Disclaimer: A month has past and I am still yet to own Harry Potter, I keep asking but my letters are never returned…

Read Back to the Past, Away from the Present first, else wise you won't understand what's going on.

Chapter 1: Jobs, Living Arrangements and an Apprenticeship

"You can't just keep saying 'no' to everything Severus!"

"Oh, but I can. Especially if I do not think your choice is suitable."

After revealing their relationship to the rest of the school, things began very slowly for Severus and Hermione. The Board of Governors had found out the next day and nearly made Hermione repeat her seventh year all over again, not believing that he had marked her just as fairly as he did the rest. It was only when another potions master checked through her work did they leave the pair alone, declaring that Severus had not tampered with her grades. To say the least the being accused of tampering with a students work did not go down well with Severus when he heard their announcement. It took over an hour for Hermione to calm him down, and even then he glared at the governor clearly wishing to send a good hex in his direction.

Since then the holidays had started meaning that Severus was allowed to leave the castle until he was required to return a week before term started. Though at first Hermione wondered where they would live Severus waved away her worries and, after some very tricky wand work, he managed to expand his own small house. Spinners End was not what Hermione had expected to be her first house to look like but after persuading a reluctant Severus, she began to redecorate the house, both inside and out. Severus soon found that his worries for what the house would look like were, thankfully, far from the truth. While Hermione brightened up the house up somewhat, she had considered the owners preferences and kept to blues, greens and (in some cases) blacks.

While she enjoyed her new living arrangements, Hermione soon began to think of what she was going to do with her life. She had definitely not expected to be engaged when she graduated and it threw her off her original plans, not hat she had known what she wanted to do. Hermione had a basic idea of what fields she thought she'd enjoy working in and, now that it came to choosing, she was having problems. Not in thinking of a good job in general, no she was fine with that, it was getting her fiancé to agree with her choice that was the hard part.

'I know that he's only trying to help but still, he can not keep shooting down all of my ideas,' Hermione thought, now really getting annoyed with Severus' antics.

"Ok then Sevvie," she began, stressing on his nickname. "What would you suggest I do? You know that I was planning to send out requests for jobs this morning so why are you being so difficult?"

"Damn name. I'm not being difficult; I am merrily trying to stop you from wasting your talent at pointless jobs at the Ministry when you could be putting your knowledge to better use," Severus stated calmly.

He knew how much Hermione wanted to work at the Ministry, but he also knew how things worked their and that she would not enjoy it at all. He could not picture her at a desk job nor could he imagine her enjoying fixing up others magical mistakes. The way Severus saw it he was just preventing her from wasting time when she would surely quit herself within the week of her starting.

Severus saw Hermione start to fiddle with the locket she still kept around her neck at all times. He knew that she was thinking about what he had said to her and Severus hoped that she would see that he was correct in saying that she could definitely use her talent elsewhere.

Looking up to face Severus, Hermione had come to a decision. With a determined look on her face she began to speak.

"Ok Sev, how's this then? We will both think of a job that I might enjoy and tonight we will tell each other. If neither of us likes the idea then you will let me make my own choice tomorrow, regardless of whether you think it suits me or not."

Severus titled his head, considering her proposition. He knew that it would be the only way that he would get a say so he agreed to her idea. Hermione grinned and stood, moving over to where Severus sat at their kitchen table. She leaned down and kissed him lightly on his lips and began to look for her cloak and bag.

"Wait Hermione, where are you going? Surely you're not that anxious to get away from me?" Severus asked in a mock hurt voice, but his smirk gave him away.

"I will be looking of a job that I won't be 'wasting my talent' in."

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Hermione wondered through Hogsmeade with a small smirk on her face. She knew perfectly well that she would be unhappy in a desk job at the Ministry, though she wouldn't mind working a department dealing with magical creatures, she knew that she would eventually become bored with the job. The main reason that she continued to search through the Daily Prophet long after she couldn't find a job that she would enjoy was to gauge what Severus would have thought of her working at the Ministry.

'Well he definitely wasn't pleased with the idea of that happening was he?'

She knew that he wasn't going to be pleased if she expressed an interest in working at the Ministry. What she didn't expect though was how much argument he put up if she were even to mention it as a possibility. Hermione gathered that it was because Severus still held ill feelings towards the Ministry after they tried to convict him of being a Death Eater after he had proven himself not once, but twice. It was during her second last year at Hogwarts that Voldemort was finally killed by Harry Potter and both Severus and Lucius were almost immediately thrown into Azkaban with out a trail. Even with the overwhelming evidence of their innocence provided by Dumbledore the Ministry only barely accepted that they were not on the dark side.

Looking up Hermione realised that she had arrived at her destination. The castle that was Hogwarts still loomed large and impressive over its huge grounds. In the distance she could see the forest which still looked as intimidating as ever as the mist of the morning still hung around the foremost trees, though it should have disappeared long ago. Carefully opening the front gates, Hermione entered and began her long walk up to the doors which lead to the inside of the castle.

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"So you see Sir, if you have any positions open, it would be greatly appreciated."

Albus Dumbledore smiled down his crooked nose at the young women in front of him. He knew that if any of his students were likely to be drawn back to the castle, it would be the women who sat in front of him.

"Now Hermione, I believe that now you are no longer a student you can call me by my first name."

"Of course Albus," Hermione said smoothly, she had always called him by his name in her mind once she left school but habit had kicked in now that she was back inside Hogwarts.

"Good, now as for your request for a position on the staff, I'm afraid that there are no current positions open. Though, I must admit, I am surprised that you're job hunting and not with Minerva."

Seeing the confused look on her face he continued, "While there are no positions on the staff I believe that Minerva previously offered you an apprenticeship. I had wondered when you would be accepting her as your mentor through Transfiguration, as I know that she wished to train you as her successor personally."

Hermione's face turned a light shade of pink as she remembered the extra certificate that came with her graduation. Silently she berated herself for forgetting something as important as an apprenticeship offer. Now she could have a position at Hogwarts, train under one of her favourite teachers and, most importantly, stay near Severus.

"Thank you Albus!" Hermione exclaimed, "Though I can't believe I would forget something so important…"

"Even those of us with great minds forget things in the shadow of others, Hermione," Dumbledore said, his blue eyes twinkling, "and there is no need to thank me. I'm sure that Minerva will be over-joyed to know that her successor will be her favourite student," Dumbledore finished, smiling at the grinning women in front of him.

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As he got ready for bed Severus knew that something had changed with Hermione. She seemed far happier then when she left and he knew that it meant that she had found a job that she would enjoy. As he realised this, Severus decided that even if he did hate her choice of work he would not fault her on it. He knew that she would appreciate that over him constantly putting down her ideas.

Severus was just getting comfortable when Hermione walked into the room and crossed over to the bed. Though it had been awkward on the first few nights, the pair had gotten used to sleeping in the same bed rather quickly, something that they were both grateful for. Hermione cuddled lightly into Severus' side and waited for him to suggest a job that he may have found for her.

Looking down at Hermione, Severus smiled lightly as he began to speak.

"I know that you have already found a job Mione," he said, laughing slightly at the shocked look on her face.

"How?"

"Well you were rather obvious. Now I believe that I would like to know what job you have chosen."

Taking a small breath she smiled at Severus.

"I'm going to be working at Hogwarts as an apprentice to Minerva."

After a few minutes of silence Hermione began to wonder if she should try an enverate just to make sure that he was still ok, until Severus finally spoke.

"WHAT THE HELL?"

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That's right I'm back with a sequel! I know that with the first story I updated virtually every day, sorry to say it but please don't expect that this time round, not immediately anyway. My exams are now finished; I had my last today, and most of the next few days will be spent actually sleeping for more then 4 hours a night. This story will not be very long, defiantly no longer the 15 chapters, mainly because I'll be making this up as I go. Please review!

Lady of Elysion