Alright, so she's back in school. Not sitting behind the desk herself, listening to the teachers drone on and on about math or whatever. She was helping Hermione put the last finishing touches in her classroom as the kids would be arriving at the castle in about an hour. The twins had just left the castle and went to clean up the mess the kids made in the shop that morning. Kids from all ages convinced their parents to stop by WWW before they would go to the train station. Leaving the twins, Verity and Lee with exploding heads, they simultaneously fell the floor exhausted when the last Hogwarts students left. They closed the shop for the rest of the day and went to help and say goodbye and good luck to their girls, before heading back to Diagon Alley.
"Your class looks great, Professor Granger." Leah smirked and a smile appeared on Hermione's lips.
"That needs some getting used to." She straightened a pile of books and looked around her class. "Let's go to the great hall, or I'm going to keep finding things to change." She chuckled and locked her arm with Leah's as they made their way to the dining hall.
Most of the professors were already sitting at the long teachers table at the back of the great hall. Derek waved them over as he reserved to seats next to him for them. They smiled at the young professor as they walked up and sat down next to them, talking about what's to come the next year and Hermione finding her parents and successfully restored their memories. Leah had just taken a sip of her wine when she heard the voices and laughter of the students come closer. Then kids all dressed in black robes and pointy hats walked in. When she looked closer, she saw the colours of the houses, all dispersing and sitting at their own table. The kids' whispers followed soon as they saw her and Hermione sitting at the teachers' table. After everyone was seated, Minerva rose from her chair and walked to a little door at the far back of the room. Hermione leaned closer and whispered.
"The first years come by boat. They are waiting behind those doors; they'll be sorted in a few minutes."
Leah nodded while her gaze was fixed on the door Minerva disappeared through. After a few minutes, the door opened again, and the headmistress walked out, followed by tiny and scrawny ickle first years, that all looked afraid or mesmerized around the loud and crowed room.
"They look like pigs on their way to the slaughter." Leah chuckled.
"It is quite frightening when you come here." Hermione nodded her head as she thought back of her first year.
Minerva stopped in front of the raised platform and looked out to the young students. "You'll be sorted in your house in a minute. When I call your name, come forward and take a seat on the stool. Arren, Margot." She called out and a petite young witch with green eyes like sorcerers, trembled as she walked up. Leah watched intrigued at the process. Of course, the teachers, Harry and the whole Weasley clan informed her of the sorting, but still she found it interesting to say the least. Minerva placed the hat on the young girl's head and only after a few seconds it called out. GRYFFINDOR. Leah and the other teachers all clapped as the girl hopped off the chair and walked at the red filled table.
"This one went fast, but sometimes it can take a while. Harry sat there for at least three minutes." Hermione informed her.
And a few students later, she found out she was right. A boy with stark white hair, sat on that stool for almost five minutes, before the hat called out Ravenclaw. After everyone was sorted the large amount of food appeared on the tables and everyone started to dig in. Leah ate in silence as her eyes scanned the crowd. The boy David, who she had met before summer, caught her eye and waved at her from the table. She smiled and waved back, other curious students turned to look between her and the boy. Her eyes drifted further, and she enjoyed watching the kids talk, laugh, tease each other. It all made her feel... at home. Even though she missed the twins, she knew she would never get bored here. But seeing all the smiling faces of the kids, she wondered if her help was really needed at the school. But that's when she saw a boy at the Slytherin table, one who had just been sorted, sitting alone on the corner of the table, his eyes cast down. That's when she knew, she could be of use here. It may take a while for the students to warm up to her, to get to know her. Especially since Hogwarts never had a guidance counsel or sorts in its history. But we'll see how it goes, she shrugged internally and saw in the corner of her eye, that Minerva had rose from the middle seat of the table and walk to the little stand in front of them.
"Welcome back everyone! And welcome to our new students, please make sure they get a warm welcome in your house." The headmistress smiled. "Before you all go up to your beds, there are two new staff members I would like to announce."
She felt Hermione stiffen next to her, and she grabbed her hand under the table, giving her a reassuring smile. Before they both looked out to the students, that had all their eyes on them. Leah swallowed thickly.
"Our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Granger." Minerva said proudly, letting her arm glide to Hermione, who slowly rose from her seat. The hall started to fill with whispers from the kids. "Granger? Hermione Granger?" or "From the golden trio?" or "The brightest witch of her age?"
"They should call you Professor Famous." Leah teased when Hermione sat back down, she looked at her with wide eyes before laughing softly. "They'll get used to it." Leah said more serious and winked at her.
"And from this year on, there will be a new position at this school. I want you all to meet Leah Derijker, our new guidance counsellor." Leah stood up and grinned wide at the students, the two young kids form before break clapped and shouted loudly. She slowly lowered herself as the headmistress started speaking to the students once more.
It took a few weeks before the students started to trickle in. Once the word was out of what she actually did for them and what she was like, she had regular visitors. She wandered around in between classes or during mealtimes to talk and listed to any students who needed it, or just to say hello. It was certainly a different time than when Hermione went to school, she was informed. They never had so many young faculties at Hogwarts, with her, Hermione and Derek, the boys and girls were swooning. She always found it funny and adoring when young kids came up to her, holding a box of candy or flowers. She was impressed by the confidence the older kids had, when sixth and seventh years came up with a flirty wink and small gifts. At the end of every week, Hermione and Leah came together and gone over what the boys or even some girls, did or said or even gave them.
At the end of November, the day before Halloween they floo'd home together. To find Leah's house decorated to the brim with Halloween decorations.
"Here are my girls." The twins voiced came from the kitchen as they leaped towards them. Fred picked up Leah and twirled her around as they kissed, George doing the same to Hermione. Before they switched places but left out the kissing. We all know Fred and Hermione had a rocky start, but you wouldn't think that if you saw the two together now. They even had their own inside secrets, like she and George have.
"Are you staying tonight?" George asked as his thumb stroked Hermione's cheek. She nodded with a goofy smile.
"We actually have something to ask you two." Leah grinned as she pulled Hermione out of George's grasp, who pouted for a moment before his curiosity overtook.
"What prey tell can that be?" Fred asked with a raised eyebrow.
Hermione and Leah exchanged a look before looking at the boys in front of them and asked in unison. "Would you like to go to the ball with me?"
"Ball-"
"What ball?"
"Not the answer we were looking for but-" Hermione pursed her lips and glared, trying to hide her smile.
"There is a Halloween dance tomorrow, and we would like you two to be our dates." Leah finished. The twins looked from the girls to each other, a huge grin forming on their faces.
"They're stealing-"
"Our twin speech- "
"I know!" They both ended and the girls rolled their eyes.
"Well, Mione." Leah turned to the girl, who had become one of her best friends, with a grin. "It seems like we need to find ourselves other dates."
"Seems so." They turned and linked their arms together as they went to step back into the fireplace. But before they could put their foot in, they were pulled back, each by their own twin.
"Oh no you don't -"
"We're coming!"
"Good." Leah smiled as she turned and with a last wink to Hermione, they both looked at the other significant other and spoke.
"So, you'll go with me?" Leah asked George, while Hermione asked Fred. The boys couldn't hold back their laughter anymore and picked the girls up as they ran around the house laughing.
Hermione and Leah were getting dressed in her room, while the boys were huddled together in George's room. Seeing it was Halloween, the dance was of course a costume party. And even though they were both still young, they were faculty members at the school, so they had to see that their costumes were a bit on the safe side. So, both were wearing a baseball uniform with a skirt from A League of Their Own. She knew most kids and teachers wouldn't get it, the twins probably don't either, but Hermione and Leah knew what it was as they had watched the movie together a few weeks ago.
After putting on their knee socks and their old wore down low sneakers they walked out the room and down the stairs where they heard the twins talking. The twins had taken the muggle route as well, dressed as the Men in Black, even accessorized themselves with sunglasses and a neuralizer. The twins gulped at the sight of the girls, who made their way seductively to their partners.
"Ready to go, Agent F." Leah smiled as she walked into Fred arms and looked up to see a goofy grin.
"Well, -" He said slowly, squeezing her sides. "Seeing you dressed like this, I wouldn't mind staying home."
"No can do, Frederick." Hermione snickered, and Fred turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. "We promised the kids we would come."
"They'll think it would be boring with only the older teachers there." Leah rolled her eyes, smiling before she dragged Fred to the fireplace.
"Then they haven't seen Minnie at a dance yet." The twins chimed.
"That's what I said." Leah laughed as she took a handful of floo powder and disappeared from the house with Fred on her side.
"Wow." The twins gasped as they saw the fully decorated great hall.
"Why didn't we have more dances when we went here?" George said as they walked in the room.
"Do you think you'll graduated if there were?" Hermione teased.
"Maybe, if I had you as my date." He smiled his most charming smile at him. Making Leah and Fred go Aww! And Hermione roll her eyes.
"In school we barely talked to each other." She laughed. "I would probably have thrown you two out for bringing in fireworks."
"Hm." George hummed as he thought it over. "Probably right." He grinned as they reached the other professors, all dressed for tonight. Derek went as Dracula; Minerva opted for a more serious look and was dressed as an official head healer from St. Mungo's. They all looked great and were talking to each other at the large round table when the students started to come in. The moment the first student stepped in the great hall, the music started to blast, and the others quickly followed in. They probably didn't know it had started and pushed on of their friends to go in first, to check it out.
After an hour, Leah and Hermione went around the room to talk to the kids about their costumes. They had been standing with two tall and might they say handsome seventh years, when the twins creeped up behind them, trying to listen in.
They were just laughing at something the Ravenclaw boy said, when Leah swished her wand and put a sticking charm on the twins' feet. Leah turned slowly with a wide Chesire grin. "Eavesdropping, are we?" She cocked an eyebrow at the twins as they tried to free themselves. Hermione too, slowly turned and started to laugh at the sight of them.
"We'll leave you to it." The Gryffindor said. "Maybe save us a dance." He winked and the two went off to the bar.
"Were they just flirting with you?" George eyes wide.
"In front of us?" Fred gritted his teeth. Leah sighed as she lifted the spell from their feet, making them topple forward.
"It's harmless." Leah huffed and gave Hermione a side glance. "And what I heard you two were even worse back in the day."
"Don't know what you're talking about." The twins chimed, crossing their arms.
"Okay, then I'll just go ask Minerva and Poppy then?" She said pointing behind her, starting to turn.
"No! No!" They called for her to stop. The girls laughed at their reaction, but were both swept away in a dance, cutting of their laughter.
"Dance with me." Fred grinned as he pulled her close.
"We're already dancing." A corner of her mouth lifted up. "I'm actually glad you didn't have a lot of these dances back when you went to school."
"Oh, why's that?" He asked as he twirled her around, guiding her gently back against his chest.
"Well, maybe you would've have had a serious relationship with someone then. And this, us." She pointed between them. "Would never have happened."
"I don't believe that for a second." Fred shook his head, pulling her even closer. "Because we were meant to be together." He suddenly started to laugh. "Merlin, I sound like a real sap."
"You do." She grinned and kissed his lips softly, before pulling away before it got to heated, with the kids around. "But I fucking love you."
He rested his head against hers, squeezing her side lightly. "Language, miss Leah." He chuckled. "I'm so in love with you, I can't even describe it." They danced together, heads against each other for a few more minutes before they were interrupted.
"Can I have this dance?" David, the small second-year Ravenclaw asked with a head as red as a tomato.
"You certainly can, mister O'Malley."
"Don't go stealing my girl, O'Malley." Fred warned grinning, when the boy looked up scared, he just winked, letting the boy know it was fine, and Leah followed him to the other side of the dance floor as an upbeat song started to play. One last wink over her shoulder to Fred before she focused her attention on the young boy.