The Decision, Iudicium
July 2026
Ginny Potter hastily applied a coat of lipstick as she waved her wand at the television set perched on top the mantel piece. A news anchor, dressed in tidy black dress robes was visible immediately on the screen and Ginny waved the wand a second time, as a heavily Scottish accent blared throughout the spacey, homely kitchen.
"…ministry officials as we speak. The muggle air travelling device, known as an air plank, is reportedly spouting heart shaped clouds through its windows, and a pink fog has gathered across the entire region. And now I think we have breaking news."
Ginny jumped a foot as a sudden clash of cheesy orchestra music, complete with a loud trumpet playing the TV jingle, sent her coffee mug flying into the air, rescued just in time by her quick wand hand. After 20 years, the loud and sudden 'breaking news' montage still threw her off.
"And this is Mr Coooorny Collins, reporting from the sceeeeeeene of the criiiiiiiiiime. WWTV has confirrrrrrrrmed that a muggle maaaaan travelling from Egypt was in faaaaact under the Amocrui curse and was attempting to wooooo the pants off the plank's malepilot. The curse, as viewers will well be aware, is a major magical disaaaaster affecting a million wizards and witches in Egypt, causing the cursed to engaaaage in violent sexual raaaampages before succumbing toooo an exhaustive death. Britain has committed three brigades oooof aurors to the pyramids under the couuuuncil of Head of the Auror Department Harry Pooootter. No details as to how today's incident will affect policy. Stay tuned for more updates aaaas this situation continues. Coooorny Collins, WWTeeV, Heathrow."
Ginny sighed as she hurriedly flourished her wand at the oven, her mind full of questions and concern over her husband's controversial carrier, all the while aware that she needed to get to work in 15 minutes.
As her pumpkin pie baked itself, something caught Ginny's eye on the TV screen; a smiling, waving Harry appeared on the screen. Any chance of listening in, however, was immediately stalled when James, her 21 year old son, made an extremely loud entrance into her kitchen, bringing with him the smell of some fruity cologne.
"Good morning mum!" James bellowed cheerfully as he ran to the backdoor, apparently eager to exit as quickly as possible.
"Are you going somewhere?" Ginny said to his retreating back. The Scottish accent blared; "And this week in British Politics…"
James turned back with an uneasy grin on his face, his brown eyes wide. "Yeah; I'm, er, hanging out with a friend. You know –"
"A friend?" Ginny raised her eyebrows and a slight smile crept to her face; she had a vague idea where this was headed. "Yeah right. Which one?"
James shifted his weight from one leg to another. "The tall, blonde one?"
"Which blonde one?"
"You know the short haired, blonde one. Listen-"
Ginny's smile widened as James' unease visibly increased; sharing his love life with his mother was not an enjoyable experience.
"That basically narrows it down to like 15 of your girlfriends."
"Yeah, listen mom. Um, you probably haven't met her yet, I was just introduced last night. And I have a day off from Gringotts so I'll just-" James began to retreat through the door to the apparition point, his mother's bright, cheeky smile making his heart race.
"Go, have fun," Ginny said, the amusement evident in her tone, before she broke down in peals of laughter at James' facial expression. "You have a reputation to uphold as a promiscuous whatever–" James gave her an uneasy smile, spun around and disappeared. Ginny giggled as she waved her wand again, setting off the sound of an alarm clock buzzing; two muffled shouts were heard.
"MUM! It's the fricking holidays!" Lily called from her upstairs room.
"Lily, don't shout at her like that!" the groggy voice of Albus reached Ginny's ears.
"Good morning!" Ginny said cheerfully, taking a look at the family clock and scrambling to gather her suitcase and coat. "Dad's coming by in a few hours if nobody else tries to woo a muggle pilot. Breakfast is cooking in the oven; I will be back by one cause it's a Sunday, and –"
The headline on the screen caught her eye;
HARRY POTTER: NEXT MINISTER FOR MAGIC?
A heavy Scottish accent blared through – "…increased speculation as to whether the chosen one will run for minister in the 2028 elections, two years from now –"
"I think –" Ginny unsuccessfully tried to speak and gape like a goldfish simultaneously.
"…no doubt front runner for his party's nomination for the last 30 years –"
"–that's –"
"…Candidacy as good as confirmed by an anonymous source inside the leadership of the Hogsmorian party…"
"–it." Ginny gulped.
A son who changed girlfriends as frequently as he changed underwear; A husband involved, among other things, in preventing airplanes spouting pink hearts, and in apparently running for Minister for Magic in secret; there was never a dull day in the life of Ginerva Potter.
***
"Senior staff in five minutes, thirty eight seconds" a pleasant female voice proclaimed to the entire floor of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.
A second later a group of wizards and witches burst through the golden doors of the elevator, and stepped onto level two. A tall wizard with messy, jet black hair, round glasses and brilliant green eyes led the group, closely followed by a gangly wizard with a receding red hairline. Two witches followed them; one fresh faced, her straight, long blonde hair whipping behind her, the other with black hair cropped to her neck and dressed in well tailored dress robes.
Completing the group were two wizards trailing behind; one with a dark beard and balding head, the other wizard had long red hair that was exact shade of the first red headed wizard's and a disfigured face. The entire group had shiny silver badges with the ministry seal and the acronym "DMLE" on them, although the blue eyed wizard had several more of different colours on either shoulder; they clanked softly as he walked.
"Do we know the source of the leak?" asked Harry Potter as he walked, for it was he, his green eyes wide with slight anger.
"No sir, but Padma has strong evidence that it was an intern from Madame Doctor Granger who came here during the swapping day, which was yesterday" said Bill Weasley, the red haired wizard with a scarred face.
Padma Patil, the black haired witch with violet eyes spoke up. "Please don't ask me how I know this, but evidently the intern eavesdropped on a conversation you were having with the chief of staff Bill Weasley using extendable ears."
"I'm well aware of your unconventional methods of evidence gathering, thanks Padma" Harry said, a little amused.
The delegation turned a corner and Padma spoke again. "Maybe this is a good time to discuss how to ward your office during private conversations" she said, giving the back of Harry's head an accusatory glare, as if daring him to admit his leniency. "Sir", she added quickly as an afterthought.
"I'll take care of it Harry, I'll talk to Hermione", said Ron, the red headed wizard, and as they reached Harry's spacious office, he opened the door to let Harry and his staff in.
"Thanks Ron, you know I appreciate it" Harry said tiredly as he leaned against his desk. The others gathered around him.
"So what do we do now?" asked Harry, surveying them over his round spectacles.
"We need to act quickly to confirm the story. If we let this drag on it will become harder for you to do your job here as head of the Auror department objectively. The Minister is not pleased; a day or two is all we have" Bill Weasley, the man with the disfigured face, said immediately.
Harry looked at her quizzically. "So you're saying I need to decide what to say, ask Ginny and get her to agree with me in a day?"
Bill nodded, his gaze steady.
Harry took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Is Colin here?"
A timid brown haired man in bright blue dress robes immediately apparated into his office. "You called me, Harry?"
"I was hoping to get out by noon today, go talk to Ginny and hang out with the kids, can I –"
Colin held up a pink piece of parchment. "I'm sorry Harry, don't think so. You have lunch today with Warlock Paynette. Minister Archie wants you to attend a security briefing at 12.30 - he wants to discuss the Amocrui curse incident. Then at 13:15 you have to meet the US ambassador on the security detail for the student annual student exchange program between Hogwarts and Salem. Then –"
"Okay, can you cancel the lunch and call Ginny up to tell her I will meet her at the Jittered Broom at noon?"
"Yes, I can do that, although chief Warlock Paynette will be mad. Should I –"
"A dozen. White, cause red clashes with her hair."
"Okay."
"Tell her I love her and that I can explain everything. Well, I can't, but just tell her."
"Yes, sir" Colin spun on his heel and dissapparated.
The blonde witch looked at Harry Potter cautiously.
"What is it Hannah?"
"I have been getting calls, more than usual, about the Egypt Auror mission. Our standard reply is becoming increasingly stale and I think it is best if you coordinate a press conference with Minister Archie on it before today's story drags our poll numbers."
"What do you think?" Harry addressed the bearded wizard.
Lexis Ziener had an unkempt appearance about him that was hard to get rid of. He had beetle black eyes, a balding head and generally looked very sad, although nobody could read his face. But when he spoke, the carefully dictated voice revealed an extremely brilliant man whose way with words was magical. It was no surprise he was Harry's head speech writer.
"I agree. I think you should satisfy the hungry wild animals that are the ministry's press core before they devour you whole and label you a delusional war monger for life; before they strangle your reputation into the ground."
Everybody looked at him, attempting to cover their surprise at such a strong reaction. Of course, Lexis was known to be a very opinionated ideologue; therefore he took everything twice as seriously.
"However you shall have to answer questions on your candidacy for Minister, sire. Minister Archie will likely leave before you do, since he cannot be seen as endorsing you over all the other candidates from his and your party." Lexis added curtly.
Harry gathered himself together quickly. "Done. Get a statement ready Lex. I'd like to at least give my slightly sadistic wife one chance to devour and strangle me to the ground before the Ministry Press Core gets to me", Harry said, smiling as his staff fidgeted. "That will be all, thank you everyone."
"Security briefing at 13:15 Harry", Ron reminded him as he closed the door behind him.
"Yes. Thanks mate" Harry said rubbing his eyes again as his office door closed behind his staff.
***
James was thoroughly enjoying himself. He was on the alleyway behind Madame Puddifoot's, in between two tall buildings; a hiding place only he knew how to access. The two buildings were supposedly joined here, but a tap of his wand and the whispering of a spell would cause them to move apart quickly and the gap to appear.
He was not alone; Sonia, the blonde date he had been reluctant to tell his mom about, was currently assaulting his lips with her own, while flattening him against the wall with her hands. He complied without complaint; it was a time in his life when a long term girlfriend seemed as frightening as the giant squid. They were both looking for company, they both knew what they wanted; and both would get it, never to meet again.
Breathing heavily from Sonie's and his own ministrations, he asked her huskily; "Wanna go upstairs?"
Chuckling against his lips at James' eagerness, Sonie stopped her kissing to tell him, "No silly, I wanted to dish it out in the dirt here to test my energy level."
"Right, we're definitely going in", James said smiling slightly. He pulled her out of the hideaway and tapped his wand. By the time the two buildings had remerged, they were well on their way to the upper floors of Madame Puddifoots' restaurant and motel.
***
"Nice to see you, Draco", said Hermione Granger, her bushy hair pinned back in a neat bun, as she stood up from her seat in the Ministry of Magic Press Office. It was a huge, octagon shaped room with a hundred seats, and had two doors, one with direct access to the Minister's office, the other opening into the Ministry Atrium.
Draco Malfoy grasped her hand warmly, his silver blonde hair falling lightly on his brow as he brought it to his lips. "Nice would describe it, Hermione, or should I say Madame Doctor?" He looked at her brown eyes with sparkling grey ones. She blushed and broke eye contact. "I hear congratulations are in order for your 'promotion', as the Ministry put it, to being chief press secretary to the Minister?"
"Thank you" Hermione said cordially as she sat down, her stomach fluttering. Draco Malfoy, the 46 year old successful banker and entrepreneur, the dashing man with a tragic misguided past, tended to have that effect on people. He was a far cry, Hermione would think every time she met him, from the cruel boy she'd hated 29 years ago.
"Let's hope you can keep this job for a bit longer than 25 years, huh?" he said in an amused tone.
"Right" she said, a little embarrassed.
She continued, as he surveyed her with a strong gaze. "I wanted to talk about your plans on opening a branch of your hospital franchise in Cairo. Relating to security detail, you know." She rearranged her papers on the desk; "I've just got word that the Minister for Magic and Harry Potter will have a joint press conference tomorrow at nine. We know you'd like the chance to send a spokesperson over there. You know, emphasize our government's continued effort to stabilize Egypt, while showing that enough progress has been made for the largest privately owned Magical hospital in Europe to open its second non-European branch there."
Draco surveyed her with slightly narrowed eyes, his pale pointed face displaying a sea of calm. "No" he replied shortly. His business, his brain child, wasn't the ministry's poster boy.
Hermione had been warned this would be his first reaction. "Draco," she started, her tone slightly aggressive; "a poll came out this morning from the daily prophet. Only 27% of the magical population of Britain is aware that your business is opening its latest hospital in Cairo in two weeks. Every wizard and witch in magical Europe will watch tomorrow –"
Draco cut her off. "Because Harry Potter will be asked about his candidacy for Minister for Magic?"
"Yes."
Draco looked at her, his brow furrowed with thinking. At last he said, "Very well then, I'll send somebody over."
"Well, that's settled then," Hermione stood up and gave him a warm smile as he once again took her hand to kiss it.
"My spokesperson will be gone way before Potter starts announcing his political ambitions though."
"That's fine" she said, walking with him out of the atrium.
She saw him to a fireplace. Draco turned around to face her just before he got into the green fire and looked at her intensely, coming closer.
"When will you announce?" Draco asked her in a whisper, his breath warm against her face.
"I'm sorry?"
"That you are running for Minister for Magic?"
"No, I –" she said, bemused.
"Don't even try and lie to me Hermione, I know you inside out."
Hermione felt her face become warm, but she looked him straight in the eye. "Honestly Draco, I was fired two months ago. For the first time in my life and from the ministry of Magic, out of all places! For opposing the Egypt invasion."
"I opposed it too!" he said, raising his voice slightly. "As a prominent member of the business community and all that!"
She followed suit, her hands gesturing. "Well for crying out loud Draco, you didn't work for the ministry the last three decades!"
It was Draco who looked uneasy now.
Hermione continued. "You think I can afford getting Harry and Ron to be more pissed at me than they are now by announcing a candidacy against him? After opposing the largest decision they faced in their careers?"
"No, but I promised you a long time ago that if you decided, you would have my endorsement," he said, taking a few steps closer to her. The fireplace whooshed behind him as a witch with soot on her face got out.
"You did" Hermione whispered. He was really close…
"I stand by it" he said resolutely.
"It should be you. Not me."
Draco shook his head. "Don't –"
"It should be you, Draco. Look at you. You've built a banking and hospital franchise that's the largest in Europe. And you've been the mayor of magical Glasgow for six years." Hermione's eyes filled with pride.
"Yes, but –"
"And you did it from the bottom of the cauldron. After you lost everything."
"Don't you dare try to glorify what I did in my youth, Granger! I lost everything I deserved to lose!"
"Indoor voices please!" the soot covered witch whispered furiously as she passed them to board the elevator.
"Don't shout at me, Draco." Hermione said quietly. He always called her Granger when he became angry. She knew she was being unfair; Draco had always been extremely prickly about his misdirected youth; she should never have brought it up so casually.
His eyes softened. "Sorry" he muttered.
They stood by the fireplace for a few seconds, and the crowd of wizards in top hats and witches in dress robes thickened around them. It was lunchtime at the Ministry of Magic.
Hermione finally spoke, leaning in to whisper into his ear.
"You're the perfect storm."
Draco led out an exasperated sigh and looked at her as if she'd grown a third eye.
She however, looked at him steadily.
"It should be you, Draco. Not me."
"You're wrong" he told her, trying to sound surer of it than he was.
And he watched her as she gave him a knowing smile and turned around to head back to her office.
***
Harry Potter was out of breath. He had run across the atrium, climbed into a fireplace and emerged out to Charring Cross Road on the other end, all the while in the middle of four security aurors trying to push away adoring fans, and enemies, of their Head.
He waited outside the Jittered broom while one of his assigned aurors went in. He was given clearance to enter a minute later and as he stepped in another auror outside whispered into the tip of his wand, "Freedonia has entered. I repeat, freedonia has entered."
Immediately visible was a mane of fiery red hair near the French windows across the dining room. Trying to ignore the wide eyed stares and stunned silence he received from people at other tables, he made his way to his wife as fast as possible, his green eyes warm on her slim silhouette.
As if sensing the sudden drop of noise in the room, she turned from the window and spotted him. Her clear brown eyes narrowed and she turned back, her long red hair bouncing as she tossed her head away from him.
Harry sat down at the seat opposite her, drinking her with his eyes. She was dressed in a cotton summer dress, her business coat hung over her chair, her eyes blazing, her hair, like fire, around her face. She looked like a nymph.
"Hi," Harry said, breathless.
She stared him down with a look that made him cower; her wild eyes chilling him thoroughly in a way Voldemort never could.
"Hi, who are you?" Ginny asked, her tone indifferent, her face accusatory.
Harry smiled slightly; this was their routine every time they had a lover's quarrel.
"I'm Harry Potter, who are you?"
"I'm Ginerva Potter, rudely interrupted from my very important work day at the Daily Prophet."
"Aahh…" Harry didn't know what to say.
"Yes." A slight smile appeared on her red lips, but her eyes still blazed with anger.
"Did you like the flowers?" Harry asked her cautiously, motioning at the bouquet of ravishing white roses on their table.
"No" Ginny flippantly said, though the smile never left her.
"Do you want something to eat?" he asked, even more cautious.
Ginny looked at him intensely. "No, I might just poison you, in the mood I'm in."
"I think I might be your husband", Harry said, trying to put on his best 'puppy dog in the rain' face, which he knew she couldn't resist.
"No," Ginny said a little loudly, her tipping point reached. "No, I don't think you are, Harry James Potter. You see, my husband is a considerate man who was happy with the job he's had for 20 years. He makes time for his often neglected family, and consults me, the love of his life, before he makes life altering decisions like, I don't know, hunting down Voldemort when he was 16. You know who you are? You're the guy who runs for the highest office in Magical Europe without telling his wife!"
Her rant over, her eyes glazed with unshed tears.
Harry instinctively took her hands in his. "Ginny, please, I can explain –"
Ginny sobbed softly, her eyes now sad instead of angry.
"You know I've thought about it for a long time –"
"Yeah?" she whispered.
"It was some intern who heard me talking with Clevelle and leaked it –"
"So it's true?"
Harry looked at her.
"I've considered running for a long time. You know that –"
"The news, they said your candidacy is confirmed. Is it true? You decided without me?" Ginny said in a soft but hurt voice.
"No!" Harry almost shouted.
"It's a lie", he continued, rubbing her palms; "I told everyone who asked I'd decide together with you. Ask Bill or Ron, they're tired of hearing it. I swear."
Ginny remained silent, looking at him with big, brown eyes.
Harry took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, honey, I really am. You knowI love you more than my life. Everything I do, you decide with me."
Ginny leaned towards him, her face telling him almost all was forgiven.
She sighed. "I'm guessing you need to squash the rumour by tomorrow?"
Harry simply nodded, his eyes never leaving her face.
She looked around, then back at him. "We can't discuss this here. I mean look at us, Harry. We've been married –"
"24 years, yeah" he said, his pride evident.
"…and here we are at a restaurant under the watchful eyes of your ogling fans. I mean, don't look, but there's a guy near us whose kissing someone I can only guess is his girlfriend, and he's staring at us all that time."
Harry followed her line of site and came eye to eye with a bald man wearing brown robes, sucking the face off a pretty brunette beside him with apparent fervor and passion, all while his watery eyes were fixed on Harry. It was very unsettling.
Ginny slapped him on the arm. "I told you not to look", she said, pouting.
Harry shrugged and cracked a smile at her. His heart fluttered as she smiled back at him.
"I'll um, be home tonight by seven."
Ginny made an impatient noise with her tongue.
"Again?"
"It's some pink heart spouting plane thing, I can't –"
"No," Ginny said quickly, "I understand."
"We should probably…"
"The kids. Yeah." Ginny finished for him, nodding. "Lily and Al will be home. I hope James' will be."
"Which one is it now?" asked Harry, smirking.
"Girlfriend number somewhere above two hundred. Blonde, predictably."
Harry chuckled softly with her.
He turned serious. "So Gin, we're okay? For the moment?" he looked at her pleadingly.
"Yes, Harry" she said, looking out the window. It had started to rain outside.
"For the moment, we're okay."
***
Harry backed her against the magically tampered fridge, oblivious to any outside noise or force as he lost himself in Ginny's kisses…better than firewhiskey at the end of a tiring day…
"Ahem".
Harry whipped around to face his three children; Al looking mortified, James with a knowing smirk on his face (his own lips swollen) and Lily attempting to control her giggles behind her two brothers.
"Hi guys" Harry said in as dignifying a way as possible, straightening Ginny's dress as she blushed furiously. No matter how long they'd been married, Harry always felt like they were teenagers getting lectured by Ron every time his kids caught them snogging.
"We've got some pretty big news for you" Ginny said, trying to hide her embarrassment.
James pretty much ruined the surprise then. "Dad's finally come to his senses and is running for ministry of magic and you wanted to have a cheesy talk about how we're all in this together?" he asked matter-of-factly.
"No, nothing's decided yet –" Harry said quickly but was cut off by Ginny.
"Yes he is." she said firmly as Harry whipped around to look at her. She looked at him then, with that same fiery gaze only she could manicure. Just like she did when he was sixteen and only a boy trying to fight a man's war; just as then, her brown eyes were filled with love for him, and pride.
Harry looked at her with intensity and thanked the stars for her existence. He saw the resolve, the sacrifices this woman was ready to make for him, how much she loved him.
And she decides, he thought to himself.
"Yes, I am" Harry said, his green eyes lit. "I'm running to be the next Minister for Magic."
Silence.
"It's, um, kind of a big deal…"Harry said lamely.
And then…
Al whooped and gave his dad a thump on the back; James dog whistled as he lifted Ginny off the kitchen floor and spun her around. Lily was crying and laughing at the same time as she enveloped her father in a bone crushing hug. Ginny kissed him again, and he could swear he felt his blood pressure rise.
"Well, this calls for a toast!" Ginny shouted amid the commotion, a little dizzy as she made her way to the fridge and pulled out a bottle of elf-made wine.
"Really, me too?" Lily asked, her eyes on Harry.
"Just this once" Ginny said before Harry replied.
"James, how did you ever guess?" Harry asked his 21 year old son, his voice tinged with humor and sarcasm.
James shrugged and said, "Dude c'mon, I'm brilliant like that!" a cocky grin plastered on his face.
Ginny passed the glasses around, her face bright with exhilaration.
"A toast everyone", Ginny said, lifting her glass. Her family followed suit.
"To dad, the next Minister for Magic of these great British Isles!" said Al. "Cheers!"
Their glasses clanked against each others' as they all said together;
"Cheers!"
***
"It is 20 hours, 32 minutes and 20 seconds" the cool, female voice proclaimed around the ministry as Ron slammed open the door to Hermione's office with a quick "Alohomora" and slammed it shut again with his hands.
"Ron, what's going on?" Hermione asked with concern, looking up from her work.
"I think you know" he said curtly in a raised voice, his ears turning a bright red. He seemed to be trying to contain his anger.
"What are you talking about?" she asked him. Her heart started racing; this was looking far too familiar. It was too similar to the last time she was fired, two months ago, from the Department of International Magical Relations. The Minister of Magic's chief of staff had come bursting into her office, shouted at her incoherently and in the midst of the heated conversation, fired her. The incident had fired up a lot of anti-ministry support for her in the magical community, but controversy surrounded her like a plague everywhere she went.
What had she done now?
"You did it. It was you, wasn't it? You leaked that Harry was running!" he pointed a finger at her accusingly, his voice getting louder with each syllable.
Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you –"
"Was it you, Hermione?"
"NO!" Hermione shouted, her face molded into an ugly grimace.
They were both breathing heavily, sizing each other up.
"Honestly, how could you, Ron?" she yelled, finally finding her voice. "How can you ever think I would do something like that? It was an intern and before you ask, I've already fired him, alright? You need to stop being so paranoid, because I'm not…" her voice hitched, "I'm not the opportunistic freak you think –"
Ron immediately yelled back. "Yeah, cause we all know how loyal and supportive you've been to your best friends!"
Hermione gave out an exasperated groan; this was Ron, she reminded herself. This was his prime argument for not trusting her.
"I don't believe you! Now that you can't scold me on the leak, you're going back to Egypt? Just because I had a different opinion to yours and Harry's, doesn't mean –"
"You don't trust Harry enough! He's kept the wizarding world safe for 30 years, and how do you reward him? By going out of your way to humiliate him during largest decision of his career, huh? Yeah, sure, why would anybody suspect you of leaking the story? Sure, Hermione!"
Hermione knew exactly how Ron felt. In a better mood, she would have even understood his concerns. That Ron had stuck by Harry's every decision as Head Auror, while she often disagreed profusely with them; that Hermione's political party was the opposite to theirs; that by some twist of fate she now agreed more on world issues with Draco Malfoy than Harry Potter; these were all things that were beyond Ron's comprehension. For the last thirty years, he had fit perfectly into the role of Harry's faithful sidekick; Hermione had struggled and given up.
And all those differences that had simmered beneath the surface of their friendship had come out exploding when she had been fired for initiating a PR disaster for Harry Potter. Having one of your best friends publicly disagree with you was not how a controversial auror deployment gained public support, and her career, and their friendship, had suffered for it.
"Say something!" Ron said, shocking her out of her thoughts. He continued, oblivious to his previous request, "Hermione, I don't know why –"
"It's Madame Doctor" she interrupted, her face flushed, feeling extremely angry.
"What?" asked Ron, confused.
"You should call me Madame Doctor Granger; we're at work Ron –"
She tried to not notice the hurt in Ron's eyes.
"Yeah right, let's remind my ex-husband how stupid he is compared to me, huh?" he asked, his face contorted in resentment.
"You hate it that I'm – you know what, I don't want to get into that exploding can of flobberworms."
"Like hell you don't."
Hermione took out her wand and Ron immediately whipped out his own, clearly anticipating a fight. She shook her head in disbelief and amusement at his reflexes as she waved hers at her desk. The papers immediately arranged themselves into files and the files collectively slid gracefully into her briefcase, which floated towards her until she grasped its handle.
Hermione walked closer to Ron and looked at him. He dropped his wand hand to his side.
"I know you can't fire me, because the last thing Harry needs on the eve of announcing his candidacy is to have his fingerprints all over the firing of the first muggle born ministry press secretary." Ron simply listened, and she could almost hear the cogs in his brain working as he made the connection she had just pointed out to him.
She went on, her gaze steady. "But, guess what? I'm resigning. I don't ever intend to set foot on the Ministry of magic again. I was really naïve when I started work here, Ron. Thirty years ago. I thought we were gonna change the way things were done at the ministry."
She took a deep breath and carried on, trying to keep her voice calm. "But guess what? The ministry, which you and Harry are part of, seems to be only concerned with keeping up its image instead of doing actual service to the people, and that goes for the Auror department too."
"That's a lie." Ron said, his voice forceful. "It's not us, Madame Doctor, it's you. Just because you got it into your head that Malfoy's ideas are better than Harry's, isn't the fault of the ministry."
Hermione was too careworn to defend Draco right then. "I'm resigning," she repeated.
"You can expect your name to be on the daily prophet tomorrow with a few of my opinions, which are extremely unpopular around the Auror deparment."
And to make her point clear, she started walking out of the door into the busy Atrium.
"Go ahead, see if we care!" Ron shouted even as his shoulders slumped, because he knew that against Hermione he would always lose.
And yet he found the courage to ask one more question as she walked out.
"How are the children?" he asked tentatively, the anger in his voice gone, now replaced with an almost devastating sadness.
"They're fine." she answered in clipped tones, refusing to turn back and look at him.
"Our son Hugo has a very handsome boyfriend, Ron" she said more softly. Ron's eyebrows shot up, a look of awe on his face as she turned slightly to gauge his reaction.
And with that, she quietly walked into the atrium, leaving him watching her as she walked away into the crowd of ministry employees, possibly never to return again.
***