Chapter 11 Communicating

Harry decided to wait and visit Emily during the day; he thought she might feel less threatened by him if there were other people about. Also he knew Sarah was on his side, so maybe she could help. The next morning Harry travelled to a secluded spot and walked up to the B&B. 

Sarah came barrelling out of the door and he caught her and twirled her around, laughing at her non-stop chatter. Emily stood silently at the door watching. Harry kissed the little girls cheek and whispered to her that he wanted to talk to Emily in private for a few minutes.

"Maybe she will stop crying now you've come back," Sarah told him quietly, then ran out to find her bike and with a last wave she took off.

"Why have you come back?" Emily asked in a cold voice.

"Because I miss you and I hoped you might have changed your mind," Harry replied honestly.

"Don't," Emily croaked, "Don't make this out to be my mistake."

"I'm not, but I still lo.." Harry began, but Emily cut him off as she turned and walked away.

"Wait, Emily, please wait," Harry walked after her. "You'll have to face up to the fact that my world exist, wither you like it or not. Or are you planning to disown Sarah when it's her turn to go to school?"

"Sarah won't be going," Emily replied.

"She has to," Harry replied.

"No, I am her guardian, and if I don't permit it what will you do, kidnap her?"

"Emily, it's for Sarah's own protection that she must study eventually," Harry said quietly. "Do you know that thing she does, apparating it's called. Do you have any idea the amount of magical power that takes?"

"Well of course I don't - I don't even know how it's possible," Emily snapped.

"Let's just say, normal wizards have to be a least sixteen before they have the power and control to do it," Harry replied.

Emily laughed bitterly, "Normal wizards? Is anything about this whole thing normal?"

"So you think I'm a freak," Harry hissed. "Well I lived with that kind of attitude from my 'guardians' for nearly sixteen years and I'll be damned if I will live with it again. This is a phone number for you, use it if Sarah has any problems." Harry flung the card with his new telephone number on it, and turned to storm down the stairs. "By the way, people will be checking up on her periodically, so be careful what you do with her." With that he disapparated, with only a cursory glance around to make sure no one was watching.

He stormed into the Ministry building and sank down at his desk. The image of Emily's tired face blazed in his mind. She was just like them – she thought it was freaky and unnatural – well she could go to hell, Harry thought bitterly. It had been years since he had felt the kind of insecurity the Dursleys had instilled in him and yet there he was, doubting his worth.

Harry went to Dumbledore and put Sarah's name on the list – one that had been started seven years ago when Harry had first graduated. It was a list of muggle born children or orphaned magical children in the care of muggles; they were monitored and if it was deemed necessary they were adopted or fostered by magical families who could love and protect them against any bigotry or mistreatment.

Dumbledore made no comment about Emily except to tell Harry that he was sorry things had not worked out. Harry brushed aside the comment and asked if there was anything new he could work on. Dumbledore assigned him to visit Azkaban, it was time to reinforce the wards there. Harry went to collect Tonks and they made their way to the remote Scottish island.

They were met at the gates by Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones. Harry and Tonks greeted them and went up to visit the chief warden, Augustus MacKay; a gruff Scottish wizard with a shock of white hair and a scar running the length of his face. Promising to stop and chat with Justin and Susan before they left, Harry and Tonks sat through a dull thirty minute briefing before being allowed to go back outside and check the wards.

Tonks grinned at Harry and said, "Okay superman, do your stuff."

Harry grunted a laugh and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the wards and began to search through them methodically in his mind. They were just as strong as the first day that he had built them, but he poured a little more energy into them, just to be on the safe side.

"You know, I would really like it if you could trust me enough eventually to explain how you do that," Tonks interrupted quietly.

Harry grinned at her and replied, "You and the rest of the nosey magical community."

"Are you calling me nosey?"

"Yup!" Harry grinned at her mock outraged look and then led her back inside the prison.

They came across Justin and Susan, going for a coffee break and sat for a while with them.

"We're getting married next month," Justin boasted, looking at Susan tenderly.

"Congratulations," Harry and Tonks chimed in unison.

"I guess that's what happens when you work together too long," Susan told them. "You start to finish each others sentences and the like. Watch out you two might be next."

Harry laughed at the suggestion and Tonks snorted something that sounded like, "that stud? You must be joking."

"Hey," Harry said, "I'm not that bad you know."

"Well stud, your just not my cup of tea," Tonks smiled sweetly. "Now that new guy, what's his name again?" She asked Harry.

"Not that new auror?" Harry replied, "Good grief Tonks he's only twenty-one!"

"Oh and exactly how old do you think I am anyway," Tonks replied indignantly.

"Too old for him, that's for sure," Harry laughed. "We should go though guys, you have to get back on duty and Tonks here needs her rest. She's not as young as she used to be."

His parting remark drew a laugh from Justin and Susan and earned him a clip on the ear from Tonks.

Back at head quarters, Harry looked around for another assignment, to keep him busy. But the only thing they had was a possible sighting of a witch, wanted for casting inappropriate charms on her husband. Tonks looked at him as though he had gone mad, when he told her he wanted to go and check it out. But really he just didn't want to go home and think about Emily all night. Tonks took pity on him and they went to work.