Chapter 18 – The shooting

As soon as the interview was done (Harry's intimidation hadn't exactly worked miracles but it could surely have been worse) they led them in a different room where a shooting space had been created. A white linen was covering one of the walls and many cameras were around it. There was again Madeline supervising Ginny's hair and makeup, and many members of the staff. One photographer stood out amidst the rest, a young, tall, skinny wizard dressed in a particular fashion: he sported a very colourful wizarding robe but underneath Harry could spot some very muggle trainers, very well recognisable by the brand. Margaret introduced him to them as Bernard. Apparently, he was a quite famous photographer in the wizarding world and Ginny knew him well as he had taken many pictures of the Chudley Cannon team. They exchanged a friendly and loud salutation, with kisses and shrills. Ginny overexcited to be the one photographed instead of his team and him, scarcely less excited, revealing that it was a long time he hoped to have the honour of taking those shots.

'I'll make you both look smashing' he promised and turning to Harry 'You'll look as sexy as a god; you won't recognise yourself'

Why does everybody today not want us to be able to recognise ourselves?

'I was thinking, are you willing to take your clothes off? We could try, among the others, for some artistic nude or something, like black and white maybe, the contrast of your skin colours would look great in black and white...' he asked pensively while adjusting some set up on his camera.

'Absolutely not!'

'Why not?'

Harry and Ginny answered at the same time. The first one in consternation and the second one pensively.

Harry took her by an arm and drag her away in a corner.

'Are you joking, I hope?' he asked once they were at a safe distance. Coming from somebody that only a few days ago had said that she wanted to be the only one to see Harry in his pants it was odd. This interview had really made her gone mad.

'Harry, it's just art. It'll be fun'

'I remind you that is art that the whole magical community is going to see' he retorted upset.

'But nothing is going to be displayed really' Ginny laughed.

'I'm not stripping myself in front of these people' he hissed between his teeth 'and that's final' and as a safe measure he added 'and you won't either'

She looked at him challenging 'It's my body, I'll do whatever I want with it'

'Ginny, this is not the moment to test me' he answered threateningly 'If you do, I swear, I'll go away'

'Fine' she answered primly 'I won't. But let it be clear that if I want to I can'

'For heaven's sake, when did I ever even try to forbid you anything?! And overall, would you allow me to?!' he said as he followed her already getting back to Bernard that was waiting patiently fiddling with his camera.

Harry told him of his unwillingness.

'Oh, such a shame!' he uttered broken hearted 'We could have taken some very nice shots! Why to keep all this hotness hidden under some lame clothes I don't understand' he said disappointed and then pleading 'But you will allow me to take some individual shots at least, will you? You must! Ginny had already agreed, and I won't hear a no for an answer!'

Harry was in serious difficulty now, Ginny didn't help sniggering like a schoolgirl. He tried to gabble a polite refuse as he didn't care in the least to have pictures of himself, but Bernard didn't allow him to. He turned to Ginny in supplication 'Come on love! You must convince him! We are going to take the best pictures in the whole history!'

'Harry, please, to make me happy, I'd love to have some nice pictures of you…' she said now all honey like making him lean enough to kiss him tenderly on the lips letting her fingers slide softly on his chest. From each one of them Harry felt quivers going through his body and in a flash, he was reminded about the kids being at the Burrow that night.

For the love of god! Why has she got all this power over me?!

'Ok, all right' he gave in grudgingly.

Bernard thrilled delighted.

He and Madeleine wheezed toward some racks all in a flutter taking out clothes examining them and putting them aside. Shrills could be heard a mile off. Margaret was supervising the whole scene from a corner with a haughty expression and Harry was regretting very much to have accepted to do all this.

Bernard and Madeleine got back with an enormous stack for them, to be changed almost at every shot. Ginny took a white dress from the pile and all giddy, bellowed 'This is Ferrario's! It's delightful!'

Bernard and Madeleine were as excited as her. They started gibbering about it a good deal and when Ginny thrusted it under his nose repeating 'Harry, see? This is Ferrario's!' Harry raised his eyebrows not comprehending what all the fuss was about 'Who is he? A friend of your?' he asked.

They all fell silent in disbelief, bordering on offended 'It's a designer, Harry. A very famous one' Ginny said drily in the end. 'Ah… very pretty' he said trying to compensate for his lack of mundane knowledge 'Look, shall we start?' he said impatient to be out of that cage of madness and frivolity as soon as it may be.

Bernard assented, eyes glinting, gave him and Ginny the firsts outfits of the day, they changed and for the next two hours they smiled, they kissed, they embraced in front of an avid camera that caught all it was possible to catch and more. Bernard encouraging them and ordering them about in turn. Harry tried to forget about everything but Ginny over the moon with joy and excitement and seeing her so happy and beautiful he managed in his intention to let himself loosen up.

After that Bernard took some pictures of Ginny and Harry was pleased to watch her enjoying herself in changing clothes, relishing in the compliments and requests from Bernard but when it was his turn, he regretted again bitterly the whole business. He changed clothes so many times he lost count. He had to look up, look down, and smile and glare, sit down and stand up. At one point Bernard even soaked him wet with water, made him do some push up, performing some spells and he even made appear a fiery and ruffled puppy dragon that tried to snap Harry's fingers off when he tried to get close. And as Harry was starting to feel very much like a puppet without any will of his own and overall knackered, Bernard seemed to grow in energies jumping left right and centre with glee clicking away like crazy.

When he finally let him free, after many more assurances of having taken brilliant pictures, Ginny wasn't in sight any longer, instead a small crowd had gathered in the room all eager to have autographs and pictures taken with him.

He took him ages to satisfy everybody, and his forbearance was at the lowest point. He just wished to get home, with something cool to drink and be pampered by a grateful Ginny.

As he was looking for her, Margaret approached him carrying some parchments and quills looking very busy.

'If you are looking for your wife, you'll find her in the next room. She is exchanging two words with Phil Houghton, you know' she added smirking 'the Blizzard's captain, he was giving an interview too' and surely feeling revengeful for Harry's previous threat continued gloatingly 'I would be on my guard if I were you, he is a very good-looking man and he seems quite intimate with her' she winked conspiratorial.

Harry felt a twinge of irritation mount. He knew that man very well. He was a very popular quidditch player, and Harry hated to admit a good one as well, who many a time had gravitated around Ginny when the two teams were meeting in a match.

Harry usually didn't assist to all the Chudley Cannons matches, despite he enjoyed them very much because of the hassle of being in the magical community but he never missed the ones against that team to keep an eye on him.

He had noticed his behaviour toward her and had tried to bear it composedly, he was aware to have a jealous nature and fought hard to keep it under control but with that guy he had some difficulties, it was clear he had some wishes over Ginny, and she seemed or pretended to be totally unaware of it.

They had a few rows about it. She asserted that he never actually flirted with her, but Harry saw a lot of unnecessary physical contacts between the two that drove him crazy.

This Phil was cordially hostile toward Harry. He was a very public person, glad to be one and never letting go of opportunities to be on any newspaper. He considered Harry a threat who without any effort was always the most popular of the two. He obviously never admitted openly anything about it, but Harry could feel the competition hidden behind smiles and pretended fellowship.

He found the two of them in the next room, it was like the one Harry and Ginny had their pictures taken and some staff members were busily employed with their tasks glancing occasionally sideways at the two.

Phil was complimenting her for her looks in a pretty flirtatious way, under Harry's point of view. He entered the room just in time to see him caressing Ginny's arm.

Actually, caressing her arm!

In two strides he was on Ginny's side with a thunderous expression. He contained himself not to warn him to keep his filthy hands from Ginny and greeted him coldly instead.

'Hello Harry! Such a pleasure to meet you here' he said with his usual fake cordiality 'I was just asking your lovely wife some advice for my new training'

Liar!

'How are you doing? Another baby coming on! Jolly good! She looks always lovely our Ginny, doesn't she?'

He said winking at her.

Our Ginny? I'll snap your neck like a twig.

'Yes, my wife is lovely.' Harry said trying to impart in that "my" all his thoughts and unsaid sentences 'We must get going though. It was nice to see you' he concluded sharply and not giving any chance to Ginny to add a parting word took her by the shoulders and almost dragged her away, sure that he was going to pay for it but unable to act otherwise.

He marched her back to the next room where she maintained a dignified silence. They said goodbyes to an overexcited Bernard all busy in already working on the films (he promised to have them delivered to Ginny's office as soon as they were ready), to an over abashed Madeleine who flushed scarlet when Harry shook her hand and to an overconfident Margaret who kissed Ginny affectionately and gave him a parting cloying smile.