Hey guys, since I had this chapter pretty much finished by the time I posted the last one, I decided to go ahead and post it. Kind of a filler, but a flashback in the middle that I think you guys might like. I'm so glad you are all liking the kids stories lines as well, I was worried about that, but not anymore! Thanks for the support as always!
~HM
Chapter 8
Harry sat at his desk at work and scowled at the pile of parchment he had yet to go through. It was moments like these when he missed being out in the field. He had been an Auror almost straight after the war, there had still been many Death Eaters that had escaped and Harry wanted to be apart of bringing them all down.
For nearly a decade he had been one of the top Aurors in the academy. Undercover operations, traveling the world to bring down bad guys, training the baby-face newbies coming in for training. Or as the veterans called them, "earthworms." It was just a little tradition that had been going on for decades. "Newbie, what are you?" a veteran Auror would ask and the newbie would have to say, "Sir, we are earthworms, sir, we are so low, we have to look up to see down."
Harry gave a little chuckle. Maybe it was a little cruel, but he had to say that line quite a few times, even if he was Harry Potter, the Boy Who Conquered the Dark Lord. That's the way he had liked it, when he trained with his fellow Aurors, many of them he had gone to school with. He didn't want to be treated differently. He wanted to work his way up the rank by his talent as an Auror, not his name.
And that's what he did, until a few years back when the Head Auror announced his retirement and offered the job to Harry. He had planned to turn it down, he seemed like he was too young to be behind a desk, placing orders when he would be the one who'd want to complete the task. It had been Ginny who had convinced him…Ginny who pleaded with him to take it.
"But you have to accept it," Ginny said that night he had been offered the job. "You wouldn't have to go out into the field as much."
"I like going out on the field, Ginny," he said as he leaned against the counter while Ginny prepared dinner. Ron and Hermione would be there any minute for dinner. "It's what I've been doing for nearly a decade."
"Which is why you should take this promotion," she said while she chopped the carrots for the salad. "Don't you think you've done enough? I didn't want you to be an Auror in the first place, after all you had been through I didn't want you to go through the stress."
"I had always wanted to be an Auror, Gin," Harry said getting frustrated now as he walked to the fridge to pull out a bottle of Muggle beer. "You knew that."
"I know, which is why I didn't fight you on it." She put the knife down and wiped her hands on the dishtowel before completely facing him. "Harry, I worry every time you walk out that door. You need to take this job, you'll be off the field, behind a desk and…"
"Bored out of my freaking mind!" he explained waving his hands up. "Filing parchment? Giving out orders? I'd go crazy, Ginny."
"But you'd be safe," she said quietly as she looked up at him with soft pleading eyes. "Please, Harry…do this for me. You deserve this. You would have more time with the family, you wouldn't have to travel as much." She took the bottle of beer out of his hand, setting it down so she could grip both his hands. "Please. Please do this for me."
Harry looked into her face and knew he would crack. They both knew it, Ginny knew he would do anything to make her happy. "Okay, Gin," he said as he felt his heart break at the knowledge that his Auror career was over. "I'll take the job."
She smiled brightly, tears shimmered in her eyes. "Oh, thank you, Harry!" she exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, I'm so thrilled. Tonight…we'll have to turn our simple dinner into a celebration!"
"Ginny, I don't think…"
"Hermoine and Ron will be so excited for you," she said as she pulled back. "Now, scoot…out of the kitchen, let me do all the work. Take your beer and wait for our guests."
He did as he asked, taking his beer, which he now wished was something stronger, and trucked his way to the den. It wasn't till later, when they were sitting around the table when Ginny made the announcement.
"Harry got a promotion!" Ginny exclaimed. "Isn't that great?"
"Wow, mate, congrats!" Ron said holding up his glass of wine Ginny had served with the meal.
"Thanks," he said forcing a smile and looked across the table Hermione who was frowning.
"You took the job?" she asked confused. "But I thought…"
He lightly kicked her under the table, firmly shaking her head, silently telling her to keep quiet. She pressed her lips together and did just that but he could tell she was dying to talk. "I'll go get the dessert…no, sit," he said to Ginny who was about to protest. "You cooked, I'll go serve."
"I'll help," Hermione said sweetly getting up as well. She followed him into the kitchen through the swinging door immediately helping Harry with the pumpkin pie. "Harry, what's going on? Just this afternoon…you told me you didn't want it."
"I know, I know," he said with a sigh as he got out the plates. "But Ginny…she really wanted me to take it."
Hermione sighed shaking her head. "Harry, you can't always make her happy, you know."
"You didn't see her face, Hermione," he said as they silently worked together to slice up the pie. "She's worried about me out there, you can't blame her for it."
"Of course not, Harry," she said in a hush tone so they wouldn't be overheard. "But you would be out of the field…behind a desk…filing!"
Harry winced. "Yeah, I know…makes me shiver just thinking about it."
"Harry, look…"
"Hermione, don't bother, okay?" Harry asked weakly. "I've already made up my mind, besides you wouldn't understand how she feels, your husband works for a joke shop. Not exactly dangerous."
Hermione held up a hand. "Woah, woah, back up. I might not have to worry about Ron, but I still have you to worry about."
"That's not the same thing."
"Not the same thing?" She repeated setting down the knife and turning to him. "Just because I didn't marry you, I can't be worried about you?"
Harry sighed. "C'mon, Mione, that's not what I meant."
"It's exactly what you meant," she said practically glowering at him. "We're not married, we don't have kids and we sure don't snog, but dammit Harry, you're my best friend. We're close, you and I. Ginny is the one who married you, but I know you better than anyone and you know it."
Harry winced as he tapped his hands in the air to tell her to keep her voice down. "Jeez, Mione, quiet…you want me to sleep on the couch tonight? Yes, I know…I'm firmly aware that you know me better, just as I'm aware that Ginny's a little sensitive about it."
Hermione sighed. "My point is, Harry, that I worry about you, too, but I know being an Auror is what you love to do. I'd never try to take that away from you."
"She didn't exactly take it away from me," he said trying his best to defend his wife, even though a small part of him…okay a big part of him…agreed with Hermione. "She just sort of…used her powers of persuasion."
Hermione squinted up her face. "Ew, I don't want to hear about you and Ginny doing sexish things."
Harry stared at her a moment before busting out a loud laugh. "I didn't mean she…Merlin, Mione you've got a dirty mind." He chuckled shaking his head. "Grab the other plates, you slut."
Hermione gasped out a laugh and smacked him on the back of his head. "Harry Potter, you should be ashamed! Besides, there's no such think as a married slut."
"If you say so," he said with a teasing grin.
They laughed together as they walked back out of the kitchen, plates of pumpkin pie in their hands. "What's the joke?" Ginny asked sweetly with a hint of annoyance in her voice.
"Oh, nothing," Hermione said waving it off as she put a plate of pumpkin pie in front of Ron. "We're just being silly."
"Yeah," Harry agreed as he sat down across from Hermione, giving her a quick wink before concentrating on his pie. "Ginny, I have to say…this is probably the best pumpkin pie I've ever had." Feeling loads better than he did a few moments ago, Harry dug in.
"Ron, sweetie?" Hermione asked casually after a moment.
"Yes, luv?" Ron asked between bites.
"Do you think there's such a thing as a married slut?"
Harry chocked on his pie, laughing with Hermione while Ron and Ginny stared dumbly at them both.
Harry smiled over the memory as he started to tackle the pile of parchment. The day started out horribly and the dinner was miserable, but those few short moments in the kitchen with Hermione had sure upped his spirits. She always had the talent of doing that over the years.
"Knock, knock," a voice said moments after his office door opened. "Hey, boss."
Harry looked up and smiled at his godson. "Hey Teddy, what's up?"
"Got a minute?"
Harry happily pushed the parchment aside, thrilled that Teddy came by to delay the horrendous pile for a few more minutes. "Sure, have a seat. Business or personal?"
"Personal," he said with a smile. He always asked that question when he came to see his godfather, who also happened to be his boss. "This time at least."
Harry nodded. "Okay, but first let me do business. Good job with closing up your undercover mission. I've gotten nothing but good reports about you."
"I had a good teacher," he said with a slow grin. "It ran pretty smoothly, the bloody bastards didn't know what hit them."
Harry smiled. "Well, good job, Lupin." He pushed business aside as he leaned back in his chair. "Now on to personal…what's up?"
Teddy took a deep breath and gave him a shaky smile. "Last night…I asked Victoire to marry me…she said yes."
Harry bolted forward in his chair. "No shit?"
Teddy laughed. "No shit. I'm getting married."
Harry let out a joyous laugh as he got up from his chair, walking around the desk so he could give his godson a good hard hug. "That's awesome, Teddy, I'm so happy for you." He smiled letting him go. "I can't believe it…you're growing up on me."
"Trying to," he said shoving his hands back in his pocket. "Er…I wanted to ask you…if you'd want to be my best man?"
Harry's jaw dropped. "Me? You want me to…what about your friends from school…I mean…me?"
"Of course you, Harry," he said slightly embarrassed. "You know you're the only dad I ever had. You…you mean a lot to me and it would mean a lot if you stood up there with me."
Absurdly touched, Harry placed a hand on his shoulder. "Teddy…it would be an honor. You know I think of you as one of my sons. You know that right?"
"Of course, Harry, I know."
Harry smiled. "Good. Listen, why don't the two of you come to the house for dinner? It's kind of crazy, with boxes everywhere, packing up has been hellacious. we're going to be able to move into the new house in a few weeks but…Hermione would be thrilled to have you over."
"Sounds good. I'll talk to Vic about it."
"Great, I'll use Jax to Owl Hermione to give her a heads up. See you tonight…we'll definitely do a few toasts in your honor."
Teddy grinned. "I can bring some cigars."
Harry gave him a pat on the shoulder. "That's my boy."