Chapter 2

It was a tranquil, almost lethargic morning to Hermione who was in the process of waking up. Ron was still asleep leaving her with Crookshanks, who loath to being ignored, had started curling his way around the legs of her counter chair, where she was sipping at her morning cup of tea.

Gaining no reaction from her, Hermione could vaguely feel Crookshanks starting to but his head against her slipper, though she barely took notice of it. It was her first official off day since her interdepartmental move, habitually she would have gone to work regardless, but this morning she found herself grateful for the opportunity it presented.

Her thoughts kept circling back to the seemingly inconspicuous note...

Your work is found to be intriguing on the bending of outer dimensions,

I would appreciate it if you could come see me for a further and deeper discussion regarding work of the same nature.

18 Mabyline road, Willowsgrove

Sunday the eighth, 12h00

Tu fui, ego eris

It has almost been exactly two weeks since she had received the peculiar note stipulating the meeting for today. In truth it peaked her interest far more than she would like to admit. The note itself being hastily scribbled on a torn piece of parchment and signed with the sombre Latin proverb saying What you are, I was. What I am, you will be, not uncommonly found at Wizarding gravesites.

Personally, Hermione suspected the note to be a hoax.

The worst part being that it would probably not be the first or last time that a co-worker found it hilarious to try and trick Hermione, especially now being the only former Gryffindor among a sea of Ravenclaws and Slytherins.

But somehow she could not be entirely convinced, mainly that the only people with the knowledge of what her previous work entailed was her head of the division and her Overseer (a dour man with no sense of humour).

For better or for worse she supposed there could be no harm in going...

"Mione, Hey MIONE, HERMIONE! are you even listening to me?!" With a startled, somewhat dazed expression Hermione, quickly stuffed the note away, looking up to find Ron waving a pamphlet for the Potions Festival at her form across the kitchen table of her flat.

"Oh, I am sorry Ron" she answered sincerely, being met with an unimpressed face that urged her to add "I did not mean to appear uninterested, I am just a bit tired, I had a difficult week. What were you saying?" The irritation that had flared up at her thoughts being disrupted had rapidly been replaced by gnawing sense of guilt.

Although her relationship with Ron, after her return to the UK and the year following, had been a rather strained one, they had patched up most of their differences (in a rather loud argument that had been simmering for some time).

The aftermath had not been pretty. They had been at the Burrow for Christmas, luckily outside, when heated words had turned to hexes leaving Ron's hair green for a week, new robes in tatters and a pleading look so reminiscent of their school days that Hermione had been left with no choice but to forgive him.

At present she knew there was a lot between them that probably will never be the same again, but at least they were working on their relationship.

"Well as I was saying Hermione, my parents have invited us for dinner today, but I wanted to know if you would rather want to go somewhere, you know, a bit more special?" came Ron's expectant question.

Hermione had not entirely forgotten, she just now wished that she had not then confirmed to spend her entire day with Ron, today being the only day that both of them were free from work.

Ron obvious to her distress continued: "Well Hermione I was thinking we could start off the day with a breakfast at Honeyduke's, and then continue from there..."

A boyish look of excitement suddenly lit his face "and it you wanted to, the Chudley Cannons will be playing against the Irish Hornets today as well, so we could go watch them and then maybe go for look at the Potion festival in the village nearby?"

The guilt of her recent neglect of their relationship now at the forefront of her mind, Hermione did not know if she should even consider the meeting anymore.

What could she say, she couldn't now suddenly say no, prompting from her a "Ron, that sounds lovely, but..." with Ron out the door before she could finish her sentence.

Ron had lead them to a corner table in the little shop. Honeyduke's was Ron's second favourite shop (and a favourite of his to take her to on a date) after the Quidditch supply shop in Diagon Alley.

Not that Hermione was complaining per se, Ron was just not the most considerate person in the world, not exactly giving her a chance to give her opinion of what she would've enjoyed today too.

The closer the clock came to 12h00 the more restless Hermione became.

"Ron, I know you did a lot of planning for today, and I'm really sorry, but I have a meeting at twelfth 'clock today and I..."

with an annoyed snort Ron exclaimed: "Yeah Right, since I haven't bloody heard that excuse before"

(Hermione knew she wasn't in Ron's best graces at the moment especially with the amount of time she had worked overtime at the office)

"You're always busy, even on your off days!" standing Ron furiously continued his tirade: "You know what Hermione, I'm tired of playing second fiddle to your books and your work, we've been together now for three years, and to what end! More WORK, more BOOKS" with that Ron barged out of the shop.

"No. Wait Ron, please, I didn't mean it like that. Ronald Weasley!" Hermione dejectedly cried, but Ron had already left.

Hermione knew well where she would be able to find Ron at the moment. (In the nearest pub drinking his sorrows away.)

But knew better...

In the last three years of dating that had been Ron's go-to when he was really upset usually with something she had done.

It was usually better to leave him then to come to his senses on his own, pushing him would only further upset him. Not that she could really blame him, since her own use of books, as a shield to the world, when emotionally wounded.

Deciding to leave a note for Ron at home, with a sigh Hermione apparated away.

Disclaimer: Same as previous