It's All Just Temporary with a Bit of Necromancy

Chapter 27: You're Here

You're Here

"Come on, another lap!"

"Another lap!" Harry snickered at the incredulous tone. Marvolo was only a pace or two behind him and so Harry tossed a breathless 'Ha' over his shoulder. "If you are so insistent, let's make it interesting," the man continued drawing even with Harry. His even-paced speech disrupted by the harsh panting. "A race."

"You're on," Harry said. Grin stretching his face while his breath became more ragged, putting on an extra burst of energy.

Harry had woken up full of restless energy and already his morning run was longer than it had ever been but he could still feel the restlessness eating at his limbs. Hopefully, a race would dispense all of that energy for good. He had a Wizengamot session in a few hours and he didn't want to be distracted.

The two fell into silence as they raced the last lap around Marvolo's extensive fields. Harry loved mornings when Marvolo joined him for a run, which recently had been more often than not. It made it far more interesting than just running in circles on his own and together they became far too competitive for their own good. Harry loved it.

Drawing closer to the invisible finish line they had used in the past, Harry grunted and pushed harder. He'd won each time — except for when Marvolo cheated — and he wasn't going to lose that streak now. With a pained grunt, he crossed the line and threw his hands in the air in a breathless cheer.

"I allowed you the victory," Marvolo protested, chest heaving and attempting to look dignified.

Unlike Harry, who dressed in baggy grey sweatpants and a loose running shirt, Marvolo wore clothes that could easily pass as a business suit. Loose, straight legged pants and a slim fitted long sleeve shirt both of which could have been made with muggle athletic material or some posh wizard fabric that Harry had never heard of. Harry always felt highly underdressed for a morning run.

"Sure you did. Just like you've allowed it these past few months? Careful Marvolo, some might think you're going soft all of this 'allowing me to win' nonsense."

"I've won in the past."

"When you cheated."

"When I utilized my resources," the man countered. "As I could have done this morning."

Harry rolled his eyes but let the matter drop. He had a stitch in his side and bantering hindered his progress of catching his breath. Another reason Harry loved the morning runs when Marvolo joined him was the man himself. Running did not allow for a person to look pristine. At the end of the run, Marvolo always had sweat dampened, messy hair and reddened cheeks. Sadly Marvolo didn't drip with sweat like Harry did, instead, the man practically glistened with it. Harry enjoyed the disrupted image of the Dark Lord. He liked that he was the only person who got to see Marvolo this way too.

Slowly they began their walk back to the house. "Are you ready for the Wizengamot?"

Harry sighed. "Do I really have a choice? I mean I only just did the conference the other day, there has only been a day for people to process it all. It's still fresh in their minds."

"The papers yesterday and today only printed favorable reviews," Marvolo pointed out. "They claim your oath enhanced your youthful and honest image. Most talk is in relation to your school."

"Which is good and that was my whole goal with everything. I know you didn't like my oath plan."

"It was a risky move that could have backfired spectacularly," Marvolo agreed without pause. He'd argued admittedly against the idea for most of the day and up until Harry actually left for the conference.