A full moon shone brightly in the night sky as a parade of Thestral-drawn carriages arrived at the gates of Hogwarts. Hermione watched from her window as clusters of witches and wizards flooded the castle, animatedly socializing with friends both old and new. Closely behind, Hagrid appeared with an assembly of nervous-looking first years, having separately traversed the glassy waters of the Black Lake as per tradition.

With the arrival of students as her cue, Hermione threw on her traditional black pointed hat and headed for the Great Hall. Beyond the delicious feast with which each school year began, the first night back at Hogwarts always consisted of the much-anticipated Sorting ceremony. On account of the three-year closure following the war, first years were not the only students in need of a house assignment. Second through fourth-year students, having attended alternative wizarding schools during the shutdown, were also to wear the hat that evening.

Arriving just before the onslaught of rambunctious teenagers, Hermione made her way to the staff table and took a seat beside an ecstatic Professor Sprout. The two mused over the challenge of learning so many new names, the elder witch joking that she struggled to remember her own those days.

As young witches and wizards filled the long tables of the Great Hall. Hermione noted that with the majority of students yet to be sorted, the traditional designation of each table to a specific house had been abandoned. Even the older students who'd attended Hogwarts in years past happily intermingled with friends belonging to different houses, much to the witch's pleasure. She'd always viewed the system of labeling and dividing students as somewhat questionable, but nevertheless had deeply appreciated the camaraderie it fostered within each house. The friendships she'd made in Gryffindor were lifelong.

Once the room had completely filled, Professor Flitwick walked to the front of the hall struggling to carry a four-legged stool and the extremely tattered-looking Sorting Hat. Upon his return to the High Table, the hat started belting his annual song with dramatic enthusiasm. The students and staff alike watched with delight as he sang of the four Hogwarts houses and their associated traits.

Immediately following the song, the sorting of one hundred and fifty-three witches and wizards began. In alphabetical order, the Sorting hat summoned each student to its stool, taking anywhere from milliseconds to several minutes to decide to which house they belonged. Cheers erupted throughout the hall as the hat cried "Gryffindor," "Ravenclaw," "Hufflepuff," or "Slytherin" for each child. Hours later, when the ceremony finally came to a close, McGonagall rose from her seat at the throne chair.

"Welcome, welcome young witches and wizards, to the long-awaited reopening of Hogwarts School," the collected voice of the headmistresses flooded the room. Similarly to Albus Dumbledore, her words commanded the attention of every presence within the Great Hall. She was truly an excellent and worthy successor.

"I am confident that you are all quite hungry by now, so please, let us begin our banquet!"

As Hermione began serving herself a hearty helping of roast chicken and potatoes, she was surprised to notice Snape entering the Great Hall for the first time that evening. It was only then that she realized he'd missed the entire Sorting ceremony.

She watched with stolen glances as the man attempted to approach the High Table unnoticed. However, as soon as he realized that the only remaining vacant seat was the one to her left, he froze in his tracks with an expression of conflict. Hermione presumed that he'd simply turn around and leave the way he entered, but she was surprised when he continued forward and filled the empty chair.

The tension could be cut with a knife as Snape began serving himself in silence. Hermione ate quietly to his side, anxiously racking her brain for something to say. It felt like years before the man had filled his plate and started eating, eyes fixed forward as though she weren't even there.

Quickly, Hermione's anxiousness turned to irritation. Why did the man continue to despise her after so many years? She couldn't recall doing anything deserving of such coldness, yet he continued to treat her like something on the bottom of his shoe. She wouldn't tolerate it any longer.

"Listen–"

"Good evening, Ms. Granger. Settling in well?"

Hermione was startled by Snape's sudden interjection. Though his gaze remained forward, he spoke in a calm, collected voice quite unlike the one she'd almost lashed at him with. His relaxed tone, however, didn't succeed in extinguishing her frustration.

"Professor Granger," she corrected, eyes widening as soon as the words left her mouth. An unreadable emotion flashed across Snape's features, but as quickly as she noticed it he'd repressed it.

"Of course," he agreed nonchalantly, pouring a glass of what Hermione identified to be elf-made wine. "Well, Professor, I trust that you've made yourself quite at home."

Hermione felt the air return to her lungs as the man appeared unbothered by the correction. Evidently, she needed to work on her temper.

"I have," she confirmed enthusiastically, attempting to compensate for her previous rudeness. "Though I will admit, it's odd to have my own quarters."

"You'll appreciate the hideaway," Snape promised, earning an amused chuckle from the woman beside him. She has a feeling he required far more time in solitude then she ever would.

"I'm certainly gaining a new perspective" Hermione commented thoughtfully, already having experienced several differences between life as a student and as a professor at Hogwarts.

Before Snape could respond, McGonagall was standing to make the usual beginning-of-the-year announcements. Having expected the interruption to serve as an out from a dreadfully uncomfortable conversation, Hermione was surprised to find herself quite at ease.

"New students, please take note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils," McGonagall declared sternly. She was far more serious than Dumbledore ever pretended to be. "Furthermore, magic is not to be used between classes in the corridors."

McGonagall went on to discuss a few more matters before concluding the opening feast with a sing-through of the school song. "Everyone pick your favorite tune," she instructed with a forced smile, personally unenthused by the strange tradition.

Hermione bellowed merrily, flooded by her enthusiasm for the year ahead. As long as Snape continued to be at least tolerant of her, she could only foresee a wonderful first year of teaching at Hogwarts. She was confident that the future was bright.

Thank you all for reading! I hope you've been enjoying reading this story as much as I have loved writing it! Please leave a review letting me know what you thought of the chapter. Much love, friends!