apples and scented candles • h.potter ✓

• five •

The weekend was over, bringing a fresh sense of exhaustion to wash over Harry.

It wasn't news to him that Auror duty wasn't a piece of cake, but the initial exhilaration he had had of catching Dark wizards and putting them into Azkaban was slowly but surely dwindling away. The entire time he spent at the Ministry, he would have headaches, the meetings were a bore and the Head's speeches were always sure to give him a stinging sensation at his temples. His office, which welcomed him with open arms when he had first stepped into it, was now crammed with files and folders, there were angry splotches of ink on his desk and the clock that hung on the wall hissed every seventeen minutes. The glass of his window was fogged over, hardly allowing any light to enter, and the dim lights from the lanterns didn't help with his headache at all.

Harry cursed himself when he failed to find his Ministry robes, and agitated, he drew his wand and viciously uttered the summoning charm, causing his robes to fly out from the narrow gap between his closet and bed, before falling limply on his arms. He blinked, wondering how they have got there in the first place.

They were creased deeply, and he made a futile attempt at smoothing the fabric using his finger, for there was no time to iron it now. He put it on over his shirt, attempted to straighten his hair and left the flat.

Once he was outside and standing on the road, he stopped and hesitated. Finally making up his mind, he went to the Tonks household rather than the Ministry.

He had never taken Teddy to his work before, and the idea came up suddenly. He thought if he had Teddy with him, it might make the day a little less stretching. And he would also get to see the place where his mother worked.

Andromeda looked hesitant when he suggested it, but Teddy, who was clumsily colouring an apple with a deep purple colour, perked up and ran over to him, abandoning his colouring book and hugging him around the leg. "I want to go."

"What about his food?" she asked. "And nap?"

"You can pack his food and clothes in a bag, and he can sleep in my room. I'll make him a nice small bed."

"What if he gets bored? You can't spend all of your time with him. You will have meetings and work and -"

"Andromeda, relax," he laughed shortly. "I wouldn't ask to take him if we had any meetings or plans. It's just indoor work today. And if anything comes up, I can leave him with Hermione or Percy. Plus, at least someone brings their child to work everyday, so he will have a playmate."

"Oh," she looked uncertainly at her grandson, who was now busy tugging the hem of Harry's robes. "Well then, I suppose you leave me no choice. He will have to leave the house now and then, I guess."

"Yes, it will be good for him too."

"I'll make his lunch. Could you dress him up?"

As Andromeda went to the kitchen, Harry brought Teddy upstairs to his bedroom. Picking out some warm clothes for him, along with a jumper, he helped him put those on. Teddy finally abandoned examining his robes and looked up at him with excitement evident in his blue eyes. "Nana told me you work in the same place Mum used to work."

Harry paused, slightly taken aback. "That's right."

"She was an Auror too," he said in a matter of fact way, now playing with the strap of Harry's watch.

"Mm, do you know what Aurors do?"

Teddy's eyes shone with wonder. "Yes, they catch bad wizards and put them into Askoban."

"Azkaban," Harry corrected with a laugh, bringing a hairbrush to brush his hair.

"How many bad wizards did you catch?"