When Hermione entered that week's Reconstruction Committee meeting, she was surprised to see a few heads turn in her direction. The Prophet hadn't publicly announced she was the one behind the New Blood Program, but apparently, word of her work with the project had spread. She took the seat that Audrey had saved for her, as they waited for the rest of the committee members to arrive.
Hermione yawned. She had been up late the previous night, planning for her presentation.
"Late night?" Audrey asked, smiling.
"Working, yes," Hermione said, laughing. "I'm glad to be doing this, but I'll definitely be happy when all this initial prep work is over."
"We should be able to finish sorting through the applicants today." Audrey said. "Then we can start matching people up."
"The fun part," Hermione said, suppressing a second yawn.
Kingsley called the meeting to order, and various members presented the progress they were making on their respective projects. Representing the Auror office, Ron announced that the Aurors had caught two more Death Eaters in the past week, who had been evading capture for a while, which left most of them on trial.
"Except for those in the program, of course," he finished, with a pointed glance at Hermione. She avoided his gaze.
Then followed a presentation on the progress in rebuilding Hogwarts Castle, and all too soon, it was Hermione's turn.
"The program is going very well so far." Hermione addressed the room at large. "We've had about fifteen applicants, a few of which we've had to decline, but I think most applicants have applied with the intent to right their past wrongs."
A committee member raised their hand, and Hermione nodded to them to ask their question.
"Who's to say that they're not still dangerous?"
"Well," Hermione said, a little startled. "All the applicants go through a very strenuous screening process. It's true that most of them had Death Eater involvement, but we've had all of them fill out interview forms, and have reviewed their files, which we can thank the auror department for." She looked to Harry, and he nodded, smiling.
Hermione felt a jolt as Ron raised his hand. She cast her gaze around the room for anyone else to call on, but saw no one. "Yes?" Hermione asked.
"What will happen if an applicant proves to be 'dangerous' later on in the process?"
"Well," Hermione said. "We're planning to evaluate that on a case-by-case basis, and hopefully it won't happen, but I imagine we would revoke all amnesty."
Ron settled back in his chair, looking rather pleased with himself.
"Thank you, Hermione," Kingsley said, and the rest of the room applauded her, with less reluctance than before.
After the meeting, when Hermione was tidying up her notes from the morning, she was surprised to see Ron approach her.
"Hi," she said, trying to keep her tone neutral.
"I was wondering if I could talk to you for a moment," Ron said.
"Yes, okay," Hermione said. "Do you want to go in the hallway?" He nodded, and she followed him out of the room.
"Er—Hermione, I was wondering if I did anything to make you break up with me, and if there was anything I could do to fix things?"
"Oh, that." Hermione said, sighing. "Ron, I'm sorry. As cliched as the saying is, it's not you, it's me. I just think we weren't working out."
"I'm sorry I wasn't spending as much time with you," Ron said, "I was busy with work—"
"Ron." Hermione said. "Please don't take this personally. I still care about you a lot, and we can still be friends. I just don't think we should be in a relationship together."
At that moment, Harry, who was passing by, caught Hermione's gaze.
"Sorry if I'm interrupting," He said hurriedly, turning to her. "I forgot to tell you that I'll be home late tonight, so don't bother to keep dinner waiting for me."
"Okay," Hermione said. "Kreacher and I will miss you."
"I'm sure you, will," Harry said, smiling, nodded to the two of them, and walked off.
Ron, who had watched the entire exchange very closely, rounded on Hermione, an odd glint in his blue eyes. He stared at her, as if trying to see through her.
"So," he said slowly, "It's Harry, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione said.
"Don't play dumb," Ron said. "We both know you're smarter than that. You're in love with him, aren't you?"
"What?" Hermione exclaimed. "With Harry? You know it's not like that!"
"Come on Hermione, you live together." Ron glared at her, his face reddening. "Don't expect me to think there isn't something there."
"I'm telling you," Hermione insisted, "It's not like that. He's like a brother to me. You know that. I would never…date him, or anything like that."
Ron appeared unconvinced. "Fine Hermione," he said, stepping back from her. "Have fun with your new boyfriend."
"Ron." Hermione said, but he turned and walked away from her. "Ron!" He ignored her and kept walking.
By now, Audrey had come out of the meeting, regarding the scene that met her eyes with confusion, and hurried over to Hermione.
"Are you okay?" Audrey asked her.
Hermione sighed dispiritedly. "Just my messy love life."
"Do you want to talk?" Audrey asked. "We could get coffee—it's nearly lunchtime anyway."
"I'd like that." Hermione smiled.
"So basically," Hermione reiterated, "He just doesn't get that I'm not romantically interested in him any more, and he thinks there's another reason for it—like the fact that Harry and I are secretly in love with each other, or something like that."
"And you're not?" Audrey asked.
"No." Hermione said. "We're really close, it's true, and we live together, but I've never been attracted to him. He's like a brother to me, and I'm positive he feels the same way."
"Hmmm," Audrey said, stirring her coffee thoughtfully. "I know Ron's older brother," she said. "Percy."
"Really?" Hermione asked.
"We've worked together on a few things. He and Ron seem very different."
"They are," Hermione said. "Ron's the second youngest in his family—he has five older brothers, and a younger sister—most of his brothers have been pretty successful, and I think he struggles with living in their shadows a bit."
"That's understandable." Audrey said. "I think even Percy is worried about his image, as well." She laughed. "Not that I would know that much about siblings—I'm an only child."
"Me too," Hermione said, grinning.
The two of them walked back to the office, where they continued sorting out the applicants, until they got to the bottom of the pile, reaching a name that gave Hermione pause. Draco Malfoy.
She had sorted through the applications of most of the Slytherins who had been at school when she was, and given most of them a reprieve, but Malfoy was different. The others had done bad things, but he had personally bullied Hermione and her friends throughout their years at Hogwarts.
She hadn't seen him since the battle, when he and his parents had sat awkwardly in the great hall, looking unsure whether or not they should even be there, as their allegiances were so muddled. Narcissa had, however, saved Harry from Lord Voldemort, and without her, the Order would have most likely lost the battle.
Lucius Malfoy had been convicted right away; there was no excusing what he'd done. And Draco had done terrible things as well.
But hadn't everyone else? A small voice nagged at her.
Suddenly, unbidden, Hermione's mind flashed back to that day in Malfoy Manor, after she, Harry and Ron had been captured by snatchers. She had seen when Malfoy had pretended to be unable to identify Harry. It was obvious to everyone who he was, even with the stinging hex, Hermione thought, wishing she could have done better. And then, her thoughts shifted to Bellatrix, and when she had tortured Hermione for information about the sword of Godric Gryffindor, and her hand went instinctively to the thin scar that was now barely visible, stretching across her neck. It was barely visible, but it was still there.
All of a sudden, a memory floated to the surface of her thoughts. Her time in Malfoy Manor wasn't something she liked to think about, but she remembered now, when Bellatrix had questioned her, Malfoy, unlike his father, and the rest of the Death Eaters present, had been unable to look at her. He had seemed almost to feel for her pain.
So, he had done bad things, but deep down, he was still human. With a sigh, she dropped his file onto the accepted pile.
Aurdrey looked up at the thump. "It that the last one?" She asked.
"Yes, it is," Hermione said.
"The acceptance letters are just about ready to be sent out," Audrey said, straightening a stack of envelopes.
"Great," Hermione said. "Time to play matchmaker."
Matching up the pure-bloods and muggle-borns proved to be easier than Hermione had thought, and they were finished before late afternoon. There were a few people that had to be reshuffled, a few that seemed to be compatible with more than one person, but they sorted it out, and used the remaining time to make the dinner the best it could be.
However, the day before the dinner provided a problem for them. They had accepted just as many pure-bloods as muggle-borns into the NBP, and when one of the muggle-borns pulled out at the last minute, Theodore Nott was left without a date.
"I should have planned for this!" Hermione exclaimed. "I thought out everything else so much more. If anything else had gone wrong, I would have been prepared."
"It's okay," Audrey said. "We'll figure it out."
"But where are we supposed to find another muggle-born, at such short notice?" Hermione asked.
"I think," Audrey said, "That the answer's staring me in the face."
Hermione was puzzled for a moment, but then smiled as comprehension dawned on her. "This is why we have a real Ravenclaw on the team," she said, smiling. "I should have thought of that."
"You don't have to feel obligated to do it," Audrey said.
"No," Hermione said. "A lot of people will be shuffled up after the first date. Anyway, Theodore Nott was in my year. He's not as bad as some."
"Okay," Audrey said, "If you're sure."
"I'm sure." Said Hermione. Audrey scratched out the corresponding information on the seating chart that would be sent to the restaurant.
"I'll just take this down to the mail room," she said.
"Can I check it over just once more?" Hermione asked.
Audrey laughed. "Go ahead."
A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated :)