Chapter One
"The book of love is long and boring, no one can lift the damn thing"
- Peter Gabriel
A/N This is my first HGXSS fic. Please don't kill me for my choices. It is absolutely AU. 6th year. Dumbledore will not be dead. At all. Ever. I'm not the amazing J.K Rowling so I don't own shit.
Hermione sat cross legged on her bed, her Hogwarts trunk packed, her summer homework long finished, and her mind buzzing with questions, pros and cons, and doubts. She was three days out from starting her sixth year at Hogwarts, the year when they start apprenticeships. She was stuck between many choices, she could apprentice with Professor McGonagall in Transfiguration, Or with Professor Vector in Arithmancy, or maybe even with Professor Snape in Potions. She already knew that Harry and Ron had chosen Defense Against the Dark Arts. The school was welcoming back Professor Lupin this year after the Ministry cleared him to teach as long as he kept clear of the school during the full moon.
Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door. "Come in," she said. Her father, Robert Granger, poked his head in. He was a tall man, at least 6'0. His hair was greyed and his eyes were a muddy brown color. "Hey pumpkin," he said with a smile. "Your mother wants you to help with dinner." Hermione agreed and said she would be down in just a minute. She grabbed a hair tie off her dresser and pulled her unruly mane into a neat ponytail then headed down stairs. Her mother was mashing potatoes when Hermione made it into the kitchen. "Hello mum." She greeted. Rose Granger was just about her daughter's height, maybe a little taller. Her hair was the same golden brown as Hermione's but Rose's was streaked with grey. Rose smiled up at her daughter and told her to pull the stew off the stovetop. The little bit of work was a relief to Hermione. It took her mind of the prospect of having to choose.
With dinner made the Grangers sat down to eat. Hermione barely touched her food, her mind wandering back to the apprenticeship. As she thought more about it, more career ideas came to her. The thoughts piled up in her head. Rose took notice of her daughter's absence from the conversation.
"Hermione dear, what's bothering you?" She asked. Hermione looked up from her plate.
"I'm still trying to choose which faculty member I would like to apprentice under." Hermione said with a sigh. Her mother thought for a minute and prattled off a few ideas for her daughter to choose from. Something her mother said made Hermione's dilemma disappear. All of a sudden she knew exactly who she wanted to study under. She excused herself from the table and ran up to her, she grabbed a quill and ink and started her apprenticeship request letter.