Author's Note: I will no longer be posting any new stories to FFN. I will continue to update the WIPs I already have posted on FFN, but all new stories will be exclusively posted to AO3. There is little reason or incentive to do the extra work required to post on both websites given the discouraging lack of interaction on FFN in the past several years. It feels like I'm just posting updates to the void where the only comments I ever receive are from mean trolls who want to insult me personally or tell me how shitty my story is. The atmosphere at AO3 is much kinder than I expected which makes writing much more enjoyable. As this is my hobby, I don't want to continue doing something that makes me miserable. Sadly, FFN can sometimes be a hellscape.

If you are interested in following me for new stories, I can be found on Tumblr at Canimal and AO3 at Canimal. Thanks for your understanding. Again, all current WIPs will continue to be updated on FFN until they are complete.

*I will be updating this story at least once a week until it's finished. My goal is to have it done before the end of the year. Shouldn't be a problem. Fingers crossed.

Chapter Six

Charlie

And he meant every single word he said. If Hermione had a chance at happiness with Kingsley, she would be a fool to not run after it. One was only offered a finite number of chances to find true happiness and love. To squander it was a waste. Chances for love didn't come around as often as the stupid stories would lead one to believe. That was a lesson he learned the hard way, one he didn't expect to need to be reminded of again.

"I don't really think that Kingsley feels that way about me. We are only friends."

"Isn't that supposedly how the best relationships start off? As friends?"

At least that was what he had been hearing for most of his life. It never seemed to be true for him. Every witch that had ever been his friend remained only that. He couldn't even recall a time when he felt anything at all for a friend. Watching his parents, knowing that they started out as friends when they were just starting at Hogwarts, made him believe that there might be a tiny morsel of truth to the rumor. It was unfortunate that he was one of those thick headed creatures who needed to see evidence with his own eyes before he could be certain it was true.

"I have heard that and maybe it's true for some people. It… it wasn't true for me."

There was the tiniest hitch in her speech when made her statement that caught his attention. As much as she was trying to hide what she was feeling and thinking, he thought he saw the flicker of sadness in her eyes when she mentioned friendships turning into relationships. As soon as he saw it, he could've kicked himself for being so thoughtless.

She had been in a relationship with her best friend. It hadn't turned into an all-consuming powerful love that resulted in a rickety house in the country and seven red-headed babies like it had with his parents. No, it ended in heartbreak and sadness that even years later was easy enough to see when the subject was even hinted at. Charlie didn't know the reason why his little brother and Hermione didn't make it. Everyone thought they would. Curious he might be, but he knew that wasn't the time nor the place to ask impertinent questions for answers to questions that were none of his business.

"You might not see it, love, but the Minister wants to be more than just your friend."

Recognizing that she was still struggling to believe he was telling the truth, he chose to give it up. She was an intelligent person to be sure, but even smart ones could be blind to the obvious from time to time. Until she was ready to see what was right in front of her face, no amount of convincing would do it.

"Have a good night, Hermione."

When they were in the midst of the passionate encounter on top of her desk, he wanted to invite her over to his flat for another three, possibly four rounds of the same. Although he knew he didn't technically have any reason to do so, he felt too guilty. They were playing a dangerous game, one that he knew could end badly. If he was any sort of decent human being, he would walk away from her and never bother her again. What she deserved wasn't something he was even capable of giving.

In order to prevent her from experiencing any further embarrassment by getting mixed up with the likes of someone like him, Charlie was very careful when he exited her office. No one needed to see him. At that hour, the gossip would be relentless and unforgivable. Usually, in ordinary circumstances, he would find it all funny, something he could enjoy joking about. Not with Hermione. It felt wrong to bring any sort of negative attention her way. She didn't deserve to be an object of ridicule or even just tawdry office whispers.

He returned to his desk to make certain it was cleared off and in perfect order before he left for the weekend. Once the stacks of parchment he was responsible for reviewing were in a tidy pile waiting for Monday morning, he headed for the lifts. The thought of lingering even a minute longer sent a disgusted shudder up his spine. Likely he would never be the sort of wizard to enjoy being cooped up inside an office building, even if he was cursed to be there for a hundred years and not just the two years he was willing.

Finding anyone else waiting for the lift would have been a surprise, but walking up on the Minister waiting for its arrival was even more unexpected. Why was Kingsley still on that level? He had a sinking feeling in his stomach that maybe he had been seen leaving her office after all. If he had, Kingsley didn't immediately come right out and say so. His smile was friendly.

"You're here awfully late tonight, aren't you, Charlie?"

There was nothing hostile in his tone, only curiosity. Maybe Charlie was being overly paranoid. Unless Kingsley came right out to accuse him clearly, he would act as if nothing was strange.

"Yes, I am. Had a report to finish before I left."
"You weren't at your desk when I walked by a few minutes ago."

Charlie never cared much for lying. It usually made him physically ill in his guts to tell even a small one. His mum could always tell when he was younger based on the green tinge to his complexion alone. He felt guilty lying to Kingsley's face.

"Must've been in the toilet then."

The Minister nodded as if that made perfect sense. It was a small relief when the doors to the lift opened. Both wizards rushed inside. While the trip to the Atrium level and the employee exit wasn't long, there was something uncomfortable about being alone with the man after discovering the truth about his feelings for Hermione. Though he had no reason to, Charlie couldn't help but feel guilty after what he initiated in her office. Determined to not let it get awkward between them, he cleared his throat and blurted out the first thought he had.

"You should get out of the Ministry more, Kingsley. It can't be healthy to stay here so late."

Kingsley chuckled.

"I was hoping to take a witch to dinner tonight but she was busy."

The guilt he felt only increased. What was he doing distracting Hermione when there was someone like Kingsley actually interested in more than just a tumble between the sheets?

"You shouldn't give up on her. Keep asking her until she's not busy."

By the time they reached the Atrium, the conversation between the two men was friendly and much easier than it had been when they first stepped inside the lift. As they parted ways, Charlie was even more convinced that Kingsley would be a much better fit for Hermione. She deserved to find happiness and love. He just needed to figure out how to prove to her that she was better off looking for it with Kingsley. Somehow she needed to be persuaded.

With a nod in the other wizard's direction, Charlie crossed the marble floor to the exit. Unsure where he was going next, he just knew that he wasn't ready to go back to the horrible flat he supposed he should call home. Friday nights alone were the worst. He just wanted to go somewhere he could have a drink and waste some time without anyone bothering him.

Hogsmeade was his chosen destination. It had been some time since he was last there. Becoming a regular at the Leaky Cauldron might be more convenient because of the location of his flat, but it wasn't a good idea. Far too many of his brothers went there. Word would get out how often he was there and it was bad enough hearing a lecture about his drinking from Bill alone. If the others started, he would have no peace.

At first he considered going to the Hog's Head. It seemed like the perfect place to drink and be unbothered. Once upon a time that was probably true, but its reputation had changed since the end of the war. Far more popular than it used to be to Aberforth's dismay, Charlie couldn't guarantee he wouldn't see anyone he knew in there. After being encouraged to clean the tavern up, his clientele was much different.

The Three Broomsticks was busy, easy to slip into the crowd without being too noticeable. He was glad to see after a quick scan of patrons inside that he was the only redhead. Not having family around to watch his every move would make spending the evening doing as he wished much easier. Listening to one more lecture about the amount of alcohol he drank might push him over the edge.

Smelling the special for the night made his empty stomach growl. He was starving after what he and Hermione did in her office. As he placed his order and waited for his meal, his mind wandered back to the Ministry. An amused smirk formed on his lips. He still couldn't believe she let him convince her to do that at work. Maybe he could take her back into the stairwell to try to finish what they started.

No, he needed to stay away, cut off their arrangement. It would end badly. She deserved so much more than him. Kingsley was the sort of man she needed. He made the decision to do whatever was necessary to get Hermione with Kingsley.

Hermione

Still staring at her office door over a minute after Charlie closed it behind him, Hermione felt like she was stuck in a bit of a daze. So far it had been a very unusual night. Flicking her eyes down to her desk, she couldn't believe she allowed him to convince her to do what they did just a short time earlier. What had she been thinking? They could've been caught.

More than that, she wasn't sure what to think about the potential revelation about Kingsley. Part of her didn't believe a word Charlie said on the subject. Kingsley was just an old friend, but the more she considered it all, the more she started to question if that was indeed true. Kingsley had been fairly attentive in recent months, more so than usual. She highly doubted he randomly dropped by other Ministry officials' offices to ask how their weekends were. Nor did he probably invite a lot of people out for dinner.

The more she considered how Kingsley had been acting around her, the more she felt like a fool. She wasn't usually very adept at picking up subtle clues. Unfortunately, it wasn't often she had need to. Some of her shine wore off in the years since the war ended. She wasn't as interesting and she knew her reputation wasn't great. A former lover once told her she was something of an acquired taste. He hadn't meant it as an insult. Really he was usually a very kind man, but it still hurt. Mostly because she knew there was truth to it. She wasn't the easiest person to be in a relationship with. Never had been.

For the first time she began to think about Kingsley in a whole new light. He really was a wonderful man. They had always had fascinating conversations that never lagged or grew awkward. She enjoyed his company. Was it such a strange idea?

Starting new relationships always worried her more than she was comfortable admitting. There were some things she could and would not offer that might be deal breakers for many. That was part of what made her arrangement with Charlie so enticing. They didn't have to have the uncomfortable conversations because there were no strings. It was all just sex.

She knew she wouldn't be happy with that arrangement forever. Neither would Charlie. Eventually it would end. Best to break it off before it got too complicated. She liked Charlie and the man had a sinful tongue she would miss, but it wasn't as if he was the sort of wizard she wanted to end up with. They were too different in all the ways it mattered. If she was being honest with herself, she knew she should just chalk it up as they had some enjoyable encounters, but that was it. They didn't have to make it more than it really was.

A deep, frustrated sigh exploded out of her. She might have told Kingsley she was going to stay late in the office to keep working on her proposal, but she knew that was no longer possible. With her mind continually wandering, she couldn't focus on anything. Every moment she sat at her desk trying to work was another moment wasted.

After cleaning up her desk and trying to get it back in some sort of order, she exited her office. Halfway across the Level to the lifts, she saw Kingsley again. Was he returning to her office to ask her to dinner again? Maybe he hoped he'd given her enough time to finish what she was doing. The expression on his face when he saw her made it evident he wasn't expecting her to have left her desk yet.

"I thought you were going to be here late working on your proposal."

"I thought so too, but I changed my mind. It'll keep until Monday."

He smiled.

"Oh. Would you..?"

"Kingsley, would you still like to go out for dinner with me?"

His smile grew wider as he nodded. She felt a fluttering in her stomach she could only assume were nerves. That was a new experience. Never before, with the exception of the night they were fighting Death Eaters together on the back of a thestral, had she had a reason to be nervous around the man. One observation from Charlie and she was unsure how to even act around an old friend.

Neither of them seemed to know what to say to the other as they made their way to the lifts, then to the Atrium, and finally the employee exit. Hermione was glad he had a suggestion where to go after she asked him out. As someone who worked far too many hours and didn't often get invited out for dinner, she wasn't as familiar with the current options available for a late dinner in the wizarding world. Usually, if she even remembered to eat something, she fell back on the familiarity of the Muggle takeaway she often ate as a child thanks to her own workaholic parents.

A private table at the cafe in the back was made available as soon as they arrived. Feeling as though the staff was waiting for them, Hermione wondered if he had already made arrangements before he first came to her office to invite her out while Charlie still hid behind her door. Everyone was friendly, unbothered by the sudden arrival of the Minister for Magic. As they were escorted to the dark corner their table sat, Kingsley greeted everyone they passed by first name.

"I come here a lot when I don't feel like cooking for myself."

The slight shrug of his shoulders as he explained himself helped to put her slightly more at ease. While it wasn't the first time she had ever had a meal with Kingsley, somehow it felt really different from all of the other meals. Once it was pointed out so bluntly by Charlie, she could no longer deny the truth that had been in front of her for a long time. So consumed had she been with her own worries, she didn't even notice the attention she had been getting from the Minister was more than just friendly.

She really was flattered. How many other witches would be envious to be in her position? Kingsley was a wonderful man in all of the many ways that really mattered. She could do a lot worse. She had done worse. Though she wasn't looking for a relationship, should she allow it to happen? Wasn't the old cliche that the right one would appear when they were least expected?

"I've never been here before."

"Then you are in for a treat. I have never gone wrong with one of their daily specials."

The longer they sat at their private table, the more comfortable they both seemed to grow around each other. Realizing that she was capable of making an influential man like Kingsley nervous, she felt a small boost to her self-confidence. Part of his job was to meet with some of the most powerful witches and wizards in the entire world and he always made it look so simple and easy. How could he stare down the most intimidating esteemed members of the Wizengamot, but dinner alone with her made him nervous? She enjoyed the feeling.

Some of the tension dissipated once the delicious bottle of wine he chose was uncorked and poured. Just as he promised, every bite she ate was delicious. She could easily understand why he chose to eat there as often as he did. Maybe she should make more of an effort to patronize the smaller restaurants in Diagon Alley. At the very least, she knew she needed to stop eating sandwiches over her sink as often as she did. It was starting to become far more pathetic than she was willing to admit.

"What proposal were you working on when I came by your office?"

They were halfway through their meal when Kingsley asked what must have appeared to him to be a fairly innocuous question. As colleagues, it wasn't unreasonable for their conversation, even during what was increasingly obvious was a real date, to veer off into work-related topics. Any other night she would have happily launched into a thorough explanation when asked the same question regardless of her audience and the level of their interest. Being reminded of the lie she told when Charlie was hiding behind her door made her feel suddenly tense and uncomfortable. Kingsley couldn't know how the question would make her feel. He didn't know why she felt so guilty.

"Oh, that's not very interesting." She waved her hand as if that could physically push the topic away. "Surely we can find something other than work to talk about. Besides, if all goes as I hope it will after I turn it in, you will see it on your desk soon enough."

He smiled as he nodded, agreeing without saying so out loud to not fall back on the easy subject of work when their conversation stalled.

"Well, whatever the proposal is about, I'm selfishly glad that you chose to stop working on it when you did."

"It was a rather pathetic way to spend my Friday evening, wasn't it?"

His loud laughter had always been contagious. Many times in their shared past she could remember him being able to thoroughly change the mood of the entire room with a laugh alone. One couldn't keep from smiling when he was really amused. It was easy to admire a person so influential. Easy also to be quite envious of how he could navigate even the most awkward social encounter. It was a trait she unfortunately did not possess.

"I'm glad that I saw you again when I left my office. I assumed you would've already left the building."

If it was possible, his next smile seemed a little embarrassed. That was unexpected when it came to him.

"Yes, well, I received some excellent advice on the way to the lifts. I was told not to give up on you and keep asking until you weren't busy."

At the time of night they were in the office, there were few other Ministry officials present on the Level. Most had been long gone for hours. Only a handful took their jobs seriously enough to stay so late. Who could he have run into in that short period of time from her office to the lifts?

Kingsley raised his wine glass to make a toast.

"I owe Charlie Weasley a debt of gratitude for making this dinner happen."

Even as she raised her own glass to carefully clink against his, she felt the same guilt from earlier settle in her stomach. Would Kingsley still be so quick to toast Charlie if he knew what they had been doing on top of her desk mere minutes before he knocked to ask her out? Probably not. As she sipped her wine, she tried to push those thoughts away. What was the point in ruining a perfectly good evening with something she could not change? Besides, it was Charlie who was so eager to push the two of them together. Maybe she should listen to him.

"You said your last trip to MACUSA was painfully boring? How so?"

"I thought you didn't want to talk about work."

"No, I don't want to talk about my work. Yours sounds far more interesting."

Kingsley chuckled again before he gave in to answer her question. Some days when she was stuck behind her desk with no hope for escape, she felt envious of the few Ministry officials who were required to travel as part of their job. As much as she preferred ending her nights on her own comfortable mattress in her own flat, she also wished she could get out of her very small bubble to see more of the world she was missing.

"As I said before, it may not have been so dreadfully boring if I hadn't been alone, but the never-ending meetings and…"

The rest of their meal passed in a pleasant blur. Once they landed on an interesting topic, conversation did not stall for even a moment all the way to dessert. It was encouraging that Kingsley was the sort of person to encourage her numerous questions, not discourage or complain about them as so many other dates had in her past. Before she was ready for it to be over, they were stepping out onto a quiet, mostly dark Diagon Alley.

"Do you have far to Apparate?"

She knew he was worried about the third, or was it the fourth, glass of wine she consumed. Alcohol and Apparition did not mix well. It was always wise to have an active floo connection after a night of drinking or someone who hadn't been imbibing to Side-Along Apparate instead.

"No, I live just a short walk down the Alley above Sugarplum's Sweets Shop."

"Oh, I didn't realize. I've been there many times."

"They have the best cauldron cakes in London."

He nodded. Some of the tension from earlier returned. There hadn't been much pressure when they were just two old friends sharing a meal. One step outside into the dark night and a mention of her flat changed everything.

"A gentleman would never dream of allowing a lady to walk home alone this time of night."

He made a dramatic show of holding out his arm that made her smile. Though she was perfectly capable of defending herself from any potential dangers she might face walking home, she appreciated the gesture. Once her arm was around his, they began a leisurely pace down the practically deserted Alley. Their conversation resumed with ease.

It was a bit of a disappointment to see the garish pink storefront she lived above. Talking was simple. Would he expect a goodnight kiss? Most men would.

"May I take you to dinner again, Hermione?"

"Yes. I would like that."

When he leaned in for a kiss, she was relieved to feel his lips press lightly against her cheek. Anything more than that would feel inappropriate. It was weird to think of kissing another man in the same night she was with Charlie. Kingsley waited for her to disappear behind the door that led to the narrow staircase up to her flat on the first floor.

As she showered to get ready for bed that night, Hermione knew without question that she had to end her arrangement with Charlie. It wasn't fair to anyone. Someone was bound to get hurt. Best to get it over with as soon as possible.