Settling In

Chapter Three – Settling In

Art and Tom weren't exactly keen on the idea of spending time looking at furniture. There were so many other incredible things to see! It was Filch who suggested that they could use the opportunity to pick out items for their rooms. This was an agreeable idea, and they fell right into line, leaving Hermione a bit bemused. Of course the shackles he'd dangled in front of them might have had something to do with it.

"I don't hate child'n, Miss Granger. Jus' hate for 'em to make my job harder than it is." He unlocked the first storeroom. "Desks, beds, tables, chairs an' other heavy furniture in here. We got all day so don't be takin' the firs' thing yer see."

Good advice, and the Grangers followed it. As they picked out each item, Filch marked it with a piece of chalk. Hermione chose a large, cherry rolltop desk and a matching chair and side table for her office, and a smaller desk and chair for her workspace in her rooms. A bed, bureau, and wardrobe completed her choices.

The boys inspected virtually everything before deciding what they wanted. Art picked out a handsome bedroom set in golden walnut while Tom opted for a solidly built set of black oak. Their playroom they furnished with three bookcases and several large cedar chests for toy-storage.

"That's got the furniture," Hermione said with satisfaction. "What else is there?"

"Rugs an' curtains an' lamps," Filch replied promptly. "An' linens an' such." He led them down another corridor and unlocked another door. "In 'ere."

By the time they'd finished going through the storerooms, it was lunchtime. The caretaker shuffled off and left them to their own devices. By habit, Hermione turned toward the Great Hall with the twins in tow. The boys stopped and gaped at the floating candles. They'd seen the pictures, but the reality was an entirely different thing.

"Excuse me..." The voice came from behind her. Hermione turned and found herself face to face with Rolanda Hooch.

"Sorry." She nudged the boys. "Let's go sit down." She chivvied them into the room. The Quidditch Coach looked after them with her sharp yellow eyes, but said nothing, taking her seat at the High Table. Hermione chose to sit at the other end of the table where she could keep the boys under some semblance of control.

Snape and Minerva arrived together, the Headmistress sitting in the same seat Dumbledore had held for so long. She gave everyone a wintry smile and turned her attention to her plate. Snape sat next to her. The other faculty and staff came in by ones and twos; even Professor Trelawney and Lavender Brown joined them. Poppy seated herself next to Hermione and smiled at the twins.

"Hello, boys," she said, "I hear you're going to be living here now."

"That's right!" Art replied.

"And we're going to be strong wizards," Tom added.

"Really? That's excellent news!" She leaned across Hermione and whispered conspiratorially, "How'd you find out?"

"Mr. Vander told us," Tom answered through a mouthful of lunch.

"Who is Mr. Vander?"

"He makes wands."

"And he's got silver eyes."

"Oh, Mr. Ollivander!" Poppy gave Hermione a raised eyebrow. She nodded back slightly. "Well, if he said it, it must be true. I've never known him to be wrong."

Any further comments were lost as Minerva signaled for everyone's attention. "I appreciate everyone returning so quickly. Remus was part of our family. He didn't deserve this." She looked down at the table. "I want to know what happened to him."

"Who's Remus?" Art tugged at his mother's sleeve to get her attention.

"He was a dear friend of mine," she answered quietly. "He just died recently."

"Who was his mediwitch?" Poppy asked Minerva.

"Agnes MacDonald. She works at the Aberdeen Wizards Clinic."

"I know her. She's a good healer, but she didn't have any experience with werewolves. At least, not until Remus started going to her."

"She took care of him for the last year," Minerva said. "Surely she knew what she was doing." The Headmistress glanced down the table toward the two boys. "I'd like to see all staff in my office after lunch for a brief meeting."

Hermione hadn't missed the glance. Obviously she was going to need to make some sort of arrangements for the boys' care while she was working, and sooner rather than later. And, she reminded herself, she needed to see about their pre-Hogwarts education as well. She and Ron had planned on home-schooling them, but that wasn't an option any more. A quick question to Poppy told her that there was a primary school in Hogsmeade. Satisfied with that, she returned her attention to her lunch, chatting easily with the mediwitch as she ate. The presence of many adults they didn't know served to keep the twins on their best behavior.

Once the meal ended, Hermione excused herself and the boys and began retracing the path back to their rooms. She planned to settle the boys in the playroom for a few minutes while she spoke to the Deputy Headmaster about a brief sojourn to Hogsmeade to arrange for day-care. There was a patter of light footsteps behind them, and an all-too-familiar voice called, "Hermione! Wait!"

With an inward sigh, Hermione turned around. She'd never cared much for Lavender Brown in school; the girl seemed to have no common sense whatsoever. "Hello Lavender."

Lavender smiled. "I'm sorry I didn't have a chance to talk to you earlier. I wanted to know if you'd made any arrangements for taking care of the boys while you were at work."

"Uh, no – it's something I'd planned to take care of today. Why?"

"I was going to suggest that you ask Liana Athelstan. She has a daughter that's about the same age as your boys, and a son that's a year or so younger. I know she doesn't plan to go back to work until her youngest starts at Hogwarts, so that would work out well for you."

"That does sound convenient," Hermione was forced to admit. "How well do you know her? Where does she live?"

Now the other witch's smile morphed into a grin. "She lives right here at Hogwarts – she's Professor Althelstan's wife. She went to Hogwarts also – a Ravenclaw, I believe."

"Thanks, Lavender. That would be so much easier than going to Hogsmeade every day. And with the boys here, I can see them during free periods."

"If you're not busy right now, I can introduce you," Lavender offered.

Well, Lavender has certainly grown up in the last few years, Hermione thought to herself. I never would've expected her to be any help. She covertly studied the other witch for a moment. Lavender's blonde hair was still frizzy, and she still smiled a great deal, but there was a seriousness in her eyes that hadn't been there five years earlier. I could get to like her now, I think. It would be good to have friends my own age here. "You don't think she'll mind?"

"Not likely. And if she does, she'll say so. She's very direct."

The Athelstans' rooms were two hallways over from hers. Lavender knocked on the door and it swung open revealing a spacious well-furnished living room. Sunlight streamed in through the windows giving the room a very welcoming aura. "Come on in," a voice called. "I'm just putting Bran down for his nap."

Hermione sat down on the sofa, noticing the cleverly woven in warming spell. Lavender took a chair nearby, and the boys made themselves comfortable on the floor, casting covetous eyes on the toys scattered about. A moment later, Liana came in and greeted them all with a smile. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. You're Miss Granger, I believe? Morgan mentioned you when he got your owl."

"Hermione," she answered. "This is Art, and this is Tom."

Liana Athelstan was tall and slender with thin long-fingered hands that were never quite still. Her dark brown hair was braided into a neat coil at the nape of her neck. Hermione guessed that when it was loosed, Liana's hair would brush the floor.

"I'm very pleased to meet you." Liana perched on the edge of the large desk in the corner. "What can I do for you?"

A little self-consciously, Hermione explained what she needed.

"It's no trouble," Liana replied after a moment's thought. "It will be good for Rhea – my daughter – to have other children to play with too. Do they have any allergies? Any particular likes or dislikes?"

"No allergies that I know of. Tom won't eat spinach and Art won't eat cabbage. Other than that, they'll eat anything."

"That's certainly open-minded of them." She grinned at Tom. "I won't eat spinach either." Back to Hermione. "Let's try it for this afternoon and see how we get along."

A few minutes later, they had settled the matter and Hermione excused herself to go to the staff meeting.

~*~

It felt a bit funny to walk up the stairs to the Headmaster's office knowing that Professor Dumbledore would not be there. But no one could deny that after his many years of service, the old wizard was due a quiet retirement. The door to Minerva's office swung open at her touch, and she took that as an invitation to enter.

"She's a perfectly able caretaker," Poppy was saying as Hermione came in quietly, "but she wouldn't be my first choice for determining a cause of death." She looked down at her hands for a moment. "You're asking for an autopsy. A private one."

"Yes." Minerva's voice was firm.

"You'll need help if you want to complete an autopsy in any sort of reasonable time," Snape interjected, sparing his assistant a quick nod of greeting. "It's a huge undertaking, especially without a real forensics laboratory."

"It's an ugly job, Severus. I can't just ask anyone. They'd need a modicum of training at a minimum. And a strong stomach."

"I know, Poppy. I'm volunteering."

The mediwitch's eyebrows disappeared under her hat. "You, Severus? You never liked Remus. Why would you want to help?"

Snape steepled his fingers in front of him. "I'm not doing it for Lupin. It's a puzzle, and I don't like unsolved puzzles."

"The wake is planned for the day after tomorrow," Pomona Sprout said. "Will that be enough time?"

Poppy twisted one hand in her apron as she thought. "I believe so, especially with Severus' assistance."

"Now that's settled," Minerva said, glancing at a scrawl-covered parchment, "we need to discuss a few other things. Normally I'd call another staff meeting closer to the beginning of the fall term, but as everyone is here now I think we should go over them now."

"Heads of House, suggestions for Prefects, Head boy and Head Girl, and the budget," Snape muttered so quietly that only Hermione could hear him.

"We need to determine our Heads of House for the next year, select Prefects and Head Girl and Head Boy, and then discuss the budget briefly," Minerva announced. "Now..."

"Minerva," Snape interrupted gently, "I'm perfectly willing to continue as Head of Slytherin, and I have no opinions on any of the other subjects you've mentioned. Poppy and I are going to be pressed for time as it is, and I think we should begin immediately."

The mediwitch nodded and rose. "I agree with Severus. We need to start now."

"If it makes you feel better, Minerva," the Deputy Headmaster said, "my assistant will stay here in my stead. I trust this meets with your approval?" He received her nod of acquiescence and left with the mediwitch.

The rest of the meeting seemed to drag interminably. Finally Minerva dismissed them with thanks for cutting their holidays short. Hermione lingered behind after the others had left. "I'm sorry I didn't have any more input for you, Headmistress," she began.

"Psssh." The old witch smiled. "You've been here less than a day. I wouldn't expect you to know everyone yet. I know you have rooms by now. Have you picked an office yet?"

"No, that's something Professor Snape asked me to do today. I thought that an office near the Potions classroom would be convenient." She smiled up at her old teacher. "It's so good to be back."

"I wish – I wish you hadn't had to leave in the first place," Minerva said softly. "I had no idea that the Book was so fallible. I would never have sent Remus to you. I'm truly sorry for all the trouble I caused." She glared at the heavy leather-bound tome that occupied a table in the corner. "I felt so foolish after Severus told me about how it actually worked. I'm sure Remus did as well; I owled him immediately."

"Perhaps someday we can look into having the Book respelled," Hermione suggested. "And, in a way you did me a favor. I'm not sure Ron and I were meant to be together. We want different things out of life." The understatement of the year, she thought privately. "Do you have any recommendations for an office?"

Minerva took the hint and let the subject drop. "I believe there's a vacant room three doors down from the Potions Classroom. Argus would be the best person to ask." She resumed her seat at her desk. "I'm being terribly rude, I know, but I really must get back to work on the budget."

Hermione nodded and went off to retrieve the boys from the Althelstan's, not wanting them to overstay their welcome on their first day. She found them happily engrossed in learning how to play the wizard's version of Go Fish with Bran and Rhea.

"They're good boys," Liana said, watching the game wind up. "I'll be happy to watch them for you."

A few minutes later, they'd agreed on the finer details of the arrangement, and Hermione left them to go pick out her office. As she'd hoped, there was a vacant room just down the hall from the Potions Classroom. It was dusty, but that could be easily remedied. A quick word to Argus reassured her that it would be cleaned and her furniture installed by the next day. Feeling as though she had accomplished a great deal, she went off in search of Snape.