Hermione knocked tentatively on her professor's door and waited until a thoroughly exhausted looking Professor McGonagall opened it.

"Good evening, Professor. I am here to visit Mrs. McGonagall." Hermione was a bit nervous to ask entrance into the professor's private quarters, but she had promised that she'd visit.

"That is very kind of you, but I fear my mother is a little unwell after her adventure yesterday. It would be…"

A voice from inside interrupted her. "Minerva? Is that Hermione? Lead her through," she called.

Sighing, Professor McGonagall lowered her head. "Please come in, Miss Granger."

Hermione looked guilty. She didn't mean to disturb. "I am sorry, Professor," she whispered.

Minerva looked up. "Oh no, Miss Granger. You've done nothing wrong."

She led her charge through the sitting room to what must have been a guestroom. From the door she saw Emma lying on the bed.

"Hermione?" Emma asked.

"Yes, it's me," Hermione confirmed.

"Please, come in. I think there is a chair beside my bed." She held both her hands out in greeting and looked truly happy about her visitor.

"Hello," Hermione greeted, taking both hands and squeezing them gently, before letting go of the woman's left hand and sitting down. "How are you doing? Professor McGonagall said you are not feeling very well."

"Oh I'm fine, – just a little peachy. When you are as old as I am you learn to take the days as they come. Now, tell my daughter to go and work."

Hermione's eyes went wide with shock. She'd never heard someone talk like that about her favorite professor. "Mrs. McGonagall! Every first year knows that no one tells Professor McGonagall what to do."

"Is that so?" Emma asked amused and reminded the girl, "and it is Emma, darling."

Unseen by the elder woman, Hermione moved uncomfortably on the chair. "I… that sounds a little disrespectful."

"Nonsense." She waved the girl's worry away with her left hand. "But if you prefer, how about Aunt Emma, or thinking of my age, Granny Emma?"

"Oh hm, Granny Emma, then?" Hermione asked shyly.

"My fist grandchild. Well done, Minerva!" The old woman teased, sounding very pleased with her new title.

"Mother!" Minerva rebuked. "Miss Granger, I apologize for my mother's appalling behavior."

"Being talked of as your daughter is an honor and not at all appalling," Hermione answered gently, not looking at her head of house.

The stern woman's features softened and there was a light in her eyes that hadn't been there before.

"Relax, Minerva, and now go and do your work." Emma sounded less teasing now and more like the worried mother she was.

"Miss Granger?" Minerva asked for a permission she didn't need.

The girl turned to look at her Professor and smiled reassuringly. "We'll be fine."

"Very well. Call me if you need anything." She didn't want to burden her young charge with the care of her mother.

"We will. Don't worry," Hermione soothed and watched her teacher nodding and leaving the room.

"Now, my darling, tell me about your day," Emma drew her visitor's attention back to her. "Your visit is of course highly appreciated, but if at all, I had expected you earlier."

"I meant to come earlier, but I wanted to finish my Transfiguration homework first. It was more difficult than I expected." While working on the assignment she had wondered how her friends would cope with the homework. She suspected that sooner or later she'd have to help them.

"Is she pushing you too hard with work load? Shall I have a word with her? You are children and need free time as well." Sometimes she was worried that her daughter asked as much of her pupils as she asked of herself.

"Oh no, please don't." Hermione was petrified that Emma would talk to her daughter on her behalf. "She always gives us a few days for an assignment like that, but I don't like to get my concentration broken, so I usually do it all at once."

"I see." She really did see. She saw so much of a girl she once raised. "You are very much like my daughter, you know? She was the same when she was young and still is, I suppose."

Hermione was grateful that Emma wasn't able to see her blush. "Thank you."

The old woman squeezed the hand she still held in her right. "You like her, hm? She talks very highly of you, too."

A bright smile graced the young witch's face.

"Oh but what an awful host I've been, not offering you anything! Would you like tea, my dear? I'll get Minerva…"

"No, please." She really had disturbed the professor's evening enough as it was. "I'd love a cup of tea, but please, I can get it myself."

"Very well," Emma agreed.

"Dobby?" The girl asked into the room.

A small plop announced the elf's arrival. "Yes, mistress Hermione?" He looked as happy as always and Hermione smiled at him.

"Would you mind getting tea for Mrs. McGonagall and me?"

The little elf was still overjoyed by the fact that Hermione always asked so kindly. He was a free elf, after all. "Dobby would be delighted to get the ladies tea."

"Thank you so much, Dobby. Ginger and lemon for me and …?"

"The same for me, please," Emma finished the sentence, pleased that Hermione treated the elf so well.

"Oh hang on, Dobby, I'll ask Professor McGonagall if she'd like a cup as well." Turning to Emma she said, "I'll be right back."

Hermione quietly went into the sitting room and found her stern Head of House at the desk near the window, fast asleep upon what looked liked essays. What now? She didn't want to wake the woman, but she couldn't leave her like this either or she'd awake with a horrible pain in the neck.

Hoping the professor wouldn't wake, Hermione drew her wand and carefully lifted the sleeping woman onto the sofa in front of the fire. Minerva stirred slightly, before cuddling deeper into the cushions. Relieved, Hermione covered her with the tartan quilt she found on the nearby chair and quietly left the room again.

"I am back," she said, to let Emma know she was in the room again. "Thank you, Dobby, the Professor doesn't want tea."

"Dobby's right back, Miss Hermione." Another plop and he was gone.

The young witch sat down and instinctively reached for Emma's hand.

"Minerva doesn't want a cup of tea?" she asked unbelievingly.

"She is asleep. I found her with her head on her desk and levitated her onto the sofa," Hermione explained.

Emma nodded. "Well done, darling. I wish she'd rest more, but she never stops working."

*plop* "Here's your tea, Miss Hermione and Mrs. McGonagall."

"Thank you very much," the elder woman said kindly.

Hermione took the tray from the little elf and put it on the floor. "Thank you so much, Dobby."

"You's very welcome." He turned to Emma and explained, "Miss Hermione is my friend."

"She's my friend as well," Emma said and brought Hermione's hand up to place a little kiss on the back of it.

The young girl was touched and gently returned the gesture. "That I am."

Both women were so caught up in their little moment that they didn't notice Dobby's leaving.

"Would you like to sit up while drinking your tea?"

"Oh yes." She pushed herself upright, wincing in discomfort when her old bones snapped into place.

Hermione looked worried, but didn't comment. Seeing that her friend tried to arrange the pillows behind her to support her back while sitting up, she said, "Hang on, I'll help you."

With a flick of her wand the rather flat pillows began to grow until they were big enough to support Emma's back.

"Thank you, darling," the old woman said, resettling into the soft cushions.

Hermione reached down to get the tea and handed a cup to her friend. "Here you go," she said, leading Emma's hand to the cup. "It is half full and cool enough to drink."

Sipping her own tea, Hermione leaned back into her chair, enjoying the comfortable silence.

"Tell me a bit about yourself?" Emma asked.

"Oh um, Granny Emma, there is not much to tell you, I'm afraid. I guess I'm a bit of a bore."

"You're not!" the elder woman protested. "You certainly don't bore me."

"Thank you, but there is really not much to tell you. I am Muggle-born and live with my parents in a small village near London. I love books and loathe unfairness."

"How do you look?"

"Oh well, I have bushy brown hair and brown eyes. I am what one usually calls a bookworm and overall not really pretty."

"Oh I do think you are selling yourself short! I know you're a very bright and caring young woman and I am sure you are pretty as well!" Emma couldn't believe what a low self-image the girl had of herself.

"Enjoy the thought as long as you can't see for yourself," Hermione replied dryly.

"I am longing for the day I see your pretty face. You will come again to see me, won't you?" she asked.

"Of course, I will. What else would you do here all day?" The question was rhetorical, but Emma decided to answer anyway.

"I do have the most interesting day! I wake up and have breakfast and rest, talk to Minerva during lunch and rest, rest some more and have dinner, talk to Minerva and sleep. I am not sure I'll be able to fit you into that time schedule!"

Both woman shared a good laugh, happy that conversation flew so effortless between them.

"Honestly, I am terribly bored, especially in the mornings when Minerva needs to teach." Emma handed Hermione her empty cup. "I normally read or knit to pass time, but sadly that is out of question."

Hermione gave her friend the refilled cup and said, "I think I have an idea to make your mornings more interesting, but I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore first."

"So? What do you have in mind?" The old woman asked curiously.

"I'm not telling you. It will be a surprise."

Emma's face lit up. "I love surprises!"

The merry chatter went on until Emma yawned and Hermione realized how late it was.

"I need to go now. It is almost curfew and you are tired." Seeing the older woman's face fall, she added, "I promise I will be back tomorrow."

"It has been such a wonderful evening. I can't thank you enough for spending your time with an old woman like me."

"Stop saying that you're old! You have very many years to come and I enjoyed the evening as much as you. You are Granny Emma after all. Grandchildren usually enjoy the company of their grandparents."

Emma laughed happily and opened her arms, inviting Hermione into a hug. Leaning into the waiting arms, Hermione whispered, "Good night, Granny. Sleep well and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Good night to you, my darling." She took Hermione's head in both of her hands and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "Sweet dreams."

With a last goodbye Hermione left the room and saw her Professor still sleeping on the sofa.

It would be better to wake her up now. She might need to get some more work done before the morning.

She quietly walked over to the sleeping woman and squatted in front of the sofa. "Professor McGonagall?"

Tired eyes fluttered open, momentarily confused before focusing on Hermione. "Miss Granger." She slowly sat up. "I am quite sure I was working. How did I end up on my sofa?"

Hermione had the grace to blush. "I came to ask if you wanted tea and saw that you had fallen asleep. You looked like you needed the rest and I thought you'd rest more comfortably on here."

The stern witch raised a questioning eyebrow. "You levitated me here?"

"Um… yes." Hermione didn't look up, fearing that she had overstepped the boundaries.

"That was a good piece of magic, Miss Granger." She briefly touched her student's shoulder. "I am usually a light sleeper." She was sure, with the right guidance, Hermione would go far. When things were less stressful she'd make sure to offer her some private lessons.

Hermione didn't say that she was probably too exhausted to notice a troll redecorating her living room. "I need to go now. Good night, Professor."

"Good night, Miss Granger." She stood and walked the girl to the door. "I thank you for your visit. I know my mother was looking forward to it very much."

"Good night, Professor. If you don't mind, I'll come back tomorrow."

"I don't mind, Miss Granger. You are very welcome to visit whenever you like to see her. I know she enjoys your company."

"And I hers. Thank you and good night."

"Good night, Miss Granger."


Thank you to my wonderful beta Bola! You're brilliant!