Learning

Hermione flushed. She was flirting and not in an unobtrusive manner. She felt somewhat ashamed at her actions. She never liked the idea of flirting with coworkers. She let go of his arm but didn't respond to his outwardly playful question. Luckily she was saved by Clearwater beginning dinner.

"Hello," Clearwater said. "Welcome back to Hogwarts. I see some old faces and some very new. But, I realize that most are new to Hogwarts as professors. So in order to integrate the new professors into our existing faculty, I would like each of you to stand up and recite your name, where you are from, what class you will be teaching, and one interesting fact about yourself. I will start.

"Hello, my name is Penelope Clearwater. I am from England. I am the Headmistress and this is my fifth year in this position. Both of my children attend Hogwarts. They are 13 and 11. My husband is Percy Weasley, Junior Minister of Magic."

She smiled as she finished and gestured for the man sitting next to her to speak.

"Hello," the squat, pale-faced man said. "My name is Neville Longbottom. This will be my eleventh year teaching at Hogwarts. I am from Lancashire, England. People once thought that I was a Squib, and I have a pet toad that is twenty-five years old named Trevor."

Hermione smiled. She had always liked Neville. It had totally slipped her mind that Neville had been teaching at Hogwarts for over a decade. She would make a point to saying hello to him after dinner. It would be fun to reminisce.

A couple other professors went from every other side of the headmistress. Professors Pitt, Johnson, Davies, Binns, Flitwick, Lowell, and finally down to Hermione and John.

"I am Hermione Granger," Hermione said rapidly with a coy overtone. "This is my first year as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor."

There was chatter as she said this but she ignored it and continued.

"Likewise, I am from England and I taught Muggle geometry for three years at Harvard University in the United States of America."

Hermione spoke so fast that John was caught off guard when she sat down and it was his turn.

"Uh, right," he said. "Good evening everyone."

"Good evening," the other professors responded.

"Usually people call me Pyro, but my birth name is John Dyce. I hail from the largest inhabitable island nation in the world, Australia, if you can tell by my accent. This year I will be teaching Potions. It is my first year as well at Hogwarts. Technically I am not a wizard, but a mutant."

There were even louder whispers than when Hermione announced her title.

John ignored them likewise. "I have some powers that are similar to witches and wizards, though, and have studied potions from your very own Severus Snape...I enjoy long walks on the beach and soft music that makes you cry, to your dismay, every time you listen to it."

That eased the tension a bit and everyone laughed.

"Well," Clearwater said. "Thank you. Now I would like everyone to dig in and eat well. Tomorrow we will be entertaining hundreds of children."

Hermione ate way too much that night, but to her advantage she had probably laughed all the calories off while listening to the stories and jokes that John told her. The more that she listened to him the more that she wanted to jump him right there and then at the dinner table.

How professional would that look? Hermione rising from her chair, and straddling John like one of those mechanical horse rides that cost a penny in American malls. She felt his heat radiating with each hot breath that he took. It was like he was a fire-breathing dragon coddling her young.