Chapter 28
Harry sat at his desk and tossed the thick marble into the air before catching it again. He wasn’t sure why he had taken it yesterday or why he had grabbed it this morning before going to work. Ron sat across from Harry at his own desk, writing up the last of needed paperwork from the past weeks.
“It’s not fair, you should have to do some of this.” Ron complained.
“Sorry, boss’s orders.” Harry threw the marble in the air again.
“Potter!” Grimble barked from his office and Harry missed catching the marble. He scurried to pick it up quickly before going into the office.
“Sit down.” Grimble lit a cigar as he spoke. Harry sat and he began again. “It’s come to the ministry’s attention, as well as mine, that you’ve been partaking in unbecoming conduct.”
“Sir?” Harry didn’t follow.
“Eluding home arrest, personal involvement with a family under investigation, but perhaps most seriously a very personal involvement with another ministry official.”
“I don’t understand, lots of ministry officials are involved. Ron is married to an attorney, they work with each other in court monthly.” Harry defended.
“That may be but neither of them have a felonious past-“
“But-“
“Don’t interrupt me!” Grimble cut Harry off. “There are those within the ministry who have expressed their concerns to me. You need to think very carefully about your personal connections. Your future here depends on it.”
“Why did the ministry even hire him? If they think so lowly of him?”
“Keep your friends close.” Grimble smiled out of one side of his mouth.
Keep your friends close, keep your enemies closer Harry finished the phrase. He felt his anger rising. All this pretentious pretending about reform and the ministry was still run as a social club. Someone would always be on the outside and some would mean less than others no matter what.
“You have to understand the ministry views you as someone people look up to, you set the standard for what’s acceptable and unacceptable.” Grimble spoke to Harry like he was a little kid.
“Right.” Harry agreed.
“So I can tell them that we can count on you?”
“Of course,” Harry stood. “I would hate to participate in something so unacceptable.”
“Excellent.”
“So I quit.” Harry fished the marble from his pocket and tossed the ministry robes across the desk. The cigar fell from Grimble’s lips as Harry turned and left the office. He stopped at his own desk to grab a framed picture from last Christmas at the Weasley’s.
“Where are you going?” Ron looked up from his paperwork.
“Home. I quit.”
“What? Why? You can’t quit!”
“Apparently I’m not being a good poster boy for the ministry’s MISGUIDED PREJUDICED SENTIMENTS!” Harry yelled the last bit in the direction of Grimble’s office.
“Those bastards.” Ron stood up and slammed his chair in.
“I’m sorry Ron, I have to quit. It’s the right thing to do, besides I hate this job.”
“Right. Well then I quit too.”
“Ron… you have three kids AND you actually love this job.” Harry loved his loyalty but this was Ron’s dream job.
“Right, I don’t quit. Sorry mate, but I quit in spirit.” Ron promised.
“Don’t worry, the ministry needs a good person to change it from the inside. It’s just not me.” Harry smiled at Ron. “I’ll see you Friday?”
“Oh definitely,” Ron said as he walked out with Harry. “Quitting your job does not excuse you from babysitting, we have a whole night planned.”
“What are you doing?”
“We’re going to order a pizza and watch channel four in our underwear.” Ron said wistfully. “It’s going to be amazing.”
“Alright, well I can pick the kids up early now I guess.” Harry stopped and looked at his best friend. Ron and him both refused to admit the sadness that stretched between them. Harry didn’t know how he was going to go every day without seeing Ron.
“I’ll see you later.” Ron faked a smile.
“Of course.” Harry snapped into the air.
Back at the house he sat in the wingback chair that faced the front window. He watched cars drive up and down the street. Harry started laughing uncontrollably. What had he been so afraid of? He should have just failed that physical to begin with. Losing his job wasn’t scary, it was exciting . He felt an unknown weight lift from his shoulders.
“What are you doing home?” Narcissa had come to investigate all the noise.
“I quit my job today.” Harry grinned wildly. It was fun to say those words.
“Oh my.” Narcissa looked troubled as she sat. “I hope we didn’t make a mess of things for you.”
“Nah, I just hate politics. It was a shitty job anyways.” Harry winked at her.
“But what will you do now?”
“Well,” Harry thought about the question. “I think right now I’m going to go make Draco lunch.”
“Is he coming home?”
“I expect he will want to yell at me.” Harry laughed and stood. His day was wide open to do anything he pleased and right now he wanted to bake Draco lunch.
He started on the familiar task with joy. He opened a window but quickly closed it as the sour smell and noise ruined his mood. Kreacher had gone to the manor this morning after they had begged him to help get the house ready to sell. Harry thought Kreacher’s agreement to go clean up the destruction had more to do with Narcissa having to stay if the house sold, than with doing him a favor. Harry set the table and sat down, checking his watch. It was just past noon and if he was right, there was an angry door slam coming at any minute.
To Harry’s surprise when the door opened it shut quietly. He heard the shuffling of robes being hung up and then Draco appeared in the kitchen. He surveyed Harry and the table before sitting down without saying a word. He picked up one of the pies and bit into it.
“Is this what you made for Ginny?” He asked, taking another hungry bite.
“Yes.”
“Mmmm, If I was pregnant I would have you make these everyday.” Draco exclaimed and then realized how stupid it sounded. “Forget I said that.”
“I thought you were going to yell at me.” Harry couldn’t understand.
“Yes. Well I had considered it, I asked for more discretion at work and now the whole bloody building is whispering about you quitting your job for me…” Draco took another bite, finishing the pie and grabbing a new one.
“It wasn’t about you… well maybe just a little bit.”
“The thing is, I don’t think anyone’s ever picked me over something else… anything else, even if it was just a little bit. So I’m not here to yell.”
“Draco-“ He held up his hand to cut Harry off, he didn’t want to discuss it further.
“You should’ve talked to me first though, I would’ve quit instead.”
“That’s nice but it wouldn’t have mattered.” Harry grabbed the hand not shoveling pies into his face. “I think I might have made the best decision I’ve made in a long time.”
“Still the whole thing seems mad. You quit your job over me, even if it was only a little bit… that’s kind of a big declaration.”
“Does that scare you?” Harry wondered.
“Yes.” Draco looked down at his plate.
Nice going, Harry chastised himself, You’ve gone and scared him off with your silly little feelings.
They sat in silence and finished lunch. When at last Draco had to leave, he stood and walked to the door as Harry followed. Harry watched as he put on his robes and left without saying goodbye.
When Draco got home in the evening he still wasn’t speaking. They ate their suppers separately but by bedtime Harry had had enough. If Draco wouldn’t speak then he would have to listen, Harry decided. He walked upstairs and opened the door. Draco was sitting at his desk working and ignored Harry as he crossed the room. He sat on the corner of the desk next to Draco and waited.
“You’re on my papers.” Draco said at last, trying to push Harry away with a hand.
“Look at me.” Harry spoke softly and waited. Draco sighed and looked up. “I’m sorry I’ve scared you. I didn’t mean to. But I won’t say I regret picking you, even if it was only a little.”
“I feel a pressure, now that you’ve given up so much. What if I can’t live up to what you thought you were going to get?” Draco looked vulnerable with his own honesty.
“All my life I’ve been expected to do certain things, behave certain ways, and fight certain fights. For so long I’ve been so tired of the direction I’ve been herded in. Today, in that office, they asked me to give up something again. It was the last straw, and sure the last straw was you… and it’s true you’re a very cute straw that I like spending time with very much… but it was just the latest in a long line of bullshit. I’ve had enough of living up to the expectations of the wizarding world, I just want to rest.” Harry took Draco’s face in his hands. “The only pressure you need to feel is deciding what to wear on our date Saturday.”
Harry kissed him, but not in the way he usually did. This kiss was as soft as a promise. Harry hoped it was telling Draco how much he cared about him.
“I’m cute, am I?” Draco asked when Harry finally released him.
“As if you don’t know.”
“Still, The way it sounds when you say it… it’s nice.”
“You’re cute.” Harry said again, kissing Draco’s forehead. Draco leaned into the feeling and sighed.
“Alright, get up and let me finish. Some of us still have to go to work in the morning.” Draco swatted at Harry’s hip and he jumped off the desk.