-1 Hermione looked around her small office. She smiled in spite of herself. Were it not for the various wizarding books lining the shelves it could have been any muggle office. She could see herself settling in quite well in a very short space of time. There came a knock at her door.
"Come in."
"Hello Hermione." The smiling face of Arthur Weasley greeted her. She smiled warmly and stood up.
"Mr Weasley, it's lovely to see you."
"Please Hermione, we work together, Arthur will suffice surely. You have spent a significant amount of time calling your former professors by their first names, mine should be no problem." Hermione smiled again, pushing away the thought of how easy it was to address one former professor in particular by his first name. "I was thinking Hermione, seeing as we work in the same department, how about I give you a few stories over our lunch break."
"I'd love to." Hermione smiled again.
"Brilliant." Arthur smiled warmly. "Well I must be off, got some plugs to sort through, might be able to get a few for my collection." Hermione waited until he'd left to allow herself to laugh. He'd have a field day at her parents house. She sighed and looked around her office again. It was slightly depressing. She had very few personal belongings. She knew for a fact both Harry and Arthur had photographs of their families in their offices. Even Ron carried a photo of his family in his wallet. She didn't even have a picture of her parents or friends. She didn't really have a family of her own, and things as they were she was never likely to. She was still Hermione Granger the confident know it all who's only talent was academic. She had at one point thought that maybe she could be more than just a clever witch, but not anymore. She'd given up her life to the ministry, working in the only job other than teaching she would be any good at, and destined to live her life alone. She had thought this would never happen, as a child and teenager she'd fantasised about falling in love, getting married and having children. Now she was single and lonely doing a job she had little passion for. It interested her but didn't excite or motivate her as teaching had done. The only thing about this job that would really remind her she was a witch would be the fact that most of the muggle artefacts she handled would do something out of the ordinary. Otherwise she might as well be investigating the possibility of stolen goods. She sighed and looked round her office again. It had never seemed like this would be where it would end. All the things she'd done in her school days, getting to the philosophers stone, when the chamber of secrets had been opened, rescuing Sirius, helping Harry during the triwizard tournament, when Voldemort returned and she'd joined the order,, hunting for horcruxes and hen, the final battle, when they'd lost Tonks and Lupin and almost lost Snape. Harry was an auror and Ron had followed in Charlie's footsteps and was studying dragons in China, waiting for an opening in the Chudley Cannons. What had she become? A ministry nobody. She should never have left Hogwarts, never have left behind Professor Granger, but she had, and she could never go back.
"I cannot say I know how you feel Severus, and I doubt any kind of comforting words cliché or otherwise will help."
"Thank you for not attempting headmaster."
"I had hoped that maybe I was mistaken in my suspicion that she meant more to you than a colleague, or a friend. How long were the two of you…involved?" Snape considered for a moment, he couldn't even pinpoint the moment he'd fallen for her, or even when he'd acknowledged it. How did he determine how long it had been going on? He supposed he should go from the moment they'd both admitted it to each other. The only problem was he couldn't remember exactly when that was.
"I'm afraid I can't be sure, Albus. I really can't pinpoint any thing really in our relationship." Snape swallowed, mentioning out loud was making his emotions rise again. Dumbledore nodded in understanding.
"I cannot think what you should do Severus, Miss Granger left of her own accord and this is really between the two of you. I am just hoping we shall not lose our potions master over it. We have only just lost our muggle studies professor after all." Snape nodded and left, he didn't really want t break down in front of Dumbledore. He swept down to the dungeons, again oblivious to the students scurrying out of his way and often attempting to be several corridors away before he'd taken another step. At least, Professor McGonagall thought as she saw him pass, whatever was affecting him had not altered his reputation.
Hermione had to admit to herself that she was having a good time with Mr Weasley, or Arthur as she tried o remind herself to call him. He had some good stories, they'd just finished sharing a laugh over an amateur wizard who'd transfigured a teacup into a whistle that shot tea when it was blown; when the subject of Hogwarts was raised.
"Sometimes it seems like it was only yesterday when I was a student there myself and even Ginny's left now. It must have been strange being back so soon after leaving."
"It was. It was strange to call all my former professors by their first names. It was also strange being back without Harry and Ron. It really was a unique experience." She sighed a little, she missed Hogwarts. As if sensing her thoughts, Arthur smiled sympathetically.
"I suppose starting at any new place is strange. It can be daunting but you'll get used to it. I'm sure you'll settle in quickly Hermione, who's going to know muggles better than you?" Hermione smiled at Arthur, it was nice to work with him. She felt a little guilty for wishing she was at Hogwarts. She had Harry, Ginny, Arthur and probably soon Ron to spend time with here. Her job was a good one and there was more to life than Hogwarts, plenty to do besides teaching, other men besides…no, not that thought, she wouldn't finish that thought, it was too late. The thought finished itself, there were other men, but no one like him.
Snape stared at the owl. The owl stared back. Snape sighed and removed the message from the owls leg. Without so much as a pause the owl flew off. Snape threw the letter onto his table. He was in no mood to read a letter from the ministry before he had to. He knew by the seal it wasn't from Hermione, he didn't really care about some message from the ministry if it wasn't from her. After about half an hour of trying to ignore the letter, he tore it open. He frowned as he read it. He reread it three times then set off to see Dumbledore.
"Severus, what's the matter?"
"The ministry wishes to speak to me headmaster, or rather the minister does." Dumbledore steepled his fingers together.
"You have no idea what it's about Severus?"
"No. And I'm not sure I want to.
Whether you want to or not I'm afraid you have no choice. It may be that the minister and I don't get on and that the ministry doesn't have much say in the running of Hogwarts but I cannot give you leave to ignore the ministers request…if indeed it can be called that."
Severus nodded he understood that, whatever the minister had to say to him, it could not be avoided.
