Disclaimer: I wish I owned harry potter, but sadly that isn't the case…
Hermione made her way down to breakfast alone that morning…she had slept in, thanks to a late night of chatting with the girls in her dorm. She arrived just in time for the end of breakfast. 'Great, now I'll have to wait until lunch' she thought.
Finding Harry and Ron at the table she sat down. As she started talking to them, she glanced down the table and saw Severus Jr. She waved at him as she continued her conversation with the boys, flashing him a small smile. She felt his returned smile, and it warmed her.
Dumbledore had stood up at the Head Table, and announced for there to be quiet.
"I have an announcement to make," he announced. "As I'm sure many of you have noticed, we are short a well-known Professor. It saddens me to say that Severus Snape will not be joining us anymore."
A collective gasp covered the Great Hall, followed by much chatter.
Hermione could see Ron and Harry trying not to smile. She rolled her eyes at them, then focused on what Dumbledore was saying, curious.
Dumbledore tapped his goblet, and a hush fell over the crowd once more. "I'm sure all of you will undoubtedly be wondering who shall be teaching you the rest of the year. Severus Snape left behind who he wished to teach his class after he left. Someone he felt competent enough to teach you all…in fact, he told me himself he wouldn't trust anyone else to teach his class."
Harry, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other. Who would Snape find to be capable enough to start where he had left off? Where was Professor Snape? What was going on? Who would be there new Potions teacher? Would they be fair?
"It is with great pleasure that I announce your new teacher. I daresay you all know her, and I agree with Professor Snape in her ability to teach you all. Miss Granger, would you come up here please?"
Hermione was frozen in place. What the hell was going on?
More chatter was flowing through the Great Hall, and it seemed everyone was looking at Hermione for some sort of reaction, wondering why Snape would choose a student to take over his classes? And for that matter, why would he choose a Gryffindor?
"Hermione, what are you waiting for? Get up there!" Ginny hissed at her from across the table.
Hermione shook her head, terrified. Her? A teacher at Hogwarts? She was still in her seventh year! How could she be expected to be a teacher?
"Would Hermione Granger please come up to the Head Table and take her seat?" Dumbledore asked again, a little less patient, but still with that twinkle in his eyes.
She searched the eyes of her friends at the table, and settled on Severus Jr. His father had found her competent enough to take over his Potions class. Finding strength she didn't know she had, Hermione stood from her table in the Great Hall and walked towards Dumbledore, wondering if anyone would notice if she turned and ran in the other direction. Somehow, she thought they would.
She reached Dumbledore, and he led her to her seat at the Head Table. "Welcome," he said, "Professor Granger."
………………………………………………………………………………………
"Professor Granger," she tried. No, that's not it. "Pro-fess-or Gran-ger!"
Hermione hung her head. How was she going to do this? At that moment she wanted to kill Severus Snape. Okay, not kill…but torture was a pleasant alternative. She would rip every hair off that man's chest for doing this to her. Shaking her head, she stopped herself from thinking of Snape's chest. And the hair on it. 'Does he even have a hairy chest? Or is he one of those men that have no hair except the trail mix leading to…' Hermione mentally slapped herself for thinking such things about her Professor. Or ex-Professor, as it were.
"Hermione Granger," a tiny voice squeaked.
Hermione turned to see Dobby with a piece of parchment in his fist.
"Hello, Dobby,' she said warmly. She'd always liked Dobby. The first house-elf she'd ever known to achieve freedom, and to not be ashamed of it. She admired him.
"I'm sorry," he said. "That was rude of me! Professor Granger!" He smacked himself in the head. "Stupid Dobby! Stupid!"
Okay, so he still had his flaws.
Hermione crouched down, holding each of his arms away from himself. "It's ok Dobby. I'm not even that comfortable calling myself Professor just yet." She stood up. "Now, what is that you're holding?"
Dobby extended his hand to her shakily. "It's a letter from the…from Professor Snape. He left it to, well, he left it to you."
Hermione took the letter from him, holding it with both hands. "Thank you, Dobby. Was that all?"
"That is all, Miss Hermione," he said, and with a pop, he vanished.
Hermione sat on her new bed. She'd been moved to Professor Snape's old chambers, seeing as how she was now a member of the teaching staff. She was to put all of her attentions on her Potions classes, and if she succeeded in teaching the class, she would receive full marks in all of her classes. At least, that's what Dumbledore had said that Snape had told him. She trusted both of them as men of their words.
The whereabouts of Professor Snape was still bugging her. Where had he gone? Was it for the Order? Or the other? Why had he left her in charge of his classes? Surely there was someone more qualified and competent…and older than her. Not that she didn't love Potions. Or that she'd never thought of becoming a teacher. She had dreamed that one day she could have that honor. But certainly not this quick. Not while she was still a student herself.
Resigning herself to the fact that both Dumbledore and Snape were insane, she exited her chambers and headed to her first class.
She found herself becoming more and more surprised with herself. Teaching really wasn't that far from being a student she realized. The only difference was, she got to ask the questions, she got to give points, and she got to tell people to be quiet or to behave.
She got the most pleasure in her job when it came time for the seventh years to have their Potions class. She'd been looking forward to this. It had been too long since they'd had a fair Potions class. There would be no favoring in this class, especially not to the Slytherins. One Slytherin in particular.
Why Dumbledore had let Malfoy continue schooling after he'd attempted to kill the Headmaster was beyond Hermione, but nevertheless, she still had to teach him. That didn't mean she had to be easy on him.
The first time he'd decided to be smart with her, he'd been sorry afterward. After she assigned him a ten-foot long essay on the bowel movements of trolls, he'd been silent for the rest of the class. Though, she was sure the incompetent wizard had been trying to nonverbally curse her for the duration of his stay in the dungeons.
Hermione found herself enjoying being a teacher. A professor. An educator. She loved it. Why would Snape give this up?
She had forgotten about the letter he'd written. It had resided in the inside pocket of her robes all day. The first chance she got to read it was after supper, when she was alone in her chambers.
Dear Hermione,
I'm sure that you waited until the end of the day to read this, knowing you, you would never put something off just to read something written by an old Professor. You are no doubt wondering why I selected you, of all people, to carry on teaching my classes, should something happen that I am unable to teach it. Well, I must confess, I struggled with this decision. There are many Potions Masters and Mistresses that would be perfectly suited to teach at Hogwarts, but none as gifted nor as entranced with knowledge, and that is why I selected you. You have a way with learning, and with teaching…which is why some of the students in our Potions classes, who shall remain nameless, are still able to be in the higher Potions class.
You more than deserve this position, and I am sure you will come to enjoy it as I have, though I never really show it, do I?
I only hope that you are a better Professor than I have been, I'm sure you will be. Be fair, but firm. Don't let them walk all over you, but don't become jaded like I.
I would also like to point out that you have no obligation to remain in your post. If you find that being a teacher is too hard, or simply boring, feel free to voice your concerns to Dumbledore, and he will find a suitable replacement…though I truly hope that is unnecessary. You are an amazing witch, a bright star shining in the darkest of nights, Hermione, never forget that.
Sincerely,
Severus Snape
Hermione was shocked, to say the least. She had never expected all that, especially from Severus Snape. He thought she was gifted, he had faith that she could teach his class, above all others. He called her an amazing witch. Hermione's heart leapt. She no longer wanted to kill him, she decided. Now, she wanted to kiss him…in a purely professional manner, of course.
