Hermione took a deep breath as she stood just outside the grand glass doors of her new workplace. She tugged at her knee length pencil skirt and fiddled with the buttons on the cuffs of her jacket before pushing open the heavy door.
"Good morning Ms Granger." The pretty blonde receptionist stood up and walk around her desk to shake her hand. Hermione had met her during her interview, so she welcomed the familiar face.
Hermione smiled back as the receptionist continued, "My name is Rose. Let me show you to your office." She followed Rose up an elevator and through a corridor, peeking in through the glass windows at the Muggles working; typing reports, yelling through phone lines, exceptionally ordinary things.
Hermione struggled to keep up with Rose, the sound of her high heels clicked against the shiny marble floor as she strutted purposely down the corridor. She stopped suddenly at a door on her right and indicated for Hermione to enter. Smiling politely, she said "Your office, Ms Granger. Everything you should need to get started. Mr M will be sent through a copy of your work every afternoon, so please, be sure to have everything done. Late assignments are something he does not tolerate."
She flashed Hermione one more smile before closing the door behind her. Hermione sat down in her chair listening to Rose's echoing heels fade back down the corridor.
Mr. M. She mused, thinking of her new Muggle boss. Even during her interviews, they warned her of his high expectations and very short temper. Can't be too scary, just another Muggle she thought, settling back into her chair and beginning to work through the pile of files almost as tall as the desk itself.
The war had been won five years ago, but Hermione never, truly felt safe. Even with Professor McGonagall as the new Headmistress of Hogwarts and Kingsley Shacklebolt at the helm of the Ministry of Magic she just couldn't shake off the awful memories. So, one day, she packed her things, said a fleeting goodbye to her best friends and headed, with no magic, straight to London where she was hired, almost on the spot, for an office job at a prominent Muggle bank.