Ginny’s shirt is off now, clearing the bedside table lamp–barely, thankfully, he doesn’t want to stop to clean up the mess–and his fingertips have memories, easily finding and pulling out the hooks of her bra in one quick sweep.
BETWEEN THE DESIRE AND THE SPASM Chapter 3: To Death’s Other Kingdom
She got the letter from James the following week. It was neat and written in Phthalo blue ink and it clawed at her throat.
Lily,
I’m sorry I didn’t write sooner. Hoping you’ll still take me up on those drinks. I’m free all this week after six, Saturday afternoon, and anytime Sunday. Let me know which day/time works for you. You pick the place.
“do you ever stop and think about us? about our future?” lily asked. james’ body is warm against her own, and their son is quietly breathing in the cot next to their bed; he’s not quite old enough for them to move him to the nursery, but everything is ready for him there, for when the time comes.
however, there is something comforting about having him sleep with them, the warmth of their family slowly being adjusted to.
james ran a hand over his face, dark stubble covering his cheeks and neck. they were both unkempt recently; the war already took a big part of their lives and now, with a son, there were few, the moments of just them. “i don’t really have the time to,” he admitted, letting out a puffy chuckle.
“is there anything else you’d want for us after this war ends, then?” she rolled around on her stomach, her eyes meeting james’, brown and emerald, a forest together. “i’d like to have a daughter,” she laughed, loudly enough to tickle james’ ears, quietly enough to not wake up their son. “i know you mentioned a daughter, too; what should we name her?”
“we’ll have plenty of time to think about that,” james smiled, and she wished the sun would just rise, to see the curve of her husband’s lips, the dimple in his cheek. “ania is a pretty name, though. or maybe a flower name, too, possibly even lily, to set the theme, if our son is named after me.” (“our son, james, isn’t that so strange? who would have thought?”) “would you like to move out of here? out of england?”
“i want to move out of godric’s hollow, it’s a bit depressing. we don’t really have the best memories here, do we? let’s more somewhere near the sea,” lily whispered, and he wished the sun would just rise, to see the crinkle of her eyes, the warmth of her smile. “i want to be able to take a walk on the beach everyday, i want to be able to run towards the sea from our porch. we don’t need a big house, just big enough for the three, four, as many of us as there will be.”
james hummed, twirling a strand of lily’s auburn curls around his finger. “we should take him with us too,” he nodded to the ginger cat, sleeping at the foot of their bed. “i think he’d like the fresh air.”
“we should give him a name, first of all,” she giggled. “that can wait for now, though. for now, we’re still in godric’s hollow, in a small home, the three of us and a cat, and hopefully we’ll be still in love when this all ends. i’m sure we will, though.”
he planted a kiss to her head. “of course we will.”
the warm nights of summer were theirs, at least in that moment. the warmth washed over them, lulling then to sleep, in each other’s arms.
Hermione even escorted them down to breakfast, bringing with her the news that Ginny had argued with Dean. The drowsing creature in Harry’s chest suddenly raised its head, sniffing the air hopefully. ‘What did they row about?’ he asked, trying to sound casual.
‘Oh, Dean was laughing about McLaggen hitting that Bludger at you,’ said Hermione.
‘It must’ve looked funny,’ said Ron reasonably.
‘It didn’t look funny at all!’ said Hermione hotly. ‘It looked terrible, and if Coote and Peakes hadn’t caught Harry he could have been very badly hurt!’
‘Yeah, well, there was no need for Ginny and Dean to split up over it,’ said Harry, still trying to sound casual. ‘Or are they still together?’
‘Yes, they are – but why are you so interested?’ asked Hermione, giving Harry a sharp look.
‘I just don’t want my Quidditch team messed up again!’
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