A/N: Wow oh wow…I am such a bad person. Like, I was all like "I will get you a new chapter very soon. I totally promise." Yet, here I am, giving you a chapter way later than I initially hoped. But, in my defense, I was prepping to study abroad for this semester, and once I got here (to Madrid, Spain, if you were wondering), it's just been totally crazy! I'm about halfway through (I have a little less than two months to go out of four), and I really don't want it to ever end. It has been the most amazing experience for me and has allowed me to expand my horizons and I have definitely been bitten hard by wanderlust. I don't see myself ever stopping traveling now! ANYWAYS! Here's the next chapter! Hope you like it!

"I hope you're happy," Hermione said, walking into the Gryffindor common room and sitting down next to Ginny.

"Happy about what? Because, I'm a normally happy person, so what are you going off on me about?" Ginny asked, turning her body to face Hermione.

"You've guilt tripped me into taking that class! You and Draco all talking logic and basically making me sign up for the class," she pouted.

"Hold on a second…no one made you do anything. You weren't under an Imperius. We simply gave you incentive. Incentive and unforgivables are two entirely different things. Don't go blaming us for you picking up a quill and signing your name on the dotted line."

Hermione rolled her eyes and moved to rest her head on Ginny's shoulder, "What am I going to do?"

Ginny reached around to pat Hermione's head, and let her fingers rest on Hermione's temple, "Grin and bear it and sit in the back of the classroom."

"I can't believe this is actually happening to me. Alessandro. Here. Who would have thought that these things actually happen?"

"By the way, I meant to congratulate you. Alessandro is quite the hunk. Don't know why you ever let that one go," Ginny smiled slyly.

"Because, I thought he was a muggle and it would have been impossible to keep in touch with him while at school. Besides, it was mostly mutual. Maybe he thought I was muggle as well," Hermione explained.

"Well, that's going to change soon. I can't wait to see what Mr. Hunky Pants does when he sees his summer lover is just as magical as he is."

Hermione snuck into the room that was already filling with people. As far as she could see, Alessandro hadn't come into the class yet. She breathed a sigh of relief and moved to sit where Ron and Harry were sitting, towards the back of the room. She took a seat next to Harry, watching as the rest of the students filled into the classroom. Something sat heavily in her stomach, but she couldn't determine whether it was nerves, for seeing Alessandro for the first time, in an enclosed space, for an elongated time, for the first time since they had broken up, or if it was anxiousness, a feeling that she had grown accustomed to getting on the first day on the first day of classes. But, she feared it was something different. The feeling, whatever it was, felt dangerously close to excitement. It didn't weigh on her worries one bit. Instead, it made her feel light, fluttering even. Excitement, she feared it was, was the worst. Because that meant, in some small part of her, that the feelings that she had in Spain, were still lurking within her, and that was something she definitely didn't want. The room filled around her, students buzzing with side-conversations, all unaware of Hermione's inner struggle. As the last of the students filed in, the noise level dropped. She looked up to find Alessandro standing at the front of the room.

"Hola, clase. As I'm sure all of you are aware, I am Professor Escamilla," he started.

"More like Professor Caliente," someone whispered to the side of Hermione, resulting in a wave of giggles.

Alessandro, seemingly unaware of what had just happened, continued, "Now, I know you all know what the general idea of this class is. After all, it is a class you all voluntarily decided to take, ¿Sí? But there is so much more to this class than the short introduction that Professor Dumbledore gave. But before we get to talking about what the class is about, I want to get to know your names. Gracias a Professor McGonagall, I have a list of your names. Now, I haven't gotten much of a chance to look over this list, so if I mess up your name, go easy on me and just tell me the correct pronunciation. Ahora, when I say your name, raise your hand and say you're here so that I can get a general idea of names to faces and faces to seats, understand? Vale."

"Hannah Abbott?"

"Over here, Professor," Hermione heard her call out somewhere towards the front of the classroom.

"Susan Bones?"

Once roll started, Hermione found herself wanting to bolt from the classroom. Before it hadn't been real. Before, she could've sat in the back of the class, completely unbeknownst to Alessandro. But, now. Now, as he got closer and closer to her name, she couldn't be sure she made the right decision in signing up for this class in the first place. As far as she was concerned, she had just set herself up for complete disaster.

"Anthony Goldstein?"

Hermione didn't know that she had zoned out for that long, and was shocked by the jump that had been made in the attendance sheet.

"Aquí, profesor," she heard Anthony respond.

"Ah, ¿un hablante de español?"

"Si, señor. Un poco pero no hablo con fluidez."

"Ah. No es una gran cosa. Muy bien, Anthony."

Hermione knew what was next. There was no one between Anthony and her in their year. Now was the moment of truth.

"Vale," Alessandro started, "Where was I?" he questioned, scanning down the paper, "Ah…Her," he stopped, tripping over his words, his mouth dry. He looked up quickly, as if he didn't believe his eyes, "Hermione Granger?"

She looked up and slowly raised her hand, "Here."

Alessandro stopped momentarily, eyes frozen on Hermione before realizing that he needed to continue. As he finished the list, he eyes steadily made their way back to where she sat in the back of class. "All right," Alessandro started, as he finished roll, "As you know, this class is about foreign countries operate and how ministries work together. But, that's not all we're going to learn. We're going to get down to the real nitty-gritty. How and why ministries were first formed. Why they've stayed together for so long, and finally, what we think the ministries will look like in the future," he paused to make sure everyone was following him. "Furthermore, we will be having a partner project. To be presented towards the end of term. Once paired, each of you will choose a country, none of which can be from the U.K., and you will research about the topics that I just mentioned. Any questions?" In front of her, Hermione saw someone raise their hand slightly.

"Ah, yes. Miss…?" Alessandro trailed off.

"Parkinson. But please. Call me Pansy," she practically purred, leaning forward on her desk in an attempt to be subtly seductive.

"Miss Parkinson, you had a question?" Alessandro asked, ignoring Pansy's advances.

Pansy pouted slightly, leaning back in her chair and folding her arms over her chest, "Do we get to choose our partners for this or will they be assigned to us?" she humphed.

"Assigned. As I don't know you, it'll be easier for me to learn your names if I have a hand in the partner picking," Alessandro paused for a second, as if he was contemplating something, "In an attempt to get the partners well matched, I am going to meet with each one of you individually to get a better feel for your study style and knowledge level, starting today. I'll let you out early so I can begin with the first student today. So will," he paused for a second and looked studiously at the roll sheet, "Will Miss Granger please stay behind for an interview? Everyone else is dismissed."

Harry looked down at Hermione as he got up, a smug smirk on his face, "It sure is bloody awful that you have the first interview, isn't it, Hermione?" he asked, his voice dripped with sarcasm.

"Wipe that smirk off your face before I do it for you, Potter."

"Oh! Resorting to surnames, are we now? I had no idea this was such a touchy subject for you," he laughed.

"Whatever, Harry. Just get to the Quidditch pitch or wherever it is you're currently dreaming on escaping too. The faster everyone leaves, the faster I can get finished with my interview with Ales…Professor Escamilla."

"Okay…okay. I'm going. But, I want the full details later, Granger," Harry said, finally gathering his things.

She smiled at the use of her surname, "Since when did you become such a gossip, Potter?"

"It's a side effect of dating Ginny, I reckon. That girl's got a little bit of knowledge of everyone. I honestly don't know how she does it. Bit scary if I properly think about it. But…I really must be going. Did you know, there's a student with an interview with Professor Escamilla now?" he barked a short laugh, before walking towards the door and leaving.

Now, only a few students were left behind in the classroom and Alessandro's gaze was fixed on her desk. Slowly, the remaining students left the room. The quiet was almost palpable as Hermione met his gaze. Alessandro left his post at the front of the classroom and walked up to where Hermione was sitting and took the seat that Harry had previously occupied. He lifted his hand up to Hermione's cheek, slowly, as if she was made of fine china and would shatter if he was too quick.

He moved his hand to cup her face and Hermione pushed her cheek into his palm, "Merlin, it is you," he whispered.

"And it's you," Hermione smiled when Alessandro moved his thumb to make tiny circles on her cheek.

"What are…where did…wh-why didn't," Alessandro attempted to form a question, but his mouth didn't cooperate and he kept finding himself tripping over his tongue and words and his mind attempted to come to terms with what was in front of him, "How?" he settled on.

"How am I here? How did we find each other? How am I a witch? You know, Ale, how is a very vague question," she smirked.

"Still as difficult as ever, I see," he joked and Hermione laughed softly.

"So…um, the interview?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, yeah. About that. I made that up so that I could have an excuse to talk to you."

"Oh."

"Yeah," Alessandro responded, "Now, I've got to do all this extra work…not that I mind though."

"No?"

"No, because it just means that I've gotten to spend a little more time with you…Merlin, I've missed you," Alessandro sighed and leaned in slightly, "Eres más bonita que me acordé," he whispered, his lips inches from her own. He took his thumb and dragged it across her bottom lip, "Perfecto," he breathed, before leaning in once more and closing the gap between their lips.

Instantly, Hermione was transported back to the summer. Back to the hot Spanish sun. Walking hand in hand through Retiro. The countless paddleboat rides. Churros at midnight at San Gines with the subtle thump of music coming from the nightclub next door. She could feel his tongue tracing the slit of her lips, asking for permission to deepen the kiss. She opened her lips and allowed herself to get whisked away to their weekend trips to Segovia. Seville. Toledo. Their days in the Prado and the tons of metro passes that accumulated in the bottom of her purse. His hands raked through her hair before traveling towards her waist. When he attempted to pull her into his lap, one of her books that had been resting on the desktop thudded loudly to the floor, pushed off of the desk by one of his elbows.

The broke apart quickly, breath ragged. Hermione opened her eyes slowly, and took in the class. Here they were. At Hogwarts. In Scotland. Nowhere near Spain. And yet, she had still snogged him. Her professor. He was no longer someone who she could go around with as she had done is Spain. His hands were still on her waist and she hated the fact that she loved the feeling of their pressure.

She stood suddenly, breaking their contact, "I…I need to go," she said quickly.

"Hermione, wait…we need to talk about this. About what this means. For us," Alessandro pleaded.

"I just…I need to go," she grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room, leaving the dropped book and Alessandro in her wake.

A/N: Well…what do you think of our little bookwork and her new professor? Leave me a review to tell me what you think is going to happen next! Until next time!