Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter although I wish I really do. Harry Potter is owned by the lucky and very talented JK Rowling. :)
Chapter Two: First Steps
The smell of old books really the book-lover Hermione Granger as she was sitting in front of her oak desk, in her own office, a thick dusty book was laid open, hidden on her lap. The book was entitled, The Merchant of Venice. It was hard to believe that Hermione was ditching her work and reading Shakespeare's novel instead of working on the tall piles of paper that were laying obviously in front of her. It was also peculiar having her boss check in her too.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Granger!" Mr. Reid, her boss greeted as he suddenly burst in Hermione's office.
"Good afternoon too." Hermione lazily greeted back with an obvious bitter tone. She was hating Mr. Reid because of his non-supportive remarks during the monthly Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures main meeting where she cited particular suggestions that were mainly concerned with the elves.
Mr. Reid comfortably sat on the lounge in front of Hermione's desk and as he was doing it, he was observing Hermione very closely that Hermione thought he was annoying.
"Hermione, I noticed that your job performance is not your normal. What I mean is, look at these piles of paper, when will you have the time to sort them out?" Mr. Reid blurted out of exasperation and Hermione was suppressing a laugh. It was her first time seeing his cool boss to be uncool. When He didn't get any response from Hermione, he said…
"Why don't you take a work leave. I'm sure it will help."
"I don't know. I think a permanent leave will be better." She uttered mindlessly as she turned the torn and abused page of the book she was gladly reading. For Hermione, yes it would be a lot better, given that her dreams of advertising the S.P.E.W and perhaps make people understand its philosophy were broken into shattered pieces after working very hard for five years in the Ministry.
"Are you requesting for a.." Mr. Reid asked blankly. Hermione, closed the book and regretted it later, forgetting that she should have bookmarked it.
"I'm requesting for a resignation." She breathed while she was closing her eyes because Hermione, in that moment, had no idea if she was doing the right thing.
"Why?" Was all he managed to say. He was flabbergasted, he never wanted the competent and outstanding witch to quit work. Perhaps, she didn't know how much excellence their department gained when she fortunately arrived.
"Personal Issues?" Hermione questioned rather than answer. 'S.P.E.W perhaps' whispered her mind.
"Is this about your salary, perhaps?" He threw another question as he wished that what could make her stay is money.
"No, definitely not. " She quickly answered.
"Then, what's the conflict. Is it this piles of work, I can talk to Hazel to help you." He said with all his kindest and most persuasive tone.
"I don't think that'll work. I think that you should give her my job instead." Her eyes determined and full of light.
"Hermione. I'll give you a week to think about this. Think this through okay?" He advised, reaching out for her hands. Hermione, on the other hand, being the most stubborn that she was, pulled her hand.
"I was thinking this through the whole month. As a matter of fact, I already got my resignation letter." She stated as she withdrew the letter from her bag and lay it on heavily on the table. "I'm done."
After that, Hermione stormed out of the Ministry of Magic as quickly as she could to not entertain second thoughts and invite regrets. Mr. Reid, on the other hand, was bad-tempered that day, nagging every person he met. As Hermione walked in the streets, she bought an ice cream and believed that she was a step ahead to the betterment of her life. Or was she?
"What? You quit your job? I thought, you were up for a promotion?" Ginny was in a deep aghast and the result was that her dropping of the green peas across the floor. Hermione withdrew her wand and muttered a spell that made all the peas get back to the pan independently.
"Yes, I did." Hermione simply answered as she sliced off some tomatoes on the chopping board.
"Are you mad, Hermione? You were working hard in years to get that promotion!" Ginny exclaimed after pacing back and forth across the kitchen room.
"I just got bored. Same stuff every day." She reasoned out as she moved to another batch of fresh tomatoes.
"Don't you want to use magic with that?" Ginny was about to withdraw her wand when Hermione surprisingly said…
"Think, I better learn cooking, will you be willing to teach me Ginny?" Hermione asked nicely with a calm and blushing smile that Ginny thought was really peculiar.
"Give me ten reasons why, no, make that three, having the state of mind you got right now." She walked toward Hermione with resting her back on one of the kitchen counters beside Hermione's. And then, she crossed her arms across her chest. Before answering, Hermione's lips stretched into a smile, a smile that to Ginny was spine-sprawling.
"I want to. I need to. And…" Hermione stopped, as if, weighing out if she should tell Ginny about Atty. Marwick and Damien Mathrude and if Ginny is trustworthy enough.
"The third one, I want the third one." Ginny demanded with all her demeanor and raised a red eyebrow to Hermione who stopped cutting the tomatoes because she realized they were all uneven.
"I'm getting…I'm…, getting… married." Hermione finally said it and she was not sure if she should really have said it.
"WHAT?" Ginny practically screamed and Hermione thought she was overreacting. "TO WHOM? WHEN?" And those follow-up questions were like darts shooting after her. It took several attempts of Hermione to calm Ginny before she succeeded and at last, she was able to tell her all that happened last week.
Hermione narrated to Ginny about the unexpected event last week: About the bossy Atty. Marwick, about the million-galleon deal, the contract and about Damien Mathrude.
"Hermione, I never thought, you'll fall for that." Ginny now, calm, said. Hermione, just smile at Ginny's comment.
"It just really interests me." She simply answered in a sort-of-detective tone that made Ginny wondered if her friend was impersonating Sherlock Holmes, which Hermione was reading a week ago.
"Interest you? You should be scared instead! You're marrying someone you barely know." Ginny revolted once again.
"I will eventually know him. I'll also meet him tomorrow." Hermione answered calmly.
"What if he's a troll? What if you're about to marry a troll?" Ginny exclaimed and Hermione just laughed.
"Of all the creatures Ginevra, why the foul troll?" She asked as she was washing her hands on the basin.
"Well, you should prepare for the worst of worst!" Ginny answered as she attempted to open a can of beer but Hermione quickly stole the can from her and drink it herself.
"You're right." Hermione said as she took a gulp from the beer.
"Hermione, did you accept the deal because of the money?" Ginny's suspicion could be seen in her blue eyes.
"That was just a contributing factor. I accepted it because I was bored with my life." Hermione confessed as she run her forefinger along the lid of the can.
"What kind of reason is that? You should've called me so that we'll party every weekend!" Ginny exclaimed as she threw her hands in the air out of frustration.
"Ginny, let me remind you. You're 4-months pregnant." Hermione said in a matter-of-fact tone, the one she used when she's telling trivias about Hogwarts to Harry and Ron.
"Yes I am but I'm sure the baby will understand." Ginny calmly said as she caressed her now bumpy belly.
"Harry won't understand." Hermione answered her.
"I know. Let's get back. So, Hermione, are you losing your mind?" The calm Ginny was gone, so here comes the ferocious one.
"Maybe I am but look at the bright side, with that money I'll be able to pursue S.P.E.W and probably meet my knight in shining armor." Hermione answered dreamily as she was looking outside the window, seeing a blue bright sea.
"I never thought you were searching for you knight in shining foil. You should have told me so that I could have used my matchmaking skills. As for the S.P.E.W, give it up Hermione, we thought you'll grow out of it. Turns out we were wrong." Ginny concluded and tried to steal the beer in Hermione's hand but she had failed.
"Trust me on this one. All of these feel like destiny." Hermione couldn't believe she have said that and she thought it was disgusting.
"Hermione, sleep. Eat. Drink water. Nourish yourself and exercise. It's good for the brain." Ginny teased her and pulled Hermione's handful of hair.
"Ouch, what's that for?" Hermione exclaimed while giggling.
"Thought, it'll cure your head." Ginny answered.
"Can I change your mind?" Ginny asked out of great concern.
"No." Hermione shortly answer. Ginny didn't dare to argue again but instead give Hermione a bone-crushing hug.
"I hope you made the right choice." Hermione thought she got Ginny's support but after several minutes that passed, she was once again to justify her upheavals.
"Hermione, you should really change your mind." Ginny advised her with all the concern in her blue eyes. And in that moment, Hermione considered Ginny beautiful with all her stunning red hair and magnificent blue eyes.
"You're beautiful." She muttered absent-minded and began to doubt her alcohol tolerance.
A/N: So here's the second chapter. I was laughing when I was reading the comments. It was highly appreciated. But can you blame me for choosing mathrude for a surname? I should admit that I had a hard time thinking of surnames that start in letter M. So, Mathrude came out. :)) hehehe. I love reading your comments and I was inspired to write more! :) Thank you for reading the previous chapter, so here's the chapter 2! :) Hope you like it! :)