Tempus Magia

Part One

Chapter 5: Wand Movements

Hermione Granger made a grave error during the final battle that resulted in Remus's death. Working as an unspeakable she spends two years working on a spell using powder from time turners to go back to Remus's greatest hour of need. What if Remus's greatest time of need wasn't in *this* war?

Trigger warning for bullying.

Hermione entered the break room at half-past eleven. Draco Malfoy's meeting with the Wizengamot was running late and he had rescheduled for two. Two was Hermione's lunchtime, but since he was client she switched around her schedule and took her lunch early.

Sitting down at one of the tables, she immersed herself in a new book on werewolves that Professor McGonagall had sent her.

"Move." Hermione looked up to see Shauna and Fauna, the devils from hell, standing over her menacingly.

"Pardon?"

"You're sitting in our lunch spot," sneered Shauna.

"Move." Fauna repeated.

Hermione ignored the two idiots and went back to her reading. They weren't children on a school bus. There were no 'saved seats' and Hermione was at the part about mates. Since Professor Lupin's death…

Hermione shut down the wave of emotions that threatened to close her throat. She waited until they subsided before reaching down to her book except it was gone. She looked up in confusion to find Shauna dangling it upside down.

"You're joking right?" Hermione asked in shock. She was not in her first year at Hogwarts.

Fauna snickered. "Get out of our seat."

"You realize I could write you up for this-"

"Just shut your mudblood trap and get out!" Shauna snapped throwing the book in Hermione's face. It hit her square in the nose and fell into her lap. Hermione sat in shock, her nose throbbing. "I don't think she understands us, Fauna."

Fauna smiled as Shauna pointed her wand at Hermione.

"Aguamenti." Hermione's book was drenched in her lap. The spray of cold water made her jump up and out of her seat. "Know your place, peasant."

The girls sat down knocking Hermione's lunch to the floor. They began gossiping about the office and eating their lunch acting as if the entire incident hadn't just happened. Hermione stood still her body cold and shivering and in shock.

She vaguely remembered grabbing her book and fleeing, leaving her lunch on the floor. She ran into her office and slammed the door behind her collapsing into her chair and sobbing into her arms.

She had no idea how long she was sitting in her office when she felt a gentle finger prodding her elbow. At first, she thought she imagined it. She jumped out of her chair, her wand brandished at the widened eyes that belonged to Draco Malfoy.

"It's just me, Draco Malfoy. We had an appointment today," Draco responded. He was holding out a tissue and Hermione lowering her wand, took it gratefully. "Are you okay? Your nose is swollen."

"Yes, nothing I haven't dealt with before." She cast a de-swelling charm on her nose and swiped at her burning eyes. Why did she have to let Shauna and Fauna get to her? Even their names were stupid.

"Bullying?" Draco asked. "I was an ass during school. I know what someone looks like after they've been bullied. If it makes you feel any better I feel terrible about it."

Hermione waved her hand dismissively and summoned tea. "We were foolish children. I think the war we fought in made everything else pale in comparison."

Draco nodded. He and his mother had been acquitted after the war. Hermione, Harry, and Ron had testified for them as well as several other people who witnessed the Malfoy family defect during the final battle.

The Ministry was not above forgiveness and while Draco and his mother had gotten off with mostly fines, Lucius had been given ten years of house arrest and then fifteen years of monitoring.

It was a light sentence that had enraged some, but Hermione thought it was justice. Have Voldemort live in your home and threaten your family was punishment enough.

Draco sipped his tea. Hermione hadn't asked how he liked his tea, they went to Hogwarts for seven years together. She knew.

They drank in silence for several minutes and Hermione felt the tension leave her body. Setting her teacup down, she retrieved the books from the safe box they were in during her lunch break. She had already finished reading and copied one of the last three books and was working on a new book.

"I have the books here, I just need you to fill out these papers. Sadly it's four pages per book and the Ministry doesn't allow copy charms. If it makes you feel better, they don't allow their employees to use copy charms and most days I get home with my arm about to fall off."

Draco chuckled. "I guess I'll get started then."

"Let me know if you have any questions." Hermione smiled and returned to her reading. It took Draco a little over two hours to fill out the individual forms. In that time, Hermione refilled the tea twice and pulled out biscuits from her drawer sharing them with Draco.

"That was a lot of signing and reading. How do you do this all day?"

"I like my job," she offered helpfully.

"But not your co-workers?"

"I like them fine, they just don't like me."

"You know you should report them," Hermione began to protest but Draco cut her off. "If you had reported me even once for bullying you in school it would have stopped. Whoever they are, they don't want to lose their job over bullying. Speak to the head of your department."

Hermione nodded thoughtfully, "I'll think about it."

Draco nodded and returned to the Ministry and general issued forms. Hermione looked over Draco as he concentrated. The Draco Malfoy Hermione had gone to school with was a spoiled bully and git. The wizard in front of her was kind and while it was unfortunate that it had to happen the way it did, the war had changed him for the better.

Hermione already knew this, as Draco was part of Ginny's pick-up league on Sunday evenings. Every Monday without fail Ginny spent dinner complaining to Harry about Draco's lost potential and how he could kick all of their arses at Quidditch. If Hermione saw Harry on Tuesday at work, he usually complained about Ginny's ranting the night before.

A loud knock came from the doorway and Hermione looked up to see Croaker looking annoyed.

"Oh, I see you have company. Please see me in your office when you are done here." he looked around at her clean office, nodded, and walked back to his office.

Draco raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Hermione sighed, "That's my boss, Saul Croaker."

Draco swished his quill thoughtfully. "I would bet serious money that whoever made you upset sent a fictitious story to your boss."

"I know. I actually wrote up a form before he came in. It's time stamped so there won't be any problems, hopefully. Regardless, I'll be finished this book by the end of the day and should be able to get the last two books back to you by Wednesday."

Draco nodded taking the shrunken down package and putting it in his pocket. "Same time next Friday?"

"Sure, that works."

"Oh, I have a gift from my mother. It's a first edition book on wand making and how it affects spell creation. She thought you would enjoy it."

Hermione took the book with shaky fingers. The reason first editions were prized above all else, was that as Ministry restrictions made it so that entire sections of books were removed. Hogwarts, A History's original version was four times the size it was now and that was with the addition of over a thousand years.

"I couldn't accept this, Draco. Please send my apologies to your mother-"

"It's a loan, Hermione."

"A loan?"

"Yes, an indefinite loan."

Hermione chuckled. "I will send it back as soon as I am done reading it," she promised. Draco bowed and saw himself out.

Hermione straightened her robes and walked calmly to Saul's office. Never had she ever seen him annoyed with her and if she was honest, she was extremely nervous.

She knocked and walked in when she was motioned to do so. Saul was sitting behind a large desk in an even larger office. It wasn't the Minister's office but you could tell he held an important position.

"Hermione? Lovely, have a seat." Hermione sat in front of him, her palms sweating. "Tea?"

"No, thank you."

"Where did you take lunch today?"

"In the breakroom."

"And what did you have for lunch today?"

"I didn't really get a chance to eat it, but yogurt and vegetables."

Croaker sighed in clear disappointment, "I received a complaint from two employees today about you. I'd like to hear your version of the events before we continue with this conversation."

Hermione handed him the official document she wrote up. She watched his face get redder and redder as he read. He signed the bottom of the document and it glowed blue. Hermione winced as she knew that meant it was delivered to the other employee's supervisors.

The door flew open behind her and he called out, "Mary, get Amalaya Bode and Travis Scott in here immediately and then go personally to retrieve the documents we spoke about earlier. Have them rush it."

His secretary scuttled away and he turned to Hermione. "Hermione, why didn't you come to me as soon as this happened?"

Hermione looked down at her shoes with shame, "I was embarrassed and then I… um… I started to cry and Mister Malfoy came in for his appointment. Honestly, I just want to go home and not come back at this point."

"Not an option my dear, we actually have monitoring charms in the breakroom. I had Mary request them from archives while you were finishing up your meeting. I figured something was off about the story those two idiots dragged up. Hermione Granger resorting to pelting food and witches, no. If they had told me that you hexed them with something that had no cure, I might have actually believed the story."

Hermione smiled sheepishly.

"This report details physical assault, as well as racial verbal assault. All of which are grounds for immediate dismissal, Saul." Hermione turned to find Amalaya Bode standing in the doorway looking murderous. As a muggleborn herself, Amalaya was likely to fire Shauna. Travis walked in after her, closing the door behind him.

Travis was a pureblood but his late wife was a Hufflepuff and Lisa Turpin's maternal aunt. It was nice to see her study buddy from Hogwarts every once in a while when she dropped off lunch for her uncle. Lisa was happily married to a boy she met from Durmstrang and was already expecting her second child.

"I think Fauna follows whatever Shauna does and should be given a suspension with a note in her employee file. I do agree with Amalaya that Shauna should be removed from the Ministry and barred from ever working here again. As it is her employee, it is ultimately her choice."

Saul sat with his chin resting on his fingertips, "I'd like to take care of this quietly. Hermione doesn't need any undue attention."

Hermione looked up, they were talking about her like she wasn't there. "Hermione," Amalaya said kindly. "Why don't you head home for the day? I'm sure you could use the weekend to recuperate. We're just going to talk for a bit and wait for the results from the archives."

Hermione nodded numbly and stood up.

"Hermione, dear you aren't in trouble," Travis said from his seat against the wall.

"Yes," Saul agreed. "Go home and relax. I'll send you an owl later tonight. I'd love to hear about Teddy's birthday party on Monday."

Hermione nodded and went back to her office. She gathered her things in a hurry, making sure to safely place the shrunken copies of the Malfoy books and book on loan in her purse. She just wanted to be out of this building and back at home. Home. Where she was safe and she could lock the doors, shut down the Floo, and ward away owls.

Hermione got home and did just that. When her home was warded her owls went to Harry and Ginny's place. She still had to go to Teddy's birthday tomorrow and she could pick up her mail from Harry then.

She sat in the bath and cried for a bit before crawling into bed and crying some more. She didn't bother making dinner and ordered take away in the form of delivery pudding and a large pot pie. The delivery guy thanked her for her generous tip and she carried her food back into bed where she ate her food.

She vanished the crumbs and sat staring at the book from the Malfoys. She knew logically that she was excited to read the book but her body and her mind wanted to stay in bed and do little else.

Sighing, she gave up being productive for the night. Reaching into her drawer, she pulled out a vial of dreamless sleep and downed it in one swallow. She was asleep before she remembered putting the vial back down.