Author's Note: chapter 2 is up, or ready to go up at any rate. I hope you all enjoyed the first chapter. Now, to screw around with your minds even more, I am going to be telling the story from different points of view. The chapter title (in this case "Hermione") is who is telling the story. It's all in third person anyway, so don't worry. Also, for all you HxH fans, you're going to have to put up with this for a bit. It'll get better, I promise ;). Enjoy everyone.

J-DoD

Chapter 2: Hermione and Miss M. Crow.

Hermione stepped out of the old fashioned Renault Scenic and surveyed the building in front of her. Yes, this would definitely do. The walls of the house were covered in ivy and she had to search for the door but the key point about it was that it was muggle. What idiot who wanted to stay hidden would use an abandoned muggle house on the outskirts of Cambridge? Hermione thought it was the perfect place. Voldermort and his minions wouldn't think of it. Besides, Dumbledore could put protection on the house if he wanted to. She pulled some of the vines away from the door and inserted the key. The lock was stiff but after some time pulling and pushing, she heard the lock click. Pressing her whole weight against the door, she turned the handle.

The kitchen was thick with dust and the light that filtered between the ivy was dimmed by the grime on the windows. It would need a lot of work; rather like Grimmald Place did. Hermione forced herself not to think about that. It was where Harry Potter could be a little self-centred some of the time. She had cared a great deal for her friend's godfather and missed his presence more then ever. But Harry Potter would never have thought that.

Hermione had acquired the rent of this house from the local landlord and with a little 'persuasion,' aided by Mr. Weasley's wand; the landlord had no problem with them taking over the house for the next 'little while.'

"Hermione?"

She turned to find a teenage boy with flaming red hair standing in the doorway. Ron Wealsey was taller than ever before. If he kept growing at the same rate, he would be seven feet tall by the end of school.

"The car's waiting."

"Oh. Right." Hermione fished a twenty pound note out of her pocket. "Make sure you get some change."

By the time Ron had returned with the right change; two pounds, eighteen pence, Hermione had left the dusty kitchen and was roaming the upper floors. The house really was massive. Three floors with a total of ten bedrooms, living, drawing, dinning and smoking rooms, and an enormous kitchen. There was even a large room, probably an office originally, for order meetings. She met Ron in the living room, standing so as not to disturbed the dust on the furniture. She wrapped her arms around his chest. Looking up at him, she said hesitantly, "What do you think? Will it be alright?"

Ron bent and casually kissed her forehead. "It's perfect."

She looked at the letter in her hand. It had been a long time since she had held parchment like this. So long, in fact, that she had almost blotted out the memory from her head. The writing was curly and old fashioned. Looping letter stared out at her from the page in bright green, so different from the last time.

Dear Miss M. Crow,

I, representing the Staff at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and on behalf of the headmaster, would like to offer you the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher at this school. We know of your background in such matters as defence against dark magic and handling of dark creatures and we believe you would be the perfect for the job. It can be quite demanding and we apologise for the rude request, but we can not find anyone else to take the job. We would be grateful for a quick reply. Yours with sincerest hopes and apologises,

Professor M. McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress,

Hogwarts School.

Miss M. Crow could not deny that the invite had gotten her attention. They knew of her background? Well, that had to show that they were, at least, competent. She had never thought of herself as a teacher; Defence Against the Dark Arts, no less. This would certainly be an interesting experience. After all, to any onlooker she was a young woman, perhaps twenty-five years of age. She had lots of time to decide what to do with herself. Lots and lots of time.

Completed: Sept. 1/04.