This Journey With You

Nerves

        "You're not insane." That wasn't necessarily a reassuring statement coming from Harry Potter.

        After she practically fleed Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, Hermione rushed to the Ministry for a meeting about the Congressional Ball. She hadn't been scheduled to work that day, but the meeting just so happened to be organized during her time off. To her luck, Harry had been pegged to represent the Investigation Department and had saved her a spot before the meeting started.

        The name of the event sounded regal, but both Hermione and Harry knew it was an overdramatized name for a snobbish "dance" where every witch and wizard in the ministry would be forced to interact and strain themselves to conversate.

        The two friends sat at the end of an elongated, oak table that stretched across the spacious conference room. They were far away from the leader of the meeting who was a middle aged witch with a tight, blonde bun and narrowed green eyes eyes that avoided eye contact as she anxiously led the group of bored ministry workers.. The poor woman who was clearly uncomfortable with being in front of the small crowd of fifteen and was from the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. If Hermione guessed right, the older lady had been forced to lead the staff picked for setting up the dance.

        Harry wasn't paying much attention, and Hermione had let her self writing quill take notes so she could talk to her friend quietly as everyone else discussed the plans for the ball.

        "I'm sure I must be," Hermione disagreed in a lower tone. "According to you, and the rumors milling throughout the Ministry, this mission is almost life threatening. Then here I am, willing to raise funds by securing a second job so I can put my life on the line. And working at the twins' joke shop of all places. It's not that I don't want to go to Japan, but this mission has me stressed out and now I'm probably overthinking about my own sanity."

        The blonde haired woman asked the group if there was anyone willing to pick out decorations, and a girl who looked about Harry and Hermione's age flashed her hand up eagerly. This would probably be her first ball, Hermione thought, considering everyone else at that meeting had no interest at all and had been to at least one Ministry ball in the past; enough for them all to know how unexciting it was.

        "You'd make an excellent addition if you can somehow go," Harry complimented. "I would love if you were in Tokyo with Ron and I. We probably wouldn't work together much, but you'd be such a help when we need to figure out how to solve the mess."

        As difficult as it was, Hermione held back a scowl at the mention of Ron. He didn't do anything wrong, but his going almost made her insides burn with jealousy. Judging by the look on Harry's face, he could tell what she was thinking, for he added, "I know it leaves a bad taste in your mouth, but there's a reason they're sending so many aurors. And despite what happened," he hesitated for a moment, as if knowing he was treading dangerous territory, "between you and Ron two years ago, he and I will probably need to go to you to figure out things we don't understand."

        Harry eyed her, his face calm but she could see the quiet panic in his gaze. Her body had tensed when he hinted at the breakup, and images were flashing in her head accompanied with echoes of furious voices. Squeezing her eyes shut, she took a deep breath, letting a calmness lap at the memories from a time when she and Ron were often red in the face after another screaming match.

        "You both are different," Harry frowned. "You were both wrong, but neither of you could have stopped everything that lead to you splitting up."

        "I know very well that I was at fault, too, Harry," she sighed, glancing at her quill, still scraping the parchment in response to the tiny witch who was explaining the theme this year. "It's awkward to think about working near him again," she admitted. "And if I can go, I will. Though it's possible that if the twins hire me, I could end up wasting my time if I can't raise the money."