Chapter Fifteen

"SALLY!"

The witch in question groaned slightly at the sound of her name being shrieked from the other room. She knew why Miss Granger was calling for her… again… but it still wouldn't change her answer. None the less, the blonde woman stood up from her desk and obediently entered her employer's office. She frowned as she entered the room.

"I told you to leave it the way I had it," Sally crossed her arm in annoyance.

Hermione resisted the urge to stick out her tongue. "I didn't like it."

"I don't care, the way you have it looks dreary."

"You're rude."

"And you're purposefully trying to be dull, now I'm not going to say it again," she said as she approached Hermione's desk. "The red looks better than the grey."

"The sales lady said grey was in fashion right now…" Hermione frowned at her reflection in the mirror she had conjured.

"Then it would seem she was working for commission," Sally replied simply. "Go back to the red."

"What about brown instead?"

Sally shook her head, "The brown washes you out. Your hair is brown, your eyes are brown. Wrong lighting and your skin will be tinted brown too. Go with the red."

"How about black? Black is very classic."

Sally didn't give a rebuttal this time; she just took out her wand and tapped the side of Hermione's dress, turning the silky material back to the dark wine red she'd had it early. Satisfied with her work, Sally tucked her wand back in her pocket with a satisfied smile as Hermione gave her reflection a self conscious look. This had been going on all day. Miss Granger would ask her opinion, she'd give it, and then the former would spend an hour trying to argue about it. Initially Sally was rather impressed by the flattering wrap cocktail dress Miss Granger had purchased the night before, but the color had been all wrong. The goose gray shade of the material was nice, but was better suited for a dinner party at the Ministry rather then a date.

Not that she was actually admitting it was a date of course. Her boss still seemed to be trying to convince herself it was just a friendly dinner in thanks of her services.

Sally shook her head with a sigh. Miss Granger was an incredibly strong woman, someone Sally herself very much looked up to, and her talent as barrister was unremarkable. However when it came to men that she wasn't interrogating or interviewing, Miss Granger was about as savvy as a third year on their first date in Hogsmeade. Not that Sally had much room to talk. It'd been months, if not over a year, since she'd had a date herself but in her defense between a full time job and earning her prerequisites for the Academy of Magical Law, finding time to date was not in the span of possible for her at the moment. That and the market of acceptable boyfriends in the area were incredibly slim.

"I just don't know about the red," Hermione said. "I feel a bit… loud in it. Are you sure it's not too much?"

"You look lovely, Miss Granger. It's not loud, it's elegant. It's not even really red, it's more burgundy," Sally swatted Hermione's hand away as it nervously began fiddling with her hair. "Stop that! You look stunning; his tongue is going to be rolling on the carpet when he sees you."

"I don't think I can do this," Hermione turned away from the conjured mirror and flopped into her chair. "It was stupid of me to accept in the first place. I'm going to floo him and tell him I'm ill or something."

"You will do no such thing!" Sally snapped and put her hands on her hips. "I am not going to say Mr. Weasley is who I would have picked, but frankly Miss Granger, you need this."

"Need what?"

"You need to do something small to help you ease out of your comfort zone a bit, get you out of the courtroom and into the rest of the world. You're an amazing lawyer, Miss Granger but if you're not careful you'll spend the rest of your life arguing with people who don't matter. I may not know you as well as Mr. Potter but I know you well enough to recognize that this is not what you want for the rest of your life," the blonde huffed. "Now stop messing with your hair, put some fresh lipstick on and so help me Merlin, if you alter the color of that dress one more time I'll hex you into next year."

Hermione frowned at her young assistant but after a moment shook her head with a soft smile, "Thank you, Sally. That will be all."

Sally nodded and exited the room. She had just sat down at her desk when the bell above the door jingled, signaling that someone had come in. The blonde was not surprised to look up and find George Weasley standing in their entry way brushing the snow from his shoulders. He smiled at her as he removed his coat in the warm office.

"Evening, Sally," he grinned and did a spin for her. "What do you think?"

"Not bad," she replied honestly, admiring the dark green turtle neck and black trousers he had on. It even looked as though he had combed his hair. The long black muggle looking peacoat and obviously home made crimson scarf draped over his arm just pulled the entire ensemble together for a very attractive looking winter outfit. "You're entirely too early though. It's only a little after six-thirty."

"I thought I'd surprise her," George said. "What are you doing here so late though?"

"Working for Miss Granger for the most part is pure benefits; however it does have a few draw backs. Late nights are just one of those," Sally responded with a shrug. "Not like I have anything but an empty flat to run back to tonight anyway. My sister Sarah is off visiting in laws, so nothing much for me to do this evening I'm afraid. May as well get some work done while I'm able."

"Could pop over to your folks for supper instead. Parents love that sort of thing. I know my mum is always badgering me and my siblings to visit more often."

The second the words left his mouth George could practically feel the difference in Sally's demeanor. She gave him a sad and slightly uncomfortable smile. George couldn't help but feel as though he had just stuck his foot in his mouth.

"Actually... my parents didn't make it through the second war," she said. "Pureblood or not, you could only turn the Deatheaters down so many times before they retaliate."

George felt his heart slam into his rib cage "I…I'm so sorry," he said honestly. "What happened?"

Sally paused for a moment as though it looked like what she was about to say required a certain state of mind. "They put them both in body binding curses then lit our home on fire. Happened at the end of my second year. My brother and sister were in their fourth year and we all found out just after Dumbledore died," she replied. George suddenly remembered reporting about an incident on the first Potterwatch broadcast. He couldn't believe he never made the connection before now.

"At least you still have your brother and sister though," George said. Pointing out silver linings had become a habit since the war.

"Well, half right," Sally smiled weakly. "My brother, Seth, died a year later in the Hogwarts battle trying to get Sarah and I to safety. I got separated from them in the panic because we were in different houses and they came to find me instead of going straight for the floo. By the time we found each other the attacks had started. Seth stepped between us and a death eater's curse. "

George had never felt the need to hug someone so much in his entire life. Not since he found out Fred was still alive at least.

"Sarah and Seth were twins you see, so she took his death the worse. Was months after the battle before she started even speaking again," Sally closed her eyes for a moment but reopened them shortly and continued. "During the battle the only way I was able to get her to leave was when a sixth year boy stopped and helped me pull her off Seth's body. If it wasn't for that boy stunning our attacker and ushering us to the nearest floo I doubt I'd have any family left at all. I tried to find him to thank him afterwards, but sadly he didn't survive either. Would have gone to his funeral but Sarah was borderline catatonic for weeks. I chose to stay with her instead."

Scratch that, first he was going to find this Sarah person, then hug them both till at least one of them felt better. George remembered that horrible sick feeling after the battle when they all thought Fred was dead, and wouldn't wish that feeling on any one. Especially not a fellow set of twins. Sally sat back forward in her chair with her hands clamped together tightly on the desk.

"Mr. Weasley, being that we hardly know each other I am sure you must be wondering why I'm telling you all this," she said evenly. George nodded numbly. "I am doing so for one purpose and one purpose only."

"And that purpose is?"

"So that you will completely and unquestioningly understand me when I say to you, should you hurt Miss Granger in any sort of way, I will hunt you down and tear you apart molecule by molecule."

George had a feeling there was no joke like punch line to the petite blonde's threat.

"Miss Granger isn't just my employer, Mr. Weasley," Sally continued. "She's my friend, and the closest thing to another family member that I think I will ever have outside of my brother in law. She gave me a job when no one else would or could, and has been privately tutoring me for over a year so I can pass my exams and become an attorney myself. I will do anything to protect her, and you will do well to remember that."

For a lack of a better response George replied with a very sincere, "Yes, Ma'am."

Sally nodded in approval and sat back, "That being said please be patient with her. I said I would do anything to protect her and I meant it. This includes from herself. She'll probably try and fight it, and I'm loath to admit this, but you may just be what she needs right now. Don't mess this up."

George smiled and reached across the desk to squeeze Sally's still clamped hands. "I'll do my best not too."

She smiled softy in return and stood up from het chair. Knocking softly on Miss Granger's office door, Sally opened it just enough to poke her head in. George could just barely hear her telling Hermione he was here. A new wave of giddiness replaced the somber feelings and George grinned widely as the door opened all the way, though he made a mental note to think some more on what Sally had said later.

However as Hermione stepped through out of her office and into the lobby's well lit area all thought process came to a screeching halt. George couldn't help the slight hitch in his breath or the automatic dropping of his jaw. Merlin bless muggle dress makers!

TBC

A/N: Apologies for the not a very long chapter but I have been working crazy amounts of over time this week and haven't had a chance to sit down with my laptop. I know you were all expecting the date in this one (and no worries we will get to it very soon) I just thought it was important everyone get a little back story on Sally and why she is so devoted to Hermione. I hope you all liked it! R&R my lovelies!

~Chupip