Bad [Harry Potter Fanfiction] (Bad Series: 1)

21 | A few things to say.

'Later than you thought!' blinked back at him. Shite. He still needed to get to Ginny's.

Rubbing the starting of a beard, he said, "What do you want?"

Jack chuckled. "Is he always like this?"

"Bugger off," Harry grumbled, dropping his head into his hands.

Jack grinned, but before he could say anything, Sharp came forward and dropped a handful of files on his desk.

Harry stared at them. "What is that?" He thought he already knew.

"Why don't you call it a right?" Ron said instead. He dropped some more on top of Sharp's. "It's late and you must be knackered."

Exhaling, Harry ran his hands over his face. "I can't." He reached for his quill but paused as he gazed at the files. Jack held another in his hands. "Are those what I think they are?"

Jack handed it over. Harry stared at it in the American's hands. He wanted to curse. Instead, he took them.

"Robards said you're leading this investigation, so our incident reports go to you," Sharp explained.

Harry dropped it on the others. "I'll look at them tomorrow." He started down at his own report. So much paperwork.

Maybe this was Robards' way of punishing him for not catching Fyrefox. God, if he only knew.

"You know what, screw it. Let's call it a night. We can finish anything else in the morning." Harry got to his feet.

"That's what I like to hear." Jack smiled, dropping a hand on Sharp's shoulder.

Sharp shot him a look but didn't move it. He turned to Harry. "If you say so."

"Shut it, " Ron told him, already turning. "Don't let him change his mind. Hermione's waiting for me."

"And God forbid you make Hermione wait," Sharp said, nodding.

Harry fought a smile.

"You're right," Ron agreed.

Jack laughed. "I have got to meet your wife, man. She sounds like a ballbuster."

All three of them turned to him.

"What?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Have you met Hermione?" Sharp asked.

Ron rubbed his chin. "He might not have been there. Hermione Granger-Weasley. Dark hair, about this high-" He held his hand at chest-height, "And works in the Department of-"

"Hermione Granger is your wife?" Jack's eyes widened.

Ron grinned. "Yup. My wife."

"Holy crap, man." Jack nodded. "Go home. Right away. Don't stop."

They laughed.

Harry slapped Jack on the back then ushered them to the door. He grabbed his cloak and with the flick of his wand, the lights went out. "Goodnight, gentlemen. I'm going home."

When they left the Ministry, Harry broke off. Ron shot him a look, but he ignored him. He didn't need to know where Harry was going.

As he pulled out his wand, he caught Sharp leaning close and whispering something to Jack. Then they apparated with a loud crack.

With a final goodbye, Ron followed suit.

He waited a full minute then apparated. It took a few minutes, but when he knocked on her door, all that fear and fury rolled inside of him. He was back at the Parkinson Manor, seeing her prowling through the corridor. His heart had stopped, or it felt like it. Merlin's Beard.