Loophole
A/N: The lovely hp-art-by-nanse on Tumblr put up this amazing drawing (for the link check out my AO3 or Tumblr) and I immediately had a story for it. She was gracious enough to give me the go-ahead to write a one-shot for her drawing. Thank you, Nanse!
Harry was not going to do this.
"I've told you," Harry took a deep breath and looked up at his supervisor, another man who thought Gawain Robards had only appointed Harry because he was famous. "My girlfriend's birthday is that day, and I have plans. I can't make it to your party."
"Potter," Mark sneered, "I'm throwing this *gala* to help rebuild relations within the Wizarding community."
Harry bit his tongue to keep from screaming at him.
"Weasley has already agreed to be there." Mark continued. "You can refuse to come, but know that I won't forget that you did." He tossed the invitation down on Harry's desk and stormed off.
Harry swallowed his anger and grabbed the invitation before stalking out of the Ministry and to the Apparition point. He'd only been an Auror for all of two months, but he could tell a lot was going to have to change and he was determined to make those changes happen, especially if people thought they could get away with forcing him into non-work situations.
Harry opened the door to the Burrow to find Ron already digging into dinner, having left right before Mark had cornered Harry.
"There you are," Ron grinned, but his grin quickly fell. "Whoa, mate, what happened?"
Harry shook his head, "Is Gin around?"
"Harry?" Ginny came into the room and Harry nearly bolted for her to take her in his arms.
"Hey," Ginny soothed, "what happened?"
Ron looked back at her wide-eyed and shook his head, just as confused.
Ginny lead Harry to the table where Ron summoned the plate Molly had made for him.
"Talk to us, mate," Ron prompted as Ginny pushed her chair against Harry's.
"Mark is a fucking prick," Harry started and grinned when Ginny and Ron laughed. He pulled out the invitation and related his conversation with the said prick to the siblings at the table.
"I get it, mate." Ron nodded as Harry slumped against his chair and opened the invitation. "Mark suggested he'd find me in need of a new partner if I didn't go. So what are we going to do?"
"I don't know," Harry mumbled as he read through it, "Great, it's black tie."
"Is that a Muggle term?" Ginny asked.
Harry nodded, "Yeah, it means the men wear suits and the women wear dresses."
Ron chuckled, "My invitation just said that the dress code for couples was suits and dresses."
"Well so does this," Harry shot him a nasty look before it quickly turned into a grin. "Merlin so does mine!"
Ron looked at him like he'd gone mad. "What does it matter?"
Harry's grin grew wider, "Send Hermione a Patronus, I've got an idea."
The day of Ginny's birthday arrived and Harry grinned in the mirror in Ron's room.
Ron shook his head as he came to stand next to him, "Bloody Hell! I want you to know that this is barmier than anything you had us do in those seven years we fought Voldy-shorts."
"Kingsley thought it was brilliant," Harry chuckled.
"Kingsley is mad."
"You lovely ladies ready?" Ginny's voice called up the stairs.
"I want to go on record for only doing this because Hermione thinks you're a genius and because I enjoy pissing off Mark."
"Green looks good on you, not as good as it does on Ginny, but..."
"Let's go," Ron cut him off and rolled his eyes. "I'm looking forward to Mark kicking us out."
Harry gave Ginny and Hermione a ridiculously overdone curtsey as he and Ron stepped into her room, "Gentlemen."
The girls dissolved into a fit of laughter at the site of Ron in a green dress with a long flowing skirt that brushed his ankles and Harry in a shimmery pink dress that only came to his knees.
"Merlin, we won't even make it in the door!" Hermione gasped for breath.
"That's the idea," Harry chuckled, admiring how good Ginny looked in her full suit.
"Let's go," Ginny took Harry's hand, "I want to get onto our actual plans for my birthday sooner rather than later."
Molly groaned when she saw them descend the stairs, "Must you dears?"
"We could not get to come back and spend my birthday with you, Mum," Ginny reminded her.
Molly pursed her lips but nodded them on.
"Five Galleons says you end up having to stay even though you're in those dresses!" George yelled from the kitchen where he was helping with Ginny's birthday dinner.
"You're on!" Ron called over his shoulder.
The four headed out to Mark's parent's estate, stopping to regain their composure before knocking on the door. The house elf that answered the door stared for a full thirty seconds before remembering himself.
"Your, your names please?" he stammered.
"Harry Potter and Ron Weasley" Harry answered glibly.
The elf nodded, "If you'll wait just a moment." He disappeared behind the door and returned a few moments later with Mark hot on his heels.
"Potter, Weasley, what is this?" Mark stared at them.
"We're here for your party," Harry smiled at Mark, rather pleased with himself. "I should get a picture with your big-name guests, don't you think? That's why you wanted me here after all. I'm the right name to have at the party, no matter how much you despise me."
"Is this your idea of a joke?"
"Your invitation said couples we're to be in suits and dresses, Mark." Ron gave his skirt a swish. "I found it odd, but I'm not one to question my supervisor."
"I'm not letting you in like that!"
"And we aren't changing," Harry challenged there clenched teeth.
Mark glared at him, "Fine, you win, Potter. Get out of here."
"On one condition," Harry placed his hand on the door, pushing it back open. "You're done pulling rank to get us to do your bidding. I'll take it to Robards from here on out."
Mark looked like he might start foaming at the mouth, "Fine, I'll request you and Weasley get assigned to a new supervisor."
"Pleasure doing business with you, chap," Ron grinned at him.
Mark slammed the door in their faces and the four friends burst into a fit of giggles.
"Alright," Ron gasped, "this was fun, now let's go change. I have no clue how you girls can stand these shoes."
"Practice," Hermione laughed.
Ginny took Harry's hand and smiled up at him as they walked out of the Apparition barrier, "You have the best ideas."
Harry pulled her close into him, "Thank you." Then he leaned down to whisper in her ear, "And this suit is one of the hottest things I've seen you in."
"Really?" Ginny smirked, "Perhaps you'd like to help me take it off before I change for dinner."
"Only if you help me get out of this dress too," Harry pressed a gentle kiss behind her ear and smirked as she shivered against him.
"Hurry up you two!" Hermione called out. "Ron has five Galleons to collect from George and then he owes me an ice cream sundae."
"Why do you get an ice cream sundae?" Ginny called out.
Ron rolled his eyes, "Because I said the elf would let us in and she said we'd have to wait outside."
"You bet against your girlfriend," Ginny laughed at him, "for shame, Ron!"
"Only so I'd have an excellent excuse to take her out for ice cream." Ron pressed a kiss to Hermione's hand.
Hermione burst out laughing, "There is absolutely no way I can take you seriously in that dress, Ron."
"Well you'll just have to get me out of it then," Ron wriggled his eyebrows at her and Ginny made a retching noise.
Harry pulled Ginny next to him and grinned at Ron. "Send my clothes down to Gin's room, we'll make sure Hermione's end up in yours." Then he turned on the spot with Ginny, Ron yelling at him as he did so.