Tʜᴇ Aꜰᴛᴇʀsʜᴏᴄᴋ Oꜰ Wᴀʀ (Cɪᴘʜᴇʀ & Sᴛᴏʀʏᴛᴇʟʟᴇʀ)

[transcendence]

HERMIONE GRANGER

Hermione stared out the window of her office, while her right hand tugged at the locket that was perfectly placed in the middle of her chest. She'd be lying to herself if she still didn't think about the battle that engulfed Hogwarts. It was four or five years ago but it still weighed heavily on her mind.

She couldn't help it because so many lives were lost and one of those could've been hers.

A soft sigh exhaled from her as she smiled a little and turned on her heels to walk back over to her desk. Hermione was now a strong woman and Head Auror at the Ministry of Magic office and her best guy pals, Harry and Ron, were also Aurors alongside her. She loved them both dearly but still felt a bit conflicted about a particular request that he had offered to her. Of course, Hermione being Hermione, she gave him reasons as to why they shouldn't hook up but the main one being that they had just battled for their lives alongside everyone else at Hogwarts.

Hermione thought Ron was a bit insensitive though she shot him down easy. A slight smile started to plague her lips just as a knock came over her door, which caused her to straighten up and clear her throat. "Uh, come in." She spoke clearly as it was Ron and Harry entering her office. With tears of joy filling her eyes, she pushed herself back in the chair and practically ran to the duo before her and hugged them tightly.

Once she was done suffocating them to death, Hermione took three steps back, so they could see her white blouse and black pencil skirt along with black heels that adorned her feet. "How are my two favorite people?" Hermione asked them as she went back behind her desk to retrieve the files for them. "You two have cases. Supposedly these two are trying to conjure up another group." She paused there to see if any of them had any questions or comments.

"Here's a fun fact. One of them was a prisoner of Azkaban." Hermione let that linger in the air as she proceeded onward with speaking. "Are you guys good?" Her eyes glanced at Ron briefly before bouncing over to Harry, who did his signature nod and smile.

​

 

[storyteller2080]

"Sounds like the boss wants us, mate."

The words of his best friend, Harry Potter, echoed out across their office. Ron Weasley sighed, putting down his quill and studying the paperwork he had been working on. Being an Auror meant a surprising amount of it! Especially in their hunt for the dark witches and wizards that still roamed the countryside. Five years later, the mop-up still wasn't done.

But times had changed. They were old and wiser than they had been when they fought in the war. They were no longer the Golden Trio in a lot of ways. Harry and Ron lived together in a flat in London, but Hermoine had moved up in the world.

And moved on from him.

Ron rubbed the back of his neck. Why was he suddenly thinking about that? Ron scowled and shook his head. They had work to do and lives to live. He genuinely enjoyed his job in the ministry and working with his best mate. Working under the person he thought he was going to spend the rest of his life with was less than ideal, but Hell! Ron even had a girlfriend now!

He was doing just fine with his life.

"Let's go and see what she wants then," Ron confirmed. He got up and pulled on his Auror robes for an official meeting. He thought they made him look quite bright and fitted his body nicely. His mum had said much the same, but his mum thought he looked smart in anything. The fact that his girlfriend liked it did make him feel slightly happier. He had a light red-hued beard and wasn't wearing his hair so long nowadays. He and Harry still got around to playing Quidditch on weekends, so he was still fit and in shape, too.

The two best friends chatted back and forth as they walked to Hermoine's office. She was head Auror now and deserved the position. They knocked lightly on her office door and entered together.

Ron coughed to hide his sharp intake of breath. Did Hermoine seriously have to look this good? It should have been a crime for a not ex but sort of ex to look that good. Heat flashed across his cheek as she came over and hugged them both. Hugging too?! Now, she was really being cruel.

"We're good," Harry beamed at her. "How about you Madame Auror?"

'Stop it, Ronald,' He chided himself. 'You've got a bird.'

Ron forced himself to listen as she gave them their cases. Harry was saying something about Azkaban and having to go and talk to them, but Ron was barely paying attention. He was too busy looking at her stockings and wondering what running his lips against them might be like.

"Ron?" Harry asked.

Ron pushed his mind out of the gutter and focused on the case at hand. "Right," He coughed and cleared his throat. "I'll leave going to the soul depression sucking prison to Harry," He cracked a smile. "I can go back to the office and do research on their hideouts."

"Sounds good," Harry confirmed.