AN: Ok, people… I know it had been long, but I got you three updates in one row! So please, be gentle with the new-found inspiration to write what I wanted to write since some time… I guess I did suffer from a bit of a writer's block…
Anyway, the smut isn't quite there yet… Sorry, but if you can't take the angst, you should pay attention into which category this fic is filed ;-p
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Chapter 15
Hermione had been working several hours in the classroom, when Lily finally decided to make an appearance. Sauntering in, the girl looked with hidden curiosity at the changes her governess had made to the room.
Since Hermione had no idea how much progress had been done in only a year with five different governesses, she'd been putting energy in making cards stick to every piece of furniture and accessory in the room. The cards showed the words of the names of the objects, written with colour-changing ink. Nothing too flashy, as that wasn't her style, but Hermione knew from experience it helped to hold a child's attention.
By the way Lily merely glanced at the cards in badly hidden confusion and didn't scoff at them at all, Hermione began to dread that the child, like manners, had not learned anything remotely academically yet…
"Do you know your alphabet?" Hermione asked the girl when Lily approached the desk she was sitting at.
"Do you know your alphabet?" Lily repeated in an annoying voice.
Hermione hadn't been governess for all these years, without experiencing the childish games at least once. And she wouldn't have been good at her job without having a good load of patience. So ignoring the disrespect Lily was showing her, she continued working. She was making additional cards, drawing pictures of the words Lily would need to learn to read.
Lily continued her observations until she was standing behind her governess, watching over her shoulder. Trying to work with the girl's curiosity, Hermione showed the card's writing and asked:
"Do you know what's written here?"
Unrelenting in her disrespect, Lily spoke: "Do you know what's written here?"
Still, Hermione ignored the girl's impertinence and bowed over the card again, quill in hand.
Lily had made a full circle around the desk Hermione was writing on, and was once again in front of it. Probably growing tired of her governess' lack of response, Lily heaved a sigh and asked in her snottiest voice:
"Are you poor? I bet you are…"
Hermione looked up at her, looking her square in the eye: "I'm not wealthy…"
Lily looked frostily down her nose when she answered in malice:
"Then I don't have to listen to you, I don't have to obey poor people!"
With that, she sauntered right out of the class room, without turning back.
Hermione was left at the desk, contemplating her next move. It wouldn't help anything if she tried to drag Lily back to the classroom. She wouldn't listen to her in any event, and Hermione loathed using physical measures. Putting the parchments she had been drawing away in an orderly fashion, she stood from her chair.
Taking a deep breath, she unconsciously smoothened her skirts and quickly checked her fingers for ink spots, before she strode purposefully out of the classroom.
*
Harry hadn't had a restful night. Sleep had been hard to come by, and his mood wasn't the best before he'd performed his morning ritual. As a time honoured habit, he swam a few lapses in the lake of his mansion's grounds. Though Aurors were encouraged to stay physically fit, many wizards frowned upon 'Muggle' exercises… And even inside his department, many would not be found continuing their outdoor swimming so close to freezing temperatures.
Harry in fact found this all very mind-clearing, and really, when one did this every day, the body wasn't too shocked by the bitingly cold temperature…
He knew that in a matter of days, the weather would most probably change from almost-freezing, to freezing. And once the lake had been covered by ice, he'd have to find another way to calm his nerves.
It really wasn't healthy for him to have Miss Granger in the house. It could've been easy to avoid her by going back to the office once Neville would've gone back to his America. He was sure he could convince them to get him out of the forced vacation, if he promised not to bother any snob friends of the Minister again.
But that meant he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on her… If he was totally honest with himself, he would've known he could trust her not to take Lily away and hide her from him. But on the other hand… He couldn't trust she would be able to keep her feelings that well buried while educating her own daughter…
She was Lily's mother! How long could she hold on before she let something slip? Harry could only hope she'd keep her word and silence until the month was over.
Harry shook himself out of his worrying thoughts. He'd promised himself this morning to quit it, since it wasn't going to do him any good.
He'd just walked the mandatory steps away from Neville, and he turned, whipping his wand in front of his face, bowing for the wizard who doing the same.
Neville had begged him to indulge in a bit of duelling. Despite Harry's reluctance to do so, Neville had assured him he had very much improved since practising with an American friend. Deciding he'd go easy on his once clumsy classmate, Harry took a defensive mode, waiting for Neville to cast the first spell.
They hadn't exchanged more than five curses before Harry understood Neville had quite certainly improved. He'd found himself paying careful attention to some foreign tricks Neville tried to use on him, and as such he hadn't heard the door to the practise room opening. But Neville's sudden change in behaviour made Harry look behind him…
There she stood. After he'd finally found a moment in which his mind could focus solely on something different than her, she had to come and disturb him!
He heard Neville greet the woman politely, to which she returned a civil nod, before addressing Harry:
"Am I to understand that I'm Miss Lily's educator during the month I'll be staying here?"
Harry was slightly confused, she was the governess wasn't she?
"As her governess you are to teach her, of course…"
The woman ignored his irritated attitude and continued valiantly: "Am I permitted to introduce discipline to have Miss Lily attend her classes?"
Harry's heart gave a jolt: "No! She will not be disciplined! For the few years she's living under my roof, I want her to be happy and carefree!"
Miss Granger didn't betray anything by her posture, casting her eyes down, she nodded her goodbye: "Very well… Mr. Potter, Mr. Longbottom, if you'll excuse me…"
With that Harry watched her part from their company. With a sudden unease, he noticed Neville had been watching her retreat also.
Despite their continuance with the duelling, Harry couldn't manage to shake her completely from his mind…
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