Fred and George shared an astonished glance, looking back at me with matching expressions of disbelief and curiosity. Ginny just stared at me, completely stunned, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open as she processed my words.
"Are you not the boy-who-lived?" Ginny asked, her voice soft but clearly filled with confusion. Her bright blue eyes widened slightly, looking between my face and Hermione's anxiously.
"I mean, I'm 19. I'm not exactly a boy anymore, am I?" I joked, giving her a small smile as I lifted my hand to push my hair back from my forehead.
As the strands moved aside, the faded but still visible scar I'd carried my entire life came into clear view. I traced the jagged shape gently with my fingertips, aware of everyone's eyes locked on the distinctive mark.
Ginny gasped softly, stepping closer to get a better look. Fred and George immediately leaned forward as well, their curiosity palpable.
"I've always had this scar," I explained, dropping my hand back down and meeting Ginny's astonished gaze. Although, only recently did I find out how I got it from some of the "Harry Potter" books I bought in Flourish and Blotts. "It came from when I was a baby. That evil dickhead wizard, the one who killed my mother Lily Potter, tried to use the killing curse on me. But the spell rebounded on him instead, killing him. Honestly, I'm glad the bastard got fucked by his own magic."
There was a brief silence. "So Lily Potter cheated on James Potter? That's the greatest gossip we've ever heard!" George-or maybe Fred, it was hard to keep track-suddenly blurted out.
"Blimey! That's the gossip of the year right there!" the other twin declared.
Before either twin could say anything more, Molly immediately stepped forward and smacked both sons sharply on their arms. "That's incredibly rude, boys!" she scolded firmly, glaring at them with maternal irritation. "Stop gossiping about something so personal!"
"No, it's fine," I told Molly. "But yes, it's totally true. Lily Potter did cheat on James Potter. But honestly, James cheated first. He even had a kid himself, so it's really not fair to put all the blame on Lily. In my opinion, they just got married too young, and were in the middle of a war on top of that. That must have been insanely stressful..."
Ginny's mouth fell open. "Wait-there's a secret Potter child at Hogwarts right now?" she gasped.
"I don't actually know her name or who she is. All I've heard is that she's a girl around my age, currently attending Hogwarts."
Immediately, Fred and George leaned toward each other, their expressions filled with excited speculation as they began whispering rapidly between themselves. whispering different girls names I didn't recognize and trying to match those girls' appearances with the "famous Potter genetics."
I had no idea what those famous genetics were until Ginny spoke up saying everyone in the gossip columns did think it was strange I didn't inherit James Potter's messy brown hair.
That would be something I could look out for at the very least. Or I could just ask Dumbledore. But maybe finding her on my own would be more fun. That would be something I could look out for at the very least. Although I don't know if this girl and I would get along considering we were both born from "our parents" cheating on each other with other people.
A loud stomping echoed down from upstairs, making everyone turn their heads toward the ceiling. Molly chuckled warmly, shaking her head slightly. "That'll be my youngest son, Ron. He likes to sleep in late whenever he can."
Fred immediately nudged George, and the two exchanged sly grins. "That's only because Ron spends all night up with those Naughty Witch Weekly magazines," George said, wagging his eyebrows suggestively.
Hermione and Ginny both cringed visibly, letting out matching sounds of disgust.
"Gross," Ginny muttered, shaking her head vehemently.
"Honestly," Hermione groaned, wrinkling her nose. "Can we not talk about your brother's hobbies..."
I, however, was too shocked by the revelation to react with disgust. I looked at Fred, raising an eyebrow curiously. "Wait, the magical world has porn magazines? Are they actually any good?"
Yes, I was genuinely curious.
Fred's grin widened. "Oh, you have no idea, mate," he said enthusiastically, leaning in closer, but not actually whispering. "They're bloody brilliant! Moving pictures and everything. Nothing like boring old Muggle magazines. Trust me, witches love to use their wands for a lot more than just casting spells!"
"We do not!" Hermione sputtered.
"Only slutty witches do that!" Ginny said with a blush.
And yet, now the image was planted in my mind as I glanced between Hermione and Ginny, imagining them both naked with their "wands." It's not like I could help it, it was just a natural reaction...
Molly, who had moved back to the stove to stir whatever delicious-smelling meal she had been cooking, clearly overheard Fred's words despite the distance. Without even turning around, she whipped a wooden spoon through the air with frightening accuracy.
It smacked Fred firmly on the back of his head, causing him to wince and rub the spot dramatically. "Ouch! Mum!" Fred protested loudly, though he still looked amused rather than upset.
"Fred Weasley, we have guests and this is not a proper discussion!" Molly scolded sharply. "Behave yourself!"
And yet I noticed she didn't refute the words about her youngest son...
I chuckled lightly, thoroughly amused by the friendly chaos of the Weasley household. It was clear this family was extremely close and comfortable around each other.
Before I could ask anything more, footsteps sounded clearly from the hallway, drawing my attention. Another young man with vivid orange hair walked into the kitchen. He was tall and gangly, around my age, with a lanky build and a slightly awkward posture. His face was freckled heavily like his siblings, and his hair was tousled in a sleepy, bedhead mess. He wore a slightly grumpy expression, obviously still waking up and maybe irritated by the commotion?
The newcomer's eyes landed first on Hermione, his expression twisting instantly into a sour frown. "What's the whiney nerd doing here?" he grumbled rudely, clearly not bothering to hide his disdain.
Hermione stiffened beside me, her cheeks flushing slightly in hurt and irritation. She opened her mouth to respond, but I stepped forward protectively.
His gaze shifted toward me, his blue eyes narrowing suspiciously as he openly sized me up. "And who are you supposed to be? You're dressed in rich person clothes. You look like one of those pompous, slimy snakes from Slytherin," he sneered.
Wow, what a dick.
"I see you're as rude as ever, Ronald," Hermione grumbled, her voice tense with irritation as she crossed her arms firmly over her chest, glaring at him sharply.
"You can't talk that way to Harry Potter! Or, I mean-" Ginny suddenly stopped, turning toward me with an awkward look. "Sorry, what's your real last name, Harry?" she asked.
I smiled at her reassuringly. "Sitri. Harry Sitri." I said with pride.
Ginny gave me a warm, appreciative smile before turning back to face Ron again, her expression instantly darkening into annoyance once more. "You can't talk to Harry Sitri like that!" she scolded sharply.
Ron just shrugged dismissively as he glanced back at me with obvious disdain. "I don't care. This bloke is just another fake Boy-Who-Lived. We get posers like this every year trying to claim they're the real deal. The real Boy-Who-Lived is obviously DEAD." He turned abruptly, reaching out and snatching a bright red apple from a bowl on the kitchen table. He bit into it loudly, crunching obnoxiously as juice dribbled down his chin. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, giving me one final sneer before heading toward the stairs. "I'll be in my room until it's time to leave for the World Cup," he announced rudely, disappearing around the corner without another word.
I watched him go in irritation. "Well," I muttered quietly to myself, feeling a surge of annoyance, "most of the family is great so far, but that guy was definitely a dick."
Ginny sighed deeply from beside me, her shoulders slumping slightly in clear embarrassment. She turned toward me, her expression apologetic and eyes sincere. "I'm really sorry about Ron, Harry. He's always had this big fantasy about becoming best friends with the Boy-Who-Lived. He practically grew up obsessed with him."
Her gaze shifted to the floor, and she fidgeted awkwardly with a strand of her long orange hair, twisting it around her fingers nervously. "When everyone started believing the Boy-Who-Lived was dead, it hit him really hard. He took it personally, I guess. Ever since then, he's gotten really bitter and angry about anyone claiming to be him."
Molly looked genuinely upset with Ron's attitude, shaking her head and apologizing to me repeatedly, promising sternly that she'd deal with his behavior later.
I waved her apologies away with an easy smile, telling her that I didn't let stuff like that bother me much. Well, unless it was Saji-that asshole had run his mouth non-stop for a week straight, and deserved the ass beating I gave him.
We all sat down at the long wooden dining table, and Molly bustled around enthusiastically, serving dishes overflowing with delicious, homemade food. The mouthwatering aroma of roasted chicken, fresh bread, and various steaming sides filled the room, making my stomach rumble eagerly. I dug in, complimenting Molly, which made her smile brightly in return.
Hermione had chosen the chair immediately to my right. Ginny slid into the seat directly on my left, pulling it so close our knees touched lightly beneath the table. Her vibrant red hair fell gracefully over one shoulder as she leaned forward, giving me a playful grin.
Hermione shot Ginny a quick look before subtly shifting her own chair even closer to mine. I could feel the gentle pressure of her thigh pressing deliberately against my leg.
Ginny responded immediately, pressing her own leg against mine firmly, her bright blue eyes narrowed challengingly across the table at Hermione.
Fred and George sat across from me, watching this silent competition unfold with matching shit-eating grins plastered on their identical faces. Every time Ginny attempted to start a conversation with me, Hermione instantly interjected, drawing my attention to herself instead. Likewise, whenever Hermione began speaking, Ginny quickly tried to distract me...
The intense back-and-forth continued throughout the entire meal, leaving me stuck awkwardly in the middle, though admittedly enjoying the attention.
By the time we'd all finished eating, Molly began gathering the empty dishes, gently ushering Fred, George, and Ginny upstairs. She explained that their father would be arriving shortly, and they'd soon need to leave for the nearby portkey.
After we finished eating all the delicious food, Hermione and I went outside to take a little walk. It felt good to move around a bit after being so stuffed. As we walked side by side, I playfully leaned over so our shoulders bumped gently. Hermione smiled shyly and glanced at me, her cheeks turning a soft pink.
"You were getting pretty possessive back there, weren't you?" I teased her lightly.
Her blush grew even deeper, and she looked down at her feet. "Sorry, Harry," she murmured softly. "I didn't mean to overstep. I just got a little... jealous, I guess."
I looked at her, confused. "Jealous about what?"
She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip nervously before speaking again. "Did you want to spend more time with Ginny Weasley instead of me...? I noticed you seemed to like her right away, and she is really pretty. Guys usually like girls with red hair, right? And I know she is a natural redhead too..."
Nice. Natural redheads were very sexy...
Her voice was quiet, and I could tell she was feeling unsure about herself. I stopped walking right then and reached out to gently take her arm. Hermione let out a little surprised squeak as I pulled her close to me, turning her so we were facing each other.
"Listen to me, Hermione," I said seriously, holding her gaze firmly. "Ginny is nice, sure, but she's not prettier than you. Don't ever put yourself down like that."
Hermione's eyes widened, looking both surprised and pleased by what I said. "You mean that?" she whispered, still sounding unsure.
"Yes, I really mean it," I insisted gently, giving her a sincere smile. "You are absolutely beautiful. Your hair is gorgeous, so long and curly and perfect. And your body is amazing, Hermione. You have a wonderful shape, with curves that are just right. Your breasts, your thighs-everything is perfectly proportioned. You should never doubt yourself."
As I finished speaking, Hermione started sputtering in embarrassment, her cheeks glowing bright red. "Harry!" she exclaimed softly, her voice shaking slightly. "You can't just say things like that!
"Why not?" I teased.
She looked away from me, nervously tucking a strand of curly hair behind her ear. "It's very crass... and If you keep giving me compliments like that, it's going to be really hard to just stay friends." she added shyly.
"Maybe I don't just want to be just friends," I admitted softly, feeling a rush of heat rising up my neck and into my face as I watched Hermione's expression shift into surprise.
Her eyes widened slightly, and her lips parted as if she wanted to speak but hesitated momentarily. "Really?" she finally asked, sounding both hopeful and skeptical at the same time. She took a small step back, folding her arms gently as she studied my face. "Aren't you meeting up with those two beautiful French girls in a few hours? I was under the impression you'd be shagging them, Harry. At least that's the impression you gave me..."
I swallowed nervously, a bit embarrassed by her blunt phrasing.
"Well," I began uncertainly, glancing away momentarily before returning my gaze to hers, "I guess it did kind of come off like that, didn't it? Honestly, Gabrielle's letters to me were really, um, sexy. I won't lie-they made it pretty clear she was interested in more than just friendship."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at me, a faint smirk playing at the edges of her lips despite herself. "So, I'm guessing Gabrielle's very...expressive in her letters, then?"
I chuckled nervously, feeling my cheeks burning even hotter. "Very expressive," I admitted with a sheepish grin. "Look, Hermione, I'm really sorry if this seems complicated or confusing. I've always gotten attention from girls, but all of this is so new to me. I genuinely don't know if I could ever pick just one girl. I mean there's you...and Gabrielle and Fleur. And also Sona... " I mumbled admittedly.
