Body Over Mind

"Had another visit from your angel yet?" George cooed much to Harry's chagrin. It was the same deal every time he popped by the Burrow for some sort of a celebration. The question was met with laughter around the dinner table.

"Castiel's real," Teddy maintained. He knew no one else thought so. "I've seen 'im. He's real." He felt obligated to justify the presence of the angel whenever the topic was brought up. "Even Aunty Hermione's seen 'im." Everyone knew Hermione was the smartest. So if he had her endorsement, he was all set.

"What are you? His keeper?" Charlie guffawed.

Teddy scowled at him. "You're just jealous that I've seen an angel and you haven't. He only visits good boys."

"Could we drop it?" Harry grimaced. He was tempted to say that it wasn't a big deal but then he would be lying. Also, for some reason, he felt like Castiel was listening to all this.

"… Cas."

Castiel blinked out of his musings to find Dean glaring at him. "Yes?" he answered sheepishly.

"You didn't hear a word I said, did you?"

"Um…"

"Forget it." Dean stormed away. Sam tried to hide his amusement behind his laptop by slouching in his chair and typing faster. They had been in this situation a handful of times over the past few months. There really was no fixing Castiel.

"Actually, you know what?" Dean blurted out. "No." He stomped back to where he had been standing a moment ago. "Let's not forget it." He folded his arms against his chest. "What are you going to do about this?"

Castiel stared at him, not knowing what to say.

"You have to do something, Cas," he said deliberately. "If you can't focus, you're putting us in danger."

"I know."

"So?"

"But what am I supposed to do…?"

"Ugh." Dean rubbed his bloodshot eyes.

Sipping on his half-empty glass of wine, Harry allowed his thoughts to wander from the conversations around him. It had been months since the day he had patched Castiel up. Afterwards, he started to feel a presence over his shoulder. Castiel visited him every fortnight, almost on a schedule. Their meetings weren't lengthy by any means. Sometimes he would catch a glimpse of the angel out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned to look, he would be met with nothing. Other times Castiel will show up on a weekend for an hour or two, awkwardly standing in the living room until he was invited to sit down and talk.

Every time he saw Harry, he wanted to visit more often. Every time he spoke to Harry, he wanted to stay just a little longer. And every time he thought about Harry…

Dean snapped his fingers in front of Castiel's face. "Stop zoning out."

"… This is bad."

"Yes. This is very bad."

"I keep thinking about him."

Dean pulled a face. "You are acting like a damned teenage girl," he muttered. "It's pathetic."

"I'm pathetic?"

"Never been more pathetic in your life."

"Have you tried talking to him about this?" Sam piped up helpfully. Both Dean and Castiel glowered at him. "Just saying," he mumbled before slouching even further in his chair. No one ever wanted his opinion.

"Besides," Dean surged on, "what's Jimmy got to say about this, huh?" He knew he had to push a button or two, play the bad cop. "Didn't think of that, did you?"

That went over Castiel's head. He simply appeared puzzled and asked, "Why would Jimmy have a say in this?"

"Huh?"

"I don't see what he has to do with Harry."

Dean hung his head. "You idiot." He gave up. This was hopeless. There really was no easy way to snap Castiel out of it. He walked away again, swatting Sam over the head as he passed by to put at end to his irritating snickers.

It was past two when everyone had finished their nightcap and said their goodnights. Harry was spending the night since he was in no condition to get back home in one piece after that last glass of eggnog. He scratched his head as he shuffled out of the bathroom wearing borrowed pajamas. He was feeling very content. He loved the holidays. Dinner had been spectacular and he could think of no better way to spend his short holiday. Now all he had to do was put up with a snoring George for a few hours since they were bunking together for the night.

"Hey."

He paused at the door, in front of Ginny. "Yeah?"

"Nothing." She had the room across the hall and she leaned against the doorjamb, obviously waiting for him.

"Really?"

She rolled her eyes while smiling. "Really." She reached forward and pulled him into her room, shutting the door behind them.

Castiel suddenly realized what Dean had meant…

As he watched the two of them weave towards the bed in a hard liplock, tumble onto the sheets with stifled laughter between them, and tug each other's clothes off with comfortable ease, he understood.

Sex.

Mortal love was about sex as well.

An overwhelming wave of emotion rose in him.

Harry lavished Ginny with kisses while she wound her arms around his narrow waist, fingers sliding under the waistband of his boxers. He smirked against her skin. "Not wasting any time tonight?" he whispered.

She quickly rolled him over, much to his surprise. He was straddled and trapped in a makeshift cage as she pressed her hands on his shoulders and dipped her head down, her hair cascading like silk around them. He stared up at her bright brown eyes, dizzy with arousal. She pressed her soft lips to his cheek. "No time to waste…"

Castiel understood as he reached his Heaven jarringly. He sat down on the bench, his hand trembling against his chest. This wasn't his heart. It belonged to Jimmy. This body wasn't his. None of this…