The man leaned back in his chair, fiddling with a small ball that had been sitting on his desk, eyes never leaving Hermione's. She refused to be intimidated by him. The backstory she'd given seemed almost too tragic; an orphan who had come to America with nothing but a dream and her parents" life savings. Hermione made it known that America hadn't disappointed - she'd been able to make something of herself in only a year. Now that she had a stable job and a home, the money left from her parents was hers to invest. Being an unmarried, adult woman and an orphan gave Hermione dominion over herself instead of having to rely on a man.