Harry Potter 1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

"Hermione Jane Granger! When are you ever going to get away from those dratted books of yours? I mean, surly you are not going to spend your life wedded to a mound of those dusty old things, now are you? And besides! It is summer! Surly you are going to do something interesting this time around, even if you did not do anything in the last couple of years. Really, Hermione! You need excitement! And another thing… when are you ever going to settle down? I mean, really have you ever even gone out on a single date with any boy in your whole entire life? I mean, Mione, come on!"

I looked up from my papers. Surly I had not been at it all that long. If you could call three extremely lengthy, difficult, tiring, and heart-breaking years a long time that is.

"Ginny, I am just not cut out for that type of life. I know that for you, it is a totally different matter, right? I mean, didn't Harry propose the day after you left Hogwarts, and then you two got married, what was it? A month later? And then there was Ron." I stopped suddenly.

During my sixth year, I had thought that I was madly in love with him. But, much to my dismay, he had declared his undying affection to none other than Ginny's longtime friend Luna Lovegood. I had gotten over that, eventually, for after all, Ronald Weasley was one of my all-time best friends, and friends of course stick together through thick and thin.

Even through failed romances. And then, much to my dismal, I had had another, fatal attraction. What had come over me? For seventeen years, I had never fallen hard for anyone. And then, within the space of two years, I had had my first and second budding romances crushed, if they could ever have been called a romance in the light of things. Though I soon realized that the second one was apparently, the most doomed from the start… saying that he had always hated the very sight of me.

"You see, Ginny, I am just not interested in that sort of thing. I think that I will stick to my books, if you don't mind me saying so." They would, at least, keep my mind off my broken heart. For nothing else really could do that in these hectic days of mine.

"But tell me, Mione," Ginny persisted. Surly there has been a special someone for you? Beside my prat of a brother who never saw the jewel that was deep within you?" When I hesitated, she gave a loud exclamation.

"Ah ha! I knew it!" She paused suddenly. "I wonder." She mused to herself. "Would this unknown someone have anything to do with all your bumbling and mistakes in a certain class during your seventh year?" I jumped and let out a squeak of protest. Ginny, realizing that she had struck upon a goldmine of information, hidden just beneath the surface of my resolve, smiled down in a motherly fashion upon where I was sitting. "If I must say so myself, you were rather obvious about the whole matter. Pity he never noticed it himself."

"Yes, I know." I sighed. "But please don't you tell a soul about it, ok? He never noticed it because he hated the very sight of me for seven long years. Why was he going to change that then? And, to make things worse… I began messing up my potions whenever he came near me. I soon found a way to stop all my blundering, but not before the damage was done. It was well into January when I came into my senses, and came up with a way to block my feelings from affecting my performances in his class, but by then, what little respect that I had earned from being the smartest potions student since he himself had taken his exams, it had all disappeared. You do know who I am talking about, don't you Ginny?"

"Yes, Mione, dear." Ginny replied soberly. "I have always known." I gasped. "It was quite easy to figure it out, to tell you the truth. All I had to do was look into your very eyes, when he was in the room, and I could tell why you held you heart in your arms. Eyes are the doorways to the soul you know. Though why he never noticed that dramatic change in you is past me. You are truly, a most beautiful woman Hermione Granger. And I hope that he realizes it before its too late."

"That will never happen, Ginny." I answered painfully quiet. "You know that even though Voldemort is gone, many still believe in the tradition of keeping the blood of wizardry pure. And, all that I am is another impurity in the lot to him. He will not want to mingle with me, not after that." I paused. "Even though I had loved him so." I mumbled out, so Ginny could barely understand me.

"Oh you poor dear. I had not known that you had had it so bad! Just like I had it for Harry for years upon years… Are you totally clear in your mind that it would never work out for the both of you?" She stammered to a halt. And then continued. ""Because we do think that if you two could give it a chance… and yes I do know that it would have to be started by him himself… well if that did happen, Harry and I think that you two might make a cute couple."

I stared at her. So she and Harry thought that my 'mysterious lover' and I might make a cute couple if we ever got together, did they. I had thought that she did not know who he was, not my mysterious lover, as I never had had one, but the man that I had been head over heels in love with for several years. Well, there was not anything that I could do about that… but the fact that two of my friends had been discussing my love life, or what did not exist within it, had totally shocked me senseless. I had not known that they could be so caring about me. I realized that all they wanted was my happiness. But, if things continued in the same direction that was happening, that would take a long time in forthcoming. Now that I thought about it more closely, I was dead certain that the one thing that would make me truly happy, that one thing, would never come to be.

"Ginny, I know that as much as you would truly like to see me happy, I probably will never be truly so. I had my chance to find out, and I did. He never could love a muggle born witch, even if she were the smartest witch of her age, which everyone still seems to be calling me, no matter how untrue it really seems to me. So, I will simply stick to my books, as they are all that I truly have now."

"Hermione, when will you ever learn. Don't you wait for happiness to come your way, all you have to do is to go out and seek it yourself. And, if that does not work, then I do not know what will do the trick for you."

"Well, enough of that! Tell me, Ginny dear, I do not believe that this was the only reason that has brought you to my office in this time of year? Surly something important must have happened to draw you away from your sweet auror husband."

I knew that I had hit upon it, because she beamed. "Yes. Actually, there was something else. Something immense. Hermione… please brace yourself for a huge piece news. Harry and I are going to have a baby!"

"Yes!" I squealed. I had not been this happy in a long time. " Good for you! It is about time you know." I paused, having just noticed that she still continued to beam down upon me, in a fashion that told me that that was not all of her news. "Is that all?"

"No! It gets even better! The healer that I saw even said that I am probably going to be having twins! And Harry and I want you and Ron to be their Godparents! Is that possible? Do you think that you two might be able to pull that off for Harry and me? Because you know that you two are his best friends and everything. Oh you should have heard Harry's exclamation and seen the shocked look on his face when I told him. It was priceless."

"Of course I will. You do know that I have no hard feelings against your brother or anything. Though I had always assumed that he had the emotional range of a teaspoon, I suppose that he only had to find the right person, and that part of him would all go away. You know what I mean, don't you Ginny?"

"Yes, I suppose so. Though I really would have enjoyed having you as a sister you know. Too bad that part of it did not work out."

"Ginny, you will always be like a sister to be. You will always be the sister that I never had, deep within my heart. That is what matters more than anything else you know… what is in the heart."

"I know." Ginny spoke out venomously. " And the contents of your heart are the purest of them all. I really hope that he comes to his senses soon!" I sat, staring up at her in speechless shock. When she finally spoke up again, her voice was back to normal once more. "Hermione? I really need to go right now. I have to meet Harry at the Leaky Cauldron in about fifteen minutes, and I really do not want to be late."

Without another word, Ginny Weasley Potter walked out of the door of my office, leaving me inside, totally stunned by what she had just revealed to me.

"Maybe I do need some changes in my life." I mused to myself, after Ginny had passed through the door, and once no one could hear what I was saying. "Maybe I will take up Professor McGonagall's most recent offer to me after all."

As Professor McGonagall had told me earlier, apparently, at the beginning of first term, Professor Dumbledore had announced to the rest of the staff and the four houses that that year would be his last year as Headmaster of Hogwarts. He went on to tell everyone that in his stead, he would be passing his position on to none other than Professor McGonagall.

This, she had then told me, was going to open up a teaching position. And she had wanted me to take her place as Transfiguration Professor. I had not been too sure at the time, as I had also told her. I had almost forgotten about her offer, until she herself had come back into my office just the previous week with the same request.

Now that I thought back to that offer, I felt almost flattered. It pleased me greatly to know that she held me in such regard. Yes, if her offer was still open, I decided, I was going to go back to Hogwarts.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

It was close to a week after my encounter with Ginny Weasley… no Ginny Potter, when I truly decided to take up Professor McGonagall's intriguing offer. The idea of actually being a teacher at my old school had always fascinated me... I just never thought that it would ever be possible for me to do. And even if I had, it would have, and now would, return me to the domain of my tragic heartache. Not that it really mattered to me. At least that is what I frequently told my aching heart, time over time again.

No, I was going to put all of that behind me… to the best of my ability that is… and I would try my hardest to become one of the best Transfiguration Professor that Hogwarts has ever seen, though Professor McGonagall would always be the best in my eyes.

"Professor McGonagall?" I called out softly from just outside of her office door. Though she was not totally recognized as the new Headmistress, she had already started to move her belongings about. Packing them for when she was to move into her new rooms of accommodation. "Professor? It is Hermione Granger here to see you about your most recent offer to me. I know that I am probably too late to get the job, but I was coming over to find out, if just in case I was wrong about me being too late."

"Ms. Granger. I have been wondering when you might come to your senses." I inwardly jumped. For some reason, I had not really been expecting getting to see the future Headmistress so soon, and in such a startling manner. For I had been looking into her office, and then, much to my surprise, she had come up behind me as suddenly and as quietly as the cat animagus form that was shared by the two of us. "Oh! Professor!" I exclaimed. "I thought that you were inside of your office!"

"Oh, that's alright Ms. Granger… Hermione… that is all perfectly understandable. Now as you were telling my office… you came here as a rather late response to my request to fill in my old position as the Transfiguration Professor." I simply nodded for Professor McGonagall to continue. "Well, though while I was rather displeased by your tardiness in responding to my request, I must say though, that the job is yours." I looked at her in sheer amazement. She must have seen something in my facial expression that amused her, because she gave me a glimpse of her small, yet rewarding smile.

"Ms. Granger, Hermione, I am rather pleased that you have decided to join the teaching staff of Hogwarts. Now in a couple of weeks, the remainder of the teachers will be arriving back here from their summertime vacations. I would, well all the teachers, actually, would be pleased to have you show up here at about the same time. And another thing, the staff will be having a small dinner right before the start of term, if you would be willing enough to come to that as well, and maybe bring your special someone along with you in the process." Professor McGonagall gave a small snort before continuing. "I had told Albus that I did not need a dinner in recognition for me becoming the new Head of Hogwarts, but, unfortunately, he insisted, so that appreciation dinner will be on the fifteenth of August." And then, in a softer tone, Professor McGonagall continued. "And Hermione, dear? You do not need to call me Professor any more. Starting now, we are colleagues, so you can call me Minerva."

"Yes, thank you professor, I mean Minerva." I replied. I was relieved that I had gotten the position, yet I was still nervous that I would not be good enough to fill in after Professor McGonagall, who I felt was still superior to me in many ways, when it came to experience and knowledge. It was going to be rather tricky for me to remember to call her by her first name, as I had spent ten years calling her Professor.

Timidly, I spoke up again. "Prof—Minerva? Is there anything else that I should do this summer, to prepare myself for your old position? Should I go back over all my notes from when I had been a student, so I know what to teach? I mean, there is not much more that I can do, now is there? I have to continue my other job until the end of July, but after that, my days are relatively free. I can work on my schedules then. Will that work?"

"Yes Hermione, that should work," she paused, and then continued. "So that means that you have already taken your vacation? Because if you have not done so…" she trailed off when she noticed the somewhat guilty expression on my face. She then took a long and hard look at me before continuing, in a somewhat softer voice. "Tell me, dear, when was the last time you took a break from your present job?" When she did not get an answer from me, she sighed. "You know, if you continue like that, you are going to have a nervous breakdown sometime. People need breaks from what they do every day. I suppose that that might be a reason behind Albus's sudden departure."

She paused, and then for several long minutes, there was a stiff and rather uncomfortable silence between the two of us. Suddenly she spoke up again. "Tell me. Has anything rough been happening in your life lately? Was there something that would cause you to work such long hours without as much as a single break? Could it be an embarrassing moment that just will not leave the mind's eye? Was it a rejection by someone special to you? Could it be another death of a loved one? Tell me dear, so I can see if I can help you in any way, shape or form. Is there anything that I can do for you?"

There was now a glint in her eye, something that I had almost never before seen there. I could not put down my finger on when I had last seen it glistening there. Suddenly I realized it. I realized with a sudden jolt in my heart, that the last time I had ever before seen her looking that way upon me was during my seventh year at Hogwarts, when I had just received notice of the death of my parents in a Death Eater attack.

"Yes, Professor. Minerva. Yes there is… was an incident that caused all of that." I paused as a sudden wave of forlornness and sadness suddenly swept through my very being. Looking up into her clear brown eyes, I noticed that they were brimming with a kind of sympathy. Maybe she could understand my problems, I thought to myself slowly. But, no, I sighed silently to myself that would do me no good. No good at all. Even if Minerva would understand the reasoning behind my everlasting grief, it would never do me any good at all.

She looked at me, expectedly. I sighed. "Yes, I had my heart broken. Three years ago to be exact. Though I never spoke a word about it ever since then." I paused. "To tell you the truth, it was because of that that I had almost decided to reject your offer. It was because of that that I took so long in deciding to accept in the first place. It was because of… because of him, that I chose the job that I have had for the last three years. I just wanted to forget the trauma that filled the end of my seventh year."

I stopped again. And then, much more quietly, I continued with my explanations. "I just wanted to forget him, and close up the place that he had gained within my ever aching heart. I just do not want to love again." Minerva gazed sadly down upon me, my head bent down in sorrow. "Victor wanted me to come to Bulgaria, to come and marry him, but I just could not do so. Though he told me that he loved me… I just could never return that gesture. I tell you… I cannot love and then forget that I ever loved to begin with. It is quite impossible, as I found out. Maybe I just need a chance to get over what I had lost all those years ago."

I was very near tears at the end of my heartfelt declaration. Minerva put her arms around my shaking form, shaking because of the dry sobs that shook me through to my very soul. "I understand, dear." She whispered gently to me. "I hope… we all hope that you will come to enjoy true happiness. For it all comes in it's own timing dear… love will always come when it decides to, not a moment too soon. You can trust me on that."

Neither of us noticed the dark figure slipping from the shadows, of the doorway, and disappearing around the bend in the hall.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It was August the fourth, and I had been off from my old job at the Ministry of Magic for just under two weeks. I sighed. I had been looking at my reflection in the mirror in the inside of my closet door, and I realized that I had been losing weight over the whole matter of love these past couple of months. I sighed. Had three years really gone by since I had graduated from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? It almost seemed to have been centuries more than a measly three years. Three years.

Oh what hard and miserable years those had been. I sighed. Why could life not be even a little bit kinder to me then it already was? And now I was going to be heading back to the school that had been my home for seven long years. And it was now going to be my home for an indefinite period of time… years perhaps. And for once in my short lifespan, I was not truly looking forward to that.

I heaved a sigh again. Looking back at my reflection, I also realized that I probably did not own a respectable dress for tomorrow's upcoming dinner with the entire staff of Hogwarts. "I suppose that I must get a new one today." I spoke out loud to myself, not altogether pleased by the idea of gong shopping anytime soon. "Apparently there is a new shop in Hogsmeade. At least, that is what Ginny told me a while ago. Maybe I will take a look inside of it when I get there this afternoon. Maybe I might even find something that will both make me look presentable, while in the meanwhile, not empty my purse."

I turned from the mirror in disgust. Though my ministry job could not exactly be called a well paying job, it had certainly been enough to help me through the years that I had been working there without much discomfort. But as I had been looking at myself, I had realized that it was still not quite enough to make me look quite up to the standards of what I thought that a Professor should look like.

"It was not a problem for Professor Lupin." A small voice spoke within me. "I shook my head to get rid of that ever present, and ever annoying voice, my soft brown curls bouncing around my slumped shoulders as I did so." "I know," I answered quietly in return to the voice of my small conscious. "But I just cannot help myself feeling this way about it. It will be a second first impression, to my old teachers, who will be my new colleagues in a short amount of time. And besides, I just want to be able to impress upon…" I paused.

Before continuing softly. "Maybe I just want to show him that maybe I am at least a little bit more than the bratty know-it-all girl of muggle parentage that he has always known and despised. Maybe then, after he does realize that, maybe he will give me a chance to prove myself at loving him." Yes, I decided. I was going to get myself a new dress, even if it drained me to my very last Knut.

That afternoon, I was not too sure about that reasoning. I had apparated just within the village of Hogsmeade at around one o'clock in the early afternoon. So, as I walked through the streets of the only all wizarding village in Britain, I had wondered about what this new shop would be like. My romantic self pictured a small shop with several display windows, filled with the flickering glow of candlelight, overflowing with a collection of bright and cheerful clothes and dress robes. Of course, I had reasoned, I probably could not afford anything too grand, but just being inside of a room filled with them, would probably be good enough to lift my spirit.

I had continued down towards the main street, where all of the shops were, when I came to an abrupt stop. The shop before me was not at all what I had been expecting. I had been expecting something small… but this building in front of me seemed almost to bulge out of its walls with some of the most expensive looking dress ware I had ever seen in my life. I could probably never afford anything inside of here. But all the same, I stopped in front of the bright windows to stare at the glorious items displayed within.

With my last glance back at the light filled windows, I noticed it. My dress. It was the dress that I had always dreamed about. It was a soft sea green color and it was edged with a periwinkle blue. It had a rounded collar, and loose fitting sleeves, that looked as if they would simply billow around me. I sighed happily, and took a small step towards the window, hoping for a better and closer glimpse at the billowing dress that almost seemed to glow in the light that lit it. Knowing that I could never afford it, I sighed to myself I turned away from the brightly lit window.

After another long moments pause, I continued on my way. "Maybe I could transfigure one of my older dresses that I have into something that could pass as presentable." I thought out loud to myself, 'Yes," I decided finally with a small sigh of regret, "that is exactly what I am going to do."

As I walked down the path, I did not notice that the tall dark form of the figure that had been silently following me had stopped in front of the window, and was looking between the dress and my retreating form with the softest expression that had ever graced his face. I also did not notice that he had just silently disappeared from sight within the doors of that brilliantly lit shop.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"…And then these are your rooms of accommodation to your left. Here, there is enough time to show you them before it is time for dinner." I followed Minerva and Dumbledore silently. We had just passed through what I had always thought was just another tapestry. But, as had just been told to me by professor Dumbledore, it was just a transfigured doorway that was to be kept hidden from students at all times.

"Hermione?" Dumbledore quietly informed me it his firm, but gentle voice. "Just to let you know, the password to your chambers for the time being is epsilon. Though you can change it whenever you please, as long as you remember what it is. And be sure that no one that you do invite into your chambers is a student, for as I have told you, it is against school policies for students to know where their professors reside within this castle."

I nodded. That seemed logical to me. Over the seven years that I had been a student here, I had never once found out where any of the professors lived within the castle. "Is there anything else that you would like to tell me before you show me my rooms professor?" I timidly asked. The awe that I felt at first coming to Hogwarts was swiftly returning to me, leaving me rather breathless and shy again.

"No, that should be all." Spoke out Minerva again. " Here is a key to your rooms if you are to forget the password, though I do not suppose that you will need it, speaking about how you remember things so well and such. Now, you can use the password that I have given you… so you can see your rooms."

Hesitantly, I stepped forwards towards the awaiting door. "Epsilon." I spoke out, quite clearly. I could hardly wait to see the chambers that awaited my eyes. The door swung open, and ass I stepped through, my foot hit a package that was partially hidden amongst the shadows around my doorway. Without stopping to wonder about that mysterious package, which I did not think much about, I stepped boldly into my rooms, and opened my eyes. What I saw took me clear by surprise.

I do not know what I had been expecting, but it was not anything like what I was seeing just now. The rooms were not decked out with the gold and red of the Gryffindor colors, but instead, the colors that it sported were the colors that I had always called my favorites. Greens, and blues, mixed in with a frothy gray the color of the wind tossed ocean, greeted my eyes. I gasped. I had never before seen anything so beautiful in a very long time.

Both of my former professors must have sensed my awe at my surroundings because they were looking at me with an indulgent gaze, much like the one that my mother once set upon me when I was younger. "This is… these rooms are… they are perfect!" I cried out in sheer amazement. This was more than I had ever expected. I do not know anymore what I had been expecting, but most certainly, it was defiantly not anything near as lovely as these rooms were to me now.

"Well, Professor Hermione Granger," Dumbledore's amused voice called to me through my amazed stupor. "Minerva and I will leave you here. Make sure to unpack and get acquainted with these charming quarters of yours. We will all be expecting you down for dinner at around six thirty, if you do not mind." He paused, before continuing. "And maybe you would enjoy seeing what is in this quite unusual package by the door. It looks quite intriguing if you ask me." And before I could say another thing, the two of them had disappeared suddenly through my door, as suddenly as if they had apparated out, though I know that that was quite impossible.

After I had explored my chambers for another fifteen minutes, I suddenly remembered Professor Dumbledore's comment about the mysterious package that was just outside of the doorway that led to my rooms. I also remembered the fact that I had almost tripped over it in my haste to get inside of my new rooms and that it had not been a hard object. If I had remembered correctly, my foot had made a soft indent into the side of the packaging.

Intrigued, I went over to investigate it. It seemed relatively normal at first… as it was wrapped in an old edition of the Daily Prophet. But what startled me was the fact that it was dated from a little over three years ago… about the time of the Death Eater attack that had claimed the lived of my parents. As I started to untie the brown cords that bound the package… I noticed the heading. Well not the actual heading, but the date. It said November the Nineteenth… the day that the attack on my parents had happened… the exact date.

Shaken, I continued to slowly unwrap the mysterious package. I had suddenly realized that maybe I should have scanned this package for curses or any other type of dark magic that it may possess. But it was too late to do that. It was much too late, because the wrappings were starting to unfold… revealing to me the most startling contents.

"Was this some kind of joke?" I thought franticly to myself, as I pulled from the packaging… something that I had just recently, the day before actually, seen in a shop window. For there, hanging limply in my arms, was the dress that I had noticed in the shop window, just the other day. Then I noticed a piece of paper float down from the wrappings in my hand.

I stooped over to get a closer look at the note. "Maybe it would tell me something about my mysterious benefactor." I mused to myself as I gently unfolded the crumpled piece of parchment. At first, I did not notice any writing on it. And then I noticed a spidery handwriting on the other side of the paper. It was a handwriting that I did not recognize at all. It seemed to be enchanted so I could not figure out the sender. And then I read the note. Though it did not say much at all, in terms of words, it also seemed to say many things to me… many of which I suppose that the writer did not intent to say.

To: Ms. Hermione Granger

May you have as many opportunities,

To use this gift, as there are stars

In the heavens above. And may you

Use it just as wisely as I know that

You do everything else.

"Surely I am dreaming." I thought softly to myself. "Why would anyone want to give me such a gorgeous dress? Even if this person wants a favor from me in return." After musing this over in my mind for another couple of minutes, I turned quickly and began to head back into my new abode. "If this gift were truly what it seems," I mulled over to myself, "Then there will be no more need for me to transfigure my other dress into something more suiting. This dress will do just fine. Though I do wonder who sent it… maybe I will able to figure that out."


End file.

Harry Potter, Romance