Cafe

Chapter 9

Hermione was anxious to get to work the next morning to take her mind off the fact that she had been in an argument with her best friend. They had never fought before. Mind you; it was mostly her that was arguing, which was what was destroying Hermione the most. She needed to apologize, but she knew that Harry had the day off today, and she didn't want to tell him about Draco yet. She knew that it was going to be a whole other situation. Plus, Ron lived there, and she didn't want him to get the wrong impression. She just had dinner with a friend. Granted, they were supposed to get dinner again tomorrow. Maybe that was a bad idea. Though she didn't want Draco to think he had done something wrong. She was so confused, and she had no idea what to do. She thought about calling Luna and talking to her, but she had no idea where the girl was. She was looking for new creatures in who knows what country, and they hardly spoke to one another anymore unless she was home.

She was sitting at her desk for the longest time, staring at the pile on her desk that she needed to get through by the end of the week, and she just started to cry. This was all so much, she thought. She shouldn't be this stressed out over dinner. She pulled out a blank piece of parchment and jotted a small note to Malfoy and, on her lunch break, sent it out. 

Draco opened the letter at his flat and smiled when he saw Hermione's name printed neatly at the bottom. 

'Draco, I only think that it is fair that I choose the restaurant this time. Meet at the cafe at 7 like last time. You won't need to wear a suit. Jeans and a  T-shirt will be fine.

Hermione Granger'

Draco laughed and put the letter down on the counter. He should have guessed that Hermione would want to pick the next restaurant. He thought that it would be a nice change to eat somewhere that she liked. Perhaps he could try something new. He was hoping that it wouldn't be in the wizarding world. 

Hermione was satisfied that Draco would never guess that she was going to cook him dinner tomorrow night. She really did have a lot of work to get done and no time to figure out where to go to eat. It would be easier to send her list to the store and have everything she wanted to be sent to her flat. She could make a list later tonight and send it in the morning, and it really wouldn't be any problem at all. 

The day went quickly after that, and she managed to get most things on her agenda done. She cursed herself mentally when she got home and looked at the clock 12. She groaned and decided to write the list now, so she didn't forget to in the morning. That would really not be good because she didn't have a backup plan. 

After she was done with the list, she went to her bedroom and laid down. She hadn't had any nightmares since she had talked to Draco, and she hoped it would stay that way. She preferred the sleep she got, and she enjoyed focusing and actually getting work done.

The next morning she quickly got ready for work and then sent the letter off to the store. She would talk to the Minister today and hope that she would be able to leave at 5. That would give her time to get everything prepared and meet Draco. She couldn't pull another day like she did yesterday. 

"Minister," Hermione walked in with a smile on her face, and the Kingsley greeted her with a hug.

"You know that you can call me Kingsley,"

"I know, sir, but we are at the office." Kingsley laughed and shook his head, he had been saying the same thing for years now, and she had always given him the same response. 

"Now, I wanted to talk to you about the hours you have been putting in." Kingsley looked serious, and Hermione sat up a little straighter. "You work too much, Hermione. You are logging more hours than I am and are taking no time for yourself."

"Sir, I have loads of work to get done," Hermione had had this conversation with him before, and they had agreed to both let it go just until Hermione could finish on this law she was working on.

"Well, the law is going to be in hearing today. It will pass, I am sure. So starting at 5, you are on a two-week vacation. That is a direct order."

Hermione sat there with tears in her eyes. The law she had worked tirelessly on for the last 3 years was going to pass today, "Sir, what am I supposed to do with myself for two weeks?"

"Take a vacation, read a new book, write a book, spend time with your friends, talk with Ron." Kingsley was now speaking strictly as a friend. He wasn't giving Hermione any choice in the matter. She was taking time off whether she wanted to or not. 

"Sir. You know very well giving me two weeks off is not going to fix my relationship with Ron. I don't want to go on a vacation because I have things I have to do here with my friends. I promised Ginny. And what could I possibly write a book on that anyone would read?"

"Hermione, you need time for yourself. I am sorry. I know you don't like the idea of just sitting around, but I should have made you did this a long time ago. You are working yourself into the ground, and your life is going to go by. Before you know it, you are going to look up and realized that all your friends have moved on, gotten married, had children, and sent them off to Hogwarts, and you are still going to be logging 20 hour days at the Ministry."

"I will take the two weeks, but my law doesn't pass. I am going to be here tomorrow." Hermione got up, went to shake Kingsley's hand, but he pulled her into a hug. He had seen what she had gone through. He knew in detail the horrors she had faced, and he wanted her to have a good life. He wanted her to be happy. 

"Deal," He said when he let her go. She smiled at him and left his office. She didn't think there was any point in doing work now. She wouldn't be able to focus on anything except the hearing. It was 10 now, and the hearing was scheduled for 12. She walked there and waited two hours outside the door—a nervous wreck.