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It was such a rush, seeing everything like it was the first time.
"Is it really that different?" Hermione asked interestedly.
"Can't be, he's just making a big deal out of nothing," Ron dismissed.
"No, I'm not," Harry insisted, wide eyes roving around. "Magical oculists are really something, even if they can't permanently fix it."
The world exploded with colour in a way it hadn't in years, if ever.
Aunt Petunia had gotten him prescription glasses in the beginning—even if the ugliest, cheapest ones there were.
But once he'd gone to Hogwarts, summers had gotten too busy or his relatives had been too angry at him for the bother of going to a doctor or getting his prescription re-checked.
So it was only now, at almost eighteen, that Harry got his glasses on his own, picking the round black frames out of familiarity.
Although nothing else was familiar about this.
Hermione opened her mouth, probably to go on another tangent about rods and cones and lenses and how even magic couldn't fix myopia, when Ron laughingly dragged her away.
They bickered all the while. Harry was devoutly glad he didn't have to witness any more flirting, and became even more devout at what he was bearing witness to.
Had Ginny always had that many freckles? Had her hair always glowed, complementing the sun? Had her lips always pulled like this when she laughed?
She ruffled the hair of one of the muggleborn kids they were helping escort to Diagon Alley, and as Harry approached, dazed, her face brightened in a way that sent his heart thumping.
Had it always done that in his presence?
What a fool he'd been.
He caught her, spinning her around, getting out of the kids' eyeline and dipping her. "You are so beautiful." His voice came out awed.
Ginny raised her brows. "I thought you were going to the eye-healer, not the bar. Did my brother get you drunk? Did Hermione not say anything about this?"
"I'm not drunk," he said indignantly. "I'm just appreciating your beauty for the first time."
"Oh-kay," she kissed him under the guise of putting a hand to his forehead. "No firewhiskey on your breath, no fever. . . . What is this, I wonder?"
"Hey!" He pouted. "I'm never complimenting you or appreaciating aesthetic again if this is the response I get."
"It's not to the compliment, per se, merely the attitude. I expected the surly, brooding Harry furious about getting sent to the hospital, not lovey-dovey appreciating aesthetic Harry."
Her tone heavily mocked his words, but her face was smiling. He couldn't resist kissing it.
She giggled: "Harry, stop it!"
"Not until I find every freckle," he threatened.
"We are so going to end up on the front page of the Daily Prophet," Ginny sighed theatrically.
Harry froze, taking a slow step back. Ginny smiled softly, taking his hand and kissing it. "I merely meant we should wait until we finish with the kids and are in private before we start appreciating, hmm?"
She kissed him again. "I take it you like the new glasses?"
"They're amazing!" He enthused. "I can't believe I went so many years without them. It's like a new world."
He caught the sad glance she threw him. "What?"
"Nothing, I just — want to kill everyone who played a role in your not knowing about magical spectacles before."
"Well, I mean, most of them are dead."
"True," she conceded, but she was still frowning.
Hands linked, they walked over to the kids and parents they were helping guide to show the wizarding world was not full of maniacs.
He had to get this expression off before they reached. "But I have no doubt in your capabilities to kill Voldemort, were he still alive."
She smirked, tossing her hair. "Also true. Had I been the Chosen One, I would've gotten the job done in half the time."
"I have no doubt," he agreed, eyes fixed on every minute twitch in her face. "How long until we can be alone, then?"
"Harry, you'll scare them off with all the staring," Ginny scolded laughingly.
"I can't help wanting to look at my gorgeous girlfriend with my newly gotten eyes," he protested.
"Well, help it," she said lightly, tapping him on the nose.
He sighed longingly, but drew back. "Auror health evaluations were completely worth it."
They did end up in the Daily Prophet, but it was on page 3 for their 'philanthropic endeavours' towards muggleborns and not for indecency.
Small mercies.