Chapter Text
It was a rainy Saturday in September when it first happened. The weekend had everyone in the castle go to Hogsmeade or lounge in their common rooms. Not Ron and Harry though, they had other plans.
Despite you and Hermione's protests, you still both got dragged for a day out in the quidditch pitch. Both of you got persuaded by the promise that "it would be fun", and that you "don't get a lot of weekends like this."
The two boys ran ahead, while the two girls slowly followed behind.
"I mean, it did stop raining..." you trail, glancing at Hermione, who still looked unconvinced. You could tell that she would rather be in the same position as she was fifteen minutes ago: wrapped in blankets, peppermint tea on the table, and a muggle book in hand. As anyone with any sense would be, honestly.
Hermione only looked you and gave a reassuring smile, "It's fine. I still would've gone anyway. I need to be there in case someone breaks another arm."
"That certain someone being Ron?" You laugh, remembering the time your friend broke his arm during one of his flying sessions with Harry when neither you nor Hermione were around.
"Oh, shut up!" playfully hitting your arm, "It's not like that," she said, defensively.
You finally arrive at the pitch, which somehow feels bigger now that it's just four teenagers in the field. The sun was beginning to push through the clouds, but the grass still glistened from the recent downpour. Hermione quickly went over to Ron, who was carrying her broomstick.
You look at Harry, who was also carrying yours. It never occurred to you to bring your own broom, yet he still brought it. A nice gesture, you thought.
He was wearing his usual grey jumper, and had his signature unkempt hair he never seems to be able to tame. When he sees you, he immediately shoots a smile.
"I hope I got the right one," he said, handing you your good 'ol reliable Comet. Nothing snazzy compared to his Firebolt. "Thanks for carrying it," you say, giving him a smile.
As you retrieve your broom from him, you find yourself being careful that your hands don't accidentally brush with his. Not that it's a big deal.
"Where is Ginny, by the way?" You ask, suddenly curious.
"She's with Luna," Harry said simply, checking his own broom. "They had plans."
You weren't proud of the relief that washes over you. You loved Ginny– or at least, you were working on it. She's your best friend's little sister. She's kind and beautiful and funny and just… perfect. Worst of all, she makes Harry happy.
You just knew that, for this afternoon, you were glad it was only the four of you.
"Oh, bummer," you said, trying not to sound too happy about it.
"Are you sure you want to do this though? I mean, I reckon you don't fly that much," he asks, concerned.
"You're asking me this now after making me walk all the way here?" you playfully tease him.
He scratched the back of his head, flustered, “I guess I’m just a bit worried you’d get tired.”
Although you were flattered by his concern, you only shook your head “No, don’t worry, I’ll be fine,” you gave him a reassuring smile.
Flying wasn't really your favorite thing. You didn't hate it, but you still got nervous.
“Besides, I could use a bit of exercise.” You added, like you’re convincing yourself too.
“Well, if you say so–“
"What’s taking you both so long?" he was cut off by Hermione about twenty feet in the air in Ron's broom, clinging to the ginger-haired boy. It was a funny, but cute sight. You wonder what Ron could've said again to persuade Hermione to be in her current situation. Not much, probably.
"Are you two gonna stop dilly dallying and start racing? C’mon now, first to five laps 'round the castle wins!" Ron grinned, enough to tell that he's been waiting for this moment.
“Hang on,” Harry spoke “I thought we were all playing against each other?” gesturing to broom in your hand.
“Changed my mind,” Ron shrugged, completely unbothered. “Why? Scared we’ll win against you two?” he said playfully.
Hermione looked at Ron over his shoulders "And what makes you think we're gonna win against Hogwart's Best Seeker?"
"Well I've got some sort of lucky charm I suppose," He replies, winking at her.
Hermione only gave him a look, "Once again Ronald, I am not using spells to distract them while on the air.”
She sounded annoyed, but the smile she was trying to hide gave her away. You and Harry couldn't help but laugh at your two friends.
You shoot a glance at Harry, who was already looking at you.
"Well, if we're doing it that way, I guess I’ll be fine," you say, gesturing to the other pair lost in their own banter. "Alright, brilliant," replied Harry. You almost catch a hint of nervousness in his tone, but just brush it off. You figured he's just not used to having a passenger.
Harry walked over to his Firebolt and held it out, gesturing for you to get on behind him. "I know you're not that used to flying, so I'll go slow, don't worry."
"I think you forgot to about the fact that this is a race, Harry" you couldn't help but laugh as you climbed onto the broom behind Harry.
The moment you settled, you realized something you hadn't considered before: there wasn't exactly much space.
Your hands hovered awkwardly for a second, unsure where to place them. Harry noticed.
"You can hold on," he says as you both lift in the air, your feet no longer touching the ground.
"I mean, I kinda have to, so I don't fall." You place your hands on his broad shoulders.
He turned his head to the side "You know, you’ll lose balance if you hold there."
Indeed, you could feel yourself go unsteady. There was no other place to hold onto except his torso, and so you quickly wrapped your arms around him.
Which is fine, you thought, this is nothing. You’re friends. Hermione’s doing the same, but that's different. Harry's with Ginny. You're just holding on for dear life. This is nothing.
"Alright, everyone ready? Three—" Ron started counting down.
"Whatever happens, just hold tight to me," Harry instructed you.
"Two—"
"Yup," is the only reply you can give with your heart jumping out of your chest from the nervousness and well, whatever this is.
"One— Go!"
"It'll be fun, I swear," is the last thing you heard before the two of you zoomed off into the distance, with Ron and Hermione following behind.
The wind rushed past you, and you can barely open your eyes. This is slower than usual?
When you got used to the momentum and finally managed to take a peek, the first thing you saw was the Black Lake, vast and ever vibrant. The castle grew closer and bigger as you both accelerated and sped past the Gryffindor tower. You also spot Hagrid's Hut on a hill to your left.
The castle grounds looked entirely different from above. You never saw it from this angle. It was beautiful— breathtaking, even. You were in awe. You wondered if Harry ever got used to this view.
"What do you think?" he asked, his volume louder than usual. It was hard to talk or even hear at this state. "This is crazy!" You shouted back.
This wasn't your first time flying, but it was your first time flying this high and at this speed. You held onto Harry tighter as he makes a turn going back to the quidditch pitch. You look over to your left and see Ron with a determined face to catch up to Harry. Behind him was Hermione mirroring your same expression which was a line between awestruck and nervous.
It was between the third lap when Ron finally got ahead of Harry, and the fourth when you felt a raindrop or two fall down your cheek. "Harry," you called out, "I think it's pouring again,"
"Yeah, I thought I felt something,” He confirmed, “Let’s go now, yeah?" he says as he makes a descent from the air back to the quidditch grounds. The rain started pouring hard and fast, and by the time you made a quick landing to the nearest covered quidditch pitch, you were already drenched.
"Merlin, that was so fun!" was all you could say as Harry helped you off the broom.
"Told you," he said, giving you a smile.
You look over at him, and notice that his grey jumper was now darker from the rain, his hair damp and messy from flying, and his glasses were covered in tiny droplets. It should have looked ridiculous, but you found the sight rather charming. Cute.
You snapped out of your thoughts. "We lost big time though," you laughed.
He only chuckled at your comment and shrugged, "Honestly, I forgot there was even a race."
"Speaking of the race..." You say as you make your way to the barricade. "Where are those two?" You and Harry look around the arena to see if the pair landed somewhere, anywhere in the pitch, but you don't spot them. It was hard to see with the heavy rain pouring.
"I guess they're still going," Harry said, raising a brow.
You laugh."Well, I'm sure they're alright, Mione's with him. They'll be fine,"
Harry glanced back at you "Are you implying Ron would still be out there if Hermione wasn't?"
"I didn't say anything about that, but yes, absolutely." You shrugged. "And you'd be there too," you added.
Harry only laughed at that, and didn't even try to counter your statement. "Okay, that's true."
"Well, I guess we're stuck here for a while," you say as you make your way to a seat, Harry tailing behind you.
"Hopefully it goes away soon. My clothes are sticking to my skin, it's annoying." he cringed.
"Don't worry, I got this." You pulled out your wand from your pocket and cast a simple drying charm over the both of you. With one final flick toward his glasses, the droplets vanished, leaving them clear again.
"Thanks," The boy beside you smiled. "I wouldn't know about that, I doze off during Flitwick's class. "
"You sure wouldn't," you joked, recalling all the times you caught him doodling on the margins of his textbook and or playing hangman with Ron during demonstrations.
You could have sworn there was a charm Professor Flitwick taught that could repel rainwater, something like carrying an invisible umbrella wherever you went. It could be useful now, especially with the castle being a short walk away.
But that meant leaving, and you weren't exactly in a hurry to go back.
Besides, you weren't completely sure you remembered the spell correctly.
At least, that's what you told yourself.
For a while, neither of you said anything. The pouring rain helped in drowning out the silence. It wasn't awkward, though. None of you seemed to mind it.
The air was starting to grow cold because of the weather. You shivered, rubbing your arms at an attempt to keep yourself warm.
”Here,” Harry removes his jumper, revealing his usual white ringer tee. “This should keep you warm.”
If this were any normal day, you would protest. But it was freezing cold, and you were shivering.
“Thank you, Harry,” you tell him as you wear his jumper over your head, the warmth already embracing you.
You catch a whiff of his scent. It's familiar. Light and woody, with a hint of sweetness. Something you might’ve smelled in one of Slughorn’s classes.
He scoots closer. You’re now sitting side by side, your arms and legs now pressed together.
”Body heat,” he says while putting an arm around you, “it’s not much, but it should help.”
You felt your stomach go weird at his sudden contact. It’s not a big deal, you thought. It's like any other gesture that you and your friends have always been used to, like when you and Hermione would braid each other’s hair during one of your late night girl talks, or when you would lay your shoulder on Ron’s head when you’re feeling sleepy (and even just because). It has always been like that with them. Platonic with a capital P.
Right?
“It does a little bit,” was all you managed to reply.
The silence was almost deafening this time. You wanted to fill it with something.
“I had fun today,” You said, trying to distract yourself from your current situation, “I haven’t seen Hogwarts from that view, I get why you and Ron go here often.”
”I’m glad you enjoyed it. I hope the ride wasn’t too fast though,” he chuckled.
“Not too fast? I nearly fell!”
”Hey! That was as slow as it could get.”
”You were flying at about 85, Harry.” You shook your head and smiled at him, teeth and all.
”And? You’re the one who said it was a race,” he argued, “Plus, my usual speed is usually at 150.”
"Mm. Sure." You say, in a tone that makes it clear you don't believe him at all. "Go faster on the next race then, let's see what 150 feels like."
He turned to you like you'd grown a second head. "Are you bluffing? Cause I can do that on our ride back– "
"No no no, please don't, actually," you laugh.
"Knew it," he shares a chuckle too.
Ever since Ginny got in the picture a few months ago, it's been a good while since the two of you shared a moment alone like this. And rightfully so, you thought. There was no problem with that.
She's his girlfriend, and you're only one of his best friends.
“We should do this again sometime,” said Harry. “Hanging out in the field– the four of us, I mean,” he clarified himself, stumbling upon his words.
You agreed with him. You wouldn’t mind a second time of this. Or a third.
You glance to your right to where he was sitting. You examined him in the glow of the gloomy afternoon, the soft grey gradient shining across his face as he watches across the field.
His lashes looked like feather in this light, and you notice how his glasses somehow made his green eyes softer. And Merlin, since when had he gotten that jawline?
You found the same pair of eyes now looking over at yours. He caught you staring, and you should’ve looked away, but you didn’t.
You only gave him a small smile, one that he returned.
Maybe because it was just the two of you, and the rain helped with making the ambience seem like a nice moment between two friends, or maybe it was because, you're seeing Harry as someone more than that.
You liked Harry. A little too much for your own good.
At the briefest moment, his eyes flickered down to your lips, you thought you might have imagined it.
You looked down to his lips, there’s a hint of rose that matched his cheeks.
It felt inviting, almost enough to make you surrender. You’re worried he might hear your heart beating through your chest.
There was an internal debate in your head if you should lean in, or turn your head, stand up, and act like nothing happened.
You wanted to lean in, but Harry was your best friend. And Ginny. No. You wouldn't. You couldn’t.
Before you had the chance to do things in your own accord, a familiar voice called from the field. You both pulled away and ran to the barricade once more.
You notice the rain die down, as did the cold.
“Harr– there you guys are! We were wondering where you both went!” Ron flew over the pitch with Hermione, who only noticed you wearing Harry’s jumper, and gave you a look that signaled you need to tell her everything later.
“Emergency landing,” Harry said quickly. “Where did you guys go?”
Nice save.
”The Astronomy Tower,” answered Hermione. “Which was inconvenient, considering there was only shelter above and not so much at the side.”
“You told me to land there!” Ron defended.
”I said at the castle!”
"Is the Astronomy Tower not part of the castle?"
You tuned out their usual banter and looked over at Harry, who was already retrieving his broom from where he put it. There was a certain look plastered on Harry's face that you couldn’t quite tell. Was he disappointed?
You didn’t want to assume. Of course he isn't. Why would he be?
And so, you hop on the broom the same way you did a while ago, wrapping your arms around his torso for support, and flew off.
You lay your head on Harry’s back while you let your hair fly with the wind. You took in the view. This might be the last time in a while, you thought.
Your thoughts fly back to Harry, who funnily enough, was also flying.
You thought back about that moment you shared just a few minutes ago when your heart was beating out of your chest. The brief moment you swore you caught when Harry looked at your lips. What the hell was that. Was it all in your head? Or was that an invitation?
You were starting to regret the doubts you had. Maybe you should've kissed him anyway.
You shake your head, almost like an attempt to get rid of what you’re thinking. No, go away intrusive thoughts.
And even if you did, Ron and Hermione would’ve still arrived looking for the two of you at that exact moment.
Even if you did, it wouldn't erase the fact that Harry is with Ginny. You couldn't live with that.
You figured it was the universe telling you that it wasn’t meant to happen.
Perhaps, staying friends is safe. You don't want to risk ruining the friendship.