40. You aren't nineteen any longer.

                                    

                                          
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Harry stormed into the office of Henri Shaw without bothering to knock.

"I'm NOT going! And that is final! If you chuck me out, fine, but there is not way I'm going to Manchester."

The man behind the desk looked at the young face before him.

"Sit down."

"There is no point I'm not..."

"SIT DOWN!"

He sat.

"Okay, now, what exactly has happened? Why are you suddenly so determined not to do your job?"

"Ginny is pregnant!"

"Ah..."

That complicated matters. Harry glared at his boss who in turn just gazed back with a mildly amused but also slightly puzzled expression.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

There was a long pause ensuing between the two wizards. The older patiently waiting for the younger one to answer.

"I didn't know." came finally the whispered answer.

"I see."

"There is no way I can go on some undercover mission when she is..."

"No. You can't. Well, I'll need to find somebody else to do it then. Any suggestions?"

Wait! Had the head of the Auror Office just asked him, a mere trainee, for a suggestion as to who would be best to send on this mission?

"Sorry, I don;t think any of us trainees would be really suitable."

"Hm. I'll need to find another solution then."

Harry knew that was his dismissal cue and got up. He was about to open the door when he heard his boss say, "Congratulations, Harry."

"Thank you, Sir."
                          
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"Hi." The voice was laced with hesitation and doubt.

She looked up as he sat next to her.

"Hallo."

They gazed at each other. She gently brushed a lock from his face.

"You haven't changed much."

"You are as beautiful as always."

Silence. He slowly reached for her hand.

"Why are you here?"

"I could say, I'm here on business, but that would be a lie."

His eyes searched hers.

"Am I welcome?"

She nodded.

"I didn't think I would ever see you again."

"I know. You had your life and I had mine."

"You could have chosen not to..."

"We both know that that was never an option. He would have killed you and then my life would have been even worse. So I had the fond memories and the knowledge that you were safe as he didn't know."

"Has he never wondered?"

"Oh, he has wondered, but he never found out. I never allowed him to."

"I have learnt today that the family line will be continued."

"Yes. He was lucky. He found somebody that is right for him."

"You have met her?"

"Yes. I'm glad it's her. Nobody else could reign him in."

They both smiled, sharing intimacy as they hadn't been able to do for more than twenty years.

"You never found..."

His fingers silenced her.

"There could never be anybody else. You know that."

She sighed. He slowly stood up.

"I need to go."

"It was good to see you again."

He breathed a kiss on her forehead and was gone before she could hold him back.
                          
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 "Mulligan!"

A head popped round a door along the corridor.

"Boss?"

"Talk! Now!

James Mulligan walked slowly to his head of department's office. What was it now? He had been in the middle of preparing for his latest mission.

He entered the office, closed the door and took a seat.

Henri Shaw stood with his back to him, running his hands through his hair. He only did that when he was seriously stressed. It hadn't happened in a long while.

"What has happened, Henri?"

"I can't send Potter to Manchester."

"Why? What has he done?"

There wasn't exactly a scowl on the Head Auror's face, but it wasn't far of.

"His girl is pregnant."

"What...?"

Utter surprise was the answer to this revelation.

"This doesn't leave the room, understand?"

"Sure. What happened?"

Shaw sat down, propping his elbows on the desktop.

"Seemingly he has just found out. She didn't tell him before. So, there is no way that I can send him on an undercover mission. His mind would be everywhere except on the job." He exhaled sharply. "Just imagine what Notorious would be doing, if he found out."

"Yeah. I've seen his handy work." Mulligan shuddered.

There was a long pause.

"You have been taking a diner break? Why haven't you just stayed at home? The paperwork could have waited."

Another long pause. Both men knew. There was no need to answer the question any longer.

"Shall I go and get Notorious?"

The glance he received for this had the question in it, if he was keen on a suicide mission.

"No, you stay put. I'll talk to the local Law Enforcement Department. They can pick him up."

"Wouldn't it be safer to send some Aurors as well?"

"Why are you so keen on getting killed all of a sudden?" His eyes narrowed. He had an inkling as to what might have happened."What has she said?"

"Nothing I didn't expect her to say. I just need to proof..."

"James, for Merlin's sake! You aren't nineteen any longer. You don't need to proof to her what you are worth. She knows. She has always known. So, drop it. You are not going. And should I decide to send you after all, you'll not be going alone in any case."

"Right." Resignation was the feeling behind this submission.