At last here we are, the fist chapter of what will be an all in one, three story saga.

Sorry to all who waited patiently for this to be up, I had been slightly busy but it wasn't until I got a PM that made me finish the first chapter entirely... Just had a little issue with uploading.

Hope you all enjoy, happy reading, and as always - I don't own HP or any names that might come up. D

The holidays – in Hermione's opinion – were the most peaceful out of all the holidays so far. For the first two weeks she had decided to go old school and read all the books she had owned since she was five and up, taking her a grand total of four days to finish – have a sort out of everything she had owned since said age and had found some interesting and very much forgotten toys whilst she had a spring clean of her room.

It was how Minerva had found her one afternoon in her room. She had been walking past but had to stop and take those few steps back to look as she spied the younger girl sitting on the floor, with a few of her old teddy's, one stuffed horse and a few figurines as the older woman looked on perplexed – that was until Hermione happened to glance up and see the other woman.

Sitting to attention the younger girl looked at her like an owl would look upon a gravely misinformed mouse that had wandered into its patch as for the next couple of minutes the air was silent and filled with a tiny bit of tension. Until Hermione politely informed her there was nothing to see and that she should move on.

Minerva stood with arched brows at the remark. The way the younger witch held the stuffed bear like it was an everyday thing for a fourteen year old to be holding, and looking so haughty it was dam near comical, it made Minerva laugh as she shook her head and just went about her way leaving Hermione who had eyed her leaving with a shrewd gaze until her attention turned back to her small posse.

The next two weeks was spent doing a bit of refurbishing on the house. Minerva liked doing things the old-fashioned way – A.K.A – the Muggle way and so that involved them going to Edinburgh, Minerva's favourite city if Hermione had to say as it was where they went the most often, as they got ready for the journey.

For everyone else – a four and a half hour trip, for two witches – less than half a minute as soon they appeared within a secluded ally that led o to the path going into the high street as they slipped in with the crowd inconspicuously blending in and off on their travels to the nearest paint stores.

For the sitting room Minerva wanted a change and so after many stops in most of the DIY shops and any place that sold paints, two mini arguments and one graceful exit later – she had decided upon a royal blue, smiling happily she paid for the paint with a very put upon Hermione next to her as she took to looking at the wallpapers.

She too had wanted something new for her room and so unlike a certain older woman who had uncharacteristically behaved like a child for much of their time there – she had picked something simple yet mature that spoke of her ever-changing styles and phases as she got older, pulling out a sample of patterned black and white flowers she showed it to her Mother who had been standing by her once her paint had been bought.

Minerva had nodded and agreed that it would look well on her room and with her silver bedspread, give her that more adult feel which was what Hermione was going for as she asked a passing worker how much it cost and how many rolls she might have needed before going to pay for it happy with the estimate.

The good thing about being in her fourth year now… Something that neither of them could really believe was that Minerva felt she was responsible enough to look after her key to her vault at Gringott's. The older woman had always thought the younger girl much more mature than her friends but she still wanted to see if it would last given the two boys influence.

But much to her surprise it seemed that they hadn't had much of an effect as she had feared and Hermione had stayed… somewhat on the right path all year, one or two dozen rules aside – but she had passed all her exams, handed in every bit of homework given, and even found a bit of time to help a few first years with their own work.

Of course she had also managed to learn and master a highly advanced seventh year spell, along with Mr Potter, whom Minerva was positive where the only two aside from the teachers and the more academic of students capable, that knew who to conjure such a magical feat.

She had thought back to that night and on seeing the two patronus's, wondered why hers was an Eagle of all things – Mr Potter's she could get what with his father having managed to change into a stag on learning the art of Animagi, she could see the connection.

But Hermione's had confused her, of course she knew why her own was a cat – it seemed patronus's and Animagus went a little hand in hand on some parts, but if Hermione had learnt to master that also… something she had little doubt she would have succeeded had she tried, she didn't think her inner animal to be that of an Eagle.

So where had it come from? If anything she would have thought it maybe a cat-like her own… or.

Merlin forbids she should say it… A snake, like the rest of her unknown family prided on being like – she wasn't too sure on Bella's but she was confident his would have been a serpent. She pretty much got his biggest gift regarding such creatures, and it wasn't without her own time spent around them either.

So where had the bird come from? In all fairness she should have been glad it was that and not a reptile… the nails were already piling up, all she needed was someone to come and hammer them down if that happened. It was just baffling.

She had to silently wonder what else had her daughter been learning, what she might already know and what she might be learning next. As they set off to go find a café or some place that sold tea, she had to look at the younger girl whose height was creeping up so much with each day that now it was just mere months before she overtook her and vowed to take more of an interest in her life, to be more included.

As they found a small, homey looking establishment which Hermione wanted to go in and pulled her closer to, she sighed as she followed in after her, letting the door swing behind them.

With what was coming, it just wouldn't be this year.

Once they had gotten all they needed. The next week was focused on repainting and practically up turning the living room in a move that saw nearly every piece of furniture moved about all placed in different angles and locations of the room as Minerva hummed and twisted her lips in contemplation as she decided on where it should all go.

Or whether it should all go back to how it was. Hermione nearly threw a fit at that, she had pushed, pulled and grumbled all in equal proportions as the older woman insisted on doing things the normal way and without magic. She said it would be fun and give their magic a rest as not everything needed to be sorted with the flick of a wand.

All it did however was give Hermione a greater understanding of union workers, and saw sympathy within their plights as she shuffled a drawer across the rug for the third time that hour,

"Now I see why people go on strike" She panted as she dragged the hefty item from one side to the other all the while under the careful eye of Minerva as she happened to like that piece and knew just what the younger girl would do if she could cut corners.

"Oh hush dear, it's not killing you."

Hermione popped her head up from behind the drawer, disbelief etched on her face as she scoffed. "Not killing me? Mother, I'm one carpet burn away from going to the Ministry and crying child labour."

Minerva rolled her eyes at the remark. "Don't be so melodramatic. Think of all the others who have to do this who don't have magic,"

The younger girl huffed moodily and placed her hands back on the side as she pushed once more. "Yeah – hence the striking," She said more but it were mumbled which made Minerva shake her head as she left her to grouch. It was an early night for the younger girl who after tea promptly gave her Mother a kiss and a hug before shuffling her way up to bed.

The rest of the week she dedicated to smaller side tasks such as going to Diagon ally and buying the new bath for Crookshanks. After the events of third year and the revealing knowledge that he had spent most of it with Sirius, she knew straight away that he needed a bath and so after setting it up at the side of her shower in her bathroom, went in search of the orange marshmallow who she found outside.

He were crouched low hunting a bird that had landed on the floor and was hopping about. She stepped outside to see him waggling his fat behind just hidden from sight behind the potted plants she watched amused as he went about being the stealthy predator he was, as he belly shuffled along the path. He was almost close enough to the unsuspecting bird when a sound at the side alerted the avian creature who took flight immediately, leaving him staring at its retreating form.

"Better luck next time Buda butt."

He lifted himself from the floor and turned to look at her, his eyes glowing brightly even with the hunt a failure as she moved from the porch and over to him. Thinking nothing dastardly about his approaching owner the fat cat stayed where he was, his mistake as she bent and scooped him up.

Smiling at how quick that was she turned and went back inside the house and up to her room where she would lock the door ensuring any escape attempts would be less than easy as she moved to her bathroom. There she would proceed to scar him inwardly by plonking him unceremoniously into a tub full of water, earning a shrill meow for the efforts.

He tried to claw his way out but was stopped, failing that he tried to claw her but was easily manhandled as for the next twenty minutes she dedicated to getting all the grime and memories of the school year before off his glorious coat, she may have learned that the mass murder - formerly – was a nice guy, but his animagus left little to think about where and what he might have been around.

She shuddered to even go near that thought and so she was determined to get her cat clean. He may have been a mongrel to some but to her he was a king, and so she was going to make sure he put to shame all those other snobby cats that lifted their tails at him, he would show them when he came back with the nicest coat.

See who sticks whose tail up then.

Once the water had gone cold she pulled him out and gave him a thorough rub down with the towel at her side. He hissed, growled, grumbled and used his tail to bat at her hands but to no successes. In the end he knew when to pick his battles and when to roll over and surrender, so just gave up and allowed her to dry him.

Finally after getting every inch of his coat dry. She were satisfied that he looked amazing, albeit he looked like a cat that had just stuck a claw into an electrical socket but amazing nonetheless, she opened the door to the bathroom as he raced out over to the main one as she unlocked that and watched as he took off down the hall.

Now that his horrific ordeal was over he could safely curse her without fear of another bath and so on getting to the stairs he turned, and gave her his deadliest scowl, before moving down the steps and to a place she couldn't get to him as he made to un-fluff his coat to an acceptable degree.

With his bath over she closed the door again and moved to her desk where a few letters lay on the surface. Sometime during the third week she had started on her writing, she wrote to Harry, who always enjoyed the contact – she made sure to use a smaller, less conspicuous owl for his one.

She sent one to Cedric, who she had been talking steadily with the more the year, progressed – she had given pause when writing that first letter to him. She had no idea when, or even why it had suddenly decided to rear its bloody head but she found one day when thinking about possible new times for the study group – she had been meaning to come up with a name for them.

She wanted something that said they were a group who were strong, smart and to be taken seriously which was why she vetoed Blaise's idea as soon as it came out of his mouth. Somehow she doubted 'Hermione's harem' would have been appreciated by neither teacher nor the rest of the group and so told him to keep thinking.

But as she went over the people now joined to the group she found a strange bout of tingles when she stopped at the Hufflepuff boy, it had disturbed her greatly and as such had taken to ignoring the letters he sent up until the point the older woman was getting suspicious. That was something she wanted her Mother to know or…

The thought was to cringe inducing to even think about so she sucked it up, wrote back, and feigned delay by means of being busy. Cowardly some might say… Not even Gryffindor worthy but hell if she was going to tell him the real reason… She didn't even know the real reason herself and so promptly moved on happily burying it down.

Harry's letter – that had her a little concerned when she first read what he put. After writing about how he had woken one day to find his scar hurting painfully, the only other time it had been when near Quirrel… they all knew how that turned out, which was why it had both made her curious about why it was acting up again now.

The other thing it made her feel was worry. It wasn't like he could go tell anybody – he didn't have anyone, his uncle and aunt were about as useful as the flu and hated magic, so anything he said most likely would be deserved simply for breathing, god how she loathed those people.

The only thing she could suggest was to try sending a letter to the weasleys… maybe Dumbledore but she doubted he would. He needed to speak to someone magical and as much as she would have volunteered to research it for him she didn't want to, it was the holidays, she was on break, and so was doing what she wanted.

She finished his letter and put it to the side ready to send before reaching for Cedric's – he apparently wasn't all that phased about the delay in her reply which made her both glad and a little irked but nevertheless she flicked the paper open as she began to read what he had written.

The basic general letter really, his family had come to visit and so he was keeping his cousin's entertained, there was a lot to do where he lived and so he had taken them on a walk of the forest nearby. She lifted her head to look out the window and to the wilderness that lay just down the garden.

She smirked before getting back to his letter, bet if he was here things would be a whole different matter as he spoke about them for a little bit until the change in topic.

That was when things got scary.

She read the innocent little words on the parchment and dropped it like it was a bug that was after her fingers. She stared a little wide-eyed at the paper, for the longest time she never took her eyes from the letter on the table like it was something to be feared before eventually the need to blink became great.

She took a deep breath before tentatively pulling the letter back to her, keeping her head back unnecessarily until it was in front of her once more. Licking her lips, she looked back down to where the three little words that had her nervous.

'Going to buy new school supplies and robes soon so wondered if you perhaps wanted to join me'

He wanted her to go with him. To Diagon ally, to get school stuff, granted he never said it like it was a date and he might have been asking as part of a group, but either way it was enough to bring the small fluttering back with a vengeance and for the first time in a good while, she was stuck on what to say.

Thankfully she was spared from thinking when the sound of her name being called from downstairs had her standing, a little too quickly and moving to the door.

"Yeah"

"Could you come down here please? There is something I want to tell you."

Thanking the reprieve she shut her door and made her way down the hall, stopping at the top of the stairs before ducking a little to make sure the older woman couldn't see before she perched on the bannister and slid the way down. She landed at the bottom deftly on her feet only to yelp when a swat was aimed at her behind seconds later.

She jumped and turned to find her Mother giving her a baleful stare as she stared back with a sheepish smile.

"What have I told you about that?"

"If you have to do that make sure I'm not around."

Minerva's jaw clenched a little as she narrowed her eyes at the smart mouthed little witch in front of her, yes she might have said that but it was sarcastically - but of course she should have known that the younger girl would have taken her at her word and never the context it implied.

Heaving a sigh the older woman turned and shook her head before wandering back into the living room. Hermione stood still waiting until she had gone before reaching round and rubbing the smacked area moodily before she heard her name once more and shuffled on after her.

She stopped in the middle of the door confused as she looks around what she thought was the living room. Now changed it seemed, into a small studio, face creased with bewilderment she spies the older woman at the other end of the room talking to someone. She shook her head a little, blinking at the sight of the newcomer.

Mother never told her about having visitors, if she had then she wouldn't have made such an effort to get dressed up, glancing down she spies the casual black yoga pants and loose blue shirt and smirked at her own little joke unaware of the two watching her as Minerva coughed.

Hermione lifted her to find them staring and quickly stood to cover her little blunder as the older woman gave her a knowing grin before turning to the man who was smiling.

"Hermione, this is Mr. Haestregt."

The younger girl turned to look at the man standing next to her Mother, he was tall – being just that little taller than the woman at the side of him, he was lithe and was wearing a button shirt that clearly said he had lean muscle underneath. His hair was neat, parted at one side and was a wavy brown that went well with the startling blue eyes that seemed to light his face.

The one thing that got her though was how young he was. He could only have been a few years older than she… early twenties if that and so it confused her as to why he was here.

"Hello, Miss McGonagall."

Her brows shot up in surprise. He was Dutch, the accent weighing slightly on his English as he smiled at her, she returned the gesture hesitantly still wondering what it was he was doing in their home, it wasn't until she heard the other woman speak did she learn.

"Mr. Haestregt is well renowned dance instructor from not only his home but also many other cities within Europe." Hermione still nodded along not seeing the point, to be fair she wasn't all entirely listening as she couldn't help but get lost in those eyes of his.

"Why wasn't it illegal to have eyes that pretty, it should have been as it stopped people from paying attention as she found out seconds later when Minerva turned back to her, cheerfully smiling.

"He's here to teach you how to dance."

She kept nodding still lost in his azure gaze until finally her senses that had longed since been honed, crafted over the years to the tune of large man like bats and other dangerous foe alike went off in her head, it was telling her to wake up as there was an iceberg ahead and she was going to hit it hard.

Stopping her nodding dog routine she turned to face the other witch having gained her sense of reality back. "What now?"

Still smiling, the older woman's gaze never left hers as she repeated. "I said he's here to teach you to dance."

Hermione stared at her hard and in silence for what seemed like an age before finally turning around and looking behind her, the action had both adults puzzled as they watched her peer her head around both corners.

"Hermione what are you doing?"

"Looking for the naïve sod who you've just told is learning to dance." She said turning to look back at her, "Because I know it wasn't me."

She lifted her brow in the direction of the older witch whose face had dropped on hearing the remark. The instructor broke out into laughter and was chuckling as they kept their eyes on each other.

"I have warned you about that mouth yours, Hermione. This isn't the time for the cheek, yes I was talking to you, yes it's you learning to dance and if you don't come over here in the next ten seconds, there is going to be a consequence to that lip."

Her tone didn't leave any room for a comeback as her face certainly gave off the impression she was happy as Hermione rolled her eyes and moved closer. She got to just the right amount of feet before stopping, the other woman may have implied that there wouldn't be backlash to her statement but like hell if she was going to be believing that.

Out of reach within those hands was fine with her.

Giving her baleful glare now she was near, Minerva waited a few more seconds before turning to the man who now stood to attention now he were being addressed.

"As I have said before, Mr. Haestregt here is a—"

She was stopped as he held up a finger. Two sets of eyes looked at him. One in astonishment and the other with shock, nobody - not even the Minister of magic himself had ever dared to cut the deputy head off as he had done. Minerva's brows shot up at the gesture as her ire flared into life on the audacity of the younger man.

Hermione had to hold back a choked laugh. How stupid was he? She had only ever done that once and she had never forgot the lesson afterwards, immediately her eyes jumped to his as a sliver of sorrow came to her.

'Pity… Such pretty eyes for a dead man' She mused sadly as he looked at them. The action of what he had done must have hit him as he smiled apologetically to the person he had cut off before quickly moving to speak.

"I'm sorry to have interrupted," The look he got told him as such and hurried to speak again. "I just wanted to say that you can call me Ruud, it's just Mr, sounds so formal, and I know that it might be the norm for a woman such as yourself but in order to promote a good, working partnership – it's best if my clients can feel they relate on a level that's not all professional."

She listened to him still keeping a sharp eye on him. She wasn't at all pleased to have been cut off – especially by one who she was paying, she never did take it from the younger girl and so wasn't about to put up with it from him but his words did make sense. It wasn't she who was going to be dancing with him but her daughter,

Hermione may have manners and as such respected her elders, even she got bored if it was all strictly business and so nodded slowly, it might work and so allowed it – like she said, it wasn't her who was dancing and he was far closer Hermione's age then he was her own.

"Alright, Ruud"

He smiled and took a step back allowing her to carry on speaking to the younger girl. "As I was saying, he's a professional dancer, having taught many people different styles over the years and it's why I have hired him to come teach you how to dance."

She finished looking to the other girl who had her hands on her hips looking from one to the other, his cheerful demeanour and her expectant one before replying.

"Might I ask why?"

Minerva pursed her lips; the reason was a very good one. Hermione had never danced in her life. She had no idea if she were graceful or not or how her feet were – the other cause was one she couldn't say and so merely shook her head.

"Just getting some life lessons, you never know when they might come in handy one day."

The cryptic remark did nothing to lower the level of suspicion she had, nor did it make her mood any better. She didn't want to dance, what good was it going to do her? Was it a new lesson they had to take? Something the head added to the curriculum? If that was the case then she knew where he could stick that lesson.

The same place she put Divination.

Before she had chance to make a retort, the older woman clapped her hands together and took a step away from them as Hermione followed her movements back to the door where she was clearly making her exit.

"Well, I think I will leave you to get started. Remember, no cheek or any smart comment's I will know."

She gave her one last look before turning and closing the doors behind her. Hermione watched her go and sighed, before turning back to him.

"She will you know, find out – that is, it's like a superpower of hers" He looked at her blankly for a moment before chuckling once more as he shuffled a little.

"Right, well, welcome to lesson 1 of dance. The first style your Mother wanted me to teach you, was the waltz."

Something that suspiciously sounded like her soul, shattered in her psyche and she closed her eyes in resigned defeat. He saw the look and let out another low chuckle in mirth before turning to the small CD player on the small table.

He might have been a pureblood but he didn't in any way believe all that supremacy stuff. He liked Muggle technology, used it even when he gave lessons and so smiled as he pressed the button. So much simpler then taking out his wand and flicking the large grammar phone to life as he held out his hand for her to move into the middle of them room.

Stepping up, he held out his hands for her to take which she did slowly and squeaked a bit as he pulled her closer. A slight rose tint coloured her cheeks which he smiled at but made no remark before getting into proper dancing mode.

"In order to perfect the art of the waltz, you first must get to know the music. Are you ready? And one, two, three…"

Pushing on the door to her room Hermione ambled in with the smallest steps she could muster without whimpering, that she thought – was torture.

She had no idea what she had done to earn such a horrid punishment but the hell if it wasn't affective as she made it to her bed and just toppled over. They had danced for three hours solid, the only time they stopped was when she got thirsty or she needed to go the bathroom. Blasted slave driver, may have been pretty but he was a tyrant underneath those eyes and cheekbones… Chiselled muscles…

NO – Hermione… Focus, evil remember, mean Mr. Ruud, lulling people in with his smiles and talks of being friends, she knew better.

And what was worse, he was coming back! Minerva had come in just as she collapsed on the conjured sofa and nearly flipped her off when asked if she was ok. The older woman had the gall to laugh, at her, she laughed and just said if he was free the same bloody time two days from now.

If that was the case for the future then she would be running away from home she knew her uncle lived at the school pretty much all year, so she could go there and pled sanctuary he wouldn't turn her down, hadn't been able to for years and so with the starts of what seemed like a good plan A in mind, she rolled over with effort and lifted herself up.

She was going to get dressed into her pyjamas everything else be damned. And get some sleep, just until tea was ready, but maybe even then… Her feet and legs really were killing her, she winced as she pulled off her yoga pants and reached for the sleep ones on the other side just as she undid her shirt and pulled the night top over her head.

Groping for something heavy she launched it at the wall in aim of the light. It took four goes but finally she got it on the fifth as her room was bathed in darkness and she settled into bed. Closing her eyes she would pick up what she threw later on when Crooks came in.

Right now she was too busy dying to think of anything else.

Hope everyone liked. :)