Chapter 22 – Soaked in water
The next day Ginny was already gone by the time Harry woke up. He lingered a bit too long drinking his coffee sleepily; Monday morning were always the most difficult ones. Not to be late, instead of going like usual by walk, he opted for the quick floopowder.
When he got out of the Ministry fireplace sensed immediately that something was different but couldn't exactly put the finger on the motive. People were staring, but they were always staring. Some pointed at him, but they were always pointing at him. So then why it seemed so different?
He was still trying to figure it out getting the lift but when the doors opened, he heard a gasp and a rustling of paper. He raised his eyes to see two witches quite flustered looking at him with a blush. Nothing new there either.
'Hello Harry' they thrilled with a somewhat strangled voice.
Instead of the "do we know each other?" he was always tempted to give in these occasions, people always felt authorized in addressing him informally just because them (and only them) knew him by name. He replied with a greeting not giving them a second glance.
At the second floor getting out like every day, followed by the usual cloud of yellow Inner department memos, the feeling intensified. Definitely something was different. More stares maybe? More pointing? More blushing? He walked briskly toward his department trying to ignore it.
Elisabeth was waiting for him like every morning with his mail, but there was a difference there too… Her cheeks were slightly pink, and she averted her gaze when he greeted her. His fifty something Elisabeth, the mum he never had. Flushing. Odd.
What the heck is going on?
He thanked her and swiftly peered at himself in the glass door just to make sure everything was in order: no stains of coffee, no t-shirt inside out, no crazy hair (well no more than usual anyway). Everything seemed ok, perhaps hair was getting a bit long but nothing to justify all this flutter. He frowned.
His colleagues, all huddled around the same desk, were already there and when he stepped in, the same rustling of paper of the lift was could be heard as all eyes bolted on him.
'Good morning all' he greeted. No answer. No movement. No signs of life. Petrificus Totalus.
'What?' he asked nettled.
'Good morning, Harry' they chirped in unison. Resurrection of his staff. Life returning in their limbs.
He marched in his office starting to feel uneasy. Something was wrong, he could just tell.
He tried to chase it from his mind in the workload of the day, notwithstanding he was disrupted very often in a hustle and bustle of people that seemed just wanting for an excuse to butt in, or at least that was his impression, strengthened by the fact that by the end of the morning, he had collected and pretended to drink: two coffees, three teas, one latte and one glass of pumpkin juice. He had moreover collected: one note from the minister reminding him of the oncoming dinner, two notes from heads of other departments with the same invitation and one other with a request of presence for an oncoming wedding (the name of the bride and groom didn't ring any bell to him).
By lunch break, hunger drove him to the breakroom to get a sandwich, a very uncomfortable short walk accompanied by stares the whole way making him feel like being on a catwalk. While he was paying his sandwich to an over smiling old wizard wishing to return in his stare-free private office as soon as possible, he glimpsed with the corner of his eyes a familiar mountain of bushy wild hair. 'Hermione' he bellowed startled. She turned and it was her, his familiar Hermione, in her business suit exactly as if she never left the Ministry. The only difference was that once she spotted him, red boomed on her face in a second. That's right, her too.
This is enough.
He ambled steadfast over where she was sitting with a witch and got her by an arm 'Come with me' he ordered and basically dragged her all the way to his office. He closed the door behind them and affronted her.
'Right. What's going on?' he asked stern.
'What do you mean?' she replied wavering, her cheeks still red as cherries.
'Why are you blushing? Why is everybody staring? What's wrong for god's sake?' he asked exasperated.
'Well, Harry…' she started in saying hesitant.
'Well what? Speak Hermione! Well what?! The whole morning, I had people staring and gaping! And I agree with you it's nothing different than usual, but I have a strong feeling that today is worse! Why is everybody staring?!'
'Well, Harry' she repeated cautious 'I can just speak about the women, but I think that the reason behind the stare is that they are stripping you with their eyes.' She continued gaining confidence with every word 'and who can blame them really?'
It was Harry's moment to gape and blush 'Why? What's different than any other day?' he asked after having regained his wits.
Hermione rolling her eyes dramatically in a super Hermionish's way (that made Harry realise how much he had missed her) walked out of the office, 'Carola can I borrow this?' he heard her saying from the other room. She was soon back with a magazine, she riffled it quickly finding the page she was looking for and blushing again, shoved it under his face 'This is different'.
It was the picture that Ginny had found so attractive; it was the new edition of Witch Weekly and Harry remembered suddenly the content of the note they received the day before.
The picture was all in the tone of grey and blue where his green eyes stood vividly by contrast. It was the one in which Bernard had soaked him with water. He was, in fact, looking in the camera with a somewhat disgruntled expression, throwing back with a hand his sopping hair leaving his forehead bare, his white shirt was likewise wet and see through, his skin shiny because of the water.
He grabbed it from her hand to have a better look; it took a whole page.
Harry was so embarrassed that he hoped a great hole would open under his feet swallowing him full. Weren't only the ones with Ginny supposed to be printed? He was sure to have understood so. He wasn't exactly expecting a huge one of his own not even decently dressed, taking a whole page to be included. He wouldn't have agreed otherwise.
He looked panicking at the cover. They had chosen the black and white of the two of them. He took a breath of relief, at least Ginny would have been contented.
He riffled again the magazine finding the interview. He skipped it, just looking at pictures. There were several. The Ginny's ones were just stunning, and Harry embarrass decrease enough in the thought of how pleased she would have been. But it reawakened in full force when he got to the page with the watery one. It was definitely the biggest.
'Shit' he exclaimed slamming the magazine on the desk.
'Oh Harry. You could have seen that coming, couldn't you?' Hermione said bluntly.
'No Hermione, honestly I didn't' he said through clench teeth reproving himself harshly for his short sight 'and, anyway, I cannot see what's the big deal either! It's just a bloody picture, it's me! Those people see me every day! You saw me every day!' he bellowed irritated.
Hermione sighed 'Harry, you know I like to speak frankly, and I won't stop now despite everything. The fact that I saw you every day doesn't change anything. It's quite different. I'd like to remind you that I'm anyway a woman' (Right I keep forgetting it) 'And this is a picture that sparks something in women' (still that patronizing voice as if I am a child!) 'They see you in a different light' She got the magazine and, finding the page, pointed at the picture 'They see this'
'Which is me just soaked in some sodding water!' he bellowed starting to feel enraged.
'If I wouldn't know you since you were a kid sometime I'd think you are being dumb on purpose' Hermione snorted, losing her patience 'Look I'll make the thing easier for you to understand' she said closing her eyes and getting an air of deep concentration 'Ok all right, I got it' she said after a bit reopening them 'You know your groupies?'
Harry nodded.
'Pick one. Are you picturing her?'
Harry nodded again.
'You know that they are always basically naked right? You are used to it; you see them every day'
Harry nodded in agreement.
'Ok, now take the one you chose; she has got a white t-shirt and a very skimpy kind of skirt'
Harry nodded appreciatively rather slowly.
'Now get a bucket of water with your imagination and throw it on her'
Harry gulped and nodded again slightly quicker.
'The t-shirt gets very fitting and see through over her breast and the skirt it's very adherent on her thighs'
Harry didn't manage to nod.
'She hasn't got any bra on'
'Ok, I think you made your point!' Harry interjected abruptly.
'Yes, I think so' Hermione said her gaze on his trousers 'Compose yourself' she added primly.
'Hermione, for god's sake!' Harry blorted out embarrassed turning and starting to get deep breath, focalising his mind on a different channel.
When composure was regained and his mind free of the worries of the morning and half naked groupies, he started to wonder about Hermione's presence there.
'What are you doing here?'
Hermione leaned against the chair in front of his desk 'I'm here as a private adviser for the minister, I'm going to work free-lance as a political mediator between Romania and England.'
'Sounds good' Harry said, 'Do you want to get lunch together?'
Hermione hesitated 'I'd love to, but didn't you say that is better for us not see each other for a while?'
'Well, we already saw each other, the damage is done for today, I guess. I want to know how you are getting on' and then he added cheekily 'I'll keep myself dry, I promise!'
Hermione laughed heartily 'ok, all right! Let's stay here though' she added puffing and letting herself fall on the only tiny corner unoccupied by files of the sofa with a fatigued air 'I got enough staring too for today'
And Harry didn't know if it was for a mention of her in the interview or because of Ron. He didn't enquire. Whether one or the other he didn't want to cause any distress.