Hermione woke up realizing that she had taken enough time off of work. She had not been to work since the whole story came out.
Most people had assumed that she was going to work for the Ministry after the war. However, Hermione was happy with her book store that she owned. She bought the book store after the war was her dream that she always had and she was finally able to achieve it.
She threw her covers off herself and put her feet on the floor. Stretching her arms, she looked over at Frida who was sleeping on the other pillow.
She reached over and scratched behind her ear. " Are you ready to go to work with me, little girl?"
Frida lifted her head and meowed Hermione and laughed. "I will take that as a yes," she said as she got out of bed.
She walked into the bathroom and turned on shower. She hissed as the hot water touched her back and ran down her body. As she grabbed the shampoo and lathered up her hair, she started to think about all the things that she needed to do that day.
Later she walked into the dining room for breakfast, with Frida following behind. "Good morning, Hermione," Narcissa said, as she sat down.
She looked around the dining room, only the elder Malfoys and Antonin. "Where are Thorfinn and Draco?"
"Draco has already left. He said something about having a date," replied Lucius.
"I believe that Thorfinn is still asleep," Narcissa told her, as she poured Hermione some tea.
Hermione took a drink and was about to say something when Antonin asked her, "What are your plans for the day, Hermione?" She looked at him sitting across from her and she took a deep breath.
"I plan to go back to work today. I have been away long enough."
She continued eating, waiting for him to protest. When nothing happened, she peeked up at him.
"You are not upset that I am going to work?" she asked him in shock.
He laughed. "It's true, many pure-blood wives don't work, however you are not a normal pure-blood. Plus, if I told you no, you would still go to work," he shrugged.
Hermione laughed cheekily. " You are right; I would still go to work."
"Are you sure it's a smart decision?" Narcissa asked her.
"I can't keep acting like I am hiding. I have been away from work long enough, " Hermione told them.
"Where do you work,Hermione,?" asked Antonin.
She looked at him "I actually own a used bookstore in Diagon Alley. It sells wizard and muggle books," she told him proudly.
"You sound like you are very proud of it, as you should be. I would feel a lot better if you took someone with you," Antonin told her. "Someone like Thorfinn."
Hermione was about to say something when the door opened and Thorfinn walked into the dining room looking half asleep.
"Lovely of you to join us, Thorfinn," Lucius said, sarcastically.
"Sorry I overslept. Did I hear my name just before I opened the door?" he asked, yawning.
Hermione looked at Thorfinn as he sat down next to her. "I am going to go back to work today, and my father suggested that you come with me."
Thorfinn raised his eyebrows and looked at Antonin. "You're fine with her going back to work?"
Antonin shrugged. "If I told her no, she would still try to go. I figured if you went with her she would be safer."
Thorfinn looked at Hermione. "Well I guess it wouldn't be too bad if I accompanied you to work."
She didn't look thrilled, but took a moment before she said, "I suppose you both have a point. I don't know if there will be any trouble,but you never know, especially since now that I am associated with ex-Death Eaters."
They were in her book store later. She looked at Thorfinn as he read a newspaper with his legs on her desk at the back of the store.
"Are you just going to sit there like that?" Hermione asked, a little annoyed.
"I figured you wouldn't want me to be under foot and this way I am still watching you, but people don't know I am here."
"Oh thank you, that actually makes sense," she told him. "But get your feet off my desk, please."
Just then the bell rang and she heard someone yelling her name. She looked at Thorfinn.
"I'll let you know If I need you." He nodded his head in understanding as she walked into the other room.
She walked into the room and she saw Harry. Taking a deep breath, she greeted him.
"Hello, Harry." He turned toward her, then walked over and put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. He looked at her with sympathy.
"I am sorry how Ron reacted. I will always support you. I know you had no way of knowing that you were not only pure-blood but also related to Dolohov."
She laughed. "Harry, please take a deep breath. Ron has always been hot headed. I can handle him. But Thorfinn didn't know that."
She showed Harry a place where he could sit.
"Where is your fiance, anyway?" he asked.
"He is actually in the back room. He and Antonin thought that, considering everything, it would be safer."
Harry was surprised. "You actually listened to them and didn't hex them. I am impressed."
She rolled her eyes. "Very funny Harry, and yes, I listened to them. I figured I couldn't hide forever." She paused and bit her lip. "Harry, I might need your help."
"Anything you need Hermione."
"I want to find my parents, well—my muggle parents," she told him.
"I Olivated their memories. I am not sure if they will talk to me but I want to confront them."
"Absolutely. I would be honored to help you look for your muggle parents," he said, as looked at his wrist watch. "I have to go. I will try to talk to Ron, but you know how stubborn he is."
She nodded and walked him to the door. He gave her another hug before he left.
She turned and saw Thorfinn leaning against the door frame. She walked toward him and wrapped her arms around him. He seemed shocked. "Why are you hugging me? Not that I mind, of course," he chuckled. "I was going to ask how everything went."
"Harry seemed to understand." She looked up at him. of course" he laughed
"It's just hard because Ron has not come around." Thorfinn rubbed her back. "And he will come around. If he doesn't I will hex until he does," he said the last part half joking.
She laughed. "You can't hex him." Hermione stopped for a moment, pondering the next thing she wanted to ask him.
"I want to find my Muggle parents. Would you come with me?"
He was shocked. "You want me to go with you?"
"I would like to get to know you more, and there's no way I can take Antonin. Who knows what he might do? Harry will be coming, too."
"I think if we are making an effort we shouldn't hex each other," he said hopefully.
She smiled and laid her cheek against his chest and mumbled something.
"What was that?" he said.
She moved her head. "I said, I think that is a good idea."
She looked up at him and he lowered his head. Their lips were inching towards one another when the bell on her door jingled.
"I better go see to that," she said breathily.
He nodded. "We can continue that later, beautiful." He winked and walked back into the back room.
She watched him walk and begin playing with Frida. She shook her head in amazement at seeing this massively built blond giant play with a little kitten. Then she started to walk toward her customer.
Hermione was glad that it was the end of the day. She was exhausted. She turned the sign on the door to 'close' and turn off most of the lights.
She walked back to the back room, and saw Thorfinn with Frida on his outstretched legs.
She smiled at the picture. "Are you ready to go home?" she asked Thorfinn as she walked into the room.
He stretched his arms above his head. "What do you think, Frida, ready to go home with your mama?" The kitten raised her head and meowed. He laughed. "I think she's ready to go home," he said, as he stood up with Frida in his arms and walked over to Hermione. He offered her his elbow, and she didn't hesitate to take it.
"I am exhausted, but I am glad I came back to work. I am glad you came with me, I hope you weren't too bored."
"It wasn't a bad way to spend the day. I could think of another way that could be fun," he told her as they walked toward the apparition point. He wiggled his eyebrows at her.
"Don't push your luck."
—
Later that night Hermione was sitting on the balcony outside her room. She wrapped in a blanket with her feet curled under her. She watched Frida play as she read a book.
In the distance she could see Narcissa's rose garden and Lucius's white peacocks.
She was having a hard time concentrating on the page she was trying to read. Finally giving up, she closed her book, leaned her head against the back of the bench and closed her eyes. She was almost asleep when heard a voice "Someone looks comfortable."
She opened one eye, "What do you want Thorfinn?" He sat down next to her on the bench.
"I wanted to see how my beautiful fiance was doing after her first day of work," he exclaimed
She took a deep breath. "I am glad I went back to work but it was exhausting. I can't stop thinking about how much my life has changed lately." She told him as she wrapped her blanket tighter around her.
He reached down and scratched Frida as she wandered over toward him. "Are you keeping Hermione company?" he asked Frida.
Hermione laughed. "She is such a sweet kitten. I am glad that you got her for me."
He put his hand on her knee for a moment and wondered if she would hex him. She looked at his hand.
"I appreciate you not hexing me anymore," he exclaimed. She laughed.
"It won't be easy for me but I will try my best."
He seemed to relax and smiled at her. She noticed that his eyes seemed to sparkle when he looked at her. He scooted closer to her and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She laid her head on his chest.
"Why is it that I feel drawn to you?" she asked him.
"I feel the same way," he told her as wrapped his other arm around her waist.
She lifted her head and looked into his eyes. Before Hermione realized what was happening, Thorfinn had pulled her onto his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck.
His lips were surprisingly warm. He swallowed a moan from her as he ran his tongue along the inside of her mouth and moved his hands to cup her arse.
He moved his lips to her neck and she moaned louder and moved her head so he could kiss her neck more. They were lost in their own world.
Lucius was sitting in his parlor when Antonin walked in and helped himself to some of Lucius's whiskey before sitting on one of the leather couches.
Lucius looked at him. "Not that I don't enjoy having you here, but what are your plans now that we don't have to worry about pleasing the Dark Lord ?" he asked him.
"Honestly I am not sure. I am so used to fighting I don't really remember what it's like to not have to fight," he said half jokingly.
"I know what you mean. Narcissa helped me to readjust plus I am able to escape the house occasionally to pursue many business pursuits."
"I am not sure what I am going to do, except I want to introduce Hermione to my mother. Hermione was excited to learn she is still alive."
"I know you might not want to hear this but I am going to tell you this as a friend. Have you thought about dating again? I know you were in love with your wife. It has been a long time but you deserve to be happy." Lucius looked at Antonin apprehensively. He was not sure how he would react, but knew he had to ask.
Antonin took a long drink of the whiskey. "I have thought about it too, but I also just got my daughter back. I don't want her to think she is losing me."
The time passed quickly. Before Hermione realized it she had been back to work for a couple weeks.
Hermione was on a quick errand to the ministry. She had just walked past the fountain and got into a lift.
She noticed a couple other wizards and witches come in with her before the lift went downstairs. She walked down the hallway, to the minister's office.
"I have an appointment with the minister" she told his secretary who looked up at Hermione.
"Oh yes Miss Granger, go right in." Hermione thanked her as she walked into his office "Hermione, how can I help you?" His voice seemed
to boom
Hermione smiled as she sat down " As you know Kingsley, my life has changed greatly in a short amount of time"
His eyebrows raised "I am not sure how I can help you?"
" I am sure you have heard who my father and my fiance are?"
" Part of me wants to hate both of them but I can't. My father actually wants to know me. She told Kingsley
"The war is over, Hermione, this might be strange coming to me but I think you should forgive them. It sounds like your father wants to be a part of your life and what is your fiancé?"
She ran her hands through her hair " I feel like we are drawn toward each other. We kissed the other night and it was amazing." She told blushing
He raised an eyebrow " You deserve to be happy. I consider you my niece I want you be happy if that means you marry a former death eater so be it"
" Now what brings you here today?" He asked her
" I have heard that the ministry has taken both Thorfinn and my father's homes. I know this is a long shot but I want to have those homes returned. Just because a death eater lived there doesn't mean the ministry had the right to take their homes." She Angrily replied
He nodded his head while trying not to laugh at her because she looked angry. He quickly made sure he wasn't laughing before he replied
"I was actually going to tell you that they were searched for any dark artifacts and homes can be returned to them." He told her smiling
She sat there with a surprised look on her face and looked at her watch. "Oh Kinglsey, thank you for that. I really must get back to work." She told him
He laughed "Not a problem Hermione, if you need anything else please let me know."
She thanked him as she headed out the door and back to work.
