CORNERED
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..
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The lights were harsh and hot. Charlotte caught a glimpse of her own shiny reflection in the lightbulb of large old fashioned camera, seconds before it flashed. She would look oily and dirty in these photos, and she wanted nothing more than to powder her face- make herself a little more presentable. But then she would look prestige and high maintenance, and the whole point was to be approachable.

Harry sat calmly beside her, looking impeccable despite his lack of effort- although, she did have to remind him to iron his shirt before they left. His hair wasn't styled, as there wasn't any point in trying, but his skin was fresh and cleanly shaved, and although his suit wasn't particularly flashy, Charlotte would be the first to admit he looked quite... good in it.

She placed her shaky hands palm down on the cool table in front of them, and Harry immediately placed his right over her left, keeping it steady as he held her hand reassuringly. She gave him a grateful smile.

"So, Charlotte," a woman with curly blonde hair and a peculiar green outfit said, a floating quill and notepad scribbling furiously beside her. Her badge read the name Rita Skeeter. "How does it feel to have the Chosen One as... 'arm candy' as you Muggles may say- must be everything you ever wished for I'm sure- rich, powerful, magical-"

"I- er..." Her throat was suddenly very dry. Harry is squeezed her hand gently. She swallowed. "I don't care about any of that," Charlotte said, eventually. "Frankly I didn't even know about the money when I met him, and he certainly wasn't powerful. Of course, Harry is a hero, there's no denying it."

"Lottie," Harry laughed awkwardly. "I'd hardly call myself a hero."

"No, you are," Charlotte said, dismissing Harry's objections. "Harry has saved your world and mine. Even when you all ambushed him with slander and hearsay, calling him liar and murderer. And still, he has never asked any of us for any thanks. I'll always admire his achievements, but they're not all I love him for."

Charlotte could feel Harry's eyes on her, and when she glanced at him he wore a look of embarrassment, and disbelief, but above all, love. She had waited years for somebody to look at her with love.

When Charlotte looked back at the crowd, the woman who questioned her looked flustered, tucking stray hairs away. "But, still, you must benefit from it-"

"Rita I seem to remember you having a little..." Harry pretended to think for a moment. "Bug problem? Have you sorted it?"

With that, Skeeter gasped, struggling to think of a reply, before she sat down hastily, huffing as she went. Charlotte glanced at Harry with a curious smile.

"What was that?"

"Long story," he whispered in her ear. "Let's just say Rita Skeeter isn't used to others having dirt on her for once."

Harry then addressed the room again. "The truth is, she can call me a hero all she likes, but Charlotte Cardleman is a stronger person than I'll ever be. And you could all give me a billion and one arguments against that, but I'd have two billion to counter it."

"Strong words Mr Potter!" The voice in the crowd was impossible to identify. Charlotte could feel her cheeks going red- great, now she'd look even worse.

"That's exactly why I use them, Mr Smudgely," Harry retorted. "I've always had magic on my side. Even when I was a kid- I've never been in a situation where my opponent has had something I don't. It's always, they have a wand and I have a wand. They have nerve and I have more. But Charlotte is a different kind of brave. She stays strong in the face of... torture and cruelty, even when she is overpowered she stays resilient. I would never be able to do that."

"You're referring to her kidnapping," another man said, and Harry nodded. "Why didn't you save her?"

"That's not what we're here to talk about," Charlotte said, immediately, feeling her heart rate rise.

"You think I didn't want to?" Harry argued. "Are you forgetting that, when she was taken, I was in school. I was at the mercy of the adults around me who refused to let me go."

"I assume you mean Dumbledore refuses, but what about when you left school- after the night he died?"

"Harry," Charlotte said, shifting towards him. She could sense his rising anger, and she knew he had trouble with his impulsiveness sometimes. She didn't want him to say anything he'd regret. "You don't need to talk about any of this."

"Once Dumbledore was dead, that was it," Harry said. "I had nothing. The Order was stranded, the Ministry was on the verge of collapse and the stinking narrative from the press meant members of the Wizarding community no longer trusted me. That was when Theodore-"

"Theodore Nott?"

"Yes, he-"

"Miss Cardleman, what is Mr Nott's relationship to you?"

"The Daily Prophet's flattering article covers all of that," Charlotte said. "Feel free to read it, I'm sure Ms Skeeter would be glad. Now, let Harry say his piece."

"Thank you," Harry sighed, even more flustered than he was previously. "Theodore convinced me and Layth that he was best suited for the rescue mission. He had the motivation to save Charlotte and... and Zara, too. As well as this, he could blend in best, and there was no arguing with him. He reminded me that the only way anyone would ever be safe was if I ended that war. So, yes, I didn't save Lottie, and yes, I feel guilty for it, but I do not feel guilty on how I spent my time instead. Now, if you're all done, that's all we have time for."

Harry stood from his seat, and the crowd burst into chatter, each reporter frantically trying to ask more questions and get more answers. Charlotte followed Harry out of the black marble room as he flicked his wand and an invisible barrier fell around them as they entered the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic.

Charlotte had been in awe when she'd arrived, and she was still in awe to this moment, watching the levitating paper planes whizz around, watching a man in billowing blue robes hand out flying pamphlets, and watched people disappear into the great big fireplaces, which were nothing like she'd ever seen before.

"It's nice to be here without fights going on, or court-cases to attend," Harry laughed as reporters continued to follow after them with cameras.

Charlotte linked arms with him. "Fights?"

"Yeah," he said, with a disbelieving laugh. "Me vs Bellatrix-"

"That bitch."

"Dumbledore vs Voldemort-"

"That bastard."

"Me and Hermione and Ron vs Yaxley and everyone else in the Ministry."

"I don't know who Yaxley is."

Harry's face darkened suddenly as they approached the Floo Networks. "I heard he killed Zara. Then Theodore killed him. I haven't asked about the details of it all though. Something tells me it's not a moment Theodore would be proud of."

Charlotte was still shocked to hear that her friend had been killed. She wondered if the news would ever lose its impact. "Well if that's the truth, I'm glad he's dead."

"So am I."

~

No matter how much Harry tried to convince her, Charlotte would not engage in side along apparition. She'd argued that as cool as teleportation looked in films, the reality left her nauseous. And he couldn't exactly argue with that.

But when he'd suggested travel to their holiday destination by broom, she'd said she didn't trust him. He was a little insulted.

"I was the greatest seeker Hogwarts had ever seen," Harry argued, as Charlotte checked and double checked the contents of the magically extended rucksack containing all their possessions. "I outflew a dragon once. I think you can trust me to fly us."

"Both of those things involve going very fast," Charlotte laughed. "If I wanted a rollercoaster ride, I'd go to Blackpool."

"You hardly even feel it," Harry argued. "Lottie I sorted everything- I even tweaked the broom so you have a more comfortable seat."

"Using the word 'tweaked' isn't very convincing," she laughed. "We already booked the flight."

"The flight," Harry sighed. "A huge metal sausage piloted by a stranger, versus a magical method of travel piloted by someone you love and trust."

"Love, yes- trust? Not with this."

"Fine," Harry said. "We'll get on a stupid plane."

"Finally!" Charlotte seemed ecstatic, but it only took a few minutes of his purposefully solemn silence, and sad sighs as he wrapped up the broom before she cracked.

Harry tried hard not to let her see his smile as she came up behind him, wrapping her arms round his waist.

"You're making me feel bad," she said, and although he was facing away from her, he could practically see her eyes roll.

"You should," he huffed.

"Let's compromise," she said finally, and his grin grew wider. "You can fly us there-"

"Yes!" He exclaimed, spinning round and kissing her forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, before picking her up and spinning her around as she laughed.

"But on one condition!" Charlotte panted, and he set her down mid spin. "We get the plane back."

"Deal."

...
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Aren't they just your fave couple ever bc they're mine.

Gosh that sounds so vain. Oh well.

Happy international women's day!

QOTD: most inspirational female to you?
AOTD: Firstly my mum, because she's superwoman.

Secondly, Hawo Taako- she was a prominent Somali freedom fighter who was killed in 1948 for protesting against Italian colonisers. In the 1970s, a new independent nation of Somalia built a monument in Mogadishu to remember the martyr by. Unfortunately, since the civil war of the 1990s, the monument is no longer standing. But there's no doubt it will be rebuilt again, God willing.

-Amber.