Harry Potter and the Girl He Wanted to Kiss Again

[seek_to_end]

The day after Mardi Gras, Harry suffered from a really, really bad hangover. The world was a terrible, cruel place filled with much too bright light and much too loud noises, everything designed to ask him to think and not to sleep, which was the only thing he wanted to do. Luckily Hermione had nursed him a bit, advising more water and juice, but

Comments

[everyone_takes]

"Hey, Harry," Kate said when she entered the kitchen, spotting him building a sandwich that she wasn't sure would actually fit in anyone's mouth, but looked pretty delicious all the same. For a moment, she wondered if he was going to be weird or awkward -- it was always a possibility, especially since he was actually nice -- then decided even if he was, she wasn't going to be. She liked him and they'd kissed. That was what people did when they liked each other.

Besides, it wasn't like they'd slept together. If they had, then maybe she'd forgive a little awkwardness.

"How're you feeling?" she asked with a knowing little grin. He'd been pretty wasted at the party and so had she, but Kate thought maybe she had a little bit more experience with the whole being wasted thing.

[seek_to_end]

Harry froze somewhat like a deer in the headlights at the sound of Kate's voice. He had forgotten for two seconds how liking a girl but not being sure how much they liked you can make you self-conscious of your actions. Now he looked down at his embarrassingly large sandwich and wondered if he should have thought this through better.

"I'm.. recovering," he said, smiling wryly. "It hasn't been easy though. How're you?" She couldn't have been as badly off as Harry had, but Kate hadn't been sober either, he knew.

[everyone_takes]

"I'm okay. The key is lots of water," she offered with a grin, taking a seat at the table and leaning her chin in her hands, watching him finish up making the sandwich. "Are you sure you're gonna be able to eat that? I think it's just about the biggest sandwich I've ever seen and I've seen some pretty epic sandwiches."

Her dad had always been good at them. Sandwiches and takeout, both of which she missed, which was totally stupid. She could still have a sandwich, even if her dad wasn't the one to make it.

[seek_to_end]

"I think I'll manage," Harry said at first, grinning sheepishly. While Ron could put away far more food than him, Harry had kept up a more than healthy appetite despite Aunt Petunia's attempts to fatten Dudley up at his expense.

But then, thinking she might have been hinting at something, he backpedaled. "Unless you want to share it with me? There's definitely enough for two here."