"Merlin wept!"
"Harry, you can't expect to pull with those eyebrows! It looks like Aragog's children have died on your face!"
Harry had stupidly let Hermione wax his eyebrows during his lunch break. He now had to endure the rest of his day looking like someone had hexed his eyebrows.
"Hermione, do you mind not talking about the creature while I'm eating? Thanks darlin'" Ron said shuddering at the memories from second year.
"When aren't you eating Ronald?"
Harry's laughter was sharply cut short by Hermione ripping off a piece of wax covered linen from his forehead. This was only marginally less painful that the crucio.
"Right. I think that's enough tidying for today. Come see me later and I'll shape them for you" Hermione stated looking at her handy work.
"Come back? To you? That was not tidying, you butchered my head!" Harry caught sight of his eyebrows in a hand mirror that Hermione had passed him. "What the fuck Hermione?! My head looks like a radish!"
Harry rose from his chair/toilet that Hermione had transfigured (what was it with them three and abandoned toilets?) and left Ron and Hermione behind as he rushed out of the room in a flourish, robes swirling behind him.
Ron lifted his head from his food and just stared at the door, confused. Hermione looked like she was about to cry.
"I just wanted to help. I'm worried Ronald, he's been single ever since he came out".
"He'll be fine love," Ron dismissed, "just a bit dramatic is all".
Harry was walking down the corridor that led to his Ministry office. How did he get here in his life? A 23 year old Head Auror with no family and no life. Before he had come out, no-one wanted him and now he was officially "batting for the other team", still no-one wanted anything to do with the train wreck that was Harry James Potter. Okay so maybe that was slightly dramatic but some of it was true. He didn't have any real family, like blood relatives but he had his godson Teddy and with that came Andromeda. Also he had the Weasleys, even though one particular member had become estranged after his coming out. One guess who that had been.
He loved his job but even walking into his office, it felt like something had changed. His passion was still there but it felt like something was missing. And apparently that could be fixed with some nicer-shaped eyebrows.
He sat down behind his desk with a sigh, reaching for a piece of parchment and a quill. Only one letter would need to be written, Ron didn't care that much.
"Hermione.
I know you were just trying to help and I am so sorry for bursting out of the toilets like that. I'll take you shopping and I'll even get my nails done to please you.
Forgiven? Smart witches don't hold grudges against the saviour of the wizarding world. Remember that.
Love Harry
P.S. getting my nails done was a joke, please don't make me. I may be gay, but I'm not a woman."
Harry was sure Hermione would forgive him. Yeah she was sensitive but she wasn't that sensitive. Was she?
Sighing (that was becoming an increasingly common thing within his daily life) he rose and stalked across his office, letter in hand, to the open door to give the letter to his secretary to owl to Hermione. He could've done it himself but why should he when he was Head Auror? He hired people to do that for him. Ministry jobs had perks.
As he was about to step out of the door, all he saw was a blur if grey before he was knocked to the floor.
After shaking his head to try and rid himself of the disorientation, he looked around to see where his letter had gone.
"Gosh Potter, one would expect you to be much more wary, what with your past and all."
Harry didn't even need to look up to know who that slimy, smarmy voice was coming from.
"Oh Malfoy, did Tom not tell you that being a dark wanker gets you nowhere?" Harry countered, "Right, people don't speak where he is."
Picking himself up, Harry straightened himself whilst glaring at Mr Draco Malfoy. With a smug "hmph", Malfoy sped off down the corridor the way he had been going before he had rudely knocked into Harry. Harry found himself staring after Malfoy. Did he actually strut? With a hushed laugh to himself, Harry continued towards his secretary's desk. Her name was Totalia Westgood and she was lovely. Albeit slightly loony, but lovely nonetheless. Smoothing back his hair and checking his breath, he approached Mrs Westgood. Just because he was gay, that didn't mean he couldn't be charming towards women.
"Hello Mrs Westgood. And may I say how lovely you look today." Yeah, he thought, still got it.
"Good afternoon Mr Potter, but I must insist you call me Talia".
Harry bent over and rested his elbows on the desk, his face very close to the old woman. He looked at her with his emerald eyes through his thick dark lashes. The classic puppy dog face.
"Of course, if that's what you would prefer but then I must also insist that you call me Harry." Harry feigned taking a deep breath, knowing that all he would have smelt if he had truthfully done this would be that smell that followed old people about. Like baby powder. "Wow Mrs Wes- Talia. You do smell lovely today. Is that the new Eau De Toilette by The Holyhead Harpies?" An all-woman quidditch team counted as a female celebrity right?
Mrs Westgood smiled knowingly. "Harry my dear, flattery gets you everywhere", she said batting him off of her desk. "What do you want me to do?"
Standing up straight and feeling slightly defeated, Harry pulled the letter from his top pocket and laid it on her desk.
"I need this to be sent to Miss Granger. I've been doing some devilishly evil things lately", he winked at the receptionist.
"Again Harry? You must stop pushing your friends away! Want me to send some flowers also?"
"You know me so well. Not roses though, Ron might eat me if he thought I was moving in on his bird". Not that was a problem, she's lacking some..things, he thought.
"An orchid it is then. And Sir, may I be so bold as to say that there is no chance of anyone ever thinking that. It is common knowledge that you are interested in men. Not that anyone wouldn't be lucky to have you. You are extremely handsome", the women seemed content with her statement.
Wow, that was bold.
"Erm.. Thank you, thank you. If you could get started on the flowers now, that would be great Talia". Harry was in a state of shock. He turned around and strode back towards his office.
"Harry?" Mrs Westgood called.
Harry turned back around to face his secretary.
"I don't wish to offend you further but I do believe it is also common knowledge that Mr Malfoy has just parted ways with Astoria Greengrass. And my perfume is by a muggle celebrity actually".
"Oh okay".
"Now I'll just call the Herbology department and get that orchid sorted".
"Thank you Mrs Westgood". Harry walked into his office, but not before he saw the smile that was resting on his secretary's worn lips. Merlin, that woman doesn't miss a trick does shehe thought as he closed the door.
Picking up her wand, Talia Westgood wondered if Mr Harry Potter would ever find love. Everyone deserved love she thought.
