Love Finds a Way (Harry x Reader)
A/N: A little bit of sixth-year Harry love as the gif below gave me feels and inspiration. Also, requests are always open! Please request!
It wasn’t a secret that Severus Snape had originally applied for the job of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. It also isn’t a secret that he was turned down and had been lusting for the position ever since. Year after year, Defense Against the Dark Art professors fled Hogwarts and Snape was never lucky enough to replace them. Because of this, it came as a great surprise to everyone when during the Welcome Back Feast in the Great Hall, Professor Dumbledore introduced two new teachers.
You watch in a mixture of disgust and awe as Ron Weasley scoffs down chicken leg after chicken leg. His disregard for his best friend’s location driving both you and Hermione Granger insane. “He could be dead!” Hermione argues quietly. You’re quick to agree and a smile slips on your lips when Ron gives a shrug. “Honestly Ronald, your best friend is missing! How can you eat at a time like this?” Her gentle shoulder push quickly turns into a smack with the textbook she had been reading on the train ride back to Hogwarts.
“Oi! Look behind you,” Ron grumbles as he lightly rubs his sore shoulder before his attention is once again drawn to the feast presented on the long tables. Your head automatically flips to face the Great Hall doors that have just closed behind the missing Gryffindor and Luna Lovegood. A relieved smile cross your features but it’s gone just as quickly when you recognize the crimson stains on his clothing. Noticing your fallen expression, Ron comments, “Looks like his own blood this time.” His words don’t make you feel any better.
Exhausted, Harry manages to slide himself in the small hole between you and Neville Longbottom. A tender kiss is placed to your cheek from the late Gryffindor causing you to sigh, releasing all of the tension from your limbs. The concern, however, doesn’t leave your veins and you’re quick to conjure up a napkin that you press gently beneath Harry’s nose. It’s still bleeding lightly and there’s dried blood beneath it. “What did you do?” You ask quietly. The worry is clear on your face due to your furrowed eyebrows and your mouth that’s tugged down at the corners. “You disappeared from our compartment and show up, late, covered in blood,” you continue while you busy yourself with cleaning up your dirty boyfriend.
Harry waits until you finish removing the blood from his face. You learn in the time that Luna had set Harry’s nose for him, so you make a mental note to thank her for it. As you go to put your hand back in your lap, Harry’s hand flys up and catches your wrist. He turns his head and places a butterfly light kiss to the inside of your wrist; his actions cause your face to flush although a warm smile graces your lips. “Thank you. ‘M sorry for worrying you.” The honesty in Harry’s voice is tangible. You allow your neck to relax and your forehead rests against Harry’s own. Dazzling green eyes stare into your own and the moment is oddly intimate in spite of all of the hustle and bustle of the feast surrounding the pair of you.
“I was so scared,” You finally admit in a whisper that’s only heard between you and the boy in front of you. “Anything could have happened. With..with Voldemort being back and all.” Harry kisses your nose before he wraps an arm around your waist and tugs you into a hug. His lips move from your nose to your forehead. Here he presses a long kiss in hopes of relieving your fears and reassuring you that he was okay and here.
Hermione coughs quietly to alert your attention back to the feast and to where Dumbledore has just risen to give this year’s welcome back speech. Your jaw, Ron’s jaw, and Hermione’s jaw drop upon hearing that Snape will be teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts this year. Harry doesn’t seem at all surprised though. He’s quick to fill you in on his and Dumbledore’s little adventure to procure a new Potions Master. After this shocking news, the feast ends with dessert. Ron, once again, is stuffing himself with any and all sweets he could get his hands on; Hermione’s disgusted face nexts to him marks the annual beginning of this school year.
The four of you leave the Great Hall in a rush of students from all Houses. You watch as Harry rushes off to talk with Dean and Seamus; Ron is only steps behind him while Hermione and yourself stay back and roll your eyes fondly at their antics. Gryffindors split from Ravenclaws and within minutes the portrait is swinging open and post dinner stupor is settling like a blanket over the crowd of Gryffindors. Harry runs back through the other Gryffindors with a large grin on his face. He tugs you into his arms and kisses you deeply; a kiss that says goodnight as opposed to goodbye. When he pulls away, you feel dizzy with the amount of carefree happiness that rests within it. Hermione laughs and grabs your hand to lead you back to the dorm you share with her. You fall asleep peacefully the moment you’re tucked behind the familiar maroon curtains.
“Wait, you’re doing what for Dumbledore?” Hermione inquires. Ron, Harry, and yourself are able to hear the incredulous tone she asks the question in. Harry had seen Dumbledore a few weeks ago and was now informing the lot of you about his task assigned by the Headmaster. You’ve got your head lying on Harry’s shoulder as the pair of you sit on the floor. Your back is open to the Gryffindor common room fire, allowing warmth to seep through your skin. You blink your eyes sleepily as Harry relays what he’s just said.
“I’m going to get one of Slughorn’s memories for Dumbledore,” Harry says with a shrug. He’s fast to apologize with a kiss to your temple when you give a slight grumble of protest at the movement. A smile settles on your lips and Harry knows he’s forgiven. “He needs it to defeat Voldemort.” The name brings a shiver through your otherwise warm body causing you to push yourself further into Harry’s side; he squeezes your waist happily at the little bit of affection.
Ron moves his arms from the back of the sofa and runs his palms down his face. “Okay…” he sighs, resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in front of them, “how are we supposed to do this?” Your eyelids have grown steadily heavier through the conversation and you’re asleep before they start brainstorming ways of doing this.
Ancient Runes managed to drag on today and you were more than ready to return to the common room and your boyfriend’s arms by the end of it. You let out a huff as you shove your book bag back onto your shoulder while the portrait swings open. As you enter, you are met with an awful cheery, “Hello!” and a kiss on your cheek. Before you can respond, however, Harry is past you and out of the common room. Looking to Ron and Hermione where they stand by a sofa, you ask, “What’s going on?”
“Harry finally drank his Liquid Luck and is going to get Slughorn’s memory,” Hermione replies while Ron walks behind her and makes himself cozy on the couch. He pulls out a Transfiguration essay but you and Hermione both know he won’t get it done when you’ve got another week until it’s due. Your eyes widen and you blink a few times before Hermione’s words registered in your mind.
The couches of the common room and the roaring fire are calling your name, begging you to relax and maybe start the very same essay you just saw Ron pull out but you know that Harry will get into a mass of trouble on his own. He always does. With a heavy sigh you hand Hermione your book bag. “I’ll be back.” Your out of the common room after that and running down staircase after staircase until you finally reach the main entrance stairs. This is where you finally find your boyfriend. He’s just about to walk out the front doors.
“Harry!” You shout, pleased when he stops and waits for you. You rush down the rest of the stairs and come to a stop before the dark-haired male with unsteady breath. “Can I come with?” A sweet smile accompanies your question and Harry is more than happy to pull you in for a kiss and let you join him on his journey to the green houses.
At the green houses, you find Professor Slughorn smuggling Tentacula leaves from Professor Sprout’s precious plants. You’re not entirely sure how Harry knew to find Slughorn at the garden houses but you don’t question him. Not that you had the chance to as he was off to chat with the short, pudgy man before you could form a word. You stay back and fondly watch the Mandrakes sleep in their new pots; they had been replanted two weeks ago by the second years. You can’t shake the strange feeling being around Harry with this potion, is giving you. He’s too loud, too eccentric, too…too unlike Harry. Harry only took the Felix Felicis in order to accomplish his given task yet you couldn’t help the feelings you had towards this particular potion and the way it turned your boyfriend into someone unfamiliar. “Care to come with us to Hagrid’s?” Harry offers, interrupting your thoughts. You turn to find he and Professor Slughorn only steps behind you.
“No thank you,” You say with a fake laugh before you lean forward and place a kiss to Harry’s cheek. “Just…be safe.” Although you were tempted to go with them down to visit the Gamekeeper but Harry will be more successfully if he goes alone with Slughorn. Aside from that, you find the smell of earth and various scents of plants to be soothing which you need at this particular moment. Slughorn gives you a small, fake smile as he and Harry leave and go down to Hagrid’s hut. You enter greenhouse two and take a seat in front of the snoozing Mandrakes with a heavy sigh. “I hope this works,” you mutter to them.
After sitting with the Mandrakes for nearly two hours, you found the motivation to move yourself back to the Gryffindor common room. Hermione and Ron raise an eyebrow at you in question but make no effort to ask when you sit at the table nearest them and pull out your Transfiguration homework to work on. Harry comes in nearly another two hours after you did. The large smile on his face lets the three of you know that he completed his conquest. You’re waiting for him to take a seat next to Ron and Hermione so he can repeat his tale in hushed whispers but instead he marches over to you and sits in the armchair beside you. He reaches his hand over to tug on the sleeve of your jumper. Once your attention is on him, he lightly pulls you onto his lap. This was familiar. Harry seeking comfort in you and your presence. “Everything alright love?”
“Missed you is all,” Harry murmurs into your ear before he nuzzles the skin of your neck and places a kiss to the crook of your shoulder. “Thank you for trusting me.” Although he thanks you for the simple action, your trust in Harry is unending and he knows it. You understand that he just needs the reassurance sometimes so you nuzzle yourself back and places a kiss to his cheek.
“I love you, Harry. You’re a silly git and I love you,” You whisper, allowing yourself to be dragged into a kiss that breathed love with the very press of your lips together. Harry’s hand cups the back of your neck, prolonging the kiss as long as he can. Your own fingers are gripping Harry’s shirt tightly as the kiss deepens with the slightest tilt of your head. The love passing from him to you and back is tangible. It no longer mattered if war was brewing on the horizon or if this memory of Slughorn’s was important, all that mattered was Harry and Harry’s love for you. Guess love really does find a way.
