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When Harry Met Sally
A blue and white patterned china plate thunked onto the table beside him, scattering dark crumbs across the mahogany. Butter melted into two thick slices of toasted white bread, the smell rose up in faint wisps of steam
āNoā¦ā Harry poked it back across the table. āI said I wasnāt hungry, mother.ā
āYou need to eat breakfast.ā Hermione dropped her plate in the sink and put her hands on her hips. āItās important to be healthy.ā
Ron cackled from the far side of the kitchen. āYeah, mate. What are you doing? Eat your toast or sheāll send you to your room.ā
Harry levelled a flat look at him. āThatās a whole lot of laughter for someone whose girlfriend is doing a very good impression of his mum right now.ā
Ron grimaced. āIāll just shut up.ā
Hermione pointed a finger at the toast. āEat it. You got away with no breakfast yesterday. Not today. Especially not after dragging Sigmund Freud into the kitchen.ā
He sighed and bit off a corner, crunching it down. āYour girlfriend is a tyrant, Ron.ā
āShe made me throw out all my old socks with holes in,ā Ron said. āI miss them already.ā
āYou never wore any of them!ā Hermione snatched her mug of tea off the side. āIām just⦠imposing standards.ā
āPretty sure that’s what Grindelwald said,ā Ron muttered. āOnly he didnāt hate socks.ā
Hermione swatted him with the copy of the Daily Prophet. āInsensitive lout.ā
āSock murderer,ā Ron retorted. āThink how many house elves you couldāve freed if youād not chucked them all. And you call yourself progressive.ā
Harry munched on his toast and watched them bicker. āWhere is everyone?ā
āHome,ā Ron said, sliding one arm around Hermioneās waist. āMum doesnāt like being away, she likes to be able to keep one eye on the clock. Someoneās meant to be coming, though. Dad said.ā
āWho?ā Harry choked the last bite of toast down through dry lips. āIt better not be Snape.ā
Ron snorted. āNah, some auror chick.ā
Hermione shot him a glare. āSome auror chick?ā
āYeah.ā Ron hid a grin. āApparently sheās a prodigy and pretty hot.ā
āI donāt think she went through all the auror training just to be called auror chick.ā Hermione huffed and snatched Harryās plate off the table. āStill, if itās a woman, at least I wonāt have to keep babysitting you two.ā
āWeād do it,ā Harry said. āYou just literally wonāt let us.ā
āLast time we tried, she nearly cut off three of my fingers with a huge knife,ā Ron said.
āIt was a teaspoon.ā She dropped his plate in the sink. āAnd I barely touched you, I just turned the tap off because you were wasting water.ā
āIt was cold!ā Ron held up his hand. āLook, Iām still bruised.ā
āThereās nothing there, mate,ā Harry said. āNot even a mark.ā
Hermione laughed, drifting round the table and pressing a kiss to Ronās finger. āThere, all better?ā
Here we go again. Harry stifled a groan.Ā
āLav-Lavās kisses left lip gloss marks,ā Ron said, a broad grin on his face. āThey were glittery.ā
āLav-Lavāā Hermioneās dropped Ronās hand like itād burnt her āāhas left lip gloss marks on every boy in our year.ā
āNot true,ā Harry said.
āWell, obviously not you, Harry.ā She laughed. āBut everyone else.ā
A little pang twisted beneath his ribs and the doorbell chimed. āRight, Iām too famous for Lavender.ā He pushed himself up out of his seat as Siriusā motherās painting spewed hate in the hall. āIāll get the door, you two can do that thing where you pretend to argue but itās flirting.ā
Hermioneās cheeks turned pink and Ron flushed red.Ā
Payback. A little of the sting in his chest faded as he padded out through the hall, fumbling for his wand in his pocket.
āVile mud-blooded whore!ā Walburga shrieked. āBlood traitor scum!ā
āDonāt you get bored of the same insults,ā Harry muttered, wrenching the curtains closed.
āHonestly, no,ā Siriusā mother snapped. āThey get such a rise out of your lot.ā
Harry stuck the curtains together with a quick charm and pulled open the door.Ā
āMr Potter.ā Umbridge wagged her finger at him, a great grin plastered on her pallid face. āIāve heard youāve been a bad boy.ā
Harryās jaw dropped. āHow the hellāā he caught sight of the high-collared, grey auror robes and deep, purple irises āāyouāre not Umbridge.ā
āHiya, Harry.ā Umbridgeās body shuddered and shifted, shrinking into a slim girl with crimson hair. āIām Tonks, baby cousin, itās nice to meet you!ā
He blinked. āBaby cousin?ā
She cocked her head, tugging at a handful of her red hair. āHmmm, you know what, letās go green.ā Tonks shook her head and her hair shivered emerald green. āYouāve got nice colour eyes, baby cousā.ā
Harry held the door open. āBaby cousin?ā
She swept past him, snagged her belt on the handle and jerked to a halt. āOops, could you, er, unhook me?ā
Harry tugged the belt free and closed the door. āYouāre good.ā
āCheers!ā Tonks paused in the hall. āHuh, this place doesnāt look as fancy as it does in Mumās old pictures.ā
āBaby cousin?ā Harry pressed.
āOh, right.ā She reached up and patted him on the head. āYouāre my cousin, Iāve got the Malfoy brat because Narcissaās my aunt, and Iāve got you, because your Dadās Mum was my Mumās Aunt.ā Tonks screwed up her face. āWait⦠Is that right?ā
Harry recalled a fading name from the tapestry upstairs. āDorea Potter nee Black?ā
āYeah.ā She snapped her fingers. āThatās the one.ā
āSo weāre second cousins?ā he asked.
āNot sure.ā Tonks shrugged. āNo idea how it works. Cousinās are cousins, though. I like you more than that Malfoy brat already. Met him once and he was a stuck up little shit.ā
Harry mulled that over. āSo, youāre my older cousin.ā
āBy a year.ā She pulled out her wand. āMum and Dad got super excited when I was a kid, signed me up for everything a bit early because I could control my magic. Finished auror training last year.ā
āYouāre seventeen?ā
āYup.ā
And an auror?āĀ
The smile slid off Tonksās face. āYeah. Did it all early with kids like six years older than me. Mum and Dad were super proud of their little prodigy baby.ā
āYou must be really smart,ā Harry said. āHermioneās going to pester you, though. Fair warning.ā
She snorted. āItās just you and her and Ron, right? Mad-Eye said so.ā
āYou work with Moody?ā Harry shot her a look out of the corner of his eye.
āHeās my supervisor.ā Tonksās brow creased. āWell, he was, heās in trouble now. Apparently he wasnāt supervising very well, so Iāve got Shacklebolt instead, and he made me take time off instead of actually investigating things all the time.ā She shrugged. āI donāt get it. I was getting loads of work done, but Bossy Bones doesnāt really take no for an answer.ā
The curtains slid open over her shoulder.
āNope.ā Harry darted forward and tried to wrench them closed.
āStop it, brat,ā Walburga hissed, baring her teeth. āI want to see her.ā
āI bet she doesnāt want to see you,ā he retorted.
āIām her blood.āĀ
āDoesnāt stop you annoying me,ā Harry muttered.
āSome family is better than other⦠family,ā Walburga spat.Ā
The curtains froze still and slid through his fingers. Harry tumbled to the floor.
āOw.ā He dusted off his knees. āSorry, Siriusās Mum likes to shriek like a banshee and spout obscenities.ā
āI was here in your Fifth Year, I know.ā Tonks stared the painting dead in the eye. āHello Aunt Walburga, you look about as lovely as Mum says you are.ā
Walburga Black balled her fists and drew herself up. āYour mother ran off with a mudblood. What she deems lovely is nothing Iād sully myself with.ā
āAnd had me, prodigy witch,ā Tonks said. āShe was ever so proud of the fact her half-blood daughter was better than anyone else in living memory. Bit upset you died before she could rub it in your face, though.ā
Siriusā mother scowled. āBetter than my Regulus?ā
āBy about five years and two dozen academic records.ā Tonks laughed. āAnd, you know, not dead. Not yet, anyway.ā
āHope for the House of Black,ā Walburga muttered. āMake sure you marry a nice pure-blooded man, like Narcissaās boy, heās around your age, we clearly got lucky this once, but we canāt risk it again.ā
āYeah⦠youāre going back behind your curtains,ā Harry said. āDraco Malfoyās about as brave and cunning as a pumpkin pasty, you might as well marry Kreacher.ā
āKreacher is significantly more attractive,ā Tonks said.
Harry snorted. āFunny because itās true.ā
āHalf-blood brat,ā Siriusās mother sniped. āDorea was wasted on your destitute family and they came to the end they deserved.ā
Harryās wand snapped up.
Tonks caught his hand. āOh, shut it. Family is family, whether theyāre a cousin or a brother, it doesnāt matter, theyāre still family and you should love them. If youād known that you might actually have some family left, you old hag.ā
Harry wrenched the hangings closed. āI think I liked the shrieking more.ā He led Tonks toward the kitchen.
āCanāt you get rid of her?ā Tonks asked.
āSadly not.ā He sighed. āMostly we just avoid the hall or stay quiet, if she canāt hear anything, she doesnāt yell much.āĀ
Harry paused in the doorway to the kitchen. Ron and Hermione shared a chair beside the table, whispering and exchanging light kisses.Ā
āYou should probably keep an eye on these two,ā he said. āThey get up to all sorts if left unattended.ā
Tonks snorted. āI can see that.ā
Ron flushed and Hermione leapt out of his lap.
āHiā¦ā Ron frowned. āNymphaāā
āFinish that word and I will make Hermione a very disappointed girl,ā Tonks growled.Ā
Ron gulped. āSorry.ā
āBrave, brave Gryffindor.ā Harry grinned. āSo very brave.ā
āShut up.ā Ron glowered. āPercy told me what happened when he called Nymphaāā he clapped his hands over his mouth.
āHe regretted it,ā Tonks said, beaming. āFor about a month. Professor McGonagall was very impressed with the dick I transfigured on his forehead, she told me so in detention. I really nailed the warts.ā
āHuh.ā Ron dropped his hands. āSo thatās why everyone calls him Dickhead Weasley.ā
āYup.ā Tonks wand appeared in her grasp. āAnd Iāll do it again.ā
āYouāre the auror,ā Hermione said. āI think I saw you about last year, actually, but you looked⦠older.ā
āUsually do.ā Tonks shrugged. āOtherwise people keep asking stupid questions and I get fined for cursing them afterward.ā
āOkayā¦ā Hermione rinsed out her tea mug, not taking her eyes off Tonks. āAnd youāre here to make sure weāre safe.ā
āKinda.ā Tonks glanced around the kitchen. āIāll check in a few times a day, make sure everythingās alright, but mostly Iāve got stuff to be getting on with. Auror work.ā
Ron nodded. āCool. Iām going to finish sorting my broom handle, needs another coat.ā
Hermione rolled her eyes and set her mug down, sweeping out of the kitchen. āI suppose I can read while you do that.ā
āWeāre a perfect match.ā Ron grinned and bounded up the stairs in a cacophony of creaks.
āHuh.ā Tonks stuck her head āround the door. āWas that some secret code for underage sex? Should I go check on them.ā
Harry grimaced at the image. āI think Ronās probably doing what he said.ā
She sighed. āPhew, I feel weird chaperoning you, Iām basically your age.ā
āYeahā¦ā He tugged his chair back out and slumped into it. āI donāt suppose youāve got anything interesting to do?ā
āJust work.ā Tonks patted the pockets of her robes. āItās unofficial stuff, so I can show you, but I donāt think youād like it much.ā She stuck her wand away. āOh, and sorry if I was weird before.ā
āBefore?ā he asked. āWhen you were Umbridge? That was kind of weird.ā
āNah, that was just funny, kind of a running joke at work for me to turn up as Umbridge unexpectedly. Did nearly get cursed by Moody, though. I meant about the family thing.ā Tonkās lips twisted. āIāve got strong feelings about how families should be, probably because ours is such a mess.ā
A little smile crept onto his face. āI get that. I always wished Iād had some family I was close to when I was younger.āĀ
āWell, youāve got an awesome cousin now! She tousled his hair. āYou know, I think that actually made it tidier.ā
Harry batted her hand away. āDonāt make it worse than it is.ā
āNot sure thatās possible.ā Tonks glanced around the kitchen. āFancy showing me about a bit, I need to find somewhere I can do a bit of work.ā She beamed. āGood chance to get to know the amazing cousin you never knew you had!ā
A warm little glow settled somewhere beneath his ribs. āYeah, sure.ā
āOf course youāre sure.ā Tonks winked. āIām going to be the best friend you always wanted when you were younger. Just like mum and Sirius.ā
āOh?ā
āThick as thieves and caused more trouble.ā She grinned. āNow, where are we starting?ā
She's All That
Harry tiptoed across the floorboards of the hall past the moth-eaten curtains into the kitchen, rolling his feet on the ones that creaked.
Hermione hummed a quiet tune behind the bronze-studded cover of a book the size of her torso. She paused, turning a page. āRon, can you make us lunch?ā
āIām not your boyfriend,ā Harry said. āBut donāt take it personally, Iām not anyoneās boyfriend.ā
Too famous. A little pang twisted beneath his ribs. The massive scar on my face and the glasses probably donāt help much either.
Hermioneās book dropped two inches. āWell, you donāt have great options here. Itās me or Ron.ā
āYeah, I canāt believe you stole my first choice without even asking me how I felt about it.ā He pulled open a cupboard, revealing a wall of tomato soup cans. āGuess Iāll have to go out with Walburgaās portrait after all, canāt be any worse than the Yule Ball was. Or that date with Cho.ā
āYouāre related.ā Hermione wrinkled her nose. āItād be weird.ā
āThatās pretty common for the Most Ancient and Badly Cleaned House of Black according to that tapestry upstairs,ā Harry said, pulling out a can of soup. āIād say the fact sheās much older is weirder, or, you know, a portrait.ā
Hermione tutted. āYou better not just be having soup for lunch again.ā
āIām not.ā He plucked the saucepan off the drying rack and dropped it on the hob, prying the lid off the can. āI would never.ā
āI can see you pouring the soup in. Donāt make me get up and mother you…ā
āYou mean youāll put your book down?ā Harry snorted. āI donāt think so. Sounds like an empty threat to me.ā He studied the bronze-studded back. āYouāve been reading that one for a while.ā
āItās tough going,ā she admitted. āI found it in the library here, itās written by goblins and translated from Gobbledegook in between the lines by someone. I thought it would be interesting to read something written by them, all of Professor Binnsās sources are human.ā
āSounds fascinating.ā Harry tapped the pan with his wand and leant against the side. āBut I think the real reason youāve not finished it is because youāre reading another whirlwind romance book with steamy scenes behind the cover of that one.ā
āI am not!ā Hermione huffed. āThat was one book and I didnāt know it was going to have those scenes in it.ā
āOne book that I saw,ā he said. āWho knows how many you managed to get through by yourself when nobody was watching.ā
Two spots of pink welled up on her cheeks. āItās still better than however many of Siriusās old playwitch magazines you have stashed under your bed.ā
Harry smothered the sting. āI suppose you donāt read them now, not now you have the real thing.ā
Hermione glowered at him over the top of the book, wrinkling her nose. āYour soup is burning.ā
Harry gave the saucepan a swirl. āTastes better burnt.ā He poured into a bowl on the drying rack and grabbed a spoon. āI think the saucepanās enchantments are off, though.ā
āThey are.ā Hermione glanced up from her book. āIt gets a lot hotter at the middle than the edges. I checked.ā She sighed. āYou really should eat something other than soup, you know. You need calcium and proteins at our age.ā
Harry spooned soup into his mouth, wincing a little at the heat. āThereās nothing in the cupboard but soup.ā
āDid you try the fridge?ā She shook her head. āOf course you didnāt, because youād have to actually make your food instead of just pouring it into things and devouring it like a starving vulture. Boys.ā
āAt least we donāt fill the bathroom with a thousand bottles.ā Harry gulped down a few more mouthfuls of soup and wagged his finger at her. āI went to shower after you and nearly died of sensory overload.ā
āYou canāt die of sensory overload. And there are four bottles, soāā
Walburgaās shrieking exploded into life outside.
Ron stomped in, rolling his eyes. āAre you still trying to read that?ā
āYes.ā Hermione snapped the book shut. āNot that either of you two are letting me.ā
āItās translated into Latin, which you canāt properly read,ā Ron said. āAnd you said yourselfĀ that the Gobbledegook runes donāt match the lines anyway.ā
āThat doesnāt mean I should just give up.ā
āPretty sure I can think of better things you could do.ā A grin tugged at Ronās lips. āSomething more exciting than books, by your own words.ā
Harry cringed and finished the last of his soup. āIām going to see where my cousin is.ā He rinsed out the bowl and the saucepan and put them back on the drying rack. āAnyone seen her since she appeared this morning?ā
āThe auror chick?ā Ronās grin broadened as Hermione tutted. āUpstairs in the old study. Think sheās working.ā
āCheers.ā Harry strode out into the hall and climbed the stairs, drifting along the landing.
Light crept under a mahogany door coated in flaking varnish midway along the hall. The portraits eyed it and him with disapproving stares, muttering to each other behind their hands.
He rapped his knuckles on the door.
āCome in!ā Tonks called.
Harry twisted the door and shoved. It stuck fast.
āYou have to lift it,ā Tonks said.
He pulled the handle up with a grunt and pushed it open.
āHeya, cous.ā Tonks cocked her head from the other side of a sprawl of paper, sending blossom pink hair tumbling across her shoulder. āCome to see what being an auror is like?ā
āAnything to escape Ron and Hermione being all cuddly,ā he said. āWhat are you doing? Anything interesting?ā
āGot a case,ā she replied. āWell, it might be one. Just a hunch at the moment.ā
āMind if I stick about?ā Harry eyed the chair beside the desk. āItād be nice to have some company, even if youāre doing stuff.ā
āGrab a seat and come over here.ā Tonks leant back on her chair and dropped her heels on the desk, wiggling her toes. āI like having people about when Iām working, too. Always have, even when I was a little squirt who needed Madam Pinceās help to reach anything above the middle shelf.ā
Harry hauled the chair onto the rug beside hers and squinted at the papers. āAm I allowed to see this?ā
āItās fine.ā Tonks flapped a hand. āNothing official. Moody was never fussed about me working at home or wherever.ā
He pushed his glasses up his nose and peered at the nearest page. āWhatās Panathikiosā Potion?ā
āItās kind of like a love potion,ā Tonks said. āOnly, it just makes you feel good when you smell or taste it. Itās banned because itās really really addictive and basically undetectable.ā
āAnd you think someoneās using it?ā Harry asked. āWhat for?ā
āYeah. Some girl in your year in Slytherin ended up in St Mungoās after eating nothing but ice cream for about six weeks.ā Tonks snapped her fingers. āCanāt remember her name. She looks like this.ā Her hair shivered blonde, her eyes turned bright blue, and her face shifted into a high, elfin shape. āRecognise her?ā
āNever seen her before.ā Harry frowned. āAre you sure sheās in my year?ā
āEveryone said so, cous.ā Tonks clapped her hands together. āGreengrass. Daphne Greengrass. Thatās her name.ā
āNope.ā He shook his head. āFairly sure you just made her up. She doesnāt exist. Thereās an Astoria Greengrass a couple of years below me, though.ā
āHuh, well, same difference. She clearly has an obsession with ice cream, so Iāve been investigating on my own time a bit.ā Tonksās hair faded back to soft pink. āIām going to steal your eyes, cous. I like them.ā
āCreepy.ā Harry snorted. āTheyāre useless, though, I canāt see anything without my glasses.ā
Her eyes flashed bright, emerald green. āOh I just want the colour. Now we really look like family.ā She twisted and peered into the window, letting her face lose a little of its elfin shape. āThatās better. That Greengrass girl looks like a little doll and I donāt really want to look quite so much like some fifteen year old boyās wet dream.ā
You look like youāre my sister. A strange, sweet little pain twisted in his chest.
āHow do you do that?ā Harry asked. āI grew my hair back with accidental magic, once, but Iāve never seen anyone do that.ā
āIām a wonderful special prodigy,ā Tonks said. āBeen able to do it since I was a little kid. Ask my parents, they love to talk about it all the time.ā
āMust be nice,ā he murmured. āHaving proud parents.ā
Tonks lips twitched as she turned back from the window. āYeah, I guess, but, little secret, just between us. Iā’ Her heels slipped off the desk and she thudded to the floor with a squeak. āIām okay!ā
āSure?ā Harry stood and offered her his hand.
āThanks, cous.ā Tonks hauled herself up, rubbing the back of her head and shooting him a rueful grin. āI have absolutely no sense of balance or where things are.ā She righted her chair and dropped back into it. āAnyway, little secret, just between us, yeah, because youāre my cousin.ā
āI wonāt tell anyone.ā he promised.
āI kind of wish theyād let me do things normally, you know.ā She sighed. āLike, donāt get me wrong, Iām happy theyāre all proud, but I didnāt get to play quidditch, or have fun with friends, or mess about with boys at school like your friend downstairs. I just studied, and now Iām all qualified, I work. Feels like I skipped some good stuff. Wish I could have some of it back, you know.ā
āYouādāve been in the year above meā¦ā
āRight. Trolls, basilisks, dementors.ā Tonks grinned. āProbably all less dangerous than me trying to fly, though.ā
āI can fly.ā A small smile crept onto Harryās face. āPretty much the one thing I am good at.ā He snorted. āWant to trade? You seem more like the special one than I do.ā
āI could hide the scar, at least.ā
Harry touched a fingertip to it and grimaced. āYeah, my aunt tried that a lot when I was a kid. With makeup and stuff. Nothing works. Iād get rid of it if I could.ā He dug his nail in until it stung. āSometimes I wonder if it would heal back normally if I cut it out.ā
Tonks tugged his hand away with warm fingers. āDonāt think that would be a good idea, little cousin.ā
āOh.ā He mustered a faint smile. āI was just joking. I wouldnāt actually do it. Should probably get rid of the glasses first anyway.ā
She beamed and plucked them off his face. āEasy.ā
Harry sighed as everything beyond her turned to coloured blurs. āYeah, except now I canāt see anything but you.ā
āNothing else here worth seeing!ā Tonks slipped them on and scrunched up her face. āWow, you are like, blind blind.ā
āAs a bat,ā he said. āOnly without the helpful echolocation thing.ā
āI wonder if I can help.ā She pulled them off, her wand appearing in her hand. āMy Dadās parents were optometrists, so I know some eye stuff, and Iām pretty good with transfiguration.ā
āI ā er ā I donāt think thatās a great idea.ā Harry took his glasses back. āMight go wrong.ā
āYeah, probably true.ā Tonks stuck her wand away. āIām not exactly qualified to mess with you, either, so Iād get into a lot of trouble if it did go wrong.ā
Harry shoved his glasses back onto his face. The bookshelves and damp-stained wallpaper came back into focus behind Tonksās green eyes and pink hair.Ā
āYou know what.ā Tonks jumped to her feet, thwacking her hand on the corner of the desk. āOw⦠thatās going to leave another bruise.āĀ
āWhat do I know?ā Harry asked.
āIām not really doing anything very useful up here, so letās go somewhere.ā Tonks pulled out her wand, tapping it against her palm. āAll that talk of ice cream has got me kind of fancying some. Cāmon, Harry.ā
āWe don’t have any ice cream,ā he said. āNot unless you want to freeze some soup and pretendā¦ā
āTo Diagon Alley, not downstairs where your friends are canoodling.ā She spun on her heel and stared at the window. āPinkās a bit obvious, though. Iām usually pink, someone might spot me and tell Kingsley Iām not taking my mandatory break from work. Pick a colour, cous!ā
āRed.ā
āNah.ā Tonks shook her head. āToo many Weasleys already and if I go redheaded while stealing your eyes Iām going to look like your mum. People would come to all sorts of weird conclusions seeing you spending time with me then.ā
āBlonde?ā
āToo Cliche.ā
āSilver?ā
āThatās just unrealistic. Who on earth has silver hair?ā Tonks tutted. āWhat colour hair do you like girls to have, Harry?ā
Choās face floated before his mindās eye and his stomach squirmed.
āBrown?ā
āToo boring.ā
āBlue?ā
āHmmm, doesnāt work too well with your eyes, and Iām blue quite a bit, as well.ā Tonks grinned. āThis is what I mean, imagine how mad I could drive a boy waiting for me to get ready, or trying things on in shops. Could have been so much fun.ā
āBlack?ā
āWe could be twins!ā Tonks hair shivered dark as Harryās. āNah, Iām wearing black, I look like a vampire now.ā
āIām out of colours,ā he admitted.
She swept her curls over her shoulders and her hair faded to a platinum white. āThere, that works.ā Tonks twirled, flashing him a smile. āWhat do you think, cous?ā
Harry grinned back. āLike, does it look nice?ā
āYeah, do you think it works?ā she asked, giving him another spin.
His gaze slipped down the curve of her neck to the little silver charm dangling there. āYou look pretty,ā he said, dragging his gaze up to her hair. āWhich is good, right?ā
āYou silver-tongued devil.ā Tonks held out her hand. āYouāll make me blush.ā
Harry snorted and took her hand. āThe only girl I tried to flatter ended up in tears.ā
Tonks cackled. āClearly you need more practice talking to girls.ā
A cold darkness clamped about him like a vice and they appeared before the columns of Gringotts with a loud pop.
āThis way for ice cream.ā Tonks tugged on his arm as she released his hand. āIāll even pay, because I got a scholarship to Hogwarts and a tax-free grant for training to be an auror, so Iām just sitting on a small mountain of gold.ā
āHave you got your own place, then? Or are you with your parents?ā
āGot my own little one-bedroom flat.ā She stumbled, grabbing a bollard for balance. āClose one. Hate these alleys, they really have it out for me.ā
āWhat did you even trip on?ā Harry inspected the flat pavement with a raised eyebrow. āLike, seriously?ā
āShut up.ā Tonks waved her fist at him. āIām smart, powerful, funny, and a complete hottie, I needed a character flaw or everyone would hate me.ā
āSo you chose immodesty?ā he asked.
She laughed, flashing a bright smile as she headed toward Fortescueās. āWhatās your favourite flavour.ā
āI donāt really mind.ā
āLiar.ā Tonks paused before the door. āEveryone has flavours they love and hate. I absolutely love cherry and that muggle bubblegum blue one you almost never find.ā
āThey banned that,ā Harry said. āIt had bad stuff in it. Loads of E-numbers. I remember Dudley whining about it.ā
āDudley?ā She wrinkled her nose. āWhatās a Dudley?ā
āMy other cousin.ā
āAs great as me?ā Tonks scanned the flavours in the window. āHmm, no bubblegum here, either.ā
āYou are comfortably better than Dudley in nearly every way,ā he replied.
āWhere do I lose out? Remember, if itās anything physical, I can change it.ā She winked and stuck her chest out a little. āāThey get bigger.ā
Heat rushed to Harryās face and he twisted away to study the ice cream flavours. āHe boxes half well, but thatās about it.ā
āIād destroy him.ā Tonks pounded her fist into her palm. āDad got me doing loads of self defence stuff as a kid.ā She leant forward. āI can see your reflection in the window, cous,ā Tonks whispered in his ear. āI can still see how red youāve gone.ā
āI hate you.ā
āNo you donāt.ā She beamed and threw an arm around his shoulders. āI am your favourite cousin. Itās been confirmed.ā
Harry squirmed beneath her warm arm. āAre we going in?ā
Tonksās green eyes shone in the reflection. āIn a moment. Youāre adorable when flustered and Iām trying to think of another way to make you go all red.ā
āLetās go in.ā
She laughed and walked with him, her arm still over his shoulders. āThought of a flavour?ā
āMight try cherry,ā Harry said. āIāve not had it and you were really selling it to me.ā
āWhatās your favourite, then?ā Tonks pointed at the ice creams beneath the counter. āIāll get your favourite.ā
āChocolate, I guess?ā He chewed his lip. āWhich youāre probably going to think is boring.ā
āNah, canāt go wrong with chocolate.ā She tugged him around and inclined her head toward the far corner. āIsnāt that the girl Billās going out with, the French one?ā
āFleur Delacour?ā Harry followed her gaze. āHis fiance?ā
Fleur reclined in a seat at the corner table, sharing a bowl of ice cream with a red-faced Luna.Ā
āShould we go say hi?ā he asked.
Tonksās brow wrinkled. āLetās leave them be.ā She grinned. āThe way that other girl is staring at Fleur, Bill might need to worry.ā
āLuna?ā Harry glanced back. āI didnāt know they were friends.ā
Fleurās eyes flicked up and caught his. She turned a little pink and gave him a small wave. Harry waved back.Ā
āYeah, friends.ā A little glimmer of amusement hovered in Tonksās eyes as she leant over him to order, her hair brushing his cheek. āCan we have two large cones, one cherry and one…ā
Harry watched her smile in the corner of his eye, a handās length from his face, and held his breath. His heart pounded against his ribs at the soft scent of violets.
āHere.ā Tonks pressed a cone into his hand. āCherry.ā
āDid you get chocolate?ā Harry asked, inspecting the dark purple ice cream. āThis looks nice.ā
āI did.ā She swept a bag off the counter and onto her arm, snatching up a second cone. āWe can swap favourites.ā Tonks leant closer, sending Harryās heart hammering in his chest. āActually, Iām going to steal some of yours anyway.ā She bit the top off. āSo good.ā
He admired the bite mark. āThief.ā
āSorry not sorry.ā Tonks held hers out. āBut fairās fair.ā
Harry took a small bite out of the side and winced as the cold sank into his teeth. Rich chocolate washed across his tongue.
āGoes quite well with the cherry, actually,ā Tonks said, licking hers. āItās warm today, cous, so donāt be slow. If you let that cherry ice cream melt, I will lick it off your fingers to stop you wasting it.ā
Heat crept onto his cheeks and he tugged his eyes away from her tongue. āI think that would draw some weird looks.ā
āAnd thatās before I make my tongue extra long.ā She sniggered and stuck a forked tongue out at him. āLetās get a table. I canāt be trusted to walk and eat ice cream at the same time. I will end up on the floor and the ice cream will somehow end up on you.ā
āThat would be a shame.ā He glanced across the shop. āWe could join Fleur and Luna, if you want?ā
āOr the ice cream would end up on the floor and Iād end up on you,ā Tonks said, choosing a small sunlit table by the window. āBut youād probably not mind that so much.ā
āYouād still lose the ice cream, though,ā Harry said. āItās still a shame.ā
āBut youād end up under your hottie cousin.ā She winked. āSounds good, right?ā
āNot when Iām holding ice cream.ā Harry licked sweet cherry off his lips. āItās nice ice cream, too. Also, itās purple, so itāll probably stain my t-shirt.ā
āNothing a bit of magic canāt fix.ā Tonks took small bites out of her ice cream with her white teeth. āI would know. Iāve yet to eat an ice cream without somehow getting it on me.ā
A blob of chocolate dropped onto the front of her dark jumper.
āSee?ā She pulled out her wand and. āEvanesco.ā
āVanishing Charm?āĀ
āYup.ā Tonks pointed her wand at him. āBut you have to be careful, because if you get it a bit wrong and vanish your clothes in public, it can be a little embarrassing.ā
Harry felt the heat rise on his face and held his ice cream over the table. āIād prefer not to do that.āĀ
āMe too.ā She grinned. āPlus, I like this jumper, itās warm and soft and comfy.ā
āItās nice.ā
āI stole it from a hag who was giving cursed sweets to muggle children.ā Tonks stuck her wand away. āWell, not really stole. She tried to run and Mad-Eye doesnāt like chasing people, so he stunned her. I took the jumper to stick under her head so she didnāt suffocate, but then I forgot to give it back.ā
āI canāt imagine you chasing anyone, either.ā
She feigned a glower. āIs it because you think Iād trip over?ā
āYes.ā
āYou are absolutely right.ā Tonks beamed. āI ran into a sign last time, smacked right into it. I had a huge letter N right on my forehead.ā
āN for Nymāā
āFinish that name and I will steal your ice cream.ā
āāphadora.ā Harry met her glare with a grin. āWhy donāt you like it?ā
Tonks wrinkled her nose. āParents. My mum, mostly. It was always, oh my Nymphadora is such a genius, oh my Nymphadora never gets anything wrong, oh my Nymphadoraās such a prodigy.ā She sighed. āNever really quite felt like Nymphadora was me.ā
āSorry.ā He took a bite of ice cream. āIāll stick to Tonks, then. I quite like Nymphadora, though. It suits you. Itās pretty and it kind of stands out from the ordinary, boring names like Harry or James.ā Harry rolled his eyes. āMy parents couldnāt even think of a second guyās name that wasnāt Dadās.ā
The corner of Tonksās mouth curved up. āTell you what, baby cous, just for that, Iāll let you call me Nymphadora, but only when itās just us.ā She waved her ice cream at him. āCanāt have anyone else picking it up, so when other people are about, itās Tonks.ā
āIāll try⦠Nymphadora.ā
She hummed. āItās not so bad when you say it, still a bit of a mouthful, though. You might have to shorten it to Dora, or Nym. Nymph will get you your eyebrows vanished, though, even if youāre my favourite cousin.ā
āI better be your favourite cousin.ā He snorted. āThereās no way you could like Malfoy more. I could be throwing ice cream at you and Iād still be better.ā
āIf you waste that cherry ice cream, I will end you,ā Nymphadora growled. āThatās a promise.ā
Harry laughed and offered her his. āDo you want to swap?ā
She glanced between hers and his. āSure, letās go half and half.ā Nymphadora plucked the cone from his fingers and wrapped his hand up in her chocolate-stained grip with a cheerful grin. āThanks, cous.ā
Harry shook his head and wiped chocolate off his fingers, struggling with his smile. āYouāre such a child.ā
āItās because I skipped my childhood.ā She beamed. āI refuse to grow up any more until I get to enjoy some of it.ā
āI kind of wish youād been in my year,ā he murmured. āI’d’ve known you for ages.ā
Nymphadoraās grin softened into a small smile. āYeah. That wouldāve been pretty cool. Still, Iām here now, and you keep staring, so youāll make up for all the time you didnāt see much of me pretty quick.ā
āWhat? Iām not staring.ā He flushed. āI was talking to you, Iām meant to be looking at you.ā
She cackled. āIām just messing with you. Itās fun to make you go all red.ā
āI felt like a dick, Dora,ā Harry grumbled. āHmmm, I donāt like Dora as much. Nym?ā He let himself taste the word, holding it in his head with her bright pink hair, and bright smile. āNymās good.ā
Nym pointed the last half of her ice cream cone at the corner. āYouāre doing less staring than that Luna girl is, but the French girl doesnāt seem to mind all that much.ā
āI wonder how they met,ā he said. āI donāt know Luna too well, but I guess Fleur couldāve bumped into her here, she works at the bank.ā
āYou ice creamās melting,ā she said, munching on her cone.
Harry licked the dribble of melted chocolate off the cone. āDo you mind bringing me out here every now and again. I could go see Alicia.ā
āOh?ā Nym cocked her head. āHas Harry got a girlfriend?ā
āJust a friend from quidditch,ā he said. āShe said she comes out here pretty often, so I thought I might meet up with her, but only if youāre alright with it.ā
āSure,ā Nym said, brushing bits of cone off her fingers. āIād love to watch you talk to another girl. I can heckle.ā
āIf you feel you absolutely must,ā Harry replied.
āShould probably head back.ā Nym patted the bag on the bag of her chair. āBefore the charms wear off and this melts.ā
āYou bought more?ā
āYup.ā She jumped to her feet, sending her chair clattering to the ground. āWhoops.ā Nym picked up her bag and set the chair back on its feet. āCāmāere, cous.ā She grabbed his hand with warm fingers. āTime go make sure your friends were using protection!ā
Breakfast at Tiffany's
Harry stumbled into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing at his eyes. He fumbled his wand from his back pocket and jabbed it at the kettle.Ā
āHeya cous!āĀ
Cold shock jolted through him. āJesus.ā He twisted around.
Nym laughed over a spread of open ice cream containers. āNot expecting anyone to be here?ā
He shook his head. āI was going to make myself a nice cup of tea and pretend Iād had breakfast so Hermione doesnāt pester me about it later. Sheās probably reading in bed and Ronās not going to be awake for another couple hours.ā
Nym pointed her wand at him. āEat your breakfast, itās important.ā She patted an ice cream tub. āHave some of this, if you like. Turns out thereās no potion in it after all.ā
āThatās good.ā He grabbed a mug from the rack. āWait. We had ice cream from this shop together yesterdayā¦ā
āGood thing it turns out thereās no addictive potion,ā she said. āGuess that Greengrass girl you were convinced isnāt real just has a terrible ice cream obsession.ā
āIāve literally never seen her or heard her name.ā Harry shrugged. āStill, I hope sheās alright.ā
āOh sheās fine. Just collapsed because she wasnāt eating properly.ā Nym narrowed her eyes at him and waved a fist. āSo eat your breakfast.ā She dipped her elbow into the top of the ice cream and flinched.Ā
The tub flopped into her lap.
Harry laughed. āThatās karma.ā
Nym groaned and slapped the ice cream back onto the table. āThatās cold.ā She hopped up, stumbling on the table leg. āAnd now these are covered in ice cream.ā A wicked little grin crossed her lips. āGuess Iād better wash them.ā
āCanāt you just vanishāā
Nym tugged the button open and shoved her jeans down, kicking them off and tossing them into the sink. āThere.ā She wiggled her bare toes at Harry. āFloorās cold, though.
Harryās eyes traced the curve of her legs up to a pair of blue and white striped panties with a small pink ribbon bow. Heat rushed to his face.
āErāā
She laughed. āYouāve gone really red.ā Nym danced across the floor to lean on the table corner beneath the light. āSeen something you like?ā
He dragged his eyes up to her face. āYouāre going to get cold.ā
The hall creaked.
āYouāre here earlyāā Hermione froze. āWhat on earth?!ā
āI dropped ice cream on myself.ā Nym tugged her shirt down to cover the top of her thighs. āHad to take them off.ā
Hermione pursed her lips. āIn the kitchen. In front of Harry.ā
āHeās my cousin.ā Nym rolled her eyes. āItās fine.ā
A soft little ache twisted in Harryās chest. āWeāre family,ā he said. āLike Tonks said. Not a big deal.ā
āYouāve known each other for two days.ā Hermione snatched her wand out and thrust it at Nymās jeans. āEvanesco.ā
The chocolate stain faded away.
āCheers!ā Nym grabbed them from the sink and stuck a foot in. She snagged her toes on the waistline and lurched forward.
Harry caught her arm. āCareful.ā
āThanks for saving me from the cold, hard floor.ā She leant on his shoulder as she wriggled back into her jeans. āNow, breakfast, cous.ā
Hermione snorted. āGood luck with that. I have to basically force-feed him.ā
Harry glanced at the steaming kettle as it began to whistle. In the corner of his eye, the little pink bow disappeared as Nym buttoned her jeans up. Hermioneās gaze dropped to where Nymās arm rested on Harryās shoulder and her brow wrinkled.
What are you frowning at? Harry glanced around. Whatās wrong?
āAnyone else want tea?ā he asked.
āGimme.ā Nym frowned. āWait, what tea is it?ā
āTea, tea?ā Harry shrugged. āItās not fruit, if youāre into that.ā
She shook her head. āNope. No thank you. I like my tea like I like my men!ā
Hermione blinked. āIn small pieces in a bag?ā
Nym snickered. āYes. But I actually had no follow up for that.ā
Harry edged out from under her arm and toward the kettle, picking up a pair of mugs from beside the sink. āHermione?ā
āNo thanks, Harry. Iāll go for orange juice.ā She settled down into her seat at the table and peered into the containers. āWhyās there so much ice cream?ā
āNymās just lost the main man in her life, so sheās drowning her sorrows.ā
āNym, huh,ā Hermione murmured. āIām sorry to hear about that, Tonks, I hope youāre doing okay.ā
Nym snorted. āHarry means Mad-Eye. He got removed as my mentor, not sure why, though.ā
Harry grinned. āBecause he couldnāt teach you how to run and not trip over.ā
āIāve never seen Kingsley run, either,ā she retorted. āHeās really bloody tall, so he can probably just walk, stepping over the rest of us like a giant.ā
He dropped a tea bag into each mug and poured hot water in. āFeel free to grab yours when itās as strong as you like.ā
Hermione pushed the ice cream containers across the table. āThese are going to melt if you leave them out.ā
āIāve messed with them,ā Nym said, stealing the mug of tea from Harryās hands with a grin. āBest not to eat them, even if it turns out thereās no very addictive potion in them after all.ā
āI canāt believe you took me to eat ice cream there when you thought there might be an addictive potion in it,ā Harry said, fishing the tea bag out of his mug. āWhat if there had been?ā
She winked. āA little bitās probably fine.ā
āThatās kind of irresponsible.ā Hermione heaved the ice cream tubs into the bin and poured herself a glass of orange juice. āArenāt you meant to be looking after us?ā
āMaking sure you donāt do anything silly, really,ā Nym replied. āIām more worried about you and Ron. Harryās only got eyes for his hot cousin.ā
Heat crept onto Harryās cheeks. āMaybe my hot cousin should stop being such a tease,ā he grumbled.
āAnd miss you going all red?ā She cackled. āNot going to happen.ā
He groaned. āI hate you.ā
āNope.ā Nym beamed. āNot buying it. I am your favourite cousin. The family member you love most in all the world.ā
āItās a pretty low bar to clear. Even Siriusās Mum had half a chance.ā
āNot now Iām here,ā she declared. āNobodyās ever going to knock me off top spot.ā
Hermione dragged her book across the table and heaved it open. āWhat potion did you think was in Fortescueās ice cream?ā
āPanathikiosā Potion,ā Nym replied. āSome girl who Harry apparently has completely not noticed in all the years youāve gone to school with her collapsed after eating nothing but it for most of the summer.ā
āOh no.ā Hermioneās brow creased and she bit at her lip. āWho is it? Is she okay?ā
āDaphne Greengrass.ā
She blinked. āWho?ā
āHa!ā Harry brandished the teaspoon at Nym. āSee, I told you she isnāt real.ā
āI am starting to feel like I may have hallucinated the whole thing,ā she said, grinning. āGood thing I didnāt take this hunch to Bossy Bones this time, she hates it.ā
āHow much auror work do you actually do?ā Hermione asked.
āOnly just qualified, so mostly Iām meant to kind of shadow my supervisor and learn the ropes.ā Nym shrugged. āMy supervisor was Mad-Eye, though, soā¦ā
āI guess that explains the ridiculous hunches,ā Hermione muttered under her breath.
Harry shot her a frown and she twitched.Ā
āAre you eating your breakfast yet?ā Nym whirled on Harry, a huge grin on her face.
āNo, mother.ā He folded his arms and took a long, slow sip of hot tea. āIām drinking my tea first.ā
Nym stared him dead in the eye, her hair shivering auburn and her eyes brightening to a familiar green. āSweetie, you need to eat your breakfast if you want to grow up big and strong.ā
Hermione choked on her orange juice. āYou canāt do that!ā
āWhy not?ā Nym cocked her head. āAnd donāt say because me changing my body by transfiguration breaks Gampās Laws because I could be cannibalised, it doesnāt make any sense.ā
Harry snorted into his tea. āWhoād want to eat you?ā
She caught his eye and waggled her eyebrows at him. āWell, cousā, when a man and a woman love each other very muchāā
āItās insensitive,ā Hermione burst out. āHarryās parents were murdered.ā
āYeah, sorry about that, Harry. I thought they were selling drugged ice cream.ā Nym snickered. āHad to take them down.ā
Two spots of colour welled up on Hermioneās cheeks. āTonks!ā
Nym flapped a hand at her. āIāll stop if Harry is actually upset.ā She shot Harry a small smile. āAre you?ā
āNope.ā He shrugged and sipped his tea. āJust funny.ā
āOf course heās going to say that if you ask.ā Hermione huffed and dragged her book up in front of her face. āFine. Whatever.ā
Nym quirked an eyebrow at Harry.Ā
Harry raised both his eyebrows at her and wagged his finger. āInsensitive auror chick,ā he mouthed.Ā
She sniggered. āSince youāre blatantly trying to avoid eating anything thatās here for breakfast, how about we go find something in Diagon Alley?ā
āIce cream?ā Harry suggested. āI actually quite feel like chocolate ice cream after seeing all those tubs.ā
āFor breakfast?ā Hermione lowered her book. āThatās so unhealthy. Thereās loads of sugar in ice cream.ā
āThatās why itās tasty.ā Nym stuck her hand out, then dropped it. āLet me just grab some shoes.ā
āYou probably shouldnāt go around this house barefoot,ā Hermione said. āWho knows what sort of things the Blacks had hoarded away.ā
āBiting floorboards would be a hilarious prank, but Mum would have definitely mentioned them.ā Nym vanished with a loud pop.
āHarryāā Hermione swivelled in her chair āāif her jokes bother you, then you need to say.ā
āThey donāt, though,ā he replied. āI think Iām developing a dark sense of humour. Itās Voldemortās fault.ā
āOkay, then. I guess itās fine.ā She chewed her lip. āJust⦠remember sheās your cousin, Harry.ā
He stared. āWhy would I forget?ā
āBecauseāā
Tonks appeared with a loud crack. āLetās go, cous.ā She froze. āNo, wait, I still look like your mum.ā Her hair faded dark as Harryās. āThere, today weāre siblings!ā Nym grabbed a handful of her fringe and eyed it. āMuch better than red. Donāt date any redheads, Harry, people will judge you.ā
āDonāt listen to her,ā Hermione said. āDate whoever you want.ā
āThank you, Hermione, I will.ā Harry levelled a mock glare at Nym. āI donāt even know any girls who are redheads.ā
āIām a redhead,ā she said. āOr I can be.ā
āYou donāt count, youāre his cousin,ā Hermione said. āAnd Harry knows Ginny, sheās a redhead, and she doesnāt have a boyfriend at the moment, either. Oh, and Susan Bones, but I donāt think sheās really your type, Harry.ā
āGinnyās Ronās little sister.ā Harry wrinkled his nose. āThatād be weird. Even weirder that she kind of looks like my mum would.ā
āShe doesnāt really,ā Hermione chided. āHonestly, Harry, thatās just silly reasoning, Iām not going to stop dating anyone with brown hair because my Dadās hair is brown.ā
Nym grabbed his hand. āCāmon, cous. Letās go find that girl you wanted to see. I want to see you embarrass yourself and make unsubtle innuendos in the background.ā
āWait, who?ā Hermione dropped her book. āWhich girl?ā
āSomeone from his quidditch team.ā Nym cackled. āI think my little cousin has a crush.ā
āKatie Bell?ā Hermione asked. āReally? Something tells me itās not going to work out with her, Harry.ā
āWhy not?ā Harry demanded. āIt could. Itās not like sheās going to suddenly die on me or anything. Not that I actually do have a crush on Katie. Or on Alicia, either, whoās the friend I actually wanted to meet.ā
āOhā¦ā Hermione chewed at her lip. āSorry, I think Iām still a bit wound up over the parents jokes.ā
āSo defensive,ā Nym mused, stroking an imaginary beard. āAlmost suspiciously defensive.ā
Harry sighed. āCan we justā¦?āĀ
She snickered. āOkay, okay.āĀ
The world closed around him like a fist, crushing the air from his lungs, and they stumbled onto Diagon Alley.Ā
Nym tangled her feet and sprawled into a heap at his feet. āOw.ā She jumped up, beaming. āMore bruises. Iām like an apple.ā
āCrunchy?ā Harry asked.
āI donāt think Iād be crunchy.ā She poked herself in the arm and winked. āJust super tasty. Fancy a nibble, baby cousin?ā
āTempting as that is, I was planning on having ice cream for breakfast,ā he replied, heading toward Fortescueās. āYouād need cooking, too.ā
āDid you bring any money?ā Nym asked. āItās your turn to pay…ā
Bollocks. Harry patted down his pockets, turning out a galleon and a few sickles. Might be just enough.
āThatāll cover us.ā She plucked the galleon from his fingers and bounced it on her palm. āPick a flavour for me, any flavour but vanilla.ā She scrunched up her nose. āI donāt do vanilla.ā
āAre you going to pick a flavour for me, then?ā he asked.
āOf course!ā Nym grinned. āAnything you hate?ā
āStrawberry.ā
āYou donāt like strawberries?ā She shook her head. āWhatās wrong with you?ā
āI like strawberries, I just donāt really like strawberry flavour,ā Harry said. āTheyāre not the same.ā
āThatās valid.ā She wriggled past him in the door and joined the queue. āHuh, itās weirdly busy here.ā
āI think you can get normal hot drinks and stuff here as well.ā
āMakes sense.ā Nym nudged his shoulder. āBillās French girl and that blonde girl are here again as well.ā
Harry pushed his glasses up and glanced around. Fleur sipped from a small, white mug, brushing shoulders with Luna, who skimmed small spoonfuls of ice cream off a small mountain of multi-coloured scoops.
āSo they are.ā He looked over his shoulder at the queue. āShould probably say hi.ā
Nym grabbed his arm and tugged him back. āOh no you donāt.ā
āWhy?ā Harry watched a red-faced Luna offer the spoon to Fleur. āYou can keep my place in the queue.ā
āErā¦ā Nym pulled him around to face the counter. āBecause they look quite happy as they are, without you blundering into the middle of it.ā
‘If you say so.ā Harry threw a glance at their table and caught Fleurās eye. āOops.ā
A smiling Luna slipped a spoonful of ice cream into Fleurās mouth. She turned pink and looked away.
āOops?ā Nym twisted about. āOi, donāt ruin their morning. Pick me an ice cream flavour.ā
āI didnāt ruin anything.ā Harry surveyed the display as Florian Fortescue hovered with the ice cream scoop. āThe blue one, that looks like your sort of thing.ā
āBlueberry?ā Nym grinned. āGood choice, cousā. I like blueberry.ā
āWhat am I getting?ā he asked, studying the light green ice cream upon the other cone. āMint?ā
āGooseberry.ā She laughed. āDonāt knock it until you try it.ā
Harry accepted his gooseberry ice cream and handed over his handful of sickles. āIt looks like a weird flavour, no wonder you chose it.ā
āI resent that.ā Nym stuck a forked tongue out at him. āIām completely normal.ā
āSureā¦ā He bit a tiny bit off the top.
A sharp, sweetness flooded his tongue.Ā
āItās actually quite nice.ā
āSoās blueberry.ā Nym beamed at him with blue-smeared lips. āWant to try some?ā
āNah, Iām okay with this,ā he said. āDo you want to grab a seat orāā
āHi Harry.ā Fleur appeared beside Nym, her long blonde hair twirled into a loose knot. āI didnāt realise you came here so often.ā She smiled. āYouāre taller than when we last met. Not a little boy anymore.ā
Harry stretched onto his tiptoes so he could look her in the eye. āStill a few inches shorter than you, though.ā
āI am quite tall for a girl,ā she said. āIs it just the two of you here? No Ronald?ā
āJust us, yeah,ā he said. āHowāve you been?ā
āHey Harry.ā Luna stepped out from behind Fleur. āIs that gooseberry?ā
āYes, it is,ā Nym said. āIām Tonks, by the way. Harryās cousin.ā
āOh.ā Fleur turned a little pink. āI was about to say something very embarrassing, then. I saw you sharing ice cream yesterday when Luna and I were here yesterday and jumped to conclusions.ā
Nym sniggered. āFriends can enjoy ice cream together, right, Luna?ā
āYes.ā Luna gave them a huge bright smile. āBut so can not just friends.ā
Fleurās blue eyes flicked to Luna, to Nym, and away outside. āI should go,ā she said. āBut, maybe we can all meet up here again some time?ā
āThatād be good,ā Harry said. āSo long as Tonks doesnāt mind apparating me about everywhere?ā
Nym gave him a thumbs up. āMore than happy to, baby cous. I have literally nothing else to do now Bossy Bones made me take a break.ā
āI should go home, Fleur,ā Luna said. āDaddy is probably worried where I am.ā
āIāll take you back, then. Unless you would rather floo?ā
She shook her head and slipped an arm around Fleurās waist. āThis is fine.ā
Fleurās cheeks turned pink and the two of them vanished with a loud pop.
āOkay.ā Nym nudged him toward the door. āThere is definitely something going on there, right? Itās not just me?ā
āWhat?ā
She shook her head. āThey were sitting there eating ice cream off the same spoon all blushy-faced and Fleur couldnāt look us in the eyesā¦ā
āMaybe she was embarrassed?ā Harry suggested.Ā
āYesā¦ā Nym squinted at him. āAre you pulling my leg?ā
He raised an eyebrow. āNo?ā
āJust completely hopeless, then.ā She laughed. āI see how it is. Canāt see it until itās impossible to ignore, huh.ā
āWhat?ā A little heat crept onto his face. āI donāt get it.ā
āYou will when youāre older.ā Nym patted him on the head with her free hand. āThere there, little cousin.ā
Harry feigned a glower. āYouāre one year older than me. One year.ā
āYeah, but I spend all my time with adults, whereas your friends are painfully sheltered. I had hope for Hermione after the small pieces in a bag joke, but if she canāt handle a few mummy issues jokesā¦ā
āShe gets upset if she thinks people are being taken advantage of,ā he said. āWhat about Ron?ā
āI know Molly.ā
Harry snorted. āFair enough.ā
āYou, thoughāā Nym paused in the street, glancing left and right āāwhereās your girlfriend going to be?ā
āMy friend is probably at the quidditch shop, if sheās anywhere. I didnāt really organise anything.ā
āSo weāre really just wandering around and hoping we bump into her.ā She tipped him a wink and drifted up the street toward the broom shop. āSounds like you just wanted an excuse to spend some time with your hot cousin.ā
āThat or I wanted to get away from Ron and Hermione being all clingy and flirty,ā Harry said. āYouāre just a bonus.ā
āI know youāre only saying that because youāre apparently emotionally stunted,ā Nym replied. āSo I forgive you.ā
He skirted the crowd at the window and stepped into the cool shop. āI donāt think Iāve ever been in here before, you know.ā
Rows of shelves of broom polish and products ran off toward the back of the store and sleek, shining new models hovered in the air above them. Harry scanned the small groups of people bustling back and forth, spotting Alicia staring up at the new Cleansweep.
āFound her.ā
āI would kill for luck like that,ā Nym said, following him through the crowd. āJust turn up and there she is. You know the odds are probably like a million to one? It literally only happens in rom-coms.ā
Harry wriggled through the bustling people and waved at Alicia. āHey!ā
āHarry!ā She shuffled her feet and drew back into a gap between displays. āGood timing, Iāve been here all morning working and looking at brooms, but Katie just abandoned me to go see some boy and I was about to head home.ā
āI was just getting ice cream with Tonks,ā he said. āThought Iād come see if you were about.ā
āI donāt think youāre meant to have ice cream in the shop,ā Alicia said. āMaybe we should head out.ā
Harry glanced at his gooseberry ice cream. āItās probably not me you have to worry about, though, Tonks isāā
A loud crash echoed through the store. Tins of broom polish clattered down on top of Nymās dark hair as she flailed about beneath a collapsed shelf.Ā
āMuch more likely to make a mess.ā A little stab of worry bit at him. āAre you okay, Nym?ā
āIām fine!ā She scrambled to her feet and held up her ice cream. āSomeone just left that shelf in my way.ā
āYeah, we should really go outside.ā Alicia led them around the mess and out into the sunshine. āSo, you never said you had a sister, Harry? Like, never even mentioned her? And Iāve not seen her at Hogwarts…ā
āIām a squib.ā Nym grinned. āHarryās very ashamed of me.ā
āWhat?!ā Alicia rounded on him. āThatās horrible!
Harry held up his ice cream as a shield. āSheās lying. Sheās not my sister. Sheās my cousin. Sheās your age⦠And she canāt be trusted, so donāt listen to her.ā
āMy age?ā Aliciaās forehead creased. āI donāt remember you.ā
āI went through a few years early,ā Nym said. āI wouldāve left when you were just starting.ā
Aliciaās jaw dropped. āWait, youāre Nymphāā
āJust Tonks.ā Nym flashed her a sweet smile. āBut yes. I am. Special famous prodigy child me.ā
āYou have, like, half the academic records in the school.ā Alicia glared at Harry. āHow did you never mention she was your cousin?ā
āOh he didnāt know,ā Nym said, throwing an arm around his shoulders. āWeāre making up for lost time, arenāt we, little cousin?ā
āYeah.ā He fended the blueberry ice cream away from his t-shirt. āCareful, Nym.ā
āWould be a shame if I got ice cream on you and accidentally vanished your shirt in front of Alicia.ā Nym cackled and finished her ice cream in a few swift bites, dusting crumbs of cone from her fingers. āAlicia might not mind, but youād go all red.ā
Alicia rolled her eyes. āIām not Katie, I donāt get all gushy every time some boy takes his shirt off.ā She eyed Harryās midriff. āAlthough, youāre not bad, Harry. Iāve seen enough in quidditch practice to know that.ā
Nymās wand appeared in her hand. āJust say the word. We can ogle him together.ā
Harryās face heated up. āOr we could⦠not?ā
She sighed. āSorry, Alicia. I think meeting his hot older cousin has turned Harry off other girls, heās just not interested in anything but me. You shouldāve seen how red his face went when he caught me without my jeans on.ā
Harry buried his face in his hands. āI hate you.ā
āYou love me.ā Nym cackled. āYou love me even more without jeans.ā
Alicia giggled. āOf course he does, heās a boy.ā
āI think he bought me ice cream in the hope Iād spill some down my front and accidentally vanish my shirt,ā Nym said. āWas that your plan, Harry? See if you can get a glimpse of your hottie cousin with her top off?ā
He glared at her, face burning. āYou know thatās not true.ā
āHeās actually completely oblivious,ā Alicia said. āI think Lavender has made like twenty attempts to catch his eye and Harryās blanked her every time.ā
āWait what?ā he asked. āWhen?ā
āLike, all the time,ā she said. āKatie and I thought you were deliberately ignoring her because she was going out with Ron before, but then we realised youāre actually just completely dense.ā
āI donāt remember any of these times,ā Harry said. āIām fairly sure they didnāt happen.ā
āLike how you were sure Daphne Greengrass wasnāt a real person?ā Nym asked.
āShe is,ā Alicia said. āSheās just really really shy. Sits at the back in the corner and hides in her dormitory most of the time.ā
āHa!ā Nym crowed. āShe is real. I knew it.ā
āJust rewinding to the Lavender thing,ā Harry said. āAre there any other girls I shouldāve noticed?ā
Alicia giggled. āWell, Choā¦ā
āMoving on from Cho,ā Harry said.Ā
āYeah, probably for the best. Thatās not a good idea right now. She has a lot of stuff to deal with at the moment.ā
He sighed. āI meant as a topic of conversationā¦ā
Nym snickered. āSure you did, baby cousin. Sure you did.ā
āRonās sister,ā Alicia said. āI donāt know, Iām not really looking out for it. Lavender and Ginny are just really obvious.ā
āHuhā¦ā Nym grinned āThat makes a lot of sense, actually.ā
āIām not going to like this, am I?ā Harry muttered.
āIs Ginny redheaded?ā Nym asked. āIāve never actually met her.ā
āYeah, sheās quite pretty,ā Alicia said. āSporty, popular, redhead. Boys like that.ā
āHermione got cross with me about those redheads look like your mum jokes I was making this morning,ā Nym said. āGuess we know why.ā
āThatās not why,ā he replied, ignoring a flutter of doubt in his gut.
āOh my god it definitely is.ā Alicia squealed. āHermioneās trying to match-make the two of you.ā
āBut I donāt really want to go out with Ginny,ā Harry protested. āSheās Ronās little sister.ā
āAnd she looks like your mum,ā Nym said.
āAnd that.ā
āAnd Iām hotter.ā
āAndāā he narrowed his eyes at her. āNice try.ā
āNearly got you to admit it.ā
āYou look like his twin sister,ā Alicia said. āThatās worse than his mum.ā
āIs it?ā Nym frowned and her hair paled to white. āThere, easy fix.ā
āHow the hell did you do that?ā Alicia asked. āAnd how can I do that? Iāve always wanted to dye my hair, but my parents wonāt let me.ā
āAfraid itās a born with it thing,ā Nym said. āBut, more importantly, back to Harryās love life.ā
āBecause we canāt stop talking about that for a few minutes,ā he muttered. āNo, that would be ridiculous.ā
āExactly.ā Nym shook her hair out and stepped across next to Alicia. āWhat about now? Whoās prettier, Harry?ā
āAlicia,ā he said. āSheās much nicer than you.ā
āProbably true,ā she replied. āBut I said prettier and you avoided the question, so I will take that to mean you think your cousin is a hottie and just canāt bring yourself to say it.ā
āYouād do that no matter what I said,ā Harry retorted.
āYep.ā She sniggered. āI totally would.ā
āOookay,ā Alicia said. āI should really head home. Iāll leave you and your cousin to keep catching up, Harry. It was nice to see you both.ā
āBye Alicia.āĀ
She drew him into a tight, warm hug. āSee you, Harry. I work here, so you can come find me most mornings if youāre bored.ā
Nym gave Alicia a little wave. āNice to meet you, Alicia.ā She watched Alicia disappear back into the store. āI donāt think she wants to be your girlfriend, cousā. Looks like youāre way into the friendzone there.ā
āThatās not a real place.ā
āItās as real as Daphne Greengrass.ā
āI donāt even want her to be my girlfriend,ā Harry said. āSo itās fine. I want to be in the friendzone. Sheās my friend.ā
āWho do you want to be your girlfriend?ā Nym teased.
āDaphne Greengrass.ā
āSheās not real according to you, so she doesnāt count.ā
āDonāt know then,ā he said. āSomeone nice. Someone fun. Someone pretty.ā Harry shrugged. āItās not like I have a list of names.ā
āSuch a shame Iām your cousin,ā Nym murmured. āI bet Iād be right at the top of the list if I wasnāt.ā
A little pang twisted beneath his ribs. Yeah, itās a lot of fun spending time with you. And youāre very pretty. Harry mustered a smile and brushed those thoughts aside.
āI donāt have a list,ā he said.
āThat sounds like an evasion to me.ā She cackled. āKeep buying me ice cream, cousā, maybe youāll get lucky when I start vanishing things.ā
How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days
A pile of brooms clattered onto the grass, bouncing off the ant mounds into patches of wild flowers. Long, evening shadows stretched from them across the field.
Ron cheered. āLetās go! Whoās in?āĀ
The twins grabbed the newest pair of brooms. āUs.ā
āMe!ā Ginny bounded out of the house, clutching a gleaming new broom. āI want to test out my birthday present before it gets too dark.ā
Charlie dragged Percy across by the arm, side-stepping Mr and Mrs Weasley as they cleared the dinner things back inside. āAnd us.ā
Hermione shook her head. āNope.ā
Ron thrust a broom into Harryās hands. āCāmon mate.ā
He glanced at Nym.
āI will probably die,ā she said. āThe last time I flew, I broke my arm in three places, and I only got about five feet off the ground.ā
āBill?ā Charlie called. āYou in?ā
Billās lips twisted. Fleur motioned toward them with her hand. He muttered something to her and she tensed, shaking her head.
āIām good,ā he said. āHappy here with my flower.ā
Ron groaned. āCringy.ā
āYouāre worse,ā Harry said. āWay worse.ā
Hermione flushed. āItās only cringy because you donāt have a girlfriend, Harry. If you did, youād say stuff like that, too.ā
āYou can call me your flower, Harry,ā Nym teased. āI donāt mind.ā
āI do,ā he said. āIt sounds awful. No offense to Bill and Fleur.ā
Nym threw a long look back across the field at the two of them and frowned. āMaybe Iāll join you guys and play, actually. Or float nearby and try not to fall off, at least. Not sure I want to be third-wheeling back there.ā
Harry handed his broom to Percy. āIāll sit this one out.ā
Ron groaned. āWeāll lose if you donāt play, mate.ā
āYouāve got Ginny,ā he said. āSheās got the best broom.ā
āWell, yeah, but sheās a girl.ā
Hermione cleared her throat.
āI mean, sheās shorter than Charlie,ā Ron blurted. āSo he has an advantage.ā
āToo late,ā Harry said. āYouāre in the hole, mate. Itās over. Hermioneās going to remember that.ā
Charlie tossed the quaffle at Percy. āUp you go, little brother. Sunās going down, so we donāt have long to play.ā
They kicked off into the sky.Ā
āSticking about to keep me company,ā Nym said. āThatās nice of you.ā
āWell, youāre technically my plus one,ā he said. āSo I canāt ditch you.ā
āYeahāā her gaze slid past him toward the house āāIām glad you didnāt. I donāt think Bill and Fleur are having a happy chat.ā
Harry glanced past. Bill waved his hands in the air, red-faced, and Fleur sat, stiff and straight as a telephone pole, whispering back with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes.
āOh,ā he said.
āYeah, thatās been coming, I think,ā Nym murmured. āNot sure Fleurās certain about what she wants at the moment.ā
āI thought she said yes?ā Harry asked.
āLot of pressure to say yes when someone you like asks you that.ā Nym sighed and started back across the ant hills to the house. āShe looked a lot happier when we saw her in Diagon Alley than she has at any point today.ā
āI guess.ā Harry shrugged. āI donāt think she likes Mrs Weasleyās cooking much, though.ā
Nym snorted, tripped on an ant hill, and went sprawling into the grass. āI can promise you thatās not why sheās less happy here,ā she said, sticking out a hand. āHelp me up?ā
Harry took her hand and pulled her to her feet. āWhy, then?ā
Nymās fingers slipped through his. āSeriously?ā
āWell, yeah,ā he said, glancing down at their hands, heat creeping to his cheeks. āI donāt know if I can help, but if I canā¦ā
āYou want to help her?ā Nym bit her lip. āAlright, letās go over. Just, before we go, I donāt think Fleur really loves Bill anymore, or, if she does, itās not enough for her to want to marry him now sheās found something new and exciting. And if youāre not sure, you shouldnāt be getting married, itās a big deal.ā
āSheās going out with someone else as well?ā Harry wracked his brain. āWho?ā
āUnbelievable.ā She laughed and tugged on his hand. āCome on. Who did we see Fleur spending time with at Diagon Alley when she was all blushey and worried you were there with Ron Weasley?ā
āLunaā¦ā A flash of Fleurās pink cheeks as Luna fed her ice cream hit him like lightning. āOh!ā
āYou are so dense.ā
āIām not,ā he said. āI just didnāt think about it, because, you know, Bill.ā
āDonāt just side with Bill because heās a guy,ā Nym said, stumbling over ant mounds and clumps of long grass. āIf Fleur doesnāt want to marry him, then thatās her choice.ā
āWell yeah, of course.ā He shrugged. āI feel bad for Bill, but if Fleurās changed her mind, then sheās changed her mind.ā
Nymās warm grip vanished as she pitched headfirst into the field. āOw.ā
āNot again.ā Harry laughed and held out his hand. āHow are you so bad at walking?ā
āI told you, I have to fake it so everyone else doesnāt feel bad about themselves,ā she said, dusting grass and dirt off her front. āNow I look like Iāve been rolling around.ā
āYou have.ā
Mr and Mrs Weasley came back out as Fleur and Billās raised voices drifted across the field, standing behind Bill as he gesticulated and wrung his hands.
āShut up, Harry.ā She huffed grass off her palms and grabbed his hand. āAnd hurry up, the Weasleys are gathering and theyāll all side with Bill.ā
āYou canāt be serious!ā Bill shouted. āYou canāt!ā
āI do not want to,ā Fleur murmured. āI thought I did, but now I do not.ā
āBut itās all fine!ā Bill yelled. āI donāt get it. I just ā I donāt! What did I do? I love you!ā
Fleur swallowed. āI met someone else.ā
Bill froze. āYou cheated on me.ā
āNo!ā She tensed up. āI just, I do not think I love you, is all. I do not want to marry you.ā
Mrs Weasley drew herself up.
āMaybe we should sleep on it,ā Mr Weasley said. āI remember getting a moment or two of cold feet back before I married Molly. Itās a big decision. I didnāt regret it for a second in the end, though.ā
Mrs Weasley nodded. āYes, thatās a good idea, dear.ā
āI am not going to change my mind,ā Fleur said. āI have thought about it a lot over the last week or so, and I have decided.ā She slid the ring off her finger and set it down on the table. āI am sorry, Bill. I did not mean to hurt you.ā
āBut you have,ā he whispered. āYou really have. I gave you everything I am. And you just⦠donāt want it anymore.ā He sucked in a deep breath. āYou heartless bitch.ā
Tears welled up in Fleurās eyes and she swept past him into the grass, stalking down the slope toward them.
āFleur?ā Harry half-raised an arm.
āWhat?ā She drew herself up. āI am not going to change my mind. You will understand in a few years, Harry, but I am sorry I have ruined the evening for you. I did not mean to.ā
āNo, Iāā
āWhere are you going?ā Nym asked.
Fleur glanced around and sagged. āI do not know,ā she whispered. āBut I can not stay here.ā
āWould you like to borrow my flat for a bit?ā Nym asked. āWe can go now, if Harryās alright going to say goodbye for us.ā
He gulped, anxiety knotting tight in his gut. āIāll tell them.ā
āNo.ā Fleurās face softened. āI appreciate it, Harry, but I do not want you to ruin your friendships with them over me. I will be fine.ā
He smothered his nervousness. āItās the right thing to do. And youāre my friend, too.ā
Fleur wiped tears from her eyes. āMerci beaucoup, Harry.ā
āGo,ā Nym said. āIāll apparate us all there in a minute. Mr and Mrs Weasley can get Hermione and Ron back to Grimmauld instead of me once their quidditch game ends.ā
Harry drew in a deep breath and trudged up the hill. Bill stormed into the house and slammed the door as he stepped onto the patio.
āAre you okay, Harry?ā Mrs Weasley bustled across. āYou look a little out of sorts and youāve been smiling with your cousin all day.ā
āTonks is going to let Fleur stay with her at her flat, I think,ā he said. āSo weāre going to head off.ā
āOkay.ā Mr Weasley put a hand on Mrs Weasleyās shoulder. āI think thatās probably for the best, Molly dear. You know how messy and upsetting things can get if people arenāt given a bit of space to breathe.ā
Mrs Weasley nodded. āWeāll take the three of you back to Grimmauld later. You go play quidditch before all the lightās gone. Donāt worry about this, enjoy your summer holidays.ā
āIām going with Nym,ā Harry said.
Mrs Weasleyās lips pursed. āSheās going to take you back to Grimmauld afterwards?ā
āYeah.ā
āThatās probably fine,ā Mr Weasley said. āSheās looking out for the three of you at Grimmauld at the moment anyway.ā
āA girl her age isnāt old enough to be looking after them,ā Mrs Weasley muttered. āItās too much responsibility. Even if sheās already an auror.ā
Ā Ā Ā āYou go then, Harry.ā Mr Weasley patted him on the shoulder. āSpend some time with your cousin, I know youāve only just met her recently, so it must be nice getting to know her.ā
Ā Ā Ā āOh.ā Mrs Weasley clapped a hand over her mouth. āHow stupid of me, Iām so sorry, Harry. I forget youāve only just met her. Of course you want to spend time with her. It was lovely to see you, and come back soon, youāre always welcome. Ginny and the Twins missed having someone else to play quidditch with.ā
Ā Ā Ā āThanks,ā he said. āSorry about⦠this.ā
Ā Ā Ā āNothing to do with you, Harry,ā Mr Weasley said. āThese things happen. Have a good evening.ā
Ā Ā Ā He stumbled back through the lengthening shadows to Nym and Fleur. āI said goodbye.ā
Ā Ā Ā āGood.ā Nym took Fleurās hand and wrapped an arm around Harryās shoulders. āLetās go back to mine, then.ā
Ā Ā Ā The world squeezed tight around Harry and they appeared in a narrow, wood-floored hall with a loud pop.Ā
Ā Ā Ā āThis is me.ā Nym turned a little red and scratched the top of her head. āItās⦠itās probably a bit of a mess. In fact, stay here, Harry. Let me just tidy a few things up.ā
Ā Ā Ā Fleur slumped against the wall with a quiet sigh. āI am not going anywhere, it is fine.ā
Ā Ā Ā āYou can come through, Fleur. Itās just my underwear everywhere.ā She snickered. āYouāre not going to get as excited by my panties as Harry will be.ā
Ā Ā Ā Harry shook his head. āIām not dignifying that with a response.ā
Ā Ā Ā āSounds like something someone who canāt think of a response would say,ā Nym shot back.
Ā Ā Ā A snort burst from Fleurās lips. āI will come help you tidy.ā A strange little gleam entered her eye and her lips twisted. āAlthough, I think I may be as much a worry as Harry when it comes to girls in their underwear.ā She studied the floor. āSo, if that is… not okay…ā
Ā Ā Ā āI know.ā Nym shrugged. āItās fine. As long as you donāt steal all my favourite bras, it doesnāt matter at all.ā She turned to Harry. āAnd donāt think I wonāt know if you steal my underwear and blame Fleur.ā
āI donāt want to steal your underwear,ā he protested. āThatās just weird.ā
āYou really do not care?ā Fleur murmured. āI thoughtāā
āBill and his family are a little more conservative than I am,ā Nym said. āAnd, since Harryās probably not going to say anything unless I twist his arm because heās worried about you being upset, heās not fussed either. He wanted to help you, too.ā
Tears welled up in Fleurās blue eyes, clustering on her lashes. āThank you,ā she whispered. āThank you so much. I thought I would have to say it all alone andāā she broke down into quiet sobs.
āHarry, comfort crying Fleur,ā Nym said. āI will quickly tidy up.ā
A stab of panic lanced through him. āBut I donāt know how to fix it? What if I make it worse?ā
A quiet laugh came through Fleurās crying. āIt is okay. The company is enough. I hate crying by myself.ā
Harry hovered, gnawing the inside of his cheek as she sobbed. āI ā er ā I really am terrible with crying girls, so just, like, say if you want something. Anything.ā
Fleur snorted and smeared her tears away from red eyes and blotched cheeks. āDo you make a lot of girls cry, Harry?ā
āI made Cho cry, well, I think she was crying already, actually,ā he said. āBut I definitely didnāt help. Itās a good thing I donāt have a girlfriend.ā
āYou and Ronaldās little sister are notā¦?ā
āNo.ā Harry shook his head. āAlthough, apparently, she has been trying to give me hints, but it turns out I am very very bad at getting those.ā
āMe too,ā Fleur said. āI overthink everything.ā
āI literally just donāt realise,ā Harry said. āThey just go right over my head. Itās probably because Iām still short.ā
A small smile crooked her lips. āYou are not that short anymore and you have got a few more years before you stop growing, too.ā
āMaybe Iāll end up taller than you.ā
āMaybe.ā Fleur sighed and leant her head back against the wall. āHow did it all get so complicated?ā She dabbed her eyes on her shoulder. āI was all in love and so sure, and then I met her and everything was just so different all of a sudden.ā
āLuna?ā Harry asked.
Her shoulders stiffened and she nodded. āShe was so ā so direct. I was just sitting there and she just came over and sat down and told me I was the prettiest girl sheād ever seen and that she really wanted to kiss me. I did not know what to do.ā
āI probably wouldnāt know what to do either,ā Harry said. āIf it was a guy, that is, if a pretty girl said that, Iād just blurt out yes and go very red.ā
āI panicked and offered to buy her ice cream,ā Fleur said. āIt turned into a regular thing and eventually.ā She shrugged her slim shoulders and bit her lip. āI do not even know when it happened. I just remember sitting there next to her, watching her eat ice cream, watching her lips and the spoon and her licking ice cream and remembering what she said about kissing.ā A small smile curved Fleurās lips. āI got, what is it you say? Butterflies. I still get them. It was very different to with Bill or any other boys.ā
āIām happy for you,ā he said. āThat sounds pretty great.ā
āI think it will be,ā she murmured. āI wish I did not have to hurt Bill, though. He is a very good man.ā
āBetter to tell him, though,ā Harry replied. āOtherwise itād be worse later.ā
āThat is what I thought,ā Fleur whispered. āBut he is upset. He loved me a lot.ā
āOkay.ā Nym bounded back down the corridor. āI have hidden all my underwear and tidied up.ā She led them through into a small living room. āJust donāt open the cupboard in the corner.ā
A round coffee table sat between a pair of small sofas on a short stretch of carpet between a little kitchen and a pair of closed doors. A wardrobe leant against the wall between two condensation-misted windows, lashed close with a Hufflepuff school tie.
Harry snorted. āYou threw everything in the cupboard, didnāt you?ā
āI did.ā Nym beamed. āLook how tidy it looks, usually itās covered in mess.ā She patted the sofa. āCome sit down, Fleur.ā
āMerci.ā Fleur flopped onto the sofa. āI feel a little better, actually.ā
āHarry managed not to make it worse?āĀ
āHe was very good,ā Fleur said, flashing a faint smile at him. āExcellent boyfriend material.ā
āOkay,ā Nym said. āSo, boring stuff. The bedroomās the door on the right. The bathroom is on the left, towels are in the cupboard inside. I changed the sheets on the bed, so no need to worry about catching anything off me, and just give the shower a moment or two before you get in, because it comes out hot as hell for a few seconds before it settles.ā
Fleur nodded. āMerci.ā She glanced around. āWhat about you?ā
āIāll stay at Grimmauld,ā Nym said. āThis is a one-bed flat and I have to apparate there to babysit little cousin Harry and his friends anyway.ā
āOh.ā Fleur frowned. āI do not want toāā
āItās fine. I wouldnāt have offered if I wasnāt okay with it.ā A wicked grin flashed across Nymās face. āNow, rules of stayingā¦ā
Fleur tensed.
āThere are no rules!ā Nym snickered. āFeel free to borrow all my stuff, the fridge is all but empty, though, because I literally cannot cook to save my life. Andāā she rested a hand on Fleurās arm āāif you want some company and Iām busy, you can invite whomever you like back here.ā
Luna.
Fleur squirmed. āMerci,ā she whispered. āIf you are sure.ā
āItās that or Harry,ā Nym said. āAnd, between the three of us, Harryās rubbish company, all he does is stare at me. Which, I am a hottie, so fair, but still, Iām his cousin and itās weird.ā
Harry groaned. āI hate you, Nymph.ā
Her wand appeared in her hand. āThat sounded an awful lot like please remove my eyebrows, Nym.ā
āWeird,ā he replied. āBecause thatās not at all what I said.ā
A faint flash of humour passed across Fleurās face. āIf it is okay, I would like to use the bathroom.ā She touched her fingers to her face. āI look awful when I cry and I think then I would just like to sleep, I am very tired.ā
āThatās fine, you make yourself at home. Let me just sort a few things while youāre in the shower.ā Nym elbowed Harry and shot him a pointed look. āWeāll clear out after.ā
āCome meet us at Fortescueās tomorrow morning?ā he suggested.
Fleur nodded and stood up. āThat is a good idea. I need to speak with Luna also.ā
āBonsoir, Fleur,ā Nym said.
Fleur smiled. āBonsoir.ā
āBonsoir?ā
āIt means good evening, Harry,ā Fleur said, drifting into the bathroom. āBonsoir.ā
āIs she okay?ā Harry murmured.Ā
āSheāll be fine,ā Nym said. āAs long as sheās not left by herself to overthink things or make a mess of it. You did the right thing inviting her to Diagon Alley.ā
āI thought that was what that look meant,ā he said.
āNo, that look meant donāt say anything, but you clearly didn’t get that.ā
āOh.ā
āIt worked out okay,ā Nym said. āBillās got it worst, but heās got his family and heāll pull through.ā
āPoor Bill.ā
āYeah, I bet it sucks to be him right now.ā Nym sighed. āNot that I have any experience with anything like this, Iām just repeating what Iāve been told.ā
āReally?ā
āWell yeah, itās not like any of my colleagues are going to want to date someone my age,ā Nym said. āActually, I donāt even know anyone my age. Thatās what I meant about missing all the fun stuff. I want to do stupid teenage shit before itās too late and Iām all adult and grown up.ā
āYou know Alicia.ā
āThatās true.ā Nym grinned. āIāll go and date her.ā
āAnd Iāll go out with Ginny, apparently.ā Harry grimaced. āI canāt believe Hermioneās trying to set us up.ā
The shower drummed on plastic and the plumbing hummed.Ā
āThey were plotting today, you know,ā Nym said. āI got a real cold shoulder.ā
Harry frowned. āReally?ā
āYeah.ā She poked him on the forehead. āDonāt get like that, itās fine. Ginny was just getting a bit territorial, the only girls you ever paid attention to was Hermione and that Cho girl from what Iāve heard. Having me rock up must have been a bit of a shock.ā
āBut youāre my cousin.ā
āHermione told her, I think,ā Nym said. āShe warmed up to me a bit later, still got a few glares because I had your attention all day, but Iām not fussed about it.ā
The clock on the wall chimed.
āEleven,ā Nym muttered, grabbing Harryās hand. āRight. Letās give Fleur a little space before we see her tomorrow. Back we go!ā
A tight cold crushed in on Harry and they appeared in the upstairs office with a loud pop.
āTime for bed for me,ā Harry said.
āAnd me.ā Nym stuck her head out and pressed a finger to her lips. āYour friends must already be sleeping, itās way too late for them not to be back. Molly and Arthur would have taken them here the moment it got dark an hour or ago.ā
Harry wandered down the stairs, pausing to listen to Ronās snores rolling up the landing like thunder, and into his bedroom. He tugged off his t-shirt and jeans, kicking them into a corner with a soft sigh.
A gentle knock came on the door.
āYes?ā he said.
Nym pushed the door open. āSmall snag.ā
Heat rushed to Harryās face and he snatched the duvet off his bed, wrapping it around himself.
āToo late, little cousin.ā She sniggered. āI already had more than enough time to confirm Alicia was right about you being lean but easy on the eye.ā
He groaned. āPlease donāt. Whatās the snag?ā
āTurns out, there is literally not a single piece of furniture in any of the other rooms.ā
āMrs Weasley cleared it out,ā Harry said. āDoxies ruined it all beyond saving.ā
āRight, and Iām not really a sleep in a bathtub kind of girl,ā she said. āSoā¦ā
āSo?ā He raised an eyebrow. āJust magic yourself up a bed.ā
āYou magic me a bed,ā Nym muttered. āHave you any idea how hard it is to conjure something like a bed that would last the entire night and feel better than floorboards?ā
āSounds like a you problem.āĀ
āItās an us problem,ā she retorted. āBecause itās impossible and thereās nothing I can transfigure and Iām tired and feeling lazy.ā Her gaze fell on his bed.
Harry sighed. āFine, you can steal my bed. Iāve slept in worse than a bath tub.ā
āThen you end up on the floor, that doesnāt solve anything,ā Nym said.
āGo share with Fleur?ā Harry suggested.Ā
āOrā¦ā She rolled her eyes. āI could share with my cousin and not apparate back in and disturb poor Fleur.ā
āIs there really not any other option?ā he asked. āThis seems awfully⦠contrived.ā Suspicion rose. āWait, is this a trick? Am I going to wake up and find you looking like Umbridge again?ā
Nym cackled. āYou might now.ā
āSssh,ā Harry hissed. āYou want Hermione in here with us?ā
She clapped a hand over mouth, stifling her sniggering. āI meanā¦ā
āIf you said no to sharing with Fleur thereās no way youād say yes to Hermione.ā
āBit harsh.ā
āItās Fleur,ā he said.
āTrue.ā Nym glanced at the bed. āYouāre dragging this out.ā
āIām trying to figure out a better solution.ā
āItās literally just sharing a bed.ā She folded her arms. āYouāre making it weird by thinking about it more than you need to.ā
āIāve read enough steamy scenes over Hermioneās unsuspecting shoulder to know what people think bed sharing leads to. You think Ginny dislikes you now, imagine after she hears about this?ā
She snickered. āWeāre going to circle back around to that tomorrow, so I can make you go all red again, but for now, I am tiredāā she stuck a hand under her top and squirmed about, tossing her bra onto the side table āāand I want to go to bed.ā
Harry watched her kick off her jeans and rummage through his wardrobe in just dark blue lace and a white t-shirt. A strange, sweet little pain twisted in his stomach. āWhat are you doing, Nym?ā
āI got mud and grass on this when I stacked it in the field, I donāt want to sleep in it.ā She glanced over her shoulder. āClose your eyes for a moment.ā
Harry squeezed them shut. āIām not watching.ā
āI bet you are.ā
Heat flooded his face. āIām not!ā
Clothing rustled and the wardrobe thudded shut.
āMissed your chance, then,ā she whispered in his ear.
Bed springs creaked.Ā
āYou can open your eyes now, Harry.ā Nym lay on the far side of his bed in a loose, white t-shirt. Goose pimples rose on her arms and legs. āStop staring at me and bring that duvet back. Itās cold.ā
āI canāt believe Iām agreeing to do this,ā he muttered. āItās stupid. I bet youāre only doing this because you knew itād make me all embarrassed.ā
A broad grin spread across her face. āThe thought had crossed my mind. It is adorable.ā
āYouāre adorable.ā Harry sat on the edge of the bed and held out the other edge of the duvet. āWaitā¦ā
āYeah, that one doesnāt really work the other way around. Iām not fussed about being adorable.ā Nym grabbed his shoulder and tugged him into the bed. āJust lie there, like a normal person, and go to sleep,ā she whispered, her warm breath washing over the back of his neck with a faint scent of violets.Ā
His heart hammered against his ribs and his stomach fluttered, flashing hot and cold. āDonāt you want to stay on your side a bit more?ā
āItās a small bed and I like to sprawl out like a starfish, so you may as well just resign yourself to me touching you at some point.ā Her warm bare feet brushed his legs, sending a thrill bursting through him. āJust try not to stick your hands anywhere Iāll want to curse you for, and Iāll try not to stick my hands anywhere thatāll get you too excited.ā
Dudley in the shower. Dudley in the shower. He plastered a flash of shirtless Dudley over the hot thrill of the adrenaline coursing through his veins. Think about the tubby cousin and not the really beautiful one whoās in bed with you. Harry stared at the wall, counting the cracks in the plaster as her breathing steadied and deepened. She must have been able to find somewhere else to sleep. Surely. He counted to twenty, tallying crevices until his pulse stopped racing and the thrill ebbed. Thatās better.
Tonks rolled onto her face, tangling their legs together and flopping an arm over his chest.Ā
Is she asleep already? Harry held his breath and rolled onto his side.Ā
Nymās dark hair tumbled across her face, sticking to her lip, and a line of drool hung from the corner of her mouth. Her warm breath tickled his shoulder and a warm little glow rose up within him through the fluttering in his stomach.
āDefinitely a hottie,ā he murmured, closing his eyes.
Nymās beaming face hovered behind his eyelids as she pranced across the kitchen floor in her striped panties.Ā
I really need a girlfriend. Harry smothered a groan into his pillow. Or at least a bigger bed.
Clueless
Bright sunlight streamed in through the gap at the top of the curtains, pooling against the door. Nymās chest rose and fell beside him, the sound of her breathing filled the quiet room and the warm touch of her arms and legs wrapped about him like a blanket.Ā
āYouāre staring.ā Her eyes flickered open, green as his.
Heat rushed to his cheeks. āYouāre dribbling on my arm.ā
Nym flushed and wiped her mouth on the shoulder of her t-shirt, flopping her head back onto the pillow. āYou know⦠not to be weird, but this is actually quite nice.ā She hummed and sighed. āYouāre warm and it feels good to wake up and not be alone.ā
Harry let his eyes slide shut, breathing in a soft, violet-tinged smell. Nym.Ā
āOi.ā Nym bumped his chin with her forehead. āThatās the sort of thing you need to say something to, or you make me feel like an idiot.ā
āIt is nice,ā he blurted. āItās justā¦ā
A wicked gleam appeared in her eyes. āAre you worried Iām going to notice your morning condition, Harry?ā
āMy what?ā He tugged his arm out from under her and patted at his hair. āItās always this bad, Iāve given up on it. Not like itās worse than the giant scar on my face.ā
āThat is not the morning condition Iām talking about.ā Nym sighed. āNo wonder Ginnyās frustrated. Youāre not good at hints.ā
āThat was a hint?ā
A little smirk crooked the corner of her lips. āAre you hoping it is?ā Her smirk spread into a grin. āWere you playing stupid, trying to get me to do something silly for a thrill?ā
Harry frowned. āIām completely lost.ā
Nym snorted. āYouāre adorable.ā She took a deep breath and squirmed into him. āAnd you smell nice, too.ā
āErā¦ā
āWhat?ā
āWe should probably get up,ā he said. āI donāt know what the time is, but it seems pretty bright outside.ā
She moaned. āBut Iām actually super comfortable where I am.ā
āWell, you stay there, then.ā Harry pushed himself up onto his elbow. āIāll get up. We said weād go meet Fleur, though, remember.ā
āOh yeah.ā Nym sat up and smacked her forehead into his cheek. āOw.ā
Harry pressed a hand to his stinging face. āYou are a menace to furniture, even floors, and anyone within range.ā
āSorry.ā She threw back the covers and stretched. āOh thatās a good stretch. I slept amazingly well.ā
Harry watched the white t-shirt ride up to her ribs in the corner of his eye. Donāt stare. He dragged his gaze away from her stomach and the dark blue lace about her hips as his pulse picked up. I think I need a girlfriend.
Nym snickered. āWant me to keep stretching for a bit, Harry?ā
āI hate you.ā He staggered out of bed, clapped his glasses onto his face and dragged on the clothes from the heap on the floor. āYou did that on purpose.ā
āI did.ā She beamed. āI knew youād look.ā
Then why do it? His stomach fluttered and coiled into a tight, hot knot. Probably just to make me go red again.
Nym bounced out of the bed, tangled her feet in the duvet and thudded to the floor. āOw,ā she whined. āWhy didnāt you catch me?ā
He helped her to her feet. āYouād only take me down with you.ā
āWasted your chance to get all tangled up with me in just a t-shirt and my underwear,ā she said, grinning. āYour loss.ā
Harry snorted. āIād just get dribbled on again.ā
A sharp knock rang through the room.Ā
āHarry?ā Hermione called. āAre you okay?ā
āErāā
The door creaked open.
Hermioneās face turned scarlet and her jaw dropped. āHarry!ā
Nym rolled her eyes, tugging the t-shirt down to her thighs. āHave you never shared a room with a cousin before, Hermione?ā She grabbed her wand off the bedside table and conjured a duplicate of Harryās bed. āNot even that hard.ā
Harry caught her eye and raised an eyebrow.Ā
She smirked. āIt doesnāt last all that long, but better than nothing.ā
āBut there are so many other roomsā¦ā
āTheyāre all weirdly empty and probably full of doxies,ā Nym replied. āAlso, we got back late and I am not good at creeping around quietly.ā
āButāā
āYou turn up in our dormitory all the time, Hermione,ā Harry said. āItās just sharing with my cousin, donāt make it weird.ā
āYeah.ā Nymās green eyes shone with mirth. āDonāt make it weird, Hermione.ā
āYouāre basically nakedā¦ā Hermione shook her head. āFine. Whatever. Clearly Harryās okay, so Iām just going to go have breakfast.ā
āWeāre heading out in a moment,ā Harry said. āPromised weād meet Fleur in Diagon.ā
Hermione paused. āIs she okay?ā
āFleurās a little upset, but sheāll be alright,ā Nym said. āSo long as sheās not left alone. I let her borrow my flat.ā
āOh.ā Hermione relaxed. āThatās why youāre here. Fleurās at your place.ā
āYup.ā Nym grabbed her jeans off the floor and pulled them on. āNo room to share in my place, itās just a one bedroom.ā
āI can set up a room for you, if you want?ā Hermione offered. āRon and I really donāt have anything better to do.ā
A faint pang twisted beneath Harryās ribs with the image of her tangle of dark hair and drooling, sleepy smile.
Nym glanced away, plucking her bra off the bedside table. āNo, itās okay. Iāll sort it later.ā
āOkay.ā Hermione slipped out, pulling the door closed behind her.
āDoes she always just come right in?ā Nym asked.Ā
āEveryone does,ā Harry grumbled. āYou did, too.ā
She pushed her bra down the front of her borrowed t-shirt and tugged an arm in through the sleeve, wriggling around with a frown. āThis is stupid.ā Nym sighed and swivelled around. āCan do you it up for me?ā
He stared at where the fine dark hairs tumbled down the back of neck. āDo whatāā
Nym pulled the back of the t-shirt up, baring smooth, pale skin. āJust the little clip. Make sure you get both hooks on, I donāt want it to come off and end up wandering around in front of anyone with no bra on.ā
Harry swallowed a brief, hot thrill and caught the thin, warm straps between his fingers, drawing them together and inspecting the sets of tiny hooks. āWhich one?ā
āFirst one,ā she replied. āI can always change me if itās a little loose.ā
āRight.ā He clasped it and let go. āYouāre ā er ā all done.ā
Nym shook her t-shirt back down and swept her hair away over one shoulder, baring the fine, dark little hairs at the nape of her neck. āIām going to hold onto this top, since mineās still grass-stained. Hope thatās alright?ā
āWhat?ā He tugged his gaze away from the back of her neck and stomped the fluttering in his stomach down. āYeah, no, thatās fine.ā
āRight.ā She twirled around and grabbed his hand. āLetās go see Fleur. Probably time to see Alicia, too, if you want?ā
āIs that okay?ā Harry asked. āYou donāt have other stuff to do or people you want to see?ā
Nym cocked her head, the corner of her mouth curving down. āNot really. Itās just you, baby cousin!ā
The world crushed the breath from his lungs and flashed dark. Nymās hand yanked hard on his, dragging him stumbling across the pavement.Ā
āClose one.ā She patted the lampost a few inches from her nose. āNearly got a few more bruises.ā
āIce cream brunch?ā Harry pointed at Fortescueās.
āDefinitely.ā Nym grabbed his hand, tugging him across the street and into the queue. āPick another flavour for me, Harry.ā
He skimmed the counter until his gaze fell on a bright pink one. āBubblegum.ā
āWait, seriously?ā She beamed. āI thought they didnāt have it.ā
āThe really pink one.ā
āAwesome.ā Nymās grin spread from ear to ear and a rush of warmth flooded Harryās chest. āExcellent choice. Youāre getting rhubarb.ā
āSounds okay.ā He scanned the seats and caught a flash of blonde from the back. āFleur and Luna are here.ā
Fleur waved, gesturing them over.Ā
āYou go,ā Nym said. āItās my turn to pay.ā
āSure?ā Harry patted his pockets down. āI actually donāt have any money.ā
āIāve got enough.ā She squeezed his hand and released his fingers. āGo over there. Try not to say anything stupid, though.ā
Right. He drifted through the tables, swerving around a spoon-wielding, screaming toddler and his red-faced mother.
āHey Harry!ā Luna beamed and shuffled across, patting the seat. āHave a seat.ā She scraped a small spoonful of ice cream out of her bowl and offered it to Fleur. āWant to try some? Itās strawberry and it tastes just like your lip gloss.ā
Fleurās face turned bright pink as she bent and let Luna slip the spoon between her lips. āItās nice,ā she whispered. āMerci.ā
āWeāve tried nearly all the flavours now.ā Luna put the spoon down and dropped her hand into Fleurās lap. āJust a couple left to go.ā
āThen you can try mixing them,ā Fleur said.
Lunaās grey eyes brightened. āYes. We could make loads of new flavours!ā
She seems fine. Harry glanced back across the tables at where Nym was paying. Thatās good. I guess Luna cheered Fleur up already.
āWaiting for your cousin?ā Fleur asked.
āSheās buying this time,ā he said. āShe also likes to make me try ice cream flavours.ā
A faint crease wrinkled Fleurās forehead. āHow long have you known her for? I did not realise you had a cousin.ā
āA few days,ā Harry replied. āI didnāt know either. She just rocked up to keep an eye on us because sheās special and already an auror.ā
āSheās very pretty,ā Luna said. āNot as kissable-looking as Fleur, but she seems like lots of fun.ā
āSheās fun.ā He caught Fleurās eye and felt heat rush to his face. āNot really thought about kissing her, given sheās my cousin.ā
āI donāt think it would hurt anyone.ā Luna twirled her hair around her finger. āYou should tell her you think she would be nice to kiss. Thatās what I did and I think it went quite well, really.ā
Fleurās cheeks glowed pink in the corner of Harryās eye. āI think Harry meant that he doesnāt think she would be nice to kiss because sheās his cousin.ā
āOh.ā Luna bobbed her head. āI wouldnāt think that would change anything, though. Sheās still going to taste and kiss the same as if she wasnāt.ā
āBut most people donāt want to kiss their cousins,ā Fleur said. āI donāt want to kiss any of mine.ā
Luna hummed. āI donāt have any cousins, so Iāve not tried kissing them.ā
Nym dropped into the chair and slid a bowl of ice cream under Harryās nose with one finger. āWhatās this about kissing cousins, Harry? Have you been sharing all our secrets with Fleur and Luna?ā
He spluttered, cheeks burning. āWeāve notāā
āToo late to lie, Harry,ā she said, beaming. āThe secretās out now.ā
Fleur glanced between them, a small frown on her face. āYouā¦?ā
āNo.ā Harry sighed. āSheās just trying to make me go all red again.ā
āYou are quite red.ā Luna picked her spoon back up. āYou look a bit like a strawberry.ā
āThanks, Luna.ā
She smiled. āThatās okay.ā
āHarry just wishes he could kiss hottie cousin,ā Nym said. āHeās been trying to think up a way to convince me to kiss him, so far heās hoping to tell me he wants to practice for kissing Ginny. I read all about it in his diary.ā
āIām not fond of diaries,ā he muttered. āAnd I donāt want to kiss Ginny, either.ā
āDidnāt hear you objecting to kissing me, though.ā Nym winked at him. āSounds like your diary was telling the truth.ā
Luna nodded. āOf course it did, thereād be no point lying in a diary.ā
āI donāt actually have a diary, Luna. She has entirely made this up.ā
āHow can she have read your diary if you donāt have one, Harry?ā Luna asked, feeding Fleur ice cream with a little smile. āYou have to have a diary if sheās read it. Now you just have to ask her to kiss you. I think sheāll say yes.ā
Tonks snickered. āIāll say yes, Harry, I promise. Just ask.ā
He shook his head and took a mouthful of rhubarb ice cream. āI give up.ā
Luna studied Harry with serious grey eyes. āYou have to ask, Harry. Once youāve asked, then you can kiss her more, because you know she wants to kiss you back.ā She twisted about and tugged Fleurās lips down to hers, tangling her fingers in her platinum blonde hair. āSee?ā she breathed, flicking the tip of her tongue across her lips. āItās nice. Fleur tastes like strawberries.ā
Heat flooded Harryās face. āI think thereās been a fundamental misunderstanding somewhere, Luna. Itās not about asking or how I ask, itās about wanting to ask.ā
āHarryās emotionally stunted, Luna,ā Nym said. āHe doesnāt notice Ginnyās hints, so he probably has no idea what to do when or if he likes a girl.ā
āI would notice,ā he muttered. āProbably.ā
A laugh burst from Fleurās lips. āI think your cousin knows you quite well, Harry. You do not notice Ginevraās hints at all and she is not being very subtle.ā
āI notice them now.ā Harry let another spoonful of sweet, tangy rhubarb melt on his tongue. āHow was I meant to know what her hints were?ā
āThat is what girls usually do,ā Fleur said. āWe hint and wait for the guy to do something about it.ā
āI donāt hint,ā Luna said. āI donāt understand why youād hint. Itās like asking, but people are less likely to notice. You should just ask, Harry.ā
Harry pointed his spoon at Nym. āI hate you. You are my second least favourite cousin.ā
She snorted and stuck out a bubblegum-pink stained tongue. āHow did you find my flat, Fleur? Was it okay?ā
Fleur nodded. āIt is perfect, thank you. I am glad I did not have to stay at the Burrow, I do not know if that would have gone well.ā
āHas Bill said anything to you?ā Harry asked.
Luna ate small spoonfuls of ice cream with a wide, bright smile.Ā
Fleur shook her head. āHe does not know where I am and I have not seen him at work yet.ā She frowned. āI will probably transfer away, I think. I do not want to always be there near him, it will only hurt him.ā
āWell, youāre welcome to borrow my flat for a little while yet,ā Nym said. āI can just stay at Grimmauld for a while.ā
āMerci,ā Fleur murmured, glancing at Luna. āActually, Nympha āĀ Tonks, I was hoping you would not mind if I invited Luna back to have dinner with me soon.ā
Luna beamed. āWe were going to try and bake something together.ā
Nym grinned. āI said I didnāt mind, Fleur. Luna can come over to stay whenever. Iāll come by and grab some of my stuff a little bit later today, that way I wonāt need to turn up at an awkward moment.ā
āAre you staying with Harry?ā Luna asked.
āYes.ā She tousled Harryās hair. āI am babysitting my little baby cousin.ā
āWhose idea was that, anyway?ā he demanded. āSince I am definitely the more mature of the two of us.ā
āIt was kind of a group effort.ā Nym leant back on her chair. āMolly didnāt want Ron and Hermione left to themselves, you probably shouldnāt be in Grimmauld without someone popping by from time to time in case you come across something nasty, and I quite wanted to finally meet my only bearable cousin.ā
āAnd youāre on a break,ā Harry said. āSo you literally had nothing else to do.ā
āBossy Bones forced me to take one,ā she said. āMad-Eyeās being made to do all the admin heās not done for the last five years apparently, so Bones must be pretty mad at him, too.ā
Luna dropped her spoon with a clatter. āI am going to go find Daddy, Fleur,ā she said. āI said Iād meet him soon near the bank.ā
āIāll see you tomorrow, then.ā Pink crept across Fleurās cheeks as she leant forward and pressed a kiss to Lunaās cheek. āBe safe.ā
Luna beamed and caught Fleur in a long kiss. Harry glanced away, cheeks burning. Nym caught his eye and waggled her eyebrows at him, dripping ice cream onto her t-shirt.Ā
āYouāre ruining my t-shirt,ā he said, pointing at the pink splotches.
āOops.ā She pulled out her wand and vanished it. āSorry, Harry.ā
Luna bounced to her feet. āBye Harry, bye Tonks. Have fun kissing later.ā
āBye Luna.ā Harry glowered at Nym. āShe better not start telling everyone that.ā
Nym cackled. āCan you imagine the look on Ginnyās face, though? Or Hermioneās?ā
Fleur glanced between them. āDo you ā do you think it is okay?ā
Heat flooded his cheeks and he sighed. āWe donāt actually kiss, Fleur.ā
She snorted. āNon. I mean, what I did, with Bill, and now, being with Lunaā¦?ā
āOh.ā He shrugged. āI donāt see whatās so wrong with it. You didnāt want to marry him, so itās fine to say no, and Luna and you seem happy.ā
āWe are,ā Fleur murmured. āShe gives me butterflies, although, she is quite bold. I told her about Bill and she kissed me.ā
āWithout asking?ā Harry rolled his eyes. āI thought that was important.ā
āShe asked.ā Fleur touched her fingertips to her lips. āI did not know what to say, so I said yes.ā
āAllās well that ends well. You really donāt seem to mind her kissing you all that much, given how pink you go, Fleur.ā Nym let her chair bang back to the ground. āAre we going to find Alicia, Harry?ā
āWe can do,ā he said. āSheās probably still working, though.ā
āI do need to go back to work,ā Fleur said. āThank you, both of you.ā She glanced from Nym to Harry and back again. āI really appreciate it.ā
āBye Fleur.ā
Harry watched her vanish out the door. āShe seems better.ā
āItāll take her a bit of time,ā Nym said. āBut I think she made the right choice. Luna and her have a very comfortable intimacy, even if Fleur gets all blushy about it.ā
āThatās good?ā
āSo Iāve heard.ā She picked her spoon back up, tracing circles in the melted ice cream in her bowl. āIt must be nice to be all close with someone you trust and love. Iāll grab some of my stuff, so Iām not in their way, and let them get all snuggled up together. Iām really quite jealous, really. Iād love to be in their place.ā
Like how we were. Harry smothered a wild flutter as his pulse quickened. And it was nice, waking up with someone like that.Ā
āIām kind of jealous, too,ā he murmured.
āWell, if you want a hot girl in your bed, you heard Luna, just ask.ā Nym put her spoon down with a grin. āThat or you can try and be devious.ā
āLike pretending I canāt conjure a bed?ā Harryās stomach knotted itself up into a hot tangle he wiped sweat off his palms onto his thighs.
Nym winked. āIf it worksā¦ā
While You Were Sleeping
The slim bar of light creeping in beneath the door faded and the darkness fell over the bed, table, and wardrobe. Ronās faint snoring drifted through the walls from the far side of the house.
Sheās still not back from her flat.
Harry reached down and tugged off one sock, flattening it down, then pulled off the other and lined it up on top of the first. He straightened his cold pillows and the duvet.
What are you waiting for? It was a one time joke. Sheās probably talking with Fleur and will just want to get her stuff sorted in a room and thatās that.Ā
He tugged the thick, faded purple curtains across to cover the full moon and blinked into the gloom until the faint outline of the bedside table came into view. A sweet, soft pain twisted beneath his ribs, tightening until it caught in his throat.
āThis is stupid.ā Harry pulled his t-shirt off and kicked his jeans away into the corner. āThereās nothing to wait for anyway.ā He swept his socks onto the floor and wriggled under the duvet, pulling his glasses off and dropping them on the table. āShe was just messing with you, it doesnāt matter if it was nice.ā
Harry closed his eyes and held his breath. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Siā
A loud pop tore through the room.
He scrabbled for his glasses, sitting up and pulling the duvet up about his shoulders. āNym?ā
āYeah,ā she whispered. āJust me.ā
Harry swallowed. āWhat are you doing?ā
āI got distracted talking to Fleur,ā Nym said. āGot all my stuff in my old school trunk here, but…ā
His heart began to hammer against his ribs and he strained his eyes at her silhouette before the door. āButā¦?ā
āYou really are bad at hints. Even innocent ones.ā Her footsteps creaked across the floorboards. āLook, I know itās maybe a little weird, but you didnāt seem to mind yesterday, soā¦ā
A soft, white glow lit the room.Ā
Nymās green eyes and white hair shone, an armās length from him. āThatās better. I can see what youāre thinking now.ā
A little heat crept onto his cheeks. āNo you canāt.ā
āI can when you go all red like that.ā She put her wand down on the beside table. āIām taking your lack of reply to be yes, by the way, since youād only go red if you wanted to say yes but werenāt sure.ā
āYes?ā
Nym tugged the button open on her jeans. āTo my question.ā
He frowned. āYou didnāt ask a question.ā
āIt was implied.ā She wriggled out of her jeans. āI gave you plenty of hints what I wanted all day, which was obviously stupid of me, because we were literally talking about how you donāt get them and you inevitably never said anything, but still, I think you know what I mean.ā
āYou mean ā you wantā¦?ā
āIt was nice waking up with someone instead of by myself,ā she murmured, flapping a hand at him. āNow budge over.ā
Harry shuffled across the bed, heart pounding. āAre you sure?ā
āDonāt overthink it.ā Nym squirmed in beside him and snuggled into his shoulder. āItās just nice being close to someone.ā
āOkay.ā He inhaled a gentle rush of violets and a faint tang of warm spice. āIāll try not to.ā
āAlso, Iām not going to try and stay on one side this time, because itās not going to happen anyway.ā
He snorted. āYou were trying last time?ā
āI was and I woke up all tangled up with you and drooling on your arm.ā She snickered. āIām going to drool on you again, by the way, so⦠sorry?ā
āI didnāt really mind,ā Harry murmured. āIt ā it was nice waking up close to someone. Especially after watching Hermione and Ron be all close and coupley all the time.ā
āIāll move my stuff into another room tomorrow.ā Nymās warm breath tickled his neck as she tugged the duvet toward her. āIf you want me to.ā
A wild fluttering swirled in the pit of his stomach and he took a deep breath. āWhat if ā what if I said I didnāt want you to?ā
A small smile curved her lips. āIād probably just stay and drool on you some more.ā She wriggled, tangling her cold feet into his warm legs with a soft sigh. āIām going to sleep now, Harry. Gānight.ā
āNight, Nym,ā he whispered, letting his eyes slide shut.
A warm, soft weight leant into him, the quiet sound of Nymās breathing filled the room and a hot, damp patch of duvet rested over his arm.Ā
Harry opened his eyes.
A tangle of white hair fell across Nymās face, sticking to the dark splotch on the duvet beneath the wet gleam on her chin. A soft fluttering stirred in Harryās stomach and reached across to brush her hair off her face.
Nym shifted, wiggling her toes against his legs, and her eyes flickered open.Ā
Harry froze. āEr⦠hi?ā
She blinked twice, squinting at his hand. āAnd where were you about to stick that hand, Harry?ā A grin spread across her lips. āShould I curse you?ā
āYou had hair in your face,ā he mumbled, flushing. āIt looked annoyingā¦ā
Nym laughed. āIām just teasing.ā She released a long sigh. āIām glad I came back to your room, now. I nearly didnāt.ā
āYou didnāt want to?ā He rested his hand on her shoulder as it grew heavy.
Her eyes flicked to his hand and a faint smile formed on her face. āI thought you might think it was too weird.ā
āI donāt find it weird,ā Harry murmured. āBut it is. People would tell us itās weird.ā
āYeah.ā Nym shrugged and his hand slipped off into the duvet. āI like this. Donāt really care if other people find it weird. Other people have always found me weird.ā
āBecause youāre a super amazing special talented prodigy?
āThat and because I canāt walk over flat surfaces or past furniture without managing to trip over or bump into it.ā She grabbed his hand and pulled his arm around her. āThere, even better.ā
āDo you know what the time is?ā Harry leant his head back to peer at the gold glow behind the curtains. āI feel like itās mid-morning.ā
āDid you have plans?ā Nym closed her eyes. āIām really rather comfortable where I am.ā
āNot really. But if Hermione comes in and catches us like this I will absolutely never hear the end of it.ā
āSheās not your mother, just ignore her.ā Nym snickered. āIn fact, ignore her even if she is.ā Her hair darkened to auburn and she opened her eyes. āWhat did I tell you about sleeping with your cousin, sweetie? It was cute when you were six, but itās a bit worrying for us all now.ā
āThat is weird.ā Harry grimaced. āPlease go back to white hair.ā
āIām just making sure Ginny and Hermione canāt Oedipus trap you into a relationship.ā She cackled under her breath. āNot that I have any ground to stand on when it comes to weird.ā
āAs long as Siriusās Mum never finds out, she might actually approve.ā He closed his eyes, straining his ears. āI canāt hear Ron snoring, so itās at least ten in the morning.ā
āSounds about right,ā Nym said. āI slept very well.ā
āOi.ā He gave a lock of her auburn hair a gentle tug. āTry not to mess me up anymore than you already have, please?ā
A bright spark of mischief welled up in her eyes and she wriggled closer. āHow have I messed you up, baby cousin?ā she purred. āDid I do something you didnāt like?ā
Harry swallowed as his blood rushed south, searing through his veins. āIām fairly sure that saying things like that is going to do some lasting emotional damage.ā
āWeāll blame it on Cho,ā Nym said, ooching closer until they were pressed together. A huge grin spread across her face. āGuess what I can feel, Harry?ā
Heat flooded his cheeks. āI donāt know, but Iām very sure itās going to be embarrassing for me somehow.ā
She stuck a hand out from under the cover and mussed his hair. āYou definitely have a morning condition.ā
He scowled and batted her hand away. āI do now.ā
Nym sniggered. āStill so obtuse.ā Her eyes flicked down to where their legs tangled beneath the covers. āI donāt mean your hair, Harry, I mean what I can feel poking me in the tummy.ā
Harryās face flashed hot and he cringed, shuffling back until his back hit the wall and hoping the bed would open up and swallow him. āSorry,ā he muttered, staring at the damp patch on the duvet. āIt ā er ā it happens?ā
āLike me drooling.ā Nym shifted and stretched. āI should get up and sort my stuff out.ā
āI thought you were comfortable?ā He chewed his lip. āI didnāt make it weird, did I?ā
āIām not bothered, Harry,ā she said. āIām not getting up because Iām feeling uncomfortable, Iām getting up because if I donāt, I might get tempted to do something stupid.ā
A thrill fluttered through his veins. āLike?ā Harry held his breath.
āLike trying to see just how red I can make you go.ā Nym rolled out from under the duvet and stretched up to tug the curtains open at the top.
Harry watched her t-shirt ride up over her hips and took several deep breaths. Donāt think about weird things. Donāt think about weird things. He dragged his eyes away from the black lace underwear and up to the ceiling. Donāt think about weird things.
Nym picked her wand up and padded across to her trunk, flicking her discarded clothes into the corner next to Harryās with a foot. āRight. Iād better set myself up next door.ā She vanished with a loud pop.
Cold air flooded into the bed as a faint breeze swept through the gap in the curtains. Harry rolled over and breathed in a faint wash of violets off Nymās half off their pillow.
I suppose I should get up, too.
He shoved the duvet back and stumbled to the wardrobe, snatching a clean t-shirt off a hanger and tugging on a fresh pair of jeans.Ā
A quiet knock echoed through the room.Ā
āNym?ā
The door creaked open and Hermione stuck her head in. āThe fact that you immediately expected it to be Tonks visiting you in your bedroom is a little worrying, Harry.ā Her eyes swept across the room. āCan I come in?ā
āYouāre actually asking?ā He frowned. āHas something happened?ā
āYou tell me.ā She winced. āSorry, forget I said that, that didnāt come out how I wanted it to.ā Hermione eased the door shut behind her. āTonks seems to be all settled next door.ā
āShe got some more of her stuff from her flat last night.ā Harry pointed his wand at his mouth and cast a quick cleaning charming. āIs something wrong with you and Ron? Is that why youāre sneaking in here to talk to me?ā
āWhat? No!ā Hermione shook her head. āYouāre lying to me is whatās wrong.ā
He frowned. āIām not lying to you.ā
āI wandered around the house after I got up and that room was empty an hour ago.ā She folded her arms. āSo were all the other rooms.ā
Harry shrugged. āSo?ā
āWas she in here?ā Hermione demanded.
āSo what if she was?ā Harry replied. āSheās my cousin.ā
āOkay, I think I need to tell you some things.ā She drifted across and perched on the end of his bed. āI talked to Percy after you left with Tonks and Fleur, because, well, stuff was obviously happening, and I asked him about Tonks.ā
A little knot tightened in his gut. āAnd?ā
āSheās suspended from workāā
āShe was made to take a break,ā Harry said. āI know.ā
Hermione held up her hands. āIām just going to tell you what I heard and what it makes me think, okay. You donāt have to agree with me.ā
āOkayā¦ā
āShe was suspended for instability,ā Hermione murmured. āApparently, Mad-Eye was a terrible supervisor, taught her loads of auror stuff, but didnāt pay any attention to how she was feeling. Heās also suspended, but Amelia Bones is making him do other stuff because sheās really furious about it.ā
āSheās not unstableāā
āIām just saying what Percy told me,ā she replied. āHe said she was suspended for signs of emotional instability. She was working all day and night on ridiculous hunches and ideas, didnāt socialise with anyone at the office, and doesnāt talk to her parents or have any friends. Aurors are legally allowed to use lethal force if she judges it necessary or appropriate, but their mental wellbeing is monitored in case their judgment is compromised.ā
A little sour heat curled onto Harryās tongue. āSo? You think Percyās not holding a grudge after she transfigured a dick onto his face when they were at school.ā
āHe is very much holding a grudge,ā Hermione muttered. āBut that doesnāt mean heās wrong. Sheās⦠look, I was moved up a class or two at primary school, before I got my Hogwarts letter, and I had no friends or anything, just my parents. I was really really lonely, Harry. At Hogwarts, I latched onto the first person who showed they cared about me and followed him somewhere I thought might get me killed. Tonks went through all her life like that. I donāt think itās unlikely sheās not a little unstable in some ways.ā
āShe seems fine to me.ā
āSheās been all over you since the moment she arrived,ā Hermione said. āAnd I mean all over. Itās like watching Lavender. She was stripping in the kitchen just to catch your eye for a few moments. Itās always cousin this and cousin that. Sheās said barely nothing to Ron or I.ā
āShe got ice-creamāā
āAnd she couldnāt vanish it? She has more academic records at Hogwarts than I could ever hope of holding and I am quite good at exams, Harry.ā
And she could transfigure a bed just fine. He stomped the thought out. I already knew she was doing it on purpose, it was obvious.
āSo?ā He shrugged. āNothing badās going to happen. She just feels strongly about family and wants to be close to her cousin. In fact, you know what, she already told me that. When she arrived.ā
āI donāt think you really get how much she wants to be close with you.ā Hermione pursed her lips. āI am still your best friend, Harry. Iāve risked my life for you, I will ā I will do it again, and I donāt and wonāt ever regret it, I promise, but what started it was you showing me you cared about me in first year.ā
āGo tell Ron that.ā
She winced. āI donāt think Ron would understand.ā
āI donāt think I understand,ā Harry muttered.
āSheās not going to let go.ā Hermione raised her palms. āIf Iām right, sheās going to latch right onto you. Youāre already sharing a room.ā She shot him a long look. āAnd Iām pretty sure that meant sharing a bed, too.ā
Heat rose on his face. āSheās my cousin.ā
āI donāt think Tonks is going to care about that,ā Hermione whispered. āSheās latched on and she will do whatever she thinks she has to do to be close to you.ā
āThis is getting really weird.ā Harry clenched his jaw and bit back a flare of anger. āAnd you know what I think, Hermione?ā
She bit her lip. āNoā¦?ā
āI think you think spinning this story out of half-truths is the right thing to do, not just because of Nym, but because youāre trying to play match-maker between Ginny and I.ā He took a deep breath. āAnd I think I made how Iād feel about going out with Ginny pretty clear.ā
āOkay,ā she said. āI have kind of been helping Ginny a bit, so I can see why you would think that. Iām your friend first, though. Iāll help Ginny get a chance, but thatās it. If it doesnāt work, it doesnāt.ā
āIt wonāt.ā
āYou could give her a chance to be more than Ronās little sister, you know,ā Hermione chided. āBut, thatās not important right now. I donāt want you to get hurt because Tonks is unstable and clings to you. If youā¦. cross lines, people are going to get upset and youāll burn bridges. Ronās parents and family will find it weird. God, I find it weird, Harry, but I can ignore it.ā
āYou know weāre literally just sharing a bed, right?ā
āAnd thereās no way it could end up as anything more than that.ā Hermione rolled her eyes. āYouāre the same age. Sheās clingy and very pretty. Youāre a boy. Itās basically inevitable…ā
āNo itās not.ā
She stared at him.
āIt isnāt.ā Harry turned it over in his head. āOkay, you know what, I can kind of see that she might feel a bit more strongly about being close to me than is normal, but that just means I should be there for her, because it means so much to her.ā
āButāā
āItās just sharing a bed.ā
Hermione sighed. āYou know, everyone always thinks that Ronās the stubborn one, but he changes his mind the moment he gets proven wrong. You are way more stubborn than he is.ā
āIāll tell Ron that youāre latching onto him because we saved you from a troll and weāll see if he suddenly changes his mind about going out with you, shall we?ā Harry asked.
āThatās ā thatās not the same.ā
āItās exactly the same,ā he said. āYou made the comparison before I did.ā
āNo, I mean, the consequences are different,ā Hermione replied. āIf Ron and I fall apart, then we break up, and that wonāt be nice, but, well, Ronās not my cousin, and I donāt know how self-aware Tonks is, but I donāt think sheās going to ignore how she feels because she knows itās not quite right.ā
āYou know,ā he muttered. āBefore you came in here, I wasnāt thinking about anything like that. It was really simple. We liked it, so we did it, and it was just between the two of us.ā
āThatās the sort of logic that starts off as sleeping together and ends up as sleeping together.ā Hermione stood up. āIām going to give you some space, Harry. Please think about it. Be careful with Tonks. Whatās best for her, and you, might not be what you want or are tempted to do.ā
āIāll think about it.ā
āThank you.ā She paused at the door. āI am just trying to help, Harry. I promise.ā Hermione gnawed at her lip. āAnd I think Ron and I being quite affectionate in front of you all the time is probably part of the problem, too, so Iām not exactly blameless.ā
He mustered a smile. āI know youāre just trying to help. Thank you.ā
Is she right? Harry listened to Hermioneās footsteps fade down the corridor. Does it matter? Sheās happy with Ron, isnāt she?
The door creaked open.Ā
āThat sounded like a serious conversation.ā Nym slipped in and shut the door after her. āWhat was it about?ā
āUs,ā Harry blurted. āShe knew you were in here.ā
āOh well.ā Nym shrugged. āGuess that saves us some sneaking about.ā
He chewed the inside of his cheek. āDid you ā did you get suspended?ā
āYeah, technically.ā She drifted across and flopped onto the bed. āBossy Bonesy seems to think I need a break and to spend more time with people.ā
āBecause of emotional instabilityā¦ā
Nym stiffened and sat up. āBloody Percy. It bet he made it sound really bad, that dickhead.ā
āHermione thinks youāre very invested in being close to me,ā Harry murmured. āBecause youāre lonely.ā
She froze. āI ā I donāt know what to say. Of course Iām invested. Youāre my cousin and youāre my age. Of course I want to be close with you. Whatās wrong with that?ā
Nothing, or at least, not that I can see. Harry grimaced. Well, now what, Hermione?Ā
āI thought you were okay with everything?ā Nym whispered. āAre you not okay? What did Hermione say?ā
āShe was worried about ā about how close we might get.ā
She snorted. āIāve already caught you looking a few times, and thatās just this morning.ā
Harryās face flashed hot. āSorry.ā
āI donāt mind.ā Nym fiddled with the duvet, twisting it over her fingers. āIt was kind of flattering, really.ā She shuffled across next to him. āLet me guess what she said. Lonely prodigy looking for intimacy with the first person she finds whoās her own age?ā
āMore or less,ā Harry murmured.
āSheās probably right. She probably knows firsthand.ā Nym leant her head on his shoulder. āI was lonely for years. I cried a lot at school, not having any friends, not wanting to do what everyone else around wanted to do, always being resented for being better. My parents never understood, they were too proud of how well I did to understand. And then I went to train as an auror. It was just the same. So yeah, I came here hoping Iād be able to finally have someone close my own age. Iām very happy it worked out.ā
A warm glow settled in Harryās chest and a smile crept across his lips. āAnd what sheās worried about?ā
āYou mean us doing more than sharing a bed? If you werenāt totally oblivious, baby cousin, Iād think you were dropping hints and trying to put ideas in my head.ā She snickered. āI think thatād be a bit weird for everyone. Although, that doesnāt seem to have stopped Fleur and Luna from being happy.ā
Relief flooded through Harry and he let his shoulders sag.
āBetter?ā Nym asked. āI felt that sigh.ā
āYeah, better.ā He flashed her a smile. āI was worried, I quite like being close to you, and I didnāt want to have to stop.ā
āI donāt really see whatās so bad about us being close,ā she said, jumping to her feet. āIām not a complete headcase, I swear.ā
āJust a little bit of one.ā
Nym winked. āA little bit of crazy is a whole lot of fun.ā She shrugged. āOr so all the guys at the department keep telling me, at least.ā
āYou are quite fun to be around,ā Harry said. āI canāt deny that.ā
āSo are you. So you must be a little crazy, too.ā
Something's Gotta Give
Frost crystals crowned the smooth, violet ice cream, rising in slim, small clear spines. Harry scraped the edge of the spoon through them and let the ice cream melt on his tongue in a burst of sweet cherry.
āThatās really good, not at all the same as the other cherry one, either.ā He dug the spoon back in.
āFleur said there are actually loads of great flavours, apparently Lunaās fed all of them to her now, so theyāve started mixing them up to create new ones.ā Nym pulled a stool up beside him. āMy turn.āĀ
Harry held out the spoon. āI guess you did pay for it.ā
Nym wrapped her warm fingers around his wrist and pulled his hand toward her, catching the spoon between her lips. She grinned and swallowed, licking a drop of ice cream off her lower lip. āI think I prefer the other cherry flavour, itās less sweet and more sharp and strong.ā
āI quite like this one.āĀ
She twisted around on the stool, ducking under his arm and dropping her head into his lap. āThatās better.ā
āHow are you going to eat ice cream lying down?ā
Nym snickered. āYouāll have to do a Luna and feed it to me.ā
Hermione tutted and swept water back into the sink with her hand, shaking clear drops into the ceramic basin. āI guess this is how you felt watching Ron and I.ā She sighed. āYou know this isnāt healthy.ā
Nym rolled her eyes. āI know, I know, thereās too much sugar in ice cream. You shouldnāt have it for breakfast. Your parents are dentists, Hermione, theyāve been deceiving you.ā
āCome to the dark side.ā Harry chuckled as two little patches of pink rose on her cheeks. āItās much tastier than toast.ā
āYou are not feeding me ice cream, Harry.ā
āMore for us.ā Nym swept a stray lock of white hair off her face. āIs Ron up yet?ā
āNo.ā Hermione checked her watch. āHe wonāt be for another half an hour.ā
āWeāll be gone by then.ā Harry scooped another spoonful out of the ice cream and caught the gleam in Nymās green eyes. āFineā¦ā He lowered the spoon. āYouāre so lazy, not even feeding yourself.ā
A choked cough burst from Hermione.
Harry glanced up.
She grabbed the tea towel and dried her hands. āAre you going to see Fleur again?ā
āAlicia.ā He stole a mouthful of ice cream for himself. āBut Nym is going to see Fleur.ā
āIs she still doing okay?ā Hermione asked.
āI think so,ā Harry said. āBut understanding girls is apparently not my greatest gift, soā¦ā
āSheās doing okay.ā Nym stretched in his lap, wriggling her bare toes and pushing her head back into him.Ā
A flutter of heat swirled south.Ā
āUp you get.ā Harry hoisted her out of his lap as his cheeks warmed. āYou can feed yourself, youāre a big girl.ā
Nym pouted. āI was comfy. Donāt you like having your hottie cousin so close, baby cousin?ā She cocked her head and grinned, mischief gleaming in familiar green eyes. āOr do you like it a bit too much.ā
Hermione choked on her toast, spluttering crumbs into the sink. āI am right here,ā she wheezed.
āNever seemed to bother you and Ron,ā Harry replied.
āWell, yes, butāā
āBut?ā Nym bounced out of her stool and stole the ice cream and spoon from Harryās hands. āAre you jealous? Would you rather it was you feeding me ice cream, Hermione?ā
Hermione put her hands on hips, scarlet-faced, and let out a long sigh. āYou know what. Iām not even going to try. Do whatever.ā She whirled on her heel and stalked out.
āI guess she doesnāt want ice cream,ā Nym said, sauntering across to the sink. She swept her hair over her shoulder and stuck the ice cream back in the freezer and twisted on the tap.Ā
Water drummed on the basin.Ā
Harryās eyes slid up from where she bounced from one bare foot to the other, to where small, dark curls tumbled down the back of her neck. The flutter of heat returned, a sharp twist in his stomach, a soft pang beneath his ribs. He stood up and took a deep breath, catching a faint wash of violets.Ā
Does she taste like violets, too? Harry swallowed and took another couple of deep breaths. For godās sake, Hermione, this is your fault. You put this in my head.
Nym twirled āround and dropped their spoon in the drying rack. āTime toā¦ā A small smile spread across her face. āYouāre staring, Harry.ā
He studied the grime on the window frame, heat rushing to his cheeks. āNo Iām not.ā
She slid a few steps closer. āAnd youāre really red.ā
āOnly because youāre winding me up again,ā he muttered. āSuch a tease.ā
āYou love it.ā Nym shook her hair out. āIāll always be your favourite cousin.ā
āI donāt know, Dudley might stage an unexpected comeback.ā
āWell,ā she murmured, ālet me know if youād rather wake up holding him instead of me. Iāll be quite upset, but Iām sure I can change your mind.ā
Dudley naked in the shower. Dudley naked in the shower. A blurred image hovered before his mindās eye beyond the condensation-veiled shower door, slim and curved in all sorts of places Dudley was not. And Dudley definitely doesnāt have purple hair, either.Ā
āDone fantasising?ā Nym teased. āWe should head to Diagonā¦ā
Harryās cheeks burnt. āI wasnāt fantasising.ā
āDonāt worry little cousin,ā she purred. āI definitely believe you.ā
He sighed. āJust take me to Diagon, youāve had your fun, Iām all red.ā
āItās adorable.ā Nym slid a step closer, a strange gleam in her green eyes. āPick a colour, Harry.ā
āPurple.ā
āGood choice.ā She beamed, shaking out her hair as it brightened to violet. āIām keeping your eyes, though.ā
āTheyāre all yours,ā Harry murmured.
āJust how I like it.ā Nym held out her hand. āLetās go see some people. Iāll check Fleur and Luna havenāt ruined my flat, you can try and escape the friendzone with Alicia.ā
āThatās very much not what Iām trying to do, but okay.ā Harry took her hand, sliding his fingers through hers with a trembling thrill.Ā
The world squeezed tight about them, cold and dark but for the warmth of Nymās fingers in his, and they stumbled onto the pavement.Ā
Her hand yanked free of his.
āOw.ā Nym groaned and stepped back from the metal bollard, doubling over. āIt was inevitable, wasnāt it?ā
āI think so.ā Harry laughed. āAre you okay?ā
āIt got me in a very sensitive place.ā She took a deep breath and grimaced. āHurts for girls, too.ā
āOuch.ā He winced. āSorry.ā
āNot your fault, little cousin, Iām the one who landed us right on it.ā Nym mustered a grin. āYouāll just have to be extra careful where youāre sticking your hands when weāre sleeping, because I think thatās left a bruise.ā
Heat rushed to his face. āI havenāt stuck my hands anywhere bad.ā
āNot while you were awake,ā she retorted, poking her tongue out at him. āYou definitely got a feel or two in while you were sleeping.ā
āWas it because you star-fished and threw yourself over me? I bet it was.ā
Nym flapped a hand at him. āSemantics.ā
āSounds like a pretty important distinction from where Iām standing,ā he said.
āGo find the girl youāre pining after,ā she said, straightening up. āIāll come find you after Iāve caught up with Fleur.ā
āWeāll be at the store, Aliciaās still working,ā Harry replied. āAre you okay?ā
āIāll be okay, though I might heal that bruise in a moment,ā she murmured. āMost of them Iām used to, but this is a sore one. Not doing it in the middle of the street, though. There are places a witch just isnāt meant to stick her wand in public.ā
Harry flushed. āYou could have just said yes.ā
āBut you look so adorable when you go all red, baby cousin,ā Nym cooed.Ā
‘Youāre a-dora-ble.ā
She snorted. āAnd you love me.āĀ
His stomach fluttered and knotted. āNo I donāt. Youāre my second least favourite cousin.ā
She beamed. āLater, Harry!ā
He watched her purple hair disappear into Fortescueās and strode up the street, squeezing through the crowd into the quidditch store. Aliciaās brown hair stuck out from beside the broom polish shelf.
āHey Alicia.ā
She smiled. āNo cousin?ā
āNot this time,ā he said. āSheās gone to meet Fleur.ā
āOh.ā Aliciaās smile faded. āHer. I heard about that from the Twins.ā
Harry frowned. āWhat did they say? Fleurās not done anything wrong.ā
āSheās led Bill on for ages, agreed to marry him, then broke his heart and run off to have a fling with some girl younger than you.ā Alicia shook her head. āItās really not okay.ā
āWell, she shouldnāt marry someone she doesnāt love,ā Harry said.
āNo.ā Alicia stuck a hand out and diverted a running child away from the shelf. āI didnāt mean that, though. I mean going out with Luna. Luna is four years younger than her. Itās really weird. Like not okay weird.ā
āI guess it is a bit of a gap,ā Harry said.
āItās a big gap. Like, if they were ten years older, then itās nothing, but theyāre not. Who knows what sheās influencing Luna to do.ā
āIād be more worried about Luna influencing Fleur,ā he said. āIām almost certain that Luna more or less told Fleur she wanted to kiss her and just kept doing it until Fleur realised she quite liked the idea.ā
āWait, Luna asked her out?ā Aliciaās brow creased. āThe Twins said Fleur asked Luna.ā
āTheyāre wrong. Or lying, but they probably just assumed.ā Harry studied the stacks of broom polish. āLuna is kind of⦠direct. She keeps telling me and Nym to kiss.ā
Alicia snorted. āI bet you go all red.ā
āYeah, I go all red.ā He scowled. āWhy is that so entertaining for everyone?ā
āItās fun to get a reaction.ā She shrugged. āMost guys try and play it all stoic and unmoved. Makes you feel like theyāre not fussed at all and youāre throwing yourself at a rock. And, well, you kind of have a rep for being the rockiest of rocks, because if you donāt notice Lavenderās hints, then youāre either asleep, dead, or gay.ā
āIām fairly sure Iām none of those.ā
āSure youāre not gay?ā Alicia stuck a leg out to stop the child as he came hurtling back around and pointed him toward the door. āDo you even think about girls at all? Like, ever seen one and thought about kissing her, or, you knowā¦?ā
Heat crept onto his cheeks. āYes. Iām not gay. Or dead!ā
āWhat about asleep?ā
He glared at her. āI wish Iād befriended Katie now.ā
Alicia snorted. āYeah, I bet. Sheās the forward one. You and her would probably have been all around the locker room by now. Sheād love making you go all red.ā
āSo youāre what, shy?ā He raised his eyebrows. āYou really donāt seem all that shy to me.ā
āBecause youāre a basically a rock,ā she said. āI know youāre not interested so I donāt get all nervous. No butterflies.ā
āWhat if I said I was,ā he replied.
Alicia laughed. āI donāt believe you.ā She pursed her lips. āAlthough, if you were interested in a girl it would explain why you donāt notice any others? Have you secretly had a crush on someone all this time, Harry?ā
āYeah, Daphne Greengrass.ā
āSeriously?ā
āNo, itās a joke.ā Harry sighed. āBecause I thought she wasnāt real.ā
āDoesnāt make sense. Sheās really real. Also super shy.ā
āNym wouldāve got the joke,ā he muttered.
āShe probably wouldāve got jealous,ā Alicia murmured.
Harry stared at her. āWhat?ā
Alicia turned a little pink. āI was just joking, because, like, she is kind of all over you, Harry. Like, Lavender bad. If she wasnāt your cousinā¦ā
āWell she is.ā Harry smothered a brief, bright, hot flutter in his stomach. āSo that would be weird.ā
āYeahā¦ā
He glanced around the store and back at the shelves of broom polish. āSo why are you guarding the shelf?ā
āYour cousin broke it.ā
āOh, sorry.ā
āDonāt be, itās a lot easier standing here warning people than actually working on the till.ā Alicia giggled. āAnd the other girl, whoās really bitchy, had to pick up all the tins, so itās been pretty good for me.ā
āHeya!ā Nymās purple hair meandered through the crowd toward them.
āProtect the shelf,ā Harry said. āQuick. It might take both of us to stop her.ā
Alicia giggled.
āOi.ā Nym appeared from between two families. āIāve already had one major Tonks moment, and I usually only manage one a day.ā
āHow was Fleur?ā
āI said hi, but she was very much fine.ā She pulled a face and leant on Harryās shoulder. āThird-wheeling isnāt my favourite thing to do. She and Luna were all over one another. So much unnecessary touching and holding.ā
Aliciaās eyebrows went up.
āWell, Iām glad sheās okay,ā Harry said.
Nym snickered. āBut even more glad that youāve got your hot cousin back to yourself.ā
āIām sharing you with Alicia,ā Harry said. āIn fact, Alicia, would you just like to have her to yourself?ā
āEr, no thanks,ā Alicia said. āIām not into girls. Tried kissing Katie a couple of times when she was going through a phase, was just a bit weird. Youāll have to send your cousin back to Fleur.ā She pulled a face. āI still find the fact sheās going out with a girl much younger than her kind of not okay.ā
Nym shrugged. āAs long as people are happy, I donāt really see why it matters.ā
He nodded. āYeah, theyāre not hurting anyone, in fact, theyāre actually pretty good company. Well, provided someone stops convincing Luna to say weird things.ā
āI would never.ā Nym grinned. āShe came to that all by herself.ā
āSure she did,ā Harry muttered.
āAlicia!ā A blonde girl strode through the crowd, waving her folded apron in one hand. āIām on break, youāre up.ā
āDamn.ā Alicia sighed. āI canāt really chat and do the till, Harry, sorry.ā
āItās alright. Iāll come back.ā He glanced at Nym. āHome?ā
She nodded. āYeah, I think so.ā
āBye, Alicia.ā Harry pushed Nym away from the shelf. āDonāt worry, I wonāt let her break anything on the way out.ā
She took his hand as Alicia headed to the tills and drifted toward the exit. āSo howās the friendzone treating you, baby cousin?ā
āI want to be her friend.ā He rolled his eyes. āNot every girl I know is someone Iād want to go out with.ā
Nym cocked her head. āWhich ones are?ā
āJust Daphne Greengrass.ā
She snorted. āNice try. Iām sure thereās at least one.ā
Harry glanced down at their hands. āNo, itās really just Daphne.ā
āNot tempted by little Ginny?ā A broad grin spread across Nymās face and her hair flashed auburn. āWhat about me? I can look exactly like your mother, to really nail those deep-seated issues.ā
āYouāre creating deep-seated issues,ā Harry muttered. āGo back to some other colour before you do any more emotional damage.ā
She laughed and the world closed tight around them, spilling them onto their bed.Ā
āBetter?ā Nym shoved his over and flopped down against his side, kicking her shoes off as her hair shivered bright purple.Ā
Harry pulled off his trainers and tossed them into the corner, dropping his head back onto the pillow. āMuch better.ā
Nym squirmed against his side, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow.
āOw.ā Harry fended her off. āWhat are you doing?ā
āGetting comfy.ā She stuck a hand down her top and tugged a dark blue bra out, dropping it on the side table. āThatās much better.ā
āTell that to my ribs.ā
āTrust me, my boobs are way happier right now.ā Nym grinned and wriggled out of her jeans, flicking them off the bed with her foot. āNymās boobs are a free elf.ā
He shuddered. āNow thereās an image I didnāt need.ā
āLike you havenāt thought about them before,ā she murmured. āI know when youāre staring, you go all red. And part of my auror training is to make good use of reflective surfaces to observe my surroundings, so Iām always watching, little cousin.ā
Harryās face burnt. āI meant the house elf bit.ā
āOh.ā Nym squirmed into his side and flopped one arm over his stomach. āWell, thatās fair enough.ā
āWhat do you want to do?ā he asked.
āMmmm.ā She drew slow circles on his t-shirt, tracing the patterns with her fingertips. āIām pretty comfy now. Can just stay here.ā
His stomach fluttered as her fingers caught the hem of his t-shirt, baring a couple of inches of his stomach. āSure?ā
āThereās not really much to do here,ā Nym said. āI can just lie about with you and do nothing.ā
Harry stole a deep breath as faint heat traced through his veins. āWhat would you do if you were home?ā
āProbably work.ā Her warm fingertips drifted onto his skin and a little shiver rippled through him. āOr watch sappy romantic films.ā
āReally?āĀ
āYeah.ā A little pink blossomed across her cheeks. āI like them. A lot. Watching all those silly rom coms where people find that magic connection. It really gets me.ā
āNever seen them.ā Harry strained his memory, trying to ignore the warmth of her hand sliding under his t-shirt. āMy aunt was more of a soap opera fan.ā
āUrgh.ā Nymās fingers traced light circles across his stomach beneath his shirt. āNo thanks. So much silly drama.ā
āBecause rom-coms have absolutely none of that.ā Harry chucked. āRight?ā
āItās not the same,ā she murmured. āThereās drama, but it always works out, the guy and the girl always have some beautiful intimate moment and fall in love.ā
āSoap operas do tend to go the other way.ā A flutter of heat swirled in his stomach as he caught her green eyes. āI guess Iām probably with you, though Iāve not seen any. Just Love Actually, which is basically a rite of passage.ā
Nym tugged her other hand out from under his arm and drew his hand over her, sliding it beneath her loose shirt onto the hot, bare skin of her back. Harry held his breath, Nymās lips and fingers whirled through snatches of blurry faced actors kissing upon the television. His hand slid up her back along the curve of her spine.Ā
She let out a soft sigh and leant her head back. āThatās very nice.ā
He took a deep breath as the heat flashed south. āI ā er ā I need a little bit of space, Nym.ā
āOh?ā A soft little gleam shone in her green eyes and she squirmed a little closer, her breath washed from parted, pink lips to wash across his cheek in a faint rush of violets. āWhy? Iām very comfortable right now.ā
Heat flooded his face. āYou know why,ā he whispered, draggin his eyes away from her lips. āIām having a really hard time remembering youāre my cousin right now, so I think itād be smart to take a moment to breathe, before I do something stupid.ā
āSomething stupid,ā Nym murmured. āBut Iām the genius prodigy special child.ā She held his gaze, lips quivering, and tilted her chin up toward him. āAnd I donātāā
Harry pressed his lips to hers, pulling her into him, breathing in the soft scent of violets and the faint taste of cherry ice cream.
Oh bugger.Ā
He pulled back. āSorry, Iāā
āToo late for sorry, Harry.ā Nym brushed her fingertips across her mouth. āMy lips are tingling.ā
Harry swallowed. āI did sayāā
āStop saying,ā she whispered. āStop saying and kiss me again.ā
Silver Linings Playbook
A broad, dark-wood-framed painting hung on the wall beside the wardrobe. A bunch of tulips burst from the canvas in warm, bright sunset colours. Nym stared up at it, her lips twisted into a strange, bittersweet smile.Ā
āSorry,ā Fleur said. āI didnāt mean to redecorate, but Luna said she loves tulips and I didnāt want to leave it on the floor somewhere after I bought it. Iāll take it with me now Iāve sorted out a place for myself.ā
āNo, no itās really nice.ā Nym plastered a smile on her face. āI was just wondering how I left such a big empty space there all this time and what Iām going to fill it with now youāre moving into your own place.ā
āWe can go shopping, if you like?ā Fleur asked. āItād be nice to hunt down something that fits for you.ā
āYeah.ā She nodded. āItās got to be something that feels right.ā
A faint frown flickered across Fleurās face. āWould you like something to drink?ā She glanced back into the kitchen. āI do have a bottle of red wine that I was planning on drowning my sorrows in, but I probably shouldnāt let Luna or Harry have more than a glass. Theyāre not quite of age.ā
āI donāt really drink wine,ā Harry said. āSo Iām fine with just a glass.ā
Luna nodded, waving a steaming wooden spatula from the kitchen. āDaddy doesnāt want me drinking lots. He doesnāt like drinking. Not since he was unhappy after Mummy died.ā
āWhat are you cooking?ā
āNothing fancy,ā Fleur said. āI showed Luna how to make dauphinoise.ā
āI do not know what that is,ā Nym said. āIs it tasty.ā
āVery tasty.ā Fleur smiled. āAlso very unhealthy.ā
āI can live with that.ā
Harry nodded. āIām not Ron, but I can generally manage a fair amount.ā
āUnless itās breakfast, Nym said. āThen itās like youāre on hunger strike.ā
āI ate ice cream.āĀ
Fleur laughed. āHave you tried all the flavours yet?ā
āHave you tried gooseberry and chocolate?ā Luna tugged open the oven in a cloud of steam and flapped her huge oven gloves. āFleeeeuuuur, I canāt seeeeee.ā
Fleur tip-toed into the kitchen and pressed a soft kiss to Lunaās lips, pulling her glasses off her face. āBetter.ā
A huge, bright smile lip up Lunaās face. āMuch better.ā She fished out a small, sizzling glass dish, filling the room with a creamy smell.
āThis is probably the best thing this kitchen has ever produced,ā Nym said. āI feel really inadequate right now.ā She draped an arm around Harryās shoulders. āA good thing my baby cousin is here to make me feel less untalented.ā
āI can actually cook half well,ā he said.
āTraitor.ā Nym tousled his hair. āYouāre supposed to make me feel better, not rub it in.ā
āDaddy canāt cook to save his life, so I learnt,ā Luna said, scooping slices of dauphinoise out of the dish onto plates. āHeās pretty useless at looking after himself, really.ā
āI am not British, so I like nice food.ā A faint smirk curved Fleurās lips as she wrapped her arms around Luna from behind. āI have showed Luna so many nice things for us to make or bake.ā
āYou seem to like British ice cream just fine,ā Harry said. āThat counts as food.ā
āSo Iām just useless.ā Nym sulked beneath the tulip painting. āHarry, you will have to cook for me and make sure I do not starve.ā
āWhat do you even normally eat?ā he asked. āOr is it just ice cream?ā
āTakeaway.ā She beamed. āI have like twenty places that recognise my voice now.ā
Fleur shook her head. āYou will have to come and visit us in our new place, Tonks. Luna and I will teach you how to cook.ā
āJust the three of you,ā Harry whispered. āWonāt it be sweet?ā
āI donāt know why youāre laughing,ā Nym muttered. āYouāre going to be my date.ā
Harry tensed, his stomach flooding with butterflies. āReally?ā he murmured. āNym?ā
She glanced away at where Luna poked pastries onto the plates. āWhatās in those?ā
āBeetroot, feta cheese, and a few other things,ā Fleur said. āIām not hugely fond of meat, but Luna doesnāt eat it at all, so sheās got loads of amazing recipes.ā
āI donāt like eating things that were alive,ā Luna said, dropping her spatula into the sink and tossing the over gloves onto the side. āBut these are really tasty. Daddy loves them.ā
Harry inhaled. āIt certainly smells really nice.ā
Fleur kissed Luna on the top of the head and carried a pair of plates across to the table. āHere.ā She plucked a bottle of wine out from behind a corner and jabbed a corkscrew into the top. āA thank you from us for letting me borrow your flat, Tonks. I do not think it would have been so okay as it has been without you.ā
āBut you were no help whatsoever, Harry,ā Nym said. āYou just stood there like a lemon.ā
āYouāre a lemon.ā Harry folded his arms. āA weird lemon.ā
Fleur wrestled with the corkscrew and bottle. āI may have spoken too soon.ā She set it down on the table. āI cannot get in.ā
āMy time to shine.ā Nym stepped forward and grabbed it, wrenching at it with one hand. āWow, itās a tough cork.ā She yanked hard and her hand slipped off and smacked her in the face. āOw.ā
Harry chuckled. āAre you okay, Nym?ā
āJust another bruise. Probably a black-eye.ā She sighed and thrust the bottle out. āYou try.ā
He grabbed the bottle and twisted. The corkscrew dug into his palm as he tightened it, clenching his jaw as the arms rose. He squeezed them down and tugged it out.Ā
āI loosened it,ā Nym said.
Harry handed the bottle back to Fleur and poked at the throbbing purple mark on his palm. āStrange, because it really didnāt feel like you did.ā
āWuss.ā She grabbed his hand and smacked a loud kiss to it. āThere you go.ā Her hair darkened to auburn. āMummy has kissed it all better.ā
āYouāre going to leave me with so many issues,ā Harry said. āIām going to need therapy.ā
Fleur laughed, pouring them all a glass. āYour mother looks a little Ginevra.ā
Harry sighed. āI know.ā
āHe really knows,ā Nym said, grinning as her hair shifted back to purple. āImagine if Hermione had managed to convince you to date her and after a few years it just suddenly hit you. Imagine youād married her before you realised.ā
āProbably still less traumatising than you.ā He slid into a seat and picked up his cutlery. āAt least she wouldnāt elbow me all the time.ā
āBut eventually youād call her Mummy at an inopportune moment and thereās just no way back from that,ā Nym retorted.Ā
āI think Iām going to date blondes,ā Harry said, wincing as he burnt his tongue on a slice of pastry.
āOh?ā Luna perked up. āAre you asking me, or Fleur?ā
He flushed. āI actually didnāt consider that there were two blondes in the room before I said that, so Iām going to change to brunettes.ā
Nymās hair darkened to a deep mahogany. āStill screwed.ā
āYou donāt count, youāre my cousin,ā Harry said. āYouād come with issues anyway.ā
The corner of her mouth curved down. āIf I donāt count, you shouldnāt spend so much time staring,ā she said.
āI deny the staring even happened.ā
āYou can deny it all you like, we both know it does.ā
Fleur covered her smile with her hand. āDoesnāt your suspension end soon, Tonks?ā
āIn a couple of weeks,ā she said. āBut I still have to do stuff when I go back, like talk to the trainee support and guidance person.ā Nym snorted. āI did not know they existed, but apparently I was meant to be talking to them every week.ā
āMad-Eye really dropped the ball,ā Harry mumbled through another mouthful of feta and beetroot.
āI donāt think he was very up to date with the times,ā Luna chimed in. āDaddy has written a lot of articles about his theories on dark wizards. Some of them are very interesting.ā
āAre they as amazing as the other ones?ā Harry asked.
āNo.ā Luna chopped her pastry into hexagons. āThose are a lot more fun. People really believe them, too.ā
āWait, you donāt?ā
āNo.ā She laughed. āTheyāre just fun stories, something to poke fun at more serious stuff and get people thinking. Satire.ā
āI think Hermione really believes you think itās real,ā Harry mused. āIām not sure if I should tell her or not, it is quite funny watching her get all exasperated over it.ā
āI know.ā Luna smirked. āItās very funny. Sheās quite smart, but a little unimaginative and dogmatic.ā
āShe also wants you to marry Ginny,ā Nym said. āI donāt think she really approves of Fleur and Luna being together, either.ā
āDate.ā He wagged his finger. āNobody said anything about marry.ā
āWhatās wrong with us?ā Luna asked, her smile fading.
āKnowing Hermione, she probably finds the fact Fleurās a little older than you strange,ā Harry replied. āI wouldnāt worry about it.ā
Fleur squirmed. āButāā
āWho cares?ā Luna said, a huge smile on her face. āAs long weāre happy, it doesnāt matter. Thatās the important thing.ā
āYeah,ā Nym murmured. āIt is.ā
Fleur took a long sip of wine. āI suppose. I do not know how to tell my family, though. I said I broke off the engagement, and they were happy, because they do not like Billās family.ā She laughed. āAlthough, Gabby was not happy. I think she believed my wedding was going to be the moment she met her dream boy.ā
āBill does have a few brothers,ā Harry said. āHow old is your sister now?ā
āShe is just into her teens.ā Fleur smirked. āBut she is not after a Weasley, she is very taken with the idea of marrying the man who carried her out of a lake a few years ago.ā
āOh dear,ā he said. āWell, I guess thatās a silver lining of the wedding not happening, Ginny would probably start a fight.ā
āGabby would win.ā Fleur put her wine glass down with a small smile. āShe is very talented. She is blonde, too, of course, Harry, so maybe in a few yearsā¦?ā
āQuite a few years, if sheās only just a teenager,ā Nym said. āThereāre age gaps and then there are age gaps.ā
Fleurās blue eyes danced between the two of them. āGabby is very determined. I shall introduce you to her, Harry. She does not speak much English yet, so she will babble at you in French, but you might find that cute. Bill did when I tried.ā
āIt does sound kind of cute,ā he said. āBut more in a little sister sort of way.ā
āAh, well, you can make your own mind up,ā Fleur replied. āI think I will invite her and my parents to my new flat, to help decorate and to introduce them to Luna. It would be nice if you and Tonks were there, too.ā
āSure,ā Harry replied.
Nym nodded. āYeah, of course.ā
Luna beamed. āThank you. I am very very nervous.ā She held up her shaking fingers. āSee. Just from thinking about it.ā
āHave you told your Dad, Luna?ā Harry asked.
āI told him I met Fleur when I met Fleur,ā Luna said, taking a gulp of her wine. āDaddy told me that if I thought I loved her, I should try my hardest and see.ā
āBetter than my parents,ā Nym muttered. āThey keep asking me when Iām going to do something other than work, like dating, and getting married and having kids. I canāt decide if theyāve actually finally forgotten how young I am or if theyāre just so old that was normal back in their day.ā
Harry snorted. āWhat about both?ā
āProbably is both.ā Nym stabbed a slice of potato with her fork. āThe first guy I bring home is going to be the last person they expect.ā
āFind a nice girl.ā Harry grinned. āTake Ginny. Thatād solve two problems in one go.ā
āNo thanks. This hottie is straight as an arrow,ā Nym said. āNo offence.ā
āNone taken,ā Luna said. āI donāt think Harry would be very happy if you werenāt.ā
āYou know what we donāt actually kiss,ā Harry said. āLike, itās not a thing.ā
He caught Nymās glance in the corner of his eye and his stomach flipped, tangling itself into knots. Except yesterday. But that was just one time and it doesnāt count. He stared down at his pastry, cutting up what remained into neat little parcels as the taste and feel of her soft, warm lips lingered at the forefront of his mind.Ā
The knot in his stomach coiled tighter.
āBut you wrote it in your diary.ā Lunaās lips shook. āIt must be true.ā
āYouāre messing with me, arenāt you?ā Harry sighed. āOf course you are. Everyone does.ā
Fleur laughed and took Lunaās hand, giving her fingers a little squeeze. āShe does it to me all the time. I do not mind, though. She is very sweet really.ā
Luna flushed, fiddling with her empty wine glass. āSugar and spice and all things nice.ā
Fleurās cheeks turned pink and she squirmed in her chair. āI think one glass is definitely enough for you.ā
āProbably,ā Luna said. āI feel very nice, though, all floaty and warm. If Harry and Tonks were not here I would kiss you a lot.ā
Fleur glanced down into her lap. āPerhaps laterā¦?ā
Luna smiled. āItās a deal, Pretty Flower.ā
Nym bit her lip, finishing her wine and setting down her knife and fork. āThat was really nice. Iām definitely coming back here.ā
āIt is your flat,ā Fleur said.Ā
āRight.ā She flashed a red-wine-stained grin. āI meant definitely coming to visit you a lot in the future.ā
āThat would be nice.ā
āIāll drag Harry with me, too.ā Nym glanced up and caught his eye. āRight, baby cousin?ā
Harry dragged his gaze away from her red lips, a touch of heat rising to his cheeks. āRight.ā
āI donāt have many friends, itās usually just Daddy and me.ā Luna gave them a bright smile and slid her fingers through Fleurās. āThat would be really nice.ā
āEspecially when my parents come to visit,ā Fleur murmured. āI do not know how they are going to react.ā
A soft little pang twisted beneath Harryās ribs. āWeāll be there.ā
āMerci beaucoup,ā she whispered, mustering a small smile. āAt the very least, you can distract Gabby for me. She will be very excited to see you again.ā
Nymās lips twisted. āWhen are you moving into your new place, Fleur?ā
āVery soon,ā Luna said. āWeāre more or less going to tidy all our stuff up tomorrow and then move across. Fleurās stuffās already there.ā
Fleur nodded and refilled her wine glass. āYou can bring your stuff back here this evening if you want, thereās plenty of space and Luna and I are heading out later. We like to wander about at night.ā
Harry took a sip of wine, as Fleur proffered the bottle to Nym.
āGood news for you, Harry.ā Nym nudged his arm with her elbow and poured the last half a glass of wine into her glass. āNot going to have me in the way anymore.ā
Harryās red wine curdled on his tongue. He swallowed and plastered a smile over his face. āI might miss you a bit, not as much as Iād miss Dudley, of course, but thatās a very unfair comparison.ā
Nym snorted. āYouād chew your veins out if you had to spend a whole summer with Dudley.ā
āThatās why youāre my second least favourite cousin.ā
Luna exchanged a glance with Fleur and pushed back her chair, jumping to her feet. āCan you give me a hand getting everything to the kitchen, Harry?ā
āSure.ā He stacked Nymās plate on top of his and slid out of his seat, adding them to the pile beside the sink. āI can wash, if you like?ā
Luna shook her head. āWeāll tidy up later, donāt worry. I just want to give them a rinse and get them out of the way.ā
āFair enough.ā
āGrab the empty wine bottle and the glasses as well, please?ā she asked.
āNo problem.ā Harry glanced back at the table.
Fleur leant forward, whispering in Nymās ear, her eyes dancing with laughter. Nym folded her arms and shook her head, her smile shifting into a scowl.Ā
That looks a lot like Hermione and Ginny when theyāre plotting. He picked the bottle and the two empty wine glasses up. But Iām probably overthinking it. Fleurās smiling too much.
Nym stood up, stumbling back over the leg of her chair into the wall. āOwā¦ā She shook her head and muttered something under her breath. āHarry, Iām going to grab my stuff from Grimmauld and bring it back here. Fancy coming to help?ā
He frowned. āYou need help? Itās one trunkā¦ā
Fleur pursed her lips and shot him a pointed look.
Harry flushed. āEr ā I mean, yeah, Iāll help. Sure.ā
Nym held out her hand. āCome on, then.ā
āI really need to learn to apparate myself,ā he said. āSorry.ā
āI donāt mind.ā She grabbed his fingers and froze. āWait, let me just check thereās space for me to dump everything in here.ā Nym stepped across and yanked the wardrobe open.
The door smacked into Harryās face. Pain flashed through his nose and tears sprang to his eyes.
āOoops.ā Nym chewed her lip, her fingers halfway to his face. āAre you okay?ā
Harry blinked back the tears and poked his nose as the throb faded. āNothingās broken, I think Iāve survived your most recent assassination attempt.ā
āSorry.ā She let her arm drop to her side and swung the wardrobe shut. āOkay, letās head back and grab my stuff.ā
The world squeezed tight around them in a flash of cold dark and they flopped onto their bed.Ā
āWell, that was a better landing than the bollard,ā Harry quipped. āMuch softer.ā
Nym sighed. āWe kind of need to talk, Harry.ā
His stomach shrank into a tight, taut tangle. āRight. Yeah.ā Harry offered a weak smile. āWhat about?ā
āYesterday, Harry.ā She drew her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. āYou remember. You kissed me.ā
His stomach fluttered and clenched into a tight, hot ball. āYou asked me to do it again.ā
Nymās arms tightened around her legs. āYeah. Sorry. That was weird of me, wasnāt it? I shouldnāt have said that.ā
A sweet, deep pang knifed through Harryās heart. āYeah. Cousins. It wasnāt a good idea.ā
She stared down into the duvet. āOkay, glad weāre on the same page. It was a mistake.ā
Somewhere inside Harry a little voice screamed something else, the words rising up onto his tongue, warm and bright as candlelight. He bit them back and took a deep breath. āWhen are you going to move back into your flat?ā
āTomorrow, I suppose,ā Nym whispered. āIs ā is it okay if I stick about for one more night? How we ā how weāve been doing?ā Her eyes flicked up, green fading to grey. āAfter that, Iāll just come by like Iām meant to. Nothing weird. Iāll give you some space, as well, I promise.ā
āOne more night canāt hurt,ā Harry murmured.Ā
The armās length of cold duvet between her feet and his arm yawned open like an abyss, and a hot swell of emotion flared up Harryās breast. He dug his nails into his palm, twisting the duvet in his fist behind his leg and swallowing a metallic tang.Ā
āProbably for the best to have some space,ā he said. āWill keep me from getting elbowed, or hit with wardrobe doors.ā
āYeah,ā she whispered. āIām a bit of a disaster. Sorry, little baby cousā, I am trying.ā
Harry released the duvet and dragged a smile onto his face. āLetās get your things together and stick them in that wardrobe. I can probably endure being hit in the face with the door at least once more.ā
Love, Actually
Hermioneās quiet footsteps padded past the shadowed door, soft creaks and squeaks echoing through the cracked plaster walls.Ā
Itās finally morning. Harry stared up into the slim, dark line snaking across the ceiling above his head and listened to the rain pattering against the window.Ā
A gentle cold settled into the fingers and toes where they hung over the edge of the bed. He wiggled them, sighing under his breath, and spread his right hand out under the duvet. Harryās little finger slid between cold sheet and cold duvet.Ā
Nym shifted, thudding against the wall.
Sheās all the way over there. He stretched his fingers a little further into the cool cotton and wrestled with a bittersweet pain twisting beneath his ribs. I guess she mustāve really tried to stay on her side.
āI guess we should get up,ā Nym murmured.
āYeah.ā Harry slid out from under the covers and pulled on some clean clothes. āIāll ā er ā Iāll head downstairs and grab some breakfast if youāre going to get dressed.ā
Her grey eyes slid to her trunk. āIf you want.ā
He slipped out, pulling the door shut with a quiet click behind him and heading down into the kitchen.
āMorning, Harry.ā Hermione held out the bread. āBreakfast?ā
Harry stared at stack of slices beneath the clear plastic. āSure. Why not.ā He tugged two out and dropped them into the toaster, tapping it with his wand. āProbably shouldnāt make the ice cream eating a habit. It actually isnāt all that healthy.ā
āToo much sugar will ruin your teeth,ā she said, sliding the butter across. āJam, or should I stick it back in the fridge?ā
Harry skimmed the label of the maroon. āCherry jam?ā A soft little pang knifed through his ribs. āIām good with just butter. Fairly sure jamās all sugar, too.ā
āIt is.ā Hermione stuck it back in the fridge and rinsed the crumbs off her plate. āI try not to have it all the time, but itās nice.ā
He snatched his toast out of the top and dropped it on the plate, scraping a thin layer of butter across the top in a small shower of crumbs. āUp to much today?ā
āNot loads.ā She dried her hands. āIām going to do a bit of reading for next year this morning before Ronās up to distract me. See you in a bit.ā
āSee you later.ā Harry crunched a bite out of his toast and choked down a dry mouthful as her footsteps disappeared upstairs and her door creaked shut. āMaybe I should do some reading or something, itās better than doing nothing.ā He forced the rest of the slice down.Ā
Footsteps thudded down the stairs and his stomach writhed and knotted.
Nym drifted in. āHey…ā Her forehead creased. āToast?ā
āIt was out.ā He glanced at the fridge. āThereās still some ice cream left, though.ā
She shook her head. āNo thanks. Not really hungry.ā
Harry finished his toast and gave the plate a swift scrub and a rinse. āWhen are you leaving?ā
āIāll give it a little bit longer, just in case Fleur and Luna arenāt up yet.ā Nym studied her fingers. āDonāt really feel like stumbling into them being all happy and coupley.ā
āMe neither,ā he muttered under his breath.
Their smiles twisted the little pain in his chest, sharpening it until his eyes stung. Harry took a deep breath.
āI was going to just wander about the house,ā Nym murmured. āYou can come if you want to.ā
He smothered the soft pang in his breast. āYeah, might as well. Iām not up too much.ā
She drifted back out, leading him through the dining roomās faded, scratched panelling, past the chipped marble fireplace and into the small room beyond it.Ā
A worn, faded tapestry hung over pale, cracked plaster opposite the window, marred by dark, scorch scars.
āHuh.ā Nym touched a finger to a name on the far right edge. āThereās you.ā
Harry took one step closer and squinted. āHarry James Potter.ā He followed the line up. āMy Dad. Dorea Potter nee Black.ā
āI never met her, she died before I was born.ā Nym tapped the smaller portrait next to her. āThink I met Charlus, your grandfather, when I was very little, but I donāt remember.ā
Harry scanned the columns near his name. āWhere are you?ā
āMe?ā She stepped across to the far side of the tapestry. āIām over here.ā A small snort escaped her. āRight under this big scorch mark where my Mum and Dad would be.ā
āNympadora Koronis Tonks,ā Harry read. āKoronis?ā
She scowled. āEven worse than Nymphadora. Thatās all my Mum. I pretend it doesnāt exist.ā Her wand appeared in her hand. āI almost want to burn myself off as well, but if I didā¦ā Her gaze slipped to the far side of the tapestry and dropped to the floor.
āI thought we were cousins?ā he asked, glancing back and forth across the gap between their names. āBut weāre miles apart.ā
Nymās grey eyes lingered on him and she bit at her lower lip, tugging at her left ring finger with her other hand. āWe are cousins. Thereās just a fair few times removed in there.ā
Harry stared at the wall of names in between theirs, murmuring them under his breath as he paced from her name back to his. Eight times removed? Nine? Maybe more, I donāt really know how it works.
Nym stared into the faded weave and let out a long sigh, tucking her wand away. He traced the lines connecting his name to hers, stretching onto his tiptoes where it rose back nine generations at the centre.Ā
āI should go,ā she murmured as his finger came down through the burn mark to rest on her dark-haired, grey-eyed portrait.
Harryās stomach shrank into a hot, tight tangle. āWhen are you coming back tomorrow?ā
āI could probably get away with not turning up for a day, it wonāt do any harm.ā Nym glanced out the rain-spattered window into the dark clouds. āIf youād rather.ā
āIād rather not, really,ā Harry muttered, frowning at the back of her head. āI always look forward to seeing you.ā
A soft gleam appeared in her grey eyes as she turned around. āIāve been talking to Luna and Fleur about stuff recently, you know.ā
āWhat did they say?ā he blurted.
āFleur keeps telling me to give hints.ā The corner of her mouth twitched. āLuna tells me to just say it.ā
āWell, Lunaās way seems to have worked for her, I guess.ā Harry said.
āI think it depends on who it is youāre trying to give hints to,ā Nym replied. āIn this case, I think Lunaās way may be the only way.ā
Harry held his breath.
āIām going to go back to my flat, Harry, but maybe ā maybe youād like to come and stay with me?ā she asked.
He nodded.Ā
A faint smile spread across her face. āIād like you to say it.ā
āI would,ā Harry murmured. āDefinitely.ā
Nym cocked her head, green flooding back into the grey of her eyes as she took a couple of steps toward him. āEven though itās just a one-bed flat, and if one of us doesnāt manage to conjure a bed weāll end up with some contrived sharing situation?ā
āEven then.ā A soft sweet pain twisted in his heart, spilling onto his tongue, and a touch of heat rose onto his cheeks. āI might not try too hard with the conjuring part.ā
āI might not, either.ā Her smile spread into a grin and her dark hair brightened to purple. āItās a lot of effort, conjuring something like that.ā
Harryās eyes caught on her lips as she beamed and a little doubt gnawed at him, chewing his stomach back into a hot swirling knot. āI would very much like to,ā he murmured, ābut…ā
Her smile wavered and her feet froze two scratched, mahogany boards from his toes. āButā¦?ā
āI might end up trying to kiss you again if I do,ā he mumbled, heat flooding his face. āSorry.ā
She held his gaze with green eyes as his cheeks burnt. āQue sera, sera,ā she whispered.
Harry hunted for words, but they faded out on the tip of his tongue.
āWhat will be, will be,ā Nym murmured, sliding across the last pair of floorboards between them.
āOh.ā Heat fluttered through him. āAnd whatā?ā
She slid her arms around his neck, bringing a gentle scent of violets. āEven you already know the answer to that question.ā Her breath washed against his chin as she tilted her lips up toward his, a soft gleam in her green eyes. āBut because youāre so absolutely terrible with hints, Iām going to tell you. I want you to kiss me now, Harry. Like you did before.ā
āI could do that.ā Butterflies swirled through his stomach as his eyes dropped to her lips. āI could definitely do that.ā
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