Entry 05: Making A Marriage (3/?)
Title: Making A Marriage
Entry Number: 05
Author: mihnn
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance
Spoiler Warnings: None.
Word Count: 1196
Previous Chapters: P, 1, 2,
The very idea of going back to work caused dread to spread through Hermione at an alarming rate. There were several times when she had considered contacting the Ministry so she could claim a sick day.
After a quick bath, she had wrapped herself in a large fluffy towel and seated herself on the edge of her bed, her hair still falling across her shoulders in large wet ringlets that she knew she had to tame if she wanted her hair to look anywhere near decent. She had simply stared at her open cupboard at the robes she usually wore for work, contemplating the large smiles and animated conversations she would have to endure from the moment she stepped into her offices.
With a quick shake of her head, she decided that she should embrace the courage of her school house, and without further thought, she quickly dried herself with the practiced flick of her wand and dressed silently.
The feeling hit her once again as she was about to leave the apartment she had purchased a year after the Battle of Hogwarts. She had stared at her impressively large fireplace, thinking that maybe she should contact Harry and skip one day of work under the guise of celebrating their honeymoon. There was a new bookstore that opened in Muggle London. She was yet to visit the shop and check their inventory for want of time.
Berating herself for stalling, she took the Floo-powder in hand and stepped into the green flames, calling out for the Ministry of Magic.
Perhaps she was overreacting. Perhaps work would be just as droll as any other day of the week.
* * *
From the moment Hermione entered her workplace, she was greeted with shocked expressions. At first, she told everyone who asked that her husband and herself had decided to postpone the honeymoon because of work that had to be completed even under dire circumstances such as a missed holiday. She answered so many questions so many times that the first thing she did when she got to her office was to tell her secretary to send an inter-office memo to all the heads of the departments she deals with to tell them that she had attended work due to pressing matters.
Those who knew her well, and have seen her working late on her birthdays until Harry, Ron and Ginny had forcefully dragged her out of the Ministry to celebrate, didn’t even bat an eyelid when she passed by with the usual morning greeting.
It took quite a while before she could even start on her work, but once she did finally get into her usual mind-set, she didn’t look up until a firm knock on her door alerted her to the fact that her neck was stiff and her back was cramping. Her eyes widened when she looked at the Muggle clock on her table that told her she had been sitting in the same position for nearly four hours.
“I said no visitors, Alice.”
The knock that followed was louder and firmer with a distinct musical pattern to it. The corner of her lips quirked upward with amusement.
“Come on in, Harry.”
Harry walked in with a flourish, a wrapped sandwich in his hand that he deposited on her desk before falling onto the chair on the other side of her desk. He was just about to raise his knees when a firm glare from Hermione stopped him. It didn’t matter how many years they had known each other and how many years they had worked together, Harry was not going to ruin her office the way he had already ruined his.
Harry rolled his eyes as he kept his feet firmly on the floor and away from the top of her desk. “Brought you something. Thought you might not have eaten anything today.”
She smiled gratefully, already unwrapping the sandwich that she knew would be one of her favourites. “Thank you. I just didn’t have the appetite.”
A bite later, Hermione raised a mocking eyebrow as she swallowed the tuna mayonnaise as her stomach grumbled from a pang of hunger.
“Did something happen?”
“No. Nothing.” Harry shook his head, but the way his eyes sparkled and the barely hidden smile he was trying to stifle made her think that he wasn’t trying very hard to lie.
“Then why are you so happy?”
His eyes widened with mock surprise. “What makes you think that I’m happy?”
“Harry Potter,” she began sternly, an air of superiority overtaking her tone. “I have known you for years. Don’t think you can lie to me.”
He grinned widely before he fished out a rolled up piece of parchment from the pockets of his robes and dropped it on her desk. “Go on. Read it.”
Hermione scanned the document before her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe he had such control over himself. She had expected him to jump off the walls with excitement once he had heard. “You got your privileges back!”
“I’m can go back to the field. I don’t have to stay behind a desk the whole day anymore,” he finished with a satisfied sigh.
“Harry, that’s wonderful.” She eyed him carefully. “And there’s nothing wrong with staying behind a desk all day.”
His smile faltered somewhat. “You don’t seem that happy about it.”
Hermione chose to study the document on her desk, a frown marring her features as she studied Kingsley’s signature. “I’m not unhappy about it,” she said diplomatically.
He let out a low sigh, one that sounded long-suffering yet habitual. “What is it then? What’s wrong with Kingsley giving me my field privileges back?”
Hermione took a bite of her sandwich, using the food as a way to give her time to think up an answer that wouldn’t upset her best friend.
Harry kept his gaze on her patiently, his expression one of open curiosity.
“He kept his promise,” she said finally.
Harry nodded as he eyed her with confusion. “He did.”
“Why was it so important that he blackmail us like this to get married, Harry? What is he playing at?”
Harry dropped his head, a sound of frustration escaping him before he raised his head to face her. “I know.” When Hermione’s lips parted to say more, he spoke over her. “I know. But for five minutes can’t we just be happy that he actually did what he said he would?”
Hermione worried her lower lip thoughtfully. “I suppose…”
“Hermione,” Harry said purposefully. “Just be happy for me?”
Hermione smiled despite the need to kick him came over her. Of course she was happy for him. Didn’t he know that? “I’m happy for you. It’s just that… You know I don’t like it when you go out in the field-“
“Hermione.”
“Right. Sorry, Harry. I’m happy for you.”
He was beaming widely even before she could finish the sentence.
After he left, with a stern warning that she should remember to eat, Hermione spent a few minutes contemplating her options before asking her secretary to ensure she has a meeting with the Minister for Magic before the day ended.
Entry Number: 05
Author: mihnn
Fandom: Harry Potter
Rating: PG
Genre: Romance
Spoiler Warnings: None.
Word Count: 1196
Previous Chapters: P, 1, 2,
The very idea of going back to work caused dread to spread through Hermione at an alarming rate. There were several times when she had considered contacting the Ministry so she could claim a sick day.
After a quick bath, she had wrapped herself in a large fluffy towel and seated herself on the edge of her bed, her hair still falling across her shoulders in large wet ringlets that she knew she had to tame if she wanted her hair to look anywhere near decent. She had simply stared at her open cupboard at the robes she usually wore for work, contemplating the large smiles and animated conversations she would have to endure from the moment she stepped into her offices.
With a quick shake of her head, she decided that she should embrace the courage of her school house, and without further thought, she quickly dried herself with the practiced flick of her wand and dressed silently.
The feeling hit her once again as she was about to leave the apartment she had purchased a year after the Battle of Hogwarts. She had stared at her impressively large fireplace, thinking that maybe she should contact Harry and skip one day of work under the guise of celebrating their honeymoon. There was a new bookstore that opened in Muggle London. She was yet to visit the shop and check their inventory for want of time.
Berating herself for stalling, she took the Floo-powder in hand and stepped into the green flames, calling out for the Ministry of Magic.
Perhaps she was overreacting. Perhaps work would be just as droll as any other day of the week.
* * *
From the moment Hermione entered her workplace, she was greeted with shocked expressions. At first, she told everyone who asked that her husband and herself had decided to postpone the honeymoon because of work that had to be completed even under dire circumstances such as a missed holiday. She answered so many questions so many times that the first thing she did when she got to her office was to tell her secretary to send an inter-office memo to all the heads of the departments she deals with to tell them that she had attended work due to pressing matters.
Those who knew her well, and have seen her working late on her birthdays until Harry, Ron and Ginny had forcefully dragged her out of the Ministry to celebrate, didn’t even bat an eyelid when she passed by with the usual morning greeting.
It took quite a while before she could even start on her work, but once she did finally get into her usual mind-set, she didn’t look up until a firm knock on her door alerted her to the fact that her neck was stiff and her back was cramping. Her eyes widened when she looked at the Muggle clock on her table that told her she had been sitting in the same position for nearly four hours.
“I said no visitors, Alice.”
The knock that followed was louder and firmer with a distinct musical pattern to it. The corner of her lips quirked upward with amusement.
“Come on in, Harry.”
Harry walked in with a flourish, a wrapped sandwich in his hand that he deposited on her desk before falling onto the chair on the other side of her desk. He was just about to raise his knees when a firm glare from Hermione stopped him. It didn’t matter how many years they had known each other and how many years they had worked together, Harry was not going to ruin her office the way he had already ruined his.
Harry rolled his eyes as he kept his feet firmly on the floor and away from the top of her desk. “Brought you something. Thought you might not have eaten anything today.”
She smiled gratefully, already unwrapping the sandwich that she knew would be one of her favourites. “Thank you. I just didn’t have the appetite.”
A bite later, Hermione raised a mocking eyebrow as she swallowed the tuna mayonnaise as her stomach grumbled from a pang of hunger.
“Did something happen?”
“No. Nothing.” Harry shook his head, but the way his eyes sparkled and the barely hidden smile he was trying to stifle made her think that he wasn’t trying very hard to lie.
“Then why are you so happy?”
His eyes widened with mock surprise. “What makes you think that I’m happy?”
“Harry Potter,” she began sternly, an air of superiority overtaking her tone. “I have known you for years. Don’t think you can lie to me.”
He grinned widely before he fished out a rolled up piece of parchment from the pockets of his robes and dropped it on her desk. “Go on. Read it.”
Hermione scanned the document before her eyes widened. She couldn’t believe he had such control over himself. She had expected him to jump off the walls with excitement once he had heard. “You got your privileges back!”
“I’m can go back to the field. I don’t have to stay behind a desk the whole day anymore,” he finished with a satisfied sigh.
“Harry, that’s wonderful.” She eyed him carefully. “And there’s nothing wrong with staying behind a desk all day.”
His smile faltered somewhat. “You don’t seem that happy about it.”
Hermione chose to study the document on her desk, a frown marring her features as she studied Kingsley’s signature. “I’m not unhappy about it,” she said diplomatically.
He let out a low sigh, one that sounded long-suffering yet habitual. “What is it then? What’s wrong with Kingsley giving me my field privileges back?”
Hermione took a bite of her sandwich, using the food as a way to give her time to think up an answer that wouldn’t upset her best friend.
Harry kept his gaze on her patiently, his expression one of open curiosity.
“He kept his promise,” she said finally.
Harry nodded as he eyed her with confusion. “He did.”
“Why was it so important that he blackmail us like this to get married, Harry? What is he playing at?”
Harry dropped his head, a sound of frustration escaping him before he raised his head to face her. “I know.” When Hermione’s lips parted to say more, he spoke over her. “I know. But for five minutes can’t we just be happy that he actually did what he said he would?”
Hermione worried her lower lip thoughtfully. “I suppose…”
“Hermione,” Harry said purposefully. “Just be happy for me?”
Hermione smiled despite the need to kick him came over her. Of course she was happy for him. Didn’t he know that? “I’m happy for you. It’s just that… You know I don’t like it when you go out in the field-“
“Hermione.”
“Right. Sorry, Harry. I’m happy for you.”
He was beaming widely even before she could finish the sentence.
After he left, with a stern warning that she should remember to eat, Hermione spent a few minutes contemplating her options before asking her secretary to ensure she has a meeting with the Minister for Magic before the day ended.