The letter Hermione Granger received just a few days ago did not diminish her determination. In fact, it had made her even more determined to get what she wanted. She wasn't going to give up on her dream. She was too set on what she wanted to do, and she could not be convinced to dwindle from her path.

Just yesterday, Harry and Ron had left the house. Their first day of work had begun. Harry arrived at the Ministry of Magic eagerly waiting for his training to begin. Ron, on the other hand, had to leave London all together. His new quidditch team, The Chudley Cannons, were currently stationed in Ireland preparing for their first match.

With those two gone, Hermione felt very alone. She decided that she wasn't going to send him another letter but that didn't mean she was giving up. She had a plan. Later, this evening, with permission of course, she would visit Hogwarts. Her plan was to sit down with Professor McGonagall and possibly even speak with Professor Dumbledore. Maybe they could help her get the ball rolling. For now, Hermione bid her time reading a Potion's book preparing herself for the job ahead of her.

When the clock finally chimed at 6 o'clock, Hermione stood from her chair and stretched out her sore muscles. It was finally time to visit Hogwarts. She made sure she had her wand and everything she needed and with a flourish she apparated out of the home and in front of the big metal gates to Hogwarts. As expected, Professor McGonagall met her at the gates with a warm and friendly smile.

"It is good to see you again, Ms. Granger." Professor McGonagall's Scottish accent filled the warm evening air.

Hermione smiled at her professor. "It is good to see you too. Thank you for allowing me to visit. I would like to speak with you in your quartets once we get to the castle if you don't mind."

"Of course, dear let us make our way to the castle and then we can talk," McGonagall said. The two made the long trek back to the castle and by the time they made it to the doors, McGonagall felt a bit winded. She took some deep breathes and leaned against the wall getting her energy back after the long walk. "Sorry dear but these old bones aren't what they used to be," the Professor mused.

After a few minutes of resting, they walked into the castle and Hermione stared at the repaired walls of the school. "Wow, Professor! This looks great! The students will be so happy to see that the school has been repaired. I couldn't bear the thought of the school closing."

Professor smiled at the young Gryffindor and said, "It took a lot of hard work, but it is finally coming together. There are still a few classrooms to be prepared down below in the dungeons and a few restricted areas of the castle but besides those the school will be ready to open."

The two walked the familiar halls to the transfiguration classroom and where McGonagall's office was. They passed the classroom and entered the door next to it. Hermione grinned at all of the Gryffindor colors the room had. Red and gold dawned every inch of the room. The Professor closed the door behind them and took a seat in front of the desk. Hermione took a seat in the available chair.

Professor McGonagall called out, "Bonny!" A small little house-elf with very large ears appeared in front of them. The house-elf stared down at the floor careful not to be disrespectful to her master.

"How may I serve, Professor McGonagall?" Bonny squeaked with a high-pitched voice.

"Please bring Ms. Granger and I some tea," McGonagall spoke softly to the elf. Bonny nodded and quickly disappeared. They didn't even have to wait a whole minute for Bonny to return with the tea that the Professor had asked for. Once the tea was set on the desk in front of them and Bonny was gone, Hermione took out the letter that her Potion's Professor wrote to her just three days ago.

"Professor, I wanted to come here because I feel like I need some reinforcement," Hermione stated. "As you know, Harry has started his training in being an auror and Ron has gone to Ireland to meet up with the Chudley Cannons to start his career as a keeper. I, on the other hand, spent a lot of time the past few weeks thinking about what I could possibly want for my future. I first thought about being a healer but after the war the sight of blood makes me nauseous. I really would dread working for the Ministry and as my mom always told me do what you love. I eventually concluded that I want to be a Potion's Mistress here at Hogwarts." She bit her lip waiting patiently for Professor McGonagall's response.

Her professor raised one eyebrow and questioned softly, "You want to work with Professor Snape?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. He is the greatest Potion's Master alive and anyone else just wouldn't do," she insisted. She hoped her professor was more accepting and encouraging than her friends were.

"So why would you need my help to do that, Ms. Granger? We both know you are surely capable of doing anything you put your mind to," McGonagall encouraged with a small smile on her lips.

Hermione looked down at the table sadly. "Unfortunately, Professor, not everyone agrees with you. I sent him an owl a few days ago and this was his response." She begrudgingly handed the letter to the older woman and watched as she read the words.

"He's lying!" Professor McGonagall exclaimed. She was very appalled by what Snape had wrote to her beloved student. "He knows how capable you are, Ms. Granger. You received the highest possible points anyone has ever gotten during your N.E.W.T.S. Even Professor Snape can't deny that. I looked at your grades and you had an outstanding in his class every year. He said this so you wouldn't want to pursue this anymore but based on you being here I can only assume that you still want to continue with this dream of yours?"

Hermione smiled at her teacher's kind and encouraging words. "Yes, I still want this, Professor. I'm not going to let one letter change my mind. I am a Gryffindor after all. I have to be brave if I want to work with him." She reached out and took the letter back from her professor.

"So now that we understand why you are here what do you want me to do, Ms. Granger? It is his choice after all if he wants an apprentice or not. I cannot force him, and it is not required for him to have one," the Professor said gently. As much as she wanted to help, she didn't know what she could do.

Hermione frowned deep in thought. "Maybe you can talk to him and get him to change his mind?" She said hopefully while biting her lower lip.

Professor McGonagall gave the young witch a sad smile. "Professor Snape and I do not talk very much, Ms. Granger. He keeps everyone at arm's length. Even after the war and finding out his true allegiance was in fact on our side, he does not come out of his shell very much."

"How about Dumbledore? Can he do anything?" Hermione whispered. Her determination was starting to fizzle out. If Dumbledore couldn't help her, she didn't know what she would do.

The Professor smiled at her warmly. "You can try. Is he expecting your presence tonight?"

Hermione nodded in response and stood up from her chair. "Thanks for talking with me Professor. I think I'm going to go find Professor Dumbledore now."

McGonagall stood up from her own chair and walked over to Hermione. She put a warm hand on her shoulder. "Do you know where his office is?"

Hermione laughed at the Professor's question. "Of course, Professor. I've been here for seven years. Hogwarts was my home."

"Of course, my dear. Well, I won't stand in your way then. Let me know how it goes with Professor Dumbledore. Keep in mind that Professor Snape is still working down below in the dungeons. Try to stay clear of him," Professor McGonagall warned.

Hermione nodded in understanding and left the professor's office. She took a deep breath and walked down the corridor. As she walked down the hallway Peeves, the poltergeist, started teasing her. Peeves grinned evilly as he watched Hermione walk down the hallway. He flew up to her and took the letter out of her hand. He began flying through the air and out of her reach. "Give it back!" she shouted in the hallway. She tried in vain to jump up and down and reach the bloody poltergeist but every time she got close, he would just fly even higher.

Peeves began singing in his annoying sing songy voice, "Hermy the Germy can't even fly. Try as you might you'll just cry!" Peeves began laughing as he continued to terrorize her.

Dumbledore's no-nonsense voice filled the hallway. "Peeves! Leave her alone. Go torture someone else." Peeves frowned and dropped the letter out of his hands.

"Sorry sir my mistake! I didn't see you there." He became invisible and flew down the hallway in search of someone else to terrorize.

Hermione picked up the letter off the floor and smiled at the headmaster. "Good evening, Headmaster. I was just coming to see you."

"Yes, I received your letter, and I heard the commotion down here in the hallway. Sorry about him. He finds joy in other people's torments," Dumbledore surmised.

Hermione nodded her head. "Of course. I am aware of that, Headmaster. He's a pain but Hogwarts wouldn't be the same without him." The two walked down the hallway together in comfortable silence. They continued climbing the staircases in order to get to the Headmaster's Tower.

Finally, once they were in front of the gargoyle statue, Dumbledore spoke, "Liquorish Wand" to the statue and it revealed the stone staircase to Dumbledore's office. The two climbed the windy staircase and reached the office.

Once inside, Hermione stared at the room they were in. The room had numerous bookcases full of books, a staircase on both sides, and a desk in the middle. "Sir, your office is brilliant."

Dumbledore smiled at her warmly and took a seat behind the desk. "Thank you, Ms. Granger. Now what brings you to my office today?"

Hermione conjured a chair and sat down in front of the desk. She crossed her legs and put her hands in her lap. "I am here because I would like to pursue a career in Potions."

Dumbledore stroked his beard with his wrinkled hand. "I assume that you are here because you have asked Severus and he denied your request?"

Hermione smiled sadly at him. "Yes, he did indeed deny my request." She handed Dumbledore the letter which was now wrinkled by Peeves.

Dumbledore read the letter and shook his head. He even rolled his eyes at one point. "Did you expect this type of response, Ms. Granger?"

"I expected a no to be honest but not for his response to be so cruel. I don't understand why he is always so mean to me," she whispered. She became mortified as a single tear drippled down her check. She quicky wiped it away embarrassed by her actions.

"Severus never was a kind person, Ms. Granger, but the war certainly has made his demeanor even worse. He was meant to do a lot of things Ms. Granger that surely would change anyone," Dumbledore defended. "He finds kindness to be a weakness. I wouldn't take what he said to heart. He's like this to everyone."

Hermione nodded in understanding. "So, what do I do, Professor? He knows I am capable of this. I worked so hard every year. I thought of other professions, but my mind keeps coming back to this. I want to be a Potion's Mistress. His letter, even though was mean, did not deter me. I want to do this. I spoke to Professor McGonagall, and she told me there wasn't much she could do but I thought maybe you could." She stared at him hopefully.

Professor Dumbledore leaned back in his chair in thought. "Well, to be honest Ms. Granger, I think Professor Snape owes you his life. You were, in fact, the reason he survived during the war. You created the antidote for the venom that nearly killed him. I think accepting your offer should be the least he could do."

Hermione grimaced at his words. "You're going to guilt him into this?" Hermione whispered. "Won't that make him even angrier?"

"I mean perhaps but if you truly want this, I think that will be our best course of action. He'll get over it soon enough. He can't stay mad forever if you two are working together," Dumbledore stated.

Hermione didn't want Professor Snape to feel forced to do this, but Dumbledore had a point. How else would he accept her offer? He wasn't willing to sit down and have a conversation and if Dumbledore can persuade him then she will allow it. "Okay, Professor. I guess you are right. I don't see any other way. Do I have to be here while you talk to him? I rather you speak to him alone."

"Sure, Ms. Granger. I will speak to him later this evening and I will let you know what his response was. Now was there anything else you were needing to talk about?" Dumbledore asked with a kind look on his weathered face.

"No, Professor. That is all. Is there an easy way for me to return home now?" Hermione asked. She didn't want to trek all the way back to the gates alone. She was starting to feel worn out and tired.

"Yes, Ms. Granger. There is a floo here in my office. Does your home have a floo?" Dumbledore inquired.

Hermione nodded slowly and stood up from her chair. She shook Dumbledore's hand. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate your time and willingness to help."

"Of course, Ms. Granger. You are a hero. You did so much for the war, and we all owe you a lot including myself. If there is anything else you need, please don't hesitate to ask," Dumbledore noted.

Hermione walked over to the floo and grabbed a handful of floo powder. She stepped into the floo and spoke clearly into the air, "12 Grimmauld Place." She dropped the floo powder into the floo and appeared in her living room. She took a seat on the abandoned couch that she left just an hour ago and became lost in thought.