Hi everyone, here's the ending to Glassceiling :) I hope you enjoyed the story and here's a little bit of fluff for you to enjoy:
"Hermione! You should still be in St. Mungo's," Harry chided as she strode into his office, clad in her business wear.
"No time for that. I have to continue my life sometime, don't I?"
He frowned but indicated for her to sit. "How are you?"
She smiled and waved her wrists where the last marks of where the ropes had cut her skin had faded. "Much better, actually."
"You do remember what I did last time you refused to listen to me and take a proper break from work?"
She laughed. "Funny you mention it. I happen to have found a way to avoid that in the future."
Harry pursed his lips, bracing his hands on the edge of his massive desk. "What's that?"
"I'm quitting."
He spluttered. "You—WHAT?"
"Listen, don't take it personally, Harry. I love working with you, but we both know that I want more. The seat for the head of the department happens to be taken already and the Minister's position won't be free for the foreseeable future, so I have to find other means to make the career I dreamed of."
He swallowed and then nodded slowly. "You know that I would give up my desk immediately to let you take over if Kingsley would allow it."
"Ah, rubbish! Ginny would kick my ass if you stepped down the career ladder. She needs you to earn for the two of you until she finally makes it to the higher Quidditch League and can replace you as the breadwinner of the family."
"That is…" Harry scratched his forehead nervously, "frighteningly accurate."
"You know I'm always right." Hermione smiled. "I have to hurry now. Here's my batch. I'll see you at the Burrow for Sunday brunch!"
"Wait!" he called after her when she was already at the door. "What are you going to do from here on?"
"Oh, I'll have my own scholarship program to manage. Draco realised that he's shit at providing what Muggleborns really need to make it in the wizarding world, so I'll take over for him."
"Oh, that makes sense, I guess." Harry smiled. "It's good to see you being this motivated again. It's like—you know, meeting an old friend. Belfer two point O."
She rolled her eyes, "It's .R, Harry."
A chuckle escaped his lips. "Oh, and before you go… Molly said to invite Draco for Sunday, too."
Hermione raised her eyebrow. "That's all she said?"
"Well, erm… do I need to repeat her detailed plans for your wedding that you don't even know of yet?"
Hermione groaned. "That meddling woman! We've been dating for a week and she's already onto us."
"You know how she is." Harry shrugged. "She's gotta be right, though. She knew Ron and Padma would marry back in fourth year. Ron told me about how she wouldn't shut up about how sweet they look in the Yule Ball photos and voilà — here we are with Mini-Padma and Mini-Ron running around the Burrow."
Hermione pretended to cringe but laughed heartily. "Still, it remains to be seen what will happen with Draco and I. I'm not sure if I'm ready to bind myself to an insufferable ferret."
"Did you say ferret?"
"Ah, speak of the devil." Hermione grinned up at Draco who waited outside Harry's office.
"When will I ever be rid of that nightmare? You know I suffered a mild concussion and three months of nightmares after that incident? I sometimes still subconsciously feel my face to see if I've grown whiskers!"
"Aww, that would be so cute." She patted his cheek mockingly.
Draco caught her hand and held it there. "Not as cute as you in that suit, darling," he whispered and bent down to peck her lips.
Hermione felt herself flush, her belly tingling like a horde of tiny Blibbering Humdingers were throwing a party inside. "Not at the office, Draco," she chided. But when he pouted down at her, she chuckled and allowed one more kiss.
"How about some ice cream to celebrate you getting rid of Potter?"
"Oh, I won't be rid of him anytime soon, luckily. You'll have to live with that", Hermione gestured towards the door to Harry's office, "if you want this." She pointed at herself.
Draco let out a long, suffering sigh. "The lengths I go for a little bit of sex."
Hermione sniffed. "You'll need a lot of ice cream if you continue being such a dick."
He followed after her with a broad smirk. "Anything for my princess."
"Tell me," Draco said as they drifted along with the masses through Diagon Alley, ice cream cone in hand, "who was it again that you cheated on Weasley with?"
Hermione stiffened. "I'm not sure you want to know that," she replied.
"Oh, come on. I'm not judging."
She smiled. Maybe she should give him something to judge her.
Draco pouted at her. "Now you're smiling. You want to tell me, just say it."
"Okay, but on one condition!" She raised a finger.
"Anything!"
She chuckled. "You are far too trusting to promise me anything for information that insignificant."
Draco shrugged. "You're too Gryffindor to actually exploit the opportunity."
She nodded, licking her blueberry-scotch flavoured ice cream. "You're probably right. Though I'm not above having you do the dishes and the cleaning for a month and send Fester on an extended holiday."
He grumbled something intelligible. "I hope it's worth it," he finally said.
"Okay, you ready?"
"Shoot."
"Pansy Parkinson."
He was stunned silent for a moment. Then, very slowly, a grin made its way onto his face. "You didn't."
Hermione shrugged. "She had some information on a drug trafficking ring that I needed, and it was not entirely unpleasant considering how fit she is. That girl can bend, you wouldn't believe it."
He laughed at that.
Hermione smiled, her heart warming at seeing him so carefree. She had intended to shock him a little, had felt the thrill of sharing that secret of hers. She had never been ashamed of it, had only been ashamed of how much she had hurt Ron in the process.
She had gotten judgement for it, but in the end, Hermione had never cared about Molly's outdated moral values.
Draco still had a twinkle in his eye when he bent closer to her ear. "I'll happily do the dishes for that beautiful image in my mind. Maybe I should ask Pansy to give me a repeat performance to enjoy."
Hermione smacked his arm. "Don't you dare."
"I'm not sure I can hold myself back," he said, pretending to contemplate the issue. "I might need a distraction to keep me from flooing to her right now. Maybe a kiss would help..."
"Shut up," Hermione grumbled against his lips as she pulled him into an alley to get away from the masses. "How about we go home instead and I'll make sure you are plentifully distracted?"
Draco grinned. He didn't need to be asked twice.
~ THE END ~
beta + last-minute beta + beta that holds my hand whenever I need her: Nor Fares :3
New projects are in the works, but time is an issue at the moment, so no promises when the next story will go online :'D
I'm currently working on a Marriage Law!AU and also recently had the idea for a friends-style story with a few of my favourite characters sharing a flat. Any preferrences which one I should work hardest on?