Astoria walks down the corridor, and Ginny can't help but watch in awe. Her heels resound in a rhythm of power, and Ginny looks down at her trainers and overworn robe. She doesn't look too casual, she thinks. But it's definitely nothing compared with Astoria's robes of a vanilla-white that billow out around her. Ginny had nearly forgotten that it was her that Astoria was coming to meet. She opens the door to her office, gesturing Ginny inside. She enters, almost meekly. Ginny shakes herself mentally, putting a confident appearance back on. Astoria had come to her, offered Ginny this position without her even applying. Perhaps looking the part isn't the most important thing.
"Ginny Weasley. I've heard so much about you. Your Quidditch matches are legendary, of course. So sad to see them cut so short, but I can't say I'm not happy you've decided to join us here." Ginny just nods. She may have loved the adoration at first, but it got old rather quickly. She finally understood what Harry had always been on about.
"Thanks," she says, because Astoria seems to be waiting for her to say something. She's just staring at her, a curious glint in her eyes. Then Astoria smiles, the line of her teeth a perfect pearl. Ginny redirects her focus to what she's here for. This is a job, that's it.
She pulls open a drawer of her desk, retrieving a piece of parchment and handing it to Ginny. "I'd like to see what you've got to say. Here's your first assignment. The match is tomorrow afternoon, and I'd like your recap by the end of that day. If you have any questions, my door is always open. Make me proud."
Astoria looks at Ginny again as she did before, her smile almost unsettling. Ginny can't help the feeling that there is something else behind it. Astoria moves to open her door again, a clear invitation for Ginny to make her way back to her desk. Ginny nods, going back to her own seat and contemplating her boss's behavior more so than her assignment.
.
"Those robes are stunning," Ginny comments over the coffee carafe one morning. Astoria looks down at her robes of a powder blue, and smiles. They're simple, but luxurious. Ginny is sure that she wouldn't be able to pull them off like Astoria can.
"Thank you."
Ginny smirks a bit, but there's a warmth in her eyes. "Sometimes I think I'm a bit underdressed for this job."
"There isn't a strict dress code, really. What you have on is fine. These are new," she says, smoothing down her robes. "I just haven't had the chance to wear them yet, thought I'd like to try them out. I've already gotten a fair few compliments on them from a number of men… Though, of course, I don't dress like this to impress men. I dress like this because I want to. It's the powersuit, it makes me feel like I'm in the right place. Like I'm meant to be here, and that I can handle whatever the day throws my way." Her gaze is distant. She's mulling things over – this week's been hectic so far, and it wasn't close enough to over for her liking.
Astoria pours some cream into her cup and turns back to Ginny. "I read your first piece. It turns out you can do more than just play Quidditch. I'm impressed."
Ginny feels her face grow hot as she blushes a deep scarlet. "I love the game, more than anything. It's a lot easier to work well with something when I love it this much." She's kicking herself for being too obvious, but Astoria doesn't seem to have noticed.
"It shows in your writing. Keep that up and you'll be taking my job one of these days."
When Ginny looks up, Astoria's gone.
.
"Ginny, come here!" Astoria's standing at the door to their departmental office with a man who's talking very loudly.
"I'd recognize that voice anywhere," she comments as she catches up with the two of them. "Xander, it's been forever. I hope you're good." Xander shakes her hand, pulling Ginny into a hug. She's laughing as she pulls back.
Astoria stands back, her arms crossed and a grin on her face. "I see you've met."
"Ah, yeah. Xander and I go way back. We taught a kids Quidditch camp for a few years. Those sure were interesting times, ey? I've gotta say, the buzz cut look is very professional, but I was a bit partial to the mullet." Ginny can't even pretend to be serious. She's laughing, a sparkle in her eyes. But Xander's joined in, which puts Astoria at ease.
"Oh, that they were." Xander chuckles, pulling a piece of parchment from his pocket. "I was just talking to Astoria about working with your department to start a Quidditch supply loan organization. But then I saw you, and, well. What's a job without Ginny Weasley on the team? You've got just the fire I'm looking for, kid. Would you like to help me?"
Ginny looks to Astoria, who cocks her head to the side, raising an eyebrow. "It's up to you. It'll take you beyond the writing floor, into Organizations and Leagues. Promotion, in a manner of speaking. Interested?"
Xander grins at the two of them. Ginny blinks rapidly, trying to process the request. "Of—of course. I'd love to!"
"Ah, that's my girl. Crush it, as they say."
Ginny nods, smiling widely. "Crush it."
"Crush it?" Astoria feels left out, confused, but the light in Ginny's eyes makes her happy. They shine a gold-brown and Astoria's transfixed.
"It's—um. It's something the kids came up with, back when we coached. Honestly, I never quite understood it, but that just goes to show you, doesn't it?" Exactly what it goes to show was lost on Astoria, but Xander didn't explain. "I'll send over more details later, but I've got to be off. It was beautiful catching up, Gin. Thanks for everything, Astoria. I look forward to working with you both!"
.
Ginny and Astoria are laying in each other's arms on Ginny's couch. Astoria is wearing a crisp set of white robes, Ginny a Muggle t-shirt, jeans, and a bomber jacket. Ginny wonders if Astoria's comfortable, but she certainly doesn't have anything against the look. She's got a thing for a well-dressed woman, apparently.
"I'm so relieved it's over. I'm not usually this nervous over a board meeting." She shakes her head like she's annoyed at herself. Astoria had been making herself crazy over this meeting for the past week, preparing and worrying.
Ginny gives her a reassuring smile. "It was a big deal. And you did really well. I'm proud." She leans in for a kiss. Astoria is reluctant at first, her mind still on work, but Ginny brings her arms up behind Astoria's neck, holding her close, and Astoria melts into the touch.
When she pulls back, her eyes are sad. "I wish we didn't have to hide this." Astoria takes Ginny's hand in her own, rubbing the back of it with her thumb. Her gaze was far off. "I want to be able to… I don't know. Hold your hand in the office. But at least we have the freedom here."
Ginny kisses the back of Astoria's hand. Meeting her eyes, she gives her a half-smile. She wishes they could do more, could be more. Ginny hates keeping this part of her life so private, but Astoria doesn't want to take risks. She'd made Ginny promise not to tell a soul, and she hasn't. "We can do more than hold hands here…" Ginny flashed her a wink, holding Astoria's hand and leading her to her bedroom.
.
"Astoria."
"Marcus." He closes the door behind himself, taking a seat in front of her desk. "Is there a problem?" He's one of her more experienced writers. He'd joined the department straight out of school, and he'd proven himself a solid member of the team.
"I get it. She used to play professionally. But she's the most junior member of this writing team and she's gotten more assignments than I have this month. I mean, I'm all about you giving her a fair amount. Throw her straight in; she's good, I'll give her that. That isn't enough reason to give her all the good stories. She's already made front page and gotten promoted? I thought I'd proved myself by now, and I deserve better than this." His eyes are hard, determined. Marcus feels cheated, she knows. A part of her is proud of him, proud he's fighting for what he wants. Though she could do without the manipulative aspect of it. He's a Slytherin, through and through, she supposes. She has to give him credit for his cunning.
Astoria doesn't falter, but she feels herself weaken under the accusation that she's been favoring Ginny. If she's being honest with herself, she knows it's true. Her only saving grace is that Ginny has the experience and talent to back it up. But Marcus is right, and if he's noticed it's only a matter of time before other people do, too. Astoria can't risk the scandals, putting her own career in jeopardy over this… this fling.
"Marcus, I'm sorry if you feel this way." She digs around in the pile of papers on her desk for a moment. "Here, I just got this in earlier; first scoop on the World Cup finalist teams. It's yours. You've earned it."
Marcus took the paper, grunting his thanks. "I don't want to overstep." He hesitates a moment, as if he's doubting his own statement. "But I will say that you should probably keep an eye on how you're distributing assignments. It's starting to look a bit… set up, if you know what I mean." Astoria paled, swallowed. But she goes back a long way with Marcus. He helped her learn the ropes when she first started here. She owed him. "I won't tell anyone else, obviously. Just… be careful."
.
"Are you coming over again tonight?" Ginny asks once the door to Astoria's office is shut behind her. She's gotten more comfortable with this office than her own desk lately. And, not that she'd been counting, but Astoria has spent more nights at Ginny's flat than her own recently.
Ginny takes a seat in the chair before Astoria's desk. She's gotten familiar with it – with the uneven upholstering on the underside, the way it moves just a bit when you lean too far to one side. Astoria parts her lips, considering. "I'd like to, really, but if I do I can't stay the night, Ginny. I hardly remember what my own flat looks like. Not to mention bringing a change of robes for every night is… It's just all a bit much, honestly." She takes a deep breath but doesn't meet Ginny's eyes. "I'm sorry, I just need the night to myself. Maybe over the weekend…"
"That's… fair." She sighs. "Did you want to do lunch?"
"Ginny, if people see—"
"They're not going to just assume we're fucking—" Ginny pauses, dropping her voice to a whisper. "I'm not scared to be seen with you," Ginny insists. "It's just lunch. No one will think anything of it."
"I'm not scared either. But I'm your boss, Ginny. We can't have a relationship, and if anyone finds out—" Astoria fusses over her long, red nails. It's a nervous habit of hers. Normally, Ginny finds it endearing. Lately, however, she's growing tired of only thinking of Astoria in the context of her flat, late at night. She's tired of the secrets, but she doesn't need to say anything. Astoria knows.
Ginny sighs, nodding and trying not to take it to heart. "I get it."
"It's not that I don't like you, because I do, you know that. But, given the situation, we can't. Not in public, and especially not at work. I'm sorry." Astoria finally meets her eyes, and it's clear how much this pains her to say. She takes a deep breath, steeling herself. When she continues, her tone is professional, distant. "I've worked too hard to get to where I am. It's not easy for a woman to make it as head of the department." She brings her left arm across her body, holding her right elbow. Her inner conflict is evident on her face. Astoria swallows, and Ginny can see her eyes soften, brighten. She doesn't want to think that the shine could be from tears. "I love you, Ginny." Astoria pauses, giving herself a moment. She's never said that before. She never wanted to say it like this. Astoria can practically hear Ginny's heart break, but maybe that's just her own.
"But," she sighs. "From now on, our relationship needs to be purely professional."
Ginny doesn't have the opportunity to respond. The last syllable is still hung in the air between them as Astoria turns and departs. The click of her heels on the hardwood floor is as much of a goodbye as Ginny thinks she will ever get.
.
Ginny's been distracted lately. That's not to say that Astoria never distracted her at work, whether she meant to or not. But now, without her, Ginny can't focus on anything else. It's hopeless — she's hopeless.
She fills her coffee cup again. It's already nearing 5 o'clock, a sign that it's going to be another late night. Ginny needs to finish her report before she leaves tonight, which means staying at her too-small desk and watching her coworkers head home before her. It means drinking enough coffee to keep herself awake long enough to finish writing, and long enough that she won't sleep when she's home tonight. It means stealing glances at Astoria's office every two minutes. It means getting reprimanded in the morning for working overtime again because she can't get her shit together.
She's exhausted and tired of herself. She's tired of forcing the words to come and hoping to hear from someone who'd moved on. Astoria has barely spoken to her for the past week. All of her new assignments are delivered to her desk without a word. She's getting far fewer projects than she did before. Everyone in the office has been staring at her, no doubt curious about the sudden change in her attitude. She's wearing thin, and it's obvious.
The incandescent light above her head begins flickering. It only gives her another reason to procrastinate. With a huff and a groan, she puts her parchment into a drawer, grabs her things, and leaves the office.
.
The day's been quiet, long. The seconds creep by agonizingly slowly. It's rather dull work, especially when the person closest to Ginny is no longer speaking to her. She finishes the sentence she's writing on her report before filing away the parchment. Ginny stands up to head home, her thoughts fixed firmly on the hot shower and bed waiting for her there. In her distraction. she nearly walks into Astoria. Ginny wishes she could be pleased to see the other woman.
Astoria shares the sentiment, apparently. Her tone is clipped, her voice cold. "Weasley, before you leave, I need a word." Without waiting to see if Ginny is following her, she walks to her office. Ginny contemplates turning in the opposite direction. Just going home and ignoring Astoria all together. She doesn't, of course. Ginny hates the fact that she can't resist Astoria's requests.
Astoria's left the door open for her. She's standing behind her desk, mindlessly shuffling papers around to look busy. "Close the door behind you. You can sit if you'd like, but this won't take long." Ginny raises her eyebrows, an incredulous look on her face. The fact that Astoria is looking anywhere but at her is not lost on Ginny.
"People have been asking me about you. About what happened between us." She puts a delicate emphasis on the word. Ginny knows that everyone's only curious about why they've suddenly stopped talking. But she also knows that Astoria has a habit of jumping to conclusions, and that she's worried everyone knows about their relationship. She doesn't have the heart — or perhaps the suicidal impulse would be more accurate — to correct her.
"I have enough to deal with without worrying about you and these rumors."
Ginny can't help herself. "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was something you were having to deal with." She's matching Astoria's sharp tone, which only makes her more irritated.
Astoria tries to soften her facial expression, but the mask she's created is more likely to crack than anything. "I truly wish this could have worked out for us, Ginny. But you know as well as I do that we simply can't continue on like this."
"We haven't even done anything lately—"
"So I regret to inform you that today has been your last day working in the department."
"What?" Astoria is looking down her nose at Ginny, playing the part of uncaring, robotic employer too well. Well, Ginny thinks. Former employer, apparently. She can't keep the bitterness out of her tone. "Are you joking?"
Astoria doesn't respond. She's rehearsed this, it seems, and she's not letting Ginny distract her from getting her point across. "You can pick up your last paycheck next
week downstairs in payroll."
"Astoria, this is ridiculous—"
But Astoria is walking to the door, holding it open for Ginny. "I'd like your desk cleared out before you leave." It isn't a question. There is no negotiating or promises
to do better. Frankly, Ginny doesn't care that much. Or, she doesn't want to let herself. Not anymore.
She slams the door shut behind her. Astoria can hear Ginny throwing her belongings roughly into her bag. She doesn't know how she managed to hold herself together through that, but as Astoria turns around, she leans her back against the closed door of her office and wipes a tear from her cheek.
A/N: A million thanks to Ned for betaing. Written for Writing Club - Character Appreciation 20: (career) Ministry Worker; Disney Challenge – C5: Write about a woman in power; Cookie's Crafty Corner – Cast Off: (dialogue) "I'm so relieved it's over"; Book Club – Serena Joy: (scenario) Independent woman in a patriarchal society, (trait) cunning, (color) powder blue; Showtime 5: (dialogue) "Crush it"; Amber's Attic T4: Write about someone receiving advice; Count Your Buttons – W2: Luxurious; Lyric Alley 17: I'm not scared to be seen; Ami's Audio Admiration 8: Write about someone stuck working late; Sophie's Shelf – Trio Era Fem/Slash 5: Ginny/Astoria; Em's Emporium 17: Write femslash; Angel's Arcade – Lin Kuei – Smoke: (trope) forbidden love, (plot point) holding hands, (emotion) exhaustion; Lo's Lowdown – C6: (plot point) Promotion; Film Festival 9: (plot point) Getting fired, 11: (plot point) Wearing white; Fortnightly – Chocolate – T3: Write a fic with a bittersweet ending; Amazing Women 4: (sound) The click of high heels on hard floor; Seasonal – Days of the Year: September 22 – Write about a career-orientated woman; Color Prompts: Vanilla; Birthstones: "I don't dress like this to impress men. I dress like this because I want to."; Fire Element: (word) Incandescent;
Shay's Musical Challenge 26: Write about a personal conflict getting in the way of a job; Gryffindor Themed Prompts: Ginny Weasley, Fiery, Scarlet; Sophie's Tearoom – Cake Batter Macarons: (action) Winking; Holmes – (color) red; Dragons – wc 3008