Running

Chapter 1

Newspaper Clippings

'Hermione Granger, who previously worked in the Ministry of Magic, still has not been seen...'

'As most of us know by now, Miss. Granger disappeared the night of July 22, a year ago. It was the day before her wedding to Ronald Weasley, the famous Quidditch player...'

'Not since 1645 has someone disappeared without any trace...'

'Like she dissolved into thin air...'

'Three years ago today...'

'Losing hope...'

'Proclaimed dead after finding her body...'

Hermione sighed, and set down the newspaper clippings. She wondered vaguely whose body they had actually found, as she was definitely not dead. Every July 22 she would go through them. It had been five years since she had 'disappeared'. She was 24 years old now.

Yes, when she had been set to marry Ron, she had been only 19 years old. Caught up in the thoughts of family and a beautiful wedding, she had foolishly said yes to the man she didn't love.

No, she didn't love Ronald Weasley. At first she had thought it was love. It was only wishful thinking, though. She had always hoped to find true love, and had jumped at the first chance that it could be made possible.

She had ran from her life like it was a shark and she were a tiny fish. She had changed her name to Athena Martins. In her head, she was still named Hermione, though. She had left everything but the clothes on her back. She opened a new bank account at Gringotts, bought a new apartment and wand. She grew her hair out with a potion, made it less bushy and added waves. She bought violet colored eye contacts and wore glasses for reading, even though she did not need them that much.

She had thought it out well. Her new name had been made a couple weeks before she ran. She made her old apartment look like she had been taken by force. She left Crookshanks.

The only things she had brought were the white tank top, pajama pants and slippers she had been wearing. It looked like she had been getting ready for bed. Along with her pajamas she had brought her diary. No one had known about it. No one knew it was missing. It was the only thing she could not leave without. It was the only thing left of her past she still had.

Yes, Hermione had run. And she had run well. No trace was left. It had been easy, too. It had been something she had thought about since she said 'yes.' Of course, she wasn't running just from Ron, though...

Hermione liked her new life. She had made her own past. She was still a witch, but she had worked for a muggle magazine. Her life was different now. And no one thought Hermione Granger was even alive anymore...

She sighed, stood up and glanced at the clock on the stove. Almost 8:30 am. Today was her last day working for the magazine. She had decided it would be safe to work in the wizarding world again. She missed it. She still occasionally wandered around Diagon Alley, but rarely.

After quickly getting ready she headed to her last day, not really knowing what this ending of her job would bring.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Word of her being jobless traveled fast. Hermione supposed that was the way Dumbledore worked.

'Miss. Athena Martins,

I have recently learned you are currently without a job. The position for Arithmacy teacher is in need of filling, and after taking a look at your past marks, I think you would do well for the job.

Please send your reply as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry'

Hermione would admit, it would be nice to go back to her old school. Even if she had to pretend it wasn't. According to her name, she had attended a private school in Ireland. She had even gotten a graduation diploma from it.

But, the fact that she would be living right under Dumbledore's nose... well, he was a smart mad, no matter how old he was getting. He would figure out who she actually had been.

Hermione really did want this job, though. She loved teacher. She loved Arithmacy. And, of course, she loved Hogwarts. Why not work with all three?

Good question. She couldn't think of a good answer for it, either. As long as she was careful, she'd remain Athena, and not become Hermione again. And if Dumbledore did find out... then, good for him. He would keep her secret. She knew that much.

She smiled slightly to herself, wrote back her reply to Dumbledore, then went to bed, considerably happier.