Title: A Most Wanted Governess

Warnings: None so far. Will post warnings in future chapters if the need arises. Possible future swearing.

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Harry Potter. I only own the people and places not already created by JK Rowling. Everything else belongs to JK Rowling; I just play in her back yard because it's cool there.

A/N: This is a response to the WIKTT challenge The Governess posted by love23rules. This is my first Snape/Hermione story, so be kind to me please! Email comments etc to tirzasnaperocks at yahoo dot com.

Prologue

There were many in the wizarding world that considered the job of governess to be inferior, particularly for a very bright witch. There were greater, grander things for her intelligence to be applied to. The world had been laid at Hermione Jane Granger's feet.

Only Hermione Jane Granger didn't want it. Hogwarts had come and gone; she had graduated top of her year. A year at University and Hermione left with the highest honors that had been handed out in a century. She had been the first student ever to receive all academic awards from the University.

Hogwarts wanted her to teach. The University wanted her to teach. The ministry offered her any position her heart could desire; from auror to funded potion research. Even St. Mungos wanted her, assuring her that helping others would be the best use of her talents.

Hermione had succeeded in her education far better then she had ever imagined she would. She had planned, back in her seventh year at Hogwarts, to become an auror. That was then, back before the war that had erupted at the end of that year.

The war ended nearly a two years later, with so many dead or injured on both sides. Everyone was left with a scar, emotional or physical, from the seemingly endless fighting. Hermione was not immune.

Hermione Jane Granger had lost the love of her life. Her fiancée of just five months was murdered in front of her eyes. One could not die while the other lived, was the prophecy fulfilled. Harry Potter won the war against Lord Voldemort but lost his life at the same time.

Once the wizarding world had collected itself and began to rebuild Hermione had gone off to University. Now she was graduated and alone. The world she loved had stolen the one who had captured her heart.

All Hermione wanted was to be alone. She hated the Weasleys fussing over her, Ron trying to keep her spirits up and become what Harry had been to her. Only he couldn't be.

So Hermione had combined two of the three loves of her life into the perfect job: teaching and children. Hermione Jane Granger became a governess.