Disclaimer: (Points at previous chapters) that way.

Thanks to:

Elrohir lover: Aw stop you're making me blush (flaps hand flamboyantly). Ta for the kiss too, Can't say I've had one from a reviewer before lol. And I'm glad you consider Cara believable because there's been extensive care in putting him together, right down to the name.

Vasquez1987: Aye I've noticed that, I'll say something I've read and my friends will have these bewildered looks upon their faces. Anyway, naa my leg is getting better and besides if I went out (it's the holidays for me too) I'd just end up shopping resulting in a low bank account again (Sigh). Me, I'm from merry old England mate (F****ing freezing mate)! And ugh I may not write that late again, I didn't wake up till midday, which is why you didn't get a morning update like usual.

Sykostalker27: Yeah I wanted a meaningful first time. Even in real life it's not all candlelight and sweet whisperings but it's important to the two people so I just tried putting together a scene that you'd expect Harry to put together for Cara. Glad I could give you the fuzzies and believe me, when I hit that pillow I was out for the count.

Idril tinuviel: I think the overall agreement you reviewers have come to is that Cara is cute, which I don't mind because, heh, he is! Lol.

Sorry it seemed for me to update longer today, I was dying my hair pink lol.

~*~

Chapter 19 – Scandals and Words

Hedwig tapped on the window again as she began clicking her beak impatiently at the two sleeping men. Harry rubbed a hand down his face to shake off the lingering feelings of sleepiness. Throwing his feet over the side of the bed he pulled his boxers on, tucking the sleeping Cara back in with a little kiss to his brow and walked to the opened the window.

The snowy owl hopped in with a dignified hoot then held her leg out. Harry extracted the package only to discover it was today's Daily Prophet. He groaned but opened it none the less...It was just as he predicted.

The was a moving photo of Cara answering the dorm door with a smile then slamming it shut revealing the number to his room.

The heading said in big bold letters "The Boy who Cries Wolf" and a sub- heading saying, "Boy who lived dating registered Werewolf."

He scanned the article, growing angrier as he went until he was trembling at the indignity of it all. They had made it seem that Cara had forced him to be his mate, forcefully inflicting the 'lovebite' against the boys' wishes and he was now forced to protect the Lycan.

He threw it so it landed against the wall with a loud bang startling the sleeping blonde awake.

"Harry?" He asked as he wrapped the sheets around his waist and walked over to the shaking man. He rested a hand on a tanned bicep, instantly calming the animagi a little...only a little though.

"I'm going to speak to Percy, How dare he...How dare THEY! No right, the...the...I can't believe." He clenched his fists at his side until he felt a cool hand cup his heated cheek. His face was turned to face a calmer, more serene gaze.

"Because it's their job Harry, to make a scandal." Cara stroked his thumb over the high cheekbone of his lover then standing on tiptoe he kissed him lightly.

"I still need to have words with Percy, I will NOT let them tear you apart like that."

They kissed again until finally they got dressed, Cara going to Hermione's dorm whilst Harry went to the nearest Floo network system and headed to the one place he hated more then Grimmauld Place...The Ministry of Magic.

~*~

"Will he be ok?" The young werewolf asked as he sat nervously on Hermione's floor. The bushy haired girl carried two cups of tea over to the boy and sat down cross-legged with him.

"Harry's'...How do I put this? He's a powerful figurehead. Where Minister Fudge has to shout and lose his temper for something to get done Harry merely has to ask. His presence commands attention."

She sipped her tea slowly as Cara looked at her quizzically so she continued.

"During the War Fudge had these Aurors all lined up. They were to be the first line, and as you can tell many were nervous if not frightened. The Minister gave a speech what he must if thought was very supportive but then he basically finish's it with 'But I'm not fighting, I'm going to sit in my office and wait till its safe."

"Not his exact words of course but you get the picture. So he walks off leaving these men and women feeling a bit expendable. Then Harry walks over, after watching this little fiasco. He starts by telling them that they need not fight, but he ASKS them if they will. He does not command it, or demand it but he asks! This obviously gets everyone's attention.

Cara smiled and Hermione did too before going on.

"He asks them to fight beside him as fellow wizards and witches, to help him defend all that he has come to love. I'm telling you, that crowd was so quiet as they listened to him talking to them as an equal. He spoke of the bonds that every pureblood, every muggle born hell even every Squib shared...they live in the same world and no one had the right to take it from them...I've never heard such a cheer that followed."

The blonde closed his eyes as he briefly imagined Harry standing at the front of a vast line of Aurors, courage burning in the emerald eyes and reluctantly taking up his position of leadership.

"So don't worry about Harry because he has a lot of friends within that building..."

~*~

His olive green duster fluttered slightly as his footsteps echoed off the cold floor of the large entrance hall. He stopped briefly to look at the repaired fountain, dropping in some galleons before continuing to the department he knew Percy worked in.

~*~

Percy scanned the document quickly then signed it at the bottom as safe to pass on to his boss. His head jerked up when he heard commotion coming from his secretary when suddenly his door burst open and a very pissed off Harry Potter stormed in.

The dark haired man quickly grabbed Percy by the collar and pinned him so his back was pressed against his desktop.

"Why?" The animagi growled making the red head shake a little.

"I-It was an accident. I was ranting about m-my lousy Christmas to a colleague and he asked why...that's when I accidentally, I said..." He seemed to drift off and Harry dug his back further into the table.

"Said what?" He hissed.

"I mentioned Faolan's c-condition and the fact that you had completely ignored it choosing to date him instead. I'm so sorry, I didn't know they'd go to the papers."

With one last growl Harry released his tight grip and stood straight, looking down at the man hatefully.

"You fix this. If they want to pin up my recent relationship then I can handle that, it's nothing new...But if so much as ONE hate letter gets to Cara it is YOU who will suffer the consequences."

Percy nodded vigorously and pointed to a letter already on his table.

"I-I already wrote a letter correcting them, I was just about to send it." Frowning, Harry reached for the letter. It did indeed correct the idea of the boy who lived being forced into the relationship. It still however made the relationship seem like a Hollywood soap opera.

"That's a start, fix the rest." He said as he chucked the letter back at the cowering male. He turned where he saw two Aurors waiting patiently to escort him out.

"I'm ready." He said pleasantly to the two men causing them to chuckle slightly as they both moved to stand either side of him.

~*~

Cara sat on his windowsill looking out at the sunny winter day. He wrapped his arms around his legs as he rested his head on his knees with a sigh.

Harry had been gone almost two hours now and he was becoming nervous. What if his reputation amongst the Aurors didn't pan out? What if he was in trouble? Maybe they'd put him into custody.

These thoughts continued to circle in his head until he finally jumped from the window and grabbed one of his cloaks, swinging it on ready to go to the Ministry.

Pulling open his door he gave a startled gasp as he came face to face with his lover. Relieved he threw his arms around the taller mans neck and hugged him tightly.

The animagi grinned as he returned the embrace, kissing the gold hair lightly as they simply held one another. Cara finally pulled back to look into Harry's face.

"I was about to come after you." He said simply making the darker teen smile.

"Well I'm here now." He whispered as he brushed a lock of blonde hair behind his boyfriend's ear.

"What happened?" The werewolf asked nervously while Harry pulled him gently back into his dorm, closing the door behind him.

"I delivered a message. Hopefully this whole thing will be fixed."

"It doesn't matter if it isn't Harry, you and I know the truth in the end." The blonde reassured him. The raven-haired male looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before kissing him lovingly.

They didn't break the kiss as they moved to the bed, Cara's knees hitting the side making them both fall on to it.

~*~

"Ron says that Mrs Weasley got a floo call from a very disgruntled Percy earlier today." Hermione said as she sipped her coffee. She, Harry and Cara were sat round one of the little circular tables in the cafeteria.

Harry pretended to look concerned by raising his eyebrows and sipping his tea gently.

"Really? My, what is the world coming to hmm? Random rebellions breaking into Government offices indeed."

Cara attempted to cover his laughter up with a cough causing them all to laugh. It was now the evening of the busy day, the sky painted red as the sun began to set and the breeze dropping a few degrees in temperature.

"Harry? Why is Hedwig heading this way?" The young witch asked as she watched the ghost like bird glide through the cafeteria doors (Much to the amusement of two entering girls and the annoyance of the frumpy dinner lady) and landed on the back of the empty fourth chair of their table.

"I don't know, what is it girl?" Hedwig hooted once as she held out her leg for Harry to remove the package. She then hopped onto Cara's shoulder where she nipped his ear affectionately and the young werewolf stroked her soft white feathers.

"Oh bloody hell it's another newspaper, the Evening Muse."

The animagi unrolled the paper, scanned the front until a wide grin broke out on his face.

"What does it say?" The blonde male asked quietly.

Harry didn't answer; instead turning the paper round to make the front visible where a big black heading read:

"ROMEO AND ROMEO; THE NEW LOVE OF HARRY POTTER!"

Underneath the sub-heading that read "Wizard and Werewolf fight for their right to love" was a picture of them sat at the table as they spoke the day before. They were obviously looking at one another with deep affection, Harry's thumb making circles on the hand in his.

The teenagers laughed as they flipped the paper open onto page 4 where it was continued. Various pictures showed Harry and Cara walking in to the cafeteria in giggles and many of the blonde's risqué gropes as Harry purchased their food.

"Oh my god I can't believe they got a picture of me with my hand up your shirt." The young werewolf laughed as he placed his hands over his blushing cheeks.

"I think these are all nice, and this article isn't too bad...except they seem to have thrown in that Cara's parents forced him to choose between Harry and them." Hermione sighed as she scowled at the offending sentence.

"Close enough." Cara said as he took his boyfriend's hand in his.

~*~