic, drilled into him since his very early childhood.

“Are you all right?” he asked, his voice deep with concern. She continued to stare at him as though she was trying to figure out why he was in the library, where he always was on Saturday afternoons. His eyes narrowed in sudden suspicion. “Did Potter do something to you?” he demanded, his fingers curling at his sides. But Lily shook her head quickly, still looking rather dazed.

“Can we go somewhere else?” she asked, the words coming out in a rush. Confused, but perfectly willing to comply, Severus nodded.

“Of course, Lily.” She waited with barely concealed impatience while Severus swept his books into his bag and adjusted the strap quickly over his shoulder. Lily was fairly twitching when he stepped to her side. Severus put the requisite distance between them, but as they walked through the corridors, Lily seemed to be moving closer to him, and by the time they reached the third floor corridor, their arms were brushing together.

Severus followed Lily into the Room of Requirement once the door materialized in the wall. She was standing very close so he took a step back from her, refusing to allow his mind to wander down paths where it did not belong. Severus’ dark eyes widened when Lily moved with him.

What is she doing?

But of course, she could have no idea what she was doing to him; what reactions the nearness of her body were eliciting in him. He pushed the heat down. After the day when Lily had almost ended their friendship during their fifth year, Severus had vowed that he would never do anything to hurt Lily again. And this would hurt her. She was his friend, nothing more. She had made it perfectly plain, on more than one occasion, though Severus had never attempted to explain the depth of his feelings for her.

“You love me, don’t you?” she asked abruptly, her eyes locked with his as she studied him curiously. Severus stared down at her, too surprised to speak.

How had she known? He had been so careful. Even as boys paraded themselves around her, flirting with his Lily, he had been her friend throughout, not even batting an eye when she’d told him two days earlier that she had finally agreed to a date with James Potter.

“James kissed me,” Lily went on when Severus didn’t answer.

Severus’ heart squeezed painfully at the soft words. Why was she telling him this? And then his breath caught in his throat. Lily’s hand was on his chest. She moved closer until her breasts were pressed against his shirt. He felt the heat coursing up his neck again and he tried desperately to push it back down.

“And I wished,” she continued softly, “while he was kissing me … that I was kissing you instead.”

Her breasts, soft through the thin cotton of her shirt pressed more firmly against his’ chest. “Lily…” He tried to move away once more, but his head was cloudy with sensation. And then his eyes widened and he gaped down at her. Her green eyes were huge, filled with expectation—with new and unexpected warmth.

“What did you say?” Severus breathed.

Lily smiled, making Severus’ heart pound erratically. Lily had never looked at him that way before. He had never seen her look at anybody that way before. Her fingers reached up to caress his cheek. “I think I’m in love with you, Sev.”

And for the first time in as long as he could remember, Severus was at a loss for words. “You think you...” he said slowly, dumbly as Lily’s fingers traced the line of his jaw, down to his mouth. She drew her thumb slowly across his lips.

“All day, when James and I were walking through Hogsmeade together, I kept thinking of you,” Lily went on, her fingers now trailing down his arm, “wondering what it would be like to hold your hand…”

Severus stared at his hand now as she traced designs over his palm; his breathing becoming shallower as she lifted it and placed it on her breast—over her quickening heartbeat.

“…what your lips would feel like … whether or not you’d lean down and push your chest against me…” Lily’s voice was huskier now, nearly breathless. And as she spoke, she slid her hands up Severus’ chest; Severus was frozen, his long fingers still nestling her quivering breast.

Shaking… Lily was shaking.

“… or if you’d pull me toward you, your fingers brushing my back…”

And they were; Severus’ fingertips pressed into the small dip just below her hips. His arms were drawing her closer instinctively; her breath warm against his chin. Her lips, so soft as his head bent to meet hers. He pulled her toward him until there was no more space between them.

Lily’s arms wound around his neck; her fingers were tangling in his long hair as her tongue surged past his lips. He welcomed her, murmuring low in his throat as sensations exploded along every centimeter of his body. He needed to be closer; his mouth needed more of the warmth of her tongue. More of everything Lily was offering.

But he forced his roaming fingers to stay against her back, ignoring his body’s protests. He moaned, unable to still the desire though as Lily’s hip brushed against him. Conditioned to expect Lily’s need for space between them, Severus stiffened and started to pull away, but Lily’s small body pressed forward, insistent.

“Lily…” he tried to say around her lips, but she didn’t let him speak. And he forgot why he even wanted to as she continued to kiss him.

--

1997

“You know you’re going to have to go home eventually,” Harry murmured as he let go of Ginny’s hair so that it cascaded over her shoulders and down her back.

She laughed. “Why? If anyone’s noticed I’m not in my bed, I’m going to be in trouble no matter when I leave.”

“They can’t have noticed, since your brothers haven’t cursed me yet.”

“My brothers are prats,” Ginny said, wrinkling her freckled nose as she shifted and Harry had to bite his lip as her leg brushed against his groin.

He leaned in to kiss her neck to hide the flush he could feel creeping into his cheeks. “I hope you aren’t expecting me to disagree,” he said, too gruffly but Ginny was too busy shivering at the feathered kisses to notice. Her fingers walked over the small patch of his chest that was exposed.

“Ron told me he apologized,” she said. “George said you were acting funny.”

Harry shrugged, trying to make his flesh behave but it was rather difficult when Ginny kept trailing her hand up and down his chest; playing with the buttons she hadn’t opened. “I couldn’t really focus on what they were saying.”

“It wasn’t your fault.”

Harry smiled against Ginny’s neck, even though it wasn’t funny. “I don’t think Ron will see it that way.”

“Well, he’d better,” Ginny said darkly.

Harry lifted his head. “They were only trying to protect you, you know,” he said, brushing a strand of hair away from her cheek. “Not that you need it.”

Ginny smiled as she shook her head. “You’re hopeless.”

“Yeah? Why’s that?” he asked as his hands planted on her hips, his fingers dipping just below her waistband; he liked the way it made her voice shake.

“You don’t have to … forgive them so easily…”

“Good point,” Harry said, still grinning from her reaction. He cared very little about Ginny’s brothers at the moment. “I’m going to the World Cup match tomorrow,” he told her; he tugged her hips forward and she dropped the button she was fiddling with to drape her arms around his neck again. “Want to come?”

“You don’t think Draco will mind?” she teased.

“Don’t care,” he said quietly and then they were silent for several minutes, their tongues busy with other things. When they broke apart, Harry pressed his cheek to hers and enjoyed the feel of her chest heaving against his.

“Hermione told me she isn’t going,” Ginny said when their breathing had slowed.

“She doesn’t have to do that.” Harry pulled back a little, frowning now. “Unless you don’t want her there?”

Ginny circled one of his ears with her fingertip and didn’t answer.

“You said you weren’t angry-”

“I’m not,” Ginny sighed. “I’m feeling rather idiotic-”

“You shouldn’t,” Harry told her firmly. “But she doesn’t have to come if it will make you uncomfortable.”

“Hermione’s my friend,” Ginny said quietly, though she sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than actually making a statement. “She feels awful enough already…” She shrugged. “I’ll Floo her before we have to leave … What time do we have to leave?”

“I love you, you know,” Harry said, smiling as a pleased flush crept into her cheeks. But then her smile faltered.

“Harry…”

“If you apologize again,” Harry interrupted with mock-severity, “I won’t loan you my cloak so you can sneak out of here.”

“Yes you will,” Ginny said, smiling as she kissed him again.

“You’re right; I will,” he agreed. What wouldn’t he do for her? “How did you even leave without someone hearing the Floo?”

“Silencing Charm … with Ron’s wand,” she told him with a grin.

“Mm … you’re brilliant.”

“And your dad didn’t even wake up either.”

Harry’s hands dropped from Ginny’s waist. His dad…

“What’s the matter?” Ginny ginger eyebrows came together. “He didn’t, Harry. I saw him in his bed when I came in.”

“He never sleeps through the Floo,” Harry told her, grimacing. “And he always knows who’s coming in.”

“You think he’ll be upset that I’m here?” Ginny asked, surprised.

Harry smiled despite the sudden spike of anxiety in his stomach. “Not a chance.”

“Then why are you making a face?”

“He can feel my emotions,” Harry reminded her. “Especially when I’m really happy… ”

Ginny flushed, her own lips twisting. “Don’t you have a way to turn that off?”

“Yeah … I had other things on my mind though.”

Ginny accepted his kiss before pulling away and shaking her head. “But if he knows we’re in here, why hasn’t he come in?”

Harry combed his fingers through her soft hair before answering seriously, “He’s been rather anxious for me to see you. And since I didn’t shut him out, I think he would realize if we had been … doing anything more serious.”

Ginny didn’t say anything as she threaded one of his buttons back through its hole.

“I didn’t mean to keep my shields down,” he said. “He wasn’t eavesdropping, if that’s what it sounds like. It’s not like that-”

Ginny’s eyes came up. “I wasn’t worried about that,” she said, smiling a little. “I’ve thought about you every single day … all day.”

Harry’s hands slid down Ginny’s sides, coming to rest again on her hips. He kept his hands away from her skin this time, but her breath hitched anyway.

“I know you wouldn’t run away if I was pregnant,” she said and even though Harry didn’t really want to re-hash this, Ginny obviously needed to, so he simply nodded. “I never thought that, though, Harry; not really. Hermione was a mess that day and I had this image in my head of me losing my head—like she did. I’ve been in love with you since I was eleven.” She laughed, though it was a nervous sound. “I know that sounds silly-”

“It doesn’t sound silly,” Harry assured her. If he had been paying any attention, he would have loved her too.

“It was me that I was frightened of,” she went on. “I didn’t trust me not to ruin everything. I couldn’t bear it if-” She shook her head, her lower lip caught between her teeth.

“Gin, I’m not going anywhere. Even when you want me to, I don’t,” he teased.

But instead of smiling along with his jest, Ginny took his face in between her small hands. “I don’t want you to go anywhere. I was stupid to even think it would help to be away from you.” He would have protested, but Ginny put a thumb over his lips. “And it was even stupider to think I’d want you less somehow.”

“You don’t?” he murmured, still not in the mood to be completely serious. She smirked.

“Do you think I let just anyone touch me like that?”

Instantly sobering, Harry scowled. “You’d better not.”

Ginny laughed, the sound making Harry feel happier than he had in weeks. She kissed him as she reached back to re-fasten her bra and then she caught his hands, still poised on her waist and pulled them to wrap around her back; she slipped hers around his neck again.

“I won’t,” she told him as she pressed her lips to his cheek. “And you keep your lips to yourself.”

It took Harry a moment to realize she was probably referring to Hermione. The entire incident made him want to crawl into a hole but he nodded anyway. “Next time a girl tries to kiss me, I’ll hex her,” he said solemnly; Ginny grinned.

“Good.” She was kissing him again after that and all thoughts of Hermione and anything else left his head. When they broke apart, Harry pulled her close, wanting to hold her for the rest of the night.

“Maybe no one will miss you in the morning,” he said against her ear.

“Hazard of being the only girl in the family.”

Harry sighed. “You’ll have to explain something when you tell them you want to come to the match with me,” he said as they untangled their limbs.

“I’ll just tell my dad and Ron I want to come with them.”

Harry shook his head though. “I don’t think it will help anything if you lie to them-”

“I’ll explain to Dad that I want to see you when we get there. He’ll let me,” she assured him.

“If you’re certain…”

Ginny stretched up and kissed him. “Absolutely. Dad adores you, you know. He didn’t want to go along with any of this but you know how Mum gets.”

Harry didn’t really want to say he did, so he settled for kissing Ginny once more before quietly opening the door. His father’s door was closed now, which made Harry’s stomach twist into knots. As quietly as he could, he walked Ginny to the Floo.

“I’ll meet you at the entrance to the stands,” he told her, pulling her in for another hug. “Ten o’clock.”

Ginny nodded and then into his ear, she whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Harry wasn’t particularly fond of the way his throat nearly closed over the words, but he didn’t think Ginny minded. She kissed him then, until the clock above the heads struck three o’clock.

Harry’s fingers traced her jaw again as she pulled away, reluctantly letting his hand fall a moment later. Smiling, Ginny stepped into the Floo and was whisked away.

He flapped a hand at Levi, who grumbled in an unappreciative sort of way and closed his eyes again. Deciding he was way too unlucky for his dad to have slept through the Floo—no matter what Ginny had said—Harry went back down the corridor slowly.

His father’s door was still closed. Narrowing his eyes, he realized that it was entirely possible that his dad wasn’t even here. He pushed the door open, making certain it didn’t creak at all. The room was dark; he squinted as he let his eyes adjust.

His dad was definitely in bed. Harry crept toward the still form as irrational fears zinged through his head. He looks like he was breathing anyway. Harry leaned down; peering closely at his father’s closed eyes, holding his own breath as he studied the relaxed face.

Severus’ eyes snapped open. “Problem?”

“Ah!” Harry gasped as he jerked back. “Don’t do that,” he breathed. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”

Severus’ lips quirked. “Did I?”

“I thought you were asleep,” Harry said as he sank onto the edge of the bed, his heart thumping in his chest.

Severus sent a spell toward the walls, illuminating the room as he sat up. “Why did you come in here then?” he asked, still looking amused.

“Er…”

“Wondering if I had been woken by the Floo?”

Harry scrubbed a hand over his still-tingling cheek. “You heard that, eh?”

Severus nodded. “That is all I heard however.”

Some of the tension left Harry’s shoulders. “You’re not angry, are you?” he asked, just in case.

His father raised an eyebrow. “Should I be? I assumed this visit was unplanned.”

Harry fiddled with his buttons as he shook his head. “It was,” he said quietly, glancing down as he realized that his shirt was still half undone. He flushed and when he looked up again, Severus’ gaze had followed his fingers. “We … er, didn’t do anything,” he said as he did up the rest of the buttons.

“Have you settled things between you?” Severus asked. Harry relaxed further, grateful for the change of subject.

“Yeah,” he said, smiling as he remembered just how well they’d settled them.

Severus smiled, and Harry fairly basked in the approval. “Did Ginny’s decision to come here have anything to do with her brother’s visit?” Severus asked, pulling Harry from his light-hearted moment.

Harry wrapped his arms around himself as he shook his head. “I wanted to tell you about what happened earlier, but I didn’t know how to begin. Hermione kissed me.”

After a tiny pause, Severus nodded; Harry’s brows furrowed.

“That’s all?” he asked incredulously. “Aren’t you surprised?”

“I am,” Severus assured him with a small frown. He summoned a blanket from his bureau and handed it to Harry. After Harry was covered, he said, “Ginny discovered what transpired rather quickly.”

“Hermione told her.”

“Ah.” Severus narrowed his eyes in thought as he studied Harry. “Ron does not know?”

“Not unless Hermione told him as well,” Harry said, his cheeks glowing at the thought. “I don’t think she would though … but then I didn’t think she would kiss me either.”

“Are you going to tell Ron?”

Harry squinted up at his father. “Do you think I should?”

“I think perhaps you should encourage Hermione to tell him,” Severus said. “I believe he might accept it better.”

Harry sighed. “I still don’t know why she did that.”

“If she was Slytherin, I would say she kissed you in order to make Ginny jealous.”

Harry smiled as he shook his head. “Hermione wouldn’t do that.”

“No,” Severus agreed. “But Ginny was jealous, I take it?”

“She wants to create a spell that hexes girls while I’m away from Hogwarts,” Harry said, grinning. “She wants you to help.”

“Does she? The idea does have merit,” Severus mused and Harry could see his father’ mind turning the idea over. He laughed; Severus smiled at the sound. “I am pleased to see you so happy.”

“Ginny’s going to come to the match tomorrow,” Harry said, still smiling as his stomach flipped with his excitement.

“Will Hermione be joining you?”

“Not sure,” Harry said as he shrugged inside his blanket cocoon. “Ginny’s going to square it with her dad though. It’s all right with you if she comes, yeah?”

“I think you know very well that Ginny is always welcome,” Severus said seriously.

Harry focused on the warmth coming from this father’s flames. “Thanks.”

“Lupin and I will sit elsewhere, if you like,” Severus added, looking thoughtful, “though I believe it will be a bit more difficult to rid yourself of Draco.”

“Well, I wouldn’t mind if Draco sat somewhere else, but you and Remus don’t need to,” Harry said. “And besides, Mr. Weasley will probably want to sit with us as well.” Remembering how his dad had been so upset with both Weasley parents, he asked nervously, “You aren’t going to want to talk to him or anything, are you?”

“I am not allowed to speak with Arthur?” Severus asked with a smirk.

“Well, you know what I mean,” Harry grumbled, making a face at his father’s amusement.

“Yes I do,” Severus said, more seriously. “And as long as Arthur allows you and Ginny to be together, I will say nothing.”

“Ginny says he will.”

“Since I have no doubt that it was Molly’s idea to begin with,” Severus agreed, “I foresee no problems.”

“No problems?” Harry echoed with a wry grin. “That would be a first, wouldn’t it?”

--

Ginny was waiting for him the following morning, just as they’d planned—with Mr. Weasley and three brothers in tow. Ginny beamed as soon as she saw him, launching herself at him before he could even say hello. Harry hugged her tightly as she kissed his cheek.

“Missed you,” he murmured against her hair. They stayed that way for only a moment and then Harry finally looked up.

The Weasley men all looked shocked and Harry realized the greeting must have been startling without the entire story. And he had no idea what Ginny had told her family. But Mr. Weasley was smiling a second later so Harry relaxed; Mr. Weasley looked relieved actually.

Harry smiled and stuck out a hand as Ginny wound an arm firmly around his waist. “It’s good to see you again, sir,” he said, feeling only a minor twinge for lying. Mr. Weasley shook his hand, his own smile faltering just a little.

“You as well, Harry,” he said quietly. “We’ve missed you. And it’s just Arthur … if you’d like.”

The uncertainty didn’t really suit the normally happy man. And though Harry would have liked to air a few of his stored grievances, there was no way he would. Especially not with Ginny so happy beside him.

“Thank you, Arthur,” he said and five redheads smiled. Harry slid his free arm around Ginny’s shoulders, unable to stop his own grin.

The reunion between Arthur and Severus was a bit icier—at least on Severus’ part. Severus caught Harry’s gaze as Arthur greeted him. Harry didn’t put his plea into mental words, but he knew his father could see it in his eyes.

“Will you be joining us?” Severus asked as he turned his attention back to Arthur; the words were rather cold, but Harry hadn’t really expected anything else. “We are in one of the upper suites.”

Arthur glanced at Harry and Ginny, who were firmly entwined. “If you have room…”

Severus’ nod was curt and then with Harry and Ginny leading the way, the fractured group made their way up the stands.