I'm trying to get this out because I have a research paper due, two chapters for history due, a solo band festival, and our big band festival is in two weeks. So if it takes me a while to update I'm sorry. They will be back in Hogwarts in this chapter. I originally planed to wait a little but best to keep things going. Afraid there's not much Minerva in this chapter it's mostly from Hermione's point of view.
Disclaimer: see last chapter.
Minerva was wearing her hair in a low ponytail, had a knit ski cap on her head, and was decked out with muggle clothes and scarf. She was escorting Hermione back to platform 9 and ¾'s. They both decided that it was best for Hermione to ride the train that way no one suspected anything. Minerva pulled her hat down lower to cover her face as they went though the wall. Hermione looked up at her and laughed at her antics.
"What? Do I look funny?" Minerva asked as they walked next to the train.
"You're acting funny." Hermione explained grinning. They had reached on of the entrances to the train.
"Sorry for not wanting to be recognized." She pulled Hermione into a secluded corner of the station and bent down. "Now you have everything right?"
"Yes you went though everything three times." Hermione said smiling.
"Give me a break I'm new at this." She said straighting Hermione's scarf.
"Plus if I did forget anything, you or dad can get it." Hermione said knowingly. Minerva smiled at her. Albus had been thrilled when they got home from the court case to discover that Minerva wasn't the only one with a new name. Though Hermione did slip back sometimes.
"All right, and remember the rules. It's back to Professor and you can come see me at any time after dinner you just have to be a little careful ok?" Minerva asked her.
"I know." She said.
"Okay sweetie I think I see Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. Go meet up with them. I'll see you tonight." Hermione gave Minerva a hug which she returned happily.
"Love you baby." Minerva told her.
"Love you to mommy." She said smiling before she ran over to Harry and Ron. Minerva gave one last smile and when no one was looking apparated away.
"Hey Hermione." Both of the boys said as Hermione wheeled her trolley up. "Was that your mom?" Harry asked.
"Hello guys." She said beaming "And yes that was my mom. Have a nice holiday?" She asked as they loaded their trunks into an empty compartment.
"Yeah Ron's family is crazy." Harry told her. "I don't think I've every eaten so much food before." He said groaning. They got all the trucks up and sat down.
"How was your Christmas Hermione?" Ron asked pulling scabbers out of his pocket and letting the rat lay on the couch.
"Great I had a lot of fun." She said. She pulled out her charms book and started flipping though it till she found what she was looking for. She marked the page and pushed the book to the side. "Okay lets get down to business." She said. Harry and Ron both looked up and grinned.
"So we are doing to do it tonight?" Harry asked.
"Yes a that way a lot of the older students will be out of the room when we interrogate Malfoy."
"What time should we meet in moaning Myrtles bathroom?" Ron asked. Hermione pondered this before replying.
"Well the feast will go till nine and it starts at 7. Malfoy will probably leave around 8. We should probably meet in the bathroom at 7:45 to get ready. I'll leave around 7:30 to get it ready. We just have to make sure Crabbe and Goyle can't bust in on us." She said.
"Well how do we do that?" Ron asked.
"I got it all figured out. Over break I found a sleeping charm in our charms book. It's simple but it should knock them out for at least an hour." She pulled out the book and showed them. "When the food trolley comes around we buy to pumpkin pastry's then but the charm on the cakes. We just have to make sure Crabbe and Goyle find them and then you two stuff them in a closet." Hermione explained. Harry and Ron looked at her with wide eyes.
"You really thought this out." Ron said.
"No dip Sherlock." Was her reply. Ron looked confused.
"Why'd you call me Sherlock. I'm Ron." He said looking at Hermione as if she was crazy. Hermione stared at him.
"Really Ron, you've never heard of Sherlock Holmes?" Hermione stared. "Or heard of that expression."
"No who's Sherlock Holmes?" He asked. Hermione stared at him and mumbled something that sounded like wizards. Harry laughed.
"Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character who solved mysteries. When ever someone says no dip Sherlock they are calling you stupid for not realizing something." Hermione explained. "It's hard to explain."
"Oh." Ron said. "I don't get it." He said after a minute. Harry laughed again and Hermione just put her head in her hands exasperated. The food trolley came a few minutes later and they bought some snacks. Ron and Harry ate some fizzing wizbees while Hermione performed the charm on the cakes. She handed them over to the boys.
"Remember don't eat them." She warned and they nodded. "Oh one more then when you get rid of Crabbe and Goyle you need to pull a few of their hairs." They nodded in understanding. The rest of the train ride was spent talking about various things.
The golden trio walked into the great hall with excited smiles. They were all happy to be back at the castle. When they were seated at the Gryffindor table Hermione turned to look up at her new parents. She caught Minerva's eye and smiled. The train ride had been the longest Hermione had been away from Minerva since the trial. Minerva smiled back and nodded slightly back at her. Hermione smiled at Albus to who gave a small smile to. As Hermione looked back at her still empty plate she felt nervous about what she and the guys were doing tonight. She didn't want to let Minerva and Albus down, and she did feel uneasy that she was doing this right under their noses. She shook away the thoughts, nothing would go wrong. She planned for everything.
Albus stood up and made his customary start of term speech. Than all the food appeared on the tables and the feast began. The trio dug in happily for 30 minutes until Hermione stood up to leave.
"Well I'm going to the library." She announced to Harry and Ron. They had rehearsed this on the train ride.
"Already Merlin's beard, why so soon." Ron asked pigging out.
"There is a book I want to get before someone else does. This will be that best time to go get it." She said and walked out of the great hall. Up at the head table Minerva noticed Hermione get up and brought it to Albus's attention.
"Where is she going?" Minerva asked her husband whispering so the teacher next to her wouldn't hear.
"Probably the library, you remember how excited she was to get back in there." He said softly. "But if you're concerned send Twinky to tell Hermione to come see you tonight." She nodded at his words.
"Yes I'll do that." She said and sat back to enjoy the rest of the feast. Hermione meanwhile had reached moaning Myrtles bathroom.
"Hello Myrtle." She said entering the bathroom.
"Hello." The ghost said floating up to Hermione as she pulled the potion out of its hiding place.
"Has the potion been okay?" Hermione asked stirring it, and checking the potion in the book.
"Yes hehe, I did my job well. I made sure no one messed with it. Is that cute black haired by Harry coming back." She asked softly. Hermione chuckled.
"Yeah he'll be here soon. Were using the potion tonight." Hermione explained.
"Okay" Myrtle said and the ghost giggled again and floated above Hermione. About 10 minutes later Harry and Ron showed up with Slytherin robes and holding hairs.
"Is it ready? Malfoy looked like he was about ready to leave." Harry told her. They pulled on the slytherin robes.
"Yes." Hermione told him putting the potion into three separate cups. "Now you add the hairs." Harry and Ron added there's right away and Hermione pulled hers out of the test tube it was in. As she pulled the hair out she noticed something different about it. It was way to short to be Bulstrodes. In fact it looked like cat hair. She stared at it and realized that it was cat hair. She never would have recognized it if she hadn't seen Minerva walk around in her cat form. And although Hermione would never tell her mother this she left hairs every where. She put her glass down. Harry and Ron noticed.
"Are you not putting your hair in?" Harry asked. She shook her head.
"It's cat hair I just noticed I can't take the potion. You two go ahead in the stalls and change I'll clean this up and wait for you to come back." She told them. Harry and Ron nodded and went into separate stalls and drink the potion. Hermione stood by the sinks and wondered what it tasted like as she heard them moan. When Crabbe and Goyle came out she gasped.
"Do we really look like them?" Harry/Goyle asked. Hermione nodded and they looked at each other.
"Wicked." Ron/Crabbe said.
"Now go you have an hour." Hermione told them and they ran out. Hermione did the clearing charm on the potion and put everything in the secret hiding spot. Tomorrow she would move it back to the potion class room.
"What would have happened if you took the potion with the cat hair?" Myrtle asked.
"I probably would have turned into a giant human cat." Hermione told her and Myrtle laughed at that mental picture. Hermione had just put everything away when Twinky popped in.
"Hi little miss." The house elf said. Moaning Myrtle fled to a stall.
"Hi Twinky what's up." Hermione asked.
"Professor McGonagall wishes to talk with you before curfew." Twinky said making sure to call her mistress Professor.
"Okay Twinky tell her I'll be there soon." Twinky nodded and disappeared. Myrtle came back out.
"How do you know a house-elf." Myrtle asked. Hermione thought quickly. Minerva had explained what the house-elf's do at Hogwarts and she used that as an excuse.
"I fell asleep in the common room once, when I woke up I saw Twinky cleaning." Hermione explained.
"Oh." Myrtle replied she hadn't really cared. Hermione checked her watch. The boys still had half an hour left.
"Myrtle can you tell the boys where I went when they come back. You can tell them I'll met them in the common room." Hermione asked.
"Can you tell Harry he can share my toilet when ever he wants?" She asked with a giggle. EW Hermione thought but she nodded and smiled.
"Sure I can. Thank you Myrtle." She said and left the bathroom. She took a run to the libarary to check out a book quickly. Than she ran down the steps to the first floor where the Transfiguration classroom was. She let herself right into the classroom and went to the portrait of a red horse behind Minerva's desk.
"Owlet." She said smiling. That had become Albus's nickname for her over the break. Minerva had made that her password because she liked the name so much. She entered and looked around in awe she had never been in here before. Every thing was in Gryffindor colors rich golds and reds it was beautiful. Her mother was seating on the couch with a two cups on the table. Hermione ran to give her a hug which Minerva returned.
"What did you need for mom?" She asked. Minerva gave her a look.
"Do I have to have a reason to see my daughter?" She said pulling her closer. Hermione giggled.
"No." She said happily leaning on Minerva. The woman chuckled.
"I do have a reason however, why did you leave the feast early, I don't want you skipping meals." She said worried.
"Don't worry mom." She held up the book glad she thought to go get it. "I just wanted to get to the library before any one else checked out this book." She explained. "I did eat though. I just can't eat as much as other people." This was true; Minerva had taken Hermione to St. Mungos before school started back out. The healers had determined that Hermione's stomach had sunken so much compared to other kids to make up for the lack of food she got. It would get better after she paced herself by eating smaller amounts then gradually eating more. Minerva's face softened.
"Alright I just worry." She said. She handed Hermione a cup of milk and some leftover cookies. "Are you excited about classes tomorrow?"
"Yeah!" Hermione said. "I have you in the afternoon and charms and potions in the morning. Though I could do with out the potions." She made a face. She hated Snape's class. Minerva smiled sadly.
"I know he's not a fair teacher, I've tried to get Albus to fire him or at least talk to him but no luck I'm afraid." She said stroking Hermione's hair. "Albus does more things I'm not aware of then I'd like to admit."
"Why?" Hermione asked.
"No idea, but that's the thing about marriages, some things you share and then some things you just want to keep to yourself." She explained. "You'll understand someday. Who knows maybe you'll end up marrying Mr. Potter or Mr. Weasley." Hermione made a face.
"Ew! There my best friends." Hermione said. Minerva laughed.
"Never say, never." Minerva told her. "I fell in love with my Transfiguration teacher." She admitted. Hermione's eyes widened.
"Albus was your Transfiguration teacher?" She asked. Minerva laughed again.
"Yes, our relationship was always a secret. When Headmaster Dippet died, I was 20 and Albus went right ahead and asked me if I wanted the job. That's how I became a teacher, to stay close to Albus." She said.
"That's so sweet." Hermione cooed. Minerva smiled warmly.
"And it didn't hurt the fact that I like children." She said tapping Hermione on the head.
"How come you act so strict then? Some of the kids think your evil." Hermione told her.
"Because I realized quickly that if I wasn't the strict teacher students would walk all over me." Minerva told her. "Plus the students that mean the most always look for the teacher they can trust." She said softly pulling Hermione into a hug again. Hermione snuggled closer and they stayed like that for a couple minutes. The clock stuck nine. Hermione looked up sharply.
"I have to get back to the common room." Hermione said grabbing her stuff. Minerva kissed the girl's forehead briefly.
"If you get caught tell them you were with me. I can take care of it." She said and Hermione smiled and ran back to the common room. Luckily she made it with out meeting anyone. She claimed the 3 arm chairs in front of the fire, and waited for Harry and Ron. They came in a couple minutes later.
"Hermione we got loads to tell you." Harry said. They had the common sense to get rid of the Slytherin robes in the bathroom.
"Was it Malfoy." She whispered.
"No but get this, the chamber had been open before about 50 years ago." Hermione was shocked.
"That's not all though last time a student died." Ron continued. Hermione looked up sharply.
"That's why the teachers are so worried if it happened before it could happen again." Hermione concluded. They all sighed.
"Well I suppose that's all we can do for now. I'll talk to you guys later. Good night." Hermione said packing up her things and heading to the girls common room.
Okay were changing points here now that were back at Hogwarts. I will still switch between their point of views. So please review and tell me what you think.