Paper Trails

25th April 2001

 Harry had all but disappeared from the archives again and Theo was concerned. Their last conversation had worried him, Harry was in no state to leave the hell that the Weasley's had forced him into. Theo had hoped that he would come into the office, then somehow could be persuaded to come home with him. It was unlikely though.

Sighing to himself, Theo grabbed the next memo that had landed in his inbox. The tersely worded request for a manual on weather charms made him sigh. The maintenance department still hadn't sorted the rain on the seventh level. Someone should really bring in an expert, Gringotts had several on hand who would work for excellent rates, but there was apparently never enough money in the budget.

"Nott, we need to talk." The harsh voice of Granger cut into his work and Theo stifled a groan. This was the last person he wanted to deal with today.

"What is is? Potter isn't here." Theo said snidely, making sure to sneer out Harry's surname. It wouldn't do to give them more ammunition against his friend. "and you already have both books on house elf welfare and customs."

"We don't want to talk to Harry, we want to speak with you." Weasley snarled stepping into the office behind his girlfriend.

"If you need assistance in the archives you can either ask at the reception area or send a memo through the official channels." Theo put his quill down, levelling his gaze to the two intruders.

"Don't bullshit us." Ron snapped, "What did you do to Harry?"

"Why would I do anything to Potter? He barely turns up, it isn't worth my job to get involved with that mess."

"Harry was doing fine until he started putting in more hours down here. Now he is talking about how he wants to quit the aurors and break up with Ginny." Granger scowled at him, "What do you mean he barely turns up?"

"Exactly what I said, he has a job in archives but only turns up half the time. What is any of this to do with me?" Theo asked raising a brow in surprise, "If Potter wants to quit let him quit, at least he won't be clogging up the ministry with his big head."

"You are corrupting him" Granger hissed. "Harry has a duty to the wizarding world, I don't know why you are encouraging him to slack off, but it has to stop."

"I'll tell you why 'Mione, he is a death eater and this is another stupid plot to get rid of Harry." Ron snarled

"I am not, nor was I ever a Death Eater."

"You were a snake, nothing more needs to be said." Ron sneered at him before turning back towards the entrance and stomping off, "come on 'Mione, the bastard won't listen to us."

"Please leave Harry alone Nott." Granger said with a stern look. "He can't afford to be distracted, not at the moment. I am all for unity, but you are just going to ruin his life."

"What of what Potter wants?" Theo asked "Have you ever considered that he doesn't want what you are pushing him into."

"He is my best friend. Of course I know." Granger sniffed. "Friends support each other and help them achieve their goals. They don't bring others down to make themselves look good."

"I guess friends don't force people into things so they can further their own careers either." Theo said with a smile.

"You don't know Harry, Nott, however much you think you do. You didn't see how lost he was after the war. He needs this."

"So he needs to be run down working two jobs for one pay check? Giving everything he has and getting nothing in return? Having his money spent when he is struggling to pay rent?" Theo said "Does he deserve to have his friend beat him up in the name of training and his supposed girlfriend do nothing except tell him to hide it under glamours? Does he deserve to have you controlling everything in his life, from where he works to who he can talk to?"

"It's not like that!" she protested

"Then tell me what it is like."

"It is none of your business." Granger snapped, pulling herself up, "If you want to even pretend to care about Harry then just leave him alone."

With that the bushy haired brunette spun on her heel and followed her boyfriend out the archives. Theo lent back in his chair and groaned. In his mind he had pictured Granger and the Weasels to be money grabbing abusers. His opinion of the Weasley's hadn't changed, but Granger.

Did she truly think she was doing the right thing for Harry? At Hogwarts she had always been a domineering sort of witch. Many of the teachers, Snape especially, had been overheard at times complaining about her overbearing ways. It made sense that if she just saw Harry as a project she would push him to do what she thought was right and not necessarily see the bigger picture.

Perhaps if Harry was lucky, Granger would see sense one day. If she truly was the driving force behind this situation, however unwittingly, maybe she could be the key to helping him.

Unfortunately there was nothing he could do now. Granger would not listen until something drastic happened, and seeing as Harry couldn't make the first move himself, the catalyst for change would probably be him collapsing during Auror training. Theo would need to think. There would be a solution out there, he just had to figure it out.

Flicking his wand, Theo summoned the last of his files on love potions and made his way to the stacks. As predicted his report was being shelved. The Wizengamot had decided that as the evidence was inconclusive, there was no need to waste time on new legislation for a potion that had existed for centuries.

Old stuck in the muds. They were just as bad as Dumbledore had been. Content to see the world only as it suited them, thinking nothing of the future.

At least the Italian Ministry had appreciated his work. Not only had he received a letter of thanks including a recommendation for future projects, but someone had found some galleons in a budget somewhere and had send him quite a handsome compensation.

Maybe his future was outside Britain. He certainly had no real ties to the country, it was definitely something to think about.

It was just a shame Harry couldn't do the same.

He would stay until the Harry situation was sorted. But then maybe it was time to finally stretch his wings.