An affinity for living

A.N My newest piece, please read and review and let's get cracking with this bad boy!

Chapter 1

Hermione Granger dropped a bag at her feet with a sigh and looked up. The house she was renting was everything her landlord had promised her and more. Had Mr Jefferson of Waverley Chamber's promised Hermione a comfortable home with all of the most modern amenities, and fresh decoration she would have been surprised. However the landlord had promised a building with enough room for the single girl to be comfortable in, if she wasn't too picky about the location of the house. Hermione once the brightest witch of her age, had now become foolish in her current age and decided to accept the property without looking at it first. The brochure had been presented with one photo of the outside of the property, and the building had managed to look somewhat cheery owing to the bright sunlight that had forced its way through the clouds on the day of the snapshot. Hermione had questioned as to why there was only a picture of the exterior on the brochure to which Mr Jefferson had jovially replied...

"I didn't seem to be able to get the keys back for the place till this week Love, but I assure thee the inside is fine and dandy."

Even the man's forced enthusiasm was not enough to put Hermione off, and being that the 121 Grayson Street Cokeworth was the only property within her price range and in this particular area, she had accepted the keys with a sigh. Now as she gazed up at the property she wondered if she had made a massive mistake somewhere along the line. Come on Hermione, she gave herself a mental shrug, fished the keys from the pocket of her leather jacket and pushed them in the lock. The old swollen door did not budge; Hermione gave it a rattle to no avail. Reaching into her pocket her hand went for a familiar item and clasped only air, Hermione shut her eyes and took a deep breath, summoning her inner strength she backed away from the door and gave it a sharp kick, the door reluctantly swung open.

"Oh my God," Hermione shouted as she backed off from the stink that was radiating from the old moulding carpets. Taking a deep breath she picked up her bag from the floor and raced into the property to the first window she could find and shoved it open, hanging her head outside she inhaled oxygen in the place of dust and mildew. Around her was the tiny living room, old book shelves lined the walls and an exceptionally ancient television set was propped up in the corner with an over flowing ash tray atop of the set. Hermione desperately wanted to sink into a corner and cry yet she had little or no choice, but to continue trying to find the best in this hell hole she now had to live in. Moving into the Kitchen she was greeted with the same situation, old rusty pots lined the sides and nets so dirty they could have been passed off for old grey rags. Hermione sighed and traipsed up the Axminister carpet stair case to the bedrooms and bathroom. The tiny bedroom was not so ghastly, just empty with floral wallpaper; the master was much the same aside from a heavy set of scarlet velvet curtains that blocked the light. Braving the bathroom would be her next chore; she rounded the corner and prayed for some form of cleanliness, she was incredibly disappointed. The bathroom would have given the Grime fighters a run for their money; she sighed again and then squawked as she spotted a enormous spider peeking out of the plug hole. Slamming the door behind her, Hermione decided she needed a strong drink and some cleaning products before she could even consider sleeping in this dank hole. Not bothering the lock the door to her new home, Hermione went to the local shops and picked up every cleaning product on their shelves before making her way to the Pipe and Glass public House on the heath around the corner from 121 Grayson Street.

Ordering a large red wine Hermione scooped up the drink and took a seat in the corner of the pub without bothering to take her coat or scarf off. It had started to snow and the pub offered little or no warmth besides a tiny fire in the corner of the room by the bar. Sipping the wine she felt the warm elixir run down her throat warming her insides, she was determined to finish the drink even if the glass tasted of fust...she seemed unable to escape filth these days. Unaware of the piercing eyes on her from the other corner of the room, Hermione downed her wine and wiped her lips with the side of her gloves, another aspect of clothing she had deigned to remove. Standing she prepared to leave, again not noticing the man cross the room to grab his grey woollen coat from the cloak peg.

"See ya Tomorrow Sir," the barman called to him as he crossed the bar, Hermione had already exited the pub and he knew, if he was to catch up with her, he had better hurry. With a cursory nod of his head to the locals, he exited the pub and stepped on to the path outside his boots crunching in the flurry. He could see Hermione a good few yards ahead of him making quite a pace in her little snow boots...could it possibly be he had just witnessed the elusive Gryffindor who had not been seen in the Wizarding community, not even by her friends, for almost a year now.

Rumours had circulated surrounding the bizarre disappearance of Hermione Granger, one day she had been a prize Journalist for the daily prophet writing about the war and its effects on those who had suffered the most, she had interviewed many different people, some who wouldn't have even been noticed had it not been for Hermione' scruples. Then one day she had not turned up for work, her home that she had shared with former Gryffindor Ginny Weasley was vacant aside from the red head, it would seem to all intents and purposes Hermione Granger had walked off the face of the earth...until now. As he tailed her through the streets he was becoming increasingly aware just how close he was to his own home until they turned onto the next street, he witnessed the young girl force her way into a property and disappear behind the muck smeared the windows.

'Well well', his mind mused as he shuffled back through the snow his fingers circling the bite wound on his neck, he had finally found the woman who the world saw as an enigma.

Hermione set to work endeavouring to make her new home liveable, she knew she had to press on as she was required back at work the next day, her manager had only graciously given her this day's holiday as the counter had been quiet, now she had to make this place look and feel something like, so she was able to sleep. Making sure the bathroom door was firmly shut, she would deal with that monstrosity when she found her yard broom, she began to make her bedroom look cosy. Her bed had not been delivered yet along with her new sofa and chairs that she had treated herself too, so tonight she would make the best of the floor with an old mattress that was propped up against one of the grainy fuscia walls. Hermione slung the mattress to the floor and coughed through the dust cloud, unpacking her bedding from a large bin bag she made up the bed the best she could before moving to the bottom of the house to begin cleaning and scouring.

For what felt like days in Hermione's perspective, which was realistically only hours, the house was beginning to take shape; sure it was bare and without many knickknacks to brighten the rooms, but it was starting to look slightly more unsoiled. As for the disgusting stinking carpet, Hermione had managed to rip it from its grippers and sling it out into the over grown back garden, something she would deal with in better weather. Snow gathered merrily atop of the warn material as it lay in her garden, probably giving the carpet its first wash in so many years. Hermione placed her hands on her hips and looked at her surroundings finally the place was beginning to resemble a home. Satisfied, she patted her turban on her head and wandered through into the lounge to find a box to sit on. She was pleasantly surprised to the find the old battered TV set was still working, and Hermione was able to indulge in another glass of wine in a plastic cup purchased from the local store, and catch up with her soaps. A real adaptation to Muggle life that she had made was her devotion to soaps, and now she was engrossed, so engrossed she was unaware of her surroundings until she heard a heavy knock on her door.

Grumbling at missing a part of the vital plot line Hermione stood up and wandered over to the front door, and yanked it open. A blast of cold air ruffled her hair, making her already freezing ears ache further.

"Oh Merlin," she shouted when she spotted the visitor on her door step, "What the hell do you want? How did you even find me?"

"I believe it is unnecessary to be rude to callers Miss Granger especially one who is your elder, what I would like to know is why you have chosen to move into my village?"

"Your village?" it was then Hermione had her fear confirmed, she had made a huge mistake moving to Cokeworth, even more so now she had her old Potion's Master and Professor darkening her doorway.

"May I come in?"

Still gaping like a fish Hermione stood back and allowed the man to enter shoving the door shut, to the freezing world outside...where she probably, her mind warned, would be a safer place to be, instead of being locked in a two up two down with a murderer in the form of Severus Snape.