Certain flaws are necessary for the whole.
It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Ten years ago as I struggled threw OWLs, I never thought I would end up having tea weekly in Professor McGonagall's chambers. I never thought I would be able to call her Minerva. However, one thing being part of the Trio taught me is that there are always surprises around the corner. Once the Final Battle was done and Hogwarts needed to return to its full glory and order, Minerva found herself overwhelmed by the duties of Headmistress and Transfiguration Professor. Thus, only three years after graduating and one year of being her assistant, I found myself a full professor at age twenty. The youngest professor in the history of Hogwarts. Did Ron and Harry ever throw a party for that!
At first the weekly tea was a means to assist me as I took on full responsibility for my classes. Then it was to learn how to be Head of House in my second year of teaching. Ron gave me a thorough lecture on the significance of having a superb House Team since Gryffindor had a reputation to uphold. Now that I have adapted to my new duties, the tea is merely a chance for the two of us to chat and share our lives. From my first year as a student Minerva, then Professor McGonagall was a mentor. She remains such, but I find that she has become a friend and a sort of mother or aunt figure to me. Especially as my own family some times has difficulty understanding the world I live in, it is a gift to have someone to share it with and seek advice from.
Many unusual discussions have come from our teas. I love when we talk about the unusual mistakes and minor catastrophes that teaching Transfiguration allows you to witness. Whether it is fuzzy tea cups that were once rats or how there is always that one student who can make their class work explode, Transfiguration is hardly a boring class to teach. The difficulty lies in hiding your amusement so that you can remain in control of the class and not have any of the children's feelings hurt. I discovered Minerva's sense of humor in our teas. As she told tales of Transfigurations gone awry, she would often dissolve into laughter. Many of these stories I found focused on the Marauders. They seemed naturally born to chaos. Then again, a fair share of stories were from my days in school. It seems the Trio provided just as much amusement in the staff room.
On this particular day, not long after the students had left and when professors were leaving for the summer holiday, our conversation took a different route.
"Another biscuit, Hermione?"
"Yes, thank you. Any grand plans now that you are free for a few weeks?" I replied.
"Actually, yes, I will be traveling for a fortnight with some friends to the Mediterranean."
I was a bit surprised. "Really! I can't believe you had not mentioned this before."
"Well, our plans were not confirmed until just a week a go. Hooch's niece was ill so for a while we were going to wait. But her niece recovered and so your former flying professor, transfiguration professor, and herbology professor are going to enjoy a bit of well deserved rest somewhere warm and sunny."
I was still mildly surprised. She never struck me as one to go globe trotting. "I hope you enjoy yourselves. Sounds wonderful. I have always wanted to see Italy and Greece. Send me a postcard."
"Postcard?" she asked, looking a bit puzzled.
"Oh, sorry. They are small cards with photographs on one side and space on the other to write notes. Muggles send them to each other when they go on holiday." I still found myself explaining some Muggle things to Minerva, though she was better versed in Muggle life than many other wizards and witches.
"What are you doing over the holiday?" she quirked an eyebrow at me.
"Not much. I plan on heading to London. You know I stay with Harry and Ron most of the time. I will probably spend a week or so with my parents in their cottage. I always enjoy that time with them. Other than that, just some relaxing quiet time before the time comes to prepare for the new year."
"Hermione, if you expect to have quiet time while staying with those two, you must not be anywhere near as bright as I thought you were." She laughed.
"You're right. You would think that after fourteen years of friendship I would realize life is never quiet or mundane with those two around," I laughed with her.
"You three were quite the handful when you went to school. I was never quite sure whether it was worse when you were fighting or when you got along with each other. You did not cause as much trouble as the Marauders, but trouble seemed to find you. Though I think the three of you were the focus of more speculation and gossip than any other set of students this school had seen."
"What do you mean?"
"I would hope by now you realize how much teachers really know about what goes on and what students are saying. Even when James Potter and Lily Evans were here, there was not as much gossip or speculation on the true nature of their relationship as the three of you. There were bets in all the houses as to who liked who, who would date who, who was jealous of who. The teachers speculated just as much, though a bit more discretely, of course," she went on.
"Please don't let me stop you. What were your thoughts?" I asked, more than a little interested in her thoughts.
"I know that you were most often paired with Ron. At times the way you two fought reminded many of Lily and James Potter. However, there are enough differences between you that I never held to that theory. Then there was Harry, when he was in school he did not need romantic entanglements with all that was being demanded of him. He needed friends. I never chose to voice my thoughts on the matter to anyone then, and I chose not to voice them any more at this point in time." Her voice had a bit of finality to it.
"Do you develop theories about all your students?" I asked, curious to see if I could get some more information from her through some other path.
"Not all, but a good number. After seven years of teaching someone and watching them grow from a child to a young adult, you can see a bit of where they are going and who they might need to go with on that journey," here she paused and looked at me. "One thing I saw that you were well placed with your friends. You, Hermione, need someone who will add a bit of adventure to your life. Someone who will understand you, challenge you, fight with you, and love you in the very unique way you need. You need someone with a bit of spark to them and a bit of a trouble maker, or trouble finder, in them." She smiled softly at me. "That's the last you'll get from me young lady. I believe you need to go pack," she turned back into the formidable Transfiguration Professor I remembered from my first year.
Knowing the conversation was ended we said our goodbyes and I got her to promise to send me a post card. With that I left to my own chambers to finish packing. After a few hours I was ready to go. I charmed my bags to fit in my purse; it makes Flooing so much easier to not carry a trunk with you. Taking a last glance around my chambers, I Flooed to the flat in London.
Being just before the supper hour, I didn't expect to find the boys home yet. They each were quite busy with life. After the end of the War and our graduation we decided, alright, I decided and told the boys, that we needed to make sure we had one day a month that was exclusively for ourselves and we needed to talk via Floo or phone at least once a week. They agreed, after seven years of friendship they knew better than to face my temper or large number of hexes I had learned.
Looking around, I saw what I did each summer. Leaving two boys to take care of themselves for several months with only occasional visits leads to one thing: a messy flat. Quidditch magazines were strewn all over the sofa. Various take out boxes graced the other furniture. I walked to the kitchen, rightfully dreading what I might see. The kitchen was in worse condition with dirty dishes, food turning unusual colors in the refrigerator, and various empty potion bottles lining the counter. Rolling my eyes I continued to the bed rooms. Ron's was even worse than the rest of the house with clothes, Quidditch jerseys, and who knows what else everywhere. Harry's room was a bit neater. I think all those years at the Dursley house were too much to make him nearly as messy as Ron. Then there was my room. Immaculate as you might expect. I pulled my bags from my pocket and returned them to their normal size. I put my clothes away and my books on the shelf. Photos were placed back to their places around the room. I dusted with a quick charm and walked over to the window. I loved the view from my room. Given that we were the Golden Trio we were able to pull quite a few strings to get a spectacular flat that overlooks Diagon Alley. I could see the whole Alley and bits of Muggle London too. I put my things away in the shower. I absolutely required my own shower given that boys have a way of destroying all sense of hygiene. They did not argue as they were intimidated by the prospect of seen 'female items' lying around.
Once my things were arranged I attacked the rest of the house. For two accomplished wizards, keeping things tidy should not be so difficult. A few charms and things were put to rights. At that moment I heard the pop signaling the arrival of Ron or Harry.
"Oi! Where are you?" hollered a deep male voice. I shook my head as Ron entered the kitchen.
"Well, hello to you too!" I replied and gave him a hug.
"Its great to see you again, but you know I'll never be able to find the magazine I was reading now that you cleaned," he complained.
"Honestly, Ron. They are all stacked on the table in chronological order."
He laughed. "Some things never change."
"I may not change, but you desperately need to! You smell horrific!"
"And you were complaining about my greeting. It was just a long day of practice. Nothing to get yourself worked up about. I'll go shower and then we can catch up on life. I think Harry should be home soon. He said it should just be a routine day at the office," he wandered out the kitchen and down the hall.
I started to investigate what the food situation was. It had been a while since tea and I knew that once Ron emerged from cleaning himself up, he would be famished. Like he said, some things never change. Suddenly I was scared out of my wits when I was surrounded by someone's arms.
"Got you!"
"Harry!" while the three of us perfected silent Apparating, we normally allowed for the tell-tale pop so as to not scare each other when we arrived home.
"I figured you would already be here and wanted to see if I could surprise you. I guess I succeeded." I saw his childlike grin as I turned around to give him a proper hug.
"It's great to see you Harry. How are things?"
"The same as always," he shrugged.
"We can talk more later. Why don't you go change? You two are treating me to a celebratory dinner out since there is no food in the house. Ron is showering so I would say you have all of three minutes before he comes in here complaining about how he is fainting with hunger."
I shooed him from the kitchen and then went to change myself. During the school year I do a fair job of presenting myself as a 'professor' – I wear dark colors and clothes anyone over the age of fifty would be happy to own. During my time away from Hogwarts, I live life as a twenty-five year old ought. I shut the door to my room and go figure out what I will wear. A red sundress, leather sandals with a bit of heel, really those two boys are just too tall, and I'm just about ready. Then it is a quick make up charm and something to fix my hair. I pull it down from the braid I had it in and let it fall to my shoulders. A glance, a word and it falls neatly in waves. There are some advantages to being good with charms as well as transfiguration. The bush of hair I was tortured about through my youth is now manageable and even gets the occasional compliments.
Knowing the boys would be ready I head back out to the kitchen. We tend to spend a great deal of our time there when I'm home. Probably because I do a fair amount of cooking and the boys do a fair amount of eating. Ron and Harry are discussing the prospects the Cannons have for the World Cup this year as I walk in.
Ron lets out a whistle and Harry bows, "For what do we owe the honor of your presence fair princess."
"Honestly, you two. You do this every year when I get home. It is just a dress."
"Well, 'Mione, you do seem to take a bit after McGonagall's fashion when you're at school. It is good to see that you still remember you are still young!" Ron so charmingly states.
"Plus we were able to get you to say 'Honestly' twice in the first ten minutes we've seen you. Not a bad start to the summer, eh Ron?"
"No, not bad at all. This should be a good one," Ron replied with his impish grin.
With that the three of us head down to Diagon Alley for dinner. Life was as it should be.
