DISCLAIMER:

I don't own the Harry Potter series or Criminal minds. Those belong to JK Rowling and Jeff Davis.

AN:

Thanks to all of you who have followed or favoured this story. Feel free to comment on what you like or dislike it helps steer the story along.

Thanks for those of you who have commented on liking the way I made them meet. I though that clumsiness would be funny, plus Spencer would be a bit out of his element which would be fun. Don't worry Hermione is too.

CHAPTER 7 : INTERVIEWS

Getting her professional looking suit wet upon arrival hadn't been part of Hermione's plan.

The feeling of very hot splashes of beverage on her decoletage should have made any other person cry out in pain. But Hermione only cringed in discomfort at the sensation of her lavender blouse slowly becoming attached to her skin. Where every person would have cringed in pain, her main concern was decency. Surely this wasn't a decent way to meet a potential future employer? With a shirt sticking to your curves.. it rather felt indecent… Especially in front of a male co-worker.. But getting changed wasn't really a possibility at this point.
The idea of a change of attire was completely out of the mind of the young agent in front of her.
And that wasn't because he was entranced by the curves that had been revealed by the spill, nor was it because he was aware of the woman's high pain tolerance. No, as much as Spencer Reid was a man, his mind ruled his interactions before any other body part… and right now is mind was stuck on a sentence:
"Well you could start by telling me how you know my book…"

It wasn't the question in itself that had intrigued the young profiler, but the tone taken. This Hermione had seemed friendly enough when interacting with him and talking about Dickens, but as soon as Spencer had mentioned her name the look in her eyes had changed to suspicion and doubt. That look and Spencer's profiler training were the real reason why the specks of coffee marking her breasts hadn't yet been noticed by Spencer.
It was as though she was expecting a confrontation, as though him knowing her name was a danger to her in some way.
Spencer chuckled, a bit lost and out of his element, entranced and confused at the same time by this slip of a woman
"I… err… My apologies, my name is Spencer Reid and I work here in the FBI. I don't know anything about you personally I just read your book as I said previously. It is really impressive how you managed to determine how much of an impact the decisions taken in the aftermath of trauma can affect a person's psyche, especially teenage minds, as they are ever changing…."
Spencer could have continued on a developed comparison between her own discoveries and analysis and the ones of renowned child phsychiatrics, but he seemed to realise that the question did not warrant such a detailed response.
"I am sorry, I tend to go on when a subject fascinates me…"

Hermione smiled, deciding that agreeing with his offer of coffee was the easiest way to drive this conversation forward.
"There is nothing wrong with being fascinated with human behaviour, I tend to find it brilliantly fascinating too…."
She would have continued but she realised that her companion had his eyes set on her decoletage, a thought that would have made her defend herself as a feminist and chastise any potential alpha male incapable of not staring at a woman's breasts. But those beautiful brown and green eyes hold concern and reconnaissance. A look very different from lust.
This particularly searching look, probably due to the attention to details that was ingrained in being a profiler, made her uncomfortable because it meant questions, questions she did not and would not answer.
"Excuse me, while I clean myself up….."

Hermione did not really give the young profiler time to process the change of discourse as she focused on passing past him in search from the facilities, to clean herself up. The hot liquid wasn't uncomfortable in the least, which would be strange for any other person but herself, but it gave her an excuse to clear her mind and process this strange encounter.
The last time she had been caught of guard had been when she had met David Rossi, BAU agent, because he remembered her and that made her uncomfortable in principle. She was supposed to blend in, not distinguish herself. Having a bull's eye on her back was exactly what she had avoided for years, leaving Britain and the Wizarding World.
Did she want this job? A high profile profession that would deter her progress?
If Hermione was honest with herself she was a bit dissatisfied with her current life, it held merits surely, and being a TA was gratifying for a bookworm such as herself. But it wasn't particularly challenging intellectually. So this offer had merits.
Yes! She would be a great asset to the BAU, and what's more important, this would fill her lonely life with a purpose. Surely keeping her coworkers at a polite arms' length would be easy, she had done it by now.
Opening the doors to the lavatories, Hermione was immediately confronted with her reflexion in the bathroom mirror. In itself it wasn't a concern at all, she saw herself quite regularly. But what bothered her was that she understood the searching look of this Spencer Reid… It wasn't her breasts that had been scrutinised. No, it was the 5 inches violet scar that looked like an angry and recent burn pattern. A scar that crossed her breasts and finished under her left bra strap.
"Great…. Now I'll have an overly curious coworker…" She mused aloud.
There wasn't much she could do about it but hope that he was tactful enough not to directly mention it. She splashed water on her blouse to remove as much of the stain as possible, covered herself, and exited the lavatory after taking a big breath. At least this young man seemed to like to babble, she could avoid personal questions. It would be a good distraction, and he seemed well read, that was always a plus…

Spencer was completely engrossed in his thoughts as he poured two cups of coffee while waiting for Hermione.
His thoughts were a little jumbled, between meeting the author a book he just read, and discovering that she was even prettier in person, and making a fool of himself…
"It's not as though you are good at first impressions…" he told himself. "There is a reason why you are alone…"
Those self-depreciating thoughts were abandoned fast, and replaced by only a persistent one. His photographic memory made it impossible for him to forget the blueish scar that ran along her left side. It looked like a bad one, Spencer was no stranger to scars and flesh wounds, his daily job giving him enough images to give nightmares to any man, woman or child. But the thought of this scar on this woman seemed wrong, like a blasphemy on her pearl white skin. Like a wrong that needed to be set right.

Lost as he was Spencer failed to see the object of his thoughts as she approached him to collect the coffee he had offered, with a determined look on her face.
"Thank you… Mr Reid." Hermione said as she set her hand on the free cup and startled the young man at the same time.
"Err.. You're welcome.. You don't have to call me that, technically it would be Doctor Reid… But you can call me Spencer." He rambled along.
She smiled and nodded. He really is adorable, she thought, before recovering herself.
"Well… Spencer", she said his name slowly and deliberately, "You're right I should probably call you by your first name, seeing as you called me by mine first..." She added with a smirk.
She watched, fascinated, as her remark caused a blush to develop on Spencer's cheeks, and deciding to put him out of his misery she asked:
"And what exactly are you of doctor of Spencer? "
She took note of his pupils dilating a little as her use of his name, but let him answer.
"Well… I hold three B.A.s in Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy, a Ph.D. in Chemistry and Engineering as well as a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Caltech…" His voice lowered to nothing as he realised how much he had divulged. Why did this woman make him loose his aloofness? It was disconcerting.
Hermione's eyes had widened at the mention of the man's qualifications, not only was he polite and quite handsome, but he was provably a genius! Her general caution when meeting people was balanced with her interest. She wanted to know more about him, he seemed too young to so many degrees. She understood brilliance and academic excellence, but this was as though this man had spent his entire life studying.
He looked to be what? 26-27? How on earth did he get so many diplomas?
Before both of them could ask the questions that were bubbling behind the surface the elevator doors opened.

Hotch and Rossi stepped out, engrossed in a conversation about Gideon's jokes on a case they had solved a long time ago with a BAU…
Spencer smiled at the anecdote while Hermione straightened her clothing and put her half empty coffee cup down, recognising agent Rossi from his visit in Seattle.
As she was about to head their way agent Rossi recognised her and smiled, of course the two geniuses would get along… He thought.
Focussing on the young woman, David held his hand out.
"Miss Granger, thank you for being here, I hope you haven't been waiting too long. This is SAA Hotchner, the head of the BAU, and I see you have met SAA Reid…" he added while looking at his younger colleague with a kind smile, that turned into a smirk.
Spencer ignored David's antics, to concentrate on Hermione as she shook hands with Hotch.
"SAA Hotchner, it's a pleasure to meet you."
"You as well Miss Granger, why don't we start the meeting now, seeing as you are here?" He added in his professional tone, as ever.
Hermione and David both nodded at the suggestion and the two men started to walk towards the bullpen, leaving the young woman to bid her goodbyes to Spencer.
"Well, it was lovely meeting you. I hope you have a pleasant afternoon." Said Hermione while offering her hand.
Spencer looked the delicate appendage and took it carefully in his own hand, as though she was made of porcelain. He squeezed it one time and uttered a quick goodbye before heading for the elevators, this time intent on leaving the building for good.

Hermione watched him leave a little perplexed at his sudden departure, before heading for the office door that had been left open for her on the mezzanine. An office belonging to SAA Hotchner, as suggested by the metallic plaque attached to the door.
The two men were waiting for by the window, engrossed in a paper file that bore her name on it as Hermione nervously knocked on the open door.
She couldn't help but think : Is that what it feels like to be asked to the headmaster's office?
They both turned towards her, David Rossi offering her a kind almost fatherly smile, and SAA Hotchner a tight, but polite one. It was as though she was facing a Albus Dumbledore and a Minerva McGonagall from a different universe. She was in a different world nowadays after all. The feeling left her queasy and a bit unnerved.
"Miss Granger, please take a seat." Said SAA Hotchner as he himself went behind his desk.
Hermione took the seat closest to the door, letting the one on her left open for SAA Rossi.
"We already have a file on you, as you can see… and your qualifications are impressive. Between your degrees in Criminal Science and Anthropology alone your profile is in perfect alignment with the kind of qualifications this office needs. You see, the FBI has tasked me with the job of expending the BAU, as it usually deals with high profile cases that demand long hours from our agents. The weight of the work hours is stretching our team thin and it hiring you would mean a better repartition of the workload. I know you where previously reticent to pursue a career in the FBI but perhaps the fact that you are here now means that you have changed your mind?".
Hermione took a deep breath, she had decided that she would do this, but she had certain stipulations.
"Yes, it's true that when I was first approached with a job offer, after finishing my last PHD, I turned the offer down. The issue here, agent Hotchner, is that my reasoning for turning the job down is still valid. I don't want to be on the field, carrying a firearm. If it were possible to be on the team and not go on the field I would consider the offer."
David decided to intervene at this point.
"Hermione…" he said, addressing the young women directly. "May I call you Hermione?"
She almost laughed at his question, it was probably the only way she could be addressed these days.
There had been so many before, in her previous life.
Miss Granger had first been a distinctive call from teachers, usually to offer her praise, or ridicule in case of a certain potion master, but she had outgrown this stage. Miss Granger was also a reminder of a time where photographers and reporters followed her everywhere, waiting for the most meaningless details to print. A time where she had first felt harassed and followed, then the harassment had turned more brutal, almost like a hazing done by an entire community, a hazing she had suffered enough of.
Mione was a pet name she hated, but it remained a reminder of a time where she had childhood friends.
And the Gryffindor Princess reminded her of a period far away from her. A time where she was a young adolescent, unaware of the reach of the media, battling with other issues such as NEWTS and breaking school rules.
Finally there was one more moniker used by certain people to address her, but she saw this one enough on her skin as it were…Unconsciously she scratched the skin of her left forearm.
Lost in her thoughts she did not realise she had exceeded the time one would usually take to answer a question.
"Yes, you may call me Hermione. Or Miss Granger." She added the latter, because she felt like SAA Hotchner wasn't the kind of people to call someone by their first name upon meeting them.
Both men were watching here warily, as though aware she had struggled with the question but incapable in determining what that struggle could entail.
"Hermione, your IQ of 190 alone would be reason for us to consider hiring you. The fact that your qualifications align with our line of work is just an additional point that persuades me that you would be a perfect fit for the team. I understand not wanting to be on the field and while most of the agents of our unit do carry a firearm, our technical analyst remains in Quantico and does not need such field qualifications. We could offer you the same status, though because we would want you to actually travel with us, something that Penelope doesn't have to do, you would have to at least take a physical test. You wouldn't have to carry a firearm, you could stay in the different precincts. Would that be convenient for you?"
A physical? Hermione though with horror! Don't they know I am in no capacity a jock? I hate sports!
But she would be lying if she said she wasn't intrigued by the job, she was very good at discerning patterns and thinking the way a person with detached morals would think… that was the problem. She was too cold these days, between her reduced feeling in nerves, her very high pain tolerance, she would be the perfect candidate to dive into the minds of those people. But did she really want to?
"Would it be possible for me to take this position on a trial basis? I don't know how I would handle it." She asked diplomatically.
"Yes, that would be the protocol in any case. We would just need for you to terminate your present position, or at least inform your employer of the career change, you could keep being a TA when we don't have a case, though traveling will make it complicated. The physical is the only formal requirement at this point, to the trial basis at least. The permanent position would only be offered after examining your work with us. Would that be acceptable?"
"I think I could arrange a sort of sabbatical from work during my trial period, I haven't taken holidays in two years anyway, asking for placements in the research departments of the University during the holidays.", she blushed.
At this information Rossi and Hotch both looked at the woman in front of them with a surprised look. being work alcoholics themselves they were used to prioritising work before life, but no holidays at all? How did she function? Did she have no life outside of work?

While Hotch looked back at her file, David had an idea.
"Hermione? Would you mind doing a quick consult for us on a case we just received? We haven't decided if we will take it, being in the middle of a serial enucleator case. But would you look at it?"
Hermione was taken aback by the information load in this simple request.
"You have a case dealing with enucleation? Aren't those some of the rarest cases?" she asked, the nerd inside of her taking hold of her brain.
"Yes, those are rare indeed but usually create a lot of press as the murders are unusual and without motives in most cases, the typical enucleator usually being mentally deficient." Hotch answered. Then paused, sighing. "But the case we want you to just give us a consult on is simpler, we have already established a baseline for it : the victims are all females, raped and then ditched in abandoned alleys and the forest. Three victims so far, making it just serial. What could you tell us about it?" he asked giving her a brown paper file, relatively thin.

Hermione knew that the issue here wasn't the case but her response to the gruesome images, descriptions, as well as her analytical skills.
Taking the paper file she was faced with the image of a decapitated corpse, laying in a ditch in the forest. The female's head must have rolled a few feet away in the ditch. The macabre ensemble made by the decapitation, the multiple marks on her neck signifying the head had been severed after multiple painful strikes instead of one clean cut; would be shocking to anyone. Even seasoned field agents. But Hermione didn't even flinch, the image just reminded her of the body of Parvati Patil, her former schoolmate. She had been found under the rubble of the Battle, her body perfectly severed at the neck due to the pressure of the rocks above her.
Hermione turned the pages without blinking, frowning or showing any sort of physical disgust. She remained perfectly calm, as though the images in front of her were mundane.
If Hotchner and Rossi were surprised by the disaffected way she handled the case, they were stunned when she started talking about it.
"Considering the evidence I would say that the perpetrator is male, in his mid to late twenties, probably hangs around the college in some capacity, as a student, a TA, a young professor's aid. He wouldn't be a janitor or a barista, these students wouldn't trust him at night if he was. And it's highly improbable that he attacked them randomly, this was planned, they are all wearing evening attire, date attire. Of course the perpetrator could have dressed the victims after the rape, but seeing as the clothing is as mutilated as the bodies I would say that the clothing was theirs, and he did not feel the need to redress them, just dispose of them like garbage."
Hermione finished her analysis, delivered in a somewhat monotone voice, and looked at the two agents in front of her. Both were looking at her with surprise showing on their faces. What also surprised them was the speed at which she had read the file and had captured the information. She really was an impressive young woman.
"How would you proceed?" Asked SAA Hotchner, trying to further their evaluation of her skills.
"Well, I would send a young female agent in the field, as a student. Give her enough of a story to entice the killer, but not too much. I would also send a male agent. Killings of such brutality are subjects to gossips, so I would pose him as a curious macho man just trying to take credit for the kills. I think this would infuriate the subject, seeing as the level of violence in those crimes shows someone prone to violent outbursts. But with a female agent as his target it would be easy to see who would show a particular interest in her. Especially since he would probably start to unravel."
Rossi smiled, still stunned at her analytical and practical mind.
"It seems like a solid plan with some risks, but minimal to the public. Do you have any other questions Hotch?" He asked his colleague.
"No… Thank you Miss Granger." He said while getting up and taking the file from the young woman. "We will contact you with the date of your physical but it would probably be in the next fews days so the Bureau will organise a hotel room and other facilities for your convenience."

Hermione thanked both man and after a little small talk, and after receiving the necessary information about her stay in Quantico, exited the office, walking towards the elevator doors.
On her way to the exit she couldn't help but search around the bullpen for the young agent she had literally bumped into earlier, but Spencer seemed to have left for the day.
Well, she thought, it's probably not a good idea to befriend him, it would mean getting close to someone, something I don't really do these days.