Harry & Ginny

UltimateHPfanfiction.com Story id: 4454703 (Please submit reviews!)

hgfan1111 - Brighter Than Sunshine
Chapter 19 - Flying Without A Net

Previous Index Next

Flying Without A Net

This is the first of the deleted/additional scenes for Brighter. Some bits were written and needed to be fleshed out more for these; some were fully sections that just never made it into the story for one reason or another. Like the deleted scenes in the 'extras' sections of DVD's, these bits are usually unbeta'ed and a bit raw.

"Sure you're ready for this?" Harry asked as he held out the broom for Ginny to take.

"Are you?" she retorted back, batting her eyelashes at him playfully.

Harry laughed and mounted his broom, kicking off into the frozen February sky. The wind was harsh against his face, numbing his cheeks. But it felt exhilarating to be in the air again. He didn't realize how much he missed this.

Now the few dreams he'd had about flying when he was Jack made sense. This was the feeling he was trying to understand—like floating on clouds, or falling with only the thrill and none of the fear.

He glanced behind him, seeing Ginny just kick off. Her face split into a huge grin and her pale cheeks flamed instantly pink from the biting cold. He hovered, watching her in awe as she streaked across the sky, her red hair chasing her like a flame.

She really was the loveliest thing he could imagine.

"Wake up, Jack!" she called, startling him from his musings. Something heavy thumped him in the back and he spun to see a Quaffle falling away from him. Grinning, he leaned forward on his broom, diving to catch it before it touched the ground.

If Ginny wanted a game, he'd play. Four years out of practice didn't seem to matter to either of them as they fell into a gentle game, tossing the Quaffle through a makeshift hoop at one end of the clearing.

"Nice one, Potter," Ginny called out as she dove to catch the shot Harry had just made.

Harry hovered again, watching as Ginny set up another run, diving around invisible opponents and tucking the Quaffle under her arm. She really should have played professionally, Harry sighed. He felt a bit guilty that she wouldn't have that opportunity now.

He'd even brought it up a few nights ago, offering to stay home with Jay, rather than join the Aurors, so that Ginny could have her shot at playing for the Harpies. She had clearly been touched by his offer, and knew it was genuine, before she explained that it would have to remain a dream. She wanted to be home with Jay. Maybe one day there would be something that she would be interested in doing outside the home, but for now she was very content to be a wife and mother.

He cheered as she made the shot, happy to stay where he was and watch.

Ginny wiped away a bit of sweat from her forehead, tucked the Quaffle under her arm and racing back to start another run.

In this moment, with her eyes focused on the goal, hearing Harry cheer for her from where he hovered, and feeling the exhilaration of flying again, Ginny's heart actually considered Harry's offer to stay home with the baby.

But the thought was brushed away immediately. She couldn't see herself traveling so much and coming home to learn that James had learned to crawl, or said his first word, and she hadn't been there to see it.

Flying had always been important to Ginny. It was her escape when she was young and feeling oppressed by her brothers. At Hogwarts, playing Quidditch had been a way for Ginny to assert who she really was and to stand out from the rest. The fact that Harry ended up noticing her for her playing, and thought she was an equal on the pitch only added to her enjoyment of the sport.

But she could look forward to the time when she would be able to bring James up here and teach him to play, just like his parents.

She hovered for just a second more, twisting the Quaffle in her arms before leaning forward on her broom, gaining speed. Harry whooped as she passed him and a wide grin spread over her face. The goal was coming closer and closer and she tensed, preparing to throw the ball through it. Just before she reached it, however, she gripped the broom tightly with her thighs and rolled it. Two tight spirals and one giant heave—the ball sailed right through.

"That was bloody wicked, Gin!" Harry cheered, pulling up level with her and reaching out to her.

Ginny took his cold hand in hers, giving it a quick squeeze before an idea came to her.

The Quaffle lay forgotten on the ground as Ginny gazed in to Harry's eyes. "Let's fly together," she suggested.

He grinned and nodded. "I always wanted to do that."

Together, they floated slowly to the ground, their hands still laced between them. Ginny let her broom fall to the ground and moved to straddle Harry's, slipping front of him. His arms wrapped around her waist and she scooted back into his embrace.

"Might be hard to balance," Harry observed as he pushed off, lifting them into the air.

"Might be," Ginny admitted. "But I have faith in your abilities." His chuckle vibrated along her back and she turned her head to place a small kiss to his neck.

The balance issue only bothered Harry for a moment before he seemed to find the right way to grip the broom and tilt. Soon they were chasing along, winding through the trees.

Ginny was happy to let Harry take full control as she enjoyed the feel of the cold wind on her face and Harry's warm body pressed to her back. She closed her eyes briefly and let her whole body relax.

Flying and Harry—two of her most favorite things; although she had to admit that James was somewhere in there now too. But flying and Harry had always been her two most guilty pleasures. She fought the urge to chuckle at that thought, and wiggled back against Harry further.

"Faster?" Harry asked, his voice low, tickling the hairs near her ear.

"Yeah," she said, opening her eyes and tightening her grip on the broom.

Harry lifted the nose, urging it upward above the treetops. When they got high enough, she felt Harry's body tense behind hers and his thighs grip her hips.

"Hold on," he urged, leaning over her until they were both leaning almost flat. The broom rolled slightly to the right as Harry tipped the nose downward at a steep angle.

Down they flew, hurtling through the air until the last possible second when Harry pulled up sharply on the broom. Ginny's hands gripped his knees tightly and she squealed in delight as the tips of her toes brushed the snowy ground.

"Fun?" Harry's breathless question made her shiver and she nodded.

"Wicked," she answered back, turning her head to kiss him, her hand sliding up to hold his jaw. They skimmed along the surface of the ground, hovering up and down as they continued to kiss.

A giggle broke them apart and Ginny turned, expecting to find one of her sister-in-laws or one of the nieces. Instead, the dirty blond hair sticking out from under the blue hand-knit cap made her squeal in delight.

"Luna!"

Ginny scrambled to get off of the broom, almost knocking Harry off in the process. He laughed right along with her, however, and lowered them so that Ginny could get off easier.

"Sorry, didn't mean to interrupt," Neville, who was walking with Luna, their mitten-covered hands clasped between them, said.

"That's alright," Harry conceded. "Probably not the safest activity anyway."

Ginny made it to Luna in a few bounds through the snow and wrapped her arms around her friend. Luna laughed, returning the wild hug.

"I've missed you so much," Ginny said, feeling tears spring to her eyes.

"You just didn't realize it," Luna nodded when they pulled apart. "I understand."

Harry's arm was on Ginny's shoulder now, his other hand shaking Neville's firmly.

"We owled Ron and Hermione," Neville explained, his pink cheeks peeking out from a scarf that matched Luna's hat—the same uneven stitches were in both. "We wanted to see you, but you've been so busy with…everything."

"Its fine," Ginny protested, feeling more than a bit overwhelmed at seeing two of her oldest friends. "We should have sent our own owl inviting you over."

"We didn't want to intrude," Neville protested.

"Don't worry about it," Harry dismissed.

"Let's go in and warm up," Ginny suggested. "Jay will be getting hungry again soon." The two couples started making their way to the Burrow. Harry summoned Ginny's broom, as well as the Quaffle. Surprisingly, it was Neville who reached out and caught the leather ball.

"Ron told us about your son," he said, tucking the ball under his arm and talking Luna's hand in his again. "Told us how much he looks like you, Harry."

"Would you mind if I called you Jack?" Luna blurted out. Harry stopped walking and stared at her. Ginny couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head. "I like the name Harry," she continued, "but Jack is just so fun to say."

Harry, to his credit, shook his head. "That's fine, Luna."

"I'll stick with Harry and Ginny, if you don't mind," Neville said, giving a fond smile to his girlfriend.

"Fine by me," Harry said, slinging his arm around Ginny's shoulders. "It's all the same to me."

Ginny threw her head back in a laugh. She really had missed her friends, even if she hadn't known it, like Luna said.

A/N: I wrote a bit of the Luna/Neville scene in this story, and then never put it in. At the time, it didn't seem like it was an end that needed to be tidied. I knew that Neville and Luna would make their presence known just as soon as the family was settled once again. I added the first broom ride here because I thought it would be fun.

Previous Index Next