Disclaimer: The wonderful world of Harry Potter and its’ characters are not mine. It all belongs to JKR, all I do is play with them.

Chapter 1: A Fresh Start

Hermione approached Hogwart’s castle very slowly, and in complete awe. It had been five years since Harry had defeated Voldemort and five years since she had been inside the school walls. However, she was not returning as a student. She was the new Transfiguration Professor, and the new head of Gryffindor House. She had been hesitant to accept the position when Headmistress McGonagall had first offered it to her, because she felt inadequate. However, after much insistent on the older witch’s part she had accepted.

Hermione’s life had been far from perfect. She had spent the last five years at the Ministry getting nowhere in the fight to give rights to the house elves. However, her whole life was turned upside down when Ron, her fiancé, was killed by a former Death Eater during a raid. Even though it had been almost a year since his death, she still felt like it had just occurred.

She longed to start all over and make a real difference, and saw the opportunity as a Professor. She will be able to help shape a better future by teaching it’s future leaders. And she would be able to move on with her life.

Hermione took a deep breath and slowly opened the front gate of the place she had once called home. The stone structure was just as impressive as ever, and Hermione couldn’t help but think of all the memories she had. It was the first place she ever felt like she belonged, and the place she had met her two best friends.

The castle now held new meaning to her. It stood for a new beginning. It stood for a new start to her life. She wanted to put the past behind her, and look into a new future. And with that new resolve she slowly made her way up the familiar stone path to the castle’s oak doors where the Headmistress awaited her arrival.

“Hermione, I’m so glad you accepted the position.” McGonagall greeted giving the young girl a hug. “How are you doing?”

“I’m doing alright, Professor.” Hermione replied with a small smile.

“Nonsense, Hermione. We are colleagues, call me Minerva. Let me show you to the staff quarters.” McGonagall urged leading her up the Grand Staircase.

The duo walked in silence up to the sixth floor. “The staff quarters are all behind the portrait of Sir Babel, and the password is ‘Unity.’” McGonagall explained as the portrait opened to reveal a circular common area similar to the Gryffindor Common Room that Hermione knew.

The room held a variety of couches and armchairs near the marble fireplace. On top of the fireplace there was a huge painting of the castle. The common room also contained a large rectangular table with the Hogwart’s seal carved in the middle as well as a bookcase that took up an entire wall.

Hermione also noticed that like the student common rooms there was two distinct staircases leading away from the room. “Why are there two staircases?” Hermione questioned.

Minerva laughed. “Students as you know are separated by gender, but the staff is not. The two staircases lead to the two different towers. In order to accommodate a growing staff a new tower was added not long after the school first opened.”

“Your room is in the North Tower.” Minerva explained leading the younger woman up the tower. “Your room will be directly across Sirius’s.”

“Sirius is a professor?” Hermione inquired.

Minerva nodded. “Our new Defense Professor. He arrived earlier this morning, and I think he’s in Hogsmeade now. I’ll let you get settled, we will have a meeting this evening downstairs at seven.” She added before leaving Hermione alone in her new room.

Hermione could’ve never guessed that Sirius would be a professor, but she had not seen him since Ron’s funeral. Sirius had returned from the veil mysteriously two years after Voldemort’s defeat. Nobody had been able to explain his return, and after spending a year living with Harry he had gone off to see the world.

Hermione looked around her room. It was not extremely big, but it was just the right size. There was a four-poster queen-sized bed with a burgundy comforter in the middle of the room. The room also contained a desk and a wardrobe, but the most imposing aspect of the room was the view from the window.

The room overlooked the Hogwart’s ground, and she felt like she could see for eternity. It was a picturesque view of the lake and the lawns. The view was very similar to the view from Gryffindor Tower, but at the same time it was different. Changes that only those who paid close attention would notice. New tress had been planted to replace those that had fallen during the battle, and a stone with a plaque now lay in the middle of the lawn.

The view itself brought a calming to her soul that she had not felt in a long time. Nothing was the same as it once was, but she wasn’t the same person either. Change was inevitable, and at that moment she knew she had made the right decision. Although, the pain and loneliness was still fresh in her heart, she had to learn to look into the future. It would be what Ron would want her to do.

Hermione made her way swiftly down stairs to the common room just as the staff meeting was starting. She couldn’t believe that she was late for her first meeting as a Professor. Hermione smiled softly at her former Professors, and quickly took a seat next to Neville who had been teaching Herbology for three years.

Sirius attention was drawn to the young lady who made her way down the North Tower stairs. Hermione, his godson’s best friend, wasn’t the same person he had met so many years ago. She had blossomed into a beautiful young woman. Sirius couldn’t help, but study her as McGonogall began the meeting. Her hair was no longer a frizzy mess, but fell in small curls past her shoulders. Her eyes had not lost the pain of loosing a loved one, a pain Sirius knew all too well.

“The time has come to start a new year at Hogwart’s,” Professor McGonagall began while Hermione looked around the table smiling softly at Sirius who sat across from her at the table. “This year we are pleased to welcome two new additions to our staff Professor Hermione Granger and Professor Sirius Black.” McGonagall announced allowing the two to nod in recognition.

To Sirius the meeting seemed to drag on for ages. Explanations of rules, Hogsmeade trips, Quidditch matches, and point systems all seemed to have never changed. After all Sirius Black was never one to follow rules in the first place, and didn’t think this was the time to start.

However, what really amazed him was how his attention kept falling on the young woman in front of him. There was something about the way she bit the end of her quill, and the way her hair fell onto her face. He really didn’t know how to explain it, but he felt as if his heart was reaching out to her. Even though she had been through so much in the past year, she still managed to appear put together. Something that Sirius knew to be a façade, a façade he sometimes put up himself.

Sirius was so caught up in his thoughts that he didn’t even hear when McGonagall had ended the meeting. It was only the squeaking of the chairs that brought him back to reality. Sirius quickly made his way over to the other side of the table to properly greet his godson’s best friend.

“Hermione, how’s the brightest witch of our day doing?” He said with his trademark smile bringing her into a hug instantly recognizing the faint smell of vanilla.

“I’m doing alright. How was your trip? Did you see the world?” She asked happy to see him.

“It was actually quite lonely.” He replied leaning on the table.

“You mean to tell me that the fame Sirius Black didn’t conqueror the whole female population.” She teased. She had developed a very close friendship with Sirius over the year he had spent living with Harry.

Sirius pretended to be offended. “Are you saying I don’t have standards?”

Hermione shrugged. “You do, Sirius, just not very high ones.” She replied before heading to the stairs.

“Why don’t we go get a drink and catch up?” Sirius suggested before she had the chance to leave.

“I don’t know, Sirius.” She answered. She hadn’t really done any type of social outing since Ron had died.

“How about just a walk?” He asked.

Hermione nodded. “I guess that’d be alright.”

A/N: I’m back in writing my favorite pairing Hr/SB, and I must say that I’m super excited for this story. I would love to hear what you all have to say. Do you like it? Hate it? Suggestions?

I will further explain everything. Like what happened to Ron? And how did Sirius come back? All of that will be explained. But I will try my best to answer questions as long as they don’t give the plot away!

Please Review!!

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