Hermione had finished seven years of schooling at Hogwarts and as a result has passed with flying colours. No professor could deny she was one of the most impressive, talented students they had ever taught and would surely go on to enjoy a bright future ahead.
Shortly after leaving Hogwarts, Hermione married Ron. Many said they had rushed into the marriage, but the couple were adamant that they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.
Ron quickly found work as a geologist, enabling him to travel the world. Hermione, however, found it surprisingly difficult to find her ideal career path in the muggle world.
She often considered venturing into medicine or accountancy; a job which would use her intellect well. Yet these did not work for her as effectively as wizardry and as a result, she felt incompetent in them.
Hermione could not help but feel a slight bitterness as Ron would leave their home to travel for weeks at a time whilst she lived guiltily in a flat he was paying for, anxiously trying to find work.
Hermione's stressed reached it's peak when Ron came home after two weeks in Kenya, only to announce he would shortly be leaving to work in Tokyo for a month.
Fearful that her and her new husband were drifting apart, whilst also feeling a great need for a change of scenery, Hermione said she would go with him. Ron seemed confused by her wanting to accompany him, yet was completely willing.
A week later, Hermione sat by a gigantic window, sixty floors up in the Park Hyatt hotel Tokyo. It had been a year since she married and finished school. She should have been at the peak of her life, yet all she could feel as she stared down at the busy city streets was emptiness. She was in an amazing part of the world, married to the man she had always wanted, yet something was lost. . .
o
The professor had been so exhausted after the long-haul flight from London to Tokyo, that he dozed off as soon as he sat down in the taxi, resting his head against the window. A few moments later, he was awoken by a ray of dazzling neon-lights in the night sky. He gently opened his sleepy eyes and ran a hand through his dark hair. This new environment was a far-stretch from the old castle he was used to.
As the taxi continued, he was greeted with numerous signs in the Japanese language, which meant nothing to him. The professor was out of his comfort zone, stripped of his magic and it made him feel intimidated – although this was a fact he would never be let known.
He simply let out a shuddered sigh and lay back down in his seat, resting a hand over his eyes to block it all out.
o
When arriving at the Park Hyatt hotel, the professor was greeted by three people from the Tokyo university, where he was due to lecture for the week. They greeted him in broken English and the professor was as polite as he knew how to be.
After arranging that they would meet him in the lobby the next morning, the three of them gave him the traditional head-bow that is used in Japan.
The professor looked at the miffed for a while, then simply replied with, "Um, yes. Goodbye."
He then made his way to his hotel room. He felt slightly awkward whilst going up in the lift as at six foot one, he towered over the other Japanese business men around him.
When the professor entered his room, he found a kimono laid across his king-size bed. After trying it on, he looked in the mirror and saw the biggest idiot he had ever seen. He gave a sneer, tore off the kimono and frequently decided the best thing he could do was go down to the bar.
o
The bar felt inviting. There was soothing piano music accompanied with the pretty voice of a red-haired woman.
The professor sat alone at the bar, avidly smoking a cigarette with one hand and nursing a double scotch on the rocks with the other.
The was conversation all around him, yet he had no desire to converse himself. However, it was not long before he was rudely awakened from his relaxed solitude.
"Mr Snape?"
The professor looked up at an American man of about twenty years old. "Mr Snape, is it really you?"
"It's professor Snape," he replied, with a strained smile.
"I saw your lecture over in Berkeley three months ago. You're amazing! Not like any lecturer I've ever seen before."
Snape was not surprised by this, as he was yet to be impressed by a muggle professor himself. "Thank you."
"That bio-physics presentation was genius. Out of this world, man! So are you lecturing over here now?"
"I am"
"I'm here on an internship."
Snape barely heard him as he got up out of his seat and started to move away.
"See you later pro!"
"Catch you later!" Snape said mockingly, as he left.
The American student sat back and smiled, oblivious to Snape's mocking him.
o
Severus Snape lay in bed, desperate for sleep to come to him. He looked over to his clock on the beside table and saw that it was after four in the morning. He breathed a heavy sigh, wondering how the hell he would get through the day ahead.
Little did he know that one of his former students was also struggling with insomnia, just a few floors above him.
o
Hermione was again sat by the window looking across Tokyo's skyline. She had tried to sleep, but Ron's relentless snoring had put a stop to it.
Defiantly, Hermione climbed back into bed, hoping to get Ron's attention.
"Ron? Are you awake?"
Ron woke up and embraced Hermione, telling her to go to sleep. Hermione felt happy in this embrace, but this was short-lived when Ron began to snore again.
Annoyed, Hermione again got out of bed and sat by the window.
o
The morning felt unwelcome to Snape, who by eight o'clock had only been able to get two and a half hours sleep. He reluctantly rose out of bed and took a look out of the window to the foreign city. He saw nothing but chaos, a place he could not make sense out of.
He proceeded to the bathroom to use the shower – which was designed for a man of almost half his height.
o
Hermione was woken by Ron's messing around, hurriedly trying to get ready for work. He threw a load of papers into his backpack and put on his jacket.
Hermione had been watching him for some time, but he had not noticed her until she spoke. "Do you have to go to work right now?"
"Yup."
Hermione felt disappointed. She had spent most of her days in Tokyo alone. Her plans for the trip to bring her and Ron together did not appear to be working.
"For how long?"
"I dunno. I'll give you a call when I'm on my way back. I love you. I'll see you later."
Ron's words were rushed as he dashed out of the room.
Hermione breathed a deep sigh, not knowing what to do with the day. Japan was a place with amazing culture. Surely if she went exploring for the day, she would see some amazing sights.
Hermione jumped into the shower and got ready. She pulled on a black jumper with a casual black skirt and left the room.
She waited for the lift and got inside. She stood facing the doors for a while, yet could not help but feel a strange presence behind her. She slowly turned around and met the eyes of her old potions teacher, professor Snape. Hermione caught her breath as she could not believe how different he looked. He was not in his robes, but was wearing a shirt like an ordinary guy! It looked as though he had even had his hair trimmed.
Hermione was too bewildered to find the right words to greet him, so she gave him an embarrassed smile. He nodded in response. They then both stared ahead, not knowing what to make of their surprise meeting.