Random Drabble III: Zacharias and Ginny
Title: Time travel and not being sympathetic
Who: Zacharias and Ginny
Why: _puppeteer requested Zacharias. Ginny snuck in, as she often does. Again longer than a drabble. And I have this sadistic urge to break up certain people's OTPs, mwuahaha. Set after the epilogue.
Disclaimer: JKR's characters and world, not mine.
* *
"I think you need to take the rest of the day off."
Ginny inhaled as if she had been slapped. Then she began to talk. His comment had loosened the last small stones and now her words tumbled out like an avalanche.
"You know what, I don't think I'm going to go home," she said, her voice pitching unevenly with anger and frustration. "I can barely eat or sleep. I'm currently in negotiations with my ex-husband to get whatever Galleons I earned over the years out of our joint account and to persuade him that they are actually my Galleons. Two of my three children are no longer talking to me and the one who is cannot spend Christmas with me. My eldest brother's health is deteriating and yet in spite of this I come to work, I stay until well after five, I meet deadlines with time to spare, I do a bloody good job - and now you're telling me to go home early? Well fuck you, Zacharias Smith, but unless you have the guts to try and physically throw me out, I think I'm going to stay."
Zacharias got up from his desk and walked over to her. She hadn't realised before how tall he was, how much taller than she. Images flashed through her head of her being frogmarched out of his office and being told to clear her desk, of her having to leave her nice little flat and showing up on Bill and Fleur's doorstep and once again sharing a bed with Victoire. Then the loss of control becoming complete, she burst into tears.
A hand slid under her arm, but rather than ushering her out of the room, instead guided her away from the door and deeper into the office. She was helped into a chair and the footsteps retreated, then stopped. Presently she raised her head. He was seated across from her at his desk, sipping his coffee and watching her levelly. She was surprised to see that he didn't appear angry. "Better?" he asked.
Ginny nodded, took a deep breath and tried to salvage. "I apologise for my outburst. It was unprofessional and it won't happen again. Of course I will go home if that is what you want me to do."
"That is what I would prefer," Zacharias said. "But so far you have been coping. Your work continues to be satisfactory." Unconsciously Ginny's chin raised challengingly. "More than satisfactory, in fact," he amended himself. "But you may stay, if you would rather."
"I would rather," Ginny confirmed. Leaning forward to remove a blank scroll from Zacharias's desk, she Transfigured it into a hankychief and began dabbing at her eyes. "I know that you're aware of what I've been going through outside of work, but I don't feel as though it's affected my job so far and I don't plan on letting it."
Zacharias leant back in his chair and locked his fingers together. Unbelievably, Ginny thought she saw a touch of amusement in his features. "You may find this incredible. In fact, I am certain that you will. However, in calling you in here your job performance was not my only concern. My main one, perhaps, but not my exclusive concern." Ginny stared back uncomprehendingly. "I am not very good at expressing myself, in particular when it comes to sympathy of any form, Ginerva," he added by way of elaboration.
"Thank you, but I don't want any sympathy," she said after a moment's pause. "I just want to get through this."
"I had an idea you would say that. Which is why I haven't offered you any. And as I do not have a timeturner, I am also unable to help with your second request."
A second twitch of amusement. It was a small smile, but it was definitely there. She found herself smiling back. "We destroyed them all during fifth year," she recalled. His confusion snapped her back to the present. "Nevermind. Thank you for...allowing me to keep my desk, I suppose. And not offering me your sympathy or a time turner."
"I am always happy to oblige," he added drily. His eyes ran over her for a moment and she felt oddly self-conscious. "You say that you are barely eating?"
"Not out of choice," she admitted. "That would be daft." She had lost almost a stone since the separation. "I try to force down what I can, but usually I can only manage a few mouthfuls at a time."
"If you cannot eat a lot, then eat more often," he told her. "I would not mind if you ate at your desk in between breaks, so long as it did not hamper your work rate." He stood, collecting his coat from a hook behind his desk. "Speaking of food, I think we should take your lunch hour early."
Ginny nodded, then the rest of his statement hit her. "We?"
"That term usually implies more than one person. Do you see anyone else in this room? The Leaky Cauldron is near here and besides, I doubt that you are eating well anyway, when you are eating. This will give me a chance to evaluate." Taking her arm, he guided her back into the corridor and Summoned over her coat with a flick of his wand before they stepped into the ancient lift.
Who: Zacharias and Ginny
Why: _puppeteer requested Zacharias. Ginny snuck in, as she often does. Again longer than a drabble. And I have this sadistic urge to break up certain people's OTPs, mwuahaha. Set after the epilogue.
Disclaimer: JKR's characters and world, not mine.
* *
"I think you need to take the rest of the day off."
Ginny inhaled as if she had been slapped. Then she began to talk. His comment had loosened the last small stones and now her words tumbled out like an avalanche.
"You know what, I don't think I'm going to go home," she said, her voice pitching unevenly with anger and frustration. "I can barely eat or sleep. I'm currently in negotiations with my ex-husband to get whatever Galleons I earned over the years out of our joint account and to persuade him that they are actually my Galleons. Two of my three children are no longer talking to me and the one who is cannot spend Christmas with me. My eldest brother's health is deteriating and yet in spite of this I come to work, I stay until well after five, I meet deadlines with time to spare, I do a bloody good job - and now you're telling me to go home early? Well fuck you, Zacharias Smith, but unless you have the guts to try and physically throw me out, I think I'm going to stay."
Zacharias got up from his desk and walked over to her. She hadn't realised before how tall he was, how much taller than she. Images flashed through her head of her being frogmarched out of his office and being told to clear her desk, of her having to leave her nice little flat and showing up on Bill and Fleur's doorstep and once again sharing a bed with Victoire. Then the loss of control becoming complete, she burst into tears.
A hand slid under her arm, but rather than ushering her out of the room, instead guided her away from the door and deeper into the office. She was helped into a chair and the footsteps retreated, then stopped. Presently she raised her head. He was seated across from her at his desk, sipping his coffee and watching her levelly. She was surprised to see that he didn't appear angry. "Better?" he asked.
Ginny nodded, took a deep breath and tried to salvage. "I apologise for my outburst. It was unprofessional and it won't happen again. Of course I will go home if that is what you want me to do."
"That is what I would prefer," Zacharias said. "But so far you have been coping. Your work continues to be satisfactory." Unconsciously Ginny's chin raised challengingly. "More than satisfactory, in fact," he amended himself. "But you may stay, if you would rather."
"I would rather," Ginny confirmed. Leaning forward to remove a blank scroll from Zacharias's desk, she Transfigured it into a hankychief and began dabbing at her eyes. "I know that you're aware of what I've been going through outside of work, but I don't feel as though it's affected my job so far and I don't plan on letting it."
Zacharias leant back in his chair and locked his fingers together. Unbelievably, Ginny thought she saw a touch of amusement in his features. "You may find this incredible. In fact, I am certain that you will. However, in calling you in here your job performance was not my only concern. My main one, perhaps, but not my exclusive concern." Ginny stared back uncomprehendingly. "I am not very good at expressing myself, in particular when it comes to sympathy of any form, Ginerva," he added by way of elaboration.
"Thank you, but I don't want any sympathy," she said after a moment's pause. "I just want to get through this."
"I had an idea you would say that. Which is why I haven't offered you any. And as I do not have a timeturner, I am also unable to help with your second request."
A second twitch of amusement. It was a small smile, but it was definitely there. She found herself smiling back. "We destroyed them all during fifth year," she recalled. His confusion snapped her back to the present. "Nevermind. Thank you for...allowing me to keep my desk, I suppose. And not offering me your sympathy or a time turner."
"I am always happy to oblige," he added drily. His eyes ran over her for a moment and she felt oddly self-conscious. "You say that you are barely eating?"
"Not out of choice," she admitted. "That would be daft." She had lost almost a stone since the separation. "I try to force down what I can, but usually I can only manage a few mouthfuls at a time."
"If you cannot eat a lot, then eat more often," he told her. "I would not mind if you ate at your desk in between breaks, so long as it did not hamper your work rate." He stood, collecting his coat from a hook behind his desk. "Speaking of food, I think we should take your lunch hour early."
Ginny nodded, then the rest of his statement hit her. "We?"
"That term usually implies more than one person. Do you see anyone else in this room? The Leaky Cauldron is near here and besides, I doubt that you are eating well anyway, when you are eating. This will give me a chance to evaluate." Taking her arm, he guided her back into the corridor and Summoned over her coat with a flick of his wand before they stepped into the ancient lift.