The Fox and the Griffin

Hermione Granger breathed in the fresh country air as she stood in her front garden. She smiled as she looked around her, taking in her new home. The quaint country house stood proud and tall just outside of an equally tranquil village. It had been ten years since the final battle for the Wizarding World in the year 1998. Ten long years since the fall of Lord Voldemort, and in those years so much had changed. The prejudices against muggle borns had lessened, although there was still scepticism amongst some of the older pureblood families when it came to muggle borns living within the wizarding community. The Ministry of Magic had undergone a full scale reformation under the control of new Minister for Magic Kingsley Shaklebolt, who had been appointed minister not a week after the final confrontation between light and dark on the grounds of Hogwarts. The most radical changes were evident in those who had been part of the final battle; who had witnessed the destruction of the castle, the death of their friends and family and been seconds from death themselves. No-one came out without scars, emotional and physical. Hermione believed it almost a miracle that she Harry and Ron had made it through the war without being killed, and thanked whatever deity had been watching over them in their hour of need.

Now ten years on, Hermione Granger was starting over. After the war was declared finally ended, Hermione, Harry and Ron had each taken time to themselves. Hermione had taken time out helping with the refurbishment of Hogwarts and had travelled to Australia to retrieve her parents and restore their memories. Ron had spent a few weeks with his family, mourning the loss of Percy who had died valiantly saving his brother Fred's life. Harry had spent the next month helping with the rebuilding of Hogwarts School, but when not actively taking part in the renovation of the castle, he became somewhat of a hermit within the walls of Grimmauld Place, shying away from the reporters and his much detested fans.

It had not been long before Hermione and Ron had discovered they were far better off as friends rather than lovers. Shortly after the final battle they had sought comfort in one another. It had been awkward, quick and afterwards they had both burst into laughter. They were far too close as friends to ever consider attempting to be romantically involved, and had each decided it was best if they never mention the encounter again. Nevertheless neither regretted it. Both had been in search of comfort from the devastation the war had caused, and both found comfort, however awkward, in one another.

Taking another deep breath Hermione walked up to her front door and entered her new home. The colonial house was perfect for her, not too large but with plenty of room to house her hundreds of books. With a large library she had the prefect setting for a study enabling her to work from home. Working for the Ministry of Magic department of Magical Law Enforcement meant that she spent a great deal of time working on cases at home, before taking them to court. Walking into the main sitting area she took out her shrunken belongings and furniture from a few pockets in her robes and with a swish and flick of her wand returned them to their original size, and manoeuvred them around the house to their respective rooms. Although she had decided to live on the outskirts of a quiet muggle village, Hermione did relish being able to use magic. She had already set up the appropriate wards around her new home, making sure that no muggles could detect the magical activity happening within her home.

Moving through her house, she checked every room making sure her bed was set up, and her clothes had made it into her wardrobe and dresser. After that she checked the library, confirming that all her books had ordered themselves alphabetically on her shelves.

After one more sweep of the library she took off to her kitchen in order to make a much needed cup of tea. Sitting on her porch swing mug of tea in hand, Hermione admired the view from her front garden. A little way away a narrow lane made its way to the village she had moved near to, and she could see the street lights being lit as darkness descended. Part way down that lane, and close to her own home, there was a small and what looked like a very old cottage, almost concealed by the overgrown trees surrounding it. A light flickered on in a downstairs window signalling that the aged cottage was lived in. Hermione decided that tomorrow she would venture into the village and familiarise herself with her new settings, and then pop over to the cottage and get to know her new neighbour. Magical or not, it was always a good idea to get along with ones neighbour.

The next morning Hermione woke to the sound of bird song, with light pouring in through the gap in her curtains, and she took a moment to chuckle inwardly at her situation. Living in the middle of Diagon Alley since she had left school, Hermione was used to waking up to the sound of shop owners opening their stores, and early morning shoppers arriving in the streets below her old apartment. Now as she stretched her sleepy limbs and blinked her tired eyes she couldn't imagine going back to the hustle and bustle of city life. She was much more at peace in the country, and at twenty seven years old she deserved to be settling into a quiet lifestyle.

After finally pulling herself from her bed and refreshing her body with a hot shower, Hermione found herself once again out on her porch swing, eating toast and drinking her regular morning coffee. Looking down the lane she saw a figure leave the dilapidated cottage and make their way down to the village beyond. There was something in the manner of their walk that reminded Hermione of someone, someone from her past, someone she couldn't quite place. She decided it was time for her to venture to her new village as well, and after making sure her wand was securely in its harness under her sleeve she put on her jacket to ward off the slight chill of the morning, and took off down the lane.

Being in such a remote area, village life was vastly different from life in Diagon Alley. Hermione strolled leisurely past pastry shops and cafes stopping at one for tea and scones. After wandering the shops for the next half an hour she had found a grocery store and a small supermarket to obtain food from. On her way back out of town she walked past a building she didn't remember seeing on her entry to the village. Concealed behind many muggle repelling wards stood a small apothecary tucked away between two larger buildings. Stopping outside she peered through the windows. She had expected this entire area to be muggle inhabited, but by the looks of the well stacked shelves through the window it appeared she had stumbled across a popular magical apothecary, with a very certain magical owner. Being the inquisitive individual that she was, she pushed open the door and entered the store followed by the sound of a soft chime from the bell above the entrance signalling her arrival.

Looking around she was surprised by just how well stocked the store really was. There was a counter to her left and the rest of the room was taken over by shelves groaning under the weight of books and potions. There did not appear to be an owner in sight. The smell of the room hit her abruptly, and took her back to the days of Hogwarts, reminding her vividly of her old potions classroom when the illustrious potions master Severus Snape had worked as a professor. Registering this fact made Hermione suddenly uncomfortable and she desperately tried to ignore the dawning truth of whose apothecary it was she had just entered, a horrible feeling settling in the pit of her stomach. Knowing she couldn't make it out the store now before the owner appeared she closed her eyes hoping against hope that she was wrong, and that her overactive mind had at last failed her after so many years of drawing the right conclusions. Unfortunately, fate it appeared was in a vindictive mood. His scent hit her first; she knew it well despite it being almost ten years since she had had the displeasure of being in his presence. Then his voice washed over her and she shuddered at the cruel truth of her situation.

"Do my eyes deceive me, or do I truly have the misfortune of seeing Hermione Granger enter my apothecary?" his drawl wound its way around her the way a poisonous snake coiled its way around its prey.

Taking a deep calming breath Hermione straightened her shoulders and turned on the spot to face the man before her. Facing her stood none other than Severus Snape, ex Potions Professor, ex Death Eater and ex spy for the Order of the Phoenix. As her eyes washed over him she noticed the very subtle changes to his appearance, noting that there were very few. His robes were remarkably like his teaching ones, long and black flowing around his tall figure, but this particular set were adorned with silver trimming, he also appeared to have gained some much needed weight. His hair was the same lank black as it had been when he taught her, although there were now traces of silver at the roots. His skin was still pale but no longer sallow, and he appeared much healthier then when she had last seen him. His eyes were still a dark onyx in colour, burning through to her very soul.

He coughed softly bringing her back to the present. Blushing slightly at being caught staring she lowered her gaze to the floor before straightening her back once more to meet his dark gaze. He had one slender eyebrow raised in question and she hastened to explain her presence, stumbling over her words as she explain that she had recently moved into the house up the lane. His expression remained unreadable although his eyes seemed to have darkened yet further, if that were possible. When he spoke again his voice was icily cold.

"You mean to tell me, that you have moved into the house across the way from my own home?" his eyebrow was still raised.

"You... you live in the cottage down the lane?" Hermione stammered, inwardly cursing herself for her lack of ability to speak coherently.

"That is what I said" he muttered as he moved back behind his counter.

"But, how did you come to live here? Nobody has seen you since you were released from St Mungos, it's been a decade sir, what have you been doing all this time?" She was unable to fathom how she had managed to move to what she had considered a secluded village, only to discover that her ex potions professor lived down the road from her.

"So many questions" he muttered just loud enough for her to hear, "Some things never change".

"No, they don't. You, I find, are remarkably unchanged from the sour grudge of a man you were so many years ago" Hermione retorted, infuriated by his reluctance to answer he questions.

"Miss Granger, it is still Granger is it not? Surely you did not marry that oaf of a Weasley?"

"No, I did not marry Ron" she replied hurt by his dismissal of her friend.

"Well at least you did something right. I have no desire to answer your questions, nor do I have any desire for your presence in my shop. You may now live by me, but that does not mean that we will become acquaintances and, god forbid, friends. I like my solitude, I always have. Now if you are so inclined I will ask you to leave." Once again Snape turned his back on her and strode through a door behind the shop counter and disappeared from view, leaving Hermione standing alone in the middle of his store, face red with indignation, mouth agape staring at the door blocking her ex professor from view.

Thank you to all those who read and enjoy my fics. This one is going to be a lot longer than my first one shot, & I am really enjoying writing it. I head off to university at the end of this month but I'm trying to get as much done before then.

I hope you enjoy the first chapter of 'The Fox & the Gryffin'. I'm working on the second and third and I'm almost done, so hopefully updates will be regular.

Reviews are always welcome :)

Cheers, BB.