sorry in advance for the a gusty chapter, I wanted this done before the other stuff.
A Blue Umbrella Story:
Questions, questions. They were asking so many questions.
'I guess that's what the press tend to do.' Harry thought sarcastically, 'This is what you get for killing a Dark Lord then being a recluse for two years.'
Harry had withdrawn from society after the fiasco that was Voldemort's death and the days afterwards. Hermione was convincing him to come out of his shell, he had his whole life ahead of him and should make the most of it.
Also he had an Order of Merlin First Class to collect from the Ministry and they refused to just Owl post it to him.
"If you could be quiet and ask one question at a time." Secretary to the Minister Kinsely Shaklebolt, Percy Weasley called. Begging for order and getting nowhere as the questions came in a loud buzz of tangled words and phrases.
"Oi! If you lot don't shut up, I'm just going to go home!" Harry shouted over the noise as her rubbed his temple. Trying to relieve himself of the sudden migraine he had developed. He surprised myself for my outburst and the reporters surprised him by actually being quiet, "Thanks."
"Now, one person at a time please and quickly. I'm sure Mr Potter has other things he needs to be doing." Percy said and Harry gave the red head a small smile and the usually stern and rule uptight young man gave a slight chuckle,
"Hi, Rita Skeeter. With the Daily Prophet." Came the voice of Harry's least favourite reporter. He bit back the urge to say 'I know' and her sly grin seemed to say that she knew too, "What is your reaction to the lack of justice to you on the Ron Weasley case?"
Many gave the scandalous woman incredulous looks and others (including Harry) shot quick glances at Percy,
"Do you believe Minister Shaklebolt is doing a good job in the justice sector?" Came Rita again and Harry sighed and rubbed his temples,
"I believe Minister Shaklebolt has more important things to do, more important cases to deal with and more dangerous targets to track down and lock up than Ronald Weasley." Harry said diplomatically, a skill Daphne had spent nights cuddled up teaching him. He let out a shaky sigh at that thought and just wanted to run back home and hide.
"Hello, Fred Peck of the ICW Herald, is it not true that you specified a job as an Auror in your 5th year?" A small man with a messy fuzz of a moustache atop his red lips,
"I did indeed." Harry said, not liking where this could be going,
"Then why do you not take Auror training and help your country?" He asked again,
"I've lost interest." Harry said dissmissively,
"But it's the least you can do. This is your mess." The man went onto say and here were loud gasps of shock and horror and this Mr Peck suddenly felt uneasy as the emerald green eyes of the young wizard he was questioning zeroed in on him. Burning with an anger at alighted them like the killing curse.
"No, Mr Peck." Harry said coldly and quietly, his voice still carrying perfectly around the Ministry atrium. "This is Voldemort's mess, and we should be thankful there is still something to salvage from it."
He shrunk back from his gaze and the other reporters, Ministry officials and members of the public. Disappearing quite quickly.
"What do you think of the Death Eaters still at large? Do you think the Ministry is doing enough?" Came a red headed young woman whose quill still scratched away in her hands even as she looked up and spoke, "Two years is long even for them."
"Yes, but I have faith the Ministry can handle it." Harry said calmly,
"What do you think of Draco Malfoy escaping Azkaban?"
"Do you think the Death Eater's should get the Veil?"
"Is it true you've opened a restaurant in Diagon Alley?"
Questions came quickly yet Harry answered each calmly, slowly but with quick points. The pain in his head horrendous yet he showed no outward display of pain, he waited within himself for them to give him a window to leave. But one question broke the calm.
"Is it true you have secretly eloped with your Hogwart's friend and business partner Hermione Granger?"
Of course it was Skeeter who asked such a question and he was momentarily lost for words. Is that what it looked like? Him being gone for two years then he pops up, opens a restaurant with a young woman who happens to have a baby in her arms. He had never thought of how that would look,
"No. I have not eloped with Hermione. She's my best friend and nothing less or more." Harry said, hoping to sound decisive and motioning to Percy that he was done,
"Is it true you left Hogwart's after the attack with Miss Daphne Greengrass?" Rita called as he began to push through the crowd,
"That's enough questions now!" Percy called but they just kept on coming, louder and louder so that Harry winced with every step.
He Disapparated back to Grimwauld Place suddenly and collapsed on the sofa when he entered. Groaning from the relentless pain in his head and throbbing pain in his chest.
No, he had not eloped with Hermione and he didn't think he ever would if he wanted to. Because the one girl that had truly mattered, the one that had stolen his heart completely had ruined love for him. He hated that deep down he could not look at another woman without thinking of the one he had hoped was his. Daphne Greengrass, the woman. The one that eclipsed the entire of her gender.
The one that ruined him.