Chapter 9 - The slight

The next day at work the lack of sleep made his job particularly cumbersome. To allow families to enjoy the time with their children, the Ministry granted them long holidays coinciding with Hogwarts' one. However, his department was one of the few that couldn't shut up completely and somebody was always needed to cover shifts. Being head of department, between other tasks, was his responsibilities to schedule those shifts and wouldn't exempt himself in covering many of those. He still had a few weeks of work before to be able to enjoy his time off.

At home, friendless and with a kid that doesn't talk to me.

In his office a pile of unopened correspondence was crammed in a corner. Letters of every kind were still arriving with frequency. Harry was expecting any moment an angry outburst from reception under this burdensome task of collecting his mail. Thankfully there was a witch presiding it and that always helped preventing any ill humour. With any other employee there would have been already loud complains.

He had started to get used to not having Hermione there anymore even if the change had been greatly felt. She was managing double the work of a normal person and her exceptional brain made everybody's tasks smoother.

Harry missed her as a colleague but much more as a friend. Hermione was the only person with which Harry felt at ease in speaking about what was distressing him. He always asked for her advice of any sort, and she had always been there listening sympathetically to all that was troubling his mind that he didn't want to share with Ginny not to burden her.

He would have told her about the dream, and she would have helped him in elaborating it.

Now that she was thus far all what was unhealthy, and haunting was confined in his head leaving him bereft of any outlet not having anybody to share it with. He was feeling lonelier than ever before.

Dazed by lack of sleep and cumbered by the burdensome job and reflections, the day passed, and the time approached to get back home, a home where an open war was going on.

At dinner time James was maintaining a dignified silence and spurned every attempt to start a conversation.

A confrontation was necessary, but Harry couldn't find the strength to look for it, scared of what it could bring in surface. He felt very sensitive lately and knew that what James had to say would have hurt him deeply, he wasn't ready to affront it, especially considering how prone his hot temper was ready to spurt out with the risk of running away with him.

He shifted his attention to Albus who was in a chatting mood, the excitement of being back home still fresh.

'How was your work today? What did you do lately? Did you catch any dark wizard?' he asked eager.

Harry was always a bit hesitant in talking about his job to the kids. It was dangerous time to time, and he was dealing with disturbing characters and situations 'It was ok, we finally managed to corner a dangerous dark wizard we were looking for a long time. He will be in Azkaban shortly.'

Albus eyes glimmered with excitement, and he could see James following with interest despite the frown.

'That's cool!' Albus exclaimed.

'Yeah…' he answered not very convinced. Actually, it hadn't been "cool" at all. There had been a struggle. The guy had fought hard; he casted many Avada spells to avoid capture. Harry had pushed away one of his colleagues that was on the track of one of them. Doing it, he took a big risk to get hit himself and broke an arm, the right one, falling badly on it. He had to cast spells with the left one and it hadn't been easy.

It happened a few times already to risk not to return home. It was part of his job. Hermione knew how dangerous it could get but he had forbidden her to tell Ginny. He didn't want her to worry. She knew, of course, the nature of it but he screened her from the gruesome or the serious risks he encountered in doing it. Especially now, he didn't want anything to trouble her mind.

'What would you like to do this weekend?' Ginny asked 'We could go somewhere'

'Ginny…' he replied somewhat hesitant 'do you remember Oxford street?'.

Wanting to remind her of what had happened the last time he tried to have a day out.

'What happened in Oxford street?' Albus asked curious.

Ginny laughed 'Apparently your dad had played in a film and never told us about it.'

'What?' Albus and James replied in the unison.

'I didn't do any such thing' Harry scowled 'Some stupid muggles were convinced I did. We had to run away from it. A bit like on the platform, I just cannot get around right now'

'And I expect we cannot either' James snapped with animosity.

Breath, breath…

'You all can do whatever you want but it would be better to change your appearance a bit. Especially yours James' He said composedly.

'I can't wait' he replied sourly.

Breath, breath…

Ginny interjected 'No, you won't stay here alone' turning to Harry 'I thought we could go to the Burrow if it's a nice day. There is a lot of space there. We could relax in the garden'

'That's brilliant!' Albus exclaimed excited 'I could take my new broom!'

'Which broom?' Ginny asked.

'I gave him one of mine' Harry replied serving himself some more food 'so that next year he will be able to do try out.'

'You gave him one of your brooms?' James almost yelled outraged.

'Yeah, why? You have got a very good broom too if I'm not wrong'

James didn't reply but crossed his arms forbiddingly and didn't open his mouth for the remaining dinner time.

Harry was starting to be very irked by this behaviour. When alone with Ginny, he let it out with her.

She was already in bed trying to read a book without success as Harry was pacing up and down the room in a fit of irritation 'What's wrong with him? Why is he behaving this way?'

'It's called being a teenager. You should know about it; you have been one yourself'

'I wasn't like that' he snapped.

'Yes, you were. You just didn't have parents to take it out on. You did it on Ron and Hermione though. I'm sure she remembers it quite well'

There was some truth in what she said, it hadn't been an easy time of his life, he had his reasons, James had none. He made this retort to Ginny.

She raised her eyes from her book posing them on him 'Well, tonight he had a reason.'

'Excuse me? What reason?'

She rolled her eyes 'Harry, the broom'

'What? Do you mean the broom I gave to Albus? James has got one already and very good one at that! It costed me a fortune'

'Harry, how can you not get it!' Ginny replied giving up on her book 'You got James one from a shop. You gave Albus one of your own'

'So what? James got a new one, Albus an old one! It seems to me James got the best deal.'

'No Harry, he didn't. You gave Albus one of your precious brooms. One of the brooms up until yesterday they weren't even allowed to touch, let alone get close to.' She said emphasizing every sentence.

Harry started to comprehend her meaning. She was right.

He sat on the bed to ponder over it. Under this light it seemed a serious slight on James, but he didn't mean it that way. He hadn't thought of it. He was making the situation worse not even realising it.

He didn't want to show any preference to Albus over James. It is true that perhaps he was closer to the former, but he loved them both in the same way. It was anyway easier to have nice gestures and give attention to a kid that was well disposed toward him, how to do the same in respect to James if he didn't even as much as look at him?

The next day, James, still in his teenager "I-don't-want-to-talk-to-you-but-I'm-forced

-to" mood, asked, or to use a better word, exact, to be able to invite a friend over to the Burrow.

'I don't see why not; we could ask Rose if she wants to come too' Harry replied conciliatory to try to make amend for his involuntary slight over him 'If Molly and Arthur don't object and if you make sure this friend of yours keeps the matter quiet.'

'He will' James only said.

'What's his name?' Harry asked.

'Francis'

'Which one is it?'

'The blonde one'

Geez… Is he still able to pronounce more than three words together?

'I see…'

He didn't know James' friends very well. Not being able to invite them over and shirking every wizarding event he never had the chance to interact with them. Probably that was another mistake. He just spotted them at the platform time to time, there was never much time for proper introduction, or better, to be completely honest, he made sure of being so not having much inclination for it. James' friends were all too willing for an approach and he didn't mind their curiosity on his person, understandable from kids, but behind them there were eager nosy parents waiting for the slightest opening that would allow them to get close, and that irked Harry. Very often the only reason for it was to be seen by the magical community to be in speaking term with Harry Potter. Obviously, there could have been a genuine interest but more often than not it wasn't, and Harry wasn't willing to take the chance. He remembered though the blonde one. Malfoy's kind of blonde, tall with a baby face. James, when he was still speaking, talked very often about him.

They were a group of four, if he remembered correctly, but the blonde one seemed the closest to him.

It would have been a golden opportunity to see with which kind of people his son was hanging out and moreover a chance to breathe a bit of fresh air and get out from his prison.