Author's Note: Thanks for letting me know if you're still around. Here's a chapter. Interesting things in here. No action though. Mainly just conversation.

Enjoy

Chapter 8

It was six in the morning when Severus awoke and dressed himself, not bothering to check whether the coast was clear before exiting her room. He knew the place like clockwork, knew that no one who was presently occupying the magical house would be up before eight. And even then, it'd probably be Hermione who'd wake up. Molly Weasley was back at the Burrow, and even she'd probably just now be rolling out of bed. It was two nights before the full moon, and even though Lupin, who also had to be up early, probably ended up going back to his own home.

So Severus was confident as he strode through the house and to the apparition point. Thinking of his destination, he disappeared with a pop.

He looked at the gates of Hogwarts and strode toward the doors, covering his mouth with a robed hand as he yawned. School wouldn't be starting for another few weeks, but he still had to work on his lesson plan. The Ministry had released notes on changes to their standardized tests, and that meant that Severus had to work overtime to make sure the instructors implemented changes into their curriculum to make sure the students would succeed. The biggest changes were in the Defense Against the Dark Arts N.E. and the Potions O., and unfortunately for him, those were both departments that he was overseeing.

Besides that, the Hogwarts restricted section also housed books that could be valuable aids in helping him determine the specifics of Hermione's journey through time. He had a hunch that there was something obvious he was overlooking, and maybe something in a book could jog his memory.

When Severus strode through the doors of Hogwarts, the one thing he wasn't expecting was his old friend Bade to be there, chatting with the tiny charms professor. However, he didn't have time to ponder this as he waved him over, his pearly white teeth showing.

"Hello, Severus!" Flitwick greeted with enthusiasm that made Severus shudder so early in the morning.

The staff meeting wasn't to begin for another hour, and he had hoped to use that hour to mentally prepare himself for his shrill voice.

"Filius," Severus acknowledged, trying his best to hide his look of disgust. The man wasn't horrible; he was just annoying. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Hudson?"

"Minerva asked me to join in on the meeting! You know, the Wizengamot works hand-in-hand with the Ministry, and it's because of a case involving an unfortunate incident with a transfiguration spell gone sadly wrong that they've decided to change what'll be covered in testing. I'm here to assist in making sure the new curriculum reflects the changes!"

"Funny. I thought that was my job," Severus replied sourly, not liking the Ministry butting into Hogwarts business. The last time such a thing had happened… well, he didn't even want to think about that.

"Don't be a sourpuss, Snape. I'm here for your benefit, not to take away any glory from you," he replied sarcastically, a sinister smirk gracing his usually handsome features.

Severus didn't dignify that with an answer. He turned from both men and headed for the stairs to the dungeons, passing a hallway that he had once pulled Hermione into.

He stopped himself before he had the opportunity to reminisce.

Before he got to his office, he was tapped on the back. Turning around, he was relieved to see it was Minerva McGonagall. He didn't question how she had managed to keep up with his quick strides. The woman had the strength of a sixteen year old boy.

"Bade Hudson inquired about the Defense Against the Dark Arts position," she stated, pausing for a few seconds to gauge his reaction, he assumed.

"It's filled," Severus said, not understanding why the woman was bringing it up.

"Remus isn't sure he'll have the energy to do it once his second child arrives," Minerva said, her lips tight.

Severus paused to think about this, wondering if it was a valid reason to give up the position. The man wasn't old by anyone's standards, and with a special floo connection, he didn't need to stay in his chambers at Hogwarts. It wasn't a horrible amount of work, and he doubted that Molly would exactly mind watching over yet another child during school hours. On the other hand, the bigger the wolf's pack was, the more strenuous his transformation was. The fact that he was locked up so far away from his family made him do crazy things to try to get closer to them.

"He didn't speak with me about a resignation."

"He likes teaching, and he doesn't want to stop, but it might become impossible. If he's not able to cope midterm, I'm not going to send the man to an early grave. Furthermore, what other options have we got? Hudson's on the list."

"The list?" Severus inquired. What list? What was she talking about?

"Never mind, Severus," she said hurriedly, trying to change the subject. "Point is, we'd be hardpressed to find a teacher midterm, and Hudson says his hours are flexible enough for him to b able to teach also without exerting too much effort."

"The man's on the Wizengamot, Minerva; he's not a children's Quidditch coach. Get Lupin a teaching assistant who will grade papers for him. We've been talking about implementing an apprenticeship program for months."

When teachers left (which Hogwarts teachers frequently did; it was a hard job, and the positions had a tendency to be cursed), it was a big hassle. Not only did everyone else have to help the new teacher, but they had to be trained all summer long. Even then, their performance was usually under par for the first year or so. It wasn't fair to the students. With an apprenticeship program, the teaching assistant could get first hand lecture and grading experience and take over when a position became available. Hogwarts could afford it; donations had been flowing in ever since the war ended.

"Who do you have in mind, Severus?" she questioned.

Damn her. Of course she knew that Severus hadn't thrown the idea out there without further thought.

"Hermione Granger has been most insufferable with her begging since she graduated," Severus replied, hoping that the conversation would cease there.

It wasn't his lucky day; Minerva stared at him suspiciously.

"Albus," her voice hiccupped slightly, but she composed herself almost immediately, "told me briefly about Hermione, but all I got were the… logistics of the situation. I didn't get any of the particulars."

"I wish he could have told me the logistics. I still don't know, because no one's told me. What did he tell her to do?" he questioned, glad the hallways were void of students. This wasn't a conversation that he wanted overheard.

"He left a letter for you, but he said to not give it to you until you asked for it," she answered, her face aging years.

Was this really the first time he'd asked? Surely not! He could remember his rage at 17. He could remember his anxiety at 30. He could remember his annoyance at 35. He could remember the angry conversations with Dumbledore. Surely he had asked him at one point exactly what his instructions were.

… or maybe, subconsciously, he didn't want to know all the details.

"Would you like it?" she asked, hesitantly.

Severus stoically stood, staring through her.

"We've to go to the meeting," he said, not answering her question. Instead, he entered his office and picked up what he needed.

When he was out, she was already gone, and Severus was left with his thoughts. For every question answered, another dozen questions popped up. He wondered what "list" Minerva had been talking about, wondering if it had to do with who could be trusted or who was eligible and capable of teaching. He wondered who authored said list and if it was something physical, like a document.

He also wondered why he didn't demand the letter. He wanted to know what he hadn't been able to figure out as a student. He wondered if Dumbledore's letter pertained only to that or if was some sort of "final note" for him. Either way, he knew that the man, however great he was, was just childish enough to pull the "well you didn't ask!" stunt. On the other hand, he'd always wondered if Hermione would tell him that. She hadn't told him anything as a student. She hadn't told him where she was from, what she was doing, who she hung out with, etc. It still blew his mind that she had a friendship with Bade Hudson.

Was his head so far up his own arse that he couldn't see what her social life was like? Or was it a discreet friendship? After all, Hudson had been liked among students of all houses, and he was handsome enough to not be ostracized by Gryffindors the way most Slytherins had been. Who knew what other obvious things he'd missed out on.

Truthfully, he was scared of finding out something that would alter his opinion of her or of Dumbledore. He'd struggled with truth since his childhood, and he was still paranoid that finding out the truth about a situation often left him worse for wear. He hated naivety, but sometimes ignorance truly was bliss.

Severus Snape was a very cynical man, and he thrived on the little happiness he got. If he could put Hermione and Dumbledore on a pedestal, he'd do just that. He had, in fact, done that, and he wanted to keep it that way.

What Hudson's interest in teaching was, was not something Severus was terribly concerned over. The man wasn't petty enough to do it to annoy Severus. He possibly could have requested it out of boredom or some scheme that wasn't relevant to him.

Severus would ask him about it, but he doubted he would get a straight answer. Severus and Bade were, for all intents and purposes, what others would traditionally call 'best friends,' but it meant something very different to them. While Bade Hudson outwardly appeared as a friendly, handsome, social, copacetic heartthrob, there was still a reason that the sorting hat had put him in Slytherin. He and Severus were both private and guarded themselves.

They could speak the truth to each other, but they both had the mentality that not all truth was relevant but all truth could be twisted and used. And if Bade was planning something, Severus doubted that he would be privy to that knowledge.

As Severus walked toward the Great Hall, he spotted Hudson outside with a newspaper. He decided that regardless of the information he'd be told, he had nothing to lose in asking.

"Bade," Severus called, waiting until the man put away the newspaper before he continued, "teaching?"

"I've my reasons; I'm sorry I didn't tell you I talked to Minerva about it. Not that it matters since I was defeated by you," he answered with a trace of a smile on his face.

Severus shrugged. "Nothing personal."

Hudson's smile grew, and he laughed heartily. "Sure, it's not. Put Hermione Jean up for a teaching fellowship, and it's got nothing to do with your relationship with her?"

Severus's frown grew. "It doesn't. We've been talking about this idea for quite a while now, and she'd be the perfect candidate to Defense, my biased opinion aside."

He'd make the argument that he wasn't biased, but he wouldn't win that one. Severus didn't like going into things where chances of victory were grim.

"Mmm," Bade said, distracted all of a sudden as he looked at his watch. "Time for the meeting to start. Shall we?"

Severus half expected him to put out his arm, but instead, he simply strolled through the doors, his robes gracefully fluttering behind him. As aggravated as Bade made him by dismissing his argument, he made himself stay calm. It was one thing to be passive aggressive, but Hudson had just blatantly dismissed him as if he were a child.

And that was why, even though Bade Hudson could be immature and spastic, he was still an evil bastard, just like him. Severus couldn't really be angry. He simply walked in after his friend and sat down across from him at the long staff table, hoping that the meeting would be over sooner rather than later.

Severus was lucky, and the meeting went smoothly, with Hudson absentmindedly reading over notes and interjecting with only helpful comments. At the end of the meeting, Hudson hurriedly left, but not before patting Severus's shoulder and sending everyone a smile that didn't meet his eyes. Severus was the only one who noticed.

When he did, Minerva brought up the idea of opening up Hogwarts for apprentices. To his surprise, there was no opposition. The professors unanimously thought it was a good idea, and he had to wonder why a program like this hadn't been brought up or implemented years ago. When Minerva suggested three slots (because of finances and everyone 'pitching in' to teach the young teacher), they climbed over each other to get one of the coveted spots.

Of course, there would surely be benefits to having an apprentice. The Professor wouldn't have to spend hours grading papers. He/she wouldn't have to teach lower years on a consistent basis and could focus more on his/her research. It wouldn't be easy training someone new, but with a capable apprentice, the rewards would far outweigh the nuisances.

With that in mind, everyone was seemingly surprised when Severus nominated himself to get an apprentice. They'd assumed he was a misanthrope, and he certainly was that, to some extent. However, he enjoyed his research, but he barely had time do any between Deputy Headmaster duties, teaching, and now helping Hermione. The right apprentice would surely know better than to bother him, and in exchange, Severus would not make his/her life miserable. It was an even trade.

And Severus knew that people would be scrambling to come to Hogwarts, where some of the most capable wizards and witches in the world taught. It was a breeding ground of greatness. He didn't have a doubt in his mind that Hermione would apply for and receive the Defense apprenticeship with Lupin.

"I think that Severus and Remus have the most need," Minerva said, and although the other staff members had sour looks on their faces, they didn't say anything, still hoping that they would get the third spot. "I'll have to think about the third spot, and I'll put out a call for applications today."

Severus was going to head to the dungeons again when Lupin stopped him.

"I'm glad you decided for one as well. This is silly, but I felt like a lesser teacher, needing to skirt my duties," Remus said with a gentle voice and a smile to match.

"Are you implying that I want to skirt my duties?" Severus asked with a deadly voice.

"Heavens no!" Remus exclaimed. "You and I both have things which would take more hours in a day than we have to complete."

"Yes, well, it appears so," Severus said dryly and started to walk away from the man again.

"Severus," Remus called, the smile falling from his face a little before he regained it.

"Yes?"

"Careful," Remus warned with a smile, and he turned to walk away.

Severus didn't have to ask him what he meant nor would he. He would, indeed, be careful. Carelessness led to too many problems. And Severus hated problems and complications of any kind.