Author's Note:

Hello again! I realize that it has been some time since I have last updated and I apologize for the delay. Work has been so busy and then that awful election happened and I honestly didn't feel like writing anymore. But I've tried to keep up with editing Soul Magic while at the same time feeling increasing pressure to continue this story. There was a point that I even considered just quitting; however, that wouldn't have been fair to those who have read this far – nor me for the amount of time that I have spent writing this.

So I decided to compromise a little bit and after beginning to work on this chapter I really began to feel that this was the best direction. As a reader, a time jump isn't always my favorite plot device but I think the real focus of this fic is on Harry's relationship with Charlie and getting over what happened to Cedric. I guess I know better now why some authors do this, but I really do feel more inspired to keep this one up. In my mind it was either fast forward the story or leave it abandoned and this way you all can see what I had in store for the characters.

So, I will continue with this story after jumping ahead a year, and for anyone waiting for Charlie and Harry to finally get together then you are going to like this chapter.

Thank you in advance for understanding and hope you like the remaining chapters of this story (we are probably half-way done). It will follow some of the elements from the last book but change in other ways.

At any rate, hope you all had a happy holidays.

Standard disclaimer about not owning anything; I am so thankful for JKR and all that she did for us. She gave us one of the greatest gifts, and so many people have taken to this site and played brilliantly with her creation. We should have a JKR day and it should be a global holiday!

There was something that would always be special to Harry about the thirty first of July. Not only because it was his birthday – which to be honest did not have a history of being all that spectacular – but because it was the anniversary of when he had first heard about Hogwarts.

True, it had taken several attempts for his Hogwarts' letter to finally reach him, and ultimately had to be delivered by a giant named Hagrid. But nothing would ever take away that feeling that had been let loose in the center of his chest at knowing that not only did magic exist, but that he could use it as well. What had followed was the sheer feeling of joy and hopefulness in thinking that he was about to follow in his parent's footsteps.

And it was that optimism that Harry Potter was feeling more so now than he ever had in his short but eventful life.

Much of Harry's current outlook on things had to do with Charlie Weasley.

Harry had thought that his coming-of-age birthday party at the Weasleys had been enough, but Charlie had managed to surprise him once everyone had gone to bed.

Not many knew that Charlie and him were an item – only Hermione and Ron and Sirius, in fact – and so Charlie had waited until everyone else had gone to bed and then crept into his and Ron's room and apparated them both somewhere private.

Then, once they were alone, and wherever Charlie had taken them, the muscular redhead turned to Harry and presented him with a piece of paper with a destination that he had never heard of on it.

At once Harry knew that Charlie was taking him someplace that was protected by the Fidelius Charm, an unfortunate precaution that had been put in place ever since the attack on the Longbottoms over a year ago. Though, the ultimate protection was subsequently taken up by Sirius, the Weasley's, and the Longbottoms - to name a few - seemed to be even more appreciated in the wake of Dumbledore's death just recently atop the Astronomy Tower.

But that conflicted memory was pushed aside for the moment because Harry was sharing a rare moment alone with his boyfriend.

Harry unfurled the paper and read what someone considered to be a very important secret.

Shell Cottage

"Got it, Harry?" Charlie asked as he produced a blindfold from behind his back and held it in front of him.

Harry nodded, a small smile showing on his lip.

"What are you planning?" Harry asked with a glint in his eye.

"It's a secret!"

Charlie then moved to tie the blindfold around his head, all the while sensually kissing Harry's neck as he did so.

"Charlie…" Harry sighed contently before allowing himself to be side-along apparated for a second time.

The sensation of not being able to see where Charlie was taking him was something that would have bothered him in the past. But he trusted Charlie with his life and relished the way that the older man held onto him closely. Plus, he knew that no harm would come to them at such a hidden location as long as an individual like Pettigrew wasn't the Secret Keeper.

Their relationship had progressed over the past year to the point where Harry was very comfortable in Charlie's arms and didn't think that there would ever come a time when the other man's touch wouldn't send a titillating shiver down his spine.

It was true now more than ever as the smell of the sea hit his nostrils. Harry had always wanted to see the ocean and Charlie had been of the few that knew that. After all, it was why he had brought Harry here on his seventeenth birthday.

Because there was something freeing that Harry found about the apparent weightlessness that accompanied being in water, and he had never had the opportunity to experience the sheer thrill of the waves before.

And Charlie had wanted Harry to experience that.

To be honest, Harry was touched by the sentiment and drew himself even further into Charlie's embrace.

"Charlie," Harry said again.

Only this time there was even more gratitude and appreciation in his voice.

"You didn't have to do this."

"Happy Birthday, Harry," Charlie answered by kissing his cheek and untying the blindfold so that it fell from Harry's face.

Harry took in the sights of the beach that were illuminated by the moon. There was a small cottage just past the dunes from where they were standing right on the sand and not far from the crashing waves that soon filled his ears with an almost calming effect.

"This cottage is going to be where Bill and Fleur settle after their wedding, but I called in a favor that Bill owed me so that we could have some alone time for what is left of your birthday."

Harry turned his head to gaze at Charlie, who had eyes only for him.

"It's perfect. Thank you."

They stood there, Charlie's arms wrapped around Harry's shoulders as Harry appreciated the sentiment of his boyfriend's gift and the lengths that he had gone to make sure that it was a surprise.

Harry considered himself very lucky to be able to have Charlie despite everything else that he had been through or knew that awaited him in the future.

When he was finished taking in the sights, Harry turned his head and leaned forward and then claimed Charlie's slightly thicker lips.

Harry wanted the other man to know just how much he had liked his present.

The kiss quickly turned deeper and soon their bodies were pressed very close together. Although, Charlie didn't want them to get too carried away and have Harry miss out on his opportunity to go for a swim.

Reluctantly, he pulled out of the kiss and rested his lips against Harry's forehead. He had needed a minute to catch his breath before continuing.

"Feel like testing out the water?" Charlie then asked once the rush of kissing Harry had passed.

"Sounds perfect," Harry replied.

His voice, however, was slightly out of breath and he too needed a moment to calm the urges flying through his veins.

Only once they settled did Harry began to think about what he was going to wear. While Charlie and him had done some things, they had never been completely naked with each other yet.

As if Charlie could read minds, he leaned into Harry's ears and whispered, "I was just planning on wearing my underwear if that is okay with you."

Harry nodded his head instead of replying. His cheeks were now red and he didn't trust his voice. Just because they hadn't yet taken their relationship to that level did not mean that Harry had never thought about what the other man looked like.

And the view didn't disappoint as Charlie's well-proportioned form filled out his briefs in all of the right places.

It was enough to make him feel a little inadequate at how he must look like in comparison, but again he needn't have worried as Charlie soon reached for his chin and pulled him closer for a small kiss.

"I'll race you," he then smirked before turning and running towards the water.

Harry chased after him and entered the water mere seconds after Charlie had sprinted to just the right depth for him to dive forward and submerge himself under the waves.

But Harry didn't immediately follow Charlie that far, he was too busy relishing the feel of the water and the sandy bottom that his toes continually sunk into.

Then there was the sensation of the waves crashing against his knees; it was just like he had imagined it to be, and he quickly made his way towards deeper water and eventually dove under the next incoming wave just like Charlie had.

Again, Harry felt himself at ease in the water. There had always been something enchanting about the weightlessness that he had felt each of the few times that he had been able to swim. Perhaps it was because of the fact that his life seemed to be anything but his to control, and much like flying Harry was hyper aware that this time he was the one that decided where he was able to go. Even the slight current that he felt as the water receded back into the sea wasn't quite strong enough to take that feeling away.

Plus, he had Charlie Weasley with him.

No longer did he have any doubts that he had moved on from Cedric and Harry was as sure as he could be about anything that Charlie was the one that he was truly meant for.

The other man knew how to make him smile – and that had come in handy during Harry's sixth year when news of Voldemort's return was finally believed by the wizarding world. Aside from that, with Dumbledore's recent death everything had changed.

In a way Harry was glad that he was able to recognize things for what they were and couldn't imagine how much more difficult things would have been for him if he hadn't of returned from the cemetery with a different outlook on things. True, he had also discovered that he was gay and had then gone onto form a relationship with Cedric, but Harry had also felt like his mind had become better able to take in and process the world around him.

His new mindset had allowed him to see past what things presented themselves as and see them as they really were. Also, he had been able to forge new relationships that he almost certainly would never have considered in the past.

Severus Snape was a perfect example of that, and he wondered how differently he would have taken the apparent murder of the Headmaster after they had returned to the Astronomy Tower.

Would he have become angry at the man and looked past that Albus had practically pleaded with the man to end him and spare Draco's soul of murder? Because Harry had known that Albus had limited time remaining on account of eliminating one of Voldemort's Horcruxes and falling victim to its protective curse.

It was still a shame that the Horcrux that the Headmaster and him had tried to collect that fateful night had been within Grimmauld Place the entire time; though, it was only afterwards and at the beginning of the summer that Harry had recognized the Locket that Kreacher liked to carry for what it truly was. How different would things have been if Harry had seen it sooner?

But Harry couldn't dwell on what could have been at this point since it was all he could do to urge the Order of The Phoenix to trust in Severus Snape, and that he had simply been following Albus' plans.

Of course he couldn't share those specific details with anyone except Ron and Hermione, and then Charlie.

Whatever doubts or guilty feelings that he may have had with Charlie going on the Horcrux hunt with him had never even gotten a chance to form; Harry simply couldn't afford to shut out those that wanted to help him and also knew the risks of what they were getting into.

He just hoped that both of them would make it out of this alive so that they could have the space and time to shape their own future.

It was also why Harry had subsequently made it a point to take advantage of every moment that he had with Charlie in case they ended up on the losing side of the prophecy.

So he swam over to Charlie and kissed him again.

"Thank you," Harry breathed passionately when their lips parted.

His mouth was still inches away from Charlie's.

"This isn't something to thank me for," Charlie returned while treading water.

"But of course it is! I wouldn't have made it this far without your support, and I can only say how thankful I am that you were patient and waited for me until I was ready. I can't tell you how thankful I am for that."

"You aren't the only one that is thankful."

Charlie paused to firmly plant his feet on the sandy bottom of the ocean. They had been drifting towards the shore and the water was now at the level of Charlie's chest, and since Charlie was taller than Harry he wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist and lifted him upwards.

Harry's legs responded by wrapping around Charlie's hips and then his arms moved to drape themselves around Charlie's neck for further support.

"Better?" Charlie then whispered into Harry's ear.

"Much."

There wasn't time for a longer reply since Charlie then captured Harry's lips. His tongue pushed into Harry's mouth and both spent the next several moments appreciating the closeness and companionship that they found in the other person.

Eventually though, their mouths parted and Harry contently rested his head on Charlie's shoulder as the older man carried him out of the water and towards their discarded clothes.

"I meant what I said earlier," Charlie continued on, "you have changed me in so many ways that I never fully realized just how numb I was to those around me."

Harry lifted his head up and stared into Charlie's eyes at the same time that they reached where their clothes were strewn carelessly about.

Harry's green eyes shined so much brighter ever since he had found someone to share his burden with, and in them Charlie knew that Harry felt exactly the same way that he did.

"I would have waited forever for you, Harry."

It was a simple declaration but one that Harry would always treasure as Charlie knelt down on a towel and held Harry tightly to him.

"I will always wait for you," Charlie then whispered tenderly.

For as much as he wanted to cement their relationship with the ultimate act of physical intimacy, he had vowed to make sure that Harry had no regrets with it. The last thing that Charlie wanted was for him to ruin what they had been building towards and would no doubt share many times in a future that hopefully came without the presence of a certain Dark Lord.

But Charlie wouldn't have to wait because Harry was ready and had been for some time. It was just that they rarely had a moment in which they were able to be alone, allowing them to gradually build towards the inevitable.

It was a luxury that Harry didn't have, and in this case it was one that he didn't need since he wasn't worried or concerned in the least to share that part of himself with Charlie.

Therefore, Harry pulled Charlie towards him and the inertia of the movement caused Charlie's larger body to push Harry backwards until they were both lying on the ground.

Harry didn't wait for the other man to initiate anything as his lips soon claimed Charlie's. Unlike before, these kisses were soft but deep and full of want and need. Soon the sounds of their passion joined the crashing of the waves.

In time it was only the waves again that made any noise.

Both Harry and Charlie were spent and lying underneath a single blanket that Charlie had thought to bring because he knew that Harry loved to look at the stars. It had been his original plan after their swim.

"Was that all right?" Charlie bravely ventured and broke the silence.

Not that he really doubted whether or not it had been appropriate or satisfactory; it was just that he had never felt this way about any person before and it scared him as much as it thrilled him.

"Mhmm," was all Harry could say as he had begun to drift off.

There weren't many instances were Harry felt completely comfortable, and given that he had just lost his virginity to the man he loved in a place that he had always wanted to visit… well, he couldn't really express himself properly.

As sleep finally took him, his managed to mumble out words that he likely otherwise would have felt more self-conscious about.

"Love you."

To which Charlie responded in kind before drawing the sleeping form of Harry Potter even closer to him.

Though Charlie didn't sleep, and just lied there thinking, with every fiber of his being, that he would find a way for the both of them to make it through what was to come.

They didn't even use the cottage that night because Charlie couldn't bear to disturb this moment and wanted it to last forever.

Eventually, however, the hour grew very early and Charlie reluctantly released his hold of Harry long enough to wave his wand and dress them both before departing back to the Burrow.

After all, they had a wedding to help plan for.

I know that is shorter than usual but I didn't want to combine it with the next chapter, which will go into more detail about what has changed during the past year (like Neville, Severus, Dumbledore, and basic elements of the wizarding world).

Would love to know what you think about things but understand if this is something that you are no longer content with reading.

Hope you have a wonderful 2017, regardless!