The two young witches scrambled up the stairs and into their separate rooms. They unshrunk their luggage, charmed all of their clothing and such to move into their proper places then washed up in record time.

It was roughly ten minutes later that the two sprinted back downstairs and into the dining room where Hermione and Dumbledore were seated and talking adamantly. Dumbledore was sat at the head of the eight person table while Hermione sat to his right.

While standing in the doorway both Rolanda and Minerva quickly looked to one another before pushing the other out of the way to get to the seat next to the beautiful brunette.

Rolanda grabbed Minerva's arm and managed to spin the witch around while slipping pass her then plopped herself into the seat with a smile. Minerva gave her friend a good long narrow eyed stare the entire walk around the table to the seat on the other side of Dumbledore.

They hadn't been very discreet in their fight for the chair so they were now met with the very curious glances of the other two diners. Dumbledore had a knowing smirk on his face while Hermione just looked plain confused by the whole thing, but still very cute in Minerva's opinion.

The darker haired witch cleared her throat as she looked to the others. "Um…this side tends to…get a bit drafty."

Rolanda raised an eyebrow at her with amusement. "Yes…it does. I'm glad I'm over here where I can be warm and cozy." She inconspicuously slid her chair a fraction of an inch closer to her target while smirking.

Albus' eyes shone with amusement. "Yes well perhaps the mushroom and watercress soup that Bixby has prepared will…take the chill away." Chuckling to himself he raised his hands and gave a short clap.

A moment later a small young male elf appeared with a hovering serving bowl. "Good evenings Master Dumbledore and young misses. Bixby hopes youse have good appetites, been making wonderful foods all day Bixby has." With a snap of his little fingers the serving bowl settled in the center of the table and began to ladle spoonfuls of soup into each person's bowl.

As the elf began to pour drinks for everyone, Dumbledore turned towards Minerva with a smile. "Well Minerva with only one year at Hogwarts left it seems that the time for you to decide on your future career path is coming closer and closer. May I ask if you've had any thoughts to what direction you will take?"

He gave a quick glance over to Rolanda. "I know my niece has already made a decision. Although when you have one of the most renowned Quidditch teams practically breaking down your door to join I'm sure it's rather hard to say no." He smiled at the chestnut haired young woman whose chest puffed up so much she looked like a preening peacock.

Minerva to smiled at her best friend. "Aye well who could blame them really? Ro is one of the best chasers Gryffindor's had in quite some time."

Rolanda took her glass of pumpkin juice and held it up. "Why thank you my dear. Of course I've got one of the best beaters to watch my back."

Hermione grinned as she subconsciously rolled her eyes. Great, even here I'll have to suffer through having two friends who are obsessed with Quidditch. She turned her eyes from Rolanda to Minerva. "So you both play Quidditch?" Looking back at the witch next to her she smiled as she pointed a chin in Ro's direction. "What team has been calling on you to join?"

Hermione knew very well which team Madam Hooch played for before becoming a professor at Hogwarts but she felt it best to ask and keep up her role.

Once again Ro's chest puffed up as she took in the young woman at her side. "The Holyhead Harpies, the only all-female team in Britain. Vera Hesper herself came to my final match against Ravenclaw last year. She said if I keep playing so well that she'd be the first to offer me a contract when I graduate from Hogwarts."

Minerva, wanting to take the attention off of her rival, cleared her throat to get Hermione to look at her. "Do you play Ms. Duchamps?"

Hermione shook her head while stirring her soup a bit to cool it off. "No I'm afraid I don't and please call me Gen. My three best friends are big fans however so I'm never uninformed about the subject." She giggled to herself, 'Professor McGonagall's Scottish brogue doesn't seem as pronounced now as it does in my time, I wonder why?'

Grinning to herself, Hermione thought of her friends. "Ronald is madly in love with the Chudley Cannons and his sister Ginny is a fan of the Holyhead Harpies. It was a veritable war in their house whenever the two teams had a match together. My other friend Harry plays seeker at school." Hermione could feel her heart clench at the thought of them. The entire week that she had spent in this time thus far had been about fifty percent learning her character and fifty percent crying for her family and friends.

Rolanda took a deep gulp from her drink before quirking an eyebrow at the young woman. "Why would they be fans of English teams? I heard the Thundelarra Thunderers were doing remarkably well this year."

Realizing her error Hermione quickly scanned her brain for information from Quidditch through the ages before answering. "Yes well Ron used to be a fan of theirs until he went to one of their games a few years back. He asked the keeper for an autograph and was completely snubbed."

Minerva scoffed into her spoon as she lowered it from her mouth. "I've heard that moron Travers could be quite a bit of a snob."

Hermione nodded in agreement, her riotous curls of chocolate colored hair bouncing with it, sending the scent of vanilla and cinnamon straight into Rolanda's nose. The witch inhaled deeply and quietly sighed as her eyes slightly rolled into the back of her head. God she smells good!

"Quite right you are there Minerva. Anyway, since Australian only has two teams Ron and Ginny decided to branch out more because according to them the Woolongong Warriors just aren't up to par." Hermione nearly let out a loud 'whew' after that near slip up.

The future headmistress couldn't help but smile at the way her name sounded coming from the brunette's lips. "So what about yourself my dear? Is it that you only enjoy watching Quidditch or that you don't like the game at all?"

Biting lightly on her lower lip, Hermione cast her eyes down to her soup. "I enjoy watching the game, it's just…well…I sort of have a slight fear of flying. I've never really enjoyed it much but my fear escalated a few years ago when I had to ride a hippogriff then again when I rode on a thestral."

Rolanda's spoon fell into her soup with a light splash. "You rode a hippogriff and a thestral? You can see thestrals?" All three of the time appropriate people were gaping at the girl.

Hermione cleared her throat as she nervously played with the spoon in her bowl. "Uh…yes I did ride both, neither by choice. At the time I couldn't see thestrals, my friend Harry could and he helped me onto it."

Dumbledore's eyebrows furrowed at this last statement. "You say you couldn't at the time. Am I to assume that you can see them now?"

The young woman lowered her head a bit as she leaned forward. "Unfortunately sir yes, I can see them now."

The wizard solemnly nodded as the group quieted for a moment before resuming on the topic of Minerva's future plans.

After the soup was finished Bixby served the group a roasted rosemary and thyme herbed chicken with carrots and potatoes. When this was finished the four then retired to the sitting room for tea and some lemon shortbread biscuits.

Hermione was asked every question imaginable by the two other witches. She had been prepared to answer questions regarding her parents, her upbringing, her time in Urelic wizarding school for education. She had not, however, been prepared for questions such as 'What is your favorite pastime hobby?' 'What is your favorite color?' 'Do you prefer beautiful scenery or exotic adventures?'

These were the questions that Rolanda and Minerva had in mind nevertheless. Hermione just thought that perhaps the two just wanted to get to know her on more of a personal level. Dumbledore on the other hand just sat back in his chair sipping his tea with a small smile.

"Do you enjoy plays Gen? There's a production of Gerda Wurda and the Book of a Thousand Spells being performed in the village tomorrow evening, perhaps you would care to join me?" Minerva stated impishly while eyeing the beauty seated beside her.

Somehow Ro and Minerva had managed to manuveur themselves and Hermione to sit on the sofa with Hermione in the middle while Dumbledore sat in an ancient armchair.

As Hermione opened her mouth to reply Rolanda waved Minerva off. "Oh come now Min, I'm sure this lovely lady would like to do something a bit more fun than watch a play. Only old fuddy duddies like yourself and uncle Al enjoy those." She winked at the girl in question. "I've got a better idea. How about you join me instead to go see a game of Liloo ball?"

Hermione scrunched her eyebrows trying to decipher what exactly Rolanda had invited her to. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Liloo ball, it's mermish for whirlpool ball, it's a game the local merpeople of Colwyn Bay play. They're actually quite friendly with wizards and witches so they invite them to come see their games. It's sort of like muggle polo except it's played underwater on giant seahorses and there's a small whirlpool in the center of the playing field. They set up a bubble chamber off the field for spectators and sell tickets for octopus."

Hermione giggled putting a delicate hand over her mouth as she did so. "They sell tickets for octopus?"

Rolanda smiled at the sweet sound. "Yep, octopi are rare in that area so the merpeople consider them a delicacy. One ticket for one medium sized octopus, or two for a bucket of baby octopus. Fair trade in my opinion."

Hermione could hear a low growling sound coming from the right side of her. She turned to see Minerva practically snarling at Rolanda, her upper lip was even curled up. It suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks why the two had been acting the way they had all evening. They were flirting with her! And now they were trying to get her to go out on a date with one of them!

The brilliant young woman looked over to the transfiguration professor who watched with bemusement as the girl was finally coming to understand the situation she was in.

Hermione was both amused with her predicament and utterly and completely horrified. Here were two of her future professors, much older professors, basically going all caveman on each other over her. This was not something she had ever pictured in her mind to happen.

Although true be told she had always had a small crush on Professor McGonagall she never once looked at it as more than that. Madam Hooch had never even crossed her mind in that capacity considering the two hardly ever saw much less spoke to one another in her time.

Looking back and forth between the two witches now however, Hermione decided that she wouldn't mind going on a date with either one of them. The question was who?

As she thought to herself the two others had managed to start arguing over which outing she would prefer. Hermione raised a hand between the two and looked from one to the other. "Perhaps we could go to both? I'm sure the times for each would allow us to attend both. Rolanda and I can go to the game and have lunch together then afterwards Minerva and I can go to the play and have dinner in the village."

She was attempting to break the tension in the room as well as give both women a hint that she was open to the idea of dating either one of them. Hermione had no idea how long she was going to remain in this time or if she was ever going to go back and figured that she might as well indulge herself in the meantime.

Rolanda and Minerva eyed one another competitively before they nodded in agreement. So it was set that she and Rolanda would leave for the game at half after twelve, after which they would get some lunch then she would meet Minerva in the village for the play which started at six and follow that with dinner in the village.

The rest of the hour was spent mostly with Hermione and Minerva chatting about books they like. Once Minerva learned that Hermione was one of the few other people to read Gouldings Guide to Goblin Enchantments she was finding herself becoming quite enamoured with the young woman. A few hours ago she had only judged her based on her attractiveness but now that she knew that there was a brain behind the beauty, well let's just say that it was the first time that Minerva had ever found someone that she felt like she wouldn't have to tune out dull conversation in her attempt to woo them.

As a matter of fact, and this bit startled even Minerva when it hit her, she could see herself actually falling for this one. She was utterly beautiful, unbelieveably intelligent, and sweetly charming. Minerva McGonagall was completely smitten.

Rolanda wouldn't let herself be cut out of the conversation however and she also would sporadically chat Hermione up on different subjects of interests. Rolanda was impressed when Hermione told her about her attempt to liberate the house elves of her school by providing them with clothes and starting S.P.E.W. Being a lover of animals and beings of all classifications she found herself feeling a bit more for the young woman than just a simple conquest when she retold the tale of how she and her friend Harry had rode on a Hippogriff in an attempt to help free him from an unjustified execution.

When the clock struck nine Dumbledore announced that it was time that everyone head up to their respective rooms and he bid the girls goodnight as they climbed the stairs.

Once they reached the second floor both Minerva and Rolanda took turns saying goodnight to their new friend, Minerva even going as far as to kiss the young woman's hand. Once the two had proceeded down to their own rooms Hermione entered hers and leaned against the door when she closed it. She smiled as she thought of the two witches down the hall fighting for her attention. This just turned quite interesting indeed.

Rolanda threw herself on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Merlin that girl is something else! I think that this one is going to be a bit more of a challenge than the last three years. She smiled to herself as she thought about Gen. I think I really like this one, she exciting and she seems strongwilled, so unlike the other girls. She hummed to herself as she stood and prepared herself for bed.

Minerva had donned her nightgown and brushed her hair before going to the bookcase. Looking at all the titles she spied Gouldings book on the top right shelf. The young woman grinned as she grabbed the book and headed to her bed. As she drew the duvet over herself she thought back to the houseguest in the other room. Hmm this is the first time that we've actually picked a girl who's actually intelligent. Much better than last year, could barely carry on a conversation with that one without rolling my eyes at least once or twice. Gen seems…well she seems more…my type.

Minerva laid the book across her lap and just stared at it. She's practically perfect for me. Minerva ran a hand through her long ebony hair as she thought about the fact that Ro would be having a date with the other witch first tomorrow and she frowned. I'm not so sure I'm liking this competition any more. Maybe I can talk to Ro tomorrow and tell her that I don't want to continue with our bet with this one or with anyone for that matter. I think I want to try to actually court Gen.

With that last thought Minerva settled herself into her cushion and began to read by candlelight.

Wanted to thank everyone who reviewed, glad this story is being enjoyed so far. Please keep the coming. On a side note I found Urelic the Australian wizarding school on Harry potter fanon wikia and I'm not sure who to give credit for it to but I want to give credit where credit is due.