I said weekly, but I don't want you getting bored.
Thank you for the reviews on chapter one, and the alerts this has received.
Here's part two a couple of days early.

At the end of her working day, Hermione lazily wondered back towards her favourite fireplace to floo home. It had been a punishing week in her department and a long soak in a bath was well overdue. Being the most junior employee in her department, even after eighteen months took its toll. She may be used as a pencil pusher with ideas so great they may blow her superior's tiny little mind, but that didn't mean she had to enjoy it. As she rounded the last corner she saw something she had forgotten about from that morning.

In the center of the atrium, a team of men were packing away a stage and collecting the littered flyers from their days work. Charlie and his fellow protesters were finished for the week and answering last minute questions from keen members of the wizarding public. Hermione smiled to herself, the memory of Charlie's smile flashing just behind her eyes. The reverse of what he had said was true; it seems there is only one other person who loses themselves in research like Hermione does, and without telling her feet to move she was walking towards the tall redhead.

As she approached, she saw a twenty-something woman in too-tall heels, too-short skirt and a too-tight blouse almost run to him. Hermione recognized her as a Prophet reporter who had spoken to Harry after the war, and a woman who went after power so not surprisingly she was draped over Charlie like a bad smell.

"So, do you really think you can make a difference?" she drawled. "It's only two dragons a year tops, it can't be making that much of a diff-" At this Hermione saw Charlie visibly flinch at the woman's words. His eyes narrowed dangerously, a trait Hermione recognized from Ron but the reporter was oblivious.

"Yes, I do think I can make a difference," he started hotly. A red-tinted mist covered Charlie's usually kind and passionate exterior. "We all think we can make a bloody difference and we don't need close minded people like you trying to disrupt our efforts. It's all right for you saying it's only two dragons, but I've worked with them since I was seventeen years old and researching since before that, and I have seen first hand the damage these hunters are doing. We need all the backing we can get if the DMLE are going to take us seriously. If all you're going to do is stick the knife in and twist my words then you can sod off right now."

During his tirade the man with dreadlocks came and stood at Charlie's side. He may only have been as tall as Hermione, but he was three times as wide in the shoulders and his dark eyes were murderous. He listened as Charlie put the reporter in her place.

"I've said all there is on the matter, and the Quibbler has agreed to print all of my research so the public can see the damage these poachers are doing. They need to be stopped and if you want more information, read it tomorrow like everyone else." Charlie finished with.

The reporter looked as though someone has slapped her. The verbal spanking Charlie had just given her had shown her the type of man she was trying to deal with and it was obvious she was in over her head. She adjusted the pleats in her skirt and took off with a huff, not wanting to go in for round two. Charlie's companion jabbed his wand at the scrunched up flyer in Charlie's hand, making it fold into an origami dragon and chased her from the atrium. The altercation had drawn in a small crowd of stragglers who all gave a wry cheer for the parchment dragon.

The smirk on Hermione's face was not there by default; she couldn't help but enjoy seeing a reporter squirm. The click of her kitten heels made Charlie and his friend turn around.

"I thought I told- Hermione!" Charlie spoke before he saw who was approaching. His face cracked into a wide smile and he claimed her in a huge hug. They had not seen each other since the war as Charlie was away working, but they had always got on well. The five-year gap hadn't changed their pleasantries towards each other, and they relaxed into each other instantly.

"Hey Charlie," Hermione said into his hair. "You look great! Well done on getting rid of that woman, Ron and I had to confund her to keep her away from Harry."

"I just hate people like her," he said as he spied the parchment dragon flying around the fountain. "Oh, this is Gus. He's second in command and been helping me with the research."

At this Gus placed a small kiss on Hermione's cheek and said his 'hello'. He was a kind faced man when he wasn't listening to crap spewing from overzealous reporters. Charlie obviously trusted him as their banter flowed back and forth easily and without malice.

"I swear Charlie only knows pretty girls," Gus teased as Hermione's cheeks flushed pale pink. Hermione wasn't remarkably pretty, her hair was still frizzy but she wouldn't he Hermione without it. She dressed well enough to make sure people knew she meant business but forwent makeup most days.

"Oh course I do," Charlie retorted quickly. "I can't do worse than my brothers now can I?"

"Charlie, I'm friends with all your brothers," Hermione added with a smile. Gus left them to continue the clean up and allowed Hermione and Charlie to have a chat. "Seriously though, all of this is amazing. I can't believe how much support you've got in only a week!"

"Neither can we to be honest," Charlie admitted with a small voice. "We had no idea it would blow up this big. We thought there would be more resistance so we packed our wands for a game of Exploding Snap."

"I've heard rumours for a while around the Department of Magical Creatures, but I didn't know anything was being done about it," Hermione admitted. She felt bad for knowing about small rumours but knowing that Charlie knew about them too eased the guilt. "I would have researched into it bu-"

"It's ok Hermione," Charlie said with a smile as they walked around to pick up stray flyers and the remains of the origami dragon. "I know you've had bigger fish to fry. People have known for a while but didn't have the balls to do anything." Charlie finished with a sigh.

"But I think people have been scared too," Hermione reasoned. "Not many people are willing to stand up to this place, even now."

They stood in a comfortable silence for a moment, each thinking their own thoughts. Charlie needed all the help he could get with his campaign and Hermione was fed up of being the stepping-stone people in her department used for bettering themselves. The novelty of a year and a half of other peoples stress and working below her payroll was starting to wear thin, and the ever-present feeling of wanderlust was starting to take over. Hermione could take off without a second thought and not regret her choice. She had nothing tying her to her current job apart from a pathetically tiny salary and a pension payout at the age of seventy.

Charlie was taking his time to ponder the wonders of the woman stood next to him, flattening out the discarded flyers people had left behind. What was she still doing in the Ministry? Surely Hermione would be the head of a huge department looking out for elves and goblins by now? Yet, here she stood in her razor sharp pencil skirt and blazer covered with a deep purple travelling cloak that matched her dainty shoes. She seemed interested in the cause, but that was Hermione's way: Interested in anything that meant the wellbeing of someone or something other than herself. Charlie knew he and his team needed all the help they could get to overhaul the law, but he didn't want to drag her from her other work. He would relish the chance of having Hermione's help with research and charm work but he didn't want to be the point of blame if her other work suffered for it.

Who was he kidding, Hermione wouldn't let any work slip, she would take on all the work and work herself to death over every miniscule detail. She was too good an opportunity to pass up on.

"Hermione?" Charlie asked as Hermione used her wand to tie the remaining flyers into a bundle for next time.

"Is everything ok?" She asked with worry.

"Oh, yes, everything is fine. I want you to think about this," Charlie started. "Please don't rush into anything, but I think we need your help with this. Another pair of eyes to see the research would be priceless."

Hermione pondered for a moment. Ministry? No money, no drive, nothing to show for her time or Charlie? Possible danger, long days and short nights as well as researching for days on end, still with no money? It was a no-brainer for Hermione but the silence gave Charlie other thoughts.

"If you can't, it's fine," he said, to break the silence more than anything. He was slightly put out but he couldn't expect Hermione to drop everything for his campaign. Charlie was a realist, not a dreamer.

"I'll hand my resignation in tomorrow," Hermione told Charlie. Her eyes were closed as she said it, more for herself than anything. "I can meet you in a few days to start, if that works for you?"

Charlie, as it turns out was a dreamer. He was sure he just heard Hermione Granger tell him she would meet him in a few days to go over his research. He couldn't quite comprehend it. Heavy sounding footsteps came up behind him as Gus walked towards them.

"Charlie, we all set back there," he called as he got closer to the now quiet pair that was Charlie and Hermione. Coming to stand next to his friend, Gus slapped him on the back bringing him from his reverie. "You got all them flyers and things?"

"They're all here, Gus," Hermione said handing him a stack of parchment. Her eyes barely left Charlie's as she said it.

"Gus, get the guys together," Charlie said with a smile. "There's only one way I know to introduce the new team member."

"What you chatting? What new team member?" Gus asked, slightly confused.

"Gus, you've met Hermione. She's the only other person I know who is good enough to help with this." As Charlie spoke, a soft heated blush crossed Hermione's cheeks. It was the second time she had been complimented by Charlie today.

"Welcome aboard, Hermione," Gus said with a smile. "The emergency exits are here, here and here." He added with a smile and wild arm movements that caused a laugh from Hermione.

"You'll do well with us," Charlie stated. "You're the only one of us who got that joke."

For now…
This was mostly for plot, but there was a teensy bit of innocent flirting and we got to see more of Charlie.
Thoughts?

Thank you for reading and please review.