Salt and Pepper Fest: Another Door Opens

[hpgoldenage_mod]

Title: Another Door Opens
Author: torino10154
Characters: Harry, Hermione, James Sirius, Albus Severus, Lily Luna
Rating: PG
Word Count: ~1188
Content/Warning(s): Gen fic
Summary/Prompt: C13 – Prompt: Harry's been offered the position of Head Auror before but always turned it down, preferring to remain in the field. But now, at his age, it's either take the promotion or retire.
A/N: Thank you to S for the feedback and M for the beta!

Read on AO3 or below:

Harry slowly makes his way to the minister's office. While he's been invited to tea many times over the years, he knows this is not a social call.

The minister's secretary buzzes him in without fanfare, confirming to him that he's expected.

"Minister," he says cordially.

"For goodness sake, Harry," Hermione says as she rounds the desk and pulls him into an awkward hug. "How's your leg?" she asks, stepping back to look, though there's nothing to see as his robes reach the top of his boots.

He shrugs. "It's been worse, though standing too long isn't ideal."

"Have a seat, please," she says, adjusting the chair a little for him as if he couldn't do that himself.

"I'm not an invalid, Hermione," he says as he sits, a relieved sigh escaping his lips as the pressure comes off his injured leg. "I know why I'm here and the answer is still the same. No."

There.

Hermione purses her lips as she sits down behind her desk. "Harry, you could do so much good if you ran the department."

"I'd be pushing paper. I'd hate to be at a desk all day." He looks at the broad expanse of hers and realises she can't relate to that thought at all. "I like getting my hands dirty."

"Did they ever find the rest of your pinky?" she says with one brow raised.

Harry lifts his left hand: his pinky is gone above his second knuckle. "No, and it's never caused me a problem."

"Someday it will be more than your pinky, Harry." She leans back in her chair, arms crossed. "Do you really want to be like Mad-Eye Moody?"

"He was a great Auror!" Harry says defensively.

"He became so paranoid that he was caught and spent ten months trapped in a trunk!" Hermione snaps back. "Not to mention missing both an eye and a leg."

"You know I'm the best Auror in the corps—" Harry starts.

"I know you are, Harry," Hermione says, cutting across him. "Think of the influence you could have on the entire team, especially the new recruits. You could teach them so much."

"I can show them in the field," he says, exasperated.

Hermione sighs and rubs her forehead before looking up at him again. "Harry, you're not as quick as you once were. If this were Quidditch, you'd be coaching by now."

Harry grinds his teeth and glares. "Leave off the sports metaphors."

"All right." She holds her hands up as if in surrender. Then she brings them together in front of her, rubbing them before speaking again.

"You're angry because you know I'm right."

Harry leans back, deflated. "What are my options, then?"

"Promotion to Head Auror with little or no field work." The look she gives him tells him that she knows he'll try to get out of that one. "Or retirement from the force entirely."

Harry feels a sharp stab of pain go through him. He truly cannot imagine what he'd do with himself if he were forced to retire altogether.

"How long do I have to decide?" he asks, fist clenching and relaxing repeatedly.

"I understand you still have medical leave for another week because of your injury." Hermione looks at him, sadly. "Let me know then."

"Am I dismissed?"

Hermione nods, wise enough not to say anything more.

Harry stands and walks out of the office, resisting the urge to slam the door.

~*~

Harry seeks the advice of those he cares about most. He's never been very good at listening to advice from others but hearing their perspectives may help him see the situation more clearly.

"The trainees always love hearing your stories, Dad," James says enthusiastically. "The excitement and daring gets the blood pumping and makes them glad they decided to join the Aurors." He pauses and laughs. "It's not until later than they learn all the boring stuff."

Harry chuckles. "Now they want me to do the 'boring stuff' as you called it." He shakes his head. "I can't sit in an office all day. I just can't."

Al claps his shoulder and hands him a cup of tea. "Retire, then. You've done more than anyone alive for the wizarding world."

"And what will I do with myself?" Harry takes a sip of his tea. "Take up knitting like Grandma Molly?"

Al snorts. "Travel for pleasure rather than in pursuit of criminals or following Mum around to Quidditch matches."

"I like Quidditch," Harry interjects. That he and Ginny decided to part ways after twenty-two years doesn't change that fact.

"Wouldn't you like to actually see some of the places you've been?"

"We took that holiday to France," Harry says with a frown. "We enjoyed ourselves, didn't we?"

"But think of all the other places you could go!" Al says, eyes bright. "Egypt, Australia, Argentina...."

James rolled his eyes. "Sounds like someone wants to travel anyway."

"All right, Lily," Harry says turning to his daughter. "What do you think?"

"I think you should tell Aunt Hermione to stuff it." Lily bites into a ginger biscuit with a loud crunch. "That's what Mum would do."

Harry laughs. "Yes, she would."

"Who does she think she is, telling you to retire?"

"The Minister of Magic, that's who," James says. "I reckon she's letting Dad choose so she doesn't have to do it for him."

"That's probably true." Harry sits back in thought.

~*~

This time when Harry walks into Hermione's office, he's in a better frame of mind.

"Harry," Hermione says and conjures a tea tray. "I didn't expect to see you until tomorrow."

He shrugs and sits down. "I thought I should let you know what I've decided."

She nods her head. "Please."

"I don't want to retire and I don't want to be Head Auror—" he starts but she immediately interrupts.

"Harry, we went over this!"

Harry holds up his hand. "I'd like to work with the trainees."

Hermione frowns. "Two months out of the year?"

"Unless you need me more." He sighs. "What I'd like is to be an active Auror but if I can impart a bit of my wisdom—" he holds up his hand that's missing the chunk of finger and waggles it. "—to the new recruits, I'll be happy."

Hermione smiles. "What will you do with your free time?"

"Write crime novels." He says it with a straight face but at Hermione's incredulous look he bursts out laughing. "I don't know yet. Apparently Al would like to see Argentina. Maybe we'll take a holiday. And I've always wanted to see more of Egypt." That he's heard rumours of dark activity there needn't be brought up just now.

Hermione rounds the desk and Harry stands to be enveloped in an embrace.

"This will be so good for you," she says. "I'll get the paperwork drawn up and send it down to your office."

"I have one more question for you," he says keeping her close.

"Yes?"

He studies her face and remembers the first time they met at the age of eleven so many years ago.

"Who's going to convince you to retire?"