Remedy

Seven Minutes

The wind whipped by Harry so fast that if he hadn't had various protection charms on his glasses, they would have been in pieces somewhere over the dark forest. His thighs burned a bit from where they clenched the broom, keeping his seat. His fingers felt like they had been petrified, curled around the end of the Quicksilver.

While Harry couldn't care less about the cut or quality of his robes. He admittedly had a weakness for a fast broom, and the Quicksilver was the fastest currently on the market, outpacing its predecessor, the Firebolt significantly.

It was bliss flying so high amongst the clouds, the darkening blue sky stretching endlessly around him. His heart raced as he let the broom dip downward and began a freefall. Harry yanked his hands away from the top of the broom and raised them above his head. He let his arms drag against the wind as he kept the broom with him only by the strength of his legs.

Adrenaline surged through Harry as the ground came into view, barreling toward him. His eyesight seemed to sharpen, his senses keen, taking in everything. His chest moved rapidly as he tried to suck in air. Every single blade of grass seemed distinct as the ground rushed toward him. At the last minute, he grabbed the end of the broom, pulling it up with a brutal yank.

Gravity pulled on his body, trying to keep him hurtling towards the unforgiving ground, but the broom started slowly rising back towards the darkening sky. He didn't stop until the air threatened to become too thin, the stars seemingly within reach.

As he drifted, peace seeped into Harry. Staring blindly upwards towards the shining brilliance of the emerging night stars, he thought about how he invited Hermione to stay with him and Teddy. His mind supplied images of the three of them walking along together at some random park. Other people, maybe people who didn't know them, might think they were their own little family.

A father. A mother. A son.

Harry rubbed his face with both hands, trying to dismiss the strange thought. It persisted though, along with the feel of Hermione trying to cuddle closer to him, whispering how she wouldn't be able to sleep without him.

"You're going to mess shit up, idiot." He berated himself. Why did things have to be so bloody complicated? What if he acted on what he was thinking and it didn't work out? What then?

He hadn't been friends with Cho or Ginny like he was with Hermione. They weren't part of him like she was.

"Fuck." Harry shook his head at himself and grasped his broom again, going back in. Even if he hadn't figured anything out, at least he felt less stressed. He went to the main area for the quidditch lockup, sitting down on a bench near the back wall to give his broom a quick polish before putting it away. The wood needed to remain supple for some maneuvers and so required consistent maintenance or the performance would degrade.

As Harry carefully wiped a cloth down his broom, he heard the doors bang and looked up at Ginny entering. She halted when she spotted him, her long, bright red hair drifting around her shoulders.

"Hey," Harry said awkwardly.

Ginny looked at the broom in his hands and the polishing kit. "You went for a ride?"

"Yeah, I needed to relax."

She shifted, her shoulders going back. "I would have ridden with you if you'd told me."

Harry looked down towards his broom. "It's alright. I just needed some time to myself, is all."

There was a pause before Ginny inhaled audibly. "You know she's never going to be up there with you."