She was smartly dressed, wearing flats and carrying a small handbag.
The woman picked out what she needed from the shelves with practiced purpose.
She looked at a list, murmuring, "Crookshanks likes this cat food. He hasn't felt like moving much lately. Maybe he's getting old."
Still muttering, she continued searching the shelves.
Bzzz, bzzz.
She took her phone out of her bag and answered it.
"Mom?" Hearing her mother's voice over the phone, Hermione gave a wry smile. "All right, I know. I really don't like Mr. Browning."
"Tonight?" Hermione sounded troubled, lowering her voice. "I've still got things to do at the Foreign Office."
"No, I really haven't!"
Despite all her arguments, Hermione still couldn't get out of her family's invitation to come home.
She hung up and slapped a hand against the shopping cart, feeling rather dispirited.
As a career woman, Hermione wasn't opposed to marriage, but she disliked having one forced on her.
The Granger family wasn't short of money, yet her mother was always worried she would become an old maid.
Even as the distinguished Minister for Magic stationed in the United Kingdom, she had to find time between dealing with wizarding affairs to entertain the prospective partners her mother introduced.
Irritated, Hermione hoisted a large bag of cat food and dumped it heavily into the cart.
Then she rubbed hard between her brows, her deep frown making her foul mood plain.
Fortunately, she had her own way of adjusting her mood.
She took two deep breaths, her chest rising and falling.
She squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them again.
If she were so easily defeated, she wouldn't be Miss Know-It-All.
She pulled herself together and started pushing the cart away.
As she passed a shelf, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face