CHAPTER FOURTEEN

xxxxxxxxxx

August 2009

xxxxxxxxxx

Despite the fact that she had quit her job more than six months ago, Hermione was no closer to finding something that she loved to base a career on. It was starting to get her down and she also felt guilty for using Sirius' funds during her unemployment. It was for these reasons that she found herself surrounded by recent issues of the Daily Prophet as she sat in the middle of the floor in the library.

"What exactly are you doing?" Sirius snorted as he stood at the edge of her ordered chaos.

"I'm looking for a job," she muttered, throwing down yet another useless employment page, "but there is literally nothing interesting out there!"

"There must be something," he frowned, pushing aside a newspaper with his foot and sitting down in the space it created, "have you contacted McGonagall?"

"Why would I contact McGonagall?" She frowned and Sirius shrugged as he crossed his legs straight out in front of him, leaning back on his hands.

"I always thought you'd be a brilliant teacher," he smirked, "all bossy and with a knack for leadership."

"I'm not bossy," she muttered and Sirius snorted, bringing a smile to her face, "alright, maybe I am, but only when you need guidance."

"Precisely!" He grinned, "which is why you'd make a good professor."

"Hmm…" Hermione hummed, resting her chin on her hand, "what about trying for a family, though? I can't teach and breastfeed, Sirius."

"We'd figure something out, love," he said, waving her worries away, "if that's what you wanted to do, then we'd make it work."

"So you think I should contact McGonagall?" She asked, smiling slightly as the thought settled.

"Couldn't hurt, could it?"

xxxxxxxxxx

Hermione sent an owl to McGonagall, asking if there were any positions open, or if any would be coming up and she was almost instantly summoned to Hogwarts. She frowned as she read the note, but shrugged as she kissed Sirius goodbye and disappeared off through the floo, stepping out in the Headmistress' office to find McGonagall waiting for her.

"Hello, Headmistress," Hermione grinned, "it's wonderful to see you again."

"Hermione, dear, please call me Minerva," the old woman smiled, "have a seat. I was very pleased to hear from you."

"I can only apologise that I haven't been in touch sooner," Hermione said sadly, "I've had a stressful few years."

"No worries," Minerva said kindly, "as it happens, I probably should have contacted you, but I didn't know whether you would be interested in the position, I assumed you were still at the Ministry."

"I left six months ago," Hermione told her, nodding when she gasped, "it was making me miserable, honestly, and Sirius-"

"Black? Sirius Black?" Minerva frowned and Hermione gasped.

"Have you not heard about it?"

"Heard about what, dear girl? The last I heard Sirius was all but dead!" The old woman remarked and Hermione sighed.

"Would you come with me to Grimmauld Place?" Hermione asked and Minerva frowned.

"Now? Whatever for dear?" The old woman asked, confused and Hermione shook her head.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

xxxxxxxxxx

Hermione watched as her old Professor stepped out of the floo and almost fell over backwards at seeing Sirius sitting very much alive and well on the couch opposite. She rolled her eyes as he smirked at the shocked older witch and stepped forward to explain what was happening.

"I'd assumed you would have heard the rumours," she started, "Sirius came back from the veil almost a year ago."

"A year?!" Minerva squawked toword him and Hermione laughed as Sirius winced, "you've been back a year and not once thought to visit me?!"

"Now, Minerva-"

"There is no excuse you could give me that would make me any less angry with you Black!" Minerva snapped in her Scottish accent, "I have mourned enough people in my lifetime, including you, and now here you stand before me smirking like a…"

She trailed off and Hermione gawped as the older woman threw herself at Sirius, who had stood up during her chastising, and pulled him into a very tight hug. She laughed as she saw Sirius' wide, scared eyes over Minerva's shoulder as he uncertainly patted the grey haired witch on the back.

"It is very nice to see you." Minerva grinned once she had pulled back.

"Did you give my girl a job?" He asked, smirking and Hermione slapped a hand against her forehead, groaning.

"Your…" Minerva flicked her eyes between the two and then her hand came to her chest as she gasped, "You two? You and.. him? Hermione dear, really?"

"Hey!" Sirius shouted, "now I'm offended!"

"He is so much older than you, dear." Minerva frowned and Hermione shook her head, smiling gently as she moved to take Sirius' hand.

"He missed out on 12 years of aging," she explained, "He is now no more than 7 years older than me."

"Oh! I see.. well, in that case..." She stuttered and Sirius snorted.

"Now, about that job…"

"Sirius! For goodness sake!" Hermione exclaimed, slapping him around the head and Minerva snorted, shaking her head.

"Muggle Studies," she said and Hermione sucked in a breath, "we need a professor who knows what the muggle world is really like, that is if you're interested?"

"Of course!" Hermione exclaimed, "but it's only two weeks until term starts! What do I need to do?"

"I will leave now and return with the contract, as well as all of the former professors paperwork and lesson plans for you to look over and alter as you see fit."

"Do I need to live at the castle?" Hermione asked, looking at Sirius who shrugged sadly.

"I'm sure we can come up with some sort of arrangement." The old woman smiled before she turned to the floo and disappeared.

Hermione was ecstatic, but also very worried. What if she had to stay at the castle? What would happen with them? Perhaps she could come back at weekends, but then, she couldn't sleep without him any more as they had already discovered. Sirius seemed to read her mind as he pulled her into a tight cuddle.

"We'll figure it out," he murmured, "just be happy, Professor Granger!"

She broke into a wide grin and suddenly squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and jumping up, meaning for him to catch her, but Sirius had obviously not been ready for such a move. They ended up sprawled on the floor, a tangle of limbs and laughing until it hurt, which is when Minerva happened to step back through the floo.

"Oh really now, how old are you two?" She asked, her eyebrow raised, but the seriousness of her face was ruined when she started to chuckle and shake her head as she turned her body towards Sirius, holding out what appeared to be a contract.

"Sirius, how do you feel about helping Hagrid with his classes and Groundskeeping?"