Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.

Chapter 3: A New Life Ron stumbled through his and Harry's small apartment for the fourteenth time that day, arranging the neatly packed boxes with "Hogwarts" scrawled lazily across them. After his accident, he'd known that Quidditch was out of the picture for now, maybe forever. Therefore, when Harry had told him that Madam Hooch was taking the year off, possibly more, to officiate for the English Quidditch league he'd jumped at the job offer.

When Ron had suggested to Harry that he work at Hogwarts he'd been half kidding but Harry had later told him that once Ron had gotten injured he knew that it was time to leave his job and go somewhere else, anywhere else, and Ron's suggestion had been just what he needed.

Now as Ron stared at his bare apartment he wasn't so sure he'd made the right decision. Hogwarts was such a different life, a new life, one he didn't know if he was ready for. He was however ecstatic that he was going to see Hermione again. Since he'd left school, he'd seen her far less than he'd wanted.

The first year when she'd been living in London had been wonderful, they were the troublesome trio like always, but then she'd gone away for two years, briefly to America and then to live with Krum for a while. When her life with Krum fell apart at the end of two years Dumbledore has offered her the job at Hogwarts she'd been on the first train. The two years since then she'd been home rarely, visiting her parents mostly, she'd stayed with them for one memorable weekend the first summer after her Hogwarts job began but that was it and Ron missed her dearly, realizing it now more than ever when he was going to see her in mere hours.

He made one final sweep of the apartment, left a note with the movers, who were coming later to transport most of the luggage to the school and hurried off to meet Harry at the train station.

Hours later, he found himself next to Harry in the darkness outside Hogsmeade station. Hermione would have met them at the station but they hadn't told her they were even coming to teach yet. When Harry and Ron had accepted their positions, they'd made Dumbledore promise to keep from Hermione that they were coming. They wanted to surprise her.

They made their way up towards Hogwarts in the beautiful carriages that had always taken when they were students. When they reached the castle Ron spent a full five minutes staring at the old castle, taking in everything he'd forgotten about his old home.

Ron moved only when Harry had clapped him on the back and prodded him forward into the majestic front hall. Dumbledore stood there quietly waiting for them. He smiled when they entered.

"Ah, boys you've made it. Quite good. I'll just show you to your quarters and then point you in the direction to Hermione's room. It's been hard keeping this from her, you know," Dumbledore's familiar voice rumbled in their ears.

"Thanks so much for that," Ron said, "we just wanted to surprise her is all."

Dumbledore simply nodded and led them up the stairs to the fifth floor to a part of the castle they'd visited rarely in their tenure as students. He gestured them towards a door, which swung open with a slight touch from his fingertips revealing a large office. Through the far door Ron could see a small common room and with a small kitchen. Off to each side of the office there was a door, which Ron assumed were their bedrooms.

Once he'd taken it, all in he turned in unison with Harry to thank Dumbledore.

"Professor Dumbledore this is wonderful, now where is Hermione's office?" Ron asked.

"Right there," Dumbledore said turning around and pointing at the door opposite Harry and Ron's before spinning on his heel and leaving, saying over his shoulder "I'll see you tomorrow."

Ron stared at Harry smiled. They both moved in unison quickly to the door opposite them and knocked lightly. The door swung open a minute later to reveal a much different Hermione.

She screamed when she saw them, wrapping them in a huge hug. She looked much different from before. Her long bushy hair was now smoother, sleeker. Her robes hung nicely and clung to parts of her Ron didn't know where there. She hugged them one more time, as if they weren't real, before letting go and ushering them into her room.

"What are you doing here?" she practically yelled she was so happy, "I didn't know you were coming to visit?!"

"Well...we're not," Harry replied, "We're umm...Ron?"

"What Ron? What is it?" Hermione piped up before he could get a word out.

"Meet the new Flying Instructor and Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," he said sheepishly staring right at her.