The Man Returns (SS/HG)

Goodbyes (Part 2)

With that handy little thing we all call magic, it only took Hermione forty five minutes to pack up all her belongings, reduce their size, shove them in her pocket and to be standing at the front door saying her goodbyes.

When all the hugs were given and a lot of promises made to her parents to write often she apparited to the Ministry of Magic to visit her two favourite aurors. Although apparation wasn't Hermione's preferred method of travel, however it was unfortunately necessary as the floo network had been under review recently due to mishaps to do with lost belonging and more importantly significant cabinet members... Although the Ministry had appeared to not be concerned by the mysterious disappearances most of the general public still chose to leave the floo network well alone for the time being.

The Ministry of Magic was just the same as it had been when she was here for the trials after the Final Battle. Thinking back however she hadn't really admired the architecture at the time as the trials were testing for everyone, not just the accused. Now however she marvelled at how the similar the architecture was from when she last got a good look at it. She shook her head to ride herself of the bad memories about the trails and made her way to the Auror department.

From what she could remember the department was on this corridor and the twelfth door on the left. The corridor, like all the ones in the ministry, was tilled from floor to ceiling and arched. The tiles were a mix between the deepest black that could only rival Severus Snape's eye colour and a deep emerald green. Out of the corner of her eye she saw her own refection in the perfectly polished tiles; Hermione straightened up slightly and pushed her shoulders back, something her mother always told her to do, and carried on walking. A Ministry worker in tattered brown robes shuffled past her and mumbled something that could have been classed as a greeting, but scuttled off before a reply could be made. She made her way down the corridor mentally counting the doors a she went. Nine, ten, oh come on where on earth is number eleven? Oh right yes... I remember. Stupid Hermione, you should have known that room number eleven only presents itself when it is needed... Caring on... Almost there... Ah there we go number twelve.

The door itself was a very dark brown or black in colour and had a thin metal sign hanging from the door that read: Auror Department. Please be aware of any rogue criminals in this area. Thank you. The sign itself posed more questions than it answered and Hermione wondered what type of rogue criminal would be wandering around and for that matter what would one class as rogue? Surely the criminals would not be as stupid as to be walking around in their Azkaban garbs. Having knocked at least three times, each with no answer, Hermione pushed the door open and walked into the room. There at two adjacent desks were Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, or what was visible of them above the mountain of paperwork they had on their desks. Hermione smiled at the irony of their situation as the boys had joined the aurors to get away from the stress of all that "paperwork" that they got at Hogwarts...

Harry looked up as a small cough came from in front of them. A huge smile blossomed on his face as he saw Hermione's head trying to peer over a pile of papers. He quickly poked Ron and laughed along with Hermione when Ron replied with a shriek that could have been mistaken for something sounding like a startled pig. First he glared at Harry and then jabbed him back, but before it could amount into a full on poking war Harry cleared his throat and nodded his head in the direction of Hermione. As Ron looked up and saw Hermione a tiny bit of colour drained from his face; the change would have been barely noticeable if Harry hadn't have been best friends with the boy and worked very closely with him for the past year and a bit, but he did see it and wondered if the pair were still not talking properly. Having adjusted his glasses and got up, he carefully, avoiding the masses of paperwork which also littered the floor, made his way round his desk and stood in front of Hermione.