*In an effort to write more quickly, I'm not being very careful with my continuity of plot. If you note mistakes, feel free to comment and I'll fix them but for the most part, just do a mental correction, please.

**Getting a bit of a writer's block on how to get from A to Z so bear with me.

***Reviews help with pushing through the block

Minister Riddle Will See You Now

Chapter 14: New Jobs

Voices were elevated just to the brink of shouting when she came to. Hermione could feel the soft cushion of something comfortable underneath her which meant she was no longer in the alley.

"-don't care, Tom! You should have told me! She nearly lost consciousness from reversing a simple shrinking spell! I would never have asked her to do any magic if I had known!" Narcissa was spitting her words and Hermione took a moment longer to determine that it was actually Narcissa she was hearing since the tone didn't match what she'd known of Narcissa.

"She's never reacted that strongly before," Tom argued. "She was fine before she left and she performed magic here today. I had no reason to think she would faint from it or I would have forbidden her from attending tonight!"

There was the sound of something being set down on a surface.

"You mean other than at the Manor? When she passed out after performing a spell?"

"That was different."

"Was it?"

Silence.

"Perhaps," Severus' deep voice was unmistakable, "we should discuss what is actually happening and how to fix it rather than argue about events that have already transpired?"

She hated having a room full of people discussing her private life but she hated having attention on her so she opted to keep her eyes closed. She did, however, attempt to roll to her side.

"Hermione?"

Even with her eyes closed, she knew it was Tom just from the smell of him. Of course she recognized his voice but she could smell him and his cologne of sandalwood was already so comforting to her in such a short expanse of time.

"Hmm?" she wrapped her arms around her stomach and curled up on her side. Maybe they would let her sleep.

A cool hand brushed across her forehead and she leaned into. It felt so good against her clammy skin.

"Miss Granger, it's important that you are able to convey what happened and how you felt all the way from when you first started feeling any negative effects up until now," Severus stated.

Her upper body was lifted as someone, Tom from the feel of the hands, sat down and then replaced her head on their thigh.

"I was fine until I cast a spell," Hermione answered, eyes shut tightly as she nuzzled her cheek against Tom's leg.

The queasy feeling was starting to recede slowly. She opened her eyes and saw Severus and Narcissa sitting on the coffee table hovering over where she lay on Tom's couch.

"You did not feel ill until after you reversed the shrinking spell on our cloaks?" Narcissa asked.

She shook her head, leaving it turned towards Tom. She unwrapped her arms from her torso.

"I saw black spots, felt hot and queasy and then everything went black," she informed them.

Tom's fingers threaded through her curls, sliding softly against her scalp in a way that Hermione loved.

"No other physical effects that you recall?" Tom questioned, pausing in his motions.

"No," Hermione said firmly. "I felt a little weak, clammy, queasy and hot when I woke but it's all going away now."

She heard Severus exhale and scratch a few notes on a parchment nearby him. "You felt none of those things the last time you did magic today?"

"No," Hermione insisted. "I was fine then."

"Are either of you going to fully inform me as to what is going on? I received an awful fright and I demand an answer. You're lucky Melvinna wasn't still with us when this occurred," Narcissa hissed.

Looking at Tom, she noted he looked rather haphazard. His dark hair looked like his hands had run through it once or twice and his face still showed lines of worry on his brow. He cast his eyes from Severus to Hermione who shrugged.

"Look, Cissy, we aren't as informed as we would like to be yet. All we know for certain is that there seems to be some sort of an entanglement between our magics," Tom answered wearily.

"Entanglement?" Narcissa gasped.

"Tom here thought bedding the virginal Head Girl the night of graduation and creating a blood diamond would be simple," Severus stated wryly.

Even though the sensitive information he had just shared was not about her, Narcissa sent a silent stinging hex at Severus. It hit his leg and he grasped his knee and snarled at her.

"You don't have to be so crass, Severus!"

Hermione smiled at the irony. It was just a week or so ago that Severus would have been taking points from a student had he overheard them saying something similar and now here he was using them to refer to her.

"Blood Diamond creations shouldn't lead to issues like this, though. Surely?" Narcissa asked Tom.

"It would be the first that I've ever created," Tom admitted stiffly. "It turned out rather large and a particularly stunning diamond but that reflects the purity of the subject rather than anything else."

Hermione decided that she must be getting used to having Slytherins discuss her sex life because hearing the information repeated to yet another person did not seem as troubling as it had been the last time.

"My theory," Severus said slowly, "is that Tom has too much power for any of Hermione's to be exchanged. His power, on the other hand, is being absorbed by her during the event. That leaves hers nowhere left to go and her magic is being reabsorbed. It's too much all at once and too often. Their magical power is entangled inside her and is confused when she does spells."

Everyone was looking at Snape in consideration.

"Well," Tom said at length, "that would explain why she passes out at times and not at other times. Perhaps her body doesn't know which portion of magic to use?"

Narcissa shook her head, "That doesn't account for why you're still exchanging power at this level after the first time."

Severus and Tom exchanged a look.

"We're not...bound...are we?" Hermione asked, looking up at Tom from where she lay.

His jaw ticked. "I do not think that is the problem. I think maybe our magic is just very compatible."

"Think of it like this: you're attracted to each other and so is your magic," Severus lectured.

Did that mean that she'd never be able to be with someone else? Did she want to?

Narcissa stood. "Have you told Lucius?"

Silence.

"I'll give you a day to tell him or I will. I'll not be keeping a secret like this from my husband," Narcissa warned.

Great. Another Slytherin to know about her sex life. She rolled over to face the back of the couch. If she thought Tom would allow her to stand up, she'd have left the room.

"Hermione," Tom murmured. "Lucius is sort of like my public relations manager. He's got to be told of anything that affects me as the Minister of Magic. I'm sorry, but Narcissa is right."

She shrugged petulantly and hugged her arms around herself. Just another person to learn that she was a pathetic virginal 7th year student who gave it to the most powerful wizard she could land only to suffer for it later.

Ignoring them, Hermione closed her eyes and focused on her breathing in an attempt to fall asleep and get out of this situation.

Severus and Narcissa were speaking to Tom in low tones that sounded as though they were getting further away and Hermione allowed herself to drift off.

O - O - O - O - O - O - O - O - O

She awoke the next morning in Tom's bed. He was gone already but there was a note on his pillow telling her that he'd gone to work for the day and instructing her to make use of his home as long as she desired. Of course, he'd also left a list of things to be sure to do and things to be sure not to do.

Hermione took a shower in his bathroom because his facilities were far superior. She had a set of spare clothes in her satchel but she took pleasure in filching another pair of Tom's boxer briefs and one of his shirts.

Flooring home at 9 in the morning was not her usual mode of operation and her roommates knew it. Luna smiled at her from the couch while Ginny wolf whistled at her as she passed by Ginny's open bedroom.

The wards around her room took a moment for her to break through but she didn't feel ill so she counted it as a win. Tom had clearly forgotten that he insisted on them when he instructed her to do no complicated magic. This surely counted as complicated.

In her room, she used her parchment to write to Tom.

Tom,

Thanks for the use of your shower. I stole some of your underwear. You can have them back later ;)

I've gone back to my flat. The wards you insist on are probably too complicated for me to use often if you would like me to refrain from heavy magic. Don't worry, I feel fine.

Hermione

In the kitchen, her flatmates had set her correspondence aside for her. She had a letter for an interview at Saint Mungos in the Potions and Research division set for later that day but with a choice to owl in to request a different time. She had nothing better to do so she saw no reason today could not work beyond trying to dress for it.

Another letter was an acceptance letter to university. There was no mention of a scholarship, though, so she compartmentalized the news until she knew she could afford to go.

The third letter was an invitation to dinner tonight with the Potters which made her smile.

Skipping back to her room, she quilled a new message to Tom underneath her last.

Tom,

I've been granted an interview for a part time job in Saint Mungo's Potions and Research division later today. Wish me luck, sir!

Also, I've been invited to dinner with the Potters. Should I meet you at my place afterwards or yours?

Hermione

O - O - O - O - O - O - O - O - O

The interview went great. The healer, a Ms. Genesys Hite, in charge of conducting it had already heard of her potion, her Order of Merlin, and her donation of the recipe without royalties and had nothing but nice things to say. Hermione had insisted that she be interviewed properly which made the witch smile. When asked questions about potions and their consumption, Hermione explained that she felt a more muggle approach was needed. By examining blood samples and genetics at a microscopic level, wizard kind could learn how to create potions that were more effective. When Hite asked her to walk her through the way Hermione approached a problem but giving her a made up scenario, Hermione had been positively thrilled to solve the issue. Genesys Hite was astonished when Hermione had come up with a recipe for a potion that would work, in theory.

The curly haired witch was baffled when Genesys excused herself from the room for a moment and returned with a wizard who conjured a seat and asked her the same questions that Ms. Hite had. When Hermione explained what she knew and how she would apply that knowledge along with what questions needed answered through research, they both nodded and asked about how to treat the issue. Hermione had shown them both her messily scrawled formula and indicated that without actual research, there were a few quantities unknown but she was certain that she could solve the issue with the potion after some work.

"Miss Granger, do you understand what you've just done? Genesys asked her after Hermione had finally finished her explanation.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked politely. She'd done her best in the made up scenario she was given. If they were about to tell her that using muggle science in the magical world was wrong, she really didn't want to work at Saint Mungos.

"You've provided a workable formula and method to preventing and curing Dragon Pox," Ms. Hite smiled at her with a vibrating excitement.

Hermione blinked. "No. I just used science to take a pathogen and-"

The other healer, she never caught his name, interrupted her, "The made up scenario represents Dragon Pox. We use it for all interviews just to see how the interviewees' problem solving skills work. Some come up with a way to treat symptoms with a potion or an idea for a spell but no one has ever actually solved the problem. You have cured a disease that's been around since the 1400s."

Shaking her head, Hermione laughed. "As flattering as that would be-"

"You're hired," the wizard healer said and Hermione squinted a little to see his robes stated that he was the Head Healer for the Diseases and Sickness division, Davon Spranger.

"Wouldn't you like to wait and see how I perform under pressure or-"

"You've just cured a 600 years old disease in minutes with nothing but a piece of parchment and a quill. You're hired."

Stunned, Hermione smiled. "Oh, but we didn't even talk about hours or anything…"

"We'll work around your needs," Genesys Hite said, with a look at Davon Spranger out of the corner of her eye.

"I need to work part time," Hermione chewed her lip. "I've been accepted into Oxford so I can further my education a bit. I'm just waiting to hear about the scholarship I've applied for so I can accept my place.

Both the healers in front of her smiled at each other as though sharing a joke but it didn't seem mean spirited so Hermione ignored it.

"How about this: we will hire you on and allow you to set your own hours as you go. I think we would ask that you put in at least...what say, 12 hours a week minimum? You can work no more than 40 without special approval for the overtime but if you're attending classes that will likely not be an issue…"

"So what happens now?" Hermione asked, her thoughts racing.

"You decide on a day to begin work, we get you some robes and give you a tour."

"No," Hermione said impatiently, "I mean with this!"

She thrust the formula up before laying it flat and giving over the recipe again, this time making the changes she new would be needed with the more detailed information of Dragon Pox to be entered into the equation.

"You can start on it as soon as we take care of those things Healer Hite just mentioned," Healer Spranger smiled.

"Now?" Hermione asked, rudely focusing on the parchment as she spoke.

"Of course," Healer Hite laughed. "Come alone."

O - O - O - O - O - O - O - O - O

She was wearing navy robes with lime embroidery stating her name and division on the left breast within an hour of the interview. She had signed her paperwork, received her uniform robes and learned the layout of Saint Mungos as quickly as possible so that she could return to working on the formula.

There were two interns in the laboratory when she was introduced as the last stop on the tour. Neither one of them gave her the time of day as they worked while her new boss, the Head of Potions and Research gave her a more thorough tour of the lab.

Beck Gael was a wizard in his 40s. He had brown hair that was cropped close on the sides and back but a bit longer on top. His navy blue and lime robes were immaculate making Hermione wonder how much time he spent in the lab. Even though his manner was brusk, Hermione could sense that he was a fair and down to earth person. When Hermione was asked if she had questions, she told him she was ready to start work on her first project.

"I haven't assigned you anything yet," Beck stated with an eyebrow raised that invited her to enlighten him.

"I know, sir, it's just that during my interview, I developed a formula and…"

She spent another hour explaining her process for the third time that day and like the other two Saint Mungos employees, Beck Gael was excited at the prospect. With Hermione's formula smoothed out in front of them, they spent the last hour of the workday theorizing and writing out the steps to go over the next day to begin creating a vaccine to prevent Dragon Pox.

Hermione had wanted to continue working but Beck all but shoved her out of the lab with instructions to remember the clause in her contract to not discuss work with anyone who does not have a contract with Saint Mungos and to come back the next day.

When she checked the time, she realized she was nearly late for dinner with the Potters. She flooed directly there with five minutes to spare even if she was still in her uniform.

"Hermione!" Ivy Potter ran down the steps and wrapped her in a hug. "I can't believe you've graduated and left me behind!"

Laughing, Hermione saw Harry leaning against the doorway of the living room wearing a grin.

"I'm so sorry, Ivy, but I doubt anyone would believe it if I tried to fail just to stay behind another year with you."

Ivy laughed, shaking her long auburn hair over her shoulder. She was a very beautiful girl who looked like her mother, green eyes and all.

"Well maybe you should have been a better tutor and helped me graduate early," Ivy teased, linking her arm in Hermione's and leading her to the dining room.

"You're brilliant as it is," Hermione reminded the 15 year old, "and you should enjoy your time at Hogwarts rather than rush through it."

"There you are," Lily Potter called out as she set down a dish on the dining room table. "I was wondering where you were. And, are those Saint Mungo's robes I see?"

"I was hired just today, actually," Hermione smiled proudly and she was hugged and congratulated by the whole family.

Dinner was pleasant. Harry shared his first week as an auror trainee while James Potter shared his own comparisons from his time as a trainee.

Lily had worked for Saint Mungos briefly before her children were born and she made some inquiries about how things were now that Hermione was only able to answer some of due to the brevity of her employment.

They were sitting around the table enjoying dessert when Ginny's patronus showed up. Harry was put out when it stopped next to hermione rather than him.

"Sorry to interrupt dinner but your...um...is here and...well, so is Ron," Ginny's voice came from her horse patronus.

The patronus faded away and Hermione blushed.

"Sorry, it sounds like I have a situation to take care of," she excused herself.

James Potter, with a look of worry, stood as she stood. "Do you need help? I am pretty good at diffusing situations. I'm an auror and it's part of my job," he reminded her.

"Oh," Hermione searched her brain for the most tactful way to respond, "Thank you, Mr. Potter, but I don't anticipate problems. I just don't want to deal with sour attitudes is all. My..um.. He's capable of restraint and can handle the situation."

Harry snorted as he tried to keep his laughter to himself.

Ivy bounced a little in her seat. "You have a boyfriend? You never said!"

Lily was looking at her with a bit of concern so Hermione smiled. "It's new and we're not really wanting to go public yet. Thank you for dinner, Mrs. Potter. It was delicious and a lovely delight to not go home and cook for myself."

Goodbyes were exchanged and Hermione promised to spend a day with Ivy before school started in September. James Potter walked her to the fireplace and gave her a fatherly look of concern.

"Are you sure the boys won't be fighting? I know that Ronald has had his eye on you for a while. If you have a new wizard there waiting for you, I can't imagine that Weasley temper is going to stay hidden."

"Ginny can handle him, I'm sure," Hermione placated James. "She's just trying to save me from having to smooth over too much by letting them stay in the same room together too long."

James gave her the look he used when on auror business. The look that he gave Harry when he was trying to get him to fess up to doing something rotten. "Is there a reason you aren't ready to 'go public' yet, as you put it?"

She nodded her head and bit her lip. "There is but I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

"Are you safe?"

Swallowing, Hermione nodded. "Of course."

"Is he married?"

"No."

"Already in a relationship?"

"No."

"Is he someone's godfather?"

She couldn't help but laugh. Everyone knew Sirius Black was a cad but he'd never seduce Hermione.

"No!" she said, swatting James on the arm the way she did Harry.

He grinned. "Okay, but it's easy for me to locate Sirius' whereabouts tonight to check."

"Go ahead," Hermione tossed over her shoulder as she flooed home, feeling touched by Mr. Potter's concern for her.

When she arrived, she expected a tense situation but what she found was Tom and Ginny playing a game of Exploding Snap with Ron.

"Hermione!" Ginny greeted as she played her next move. "You're just in time. Ron is about to lose."

"What? Am not!" Ron denied but no sooner than he made to play his turn, the cards exploded in her face ending the game.

Tom waved his wand and sent the cards neatly back into the pack and stood. He held a hand out to shake with Ginny and then Ron. "Well, thank you for entertaining me, Mr. and Miss Weasley. As Hermione is back now, I'll leave you to your evening."

It was clear to Hermione that Ron hadn't yet learned why the Minister of Magic was in his sister's flat. He looked from Tom to Ginny to Hermione confused.

"Harry said to tell you he'd see you tomorrow, Ginny," Hermione told her softly as she accepted Tom's hand and followed him to her bedroom.

She was stopped halfway there by Ron's, "Oi? What's going on here?"

Tom turned and tugged Hermione to his side. "I would think it quite obvious, Mr. Weasley. I came to call on my girlfriend but she was later than expected. You arrived to find your sister entertaining me and we invited you to join our game."

"It was good to see you Ron," Hermione offered, hoping to escape now but luck was not on her side.

"Wait, I came here to talk to you, too!" Ron demanded. "You've been avoiding me and I wanted to...talk."

She sighed. "Ron, I'm not ready to talk. I'll owl you when I am. Okay?"

Tom didn't give her a chance to wait for a response. He ushered her into her bedroom and shut the door followed by locking and silencing wards.

"Hey," Hermione greeted with a small smile that was cut off by a long, slow, kiss.

"Hello," Tom whispered against her lips. "You've been ignoring me all day."

She looked over to her sea foam parchment on her desk. "I wrote you before I left for my interview," she insisted.

Tom narrowed his eyes. "Yes, but then you didn't respond to me after that. I had to hear about it from Saint Mungos."

"My interview took time and then I started work straight away. I didn't think I had to ask permission for that," Hermione glared.

Tom sighed. "You don't but I was worried."

Hermione nodded to show she understood his concern and kissed his lips. "Sorry I worried you. I got a job, though!"

Now Tom laughed. "Believe me, I know."

Was he keeping tabs on her everywhere she went?

He must have guessed what she was thinking because he explained, "I almost didn't believe it when they told me they had a possible cure for Dragon Pox but then they said the name of my girlfriend and then it made sense. Of course you would find a way to make an inoculation for an ancient disease before even getting hired."

Her eyes widened. "I'm not allowed to talk about it."

"The Minister of Magic is on the list of people who can discuss developments at Saint Mungos," Tom assured her with amusement.

She couldn't help but smile. "Can I tell you all about my day, then?"

"Of course, but I'd really rather do it at my place."

She sighed but removed her work robes. "Okay, but let me at least prepare so that I can leave for work from your floo. I can save a trip here if I do."

He was patient as he waited for her to strip out of her work robes and to change back into his shirt.

"Did you wear my underwear all day?"

She licked her lips as she looked up at him from under her lashes. "I did."

His head dropped back and Hermione admired the way his dark hair flopped out of it's careful style.

Hermione hurried to unload her satchel and repack it with all the things she needed for a full day of work in the lab after at night at Tom's.

"It feels like I never sleep here," Hermione commented as she stowed her seafoam parchment in her satchel.

His back was to her so she couldn't see his reaction to that comment but she was certain that Tom wasn't going to volunteer to split their time between his place and hers evenly. It was odd for a man who had never had a girlfriend and claimed to use sex as a release to want her in his bed all night long.

When they left her room, Hermione expected Ron to be gone and Ginny to have gone to bed. The minute they left the reaches of Tom's silencing charm, she heard the yelling between Ron and Ginny.

The yelling stopped as they both noticed Hermione and Tom standing there, Hermione wearing one of Tom's button up shirts over his boxer briefs which weren't even visible under the hem of the shirt.

Stepping up beside her, Tom wrapped an arm around her and guided her past the red-faced redheads and bid them goodnight. THe last thing Hermione saw before they flooed was Ron's look of disgust.14