Work Text:
Hermione was glad for the change of scenery. She hadn't realised how much she had needed to be somewhere new. This opportunity couldn’t have come at a better time. As the FBI Liaison for MACUSA, she finally got the opportunity to take wizarding-muggle relations to the next level, and this new chapter came with a beautiful flat in quaint Quantico, Virginia, and much-needed post-break-up space from Ron.
In the three weeks she's been in America, she hadn’t made any friends yet. Instead, she spent a lot of time in her flat when she wasn't at work. That was how she had noticed Crookshanks disappearing every so often. She always wondered where he went off to, slightly worried, but not enough to go searching for him as he always made his way back to her after a few hours.
She arrived home from a rather long and uneventful day at the office when she saw the cat flap in her door swinging and a flash of ginger going around the corner. As much as she wanted to go get changed into her comfies and curl up with a book, curiosity got the better of her. She followed him, hoping to finally see where it was he kept disappearing off to.
As she rounded the corner, she saw a man crouching down to Crookshanks. With a start, she watched her very particular pet saunter up to him and rub his head around the man’s outstretched hand. “Hey there buddy,” he said as if he was familiar with Crookshanks.
Hermione’s stomach rolled. Her cat made friends before she did and that was highly unfair. He even had the audacity to purr loud enough for her to hear him across the way.
“There you are,” she said loudly as she took a step towards them. “I’m sorry if he is making a nuisance of himself.”
The man looked up at the sound of her voice, a startled look in his hazel eyes. “Oh, hi,” he stuttered out, “he’s not a nuisance, not at all.” He stood up and smiled. “Hi, I’m Reid, Spencer Reid.” He nodded towards Hermione, not liking to shake hands with strangers. “You’re new around here, right?”
“Hi,” she smiled, shaking his outstretched hand. “I’m Hermione Granger, and yeah, I’m new here. We moved in about a month ago when I got a new job over here.”
“How are you finding it?” He asked as he fished in his bag for his keys.
“It’s okay, daunting to be in a new place all alone, or at least with no human company,” she said smiling down at her cat, “Crookshanks here helps, that is when he isn’t disappearing to come and see you.”
“Do you, uh, want to come in.” He asked as his door swung inwards showing the living room of his flat. “And maybe your cat was vetting the neighbours for you, finding a good friend for you so you weren’t so alone?” He suggested.
“That would be nice,” she said with a smile, joining him where he stood hovering in his doorway, “And maybe you’re right, it is something that Crookshanks would likely do.”
:: :: ::
They sat on the sofa in his living room, empty mugs on the table in front of them, Chrookshanks found his place nestled between them.
“So, you work for the FBI?” Hermione said, with a genuine smile. “Is that something you always wanted to do?”
“For as long as I can remember. I don’t know what made me get into it in the first place, but the team is like my family, I love them all dearly and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. What about you, what do you do?”
“Well… funny story, I moved over here after getting a job with the FBI myself, though it is more of a liaison position,” she said, noticing the irony. She found it funny that out of all the people in this place she had managed to find herself another agent.
In the back of her mind, she wondered if their paths would ever cross for work.
He laughed at that, a great guffaw, which seemed out of place coming from his slight frame. Hermione’s heart swelled and it had been too long since she had heard anyone laugh, especially like that. “That’s a happy coincidence,” he nodded, “maybe I’ll see you at work then,” he stifled a yawn and looked at his watch. “Wow, it’s getting late.”
Hermione glanced at her own watch, surprised that it had been a few hours, and she didn’t yet feel like she was imposing. Things had been comfortable between them and she had been happier than she had in a long while. “I better get going, you look tired and I am getting that way.” She rose to her feet, “Maybe we can do this again sometime?” she asked, as she shouldered her bag and scooped up her cat. “Soon?” she added as she made her way to the door.
“I would like that,” Reid agreed, getting up to help her with the door. “This has been nice,” he ruffled the fur on top of Crookshanks’ head. “You’re both welcome here any time,” he smiled as she stepped out into the hallway. He poked his head out the door and watched as she turned the corner, his heart beating faster than he had realised.
:: :: ::
“I really hope they come again,” he sighed to himself, he had been glad of the company, even if all he wanted now was to fall into a deep, restful sleep. She seemed like a nice woman, and someone he would love to get to know, maybe they could end up more than friends?
:: :: ::
Hermione shouldered open the door to her flat, letting go of a squirming Crookshanks as she shut the door. “At least I know where you’ve been disappearing off to now, and I can see why, though I am still not happy with you Mister,” she said as he stalked off into the flat, she hung her coat and bag up and kicked off her heels.
She padded her way into the flat, making her way to her bedroom to change into her PJs and grab her book. She wanted to curl up and read for a bit before settling down in bed.
Spencer was a nice man, someone she could see herself having a great friendship with, but she hoped that she never had to work with him. Plus, she wasn’t sure how he would respond to her being a witch. She didn’t want to worry about that now, she would cross that bridge if, and when, she came to it. For now, she was just happy to have made her first friend over here.