It's the friends we meet along the way that help us appreciate the journey.
By the end of the week Finn and herself had gotten all the Magical leaders in Europe to agree to negotiations for the new army. It was a start, but they had a long way to go if they wanted to bring forth the new measure at the next conference that was to be held in December before the end of the year. In the coming week the two planned to travel to Canada in the hopes of securing Minister Moore's agreement for the Canadians participation.
Hermione had been successful getting Kingsley's approval to send Harry to the states, to start the beginning stages of the new Auror program. Harry would arrive the week after next and would be staying with Hermione the duration of his visit. Congress was a buzz with the news of the impending visit from Harry Potter himself.
Yes, her first week held great promise for the coming weeks, and the long road ahead of them.
Hermione had grown to rather like Finn over the course of the week, he reminded her of both Harry and Ron in equal measure. She had also learned a great deal more about him as a person outside of the work they were doing together. She had known he had been educated at Ilvermorny from their first lunch, but as the week went on, she learned he had belonged to the Horned Serpent one of the schools four house. He and Emily Chamberlin had been in the same year, had been friends and even dated for a bit towards the end of their tenure at the school. Ultimately though they had agreed they were ill suited for one another and their split had been an amicable one. After they both entered entry level positions in Congress, they had been able to restore their friendship, and had developed a nice working relationship based off mutual respect.
His parents owned a small Wizarding hotel in Washington D.C. the hotel had been established when MACUSA headquarters still resided in the city. The little Inn, as Finn likes to refer to it as, had been passed down through the generations on his mother's side of the family. Even though MACUSA home was now New York City there remained a rather large Wizarding population in the D.C. area. Life in America Hermione found held so much history considering their roots only went back a couple hundred years.
It was lunch time; Finn had sent Anita out to the deli they had visited Monday for take away and the two were currently sitting in Hermione's office going over some of the finer details concerning the American/British Auror program.
"Lodgings?" Finn asked as he scribbled down notes and reminders to schedule the appropriate meetings for Mr. Potter's upcoming visit.
"I think the Ministry and Congress should provide them." Hermione said looking over some of the ideas she had the night before when reviewing the project at home. "We have agreed to a six months terms, it is a relatively short time period. Besides the fact we have agreed to make this a mandatory program, not voluntary. We should at the very least provide the housing."
"And if the Auror is married or has children?"
"They should be allowed to accompany them. I think everyone could benefit from exposer to something different than we are all use to. Besides magic makes it easy to enlarge a space or vice versa."
"And we have agreed to one Auror at a time?"
"I think to start, Yes." Hermione took another bite of her sandwich, closing her eyes a savoring the taste. Man, those muggles really know what they are doing. "As the program ages we can revisit this."
"Where did you live?" Finn asked setting his papers aside and digging into his own lunch.
"I had a little flat near Charing Cross. It was close to the entrance of Diagon Alley."
"What is that?" asked with interest before taking a bit of his food.
"Only the most magical place in the whole world." Hermione said with a laugh. "It's where most of the Wizarding shops are located in Britain."
"Oh, so it's like Main Street."
"Main Street?" what a funny name she thought with amusement.
"You've never heard of Main Street?" Finn was shocked by this.
"No... where is it?"
"Here in New York. Its entrance is the bull over on Wall Street. I can't believe you haven't been; I think it might give this Diagon Alley you are talking about a run for its money."
"Then you will have to take me, and I will judge for myself." Hermione laughed again. The door behind them opened to reveal Vice President Chamberlin. They both stood when she walked in, she smiled and motioned for them to sit down.
"I have just been going over the work you two have managed to accomplish this week. I must say I was very impressed."
"We are just doing what we are being paid to do." Hermione said with a smile. Even after all these years she still found it hard to take a compliment, even if it was well deserved.
"I have asked Thomas, my secretary to arrange rooms for your trip to Canada next week. I have a feeling Mr. Moore is going to give you two a bit more trouble than our counterparts abroad."
"Thank you, madam." Finn said with a nod of his head. Hermione found it funny how oddly formal Finn addressed someone who he referred to as one of his oldest friends.
"How many times do I have to ask you not to refer to me that way Finn. It makes me feel old, and we have known each other far too long." Emily smiled at the man. "I came because I wanted to invite you both to dinner this evening with me and Draco."
Hermione had only been able to push Draco from her mind this week, because she had thrown herself into the work laid in front of her. Now with the weekend approaching she wondered if it would be so easy, especially having to sit through dinner across from the man. "Oh, I don't know." Hermione started to say.
"Oh, you must, it's been so long since someone from his past has been to New York. I think it would do him some good." Not likely Hermione thought.
"I am not sure what he has told you, but I will be frank by saying our past with one another is a bit rocky at best." Hermione supposed this statement was accurate in more ways than one.
"All the more reason to do it, no? Given that you are both who you are, and the backgrounds in which you come from. I can assure you though Miss Granger, he is no longer the boy you knew. Besides I would like to get to know the famed Hermione Granger for myself."
When she put it this way, how could she really refuse. Hermione was sure, that he like her had not told anyone of their true past, the past that didn't include Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. "What was it that you had in mind?" Hermione finally asked deciding that going and suffering through was probably the best option.
"Oh excellent." She said clapping her hand together. "There is this wonderful little Italian restaurant down on Main Street."
"It looks like you are going see Main Street sooner rather than later." Finn said with a smile.
Finn had agreed to pick up Hermione from her place at seven o'clock and show her the way. Seeing as Main Street was hidden away from the No-Majs she would need a bit of help finding the entrance.
There was knock on the door at seven on the dote, Hermione answered the door with a smile and asked him to come in for a moment while she gathered her things. Grabbing the small purse, she had laid out for the evening, she busied herself stuffing it full of the things she would need. Her wand, her congressional ID card, a few Dragot (the American Wizarding currency) and a lipstick Ginny had made her buy before she moved.
"Alright, I am ready to go. Lead the way." She said finally.
"Do you mind side along apparition?"
"No not at all. Let me just lock up the apartment." After locking the door and setting a few wards in place Finn offered her his arm which she took gladly. With a loud pop they were gone.
When they appeared again, they were down a side street. After making sure the coast was clear they emerged from the ally onto the world-famous Wall Street. Muggles around the world knew this place because it was home to the American muggles stock exchange. In primary school, before Hermione attended Hogwarts, she had learned about the world's stock market. The idea of a world exchange had always fascinated Hermione. She mused it was perhaps the reason she had gone into the field of magical relationships between countries.
Seeing as it was just after seven on a Friday evening, and the stock exchange was closed for the weekend, the streets were devoid of too many muggles walking about. They quickly crossed the street to where the statute of the bull stood.
Finn walked to a spot directly in between the bull and a bronze statue of a little girl, Hermione followed close behind. "You see that paver?" Finn asked pointing down to the ground. Hermione peered down, there in the middle of the paver where two crossed wands Etched into the ground.
"Yes."
"If you stand directly over it, you become completely invisible to any No-Maj's who might be milling around. This way you can raise your wand, move your wand in the air, creating an X and say freo." He demonstrated his intrusions and whispered the old English word for open. Before her eyes a small opening opened in the middle of the sidewalk. She had to admit, it was very cool bit of magic. Finn looked over to her and smiled at the look of amazement she wore. He offered her his arm again which she took and the two stepped into the portal. Once they were inside the opening closed behind them.
"So how you do you get into your Diagon Ally?"
"You have to tap a few bricks." It sounded a bit lame; she didn't mention the rubbish bins.
"I really need to plan a trip to London." He said laughing.
In front of her was a street not unlike Diagon Alley. It was lined with dozens of shops and restaurants. There were apothecaries, broom shops, a magical pet store, a book shop, a bank and other various businesses. Most of the business were closed now, and Hermione promised herself she would come back and spend a full day exploring what the Americans had to offer in the form of stocking an everyday magical household.
"The restaurant is this way." Finn said pointing up the street. Turning her attention back to the evening's main event she followed along. When they came across a large building with words DM International, she stopped. The building was very modern and felt out of place, nestled between two brick buildings that were clearly from the turn of the century.
"What is that?" she asked pointing up.
"That's Drake's building." When Hermione looked a bit bewildered, he went on. "after he moved here, he started a potions business. It's grown quite a bit in the last few years. He now provides most of the potions for the different hospitals around the Country, and a lot of the apothecaries everyday witches and wizards visit."
"I had no idea." She had remembered he had always been good in school; his grades had rivaled her own. She thought he might have even been a tad better than her at potions, seeing this stirred something inside her. Pride?
"Well you wouldn't, he mainly deals here in the states, but I know he has thought of opening offices back home. Come on we will be late if we don't hurry."
When they arrived at the little restaurants that was tucked away at the end of Main Street, they were ushered back to a table set for three, Emily was already sitting there waiting for them. They took their seats and ordered wine from the waiter who had been standing by for their arrival.
"It seems Draco was called away on business. Something about a bad batch up a sobering potion that had been delivered to a hospital in California. So, it looks like it will be just the three of use."
Hermione relaxed at this bit of news. The night was already turning around. "I am sure we will manage just fine." Hermione said, the waiter was back and placing their drinks in front of them. Hermione took a long sip and smiled in satisfaction. Wine always made things better.
"So, Miss Granger tell me what it was like going to Hogwarts." Emily said smiling taking a sip from her own glass.
"Please call me Hermione, I feel that we will get to know each other rather well in my time here." She smiled at Emily, she still wasn't sure if she liked the witch or not, but she could certainly appreciate the witch for who she was. "Well I am sure my own version of how things were will differ from Malfoy's. I had grown up knowing I was different, but not really understanding why. When I was eleven a teacher from Hogwarts showed up on my parent's doorstep and informed me, I was indeed a witch. I thought it was too good to be true. Sure, I had shown magic early on, but my parents had no idea what to make of the fact, I often was able to obtain things of want or need without seeming to move. Or how I turned my aunt Millie's hair purple when I was seven after she told me I was little too bookish. It seemed I finally had the my hands on every book imaginable to get to know this new world better." Finn and Emily both laughed, Hermione took another sip of wine.
"When I got to Hogwarts though I found I didn't really fit in there either. There were other muggle-born kids, and plenty of half-bloods, but my bookish nature and my love for my studies kept me isolated. The other students in my year and in my house found me annoying and often called me a know it all. It wasn't till the incident with the mountain troll did I have people I could call friends."
Emily choked on the sip of wine she had just taken "mountain troll?" She asked couching slightly. It was then the waiter reappeared to take their orders for dinner. They all quickly ordered, once he was gone their attention fully trained on Hermione once again. "So, this mountain troll?" Finn asked with great amusement.
"Yes. Well I had been in the girl's bathroom crying all afternoon because of something Ron Weasley had said to me that morning in charms. It was Halloween, and Professor Quill who had been turned by Voldemort had let in a fully-grown mountain troll, well the troll had found its way into the girl's bathroom where I had been hiding. It was Harry and Ron who found me and saved me. And we have been friends ever since."
They both looked dumbfounded at the idea of a teacher setting loose a troll in the castle. As dinner went on, she told them more about the adventures her and the boys had shared, about being petrified, about the rat who was wormtail, their years at school had been plagued with the threat of Voldemort from the very beginning. How to many people, Malfoy included thought she was second class because of her so-called dirty blood. She told them how it wasn't till after the war and her return to finish her finally year at Hogwarts did she finally feel that she might actually belonged in this world.
What she didn't tell them was, how the awakening of Helena Vallens helped her come to terms with who she was as a witch. How she explained the amount of power Hermione possessed, and how truly gifted she was in the art of magic. There wasn't a spell in the world she couldn't master, expect for maybe a Patronus. She still till this day had a hard time mastering that spell.
"It's a miracle anyone of you were able to learn anything with all of that going on." Emily laughed.
"What about you. Finn has been telling me all about himself this week. I know you two went to school together, even that the two of you dated. But tell me about you."
Emily smiled a secret smile across the table at Finn that made Hermione wonder if their relationship was a causal as Finn had made it out to be.
"My father was an Auror and my mother a healer, my father is retired now, and my mother still works a few days a week. I grew up here in the city. I'm an only child, like you. I was also very bookish growing up, my parents were both successful people in their chosen fields and I knew I had a lot to live up too."
"What house were you in? Everything Finn has told me about Ilvermorny has fascinated me. It sounds like a lovely place to go to school."
"I was a Horned Serpent like Finn. I fear that our time there wasn't nearly as adventurous as your time at Hogwarts."
"I think I could have done without so much of it." Hermione laughed. "As it is, if I never have to raise my wand again to defend myself again, I would be all to happy."
"Why haven't you pursued the road to Minister Hermione?" Finn asked, he had been rather quite most of the evening, enjoying just sitting back and watching the two witches get to know one another.
"Well I haven't ruled it out completely. Not yet anyways. My department is a good road to take to the Minister's chair if I do choose to take it. I have been enjoying getting to know the Wizarding cultures around the world though and helping to bind the ties that pull us all together. Besides I'm not really one for the limelight, even now five years on, I have a hard time walking down the street and not be recognized. Pursuing the position as Minister would only compound that fact. A big part of me wishes to just lead a quiet life."
"Is that why you decided to come here?" Finn and Emily asked together. They all laughed.
"In part, but not the only reason." She didn't go on. The other reasons we personal, and she wasn't there yet with either of them.
"I am really looking forward to meeting the famous Mr. Potter." Emily said when it was clear Hermione wasn't going to share in more detail. "Even as a child all the way here in America we knew his name."
"Don't tell him that. He will hate it." Hermione laughed but got serous before going on. "Harry doesn't think of himself as a hero or the savior of our world. He is just a man, who was dealt a crappy hand in life. He feels he only did what any worthy man would have done given the opportunity to do so."
The three of them finished their meals and had a few more glasses of wine, before they got up to leave. Emily wouldn't allow them to pay, she said this meal was on MACUSA, as she was still working official to get to know Hermione better.
Emily had bid them both goodnight once they were back on Main Street and headed for the apparition point out of the magical street. By now all the shops were closed seeing as it was well past ten. The streetlamps blazed with a yellowish glow.
"Do you want me get you back to your apartment?" Finn asked once they were alone.
"No, I think I'll be alright." Hermione said she was a big girl and could take of herself all on her own. She had proved that all these years. She often thought it was what separated her from Helena or it was what she told herself anyways.
He led her over to the point of apparition point but turned to her before taking his leave. "Would you have dinner with me sometime? Just the two of us?" He asked hesitantly. He looked at her nervously as he waited for her answer.
"Like a date?"
"Yeah like a date if that's alright."
Her first instinct was to say no, but a little voice in the back of her head that sounded a lot like Ginny screamed at her to just do it. Take the risk. "Yes."
"Tomorrow evening?" He asked hopeful.
"Pick me up at the same time." Was her answer. He gave her a wide smile before bending to kiss her check. He pulled away and took step back.
"Till tomorrow then." He said before he was gone with a pop.
"Till tomorrow." Hermione whispered to the wind before she herself turned on the spot and was gone with a soft pop.
Author's Note: Hey guys! I know there was no Draco in this chapter…don't be too mad. I wanted to really introduce you to these two character's, we will see a lot of them in the chapter's to come. Next chapter though is all Draco! Hope you are enjoying this story so far, it's going to be a long ride. Please hit follow, and leave a review. Lots of love see you guys soon!
