Ch 11: Idiots at the Ministry

The stop at the Ministry of Magic was meant to be a quick: Hand over the prisoner and retreat to MI6.

However, the moment Q appeared in the Aurors' service lobby with James and a prisoner in tow, the rumor of Harry Potter's presence spread faster than even he could have imagined. Even as he turned Claire over to Auror in charge, Q could feel the crowd outside of the lobby building.

"James, be prepared for a crowd out of here," Q murmured as he signed off on the prisoner transfer and Claire was hauled away.

James could see nothing outside the opaque glass that fronted the Auror lobby, but trusted his partner. "Could we not apparate out of here?"

Q shook his head. "Security measure-anti-apparation wards. Folks have tried to escape from Auror custody that way before. The lobby and the entire holding area are warded."

James nodded thoughtfully, and leaned in to whisper in Q's ear. "Does that apply to you, too?"

Q shrugged. "If I'd really wanted to, probably not," he whispered back, running a fingertip along James' ear as did so.

James grinned, shook his head, and held his hand out for Q to take. "Public it is, then. Just as well that we are gorgeous today." He gestured with his other hand at their classic suits and mission attire. "Though aren't you missing something?"

"Ah." Harry pulled the frames of his trademark glasses out of his inner suit pocket and slipped them on. "Working my Clark Kent, here."

James chuckled, and laced their fingers together. "So, where to?"

"We'll need to proceed out of this lobby, to the elevators, up three floors to the Ministry lobby, and then out to the public apparation points past the Floo stations. ETA 10 minutes, or longer if we get stopped a lot. Which we might," Harry allowed.

"Correction, darling," James admonished. "Which we WILL, as we're just putting our faces out here now. And didn't you say something about us having to present something somewhere to affirm our bonding?"

"Oh, that's right," Harry squeezed James' hand a bit. "Different floor, different department. Registering you with the Office of Muggle Affairs. Want to take care of that today?"

"As long as we're here, why not?"

"Right, then, let's go."

Harry led the way through the Auror lobby doors to see crowds thickening in the corridor beyond that led to the elevator.

"It's Harry Potter!"

"He looks shorter than I remember."

"Who's that he's with?"

"Could that be his bonded?"

"They're both positively delicious!"

Harry did his best to ignore the whispers as he and James strolled, hand-in-hand, to the elevators, and pressed the "UP" button for service. James just looked amused. They waited silently for the elevator, ignoring the steadily increasing volume of the corridor, and stepped into the car when it arrived, thankful it was empty.

"Wow," James said snarkily. "You really are sort of a big deal."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes, have your fun. You are now, too, you know." He jabbed at the floor for the Department of Muggle Affairs.

"Hey," James said softly, giving Harry's hand a little tug. "I'm just trying to lighten things up a bit."

Harry slumped, then turned into his partner for a brief hug. "Sorry. It's just, I hate this attention. It's the main reason I left the magical world, frankly."

"I know, darling," James soothed, running his free hand down his partner's back. "We'll be gone from here soon enough, and back home, where we can have a Dr. Who marathon and take a breather."

Harry sighed deeply. "Sounds positively heavenly."

The doors opened, and James quirked an eyebrow at the obvious watchers that filled the hallway. "Can we help you?" he asked, obviously and loudly. Many "eeped" and dashed off, but a few hangers-on loitered as they strolled down to the correct office and entered it.

The dark-haired, middle-aged witch behind the desk at the Office of Muggle Affairs gave them a wide smile. "Oh, I'm so glad you're finally here!" she exclaimed, bustling around the desk to shake their hands in person. "I wondered when you'd make it back, Mr. Potter. And this must be Mr. Bond."

"Yes," James acknowledged, finally dropping Harry's hand to shake that of the witch. "And you are?"

"Oh! So sorry! I haven't introduced myself! I'm Mildred Montiface, the Clerk for the Office of Muggle Affairs," she waved a flustered hand. "It's so nice to meet you."

"And you," Harry said politely. "You have paperwork for us?"

"Oh, right," Mildred bustled back around her desk. "It's just the standard registration paperwork. Once it's filed, Mr. Bond will be acknowledged as an honorary magical citizen. I've filled in most of the necessary given what the Bonding certificate said when it flashed in here. Take a look."

Harry reviewed the form.

Harry James Potter, born July 31, 1981, Godrics Hollow, Wales

bonded to

James Bond, born November 11, 1971, Skyfall, Hogsmeade, Scotland

April 15, 2010

London, England.

"We only don't have a current address on file at this point, Mr. Potter," Mildred gushed. "And of course, your magical signature, and a bit of blood from your Muggle spouse for ministry files."

Harry looked up. "You may have the address and my signature, but you may NOT have my husband's blood," he said firmly. "It's too dangerous."

Mildred bit her lip. "But it's the law, Mr. Potter. All muggles with magical ties must have blood on file, just in case …"

Harry looked at her coldly. "In case the muggles rise up? Really? Are we that indoctrinated in Dark pureblood practice that we would coerce the living blood of our spouses? I think not." He signed the form, tapped it with his wand, and handed it back. "Please note that I refused to provide the blood of my spouse. I will be taking this matter up with the Minister immediately."

"Oh, but Mr. Potter, it's common! Everyone does it! It's the law!"

"It's also deeply unethical and morally dubious, and I won't have it," Harry remained firm, even as he pulled out his phone and dialed Kingsley.

"Mr. Potter, phones don't work in the Ministry…"

"You'll find his does," James interrupted smoothly. Though he hadn't a clue as to the reasons behind Harry's objection, he trusted his spouse.

"But Mr. Potter! It's just a bit of blood! He's just a Muggle!"

The lights in the room dimmed. The cabinets started shaking. It was perhaps unfortunate that Kingsley Shacklebolt took that moment to answer Harry's call-because the screen on the phone cracked as Harry viciously stated, "The Ministry of Magic shall not have my husband's blood, and he is NOT JUST a Muggle."

Kingsley had not a moment to register the statement before he felt the building itself shaking, and he quickly sent a Patronus to the office of Muggle Affairs with his own message: "Let him go. I'm granting an exemption."

His lynx appeared in front of Harry and a bewildered, terrified Mildred (James was quietly watching, ready for anything) to impart the message, and Mildred's eyes widened. "But, but.."

"You heard the man," Harry growled out. "And be grateful for his intervention." Hot green eyes glowed with power as Harry put his phone away and stepped away from the desk. James lay a quiet hand on Harry's shoulder, ready to back him up if necessary, as Harry turned back.

"It's prejudice like yours that keeps the Dark coming back," he spat.

And they left.

Crowded hallways (magically?) emptied as Harry strode through the corridors to the lift, James at his back, watching for potential threats. The building was still quivering.

Harry said nothing as he called the car, they entered it, and it took them to the Ministry atrium, where, again, crowds peeled away in the face of Harry's glowing green eyes and tightly controlled rage. On its fringes, James spied Arthur Weasley, and as they hit the Apparation points, he saw Hermione Granger-Weasley hurrying toward them.

"Harry?" James intoned quietly.

"I see her," Harry acknowledged. "But I can't talk to anybody right now. I need to channel this somewhere."

James nodded, and caught Hermione's eye as Harry took his arm. "Later," he mouthed.

And then they were gone, with barely a pop.

IMBM

Ronald Weasley raised an eyebrow at his flustered wife as she came through the Floo to Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, where he was minding both shop and children for the day.

"What's up?" he called out. "You're never here this early."

"Oh, Ron," Hermione said shakily. "We need to find Harry."

The other eyebrow joined the first. "What for?" Ron walked to his wife and took her hand. "Isn't he still out of the country?"

"No, no, he's not," Hermione said. "He and James arrived at the Ministry today to bring a magical prisoner into our custody for safekeeping, and decided to stop by the Office of Muggle Affairs to register James while they were there. Harry objected to the law about giving the Ministry a sample of his Muggle spouse's blood, the clerk didn't understand why, and apparently, he lost his temper when she called James 'just a Muggle'." She wrung her hands. "I thought the whole building was going to come down around us for a minute."

"How do you know that's what happened?" Ron asked reasonably, knowing the gossip chain well.

"Kingsley told me," Hermione said. "He was on the phone with Harry briefly during the exchange, granted an exemption from the blood clause for James. Rather quickly, and in a bit of a mild panic, I believe, because the building was definitely going to go down if he didn't do something."

"Did Harry say he was bringing the building down?"

"No, that's just it," Hermione whispered. "He was so angry, his magic was acting out on its own."

"Oh, that's not good," Ron allowed. "Did he leave alone, or was James with him?"

"James was with him, but we have to find him, Ron," she said earnestly. "He needs help to calm down."

Ron quirked a grin at her. "Sometimes I forget that you weren't raised magical, Hermione."

She stared. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Ron shook his head, still grinning. "He's with his bonded. The best way to channel his energy now is with his bonded's help. We won't be able to do much for him."

Her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Ron cleared his throat. "Would you say my mum has a temper, Hermione?"

"Yes, but I don't see …"

"My mum needed a lot of help channeling that," Ron allowed. "Still does. And she has seven children to prove it, if she needs to."

Hermione stared. "Do you mean…?"

Ron laughed. "We definitely want to leave the two of them alone for a while, love. We can text them later." He put his arms around his wife, and put his mouth next to her ear. "When they're finally finished."

Hermione drew back. "But James is a non-magical, Ron. How can he help channel Harry's energy? Won't that hurt him?"

Ron smiled softly. "Magic doesn't make that kind of mistake, Hermione. James is the one who can best help Harry channel that energy, through copious amounts of sex." He paused for a moment, and snickered. "Good thing one of them's not a girl, or they'd definitely get pregnant with that much energy rolling around."

Hermione rolled her eyes and began to relax. "Are you sure, Ron? I've never heard of this before, or read about it."

"You wouldn't, probably," Ron admitted. "It's one of those things that's not really talked about; it's just known. And it's never come up for us, because when we get angry, it's usually at each other, and the make-up sex takes care of any excess energy."

"There really needs to be a class on such things for the magicals not born into the magical world," Hermione declared firmly. "It's no wonder so many of us are lost or go back when we can't even unlock what seems to be a basic tenet of magic!"

Ron shrugged, and squeezed her a bit tighter. "We're a bit prudish about talking sex magic in public, I suppose, and I never really thought about how the new magicals were learning about it. There probably should be a class in it."

Hermione rested her head on Ron's shoulder. "Will Harry really be OK?"

Ron kissed her hair. "He will."

IMBM

"God, James, harder," Harry moaned, bracing his hands against their headboard and pressing back to meet his partner's thrusts.

It was already rough, fast, and hard, but James dug his hands into Harry's hips and gave him deeper, harder, and faster. They moved together, Harry's energy moving through them both as James bit the back of Harry's neck hard, then growled in his ear, "Come now, Harry."

With a scream, Harry released the energy built up inside him along with his life's fluid, bringing James over with him. They held through the shuddering shocks of climax, and as the last of that energy build-up deserted them both, James wrapped both arms around Q from behind and tilted them on their sides, staying buried inside his spouse.

Long minutes passed as they re-acclimated, catching their breath, settling into each other. James felt as if he were floating in a sort of daze. If an enemy approached now, James wouldn't have the energy to reach for his gun.

"Darling, I think you broke me," he murmured warmly. "And I enjoyed every minute of it."

Harry huffed out a laugh. "You broke me, too, and thank you for it." He stretched lazily, squeezing around James, who, impossibly, began to thicken back up. "Again?"

James shifted minutely, rutting shallowly into his spouse as he hardened in him. "Why not?"

IMBM

"I don't understand!" Mildred Montiface tearfully exclaimed as she was called to the office of the Minister. "It's only a bit of blood!"

"A bit of the blood of the spouse of the most magically powerful wizard in England," Kingsley said quietly. "If an enemy got his or her hands on that, there are any number of spells or potions that could be used to control said spouse, and through that spouse, the wizard."

Mildred gasped in shock. "I didn't even think of that!"

"No, you're just following the law, Ms. Montiface," Kingsley assured her. "And it's a law we need to change. I didn't realize its full implications until Harry's actions today." He drew a deep breath. "I'm issuing a decree that we stop taking blood samples from non-magicals, and that we review our current stores and destroy them. I also want to know if any samples are missing, Ms. Montiface. It's a potential security breach that we need to deal with. I'll be copying the appropriate departments."

"Yes, Minister," Mildred said quietly, sniffling a bit.

"Go on back to your office, Ms. Montiface," Kingsley said quietly. "I'll send the paperwork down."

"Alright, then," Mildred stood. "Thanks, Minister."

"Of course."

And as soon as mild Mildred Montiface left the Minister's office, she cursed.