For the Love of the Game

Chapter 3: Deep Discussion


Harry's office...

"Jeez Ronald, I know you tend to get a little overexcited about things, but isn't this a little extreme?" Hermione said as she jumped suddenly at the force of Ron's chair hitting the plush carpeting with a defining thud. Ron's face turned a lovely shade of chartreuse as he blushed from head to toe, causing both Harry and Hermione to chuckle. Harry's green eyes sparkled with humour as he looked at his two best mates. Then, wasting no time, he cleared his throat and addressed both of his friends. "What was your idea Ron?" he asked, curious.

Ron took a moment to regain his composure, wringing his hands in uncertainty before continuing. "Well, you know how much I love the Cannons...I can’t even begin to think about losing my job, and I was thinking that maybe, well, that the two of you could find a way to buy the team?" Ron mumbled sheepishly. Harry turned to his best friend with a questioning look of his own. "Ron, I can't do a thing like that, at least not directly, everyone would think that I was being biased. I am the Minister of Magic after all. I wouldn't want anyone questioning my ethics."

Hermione nodded her head in agreement, before her brow furrowed in deliberation. She knew that Harry couldn't be put in a position like that, but SHE was able to do whatever she wanted. She was only Harry's personal assistant; no one could question her actions if she chose to take this route. She stood from her chair next to Ron and began pacing a path back and forth between the Floo and Harry’s desk, as she mulled over the idea further.

She knew that this type of a solution would definitely cement Ron's place on the team, since she would have control over player selection, but she too didn't want anyone to think she was being preferential. She continued her pacing, increasing her steps as she was lost deep in her thoughts. She bit her bottom lip in a determined effort to figure out the details. Quickly deciding to take action, she stopped her trip toward the Floo and returned herself to her place in front of Harry’s desk, next to Ron.

“Harry, I know it may seem completely ludicrous and anti-typical of me, but I have to say that part of me agrees with Ron. By becoming an owner, I would have the ability to make sure that Ron kept his job, as well as be a close monitor and contact for the Ministry and Gringott’s to make sure the team was being run appropriately.” she said decisively. “The only dilemma that I can see at this point would be finances. I do have money left over from when we received our nest eggs from the War, but I wouldn’t be able to afford to purchase a professional Quidditch team.” she said softly, her shoulders slumping as she realised that they were no closer to a solution than before. Feeling the need to comfort Ron, she locked her honey-brown eyes with his blue ones, and met them head on. She smiled hopefully at him, knowing he needed as much of an emotional boost as he could get right now.

Ron shrugged and gave her a goofy lopsided smile, all the while watching Harry intently. While Hermione had been wearing a hole in the floor with her persistent pacing, Harry had gotten up from his chair as well, and began looking out the window at the rainy London morning before him. When Hermione had finished her speech, Harry had turned back around to face his two companions.

“’Mione, if the finances are a problem, I think that I may be able to help with that. Mind you, no one can know that I am in ANY WAY connected to this, but if you were willing to consider putting in a bid for the team, I could take some money from my vault, transfer it to your vault and you could make the bid from there. I would be your silent benefactor.” Harry finished. Ron brightened visibly at the prospect of an answer to his problem, and Hermione gave a smile and a quick nod of her approval at Harry‘s contribution to the plan.

“Now Ron, if we do this, you can’t let anyone know of our plan, and I want the chance to do some thorough research of the team before I make a final decision.” Hermione concluded. Harry agreed, and walked around his desk to wrap his arms around both of his friends. He knew that for Hermione to even consider such a prospect, she had to have run the scenario through her head at least a half-dozen times already before making her intentions known.

He was also aware that this would assure that Ron wouldn’t be unemployed anytime soon, and as for his part in the plan, as long as no one other than the Goblins at Gringott’s knew of his money transfer to Hermione’s vault, he was fine. After all, it was no secret that the Potter family was one of the oldest and wealthiest families in all of Wizarding Britain, so money had never been an issue for him. Harry was certain that Hermione wasn’t wealthy by any means, but she was comfortably well-off, between her nest egg and her job here at the Ministry. All together he thought that they would all benefit in some form from this plan, and if it meant that he was able to help a friend in the process…all the better.

Releasing both of his friends from his group hug of encouragement, he crossed over to the opposite side of his desk again and said, “Now all I have to do is talk to the Ministers for Games and Sports and see what they say about the details.” Hermione took this opportunity to sneak a chuckle and roll her eyes at Harry’s comment. She knew what that meant--more work for her.

“Well Harry, since you do have the meeting to get arranged, I think I’m going to take my leave, before you decide to rope me into answering the mountain of correspondence on that desk of yours, again.” Hermione quipped. Harry laughed outright at this. “Now ’Mione, you know good and well that you are only delaying the inevitable, until tomorrow anyway.” Harry returned, with a quick waggle of his eyebrows. Hermione responded in kind, crossing around his desk and landing a playful punch on Harry’s left shoulder. “I’m outta here!” Ron said before Hermione or Harry had the chance to make him take sides.

Ron crossed the extensive office to where the Floo was located with quick and determined strides, and made quick work of grabbing a handful of Floo powder. His felt considerably better, knowing that his best mates had the situation well in hand. He didn’t know what he would have done without the two of them. And, he, Ronald Weasley, had thought of a logical solution to the problem! He knew that he had only helped along an already extensive discussion, but he felt great for it nonetheless.

His work done here, he decided there was no time like the present to head back to the Burrow and wallow in some of his Mum’s famously wonderful steak and kidney pie. With an accompanying whoosh, Ron opened the Floo network and waved his goodbyes to Harry and Hermione with a look of gratitude and a mumbled “Thanks for liking my idea.” Hermione smiled playfully at him, but nodded and then as both Harry and Hermione looked on, he was gone.

“Hermione!” Harry exclaimed, holding his shoulder in mock injury. Hermione looked up at him with a stern look on her face, meanwhile hiding a smile behind her closed fist. “You deserved that, Harry James Potter, and you know it!” she said. Harry held up both of his hands in a gesture of surrender and turned serious again for a moment.

He looked directly at his best friend and grasped her by both of her shoulders with his large hands, to hold her in place so as to have her full attention. “’Mione, are you REALLY SURE this is something you want to do? You know you have my full support no matter what decision you make, but this is really a lot of additional responsibility for you, especially on top of your existing responsibilities here at the Ministry. I can always find another assistant if you want.” Harry said quietly, but firmly, as his bright green eyes bored into hers, making sure that she understood that he was only looking out for her best interest.

“Harry James Potter!” Hermione shouted, a little more sharply than she had originally intended, she realised as Harry jumped practically out of his skin right before her. She relaxed slightly and leaned her forehead into his, looking him straight in the eyes. “If an additional assistant needs to be hired.” she admonished, “I will make sure to hire one, but until then, please don’t assume that I haven’t thought this through thoroughly enough. I understand that this is going to be a lot more on my shoulders, but as it stands now, I do things without having to be told or asked, and I am able to multitask well enough that I can get twice as much accomplished in one hour than you do most of the time in one day!“ she said. “I really don’t think that you want to butt heads with me on this.” she joked.

Harry smiled at her eloquent choice of words, and lightened his grasp on her shoulders, opting instead to wrap his arms around her in a tight hug. He then released her and returned to his station behind his desk, but he didn’t take his seat in his comfortable leather chair. Instead, he stood with his back to her as he looked up at the smiling faces of his long time mentor, his parents, and Sirius, all the while wondering if they would be proud of the choices he had made throughout his short life. He had always tried to model himself after what he knew they had stood for: fairness, compassion, decency and honesty, but most of all, a strong defence of good morals and friendship.

He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that his friends were behind him. They had proven that truth during the War, time and again, by standing at his side as he fought against the temptations of the Horcruxes and finally as he had defeated Voldemort, and even saving his hide when he was selfish and let his anger get the best of him. He only hoped by doing this for Ron, he could somehow repay him for all the times he had stood beside him, no questions asked.

As for Hermione, he would find a way to lessen the load on her shoulders, if it was the last thing he did. He knew how wonderful she was as an assistant, but he also knew that she wouldn’t rest until she could devote the same level of commitment and professionalism to the Cannons, should she win the bid for the team.

That thought suddenly brought him back to the world of reality, as he remembered he still needed to set up a meeting of the Department of Games and Sports, the office of the Goblin Liaison, the Daily Prophet to get the word out when the details were finalised, and even a few select wizards in Diagon Alley to find an appropriate venue and the necessities needed for an auction.

He turned back around to face Hermione and noticed that she had magiked a pad of paper and a quill from her office waiting expectantly for him to dictate the contents of the necessary Memo to her, so that she could get it magically printed and forwarded to the appropriate departments before she headed back to her flat to enjoy the remainder of her day off. Hermione quirked an eyebrow at Harry questioningly and he began, his orders quick and succinct.

The Memo stated: To: Ministers Department of Games and Sports, Minister Department of Magical Law Enforcement and the Goblin Liaison and all Members of Minister’s Advisory Council Re: Verdict in the Sentencing of Riordan Parkinson. Meeting in Minister’s council room 3 p.m. Today. Mandatory that all be present. At this last line, Hermione frowned and mentally growled at Harry angrily. She had been hoping that she would have the chance to take a much needed day to just relax, but she also knew that this was a necessary evil, and would be over a lot quicker if she didn’t complain. Harry however, noticed the frown that crossed her face, and said softly, “’Mione, I will make sure that this meeting is quick and to the point. I am almost positive that it won’t take much to convince everyone that the auction is the fairest way to go and the rest of the meeting is nothing more than minor details. I promise no more than an hour tops.”

At this, Hermione relaxed and reminded herself with a sly smile that she could always hex Harry into oblivion the next time he and his family came over to her house for movie night if he didn’t keep to his word, or even better, torture him by convincing Ginny into watching nothing but Muggle chick flicks. Satisfied now that her method of punishment was in place if he didn’t comply, she made quick work in finishing the Memo. Once she was finished and Harry had dismissed her to go and print it up, and leave him to prepare for the council meeting ahead, she headed for her office, quietly closing the heavy door in her wake with a distinct click.