A/N this chapter is from Hermione's point of view the next will be Elzbeth ( pronounced Ls-beth so you know it's my mothers name I figured it was time I used it in a story lol ) and thanks to all the readers that followed from my other story's it's appreciated and to all the new readers welcome.

Disclamer: don't own don't sue or the piggmypuff gets it


Mother

I watch Elzbeth as she looks at everything in detail, as if she's scared that if she doesn't remember it all it might disappear.

I knew Minerva was getting a new teacher, but I hadn't expected someone…well someone like Elzbeth.

She looks so familiar, like someone, I have known for a long time but not seen lately, the way people change ever so slightly.

"Did you go to Hogwarts?" I here myself asking her, if she did, she wasn't in Gryffindor, I knew each member of that house by name and she can't possibly be much more than a year younger than I can.

She shakes her head the colours on the tips move so fast they almost blur; I'm instantly reminded of Tonks, back before the end of the war, back when she used to be so much more than what she is today.

"My mum knew Voldemort wasn't gone, she said she could feel it, she taught me at home." her eyes cloud as if the thought of her childhood was painful for her.

"You would have been safe here." I say as we head down the corridor to the staff room, the last of the winter sun disappearing behind the trees in the grounds.

"Not with fudge in charge of the ministry I wouldn't have been." she sighs looking out across the grounds. "I always wondered what this place looked like, and now I've seen it, it makes me wish I'd come here even more."

I look at her; I can't imagine what it would have been like for me if I had known I could come to the school and then have that opportunity stolen from my grasp. Looking back now it seams so long ago…

"Mum thought twice about it, Albus even said I could join late if it was really what I wanted, but then that Basilisk trouble started and well, you know what mum's are like." she smiled and shrugged, looking past me to the large tapestry of Centaurs star gazing.

In fact, I do know what mum's are like, Molly Weasley is the closest thing I have left to a mother now, now that my own parents were taken from me by the war, and it still hurts. Waking up one morning and just knowing, Harry and Ron had fretted over me all day. Asking what was wrong, but I knew, I didn't need the owl that had arrived late that night baring the news. It was like a blank space where I just knew my mother would never get to say my name again, the name she had bestowed on me her legacy in this world. She had begged me not to go, not to get involved, but in the end, she had stood by and let me make my own decision.

My life was a series of what ifs. What if I had never come to Hogwarts? What if I never met Ron on that train? What if they had never saved me from that troll? What if I hadn't gone in aid of Harry? Moreover, what if Ron and I hadn't blocked that last attempt to finally finish off Harry? Would my parent's still be dead? Would Fleur have a husband and baby Grace have a father? Would Remus still morn his lost friends? Would Molly still have the one true love of her life that she still cried for late upon a night when she though that no one could hear her?

Molly Weasley, for years she had been there for all of them, their pillar of strength, the point around who we all rallied. Now a broken women, trying to hold together a Family that were more broken than any that had come out of the other side of the war.

She was my pillar of strength, but after the war, I became hers. Molly needed someone who understood, she needed someone who needed her the way Arthur had done. I had moved in to the burrow, alongside Ron and Harry we tried to make life go back to normal but how do you go back to normal when your entire life has been anything but?

If I had chosen not to go to Hogwarts what would have happened? Would it matter?

"Ok maybe I should rephrase that; you would have been perfectly safe as long as you weren't friends with Harry." I say pushing the door to the staff room open.

I watch as she takes in the decor, no doubt Minerva showed her around when she first got here, but Minerva doesn't believe in letting people have a look around, if I didn't know the inside of the castle like the back of my hand I would have been lost a million times over.

"This castle is so amazing, I think I've read Hogwarts a history a million times." she says as she looks at the tapestry of the Founders that hangs over the large stone fireplace.

"Really?" I never thought that someone like her would be in to something as mundane as books.

"Yeah, is it true that the staircases move?" she asks me, I can't get over the look of wide eyed wonder that will crop up on her face when she finds something new and exiting to talk about.

After discussing the castles many 'interesting' features, including the trick steps, moving suites of armour and the secret corridors, we head down to the great hall for dinner.

To her credit, she hasn't asked anything about Harry or the war, something that everyone seams to want to know about when people first meet me. Especially the students, the oldest ones the ones in my advance class were at school at the same time as me, they know what happened, and they know what I was up against. I was surprised that they even accepted me as a teacher, let alone gave me anything that resembled any sort of respect.

The younger students looked at me with a sort of awe, the same sort of crazed admiration that Ron had for Moody in the early days.

I had been there. I had lived it.

And everyone wanted to know what happened in the end.

Something's however should never be let out in public Harry had given one interview.

Harry's loyalty to the Lovegood's never faltered, as there's to him hadn't, Luna had been there. Luna had somehow against all odds managed to hold her own and protect a fallen Ginny against the Death Eaters.

But the interview had been short, like many things in the days after the war. Harry had tried to distance himself from everything and everyone except Ginny, Ron and myself.

People were left with more questions than answers, and people began making up rumours to ease the mind of the pore saps that still looked to the Daily Prophet for news.

They struggled to believe that Voldemort was gone.

However, he was, I had watched, cradling Harry's limp body and holding on to Ron as if my very life depended on it, maybe it did.

Voldemort's cold snakelike glare was fixed upon his face but the eyes were dead. Cold hard and empty.

I shiver involuntarily at the thought, it brings me back down to earth, Minerva has introduced Elzbeth to the student's, she's greeted with a response so much like that of Remus's, I feel like I've stepped back in time. Only the people who had been in her lesson clapped. I look to see her reaction, she nods in there direction then smiles at me. She isn't fazed by the glares that are omitting from the Slytherin table; Horace's slug club was made mostly from the wizarding stock that evaded the cells of Azkaban.

As the noise of the hall gathers I turn my attention to Elzbeth again, she's deep in conversation with Hagrid, who looks positively thrilled with the subject matter.

"I'd love to see it." Elzbeth says watching the half giant as if he is the most amazing thing that she has ever seen.

"Y'll love im, he's only a welsh green, but he's got some size on im." Hagrid growled happily.

"It was about time someone got around to changing that law, mum always said I was barking, but I say dragon's are like wand's they chose the owners." Elzbeth said smiling at Hagrid.

"I always wanted a baby dragon, well I had one didn't I Hermione?"

Baby Norbert, baby being a word used sparingly in this description, Hermione had yet to see a more gruesome looking baby, as long as a shed and with poisonous fangs that nearly caused Ron to loose his hand. I would need a memory charm from Lockhart not to remember baby Norbert. I nod knowingly Elzbeth sees me and takes it as a sign to change the conversation.

"Did the ministry ever find that Hippogriff that escaped then?"

I sigh and turn back to my dinner, if Hagrid's talking about Buckbeak we'll be here all night.

When dinner is finished I make my excuses and excuse myself, I make my way back to my study.

I have known this study under no less than six different owners, Quirrel or as Ron still insists on calling him garlic head. Back then the room was boring and non descript, not that you could blame the guy what with him having Voldemort sticking out the back of his head, I don't think he had much time for D.I.Y.

Lockhart, now he favoured himself and this room had shown that, on a warm day you could still get a waft of Madam Majestic's marvellous mousse, it could turn quite nauseating after a while.

I liked the room most under the residency of Remus, his hand stitched robes and basic necessities showed the humble man that he was, and even to this day, I still see him as the nice guy he always was.

Toad, I refuse to call her by her name, she made this room revaluating, and Snape? The less I say about him the better. Nearly seven years on and I can't forgive him for what he did, what he took from us.

Looking around my quarters the room wouldn't look out of place if Moody still taught here.

In fact, his foe glass hangs above my desk; I have too many enemies, even now.

I take out a quill and sit down at my desk.

Pig hops down and sits on my shoulder, waiting patiently. The once hyperactive bird now aware of everything and every one that he sees.

The sneak-a-scope spins on my desk, I look at the small feathery creature, and his amber eyes look at me apologetically.

"You had better catch it again when you get back." I say listening for the tell tale sign of scurrying upon the cold stone floors. The bird nips my ear affectionately. I don't want the pore mouse to become dinner to Crookshanks, the fact that the cat couldn't chase it even if he wanted to, to old and lazy now to do much more than lay on the large brown rug in front of the fire. I don't think he has long left, if he wasn't part knezzle I think he would have died long ago, pig however refuses to give up on him. The small owl will tease him, taking time to bring him in live mice and rats for some sort of exercise.

He watches me as I dip my quill in the ink on my desk and pull some parchment towards me.

Ron,

I know you still won't tell me where you are, or what you're doing, but you will not send this back with pig, you will answer me. I know you and Harry were spotted in London. Dean told me, I'm begging you let the Auror's deal with it Ron, you and Harry have done enough, let them do there job.

Getting yourself killed isn't going to solve anything, what would it accomplish? You're mother misses you, the twins miss you, I miss you.

I don't know why I bother; you never take in a word I write anyway.

Not that you're bothered, but I'm ok.

Minerva hired a new teacher for the Potions position, we've met her before, in the summer when we went to visit your mother, she was with Neville.

It's nice to have some female company in the castle, someone to talk to.

Ron please I am begging you get in touch, I cannot keep on doing this. I need to talk to you, see you anything; I can't deal with all this on my own anymore.

All my love Hermione.

I tie the rolled parchment to pig's leg. The owl looks at me questioningly.

"Go find Ron; I know you know where he is."

The owl looks ashamed of himself.

"It's ok I know that if you could talk you would tell me." I say carrying the bird to the window. A flurry of snow hits me in the face as I open the glass.

"Take care and bug him till he replies ok?" I feel him dig his claws into me affectionately before taking flight, well plummeting two stories before he gets a good gust under him. Stupid owl.

I close the window and head for the chair by the fire.

Crookshanks ambles across to me, nudging my leg as he reaches me. I pick him up placing him on my knee. He knows how lonely I get; now I really am alone. The castle can be lonely, and I know it's only a short walk down to the village to see Tonks and Remus, but they ask about Harry, Ron, and the lack of knowledge on my half-only causes me upset.

I watch the flames lick the stonework of the fireplace. Tonight will be another lonely night in the castle.

The knock at the door makes me jump, I had been thinking about long hot summers at the burrow. How I wish I could turn the clock back, make things all right again.

I get up and cross to the door. Opening it, Elzbeth is standing on the other side she smiles at me uncertainly.

"Yes?" I ask her shocked at the coldness of my voice.

"Are you ok? You left the dinner fast." she looks genuinely concerned. I let her in the room and she conjures hot chocolate for us as she sits herself down in the large leather chair next to my own.

"Want to talk about it?" she asks me gently.

I sigh. Talking about it would be good but I have almost a year's worth of talking to do. I look at her large green eyes look at me, I don't know why but I think I can trust her. I need someone, I don't have Ginny anymore.

"Yeah, it would be nice to talk about it." she nods and wafts her wand at the two hot chocolates.

"What did you do?" I ask sniffing the mug.

"I gave it a little bit of a kick, my mum's speciality." she says taking a swig of hers.

"You're getting me drunk?" I ask her taking a drink.

"Well Neville always said you were too uptight."

I laugh, god that feels good, it's so long since I laughed its like a weight has been lifted.

"So why are you sitting on your own when you could be giving me all the gossip on the rest of the staff?" she smiles and picks up the picture on the small table between us. The silver frame is tarnished I know because I look at it at least a thousand times a day.

"Bills wedding?" she asks looking at me.

I nod.

"Did Fred and George really set fire to the table?" she asks me as I see her eyes scan each happy smiling face in the photo.

"Did they tell you that?" I ask her.

"Fred has an interesting way with words, he also will tell you anything when he's trying to impress you." she puts the photo back. "Don't get me wrong, it's not as if I don't believe him, it's just he's a little selective with the truth."

I smile.

"Unfortunately that's just the way they are…and yes he did set fire to the table, one of there fireworks exploded under the top end, Bill and Fleur had left by then thankfully."

"Sound like it was interesting." she says smiling.

"Yeah it was." I think about all the things that happened at that wedding, all the promises made.

The way Ron had swore he would never let anyone hurt me. What about him hurting me? Was that not covered in the anyone category.

"So what's really bugging you?" she asks again. I take another deep breath and a drink from my mug.

"To be honest I'm worried about Ron and Harry, it's been months now since I last heard from them."

She nods. Why do I get the feeling that she knew this was what was bugging me all along.

"They went after the death eater that got Ginny didn't they?" she asks fidgeting with the rings on her fingers. "I thought they would, when Fred said that he hadn't heard from Ron that was what I thought had happened."

How can she sit there acting as if she knows, she doesn't even know the beginning of it, how can she be such a part of my life yet I never met her before. Why did Fred not mention her, why had Ginny not spoken of her, how did she know so much about my life yet I know nothing about her?

"If you don't feel comfortable talking about it I can go." she says getting up from her seat.

I shake my head and she sits down.

"It's just that well; Ginny was the only person I ever rally talked to about Ron."

"Would it be easier if I talked to you about my messed up love life?" she says shaking her head, "Because that could take some time."

Again, I laugh, again, it feels good; I think it's been to long since I had female company of my own age.

She refills our hot chocolate to her recipe she takes a sip.

"You're not the only one with Weasley shaped problems. Both Fred and George have been stalking me ever since mum got that flat above there shop."

I shake my head. "Both of them?"

"Both of them." she laughs. "I'm flattered, I mean who wouldn't be the Weasley boys are well the Weasley boys right, but to be honest I can't tell the difference. Fred calls me Elle and George calls me Beth that's the only reason I know who I'm talking too."

"Yeah I had problems early on." I am starting to feel better now, I don't know what it's but I feel completely at ease around her.

We chat for ages well in to the night. She tells me about the way she met Neville, how her mother had tried relentless amounts of times to get her to go out with him. The way she had finally given in to Fred's constant nagging for a date, only for him to take her to a quidditch match and spent the entire night talking to Oliver Wood. She had dated Oliver for a few months, but quidditch got in the way.

"Well now I told you all about me what about you?"

I sigh.

"Everyone thought that I was going to take Krum up on his offer to go live with him, start everything again, but I couldn't, I would have been running away from everything." I cradle the empty cup in my hand. "I couldn't leave the others, I couldn't leave Ron, not when he needed me the most, and I love him to much to add that to his list of hurt."

She looks at me, trying to work things out.

"So is he your boyfriend?" she asks. How I wish he was, how I lye awake at night wishing that the war hadn't changed him so much , wishing that the Ron that promised the world to me would come back and take up the promise that after the war we could be together. I shake my head.

"I can see where your problem lies." she says reaching over and taking my hand. "It will work out in the end."

"It will?"

"It will because everything always does."