A/N: A lot of people have been mentioning the length of these chapters. I just want to let you know that these are actually two of my original chapters smushed together like the other ones. So technically you already have up to chapters 13 from the original thing. So please don't mention it again. It is kind of really annoying.
Chapter 9
Harry walked quickly into the auror department pausing once to say hi to his secretary, Karen. As he walked into his office he frowned at the papers that were stacked high on his desk. He had known that when he had decided to take yesterday off he would have a lot of work to makeup. What he hadn't counted on was that the events of the other day would be anything out of the ordinary.
Sitting at his desk he realized that he wished that he could be anywhere else than here. Thinking about everything that had occurred yesterday he could understand his reluctance to leave the house. How could he go on today like nothing had changed, that everything was normal. He liked his job her really did but it was hard to concentrate when his mind kept wandering. He looked up when he heard voices at Karen's desk and footsteps heading toward his office.
A second later someone walked in.
"Hello Dean," he greeted. "Uh I mean Minister."
He tried with all his strength to recognize the minister as who he is but when he looked at the tall minister, with his short black hair and still youthful face he couldn't help picturing the young boy that Minister Thomas used to be when they were at school together.
"Hi Harry," Dean replied shortly. This is how many of their meetings went. They had never been best friends at school and after everything they had been through their conversations always seemed to be tight and uncomfortable as they tried to never even go near the subject of what had happened all of those years ago.
They stared at each other for a few moments. Harry was again registering the shock that Dean had become the minister as he had every time they talked.
After the final battle the whole wizarding world had been in chaos. The former minister had turned out to be a death eater himself and had sold out everyone. Fudge had come back for a little while but it was obvious that it just wouldn't work with him. There had been a struggle for power in which Dean had risen as a strong political leader. At that time all he really wanted to do was calm all of the people and help bring the ministry back to its former glory. He had helped organize an election and replace the many deceased ministry workers. In all the flurry of trying to pick a new leader the people had turned to the person who had picked them off of the ground. Much to the surprise of everyone who had known Dean he soon fit perfectly into his new position. Unlike the ministers in the past two decades, Dean led the wizarding world with a cool voice of authority and a fair mind. It was the only thing all of the citizens had always wanted but what most had never known.
Dean was the one who spoke again. "So is there anything new in your life nowadays?"
Harry frowned. "Not particularly. I just had a nice dinner with my family and a good day with my little Kate. So no nothing much is new."
"So can you explain this?" Dean held up the Daily Prophet. Harry saw to his horror a picture of Hermione from the day before when she was walking into the park.
"Who? Luna?" he asked. Luna had become a journalist for the Daily Prophet after she had started dating Ron. She had used to work at the Quibbler but she didn't have the heart to write about all the total ridiculous things after her experiences in the last few years of Hogwarts. Hermione was right her old self had mostly disappeared leaving a headstrong woman who no one in their right mind would call her crazy. Rita Skeeter had taken over the Quibbler after Luna's father had died. She made a hefty sum of money making up incredible rumors that people tended to enjoy reading.
"No not Luna. It was one of our new journalists. Ginny Weasley."
Ginny's name was met with shock on Harry's part. It was true that they still wrote often and Bridget and Ginny were good friends and they talked often on the phone but Harry himself hadn't seen her at all in the past year. That had been the one lie he had told Hermione and truthfully it wasn't that big. The last time they had talked face to face was about a year ago when Ginny had come to Ron and Luna's wedding. Ginny had decided to travel abroad for a year after that. She had always felt confined by her family when they all thought that she was still a young girl who couldn't take care of herself. Finally she had broken free from those boundaries and left everyone behind not much different from Hermione. Only she hadn't raised the same uproar as Hermione had. For Hermione it had in fact been all over the news. What a coincidence she had appeared at this time.
"Ginny?" Harry questioned.
"Yeah she showed up a few days ago asking for a job. I couldn't very well turn her down. It was nice seeing her again." dean and Ginny had had an on again, off again relationship. But when Harry raised eyebrows, Dean had shook his head showing that is was really over.
"How did she get this picture?" Harry hated the uproar that Hermione's sudden appearance was going to make. She had already had a reputation as being one of Harry's best friends and secret lover. The latter had of course been a rumor started by Rita Skeeter but it had resurfaced after Hermione had disappeared. Upon that foundation she had also built her own standing in the wizarding world as being the smartest witch graduating from Hogwarts in quite a few decades.
Dean shrugged and took a seat across from Harry, up till then he had been standing. "Ginny always has her ways but never reveals them." Harry nodded and took the paper from the desk where Dean had set it down. It was on the first page being probably the most interesting news in weeks. It was amazing at how Ginny could make a big story at one innocent picture of Hermione walking into the park with a bag on her shoulder, her trunk of course shrunk so she didn't have to lug it around.
The headline read, `Back at Long Last?'
As many of you might remember Hermione Granger had left her best friend Harry Potter and boyfriend Ronald Weasley and the rest of the wizarding world eight years ago. Her leaving had built upon the chaos after the defeat of the Dark Lord and impacted greatly on our local hero along with her other family and friends. Now eight years later she was spotted walking into the park. Is she back for good? Or will she leave again to break the hearts of all the people who love her…?
The article went on refreshing people more about the disappearance of Hermione and many events and reasons that might have made her leave. Harry didn't recognize the Ginny he had known in the piece but he had learned long ago from Luna that journalists had to give the people what they wanted to hear and not the personal opinion or friendship they had of that person.
"So everyone is going to know?"
"Right you are there, Harry. I know you were hoping to keep it quiet until she got settled but it is inevitable."
Harry and nodded and then looked at his papers, realizing that he should get them done. Dean followed his gaze and nodded curtly.
"Well I will let you get back to your work but please remember to bring Hermione by, it would be nice to see her again."
Harry managed a smile which turned into a wince as the door closed behind the minister. He groaned and laid his head down on his desk.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kate was pulling Hermione down the street. Hermione noticed that people where giving her funny looks while glancing down at the Daily Prophet that they held in their hands. Kate and Hermione were in Diagon Alley and Kate was showing her around and telling her about all the new stores that her daddy had said hadn't been there when he was younger. All of the staring made Hermione feel uncomfortable but Kate didn't seem to notice.
She was talking and talking about something that Hermione couldn't follow. When Hermione stopped at a newspaper stand trying to catch a glimpse of what was on the front page that caused all of the looks she got yanked away before she could see anything. She was once again surprised at the strength that the little girl possessed.
Finally they came to a stop in front of Ollivander's. After the war Mr. Ollivander's distant relation had come to take over the shop. Kate looked up at the shop with a strange look on her face: half smile, half frown.
"When I turn eleven my daddy told me that he is going to take me here to get my first wand."
It was then Hermione realized how much Kate yearned to go to Hogwarts and learn everything that she could. It was the same as the subconscious feeling that Hermione was sure that she had felt all of her life before she had gotten her letter. Hermione smiled encouragingly down at her.
"Would you like to get some ice cream?"
Kate looked up eagerly. "Really? I know the perfect place…" and then she was off again pulling Hermione along behind her.
They sat and talked over hot fudge sundaes. All of a sudden Kate got an odd look on her face and turned to Hermione, her earlier smile replaced with a look of pure seriousness. And with the wonderful yet horrible bluntness of a child she spoke.
"You love him, don't you?"
The words hung midair in between them. Hermione was completely caught off guard and she gaped at Kate who looked back at her innocently.
Hermione leaned forward in her seat. "Kate, dear, what would make you think that?" Kate of course noticed that she didn't deny it but she was confused herself.
After Hermione asked that question Kate's seriousness melted of her face and was replaced by a nervous and almost frightened expression. "I," she tried to say. "I don't know. I really don't." She shook her head frantically as if trying to convince herself that it wasn't true. Whether it was for the fact that she didn't want to think that she somehow knew that Hermione loved her father or because she didn't want to believe that Hermione did in fact love her father, neither of them knew.
Kate bit her lip and looked as if she was about to cry. For the first time since Hermione met her she looked like the five year old girl that she was. Hermione walked around the table and crouched down at Kate feet. She reached up and put her arms around the little girl, hugging her close.
Kate pulled away from Hermione like she had been burnt. She wiped her tears hurriedly from her eyes and sat up trying to regain her composure. "So do you?" she asked again although she did already know.
"Kate, sweetheart, it is complicated. That will never change."
"So I take that as a yes." Hermione was surprised at how much control Kate seemed to have over herself. Her whole manner could change in a matter of seconds.
Hermione opened her mouth to answer but was distracted by seeing that the people at the table across from her were staring at her. She stood up and walked over to the table where a young couple sat. Their eyes widened as she walked over, the woman still had her hand pointing at an article on the front page of the Daily Prophet.
"I am sorry but is there a problem?" Hermione asked politely. "Normally I don't tolerate strangers staring at me and this time is no exception."
The couple looked up at her warily but offered no explanation. "If you don't mind I would appreciate if I could take a look at your paper." Without waiting for consent Hermione took the paper from the woman's hands and scanned the page. Hermione's brown eyes widened and she felt as if her legs were going to give out from under her. She carefully made her way to the table and sat heavily in her chair. She stared at her picture for a while and then reread the article slower this time, mouthing each word as she came to it. When she came to the end she took in the name of the journalist who wrote it.
Ginny Weasley.
This time it was Hermione who was shaking her head. She looked around and saw everyone staring at her. It was obvious that they recognized Harry's daughter so what would they think if they saw Kate with Hermione? Hermione stood up and took Kate's hand. They walked out of the little shop without giving back the newspaper.
"Hermione are you okay?"
Hermione looked kindly down at Kate. "Yes I am fine. Just a little shocked at seeing myself as the biggest piece of news in the wizarding world."
Kate smiled sweetly up at Hermione. "Well recently there hasn't been much big news. Not since I was born I think. That was the big news at the time, my daddy told me."
"Oh this could just cause more problems than I need at this time. But I guess it was too much to ask to back without all the chaos. But don't worry. Why don't we go and look at come books. Flourish and Blotts is still here right? That was always my favorite store."
"Books of course, yup it is still here. I love that store. Come on let's go." Hermione had to run a bit to keep up with the excited little girl. When they walked into the store Kate went off to go explore. Hermione wandered aimlessly around that little store. She picked up a book and opened it. She read the first page as she walked and ran headlong into someone.
Hermione tumbled backwards and dropped the book to try to help the person up from the ground. She almost let go of the woman's hand when she saw who it was.
"Ginny?" she asked in a tone of obvious wonderment.
"Oh, Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. "It is so wonderful to see you." She wrapped Hermione in a hug and felt her stiffen. "Hermione, dear, is everything alright?"
Hermione stepped away. "Did you write this?" she asked, holding up the paper.
"Well, yes," Ginny said uncertainly. "I needed to write a good article so that they could officially hire me and I saw you and I thought it would be perfect."
Hermione nodded. "But is all of this true. Do you really think that maybe I might leave again? Do you really think that I left so that I could intentionally break all of hearts or whatever I did?" Hermione felt like crying. She didn't know that all of this had apparently happened when she had left. She had always slipped in and out of people's lives, she never thought that she had that big of an effect on people. It was true that she hadn't thought about how it would hurt other people. She guessed now that it had been selfish but there was no turning back now and she didn't need people reminding her and the rest of the world about it.
"Hermione what is the matter? You have to know that it is not what I think; it is what is interesting and what the community wants to hear but yes I do think that it is true. I was the one who had to watch as Harry slowly broke to pieces. You don't know what it felt like to watch the person I looked up to all my life fall right before my eyes, not because of Voldemort but because of the woman he loved-" Ginny stopped and clapped her hand over he mouth, clearly horrified at what she said.
Hermione stood with her mouth open. So Harry had confided in Ginny. She shook her head and looked down at Kate who was pulling on her pant leg.
Kate smiled up at her, clearly oblivious to what had just been said, and ran forward to hug `Auntie' Ginny. When she let go of Ginny she turned to around and thrust the book she had picked out into Hermione's hands. "Look what I found. The new edition of Hogwarts, a History! Can I please get it? Can I?"
Hermione had to laugh at Kate's enthusiasm. "Yes of course. Now go on, I will be right there." She smiled after Kate as she scampered off. "Well Ginny, it has been nice talking to you. I will see you soon I am sure." With that she turned and went to join Kate at the counter.
Ginny sighed and walked away, shaking her head. She knew that she had gone too far but Hermione really deserved to know how she affected everyone. Somehow Ginny hoped that she would forgive her one day.
-->