Author's Note: These stories are all one-shot, 1000-word responses to the Summer Writing Series Challenge, so each one is not related to
the next.
Summer Writing Series Challenge (June 18)
Challenge: No theme, see conditions below.
Challenge Conditions: Choose two of these randomly generated haiku, and write a
2,000 word story using the words from the haiku as your inspiration for your fic. There is no topic for today so you
can choose what genre (Romance, angst, fluff, etc.) and topic you wish to write about. All the words in any haiku you
choose *must* be present in the fic.
Title: Sunset
Word Count: 1,759
"Infectious. Her smile is infectious. No…it's unconditionally infectious," Harry said aloud as he paced under the tall oak tree, and he laughed at his own excitement. His heart was pounding, his palms were moist, and the words poured out of his mouth faster than his brain could even keep up with.
"It doesn't matter what's going on in the world - wars, miracles, disasters, wonders… I could've had the absolute worst day, or received the worst news imaginable, but as soon as my eyes fall on that smile, it's all erased. It doesn't matter. Nothing matters…except that I'm with her, and she's smiling at me. That smile is for me. I think that's what made me finally come to my senses."
He smiled and shoved his hands into his jeans pockets, playfully kicking at an acorn. The cool autumn breeze rustled through the tree leaves, and a few more acorns fell carelessly to the ground.
"I honestly don't think I've ever been so happy in my life," he said and shrugged. "Not when I found out I was a wizard, not when I flew for the first time…not even when I defeated that monster who took everything imaginable away from me. Well, almost everything," he said solemnly, his eyes looking down to the small bunch of flowers below him. "Except for her. He tried to take her, but he didn't."
He took a deep breath and sighed.
"I wish you could meet her. You will…someday. I know you've seen us together, and you've seen it…you've seen how deeply in love we are. And you don't need my explanation, but I just wanted to tell you…I needed to. I needed to share this with you, and get your blessing."
The cold, marble tombstones stood in silence, but Harry didn't notice. He wasn't paying attention to them.
"You can ask Sirius…he'll tell you," he laughed. "He saw it. Even before I knew it was there. God, I was so dense! But everyone else knew it. They knew it for years! Or at least that's what they say now. Why they didn't tell us is beyond me…I guess we had to figure it out for ourselves."
Harry sat down in the lush green grass and leaned back against the tree. He picked up a few acorns and threw them across the lawn like skipping stones.
"We had to figure it out for ourselves," he repeated, his mind dazed with the memories, "and we did."
"It took a while, mind you," he said, shaking his head, "but we finally realized that what we had was special; more special than just friendship. And now look at us…we were meant for each other. Everyone says we're just like you two. I hope that's true. I hope you were as happy as we are. I think you were."
He stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a small gold ring, and he smiled as he looked at it, spinning it around his index finger.
"I bet mum cried when you gave her this, dad. It's beautiful. And it'll look beautiful on her finger. She's going to love it. She's very sentimental about things like this. She'll probably cry," he said and smiled. "I don't want to make her cry, of course. But it would mean a lot to me if she'd wear it. I hope you don't mind. It just makes me feel closer to you...like you're a part of us."
He stood up again, and paced the same trail he had left in the grass earlier, still looking at the ring.
"I can't wait to see it on her, sparkling and flawless. Of course, it'll still be dull in comparison to her. She's everything…the warmth of the air, the light in the sky. My world is better because of her. My life is richer because of her. My soul is free because of her. No…my soul luxuriates when she's with me! Do I sound like a rambling fool?" he asked with a laugh. "Well, I am. I know I am, but I can't help it. I am so in love with her…helplessly, hopelessly in love."
He bit his bottom lip, trying to stifle a smile, and stuck the ring back in his pocket.
"I'm sure we drive them all crazy, our friends and family. That's the Weasleys for me, since you can't be here," he interjected. "They've stepped in and become my family...but you knew that. They're the most wonderful people…" he said, getting lost in thought for a moment.
"Well," he said, coming to, "they're happy for us, of course. And they are kind. But really, I'm sure it does get a bit annoying, us smiling and happy all the time. I think it does them some good though. They've had enough heartache and suffering…"
He stopped pacing and stood silently, a pained expression on his face. After a moment he shook it away, and concentrated on the task at hand.
"Oh," he said, pacing again, "and poor Hedwig! I know for a fact we drive her crazy! She definitely gets her exercise between the two of us. I know we could just floo each other, but there's just something romantic about hand-written notes, you know? We started it back during the war, when it wasn't safe to floo. And once the war was over, we were already in the habit, so we kept it going. We'll write sweet little notes to each other, and send Hedwig on her way…sometimes six or seven flights a day!" he laughed.
"She'll come home and land tiredly on her perch, not even giving the last note to me…that's when I know she's had enough. So I'll quietly sneak over and untie the note from her leg and try not to wake her…no, I learned that one quickly! There's nothing worse than a squawking, flailing mess of feathers attacking you while you're trying to get your mail!" He laughed again.
"She puts up with a lot from us, Hedwig, but she knows. Being an owl, she can't smile of course, but I can tell. Inwardly, she's smiling at us…laughing at us even! Us…the hopeless romantics! And she wouldn't have it any other way."
"Neither would I. I am completely and utterly in love. I'm bewitched by her. Imagine that! Bewitched by a witch." He smirked. "But her magic is so much more than anything that can be done with a wand or a spell."
"Before her, I was just a grain of sand…gritty and annoying, and getting into all the wrong places," he said with a laugh. "But now…now I'm a pearl. Her love has taken me from that small, insignificant grain of sand, and turned me into something worth while. I wouldn't go so far as to say beautiful…but something worth having." He grinned and leaned back against the tree, propping one foot up and running a hand through his hair. "At least, I hope I'm worth having." He tussled with his hair and chewed on his lip in thought.
"She's worth having," he added quietly a minute later. "I don't deserve her. But somehow I got her. And I've learned better than to ask questions about things like that."
"Sometimes I think that you had something to do with this, you know? Who else would find someone so amazing, so perfect, and give her to me? Someone who challenges me with her intelligence and wit, someone who ignites my heart and brings passion to my soul with just a look… Someone who teaches me to become a better person…."
"I think you'd be proud of me. I've done pretty well for myself…with your help, of course. I finished school, and I got a job, and I'm doing something to make a difference in the world. But most of all I'm happy. She makes me happy. And I'm content with where I am right now…but I think I'm ready to take the next step. It's time," he said, and he nodded a silent reaffirmation.
"So, anyway…I've decided I'm going to do it tonight." He reached into his pocket once again and pulled the ring out. "Tonight I'll ask for her hand in marriage. That is, if I don't make a complete muttering, sputtering fool of myself. I think she'll say 'yes.' I hope so…." He looked down at the ring in his hand and traced it with his finger, his brow furrowed.
"I can't imagine my life without her. I'd be completely lost, drifting… She grounds me, and she makes me whole. I think that's how you two were. They say I'm just like you, dad…reckless, sometimes foolish, and always getting in to trouble. Thanks for that," he said and laughed. "Although I did get some of your traits, mum. But they say she's more like you. So clever, so strong."
"I hope we live up to your expectations, and that we have everything you had; friendship, love, and a family. We do want a family. And you'll live on through them. They'll know all about you…about your love, your sacrifice…."
The dew was beginning to settle, and small drops formed moistly on the grass. The sky around him was growing dim and the air crisper and cooler. He looked up and saw the sun settling above the horizon.
"I should go. It's getting late and she'll be worrying about me. She always does," he said and smiled. "She'll take good care of me, though, so don't you worry about that. She's done it since we were eleven. But you already knew that, didn't you?"
"And I'll take good care of her. I'll make you proud. I'm sure I don't truly deserve her, but I'll do everything I can to make sure she's happy. I know she was a gift to me, and I don't intend to mess things up. I don't know how you did it…but thanks."
He squatted down before the two headstones and reached out, tracing the letters that spelled out Lily Evans Potter.
"I'm glad I had the chance to talk to you. I know you'll be there with us at the wedding. I just wish we could see you, too." He smiled weakly, moisture clouding his eyes.
"I love you," he said in a whisper. "And I miss you."
He kissed the tip of his finger, then touched it lightly to each of the headstones. He stood up and walked slowly back toward the street, subconsciously playing with the ring in his pocket, knowing that in just a few hours his life would change forever.
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A/N: The two haiku I chose for this challenge were as follows:
infectious finger
luxuriates helplessly
tiredly, flailing
inwardly bewitched
pearl ignites, hand sputtering
drifting, moistly, dim