Hermione/Andromeda

Andromeda Black becomes the new DADA teacher at Hogwarts and Hermione can't keep her eyes off her. Will she be Gryffindor enough to face this new challenge?

A/N I don't own anything!

Chapter 1: Life Begins Again

Life at Hogwarts was going to be normal this year. At least that was what Hermione kept telling herself. Voldemort was dead, his followers captured or on the run, and the wizarding world was finally going to be able to move on from its latest dark chapter. As it was, September 1st could not have come soon enough for Hermione as she boarded the train for her delayed 7th year. Her education had been thwarted again and again by a certain dark wizard, and she stoutly refused to have it happen again this year. She quickly found a compartment by herself, pulled out her aged copy of Hogwarts: A History, and began to read.

It didn't take long for her reading to be interrupted however, when the door to her compartment slid open. Standing before her was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Hello Gran- er Hermione" he started slowly. "Do you umm, mind if I join you?"

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. Draco Malfoy? Asking to sit with her?

She stared at him wide eyed for a moment, not really sure what to think. Obviously he was making an attempt at being civil, so she would return the favour.

"If you like" she replied.

He looked visibly pleased at this and moved to pull his trunk into the compartment. After getting settled across from her, Draco pulled out a large leather-bound tome Hermione had never seen before.

"What are you reading?" she asked, eagerly leaning across the gap between them to get a better look. If Hermione was nothing else, it was curious about all things academic.

"Oh, this?" Draco asked, gesturing to the book in his hand.

"No, one of the other books in your trunk," she answered acerbically, though it was accompanied by a wide smirk, "of course that one."

He smiled a little at her relaxed jab and proceeded to hand the book across to her. Hermione reverently took the book from him and inspected its worn dark cover. Rare Potions and Their Properties by Severus Snape.

"I had no idea that Professor Snape ever wrote anything about potion making!" Hermione exclaimed with awe.

"Yes well, he was quite the brilliant scholar, my godfather." Draco commented, looking sadly out the window of their compartment. "I miss him dearly. This book was the last thing he gave to me before the end of last year and.."

"And before the final battle," the brunette finished for him. The blonde man nodded solemnly.

"I'm sorry for your loss Draco," Hermione said earnestly, she knew how utterly difficult Draco's life had been for the last three years, and she thought it was very courageous that he had pulled himself up and come back to school to finish his education.

She slowly opened the book and scanned the table of contents. Most of the potions she saw there she had never read or heard about anywhere since entering the wizarding world.

"This is spectacular Draco," she said as she continued to flip through the many pages.

"I know," he replied with a genuine smile. "I have read it front to back what seems like a thousand times over the summer. You can borrow it if you like."

Hermione looked up at him suddenly with wide eyes.

"Oh no, I couldn't! It's far too special to you" she started.

"And I've read it so many times I could brew them all in my sleep" he replied. "Really Hermione, it's alright. I know you'll take good care of it. You always did have a ridiculous respect for books when we were at school." he said with a grin.

"I'll take good care of it, I promise!" she stated emphatically, a huge smile stretched across her face.

They continued to chat the rest of the train ride and Hermione was surprised that there was no awkwardness between them. In fact, she pleasantly discovered that they had much more in common than either of them ever thought was possible. When they pulled into the station at Hogwarts, both of them were reluctant to get up and leave.

"Well, I guess I'll see you around?" Draco offered, hovering awkwardly in the doorway to their compartment.

"Of course you will, don't be silly" she shot back at him. "I expect us to spend much more time together now that you're not being a stuck up git."

His jaw dropped at her comment before he grinned and fired right back at her, "Well I suppose that could be acceptable, now that you're slightly less of an insufferable know-it-all."

She smiled and held out her hand to him. "Friends?"

"Friends" he replied. Then he gave her the brightest smile she had ever seen him give anyone while he reached out and took her hand.

HGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGABHGAB

Upon entering the Great Hall, Hermione was surprised to find it back in all its former glory, as if the final battle had never happened. It lifted her heart rather unexpectedly to learn that things could always return to normal after the darkest of times. The floating candles and enchanted ceiling were as beautiful as ever and she nearly bumped into several people as she admired them on her way to her seat.

Once settled, she looked up to the long staff table and found her favourite professor sitting in the middle now. Headmistress Minerva McGonagall looked exactly as Hermione always remembered her. Her traditional black and green robes suited her perfectly, and her square framed glasses added a small something to her stern gaze that made all the first years quiver in their robes. Just as Hermione was observing the older woman, said headmistress happened to look directly at her. Minerva smiled warmly at her and for the first time Hermione noticed how truly beautiful her professor really was.

Realizing she had yet to smile back, Hermione did so and then quickly ducked her head, blushing a fetching shade of pink.

"Oh, Merlin" she muttered to herself.

Thinking that it was possibly now safe to do so, Hermione chanced another look at the staff table at the head of the hall. As she was scanning the table she realized that they were one professor short. Missing was the professor for the ever cursed position of Defence Against The Dark Arts. Hermione mused over who it might be for the entirety of the sorting ceremony and the rest of dinner, but wasn't able to come up with a possible candidate.

She wasn't left guessing for long after that however, as the door behind the staff table suddenly opened. Hermione gasped and almost screamed as she saw the woman who had just entered the hall. She immediately reminded herself that Bellatrix Lestrange was dead. The woman who had walked through the door looked remarkably like her though, and Hermione quickly realized that she was looking at Bellatrix's younger sister Andromeda Tonks, whom she had briefly met at the end of the final battle the previous spring.

Her hair fell in beautiful dark curls down her back and her eyes were so unlike her sister's. Where Bellatrix's had been dark and dead looking, Andromeda's were warm and bright, and almost chocolate in colour. Hermione would never forget Bellatrix's horrible black orbs peering down at her, but the difference she felt looking at Andromeda surprised her more than she could have anticipated. She subconsciously touched her forearm where the scars still read that terrible word, MUDBLOOD, as she watched Andromeda walk across the head of the hall. Her robes, Hermione noticed, were tailored to fit her slim frame perfectly, and they moved with her body as she walked. Hermione felt a sudden warmth flood her stomach as she watched the woman move gracefully towards the headmistress' chair. They spoke briefly and Hermione had a good view of Andromeda's body as she leaned over to speak to McGonagall before straightening up and heading to the empty seat at the end of the table nearest to where Hermione was sitting.

Hermione could not bring herself to look away from the raven haired witch as she casually strode across the hall. Unfortunately for Hermione, watching someone so intensely usually ended up with the watcher being caught. And so she was. As Andromeda settled herself in her chair next to Professor Sinistra, she looked up and directly into Hermione's eyes. Hermione was captivated. Warm, chocolate brown eyes burned into her own caramel coloured ones and she could not find it in herself to look away. Her cheeks felt heated and she suddenly realized that she was rudely staring at the older woman. She attempted a smile, which appeared more like a pained grimace, and quickly ducked her head once again.

Her embarrassment was soon interrupted by the magnified voice of Headmistress McGonagall.

"Thank you all for a pleasant first evening back at Hogwarts" she began. "Before we retire, I would like to introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Black."

Andromeda stood and raised a hand in greeting to the students. Hermione on the other hand, was completely baffled as to why the older witch had returned to the use of her maiden name.

"I should expect each and every one of you to please remember that classes begin promptly at eight thirty tomorrow morning, and that your timetables will be passed out to you by your heads of house during breakfast. Do not be tardy. Now, off to bed, all of you. Goodnight."

As she finished, there was a great scraping of wooden benches on the flagstone floor as students rose to leave the Great Hall. The tumult of chatter bombarded Hermione's ears as she rose to join them. Just before she turned to leave, she chanced one more glance at the head table, but Andromeda was nowhere to be seen.

Sighing at herself, Hermione left the Great Hall and wound her way through the masses with the other returning eighth years to the new dormitory that had been added to the castle. She looked for the distinct blonde head of her new friend, but was disappointed when she could not find it.

So many questions ran through her mind as she ascended the stone steps towards the third floor that had been redesigned to fit the new eighth year dormitory. She gave the password, ingressum, to the portrait of an ancient looking wizard in tattered old robes, and briefly missed the Fat Lady who guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

The eighth year common room was neutrally decorated in all four of the house colours. There was one banner for each house hanging in each of the quadrants of the spacious, round living space. Between the blue and yellow banner was the staircase leading up to the girls' dorms, while the staircase leading to the boys' was between the yellow and green banners.

The fireplace was roaring between the green and red banners, while the door sat nestled between the red and blue. There were comfortable looking chairs, couches, and cushions arranged neatly throughout the room and in front of the fireplace, as well as a few large tables meant for homework or study. All in all, Hermione thought, the room had been designed beautifully and was secretly pleased they had incorporated all four of the houses into a single common room. Her face let show a demure smile before she moved across the room to the staircase and headed up to bed.

Comfort was the first word that came to mind as she entered her own dormitory. The grand four poster beds were the same as always, but they had been covered in rich purple linens and drapes. There was another fireplace tucked into the far side of the room and was issuing a lovely warmth that enveloped her as she walked in. Her trunk was settled at the end of one of the six beds and her heart swelled at the feeling of home she encountered at the familiar sight. Sleep came easily as she burrowed into her new covers, a gentle smile on her face.