Anywhere but in Between

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Chapter 7 – Something More

Ron let his feet slide off the corner of his desk and land on the floor with a loud thump. He was bored. There was no work for him to catch up on, since he'd caught up on it all yesterday, and the day before, and the day before –

He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. Sometimes, his desk job at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement had its advantages. He got to go to lunch whenever he wanted, he got to leave earlier than most of the agents, and he never had to take work home with him since there usually wasn't even enough to keep him busy during the work day.

Sometimes however, like now, he wondered just what his purpose at the department really was, since he never seemed to have anything pressing or important to do.

Usually he spent his days taking care of the little work that was pushed his way, which only took about two hours. Then he would read owl posts and write letters of his own, search through cases from years ago to keep the boredom at bay, and then he'd sometimes take a walk up to see his father.

Sighing, Ron came to the realization that he did absolutely nothing of importance, and although that had been what attracted him to the position in the first place, he couldn't see doing the same thing day in and day out for much longer.

Just then, an agent named O'Connor walked in front of his desk. Ron knew him to be a very good agent, and he had the respect of the entire department. The man was only 30 and he was already a senior agent in charge of four countries.

"Weasley," he said, nodding his head in Ron's direction.

"Sir, can I ask you a question?" Ron asked on impulse, rising from his chair.

"Sure, what is it?"

Ron realized that he really didn't know what it was he wanted to ask. Did he want to go into the field? Did he want to get out of Magical Law Enforcement completely? Did –

"Weasley?"

"Oh, sorry sir," Ron apologized quickly. Great, he thought to himself. Now the man thinks I'm a completely spaced out freak.

"Um, I guess I was wondering how someone would go about rising in the ranks here," he said in a rush, afraid that the man would lose interest and storm away from him muttering about the dolts the department had hired recently.

O'Connor scrutinized him with a beady gaze. Ron shifted where he stood, uncomfortable under the man's intense sizing up.

"You've been here how long, Weasley?" O'Connor asked finally.

"Two years, sir."

O'Connor nodded and then raised an eyebrow. "Have you taken your aptitude test yet?"

Ron furrowed his brow in confusion. There was an aptitude test?

"I take it from your look you haven't," the senior officer said with a small smile.

"No sir."

"Did you take any post-graduate courses?"

Ron shook his head. He hadn't done anything after graduating. The war had taken up his life for five months after he graduated, and then he'd had other things to deal with.

Death of a brother and a mentor, and the abandonment of a best friend.

O'Connor shook his head along with Ron, then stopped himself. "Oh, well, I assume that certain – things – kept you occupied," he said, sympathy evident in his tone.

Ron wasn't surprised that the man knew about the particulars. His friends and family had all been involved in bringing about the destruction of the most powerful Dark Lord of all time, and O'Connor wasn't senior officer for nothing.

"Well," said the older man, shifting his files from his right arm to his left, "the first thing I would tell you to do is take that test. The test is designed to see where the department could use you most, and what you are most adept at doing for the department."

"Okay," said Ron, feeling that it was a good place to start.

"Then I would meet with Agent Foster. She is in charge of placing junior agents and has a pretty uncanny ability of putting people where they belong," O'Connor continued. His smile grew wider. "That is, if you can stand to be in the same room with her for more than five minutes."

Ron grinned back. "I've had a lot of practice with ornery females. I think I'll be alright."

O'Connor nodded at him and extended a hand for Ron to shake. "Sorry it took so long for someone to point all this out to you. If there is anything more I can do, Weasley, please let me know."

"Thank you sir. You've been a big help already," Ron said, shaking his hand.

O'Connor gave him a small wave over his shoulder as he walked away from Ron's desk. Ron watched him go for a moment, wondering if he would ever be as successful as the senior agent, and sat back at his desk to pen a letter to his supervisor requesting a date to take the department aptitude desk.

It was high time he stopped wondering if he could be successful. He had to at least try. Everyone else he knew was pursuing what they wanted to do, and they all seemed to find some degree of happiness in it.

Ron wanted that. He wanted to do an honest day's work and feel that he contributed something.

He wanted something more out of his life than he had right now.

Ginny found that she couldn't concentrate at all at the night seminar she was required to take for her advanced course for the Ministry.

Her thoughts, as often as she tried to force them not to, kept returning to the chance encounter she'd had with Harry over three days ago.

She was so happy knowing that someone from her life was actually here, and she could tell that although he still felt it was too early to go home to everyone, he felt the same way. They had talked all night, sharing dinner because Harry had assured her that if he didn't eat soon, he'd turn to dust right in front of her.

She had felt like a sponge that night, soaking up all the information he was willing to share about what he'd been doing over the last two years. She felt privileged because she knew everyone at home was dying to hear from him in this fashion.

He had asked her all about her Ministry internship, and had listened amazingly well as she went on and on about how much fun she was having and how well suited she felt to the position.

They had parted that night with the promise to meet up at least twice a week for lunch or dinner, and Ginny had to admit to herself, she was looking forward to seeing him again altogether too much.

She was extremely pleased and a bit surprised to find Hedwig waiting for her at the receptionist's desk of the building the meeting was being held in.

She stroked Hedwig's beautiful plumage and gently removed the letter from her leg. "How are you Hedwig?" she cooed softly, not realizing until now how much she had really missed Harry. Hedwig hooted quietly in response, and nipped affectionately at Ginny's wrist as if to show her how much she had been missed as well.

She opened the letter and smiled at the still barely-legible handwriting of Harry Potter.

Ginny,

I was wondering if you could meet up for dinner tomorrow night at Belisnov's. It's a small restaurant near where you said your dormitory is and according to locals, is fairly good. Please let me know if you can make it. Hedwig will wait with you until you are ready to send a reply. Do me a favor? Give her an extra big treat. She's cross with me and I think she thinks that I've known you were here all along and didn't get in touch with you until now. Sometimes, I wonder about this bird of mine.

I hope you can make it. I had fun the other night, by the way. Especially after you almost fell asleep in your soup listening to me go on and on. I promise, if you come to dinner this time, I won't say a word.

P.S. That's not true.

Harry

Ginny laughed and stroked Hedwig's feathers again. "You missed me, huh girl?" she said softly, laughing again when Hedwig hooted sharply in response.

Ginny grabbed a spare parchment off the desk in front of her and quickly scribbled a reply to Harry's invitation. Then, she reached into her bag and pulled out a handful of treats for Hedwig to munch on as she fastened the letter to her leg.

"Don't be angry with Harry," Ginny said, gently tweaking Hedwig's beak. "We just found each other the other day, and I think he's doing brilliantly considering the circumstances, girl."

Hedwig nipped again at her finger and turned her head to the side as if she were studying Ginny very carefully. Ginny laughed, and watched the beautiful snow-white owl take flight.

"Ginny," acknowledged a colleague as she walked by.

"Hello, Anita."

The woman stopped and looked as if she were about to say something, then closed her mouth again. When she repeated the action, Ginny laughed again.

"Is there something you wanted, Anita? Because if not, you are doing a spectacular impression of a fish."

Anita smiled at her and shook her head. "I was going to say that I don't believe I've seen you this happy since you got here. You've been smiling for the last few days almost non-stop, and you just look – I don't know – different. Something has to be going on. What is it?"

Ginny smiled at her co-worker. "Reconnecting with an old friend," she said simply, her thoughts already on tomorrow and the dinner she would be having with the boy she shared a past with, and the man he had become in his absence.

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