Authors Note: I'M SO SORRY FOR THE LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG LONG WAIT! I PROMISE I'LL UPDATE SOON! Remember to review so that my inspiration will be spurred faster! I want at least 10 reviews on this chapter, to all those people who put me on alert and favourites!

Chapter 5:

Christine settled at her desk the next week and looked at her immense pile of work. After a few hours, half of it was still left. Her tired eyes traveled to Cedric who's back was casually leaned on his chair as he marked and signed pieces of parchment. Why was his work so easy? Just, mark sign, mark sign, done! She had to read through the entire proposal on some (but soon to be hopeless) program a crappy wizarding school wanted to start, write a feedback, give comments, remark, put a 'sincerely' at the end of the report when she really wanted to put a 'I hate you asshole don't ever write such a stupid proposal ever again' and signing it.

If the report was really bad (and she in a foul mood), she would stamp a large, ugly, REJECT sign and thrown it into another tray.

She plucked her spectacles from her eyes and leaned her tired head into her hand, looking at the wind up clock hung on the wall. It had been four hours since she started. Looking back at her work, her head still in the palm of her right hand, she slammed her left hand on her table, swearing and cursing under her breath.

Cedric looked up from his work and saw her distressed appearance- muttering under her breath, tired eyes, messy hair, the typical look of a tired office worker. Since Cho Chang's departure from the office the previous day, she did not utter a single word to him except hostile grunts when he talked to her.

"Tired already? It's only your second week," he said, looking at her only to be replied with a spiteful glare.

"Easy for you to say," she finally said, removing her hand and starting back on track, "All you do is mark, sign, approve, mark, sign, approve,"

He saw the ring on her right hand. The engagement ring. A twang in his heart brought up an old wound, peeling away the scab to his old scar. She caught him looking and put her hand under the table so he would stop.

"Come in," she said briskly as someone knocked on the door.

A handsome young man entered.

"Christine!" he said brightly, before turning to Cedric and nodding, saying, "Mister Diggory,"

Cedric nodded back, saying, "Mister Davies," and carrying on with his work.

"Roger?" she asked, startled, "Isn't the department for Muggle artifacts on the opposite side of the entire ministry premise?"

"I'm sorry I didn't visit you earlier," he said, "But it's not like you told me you already started working here. It was after I took a trip to the Montessori that Hannah told me you resigned and started here,"

"Yes, well now you know," she snapped, her nerve of patience snapping immediately, annoyed at his comment.

"Chris, are you alright?" Roger asked, placing a hand on her hip.

"This is my second week of work only, I'm catching an average of four hours of sleep everyday, I always have left over work to do, my eyesight is rotting away from looking at too many crapped up proposals, and I haven't even had the time to complain to my father! Do you THINK I'm okay?" she said all in one breath.

"Where's your ring?" he suddenly asked.

"What ring?" she said coldly, as she sat down.

"Your engagement ring," he snapped back in an equally cold voice.

"Where's yours?" she shot back.

"You're engagement ring, Christine, I want to see it,"

"I was wearing it just now, I swear," she said sheepishly, taking it from her pocket and putting it back on.

Having a bad feel it had something to do with Mister Diggory sitting oh-so-innocently there who was smirking behind his parchment, Roger shot him a steely glare.

"Do you mind giving us a second?" Roger said coldly to Cedric.

"Oh no," Cedric said with a very fake and bright smile, "I wasn't even listening. Look, I have a lot of work to do here, so if it helps, I'll put on a charm and.. if you are still insecure I'll leave,"

"Hey Diggory," Roger said, assuming his college day attitude towards Cedric, "You're married, aren't you? With a kid, right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Then I'd advice you to not do whatever you want to do," he said in a threatening voice.

"Hahahaha...that's very funny," she laughed feebly, before saying seriously, "Now go away Roger,"

"What are you accusing me of, Davies?" Cedric asked, ignoring her and standing up.

"I'm just telling you not to touch what's not yours!"

"OI!" Christine said in a tired but loud voice, "Enough," she snapped, "Both of you. You sound like college freaks. Roger, get out, I'll talk to you after work. Cedric, get out too,"

"But Chris… this is my office…" he said ( in Christine's opinion ), in a whiny voice.

Roger just stared, shocked.

"Look," she said, hastily adding, "Dear," before saying, "I'm just really stressed, and I'm sorry I took my ring off. I'll talk to you after work," she said, turning him towards the door and pushing him out.

Cedric sniggered as both of them resumed their work. He caught her looking at him.

"What?" he asked.

"What.. really happened to us?" she asked sadly with a hint of regret after a moment of awkward silence.

"I… I really don't know," he replied, returning her look.

So they stayed there for a precious few seconds, staring into each others eyes. It was like what they both wanted was just in front of each of them, but they reluctantly and quietly knew that they now could never reach out and just take what they wanted.

"Mister Diggory, you're meeting starts in five minutes. You are needed in the conference room," their secretary said upon knocking and entering.

Cedric sighed as the eye contact was broken, standing up. Christine withdrew her gaze to the pieces of parchment in front of her, picking up her quill and dipping it into an inkpot, not bothering to bid him adieu. He paused amidst walking out of the door, glancing back and giving her a bewildered look before walking out.

Sensing his absence, she set her quill down and lowered her head to the table. What was she thinking!

"He's bloody married, Christine, married with a child !" she said to herself in a muffled voice as her head was still on the table, "A freaking child with a beautiful wife!" she cruelly reminded herself, "Why? Why? Why? Why?" she asked herself, with each 'why' she banged her head on the table, so loudly that she didn't hear the door opening.

"Why…why…why…why…" she banged.

"Err… Christine…?"

"Why…why…why…why…?Why…Why…Why…WHY…WHY…WHY??WHY?? WHY??? WHY?!?!?! WHY?!?!?!?!!?!?!? WHY?!?! WH- Oh. What are you doing back here, Cedric?" she asked, trying to sound calm and collected although a slight bruise was starting to form on her forehead.

"I uhh… came back for my documents," he said as he moved towards his table and picked up a few pieces of parchment.

"Oh," she said as if she didn't bother, carrying on with her work.

He walked out again, her burying her head into her hands again.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he said, stepping back in the minute he stepped out, causing her to snap her head up.

"Yes, I am," she said quietly.

"Alright then…" he said, unconvinced before walking out.

Walking swiftly back to the conference room, he thought to himself, pondering the situation and possibilities, although finding none.

She's engaged, Cedric, and you are married with a kid to look after. You, are, married, with a kid!! It's not worth losing all this over a relationship in college!

Back in the office, Christine pulled her hair as she put her head (again) on her table. After work, she still had to face a very, very pissed off fiancée.

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