DISCLAIMER:

I don't own the Harry Potter franchise, nor the Criminal Minds series. Because unfortunately I am neither JK Rowling, nor Jeff Davis.

AN:

Two chapters in a day, because you guys have been very patient and because we all want our geniuses to meet.

CHAPTER 6: A TEAMMATE POTENTIALLY PERFECT

"Found Reid's soulmate! Come see me ASAP :) ".

This was the last thing Emily Prentiss expected to get on her phone at 8 in the morning, while decluttering her desk from all the paperwork that she had just been sorting through.

- "What are you up to Garcia?" She though, while secretly glancing at her younger male colleague, who was engrossed in yet another manuscript about psychology.

Everyone in the team knew that Spencer was comfortably settled in his life in the BAU. He liked working long hours and getting to travel across the country, because it provided him with food for his mind, and distracted him from his own loneliness. Not to say that Spencer did not have friends, but he was particular in his relationships. He knew that meeting new people was hard for him because he could come across as pedantic or worse, arrogant, when meeting strangers. His inability to stop spouting his vast knowledge made him endearing for the team, but awkward in the eyes of a stranger. Let's face it Reid wasn't good at casual encounters.

It wasn't really his fault, dealing with his mother probably didn't provide much time to think about meeting new people, and his savant mind made him too intellectual for most people he met anyway. This meant a lonely existence for Spencer, as far as living outside of the BAU was concerned. But the novelty of cases couldn't be enough to satisfy him? Could it? Everyone needed human interaction right?

As Emily thought about her friend, some of the team had started assembling to talk about the case.

Rossi had just had the time to go from Seattle to Boston before the local authorities had decided to refuse FBI assistance, and while it usually wasn't common, it could happen. It had been unexpected because they had already started to work over the case. But considering that the crimes hadn't crossed State lines and that they hadn't been invited, there wasn't much the team could do.

As horrible as it sounded they needed a new body to make the case serial and give them enough ammunition to demand to be reinstated.

JJ had already apologised profusely to Hotch over the issue, but he couldn't really fault her. They had been invited, at first…. When the local authorities changed their minds it meant that they wanted to keep it local and low profile, or that the big-guy in town wanted to make a name for themselves. In this particular instance, judging by the deputy chief's and the chief's reaction to their arrival, it would seem it was the latter.

The informal gathering about the case was held by Morgan, Reid and JJ as they discussed the level of violence of the crime scene, and the pictures.

- " Maybe we can pick it up tomorrow guys, I mean JJ … if we you are here talking to us it means we probably don't have a case right ?" asked Morgan, while cleaning his desk.

- "Technically no, you are free to go. But Hotch wants a debrief tomorrow morning at 8." responded JJ. She was actually glad to be able to go home and sleep in her own bed, even though it was 8.37 am. The long hours could become tiresome.

- "Great, well i am out of here." Said Morgan. "What are you doing Pretty Boy?"

- "I want to actually hang out here a little, I slept on the plane and I want to finish this chapter…" Spencer's voice had already lowered as he immersed himself into his reading.

As the others were cleaning their desks Rossi and Hotch appeared from the latter's office, and peered over the bullpen.

- "You can all go home for the day" said Hotch.

- "GREAT! ", said Garcia as she held a brown paper file containing the information she had dug out about this mystery women. "I actually have the file you asked for Sir. It's not much honestly, this Hermione doesn't really have an online presence." She said jovially, while giving the file to Hotch. She wasn't happy about the lack of information but she had been awake in her room until 3 am last night and was happy to go home as four hours of sleep didn't cut it.

She then turned to her favourite Doctor and approached him slowly, enjoying the fact that he was so engrossed in his book that he was oblivious to her actions.

While she was doing so Derek and JJ left, but Emily, intrigued by Garcia's text decided to stay behind and do what profilers are good at : observe.

- "Sooo… what are you reading my favourite intellectual?" She asked while giving no particular interest to the book, but wanting to actually see Reid's mindset.

Spencer paused and looked at Garcia suspiciously:

- "You never ask me for that sort of information. So i will ask this in return: can i do something for you Garcia?"

- "Oh my Genius, nothing gets past you… I was just wondering if there was a special someone in your life that we don't know about?"

- "Euh… I don't really know what you mean… No… there… isn't" Said Spencer slowly as a blush quickly developed on his cheeks, he didn't like talking about his inexistent love life.

- "Garcia was asking, interjected Emily, because apparently she found a woman you would get along with perfectly, A soulmate were her exact words." Said Emily, taking a certain pleasure in seeing his blush deepen and watching Garcia send her a death glare, as her colleague deplored her lack of tact.

- "Yes and I can't tell you anything about her just yet, lover boy, because she may be coming to join the team." Said Garcia casually.

- "Well… euh…. please don't try to set me up guys. It's rare enough that a women want to date me, they usually find me boring or pretentious…" Said Spencer in a small voice. "Honestly it isn't worth the effort right now."

- "Don't say that, said Emily. There are some women out there for you Spencer. But maybe we should let you find them yourself…" Sending a meaningful look at Garcia.

- "Fine ! Huffed the tech expert, date on your own terms! But it would have been so much fun to play matchmaker with this one…" She said in a longing voice.

Spencer decided to let the two women discuss this potential love interest, that would probably find him boring anyway, As he got back to his fascinating book. It wasn't as interesting as the one he had read by a certain Hermione, because this particular book was on a subject he knew too much of already to be fascinated, but it still provided him intellectual company.

Spencer kept reading on for an hour, not realising that time had passed.

He wasn't aware of the fact that while he was reading Hotch and Rossi had decided to interview a certain young women and that she was on her way to Virginia, from Seattle. A flight of a few hours that the FBI paid for.

As time flew Spencer remained ignorant of it, captivated as he was by his reading. Hotch and Rossi had both settled the questions they wanted to ask for their interview and had decided to go get breakfast and some sleep beforehand.

The minutes turned into hours and at 4 pm, Spencer finally raised his head as a he felt a mild headache from constant reading. Surprised at the time he decided to get a coffee, with milk since he needed to sleep, and leave the bullpen to head home.

But as he was standing, waiting for the elevator, the door opened and in his sleepy state he missed the brunette engrossed in a book, exiting the elevator.

His coffee spilled on the floor between them and on their shoes, but as Spencer was about to apologise for his inattention he raised his head to discover a lovely creature…

- "I…euh… I am so sorry, miss…. I am not usually this clumsy, I… here". he said, getting tissues from his gilet. He was still startled by the fact that this women reminded him of someone, someone he had seen. His memory couldn't let him forget faces. And what's more her face was associated with a book he had enjoyed very much!

She started to talk, but he cut her off, forgetting his manners:

- "You are Hermione right? I mean that's your name? … I read your book it's very interesting how you seem so aware of the particular struggles of this cluster of people… "

Hermione was confused - hot from the coffee that had thankfully been luck warmed enough from added milk that it didn't burn her - and a bit baffled by this young man. A young man who seemed entranced by simply meeting her, if his state was any indication.

She knew the look he was giving her well: it had come with the adoration that had been first present after the War, the people meeting her on the street thanking her for her part. That was before the trio had started to crumble… But she hadn't been looked in that way for a long time. Sure there had been the audacious students who wanted a chance at dating their TA, but she always politely, if a bit coldly, turned them down.

As she though of this for a few seconds she also looked at the young man in front of her, apart from his somewhat old or "teachery" clothing style, he was attractive enough. Not in a striking way, but his facial features were sharp and angular, he had soft light brown eyes, with a hint of green and his teeth were perfectly set - a feature that her parent's occupation had made her hyper aware of. His hair was also quite shiny and at a length that meant he had to curl strands behind his ears, which was endearing. He was also quite tall and towered over her, as he still was very close to her.

She cut his ramblings:

- "No please, she said, with a crisp British accent he hadn't expected, i should have watched were I was going, I was just so engrossed in Great Expectations that I didn't look if the coast was clear.." She joked.

But Spencer had stopped listening at the mention of the book she was reading, it was rare to find people in this building reading Dickens… So for this lovely women to be reading one of his favourites, it was just a randomly pleasing experience.

All sleep fell out of his system and he remembered the tissues he still held and gave one to her. Finding an excuse to actually touch her. She accepted it and set about cleaning her shoes, and as she slowly started rising she realised that this young man was still standing very close to her, and even though he seemed friendly enough she was still intrigued about how he knew her name, and why he was so awestruck.

She was surprised to see a hand enter her line of vision as he tried to help her up. Physical contact was usually something she shied away from since the War - a trait Spencer also possessed due to his own insecurities - but it seemed natural enough to accept the hand of this stranger.

As they were both upright again Spencer stepped away, realising that he was blocking her way out of the escalator. She passed by him and he got a whiff of a soft subtle feminine fragrance, not all empowering like Garcia's or striking like JJ and Emily. This was floral and natural, almost absent. But for Spencer it was riveting.

So instead of going home he did something completely out of character:

- "Since i ruined my coffee and at the same occasion your shoes by being so clumsy, would you be interested in my offer of coffee as an apology?" he asked without rambling.

- "Well you could start by telling me how you know my book…"