A/N: Thank you for your kind reviews- and 46 of them to be exact! I didn't expect to get so many already. Sorry for the wait. Please be aware that neither this chapter nor the previous have been beta-d. Having a little trouble at the moment at that, with communication and such. I hope I can amend this soon. For anyone wishing to know, I Don't Want To Be Alone Chapter 11 has been written and is being beta-d.

I hope you enjoy this one, and if you do please press the button and review.

3.Reprimand

Shortly after the fifth years had departed the classroom, Hermione gathered up her own books. She had a free lesson and thought she could do a little reading before dinner.

She sighed. So much her recent behaviour had reminded her of her time as a student. Racing to produce more work that was asked, to take in heavy books like much-needed oxygen. To prove her worth.

But she didn't need to do that anymore. Through a couple of awed stares, she'd surmised many students had heard of her. Or more likely, her previous actions and rumoured power. Hermione wished she'd never been there in the first place. Perhaps it wouldn't hurt as much if she hadn't.

Taking quick steps towards the door, Hermione reacted on instincts when she saw a flash of blue in the small window at the centre of it. Somebody was obviously waiting for her outside.

She threw open the door, wand carefully hidden in the folds of her dark robes.

"Hey, easy!" Nymphadora Tonks, sporting wildly spiky, electric blue tresses, threw up her hands to mock defend herself. She grinned. "Wotcher Hermione."

"I apologise. I thought…well, I thought you were someone else."

Tonks raised an eyebrow. "Evidently." She shook her head at Hermione. "You shouldn't be so jumpy. What if I was a student?"

Hermione remained silent. Tonks continued.

"Then again, I probably would have fled from the class and never come back, if I'd been that poor lad from Slytherin."

Hermione snorted. "Poor lad, indeed."

Tonks' face turned serious. "You didn't need to do what you did, Hermione. You know that."

"He deserved it."

"No, he didn't. He's just a kid. He didn't need to have that done to him."

Hermione stared down the empty corridor. " A lot of kids have been through things they didn't need to."

When Tonks spoke, her voice became gentler. "That time has passed. I know you still feel it, but why aren't you moving on?"

"I don't feel anything," Hermione replied. "That's the point."

Her blue-haired Auror companion frowned. "I can't say I agree with you, Hermione, but let's not talk about it right now. I want to see your quarters."

"Didn't you see enough of them while you were 'visiting' Remus here?"

A mischievous grin cut loose on the elder witch's face. "That's more like you. And don't be so cheeky!"

Hermione attempted to hide her smirk, but burst into outright laughter as Tonks, turning to lead the way to Gryffindor Tower, knocked into a suit of armour and stumbled helplessly down the stairs.

An hour later, Tonks rose from the comfortable chintz chair in Hermione's living room.

"I'd better be going now, Hermione.  I said I'd meet Remus around this time."

"Where is Remus? And the girls?"

Tonks smiled. "He took Sierra and Helen up to Dumbledore's office. You know how Dumbledore is about little kids and babies."

Hermione merely nodded. "I'll see you soon then."

"I hope so, and Remus would like to see you too," answered Tonks. "Oh, and I'm sorry about breaking that teacup."

"Don't worry about it."

Before leaving, Tonks gave her a long, hard look. Hermione turned away and busied herself with clearing the tea tray off the table. She knew exactly what the Auror was looking for.

"Finally, peace and quiet!" exclaimed Tonks.

Remus laughed, before settling down with his wife on the sofa, passing her a glass of wine.

"Is Sierra finally asleep?"

"Yes, for the second time. The first time I put her in the cot, Helen started dancing around me, asking for bedtime stories and woke her up."

"It seems like only yesterday we were first putting Sierra in her new cot after bringing her back from hospital."

Tonks smiled fondly, and let out a small sigh as Remus slipped an easy arm around her. "If anyone had told you about us being together six years ago, would you have believed them?"

"The only thing I wouldn't have believed is that you would have wanted to be with me." He planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Did you talk to Hermione today?"

The smile slipped from her face.

"Yes."

"Nymph?"

"She…she's not changed, Remus. She's still acting so…so closed off, cold. I thought, by now, she would be herself again."

Remus studied his wife closely. "There's more to it than that."

Tonks sighed heavily. "I observed her class with some Slytherins from outside today."

"And?" he questioned.

"One of the boys made a rather…obscene comment about her."

Remus grimaced. "I remember that. A first day with a Slytherin class is never a picnic."

"Slytherins don't always fit the stereotype, Remus," she gently admonished. She stared into space for a moment, as if contemplating something. "At least, some don't."

Remus apologised and carried on the conversation. "I imagine she didn't deal with it too well."

Tonks shook her head. "That's an understatement. Remus, she used a form of Legilimency on him."

He raised his eyebrows, surprised. "She read his mind?"

"Not…exactly. She…twisted it slightly."

"Twisted it how?"

"Legilimency can be used to extract thoughts and feelings from somebody's unguarded mind, but she used it to implant emotions and memories temporarily."

Remus frowned. "Why would she…" Then he realised. "Hermione must have a lot of painful memories."

She nodded. "Painful isn't the word, and the emotions that went with it must have scared him to death."

"What did he do?"

"Tried to make a run for it, obviously. Poor kid, looked paralysed. He won't be cheeking her for a while, and nor will his classmates."

"What else did she do?"

"Performed wandless magic," answered Tonks.

"What?!" asked Remus, looking alarmed.

"Oh, only to slam the door. Gave the thicker-skinned half of the class a good fright, though."

"Hermione can perform wandless magic now?" said Remus slowly.

"And a good deal more, I would think," replied Tonks. "I wouldn't like to cross her."

Hermione was just settling down after dinner, when Genevieve slipped into the landscape painting hanging over the fireplace. She looked up, waiting for what it was the woman wanted.

"Yes?"

Genevieve gave a nervous giggle. "Dumbledore is outside, miss," she answered. "He wishes to speak to you. Shall I allow him in?"

In surprise, Hermione stood, up, checking to make sure that the room looked tidy.

"Yes, please do."

In response, Genevieve stepped sideways out of the frame and shortly after, the portrait outside swung open. The wizened Headmaster stepped carefully through.

Quietly he studied the room for a moment, taking it in. Then he spoke to her.

"How do you find Godric's old rooms, then, Professor Granger?"

Hermione gaped, momentarily forgetting her composure. "Godric? As in…Godric Gryffindor?"

The Headmaster nodded, smiling. "Have you ever noticed the painting of a lion in your bedroom? Chosen by him, you know. Gave him the idea for the House's trademark."

Hermione didn't quite know what to say. In the presence of the Headmaster, words did not come quite so easily. "Why would you give me his room? I'm just a teacher, not even Head of House. I would have imagined that Professor McGonagall would have taken these rooms."

"Minerva prefers to be higher up the tower…close enough to stop the students from getting themselves into trouble before it happens. As for you taking the room, my dear, I hoped it might help raise your morale a little."

His face grew darker and he looked at her intently. "Although, it seems that my plan does not appear to be working."

She stared back at him, innocently. "What do you mean?"

"I know what you did this afternoon in one of your Slytherin classes." His gaze was no longer friendly, it was probing, stern. Hermione didn't trust herself to speak.

"Legilimency is not for that purpose, Hermione. I fail to understand your motivation for doing what you did."

She forced herself an answer. "He deserved a punishment. I gave him one."

Dumbledore's voice was sharper. "If he deserves punishment, for Merlin's sake give him detention, or a deduction of house points. I will ask you not to implant such emotions in a child's head!"

Hermione had to back down. Dumbledore looked rather angry, which was never a good sign.

"I'm sorry," she said meekly. "I just…"

His face was softer. " I know why you did it, I just don't think your previous self would have gone to such drastic measures to achieve closure."

Hermione's face became stronger and expressionless. "I do not consider it closure. Nothing ever is."

Dumbledore attempted to comfort her by laying a gentle hand upon her shoulder. She shrugged it off.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. "It won't happen again." With that said, she walked quickly across her living room to the bedroom door. "Goodnight Headmaster."

When Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the portrait hole, it was with a sombre face. He spoke to the man standing outside.

"Perhaps it is your turn to try?" he asked of him with a sad sigh.