DEC 02, Harry Potter, The Minister's Affair (2/6) Title: The Minister's Affair Prompt: Christmas Pudding Author:roma_fics Fandom: Harry Potter Prompt: Christmas Pudding Characters: Malfoys and Potters Rating: G Word total: 300 Warning(s): Het Infidelity, character death (doesn't sound very cheery *g*) Note: These warnings are for the whole series, not for each chapter. Summary: Members of two families keep one secret to the very end. This will be a six part drabble story. Beta: The wondrous eeyore9990
The Minister's Affair Part 2
The first time James Potter suspected the newly elected Minister for Magic was having an affair was on Christmas Day of his fifteenth year. He'd been in his self-centred world for so long he wasn't sure when things had changed. Being Quidditch Captain was more difficult than he'd expected. Within the first month, he'd lost his girlfriend to a rival schoolmate. It still smarted.
Maybe that was why he noticed. Now that he'd been in a relationship, he recognised movements and looks between partners. When had his mother's frown become permanent? When had his father stopped kissing her on the cheek before leaving for work?
It was like watching a movie as the scene progressed. He knew the minute the Ministry owl arrived as Christmas pudding was being served that his father would leave. It was the first time he saw his father as a man and not a god. He was fallible. His mother appeared oblivious and continued chatting with his Aunt Hermione. It was Aunt Hermione's eyes that told him the story. She glared at his father, while his mother nattered on, until he Vanished.
He was home by eight, took a shower, and then returned to the family, playing chess with Uncle Ron. James sat and drank mulled wine, wondering why his father had become a cliché: a man who had everything but risked it for a romp in the hay. He speculated on who the other woman was; given his position, he could have anybody.
The fireplace ashes stirred as green flames erupted and Al's friend Scorpius Malfoy came tumbling out. He wasn't expected until the morning. His eyes were red and puffy; James' stomach dropped. Why would Harry Potter be so reckless? Did he miss the adventures of his youth…when death had been an option?