Chapter 29

After the meeting, the faculty dispersed to attend to their day, starting with breakfast. Minerva attempted to gain Hermione's private attention but a warning look from the young woman gave her pause. Rather the staff ventured together to the great hall where they took their places at the staff table. Seating herself next to the author with whom she was to be sharing duties, Hermione positioned herself a great length away from the Headmistress. Minerva watched over the rows of students who filed in, although her wandering gaze would eventually land on the pair of women who began to start talking, quietly.

As she began to pour herself some coffee, the red headed woman leaned over and nearer to her.

"It vould seem you don't like me very much." Augustine muttered softly, her knife spreading a thin layer of jam onto her toast. Brown eyes hardened minutely, their gaze turning to meet those oceanic blue swirling with what appeared to be mischief.

"As I've heard it said, it doesn't appear as though I like most people." Dryly, she replied while drawing her coffee to her lips. Faint laughter rang low beside her and caused an unsettling feeling to sit in the pit of Hermione's stomach.

"Yes, vell… It appears ve have something in common. How unnatural." The woman could have been the most kind, the most stunning, creature… And Hermione would have still found her utterly repulsive. Clearing her throat, she aimed a glance at the woman beside her, brow lifting.

"I'll be sitting in on your classes today, Miss. Blanchett," She stated tonelessly, affording her a disdainful look despite the slight, smile playing at the woman's ruby red lips. "I beg you to impress me."

"And how can I do that… Ven you believe that a monkey can do vat it is that I do, hmm?" Countered the woman with a challenging look about face. Oh, how Hermione loved a challenge. Almost as much as she abhorred the fact that she would be working so closely with this… Snake of a woman.

"Do right by my children and you'll have nothing to worry about, do wrong by them… And you can ensure that these next weeks will be utterly unbearable." Simple, succinct, her aim was only to paint a picture of what she could achieve if scorned. Hermione took her job seriously, as she always had done, and that was apparent by the passion lit eyes at the prospect of returning to the lecture hall. Augustine gave a faint snort.

"You are threatening me, Alter Kriegshund… How typical of your nature." A judgemental tongue tempted her to retaliate but, no… Hermione would let the woman's work speak for her. Bristling, Hermione downed her scalding coffee without care of her burning throat before replacing her empty mug down beside her empty, crumbless plate.

"I never threaten, Miss. Blanchett… I only make solemn promises which you can count on," Hermione pushed back her chair and straightened to stand, her hand falling upon the woman's shoulder who flinched, peering at the unexpected, unwanted, hand with a vague look akin to disgust before raising her bright eyes to meet Hermione's gaze. "I'll be meeting you in class."

With that, Hermione drew her hand away and turned, leaving the Great Hall. Minerva had watched the exchange with interest while vaguely carrying conversation with Sybill. But when she noticed the brunette taking her leave, and caught the eyes of the author who peered back into her emerald orbs with humor, her features wearing a look as though to say C'est la vie, Minerva rose from her seat and excused herself from the conversation. The Headmistress walked down the line and pulled out Hermione's vacant chair and sat down beside the red headed woman, schooling her features. The ginger witch watched her closely, her eyes scanning the ebony haired woman's face. The act and the deliberateness was only mildly uncomfortable.

"To vat do I owe the pleasure, finally taking me up on my offer this evening?" The woman asked smoothly, leaning on an elbow on the arm of her chair. Minerva's lips pursed to bite back a remark about the importance of decorum in such a social environment. Rather, she gave a short shake of the head.

"No, August… I'm afraid that ship has sailed, but I do need to make you aware that if you and Professor Granger have decided to work closely, I implore you to take her considerations to heart… She's not one to be trifled with." Explained the Headmistress. Minerva already had her reservations, being acutely aware of their individual dispositions and the plain and simple fact that, in reality, both women were actually more alike than they would have preferred to know.

"I believe I've been threatened enough for one day…" The ginger woman stated, quietly fuming. Confusion clouded emerald eyes.

"Threatened… This was no threat, this was a sincere recommendation, seeing as the professor you are subbing for holds her position in high esteem… She's always been this way, since she was a student here herself…" This seemed to catch Augustine's attention as she seemed to calm herself. If only just slightly. Turning her chair a few inches inward toward Minerva, she pushed away her plate of half eaten toast and folded her arms on the table, delicately.

"So, she vas one of your students, hmm? Explains ze self righteous pride." The woman murmured as an afterthought, her notes airy and laced with a thoughtfulness. Minerva didn't take offense, although she did feel she should have. Any comparison drawn between herself and the brilliance of Hermione was only considered complimentary.

"I am far more forgiving with certain behaviors," Minerva stated after a few moments. "Please, try to make it easy on one another." Cautioning with a faintly pleading glance, garnering a somewhat defeated look in response, wordless the author simply waved her off with the back of her delicate hand as the emerald eyed woman lifted herself from the seat and retreated to find where the brunette had wondered to. A similar conversation needed to be had.

_~*HGMM*~_

It didn't take very long for Minerva to track Hermione down. Following the scent of the previous nights cigarette, the Headmistress was drawn back down stone corridors until up the stone steps she was led to her office. A strange place to discover the younger woman, yet, there she was, readily seated in one of the chairs in front of her desk. With knitted brow, Minerva closed the door lightly and walked further into her office. Hermione watched her approach with a lax expression, her hands folded on the knee crossing over her other.

"Hermione, we…"

"Professor Granger," The brunette corrected, her shoulders squaring as Minerva passed by and turned, leaning against the front edge of her desk. She peered down her nose at the brunette. "I suspect you wanted to speak to me about this morning's meeting, Headmistress?" There was a peculiar air of professionalism peppering her tone, one that Minerva hadn't heard for some time. It was slightly jarring but she recovered quickly.

"Yes, professor…," Minerva stated, her own voice hardening to match, if that were to be the wish of the younger woman. Business it was. "You were out of line, I will not have one of my faculty addressing another member of staff, regardless of their tenure, with the disrespect you presented this morning."

Minerva watched the other woman closely, Hermione took in a deep draw of an inhale through her nose and sighed, momentarily spying her folded hands before raising her eyes and relenting.

"I apologize for my conduct, Professor… I will attempt not to let it happen again." Stunned by the even tone and quick acceptance of her criticism, Minerva's brows knitted further. It wasn't like Hermione to back down to her so easily, which meant that there had to be something else going on, an ace up her sleeve, so to speak. Growing suspicious, Minerva folded her arms over her chest.

"I won't deny that I'm somewhat bewildered by your immediate compliance, Miss. Granger…" She began to say before witnessing the ghost of the smile she saw that morning, that slightly crooked, highly endearing, little half smile that reminded her so much of the young woman she used to know. It made Hermione's eyes shine and her severe, angular features soften.

"I will take your critique, Professor McGonagall, and I will take your write up if you so choose to perform one, however, I know that I am right… And you, also, know that I was right… But, despite being correct in both my own criticism of Miss. Blanchett, and her half assed report, I also realize that I did lose a sense of decorum… So I will take it on the chin and do my best at betterment." Minerva listened intently, having to dig her heels into the floor to cause some sort of discomfort in order not to show signs of the amusement that welled within her. Of course, that would be the justification. It was appeasement.

"Clever girl." A rich and silk laden voice drifted from a portrait hanging on the wall, spoken by pale lips. Minerva shot Severus's portrait a stern look.

"At any rate, Headmistress, it's nearly time for class… And I will be viewing my replacement so if there isn't anything else?" Hermione stood and tucked her hands in her pockets, rocking slightly on her heels. Minerva returned her gaze, pushing off from her desk and nearing her lover, now that work had subsided. But as she neared, Hermione took a short step back, halting the ebony woman in her tracks. Giving a look of question, Minerva silently questioned it. In the depth of Hermione's eyes she saw the glow of apology.

"Not here, this is where we conduct business, McGonagall… I will see you at home after class." A clear boundary was set. It took a minute, but Minerva bowed her head in a short nod. The office was off-limits and, to be frank, once she realized what Hermione was getting at, she silently praised the woman for having the courage and dignity to draw that line in the sand. It was a matter of respect.

Hermione left her office tossing a glance over her shoulder. Anything left unsaid was spoken in the form of a look. A wordless I love you before the beginning of the day. Fueling Minerva to continue her own morning without a second thought, she returned to her desk and began leafing through written reports, the thought of the woman who she began to miss after a few hours filtering in every once in a while, causing her to smile, unaware.

_~*HGMM*~_

She thought it would be an exercise in her patience, in her conviction, and promise to Minerva to try and better herself. Her expectations were met and, much to her chagrin, exceeded. Hermione sat at her desk at the head of the room, marking papers that still required attention from the previous week. She watched the students and the author who was teaching them with interest, but mostly remained silent herself as she tended to the work of grading. Augustine seemed to pretend she didn't exist, which made the work all the easier, all the better, and suited her just fine. As much as Hermione wanted to find fault in her technique, she found it hard to pin point exact wrongs. It was nearly infuriating, but, despite herself, she found an ounce of respect.

Her lessons were being taught exactly as she would have instructed them herself. Augustine didn't graze over any detail, she took her time to explain process, and she did so in a way that was 'user friendly'. She seemed to almost come alive. Hermione understood that feeling, she felt she must have appeared something similar, however, she shook the thoughts from her mind. She was supposed to distrust this woman, the woman who had imposed herself upon her lover unexpectedly, who was rude and arrogant… She had faults that Hermione found hard to forgive. And so she clung to them. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she couldn't deny that the author was skilled. Almost as skilled as she was.

"Professor Granger… Professor Granger!" Hermione's head shot up and she peered around the room to find Augustine further down the line. "Student vis a question for you."

Interrupting the lesson seemed to not impress Augustine too much, but Hermione slowly rose from her chair and rounded the corner of her desk, her leg aching from the days activity. She kept it together, still, she winced as she leaned against the corner of her desk.

"Who has a question for me?" She gazed around the room until a hand shot up. She nodded to the sixth year boy, a smile tugging the corner of her mouth.

"Yes, Mr. Checkley, what can I do for you?" She watched as the boy was elbowed by his desk mate, the class peering about between them.

"Uhm… Professor, we uhh… We wanted to know where you've been… We've heard rumors but no one told us anything…" He must have felt eyes on the back of his head, for the blond boy turned his face immediately to find Miss. Blanchett looking none too amused a few feet behind. "No offense, miss."

That was a difficult question. It should have been expected, really, that at one point a student would ask why their professor was absent. She looked at the dark skinned boy as he toyed with the tightness of his Hufflepuff striped tie.

"How many rumors are there?" She found herself asking, her voice expressing a mild curiousness. "Are there a lot?" A smirk settled on her lips as the teens started calling out various scenarios, some growing more outlandish until she raised a hand to quiet them. The sound of voices reverberating off the walls died down. From trolls to dragons to secret spy missions… Well. That last one fit somewhat. But nothing as grand as that. So, she cleared her throat and rested a hand on her desk to lean.

"Forgive me, Miss. Blanchett… But this will take a few moments," Her gaze found the lithe ginger woman who simply gestured for her to continue. If her eyes weren't deceiving her, it almost looked like the woman was masking her own curiosity with annoyance at being interrupted. "To put your rumors at ease… As all of you know, I worked with the Ministry of Magic in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement…"

She began to regale them with the tale of what had happened that caused her to refrain from her teaching. Explaining about the attacks and the fact that the Minister had asked her to intervene, she denied them of a few pieces of information. The details of the Minister's deception and the fact that there had been a Ministry leak, she refrained from divulging. The papers would expose that eventually, she imagined. And as the matter was being handled, she felt it was important for her children to maintain a feeling of safety when thinking of their government. It was important to feel safe, in general. As she explained that frightfully early morning and how their plans went awry, the woman standing at the back of the room watched her, her blue eyes unwavering. Hermione further explained that the only thing she could think of to do was corner their target within the confines of a large manor home, and in a split second decision, brought the building down on top and around them.

The students may as well have been watching it unfold before them by the way the horror displayed on their young features at the prospect of their professor doing such a thing. She told them the truth, that she was trapped and injured, it was not a good experience. Afterwards, she was brought back to Hogwarts castle by her dear friend and colleague, Harry Potter, himself. But because her leg was so badly wounded, it had taken her a great period of time to be able to return to her duties, although they should not fear, she would return to them very soon.

"And that, my dears, is why you always make sure you protect yourself first… Don't make the same mistakes your professor had…"

"Did you… You know… With the wizard… Did you win?" A girl asked from the back of the class. A room full of eyes shifted from the Ravenclaw girl who asked the question back to the woman seated on the edge of her desk at the front of the room. Hermione paused. The brown eyed witch averted her gaze to the ceiling momentarily, her eyes then fell to the many faces there spanned before her. She wasn't proud in that moment. Not due to them, not due to their questioning her, but due to how much they didn't know. These young people hadn't had to experience what she had experienced, what her peers had experienced when seated in those seats, and she was thankful. Death… It wasn't something to win or to lose to… It was a dark pit that dragged you in. It was suffocating hands and she didn't want to romanticize it.

"We, myself and the other Aurors, didn't win, Miss. Bevvins… But, no, the man didn't survive," She stated. "Doing what we did, the way that we did, was reckless… And, even though it was the right thing to do to make sure that our community was a bit safer, it never feels good to bring someone pain. And it's something that you have to live with, if you are in the position that I was in." A solemn expression washed over Hermione's tanned features, but she found herself willing to offer a brief smile.

"Which is why I would rather be here, with all of you, teaching you all, and your peers, has given me joy beyond anything you could possibly imagine, and I hope that, one day, when you are all ready to leave and venture out into the world, you will find something that brings you as much joy as this has given me…" The bell tolled, alerting them that class was finished. "Class dismissed!"

Book bags and school robes jostled as students began to collect their things and move on to their next classes, Hermione remained seated and watched them, and Augustine, as they waved goodbye and filed out the door. Hopefully rumors would be laid to rest and they would spread the word themselves, however, she was sure there would be some creative adaptations, as there always was when a story was retold. When the red headed woman made her way up the line, between the two rows of tables, Hermione shifted and slid from her perch gingerly.

One step. Her knee gave out, twisting the wrong way. She sucked hair between her teeth but she knew she wasn't going to catch herself in time.

As she went forward, two hands curled around the shoulders of her leather jacket and pulled her quickly, then an arm snaked around her back and hooked under arm. She was surprised to find that the author had closed the distance quickly and the woman guided her back to her chair. Augustine's expression was a mixture of things when Hermione inspected her, being in a closer proximity as she was helped to sit. She wasn't really sure what was playing on the woman's mind, nor did she really care if it pertained to much in the way of further judgement, however, after she was aided, the woman replaced the distance between them and seated herself at her own smaller desk on the other side of the room.

"Thank you, Miss. Blanchett." Hermione said, leaning to her desk drawer in order to open and retrieve one of her stored potions which she had brought with her, in the off chance that her leg decided it had had enough.

"I'm not vithout heart, Granger…" Was the plain reply she was afforded.

"As much as I hate to admit it, and believe me, I do… You are… Quite adequate." Hermione mumbled as she tipped the phial back against her lips and reslished in the feeling of the throbbing begin to subside. She disposed of the small glass back along with the contents of her desk drawer and closed it, taking up her quill once more to continue on with her grading. Settling in, it was no surprise when they returned again into the quiet.

Classes continued without further interruption. Hermione felt herself not having to appraise the woman with the eye of a hawk. She listened intently, multi tasked, as she scanned scratched lines on parchment.

When evening began to creep, and the last of the fifth years left the lecture hall, she was glad that the days work had filled her with purpose once more. Sitting in Minerva's rooms, their rooms, had been nice, but it didn't compare to tending to real work. That feeling of accomplishment was not a rival to that of re-learning how to stand on her own two feet, it far outweighed in gratification.

"So," Hermione raised her head to find the red headed woman nearing the edge of her large desk and seating herself on its edge, near, but still leaving a bit of separation. "How are ve going to do this?" Straight to the point, the witches peered at one another. Hermione leaned back in her chair and folded her arms casually over her chest, her features adorning a thoughtful look.

"We may have to split the days, I'll take some mornings, you take some evenings, then we'll switch… Are you opposed?" She asked, the ginger woman cast her gaze absently elsewhere, seemingly as though she were thinking on it.

"Ve can iron out ze details tomorrow but no… I'm not opposed, besides… I do have other sings I would like to do vile I'm still given ze opportunity." The witch answered with an airy tone, her eyes wandering the book lined shelves behind Hermione. The brunette felt herself slip back into that feeling of apprehension and dislike.

"And what, pray tell, are you intending to do to take up that time?" Blue eyes quickly found her own, flashing, detecting Hermione's unsettledness.

"I don't believe sat it's your business, vith all due respect…"

"She is my business, I'm afraid to tell you." Clipped, Hermione's mouth formed words before her brain caught up, but she schooled her features when given a raised brow. The author seemed slightly taken aback, but recovered with a slight smirk.

"Is she now?" Augustine seemed to scan her, her lips curling. "And who are you to Minerva, hmm? Another girl she's lured into…" Hermione halted the woman with a raised hand, a clear signal to stop. Which Augustine did. As much as she wanted to depict the many ways that their circumstances were very different, Hermione abstained. With a warning look, she parted her lips to speak.

"I am nothing to the Headmistress, nothing but a colleague and a dear friend, but as a dear friend, and having known the woman nearly my whole life, I can tell you… If you've done something to wound her trust, you're not going to be afforded it again," A point had to be made, although it did fucking hurt in an unexpected way to call herself down to such a degree - in the eyes of the world, to Minerva, she was… Nearly nothing. "You will be disappointed, Augustine."

Perhaps, it was the way that Hermione laid it out that caused a crack in the ginger woman's exterior, but she witnessed a moment of doubt. Augustine eyed her with mild suspicion but, ultimately, gave a shrug of the shoulder and slid from her desk, her heels clicking as she drew herself toward her things, which she began to collect.

"Ve shall see, you'll find I'm very persistent," She replied after a few moments, not looking back to view the slightly disgruntled look Hermione's features betrayed. "But, yes… I digress, svapping mornings and evenings vill be just fine. Have a good evening, professor."

The woman took her leave, hips swaying with purpose as she avoided the brunette's eye whilst vacating their, soon to be, shared lecture hall. She wanted to jinx the woman into oblivion but knew she had to play nice, decent, and get through the next weeks with grace if she wanted that woman out of her castle. The progress they had made felt stunted. What felt like mutual respect that had begun to build was easily dashed when the author's intentions became topic of conversation. Hermione couldn't tell Minerva about this, she knew she would be pushed into something she wasn't entirely prepared for if Minerva knew. So she spent the remainder of the day in her classroom, finishing the marking she had been working on, before collecting her own things and returning back to the Headmistress's rooms.

_~*HGMM*~_

When Hermione returned home for the evening, Minerva was there, laying on the couch with a book resting on her chest, asleep. For a moment, Hermione stood in the doorway and just gazed. She couldn't imagine losing what it was she had gained, she couldn't even bring herself to think about it. As hard as it was to refer to herself as less than what she was, if that is what she had to do to ensure she was kept, she supposed it was a small burden in comparison to anything else. She removed her coat and her shoes, creeping toward the sleeping figure. Carefully, she took the book from Minerva's hand and replaced her bookmark between the pages, she assumed, the woman had fallen asleep reading. The Headmistress stirred but didn't open her eyes. Leaning over the ebony haired witch, Hermione began to kiss her brow, her closed eyes, the bridge of her nose… A pair of hands grew conscious of her form above and sought her out, lips caught her own and the witch beneath her pulled her body to lay herself down. Hermione complied immediately, and joined her lover on the couch, laying her head down on Minerva's chest to be rewarded with the sound of a heartbeat.

"Working late, dearest…" Sleepily, Minerva wrapped her arms around the woman and held her, a deep affirmative hum being her response.

"You know how I hate to leave things unfinished." She replied, feeling a hand beginning to rub her lower back in languid circles.

"Was it as awful as you thought it would be?" Her lover asked while pressing a kiss to her hair. The younger woman had to bite her tongue.

"It was… Illuminating." That was all she said. She couldn't bring herself to say much more, rather they laid there, wordlessly, for a while then, when sleep called, made their way into their bedroom and crawled into bed. All the while, Minerva remained oblivious, and Hermione laid awake, holding the woman tightly to her chest. She had to remind herself that she belonged there.

TBC...