Holding Old Hands

((Authors Note: This is a rewrite of a story I wrote way back in '06 I recently was featured on a Live Journal page that was quite an experience. I thought it might be intriguing to try rewriting this story, most likely just the first chapter, and see if it's any better, if not a little less sueish. *Laughs* Wish me luck))

This was a dream.

He knew that's was what it had to be, black everywhere but not dark he could see himself almost as well as if it where daylight, but the light… seemed to come from within. So why was he dreaming this way? Was he about to suffer some brutal nightmare like normal nights, witnessing and reliving murders and tortures… Reenacting those old days when he had followed that mans every word in order to make himself 'better' then the others.

A soft giggle filled the air and he turned frowning, a giggle why should he hear a giggle, he felt a small pang something deep down that considered maybe it was Lily… Maybe he would be dreaming of those few good times before he had destroyed that his one and only friendship.

"That's not fair." The voice was light young one he only barley remembered, like a fracture, a splinter in his mind he scowled whipping around. A student stood before him robes embellished with the old style of the house crest. It wasn't to surprising the house crests where given small changes sometimes, simplified, easier to be worked onto robes and other such items. However that wasn't what was important.

"Who are you?" he demanded shortly patience thin with this whole thing. He knew this wasn't some student's shoddy attempt at Legilimecy so what was it and why in Merlin's name should he dreaming of a student.

"You don't remember? That's not fair, I always called you friend." She said softly head tilting a little to the side as she shrugged her shoulder shifting forward a bit it was odd, her face, they had features but he couldn't see them. He knew she had a nose a mouth eyes a brow, cheeks. Why didn't they seem like they where there? It was odd, like a fuzzy memory of a person that you only meet once.

It was sudden a drop in the pit of his stomach a sting along his hair line before something cool pressed to it, the faceless student leaning over him carefully pressing a cool wet cloth to the cut.

"You and your experiments, you should be more careful, when they make spells at the ministry they have specially built labs not an old abandoned bathroom." She said almost chastising Severus scowled smacking at her hand "Go away I didn't ask for your help why do you bother, what do you want?" he demanded, but, he wasn't talking, it was like hearing a line recited in a script. He had heard this before, had he said that before? He'd made such an effort to forget those days at school.

"Your such a lazy girl even I know about you, talk of the bloody school, do you enjoy being the butt of everyone's jokes? It's not pleasant is it? So get away from me." He said shortly. She leaned back on her heels and sighed "Hmm? Do you think I want something from you? I thought I was to lazy, your silly friend." She said with a laugh Severus scowled.

"Stop that, when did I say you where my friend?" he snapped looking at her she smiled "You didn't but I can still call you my friend, as long as I don't force you to do anything dose it matter? I think of you as a friend, even if you don't feel the same I'm ok with that." She said reaching out to dab at the cut again. The boy frowned looking down what was wrong with this girl… dumb Gryffindor like he didn't have enough problems she probably go off and tell her friends about this and laugh about it later.

"Don't you know any healing spells? Smacking my face with that thing isn't going to help." He said irritably. The girl pulled back blushing "A-ah well no I don't I'm no good at them, it's not so much laziness as I'm just, bad at them." She said laughing she shifted looking down everything fading the bathroom crumbling around them.

"I wasn't meant to be a healer." She said softly He shifted frowning "Who are you?" he asked in control again not stuck watching the memory he scowled what cheap trick was this? She smiled even if he couldn't make out her features he knew it felt it she was smiling.

"You don't remember? That's not fair, I never forgot you." She said reaching out to him body jolting cracks running up along from her fingers across her face as the girl crumbled.

"Why did you forget?"

He shot up startled breathing deep, what was that just now? He shifted glancing around. A single candle flickered on his nightstand a book flopped to the floor he must have fallen asleep reading… but... What was that dream? He frowned but he couldn't remember already the dream slipping away. He vaguely remembered thinking about lily… seeing a girl. Was that it had he dreamt of Lily? Then why wake in a cold sweat? He shifted glancing at his arm. What a crock, he knew exactly why he would start awake after dreaming of that red haired woman. He remembered exactly what had happened to her.

He sighed leaning back against the headboard, things where a mess, he needed to hurry and sort it out, it was incredibly inconvenient. Much of the last year was a blur of time spent explaining to the order, Dumbledore's plan to save the Malfoy boy, not only that but then convincing them to take the boy in to keep him safe from the dark lords wrath. Had it not been for Draco's pleading on his behalf, Severus was certain he would have been killed by the order then and there. It was Harry, who had been showing more maturity at the loss of the great wizard, who had spoken in Severus's defense. Severus's surprise at this was matched only by that of the boys close friend who probably knew better then Snape how deep the boys hate ran. The Order however would not go against the boy who lived, he was the one who had to beat Voldemort after all, thus it was better to just go with what he said, not only that but the boy had become a little unstable.

"Keep in mind Snape, I speak only from what Draco and Dumbledore insisted is the truth… if you so much as joke about where you loyalties lie, I will kill you myself for what you did." The proclamation had been surprising but not unwarranted, what was irritating was how the boy had then just dismissed him to Hogwarts like some dammed servant. But he had bit his tongue and returned retaking his post surly and moody as ever.

Even with the proud wizards death the wards and magic's he had put in place to protect the school held strong. Severus knew that Hogwarts was probably the safest place for him. He was an exposed spy after all. Death eater children had already been taken out of school meaning almost the entire Slytherin house was gone, but that meant none of them could go back to their parents and say that Severus was still alive.

After a while he sighed and settled back, the students would be arriving tomorrow, and from what he had herd, a new teacher. A teacher for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position he scowled, he wanted that position this must be McGonagall getting revenge he was sure of it.

Never the less he managed to settle again sleep was slow in coming but the dream had slipped away to only a vaguely annoying memory his mind consumed by other thoughts as he drifted off to a thankfully dreamless slumber.

The morning saw him in a moderately tolerable mood, for him. Breakfast was a solitary affair taken in his chambers, he didn't want company and he knew full well the other teachers would rather see him rotting in a cell then eating with them. The look he was positive he would get at tonight's feast would be enough to bear without adding this morning's hateful glances.

He was just finishing when someone knocked on his chamber door her frowned who would bother coming down here? With an irritable sigh he waved his wand letting down the wards on the door before pulling it open pausing at the woman sanding at the door she was a head shorter then him with dark hair spiraling down in thick rings and curling around her face. He frowned watching her, after a moment she smiled "Good morning." She said warmly.

She looked older a pang of memory had him itching to just slam the door and ignore the woman, she had light laugh lines around her mouth and eyes, she had to be mid thirties… maybe…

"I'm Sorry I didn't come down to introduce myself last night, the other professors seemed… insistent that you needed your peace, I was only able to slip away while they where eating breakfast this morning." She said lightly he frowned "There's really no need if that's all." He said stating to shut the door, the woman reached out placing her hand on the door with a slap

"Always so quick to slam the door in my face Severus, don't you remember me at all?" she asked him her hand firm on the door. "Do you… remember me at all?" she asked softly her eyes searching his face expectantly even as he scanned her face. Recognition set in but no name, who was this woman being so overly familiar with him. He saw her features darken as she looked down "You really did forget… I had hoped, that you wouldn't forget everything; I know school wasn't a good time for you. You suffered a lot but to push away all those memories." She said looking up with a sigh.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Professor Snape I am Naomi Campbell, I'll be filling the Defense Against the Dark Arts position for the year." She said turning swiftly away he frowned "Only a year?" he questioned causing her to halt mid-step he couldn't see the small smile on her face "Yes, I've only signed on for the year until a more suitable professor can be found, I don't have much teaching experience but I have enough to get us through the year, I'm better at transfiguration but Defensive work comes a close second." She said looking back at him

"Speaking of, I'll need to barrow some potion ingredients for my first class tomorrow, I'll be teaching my sixth years about the use of magic to detect certain poisons. I'll be down to collect it tomorrow morning if it's no trouble." She said as she swept down the hall. Severus frowned watching another moment before shutting the door, stupid woman did she think he'd recognize one face from a dozen students who had tormented him in school? Hardly.

Naomi stopped at the top of the stairs from the dungeons smiling softly she pushed a hand through her hair and let out a sigh. "I'm… very arrogant aren't I?" she murmured as she made her way up to her classroom, her personal rooms had been arranged to her satisfaction already and so she simply needed to finish setting up her class room. Opening the door she smiled the plants had taken to the room well vines crawling up the walls hanging in the windows letting in dappled light, the stone of the walls hidden by thick leaves and brightly colored flowers that grew healthy with the help of careful magic. The sound of water tumbling over rocks was gentle and soothing light reflected off the small fountains in the windows. The classroom would be relaxed he students would study while at ease and away from pressure, she would have assignments and due dates and finals but, the relaxed setting would hopefully help them feel less pressured. When she had taught before it had been an out side, her students had been adults.

She looked out the window as movement caught her eyes frowning seeing the carriages roll by no longer horseless she sighed and turned back to watch the class room, later tonight students would arrive the feast would commence, and she would officially be a Hogwarts teacher "I had never thought I would come back to this place… and he can't even be bothered to remember, that so like him." She murmured a soft smile tugging at her features as she set about finishing her classroom.

Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the other Gryffindors walked in as they always did mixed in with others. While the second years and up where all meshed together before getting into the Great Hall the students naturally separated into their houses and groups of friends. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, and Luna all made up one large group of friends

Sitting at the table milling with conversation they took pause to look up at the able to see who would be filling in the once again vacant position of DADA teacher. The woman sitting there seemed pleasant enough smiling seemingly nervous as she glanced at the house tables and around at her fellow teachers maybe trying to get a feel for things. The dark, and imposing form of Severus Snape sitting next to her or… Hermione laughed, "He looks irritated already." She commented making the boys look at her confused

"That greasy git? Good…. Why?" Ron asked frowning Harry smiled faintly "maybe it's because he was this close to getting a bunch of snotty students out of his hair and I wouldn't let him. I think teaching irritating children was the best punishment." he said vaguely. Hermione snorted "Don't Lie, you sent him here because you had no idea what else to do with him. It's not as if he can spy for us any more." She said flatly, Harry looked at his plate, Hermione was partially right. But the other half was punishment, He didn't think it was enough but he was trying to show mercy, He didn't want to be any more like Voldemort then he already seemed to be.

"Anyway," Hermione said waving a hand "That's not why I was saying that, take a look." She said indicating at the table "The new teacher is sitting next to him but the chair on the other side is empty even though all the teachers are there." She said lightly "And the woman doesn't seem put off at all, not like the other, do you think she just doesn't know?" She asked making Ron snort "Maybe she's just daft and we'll get outta classes this year." He said grinning both Harry and Hermione looked at him oddly before shaking their heads "No way now more then ever, we need that class." Harry said before looking up frowning

"She looks… familiar… Hermione take a look doesn't it seem like we've seen her before?" he said Hermione, Ron, and the rest all looked up at once "Yeah, she does I wonder why that is I know I've never seen her before, I think." Dean said frowning as he tried to remember. Ron sighed "She's probably another Lockhart thing, but less famous." He suggested Hermione shook her head "No… if she was someone here would be a fan. Someone would know her from everything, you know?" she said the others nodded "so then who is she?" this question hovered over the conversation until the new headmistress stood and everyone fell silent.

McGonagall's speech was moving urging the student to continue to excel despite the tragic loss and to keep faith. The students where impressed and Hermione had a feeling the elder female was glad the pressure was off

"Finally I have an announcement. We have a new teacher filling our defense against the dark art position, Professor Naomi Campbell is joining us." She said a light round of applause from the students Naomi smiled and offered a slightly hesitant wave, hey teaching kids couldn't be that different from adults right? She had a sinking sensation. She was probably doomed. With the headmistresses indication the feast began food blooming across the tables in a fantastic display that never failed to amaze the new students.

Harry glanced back up at the table taking his goblet in hand and grinning, "well… let's hope she lasts the year." He said raising the goblet slightly "God luck professor." He said calmly the others drinking in agreement to his sentiment. Their seventh year had officially begun.