Tonks was at her desk when Carol came by with an envelope.
"Yay!" Tonks smiled and held out her hand. Carol handed her the envelope and left. Tonk finished up what she was doing and headed to the library. It was in the library where she found Hermione sitting at a desk with a parchment and quill, scribbling away.
"Oy, you ready?" Tonks asked. Hermione looked up.
"Uh,...yeah," Hermione said. She put all the parchment in her bag, took care of the quill and ink, and picked up about five books. Tonks helped her check out the books and Hermoine put them in her bag.
"Here you go, " Tonks said, handing over the envelope. Hermione opened it and found she had an 'O' in everything. There were many comments about how good she did. Hermione smiled and looked at her schedule. She paused and her eyes went wide.
"It says I have a class in an hour!" Hermione said. Tonks read it.
"Well you know how to apparate don't you?" Tonks asked. Hermione nodded.
"Then, apparate to diagon alley, get your supplies, and apparate back. You can handle it," Tonks said. Hermione just gave her a look.
"Well, see you later," Tonks said and left. Hermione watched her go in shock. 'What the hell!' She thought and began to run to get out of the ministry. She got outside and apparated to Diagon Alley. She found her supply list and began to go to the appropriate stores. During the hour though, she failed to notice the rather large black cat follow her and hop into her bag.
Hermione got all her supplies, picked up something for dinner because she knew she wouldn't have time, and apparated to the ministry. Hermione ran through the ministry down to the dungeons and into the potions lab. She set her bag aside and got out what she needed. There were a few other people in the class, all a lot older than her. She sat down and took a breath. 'Is this day ever going to end?' Hermione asked herself as she ran her fingers through her hair, trying to straighten it, and put it back up in a half-assed bun with her wand. It was the best way to keep it out of her face.
"Alright, all of you are here for the sake of a job, whether it be auror, ministry offical, or to run your own potions shop, I don't ca-, Miss are you in the correct location?" The teacher asked in her direction as he walked in. He was a tall long haired brunette man. He had his hair tied back and a pair of small round glasses on the bridge of his nose. He did seem rather smart and wore burgundy robes.
"Yes Sir, this is room D0005 right?" Hermione asked and pulled out her schedule and scores. He came over and read it.
"Ahh yes, I was told I had a rather unique last minute edition to my class. How old are you?" He said as he read her entire score packet.
"16, I'll be 17 in August" Hermione answered.
"You are definitely the youngest student I have ever had, Why are you here?" He asked, handing the package back over to her.
"I start work September first," Hermione told him.
"That particular date implies that you will be working at Hogwarts, am I correct?" He asked. Hermione nodded again.
"I am taking the Potions teacher position," Hermione told him.
"May I see that list again?" He asked. Hermione handed back her grades and schedule.
"Class, I am your teacher, Gordon Grinki. Call me Gordon. None of that Professor Crap! Most of you will come to hate me because I am 'unprofessional'. Well, up yours to those of you who do. I have a very different style than the pompous uptight professors you are used to. Go ahead and tell people what I've said if you wish, I have shared my views to said professors already. Now on to class junk! I want all of you to begin brewing the most difficult potion you know that can be completed by 9 o'clock," He said and sat on top of his desk. Hermione glanced at the clock. '3 hours...Petrification Antidote' Hermione thought and began to brew.
Gordon read Hermione's papers carefully. Her schedule was hell. When he was done he walked around the room. Hermione was absorbed with her potion. The others were sitting back letting theirs brew. Hers must have been very delicate if it occupied her full attention the entire time. Gordon walked over to her. He went to put her papers in her open bag on the ground and found a cat glaring up at him.
"What have we got here?" He asked and picked the cat up. Hermione looked up. She froze and then thought began to fly out of her mouth.
"Uh! I'm sorry sir, I...didn't have time to take him home. I only took my tests today," Hermione said. Gordon just smiled.
"It's ok, take care of that potion," Gordon said and held the cat. The cat only glared at him as he petted him.
"What's his name?" Gordon asked.
"Snape. He's black as night and ill-tempered to boot," Hermione answered. Gordon laughed
"I can see that. He does bare a certain resemblance doesn't he? Snape was a class mate, always ill tempered...Will he attack me?" Gordon asked, holding Severus away from him as the professor in disguise continued to glare.
"He might," Hermione said. Severus then growled. Gordon leaned away and Severus hissed.
"Alrighty then, please continued with your assignment," Gordon said and set Severus down on the desk. Hermione smiled sheepishly and she went to put in an ingredient and Severus leapt and knocked it out of her hands. Hermione looked at him.
"That's what the bloody book says! What are you even doing here?" She growled in a whisper to him. He batted at her and picked up another ingredient and hopped up to the lid of the cauldron and walked around the edge of it. He then dropped it in and looked at her. Hermione picked up the ladle and began to stir clockwise. Severus batted at her and she went the other way. Hermione stopped when he was about to hit her again. Snape sat down and looked in the direction of the wall with all the ingredients on it.
"Go get it yourself!" Hermione whispered. Severus looked at her, flicked his tail, and jumped from the table. 'Like I know what ingredient he wants to put in it, I don't even think it's the same potion anymore' Hermione thought to herself. She looked to the other students, none were paying any attention to her. Gordon was up at the desk reading the daily prophet. Hermione turned and watched as Severus jumped onto one of the selves and pushed the lid off one of the jars with his nose. Hermione swiftly used her wand to catch the glass lid. Severus reached in with his paw. He pulled the ingredient up and put it in his mouth before jumping back down and running over to her. Hermione placed the lid back on the jar and turned her attention back on him.
Hermione watched as Snape dropped the plant root he'd fetched before her and nudged the knife towards her. Hermione picked up the knife and was about to slice it when he batted at her. Hermione turned the root around and he was about to hit her again when Hermione growled and pointed the knife at him in annoyance. Snape bent back his ears and hissed at her.
"Having problems?" A voice asked. Hermione looked up and found Gordon standing there.
"Oh, I'm sorr- OUCH!" Hermione yelped as Snape scratched her hand, making her drop the knife.
"There's some essence of murtlap on the shelf for when you are done. You know you could probably stop brewing right now and will have passed this class with flying colors. I guessing the aphalas root is to make the antidote more potent?" Gordon asked. Hermione just nodded.
"Well, just let it brew when you are done adding it and call it a night, Your schedule said you have class at 6 am tomorrow," Gordon said. Hermione smiled and nodded. Gordon walked around the room inspecting the other potions.
"How am I supposed to cut this?" Hermione asked. Snape looked her straight in the eyes and Hermione suddenly got an image of a pair of hands cutting a similar root diagonally with the dull side of the blade. Hermione began to do the same. She poured them into the cauldron and let it simmer until it was time to go home.
Hermione got back to the castle and collapsed on her bed. She dropped her bag over the edge and Severus jumped out and transform back into a human.
"You are such a twit," Severus snapped.
"And you're the ass I always took you for! I was doing just fine. That potion was perfect. I didn't know what the hell you were doing! You made me feel like a fool," Hermione answered, her answer muffled by the pillow.
"I got you more respect from Professor Dipshit!" Snape growled.
"Mr. Grinki! How would you like it if people went around calling you names behind your back!" Hermione snapped, lifting her head to look at him. Snape only turned to her, waiting for her to understand what she just said.
"Sorry, wrong audience," Hermione said, burying her head back into her pillow. She was so close to sleep, but she looked up when she heard rustling. Snape was looking through the desk in her room. Hermione hadn't even unpacked all her things yet. Her other bags where still by the door.
"What are you looking for?" She asked.
"A piece of parchment and a quill," He said and continued. Hermione looked at him. He was in his black frock coat and trousers. He looked abnormal without his billowing robes.
"You look naked without your robes," Hermione said. Snape turned to her with an eyebrow raised.
"Are you always this random?" He asked her. Hermione glared.
"I just realized you didn't have them on," She said. He went back to riffling and huffed when he found nothing. Hermione dug through her bag. She had used up all her parchment but she had a few notebooks and pens. She grabbed one of each and gave them to him.
"What the hell are these?" Snape sneered. Hermione flipped open the notebook and clicked the pen.
"It's what muggles use now that we've given up the parchment and feathers," Hermione said tiredly and went back to the bed. Snape was skeptical and put the pen to the paper and was surprised when it made a mark. He then began to write everything that was built up in his head. He really liked that it didn't run out after a few words.
Once again Hermione was on the verge of sleep when she awoke. Snape had dumped her bag out on the desk. 'Turn him in now or later?' Hermione asked herself. She really didn't want to get up.
"What are you doing now?" Hermione asked. He turned to her.
"Go to sleep," He said and organized everything rather quickly.
"That's my stuff, why do you think you can just go through it?" Hermoine scolded. Severus ignored her and Hermione groaned. She dropped her head again and just fell asleep. She was too tired to argue. Snape went through all the things in her bag. He found the report on him, the books she checked out, the joke box, her clothes, the locket, the HBP potions book, notebooks, more pens, potions tools, potion texts, and many other miscellaneous things. The next thing he pulled out was a wand. Snape looked to Hermione, her wand was in her hair. He opened the box and found Albus' wand inside.
Severus sighed and set it aside. He read her grades and schedule. Judging by her schedule, they wouldn't be able to go after the horocruxes till after the start of term. Snape picked up the locket and looked at the elaborate S engraved on it. He opened the locket and a green light peered from it. He felt nothing but pure evil and power radiate from it. He felt the urge to kill to feel blood between his fingers. He looked in the mirror that was on the desk, at Hermione. The moment his eyes landed on her sleeping form his hand snapped the locket shut. Snape shook his head and continued.
Severus carefully placed everything back into her bag the way he found it but adding his alchemy books and a small bag of his affects. He put her bag back by her bed and noticed the trunk. He walked over and investigated the contents. It was full of clothes, books, and self-hygiene items. Snape used his wand to get all the items to put themselves away. The house elves only served food during summer and nothing else. He then took the pen and continued to scribble in the notebook. Barely a moment later there was a pounding on the door. Snape jumped making a rather large line across his page. He shut the book and morphed into a cat.
Another great pound awoke Hermione who sat up and tried to get her wand out of her hair. Half a second later Ron and Harry burst in. Hermione was still struggling with her wand and stopped when she saw who it was.
"What is it? Am I not allowed to sleep at all?" Hermione fumed.
"Where is he?" Ron asked Harry.
"Who?" Hermione demanded, finally getting the wand from her hair.
"I was looking at the marauders map and saw the name Severus Snape in here," Harry answered. Hermione groaned and fell back onto the bed.
"That's the name of my cat," Hermione told them. Harry and Ron looked at the map and tried to locate him.
"How-It says he's standing in the middle of her bed," Ron said.
"Why don't you look under the bed," Hermione snapped, covering her eyes from their wands. They did and found a large black cat underneath her bed.
"You sure it aint an animagus?" Harry asked.
"Not unless the Pet store has dipped into selling humans," Hermione said. Ron just looked at her.
"Why would you name your cat after a murderer?" Ron asked.
"Try getting him out from under the bed and find out," Hermione said. Ron raised an eyebrow and shrugged. He then got on his hands and knees and reached for the cat.
"Ron Don't!" Hermione yelled but it was too late. Snape mercilessly attacked him. Ron couldn't get up fast enough. He had Snape by the scruff of the neck. Snape twisted and contorted while Ron was trying to hold him. Snape got a good few shots at Rons face before Ron threw him. Snape landed on the bed and bowed up at them.
"Question answered," Harry said.
"Are you ever going to have a normal pet? And what ever happened to Crookshansks? Compared to this wretch he was an angel" Ron snapped, blood oozing from his face and arms in fine lines. Hermione raised her wand.
"No I'll be fine," Ron growled.
"Ronald, cat scratches get infected very easily and Crookshanks died. The vet said he was really old," Hermione said and tried to heal him. The truth was she left Crookshanks at home for his safety, but they didn't need to know that.
"Don't worry about the damn scratches, I'm sorry about Crookshanks. I just have to say you have terrible taste in pets" Ron said and sat next to Hermione. Snape hissed and moved to the end of the bed. Harry sat down and Snape took a good swat at him too.
"Ouch, you are a mean beast aren't you," Harry said. Snape had his ears bent back and was about to pounce and attack.
"No! Now you're enjoying it," Hermione said and picked him up and holding him.
"Where were you all day?" Ron asked.
"I am taking classes at the ministry, Professor McGonagal asked me to take potions this year," Hermione said.
"So I guess you aren't finishing your schooling either," Ron said. Hermione shrugged. She set Snape aside and reached for her bag.
"I have something for you," Hermione said and dug through the bag. Harry and Ron looked on interested.
"Background Information on Professor Snape," Hermione said pulling out the rolls of parchment.
"You know after what he did, you don't have to respect him anymore," Ron said. Hermione ignored him and pulled a book out as well.
"I book marked the page that gives every detail of his trials before the ministry," Hermione said handing Harry a book titled 'Ministry Trials: The killers and the accused of the 1980's'.
"Thanks, I'm sure we'll find something useful," Harry said. Hermione smiled. Hermione noticed Snape was watching them intently, a bit too much so for a cat.
"I also found out that Fleur wants me to be a bridesmaid," Hermione said. Ron looked up to her.
"Yeah I heard, she'll be here tomorrow." Ron said.
"You going to be here?" Harry asked skimming through the papers. Hermione nodded.
"Classes end at 5 tomorrow," Hermione answered.
"When do they start?" Harry asked.
"About 6 in the morning," Hermione said. Harry looked to the clock.
"We better let you sleep then, see you later," Harry said and got up.
"Goodnight," Hermione said to them as they left. Hermione tossed Snape on the floor and actually got under the covers this time. She threw the blankets over her head and snuggled.
"Goodnight for the last time!" Hermione said.
"What's he so interested in me for, his mind should be on Voldemort. Is he too hot headed to even realize that?" Snape asked as he changed back.
"I said goodnight," Hermione snapped from beneath the sheets. Snape glared at the lump under the sheets and lay down on the ground.