Chapter 30 – Ron's offer

'They are actually nice girls! A bit too keen on you perhaps but quite nice' Ginny told Harry once back 'They seem to think you are a kind of perfect prince charming slash superhero or something' she chuckled putting the dirty glasses, all with different colour's trace of lipstick on it, in the sink, while Harry was making some sandwiches for lunch.

Ginny had profited to get all the letters and presents from the outside. It all lay on the table forming a big pile that needed to be sorted. Harry was tempted to chuck everything away in block, but they needed to be sure that nothing important had been lost in all that useless correspondence.

There were also many presents for the oncoming child, but they were reluctant in keeping them for fear that some spells could have been put on them. Of course, Harry could check but it seemed kind of spooky to accept and to use things from an unknown provenance.

'Why? Am I not?' Harry answered playfully while spreading the bread with some butter.

'Well, I don't know about that. You still haven't learned to open the laundry basket to put your dirty clothes in. More often than not I found them laying on the top of it.'

Harry grunted 'For a tiny little thing…'

'Shall I start a list of your shortcomings?'

Better not.

'Anyway, you wouldn't believe the questions I have been asked!' she continued cheerfully going through the pile of letters on the table.

'I'm not sure I want to know' he answered distractedly taking a bite of a sandwich and giving one to Ginny.

'I dodged most of them anyway. It didn't seem right to me to canvass certain topics with such young girls and, overall, about you'

'Quite right. Their imagination is already too vivid as it is'

She looked at him arch 'How do you know?'

When I'll learn to keep my big fat mouth shut?

'Ergh…' he muttered, frozen in the act of taking the sandwich to his mouth.

She turned her attention back to the envelops primly 'Do you know what? I prefer not to know…'

Phew!

He kept looking at her while sorting letters about to mention Ron's one, when she paused on one envelop 'This is from the Minister, for you' she said extending it to him.

He took it wondering what it could contain. The Minister didn't write to him very often but anyway more often than he would have liked or deemed necessary, considering the other head of department seldomly received anything from him.

As soon as he read the content he started to curse loudly.

'Sod it, sod it and sod it! I completely forgot!'

Ginny startled 'You forgot about what?'

'I've been invited for a dinner tonight for already a few weeks!' he moaned annoyed 'I don't wanna go'

It was never pleasant. Usually, some internationals diplomats were invited and, always, he was used as a bait to conclude business. Nobody cared whether he opened his mouth or not. Only his presence was required. It was as though being an animal in a zoo. He had to sit close to the Minister and bear empty conversations and formalities while everybody would stare at him. Time to time they would ask stupid or impertinent questions to which he ought to answer civilly and when they were not silly or impertinent, they would beg for tales about Voldemort and it was always distressing to bring back his memory to it.

What more, there was always somebody that accosted him in an attempt to bribery, a most unpleasant business that was very difficult to unravel risking, with a flat refuse, to offend or create a scandal.

Unfortunately, some wizards in the English Ministry, like abroad, were the opposite of correct and they were always willing to pay money or give him costly presents to have him speak favourably to the Minister or wanting him to close his eyes to certain illicit behaviour that would concern his department.

It was needed a lot of diplomacy and politeness to extricate oneself from those kinds of situations and Harry hated it and considered the whole of it disgusting.

It was always a real pain for him to attend to such evenings, but it wasn't something he could avoid, he could just try to restrict the number.

This was the first dinner after Lily's death, and he knew he must prepare his mind to hurtful observation and meddling.

'Shall I come?' Ginny asked. She knew exactly why he disliked them, having been forced to go time to time likewise. She didn't enjoy them much either for the same reasons and now with her pregnancy would have been even worse. However, she never shirked from it, wishing to give him support in those unpleasant events.

But this time Harry was adamant. He didn't want to inflict that on her. She was tired and needed repose, not to be harassed by nosy diplomat's spouses. Therefore, he refused naming his reasons. She didn't argue probably relieved to be able to bypass it but, seeing the gloom on his face, she accosted him and kissed him 'It's only an evening. It will be over soon'

He nodded encircling her with his arms, the baby in the middle preventing a proper hug. He leaned his forehead against hers 'I read Ron's letter'

She didn't speak waiting for him to continue.

'I'm sure you know the content'

She didn't answer to this affirmation either, confirming it.

'I think we should accept his offer'

Ron's letter didn't contain apology, or explanation, or anything regarding Lily. He just offered them his house until they would sort out their problems. He was willing to move to the Burrow until that time and leave them the complete use of it. Only in the last sentence he made a mention of their disagreement:

'I'm not offering this in exchange of forgiveness, the fault remains, but give me the chance at least to try to make your life easier in this occasion since I ruined it in another respect.'

He had been undecided on what to do. He didn't want to feel indebted to him and wanted to spurn his attempts on any pacification. But his primary concern was for Ginny who needed to be as tranquil as possible. He wanted to avoid her any unnecessary bustle or worries and their house was a safe haven where they could let the guard down while finding a possible solution. Not only it was protected by the Fidelius but it had a garden too which could provide some leisure and the chance to be on the outside instead of being shut in the stuffy appartement all the time.

While he shared his decision with Ginny, he felt her relaxing in his arms and he instantly knew to have taken the right choice. She was accumulating a lot of stress because of this situation that could seriously harm her and the baby.

'I think you should stop to go to work.' He added. It was a requiring job her own. She had to meet people from the sport department very often plus staff from other teams to arrange matches, schedules and trainings. She oversaw all the anti muggle spells on fields. It was challenging and she was always up and about. It was starting to be tiring in her condition.

She nodded 'I've already settled everything and talked to the team. I don't think it will be necessary for me to go any longer'

'Good' he said kissing her 'I'll go tomorrow morning at work to do the same and I won't return until September so we will be able to find a solution for this mess.'

She rested her head on his chest 'I don't want to leave this house' she said sadly.

'I know. I don't want to either. I'll try to find a way out. I promise'

'Do you think something can be done?' she asked looking up in hope.

He thought again about Regina's words and a scrape of an idea started to form in his mind, a tiny notion of difficult realisation that could prove to be a good one.

'I don't know but I'll try'

Their afternoon was spent in packing. The boys had been informed and even if they didn't admit it aloud, they seemed relieved. However, as Harry spotted them taking their brooms from the cupboard to pack, he addressed James.

'What are you doing?' he asked severely.

'I'm taking my broom so I can use it there'

'Do you think that after your behaviour I'll allow you to enjoy yourself freely?'

James was taken back and stared at him in surprise.

'Leave your broom where it is. You are officially grounded until further notice.'

James coloured instantly. Albus looked at them uneasy holding his broom hesitantly. Seeing this, Harry turned to him 'You can have it, no problem'

James snapped 'He eavesdropped on you! It's unfair!'

'Do you think it is comparable to what you have done?'

'You always give him the preference' he muttered mutinously.

'James, I don't do any such thing. If we are in this situation, it's your fault not his. But it is not the only reason for your grounding. It's for this, to have sneaked outside when you were not allowed to, for your disrespect toward me since you are back and to have dared to accuse me today of something serious without any proof whatsoever. When we will be there, you won't be allowed to entertain yourself in any way. You can do homework and that's all. Let the boredom teach you something' he concluded sternly.

James took a fierce look, thrusted his broom back in the cupboard roughly and marched back to his room without adding another word.

Harry turned his attention to Albus 'Go and finish packing' he said kindly stroking his head.

'Dad, I'm sorry I eavesdropped'

'It's alright, don't worry about it. Just don't do it ever again'

'I knew anyway you would never have done it; you love mum'

Why could Albus understand this simple notion and James couldn't?