Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author.
Many thanks to Genevieve for her help as my beta for this story.
The click of her heels echoed as she walked along the marble floor through the quiet hallway.
Hermione Granger glanced around the hall a little nervously, wondering why there were so few people in the Ministry of Magic that day. It was a regular working day like any other, and yet there were so few people in the halls or in any of the departments. She wondered if it had always been that empty, however it seemed busier because she had been younger. Or perhaps it was that she had become used to the exuberance and bustle of Paris and now found London less exciting and quiet.
After the war, many places in Wizarding Europe had calmed significantly. She thought that because she spent the entirety of her young adult life chasing dark wizards and traipsing around the countryside, she was left with an inaccurate impression of the world. Shrugging off the feeling, she focussed on the task of arriving at her destination, the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, on time. Hermione was eager to get her meeting with the Head Auror over and done with as soon as she was able.
After her final year at Hogwarts, Hermione had immediately left for France to study Wizarding Law at the University of Paris. Graduating three years later, she had been offered a job working for a British Wizarding Law firm that had an office based in the French capital city. Two weeks ago, her firm assigned her to work in their head office in London. Delighted to be returning home after living in France for almost seven years, Hermione had agreed to be relocated and bought herself a beautiful Victorian, multi-story apartment located in Hadley Wood, in the northern reaches of London.
Earlier this morning, her boss had given Hermione an extremely important case file. She was determined to do well, especially as it had been hinted that her name might be offered up for a position as a partner in the firm if she proved capable of handling high-profile cases.
Picking up the pace, her heels clicked even louder against the floor in her haste.
Moments later, she arrived at the door to the Department, opened it and slipped into the office. Inside, people were talking loudly to other another, so unlike all of the other Ministry Departments. Of all of them, it made sense that this one would be louder and more chaotic. The business they were in was often unstable and unsafe and it took a particular type of character to work in any sort of law enforcement. Hermione had found that it was much the same as it was in France, so this would be familiar to her at least.
She walked straight over to what she assumed was the reception desk, if the blonde witch sitting behind it was any indication.
'I'm here for an appointment with Kingsley Shacklebolt if you please,' Hermione announced primly.
'Name?' the woman said rather rudely, not looking up from the stack of paperwork in front of her.
'Hermione Granger,' she replied curtly, frowning.
'Ah yes, you do have an appointment,' the blonde said snidely. 'Go on through to the office at the back. Auror Shacklebolt is expecting you.'
Hermione nodded, even though she was sure the woman was deliberately avoiding making eye contact. She strode past the reception desk, heading through the maelstrom that was the Department of MLE. There were desks littered all around the room with simple dividers separating them. Paper planes were flying through the air from all over the place as the Aurors were completing their paperwork to submit to other Departments.
Hermione delighted in the chaos as she made her way through it to Kingsley's office. While she enjoyed the peace that came with being free over a mad, evil overlord, she often found that life was a little too quiet sometimes. She finally reached the back of the room and found that there was a separate office for the Department head. The wooden blinds on the window were shut, and the wooden door with Kingsley's name attached to it was closed.
She lifted a hand up and knocked clearly on it three times before standing back and waiting to be allowed entrance.
She heard footsteps and laughter before a moment later the door swung inwards and three men appeared in front of her. Kingsley first offered her a beaming smile before he stood aside to let the two others out. Before she even realised what was happening, a pair of familiar arms and a very recognizable shock of orange hair swept her up into a tight hug. She returned the hug a little stiffly before Ron Weasley finally set her back on her feet.
'What are you doing in London, Hermione?' Ron asked in surprise without even so much as a "hello."
Hermione smiled and shook her head. 'I live here now,' she answered. 'I was transferred home by the firm I work for. I actually only finished moving a few days ago.'
'It is good to have you back, Hermione,' Kingsley said, sticking a hand out for her to shake.
She accepted the handshake with a polite nod before looking past Ron to see who the third person in the office had been.
Her eyes widened in surprise when she finally recognised the face. If it hadn't been for the hazel eyes and slightly crooked nose, she would never have recognised Neville Longbottom as he stood before her. The years had been kind to him. She could see that he had grown out of his slightly chubby teenage phase and had matured spectacularly into this older specimen. He stood a good head taller than her, his broad shoulders were squared and he tucked his hands into the pockets of the fitted trousers he was wearing.
He wore his wavy brown hair a little longer than he had at Hogwarts, and it was swept back from his forehead in a way that suited him. He smiled at her look of stunned disbelief. She saw that he must have gone to some pains to have his teeth straightened some time since she'd been gone. Just from looking at him she could tell that he would not be skin and bones beneath his clothes – there were clearly defined muscles beneath the fabric of the button-down shirt that was tucked into his pants. His forearms in particular looked very, well, muscular.
'Hello, Hermione,' he said, walking over to her and pulling her into a hug. 'It's good to see you again.'
Hermione shook herself mentally so that she was focussed on the rest of the room once more and returned his embrace. 'It's good to see you too, Neville,' she replied. 'I had no idea you worked at the Ministry.'
'I had no idea you had returned from living abroad, so we're even on that score,' he replied with a smirk that was so unlike the timid boy she had attended Hogwarts with.
She caught a flash of something in his eyes as he spoke then, but shrugged it off and turned her focus to Kingsley. She was there to work after all. The last thing she needed was to be distracted from her job when she was so close to accomplishing her career goals.
'I understand you were expecting me here this morning,' she told the Head Auror to which he nodded in response.
'I believe your assistant owled the Department a few days ago to arrange the meeting,' he answered. 'If you'd like to follow me into my office, we'll have our discussion now.'
Hermione nodded before turning to address Neville and Ron. 'I supposed I'll have a chance to catch up with the two of you at a later date,' she said with a smile. 'Now that I live here I'd like to know all of the news.'
'I'm free to have lunch with you after your meeting,' Ron offered. 'Ginny will be there too if you'd like. She'd love to see you.'
Hermione nodded and with a wave, she followed Kingsley into his office. As the Auror closed the door, she caught one last glimpse of Neville who was still gazing at her with a strange smile curving his mouth. She averted her gaze immediately and took a seat in the chair directly opposite Kingsley when he sat down at his desk.
'Now, as I understand it, you have been assigned the Malfoy case by those who employ you?' Kingsley asked as he opened the case file she gave him to read.
'That is correct,' she answered.
'They must really trust you,' he said with a deep chuckle. 'This is an enormous case; one I would entrust only my finest Auror to assist you with.'
'I appreciate that you are willing to assist me with this, Kingsley,' she said with a smile. 'I understand that it is a huge sacrifice on your part, especially as your Department is already one of the busiest in the Ministry.'
Kingsley waved her off. 'Not at all, Hermione,' he said cheerfully. 'I am more than happy to lend assistance. Am I to understand that your employers are being paid quite a large sum of money to pursue this case?'
Hermione chuckled dryly. 'More than large,' she said. 'It's more like a small fortune. Draco is determined to see his father allowed out of Azkaban on early parole. It is my dubious pleasure to be the one who has to make sure that happens.'
'This is going to be a hard one, I wont lie to you,' he said bluntly. 'Lucius Malfoy has more red in his ledger than most of the Death Eaters in Azkaban and every other Wizarding prison in the world.'
Hermione frowned at that, knowing it to be the truth. She had read over the preliminary reports on his wrongdoings during the first reign of Tom Riddle, which those readings alone had taken her days. She still had the whole second reign to read through before she could even start trying to build a case. There was still material she had not yet accessed due to the Ministry's strict policy on distribution of information. The only way she was going to be able to get a hold if it was if she was working directly with MLE.
This was why she was sitting before Kingsley in the office in the first place. She knew that it was not his fault that the bureaucracy was filled with administrative idiots who liked to make everyone else's job a living nightmare because they were unsatisfied with their own mundane, joyless lives. She fiddled with the edge of her skirt as she waited for Kingsley to finish reading through the file. She was not sure who would be assigned to help her, but she certainly hoped that whoever it was, she was not going to be stuck doing all of the grunt work on her own.
'Well, it looks like you'll be able to make a fairly solid case if you know what you are doing,' Kingsley said, breaking the silence that had fallen over the room.
'So, who is it that will be helping me with my case?' she asked, almost afraid of the answer.
Hermione hoped to Merlin that it wasn't going to be Ron. She had spent seven years of her life trying to motivate Ron to do his schoolwork and she was not about to spend the next few months of her life trying to get him to help her with the Malfoy case. He would be next to useless. Not to mention, she and Ron had gone through a particularly nasty break-up before she had left for France, which had resulted in something of a rift in their friendship. They two of them just did not work well together.
In fact, the rift in their friendship was perhaps the reason why Ron had been so surprised to see her that day. She hadn't bothered to inform him of her return due to a lack of caring on her part. Ron's greeting hug earlier had been more than enough to reassure her that he had moved past being a great bloody prat. Perhaps they could resume their friendship now that they had had some space apart from one another? Shaking herself from her thoughts, she resumed listening to Kingsley as he spoke.
'Why, Neville, of course,' Kingsley said.
'Neville will be working with me?' she said, not quite sure she had heard him correctly.
'Of course,' Kingsley repeated. 'I suppose this may come as something of a shock to you, but Neville is the second in charge of the department – my deputy as it were.'
Hermione sat in stunned silence. She had no idea what to do with herself. So many things had changed in the world she had once been a large part of. When had Neville become an attractive, confident department head in Magical Law Enforcement? Her world felt like it was being flipped upside down and it was making her head begin to throb.
'So before I walked in here today, Neville already knew that he would be working with me on this case?' she asked.
Kingsley nodded. 'I informed him shortly before you walked in,' he replied.
'Did Ron know too?'
She was relieved when he shook his head in the negative. 'I had just concluded business with Neville when Ron walked in to ask a few questions about his own current assignment. I've actually agreed to allow him to act as an escort for Lucius Malfoy when it will be required for him to be brought to London from Azkaban.'
'I understand,' Hermione said through gritted teeth. So she would have to work with Ronald at some point. She just hoped it would not have to happen too often.
'Not to worry, Hermione,' Kingsley said with a reassuring smile. 'I am already aware of your history with the youngest Weasley boy. It's likely that the only times Lucius will need to be brought to London is for the preliminary hearing and the final hearing once you have managed to wrap your case up.'
Hermione smiled and nodded at him gratefully. 'Thank you, Kingsley,' she said politely. 'I am extremely grateful to you. You've already been such an incredible help to me today.'
'Just doing my job, Hermione,' he said.
After a few more minutes, their meeting came to an end and Kingsley escorted Hermione to the door. She left after shaking his hand once more and made her way though the cacophony that was the office of Magical Law Enforcement once more. She spotted Neville by the door talking to another Auror on her way out and was surprised when his mouth curved into that mysterious smile from earlier. She offered him a shy, uncertain smile back before that familiar red hair came into view. Ron stood in front of her, blocking her view of their old school friend.
'Ready to go for lunch?' Ron asked.
'All right,' she replied, following him through the large front doors.
Unable to help herself, as she walked out of the office she turned to look over her shoulder once more. Neville was nowhere to be found.
To be continued.
