Fulfilling Obligations (Harmione)

Chapter 28: A Less Than Modest Proposal

Hermione scribbled away on the latest report that had been dropped on her desk. It had been over a month since her father had passed, and despite her vehement opposition to the choice words her mother had spoken to her on the porch, she had taken them to heart.

As soon as she had returned home after the funeral, she had suggested that Ron move into her apartment. And so far the arrangement was going relatively smoothly. There had been minimal arguments, but she supposed that was to be expected when you were getting accustomed to living with another individual. Especially a male. She refused to let herself wonder if the fact that Ron was rarely in the flat due to his Auror training perhaps contributed to the lack of confrontation.

Truthfully, Hermione did feel as if she'd made some progress over the past few weeks. She thought she felt happier. She was trying very hard to be friendly with Ron, and he was also being extra polite. She had also made determined steps to regain a semblance of normalcy in her relationship with Harry once he and Ginny had returned from their honeymoon - and succeeded, for the most part. They had resumed their almost daily lunches and Hermione felt that it was getting easier and easier to be around him. At least it was much easier than trying to stay away from him; she wondered if perhaps this avoidance had contributed to her depressed state of mind. He was married to Ginny- for better or worse - and it felt better to be around him than to hide herself away.

However, Hermione had found an enormous amount of work waiting for her when she returned to the office after her extended absence. Work that she just couldn't seem to catch up on. And, unfortunately, she was finding that her breaking point was about to reached.

She jabbed furiously as she dotted the i of her signature, then proceeded to almost rip a piece of parchment in half as she yanked it towards her. She had just pulled out her wand to mend it when a recently hired wizard from another department poked his head into her office.

"Can I help you?" Hermione said in as polite a voice as she could manage. She rapped the parchment she was holding with a bit more force than necessary.

"Got a case of a goblin claiming he was bitten by a werewolf. Wants some reimbursement. Which department does it need to go to?"

Hermione sighed. "Is the werewolf registered?" she asked.

The wizard nodded.

"Is he set up with the Wolfsbane program?"

Another mute nod.

"Then send it to Law Enforcement!" she snapped in agitation. "This is the Department of the REGULATION and CONTROL of Magical Creatures. There's nothing to regulate or control! It already happened. And goblins aren't even affected by werewolf bites! Let the Wizengamot deal with it!"

"Er, right away," the wizard said, and dashed out of sight.

Hermione ran a hand over her face and moved to dip her quill in her inkwell.

"Ms. Granger - "

Hermione twitched so badly that she knocked the ink all over the parchment.

"What?!" she said angrily, turning her head sharply to the door.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Granger! I apologize for interrupting you, but there's an issue with suppliers for the Wolfsbane ingredients - "

"Which would be?"

The witch looked startled. "Well, um, apparently they want an increased price for the salamander blood --"

"You tell them that we're going to pay the same price we've paid for the past three years!" Hermione said angrily.