Disclaimer: All characters and setting references to Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling.
The Last One There
The sweltering heat of the Egyptian deserts left Bill feeling drained as he began the mid-day break. He wasn't old by any measure, either muggle or magical, but the last few years working in the climate controlled main Gringotts branch was making the transition back to work in the field exhausting. Sweat drenched his clothes, which included his second shirt of the morning. At this rate, he'd be out of clothes before he had a day off to launder them.
Wrenching his clinging shirt off, he jumped into the shower as soon as he made it back to his tent. The cool water was refreshing, raining down on his neck and back as he tilted his head forward, his hair forming a curtain around his down-turned face. He lingered under the spray as he thought back to the causes of his current assignment a continent and, seemingly, a lifetime away from home. He'd been cursing the goblins under his breath every time he thought of his assignment, which was really more of a punishment in being away from Hermione.
Hermione. They only had one real date, yet he ached to see her again. It was like he had been tempted by something sweet and lovely only to have it snatched away from him. She promised to owl him; well, he'd said the same yet he had been so tired that he hadn't unpacked the parchment he brought for correspondence either. Really he couldn't blame her for not writing. She was probably facing an inquisition of her own with the Ministry. Still, he was hoping to find some message . . a note even, from her.
Leaning back, he let the water cascade down his face once more before stepping out of the shower. It had been nice, but the heat from the desert quickly overpowered his cooling charm leaving the last of the water, at best, lukewarm.
He lowered his tired body into the reclining chair in the only other room of the tent. The well-worn piece of furniture contoured itself to his body making the seat all the more comfortable. It was then that he noticed a furled piece of parchment tied with a small turquoise blue ribbon. He recognized the Merlin's Arcadium logo on the ribbon and immediately knew it was from Hermione. She hadn't forgotten after all.
Bill smiled as he inhaled the faint aroma of Hermione's perfume. Pulling on the ribbon, the parchment relaxed, opening to reveal her slanted writing.
Dear Bill,
I'm sorry it's taken so long to write, things have been a bit hectic around here. I'll get back to that in a moment, though. How are you? Is Egypt all that you remember it to be? The choice to relocate was taken from you by those . . those . . well, I don't have a good word for the goblins that wouldn't have me blushing, but Cairo must have some good memories of your time there before the war.
Since most of your work is confidential, I understand that you can't tell me too much. I'm eager to hear all that you can feel comfortable telling me, though. Tell me about your Egypt, Bill.
Bill snorted at the 'confidential' work he'd been doing for the last few days. True, the goblins would throw a fit if they thought he would be mentioning his work to anyone outside of the bank's hierarchy, but the preliminary work of moving sand and setting up a magical perimeter around the dig site were hardly worthy of secrecy.
He closed his eyes, picturing Hermione's soft cheeks brightening with color as he imagined her blushing. He'd only seen it a handful of times, namely when kissing her and they thought someone might walk in on them.Opening his eyes again, he found his place and continued reading her letter.
Your mum invited me to have lunch at the Burrow on Sunday. I think she's already missing you and assumed, correctly, that I would be, too. Most everyone was there; Fred and George managed to throw food at Ron twice before your mum threatened to keep their dessert from them. It still amazes me the way she can stop their shenanigans with a few well placed words. I'm sure they've told you, but back in my days as a prefect the only way I could get them to listen to me was to threaten them with your mum! Worked perfectly.
The Burrow was a nice distraction from the problems I anticipated at work. I think your family purposely filled the afternoon with enough food, quidditch, and even a little shopping with Ginny that I was intended to relax. And, the combination of those things normally would have been enough. I hope this doesn't sound too forward, but it was you that I really missed about the Burrow. Now, instead of picturing Harry and Ron de-gnoming the garden, I remember rubbing elbows with you at the table or holding hands on the porch. Even though we haven't spent as much time together as I (and hopefully you) want, it has been enough to know that I miss you and can't wait for you to return.
On that note, I did discover what made the goblins so upset. Are you sitting down? Perhaps you should. I think this is one revelation that will knock you off of your feet.
Bill was starting to get nervous now. Not at the revelation that Hermione missed him as much as he was missing her. He felt relief and excitement at that confession. No, his concern stemmed from the Ministry's actions. She didn't sound upset, yet; however, things tended to spiral quickly with the department heads as they vied for power. His dad told him as much when they spoke a while back.
I was a bit anxious about going to work on Monday, as I'm sure you can understand; I had no idea what kind of message Gringotts sent to the Ministry. When I entered Mr. Flynn's office . . you'll never believe who was already packing. No, no one was clearing my desk. I have one word for you - Elena! It was her! Can you believe it? Miss Cougar herself was the one the goblins were concerned about and they sent a very lengthy letter to the department all but demanding her firing. Of course, if they had flat out said to sack her, the opposite would have occurred. Very cunning those goblins. Anyway, I decided against arriving early that morning and walked in just as she was leaving. It does bring a few concerns to mind . . Bill, just how much 'fraternization' was really going on with you two? Hmm?
Bill sat up so quickly that he almost fell out of the chair. He'd been sent hundreds of miles away from London because that cow Elena couldn't keep her paws, well, hooves to herself. He rebuffed her advances more times than the goblins snarled; it wasn't his fault the Ministry kept sending her on their behalf.
His anger was tempered by the thought that Hermione had been spared the humiliation of being fired for something he previously thought he'd caused.It calmed him to know that her job was secure. He decided right then to figure out how to conduct business with Hermione at the bank in a way that would leave no room for either of them to be implicated in something like this again.
He snorted as he re-read Hermione's 'concerns'. Fraternization, indeed. Oh, he'd address that in his return letter. Cheeky woman.
Bill realized he was getting ahead of himself and returned his focus back to Hermione's letter.
All of this chaos at the Ministry and Gringotts left me thinking about the future. I've decided that I don't want to ever feel like that again, as if my perfectly respectable personal life could be called into question and threaten my job or your career. So, I've made the decision to leave the Ministry.
About six months ago Minerva McGonagall, that is Headmistress McGonagall, contacted me about a position as a professor and, well, I've accepted! Hogwarts has always had a special place in my heart and it feels like I'll be going home. I'm proud to say that Hogwarts is my alma mater and having the opportunity to be a part of the system that trains so many young witches and wizards is something I just can't pass up. Minerva told me to consider her request, that she had the full school year to find someone for the next year. So, when Mr. Flynn, Elena, and the goblins threw me into this situation, that solidified a decision I'd been toying with for some time.
This letter is getting lengthy, so I'll say my goodbyes now. Oh! I know you didn't have much time to get things settled in London, so if there's anything you need me to do I'll be glad to help. You know me, the responsible mail-picker-upper and plant-waterer. Those can't be real words, but writing this letter had helped to lighten my mood.
Hope to hear from you soon,
Hermione
Bill retied the little ribbon around Hermione's letter. Tonight, as soon as the second half of his assignment was over, he intended to write back.
