A/N: Written for the Quotes Challenge by CallXMeXLight.
Quote: No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters in it.
Only You Can Decide
Hermione Granger-Weasley walked through the corridors of the ministry feeling very, very self conscious. It was her first day on the job as Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and everyone was giving her sidelong glances and gossiping behind her back all the while thinking she didn't notice.
It had taken her a few months to put herself back together emotionally after the events of the final battle. But once she was normal again she had asked Kingsley the new appointed minister if she could have a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. He had immediately said yes and had not just given her a normal position but appointed her head of the Department. He had been trying to find a replacement for Yaxley since he had been appointed minister, and when Hermione asked him for a job he knew he had just found the woman for the job.
She had been ecstatic and accepted immediately, rushing home to tell Ron who was just as excited. They had gotten married soon after the war deciding that since they had held in their feelings for so long, now that they knew how they both felt waiting just wasn't an option.
Hermione thought about all this as she finally reached her office and shut the door leaning against it for a moment before sitting down at her desk. Even though Ron, Kingsley and herself had been happy about her new position the rest of her department resented her, they thought that she should've had to start at the bottom and climb her way up like everyone else. Even though most of them knew that she would be a load better than Yaxley, and that she was appointed the position because she was best suited for it.
She glanced at her watch 7:00pm, time to go home, finally. She grabbed her briefcase and slipped her coat and exited her office locking it behind her. She walked through the middle of her department, not looking anybody in the eye.
"Goodnight everyone, see you tomorrow morning." She said politely as she got to the entrance to the main area of the ministry.
"Mmm"
"Sure"
That was all she got in response, she sighed and walked out the door toward the grates. She stepped into one grates and flooed home to their small flat in muggle London.
Hermione stepped out of the fireplace and called, "Ron! I'm home."
She walked down the hall to their bedroom and sat her briefcase down by the closet, slipped out of her heals and took her coat off. She turned around and for the first time that day she smiled, "Ronald, why on earth are you wearing an apron?"
He was wearing her pink flowery apron tied around his waste, "Well I was making dinner and I didn't want to soil my new sweater."
"Well I guess that makes sense…wait you were making dinner?" she asked shocked. He never made dinner; as far as she knew he didn't even know how to cook. That last time he had tried had been when they were looking for Horcruxes and even then he had nearly burnt down the tent, speaking of which….
She ran into the kitchen and looked around making sure everything wasn't burnt to a crisp. Ron followed her at a slower pace and walked in, "What did you think I was going to burn the house down?"
"Well I wouldn't put it past you." She laughed.
"Just for that…" he didn't finish but picked her up and twirled her around in a circle.
"Ron! Stop it I'm getting dizzy!" she giggled. He put her down but still held onto her.
"I won't do that again on one condition, I want my, I'm home from work kiss." She laughed and leaned up to his faced and kissed him.
They pulled apart, "Now why don't we finish up dinner, I'm starving." She set the table and Ron finished up the cooking and they sat down to eat.
"Mmm this smells delicious; I haven't had spaghetti in forever." She said as she dug into her pasta.
"Good, because that's all I know how to cook." He chuckled. After a couple of bites he asked, "So how was your first day of work?"
Hermione froze, "Fine." She answered not looking at him and slowly lifted the bite of pasta to her mouth.
Ron studied her face for a moment, "Hermione I know I may appear to be really thick sometimes, but I am smart enough to see that you are lying."
She looked up at him tears in her eyes, "Oh Ron it was horrible. Everyone was whispering things about me and acting like I was some stuck up rich kid whose daddy just appointed head of their department."
Ron scooted out from the table, "Come here." She went over and sat on his lap and let the tears escape. "You can't let people like that get to you. When Harry and I started our first day as Aurors everyone praised him, but they all thought I had just gotten the job because I was Harry Potter's best mate. But now a month later they see that I got the job because I am good at it."
"I know but I just feel so small, but I'm not supposed to feel that way. I should feel proud; I'm the head of the whole department for Merlin's sake."
"Well then feel proud; don't let those people make you feel inferior. Only you can decide how you feel, nobody else." He said kissing her on the forehead.
She sniffed away the rest of her tears, "I guess you're right." She yawned.
"You sound tired why don't we go to bed?"
"Mmm." Ron picked her up and walked her to their room and put her under the covers, then went over to his side of the bed doing the same.
"Night Hermione, love you."
"Night Ron, love you too."
…
She walked into her department the next morning with a smile on her face.
"Good morning everyone, what have we got?"