The Baby Project

The New Job

It was already the end of summer, and Hermione was trying not to burst into tears in the middle of her kitchen. She was dressed perfectly as Draco had put it, every hair in place, the perfect dress for her first day of work, and a new pair of heels that Cissy had gotten for her. She didn't want to mess up the makeup she had done only minutes earlier, but the tears threaten to leave her eyes, and she was sure she was going to have to do it all over again. 

She stood in front of her triplets, who were currently eating blueberries and cereal. Making a mess, she noted. She kissed their heads tenderly and whispered how much she loved them. She just wanted to stay home and watch them all day long. She couldn't, though. She was going to work for the first time today. Deputy Head. Right hand to the Minister of Magic. She could hardly believe it herself, but she knew that it is what she wanted. Something she would never regret. It was just so hard to leave her children. Harder than anything she had ever done before, and it surprised her. She thought she would be excited to go to work, to interact with other adults. Maybe she would be once she got there, but she was having such a hard time leaving her kitchen. 

"They will be alright, dear. You'll be back for dinner, and then we can sit in the garden later and read to them. You won't miss anything, and I promise if they do something crazy today, I will record it for you just like you showed me." Draco pulled his wife into a hug and kissed her head, carefully as to not mess up her hair. 

"You have to promise if they show any signs of walking, or talking, or magic, you will record it." 

"Hermione, none of that is going to happen today, but I promise I will record it. I promise." 

"Have a wonderful day, dear; you'll do wonderful." Narcissa hugged Hermione, and they walked her to the door.

"I love you 'Mione, do try and concentrate. You are going to be magnificent, and you'll love every minute of it."

"I love you too, Draco. I will try." 

Hermione walked out of the door and took a breath. She just had to get to work so that she could throw herself into her job. Keep her mind away from everything she was missing at home. It was going to be a long day, she thought. Everything going through her mind at the moment was an indication to her that she wasn't going to be able to concentrate unless Kingsley gave her a mountain of work. She figured this wasn't going to be the case since it was her first day. But she silently hoped he would as she walked into the Ministry. She made her way up to the floor as she was instructed, and as she stepped off the elevator, Kingsley greeted her. 

"Hello, Hermione." He shook her hand enthusiastically and led her to an office. Hermione smiled at the warmth that the office offered, and then at the bookcase filled with books. "Basically, today I am just going to show you around, and whatnot. I know that you will want to get right into things, but best to take it slow. Show you how things run around here. I'll be interested to hear your take on everything. If you see anything that could improve efficiency, don't be afraid to relay the information." He went on for about ten more minutes talking about really nothing before they started through the halls.

He took her everywhere that she would need to go to check up on things, then showed her around to places she knew she wouldn't ever need to be, but she was grateful that the time was passing quickly and that she found things that could be fixed that she could work on. It helped her keep her mind away from her children. She wondered occasionally if Draco was doing alright. 

"And this is the Auror office. It is almost time for lunch, and I told Auror Potter to be expecting you. I know I'm a familiar face, but there isn't quite anything like having a real friend at work you can take lunch with or pop by to say hello when you're having a rough day. I'll see you in an hour, and we can discuss the rest of your duties." Kingsley smiled at Hermione, and she thanked him genuinely. She was so grateful that he would think of this to help her through her first day.