There had, naturally, been relief when he had been healed, and after their conversation she had felt better than before, comforted even if just slightly. Even with this there had been a nagging in the back of her mind, what if, even after everything went back to normal, she didn't? What if she was damaged? Something to be pitied year after year as the dark continued to haunt her mind.
Thus, she had been wary of a summer vacation. Because if she couldn't recover on a warm sunny beach then what chance did she have?
Those fears followed her all the way onto the warm sand, but then something happened. It was the way Harry looked out into the ocean, the way he seemed to relax, the way the tension drained from his body.
He had hope, hope that the other years were a fluke, hope that everything would be normal, that there was nothing more to worry about. Harry, who had been through so much, and undoubtedly more that they didn't even know about, was hopeful.
What excuse did she have?
Sure enough, his mere presence seemed to have an uplifting effect. And the fears were banished from her mind for the rest of the day and even into the evening where she slept soundly for possibly the first time since recovering.
The next morning, however, reality came crashing back into her in the form of a barely clad Harry walking around their common area. Their parents were on the floor below them leaving the second floor to her, her sister, and brother. It also meant that while they had two separate bedrooms they shared one main living space.
A living space he was now walking around in with just shorts and nothing else.
There had been a silent understanding, or at least an attempt at one, between herself and her redheaded sister, one in which the thing between them and Harry was a one-time deal.
One holiday of romance and sex to get it all out of their systems then go back to the way things were, because nothing else could be the outcome. Even if they were all in Gryffindor together, even if they could figure out dating between the three of them, there was no way a sibling relationship would be ignored at Hogwarts.
It had to end when they went back to school at the end of last winter, yet here she was, staring at every exposing inch of skin, remembering how it felt with her body wrapped around his, how he looked naked, how he felt underneath her.
But what if he didn't feel the same? What if, after being with an older and more experienced woman, Harry just... wasn't interested in two girls who couldn't help but fantasize about him?
"Harriet? Is everything okay?"
Her attention refocused to see the flickers of concern on his face after having discovered her and the dread melted away. Regardless of how he felt he was still family, closer even then blood. "Yes, I just... you look really nice this morning, without a shirt on." Her eyes widened moments later, and she stammered to correct herself, "I-I mean you always look nice, if you're dressed or not, I just think you look really nice right now, you know, uhm..."
A grin formed on his face, lit by the slowly brightening sky. "You look really nice too, especially when you aren't wearing a shirt."
She flushed, hoping it was hidden in the still poorly lit room. She was still completely dressed but just the slight hope, the minor compliment, was enough to have her hands moving before she could even consider what was about to happen.
Harriet could hear the sharp intake of air from him, or perhaps it was her own body, as the shirt went up and over her head before falling to the floor leaving her in just a pair of shorts.
"I uhm... thought maybe..."
Thought what? That him giving her a compliment was an indication to strip? It was a bad idea, this was a bad idea, and she was just about to turn and run back to the room she shared with Amy when Harry breathed out, "You're beautiful."
She never would figure out where the idea came from, but moments later she was speaking once more without even considering the words, "It's easier to see each other on the couch."
Harry nodded, almost dazed, and followed after her as she walked, shockingly without falling or shaking with the nerves currently on overdrive in her body, over to the cushioned furniture.
Once there the raven-haired girl hesitated for a mere moment before sliding the rest of her clothing off and turning to face the, now obviously gaping, boy.
It felt amazing, watching his eyes skim across her body, having him ogle her, practically devour her with his eyes. Then she noticed his own reaction and swallowed. Had he always been that big? Did boys get bigger as they got older like a girl's chest did?
"C-could you uhm..." Great, apparently 'confident and sexy Harriet' only lasted for so long until 'shy and embarrassingly awkward Harriet' came shoving her way back. Instead, she gestured, towards him, earning a slight flush of his skin as well.
"Oh, right, you want me to uh..."
She quickly nodded, "Take them off too, please?"
Harry wetted his lips before nodding and fumbled about before dropping his own shorts, apparently not wearing anything underneath which likely would give her a few months of fantasizing when they went back to Hogwarts.
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