A/N: Hello my lovelies! So…my new story is a one-shot for the Quidditch League Fanfic Comp and I am Beater 2 for the Appleby Arrows and we had to write about a fight between a couple about work (well I had to anyway) and my prompts were "Chandelier" by Sia (song) and Crystal Clear (phrase). I have placed phrases from Chandelier through the story, try to spot them!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy!
xx
"I will be there in a second, Lucy! Give me a minute! The sun is up, I'm a mess!" I call, frazzled, as I rush past my receptionist, juice bottle in one hand, handbag swung over my shoulder and folders for my case in the crook of my arm.
I push open the big wooden doors to my office and sigh at it's breathtaking beauty. The tall library on the left hand side, the big desk at the end of the room with a window behind it that has a false view which I can change with my wand. As well as the fireplace, glass bowl of floo powder and insanely comfortable love seats, as well as the door leading to the ensuite. It's almost like home. But it's my office.
I dump my folders on my desk, as well as my bag and juice and grab my makeup purse out of my handbag. I conjure a mirror and quickly start applying foundation to the bags under my eyes. I add some blush and some mascara to make me look more awake. No one needs to know that I was up to three in the morning, reviewing the case that I need to get to in an hour.
I stare at myself in the reflection. My bushy, brown mane from thirteen years ago has changed into soft curls that hang a little below my shoulders. I grab the bobby pins and pin a few strands back so that I don't look so young. I can do this. I am the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It's fine that I'm only twenty-six. I am going to win my case. I am Hermione Granger. And I can do this.
I just need to forget that my boyfriend of five months, slash guy that makes almost makes me faint every time that I see him is the guy that helps decide whether or not I win my case, and I need to win. Because once I do, I can actually focus on all the work piling up.
I stand up from my desk, spritz a quick bit of perfume and grab the folder with all of my notes in it. I close the door gently behind me and walk a lot more calmly to Lucy.
"Hi Miss Granger -" she starts.
I hold up my hand and she smiles.
"Sorry, Hermione, you have five RSVPs that you need to respond to in the next two days, all for dinner parties and balls, and then you also need to get that report done and read over the intern applications. Then, you have your case today which has moved forward half an hour," Lucy informs me.
"What?!" I cry, checking my watch. I have twenty minutes to get to the court room and introduce myself. I thank Lucy and rush back to my office to grab my handbag, stuffing the folders in. I rush back and hop in the elevator. It jolts backwards and I hold on, tensing my core so that I stay upright. The elevator comes to a stop and the doors open. The butterflies suddenly decide to make their presence as Jack walks in. He slinks his arm around my waist and presses his lips to mine.
Eep.
"Hey, on the way to the courtroom?" he asks.
I smile and nod. Merlin, woman, speak. His blond hair is messy, but not scruffy and neat, but not slicked back, and his blue eyes sparkle with laughter. He knows how he affects me, which sucks.
"Dinner tonight?" I ask.
Okay Hermione, you can do this. You are a goddamn lawyer!
"Of course, two nights in a row, party girl," he smiles.
"Well, party girls don't get hurt. Plus, I'm the one for a good time call," I smirk.
The doors open and Harry walks in.
"Harry!" I cry and throw my arms around him. He's been away for two weeks on an auror mission and obviously he just got back.
"Hey! I was just coming to see you, but clearly you're going to the courtroom! What's this case on?" Harry asks.
"This one is on the mistreatment of house elves," I tell him proudly.
"Are you going to mention spew?" he jokes.
"Not spew, S.P.E.W," I correct.
I can feel Jack tense beside me. He doesn't like Harry but I told him if he wants to be my boyfriend, then he needs to accept that Harry is one of my closest friends, as well as Ginny and Ron. Well. Ron isn't anymore.
"How was your mission?" I ask.
Harry tells me all about it as the elevator jerks around, weaving through the ministry until we're down so low my ears start to ache. Jack and I walk out of the elevator, I tell Jack to go ahead and that I'll see him there. I stand with my hand blocking the crevice where the doors to the elevator come out of so that it doesn't close on me.
"Any news of where Ron might be?" I ask.
I try not to let my heart jump into my throat, but it's hard. See, Ron disappeared exactly eight months ago today and there's been no clue as to where he is. At the time we were dating and honestly, my heart just broke. Then I met Jack and at first he was just something to distract myself, but then I started to like him. A lot. I try not to think about Ron but every time I'm with Jack all I can think of is Ron. Or when I get good news, all I think of is how Ron would take me in his arms and whirl me around. All Jack does is tell me congratulations and take me to dinner.
Harry bows his head and shakes it.
I take a painful breath in and tell him I'll see him later. I walk down the tiled floor, my heels clicking and echoing. I open the door and my vision circles around the room. The table and chair are in the middle where I will make my case, and every seat is full. I see Jack and he smiles at me. I give him a little grin back. Flaming red hair catches my eye and I smile at Ginny, my best friend. She winks at me.
I walk to the middle of the room, aware of all the eyes on me. I set my bag down on the table in front of me and pull out my folders. The judge nods at me to begin. I stand and start to speak.
"Good morning judge, jury, wizards and witches. The mistreatment of house elves today is growing and growing and in a country where we are progressing so well, our treatment is in the time of two centuries ago, and should stop."
I say my whole three arguments, as well as my two examples and rebut everything that I had thought the opposing side might've said in the hearing yesterday and come to my conclusion.
"Have I made myself clear?" I ask.
The crowd erupts into applause and I smile, sitting down.
"Crystal clear, Miss Granger. You may now be excused."
I pack up my things and walk out the room, feeling confident with myself. I reckon I made a pretty compelling case to be honest. Suddenly, I feel arms encircle me yet again and turn me around to steal a quick kiss.
"Good job, Hermes," Jack smiles.
I internally cringe at the nickname he has for me, but I don't say anything.
"So…how do you think I went?" I ask, smiling.
"Honestly?" he smirks.
I nod in anticipation, just wanting him to answer.
"Well, I think you sucked."
I choke on my tongue and pull myself out of his arms. I look all over his face, searching for anything to tell me that he's joking. Nothing. Everything tells me that he's being dead serious.
"Excuse me?" I ask, glaring at him.
"Your arguments were weak and you spoke horribly," he states, leaning against the cool marble wall.
"Oh, oh! And you would you know? Okay then, if I was so bad tell me why I'm the most prestigious lawyer in the country? The most sought after lawyer, huh? Tell me why've I've been to France, Italy, Germany and Australia for cases? Tell me why I've won every singe case I've ever fought?" I exclaim.
Well. I never thought I would be so un-humble, but I guess desperate times call for desperate times.
"Because you're Hermione Granger and no one wants to upset you, seeing as you're friends with Harry Potter," Jack says slyly.
I scoff.
"How do you think I got through the Great War without being tough? People are not afraid to tell me that I wasn't that great when I started out, and that's how I got to the top."
That escalated quickly.
"Come on babe, I'm sorry," Jack says, reaching for me.
"No! And don't babe me, you, you arse!" I cry.
"What? Is that the best you can do?" Jack sneers.
"I'm too classy to say anything else," I sneer back.
He leans in to kiss me and I slap him, clear on the cheek. His hand flies to his check, and then one for my throat. Suddenly, he's pushed back and Ginny's flaming red hair is in my face.
"You stay down, you god forsaken, dumb, son of a bi -" she starts, then grabs my arm. "Come on Mi, let's go get a donut."
"Wait one second, we're over you snake," I sneer at Jack, then stomp off with Ginny.
As soon as we get in the elevator, I break down. I sit on the marble floor, crying with my head in my hands. Ginny sits next to me, her arms around me. She knows I'm not just crying because of the break up, she knows I'm crying because of Ron. My dear, goofy, funny, annoying Ron. Merlin knows where he is today.
"I just can't forget that he's gone," I sniffle.
"I know, I know," Ginny says soothingly.
We walk quickly through the hallways of the ministry, my head low so no one can see what a mess I am for the second time today. We walk past Lucy and she and Ginny have some kind of like sign language and Lucy doesn't say anything. She sits me in my chair and says she'll be back. I have never been a big drinker, but the situation calls for it. I conjure some firewhiskey and screw the top off, with my heeled feet kicked up on the top of my desk.
I take a swig, squeezing my face up as the liquid burns my throat. I take another four and soon, I start to feel sleepy.
"One, two, three, one, two, three, drink, one, two, three, one, two, three, drink, one, two, three, one, two, three, drink, throw 'em back til I loose count," I murmur to myself, taking two swigs in between each set of numbers.
I climb up onto the desk and start to sway my body, reaching to the glass chandelier hanging from the roof.
"I'm…gonna…swing…from the chandelier," I groan.
I hear the door open and Ginny and Lucy walk in. Ginny curses and tells Lucy to go into the bathroom and get a tall glass of water and a warm flannel. She pulls me down from the desk and sits me slumped on the chair.
"Ginny…" I slur. "What's going on?"
She shoves a cinnamon donut in my mouth and I slowly chew it, then she hands me another one, then another until I've gone through a whole packet of six. She then instructs me to drink the tall glass of water Lucy has gotten me, then another glass. Ginny then tells Lucy to find my makeup as she wipes my face. She folds the flannel over and I see streaks of black from my mascara.
Lucy disappears from the room and Ginny starts to reapply my makeup. She starts scolding me for getting drunk just because I dumped Jack, and that I can't let him see me like this, seeing as I'm always put together.
After a couple of minutes, Lucy rushes back in and hands me a groggy looking potion. I stick my tongue out at her as she shoves it in my hand.
"It's either this or you appear drunk. Your choice!"
I take it, giving them both a surly look as I drink the potion, and almost retch. Instantly, I start to feel my head clear, my throat starting not to burn and my throbbing head subside. In no time, I feel just like I did before I stupidly got myself drunk.
"How about we just put a quick spell on your eyes so if there are anymore tears, your mascara won't run, hey?" Ginny says.
I shut them and feel them tingle, resisting the urge to rub them. The tingling subsides after ten seconds, and then I open them.
"Thank you Lucy, thank you Ginny," I say as I re-spritz my perfume, brush my hair and re do it, pinning it all up this time into a 1950s styled updo and reapply my dark red lipstick. I button up my blazer and ask Lucy if she'd like anything from the cafe. She asks for a chicken sandwich and gives my some money. I slot it into my purse and sling my hand bag onto the crook of my elbow.
Ginny and I walk out behind Lucy and take the elevator. I thank Ginny again and she suggests that we go for dinner and I protest, saying that Harry probably wants to spend the night with her, but she bounces back.
As we step out of the elevator, my gaze is brought to the of the green tiled, towering foyer. In the midst of green tiles and black robes, the red stands out. To his side is Harry, crying, with happiness, as well as Arthur. I hear Ginny gasp, and the man turns around. His eyes are the same. Those bright eyes. I feel faint. But then my adrenaline reboots itself, as the man breaks from the crowd, pushing through it.
I match him, pushing through the crowd. I never thought I'd be able to run in heels, but again, I've surprised myself.
"Mione!" he calls.
I collapse into his arms, sobbing. His arms pull me closer to him and I feel his lips pressing kisses all over my face, in my hair.
"Ron! Where have you been?" I sob, pulling back to look at his beautiful face. My fingers run over a fresh cut that has marked itself on his right cheek and his eyes…his eyes.
He presses his lips to mine and it feels so right, so right, unlike it was with Jack. I sob even more as we kiss, and then he pulls me into a hug. Into my hair, he whispers:
"I'm home."
A/N: Well, that went for longer than I expected! What'd ya think? Please y'all, let me know!
Anyway, until next time!
Claudia xx