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Up in the Air | ||||||
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Category: First Time for Everything Challenge (2019-2), First Time For Everything Challenge (2019-2) Characters:Harry/Ginny Genres: Action/Adventure, Comedy, Romance Warnings: None Story is Complete Rating: PG Reviews: 19 Summary: ***Winner of Most Humourous and People's Choice Award in the First Time for Everything Challenge*** After Voldemort's defeat, after a summer of rebuilding... after several long months of Auror training, months spent working hard and missing his girlfriend... Harry is ready for a holiday. Christmas in Romania among the dragons with the Weasleys! Halfway through her final year at Hogwarts, Ginny has been counting down the days. But are any of them prepared for what is involved in fulfilling Arthur's dream of traveling the Muggle way - by plane? Submitted for the "First Time for Everything" challenge. Hitcount: Story Total: 14657; Chapter Total: 2519 Awards: View Trophy Room |
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“Ginevra! Memorize this!” Ginny looked across the aisle toward her mother, who was waving what looked to be some sort of plastic comic book. “It’s what to do when the plane crashes! See?” She stabbed at the calm faces on the sheet. “They’re used to it! These things must go down all the time.” George leaned out from the other side of their mother. “I hope we crash over water. Gin, there’s a slide!” Molly batted him with the card. “Arthur! Did you hear what your son just said? Arthur was on the other side of George, face glued to the tiny window. “Hmm? Oh yes. Look, Molly! The engine, it just hangs from the wing! Amazing…” Ginny felt a hand on her arm and pulled away turning back to see a wincing Harry on her other side. “I hope you’re happy, Potter.” He shrugged. “I dunno. I get to be squeezed in next to you for a few hours. Could be worse.” She rolled her eyes. “A lot of comfort that is if we all die.” He smiled. “If you’re going to die, it’s better to be surrounded by people you love.” She raised an eyebrow, eyes flashing. “Oh sure, Harry “The Boy Who Lived and Died and Lived Again” Potter is perfectly comfortable dragging us…” He leaned back his chair, sighing. “Come on Gin. I mean, look at this guy. He seems relaxed.” He leaned back, looking at the person on the other side of him. The man’s eyes were covered by a sleep mask, and small yellow blobs plugged his ears. It looked like he was already asleep. “Harry… He probably did that so he doesn’t have to know he’s gonna die if the plane starts to go down…” He rolled his eyes. “You are so dramatic. Gin, millions of people fly every day. It’s plenty safe.” She poked him in the arm. “This coming from the one who thought it was plenty safe to ride a dragon from the most secure bank in London over -” “Gin, that’s not the same at —“ “No. Harry, I love you, but you’re the last person I’d trust to decide if something is safe or not.” Her eyes glinted, but a small smile tugged at his face. She wrinkled her nose. “What?” He glanced down at her hand next to his. “I mean… I’ve read those words in your letters, but to hear your voice say it…” She raised an eyebrow. “That you’re rubbish at knowing what’s safe?” He shook his head, still grinning as he looked up at her again. “I love you, too, Gin.” She glared at him, willing herself to still be angry even as his crooked smile and playful green eyes melted her inside. “You… you’re a lost cause, Potter.” He laced his fingers through hers. “I’m your lost cause, Weasley.” He kissed her hand. “Excuse me sir, you need to put your seat up before takeoff.” The moment was broken as the flight attendant leaned over between them and adjusted Harry’s seat. Harry let his eyes drift shut, his fingers still laced through Ginny’s. Just a few more hours, then they’d be on the ground in Romania. Just a few more hours and he’d be preparing for Christmas with this family that he loved, surrounded by dragons… this was what normal was like now. He smiled. The smile only lasted for a moment before it was forced into a wince. He jerked his arm as what felt like five daggers stabbed into him just above his wrist. His eyes snapped open to see Ginny’s hand, fingernails digging into his skin as she gripped him and his chair, breathing hard. “Ginny, what’s —“ She shook her head, eyes flicking around the cabin. Her voice was low, but there was panic underneath. “I can’t do this Harry, I can’t.” The plane was gently rolling to the runway, the flight attendant demonstrating how seatbelts work. Across the aisle, George was snickering as his mother leaned across him, trying to get her husband to stop raising his hand. “You don’t need to ask that, Arthur! I’m trying to hear what she’s saying!” Harry looked back at Ginny. “Of course you can. You’ve flown before. You’re probably the best flyer I know.” Her eyes locked onto his, wide and panicky. “Not the same, Harry. On a broom, I’m in control. I have no control here. We’re going to be in the sky with no brooms, no wands. I can’t fly, Harry.” She looked down at the floor, rubbing her trainer-clad foot on the carpet. “This isn’t the ground. There’s gonna be thousands of feet of air under this.” Harry’s mouth quirked thoughtfully. “Actually, I think our luggage is under us. But under that… yeah. OW!” Harry yelped as her nails dug in more. “The luggage! Harry, all those bags! It must be so heavy! We’re going to fall, we’re going to crash…” He pried her fingers from his wrist, holding her hand in both of his, stroking her skin. He couldn’t tell if it was calming for her, or if she even noticed. She was staring straight ahead at the seat back in front of her, breathing quickly. “Long slow breaths, Gin. Come on, you’re one of the bravest people —“ She turned to him, eyes blazing. “Harry, we are trapped. Trapped in this thing until it lands. No control over where it goes or what happens to it. I can’t, Harry.” He met her eyes, and he saw fear. He saw the same deep brown eyes that had met his in the Chamber of Secrets all those years ago… eyes full of shame, confusion, fear… eyes full of a fierce determination to never let anyone control her again. He leaned close, whispering in her ear. “You’re ok. I’m here. Your family is here. You are fully in control of you, even if you can’t fly the plane, okay?” She took a slow breath. “If it starts to go down… we will know. We’ll spend the whole time knowing what’s coming.” Harry nodded. “And I’ll be with you. But that’s not happening, Gin. I promise.” She stared at him, and some of the fear seemed to fade… the determination coming back to the fore. He smiled, stroking her cheek. “Better?” She shook her head, staring forward again. “No, you’re still the worst.” He grinned. “Come on, Gin…” She turned to him with an only slightly forced smirk. “You can ‘Come on, Gin,’ at me when we land.” The plane roared and began to race forward down the runway, and Harry yelped as Ginny’s claws found his arm again. Just a few more hours, he told himself with a grimace. “Mr. Weasley? I’m so sorry to hear about your illness, sir.” Ginny frowned at the voice of the flight attendant in the aisle next to her, opening her eyes from the not-quite-nap she’d been trying to manage since they had reached cruising altitude. Molly sat up straighter. “Arthur? What does she —“ “Illness? I don’t —“ “It’s okay, dear Mother, Father,” George’s voice interrupted. “I talked to them before the flight. They know all about it.” “They do?” “Oh yes, and I told them about your lifelong dream to fly a plane.” George flashed the attendant a heartbroken face. “It’s just… this is probably our last trip as a family, and —“ “George Weasley….” Molly’s voice came from between grinding teeth. “What did you…” “It’s alright, Mrs. Weasley. We get requests like this all the time.” The attendant gestured forward in the cabin. “Mr. Weasley, would you like to come up to cockpit and meet the flight crew?” Arthur gaped for a moment, then was fumbling with the buckle and climbing over his son and wife. “So kind of you to do this for a dying man… who knows how many healthy days I have left!” Molly glared at George as he stood as well, watching as the flight attendant led Arthur forward. He stretched, tossing his mother a wink. “Don’t worry, Mum. I’ll make sure he doesn’t get into too much trouble.” He turned and followed them to the cockpit. Ginny turned and locked eyes with her mother. Her eyes burned. “Ginevra… your boyfriend had better be enjoying his lifelong dream of flying on a plane…” She turned to see Harry, snoring softly in the seat next to her. Harry jerked awake as the plane jumped in the air around them. He glanced over at Ginny, who was gripping the arms of her seat… apparently, she’d generously given his wrist a break. He yawned. “More turbulence?” She nodded, not looking at him. A sound like a bell sounded over the speakers as the lights flicked out, then back on. Then the seatbelt light came on. Harry glanced out the window at the clouds below, then back at Ginny. The plane continued to jump and dip around them, and his stomach flipped. He laughed nervously. “They said this is normal.” She nodded again, still not looking at him. He grabbed the arms as well as the plane jumped through a particularly bumpy patch. “Woah… reminds me of first year when Quirrell jinxed my broom.” Her eyes closed, her body tense, her knuckles white on the seat arms. “Stop talking, Harry.” The plane dipped hard, turned, and pulled up. There were a few shouts throughout the cabin. The lights flashed again, the bell sounded, and then voices blared over the speakers. “No! I think it’s this one!” “George, what did you do?” “That switch says cabin, why’d you switch that on?” “I thought it would take us to a cabin!” “Dad, just… no.” The voices stopped with a loud click, and the plane jumped again. Harry looked over, noticing for the first time the two empty seats across the aisle. Molly sat there alone, clutching the colorful plastic sheet, mumbling to herself. “I’ll never see my grandchildren. Two wars, countless battles, and it’s a plane that does me in…” Harry and Ginny turned to each other, their eyes locking in a silent shared moment of panic. Then they were both scrambling to unbuckle their straps and weaving their way toward the front of the now bucking plane. A flight attendant strapped in up front rose a hand to stop them. “The captain has turned on the seatbelt light, you need to return to your seats…” Ginny glared at the woman. “Listen here —“ Harry put a hand on her shoulder, stopping her. Months of training kicked in, and he put on the calm, confident face of an Auror. He pulled a badge from his pocket, flashing it only for a moment before tucking it away. “Stand down, citizen. Official business.” The flight attendant looked confused for a moment, but she was distracted as the plane swooped again. The two pushed their way into the cockpit. There were two men on the floor, shoved together into a corner behind the seats… large grins on their sleeping faces. Arthur leaned over the controls, staring at the vast array in a daze. George looked over his shoulder at them from the other seat, where he sat… apparently flying the plane. “Hey there, Gin! Harry! Glad you could make it!” He flashed them a sheepish grin. “Hypothetically, do either of you know how to fly a plane?” |
| Reviews 19 |
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