*Please read before starting the story*

Hello all! This is the first chapter of The Rose Coloured Potion. It is written by Sanrodri (ME). I will be writing every other chapter and it will be from Harry's perspective (more or less). My friend, ToneeLabradeen, will be writing the even numbered chapters and they will be from Draco's perspective. We have a rough idea of where the story is headed, but we don't really know what the other person will write until we read it. It should be an interesting experience. We will also be drawing our own art for each chapter.

I hope you enjoy it! 3 If you find any grammatical errors, feel free to message one of us or leave a review.

Link to the illustration for this chapter: sanrodri. /gallery /#/ d5m26r8

Lights flashed above Harry's head as multiple curses barely missed him. He ducked and slid across floor, stopping behind a conveniently placed, large rubbish bin.

"Oi! Harry! Stop playing around and finish them! If I'm not home in time for dinner, 'Mione is going to kill me!"

Harry gave an abandoned laugh. It was true that he could have ended this fight and gone home already, but what would be the fun in that?

"Go on ahead!" Harry jumped out from behind the bin and shot a stunning charm, hitting the tallest of his attackers square in the chest. Ron hit the blond one, leaving only one man left. "I said go on ahead!"

"Come off it! You know I'd get in trouble!" A jinx barely missed Ron as he rolled behind the rubbish bin, pulling Harry with him. The two crashed to the ground.

"You've been spending too much time with Hermione." Harry grinned and pushed himself off the dirty floor, not noticing his ruined uniform. He turned his attention to the broad shouldered man who was shouting spells just feet away.

"AVADAKEDAVRA!"

Ron rolled his eyes and Harry burst into laughter. That was going to earn the man a few years in Azkaban.

"Oi, it's almost six!"

Harry shrugged his shoulders and stepped out from his hiding spot. He figured Ron was right. He should end this now, plus, he would start to get bored soon.

"Stupefy," said Harry calmly. The man froze and fell to the floor. Ron stepped out from behind the rubbish bin, cursing as he dusted himself off.

"She's going to give me hell. We still have to take them away and fill out the paperwork." Harry groaned. He hated doing paperwork. Maybe if he pretended to be overpowered by the tall one... He was starting to wake up a bit... "Don't even think about it, mate. Let's go."

"Merlin, you have been spending too much time with her." Ron used a simple binding charm so that Harry could apparate them away. Then they were going to be in for an hour of tedious paperwork before they would be free to go home for the day, and even that relief would only be brief. There was a department meeting in the morning that they had to prepare for.

Harry sighed as he apparated the men to a holding facility. It was going to be a long night.

"Next up is the Johnson case. Diggins and Marcus were assigned to it last week. They have a few leads, but they have not been able to find Johnson yet. Potter, do you think you could take a look at the evidence?" Harry sat slumped in his chair as he read a Quidditch article that he had snuck into his quarterly report file. He was reading about the newest diving techniques and taking mental notes to try certain moves later. "Potter?"

Harry snapped his head up.

"Er...Yes?"

"Wonderful! We will get that to you right away to look over. Now, Weasley, can you tell us about the Stevenson, Stevenson, and Knightley case?"

Ron cleared his throat and leaned forward before going into a detailed explanation of the battle from the night before and how one of the men had tried to use an
unforgivable curse.

Harry wondered what on earth he had agreed to. It could be either very bad or very good. On one hand, he could have agreed to more fieldwork which meant more action. Or, also a fun possibility, he might be doing investigative work. But if he had agreed to look over paperwork or adjust files...

"Excuse me."

Hermione Granger stepped into the conference room and cleared her throat
softly.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" answered the head Auror.

"I was wondering if I could borrow Auror Potter for a few moments. I need his expertise on an assignment."

"Of course, Weasley can finish the report." Hermione gave a polite smile as Harry stood up a bit too eagerly, gave a clumsy bow, and hurried out of the room, closing the door tightly behind him.

"You sav-"

"Shh! Follow me," whispered Hermione. The two walked down the hall into Harry's office. Harry looked around at the crimson and gold decorations, the piles of disorganized papers, and the pile of unopened chocolate frogs he had received for his birthday a week ago. It occurred to him that he had modeled his office around his old dormitory a bit too much.

"So, what's all this about?"

"Don't pretend you aren't grateful that I got you out of there. You hate those meetings." Harry sat down behind his desk and motioned for Hermione to take a seat as well. He put up his feet and leaned back in his chair to stretch his back before continuing the conversation.

"Eternally grateful." Hermione perked up in her seat. "But not enough to go to the charity ball tonight." And there was the frown he had been waiting for.

"Harry, please."

"Why? Because it is my duty as a ministry official? Or because it is my duty as ministry poster boy? Because I killed Voldemort? Or because I defeated countless wizards since then? Don't you think, just a bit, that all those things grant me a night off? A night where I don't have to have dinner with the leader of Bloody Nowhere country or be forced to talk to an array of people who I don't know and don't care to know?"

Hermione gave a sympathetic nod.

"Yes. You do deserve that. But-" Harry gave an exasperated sigh. "Harry! Please. You've been alone long enough. I was thinking you could take a date," Harry snorted, "OR you could meet someone there."

"That's even less likely than taking a date."

"It's for charity. To help orphans of the war who are still suffering." Harry leaned onto his desk and buried his face in the crook of his arm. Why did everyone always guilt him this way? It was getting to a point that he didn't care anymore. He didn't care about the orphans or the deaths. It had been five years, and all he wanted to do was have a bit of fun catching the bad guy and then sleep. He needed to sleep for a good long while... "Harry, you are acting like a child."

"Fine," he mumbled into the crook of his arm. "Just leave me alone."

Harry felt a slender hand on his shoulder.

"I'm just trying to help, Harry. You can't be alone forever."

It was funny, really. The more people tried to make sure that he wasn't alone, the lonelier he felt.