Chapter One: A Job Proposal
"But why me, Professor?" Hermione asked. She was sitting in Dumbledore's office, chewing a biscuit and sipping some earl grey tea while she mulled over his offer, a teaching position at Hogwarts.
"Well, why not, Hermione? You have always been an excessively bright student, you excelled in your studies at university, and now we have an open position. Professor McGonagall and I immediately though of you to fill the spot. And you do love Charms." The headmaster added thoughtfully.
Hermione bit her lip. She did love Charms; it was one of her favorite subjects as a student, and oh how she would love to pass on that same passion to others.
"You would make a lovely teacher, Hermione." Dumbledore instigated.
Hermione sighed, "But I get so nervous when I have to talk in front of other people. I could hardly do it in front of a whole classroom full." She took another bit of her cookie and washed it down.
Hermione had already received numerous owls from companies and departments that wanted her to work for them, but she loved Hogwarts so much; it was her home away from home.
She set her teacup upon her saucer and picked at a piece of lint on her robes before looking up and saying confidently, "I'll take the job; I'll be the new Charms mistress."
"Splendid!" Dumbledore exclaimed, clearly excited since he got a merry twinkle in his eyes. "I know that it is already nearly mid-way through the summer break, but I am confident you will be able to catch up and have your class schedules and what not ready for September 1st."
Hermione smiled, "I've kept all my notes and papers from all my classes since I started here as a student. I still have a lot of work to do nonetheless, but I should be fine."
"In that case, do you want me to show you yours rooms and classroom?" the old man asked.
Hermione grinned exuberantly.
Taking her wordless reply as a yes, Dumbledore rose from the massive chair behind his desk and escorted Hermione out of his office and led the way to the Charms classroom on the second floor.
They came to two doors a couple of feet apart. Dumbledore opened the door on the right, and led Hermione into the familiar classroom that she had grown to love.
Two rows of tables were lined up down the middle of the classroom situated before the desk that sat at the head of the room. At least a dozen bookshelves lined the four walls; all were filled with voluminous texts save one directly behind the desk that was to be Hermione's. Hermione walked around the room and approached a storage cabinet with clear panel windows; it was fully stocked containing extra quills and bottles of ink in a variety of colors, and many scrolls of parchment ready to be written upon.
Hermione looked up and noticed a large window situated directly above her desk, casting a block of golden light on the floor.
Hermione smiled, "It's perfect, professor! I really love it."
"Excellent. I'll leave you to look around some more and go through that side door there." He said gesturing to the door sandwiched between two shelves, "I think you'll like; the house elves did it up to your taste I believe."
"But how did you even know I would take the position?" Hermione asked.
Dumbledore just chuckled before exiting the room from the door they had entered.
Hermione grinned and pulled out the chair behind her desk. She sat down and luxuriated in the feel, her chair, her desk, her classroom.
She tucked the chair back under and held her breath as she opened the door to her rooms. Upon first sight, Hermione knew they were perfect.
She entered into her study, more wood bookshelves lined the wall, and the floors were made of dark paneled wood. The center of the floor was covered in a thick Persian rug which a heavy, dark mahogany desk sat upon. Over all, the room had a very Victorian feel.
Off of the study was the main room with its large armchairs gathered around a large stone fireplace. A small liqueur cabinet flanked the opposite wall, and multiple bookcases were built into the remaining wall space. A small table was in the corner and atop it was a silverfish vase filled with her favorite flower, the gerber daisy.
Hermione then opened the next door only to close it again – it was obviously the way into the corridor. She tried the door on the opposite wall and entered her bedroom, or at least what she thought was supposed to be her bedroom, but instead she found herself standing in a completely bare room; the stark white walls were harsh against her eyes, and she had to take a few more paces into the room in order to notice the piece of parchment laying on the floor. Hermione immediately recognized Dumbledore's handwriting as she read:
Hermione –
I am immensely pleasured that you have decided to return to Hogwarts to teach; I hope you find your rooms comfortable. I know it must have been quite a shock to enter your bedroom, but do not be alarmed, for this room is very special. In a way, it is similar to a Room of Requirement as it adjusts to fit your needs. All you must do is turn the dial next to the door in the main room, and the room will immediately be transformed to match your needs and personality perfectly. Unlike a Room of Requirement, however, things cannot be summoned out of thin air while you are present in the room. Any time you feel as though the room should be different, all you must do is close the door and turn the dial again. Enjoy!
Of course, as a professor, you are welcome to join the staff and me in the Great Hall for our daily meals, or feel free to order something to your room, for the house elves are more than happy to oblige.
Thank you for accepting the Charms mistress post, and I hope you are able to stay with us for many years to come!
Albus
Hermione smiled. She had read about a room like this, but she never thought she would have the opportunity to use one. Already, Hermione was more than happy that she had accepted the job.
Eager to see what her bedroom would look like, Hermione exited the stark room and shut the door. She then turned the dial until it stopped and, holding her breath, reentered the room. Hermione expelled the breath slowly, pleasure tugging the corners of her mouth upward; the room was perfect. The hardwood floors from the previous two rooms continued into this room as well and were only covered in one spot right in front of the fireplace hearth by a plush fur rug. The bed was a large four-poster bed and was covered in luscious scarlet sheets. The numerous pillows, varying in size, alternated between shades of gold and silver that practically sparkled in the light reflected from the chandelier hanging from the high ceiling. A large mahogany wardrobe stood to one side, and upon opening it, Hermione found clothes and robes already hanging inside of it; some of the articles had come from her flat in London, but over half of the wardrobe's contents were robes she had never seen before, and they were gorgeous.
A small sitting area existed in front of the fire, and a long rectangular table was placed against the wall. The table held two more vases on either end of it, this time holding blood red roses, and, directly in the middle of the table, a gold-framed mirror hung on the pale lavender walls.
The bathroom off of the other side of the room had walls painted in a mild shade of beige, and glossy marble tiles covered the floor and the countertops around the sink and vanity. The bath was a huge jetted tub big enough for two, and the stand-up shower was off to one side. There was also a large picture window behind the tub that provided a fantastic view of Hogwarts grounds and the lake.
Much like her clothes in her wardrobe, Hermione's toiletries were already hidden behind the mirrors above the countertops. She reached for her favorite lip gloss and swiped some onto her smiling lips, then replaced it, and walked into her bedroom to change for dinner; she wondered if any of the other teachers had heard about her acceptance of the job.
"It may be an informal dinner, but I want to look my best on my first night." She thought to herself as she pulled a nice set of dark emerald green robes out and laid it on the bed. She stripped down to her panties and opened the top drawer of her bureau to retrieve a simple black bra that, despite its plainness, worked wonders and gave her an unbelievable amount of cleavage. She donned her robes and swirled into the bathroom where she applied a sheer amount of blush. Hermione was lucky she never needed large amounts of make-up—she was already naturally beautiful. She completed her look by pulling back her long curls into a clip so they ran down her back.
With her look complete, Hermione exited her rooms and made her way through the corridors towards the Great Hall. The hallways were completely deserted, so Hermione assumed they were all already at dinner. She reached the entrance of the Great Hall and smoothed her robes before pulling the doors open. Most of the teachers were gathered around the table and Dumbledore beamed when he saw Hermione.
Dumbledore rose and approached Hermione, meeting her halfway down the room. "I just told everyone; they're thrilled!"
Hermione looked over the headmaster's shoulder and saw the smile on the other teacher's faces – Hagrid's grin was the biggest by far. Hermione returned the smiles happily.
As she and Dumbledore made their way to the head table, the side door swung open, and Severus Snape swooped in, his infamous robes billowing behind him.
"As bat-like as ever." Hermione thought as Dumbledore cleared his throat.
Snape stopped is his tracks and turned to look at Dumbledore. His eyes narrowed slightly when he saw Hermione as if his eyes were deceiving him; she looked gorgeous. Severus hadn't seen her since the night Lord Voldemort had been defeated, but at the time she had been covered and caked in blood, a mix of her own and another's, but now she seemed transformed. Her robes fit her perfectly, accentuating her curves, and they were green ("How Slytherin of her." He thought.). Even her hair, which had once been a tangled mess, was perfect with her curls sleek and glossy and cascading down her back. "What is she doing here, Albus?" he asked roughly.
"Now, Severus, is that a way to welcome our new Spells mistress?"
Severus nearly chocked on his own spit. "The little hellcat." He thought. How was he supposed to work around such beauty? And even more than that, such brains. He wasn't exaggerating when he said she was the best student he had ever taught. Word had even gotten around about how well she had done at university. Now she was here, standing in front of him, in all her glory. "Forgive me, Miss Granger." He said slowly.
"Oh, gods," Hermione thought, "bat-like or no, there always was something terribly erotic about his voice." Her eyes nearly widened in shock, "Get a hold of your hormones, Hermione. This is your old Potions professor for the gods' sake." She thought foolishly. She said aloud, "There is certainly no reason for you to call me Miss Granger anymore, Severus. Call me Hermione; we're colleagues now."
"Hermione." Snape whispered, as she made her way to a seat at the table and started to load her plate with food.
Severus had no choice but to sit next to her in the only other empty seat.
A/N: Hello all! For everyone who reads my other story Unquenchable Love, don't worry, I have no plans to discontinue that story, but this idea has been rattling around in my head for so long that I had to get it out! Because of my eagerness, I'm sorry if this chapter contains any errors—I was a little too excited to proof read it carefully. Please leave a review: I would absolutely love to know what you think! It's the reviews that really keep the new chapters coming!!! So please review and enjoy!