Author's Note: Dear Readers, I hope you will enjoy my new story. It is in four parts and will be posted weekly.

Part 1

June, 12th, 1999, London

After that horrible so-called Last Battle three years ago, the funerals afterwards and numerous parties and ceremonies later Hermione Granger had gone to Australia. Recovering her parents' memories had gone anything but smooth. They were angry about their daughter's presumption, still had memory issues and had not been able to reconnect with Hermione on an emotional level as much as all three wished. The young witch had decided to stay with her parents, monitor their issues and try her best to repair their relationship. Long talks, a regime of potions and some written accounts about VoldWarII had helped. After a year together the Grangers had understood why Hermione had acted as she had done but still had opted to stay as the Wilkinses in Australia.

Now back in Britain the young witch's first stop was at Grimmauld Place. Harry and Ron had lived there together since the end of the war. They had opted to take the NEWTs offered for their role in Voldemort's final vanquishing and had busied themselves with Auror training. Hermione and Ron had written, she often and long letters, he rarely and mostly not answering her questions. Nevertheless had Hermione considered them to be in a long-distance relationship. Harry and Ron had been themselves but ever so often they hadn't finished a sentence they had started and her bespectacled friend had started to look guilty.

"All right, boys, what is the matter?"

Just then the Floo in the living room had flared to life and Lavender Brown's voice could be heard, "Ron, I'm back!"

Hermione busied herself with bringing another cup to the kitchen table while analyzing her feelings. There was no surprise, Ron had never been patient if his comforts were far off. And there was nearly no hurt, only annoyance. That surfer back Down Under would have been a nice diversion. A diversion she had herself not allowed to have, in consideration of her status.

"Hello Lavender!"

"Oh, hi, Hermione! Did you travel all right? I have heard that long-distance-Portkeys can be beastly."

"Yes, everything's fine."

Lavender's face was visibly scarred yet her looks were more pleasing to her former dorm-mate than before. The witch obviously had matured a lot during the last year, something that could not be said about Ronald Weasley.

Finally taking in the heavy silence in the room the blond witch turned to her boyfriend, eyes narrowing.

"Ronald, do you have something to say to us?"

Harry Potter made a strategic retreat, shooting apologetic glances towards Hermione. In retrospect Lavender's name had come up often in the black-haired wizard's letters to his friend in Australia.

"Lav, I had thought it had been obvious to Hermione, brightest witch and all-"

Lavender's hand connected with his cheek with a resounding slap.

"You cheating bastard! You told me there was nothing between her and you! I would never – Hermione, please believe me, I did not know that you two were together!"

"I believe you, Lavender." They both turned towards Ronald, who had been edging towards the fireplace and right now was Flooing to the Burrow.

Hermione sat back down, shaking her head.

"Harry, you can come back!"

The saviour of the wizarding world hesitated on the door-step.

"He told Ginny and me that nothing had come from your kiss after the final battle, that you had been so busy doing research for your parents. I only suspected when he got more and more nervous about you coming back."

"He did not lie, we kissed and that was it. But still I considered him my boyfriend. I have been so stupid. I should have known he would not wait. And he never wrote anything remotely romantic, or related to our future. The shop this and Quidditch that."

Lavender made a move to leave the kitchen.

"No, Lav, please do not leave on my account. You are as much wronged as I am, if not more. I wanted to celebrate my return with friends and I will."

Harry perked up.

"Wonderful! Neville and Luna and Ginny are coming as well. Kreacher, the bubbly, please!"

The old house-elf looked much improved and while he still called Harry `Half-blood-master' and Hermione `Miss Mudblood' he was cordial. Lavender was `Missy Wolf girl' even though Greyback's attack had not infected her. While Harry and Kreacher busied themselves with preparing the dining room for the party the two women had a heart-to-heart talk. Lavender was very much disappointed with Ron's behaviour. She had apprenticed to Madam Malkin and in her free time spent a lot of time at the new orphanage and with female war-victims with scars. The money for the orphanage had come in equal parts from Harry and from the Malfoys and Narcissa Malfoy also was a surprisingly staunch ally in helping orphaned or hurt children or witches. Lavender and her approach was to make the witches feel good about themselves, be it through clothes or through glamours or make-up. While Ms Brown had chosen not to disguise her scars for other girls or women this was an important part of their recovery. Severus Snape had developed several salves for curse-, Fiendfire- or werescars and supplied the two witches with them without charge. Hermione was glad to hear that her former professor was well again. Her last stop before the Portkey to Australia had been at his hospital bed in St. Mungo's. The spy had been asleep, at least Hermione had thought so. She had delivered a heartfelt apology for not helping him in the Shrieking Shack.

Eight weeks into her stay with her parents in Australia a falcon had delivered a short missive.

Ms Granger,

There is no need for an apology. You were meant to leave me for dead. My healers and I are heartily glad that you did not attempt to help me, because had you managed to close my wounds Nagini's venom would have killed me for sure. As it was the bleeding worked to get rid of most of it, thus making my survival possible.

Severus Snape

The letter was a much needed relief for Hermione. As Harry had about the same time written about the Potions master's aquittal and subsequent Order of Merlin 1st Class Hermione had put all thoughts of her former professor away and had concentrated on her relationship with her parents.

By the time the first bottle of champagne was finished Lavender and Hermione had hashed a few things out. The latter witch was mostly hurt by Ron's cowardly behaviour, hurt as a friend more than as a love-interest. Lavender on the other side was truly in love with the red-head, warts and all. She had no illusions about his maturity but had had high hopes for a future together. Those hopes had taken a nose dive during the last few hours but not everything was lost. Lav had every intention of making Ron grovel, and grow up in the process. Until that happened she used her considerable talent for sketching to draw one surfer after the other. A second bottle of champagne was opened, as by then Hermione deemed it necessary to toast to every Australian man that had ever shown any interest in her person, accompagnied by Lavender's now animated sketches of mostly scantily clad men with rippling muscles and sunkissed skin.

Neville, Luna and Ginny arrived and the party took off.

June 13th, 1999, London

Over coffee the next morning Ginny had told Hermione about Molly's reaction to Ron's behaviour. The Weasley matriarch had made her youngest sleep outside in the shed. Granted, it was June, but not even the twins at their wildest had made their mother so furious as to be told to sleep outside.

Harry then had stumbled into the kitchen. Lavender and Ron both had separate rooms at Grimmauld Place and for Hermione Regulus' old room had been prepared, as it was close to the library. It had been agreed between the friends that Hermione would stay at Grimmauld during the summer before going to Hogwarts again for her last year of schooling.

Later that day, Hogwarts

Walking up from the gates Hermione Granger was shocked at the still visible destruction from the war. Hagrid's hut had been rebuilt, but only two of the greenhouses, and the castle proper was also in a state of disrepair. The school had opened at the first of November the year before.

Minerva McGonagall's office looked different than during Dumbledore's time as headmaster. Gone were the trinkets and the overall design sported a lot of tartan. The headmistress had aged, but still held herself erect. She greeted her former pupil with eagerness and then proceeded to tell her of her plans. Due to the fact that the other year-seven-students would be two years younger than Hermione the staff had found a solution: Hogwarts' most promising pupil would be a teaching assistant. As most teachers agreed that she would have been able to take her NEWTs in her sixth year already they would assess her progress and then would tailor her preparation to her needs. While most of her studies would be done independently the staff would help whenever needed. For about ten hours a week Hermione would lessen the headmistresses workload with teaching the younger years in Transfiguration. The young witch was happy to take McGonagall's suggestions.

Just then a knock came. Severus Snape entered, carrying a long list and looking frazzled.

"Minerva, this is impossible! I cannot repair the labs and classrooms while brewing this, even my days are no longer than twentyfour hours!"

"Severus, come, have a cup of tea. Did you notice my guest?"

The Potions master turned around, blinking at Hermione, seemingly not recognising her at first.

"Miss Granger? Welcome back to Hogwarts."

"Professor Snape, thank you. I am glad to be back. Do you think I could do some of those potions as preparation for my NEWTs?"

McGonagall clapped her hands.

"A splendid solution! Severus, what do you think?"

"Most of what we need could indeed be brewed by Miss Granger. But we need it before school starts again."

Hermione thought it over quickly. If she stayed most of her time during the summer here at Hogwarts she would avoid some tense moments at Grimmauld Place.

"I will have to talk it over with my friends, but I do not see any problems with me coming to Hogwarts earlier than planned."

Only then did the Potions master permit himself a cup of tea which he drained quickly.

"When can you start, Miss Granger?"

"Severus, the girl has only just arrived back in England!"

"The girl is a grown woman by now, a witch without whom's war-efforts Voldemort would still be running around here, she can answer that question on her own."

"Thank you, Professor Snape. I will be at Hogwarts the day after tomorrow."

"Until then, Miss Granger."

Even without robes Snape managed to billow somewhat.

June 15th, 1999

At 8 sharp Hermione knocked on the doors of Hogwarts. Harry had been disappointed at first and then relieved. Both he and Lavender had asked her to visit often and all three had assured themselves that London and Scotland were but an Apparition or Floo apart.

The teachers staying at the castle were still having breakfast. Snape was nursing a cup of coffee while Flitwick, Hooch, McGonagall and Pomfrey all seemed to talk at once. Hermione managed to have a slice of toast while answering all kinds of questions. A crew of workmen arrived and the young witch followed Snape towards the dungeons.

Ten cauldrons were lined up in the Potions master's private lab. A list of ingridients to be prepared was already in front of every work-station, Snape must have worked nearly the whole night. At first he kept a close watch on his assistant's chopping and slicing but soon was satisfied that her technique had not suffered during the last year.

Two weeks later the most important potions for the infirmary had been brewed and Snape had offered Hermione the use of his first name, at least outside classroom situations. The young woman was brewing all NEWTs potions by herself while her teacher made the more complicated ones. While not permitted during exams he showed her some shortcuts and tricks and taught her when it was allright to charm a knife to chop and when not. As a young man Snape had invented a charm for the pestle to grind seeds on its own and he showed Hermione that as well.

On Saturday she met with Ginny and Luna for a girl's night out. Ginny had joined the Holyhead Harpies and was loving every minute of it. Luna would leave soon for her travels to South America with a fellow researcher named Rolf Scamander. Hermione suspected that her friend was more than a little bit in love with the magical creatures expert. The friends asked after Hermione's work at Hogwarts. She told not without envy about Snape inventing spells as a sixteen year old. Ginny asked for clarification, "So the pestle is vibrating and grinding on its own?"

"Yes, it is marvellous and it saves us a lot of time."

Ginny cast a privacy charm before continuing, "Ah, Hermione, doesn't this pestle remind you of a Muggle invention? One of the Harpies, a Muggleborn, had this hen-night where we had a stripper and then we did games and the prizes were, ah, sex-toys, I think they were called. One of it was shaped like a pestle, or a penis rather, and when you pressed a button it started to vibrate. They called it a vibraty or something like that."

Luna was choking on her drink seeing Hermione's expression.

"Blimey! How am I to work with Severus again with that mental picture?"

"Severus is it? I must say I have always liked his voice. And he has this grace in every movement."

"Ginny! Don't tell me you are crushing on your professor?"

"Na, he's quite safe from me. I am waiting for Harry to grow up and am having as much fun as possible until that happens."

"I am getting another round."

August 29th, 1999

Before the teacher's traditional end-of-holiday party every teacher told Hermione where she was standing in terms of NEWTs. On October 1st she would sit her exams in Potions, Herbology, Defense, Charms, History and Muggle Studies. The rest – Ancient Runes, Arithmancy and Transfiguration she would take with the other students in May.

Despite her misgivings it had been possible to brew alongside Severus Snape without thinking of vibrators constantly. Now, during the party, when he was singing along with Hooch's horrible rendition of "Cauldron full of love", he was really letting his hair down and was enjoying himself. Luna had told her friend a lot about that horrible year of Snape being headmaster. While children had been hurt after the war the tally was far from what to expect if one took into account the Carrow twin's sadistic tendencies and the sheer amount of children in the castle. Testimonies had brought to light how ingeniously and tirelessly Snape had worked behind the scenes to protect the pupils and his colleagues from more harm. Luna had extolled on how lonely and stressful that year must have been for the headmaster. The interaction between Minerva, Poppy, Filius and Severus now indicated that bridges had been mended and for that Hermione was glad.