Hermione spun around in a slow circle. She was standing in the middle of a field with blue sky above her and curious sheep inching closer. Around her she saw green soft rolling hills and flowers sprouting up where ever they could, it was lovely and serene. Hermione knew she loved it right away.
McGonagall put a hand on Hermiones shoulder.
"It is beautiful is it not lass, I love my Scotland, but Wales has a certain kind of magic to it, almost as if it was a part of the very air around you."
Hermione could only nod with a big smile on her face. After picking up her luggage they both strolled down a small path leading up to a hill. Behind a row of trees a lovely old mansion stood proudly as it had for hundreds of years. It was made out of sand colored stone and even though it was evident it needed some tender loving care, it was very stately. It had a circular driveway leading up to it, and McGonagall and Hermione walked up it leisurely so that Hermione could take in the views all around her. And if she was honest with herself, to steady her nerves.
Hermione had always found it hard to meet new people, her relationships with others usually started out awkwardly. After the war she found that to be one of the greatest disadvantages that she had. While the boys were happy being celebrated as heroes mingling at feasts and chatting with anyone and everyone that wanted to talk to them, Hermione had found it hard to know what to say. She was quickly labeled standoffish or even rude. But Hermione had simply had a hard time with having to many demands on her time. One day she had seen friends die, and on the next, the wizarding society expected her to dazzle them all with stories of her heroism and trials. But all she had wanted was to hide away, heal and finally after several years of situations no child should be put in, just be herself.
It had not even been a year after the fall of Voldemort that she retreated from society and moved back to Hogwarts, it was the only place she would be left alone. Sure, the students often whispered about the famous Hermione Granger when they thought she could not hear them. But after a while everyone was used to her, and she could enjoy her life mainly buried in books and scientific papers, occasionally meeting up with her few friends.
The boys had their own families now though, and even though she loved them dearly, their meet ups got more and more rare.
Enough daydreaming though, the door of the mansion got closer and closer.
McGonagall walked up the few steps in front of the door and gave the ring shaped doorknocker a tap with her wand. The doorknocker briefly lit up and a soft chime was heard from the other side of the door.
A yelling inside the mansion made Hermiones heart stop, it was a voice she had been sure she would never hear again.
"Wiggly, Wiggly! If the door chimes, that means people are at the door! Where is that damn elf?!"
The door flew up and in the doorway black eyes met Hermiones brown ones.
Neither of them moved and it was hard to guess who was more surprised. McGonagall stood to the side with a content smile on her lips.
"I assume that neither of you need to be reintroduced, now stop looking like a statue Severus and invite us in."
McGonagalls little speech was said with a withheld laugh and she enjoyed the two others confusion far too much.
Snape took a step back when McGonagall approached to let her in and then turned back towards Hermione and tried to get back his famous composure.
"Well Miss Granger, I assume it is still Miss. I have never known you to be this quiet, I am enjoying it for sure, but I guess you should come in."
Snapes harsh words snapped Hermione back to herself and she gave Snape a curt nod and walked past him into the mansion.
While her heart was beating and her mind was racing a hundred miles a minute, the man turning around to look at her as she walked in to his home had a racing heart that matched hers and had to take a slow breath before his habitual scowl could come back to his face.
