CHAPTER 3
"Now just before we all go, I want to make sure that we're all offering extra tuition and support to those students taking their OWLs next month." Professor McGonagall urged, peering over her half-moon spectacles. "Remember, their results reflect on you as much as they do for them."
Hermione tried to stifle a smile, this was her favourite time of the academic year, all her work, guidance and effort was not going to go to waste. She'd worked herself to the bone with extra classes, private tuition and even created and distributed her own mock OWL examinations to measure her students' progress and help them normalise the pressures of exam conditions and requirements.
McGonagall caught Hermione's eye, returning her grin "Obviously there are some of you that've gone above and beyond already. That has not gone unnoticed."
Hermione's attention was quickly diverted when she felt the sudden pressure of a sweaty hand on her exposed knee as she sat waiting for the headmistress to conclude the staff meeting.
She grimaced as she cast her eyes to her right and saw the familiar gaze of Cormac McLaggen leering over her. She batted his hand away from her knee. "We spoke about this." She warned in a whisper, only for him to hear.
Hermione straightened her black pencil skirt and pulled it as far down as she could whilst still being sat. She grew hot with embarrassment, hoping none of the other staff members saw the awkward exchange. Her heavy, long, wild curls suddenly felt like they were creeping round her neck, making her feel slowly suffocated. She took her hands to the collar of her satin ivory blouse and loosened the pussycat bow perched there.
The feeling would pass in a moment she assured herself, like it always did. Whenever eyes or the thought of eyes were upon her, it felt stifling.
It hadn't always been like this but after the war, she was publicly named one of the Hogwarts hero's. As a result, she was hounded by Journalists, Biographers and even Ministry politicians, hoping to get a slice of her fame.
Fame, she didn't want, deserve nor ask for.
That's why she settled into teaching. All the students that passed through those doors were too young to remember the horrors from a decade ago.
They were just bright eyed, full of dreams and ready to explore their potential.
Hermione had considered working in the Ministry after she'd graduated but after an unsuccessful internship that left her feeling hollow, she opted to make a difference in another way, through the minds of young witches and wizards who were unmarked by the turmoil of their forefathers.
She knew that she would never completely escape, the war was a part of her history, the worlds history but where she could, she would focus on the future.
That's what drove her, that was her motivation.
McLaggen on the other hand was not her future nor motivation, he was an average flying master, teaching the basics to first year flyers and coaching the Junior Gryffindor Quidditch team.
He was coasting through life after being kicked out of the Auror program. His feedback from his rejection letter was embellished with a lot of reasons as to why he wasn't suitable for the role, but in summary he failed to listen to instruction, displayed behaviours amounting to insubordination and wasn't a 'team player'.
Of course, Cormac translated this into being overqualified for the role.
Unfortunately for Hermione she now found herself involved with the arrogant man who squeezed her knee. The dating pool was next to dry in her social circle, and she was, well, lonely.
He's attention was welcome, as long as it was at a distance and in private. She laid out strict rules for their evolving friendship, most of which he adhered to, thinking of it more as a game of cat and mouse rather than Hermione setting boundaries.
She made it abundantly clear that physically intimacy was off the cards, she fed him a story of it being inappropriate on school grounds and considering they both resided in their own individual castle apartments, it was a sure way to keep him at bay.
Pet names were also a hard no for Granger, he used to call her a minx thinking it would ignite a more passionate mindset for her but in truth it just made her gag.
She knew there was nothing long term with him, he was in essence for her a distraction. Someone to hold her when she asked, someone to make her feel like a woman in her own right and not just a teacher or the public's Hero.
On that subject, one good thing Hermione routinely noted about Cormac was that he never asked about the war, more likely because he fled when the battle drew near.
He always did struggle to hold a conversation that wasn't about himself. At least with him she could pretend for some rare fleeting moments with him that the war never happened.
"Well, if there's nothing else." McGonagall said, rising in her red leather wingback chair. The rest of the teaching staff rose, waiting for her to exit before they all shuffled off in quiet murmurs about the weekly meeting.
Hermione grabbed her satchel and hugged it close to her body, a natural barricade for McLaggen to stay away from. "I'll see you at dinner then?" She said to him, keeping her head down and avoiding his predictable, hungry eyes.
"Not lunch Minnie?" He replied, taking a higher pitch on the new nickname he was taking for a test drive.
"Cormac, don't." She sighed, looking at the scuffed tip of her black heeled Mary Jane shoes. She made a mental note to get that fixed before her first class. "You know I hate that stuff."
Her eyes widened as she noticed the shoes of other professors leaving the staff common room, if any more left, she'd be alone with McLaggen, and he would more than likely pounce.
"Well, I like it," He whispered attempting to lean into her ear. Thankfully covered by the thick chocolate curls, now acting as a shield instead of the earlier noose wrapped around her neck.
Hermione looked up and shuddered at the realisation that everyone had now abandoned her.
Cormac made another attempt at contact and tried to slide his arm around her waist but that was quickly rebuffed by the ever-reliable satchel.
"I've got OWL exam prep with some students at lunch." Hermione explained, now looking into his handsome, yet repulsive features. "I've got classes back-to-back actually, so I better head off-."
"My little worker bee," He interrupted.
McLaggen reached out again to tuck some hair behind her ear, but Hermione flinched. Noticing the hurt look in his eyes, she stepped forward on the tips of her toes and placed a brief kiss on his cheek, so brief in fact she's not even sure she made contact with his skin before she drew away.
"Naughty." He smiled, looking down at her, before he could ask for more, Hermione slipped past him and waved him goodbye, her pace out of the common room was so quick she almost shut her hair in the door on the way out.
"I thought you were going to chuck him?" An amused voice asked, followed by a giggle. Hermione smiled and looked up at her friend, Melanie. Who was leaning against a stone pillar, inspecting her fingernails.
"I will, I will" Hermione reassured her with a groan. "It's just not good timing."
"All I'm saying is, I didn't chuck mine and then before I knew it, I ended up marrying him."
"Don't be cruel," Hermione laughed, "You love Theo." She then walked over and settled next to Mel on the pillar. She placed her forehead on the cold stone and sighed. "I'm just so busy with this extra work and I don't want the drama, we still have to work together."
"Blah, blah. Dump him." Mel said. "You're far better off being single than with the wrong man."
"There's no right man Mel, which is fine, but I like the company."
"Get a dog then." Melanie replied, "You could call it Minnie."
Hermione snapped her head up instantly "Politely fuck off Mel. I'm a busy professor and need to get to class."
Melanie checked her watch and gasped at the time, "Bugger, I'm late for Shaun's exit interview"
As she pushed herself off the pillar, Hermione grabbed her wrist "Meet me for lunch in my office and tell me why he's leaving?"
"Duh" Mel rolled her eyes with a smile. She bolted down the corridor and took a sharp left. Hermione giggled and turned the other way.
Maybe she should've gone into Wizarding personnel resources like Mel, just for the fun of it. As she neared her office, Hermione wondered, who would replace the now vacant post of Professor of Defence against the dark arts?