Chapter 25

Disclaimer: The characters belong to JK Rowling. The plot belongs to me.

Author's Notes: Thank you to noybate for her beta work and SlytherinsHeirx for his Britpicking.

Chapter Twenty-Five

"This is lovely, Minerva." Hermione stood on the porch of Minerva's summer house, looking out at the heather-strewn hills and the small loch that lay at the foot of them.

"Indeed." Severus was also admiring the view. "It's quite relaxing."

"And you two are the first I've shared this with since I bought it," Minerva admitted. "It's my sanctuary away from the chaos that's known as Hogwarts."

"How long have you had this place?" Hermione asked. "It seems so settled."

"Twenty-five years. I bought it precisely because it was isolated."

"The Dark Lord would've had a field day if he'd known you had this place and actually spent time here," Severus said with a frown.

"How so, Severus?" Hermione asked. "What more could he have done that he didn't already?"

"Think about it, Hermione," Severus said with a sneer. "What better way to hurt Dumbledore than to find his Transfiguration Professor and Deputy Headmistress alone in an isolated location?"

"Oh!"

"Indeed."

"Enough of that!" Minerva scolded. "The war is over. Besides, the house isn't registered with the Ministry for Magic. I dealt with Muggles to purchase the property, and my deed is registered in Auchronie as if I were a Muggle. Everyone knew Tom wouldn't have anything to do with Muggles or their transactions."

* * *

"Severus, concentrate on what you're doing. Not on what Hermione is doing."

"Can't help it. I have this uncontrollable urge to take a self-inking quill and connect the dots on her back." Severus smirked as Hermione Transformed back to herself.

"Well, control yourself." Minerva crossed her arms and began to tap her foot while hiding a slight smile.

"I can't wait to see if you have an Animagus form," Hermione said, grimacing. "It's probably an itty, bitty little bat."

"Well, we won't know if he doesn't concentrate, now will we? Hermione, go practice in the other room. And close the door!"

"It won't help, Minerva." He smirked as the door slammed shut.

"Severus Snape, you are seriously trying my patience."

* * *

"What in the world?" Minerva looked up at the sound of tapping at the window. "Is that a Ministry owl?"

Severus turned at her exclamation. "It's a bit small for the Ministry," he said, reaching over and opening the window so the owl could deliver its message.

The brown-feathered messenger perched on the edge of the sink and held up its leg so the roll of parchment could be removed. Severus quickly did so, and rewarded the bird with a bit of chicken off his luncheon plate before it was cleared from the table. "It's for you," he said to Hermione, handing the letter over. The owl hooted in agreement before heading back out the window.

Hermione took the parchment and unrolled it. "It's from Ginny," she said, scanning the missive. "Oh, Merlin!" she gasped. "Molly's going to go ballistic!"

"Why would she do that?" Minerva asked in concern while Severus smirked at the thought.

"Ginny and Harry have eloped rather than going through with the big wedding Molly's planning. They've gone to Gretna Green. Is that even legal anymore?" Hermione looked at her mentor with concerned eyes.

"Of course it is," Minerva scoffed. "There's even a Wizarding chapel there. Probably where they went, if Miss Weasley had any say in it."

"Which she probably did." Severus barked with laughter. "The girl's too much like her mother not to have a say in where she gets married."

"That's true," Minerva agreed. "Well, there's nothing we can do about it. The new Mr and Mrs Potter will have to face her mother on their own.

"Now then...if the dishes are done...Hermione, into the other room with you and practice. And Severus, you stay here and concentrate on your meditations."

"Yes, Minerva," Severus and Hermione said.

* * *

"All right, I decree today to be a day of rest," Minerva said at breakfast. "We'll be returning to Hogwarts in four days, and I, for one, intend to relax even if it kills me."

Hermione snorted into her pumpkin juice. "You sound like my mum when we would go on holiday," she said, using a napkin to wipe her face. "My dad always wanted to go some place that had a lot of activities. By the end of the holiday, Mum was ready to collapse."

"Well, I am ready to collapse." Minerva smiled fondly. "Between your practicing and Severus not concentrating, I am at my wit's end. Therefore..."

"Yes?" Severus snarked. "What treat do you have in store for us?"

"I've decided that we are going into Auchronie today. There's a bookstore..."

Hermione's eyes lit up. "Is it a second-hand bookstore?"

"I believe they carry both new and second-hand books," Minerva said. "At least they did the last time I was up here."

"How long ago was that, Minerva?" Severus asked as he took his turn to clear the breakfast dishes from the table.

"Five years ago. The summer Tom was finally defeated." Minerva sighed. "I needed to get away where no one could find me to ask 'Minerva this' and 'Minerva that'." She shook herself out of her reverie. "As I was saying, there's a bookstore and a pub with decent food for lunch. I, for one, would also like to visit the local stationer's and the grocer's. We ought to replenish our food supplies, and I enjoy seeing what's new in Muggle greeting cards and stationery."

"That sounds lovely," Hermione said, running water into the sink to wash up. Minerva picked up a dish towel and prepared to wipe the dishes as they were cleaned. "I was hoping to go to some bookstores before we went back to Hogwarts. I doubt Poppy will want to go into Flourish and Blotts when we go to Diagon Alley to purchase the ingredients for the infirmary potions."

"There is an apothecary in Hogsmeade that carries everything you'll need at decent prices," Severus said. "I dealt with them for years before this problem with the Ministry for Magic. There's no need to go to Diagon Alley."

"I know," sighed Hermione. "But Poppy said she wants to go to Diagon Alley. Since she's the one paying for the supplies out of her portion of the school's budget, I guess we'll go where she wants to go."

"True."

* * *

"A decent day. Thank you, Minerva." Severus held several shopping bags while Minerva took down the protection spells around the small house.

"You're welcome, Severus. Hermione, did you buy enough books?" She looked over at Hermione, who smiled thoughtfully.

"Not nearly enough, Minerva, but I ran out of money," Hermione said, grinning.

"Goodness, where did you put them?" asked Minerva, noticing that other than the grocer's bags, Hermione had nothing else in her hands except for her small beaded purse.

"In that blasted bag of hers, where else?" Severus smirked, thinking of all the books he'd watched her place in her seemingly bottomless charmed bag once they'd left the bookstore. If he got a chance in the next few days, he intended to investigate her purchases. Some of them looked quite... entertaining.

"Severus, don't be snide." Minerva smiled at the cleverness of her favourite pupil as she opened the door.

"Yes, Minerva," Severus said with a sigh. He entered the main room and set his and Minerva's bags on the sofa. Then he started pulling out his own purchases and enlarging them so he could look them over.

"Come on, Snidely, it's my turn to fix dinner, so you have to set the table. How does fish and chips with mushy peas sound?" Hermione said with a grin, placing the grocer's bags on the kitchen table. She turned to the stove and pulled out a pan to start heating oil for the potatoes and fillets of fish they had purchased in town.

"Like an excellent idea. Coming, Minerva?" Severus paused as he realized she had not yet entered the house.

"In a few minutes, Severus. I want to enjoy the peace and quiet out here for a while," Minerva said, settling into a chair on the porch. "It's going to be hard to go back to Hogwarts."

"After a few days back, you won't even feel like you've been away," Severus said, joining her outside and sitting in a nearby chair.

"That's probably the most truthful thing anyone's said to me in a long time," Minerva sighed, smiling softly. "Thank you." She reached over and patted his knee.

"You're welcome," Severus replied. "Now I believe I had better go in and help Hermione before she comes looking for us."

"Oh, yes. I had better come help as well if I want to eat this evening." Minerva laughed as she pulled herself onto her feet.

"Indeed." Severus cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her before standing.

* * *