Authors Note:

You nearly didn't get a chapter today because I'm about to go and get ready to go out, however I managed to finish just in time, only the last little bit hasn't been edited so please excuse any issues, I will iron them out tomorrow. :)

I also realised that where I've put story breaks on word it doesn't show up on here. I will go back and change it for the previous chapters but I've made sure that the breaks are in this part. :) They're a little odd but the best that I could manage because this site doesn't seem to recognise dashes.

Refreshingly Original: Interesting. ;) S'all I'm saying. :P

psycho-pink-faerie: I think your reviews just keep getting longer. :P Thank you! :)

Sorry this has been a little rushed today but I really do have to get ready haha. :P

Hope you all enjoy this chapter! :) x

It was the following morning and Hermione was sitting in the Transfiguration classroom trying not to look as awkward as she felt. She was half asleep due to the fact it had been gone two when she'd finally returned to her common room and she'd had to get up at seven for breakfast.

McGonagall was also finding herself a little more tired than usual. She was having a difficult time not keep looking at Hermione who looked as though she would fall asleep at any moment. If they were going to continue with their late night meetings they were going to have to find a way to make it so that they didn't end up severely sleep deprived the next morning.

Hermione was finding the situation of being back in a classroom with her head of house increasingly strange. Although their last lesson had only been a couple of days ago and everything had been okay then, so much had happened since and she was now struggling to draw the line that she herself had suggested. She didn't want McGonagall to notice though and so was trying as hard as possible to look as though she was perfectly fine, although how tired she was probably covered up for at least some of the awkwardness. However the fact that more glances than usual were being thrown in her direction meant that pretending that nothing had changed was becoming harder by the minute.

Eventually though Hermione managed to concentrate enough to turn the stool in front of her into a frog, something that resulted in a great number of cheers from her classmates, a smile from McGonagall, and Ron grunting and saying something that caused Hermione to hit him.

Finally the lesson was over, but just as Hermione was about to leave she found herself being called back by McGonagall. Ron and Harry, baffled at their friend's recent behaviour, were sent out of the classroom by an impatient Hermione, eager to hear what McGonagall wanted.

"How are you this morning?"

"Okay" Hermione lied hoping to be able to stifle the yawn about to burst out of her.

"You look exhausted."

"I'll be fine" Hermione said quickly. She knew from the moment she'd woken up that morning that she'd have no chance of hiding how tired she was and so hadn't even really tried, but now she was wishing that she had. Please tell her that McGonagall wasn't going to say the meetings weren't a good idea after all.

"Hmmm I think I'm going to have to talk to Albus about getting you back to your dormitory without walking through the castle. Maybe connecting my fire to your dormitory... Though it could be problematic if one of your classmates wake up."

"I honestly don't mind walking..."

"Hmmm well I'll have to discuss it with Albus and see what he thinks."

"You're going to tell him?" Hermione was a little surprised for two reasons. One being the fact that when they had spoken last night McGonagall and Dumbledore weren't talking, and secondly she didn't see how McGonagall didn't think he'd have a problem with what they were doing, especially to the point where he'd help them.

"He'll be fine with it." McGonagall said quickly. She was distractedly thinking about the prospect of having to speak to the man she'd been avoiding over the past two days... It wasn't a great one but she wasn't sure a way around it. Also on the off chance Hermione did get caught on one of her midnight visits she'd rather that Dumbledore knew in advanced rather than having it sprung on him in that manner.

"Will you?" Hermione knew that she shouldn't ask such a personal question, especially when they were in a teacher student situation, but she was concerned for the older witch knowing that whatever was going on it would be the last thing that she'd want to do.

McGonagall would have berated Hermione for the question but her mind was elsewhere. "I'll be fine. Although we'll have to hold off until our next private lesson because I have a meeting tonight with Albus anyway. I should be free by about eleven if you want to come then?"

"Oh, of course" Hermione felt a little brushed off but then she shouldn't have really expected an answer more than that. However she was pleased that she'd get some time with the professor again that night.

"Excellent, I'll see you then." And with that McGonagall left the room, leaving Hermione to race off to her next lesson before she was late.

-H&M-

Later that day a reluctant McGonagall walked to Albus' office with a certain sense of dread. She didn't know why she'd got herself into such a state about seeing him, knowing Albus what had happened wouldn't even be mentioned. However despite that when she walked into his office she tried to suppress the urge to not look at him, knowing that if she made it that obvious that she was uncomfortable he would say something, if only to put her at ease.

"Good evening Minerva."

Dumbledore looked up from his work and invited her to sit down. He had wondered whether she'd even turn up to their scheduled meeting this evening after what had happened two days ago. He wouldn't have blamed her if she didn't. He should have known better by now than to have pushed her, especially when she was already stressed due to the situation with Hermione Granger.

"Good evening Albus."

"How are you?" He tilted his head to the side slightly trying to gage the answer for himself. "You look exhausted; you surely haven't over worked yourself already. We're not even a week in yet!"

McGonagall shook her head. "No I just had a later night than planned. I had a midnight caller."

Dumbledore couldn't help but smile. "Don't tell me, Hermione didn't turn up at your meeting earlier that evening and then made herself feel so guilty that she couldn't sleep without coming to speak to you."

McGonagall smiled back and nodded "I'm not even going to ask how you know that."

He simply chuckled and waited for her to decide if she wanted to tell him more.

"But yes she did. I... she was freezing so I told her to come in and sit on the sofa in front of the fire to warm up and she confessed she hadn't come earlier that evening because she'd been scared and we... talked."

Dumbledore knew that McGonagall obviously wanted to tell him about it but was struggling to so nodded encouragingly and tried to lead her as much as he could. "You talked about the kiss?"

"Well everything really..."

"And...?"

"I think it reached the stage where after a very close call due to the scars on my chest we accepted that perhaps we couldn't just pretend that nothing had changed between us this year. She'd already pretty much admitted her feelings, although I'd not answered on the question of mine."

Dumbledore chuckled again. "Why am I not surprised? But if you don't mind me asking what did you mean about...?"

Dumbledore trailed off knowing her scars from the stunners to be a very sensitive subject. He hadn't understood why when she was already heavily scared in some areas from battles that these were the ones that had particularly affected her. He'd been asking to see them since it had happened, curiosity getting the better of him, but she'd refused to let him, in fact he was pretty sure that other than the healer that had looked after her no one else had been anywhere near them.

McGonagall hesitated. "Well I'd showered and had already gotten ready for bed before she came and had fallen asleep on my sofa in just my dressing gown. Just after she arrived I offered to make her a hot chocolate as an attempt to warm her up but as I was walking back with it my robe slipped a little. Once I realised she'd seen I covered them back up again but she put her drink down and came and pulled the robe back down a little so that she could see them. I knew that I should have stopped her but I was just fascinated about what she was going to do next. She started touching them... It was only when, after telling me that I shouldn't hide them, she leant down and kissed the one at the top that I knew I had to stop her."

McGonagall had been speaking at a rather rapid pace and Dumbledore had trouble keeping up so it had taken him a few seconds after her finishing speaking for him to catch up. He was surprised that McGonagall didn't seem as distraught by the younger witch seeing her scars as he'd expected, and even more surprised that McGonagall had allowed her to not only see them but also touch them. "And it was after this that you realised that you could no longer go on in the manner that you were."

"We concluded" McGonagall said continuing, wishing Albus no more time than entirely necessary to ponder on the fact that someone had been allowed near her scars "that as we couldn't avoid one another the best we could do would be to separate professional from personal. Well she concluded actually."

"Indeed" Dumbledore smiled; impressed that Hermione had once again shown that her intelligence went further than just in her classes.

"And so the decision was that as well as our private lessons we shall continue with occasional late night visits."

"A very wise choice" Dumbledore commented.

"That's it?" McGonagall couldn't believe his lack of reaction. She'd just told him that she'd let a student into her private quarters, allowed them to touch the scars on her chest, and now planned to continue these midnight meetings and all he could do was say that it was a wise decision?

"Minerva my dear I know you well enough by now to know that you will do whatever you think is for the best; and I also know you well enough to know that you are nearly always right. Rather like myself if I may be so bold. Under the circumstances it would be foolish to try and pretend that nothing is happening. There are many things in this world that we can control; love is not one of them."

"I never said I loved her" McGonagall replied grumpily. She hated it when he did things like this.

"I know, and I very much doubt that you will for a while yet. So for now shall we just say that she is, very much I would say, in love with you, and that you feel something for her more than the average student? The fact you allowed her to not only see, but also to touch the scars you've been hiding from the rest of the world for months now says that your relationship is very... unusual for a student and professor."

"Mmmm" McGonagall mumbled noncommittally.

"Excellent. In that case we can say that emotions such as those cannot be just pushed to the side and ignored so the only thing that you can do is to make sure they don't interfere with Hermione's education. Therefore to me these meetings seem a perfect solution. If there's anything I can do in order to make them easier on the pair of you then I will endeavour to do so..."

McGonagall, still a little thrown by his lack of reaction to everything, nearly didn't ask him the question that had been the real reason she'd gone there today. It had to be done though. "Actually I'm not very comfortable with the idea of her wandering around corridors alone at goodness knows what time. I did consider floo but that would risk her being seen by the others in her dormitory if one of them is awake when she returns..."

"Well she could stay with you? I'm sure no one would be that surprised to think that she was going to bed later than everyone else and then waking up earlier."

"Albus" McGonagall's voice became strict as though she was talking to a particularly difficult child.

Dumbledore chuckled a little and nodded. "Alas then we shall connect your fireplace to the one in the Gryffindor common room and you'll just have to risk her being spotted. As long as it wasn't frequent I'm sure you could come up with some explanation."

"Thank you" McGonagall stood up to leave, having achieved the purpose of her visit, but was still in complete and utter shock at Albus' reaction... or lack thereof. Suddenly a thought crossed her mind and she looked at him a little accusingly.

"How long have you been planning for this eventuality?"

"For about five years."

McGonagall rolled her eyes and walked out of the room.

-H&M-

McGonagall was surprised on returning to her room that it was already nearly ten o clock. She couldn't believe how long she'd been with Albus. She'd barely have time to shower and get ready before Hermione arrived.

Whilst in the shower she knew she needed to make a decision about her attire. There was no change that she was greeting Hermione in just a dressing gown again, but she didn't want to completely redress, not least because if Hermione arrived in pyjamas again she may feel a little foolish to see her professor fully dressed.

On getting out she decided that underwear, a nightdress and a dressing gown should be sufficient and quickly dressed. She was on her way to dry her hair when she heard a knock at the door and looked at her clock. Quarter to eleven.

Sighing McGonagall made her way to her office door and was surprised to see Hermione there. Hermione stood, herself a little shocked to see the head of Gryffindor with her hair down and still wet, and whispered. "I'm sorry, I didn't realise how early I'd be but I wanted to get out while I had a chance."

"Not to worry." McGonagall quickly adjusted to the fact that the young witch had turned up when she was only half ready. At least she was suitably dressed this time; and she'd been right, Hermione was just in pyjamas. "Come in then" she smiled and allowed Hermione to get past her and into the living room as she had the previous evening.

Once they were sitting down McGonagall spoke again. "I spoke to Albus, he's arranged it so that you'll be able to floo back to the Gryffindor common room rather than walking the whole way through the castle.

"Thank you" Hermione said a little awkwardly. This had seen such a good idea at the time but now there she didn't really know what to say. After all, up until then their sudden bursts of conversation had been purely accidental. They had never been in a situation where they'd had to make conversation. "How did it go?"

McGonagall, although a little uncomfortable about the subject matter, was relieved that they had at least found something to talk about rather than just sitting there in an uncomfortable silence. "Okay, he did almost the same as he did last time."

"Told you he already knew and then mocked you a little?" Hermione smiled.

"Something like that yes" said McGonagall returning the smile.

"But this time you left it on better terms?"

McGonagall stared at Hermione for a moment. Not another Albus. "How..."

"You're more guarded today than yesterday. I know part of that is because I caught you unaware last night when I just appeared at your door, but it's not all just that. Although you've agreed to see me outside lessons you still can't let go of your natural instinct to behave like my teacher. The last couple of times something's happened it's been accidental, behaving normally with me isn't coming naturally to you yet. And, part of the reason you were so open with me yesterday was because you'd just had a fight with Professor Dumbledore and so you were feeling less in control..." Hermione stopped talking suddenly aware that she'd probably crossed over the line somewhere in what she'd said.

McGonagall however looked at Hermione feeling increasingly guilty. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to behave coldly towards you after everything, I'm just finding this a little difficult. At the moment doing anything other than acting as a teacher would with a student feels highly unprofessional."

"I understand" Hermione said softly, and McGonagall knew she did.

Hermione hesitated for a second, under the circumstances asking now seemed the worst possible thing to do, but getting her to talk about it might do something to ease the tension.

"Last night when I asked you why things were so awkward with you and Professor Dumbledore you told me not tonight. Does that mean you will tell me?"

McGonagall thought for a moment and then nodded. "I'm sure at some point I shall probably forget myself again."

"But not now?"

McGonagall hoped that she wasn't about to upset the girl but slowly shook her head. "Not now, no."

"Okay, then can I ask you another question?"

"Go on" McGonagall replied a little nervously, not daring to think about what she was about to be asked.

"Why do you hide your scars, the ones from the stunners I mean? Please don't take this the wrong way but you don't strike me as someone that's particularly vein, and I'm sure it isn't the first time you've been injured in battle."

"No it's not" McGonagall admitted.

"And did you hide the other ones?"

"No"

"Then why...?"

There was a silence in the room for a moment while McGonagall tried to decide what to do. Hermione sat there practically holding her breathe, not sure whether she'd pushed this too far. It was only the first time that they'd planned to meet like this and she'd gone straight in, asking far too personal questions.

"I... To answer that question there's something else I'd have to explain to you first."

"Oh" Hermione waited, McGonagall didn't seem angry with her.

"I would have to answer your previous question about the relationship between myself and Professor Dumbledore."

Hermione tried not to look too disappointed. She clearly wasn't going to get an answer to either of her questions.

"But before I begin, I think perhaps a drink is in order."

*cue even more evil laughing*

Anyway I really have to run now, thank you to everyone for your reviews, favourites etc! :) Please keep reviewing! You have no idea how happy they make me. :D I love hearing from you all. :)

Hopefully shall get the next part up tomorrow!

Take care! :)

Chelsey x