Disclaimer: The characters do not belong to me. But oh, how I wish they did……

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" I'm late. I can't believe I'm late. I am never late!" the girl thought to herself as she hustled down the length of the corridor.

Today was her first time back at Hogwarts since the reconstruction. Three years prior, when she eighteen and in her seventh year of school, the school had been demolished in a wizarding war. Even more damaging where the deaths of friends and loved ones, who had fought in the war.

However, the war has been won and life had moved on. The school was rebuilt and the students were returning. Great care had been taken in the rebuilding of the school. The castle still held the same magical appeal, however, strict security measures had been taken to safeguard the grounds. Besides adding additional wards to the previous list that had guarded the school, additional non-magical guards where took. Aurors now patrolled the grounds and inside the castle at all hours. Gatekeepers searched everyone who passed through the entrance of the grounds. Veritaserum, a truth serum, was also dispensed at the gate. Each person who entered was thoroughly questioned.

Beside the extra security, other reminders where present from the war. Around the school where memorials for those who died in the war. The front entrance hall beheld a giant stained glass mural. Pictured where the members of the Order of the Phoenix who had perished due to the war. The girl remembered how her breath had caught, as she gazed upon the faces of Albus Dumbledore, Grawp, Neville Longbottom, Tonks, Ginny Weasley, Ron Weasley, George Weasley, Arthur Weasley, Fleur Weasley, Professors Flitwick and Sprout, and Draco Malfoy. The last face caught her by surprise, as after three years it was still not widely known that Draco, along with his godfather, Severus Snape, had been a spy for the side. Many still regarded Professor Snape as a villain, since it had been he who had been thought to murder Professor Dumbledore. Very few people knew the truth, which the girl herself, had been the one to uncover.

She had reached the door to the Headmistress' office when she heard the voice of Professor Snape behind her.

"Ms. Granger, your first day back and you're already behaving inappropriately. An adult does not run through the halls. Even the students know better than that."

Hermoine turned around, her face blushing red at being caught. " Professor, I'm sorry. Only I'm late for a meeting with Headmistress McGonagall. I find out my position today. I want to learn which class I will be instructing, so that I can prepare for my students before Monday."

"That is understandable, Ms. Granger, yet there is no need to rush, as I must also be present at this meeting and as you can see I am not." With that, Professor Snape glided past her and spoke the password, "Tabby", which opened the door to the office. He then stepped back and allowed Hermoine to enter before him.

"Hermoine, Severus," Professor McGonagall acknowledged. "Now that everyone has arrived, let's begin the meeting. Please take a seat there, so we can start." She waved her wand in the air and from it came a settee. She indicated for the two to sit down.

Hermoine sat and Professor Snape took his seat next to her. His thigh pressed against hers in a warming way and for a moment she panicked and looked around the room. There was no where else to sit. Reminding herself that he was no longer "her" professor and was instead her equal, she tried to relax. She glanced around the room and took note of several familiar faces.

Professor McGonagall stood, holding a roll of parchment in her hands, " I would introduce everyone, though I am you all know each other. So I will go straight into giving out your class assignments for this school year."

" Luna Lovegood, you will be teaching Charms. Remus, you are returning as the Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor. Fred Weasley, you are the new Herbology instructor. Harry Potter, you are teaching Transfiguration. Now, any questions?"

The room looked at Hermoine, "Professor, which class will I teach?"

"Well, Hermoine, your situation is a bit different. Before I explain, let me make another announcement. I would first like to say that I am honored to have been at this school through all these years and am very excited that it has been reopened. However, I have decided that with a fresh school, we should also have a fresh Headmaster. I am to retire. I will work two more years in order to train my new replacement in his new duties. I would like you all to join me in congratulating Professor Severus Snape in his new role as Deputy Headmaster at Hogwarts."

Professor Snape then rose from his seat and took in the astonished faces of his peers. "Minerva, I see that your appointment has taken many by surprise. I hope that all of my instructors will stand by me, and continue on here, when I become Headmaster. I know that it will be a difficult transition for the wizarding community and I will need your support. "

Hermoine watched as the known to be fearsome instructor looked over the crowd with a look of uncertainty in his eyes. She had never seen this overly confident, normally pompous, man look so humble. Then he looked into her eyes and for a split second she knew she had seen fear flicker within the dark orbs. She smiled at him, and another first happened. She saw him smile. It was only a small smile, but it completely changed his appearance. Without his usual scowl his face looked ten years younger.

She was not the only person who saw the smile. Once again, the room was astonished. She heard Fred whisper to Harry, " I didn't even know he knew how to smile."

The entire room must have overheard this comment, as the group began to relax. Harry took the lead, " I will stand beside you."

The new deputy Headmaster grew solemn once more, as he looked the young man in the eyes. He offered his hand to Harry and as they shook, his lips turned up again.

" Oh quit with the smiling or I'll change my mind. It's making me uncomfortable," Harry joked.

Snape turned his head to the side, as the room laughed. His body shook and a deep rumble could be heard as he laughed. When he turned back, the smile was gone.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. Now Ms. Granger, we come to your roll. As I prepare for my duties as Headmaster, I will have less time to devote to my potion class. I also currently spend more time than I will have on the inventory of potions needed in the infirmary. Your duties will be to prepare for the role of Potions instructor and to stock the infirmary. I will only expect the best to follow in my footsteps, therefor, you will spend this year as my apprentice and next year as a part time instructor before you take on full responsibility."

Hermoine was shocked. She had always dreamed of this, since her first day of potion class. Even with the over demanding and over bearing instructor, now standing in front of her, constantly degrading her.

"It would be an honor," Hermoine gushed, as the man raised his hand towards her.

"Before you accept the position, I would like to meet with you alone, to discuss the situation. Meet me in my class room at seven o'clock tonight."

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Hermoine spent most of the day spending time with her old friends, catching up on how they had been. She had not seen them since Christmas the year before. Each year, since the war, the group came together at Grimmauld Place. Harry still owned the house, however, the house truly belonged to Mrs. Weasley. When her family lost so many of its members to the war, Harry had moved her out of the Burrow. Now she ran the household.

Hermoine felt comfortable with her friends, but her nerves shook her when she thought of the coming meeting. So when dinner came at six, she decided not to join her friends in the Great Hall, but instead went to the dungeons early to wait for the appointment. When she arrived she was surprised to find Professor Snape standing next to his desk, as though he was already expecting her.

" I had an idea that you would be here early, Ms. Granger. Follow me, we can eat in my quarters. I can't have you growing weak from lack of food." He then led her to a side door, which was open.

Hermoine followed him into a small hallway and the door shut behind her. She then stepped through two large French doors and gasped.

She had always expected the professor to live in harsh, cold surroundings. She knew he would have lots of books, and this was true as two walls of the enormous room where shelved from top to bottom in a personal library. However, the rest of the room was nothing as she had imagined. It was tastefully decorated in deep shades of blue against a backdrop of cream. The back wall was one large rounded window. It appeared to look out at the evening skyline, as though the room was located in a tall tower, instead of the dungeons.

"It's an enchanted window, Professor? How lovely!"

The man shook his head. "No, Ms. Granger, it's real. The hallway you just walked through is a transporter from the dungeons to this tower. Now, let's eat." He then brought her attention to a table on one side of the room. It held a place setting for two.

Hermoine sat as instructed, not knowing what to do next and watched as Professor Snape looked at his plate and stated, "dinner". His plate was then filled with roast pork and vegetables. Feeling foolish, as she had seen this done before, she then did the same.

She thought when she first sat that it would be uncomfortable eating in the presence of her former instructor, yet as the meal progressed she found it a pleasant experience. Professor Snape asked her several questions about her time since leaving the school. As she told him of her life at University, she began to relax.

After the meal, the two left the table and went into the seating area. Hermoine sat in one of the over-stuffed chairs while Professor Snape sat on a footstool in front of her.

"Before you take on your duties as my apprentice, I want to make sure that you are fully aware of what being my apprentice will require. I will demand perfection and will not abide for less than perfection. The potions that I will be teaching you first will be for the infirmary. Someone's life could be lost by a simple mistake. I will be harsh at times. I will demand long hours, in which your total concentration will be on your lessons and me. You must not spend your time with me dallying over what troubles Mr. Potter or any of your friends will undoubtedly get themselves into. For the next two years, you will be working very close to me. I know in the past you have thought me overwhelming and controlling, you will come to think that even more as my apprentice. However, I do believe in rewarding a job well done, and I hope that someday you will come to feel comfortable in my presence. To start along those lines, I believe that we should address each other by our given names. Hermoine, do you agree?"

She thought about this for several moments, then replied, " Yes, sir. That is acceptable. Though it may take some getting used to."

"And you agree to the terms of your employment?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good, then tomorrow you can spend the day getting aquatinted to your new quarters. You will be staying here, in my guestroom. I will also show you my private lab tomorrow. Of course, you are free to browse my library here at any time. I know you will take care of my possessions."

Staying in the professor's quarters was not something Hermoine had considered and thoughts where running throughout her mind. What would her friends think? However, she realized that with the long hours she would be working it would be the ideal situation, and she had already agreed to his terms. She nodded her head and then stood to leave.

As they walked together to the doorway, the professor informed her, " To unlock the entrance to my quarters, you must place your hand on the door to the hall and think, 'perfection', otherwise when you open the door you will find only a storage cabinet."

Hermoine turned to go, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned and met the gaze of the professor once more. She looked into his dark eyes and again saw the humble expression he had worn earlier. Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips and placed a small, soft kiss upon it.

"Hermoine, I wanted to say thank you, for clearing my name."

Hermoine knew she was blushing from head to toe as she replied, " Your welcome. I only did what I felt was the right thing to do." She then turned and walked down the hall. As she approached the door leading back into the classroom, she heard him call.

"Good night, Hermoine."

She turned back to him, "Good night, Severus."