Y/N POV:

"Well, that wasn't too bad." I tell Harry. We're leaving our last day of detention with Umbridge.

Harry gives me an incredulous look. "Yeah, not bad at all."

I gaze at him pointedly. "I'm a Slytherin, don't even try using sarcasm against me, you little lion."

Harry's cheeks go red, and I smirk in satisfaction. "Don't you have somewhere to be, serpent?" Harry counters.

My smirk stays strong. "Nope. Would you want to walk around for a while?" I offer, my confidence dipping slightly.

"Oh, uhm, sure." Harry nods, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Where to?"

"I don't know," I shrug. "Wherever."

"Okay." Harry nods and stays at my side as we begin chatting.

We pass Gryffindor tower, where the Weasley twins have a little stand up selling sweets. Which I assume are their—

"Skiving Snackboxes!" The twins chorus. I'm trying to tell them apart, but it's difficult.

"Harry? L/N? Can we interest you in some sweets?" The one I think is Fred offers.

"Sure." I smile, at the exact moment Harry shakes his head. "Nah."

Harry steps back as the twins and I do our transaction.

"George, I think we may have our new best customer." Fred, the one I formally thought was George, nudges his brother and pockets my money. Dammit.

"Alright, let's let her get back to Potter." George rearranges his display of sweets now that there's less.

"Yeah, he looks like he's going to fight us if we don't give you back." Fred lowers his voice and smirks. I roll my eyes in response to their comments, ignoring the strange feeling in my stomach.

I head back to Harry with my pockets empty of money but full of sweets.

"What were they saying?" Harry asks, looking at the twins sceptically as we keep walking.

"Oh nothing." I smirk at him and relax my pace. Even though there's a breeze that stings my skin through my sweater, we find our way to the courtyard. The moon sparkles on the fountain water, and I smile at the pretty stillness that encapsulates the courtyard.

"Did you go to the Yule Ball last year?" Harry breaks the silence. I'm put off by the question, but clear my head enough to reply.

"Yeah." I nod my head in silent regret. "I'm sure you had a heap of fun leading the dance."

"Absolutely." Harry smirks sarcastically. "Who'd you go with?"

I'm almost surprised he assumes I went with someone. "Zabini. Do you know him?" I question.

"Yeah." I think I'm imagining it, but it looks like Harry's jaw tightens in frustration. "Are you two still together?"

I laugh; a hollow, mirthless sound that echoes over the cobblestones. "No," I answer, a giggle caught in my throat. "We broke up a little bit after the second task."

"Can I ask why?" Harry's voice isn't forceful, but rather curious.

"Uhm, well... I had been telling a story about my mum, and I suppose that was the first time he realised my mum was muggleborn. So—"

"Wait—" Harry cuts me off, his hand up in the air in confusion. "How is your mum muggleborn if you're in Slytherin?"

I stare at him in disbelief. Is he serious? "Harry. You're not serious, are you?"

"Well, yeah. How does that work?" Harry continues. My first-year Slytherin urge to push him into the fountain surfaces.

"You realise your parentage doesn't affect your house, right?" I resist the urge to say not all orphans end up in Gryffindor.

"Well, now I realise that." He mumbles, turning away. A blush of shame creeps up his cheeks, and I smirk in satisfaction. "Erm... continue with your story now?" Harry offers.

I roll my eyes. "Anyway, when he realised I was muggle born he began acting distant, but would look sad when he wasn't talking to me? I dunno, but either way, and though we still fancied each other, we broke up because I realised what a blood purist he was. And I didn't want to spend time with someone who's blinded by prejudice." I lean against the fountain and blow air between my lips, pushing my hair up.

Harry doesn't reply, and I turn towards him. His expression is reflective, and I realise my smirk of satisfaction hasn't dropped.

We're silent for a moment, and yet it's not uncomfortable. I find myself stealing glimpses at Harry, and on the third or twentieth sneak peek, I notice a cute little smile sneaking across his lips.

"What?" I nearly laugh. It's so entertaining to watch the thoughts going on in someone's head dance across their face.

"I just remembered we've met before, er— interacted?" Harry sits on the ground, his back to the fountain, his arms folded on his knees.

I slump down beside him. "I don't recall." I tilt my head up to look at the stars.

"It was last year." Harry says softly. "I remember we were here, in the courtyard. Someone was passing around those pins— erm, when the whole fight between who was the real 'Hogwarts champion' thing was going on..."

I wrinkle my brow. I don't really recall what he's on about.

"And this group of kids passed by, shouting 'Potter stinks!' at me." He kind of laughs about it now, and I have to resist the urge to laugh too. "Well, you screamed at them to, and I quote," Harry laughs low in his throat. "Shut the bloody hell up, you bitchless gits."

I laugh so hard I nearly double over. The memory has indeed returned to me now.

"I think I was so caught off guard because it was a Slytherin defending me of all people... but it was still funny." Harry admits.

My laughter finally subsides. "Yeah, I remember that now. Those kids annoyed the living demons out of me. Guess I got fed up and just— let them have it."

We're both silent for a moment, and I think he's going to leave, but I have a few questions floating around my brain.

"Hey, what was it like being in the tournament?" I ask, my curiosity forcing me to brave the cold and stay out here with him longer.

"Complete hell." Harry narrows his eyes at the sky. I nearly giggle, and he turns towards me, his eyebrows raised. "I'm serious, it was."

"How so?" I question, remembering my own incredulity that they'd allow literal children to compete in such a dangerous task.

Harry gestures at a nearby bench. "I think we might need a real place to sit down for this story."

I sit on the bench, the cold stone seemingly seeping through my clothes. "I love a good story."

"I can't promise this one's good," Harry smiles slightly as he sits next to me. "But it's all true."

Harry launches into a retelling of his fourth year, and I admit it's quite strange to hear. Of course I knew this kid, everyone in the school is aware of his existence, but the fact he had actual problems going on while everything was happening really puts him into a different sort of perspective for me.

By the time he's solemnly retelling the third task and the story is creeping into the aftermath with the rise of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, I'm aware we've definitely scooted closer to each other on the stone bench.

Which is just as well, since it's probably close to midnight now and my fingertips are becoming numb.

I sit on my hands as he talks about Cedric dying, partially to keep them warm and partially to resist the urge to hold him. Something about how he's retelling the moment, I know he hasn't really shared any of his trauma with anyone yet.

And although I doubt it was his intention, I think it's good for him to talk about it.

Harry concludes his story, his head hung low. He acts... ashamed?

"Harry..." I begin, my voice gentle as if I don't want to startle him.

"Hm?"

"Thanks. I feel like I know you a lot better now, and I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me even about the hard stuff that happened last year. I hope this year is better for you."

Harry's silent for a moment, a strangely reflective look on his face. "You and I can both wish that, Y/N, but that doesn't mean it will happen."

"That's true." I resist the urge to point out that's a very Slytherin thing to think.

The cold is setting in my bones, and I push my knees together in an effort to not tremble. My fingertips are numb, and pull my sleeves over my hands, balling my fingers into fists. The fabric brushing against my scar from this evening's earlier detention is bothersome, but I try to ignore it.

We both sit in the reflective silence he created for a while before Harry suddenly turns to me, as if snapping out of a trance.

"Y/N, are you cold—" He cuts his own stupid question off by placing the back of his hand against my cheek. I'm surprised he doesn't declare I have a fever with how embarrassingly hot my face feels after his touch. "Shit, you're freezing. Why didn't you say something?"

"It's no big deal." I disguise my shivering with a shrug and stand, hugging myself with my arms as we walk back inside. The torches on the wall make the halls blessedly warm, and I sigh in contentment.

"I didn't mean to make you freeze." Harry's cheeks are tinged pink, likely from the cold.

I lean my back against the wall, sliding down until I'm sitting. "It's alright, Harry."

Harry shoves his hands into his pockets, glancing around at the empty hallway like someone's coming to catch us.

"You can sit, y'know." I smile and pat the floor beside me.

"Well, I was just thinking I should get going..." Harry peers down the hallway anxiously once more.

"What, late for a date, Potter?" I tease. Harry's cheeks immediately flame red, and I smirk.

"No, no, no, it's just I—" Harry stutters.

Damn, he's so cute when he's flustered.

"It's alright, I probably should be heading to bed anyway." I stand up and rub my hands together, glad I can feel my fingers again, even though they're freezing.

"Alright," Harry glances down and shoves his hands deeper in his pockets. "Good night, Y/N."

"Night, Potter." I turn my back on him and scurry down to the dungeons, where it's even fucking colder. Luckily the fireplace is blazing bright, and the seventh years smoking are on the other side of the room, leaving me the opportunity to thaw by the fire. The dim light shining through the lake and consequently through the window fills the common room with a dull blue hue, and combined with the candles burning throughout, I can't help but feel at home.

As my eyes unfocus on the flames, I can't help but feel slightly haunted by what Harry told me. He went through so much last year, how was he expected to get up this year and do it all again, especially with Umbitch around?

My very being wants more than anything to be there for him, but I feel that tonight's storytime was an outlier in our friendship. Even though him telling me was obviously a symbol of trust, I know he won't be going to me first for anything anytime soon.

I sigh. It's late, and I'm probably beginning to overthink. I stand up and head upstairs, where I wash my face as quickly as possible before changing into comfy pyjamas.

My body's physically exhausted, and it doesn't take long for me to fall asleep once I'm slipped between the covers.

~~~~

"Your jacket is so cute, Y/N." Astoria smiles, her cheeks tinted pink from the chilly breeze. Daphne, Astoria, and I are hanging out in the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. It's our little spot, and most other houses don't bother coming near.

"Thanks." I glance down to check what jacket I'm wearing. "I got it last Christmas."

Daphne grabs my arm, nudging my line of vision to the right. "Is that who I think it is?" She asks.

I squint at the person I'm suddenly noticing who's a short distance away. "Who do you think it is?"

"Harry," She whispers into my ear so Astoria doesn't hear. "Yep, it is." She lets go of me and grabs onto Astoria. "C'mon sis, Y/N wants some time in the forest."

"What?" Astoria babbles, protesting as Daphne drags her away, which alerts Harry to our presence. He stands there, smiling at the dirt while my friends disappear.

"Hey Harry." I say casually. He laughs without opening his lips and walks towards me.

"Hey Y/N." Harry replies.

"What're you doing out here, Potter?" I lean against a tree, glancing around at the empty forest.

"Just, staring at those, I guess." Harry gestures at the empty space where he was.

"Uhm, staring at what?" I gaze at him in confusion.

"The thestrals." His eyes flick between me and the clearing. "Y-you can't see them, can you?"

"No." I admit. "My friend Daphne can, though."

"They're quite haunting, to be terribly honest. They're a skeletal-sort of horses." Harry confesses. I follow him closer to these creatures.

"Then can I ask why you're staring at them?" I question. After our heart-spilling talk the other night, I wonder if he'd be open to still sharing with me, or if he wants to shut everything up again.

"I guess I just feel reflective around them. I couldn't see them last year, after all." Harry divulges. "Would you like to pet one?"

I turn towards him in surprise, shoving my hands into my coat pockets. "Really?"

Harry smiles sheepishly. "Why not?"

"I suppose..." I reach my hand out blindly, half-scared the thestral will bite my hand.

"Here." Harry gently wraps his hand around my wrist, guiding my hand to the creature. I press my lips together to fight a smile as my hand makes contact with what I assume is the thestrals head.

"I expected them to be cold, but they're warm, and sort of soft." I smile gently at Harry, scratching the thestral behind what feels like their ears. Harry's gazing at me in the way I feel I'm looking at the thestral my mind can't comprehend.

I sense my face growing warm under his gaze, but I can't exactly stare at the thestral, so I bring my hand down, and accidentally hit something I can't see.

"Shit! What was that?" I panic.

"It's a baby thestral." Harry smiles, and takes my hand to place it on their head. "See how much smaller he is?"

"No, I don't see Potter, I can feel him though." I giggle at the feeling of the thestral beneath my palm.

Comfortable silence fills the clearing while I pet the animal. A few creatures nestled in the trees make small noises, and I smile at the peacefulness of it all. I perceive eyes on me, but I know these are eyes I can see, not just the thestral's possible gaze.

"What're you staring at Potter?" I tilt my head at him, smirking.

"Nothing." Harry turns away, a blush dusted across his cheeks. "You— you just look so happy."

I take my hand away from the thestral and gaze up at the sky. "I think I am."

It's weird, I'm in a forest clearing with creatures I can't see, and a boy who I'm beginning to understand.

But I'm happy.

~~~~

A/N: A little chapter for our husband's bday<3 i hope u enjoyed, i really liked writing this short fluffy chapter (there's some angst next chapter, but it's not between y/n and harry) 

ur welcome for the gif, i giggled over it for quite some time<33

how's everyone on this lovely day?? (i'm listening to laufey so it is lovely u can't convince me otherwise)

- wheezely