Disclaimer: All creative rights belong to their original creator(s) and in no way are connected to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing, or Warner Brothers. The author of the following fanfiction does not in any way profit from the story and is written solely for entertainment purposes only. Rights to characters and their setting is neither claimed nor implied.
AN: This is not a beta-ed chapter although I've looked over it three times but then also some errors may be there.
There was only one way to describe the surrounding around him- chaotic. Harry looked around himself and his company's meeting room. Although the room was large people's bustling and arguments made it suffocating for him. At the other end of the table sat Selena Dresden his godfather Sirius Black's widowed wife. Harry studied her, she looked nervous, troubled, weak unlike her normal self. In the middle of the table sat the two sets of lawyers arguing over some company shares which meant nothing to him.
It was unlike of him to fight with someone who he considered as his family over some shares which even if he lost will not affect his fortune much. Harry felt someone's hand on his shoulder, looking sideways he heard his secretary ask him , "Ready?" His voice broke Harry out of his contemplations. He looked around again and caught the end of the lawyers arguments "Although it's beneficial for her to go to court in only one hearing it will be clear and she will know what she genuinely deserves and what she should expect from this company…" "I don't think we should come to any conclusions this fast…"
Suddenly it all became too much for him, Harry got up from his seat leaving the case in the hands of his capable lawyers and headed towards the washroom. Harry casted a locking charm at the door not wanting anyone's company for the time being and just looked over his reflection in the mirror for a long time desiring nothing more than to cast a disillusionment charm on himself and run away from all of it but he knew his life had some more suffering stored for him today than just the meeting, it was very trivial compared to others but still. As was expected from him from his childhood he knew he had to face it as always and not run away from it. So Harry did just that, he walked out of the washroom and towards his company's exit door.
Vaguely registering his workers greetings to him he went around his car and decided to drive himself today for the special day. Harry drove towards the muggle area of Britain and stopped near a church. He got out of the car and went inside it seeing around hundred persons sitting quietly with a smile plastered on their faces including the bride at the end of the altar who was standing with her soon to be husband. Harry walked forward gathering many peoples attention, because of his late entry since no one recognized him here. He sat on the third row from the front, his eyes meeting with the bride and holding her gaze for a long time before the vows started, and watched the wedding silently. After the ceremony he walked out of the church in silence.
Harry opened his car's door but after a second thought closed it. He took out his mobile phone placing it gently on the car's roof and walked away.
After a long time of walking, taking a bus and that he vaguely remembered Harry found himself at a station. He looked at the people and noticed their busyness. The train at the track looked inviting and he boarded without any second thought and sat on an empty seat.
Harry looked away from people waving to their friends from outside and towards the place from where he heard a powerful thud. He saw there was five trolley bags stocked one upon other just in between the train's door unabling it to close. After a moment all the bags came inside the train with a large force bringing with them a young redhead girl who nearly collided with a man in the process. Panting and taking lungful of air with each breath she sat beside Harry blabbering to him in her adrenaline pumped state "Today the limit was just about to cross. I was just on the brink today. Do you know till this day in my life I've never missed one single train..." pausing to pant some more "Thanks Mer- God for saving my record from breaking." The redhead didn't stop talking after the initial blabbering but continued on. Harry registered the ends of her continuous talking to him.
"People say this area is very crowded but what do they mean by crowded after all the crowd is made up of people like us only…" "My journey does not ends with this train's I have to take a bus afterwards to reach…" Nearly half and hour was passed but the red head continued her monologue not noticing Harry's irritation or disinterest "My home my family is there everyone has a family …" "I'm going to leave this place for ever, do you know when I came first here when…. " "Hostel, hostel, hostel St Teresa's missionary hostel for girls in…" "I swear I will never again live in any hostel.. " "I hope summer comes earlier this year and stays for a long time or else you know what will happen anyways-"
She was still talking when Harry had it enough and stood up, she looked up at him and asked "What happened?" after looking around and finding no other empty place he sat down again beside her.
She again asked the same question followed by another with concern, "Are you dumb or maybe you're shy more likely just rude." When she again got no response from him she resumed her talking, "I'm sure something is going on I've asked you three times but you didn't answered even once. Wait a minute are you dumb? "
Before he could protest at the last statement the train stopped and some muggle police officers entered searching the train for something or as it looked for someone. People were asked to show the police officers any identity proof. Harry patiently watched them inspect others using methods unlike the methods used by aurors.
When they came in front of Harry and asked him for any proof the redhead who sat beside him tapped him on his arm and said along with some poor form of sign language, "They are asking for any Id proof." When Harry said nothing her sign language each word was more exaggerated saying, "They –" pointing a finger at the muggle police "want to see-" two fingers pointing separately at her two eyes "your ID proof" making a rectangle in the air with her fingers at the end of her sentence.
Having no other choice Harry said, "I don't have any proof." Se looked wide eyed at him but quickly recovered and went on in her unwanted explanation to why he didn't have any proof to the muggle policemen.
"Actually his plan made up on last minute that's why he forgot to pack properly but I'm giving you my guarantee," at the last word Harry looked towards the girl and then at the police officers who were giving him suspicious looks one of whose arms were patted on by the redhead. "Excuse me are you convinced or should I talk more?" she asked the police man.
One of the policemen looked at him and asked Harry his destination before he could answer nor like he had any she answered from his behalf, "He's with me, we're going to Fenton. Officers from the looks you all are giving him I think it's necessary that I should tell you the truth." Both Harry's and the officers were looking at her expectantly waiting for her to continue, "He's suffering from trauma, going through rough times of his life that's why he is so…" she trailed off looking at the officers and tilting her head slightly towards him indicating him pitifully.
"Is the girl saying the truth?" It was now Harry's turn to be looked at by the officers and his unwanted companion. He nodded his head at the officers.
Her acting convinced the officers of his state and they went towards others for further checking. When the officers went far away from their seat she turned around to face Harry fully, "What's the matter with you!" her tone far from aggressive it sounded amused "Are you on crack?" Harry's head snapped up to look at her "Listen there's no problem in anyone's life big enough to willingly spend their time in a prison and by your behavior in front of the officers it guaranteed some prison time if I weren't with you. I'm sorry if I fouled your plans. You know if there's any big problem in your life you can tell me, I don't mind. Many of my friends tell me about their problems and I try my best to solve it. Just like those columns in magazines where people tell their problems wanting some answer you can tell me too. Tell me what's your problem since I was continuously telling you mine earlier it's only fair. Tell me now don't be shy, tell me what's the matter-"
"YOU ARE MY PROBLEM! Can't you see I'm not interested in talking with you, you're just continuously talking. I don't want to talk with you, I don't want to know whether you're going to Fenton or somewhere else or whether you lived in a hostel or a brothel I don't care. So just please, please Leave. Me. Alone alright!" Harry snapped at her pouring out all of his frustrations of the day at her.
Quickly realizing his mistake Harry rubbed at the bridge of his nose, calming himself and looking at her ready to apologize for his behavior but she beat him to it and said in a serious tone, "The brothel part was not fine." Seeing her face without any smile for the first time in their short journey he knew how much it affected her.
"See I'm-, my-, I didn't mean," Harry stuttered trying to find words to apologize to the girl.
"I know," she again beat him to talking and said with a happy expression on her face, "it's totally clear that you are very much upset about something and that's why you were upset at me too and started talking nonsense. But it's okay, I don't mind. Actually I don't feel bad about anything nowadays do you know why?"
Through the small time that Harry spent in the train with her Harry resolved one problem in his life and it was that the girl sitting beside him didn't expect anything from him, not even some curiosity or answers from so she continued, "because I'm getting married very soon.
"Okay listen I'm eloping, the boy isn't magi- like my family members expect my would be husband should be like that's why. I know for sure they will not approve but what can anyone do about it after the wedding. I will beg for their forgiveness afterwards they will have to forgive me it may take some time but…"
"I love sunny places…" "From my childhood only I was very much excited about playing outdoor…" "I am still confused what's the difference between…" Harry stared at her incredulously while she started her monologue like hadn't shouted at her angrily just five minutes before. "I was just waiting when my training will finish and his college…" Harry buried his head in his hands and felt a migraine coming on.