Professor

{3}

{3~A Classroom and an Office}

Hermione took to looking her absolute best that day, assuming the students would vividly know who she was at that point. If they hadn't heard already, they were going to be in for a big surprise to see the war heroine perched at the teacher's table, sitting directly to Snape's right. She'd chosen that spot, much earlier in her mind recollecting the free seating chart. Not that there was one, but her mind had to grasp something to make it a bit more uniform. She rendered that Severus was far more lenient since his need-be tyrannical reign over the school had ceased.

"Hey, 'Mione," Neville greeted her as she walked out of her rooms, Carthenius Conared right behind him.

"Morning, you two."

"Morning, Miss Hermione."

Hermione raised an eyebrow at the handsome man and closed her door, straightening her robe, one, last time.

"Gilda will be here soon," Neville remarked as they passed the Muggle-Studies professor's rooms. "She likes to spend the summer with her parents for as long as possible."

"Are they muggles?" Hermione asked kindly.

"Yeah, maybe you and her will get on. She went to Ilvermorny, so she's from the states."

Hermione looked at him with surprise.

"Oh, Hogwarts hasn't had many American teachers before," Hermione recalled, her practical memorization of Hogwarts: A History boding her well.

"No, but she's a right nice witch. Severus keeps an eye on her especially... I think he's got something for her," Carthenius said with a grin.

The brunette, however, nearly stopped dead in her tracks. She knew little of the situation but what her colleagues had told her, so she could not assume anything just yet. But men understood other men, didn't they? And the last Muggle-Studies teacher had been killed by Voldemort, so maybe that just struck something awful in Severus's mind. Hermione realized her mind was taking her to places she didn't want to be in.

"By the way," Neville suddenly said as they pushed open the doors of one of the halls and made their way towards the Headmaster's office, "You haven't seen your office have you?"

"No," Hermione agreed. "I've never been in McGonagall's office."

"It's yours now," Carthenius added, making his presence known to the both of them once again.

"It is," Hermione said half-heartedly, her nerves suddenly clicking on, like she'd switched the light on in her bedroom.

Neville smirked again, and Hermione wondered what had changed him so much. Was it the newfound colleagueship he had with Severus? Maybe Hermione would find out eventually.

"Password," the gargoyle bartered with them, looking as though it always had.

"Lis."

The war heroine tried to ignore the fact what Neville had said made no sense, but she figured she could easily guess what it was. Then again, as if he read her mind, climbing the stairs he craned his neck back and said, "French for Lily."