Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews you've all left me. Not to mention the amount of people that have favourited, followed etc already.
I won't normally be posting this frequently, but I'm feeling generous so decided not to leave you waiting for too long for this.
Here's chapter two...
Chapter Two - Shopping
Hermione looked around her a little confused. As far as she could see they were in muggle London in Oxford street. It seemed like an odd location to go shopping; she'd assumed they would have gone to Diagon Alley or somewhere similar. After all, weren't they shopping for school books and equipment?
Correctly interpreting the look on Hermione's face, Minerva explained. "While things such as University robes and equipment will be provided for us, toiletries and the like no longer will. And as I now have nothing in my wardrobe that I can actually wear, clothes are also on the agenda. Albus has been kind enough, or foolish enough depending how you look at it, to provide me with one of these silly plastic things." She waved a credit card about. "So everything we need is covered. I assume you too will need some basic bathroom items?"
Hermione nodded.
"Of course if you'd prefer not to participate in the clothes shopping then that's perfectly fine. But I'm not going to deny that a little help would probably not go amiss."
Hermione assured her she'd be more than happy to help and then they decided that it would be best to start with toiletries as that part at least should be relatively simple. And so they headed into the local supermarket where Hermione and Minerva both selected some shampoo, conditioner, a toothbrush, toothpaste, shower gel, bubble bath, soap, deodorant, and a variety of other basics. It was only after they had finished all of this that Hermione sensed Minerva was hesitating over something. Trying to work out what it might be she took a guess and went for "I'm going to go and find a razor, would you like me to pick you up one as well?"A nod. Although she didn't receive any verbal response the older witch didn't seem especially bothered about it which led Hermione to believe that there was something else that Hermione had forgotten that was causing Minerva to become embarrassed at the prospect of buying it. Or at least buying it with Hermione in tow. "Matilda, is something wrong?"
"No nothing's wrong I'm just, um, I'm going to pop to the isle for lady things."Minerva was slightly pink and staring in the direction of another isle to their left. It took Hermione a few seconds and a glance in the direction that Minerva was looking in to work out what it was she had been talking about. "Oh you mean like pads and tampons and things?"
A nod and blush. Hermione was pretty surprised that something like that was causing such embarrassment, but then again at eighty it probably wasn't something that Minerva had had to deal with for a while."I already have quite a bit so just get whatever you need. I'm sure we'll be able to pop out when we need extras anyway." And with that she turned and headed towards the razors, allowing the older witch some privacy.
She did take a sneaky look in the basket when she threw the razors in and raised her eyebrows slightly. Perhaps a conversation she could have with the older witch some other time. Or maybe not. Hermione reprimanded herself, reminding the part of her brain that kept forgetting that although she was now in an eighteen year old's body, Minerva was still her Head of House; and there were some conversations that you just could not have with her.
Once Minerva had paid they headed for the first of the clothes shops. Despite now having the body of an eighteen year old Minerva was very reluctant to show any of it, and finding outfits that she liked but that didn't reveal too much or make her look far older than her eighteen years was almost impossible. After they left the forth shop Minerva was yet to pick anything and Hermione was beginning to become impatient with the older witch.
"Matilda we are never going to get anywhere if you don't start making this a little easier."
The moment that she'd opened her mouth Hermione immediately regretted it. She turned bright red, unable to believe she'd just snapped at the deputy head like that. Of course she didn't look like Minerva McGonagall anymore, but that didn't mean she didn't deserve the same respect as she would usually have expected. "I, I'm so sorry."Hermione's words were shaky and she felt close to tears.
Instead of doing what Hermione expected though and losing her temper, Minerva sighed softly and looked slightly embarrassed. "Please don't apologise Miss Gr… Ezra. Please don't apologise Ezra. I know that I'm being completely intolerable today. None of this is your fault and you've been put into exactly the same position as me; I have no right to take out my anger at Albus on you."
Hermione nodded and then said softly. "It's fine. But for what it's worth, I don't think Professor Dumbledore means any harm. We really are the only option he has."
"I wish I could have your understanding and tolerance"Minerva replied quietly. "But if you'll forgive me for my behaviour up until now, then perhaps we could start the clothes shopping over. I am an old woman stuck in a young woman's body and even more stuck in her old woman ways. I really have no idea what I need to wear to fit in, but I trust that you'll find clothes for me that will be perfect."
After that Minerva was as good as her word. As they revisited the shops they'd been in before, she patiently allowed Hermione to pick out a range of tank tops, t-shirts, shirts and jeans out for her. She also let the younger women select a couple of pairs of converse, some flat ballet pumps, and a pair of simple ankle boots. She didn't even object while Hermione picked out a couple of summer dresses, a selection of cardigans, a couple of coats, and some skirts. When they had finished they popped into a deserted bathroom so Minerva could shrink all of their bags and place them into her handbag.
Bags safely tucked away they headed for a small cafe where they both ordered a large mug of coffee and a sandwich. When they sat down to eat Minerva explained what was to happen next.
"I'm going to apparate us both to the University entrance and then we're to go in and register. We will then be shown to our rooms. Our schedules are free until we have to go to the yearly opening feast around midday tomorrow. Lessons don't actually start until next week so once that's over we'll have the rest of Friday and the weekend to settle in. Albus has assured me that we will remain close throughout our time so I imagine we're in the same lectures. You of course are free to do as you please but I would prefer if you at least informed me of your location so that I can keep an eye from a distance. At sixteen you shouldn't really be wandering around alone. He's also told us we'll be sleeping near one another so that if anything should happen during the night I will be, and I"m quoting Albus here 'more than close enough to assist'. I imagine that means we'll have rooms next to one another. I hope that's okay with you?"
"Of course" Hermione replied, before taking a sip of her coffee.
They sat in silence for some time before they had both finished their food and drinks and were ready to leave. This time Minerva held onto her whole arm, rather than just her hand. Hermione wasn't sure whether it was for her benefit, or for the benefit of the witch next to her, who seemed to be a little off balance.
WIWW - WIWW - WIWW - WIWW
"Excuse me, what exactly do you mean when you say this is OUR room?" Minerva snapped at the older student entrusted to show them to where they'd be staying for the next year.
"I know it's unusual for anyone to share, but unfortunately as you were both so late to apply there was only this one room left. I spoke to Professor Dumbledore regarding the situation and he said that you wouldn't mind sharing. That you'd known each other for years and so if I added another bed to the room then it would be more than acceptable."
Hermione looked around the room. The bedroom, kitchen area and bathroom were all open planned. She seriously doubted that even Ron and Harry would find it acceptable to share such an open living space. But not wanting to draw too much attention to them that early on she quickly said "of course, it's not a problem at all. If you wouldn't mind leaving us to unpack now…"
Taking the hint the older girl left quickly, trying not to look at Minerva who looked pretty much ready to explode.
After she left Minerva spun to face Hermione. "Miss… Holmes. I think I'm going to have to leave you to unpack. There is a headmaster somewhere that I have to murder. 'More than close enough', is he serious? I know I wanted us to be near to one another so that I could make sure you were safe but really… I don't think a bathroom door would hamper that."
"Then create one" Hermione said simply.
Minerva shook her head. "These rooms will be blocked against that sort of transfiguration. I'm really going to have to talk to someone this is just not workable."
Before Hermione had a chance to object she had already stormed out of the door.
WIWW - WIWW - WIWW - WIWW
Thirty minutes later she reappeared with tears in her eyes. Hermione wanted to get up and go and put her arms around her but wasn't sure how well that would go down. So instead she looked at her in a manner that she hoped portrayed both her curiosity and her sympathy.
"Well apparently I have no choice in the matter. Every other room is taken. We either both live here, or one of us needs to leave."
Hermione spoke softly as she said,"I'm sorry. What Professor Dumbledore has done is completely unfair."She knew that she probably shouldn't talk about the Headmaster like that, but really, did he genuinely think this was a reasonable situation to put them both in?
She looked up and as their eyes meet, Minerva's emotions finally got the better of her and the tears she'd been holding back all day began streaming down her cheeks. "I can't do this Hermione, I just can't. Up until a few hours ago you were my student. Up until a few hours ago I was a grown woman that had spent her entire life alone. Now I'm an eighteen year old child that cannot even use the bathroom in privacy. I cannot do this. I really cannot do this."
Hermione knew she should have corrected the use of her name, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Instead she pulled the older woman into a hug, slowly enough that Minerva could have stopped her if she wasn't comfortable with it. But for the first time that day she really was just a scared, vulnerable and angry eighteen year old. So instead of objecting, she allowed Hermione to hold her while she continued to speak.
"But there's no going back. The moment that I took that blasted potion it changed everything. Now I'm stuck in this stupid body with all these problems that I haven't had to deal with for years. My temper has become shorter, my emotions are all over the place, and I can feel hormones that I forgot even existed pumping around my entire body. I want to scream and cry and go and find someone to kiss all at the same time. And it's humiliating. You are my student, you shouldn't see me in this state. My teenage years were bad enough once, I cannot go through that again, certainly not with you watching my every move. It was bad enough being judged by those around me when I really was just an eighteen year old school girl. I really…" but whatever the end of her sentence was Hermione never found out. Minerva was now chocking on her own tears, unable to breath well enough to go on.
Rubbing her back tenderly Hermione hushed her softly until her crying had subsided a little. She then moved them both over to a bed and sat Minerva down next to her. She curled up her legs and turned to face the woman next to her. "The situation we're in is almost impossible. I know that, and if it's any consolation the prospect of you witnessing all of my most vulnerable moments isn't hugely appealing to me either. But you're right, we can't change it. We've taken the potions now so there's no going back. Whether we like it or not we've signed over the next year of our life. How easy or hard this is will depend entirely on whether or not we can both get past the awkwardness of this. Yes, you were my Professor and I was your student. Yes you were a woman in your eighties and I was just a sixteen year old girl. But all you have of that life now are your memories. Because you no longer have either the body or the mind of the woman you used to be. You will get it back, but not until our twelve months are up. In the meantime you have become eighteen again and it is just as real an experience as the first time you were eighteen. I have no idea what you went through then, but I can assure you that nothing that happens in the next year will make me judge you, or will make me respect you any less when in a years time you return to being my professor."
Some sniffing was all she received for a while until. "I was so bad at this stage of my life Hermione. I was bright and did well academically, but… what you have to remember is that we were at war from pretty much the moment I started Hogwarts until my final year. I went from being a child to an adult, there was no in between. So I didn't do the normal things that teenagers did. And any attempts that I did make led only to humiliation and ridicule. By the time that I left Hogwarts I had already given up any hope of a normal life. I never had another proper relationship once I left school and I went straight from teacher training back to Hogwarts. I couldn't cope the first time around, I'm not going to cope any better the second time. All I'm going to do is cause myself further humiliation. Except this time it will be you that witnesses it. You that watches me fail socially, that laughs at all of the things I haven't done because I'm just a swot and a know it all and a pathetic loser."
Hermione fought back her own tears. In that moment she both hated Dumbledore and also had a huge amount of respect for him. She was angrier with him than she ever thought possible for doing this to her beloved professor; for putting her in a place where she fell apart so easily. But she was also starting to understand what he meant earlier about them going on a journey over the next year that wasn't just about preventing harm to those at the University.
None of this she could share with the woman next to her, at least not then anyway. So instead she placed her arm back around her; for the first time wondering if maybe she'd bitten off more than she could chew when she agreed to do this.
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I hate making McG so emotional. But I guess the way I see it her body and mind are both still adapting to being eighteen again and so for the moment all of her usual temperaments will be especially heightened.
As to how I see this story progressing - obviously something is going to happen between the pair but I see this almost more as a coming of age story. It's going to be gritty and real and probably an M rating at some point. There will be no subject untouched, and I won't shy away from any of the realities they would go through. But I hope that it's also going to have an element of humour to it because I don't want it to be really depressing haha.
Please keep letting me know what you think.