Chapter 70
Harry Potter swept through the corridors of the Ministry of Magic. He was dressed in a mish-mash of styles his shirt from when he travelled with the Doctor and was something that would prevent major damage from most energy weapons along with high velocity weapons and had a place to put his wand that would keep it secure and out of sight. His jacket was something that had a few stab holes in it, but it was hidden by the large coat that he wore against the freezing early December winds. It had been a gift from Osric and Agave Greengrass and something that he'd not quite worked out where to wear it.
Daphne had admitted to him that she wasn't sure where he would wear it, as he didn't attend 'normal' gatherings of wizards often. Not ones where he needed to cut a swathe as this coat allowed him to do.
Judith was walking beside him no less dramatic, though her outfit seemed to have come from some science fiction regime where she was ruler or prosecutor. Very tight lines, an outfit that suggested nothing but implied danger, much like the lady herself.
They were heading for Courtroom 6. He'd never actually been to any of the other courtrooms, though he assumed they existed.
As they walked along the corridors he found himself pausing at the one he did know, it seemed the courtrooms were not laid out in any sort of order, so he came across this one first.
"Something?" Judith asked following his gaze.
"Just memories," Harry said looking down into the empty courtroom.
"Good ones?" Judith paused and then snorted. "Of course not. You're Harry Potter."
"Harry has few good memories of that courtroom I would assume," said a voice behind them.
Harry turned around and smiled. "Draco Malfoy. Funny to see you here."
"Harry Potter. Judith," Draco nodded a greeting. "I assume you have been summoned to this hearing by the Department of Ministry Investigations?"
Harry nodded. "Do you know what it's about?"
"Of course," he smiled a wicked smile. "The Malfoy family makes several donations to the Ministry. My father especially donates from his private fortunes to the running of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Part of his reparations to the Ministry no doubt?" Judith mused.
"No doubt," Draco replied. "When something like this occurs we and others are invited to attend."
"Checking where your money is being spent?" Harry wondered. "Has nothing to do with the target of this inquiry?"
Draco looked at him carefully. "The Auror in question is of interest to me, but I have no say in the proceedings. I am merely an observer," Draco answered neutrally. "Shall we?" Draco gestured the path Harry and Judith had been walking.
"Will the Auror be able to see you watching these proceedings?" Harry asked curiously as they turned to follow him.
"No. Unsettling them would not be conducive to the investigation," Draco answered. Then changed tone. "I commend you Harry, you're almost looking like a proper wizard for this inquest."
"I'm just by the wayside, don't worry, you two can flirt," Judith commented flippantly.
Draco turned to Harry and raised an eyebrow.
"Judith's always dangerous looking, even when she isn't," Harry commented.
They continued along the corridor mostly in silence until they reached a short queue to the entrance to Courtroom 6.
"This is where I bid you farewell," Draco gestured to a separate door without much of a queue. "I will see you after perhaps?"
Harry looked to Judith. "We have some business after I wanted to take care of."
"Perhaps lunch then?" Draco offered.
Harry shook his head. "I have business in London, would you like to do dinner?"
"I'll get into the queue you two boys plan your date," she said with a smile.
Draco nodded. "If you wish Potter. Where?"
"If you want, meet me at the Post Office Tower, I presume you know that?" Harry suggested.
Draco paused for a moment and then nodded. "I am familiar Potter. Now, we must do as the government requests."
"Indeed we must," Harry said as he watched Draco swan off.
"Planned your dinner date?" Judith asked as he joined her in the queue to the courtroom.
"Nothing wrong with having a friendly dinner. Especially after the day we'll have," he said looking ahead.
"Yes. Do you think he's alright?" Judith asked of Ron.
"I haven't spoken with him if that's what you're asking. Not that they said I couldn't," Harry said in a soft tone.
"No, you wand waving eccentrics have a different view of justice and inquiry to the rest of us mere mortals," Judith commented.
Walking into the courtroom Harry could see it was much more of a paired down affair than Courtroom 10. This one looked much more like a departmental review area. Which he guessed is what this was.
The letter he'd been sent explained it was the Department of Ministry Investigations who were taking on the inquest into the death of an Auror and injury of two others at 'Ministry Overflow Storage Facility "Blue Stone"'. Which aside from knowing the name didn't indicate how many of them there were, which was typical of wizarding naming, they couldn't have something like a numerical system. That would've allowed him to guess at how many of these facilities they might have, hiding things away.
Inside the courtroom it seemed Susan Bones had the top seat, which wasn't very elevated; either side of her seemed to be others from her department. Harry recognised Minister Kingsley Shaklebolt who was sitting off to the side, but it didn't look like he was in a position to do anything official. Except watch.
There was also the man whom he'd come to...Harry didn't know what.
Ronald Bilius Weasley.
-/
Harry thought through the events of that day again.
Hermione hadn't really said anything about what had happened before he'd got there, only something had happened.
Then after he'd said farewell to his blue mate and its yellow friend it had been a case of scaling down the temporal field. Enough so they could get in there. Harry, Ioan and Judith had cleared away the remains of the Daleks that had gone in. He'd left Hermione and the Aurors under Æthelflæd Fenwick to take away what had been implied to him to be the remains of an Auror.
As they entered into the main body of the courtroom they were both shown to some comfy Chesterfield lounges where they'd obviously wait to be called.
"He looks calm," Judith commented quietly.
"Indeed." Harry murmured. "Obviously a legal professional there near him."
"Doesn't look like there's many people," Judith said looking around.
Harry craned to look around. "No." It seemed like the people who were filling up the queue had entered and then left, preparing the courtroom or something. Maybe they were carrying all the piles of paper that everyone else seemed to have. The letter didn't say anything about any documentation that he'd need to bring.
Although he and Judith did have expanding bags secreted within their coats that was for their activities after this. Returning to Andrew Fuller's offices to have another snoop while they were here in the Ministry.
Cutting into his musings was a noise followed by some door closing.
"Seems it begins," Judith said also breaking through his musing.
Susan Bones stood up and announced what it was all about. Making it clear this wasn't a prosecution rather it was an inquest.
This didn't seem to relax Ron.
It was interesting to see things play out in front of him, to have what happened explained from every angle.
It became clear to Harry by the time that Susan got to questioning Hermione that the focus didn't seem to be on Ron, but on the department he was a part of. That he shouldn't have been allowed to be at the 'Blue Stone' site in the first place, that someone should have stopped him. But this realisation didn't seem to have occurred to Ron with all the questioning and counter questioning that he was being subjected to.
Even so, everyone who had been injured or died was still there at that site because Ron went there.
Finally Susan Bones called. "Harry Potter, LPI."
Taking the small dais he stood waiting to be questioned, while the main players seemed to have to painted a picture, others were just questioned about pertinent facts. Harry hoped it was the latter for him. Painting a verbal picture of his blue mate and yellow friend would be tricky.
"Given your knowledge and experience Mr Potter could Auror Weasley and those Aurors with him have known of the dangers faced at Ministry Overflow Storage Facility 'Blue Stone'?" Susan asked using its full title, as she did with each official question thus far.
Harry had been expecting this question as it was one Hermione had been asked. "No." Harry paused. Susan Bones made a motion for him to continue. "Without specialist knowledge or equipment to alert you to the surroundings' danger."
"Or experience?" Pushed Bones.
"Experience of what occurred is very specialised. Within the Ministry I would guess only a few such as Ms Granger's team and the Unspeakables would recognise immediately the danger posed at the Blue Stone Facility," he answered.
"Please elaborate Mr Potter," Susan asked.
"I'm not sure what you want me to say," Harry said after a long pause. "LPI has specialist knowledge, like that which was at the Ministry facility," Harry paused. "The energies at work in this case were temporal and something more." He said.
"Temporal? Time turners?" Asked a wizard beside Susan.
"Related," Harry conceded. "Granger and her team did well to isolate and attempt to control the situation, she requested LPI when the situation became uncontrolled," Harry surmised and then added. "I cannot fault Ms Granger's conduct in this situation."
"It is not Ms Granger's conduct that we are investigating," Susan said in a warning tone. "I will repeat my opening question Mr Potter. Could Auror Weasley and those Aurors with him have known of the dangers present at Ministry Overflow Storage Facility 'Blue Stone'?" She paused. "Could a more experienced Auror have prevented what transpired there?" She finished.
Harry exhaled. That really depended. "I do not believe so. The Ministry's experience with temporal, time turner and the like related incidents is limited," he stopped short of saying that even he didn't have a great deal of knowledge. Not a lie, but what they would accept. Harry also wanted to add or ask where Ron's superior was in all of this, why he or she hadn't investigated or accompanied Ron. But he didn't. "If I could add one further thing?" He asked. Susan nodded. "Had the situation at Ministry Overflow Storage Facility 'Blue Stone' not been discovered when it had been by Auror Weasley it would likely have resulted in something significantly worse than what Mr Granger and LPI dealt with." It wasn't a mistruth, Harry wasn't entirely sure what would have happened. But it was the closest he could come to trying to help Ron.
"Thank you Mr Potter," Susan waved him off the dais with a slight motion of her hand.
Judith hadn't been called, it seemed like his testimony was enough. Following his were a few other minor people involved in treating the Auror injured and what treatments were needed at St Mungo's. Then as oddly as it started it ended.
"Didn't want to call the muggle," Judith muttered beside him.
"I'm still glad you came," he said softly.
"You just want me for the stuff we're about to get up to," she said with a smirk.
-/
As they filed out of the room Harry saw Draco waiting in an alcove that led into an adjacent room.
"How'd you find that Draco?" Harry asked.
"Interesting?" Judith asked.
"Very eloquent, even for you Potter," Draco praised. "Even though the Ministry chose to silence and redact the proceedings."
"Redact?" Harry asked.
"The viewing gallery had a silencing charm over it, we-"
"Those in choice position." Judith interrupted Draco to add.
"Quite. Could observe, a Ministry quill provided a transcript." Draco explained.
"Which no doubt burst into flames or something?" Harry asked.
"Something indeed. Evaporating ink," He rubbed his hands together. "It smudges, such a cheap concoction," he sneered rubbing his fingers together.
"Well, Draco we must head off," Harry said looking around carefully.
"Your illicit business?" Draco queried.
"You can come along, keep watch for us." Judith offered.
For a moment Harry thought Draco was going to take them up on the offer.
"No," he finally said. "No thank you Judith. Potter. I have other dealings to address while I am here."
"In the corridors of power and all that," Harry said looking around and then said to Judith. "End of the corridor, we'll take the stairs I think," then looking back to Draco. "Good luck with the corridors and people and everything Draco," Harry said as he turned to go. "I'll see you later."
"And you Potter." Draco said as he turned away and saw Ron watching them, Draco wasn't sure how long he had been observing their interchange, and as it was only Ron Wealsey he didn't much care what he thought of him talking with Harry Potter.
-/ - \\-
Harry pulled a small expanding bag from his pocket, or rather one that had a small opening though enough for the lights they'd come to take.
The lock had been replaced with what looked like a conventional lock, one that had not yielded to his wand but his sonic screwdriver had allowed him to melt the innards of the lock.
He hadn't quite decided what to do about replacing it. He assumed he'd think of something once he'd finished.
In the end, and as the room now looked like someone had ripped all the lights off the wall...which was what had happened he decided a quick reparo was enough to make it look like it hadn't been damaged, even if its interior was now a solidified metal slurry.
-/
Once out of the Ministry Harry asked "Can I give you a lift anywhere?" as he buttoned up his coat. Winter was present with fury.
"In London winter traffic?" She looked at him as though he were mad.
"I've got my blues and twos," he pointed out.
"I have some things of my own to deal with," she said as she walked with him back the Jag where it was parked in a small underground facility nearby. "I'll see you tomorrow or whenever," she said bidding him farewell.
-/ - \\-
Harry walked up to the Section D pods, he'd made sure not to have any detectible weapons on him as he waved his security pass at the reader.
Stepping into the pods he again wondered who designed them, they looked like something the British Space Agency used to use as airlocks.
As he stepped out he saw Ros making a beeline for him.
"Harry Potter, come up from your home in the country to us?" she said appraising him and probably judging him.
"Ros Myers. Still your cheery self I see," Harry said with a warm smile. "I have something for you, later though. Now I need to talk to Pearce."
"He knows you're coming?" Myers inquired as they both looked over to his office.
He waved them over.
"Pearce," Harry said as he walked in.
"Potter. Thank you Ros," he said with a nod as she watched them and then closed the door.
"So, what do you have about Luke Rattigan?" Harry asked without much preamble.
Pearce had a pained expression on his face.
Harry sighed. "I know that expression."
"Worrying is what it is Potter. His academy seems to have formed overnight with no oversight," he passed Harry a file with a blurry photos of a building.
"This the best picture?" Harry asked.
"There has been some difficulty obtaining surveillance within," Pearce paused and picked up another report. "'Considerable unknown electromagnetic interference'. Is what Malcolm describes as 'problematic'," Pearce sighed.
"Pain in the arse," Harry said. "EM shielding works in my experience. Or just a long lens."
"Keep reading Potter. I hope this isn't one of your magical people."
Harry shook his head. "Not that I or my associates know of," he raised an eyebrow as he read on. "Light bending obstructions. That does sound like something magical," he commented musing.
"We and other sections within the security services will keep him and his academy under surveillance. He's a hot topic with the government, this ATMOS has been rushed into production. It's seen as a means to meeting our targets and to sell something to the EU."
Harry snorted. "Because the government has always cared what the EU thinks."
"Indeed," Pearce said as Harry handed the file back. "Keep it Potter. You did initiate this investigation."
"And now I bare some responsibility I suppose?" Harry sighed.
"Of course Potter. We are all working together. The security services, all of us," Pearce commented in a cynical tone.
"Yes, working together in case the government does something stupid we have to stop."
"But of course," Pearce began. "There is something else. Another international government program that we think UNIT may be involved in," he began watching Harry for recognition.
"I don't know everything UNIT does. Most of it isn't very interesting. They're still recovering from that business in 2006 with the deaths of all their scientific advisors."
"Osterhagen," Pearce said simply.
"Osterhagen?" Harry repeated.
"Six has noticed some UNIT forces moving equipment around. There's been some discussion at very high levels of government that no one has been able to secure what has been said," Pearce explained.
"That must be annoying the security services. I assume not just us if UNIT's involved. Or don't we speak to other security services in other countries?" Harry asked Pearce.
"Not if we can avoid it Potter. We're not the UN," Pearce shuddered.
"Got a piece of paper?" Harry asked Pearce and grabbed a pen off his desk.
"Why Potter?" Handing him a pad from his desk.
Harry took the pad and looked at Pearce. "After my whole Torchwood, Cohort Dow situation."
"Your magical version of Torchwood?" Pearce asked.
"Yes, still working through that," Harry said as he wrote out the letters O-S-T-E-R-H-A-G-E-N on the page. "I've become aware of other anagrams that seem to have been used to hide things in plain sight."
"It is a village in Germany, and that Potter could be done on a computer," Pearce pointed out as Harry mused on the page tapping the pend against it in thought.
"It could, but I like to work some things out on my own." He said. "'Hearts Gone' maybe a weapon to kill Time Lords?" He mused to himself "'Earths Gone'..." He mused aloud. "I'll work on this, maybe you can get one of your minions to run through it."
"You really think the UN would hide something like this in an anagram?" Pearce asked.
Harry gave him a look. "This is the UN Harry. What do you think?"
"Now, if there anything else we can do for you Mr Potter?" Pearce leaned back into his chair.
"There is, one or two things Pearce." Harry said to Pearce.
"Which are?" Pearce asked.
"Authorisation regarding the Post Office Tower, LPI is purchasing the lease with the backing of the security services, I just need you to rubber stamp it as my man in the services."
Pearce looked at him. "Why?"
"To have somewhere that is useful and not in any other government building. It's still a useful building and no one wants a revolving restaurant. As we found during the ghost invasion it's proved useful."
Pearce sighed. "Very well Potter. I will 'action' that."
"Plus I want somewhere to park when I come into London," Harry added flippantly.
"And the other?" Pearce pressed.
"If I could have a private word with Ros, there's something I'd like to give her." Harry said as he pulled a small bag out of his pocket and unfolded it to pull out a large box from within its innards.
"That's..." Pearce started as Harry slipped the file into it and stuffed it back into his pocket.
"Something that I shouldn't be giving to Ros, but having dealt with what I found out about our near miss, I think she might be one of those important people we should..." Harry trailed off. He didn't want to say protect. He just wanted to give something to her. Had Ros not been there for his alternate self Harry didn't know.
-/
Pearce had summoned Ros to their meeting room and the left Harry with her.
Ros crossed her arms. "Well Potter?"
"Had things gone differently Ros and we had actually experienced that missing film, that other year that we could have had," Harry began.
"What are you dithering about Potter?" She glared at him.
Harry shook his head. "In another timeline you and I would have proved quite integral to saving the human race" he offered her the box.
"What is it?" She stared at him and the box, not taking it.
"Something that will feel like you're wearing nothing, an undershirt of sorts. It will stop almost any knife and possibly even a bullet," he didn't add that it was also quite illegal for him to be giving this specialised weave of several wizarding fibres to a muggle.
Ioan had helped him with that, her sizing Harry had guestimated.
"No one aside from you and possibly, though unlikely a wizard or witch will be able to see it," he continued as she opened the box.
It was almost transparent, but vaguely white.
"It'll blend in with anything around it," he finished.
"And you're giving this only to me because?" She asked in a cynical curious tone.
For one thing it was incredibly expensive. Only a few Quidditch teams had things like this and not in such a high quality weave and none so light.
"Because you're one of the people fighting the good fight and all that Ros. And if shit hits the fan in the future I want to know I have someone I can trust," he explained honestly.
"And you think I will get myself killed in the interim?" She asked him.
"I think you like to stick your nose in. I like to too, and that's dangerous," Harry said simply.
Ros watched him. "I'll see Potter," she said after a long while taking the box.
"It'll survive any wash, though it should be good not to be washed for a few months at a time."
"Months?" She repeated. "This is your magical technology at work?"
"Something like that. I also wouldn't tell anyone about it," he said as casually as he could.
She watched him and smirked. "Illegal is it Potter?"
"Quite. Fortunately I don't care and probably no one would, not this small infraction," he said offhandedly.
"Thank you Potter," she said after studying him for a few moments.
Harry simply smiled a nod.
-/ - \\-
Later Harry found Draco standing outside the Post Office Tower looking a little lost.
"Draco. Thanks for coming to me," Harry greeted as he met him outside.
"Because you couldn't be so civilised to be located somewhere with a fireplace," he sniffed. "Or even an owlery."
"Of course not. Now am I dressed appropriately or do I need to dress back up?" Harry asked. He had removed a little bit of his wizarding garb while he'd been scouting around the tower, but had put back on his coat.
Draco looked him up and down. "It's enough Potter. I have come to expect that you will not have my level or even that of civilised wizard's level of dress on our outings."
Harry laughed. "But you'll spend time with me regardless Draco."
"Potter there are few wizards that have known what we have experienced," he paused looking around them. "I feel quite above many wizards because of that."
Harry nodded. "Yet it makes me wonder what I have in common with my peers sometimes," he admitted as they walked away from the Post Office Tower.
"We're wizards Potter. Associating with commoners is not something we need to do. We mix with those we choose," Draco gestured lightly as they turned a corner.
"Where are we off to then? Some gentlemen's club for dinner or do you have somewhere exciting in mind."
"Gentlemen's club?" Draco queried.
"I was a member of one, because of the Doctor," Harry paused. "In the 1970s."
"The period we visited." Draco commented.
"That first time, yes. I've not had cause to revisit it," Harry paused. "Perhaps I'll go back and see if I'll still be allowed in."
"Indeed Potter," Draco looked around. "From here we can apparate."
Harry had forgot to mention that there were a few sweet spots near the Post Office Tower which was safe for apparition, they were small however.
"Or we could catch the tube," Harry gestured at the tube sign a short walk away.
Draco gave him a withering look. "Really Potter, even you don't lower yourself to public transport."
"No. Especially with all the Christmas shoppers," Harry mock shuddered.
"Exactly Harry. Muggles indulging in capitalism on public transport," Draco sneered.
"Some of them will probably be eating and drinking in public as well," Harry teased knowing Draco's disdain for anyone doing that.
"Let us depart now Potter before you remind me of any other sickly things, my stomach would surely turn," Draco shook his head.
"Fine Draco, lead on," he said offering the other man his hand. "You can lead as I don't know where we're going." Harry explained as Draco looked at his hand.
"Such trust you have in me Potter," Draco commented.
"Trust I fear I have in few people," Harry admitted as Draco took his hand and they disapparated.
-/ - \\-
Harry sipped the last of his drink relaxing in the sunshine and quiet and allowed himself to relax a little bit in his surrounds.
Draco had sorted the tickets for him, after he'd listened to him chat about his worries of Ron, despite how the inquest went.
Or perhaps Draco understood the path that might lead Ron, or a version of him down to the path of no return.
Or maybe he was just sick of Harry going on about the brother of the Mad Cow.
Alternatively Draco got these tickets and didn't want to go to the match.
Whatever it meant he'd invited Ron whom Harry had found out was on leave. The preliminary findings of the hearing had found that he wasn't at fault, that it was a combination of poor leadership, poor policies within the Ministry and at their storage facilities and a variety of other things that would be revealed in a full report by the Department of Ministry Investigations in the new year.
As they were barely into December and dangerous things tended to happen around Christmas Harry had taken up Draco's offer of the tickets to this international, though according to Ioan minor league Quidditch match.
It was nice though, here on Lanzarote, as nice as anywhere else it could have been held.
It was nice to get away from the cold of London.
But now that he was out here, he sort of missed it.
But then he sat back and ordered another drink and tried to relax while he waited.
Then barely half an hour after they organised to meet Ron came over to the table. Harry got up and gave him a hug, something Ron resisted at first.
"How're you holding up mate?" Harry asked as they both sat down.
"I'm...I wanted to say thanks Harry for what you said at the trial," Ron started awkwardly.
"It wasn't really a trial," Harry offered. "I've been there, done that."
Ron nodded. "Yeah, sorry Harry, I forgot, I just..." Ron looked at him. "It was my fault."
"The preliminary report doesn't indicate that Ron." He'd received a short scroll from the ministry a few days previous. The full report would come in the new year.
"They're punishing me," Ron said glumly. "Christmas is one of the busiest times for an Auror!' He exclaimed.
Harry motioned at a passing waiter for two more drinks. He hadn't been getting too sozzled whilst waiting for Ron, rather he'd paced himself, mostly. There was nothing dangerous here. Except maybe the brawling Quidditch players that Ioan warned him about.
"Look at it as a paid holiday," Harry offered lightly.
"With no one to share it with. Hermione and I aren't..." He shook his head and then looked at Harry with an accusatory expression he pointed. "And you're hanging out with Malfoy!"
Harry didn't feel he needed to argue with Ron. "Yes Ron. Draco and I are friends and do spend time together."
Before Ron could explode a waiter arrived with two drinks. Harry thanked him with his limited Spanish. He could speak Dalek better than he could speak some terrestrial languages. It was probably a bad thing in some circles.
Harry took a sip of the drink and motioned Ron to have a drink before he turned red and exploded or something.
"But Harry-" Ron began in a whining tone.
"Draco and I have a friendship that is beyond those petty squabbles of Hogwarts Ron," Harry said firmly.
"Petty what about-" Ron tried again.
"House rivalries are childish things that I have long since put away," Harry looked at his friend. "They are not something that has any place in our adult lives," Ron started to open his mouth but Harry continued. "I am and have been in a relationship with Daphne Greengrass, I'm sure you'll remember was in Slytherin house."
Ron opened his mouth and said something that Harry didn't think he'd hear from someone who was the age he and Ron were. "But that's different Harry, she's a girl."
Harry closed his eyes slowly and wondered if this is what tipped Hermione over the edge. It was certainly readying him to go over the edge. The drinks he'd had before Ron had arrived had taken the edge off a little bit, so he didn't immediately lose it.
Instead he breathed in slowly and back out again slowly as he formulated what to say in response to Ron. After he'd done that for a few seconds he decided he didn't have anything good to say, so just kept breathing slowly.
"Harry?" Ron finally said after more than a minute's silence between them. "You're not saying anything."
"I'm trying to think of a way to comment on your sexism without shouting," Harry replied calmly.
"Sexism?" Ron looked at him confused.
Harry sighed and wondered if it wasn't too late to throw Ron in a body bag. Draco probably wouldn't mind helping.
"You've got an odd smile on your face Harry. Is something the matter?" Ron asked in a worried tone.
"Just thinking about murder and that sort of thing. Nothing to worry about," Harry said calmly forgetting it wasn't Draco he was chatting with.
"What Harry?" Ron croaked.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it," Harry said hoping that Ron had forgotten Draco and Daphne and all of that.
"You shouldn't be associating with Malfoy Harry, I saw you outside my trial, other people did too," Ron commented talking down to him.
"Ron. Draco and I are friends. I'm in a relationship with Daphne. Draco and I have a close friendship," Harry watched Ron try to process this information. "I trust Draco with my life."
"Your life," Ron repeated slowly. "But Harry he's-"
"I let him side-along apparate when we went out for dinner the other week," he said, trying to give an example.
"After my trial?!" Ron exclaimed. "Why did you do that?" His voice went slightly higher than usual.
"Because I was hungry and didn't know where we were going?" Harry answered and wondered, not for the first time if being friendly and honest was the right choice with Ron. Maybe he should have just lied. He decided to take a different tact. "Surely you have friends, associations with people and don't think about what house they were in? Or people you interact with in your work as an Auror where you wouldn't know their house?" He paused. "I mean it's not the first thing Aurors ask when they interact with someone?" Harry asked, the last one almost jokingly.
Ron looked at him seriously. "If you worked inside the Ministry you'd know the answers to that."
"I'd hope the answers to the last question is no. Because a vaguely psychic hat was placed on your head when you're 11 is no way to judge an adult," Harry countered equally as seriously.
Ron looked at him as though he'd just questioned some fundamental truth about the universe.
"Draco got me the tickets to this game Ron," Harry offered, trying honesty again. "Hermione was working with Peregrine Derrick who I'm sure you'll know from your database of Slytherins was in that house."
"That's different," Ron crossed his arms defiantly.
Harry sighed. "I'm trying Ron." Harry leaned back into his chair.
"Trying what?" Ron challenged.
Harry wanted to say 'not to kill you'. But that wasn't true. He wouldn't kill Ron. Not for being obstructive and pig headed at least and definitely not for something an alternate version of him did in an alternate timeline.
"To be a friend," Harry said finally. "I thought we could have a drink, go for a meal and then be up and ready for this mid-morning game when it's still cold."
"Sitting in Malfoy's seats," Ron grumbled crossing his arms defensively. "Why doesn't he want them?"
"We all have bad memories from childhood Ron," Harry said quietly.
They continued to finish their drinks in relative silence until Ron finished his drink.
"Fine Harry. You win," he said flashing him a smile. "Let's forget about the ferret and have a good time like we used to."
Harry laughed. "Okay," he stopped laughing as the rest of those events came tumbling back out of his memories but disguised that tumble by sipping his drink. For now he'd just spend some time with his old friend.
-/ ––/
A/N:
Something of a disjointed chapter. I wanted to get a few things in between 'now' and next chapter that will cover Christmas and probably the new year.
I know I've said in previous author notes that I don't like (or really know how to) write Ron well. Here I've taken another stab at it to try and show some insight into Ron's personality.
Why Lanzarote? Well this section actually started with Harry being in a wizarding interpretation of a British colonial tropical suit. Which I got rid of because it would have been awkward for him to sit in something like that waiting for Ron. The location remains because it's interesting and different and warmer than Britain in November, but not too far from Europe. But small enough that there could be a Quidditch tournament held there.
I hope to include more of Ron going forward, after being a little heavy on him for a while I hope to try and rebuild his character a little bit. As in these paragraphs I have found I can write him in short bursts. I just have to frame things properly.
Next chapter I can promise: cake, tea, a ship and something foreboding.
