Hermione woke with a gasp, adrenaline pumping and wand in hand as she sat straight up in bed. Her eyes roamed over her bedroom quickly checking for any threats, before relaxing and flopping backwards to lay down and groan in frustration. Her hand rubbed over her face attempting to wipe the tiredness from her mind but pulled it back at the feel of the sweat that covered her. She sighed before getting up to head for the bathroom for a shower. She glanced to her window only to see that the sun had not yet risen and cast a quick tempus charm.
'Seriously? Not even 5am?' She thought, groaning again in frustration. Stripping of her clothes, she dropped them into the laundry basket and climbed into the shower to begin preparing for what would appear to be another long day.
Within the hour, Hermione was found to be walking through security at the Ministry and heading towards her office with less enthusiasm with every step. Before the war had fully started, she had dreamed of working in the ministry. She had even imagined what her life would like. Her office would have a wall full of books on shelves for references and a desk filled with her various projects. She would go through the laws and making changes and having lively debates that would result in the bettering of their world. She imagined fighting for the equality of those who could not fight for themselves.
After the war, she had taken the surprising route of not returning to Hogwarts instead choosing to self-study and complete her N.E.W.T.s on her own. Harry and Ron had also chosen not to return to Hogwarts, though instead of taking their N.E.W.T.s they were offered an opportunity to join the Auror training program which they happily accepted. They were disappointed when she chose not to join them when she had received the same offer. Instead, she completed her N.E.W.T.s with all O's and then applied for and was hired to work at the Ministry in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.
She had entered her first day with bright eyes full of excitement, but soon after realized her dreams wouldn't quite match the reality she was faced with due to two main reasons.
The first, politics. Despite a war in which she made contributions that were integral to their success, the Wizarding World still fell to the ideas of blood supremacy and to an extent patriarchy. So although she had dreamed of one day being the head of the department, and maybe even one day Minister, she found herself watching others receive promotions while she still remained a junior clerk.
The second reason she no longer enjoyed her job was what she currently stood in front of having made her way from security to where she now spent her long days at. She sighed in disappointment as she sat down at her desk. It wasn't the office she had dreamed of, and there were no projects she was managing. All she had was the overflowing inbox of requests for references to aid the other actual clerks in doing their jobs. She felt like a glorified secretary.
And that was how she spent her entire day, assisting others and wishing she could make a difference. But by the end of the day the only difference seemed to be the stack of work in her inbox had only increased in size. Giving up, she organized her desk for the night before grabbing her belongings to head home. She was surprised when she was interrupted by an interoffice memo marked urgent. Plucking it from the air she opened it and found herself surprised to see a request from Kinglsey for an urgent meeting. Not one to ignore the Minister of Magic, she made her way to his office instead of home as previously planned.
She was further surprised when the lift opened to the offices of the minister of magic and found not the senior or junior undersecretary, but Kingsley himself waiting for her.
"Hermione!" He greeted, his deep voice bringing a smile to her face. "How are you?"
"I'm well, Minister. How are you?" She replied.
"None of that now, Hermione. We fought and flew on a thestral together. I think that gives us leave to not be quite so formal." He said giving her a friendly pat on the should. "Come into my office, let's have some tea and then we can get to business before it gets too late."
Hermione followed him and took a seat and gratefully accepted the cup of tea he had prepared on his desk. She took a few sips trying to calm her nerves. The way Kingsley seemed to inspect her as he sat down behind his desk, put her a little on edge. "Is there something I can assist you with?" She asked.
He leaned back in his chair. "How are you enjoying your job?"
"Um, well that is-" She stumbled.
"Because I have a project I'd like to present to you." He gave a smile at her sudden silence and continued. "I read the research paper that you submitted when applying for a promotion. I was very impressed."
Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment at the reminder of the failed promotion request.
"This project would be similar to that, but on a larger scale." He continued. "It would require a large amount of field research and also give any recommendations or proposals you suggest regarding the subject. I do warn you that does not come without some risk."
She wanted to jump at the opportunity, but she hesitated. "Why me, though? I'm just a junior clerk."
"Because I trust you." He answered. "This research has the ability to affect certain laws and regulations and it needs to be completed with an unbiased opinion. There may be others who have more qualifications on their resume, but none of them have your compassion. You might be a junior clerk right now, but your name carries weight in a different way a job title does. There is few I would trust to do this properly other than you."
"What is the subject of this research?" She asked curiously.
"Vampires."
Harry was concerned when Hermione didn't show for their weekly dinner. She usually stopped by Grimmauld Place to chat with him on Wednesdays. Fridays were a group dinner between her, him, and Ron and Sundays were at the Burrow with the rest of the Weasley family. But Wednesdays were their night together. A chance to catch up and as Hermione said and chance to meet without any arguments as she and Ron almost always got into a disagreement of some sort every time.
He flooed to her apartment and followed the sounds of her muttering to her bedroom.
"Is something wrong?" He asked confusedly. He found her with a list in her hand and her bed full of items in some sort of organized chaos.
Hermione jumped, her hand on her heart. "Harry! You can't just sneak up on people like that. You could have given me a heart attack."
Harry smirked. He'd gotten better at sneaking up on her since he graduated from his Auror training and he knew she did not appreciate it. He walked into her room to give her a hug in proper greeting. "Hi" he said wrapping his arms around her.
"Hi yourself" she responded before pulling back and turning her back to her the list she still held in her hands.
"So want to tell me what got you so busy you missed dinner?" He asked.
"Oh, did I? I didn't realize the time. I'm so sorry." She said.
"It's alright, but I would like to know what's happening here." He gestured to the list and the items on her bed.
"Um, right." She said nervously. "Let me just finish packing these up and then we'll sit down for dinner and I'll tell you all about it."
He gave her a look. "That sounds like you're trying to procrastinate telling me something you know I don't want to hear."
She sighed, but agreed. "I am and this is really big. But I do want to get this put away so that its done and then I promise to tell you everything over dinner."
"Alright then. "He said worriedly. "I'll go pick up some take out and you finish what you're doing. And then we'll talk.
Hermione nodded and he left through her front door to walk down the street and pick up some takeout. Thankfully, she lived in a muggle apartment so there were places close by. Judging by her demeanor, he was glad Ron wasn't here for this as this wasn't a conversation he was going to like.
When he returned with the food, he found Hermione sitting at her small dining table drinking a cup of tea with one waiting for him at his spot. They said nothing as they took at the food and took a first couple of bites before he couldn't wait anymore.
"So?" He prompted.
Hermione put her fork down and took a sip of her tea to clear her throat. "I met with Kinglsey today."
"How is he?" Harry asked.
"He's good. Summoned me to his office just as I was about to head out." She said. "He gave me a new job of sorts."
"Well that's good." Harry replied. "Is it a promotion?"
"Not quite." Her hand rubbed the back of her neck. "It's a consultant research type of job. It's just he one project, but if it goes well it could turn into a more permanent position."
"This is great! I'm really happy for you!" He said, before pausing. "Though I'm not sure why you would be nervous telling me about a new job. Do you not to do it?"
"No, I do. This is the most excited I've been about work in a while." She said. "You know how much I've complained about not being promoted and how much I hate sitting at my desk doing simple meaningless tasks."
Harry nodded in agreement but stayed silent.
"Well, this would give me a chance to do something I really feel like will have some real impact and there's so much we can learn." She paused for just a second. "The only thing is… it would require some traveling."
Harry figured this was the part he wasn't going to like. "How much traveling?"
Hermione fiddled with her napkin. "At least six months. Maybe a year at most."
"A year!?" He yelled.
"Only at the most!" She responded quickly trying to placate him. "Six months minimum and its completed when I feel like I've gotten everything I needed to know in order to submit my research."
Harry rubbed his face. "What kind of research are you going to be doing, and where are you supposed to go to do this research?"
"Well, it'll be similar to my research regarding lycanthropy. You know the one I completed and submitted in hopes of a promotion? So I'll be doing something like that." She said.
"You haven't answered where it is your going to do this research at." He said giving her a pointed look.
"Italy. To start with at least." She said.
"Why Italy?"
"Because that's where the ruling government of the vampires live." She said with a wince waiting for the inevitable anger.
"Vampires!?" Harry yelled, jumping from his seat. "You cannot be serious!? You do realize how dangerous this is, don't you?"
"Harry, I know. I know it is, but they've supposedly got remarkable control there."
"Supposedly?" He asked. "How is that any better?"
"Harry, please. I know it has some risk to it, but Kingsley trusts me to do this. And depending on how this all goes it could have tremendous impact on them so its really in their best interest to support and assist me in this project, not drain me dry." She implored.
"But your safety would be guaranteed if you just stayed in your current job." He responded.
She scoffed. "So safe that I feel like it's killing me in a whole different way."
"Hermione." He said wearily, sitting back down.
"Do you know what it feels like? To have my name splashed over tabloids, people swarming me whenever I attempt to walk down Diagon Alley. Some want autographs and pictures and others want to spit in my face and call me mudblood. We may have fought in the war to stop Tom Riddle's attempt at power and immortality, but it hasn't changed anything." She said with frustration. "I spend hours working at job I that will never promote me because I'm nothing but a mudblood and woman. But this, gives me a chance to finally have an impact. And I'll be out in the field and not cramped at a desk that's draining the life out of me with every piece of paper.
"You could join me as an auror." He suggested weakly, knowing she would never agree.
She rolled her eyes at him. "Don't make me hit you."
Harry gave a sigh. That sat in silence for a few minutes. "Ok." He said. "I'm not stupid enough to attempt to tell you what you can or can't do, but you have to promise me you'll take every precaution you can, and that you'll call me at the very moment you think you might be in danger."
Hermione jumped out of her chair and ran around the table to throw her arms around him. "Thank you, Harry. And I promise to stay in touch. Danger or no danger."
He held her tightly. "You better. If I hear nothing, I'm coming after you."
She pulled away and gave him a bright smile. Sitting back down in her chair she started eating finishing her food when Harry's questions made her wince again.
"When are you leaving? And when are you telling Ron?" He asked.
