A/N: Just going to answer a few things. My update time goals are to update twice a week, more if I can get away with it. Mondays and Thursdays are usually my good days to be able to get settled in and finish up any editing that I haven't been able to get to.
Chicken fries are just a chicken nugget kids meal, it's what my four-year-old calls it. We tried giving him actual chicken fries once, and well, he REFUSED. I have no idea how he came up with it, but seriously it's just too adorable for me to not use for Aurora. Her personality and cute little things she says are directly taken from my own children.
I love a flawed Hermione who doesn't make the best decisions every time. After everything she went through, I just imagine that she has PTSD making some of her choices maybe not the most sound (I have PTSD and it's a bitch to live with some days).
I'm not going to make any promises beyond there will be at least one update next week. I've got a full weekend of birthdays (nephew, BFF, and MIL) and I'm in the USA, so we also have Thanksgiving in a week and I'm going out of town. If (big IF) I can manage to get two chapters edited, I will post them both on the same day.
Chapter 5, Southern Charm
It was six in the morning and the atrium was packed When Hermione ducked out of the floo and began to look around the usually near empty space for such an early hour, there was an alarming number of people hanging around. This wasn't even the norm for later in the morning when most employees were coming into work, typically one would see groups or pairs of people having their heads close together while they discuss whatever project or law they were working on and quickly trying to get to their next destination without missing a beat.
Not today, today was much different than the scene that Hermione had walked into just the previous day. The crowd was so thick that Hermione seriously questioned if she would be able to part the sea of people standing between her and the lifts. Letting her head fall back, Hermione took a deep breath and began the tread, nudging as many ribs and stepping on as many toes as she possibly could in her annoyance.
Absent mindedly, as she stepped on another wizard's toes, Hermione couldn't help but wonder what in the world was happening at the Ministry that would draw such a large crowd. Was there a delegate from another country visiting? Was there some new law that had been passed recently that would be upsetting and cause people to come out to protest? Harry had been in and out of court all day yesterday, was there a high-profile case happening that would command the attention of the public?
It was when her elbow caught one particularly large man, when she realized her mistake. The answer was none of the above. Oh, no, it was much worse. These vultures were here for her.
"HERMIONE GRANGER!" Oh, Merlin save her.
"MS. GRANGER!" Nope.
"MS. GRANGER WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Under a rock.
"MS. GRANGER, IS IT TRUE THAT YOU RAN OFF TO GET MARRIED AND THAT'S WHY YOU BROKE OFF YOUR ENGAGMENT WITH RONALD WEASLEY?" What the fuck?
"IS IT TRUE THAT YOU WERE AWAY BECAUSE YOU WERE HOSPITILIZED WITH DRAGON POX?" Yes, for five years I've been held up with a deadly disease.
"MY SOURSES TELL ME THAT YOU HAD AN AFFAIR WITH THE MINISTER AND HAD TO FLEE THE COUNTRY, CAN YOU CONFIRM?" That one I'm actually tucking away until next time I see Kings.
The flashes of the cameras all around her made it hard for Hermione to even see where the lifts were located. Every step she made the crowd of people just flowed with her or tried to block her from leaving before she answered their questions. She was most certainly not answering any of these questions.
It had taken a whole security team acting as a blockade so that Hermione was able to free herself from the all the reporters and paparazzi that were trying to get the exclusive as to what had kept her away from England for five years. Really, she had seen this coming and it probably wouldn't have been a horrible idea to get ahead of this. Hindsight is twenty, twenty though.
Hermione had hardly stepped out onto level two when another lift stopped and opened with another photographer sticking his camera out just to snap one last picture of Hermione before she raised her wand and sent the lift off to the lower levels of the Ministry. Glaring at the space the lift had just been, Hermione spun on her heels and marched through the MLE that was currently just scattered with the third shift squads getting ready to depart for the day.
Storming into her office (without a coffee making her even more irritated), Hermione snatched her schedule off her desk and began to look over what she had planned for the day. She noted that she was to be sitting in on case meetings for the full day, not only to be able to throw in any insight that might pertain to the cases, but also so she could become quickly 1familiarized with all the different cases that were currently in progress.
After Hermione was finished writing down the cases for that morning for her to quickly review before the meetings, she did notice a black leather-bound book that was easily as large as some of the tomes that she had drug from the deepest depths of any library. Flipping it open, Hermione was met with runes and what look like some Latin and what was possibly Ancient Greek (Hermione wasn't familiar with the language, but she had come across some in her research at one point and she believed it looked similar) scribbled all over the pages. After thumbing through the text for a few minutes, Hermione noticed that there had been a note she had missed sitting off to the side.
Borgin's ledger, if you figure anything out reach out to my assistant (Ingrid).
-D.M.
Well, explains the mess that is written through here. It didn't even seem as though there were a rhyme or reason to how this was written out by using three different languages. Obviously, the runes are used in more than just communication and can be used to enhance different objects, place wards, etcetera. While Latin is commonly the root for any spell incantations, so that could have something else at play here. The Ancient Greek though, that was a mystery to Hermione. She clearly was going to have her work cut out for her with this.
It wasn't much later when Kenneth came walking in to check on Hermione and ask her if she needed anything. Coffee, black. No need for milk or sugar. Not long after he had deposited the hot drink on her desk when a still visibly frustrated Harry came walking in carrying a brown sack. Hermione lifted one eyebrow at his silent approach when he dropped it on her desk and then quickly retreated. Apparently, he wasn't above giving her the silent treatment after their disagreement the night before, but wanted to make sure that she still was eating.
Grabbing the bag off her desk, Hermione pulled out a lemon muffin and smiled to herself seeing that Harry also managed to grab her favorite flavor.
It wasn't long after she'd finished eating her muffin before Hermione stalked into the conference room to sit in on one of the first of many briefings to come.
The first case was involved Magical Menagerie. In the last week every shipment containing any Kneazles had been stollen before it had reached the shop. It was a mystery because the wizards who brought the deliveries had each been stunned in the back and left laying in an alcove, none the wiser as to who was attacking them.
The final case that Hermione sat in on was from an Apothecary in Knockturn Alley that had been caught with trying to figure out how to make illegal drugs in the back of their shop using some of the more addictive and illegal drugs such as pixie dust. That case was due to start wrapping up soon though as they had seized enough evidence to throw the owner and the dealers into Azkaban for a few years. The prosecutor for that case, Rachel Brooks, had swept into the room at the tail end of the briefing to cover a few things that she would have for each officer that she would be calling to the stands as witnesses.
Hermione was impressed by the woman. When she first walked in, even though it was mid meeting, she commanded the room and for all eyes to be on her. Tall, honestly towering over Hermione (who let's be honest, was the same size as a common eleven-year-old) with long wavy dark brown hair with what looked like natural highlights throughout her hair. Hermione couldn't decide if the woman had green eyes or blue eyes as they seemed to continuously change depending on if she were speaking or listening.
Her long pale legs and figure weren't hidden under the normal dress robes worn by the Ministry prosecutors. No, Rachel was wearing a navy pencil skirt that hugged her perfectly and a cream-colored blouse that showed off her hourglass shape without making it seem like she was trying to enunciate her feminine curves. She also wore a necklace with three strands of peals and pear earrings that Hermione was able to see every time she flipped her hair over her shoulder.
Once the briefing was over, Hermione finished gathering her things so that she could make a quick escape to lunch before Harry could try to corner her and pick up where they'd left off the night before. Hermione was not ready to essentially go into battle again against her pseudo brother over a threat that she hadn't heard from in over five years, and hadn't shown any interest in her in over a year.
"Hermione Granger, is it?" The southern bell like tone of Rachel's voice being directed at her caused Hermione to pause in her movements while she gathered herself to turn and face the young intimidating lawyer.
"Yes, that's right, you can call me Hermione. And you're Rachel Brooks, it's very nice to formally meet you. Your work is impressive to say the least." Hermione held out her hand to the woman whose face was radiating warmth as she took Hermione's in her own.
"You can call me Rachel; do you have any plans for lunch? If not, I'd be please if you would join me." A quick look over at where Harry stood wrapping up a conversation with two Aurors made Hermione's decision very easy.
"Of course, I'll join you. Lead the way."
Flashing a bright smile, Rachel swept from the room with Hermione hot on her heels. Instead of heading towards the atrium, Rachel brought the lift to the legal department, once out on the floor, the duo headed towards her office. The two women held a casual conversation between the two of them discussing the weather of all things as they strolled through the level, attracting attention as they went. It didn't take very long for Hermione to feel at ease with the younger woman and drawn to her.
As they got deeper into the department, Hermione noticed a rail thin golden blond woman with dazzling sapphire eyes wearing periwinkle dress robes that seemed fully out of place for the Ministry. Hermione recognized the woman instantly from her regularly being pictured in Witch Weekly. Rachel also seemed to notice the woman that was approaching them, cutting off the conversation they were having about the rain storm due later that week. Hermione head a chuckle ring from Rachel as she tipped her head towards the quickly approaching woman. "Mrs. Malfoy" she said in a thick Southern drawl.
Astoria Malfoy shot daggers at Rachel the closer they got to each other "Brooks, I didn't realize they still allowed American trash to prance about as if they owned the building." Her eye never left the American woman standing in front of her to even allow herself to even see Hermione was standing in the hall as well.
Astoria was much taller than Hermione had imagined from the tabloids, then again, all the pictures she had seen of Astoria had included her standing next to Draco and frankly his height was impressive and made anyone look short. Astoria was almost eye to eye with Rachel. "Ah, yes, I would have tried to contain myself, but I didn't realize Hades had released you from your post this afternoon. Must be nice to get away from the gates of hell occasionally. If you'll excuse me, I have a lunch meeting with Ms. Granger and I'd hate for you to miss the opportunity to make children cry."
It was the first time that Astoria's eyes drifted from Rachel to even noticing Hermione. "I heard a rumor you were back in London. Hm, seems not even time can improve some things." With a pointed look at Hermione's wild curls, Astoria shot one last glare at Rachel before storming past the women.
Once Astoria had disappeared from view, Rachel and Hermione continued on their way back down the hall. "Don't mind her, anyone who is even remotely friendly towards Draco is automatically the enemy as far as the she devil is concerned. Do you like French food, Hermione? I know this lovely little café that isn't too far from the Leaky." Hermione's response died on her lips as they past the office that Astoria had just stormed out of. A very agitated Draco Malfoy was storming around his office slamming a whiskey tumbler on his desk before pouring a two fingers drink before draining the glass in one motion.
Knocking on the frame to get Draco's attention Rachel stuck her head inside the open door, "Drake, I'm stepping out for lunch. Unless that is, would you care to join us?" Hermione couldn't help but jump when Rachel's words broke the spell of her watching the man who's matched the eyes she had looked into every day for the last four plus years.
Looking up at the women standing in his doorway, Draco gaze landed on Rachel before drifting towards Hermione, who he held eye contact with for longer than really necessary. Shaking his head, Draco gestured towards the stacks of parchment that were currently cluttering his desk. "I had an… Unexpected visitor this morning who kept me from this. I'm having to take a working lunch today."
"Ah yes, well occasionally the devil does have to come do her bidding. Next time, you do still owe me a lunch anyway from the Rockwood case. Toodles." As Rachel waved at Draco, Hermione couldn't help but see him cover his face trying to hide a chuckle and sigh at the dig that was just made at his monstrous wife.
Not waiting for a reply from the man, Rachel drug Hermione down along the corridor and into her private office. Using her office's floo, Rachel and Hermione landed in the Leaky Cauldron, a quick wave at Hannah Abbott and Rachel was leading Hermione out the muggle entrance.
"Oh, we're going to muggle London? I didn't even consider that." Hermione commented, slightly surprised.
"Yes, well I am a muggleborn. When I first moved to London after graduating from Ilvermorny it was much more comfortable for my parents to be able to visit me here instead of Wizarding London. I must admit, when I heard the tales of the English war at school, I knew I just had to move to London to help make a lasting change for this country.
"Not only that, but I must admit that you were who I was wanting to meet when I got here. I'd heard that you were set to be the assistant head of the MLE, and even though that was never my passion I figured that working as a prosecutor I'd have the opportunity to meet and work with you. However, I'd hardly gotten settled here and you just poof vanished. Needless to say, I was very surprised when I walked into today's briefing and found you sitting there.
"While the pureblood traditions aren't as, well, I guess they aren't as deep rooted in tradition in America as they are here. Muggleborns still have their struggles in America, and oh are they rotten, but I just saw an opportunity to meet and possibly work with my hero and decided I had to take the chance. Oh, here's the place."
Rachel's openness about, well everything, had surprised Hermione into silence as they had walked the street of London. She knew that she had made an impact on how some people looked at muggleborns, but to know that reach had extended all the way across the Atlantic made Hermione's chest fill with a bit of pride for herself.
"Well thank you, I'm truly flattered. Where in the States are you from?" Hermione couldn't help but ask as they were led to outdoor seating under an awning.
"Oh, I grew up in Georgia. Are you very familiar with the United States?" Rachel asked looking up from the menu that the hostess had handed her.
"I actually just spent the last five years living there. MACUSA contracted me to do research and I couldn't pass up the opportunity, that's why I moved out of London. I've been living in New York until the last few weeks when my contract expired. My parents, they had been living abroad also decided it was time to move back home and so instead of renewing with MACUSA, I decided it was time to come home and be with my family." Hermione purposefully left out the mention of Aurora, it seemed to her that Rachel had a friendly working relationship with Draco, and Hermione was not about to put another possible chance of him finding out about her out there.
Throwing back her head there was a full ringing of laughter coming from the woman seated in front of Hermione, causing all the other patrons around them to watch them. Dabbing at her eyes, Rachel's wide glittering smile came back to Hermione while she shook her head "To think, I moved all the way across the ocean to be able to work with you and you were at home this whole time. It's okay though, I still got to study and now practice law. Working first under and now with Drake has been, well a lot if I'm being honest, but I'm glad that I finally get to meet you."
Hermione couldn't help the pause that she took as she brough her lemonade to her lips (seriously, anything lemon is a win) "I didn't realize that he's the one who trained you." Hermione couldn't help the question. She had been under the impression that Draco only worked as a prosecutor, but the fact that he was also training the up-and-coming lawyers for the ministry was a whole other task in itself.
"Oh, he's a hard ass, let me tell you, but he knows his stuff. Merlin is he picky on who he will take on as a protégé, somehow, I managed to make the cut. I got here just around the time he got back from his honeymoon and the first day he walked through the door he didn't seem like a man who had just been on a two-week vacation laying on a beach in Maui. You would have thought he'd just been released from Azkaban with the foul mood he was in. At the time, I didn't realize what a down to Earth guy he really is, so that first impression had me worried that I was going to be stuck with a real dickhead. Luckily, once he saw what I was made of and the effects from being stuck alone with the beast for two weeks had worn off, Drake turned out to be great to work with." The waitress brought their plates to them then, ending the topic of Draco.
Rachel just never stopped talking, though Hermione didn't mind. The woman possessed an energy and good nature about her that you just couldn't ignore and made it really hard to dislike her. She talked about her childhood and growing up in the south and how that would have been different from what Hermione experienced living in New York. She talked about Ilvermorny and that she had been in Thunderbird, a house known for being adventurous (not surprising).
Hermione was really interested to hear about how there was also different Wizard culture between the norther part of the States where she had been and the southern where Rachel had grown up. Much like the British Wizarding world, where the population size was not very big. Hermione had known that, of course, but with just how big the country is, she had never thought about how spread out the communities would be.
Hermione learned that while the state of New York held the largest population, there were many rural communities scattered throughout. There was also a large Wizarding population near San Diego, in California on the opposite coast. That had never ended up being on of the places that Hermione had visited, so she made a mental note that the next time she went to the states she wanted to visit San Diego.
Rachel talked about how her parents and older brother had reacted to the news of her being a witch and how her step mom and father had stopped speaking to her after they'd found out. Hermione learned that Rachel was raised by her mother and step father, and that after her father and step mother had banned her from coming into their home her older brother (Ethan) had declared that if his sister wasn't to step foot in their home that he wouldn't be either.
Hermione took this time to relate with Rachel and told her about how her parents had felt after she'd restored their memories after the war and what damage it had done to their relationship until recently. After taking a few moments though, they moved away from such a heavy topic and into what they each enjoyed doing in their free time.
The lunch didn't feel like it could be going any smoother until Hermione heard a very familiar voice. "Mummy! You aren't at work! Does that mean you can go shopping with me and Gran?" Hermione turned just in time to see Aurora twirling up to the table wearing a red and gold gymnastics leotard. Her curls had been braided into a French braid crown, much like her mother had often done for Hermione as a child.
"Mum, Aurora, what are you doing on this side of London?" Hermione was truly shocked to see her mother standing in front of her, since they didn't typically visit this part of the city.
"Oh, there was a gymnastics class that had an open gym time for this morning that Aurora insisted she needed to attend. Your father was watching some show on the telly that had gymnasts as part of their act, so of course, Aurora swore that she was cut out to be a gymnast as well. She was much more graceful than I was expecting. Who is your friend dear? I don't think I recognize her." Her mother had finally caught up to where they were seat, Aurora now firmly settled in Hermione's lap playing with her mother's hair as she studied Rachel.
"Oh mum, this is Rachel Brooks, she works as a prosecutor for the Ministry. I actually just met her today during a briefing and she invited me to lunch. Rachel, this is my mother Helen Granger and this little one is my daughter, Aurora Granger." When Hermione said the girl's name, Aurora sat up a bit straighter and gave Rachel a look that caused Rachel to burst out laughing at the sight.
"Oh, aren't you precious. Hermione, that look she's giving me makes her look so much like Drake, that's one of the most adorable things I've ever seen." Hermione could feel heart rate picking up a bit, looking down at her daughter to see that she did have her face scrunched up in the same way that Draco always looked when he was concentrating on something. She eerily resembled the same Draco that she remembered from first year when they had been in class together and he wasn't being a prat picking on others.
"Does she? Er, well, I do believe we need to be getting back to the Ministry soon. I have a full afternoon and really can't be late." Avoid and distract, great way to handle this ever-pending situation. Rachel glanced down at her watch and swore softly under her breath.
"Sugar, I do have court after a quick meeting with Drake and you're right, it might even be cutting it short. Want me to wait for you?" Rachel pulled out some muggle money and placed it on the table to pay for her meal.
"No need, I'll catch up with you later. It was very nice having lunch with you Rachel, I truly look forward to working with you." Hermione followed suit and began adjusting Aurora, who was still seated on her lap with her tiny fists firmly in her mother's hair, to get into her tote to pull out money for her bill as well. With a few quick goodbyes to Aurora and her mother expressing how nice it was to meet them both, Rachel was swept into the crowd and out of sight.
Turning Aurora around so that she was settled in Hermione's arms before standing, Hermione lifted the girl with practiced ease and towards her mother who had since moved away from the café. A few last quick goodbyes, kisses, and promises to see each other soon, Aurora and her mother were off towards an ice cream shop they had spotted across street.
Hermione couldn't help but wonder just how much differently lunch could have gone if a certain blond hadn't been too busy to leave his office. Making a quick note to herself, Hermione decided that she would have to investigate plenty of activities far, far away from Diagon Alley that Aurora could be enrolled in.
A/N: I love making my own characters, just adds a bit of myself into the story. What do you think of your first look at Astoria? I'll let you all in on a secrete…. When I was coming up with this story, I was going a million different directions with who I wanted Astoria to be. I was talking on the phone telling one of my friends about these two cousins I knew years ago who had grown up as if they were sisters. And then the idea to base Astoria and Daphne directly after these two women and who they were (I don't know if they're still horrid, they might be perfectly lovely now).
