She had started thinking about dropping a day of work, as the job was offered to her at 4 days, however, after the night's conversation, she was desperate to go to the ministry and see Malfoy. If just to lay eyes on him and see it in his face. Prove that it was real.
She arrived at work and settled in for the day. The morning team meeting was quickly out of the way and she had conducted several inter-departmental meetings and coordinated many teams of people on different missions. It was becoming like second nature to her now.
"Hermione…" came a voice, when she was just about ready to go and see Malfoy.
"Oh, Harry" she said, wrapping her arms around him when he pulled her in for a hug.
"Its been ages" he said.
"I know, its been really busy, around here and at home" she said.
"Yes, Ron told me how you've been doing a lot of research" he said.
"Ron wouldn't really know what I'm doing. He's never around" she said.
"He says different, but that's beside the point. Look, some of the guys are talking Hermione" he said,
"What guys? Talking about what?" she asked, fearful that someone may have found out about them.
"This job, your job, to be exact… Well, in the past, its always been more of a… well…" he began.
"A figurehead. I know. That's not me Harry. I can't come to work and sit and do nothing. I cant run meetings and not make decisions" she said.
"I get that. But that's now its been done in the past" he said.
"And I guess that's the past, isn't it?" she said.
"People don't like this kind of change Hermione" he said.
"People like you?" she asked.
"Well, for one, yes. I used to make decisions about my team and now you do that. Its like you have some kind of authority hat on" he said.
"Harry, have you read the manual? The job title? The responsibilities? I am doing the bare minimum based on the manual" she said, stepping back from him.
"You're going to lose this office" he said, turning and waling towards the door.
"Oh, Harry, how lovely of you to advise me of such. I'll take it into consideration" she snapped.
"You do that" he said, before leaving the meeting room.
She slammed her door with a bang and turned to scream but didn't want anyone to know how mad she was. Harry was supposed to be her friend, yet there he was, telling her she was over stepping her role and to back off. She stole his job? What was that?
And for him to say she'll lose the office. Well, that was too far.
She left the meeting room and went to her office, collecting her things and turning to leave. She had had enough for today.
"Uh, miss Granger, this came for you" Hilary said, holding up a folded letter, as Hermione was just about down the corridor.
"Can it wait?" she asked.
"I'm sorry, but the owl that delivered it was quite insistent" she said, gesturing to the black owl perched beside her.
Hermione knew instantly who the letter was from.
She returned and took the letter from her, thanking her assistant before watching the owl fly off.
"I always wonder how they get around without using the lifts" Hilary said.
"I think… There must be something built into the ministry. Owl tunnels or something" Hermione said. She wasn't sure either, because that owl did not enter the lift.
She walked down the corridor towards the lifts and pressed the button. She pulled open her letter when she was alone in the lift and read it over.
Granger,
I had hoped to attend our meeting today, however, I have been summoned to my house to tend to something urgent. Apologies for my absence. I hope to make up our meeting as soon as possible.
Best,
Draco Malfoy
She wondered why it was so important that she receive this letter. It was simply stating that he couldn't make the meeting. She read it again and narrowed her eyes. He was summoned to his house? That cant be right, he moved out.
When she was somewhere safe, she took out her phone and opened it.
DM – Astoria has taken an overdose of pain potion. She's alive, but will require some care. I have moved back for now, to keep up pretences.
Hermione read the text and just about fell over.
'Lucky I didn't make plans to leave, or else I'd now be alone' she thought.
She got into the floo and went to see the only person she wanted to talk to. She couldn't speak about Malfoy, but she could definitely talk about Harry.
"Grimmauld Place" she called, before being sucked through the flamed.
She arrived in the kitchen of the Potter's residence and looked around. She could hear baby James' faint cries and made her way to the living room where she found Ginny.
"Merlin, Hermione you frightened me" Ginny said, as Hermione entered the room.
"I guess the floo should have a doorbell or something" Hermione said.
"Doesn't matter, shouldn't you be at work?" Ginny asked.
"Not according to Harry" she said.
"What has my husband done now?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny, he was really horrible. I've never seen him like that" Hermione said, sitting on the armchair.
"He gets all uppity about work" she said.
"Clearly… He told me that I'm doing too much. That I'm taking over tasks of other people" she said.
"They should be happy about that though, right? Less work for them to do?" Ginny asked.
"Well, you would think so. I'm just going by the manual, but Harry said its too much. That its not the way things have always been and people are talking" she said.
"Bugger" Ginny said.
"So what do I do?" she asked her best friend.
"Pull back. Let them all take the hard stuff. Merlin Hermione, you deserve it. Sit back in your pretty office and read all day, take the opportunity to have time out. Maybe go shopping and claim it as a work expense" Ginny said.
"Well, I do have a direct link to the company accounts" she said.
"There you go. Take advantage of this Hermione. Not everyone can get a high paying job and not be expected to actually do anything" Ginny said.
"I'm not apologising to Harry" she said.
"I'll take care of him" Ginny said, narrowing her eyes.
"I shudder to imagine" Hermione said.
"He'll be in big trouble" Ginny said. "Speaking of trouble, have you seen the daily prophet?" she asked.
"No" Hermione said. Ginny handed it to her and on the front cover, was the image of Malfoy entering St Mungos, trying to cover his face with his hands.
"His wife tried to kill herself. Overdose on pain potions" Ginny said.
"Oh heavens, I wonder why" she said, casually.
"He was going to leave her" Ginny said.
"Well, I've heard shes a horrible woman to be married to" Hermione said.
Ginny just looked at her.
"What? I worked with him for two weeks, don't you think I asked how his life is?" she asked.
"You could give an interview. Tell-all about their marriage" Ginny said.
"Merlin, Ginny. I don't know anything. Just that he came to work one day annoyed and I asked him why and he said she was at him again" she said with a shrug.
"And that thing about Astoria going off at people in the ministry. They say she hexed someone" Ginny said.
Hermione read through the article carefully, seeing that it was mostly lies.
"I was in the atrium when she stormed out of the lift. She just marched to the floo, demanded someone get out of her way and left" Hermione said.
"To Blaze Zabini's house" Ginny said with a wink.
"Well, that's what she said" Hermione said.
"Ah, so its true. She is sleeping with him" Ginny said.
"Why are you so interested in the lives of the Malfoys?" Hermione asked.
"Hermione, I'm interested in anything. I sit at home all day with this little lump…" she said, indicating to James who was happily rolling around the floor with his toys. "I don't really go anywhere or do anything. I'm so looking forward to the ministry event next weekend so I can actually feel human again" she said.
"Oh, Gin, trust me, I know that feeling. Why do you think I took the job? I can safely say now that I hated being a full time stay at home mum. It just wasn't for me. And it may not be for you either. And that's ok" Hermione said.
"Are you sure? Because I feel really guilty" Ginny said, clearly holding back tears. Hermione moved off the armchair and made her way to her best friend on her knees. She out her arms around her and pulled her into a hug.
"I'm sure. This is the hardest thing anyone could ever do" Hermione said before letting her go.
"Do you think mum would look after James?" Ginny asked.
"I think that Molly Weasley could take care of 100 small children and never be satisfied. What are you thinking? The ministry? The shop?" Hermione asked.
"The Harpies have reached out. Their chaser has just quit" she said.
"Merlin, what are you waiting for, floo call them now" Hermione said, excited.
"I just… I don't want to abandon James" she said.
"You would only be abandoning him as much as I abandon Rose" Hermione said with an eyebrow raised.
I see your point" Ginny said.
By that afternoon, Ginny had rejoined the Harpies and had already arranged an intense training regime. She had insisted that she not attend any camps and be free to come and go each morning and afternoon, just as she would a regular job. That had been her conditions, and they had easily been accepted.
Before having James, Ginny had been the best they had. Hermione was happy to see her return to the thing she loved and she knew that it had the potential to make all the difference.