AU! EWE.

Written for Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

House: Thunderbird

Class/Task Number: Divination. Prophecies: someone's life being altered by a decision

Bonus Prompts: none

Word Count: 3044/4500

Professor Potter

Instead of joining the Aurors, Harry decides to start teaching Defence Against the Dark Arts. His life is changed by that simple decision.

"Are you still thinking of joining the Aurors?" Professor McGonagall asked Harry curiously.

"Actually, Professor, I'd rather become a teacher at Hogwarts," Harry admitted sheepishly, fidgeting with the end of his tie.

"Wait, what?" Professor McGonagall gaped at Harry with surprise. She hadn't expected Harry to say something like that. She had always thought Harry, as he was the Boy-Who-Lived, would rather work in an active profession.

Harry shrugged lightly and said, "I'm done with all that action, Professor. After I defeated Voldemort, I'm not interested in anything too dramatic. It's not good for my heart. Honestly, I would rather live a normal, boring life than rush around blowing up things."

Dumb-struck, McGonagall stared at him for a few minutes and cleared her throat. "Very well," she said, placing another leaflet in front of him, "that means you need to get top grades in the subject of your choice. You'll need to undergo a stringent series of character and aptitude tests-"

"I'm choosing Defence Against the Dark Arts, Professor…"

McGonagall looked at Harry again and thought, 'Merlin, giving career advice to him is so difficult…' She said, "I'm not sure what the protocol will be for this situation, but I'll discuss this with the Board of Governors. You'll still need to get an 'O' in DADA this year. Getting at least 'E' or 'O' in Transfiguration, Charms and Potions will also work in your favour."

Harry nodded and said, "Alright, Professor. Thank you so much for helping me out." He shook her hand and walked out of the Headmistress' office.

After the war had ended and all the Horcruxes had been destroyed, Harry, Ron and Hermione had opted to return to Hogwarts to finish their schooling. Harry tried to tell everyone that he didn't want to be treated like he was someone special, but the younger students were still in awe of him after his success in battle. To his embarrassment, they treated him with reverence and veneration.

Ron loved the spotlight and was often found dating one witch or the other. Hermione, on the other hand, was treated better than she had been in the past, but she still didn't get the appreciation Harry thought she deserved.

When McGonagall had invited the returning students to her office to discuss their employment options, Harry knew he didn't want to become an Auror anymore. He remembered how much he had loved teaching Dumbledore's Army back in his fifth year. If he could teach them DADA on such short notice, he hoped he would be able to teach even better after completing his education.

He entered the common room and found Hermione seated on the couch by the fire, for once without a book near her. Harry jumped onto the couch and dropped his head onto her lap. "Whatcha doin', Mione?" he asked, smiling up at her.

Hermione absentmindedly ran her fingers through his hair and murmured, "Thinking… or re-thinking a couple of things."

"Tell me," Harry demanded, rolling onto his side so he could wrap his arms around her waist.

During the Horcrux hunt, when Ron had left them alone in the tent, Hermione had soon found out that Harry craved affection; it turned out that he loved to snuggle. He never had anyone to hold before, and Hermione was amazed by how comforted she felt by his simple touch. They had developed a habit of showing their affection for the other during the hunt, and even now after the war had ended, they still liked to touch each other whenever possible.

"I had my whole life planned out, Harry," she said, scratching his scalp gently. "I knew what I wanted to do. Stay by your side, defeat Voldemort, help the house-elves, join the Ministry - preferably in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures to help the house-elves - and possibly start a romantic relationship with Ron. That was what I thought of doing, but I'm not sure now…"

"Because you and Ron broke up a few months ago?" Harry questioned, curious to know why they had broken up. Hermione hadn't told anyone why they had broken up, but Harry assumed it was because Ron couldn't keep it in his pants.

"Well, not exactly. Ron and I broke up for personal reasons, but I always thought I would end up with him. Everyone said so…"

"Just like everyone said I'd end up with Ginny because she looks like my mum? Merlin, that was creepy," Harry said, grinning up at Hermione.

Hermione laughed and said, "Yeah, but that was before Ginny started dating Luna. They're meant to be, aren't they? They're so cute together!"

Harry grinned and said, "Great to know that I helped someone discover their sexuality, Mione. Wait, you mean to say you thought of dating Ron because everyone else thought you would look good together?"

Hermione nodded and muttered, "It was a rational decision, Harry. I thought of it before everything happened."

"Mione, love's not supposed to be rational! It's supposed to be irrational! Your heart is supposed to lead you, not the other way around! You should follow your heart."

"Harry, I'm more comfortable in the world of logic and facts… I don't think I can love irrationally," Hermione muttered, turning her head away to gaze into the flames.

"What are you talking about? Of course, you're made for love! Sure, you use your mind more than your heart, but sometimes you can let it go, right? Follow your heart?" Harry suggested, trailing his hand up her back and tugging on her curls affectionately.

Hermione smiled and nodded. "Maybe I'll follow your advice, Harry," she murmured thoughtfully.

Harry grinned and said, "Oh, before I forget to tell you, I'm applying for the DADA position next year. McGonagall's thinking of talking to the Board of Governors to let me join - if I get O's in Transfiguration, Charms, Potions, and of course, DADA."

Hermione nodded. "You'll be a wonderful teacher, Harry, I'm sure of it. It'll be like fifth year with you teaching the DA."

Harry grinned and said, "You inspired me to take up the post, Mione. Without your prompting me, I would never have been able to teach the DA."

Hermione whispered, "I'll always help you, Harry. You're my best friend."

Harry smiled up at her and hugged her tightly, his heart soaring when she hugged him back just as tightly.

When the NEWTs results came out, Harry was delighted to find that he had received O's in all his main subject. He ran into Hermione's room at Grimmauld Place and screamed, "I got O's in them, Mione!"

Hermione beamed up at him from her bed and said, "I'm so happy for you, Harry! That's wonderful news!"

"What did you get, love?" Harry asked, rushing over to her bed.

Hermione handed him her letter and said, "O's in all, except for Muggle Studies. That examiner hated me just because I told him Muggle Studies was too outdated!"

Harry laughed and said, "It's still an Exceeds Expectations - better than what I got. An A!"

Hermione gave him a small smile and nodded. "I'm applying for a job in the DRCMC. I really hope I can do something good for the house-elves… and other creatures."

Harry pulled her into a fierce hug and said, "You will! You're the best, Mione!"

Hermione laughed and said, "Thanks, Harry!"

Harry applied for the post of Defence Professor and McGonagall got the Board of Governors to accept his application - he was the Boy-Who-Lived, after all, but he was also the best candidate for the job. Meanwhile, Hermione was accepted for an entry-level job in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, but she didn't seem very happy about it. Harry tried to ask her what was wrong, but she never answered him.

A week before Hogwarts reopened for the school year, Harry Flooed over to McGonagall's office. McGonagall smiled at him and greeted him, "Good evening, Professor Potter."

Harry beamed at the title and said, "Good evening, Professor McGonagall."

"As we are colleagues now, Harry, you may call me Minerva."

Harry blurted out, "Sorry, but no. I can't do that, that would be too weird for me."

McGonagall shook her head and said, "Very well, you may call me Professor."

Harry grinned and asked to be shown his new quarters. McGonagall led him downstairs and showed to a room near the Gryffindor common room.

Harry looked at the painting on the wall and asked, "Why do I have this room? DIdn't Remus have the room on the fourth floor?"

McGonagall looked at him suspiciously and asked, "How do you know that, Mr Potter?"

"Professor Potter, Professor," Harry tried to distract her, grinning at her sheepishly.

McGonagall shook her head and thought, 'It's best that I don't know.' She left him to settle in and Harry entered the large room that would be his rooms for the rest of the school year.

He looked out the window and saw Hagrid's hut right across the grounds. He made a mental note to go visit him later. He turned back to his room and smiled. 'He was home… but something was still missing.'

The persisting feeling kept nagging at him - until Hermione came to visit him the day before Hogwarts reopened. She walked into his quarters and gasped. "Harry, this room is perfect! It's the perfect mix of all the houses! I'm actually envious of your job now," she teased, smiling at Harry.

As Harry watched her walk around his room, inspecting his shelves and pestering him to strengthen the wards around his room, he suddenly realized that the persistent feeling of emptiness had disappeared. Harry may have been an extremely oblivious young man, but he felt as if the realization had struck him like lightning.

He wanted her to be a part of his life. Permanently.

"Hermione, are you happy with your job?" His sudden question startled her.

"Of course, why do you ask?" Hermione didn't meet his eyes, pushing a stray curl behind her ear. Harry knew that she did that only when she was nervous about something.

He beckoned her closer and wrapped his arms around her to pull her closer. "Tell me, Mione... and don't lie to me. You know I know when you're trying to lie," he murmured, running his fingers through her curls.

Hermione mumbled, "It's not like I thought it would be… They don't listen to me at all! I don't want to drop names, you know? I want to succeed on my own, but all they want to do is listen to stories about you… Not that I mind talking about you, but I just want to make the world a better place and -"

"The position for Transfiguration Professor is open. Why don't you apply for that? You can work on liberating house-elves in your free time. You don't need the DRCMC. They're a bunch of arses, remember?"

Hermione startled at his words and almost stumbled back. "What are you talking about? Harry, I can't apply for Transfiguration!"

"Why not? McGonagall's still looking for someone, and you're a great choice - remember when you helped me learn everything I needed to know for our Transfiguration exam back in our sixth year?"

"I'm not a teacher, Harry… I don't even like teaching! I'll end up like Snape!"

"No, you won't! You're a good teacher - not as good as me- but still good enough," Harry said, winking at her mischievously.

Hermione smacked his arm and asked, "Why the sudden suggestion?"

Harry awkwardly shrugged and said, "I don't know… I just… miss you already. It's different here without you."

Hermione pointed out, "Ron's not here either. Did you try to recruit him for the Flying Teacher's post?"

"No, I… miss you the most," Harry admitted quietly.

Hermione smiled and said, "You'll see me every week, Harry, if that's what you want. We can -"

"No, Hogwarts isn't the same without you... Move in with me?" Harry pleaded suddenly.

"Merlin, you move fast, Harry," Hermione said, her eyes wide with surprise at his spontaneous request.

Harry gave her the puppy dog look and said, "Please, Mione, I'm your best friend, right? Say you'll move in with me? And join Hogwarts?"

"Ugh, Harry! That's not fair! You can't just spring such a big decision on me like this! I'll need to make lists of pros and cons, and -"

Harry suddenly swooped down and slammed his lips against hers. He cupped her face delicately in his hands and breathed in her soft fragrance, moving his lips against hers, coaxing her mouth open with his tongue. To his utter delight, Hermione shyly kissed him back.

Soon, they were locked in a passionate kiss that caused their pulse to race, their hearts to pound, and their stomachs to clench with anticipation.

They gasped for breath as they pulled back for a few seconds. Hermione wheezed out, "Merlin, that was -"

"Wonderful? Glorious? The best kiss of your life?" Harry teased, trying to lighten the situation.

"Unexpected." Hermione leaned her forehead against his, her chest heaving as she tried to gulp in some much-needed air.

"But not unwanted, right?" Harry's voice was low and hopeful, his eyes trained on her lips again.

"No… not unwanted," Hermione whispered, her cheeks reddening at his covetous gaze.

"Good, because I'm going to do it again," Harry warned her before he met her lips once again. Maybe he could convince her to stay with him...

"Professor Potter's so strict! I've got so much homework to do before tomorrow!" a second-year girl whined as she slammed her books down on the table.

Harry overheard her and grinned. He fixed his horrendous tie and smoothed out his hair before he entered the classroom. "Heard someone's got a lot of homework, eh?"

The second-year girl sighed and said, "Yes, Professor. Professor Potter gave us a huge essay to write about turning our beetles into buttons."

Harry smirked and asked, "Do you know what you get when you cross a very strict professor and a vampire? Lot's of blood tests!"

The students were used to his jokes by now, but they couldn't help but laugh. "Did you try to cross Professor Potter with a vampire, sir?" someone called out teasingly.

"Shh! Don't tell her that! She'll suck my blood!" Harry cried, pretending to be horrified, making the students all laugh at him. They knew Hermione loved Harry, no matter how much Harry teased her.

"But still, Professor, what about our homework? It's Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw next!" Margaret whined.

Harry smiled at the girl and said, "Tell me, Miss Smith. Why did the Hufflepuff eat her homework?"

Margaret squinted at him and said, "I don't know, sir…"

Harry beamed and replied, "Because her professor said it was a piece of cake!"

There were loud groans from the students in his class, but several of them chuckled at his lame joke. Margaret shook her head and said, "Professor, can't you tell your wife to not give us so much homework? We've got a Quidditch match coming up!"

Harry laughed and said, "Kid, she forces me to grade your essays even when I don't want to - don't look at me like that, she is my wife, but she's always been scary! I mean I'm more scared of her than I was of Voldemort!"

The students laughed and nodded, fully aware of how furious Hermione Potter could get - especially now that she was pregnant. The Potters had been teaching at Hogwarts for the past six years - a miracle as none of the DADA professors before Harry had been able to stay for more than a year. They were two of the most talented professors at Hogwarts and the students all admired and respected them.

"Daddy?" a soft voice called out from the doorway, and all the girls squealed when they saw the adorable black-haired child waddling into the class.

Harry chuckled when he saw their reactions and called out, "Jamie, why aren't you with Uncle Nev?"

"His flowers are mad at me," James Sirius muttered and blinked up at Harry hopefully. "I can sit with you?"

Harry chuckled and asked, "Did you give them your Itching Powder again?"

James grinned sheepishly and nodded. Harry shook his head and said, "Fine, you can watch me teach. Would you like your wand?"

James' hazel-brown eyes shone with excitement and he nodded. "Yeah, Daddy! Clothes, too!"

Harry turned to his class and said, "Why don't you all start reading page 73? We'll practice the curse after I'm done here." He waved his wand over his three-year-old son and Transfigured his clothes to a small Gryffindor uniform. He checked the table's drawers for James' fake wand and pulled it out from under a stack of unmarked essays.

James squealed and cried out, "Daddy, glasses!"

Harry groaned and said, "Jamie, really?"

"Yeah, Daddy! I wanna be you!" James' words made the whole class smile at his cuteness. Harry shook his head and thought, 'George and Ron are definitely teaching him how to butter us up.'

When James had his tiny wand and glasses, he ran around the room and waved his fake wand at everyone, yelling, "Bow, peasants!"

Harry muttered, "That's definitely Ron's work..."

As James charmed all the students and Harry started teaching his class the Full Body-Bind Curse and how to counteract it, he thought of his life so far. He had never thought he would live past the age of seventeen, but he had. He never thought he would become a professor, but he had. He had never thought he would fall head over heels for his best friend, Hermione Granger, but he had. He had never thought his spontaneous decision to kiss her would ever lead to such a happy marriage and another child on the way, but it had.

Like Harry had told Hermione a long time ago to follow her heart, he had started teaching that philosophy to his students as well. Not a day went by when he wasn't grateful for his actions that fateful day. He had never been happier or more satisfied with his life, and he had Hermione to thank for that.

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