A/N Ahh- I'm sorry for missing my last update day like has been kicking me in the butt. Thank you for your patience! On another note, we are near the finish line; only three more chapters. I want to thank all who have stuck with me and this fic through this journey. I so appreciate your support.
~Dot
The austere red-brick exterior of 1 Harley Street was in stark contrast to the bright and inviting interior. The waiting room of Doctor Ailey was a pale green, with accents of plants and pictures of enticing landscapes and lakes. The room evoked nature, which helped to soothe her newest patients, as they anxiously awaited hand-in-hand for their new adventure.
They were called back to Doctor Ailey's office, and Hermione thought to herself how different it was to Healer Stoica's office. The atmosphere was refreshing and homely, unlike the uptight and straightlaced quality of Healers Stoica's office. It also did not remind Hermione of the uninviting, sterile doctor offices she had so much experience with. The walls were covered with hand-painted art of landscapes and exotic locations, much like the waiting room. There was no desk in the middle of the room, instead, there was an array of comfortable-looking seating. Hermione and Ron chose to sit on a loveseat, which was covered in embroidered pillows. They had the option of having different first appointments or having one together, and they chose to stay together.
Dr Ailey- who insisted to be called by her first name; Louise- was a petite woman who appeared to be engulfed in her clothing. Each fabric and accessory she wore was a different colour and pattern, which would typically clash, but somehow worked on her. She wore her hair down, her blonde hair curling at the bottom, slightly obscured by her floral headband.
Hermione had expected to be interrogated by Louise, immediately having to go over their trauma. But instead, they simply chatted. Louise talked about her children, her oldest going to Hogwarts in a couple of years. Which led to her asking them about their Hogwarts experience and how they met.
Halfway through their appointment, both Ron and Hermione were at ease, easily chatting about their shenanigans and other easy topics. Soon, Louise led them to the tougher topics, finally arriving at why they were there. They both talked about what they wanted to work on; Hermione with her PTSD and panic attacks, and Ron with his alcoholism, anxiety, and anger.
Louise reassured them that they were having normal reactions to the trauma they experienced. She described how she would use a mix of muggle therapy practices and magic to help them move forward. Together, they decided that they would have separate appointments weekly, with a monthly one together.
By the end of their hour, which seemed to pass much faster than they expected, both were feeling lighter and encouraged about their new path. Before they left, Hermione asked Louise a question that had been sitting on her for a while.
She inquired about mental health care in the wizarding world, something that she was shocked to discover was so hard to find. Louise agreed that it was abysmal. She knew of very few other wizard healers that went on to pursue a psychology degree, something that would require attending a muggle university. She mentioned that there were other countries that offered mental health training and even psychological education for their wizarding population. However, in England, the healers were only required to take one rudimentary mental health course. On top of that, the stigma, which is prevalent in the muggle world, was much more pronounced in the British wizarding world.
Hermione thanked Louise for her insight, leaving the appointment determined to do something about it.
Hermione was glad of the timing of their first appointment, as recently she had been feeling more anxious. She was waiting to hear back from the positions she applied for. As much as she tried, she was unable to distract herself from the reality of the situation; if she were to take one of the jobs, her life would dramatically change.
Not that that would be a bad thing. She would be able to be completely herself; no longer pretending to be Jane. It was becoming harder and harder to be Miss. Darling. She found herself constantly slipping up, confusing her students with her odd vocabulary. Her coworkers were becoming nosier, and it was difficult to keep her stories straight.
If she took a Ministry job, she would be completely immersed in the wizarding world. Which would mean she could begin to focus on what she wanted to do. She was quite excited about the possibilities the positions offered.
One job was in the Department of Education. Her main duties would be locating new students, and making sure they got to Hogwarts with everything they needed. The exciting part of the job was that she would have a say in any new curriculum and hiring. She could influence the curriculum to be more open to magical creatures and to be more accurate about muggles.
The other job was a position in the Wizengamot. It was the highest position one could hold, without experience. She would be able to vote on any new laws and would be able to assist higher officers with creating new laws. She could affect change in so many ways, and that possibility both excited and frightened her. Not only would she have a say in laws that affected Hogwarts, but she could also help to pass laws about magical creatures, muggle relations, and even health care. Which meant that she could possibly help to create a better mental healthcare system.
It had only been a few days since she sent in her applications, and she knew she had to be patient. But the waiting was starting to get to her.
Hermione was sitting on her kitchen bar stool, grading schoolwork and indiscreetly checking her window every few minutes with the hope of seeing a ministry owl, when Ron arrived home from work.
He greeted her with their custom kiss on the lips and took a seat next to her. He was jittery, and Hermione could tell that something was up. She put down her red grading pen and gave him a questioning look.
"So, I was thinking," Ron started, still bouncing his knees up and down.
"Uh, oh," Hermione teased, Ron's sense of humour had rubbed off on her.
Ron gave a faint smile, slightly eased by her whimsy.
"It's almost the end of the month, and my lease is almost up…"
Hermione nodded, prodding him on.
"Well, I mean, I essentially already live here. And I know we haven't been dating long, but it would be more economical," Ron said anxiously, not quite saying what he needed to say, but hoping Hermione would understand.
"It would be more economical," Hermione agreed, letting Ron know that she understood what he was trying to say.
"You don't think it's too fast?", Ron questioned, knowing that Hermione cared about how things looked.
"Well, you're right, we practically are living together. It's not like we're getting married or something."
"Right," Ron said. "So do you think I should move in?"
"I do," Hermione said with a smile.
Ron smiled his crooked smile and stood up to kiss her.
"Just out of curiosity," Ron said, standing between Hermione's legs, "how long do we have to wait before it's appropriate to get married?"
"Oh," Hermione responded, taken slightly aback by Ron's question. "For us, I would say we should be dating for at least a year."
"A year?", Ron asked incredulously.
"It's not very long at all, Ron. If we were a normal couple-"
"A normal couple?", Ron interrupted.
"I mean, if we met randomly and started dating, and didn't have the history we have, then I would say 3-5 years. And I certainly wouldn't be moving in with you after a few months."
"Alright, fair enough. Just so I know, when is our anniversary?"
Hermione burst out laughing.
"I have no clue."
"It could be our first kiss," Ron offered, also laughing at the ridiculousness of it.
"The day of the Battle of Hogwarts," Hermione cringed.
"Right, our second kiss?"
"Harry and Ginny's anniversary," they said in unison.
"Do we have a day that doesn't happen to land on other important events?", Hermione asked.
"We could do the first day we met; September first?"
"I like that," Hermione said. "But, that would mean waiting more than a year to celebrate."
"That's no good," Ron said, shaking his head. "What about the second time we met, as Ron and Jane?"
"That could work," Hermione agreed. "Though I don't know what day that was, off the top of my head. It was sometime in July."
"Let's just round up, make it July first."
"Alright, July first it is," Hermione said with a smile.
Ron met her smile and leaned in so his face was almost touching hers. Instead of kissing her, as Hermione expected, he asked her a question.
"Do you think-," he started. "Say it has been a year, and it's our one year anniversary; July first. Do you think you would say yes if I asked you to marry me?", he asked, barely above a whisper.
"I do think I would- yes," she said, not hesitating.
"Wicked," he said, and Hermione could only just make out his crooked smile before he kissed her. Hermione met his kiss intensely, but before they went very far, she stopped them.
"What's the matter?", Ron asked urgently.
"Nothing," Hermione said calmly. "It's just that, I was thinking, if I do get one of the Ministry jobs, there won't be any reason to stay in this flat. We could live anywhere."
"You're right."
"So, if I do get one of the jobs-"
"Which you will," Ron interrupted.
Hermione rolled her eyes but continued.
"Then maybe we could find a new place, together. A fresh start."
"That would be brilliant," Ron said enthusiastically, resuming their previous activity.
The next day, two ministry owls flew into their flat's window; she was scheduled for an interview for both of the jobs.
The interviews went well, the interviewers not drawing attention to the five missing years on her CV or her lack of NEWT's. She surmised that her situation had now gone public. Normally, her personal information being public would not please her. But in this case, for the first time, it helped her.
Two days later, she was offered the education job, and a day after that, she was offered the Wizengamot position. After much discussion and debate, she took the Wizengamot position.