Minerva McGonagall looked down at the pile of papers on her desk. She could think of a million things she would rather be doing than marking Fourth year transfiguration essays. The one currently on the top was not setting a high bar at all; in the first sentence she corrected six miss-spelled words. 'come on, you are a Gryffindor' Just as Minerva was mustering the courage to continue there was a knock at the door.

"Enter" The green eyed witch had forgotten to sound stern as she spoke. She was just thankful to whoever was on the other side of the door saving her for from marking for the time being. She was even more pleased to see Hermione Granger enter her office but her pleasure vanished from her eyes as Hermione did not greet the professor with the usual bright grin. A tiny smile tugged the corner of her lips before it disappeared. "What can I do for you Miss Granger? Shouldn't you be in the hall with everyone else?" Hermione sat on the chair that Minerva had conjured for Mr Malfoy and sighed loudly.

"well professor, I just came from the Great hall actually. I know that I usually come to talk to you on a Friday evenings but I was wondering if I could talk to you now." Minerva gave Hermione a curious look. The girl looked flustered, Her chestnut tresses looking more frazzled than usual and she was fidgeting under the older witch's gaze.

"Of course you can talk to me dear, I am always here to listen if you need someone to talk to"

"You see Professor, that's the thing. I don't even need you to listen really. I just need to have a rant and then I think I will be fine." Hermione began to mumble uncomfortably. "I just need to talk to someone and I don't want to speak to anyone else because they will just laugh at me. It's kind of, well its about you Professor" Minerva raised her eyebrows. Hermione was quite amusing when she was angry and from the looks of things this should be quite humorous, but what did she mean it was about me? What did I do? Wanting to know the answer to those question she said.

"Well, rant away Miss Granger. I shall get on with my marking but as it is about me I may interject every now and again." With that she pulled out a pile of papers from her desk draw and pretended to get to work. Of course all attention was on the younger witch who was sitting opposite her.

Hermione took a deep breath before starting.

"Right," Hermione took a breath before stating. "I have been called a lot of names while I've been at Hogwarts. Most of them are malicious and to be honest it did bother me at first but over the years I have taken less and less notice. I've been called bookworm, know-it-all, Mud-Blood, teachers pet " Minerva's emerald eyes searched Hermione's and was relieved to see that there wasn't any hurt there and so she let the young woman carry on without commenting. Anyway, she had told Hermione to ignore the name calling in her first year but that was easier said than done. "but I think I must have crossed a line, an invisible line that you mustn't cross if you don't want nicknames like, Mini-McGonagall or… Spawn of McGonagall, of coarse for convenience it has been shortened to just spawn." Seamus had started that one after he had questioned Hermione as to why she didn't have to do the transfiguration homework. When she had replied that she had read ahead and done it weeks ago he had huffed it loud enough for most of the people in the library to hear. It had spread like forest fire. "I could deal with those though because you know, I wouldn't mind being your spawn at all, in fact being called a mini you makes me feel quite proud" Minerva didn't show it but Hermione's kind words made her heart feel fuller. "but today as I walked past the Slytherin table I was greeted with the next in the endless string of new names I will be called throughout my time here." Here we go thought McGonagall, what now? "Pansy Parkinson turned to Malfoy and went 'There goes McGonagall's Bitch'… Really? Because if anyone is anybodies bitch Malfoy is Snape's!" Minerva looked up from the essays she was marking in shock. Firstly, because Hermione was using a profanity like that as if it was nothing and secondly because her prize pupil was being called 'that'. Before she could interrupt Hermione continued. "And why? Because I'm loyal? Hello, I thought that was a good trait in a person, Loyalty! Because I wont sit there and let people insult you; that makes me your bitch." Again with the profanities!

"Ok Miss Granger that's…"

"Speaking of such, you would have thought the Gryffindor would spare me but no, they are exactly the same. I'm a prefect and my own house teases me constantly. I am always helping them, I cant count the number of times I've saved Seamus from blowing himself up and still he calls me spawn. They just cant seem to grasp that I stand up for you because you are our head of house. Yes you are my mentor and I spend a lot of time with you and so I might be a teensy bit over protective when it comes to Malfoy and his verbal punches towards you but to sit and say nothing? That doesn't seem like an option." She couldn't class all of Gryffindor under one tent. Fred and George stood up for the strict deputy Head almost as much as she did. Harry and Ron weren't as on board as she would have liked them to be but some of the house… "Call themselves Gryffindor when they don't even stand up for their own just because you give us homework. And you know what gets me?" Hermione leaned forward in her chair placing her elbows on the old mahogany desk. "Harry! My dear friend Harry, he must have seen the line! That bloody invisible line that you shouldn't cross because nobody calls him Dumbledor's Bitch. Nobody calls him spawn of Dumbledor. Just because I would defend my mentor, head of house, teacher it makes me… I don't even know. For goodness sake, I get names, what does Harry get? A frickin phoenix to come and cry on him… Where's my phoenix professor? Of course I am not loyal to receive praise but know that it is hard for me and yet I persevere because I think that considering all you do for not only your house but the entire student body you deserve a bit of loyalty" Hermione sighed loudly, seeming to calm down before "A bloody phoenix!"

"Hmmm." what do you say to that really? "Can I first start Miss Granger by saying that Nobody, Not even Malfoy is anybodies…. Bitch." Hermione burst into laughter at the disgusted look on her mentors face. She slumped back against the chair when she was finished laughing. McGonagall stood up and made her way around the desk. "And I am a grown woman, I do not need you to take care of me because, my dear I can do it for myself" Hermione stood and picked up her bag thinking she was being dismissed but before she could fling it over her should she was enveloped in her favourite professor's arms. An elegant hand cradled the younger witch's head into her shoulder "However, I am so grateful for your loyalty Hermione. There is no greater gift that you can give and I am so proud that you chose me to bestow some of it on me." After a few moments Hermione stepped back and smiled a toothless, slightly embarrassed smile at her professor.

"Well, that's quite enough phoenix for me. See you tomorrow for tea professor."

Minerva watched her leave. hmm, that was quite amusing. She went to sit down but stopped at the sight of her fireplace. I wonder if Severus is in his office. shrugging, McGonagall paced over to it, to speak to Severus about telling his bitch to leave her bitch alone.

Thanks for reading :D R&R