Hi everyone, glad you enjoyed Chapter 1, here is the next instalment.

As usual I am not J.K. Rowling she is too wonderful for me.

Sirius xoxo

Chapter 2

(Previously)

Harry was getting flustered and unfortunately, blurted out the first thing that crossed his mind.

"It's not possible guys as I have a girlfriend."

The only sound in the little flat was the deep breathing of five people who were staring at him in shock. Nobody was more shocked than Hermione herself. She wasn't sure if Harry had just said it to get them off their backs, but what if he didn't.

What if that new secretary at work was his new girlfriend?

She was on the verge of having a severe heart attack but remembered where she was. She forced a smile on her face and turned around to (attempt) to smirk at their friends.

"See I told you we weren't a couple." Hermione put her hands under the table to hide the shaking.

"What Harry? How come you didn't say anything?" Ron was suspicious but he knew his mate and he knew he wasn't lying plus he wouldn't say anything like that as a joke.

"Well, I was going to mention it to Her....to umm everyone tonight, but you all started so I had no choice but to spill the beans." Harry brushed his hair out of his eyes and leant back in his chair. Ron's eyes were trained on Hermione's face and he knew she didn't know anything about this, she looked, hurt. Ron felt really bad for her and was definitely going to tell off his girlfriend and sister after those two left.

Just to add salt to the wound, so to speak, the girls wanted all the details. Where they met? How old was she? What was her name? Etcetera, etcetera. Ron watched Hermione the whole time and when she caught his eye a few times, she tried to perk up, but he also knew this best friend as well and he knew she was hurting.

The six of them finished dinner and moved into the lounge room to watch a movie. Hermione dashed to the toilet and came to sit back down. Harry patted his leg but she ignored him and sat on the floor in front of Neville and Ginny. Harry frowned and Ron watched her as she fidgeted and turned her phone around in her hands like she was waiting for a call.

The movie started and within a few minutes her phone rang. She snatched it up and quickly excused herself from the room. She came back in after a few seconds and grabbed her bag.

"Sorry guys, have to run, got an emergency at work." Hermione leant down to kiss Ginny and Neville and then walked over to Caroline and Ron. She kissed Caroline but Ron pulled her in for a hug. He whispered in her ear if she was OK and she looked at him pretending to be shocked, "I'm fine", was her quick response.

She turned to say bye to Harry but he was shaking hands with Neville.

"What are you doing?" She tried not to sound harsh but it came out that way.

"I'm coming with you, why?"

"NO, Harry, not necessary, I will see you at home," and she apparated away before Harry could even say goodbye.

"What the hell was that?" Harry stood looking at the spot where she was just standing.

"You know what Harry, for a man who is smart about lots of things, you really are quite stupid when it comes to being tactful mate." Ron shook his head.

"What?" Harry looked at the others and realised they all wore the same expression.

"What?"he asked again.

"Harry, you should have told her in private, not in front of everyone like that. She was devastated." Harry shook his head and looked thoroughly confused.

"Devastated, what in Merlin's beard are you lot talking about?" Harry had absolutely no idea and everyone realised it.

"Hey, how about we start the movie again?" Neville decided it was time to break the tension.

**********

Harry laid in bed that night and his brow was furrowed. He knocked on Hermione's door when he got home but he received no answer. He waited for a few moments and then unlocked the door to find Hermione's bed empty.

It was now after 2am and he had not heard her arrive as yet so he got out of bed to ring her mother, Ellen Granger, she would know where her daughter was. Harry started to dial the phone they had installed just for Mr and Mrs Granger, but as he reached for the last number, he hung up. If Hermione wasn't there, he would only have them worried all night too.

Harry went back to bed and as he was starting to drift off, he heard the sound of her apparating into her room.

"Mione?" he called out to her.

"Yeah Harry, go back to sleep." Harry heard the bathroom door close and then the shower turn on. He drifted off to sleep relieved that she was home and he would talk to her in the morning.

********

Harry woke early and quickly dressed after his shower. He walked into the kitchen to start breakfast but he noticed Hermione's cup and a saucer with bread crumbs on it, laying idle in the sink. He looked at them and walked off towards her room. He opened the door without knocking and again found her empty, neatly made bed, staring at him.

Harry was annoyed. They never, ever, ever not had breakfast together and here he was looking at her empty bed.

He decided breakfast could wait and he apparated straight to her work.

Harry worked in the ministry of magic in the Auror department. He had a desk job now as he had done his years of field work and now deserved a break. Harry also liked the fact that he could have lunch with Hermione whenever her busy schedule allowed. She worked in the research department and she had climbed her way to the top in only a short amount of time. Harry walked into her office and approached her secretary,

"Good morning Jenny, is Hermione in please?" Jenny smiled and picked up her phone.

"Miss Granger, Mr Potter is here to see you.... ok... sure... thank you." Jenny hung up and before she could say anything, Hermione walked out into the waiting room of her office.

"Hey Harry, what's up?" She looked tired and her hair was ruffled.

"Hermione, where were you last night and then this morning?" Harry was really worried and Hermione felt sorry for him but only for a split second.

"Harry, I am really busy..."

"OK.... fine how about lunch then?"

"Sorry Harry, not today, I am flat out. Catch you later tonight." Hermione turned and walked away leaving Harry stunned in her wake.

Harry turned to look at Jenny and she smiled a sad smile.

"Sorry Mr Potter, there's three people away, two are sick and one's on holidays and you know Miss Granger, she takes on the extra load herself. She didn't leave here till midnight last night..."

"Midnight, are you sure?"

"Yes Mr Potter, I was here and we left together, then she had to meet some man but I went home." Jenny finished her talk but Harry was already walking away.

The day continued on very slowly. Each time he looked at his clock on the wall, it showed half an hour later than the last time he checked. He knew Hermione had lunch everyday at 1.30pm so he set his clock to be there at 1pm so he wouldn't miss her.

Harry's morning was anything but productive and at 12.50pm he made his way to her floor. He arrived right on one and was absolutely famished since he missed breakfast. He was standing in front of Jenny's desk when the lift from the other side opened and he heard Hermione's laugh. He turned around and saw her talking to a tall man. He had dark hair and was well built. He was wearing a beige suit with a dark shirt with the top buttons undone and he carried his coat over his arm. He held the door open for Hermione and as she walked out she came face to face with Harry.

She didn't flinch or react in anyway that would show she was doing the wrong thing and this annoyed Harry for some reason.

"Hermione?" Harry stood there waiting for an introduction.

"Hi Harry, something you need?" She obviously wasn't going to introduce her company to him.

"I thought we could grab some lunch..."

"Oh sorry, I have already had lunch with Brian." Hermione smiled at the Brian man and then continued walking into her office leaving Harry standing in the hallway for the second time that day.

Harry walked back downstairs and when the lift opened, he came face to face with Deanna.

"Hi Harry, are you on lunch darling?"

Deanna was an intelligent young lady who was quite fit due to her job as an Auror. She was witty and funny and Harry found she was quite a pleasant person to talk too and spend time with. They had only been on a couple of dates and Deanna thoroughly enjoyed his company. She was one of the top Aurors and being in such a high position, she was often called out on duty, hence the limited dates they had. Harry looked at Deanna and realised she was quite pretty but there was something missing.

They had a quick lunch together and were walking back to the office when they ran into Ron.

"Hey Ron, what's brings you over here mate?" Harry had his arm around Deanna but put out his right hand to shake hands.

"Oh, just popping in to see Hermione actually." Ron looked at the girl on Harry's arm and smiled.

"Oh sorry, Ron this is Deanna Livingstone, Deanna this is Ron Weasley, my best friend." Ron and Deanna shook hands and exchanged pleasantries. After a minute or so, Ron excused himself and took the lift up to Hermione's office.

He approached her secretary and Jenny told him to go straight in. Ron knocked once and heard her call to enter and he walked in to find her talking to a tall man in a beige suit.

"Hey Ron, please come in, this is Brian Nettle, Brian this is ..."

"Ron Weasley, it's a pleasure sir." Brian knew who Ron was and Ron felt special.

"Pleasures mine Mr Nettle... oh Nettle, is that the Nettle from Nettle and Spurk, the big company for research and design?" Ron was genuinely surprised and just a bit impressed with himself that he knew the company.

"Yes Mr Weasley, I am the half of Nettle and Spurk, you honour me that you know of us."

"No, how do you know of me?" Ron asked politely.

Brian went on to say that part of his business, the design section, have a brand name that Ron would be well aware of, 'Quidditch for Life' and it was a product that Ron stocked at the shop.

Hermione smiled a genuine smile and Ron blushed. The three of them sat down to talk for a while and Jenny brought in some coffees and biscuits. Ron was fascinated with Brian as he spoke of the changes that were happening between his company and the Ministry. Ron could tell that Hermione was excited about this opportunity for her department as it meant a lot of needed funds would be injected into research which meant Hermione had more avenues to do further investigations.

"...so the reason I am here, is to try to convince our lovely Miss Granger here, to take up a position in my company as the head researcher." Ron's head spun towards Hermione and she smiled a quirky smile.

"So, Mione what are you going to do?" Hermione shrugged her shoulders but smiled at Brian.

"I don't know Ron, I have some time to think about it. It means relocating to Canada and that is a huge move." Ron nodded and felt sad that he may lose her but also happy at the enormous opportunity that was being presented to her.

"It's OK Ron, I haven't decided as yet, I still have some time as we have a lot of unfinished projects under way here."

"That's right. Well I must excuse myself, my clock is decidedly out at the moment and I find I need to return to my motel and get some sleep. Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, good afternoon."

"Can I offer you a lift Mr Nettle?"

"Not necessary Mr Weasley, I can apparate over to my motel, Miss Granger was very kind to see me in last night and make sure that I had some dinner and was settled, even though it was 1.30 in the morning." Mr Nettle shook hands with both Ron and Hermione and then apparated out.

"Busy girl Mione, is that what the phone call was about last night at dinner?" Hermione sat down on the lounge chair she had in her office and Ron came and sat with her.

"Yeah sort of Ron, we had dramas with one of the projects and David, who's in charge of it, is away sick so I had to come in and check on it. Then while I was here Brian called saying he was flying in on the red eye special and would be arriving at 12.45am so I took off to the airport to meet with him. It's been a long night, that's for sure."

Hermione smiled at Ron and asked him why he came by.

"Well Mione, I was a bit worried about you, you know, with what happened last night with Harry."

"No, I'm fine Ron, you didn't need to worry." Hermione knew Ron could see right through her but she wasn't going to give in that easily.

"Mione, why don't you just tell him?" Ron took her hand in his and rubbed the back of her hands gently. She pulled her hand away and stood up and walked over to her window.

"There's nothing to tell Ron, he has his life, I have mine. That's it. We are just friends, that's all."

"Bullshit Hermione, you can't fool me, I have known you both long enough to know you are totally and completely in love with him, why don't you admit it?" Hermione spun around to Ron but felt the tears building up so she quickly turned away. Ron walked over to her and put his arms around her and hugged her from behind.

"Mione, sorry sweetie, I hate seeing you like this. It's like he builds up your hopes then crushes them with another girl. It's not fair Mione."

"I know Ron, but what do I do? Maybe this job came just at the right time."

Ron had turned her around so he could look her in the eye. A little tear drop escaped and he wiped it away with his thumb and gave her a smile.

"Hermione, don't take this job to run away, OK, take it because it will be a fantastic opportunity for the world to know the name of Hermione Granger and everyone will see what I already see, how bloody brilliant you are."

"Thank you Ron, what would I do without you?"

"See, I am not so bad after all, emotional range of a teaspoon hey?" Hermione laughed and Ron pulled her in for a hug.

"Hey, why don't you go home and have a nice hot bath then come with me over to mum's for dinner? She's been nagging us to see you so you will save your best friend a huge headache, please?"

Hermione giggled and told him she would meet him at her house at 6.