Title: We Only Live Once

Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Series belongs to Jk. Rowling. If it belonged to me, the covers of all the books would have orange and blue stripes and the series would be called Harry Pothead.

Summary: Set six years after her graduation from Hogwarts, Hermione thought she had the good life, and then all of a sudden she realized, 'What am I going to do for the rest of my life?' At that same day, she receives a letter from Hogwarts wanting her to become the new Transfiguration teacher. Yet when she arrives the first day of her job she rekindles old flames with a former schoolmate who is now Hogwarts' Potion's teacher, Draco Malfoy. What will this bring?

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Chapter two: Should I stay or should I go?

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The sound of the train's whistling pierced Hermione's ears as well as the sounds of the train's hustle and bustle, with people scurrying from one compartment to another. Oh how she missed the Hogwarts Express, it only felt like yesterday when she rode on it the last time with Harry and Ron.

Harry and Ron…

She missed them. There wasn't a day where she couldn't forget about them. They were her brothers, her best friends, and her life. Sure they've had their ups and downs, the short fling with Ron in sixth year, and then the engagement party a month after graduation where Harry popped the question to Ginny. And that's when it happened…

Flashback

"Oh I feel so great now that school is done! I feel so freeeee!"

I flung my arms out into the air freely and smiled like there was no tomorrow.

A month after the graduation at Hogwarts we returned to Hogsmeade and had a small get-together at the Three Broomsticks, just me, Harry, Ron, and Ginny. We talked about what we wanted to do, how much we were glad we didn't have Snape anymore, It was great! Well…

At least for them it was.

Harry stood up, and said he had an announcement to make. He kneeled down in front of Ginny, her eyes wide and hopeful, he asked her to be his wife, his lover, his truly. She of course accepted gleefully, they've been going out for a year now, it was what they called true love…

Ron patted his best friend on the back, "Congratulations mate! We're going to be brothers, can you believe that?!" and also hugged his sister. It was truly heartfelt. I also congratulated both of them and wished them the best of luck with their marriage.

Oh if you were a stranger coming into the Three Broomsticks you would find a group of three happy, gleeful people. The problem is… there are four people in that group.

I stopped to look around at Harry; his face was flushed with happiness, as was Ginny and Ron whose faces lit up like enchanted candles that would never blow out. But me, there was still me.

Why am I not happy? These are my best friends, two of them getting married, and Ron having his best friend turn into his official brother. What did I get? Ginny would devote her time to Harry, Harry to Ginny, and Ron would be ecstatic about this whole idea. I was a square, while everyone was a circle. I just didn't fit. My face was blank, I could feel the tears swell up in my eyes, and they didn't even notice.

They didn't notice.

I stood up and walked out. Just simply walked out. I stood at the doorway of the Three Broomsticks and looked back at the table, seeing if they noticed again but they didn't. Then the tear fell and I ran out, never looking back.

End Flashback

Her eyes were closed as she reminisced about the past…

'This was six years ago Hermione, don't beat yourself up about it now!'

The awful thing was… even though they tried to keep in contact with her she never responded back, the embarrassment was too much.

'I'm such a jerk! How could I do that to my friends? Well… the past has passed and here I am on my way to Hogwarts, ready to take on my new job. And I'm not letting anything burn me down!'

This put a smile on her face. Starting anew would be fun, hopefully.

She fixed her gaze outside the window where Hogwarts came into view. The ends of her lips couldn't help but rise upwards as she neared Hogwarts.

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She exited the still train and entered a carriage bringing her to Hogwarts.

Students didn't come for classes until the start of August, and it was only two weeks before that occurred. Until then she would just have to get settled.

'WAIT WAIT WAIT! I'm not even sure if I'm even getting this job yet! Well… I guess we'll just have to wait and see.'

The carriage stopped and Hermione got off quickly, anxious to enter her old school again. She entered the Great Hall, and stared in awe as the memories of her years at this school filed up in her head. Nothing much had changed, maybe a few paintings here and there, a few statues, and some décor but all in all it was still the Hogwarts she came to love.

She followed the path to Dumbledore's office, passing some old professors along the way, some she liked, and some she didn't like, for example Prof. Snape who had been granted the duty of teaching Defense against the Dark Arts, a job he's always wanted, and from what she's heard, he wasn't bad. He set a record for teaching that subject five years in a row, after someone else took his job.

'Ha-ha. I wonder what stupid git wanted to take his old job!'

And then the answer bumped into her. Literally.

"It's too early for students! What are you doing here?! Ten points from whatever house you're from!" said a familiar voice.

It was… no, it can't be. But then again he had that striking resemblance. Pale skin, blonde, whitish hair, tall, skinny, wearing green-tinted black robes with a Slytherin House Symbol, much like what Snape used to wear. He couldn't be… could he?

She stared in awe at him, deciding whether to ask if he was him or not, for what seemed like hours but was really five seconds. The supposed Draco Malfoy tapped his foot impatiently, snapping Hermione out of her thoughts.

"Err, umm… I'm not a student. Actually I'm about to work here..." She said lamely. She wanted to make sure it was him before she said anything.

'She looks oddly familiar. Maybe I've fucked her before… nah. So she said she's working here? Hmm…' Draco thought in silence.

"You look familiar." They said simultaneously.

Then it hit them.

"Granger? MUDBLOOD?!"

Hermione rolled her eyes and retorted back, "I prefer muggle born, thank you very much, mister Malfoy. So let me guess you're the Potions teacher that took after Snape's old job?"

He smirked, "What the fuck are you doing here Granger?"

"Are you that stupid? I just told you! I'm going to be working here! The new transfiguration teacher, hello?" She handed him the letter she received which he read quickly, mumbling some words from the letter here and there.

Hermione patiently waited for him to finish and he handed back the letter which Hermione slid into her robe's pocket. There was an awkward silence until Draco started to speak.

"I can't believe you're going to be working here! And here I was hoping that the new Transfiguration teacher would be some hot woman in her twenties or something. But no, they got you, didn't they? "

"Whatever Malfoy, deal with it! I've got to go claim my job right now, so thank you and fuck you very much!"

She walked past him heatedly, remembering to bump into his shoulder 'accidentally' and carried on to Dumbledore's office.

Draco was flabbergasted by the way Hermione spoke. 'I've never heard her cuss before, this is new, she is new. She's changed mentally and physically. I wonder what she's been doing for the past several years… What are you thinking?! This is Mudblood Granger you're talking about here! Well whatever's going to go on…it's going to be interesting,' he took a last look at her retreating back and carried on his way to his class room.

'Ugh, the nerve of that man! He's so childish! You'd think after six years he'd mature at least a little by now, maybe I shouldn't set standards up for someone like him that high! I can't believe he's the Potions teacher! Dumbledore's really gone off his rocker.'

She reached the office door and knocked politely, and just as her hand left the door the knob turned and standing in the doorway was the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore greeting her with a smile.

She was just about to speak about to greet him and talk about the job offer but he got to it first.

"Miss Granger! Great to see you again! We are glad you accepted our offer!"

Old Dumbledore, always the first to start a conversation…

"Why yes! Once I heard you needed a new teacher I jumped at the opportunity." Okay so maybe not, but hey, she was here, wasn't she?

"Well as of now, I declare you Hogwart's new Transfiguration teacher! I've also got another proposition for you, would you like to be Gryffindor's head of house? Prof. McGonagall was before she retired and we'd like you to replace that spot, if you wouldn't mind."

Hermione's always dreamed of being in control of a whole house, and here was the opportunity!

"Of course I'll take it! Oh gosh this is great! I'd love to!"

Dumbledore chuckled at her excitement and eagerness, "Well then the job is yours! You will share a dormitory with another teacher here, I'm sure you remember him, does Draco Malfoy sound any familiar?"

Hermione's face fell into horror, 'I hope he's not actually serious with me sharing a dormitory of the same person I've been tormented by for seven years, the same person who calls me mudblood and who had the name of the former Slytherin sex god!'

Dumbledore noticed her horror, "It won't be bad I assure you, you will only share a small living room and a bathroom. It's the only place you can stay here in Hogwarts if you're willing to teach here, I'm afraid."

'Okay, live with Malfoy and have a great teaching career? Or return to my old job and miss the opportunity of a lifetime?'

After a few quick seconds of thinking about it, she finally came up with a confident decision.

"I'll do it."

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A/N:

Yeaahhhh. How was it? I'll try and make my chapters longer, I promise! I'll update faster too!

Well, Review Review Review!

And thank you so much to my reviewers! It really boosts up my writing drive!

That anonymous person, Emikitty0922, The Weaving Wheel, Black Padfoot, Llamachick, and any other reviewers! THANK YOU!

And also, if anyone has any good Hermione/Draco fics that you or anyone else wrote I'd love to read them!

Next chapter will definitely have some Hermione/Draco interaction! FUN! So till next time!