Capture the moment and frame it.

Chapter one

Life after the war

"Potter, I need that paperwork in by the end of the day, I suggest you cut your break early and get on with it" Gawain Robards shouted from the doorway of the Aurors staffroom at the Ministry. "Now!" Harry did what he was told and placed his mug in front of Ron indicating him to have the rest if he so wished.

"See you later then yeah?" Ron asked with a hopeful smile.

"Yeah meet me by the entrance as soon as you're off" Harry replied before he made his way to his office to start the paperwork he had meant to have started a few weeks prior to this day.

Harry had become an Auror when the war had ended, he came to the conclusion that defeating dark wizards was all he was really good at, apart from Quidditch but he really didn't see himself doing that as a career. He managed to work his way up to the top in such a little amount of time, partly because of who he was and what he had already accomplished. The Ministry wasn't stupid; they knew having Harry on the Auror team would help them all. But there was one position above Harry and that was Robards position. Robards was the head of the Auror office and a complete idiot to say the least. Harry never got along with him but Harry respected that in a job you can't just go alone and make your own decisions, he knew he needed to have a boss while working at the ministry. There was no denying it, Harry was good at his job and everyone knew it – apart from Robards.

He sat down at his desk and dipped his quill in his ink then began to write and read the documents. He got off to a good start but then as always, he then got distracted.

"Harry" Hermione said as she stepped over the threshold "are you terribly busy?"

"Um kind of I - "

"Oh, well this won't take a second" She went on and ignored Harry. "I need you to do a little interview for a small paper - "

"No" Was his simple and quick answer and he spun back around in his chair to face his desk again to carry on with his work.

"What? You don't even know what it's about, how can you say no?" She moaned walking over and leaning against the desk beside him.

"Mione, I'm sorry but I don't like doing interviews, you know I don't. I've done too many these last two years." It was true, When the war ended Two years ago the papers and the whole Wizarding media in general wanted to know it all, and what better place to get the inside story from then Harry Potter himself? Harry gave them what they wanted for a little while, but there were some things he would always keep between himself and his two best friends. The Hallows were a good example and the whole deal with the Horcruxes. He gave them the most he could give them without having to depress and confuse the Wizarding world with all the inside facts. He also thought it was sensible to keep the Horcrux thing quiet; he didn't want to give any other dark wizards the knowledge and the idea of what power they hold and what they can do.

"I know, but this is about the Chimaera case though" Hermione worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in the Being division, but helped out on the beast and spirit divisions when they needed her. Just like Harry, Hermione was good at what she does and the Department would be lost without her these days.

Harry and Ron had just finished a case where a few known dark wizards were trading Chimaera eggs. Chimaera eggs are Class A Non-Tradable goods, so not only was it illegal but they had a small amount of evidence that the men were planning on using the Chimaera's as an attack weapon when they eventually hatched. They are known to be very bloodthirsty creatures and are placed as a highly dangerous beast by the Ministry. Therefore they would be the perfect weapon if one were to attack. The two men managed to close the case with success a week ago. Because of the case involving beasts Harry and Ron got to work with Hermione and this was probably why she was organising an interview instead of another Auror.

Harry looked up at his best friend and she bought out the puppy eyes and the begging smile. "Alright fine"

"Yes! Thank you, it's organised for 2 O'clock tomorrow, and it will be in room 401 on the fourth floor. The Wingardium will send an interviewer and a photographer and I don't want to keep them waiting, so be there early or on time, got it?"

"The Wingardium?" Harry asked with a small chuckled.

"It's a small paper, but they're very supportive on magical creature's rights. So therefore I'm a fan of their work" She balanced herself on her two feet again letting out an exaggerated sigh pointed at Harry because of his - you're absolutely crazy - expression and walked out.

They don't exactly say it straight, but the Ministry loves putting good stories of their success in the papers, because after the war they believe it's good to let people know that things are going well. So people tend to get extra credit if they get the Wizarding media involved. Harry loved the women but Hermione always loved the extra credit and would do whatever it takes if she could get it. It was probably why she was so respected by other Departments, she always got the work done and to a high standard. She told Harry a few months ago how The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had asked her if she would consider transferring because they could use her skills. He didn't hear anything else from her about the matter, but he had a good feeling she was thinking hard about it.

With the room silent once more and only him occupying it he carried on with the paperwork, determined to get it done by the end of the day. He didn't quite fancy being on the end of Robards tantrum today.

The Burrow stood high underneath the blue sky, with white clouds dotted around. The wind could be felt but not heard, and it only rattled the leaves on the trees gently.

"Ginny dear, did you say Harry was coming for tea today?" Mrs Weasley asked as she moved a pile of Ron's ironed shirts from the chair and sat down.

"Yeah that's what Ron said" she smiled softly at her mother. Harry and Ginny haven't properly been together since the war but even though they didn't admit it, they seemed like a couple to everyone else. With all honesty Ginny did love Harry and her mum knew it, but didn't speak of it because sometimes Ginny would get all worked up about it. Ginny had worried a few times if Harry didn't feel the same way, but then other times she thought she knew it was something special. She didn't know where she stood in Harry Potter's life, but what she did know was that Harry had trouble with getting too close to people, because they always seem to get hurt, or worse… die. She thought she understood, so she lets the situation take her where it will eventually end up in its own time.

"Oh good, I want to ask him about that case with the Chimaera's he solved with Ron. Ronald didn't say much about it" She smiled and picked up her knitting needles.

"What's that?" George asked as he climbed down the last few steps on the stair case.

"Harry's coming for tea" Ginny explained as she picked up a book labelled 'Quidditch and its tricks by Wendy Atkinson'.

"Oh brilliant, I want to play the voice prank on him" He said excitedly.

"No George, I'm sure after a long days work he won't want to be sounding like a girl for an hour while you laugh at him" Ginny rolled her eyes. One of George's new products for the Weasley Wizards Wheezes shop was a sweet you would suck and then it changes your voice. It was funny at first when he tried it on Percy but no one would fall for it again once he had done it once… Oh apart from Ron kept sucking them for fun, getting a different voice each time just to amuse himself.

"After a long days work it might make him smile"

"But I'm sure he would stop smiling after 5 minutes, let alone an hour of it"

"Are you trying to hint the effects last too long?"

"Well - " She began.

"No, stop it, I'm not having you two bickering" Mrs Weasley cut in and waved her hand in annoyance before returning to her knitting. Ginny and George looked at her and then glared at each other silently, before Ginny buried her eyes in the book once more, while George went to make himself a drink.

Harry had just finished writing when Robards stormed into his office, "Potter where's that paperwork?" Robards didn't sound very happy, but then he never did. But Harry could tell something or someone had just seen the real bad side of him.

"Here" he put all the papers together and lifted it up in front of him for him to take. He looked at it for a few seconds before reaching out his hand and grabbing it.

"If it's not done to high standards I will make you do it again" he warned with a cold mean sound in his voice, then turned to leave. Harry was finally finished for the day so picked up his jacket and followed his boss out. Ron was waiting by the entrance like they had planned. The area was still pretty busy but had calmed down quite a bit since earlier on in the day, as most people had gone home.

"Still coming to the burrow?" Ron asked munching on a chocolate frog. Harry gave him the one eyebrow look as if to say more food? "What? I haven't had anything all day" he moaned taking another bite.

"Yeah, it would be nice to see everyone" Harry carried on with the former subject about the Burrow "sure that's ok?"

"of course, they're as much as your family as mine"

"Um..." Harry started.

"ok, that's not technically true but I'm just saying you can share my parents if you like. Plus if you end up marrying Ginny, they will be your family" Ron explained with a mouthful of chocolate.

Harry didn't reply, just nodded his head politely. He realised over time that the whole Weasley family had the idea that Harry and Ginny would one day get married and have children, he didn't know how true that was going to be. In all honesty he did love Ginny, but sometimes he didn't know if it was as much as she had liked. For now he was happy the way things were. He was busy with his job and the war still lingered in his mind. Love didn't seem to be a first priority at the moment, he had his whole future to sort out the family he wanted, but right now he would just carry on the way things were.

They got to an apparating spot and apparated to outside the Burrows gates. "It feels good to be home after a long hard day's work" Ron sighed.

"I swear you had an easy day? We weren't on a case, and you didn't have a lot of paperwork?"

"I'm still tired from the last case" he mumbled as they got to the door.

"Oh you're home" They heard Molly Weasley's gleeful voice from within the house. She opened the door to greet them. "Oh Harry dear, it's good to see you, it's been too long" she hugged him tightly that he felt as though he would stop breathing any moment, he guessed it was just a mothers love as he was treated like another son of hers. He quickly wondered if his mum would have given such strong protective hugs if she were still alive. It had only been a week since he saw Molly, but with how close everyone was since after the war it seemed longer.

"Hi, everyone ok?" he asked with a beaming smile. He saw Hermione sat at the table smiling up at him, she left a few hours earlier and was already here.

"Yes everyone's fine. Ginny's just in there, go see her" Molly said pointing to the living room. "Oh Ron you look shattered, been busy today?" Harry laughed to himself before following Mrs Weasley's orders.

Ginny smiled as Harry entered the room "Harry."

"Hey" he walked forward and hugged her. While he was holding her close he smelt her hair, it smelt strongly of something fruity for a moment, but he couldn't make it out when the smell of stew coming from the kitchen filled his nostrils.

She let him go. "You've gone quiet this last week?"

"I've been busy" she smiled at him and he held her fingers lightly in his, massaging the pads of them with his own. He kept his eyes on their hands.

"That's not an excuse to not come round is it?" she teased.

"Of course not" He quickly looked up and soon saw she was joking. "The last case just made me really tired, needed some rest"

"Tea's about to be put on the table" Mrs Weasley said poking her head through the door. She saw their hands and smiled "just letting you know." she was just about to leave before she quickly turned back and shouted loud so the sound vibrated through the house, "George, tea" then finally left.

Ginny laughed "She could just send up a patronus or something, but she likes to shout the house down" Harry returned the laugh and then suddenly Ginny pecked a kiss upon his cheek.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Nothing" she then looked as though she changed her mind "Everything"

"Everything?"

"Yeah" she then locked her fingers with his and led him to the kitchen when she saw George walk down the stairs.

After a good catch up and a delicious meal it was getting dark, and was drawing nearer to home time. Hermione said she was staying with Ron again, so he was leaving the burrow alone. They seemed to be getting rather serious these days, and Harry found himself wondering if Ron would pop the question sometime soon.

"Bye Harry!" George called out of the door, along with a wave from Ginny. Ron and Hermione walked with him across the grass to the gate.

"Remember to go to room 401 at two tomorrow ok?" Hermione said as she hugged him goodbye.

"Ok" he turned to Ron and gave him a hug too.

"Up for a few drinks tomorrow night mate?"

Harry nodded "Sounds good" he finished his goodbyes and then apparated to his flat.

His flat was cold and dark… and silent.

Harry stood there for a moment taking in his surroundings and the atmosphere. Somehow Harry had managed to go from everything magical and interesting, full of people; to a muggle flat where he lived alone, and the only thing that was interesting was what was on TV that night. It sadly reminded him of the Dursley's. Everything looked so muggle: The phone on the side, the TV in the corner and the small fireplace you could not possibly Floo from. Growing up as a muggle you would think Harry would be used to all of this, but he had been away from it for so long, his mind only on the dark lord and how magic would be the answer to almost everything. Harry had the tendency to think too much these days, he still had nightmares too. The war had affected him a great deal, even if people thought he was fine.

Harry then decided to finally go to bed. As he reached his bedroom door, he started stripping off his clothes and throwing them on the floor one by one. He climbed into bed, pulling the sheets over himself and tucking himself into warmth.

Harry awoke with a start; the constant beep of his alarm clock rang in his ears. Today wasn't such a hard day at work, he just needed to catch up on some more paperwork, unless of course he was put on emergency call. Harry rubbed his eyes and used wandless magic to shut the constant beeping sound off. He sat up in bed and tried to focus his eyes to the morning light peaking through the curtains. That's when he remembered he promised Hermione that he would do an interview today. Harry wasn't nervous but he just hoped it was an easy one where the interviewer was nice and friendly.

He remembered that one time when he was interviewed by a guy from 'The Morning Times' paper, it was a disaster in his eyes. The chubby guy with fair brown hair had asked Harry why he loved all the attention, of course Harry tried to correct him saying he didn't, but then the man started going on about how Harry only achieved what he had because of luck. Obviously this man was not a fan of Harry's, but with love there would come hate and so he just tried to walk out while the man then accused him of being a coward and a liar. Not the best interview he had ever had. The next day Harry was expecting to see some kind of heading on the paper hinting that he was a 'coward', a 'liar', and something about him walking out, he guessed they would stir things up a bit too and said he got angry, but that was not the case at all. The main heading actually was something along the lines of 'Interviewer breaks down in front of Harry Potter'. Apparently the Interviewer then started breaking things and sobbing when he had left, and was sent to St. Mungo's to be sorted out. Good job he left when he had. The article was mostly about the chubby brown haired man named Bryan Kemp, and Harry didn't read about himself much, only that he was 'Surprised at the man's actions, and quickly hurried out of there'.

With all that rushing through his mind first thing in the morning he started to gain a headache. He got up and showered ready for another day ahead of him.

He took the Public toilet entrance into work, and walked straight to his desk in the Auror area in the Law enforcement department. As soon as he sat down at his desk Ron entered carrying two cups of tea. "Ey mate, got you a cup" He slowly walked over making sure he didn't spill any, and then placed the mug on the desk in front of Harry.

"Nothing today?" Harry asked meaning was there any cases they had to go off and solve, or any death eaters that needed to be stopped and brought in. Ron shook his head.

"Nope, not yet. There's bound to be something come up during the day though, Britain's not just become a criminal free place all of a sudden" The ginger rolled his eyes and took a sip of his own tea, sitting opposite Harry on the other side of the desk. "Good luck with that interview today, let's hope the interviewer doesn't have issues like that guy that one time" Ron chuckled to himself remembering the crazy man Harry was thinking back to this morning.

"Thanks"

Ron then picked up the newspaper Harry had bought on the way to work this morning up off his desk and started to read. He leant back in his chair and burped.

"Um Ron, haven't you got work to be doing?" Harry asked hoping he did so he would get out and leave Harry to do his.

"Nope" Ron dug in his pocket and pulled out a chocolate frog. "Finished it all yesterday, waiting for more orders from Robards"

With that Robards swung open the door, forcing it to bang with the glass wall the other side, nearly smashing it. "Weasley why aren't you in your office?" He had a raised voice and a mad look upon his face. Ron chucked the paper at harry and chucked the frog onto the desk, where it hopped onto the floor.

"I-I… Um" Ron stuttered trying to find the right excuse.

"Never mind that now, Two unknown wizards have started a wand fight outside a muggle shop just outside London. Go sort it out, I want it stopped and I don't want any Muggles remembering anything" Ron nodded his head and Stood up with Harry. Harry picked up his jacket to put it on but then stopped at the sound of Robards voice. "Where do you think you're going Potter?" Harry looked at Ron and Ron looked at Harry then shrugged. "You have some paperwork to re-do" He chucked a document at Harry from across the room and Harry had to duck as it was coming right for his head.

"But I'm meant to stick with Ron"

"Ron's being paired up with Terrance today, and maybe for the next week too; if you do not perfect this paperwork by tomorrow morning! You hear me?" He gave Harry a piercing glare.

"Yes" He bent down and picked up the document that had pieces of paper come out and scatter across the floor.

"Good, get to work" He left and Ron soon followed after a "Sorry mate". Harry was sure Robards was picking on him. He scanned over the paperwork once more and couldn't find a single thing wrong with it. He sat there for hours re-reading it and changing a few things he thought were good personally, but probably weren't that good in his boss's eyes.

He was close to pulling his hair out when Hermione walked in "You've got 5 minutes, might as well walk there now." She was on about the interview. Harry totally forgot in that moment with the paperwork bugging him, and was glad Hermione didn't trust his time keeping and came to tell him.

"Right yeah, of course" He sighed and closed the document, thankful to get a break from it.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

"Robards is keeping on at me and gave me this back to perfect when I think it's as good as it could get already" He moaned. "I hate the written side of work, it doesn't agree with me." He stood up and straightened his glasses.

"Let me take a look at it" She held out her hand.

"Oh no, I can't do that, you don't even work in this department, you've got work yourself to be doing"

"No I'm serious, I'm on a break, I have time just to go through it"

"But if Robards finds out, I'll get fired"

"He won't find out trust me" She rolled her eyes. Harry didn't budge and gave her a look that told her he wasn't so sure. "Trust me" She said once more and Harry gave in. He passed her the document.

"Thanks Mione, it means a lot"

"No problem, now go to room 104 before the interviewer from The Wingardium thinks we've forgotten them" she smiled. With that Harry walked out of the door and towards the lifts.

Harry took the lift up to the fourth floor, and scanned the numbers on the doors down the corridor till he found room 401, he found it quite quickly. The door was dark brown wood with a shiny gold handle, though Harry was sure it wasn't real gold. He grabbed the handle and entered the room, and then suddenly his jaw dropped down wide at the sight of the person sat in front of him.

Draco Malfoy.

Draco sat in a cream chair with a blue clipboard in his hands. He wore a dark grey suit that fit his body perfectly. He looked up at Harry and didn't seem shocked to see him at all, but Harry supposed he knew who he was interviewing yesterday, therefore had time for be prepared. Harry however didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to do, he just stood there attempting to take it all in. Malfoy was a journalist now? He wore something other than black? He wasn't smirking at him? Harry had to take a moment to try to understand how this could have happened. He was sure he got rid of Malfoy! Even though he stuck up for him in trial, he didn't particularly like the guy and didn't want to see his pointy pale face again, where a smirk was always placed once upon a time. He believed Draco didn't commit such a crime and his father was to blame for the Malfoy's part in the war. Draco got let off with something similar to community service. Harry wished he never stepped foot in the same place as him ever again as soon as he left that courtroom, But here the blonde git was, sat in front of him like this was nothing, like he didn't care that he would be spending time talking to Harry in a room alone.

"Potter" Malfoy said with a plain look upon his face, he then stood up straight and smartly, and put out his hand in front of him to shake with Harry.