Pure-Black // George Weasley

42: about time

Kate groaned when she read the letter earning George's attention who gave her a concerned look as she gave him a small smile and shook her head slightly to say that there was nothing to worry about but there quite obviously was because she had to move her date with George another day ahead like she had been doing since the past three days and although George didn't mind, Kate couldn't help but feel guilty. While George was tending to his customers, Fred had noticed Kate walk out of the door that led to their apartment and was pulling her coat on.
"Whoa, wait, where are you going? Not the Ministry?" Fred asked while quirking his eyebrows at her but she only gave him a sad smile making him huff.
"Why're they making you work so hard?" Fred asked while moving to stand beside her and drape his arm around her shoulders making her lean onto him, tiredly.
"Well, I've got to. Got promoted, haven't I? I have to maintain it" she sighed and pulled herself away from him to go to George who was on the ground floor, shifting around products in the girls' section. She walked up to him and wrapped her arms from behind him, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek which he returned by connecting her lips with hers.

"Leaving?" he asked softly, Kate nodded to him.
"George, I'm really sorry we haven't-"
"Hey, there's nothing to apologise for. It's completely all right."
"-are you sure?"
"Hundred and one percent"
"-I'll try to come early"

With that she left for the Ministry. She may have promised George that she would try to come early but it looked far from it because she was laden with even more paperwork and understandably so because Shacklebolt, the new Minister for Magic, had indistinctively told her that they were planning on giving her the job as an assistant Head for the Auror department. She almost couldn't contain her glee and felt that something like this should be celebrated with everyone. The sky had become darker but Kate wasn't anywhere near finished, her watch already read 9 o' clock and she had to write a letter to George informing him that she'd be coming home late; frowning slightly to herself when she read the letter and tied it to Archimedes' toe.

It was around 12 0' clock that someone knocked their hand on Kate's table making her jerk awake and look around, her eyes instantly falling on her watch that indicated the time and her eyes widened.
"Merlin's beard! It's that time already" she exclaimed, getting up hastily and assembling her things when her eyes fell on the person standing in front of her; Graham Montague. She smiled softly at him as he returned the gesture.

"Late night shift?"
"-yeah, butt load of work"
"Well, you're getting there, Black"
"-yeah, I guess so. C'mon, let's go"

The only place open at this time of the night was a small Muggle cafe from where they got coffee and then parted their ways. Kate headed to Diagon Alley to find that most of the lights were out, she walked all the way to Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and unlocked the door to the shop using the spare key that Fred and George had given her.

She entered the apartment to find George asleep on the couch of their small living room and smiled to herself and slowly walked over to him, kneeling down beside him to carefully stroke his hair and plant feather light kisses on his face making his eyes flutter open. A lazy smile spread on his face as he took his girlfriend's hand into hers and kissed it.
"Wow, you're home early" he joked sleepily.
"Yes, c'mon, let's get to bed" Kate said and helped him from the couch, both making their way sleepily to George's bedroom.

"George, mate, how long are you going to wait?" Fred's voice sounded from the kitchen.
"I'll do it today" George said and Kate followed out of the bathroom making both the boys to stop conversing and their expressions softening.
"Okay, so, guess what?" Kate said excitedly to the two boys who urged her to continue, "they're making me assistant Head of the Auror department!"
"WHAT!"
"YES!"