The Meredith Series

Title: Grass & Laughter
Author:sa_kun On LJ
Rating: Children-Friendly
Prompt Set: 50.1
Prompt: 001, doubt
Word Count: 626
Summary: A day in the park, sitting on the grass.
Warnings: None.
Notes:

Doubt | 001

“What did you call this again?”

Harry laughed lazily and tilted his head back. “Picnic. It's called a picnic.”

Charlie smiled. “I like them.” He shuffled closer to Harry on the blanket and placed an arm just under Harry's so that he could tug him up and closer. With a sigh Harry leaned his head on Charlie's shoulder. “Meredith does too.” Harry laughed again and looked over to where Meredith and a blond little girl in pigtails were…tugging at the grass?

“Hey.”

“Mmm?”

“What are they doing?”

“Looking for bugs. If they find any, I reckon they'll want a jar to keep them in.”

Harry blinked. “I played with snakes, you know? When I was…outside.” His voice was came out flat and Charlie just knew that 'outside' meant something else. Harry'd probably clam up if he asked, though, so he let it go. He did, however, tighten his hold of Harry's shoulders and brushed his lips across Harry's temple.

“Snakes are dangerous.”

Harry stilled then, and after several heartbeats murmured, “Not when you can talk to them.”

It was uncanny, the way Charlie first laughed as if it was a joke, then abruptly tensed and pulled back so that he could look into Harry's eyes. “…what?”

“I'm a Parselmouth.”

“What?”

Harry coughed and fiddled with his sleeve. “I'm a Parselmouth. Severus knows. He told me not to tell anyone, but…I realised, the other day when you took Meredith and me to see the dragons and meet your workmates that I should perhaps have told you years ago. I tend to forget that I can talk with them, you know, when I don't have a snake – I used to have a few. One ran away after First Year, and Severus bought me one in Fifth Year as a reward for making the Quidditch team. I ended up releasing him, though. In Egypt. He said he was a king, there, you know? Well, that and I reckoned that maybe having a snake around a baby wasn't a particularly brilliant idea—” he blinked when fingers landed gently on his lips, halting his words.

“You're rambling.”

“Am I?”

Charlie nodded. “Yes.” Then he looked away, his gaze landing on Meredith instead. Meredith grinned and waved, then began babbling ecstatically to the blond girl, who giggled and nodded. “Have I ever done anything that would make you doubt me?”

Harry hesitated.

“Is it that you don't trust me?”

“…no.” Harry shook his head. “I…I just don't understand, sometimes. There are certain…things—”

“Emotions. Trust. Compassion. Love.”

“…yeah.” Harry sighed and shifted so he could rest his head on Charlie's shoulder again. “It's nothing against you. I think you're brilliant and great, and…yeah. Um. But most of the time I don't have that 'automatic' response that you do. It'll never be a reflex for me to reach out and hold your hand and I'm still as amazed every time you do it.”

“Your hand shakes.”

“I get tingles down my spine and I feel like I'm the most special man in the world. It's ridiculous.” Charlie gave him a funny look then, lips flat and eyes dark and unreadable. Harry frowned, eyebrows bunched up defensively. “What?” he demanded.

Charlie chuckled and shook his head. “Nothing. I love you, too.”

Harry started and stared at Charlie, but Charlie didn't acknowledge him, his attention once more firmly fixed on Meredith.

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