Chapter 2

Two weeks later…

Severus had watched over Hermione for the last two weeks all without her knowing. He was sitting on a park bench with a Muggle newspaper spread out in front of him. Glancing over the top of it, he saw Hermione was still sitting at the picnic table. She looked a lot healthier than she had two weeks ago. He could tell she wasn't grieving for the man who had been her adoptive father, on the contrary, Hermione appeared to be turning herself around again. Her honey brown eyes had a spark in them now that used to be there, and Severus was very pleased to see that. He folded up the paper and stood. His job was done for now. She was safe, no one really knew where she was at the moment but for him and Albus. He didn't exactly tell Albus what he let happen in that house, but he did make sure that Albus was aware that the man got everything that was coming to him. Severus took one last look at the now sixteen year old and left the park.

X-X

Hermione sat at the picnic table in the Muggle park not far away from the boarding house she was staying at. Almost an adult, Hermione found herself, in rather an odd position. For one, she was too old to be adopted and another, too young to be solely on her own. The boarding house only took in young women. The elderly couple rented out bedrooms at a small price.

The judge agreed with the boarding house, he had sent another young woman there a year before. This young lady was out on her own now and doing rather well for herself in the business world. And in his chambers, had told her she reminded him a lot of this young lady.

She watched as the kids played around the park, the swings and seesaw joining in the entrancing symphony called life around her. Hermione wasn't really paying attention to all the birds or other things. She was now figuring out how she was going to get by on her last two years of schooling with what little money her adoptive parents had left.

She scribbled away on the pad figuring out the expenditures. The credit cards that had to be paid, the funeral. Everything had worked out well on that behalf. Because all the debts her parents had incurred were well taken care of. The sale of the house insured that. She figured out the exchange rate for Muggle to wizarding money and figured she barely could afford the next two years at school if she was careful and didn't buy everything new.

The afternoon was slowly fading away and the children in the park had left to go home. The hoot of an owl caught her attention at last. She looked around and saw it in the tree above her. It was one of the Hogwarts owls and he shook out his leg and the letter dropped in front of her. Hermione recognized the scrawl of that of Professor McGonagall, she opened the letter.

Dear Miss Granger,

Tomorrow you will be receiving a tutor to help you catch up on your grades. This past year of your schooling was rather, shall we say, not up to your standard. The other professors have agreed that extra tutoring will put you back up in form. Mr. Toliver, is an excellent tutor, and works inside the Muggle world. He comes highly recommended through the Ministry for such causes that need extra handling. I hope everything is going well with your father and yourself. If you need anything feel free to write back.

Professor McGonagall.

Hermione looked back at the address, it didn't have her new one, not that of the boarding house, it was still addressed to the family home she had grown up in. Hermione looked back up at the owl and coxed him down so she could send a reply. Which she wrote on normal paper and with a Muggle pen.

Professor McGonagall,

Below is my new address, I currently no longer live in said home that I grew up in. And my father, well, let's just say, he isn't around anymore. Please give Mr. Toliver the new address. I'm fine, and I'll make sure to do the studying seeing as I have nothing else to do.

Hermione Granger.

Hermione attached the letter and watched as the owl headed off. Picking up her belongings she headed back to the boarding house. It wasn't the best in the world, but at least she had a room of her own. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had been wonderful to her so far. As soon as she walked in the door, Mrs. Johnson was wiping her hands on her apron. Her gray hair swept up in a bun on the back of her head.

"Feel up to some brownies, just made a fresh batch." Her face was full of smiles.

Hermione couldn't say no to her, not having known her own grandparents at all.

The night passed rather quickly and sooner than she hoped it had become tomorrow and Mr. Toliver had arrived.

He had brown hair and dressed in a business suit, carried a black leather suitcase. Hermione showed him into the sitting room and felt uncomfortable with him as soon as she saw him.

She didn't like his eyes for one, he had small dark brown beady little eyes that followed her around the room.

"Well, it would appear that you have found yourself in need of a tutor. Where are your books?" His deep voice demanded.

"Up in my room."

"Go get them." He commanded her.

"But this is a Muggle house." She whispered back to him.

"I can see rather well Miss Granger, I know what it is, now go get them."

Hermione complied and retrieved her books from the upstairs bedroom that had been given to her. Mr. Toliver transfigured each book into looking like normal ordinary Muggle texts but when Hermione opened them she could tell they were still her tests from school.

Over the next several days Mr. Toliver grilled her on her knowledge of what she knew and what she didn't. Hermione had settled into a pattern with Mr. Toliver and at the end of the week signed the paper that would pay his expenses for his tutoring.

This continued on for several weeks then she received a letter in the mail that floored her. It was from her bank stating that she had over drawn and a fee was now being issued for the over draft. Hermione called her bank, she argued for several hours with them. Mr. Toliver had left the day before stating she was all caught up for the beginning of sixth year. And all the drafts she discovered had been taken because of her tutor, Mr. Toliver.

Hermione slammed the phone down and went up to her room.

Hermione threw herself on the bed, she had no money. No money to pay for her tuition at Hogwarts this year. The tutor took the rest of the money she had left and left her owing the bank. She cried well into the night. She had four weeks to come up with money for Hogwarts. The rest of August to do so. Sometime well into the early morning hours, Hermione decided she would just have to find a job.