No Time for Epilogues
Chapter 24
Ron stopped at the bathroom door with a glass of wine and grinned at Hermione. She was in a tub of steaming bubbles, her steady gaze on her toes sticking out of the bubbles, lost in thought.
"Something on your mind?" he said.
She jumped a bit, loosening some hair from the hastily-arranged bun. He gave her the glass of wine. "Hmm, my favorite. Just stuff from work."
"Bad stuff?"
"Not bad, just a lot of it."
She told him about the Hippogriff proposal and the Pygmy Puff investigation. He laughed. "Your days sound so much more interesting than mine."
"Ron, you are part owner of the most successful magical novelty shop in Britain, it can't be all that dull."
"Well, today a kid knocked over the Never-Stop-Bouncing Ball display."
"The full size or minis?" she asked.
"The crate of minis," he said.
She chuckled at the thought of hundreds of little rubber balls bouncing uncontrollably around the store. "How did you stop all the balls?"
"The charm you used second year against those pixies."
"Give me a hand?" she said and extended her arm from the bubble bath. Ron helped her stand in case she slipped, like she did months ago. almost knocking herself out. She stood, rolled her neck and stretched, bubbles flowing from her body. He patted her dry with a towel and held a dressing gown for her to slip into.
"I love your body, you know that?" he murmured and pulled her close. She loved it when he said things like that. "Why do you even bother to put that on?"
"Habit," she said softly.
"Hmm...let's see if I can break the habit, shall we?" he said and banished the dressing gown.
"So I'm standing here naked as a jaybird, whilst you are fully dressed. That was a perfectly good gown."
"I've never seen a naked jaybird, not for long, and yes, it was," he said and slipped off his t-shirt. He loved it when she invented stuff to fuss about. She was fighting the urge to smile at his reply, lips quirking, arms crossed. She was trying to be serious, but the attempt was failing as Ron was trying to be alluring as he slowly undressed himself. When he finally stood there in his boxers, she couldn't suppress the giggles that bubbled from her. He wore purple satin boxers featuring cartwheeling goblins.
"Love, where do you get your boxers? They're...outrageous," she said.
"That's for me to know, for you to find out," he said and suddenly scooped her into his arms, making her squeal in surprise, and they went to the bedroom. Five feet six inches of sweet, complicated, smart, infuriating, sexy Hermione-how had he ever lived without this?
She spent the next week consulting with Hagrid about her class schedule, content and teaching methods.
"I'm not gonna tell yer' any perticler way ter teach the kids, you got yer own way, but most perfer hands on stuff, talkin' but not stuffy lekchers, summat that keeps ther attenshun," he said. "Think uf it thissaway, how'd yew perfur your classes?"
Monday December 2, 1998
Hermione woke early, donned her teaching robe and went to the kitchen to make coffee. She decided that she would take breakfast and lunch at Hogwarts. Her mum was already in the kitchen making coffee. "So Professor, ready for your first day?" she asked.
"I think so."
"What's in your lesson plans?"
"Well, the second years are studying familiars, the third years are studying rarely seen creatures, the fourth years-things like hippogriffs, bowtruckles, and pixies. The upper years are studying dark creatures such as vampires and werewolves."
"Sounds interesting."
"It is, I just hope I can make it interesting and that they learn something."
"That's exactly what a teacher would say," Elizabeth said.
Hermione was presented to the student body at breakfast to applause, cheering and whistling from those who knew her. The class schedules were posted outside the classroom door and were also posted at each house bulletin board:
CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES
Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday:
0830-0930 2nd Year 0830-0930 3rd Year 0830-0930 2nd Year
0945-1045 7th Year 1300-1400 7th Year 0945-1045 6th Year
1300-1400 5th Year 1300-1400 5th Year
Thursday: Friday:
0830-0930 3rd Year 0830-0930 4th Year
0945-1045 7th Year 0945-1045 6th Year
1300-1400 4th Year
Shortly before her first class, she took a deep breath and waited for the students to arrive. The classroom was one of the larger rooms, befitting the class size of 39. They came in, giving her appraising, weighing stares as they took their seats. She began her carefully rehearsed speech, one that Ron took the mickey out of her for when he caught her practicing in front of the mirror last week. She stormed out his flat in anger, ignoring the six calls on her phone, but reading the text message he left.
Sorry for teasing you, please come back so I can apologize properly. :[ Your git
"Good morning, my name is Hermione Granger, and I'll be taking over Hagrid's duties until he returns. I work at the Ministry of Magic in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. The best way for me to get to know you is by calling roll, so please answer when I call your name."
It took just five short minutes to call roll and class began. "I understand that you're studying familiars. Do any of you have a familiar?"
There were a few answers in the affirmative, but many offered that they had pets at home.
"Well, I have a familiar, and she's here with me today." She turned her head toward her office and called out, "Adan, come out, there's people for you to see." With a mew, she came from the office.
"How cute!" one girl exclaimed.
"She's kinda small, isn't she?" a boy asked.
She picked up the kitten that was winding around her legs. "Yes, she's the smallest one of the litter, which has absolutely nothing to do with her abilities or faculties as a kneazle familiar. Now, open your texts to page 88 so we can study further."
The class went well and she was pleased that the kids participated in the class and rewarded them with some cuddle time with Adan, who basked in their attention. Before she knew it, it was five minutes until the end of class.
"Okay, due by next class, I'll have one standard page of parchment about the summary on pages ninety one and ninety two. Any questions? If not, enjoy the rest of your day."
When the bell sounded, she sagged in relief. First class over! She wasn't entirely sure about how her teaching performance would be for the next class. They would be the seventh years, among them many who knew her. How would they take someone so close in age to themselves as a teacher? Most of the seventh years greeted her when they filed into the classroom. Ginny and Luna looked the most pleased to see her, and some of the wizards nodded in approval when they saw her. One last one rushed in as the bell was sounding, so she waited for him to get settled before she started.
"I know most of you, so calling roll won't be necessary. However, there are a few new faces, so just bear with me just a few minutes longer."
She strolled to a Ravenclaw in the front row that she didn't recognize. "And who might you be?" she asked.
"Pierre Rouen, I transferred from a private school in France."
"Vraiment? Je m'appelle Hermione Granger. Si on ne l'a pas dit déjà, soyez bienvenus à Hogwarts."
The boy, as well as many other students, were mesmerized as her words flew perfectly off her tongue. No other teacher knew French besides 'oui', 'non' and 'monsieur.' She got to know the other four unfamiliar students and continued with class.
"Let's be honest, shall we? How many of you are planning to take a NEWT for this subject?"
Six raised their hand. Ginny, Luna and the Head Boy among them. "Six?"
The others looked down at their desks. "No, don't misunderstand me. There is no right or wrong about what NEWT you decide to take or not take. It's your future, no one else's. I just need to decide on an appropriate level of work based on the NEWT load you're planning. I see no need to slave away in a class that you aren't taking a NEWT for, but don't get me wrong either; I still expect a top-notch performance from each of you while I'm here."
"That's fair," a boy said.
"And that's my first rule of class: I welcome and expect feedback and participation. If something doesn't make sense, ask. The only stupid question is one not asked. If I say something that seems totally off base to you, speak up, it's the best way for you to learn." She picked up the class text and flipped through it, stopping at chapter four. "Now, I see from Hagrid's lesson plan that you're supposed to start Werewolf study?"
She snapped the book shut.
"We don't need the book just yet. I assume you know who Remus Lupin was? Fenrir Greyback?"
The class nodded.
"Both were werewolves, but polar opposites in personality, which makes many of the theories and beliefs about them rubbish. Remus was a friend of mine, was frightening as a werewolf, but was one of the kindest, soft-spoken men I ever had the pleasure of knowing."
She paused to let the brief pang of grief pass. Are you alright all right? she saw Ginny mouth and gave a quick nod of her head in answer.
"On the other hand, Fenrir Greyback's human side was just as cruel and nasty, if not more so, than his werewolf side. As Remus used to say, some succumb to the beast within. Remus made use of a potion that he used faithfully every month to control the ferocity of his monthly transformation."
"Did Greyback ever use a potion?" one student asked.
"No. In fact, when the autopsy was done on his body, they found traces of illegal muggle and non-muggle substances that probably made his condition worse. He knew exactly who he was and what he was doing, and took joy in being the vilest man and most vicious werewolf possible."
"Gee Miss Granger, hostile much?" one boy asked.
"You have to understand that I was in Greyback's painful clutches less than a year ago and I won't begin to delve into the atrocities he threatened to inflict upon me. The point of my rambling is this: While werewolves are considered dark creatures, take into consideration whether the unfortunate man or woman aside from the wolf is dark before you pass judgment. Wizardkind was blind to the kind, caring man that Remus John Lupin was because of his affliction."
She glanced at the clock and was surprised to see that there was only seven minutes left of class.
"Your homework, due by next class is as such: on one page of standard parchment, give me an idea of your career plans, the NEWTS you plan to take, and a brief essay of your thoughts on werewolves. That's all, enjoy the rest of your day."
At lunch, Minerva took good look at Hermione, eating her meal as if it were her last. "How has your first day been?"
Hermione finished chewing and answered. "I'm exhausted, I'm starving and I hope I haven't scarred them for life."
"So, a normal day. Cake?"