A/N: Nothing to declare. Except I appreciate every one of you.
-0-
With the addition of the lessons with Minerva and then the consequential meeting of what was left of Dumbledore's Army the following nights, Hermione was being run ragged. Not that she thought anyone had noticed, but she did nearly fall asleep in her pudding a week later, grumbling as Harry nudged her to wake her up.
"What," she grumbled.
"You're falling asleep in your custard," Harry laughed. "Come on, I'll take you back."
"I have to see M -"
Harry covered her mouth with his hand and it woke her up a little.
"Sorry," she whispered. "I'm knackered."
"Want me to tell her?"
"Will you?" Hermione blinked. "Between that and our stuff, I need a rest."
"You're not sleeping well, are you?"
"Not particularly," she whispered. "But that's okay too. It happens."
He did as he said and walked her back to the Common Room, as far as the stairs and smiled as she took a deep breath and stared up at the landing outside her dormitory.
"Go on up and I'll let her know."
She smiled and kissed his cheek before making her way up to the dormitory and falling straight into bed.
Her dreams were plagued with visions of her parents. It cycled through horrific images of what would happen if they had been caught, through to everyone finding it what she had done. Eventually, she cried herself to unconsciousness.
-0-
She had seen Mr Potter take Hermione from the hall and she would be lying if she said she wasn't concerned. It seemed as though the young woman was burning the candle at both ends. In fact, she hadn't seen Hermione look this rough since her Third Year.
"Do you think it too much?" Albus muttered without turning to her.
"I think she has taken on teaching our sessions to the others and that is too much," she said, behind her teacup.
"It would do for her to be up and about and on her guard tomorrow night, Min," he said almost in a whisper.
"Tomorrow?"
He hummed and took another bowl of dessert.
"You'll rot your teeth."
"Minerva, at my age, there's no point in watching what my teeth are doing."
She snorted and kicked his ankle softly.
"Mr Potter looks like he'd like to talk to you."
"While we are on that subject, Albus," she said, turning to him properly now. "I have had many illuminating discussions with her about him."
"Minerva," he sighed. A look of desolation crossed his eyes and some of her anger fell away. "Even if I wanted to, I cannot."
"You could," she said more gently now. "You most certainly could. It is not as if I would tell anyone, I have already proved my loyalty to you, Albus. It is -"
"Not here, dear heart," he said gently. "At some point," he amended as she went to speak again. "But not here."
"Well then, when?"
"Oh, Min." Albus groaned. "In time. And it was never, ever about your loyalty."
She frowned as he stood and waved everyone back up to the Common Rooms when they were done and she watched him go, taking in the drop of his shoulders and head. Hermione had been right on the day he'd returned. Something had happened to take the joy that Albus Dumbledore often hid behind and she wanted to know what it was so she could fix it. He was her best friend, as Harry Potter was Hermione's. And speaking off, he'd waved off the younger Weasleys and was sitting at the table fiddling with his goblet.
She bid her goodnights and walked past him, nodding for him to follow her as she went.
"Good evening, Mr Potter," she said cordially as they rounded the corner to her classroom. "Come on in, I suppose."
He stepped inside and glanced at the room, cleared and ready for another duel, even though now she knew Hermione would not be arriving.
"I take it she has gone to bed?"
"Yeah," he said. He scratched the back of his neck and looked around again. "She's. She's really trying to do everything all at once, you know?"
She had been teaching for a very long time and she knew that tone of voice. She chuckled and pulled two of the chairs into the protections and offered him a seat.
"Tell me, if you need."
"I worry about her, I guess," he muttered. "She's so clever, I think she forgets she's still human."
Minerva chortled and glanced at Harry.
"My brother used to say the same thing about me," she confessed. "And he was right, as you are as well."
"She's loving it. She loves having someone on her level." He blushed. "Well, above her level, to talk to."
She clicked her tongue and sat forward, touching his knee.
"Harry," she said gently. "You are a fine wizard, you know."
"I'm okay," he shrugged. "I do okay. Instinct mostly. But she helped me see that I wasn't ever allowed to be good at anything so it's kind of stuck."
"Your Aunt and Uncle?"
"Yeah," he said awkwardly.
She sighed and resolved to talk to Albus sooner.
"Harry," she said gently. "You are a very good student. You could always use a bit more application of work but darling?" He looked up at her in confusion. "In that regard, you quite remind me of your father."
His eyes grew wide and Minerva decided that it wouldn't hurt to make him smile a bit now, and not after their mission so she stood and cancelled the spells around the classroom.
"Come through. Let's have a chat."
"I don't want to interrupt you guys' meeting or whatever, but if you ever need, like, a live person or anything, I volunteer."
Minerva laughed and in a bit of late-night nonchalance, she wrapped her arm around his shoulders and steered him through to her sitting room through the door at the back of her office.
"Sit ye down, lad. I'd like to offer my services, such as they are. Hermione has made me realise that despite everyone knowing your name, not many have offered to fill in the gaps for you. So," she smiled and offered him a glass of water. "If you wish to ask me about your parents, you may."
They spoke about Lily and James for hours. She told him how kind Lily was and how she had helped the younger students as much as she could, how she did, quite what Hermione did, by tutoring them or showing them the best way to achieve something. Whereas Hermione's interest lay in Transfiguration, Lily's had been in charms, though her Transfiguration was almost certainly as good. And James, for all his faults, had been a good boy that had turned into a good man. He had his moments as most boys did but she hadn't shied away from that and through tearful moments, Harry had told her about the memories he had seen in Severus' eyes.
"I know that they did not get along, Harry," she sighed. "And had I known about that particular incident, I would probably have grounded him from Quidditch and given him about a year's worth of detention. But youthful cruelty does not make one a cruel person. As a teacher, I can tell you that some of the things children do and say to each other will make your hair curl," she cupped his cheek and sat forward so he could see the truth in her eyes. "But that does not make you a bad person, Harry. In time, you grow up, you put away childish things and become the man or woman that you have made yourself into. Like I see you doing. You are a beautiful mixture of the two of them, but I can see moments of Sirius in you, of Remus. Even myself and Albus, Professor Dumbledore. The world around us shapes us, my boy. You are not bound to your blood, otherwise, Sirius might have turned out quite differently, don't you think?"
"I don't know what to say to you Professor," he whispered. His chin wobbled and he scrubbed angrily at his eyes. "You've -"
"I'm only sorry," she said as she got up and sat beside him, taking his hand. "That I did not think to do it earlier."
He nodded and his grip tightened on her hand until she couldn't stand it any longer. She pulled him in and held him, waiting for the inevitable sob that echoed through her living room after a time.
"It's alright lad," she muttered. "It'll all be alright."
They sat together until he started getting restless and she let him sit up.
"I'm going to go," he said gruffly. "Um. Thanks, Professor."
"You may call me Minerva, in private, lad. If you like."
"I dunno if I can," he swallowed. "But I'll try."
"Whatever you'd prefer. Do you want me to walk you back?"
"No," he shook his head. "I'm good."
"Alright. Good night, Harry."
"Night," he paused. "Um, Minerva?"
She laughed and stood up, giving him a quick hug and sending him on his way.
"Give it time," she grinned. "I'll see you in class tomorrow. Where nothing will have changed. Okay?"
That seemed to be his sticking point and he let out a long breath and nodded. He left quietly, leaving her drained, standing in the middle of her sitting room at a loss. Deciding to leave the marking for tonight, she went for a bath and hoped that tomorrow, everything would be a little clearer.
-0-
When Hermione woke the next morning, she felt less than stellar. She was still so tired and the interrupted sleep had not helped in the slightest.
"You look rough," Harry muttered on the way down to breakfast.
"I'm okay," she muttered. "It's fine."
"Mhmm," he chuckled.
She shuffled into breakfast and went through the motions for the first three classes, struggling to answer even the most basic of questions in Charms until they got to Transfiguration in the afternoon.
"File in, your papers are on your desk. Miss Granger, I will speak to you about yours, if you please."
The whispers weren't that brutal, something Hermione was thankful for as Minerva showed her into her office and shut the door.
"You are not sleeping," she said without pause.
"Bad dreams," Hermione mumbled. "I'm okay."
"Except you and I are taking an excursion later and I need you awake and aware. Here," Minerva gently nudged her forward and through the door at the back of the room that led through a dark corridor to a sitting room.
"Sit," Minerva said quietly. "Get comfortable, close your eyes, I'll be back after the lesson."
"But -"
"You can do this lesson in your sleep, so you may as well. This is of far more use to you. Rest."
"Fine," Hermione grumbled.
She pulled a cushion closer and wrapped her arms around it, settling into the cushions with a sigh.
"Thanks, Min," she mumbled as she felt a soft blanket cocoon her into safety, surrounded by the delightful smell of parchment and peppermint.
-0-
She blinked awake and immediately frowned, not understanding what she was seeing as her eyes came into focus. She had a headache and she was too hot coupled with the confusion, she sat up looking around.
"Good evening," a familiar voice said softly behind her.
She turned and squinted towards that person and groaned as she saw Minerva McGonagall at her desk scribbling on a piece of parchment.
"Urgh, I hate naps."
Minerva chuckled and finished what she was doing before she got up and perched on the side of the sofa as Hermione flopped back down on it.
"Alright?"
"Aside from all the nap-related awfulness, I'm fine," Hermione smiled. "Thank you."
"Don't like naps," Minerva tutted, handing Hermione a glass of water from the coffee table. "Preposterous."
Hermione gulped it down and mirrored Minerva's grin.
"What time is it?"
"Five. We're going to miss dinner and go down to London."
Hermione nodded, then frowned.
"Wait, why?"
"Our meeting."
"Oh," she blinked, shaking her head to try and clear it. "I do remember now, sorry. Did you say 5?!"
"I did, it's alright," Minerva chuckled. "You were exhausted. I cleared it with the rest of your professors."
"I was," Hermione breathed. "I -" She bit her lip as she realised she was so comfortable with Minerva that she nearly spilt everything that had been bothering her. That wouldn't do so she shrugged again and hoped Minerva couldn't read minds. "I guess I am just exhausted."
"Maybe we should go back to chess for a while."
"No, that's just as exhausting," Hermione snorted. "Playing against you anyway. I'm sure it seems like a breeze when you play against me."
Minerva chuckled and squeezed Hermione's shoulder.
"If you want to talk about it, you can. I am not Mr Potter, but I am relatively good at listening. And," she said helpfully. "I'm a tad longer in tooth."
"Minerva," Hermione groaned, making the woman laugh.
"If you do want to talk, I will listen," she said again, squeezing Hermione's hand.
"It's not that I don't," Hermione breathed. "I just -"
"If this is too much, Hermione -"
"No!" Hermione sat up, looking at her in horror. "No, this is great. I've never been more excited about life ever, I just -"
She fought with herself for a long time, trying to decide whether she should just tell Minerva or leave it alone. In the end, the decision was taken away from her as the fire flared green.
"Min, I -"
Albus Dumbledore looked at them and blinked and then up at Minerva.
"I'm so sorry my dear, I didn't realise you had company?"
"Albus," Minerva frowned as she stood. "It's quite alright. Hermione has been burning the candle at both ends. A quick nap before we head to London was required."
"I do not enjoy a nap, ordinarily."
"Me neither, sir," Hermione chuckled, pulling out her hair and tying it back up again. "I didn't mean to intrude. I can go if you -"
"Oh no," Professor Dumbledore said, waving her off. "No no, I just came to enquire what time Minerva was leaving so that I could plan accordingly."
"I had planned to go before dinner, while everyone was otherwise engaged."
"That is why you are the brains of the outfit, my dear," he chuckled. "To the village?"
"Yes, I think the South Gate and then beyond the boundaries?"
"Excellent. I will follow during the dinner hubbub but after I make a brief appearance."
Hermione found it so intriguing to be allowed to see behind the curtain of professionalism. It was really lovely. She could see how much they respected each other even in those few words.
"As you are missing dinner, you may as well stop off something on your way back?" he asked. "It will not be too outlandish to expect you to eat?"
"Albus, I -"
"I'd love to," Hermione grinned, glancing at Minerva, but seeing the twinkling blue eyes behind Dumbledore's well-known half-moon specs.
"Excellent. There's a lovely little pub in the Peak District we went to, Minerva. That would suit you nicely."
"Albus!"
"What?"
"I cannot just galavant around the country with a student in tow?"
"Of course you can," Albus grinned. "Also, she has no need to get permission so I imagine barring the danger one faces when they leave the castle, you could take her anywhere you like."
Minerva looked between them both, wearing grins that matched and shook her head.
"You are both as bad as each other."
"That's not as bad as she's making it out to be," Albus mock-whispered to Hermione with a smile hiding under his beard. "Anyway," he said loudly. "I shall be off then."
"You old coot," Minerva said affectionately. "Begone with you."
The fire flared, leaving them alone as Hermione bit back all the questions she so desperately wanted to ask.
"Go on then," Minerva said, interrupting her struggle. "Ask away."
"I wasn't going -"
"Hermione Granger," Minerva snorted. "You lie like a rug. Perhaps I can pre-empt them?"
Hermione nodded to save her the embarrassment of having to air her thoughts.
"No, never married. No, never dated. No, never anything else."
Hermione snorted and covered her mouth with her hand as Minerva blushed.
"I hadn't meant to say all that."
"Minerva!" Hermione laughed, falling back against the cushions. Once she'd got herself back under control, Hermione sat back up and touched Minerva's knee. "Why?"
"Why what?"
"Never anything?"
"Our tastes run in different circles," Minerva said awkwardly.
"Oh," Hermione frowned. "He or -"
Minerva quite rightly gave her a look and it was Hermione that blushed now.
"Sorry," she said genuinely. "I hadn't really meant to ask that either."
"It is forgiven. Now that you're awake and aware, you need to run back to your dormitory and change so that we can leave on the hour. Bring a coat, if I'm to take you for some dinner, Merlin knows where we'll end up."
"We don't have to," Hermione said awkwardly.
"No," Minerva waved her hand absently. "I'm complaining over nothing really. We will. We shall have to be a little careful though. His suggestion is a good one. I have been there before and we will be relatively safe in a small pub in a Muggle village."
"Only if you're sure. I can get something from the Kitchens later."
"I shall not ask and I shall pretend like I did not hear that," Minerva said, getting up and going back to her desk. "I have," she thumbed through the parchments. "Five more to grade so we shall leave after that. I will meet you back here as soon as you are ready."
"Thanks," Hermione smiled. "For today as well. See you in a while."
She walked back up to the Tower and waved to Ron, who was playing exploding snap with Seamus, before heading upstairs.
"Psst," Harry muttered as she made it to the fourth floor. "You alright?"
"How did you get up here?" she asked, looking between the stairs and him standing at the door to the girl's dormitory.
"Broomstick," he grinned. "Come in, we're just talking."
Hermione's eyebrows shot up as she looked at Ginny pointedly, who had the grace to blush as Hermione dropped onto her bed.
"What's up?"
"You feeling better?"
"Yeah," Hermione nodded. "I only woke up a little while ago. I have to," she glanced around the room. "Go and see Snuffles later so I won't be back until late."
"Shall I wait up for you?"
"Nah," Hermione shook her head. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Alright. Be careful, okay? I had a thought the other day, I wonder if there are any Wizards who carry knives. Wouldn't that be a shock? You get close enough that it makes it difficult to cast, and then one of us jabs them with the pointy end. Useless gits. Half of them wouldn't even know what they were looking at."
"That's -" Hermione considered it. "Actually -"
"Oh come on, Hermione," Ginny chuckled. "What are you going to do with a knife against an Unforgivable?"
"Throw it if all else fails, I suppose," Hermione laughed. "Who knows? It's not a terrible idea."
"Gee, thanks," he snorted.
"Anyway. I have to go. Do not get caught in here, you'll be in detention for weeks."
"Who's gonna catch me, you're keeping her busy."
"She's probably watching you right now, adding up how many hours of detention she's going to give you."
To her gratification, Harry paled before she broke down and laughed at the horror on his face.
"That was worth it," Hermione smiled. "I'll see you later, alright? Love you," she smiled, kissing Harry's forehead and hugging Ginny.
She left with a bit more of a spring in her step, taking comfort in the fact that after all the gooey eyes those two had been making at each other for so long, they'd finally moved a bit closer, even if they weren't together. Ginny would be good for Harry. She was sensible and not at all like Ron in the way he would fly off the handle at any moment.
She pulled on her jeans and a smart jumper, picking up her coat at the last moment after remembering what Minerva said. Honestly, she was excited to be able to go somewhere else. Sometimes the Castle was supremely noisy and claustrophobic but to be able to leave it and then go for dinner somewhere was a real treat. She wandered down the stairs and slipped out of the Common Room without anyone noticing and made her way back to Minerva's rooms.
"Who visited me earlier to discuss timing?"
"Albus Dumbledore," Hermione muttered. "What's my opinion on naps?"
"Wrong," Minerva chuckled as she opened the door. "Your opinion on naps is wrong."
Hermione chuckled and stepped inside, dropping her coat on the chair and turning to see Minerva fixing her hair in the mirror.
"Oh wow," Hermione said, seeing her shoes. "Those are amazing."
"Yes?" Minerva chuckled. "They're nearly as old as me. My mother would have had a fit if she'd seen them when I bought them." Hermione filed that bit of information away as Minerva continued. "I will say that one of the upsides to being a witch is that you can make sure that your shoes are always comfortable, and most of them grow with you" she grinned. "Ready?"
"Yep."
"Good, let's be off."