It was a cool morning and Hermione Granger found herself nervously awaiting the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. It was her first time returning to Hogwarts in five years and she didn't know how to feel about it.

Usually, this was a time of giddy excitement during which she would pace anxiously, waiting for her friends to arrive.

This time, however, no one was going to be there to greet her. The only friendly faces she would encounter on the train were those of the teachers that she so highly esteemed in her school days. Then, she admired them as teachers but this time around she would have to consider them her colleagues. It felt strange to think of them that way.

She couldn't picture herself walking about the school removing house points and calling her former teachers Minerva and Filius. She laughed softly at the thought.

After a short time, the train appeared before her and she boarded. She walked along the corridor to the back of the train. She wanted to find a compartment for herself before the students began arriving. She found a compartment that was near the exit and quickly cast a locking spell before settling down.

After about twenty minutes, she could hear students piling onto the train. Talking loudly and excitedly. As she looked about the cabin she missed the company that she usually had on this trip.

She could faintly hear the boys laughing and playing exploding snap, yelling at each other when the cards snapped at their fingers. She smiled sadly and looked away, staring out the window. She'd only been there about an hour and she felt lonely already. Hopefully, she thought, this won't be a long year.

Once they arrived, Hermione wasted no time in vacating the train. She walked as briskly as she could onto one of the carriages which began to move once she was seated. It seemed as though the thestral sensed that she wanted to be alone. That or it knew that she was a professor and therefore would not want to be joined by any students on the way.

Once the carriage stopped, she hopped out and walked directly into the entrance hall. Once inside she was faced with a slightly annoyed looking Snape. He looked different than he had when she last saw him. It had been about six and half years since then. He looked younger and fresher. It appeared that working as a double agent hadn't really made him the most irresistible man on the planet. Not that he was irresistable now. Oh, he looked better, younger, more muscular. His skin had lost it's unhealthy sallow appearance and his face didn't seem to be in a permanent scowl as it had before. She felt as though this was the way he should have looked when she was a Hogwarts student. He looked about 15 years younger and although he was frowning, she could tell by his demeanor and overall appearance that he was finally happy. The weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Upon feeling a pair of eyes boring down on him, he looked over in her direction. He squinted slightly and then his eyebrows rose a fraction when he spotted her before his expression returned to it's usual expression as he looked down at her.

"Miss Granger," he began in an irritated and impatient tone, "I'm here to collect you and show you to your quarters."

"Hello Professor." she greeted coolly. She didn't appreciate being spoken to as if she were just an irritating child. It had been years since she'd been a student at the school and she was not about to just jump back into the part. "It's nice to see you." She tried to say it pleasantly but instead it came out with a hint of sarcasm.

He ignored her comments. "Follow me." He said briskly as he turned. She followed him up the stairs to the seventh floor and into a corridor which she knew was near the Gryffindor common room. This made her feel slightly more at ease.

Finally, before they reached the end of the corridor, Snape abruptly stopped and gestured towards a painting with a picture of a man with a walrus mustache. Upon closer inspection, she realized she had seen this painting many times but it used to hang in the antechamber of the Great Hall. "Hello Milady," He began with a bow. "I am Sir Baxter Hughes of Bourbon. You must be Professor Granger."

"Yes, hello," she said smiling politely. "Wasn't your portrait closer to the Great Hall before?" She asked curiously.

"Well, yes actually. Once I realized that they were looking for a portrait to guard a new professor's quarters I jumped at the chance. Violet's presence for the last 50 years was more than I could take." He finished with a grim expression.

"Anyways, I'm happy to be of service regardless of the circumstances." He smiled.

"Once you're done with the idle chit chat," interrupted Snape. "you are to set your password and join the rest of the school at the feast. Once it is completed we will discuss your duties." With that he turned and walked away. She rolled her eyes and looked back at the man in the portrait.

"Well Sir Hughes-" She was interrupted.

"Please, call me Baxter." He said.

"Very well, Baxter. Shall we set the password?"

"Indeed."

Concentrating, she tried to think of a good password. "Erudite." She finally said.

"Excellent. Would you like to get settled in?" He asked.

"No, but I'll be back in a short while. I shouldn't be late to the feast."

"Very well Professor Granger. I bid you adieu." With that he walked out of his portrait.