Chapter Six: Ariella Pucey's Everyday Life
(July 25, 2006)
James stood by his dad as patiently as he could while they waited for Ariella to meet them at the players' entrance to the locker rooms. Today was the first day of what Harry was calling James' internship with the Tornadoes.
"Remember, Ariella said that you will have three hours of observation and she'll be collecting your notes. She wants you to know drills and plays before you're allowed to participate," Harry reminded James again. They had exchanged letters to work out the details and to make sure James was also doing academic-like work to promote good behaviors for when he started Hogwarts in September.
James rolled his eyes and muttered, "I know Dad." Harry chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair just as the private entrance opened.
"Good morning," Ariella greeted the pair. James beamed up at her in a Tornadoes' polo and denim trousers. He clearly was ready for his first day with a notebook and writing instrument in hand.
"Hello Ariella Pucey," he returned her greeting with a big grin. She smiled at him and gestured for the both of them to follow her. They approached a section that had been set aside specifically for James. It had a desk along with a cubby for Quidditch gear. The gear James would receive those items when he passed Ariella's test.
Harry watched as James set-up his stuff on the desk and then returned to Ariella's side. "Alright mate, I'll be back here in three hours when you're done. The team and I need to set-up your Floo route to the Burrow for the rest of the internship," he mentioned. His eyes roamed to Ariella and he thought about how he wanted to kiss her again. Harry knew that he couldn't act on that impulse, though. First, it would be wrong to do that in front of his son and second, he knew that Ariella would not permit it right now. She had made it very clear at Friday's dinner that she couldn't get involved with him. However, Harry was taking that as a challenge.
"Have a good time. I have to get to the Ministry to dole out raids before I pick you back up," he finished before giving James a hug and returning back to the entrance.
James turned to Ariella, "So what do we do now?"
"Well we go out to the grounds and you do some notes on our plays and drills for the next three hours." They walked out into a special area for important guests. The team gathered at the railing on their brooms. Oliver made the announcement that James was participating in a summer program with them. The team clapped for the young boy.
"Your seat is over there. I'm going to join the team now," she said as she pointed to a big chair with a desk just for him. Ariella then mounted her broom and met with the team.
"Harry's got a good kid there," Wood commented softly to Ariella as he watched James settle into the chair and immediately open his notepad.
"Yes, that's why I wanted to get him in here. He's a good kid and he wants to play so bad that he deserves the chance to get a bit ahead," Ariella responded to him.
Draco joined there conversation, "Well if he's as pig-headed as his bloody father then he'll end up playing no matter what." They all laughed at that before Oliver whistled for the start of drill practice.
James watched intently as the seven of the Tornadoes players started their routines. The beginning had each player doing three laps around the Pitch, stop for two minutes and repeating. He wrote this in his notebook and made an educated guess as to why Captain Wood had them do this exercise. In his untidy scrawl he wrote about the laps being a way for the players to maintain their ability to control brooms at high speeds.
Harry fiddled at his desk.
"Mate, could you stop? You're being a bit distracting?" Ron asked from his spot across the room. He was focusing intently on some raid forms and Harry's constant shifting and moving was pulling his concentration.
Harry just nodded, "Sorry." He just couldn't concentrate and the little unicorn paperweight that Lily had made him two years ago was currently the only thing to manipulate while he thought. Ariella had been alluring, even in the Quidditch gear. Okay, he had to be honest with himself; she was probably that much more appealing because of the Quidditch gear. He sighed. Harry having thoughts like that were the ones that got him into his current life as it was. However, he still couldn't resist wanting her.
"You do have some raid orders you're supposed to be assigning," Ron suggested as he heard Harry sigh.
"I know. I'm going to do that now."
Ron heard the weird edge to Harry's voice. He got up, closed the door to their office, and gave his friend a solemn look. "What is it?"
Harry hated having to share this with Ron, but after fifteen years of friendship he knew the other man wouldn't let it go until he told. "I have odd feelings about Ariella. I want to have some sort of relationship with her, but at the same time she feels like Ginny all over again."
Ron nodded. He hated that it was his sister who had broken Harry's heart, but at the same time couldn't help but notice that Harry could be falling into the same pattern. His best friend had an undeniable attraction to strong, powerful, and Quidditch-playing women- Cho, Ginny, and now Ariella. Plus, Ariella had a lot of similar physical features to the youngest Weasley and that worried Ron even more.
"Well you can't fight attraction. What exactly is it about her?" Ron asked in an attempt to see if he had to save his friend from another devastating heart break.
Harry thought for a few seconds before answering, "She's bloody gorgeous, I can tell that she has some fighter to her because she would have to, being the first woman on the team, and then just that she has an interest in James and Quidditch."
Ron listened. A lot of those were the same reasons that Harry had fallen in love with Ginny. The only thing that was different was that Ariella was interested in James. It had been obvious since James' birth that Ginny was not interested in children or at least not interested in children then. James had been an announcement that no one expected. Harry and Ginny had only been married for four months when they found out about him. He wondered if it was just a focus for the famous Chaser to be interested in James because of his interest in her or if she genuinely liked all of the kids.
"Okay, well those are good reasons for wanting her, but what about Al and Lily? I mean she seems to have a lot of interest in James and that's nice. However, anyone you bring into your life is going to affect all three of them. And, even if you try to hide it, they'll eventually find out."
"I know they'll find out. Even so, she has asked about Lily and Al previously. I think it's just easier for her to connect with James because he makes it that way. It is something that worries me, how James would be if we were dating or if we were dating and it bloody well ended up the same as his mother."
Ron thought about Harry's words. He knew that Hermione had suggested that Harry go for it, but do it with caution. He had the same idea. Harry had a way of attacking something he set his mind to, and if he had chosen to pursue Ariella, then there was no way Ron could stop him. "Just be careful," were the only things Ron said before he reopened the door and went back to his files.
Harry didn't really need to say anything has he only had two hours before he had to be back at the Tutshill Pitch to pick up James. He would take Ron's advice to heart. It didn't surprise Harry that it was the same as Hermione's. The two of them had always been in sync when it came to their best friend.
A security wizard walked Harry back to the players' area once he returned to get James. After the guard had dropped Harry in a waiting area, he thanked him and watched as the man returned to his post. It was nice for Harry to know they had a professional security staff around his son. There were still some occasional mad wizards and witches that tried to poke at the Potter children.
Harry took a seat on the bench near James' work station to wait for everyone to come back in from the grounds. He looked around and saw the differences between the players' lockers. Wood's looked just as it had in school, pristine.
"Dad!" James shouted as he came in from his spot in the stands. Harry looked up at him and noticed the big grin across his son's face.
"Have a good day there, mate?"
"Yes. I learned a lot of new drills," James answered as he rushed over with his notebook to show his father. As James went through the notebook showing Harry all the different things he had learned, the players joined them. They had just finished changing in their private rooms and were now bringing stuff to the lockers.
Ariella noticed Harry sitting with James, "I see you found your dad to share."
Harry looked up at the sound of Ariella's voice. He gave her a warm smile as he took in the sight of her in plain denim trousers and a simple blue tee. Even in the simplest of clothes she was still fit.
"How was he?" He asked keeping his attention both on James and Ariella at the same time. Being a single father of three had given him that random talent.
"He was great. James is a bloody brilliant kid," she said honestly.
With a ruffle to James' hair, Harry responded, "Thanks. I'm not sure he gets that from me, but glad to know it."
They were interrupted by Draco, "Ariella, Wood wants to talk to you. I'll escort Scarhead and James out." She nodded at him, said good-bye to James and Harry, and then walked off to the captain.
Draco, James, and Harry were halfway down the exit corridor when Harry paused. "Malfoy, I'll meet you at the exit. I forgot to mention Floo plans to Ariella."
Ariella had finished her chat with Wood and was going back to her locker when Roger stopped her. "Ariella, come home with me. We should talk about this misunderstanding." She sighed. Since when was cheating a misunderstanding?
"We've been through this. I'm not your girlfriend anymore." She tried to walk away from him, but Davies grabbed her arm, roughly. "Let go," she said with venom.
Harry had just rounded the corner to see Ariella staring daggers at Roger.
"Davies, as an Auror, I have to ask you to let her go," Harry said in a mild, but authoritative voice. Roger immediately dropped Ariella's arm but glared at the other man. Ariella just shook her head at the male bravado of it all.
She sighed, "You didn't have to do that. I can take care of myself."
"But I'm Harry Potter and I tend to do what is right even if other people don't want me to," he responded cheekily. She shook her head at him.
"What do you want Harry Potter?"
"I just came back to ask you to please make sure you watch as James Floos to his grandparents' home. I had a nasty trip once because I said the wrong thing and I don't want him to end up somewhere he shouldn't be," he explained as he took a few steps closer to examine her arm.
Ariella covered the red mark left by Roger's hand and responded, "Of course. I intended on making sure that he got wherever he needed to be. And, really, I'm fine."
Harry knew that she wasn't, but let it drop for the time being. He knew he couldn't be too persistent right now if he wanted to have a chance. So instead he made his way back to the exit to take his son home.
