Recognition
Chapter 24
Recognition
The couple made it to the outdoor feast in the Square just in time. Everyone was giving them sly looks as if they'd been up to mischief.
"Feeling better, Harry?" Remus smirked. "I'm sure your 'kip' did wonders to rejuvenate you…"
"It was lovely, thanks," said Harry, perplexed. He'd had a nap every afternoon for months…At the sound of snickers, it hit him. His face flamed at the implication. "No, it wasn't like that at all! She just was helping me dress. She…"
The assembly at the head table chortled at his embarrassment.
"Shut up, Harry," Hermione warned. "You are just digging a deeper hole."
Harry leaned against the high table that was positioned next to the Head Table. He was pleased with the effort to make him feel comfortable. A bottle of Ogden's Finest sat in front of him. He wondered if he should pour himself a glass. Looking around at the other guests, he noticed that they all had drinks poured. He was thinking he should have one himself, when a house elf wearing a dinner jacket stood upon his table and poured him a glass.
"Thank you," he said to the small creature, who looked astounded at the nicety. The house elf bowed low and disappeared. Hermione smiled up at him.
"A toast," said Minister Bones. "To Harry Potter, Auror Master and the-Man-Who-Vanquished-Voldemort. May the peace he's restored to our world last forever"
Harry blushed at the tribute. He heard rounds of "Here, here!" and "Cheers!" from the massive assemblage. He looked round the head table and saw the Weasley's, except Ginny, the Executive Department of the Ministry, Alfred Kensington and other Ministry officials he'd never met before. He tried to relax, but couldn't. He was quite familiar with proper protocol; however he knew he didn't deserve all of this. He forced his mind back into his Auror state, knowing he'd feel more confident.
It worked. Harry even proposed a toast, himself, to all of the wizarding community. After many more toasts, the Minister proclaimed it to be time to eat. Harry spoke his starter to his plate and instantly a mouth-watering bowl of vegetable soup appeared, followed by lamb chops, jacket potatoes, carrots, sprouts, bubble and squeak and a multitude of casseroles. Harry had eaten more in one dinner than in the previous week. He was glad that trousers wouldn't work with his brackles.
Minister Bones spoke a few more words and asked Harry to begin the dance. Harry reluctantly took the Minister's arm and whispered softly, "I'm not sure how this will work, Minister Bones. I'm not a great dancer in the best of times, however, we can pretend if you just drag me wherever you wish to go."
Minister Bones laughed heartily at his honesty. "Call me Amelia on the dance floor, my dear."
Harry smiled. "Thanks, Amelia," he answered.
"My niece, Susan, always spoke highly of you. Didn't the two of you go out for a bit?"
"Susan? No, not really. Don't get me wrong, Susan is a lovely girl. We had a lovely time together, but we knew we'd just be friends. She always had only eyes for Ernie Macmillan. She just asked if I'd help her make him jealous. That's all."
"What do you think of the post we are offering you, sketchy details aside?"
"I'm sure we'll be able to work something out. Being an Auror is all I've ever wanted to do. Now that it has been eliminated as an option, I am open to suggestions. Even after my legs have healed, it is a well known weak point for me. Any Death Eater worth his salt will aim straight for the knees. I'm lucky. I can 'walk' away…sort of…as a success. I won't spend my life wondering about 'the one that got away'."
"Off the record, if you please," stated Minister Bones, "do we have enough evidence to prosecute Mr. Malfoy?"
Harry smiled broadly. "You know I can't speak about an open case, Amelia, but I can say that if you were counting on him to round out your Christmas dinner table, you'd be wise to find another guest."
"You are good, Mr. Potter. Albus Dumbledore couldn't have given a better non-answer than that."
"I'll take that as a compliment," he replied delivering her back to the table.
Harry danced with Mrs. Weasley, Tonks, Luna and several times with his fiancée before following Ron into the pub. There to his chagrin, he found a drunken ex-girlfriend crying in the corner. She was surrounded by her friends and various brothers.
"Ginny…" he said approaching her. "What's up?"
"YOU!" she shouted. "Come to stick another knife in my back?"
Harry was highly bewildered by her words. "What are you on about?" he asked.
"Ginny," warned Ron. "Don't start this, not here, not now."
Harry looked at Ron, trying to sort out what he had done to cause Ginny to be in such a state. "What's going on, Ron?"
"My sister," Ron explained, "has decided that she made a mistake in allowing you to ditch her."
"What? Ginny?" Harry was now thoroughly confused.
"I love you, Harry!" she bawled. "I never should have let you go!"
"We decided it was best. We decided…"
"No! You decided. When you wanted to talk to me that night, I thought you were going to propose, not break it off. Why couldn't you love me, Harry?"
Harry saw Hermione enter, apparently Ginny had as well. Ginny flung herself at Harry, knocking him to the ground, kissing him soundly as the couple went down. Harry's braces came loose from his legs and fell away. Harry wrenched his mouth from hers and cried out as his left femur snapped and the bone punctured his skin. Harry tried to reach for his braces…to get away from Ginny. He couldn't. His robes had risen to expose his scarred and bloody legs to the crowd. Cameras flashed and the crowd moved closer to see the spectacle.
Hermione raced over to him, cast a spell to stop the blood and conjured a stretcher for him. Ginny was aghast at the damage she'd caused.
"Ron, get me a flannel. Luna, get a blanket. Ginny, GET THE HELL OUT OF THE WAY! We've got to get him to St. Mungo's…fast!" Hermione ordered. That was the last thing he heard before surrendering to the darkness.
After many potions, pokes and prods, Harry was able to speak with Healer Strankford.
"What Dark Wizard did you in this time, Mr. Potter?" the Healer asked him.
"It was a witch…" Harry replied with humiliation. "…my ex-girlfriend. She wanted to get back together."
"I'd have to advise against that if this is an indication of her persuasion," the Healer teased.
"I'm an engaged man," Harry stated. "Or at least I think I am still."
Harry was suddenly terrified at the thought of Hermione leaving him because of what Ginny had done...
"Yes, I heard your speech yesterday. You've given us normal blokes a time of it. Our girls all want us to plan some spontaneity, too. Thanks so much for that."
Harry smiled. "Sorry…" he said with fake sympathy.
"Well, I've healed your femur, however rather than increasing in density like we were hoping for, this set back has decreased it. The other leg has healed to 32.5% normal strength. That's the good news. The bad news is that the right leg is back down to 17%. I am hoping with time they'll level out, but we don't know for sure. Even if we can get them to a respectable 75%, you'll have a noticeable limp. I'm sorry, Harry, that's the best we can hope for and even that, is a long shot." Harry wasn't concerned about a limp, if he was walking again.
Hermione checked on him several times throughout the course of the next day, always with a professional demeanor. Harry wasn't sure if she was acting this way because she was working or if it were a more serious reason. Various Weasley's had stopped by and apologized for Ginny's behavior, again making excuses for her. Harry would have none of it.
He'd known Ginny to be indecisive, self-centered possibly, but never vindictive. He didn't know why she'd staged the scene she had at the pub, and frankly he didn't much care. She'd gotten her publicity if that was what she was after. It seemed ironic to him that her publicity stunts always seemed to result in his humiliation.
Harry raised his eyes at the sound of a knock on the door. "Enter…" he called out to his visitor.
"Harry, I just wanted to apologize," Ginny offered. Harry looked away from her.
"I know you are furious with me. I don't blame you. I never wanted to hurt you…" Tears were coursing down her face.
Harry snorted and remained silent.
"I didn't!" she sniffed. "How was I to know your leg would break at the slightest little thing?"
Harry couldn't hold back any longer. "Why do you think I was chucked out of the division? Why do you think I've been laid up for months? Did you think I wanted it to be like this? Did you think I was just taking a holiday?"
Ginny cried harder at his words; however Harry was not going to be swayed.
"Listen, I am not one of your brothers that you can manipulate with a few tears. If an apology is what you came here for, fine. You've given it, now if you'll excuse me…"
"Please don't hate me, Harry. I didn't think…"
Harry interrupted her unable to restrain himself any longer. "No, you didn't 'think'." He shouted. "That is the trouble! You never do! You didn't 'think' broadcasting my private details would upset me. You didn't 'think' adding your weight to my own would hurt a man who has been bed ridden for six months. I've had it with your manipulation and your deceit. Now, please…"
"I never deceived you! How DARE you…"
"How dare I? It's very easy…"
Several mediwitches rushed into the room at the commotion. "Mr. Potter! You need to calm down!" One mediwitch held his shoulders while the other forced a calming draught on him.
"Miss, if you continue to upset him, you'll need to leave…"
"Ginny…" Hermione stated from the door. "What are you doing here?"
"I just came to apologize for hurting him," Ginny snapped. "What? Now that you've got your hooks into him, no other girls can talk to him?"
"No, what I'm not allowing is someone upsetting my patients. Look at him, Ginny. He is lying in a hospital, unable to leave. I've been told he's asked you to leave more than once. You are lucky he didn't blast you out of here…"
"He couldn't. His wand is across the room." Ginny mumbled.
"I find it amazing how little you got to know him over the years. Since when has Harry bloody Potter needed a wand? Now you have two choices, either leave now or I will call security!"
Ginny slumped in defeat and left. Hermione waved her wand over Harry for a quick check. She looked into his glazed eyes. "Are you alright?" she asked.
"Been better…" he slurred. "kinda muzzy headed…"
"That's just from the potion. I'll be back in a little bit to…" she said heading for the door.
"Hminee?" he mumbled. "Don't leave me."
She turned and approached his bedside. "I'm not leaving you. I need to get my rounds finished, and then I'll be back, I promise."
Harry nodded. He was wrapped tightly in blankets, looking like a young boy. He closed his tired eyes and rested.
Late that evening, Hermione returned. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.
"Fine," he said unconvincingly.
She smiled at his typical answer. "Did you want to talk?"
Harry shrugged staring at the wall beyond the bed.
"Has Remus been by?"
Harry nodded. He was unsure why she was making small talk. If she was going to break off with him, he wished she'd get on with it. He did not wish to make it easy for her.
"Harry, what's wrong? Talk to me, please. I know you are upset by this set back, but we'll keep looking for a solution…"
"Setback? You think I'm upset about a setback? Hermione, answer me this…Are you ending it between us?"
"I hadn't planned on it. Why?"
"Why?!!? You walked in the pub and saw me kissing Ginny!"
"No…" she state carefully as if talking to someone quite unintelligent, "I walked in the pub to hear Ginny's touching act. Then, I saw her molest you. Whenever we've kissed, you've not once had your eyes wide in shock and confusion. It looked like just what it was; a woman, drunk and desperate for attention, set on making news rather than reporting news. That wasn't your fault, but what happened here earlier? I got a note that there was a disturbance here, so I came…"
"It was nothing, just her apologizing. That's all," he lied.
She smiled, knowing there was more to the story as well as that Harry's nature wouldn't allow him to talk badly of her.
Soon, Harry was allowed to return home. Hermione had to remain at work, so Lupin accompanied him.
"I was almost there, Remus," he told the older man. "I missed my appointment with Minister Bones."
"I'm sure she knows," Lupin answered.
"How?" Harry asked. "She left before it happened." The altercation with his ex-girlfriend was only referred to as "it".
"Witch Weekly covered it," said Lupin. Harry groaned. "Ginny wasn't presented in a very good light. They fired her over it."
"I'm sorry for her. I never wanted that to happen."
"You are too generous…" commented Lupin with a sneer.
"I can't help it. She gets the post she's always wanted…" started Harry.
"By telling them things she had no right to say…" corrected Lupin.
Harry went on without pause, "I thought maybe getting that post would help her to settle in, you know, get into a routine…"
"Grow up, is more like it."
Continuing to ignore Lupin's biting comments, Harry said, "…get her life in order so that she isn't so envious of everyone else."
"Harry, you can defend Ginny to me until the next blue moon, which hopefully is a ways off, and it won't change my mind on her. I'd stake my trust in Draco Malfoy before her. At least with him you know what's coming. He is out for himself, just as she is. The difference is that he doesn't kiss your arse first."
"Hmmm…" Harry uttered. While he quite agreed with Lupin, he knew he'd never admit it aloud.
"Don't forget she was in my class at Hogwarts, as well. Ginny isn't evil or conniving, she just does what she wishes without concern for recourse. Maybe this will show her that there are consequences."