"A Life Beyond Britain's Borders"
Part 18
As they stepped out of the meeting room, Harry couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. The tension in the room had been palpable, and he was grateful to have escaped it. He looked down at Hermione and Pansy, who were still holding onto his arms, their faces etched with concern. "Let's get out of here," Harry said, his voice low and gentle. "Let's get out of Britain." Hermione's eyes snapped up to meet his, a hint of surprise in their depths. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I mean, let's leave," Harry repeated, his eyes scanning the corridor as if searching for something. "This country has done us no kindness, has it? It's only brought us pain and heartache. I have enough gold to set us up anywhere in the wizarding world. We can start fresh, leave all this behind." Pansy's eyes lit up with interest, and she leaned in close to Harry. "Where did you have in mind?" she asked, her voice husky. Harry shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "I don't know. Somewhere warm, perhaps. Somewhere we can be free to live our lives as we want, without the weight of the wizarding world's expectations bearing down on us." Hermione's grip on his arm tightened, and she looked up at him with a mixture of sadness and longing in her eyes. "You've been thinking about this for a while, haven't you?" she asked, her voice soft. Harry nodded, his eyes never leaving hers. "I have. I've been thinking about it a lot, actually. I feel like we're stuck in this never-ending cycle of drama and politics here. I want to be free to live my life with the people I care about, without all the baggage that comes with being 'The Chosen One'." Pansy snorted, rolling her eyes. "You're not exactly 'The Chosen One' anymore, Harry. You're more like...well, I'm not sure what you are, but you're definitely not the boy who lived." Harry chuckled, feeling a sense of lightness wash over him. "I suppose you're right," he said, smiling down at Pansy. "But still, I think it's time for a change of scenery. What do you say, girls? Are you ready to leave Britain behind and start fresh?" Hermione's eyes searched his face, and then she nodded, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'm ready," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Pansy grinned, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'm so in," she said, squeezing Harry's arm. "When do we leave?"