I.
It had been a long time since she visited Britain. Even though Tessa Phalen looked like any other American; carrying a large knapsack with her belongings, eating fish and chips, taking in the sights and sounds of Trafalgar Square, she was not your everyday tourist.
"Will I see them first or will they see me?" She thought. She sat down to eat her paper full of fish and chips at the base of Lord Nelson's statue. She picked this spot as a meeting place specifically because of the food vendors that are on the streets that converge on the square. Being an American she had opted to forgo the malt vinegar for her snack. Instead she reached down into what appeared to be an empty sack and pulled out a small bottle of tomato ketchup.
Throwing the remains of her chips to the expectant pigeons around her feet, Tessa put the bottle of ketchup back into her sack along with the waste paper from her meal. The bag bulged with its contents. She pushed aside an errant pigeon that had perched itself on the stone seat next to her for a closer view of her food, laid the bag carefully down, and began rolling it into a small cylinder. As she put the sack back in her knapsack she thought of what a useful present it was. Her parents had given it to her when she graduated from Salem Witches' Institute. That was quite a while ago but her Necessity Bag certainly had come in handy.
Tessa was a witch, trained in the U.S. but was here by the request of Albus Dumbledore, a friend and very powerful British wizard, who was the head master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had asked her to come for two reasons. First, he was apparently having trouble filling the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at his school. She was thrilled that he thought she could fill the post. He pulled some strings with the British Ministry of Magic to allow an American trained witch to be hired.
Second and more importantly, because of her training as an auror and anonymity in Britain she would be valuable in his fight against Lord Voldemort. She was to become a member of his Order of the Phoenix, a secret group joined together against that evil wizard who again threatened the wizarding world
She surveyed the crowd looking for the people Dumbledore was sending to escort her to the Headquarters of the Order. Arthur Weasley was supposed to be a middle-aged man with balding but bright red hair. And who according to Dumbledore had a distinct passion for all things Muggle, the things that non-magical people use. "I am certain he will be excited to hear about how the wizarding community in America actually mingles with the non-magical community. He no doubt will question you incessantly about it," Dumbledore had written.
She thought that at least someone will have more than two words for her. Excited though she was about coming to Britain and teaching here, Tessa was afraid that she would run up against some obstacles being an American. "Our ways are not their ways," her former boss at the Department of Magical Defense told her. "They are old fashioned and refuse to move with the times." Well, no matter, she was here now and would do her best to help her friend.
The other man coming with Weasley was Remus Lupin. She liked the name anyway. Dumbledore was very vague about the man except that he used to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher before he resigned. Dumbledore hadn't mentioned why he resigned though. He was a man about Tessa's age with light brown hair.
Even thought the descriptions were vague, she was sure she could pick them out. British wizards tend not to blend in with Muggles very well.
Tessa on the other hand, could pass for a Muggle easily. Her dark brown hair was medium length, wavy and cut in what a Muggle would consider to be very stylish. She shopped in Muggle stores and ate in Muggle restaurants. The wizarding community in the U.S. is rather smaller than in Britain so there isn't much choice but to mingle. Today, less than a week into August, she was wearing Jeans and a stretch T-shirt with the picture of the Mona Lisa's face on it. No self-respecting British wizard would wear such a thing.
As she sat there, she watched a little girl run though a flock of pigeons sending them soaring into the air. As they left the ground, two men looking slightly out of place strode into view. They stopped and looked around. The one facing her was obviously Arthur Weasley showing a shock of red hair beneath a cap. His green britches and a yellow plaid shirt with a paisley tie were a good indication that he was not a Muggle but it was the shoes that gave him away. Wizard shoes were unmistakable. When dressing as a Muggle, wizards never think to get different shoes. He looked at Tessa several times but didn't seem to notice her.
Tessa stood up, grabbed her knapsack and started towards the pair. She thought that from the back, Lupin looked like he could pass as an avant- garde Muggle with the dark pants and duster coat he wore, even though it was warm for such a thing.
As she approach them Weasley, who looked a little uncertain of her, nudged Lupin. He turned toward her and she stopped. Although not handsome in an obvious way, his striking features and tousled light brown hair struck her has extremely appealing. He had an air about him, she couldn't place it, mysterious and solitary. She started toward them again feeling a bit strange in the stomach. Nerves, she told herself although she knew that wasn't really the problem.
"Arthur Weasley?" she said looking at the red-haired man. "Yes, yes. You must be Miss Phalen," he said smiling. He extended his hand and she took it. "Tessa, please," she said.
"Tessa, this is Remus Lupin." Arthur indicated the man next to him and Tessa turned and looked into Remus Lupin's eyes for the first time.
She took his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Lupin."
He looked at her a bit confused, "I'm not a professor any longer. Please call me Remus."
Later, she looked back on that first meeting and kicked herself. She must have seemed a doe-eyed dolt.
"Alright then," said Arthur, "Let's get you to the headquarters. My wife, Molly and my children are anxious to meet you. You will be teaching two of them at Hogwarts. Ron is going into his sixth year and Ginny, her fifth."
Tessa reached down to pick up her bag just as Lupin did the same. Their hands touched for a brief second and Tessa felt as though her insides were given an electric shock. She looked at him and then down at her feet. "Thanks." She said and hurried after Arthur who was still talking away.
It had been a long time since she visited Britain. Even though Tessa Phalen looked like any other American; carrying a large knapsack with her belongings, eating fish and chips, taking in the sights and sounds of Trafalgar Square, she was not your everyday tourist.
"Will I see them first or will they see me?" She thought. She sat down to eat her paper full of fish and chips at the base of Lord Nelson's statue. She picked this spot as a meeting place specifically because of the food vendors that are on the streets that converge on the square. Being an American she had opted to forgo the malt vinegar for her snack. Instead she reached down into what appeared to be an empty sack and pulled out a small bottle of tomato ketchup.
Throwing the remains of her chips to the expectant pigeons around her feet, Tessa put the bottle of ketchup back into her sack along with the waste paper from her meal. The bag bulged with its contents. She pushed aside an errant pigeon that had perched itself on the stone seat next to her for a closer view of her food, laid the bag carefully down, and began rolling it into a small cylinder. As she put the sack back in her knapsack she thought of what a useful present it was. Her parents had given it to her when she graduated from Salem Witches' Institute. That was quite a while ago but her Necessity Bag certainly had come in handy.
Tessa was a witch, trained in the U.S. but was here by the request of Albus Dumbledore, a friend and very powerful British wizard, who was the head master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He had asked her to come for two reasons. First, he was apparently having trouble filling the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at his school. She was thrilled that he thought she could fill the post. He pulled some strings with the British Ministry of Magic to allow an American trained witch to be hired.
Second and more importantly, because of her training as an auror and anonymity in Britain she would be valuable in his fight against Lord Voldemort. She was to become a member of his Order of the Phoenix, a secret group joined together against that evil wizard who again threatened the wizarding world
She surveyed the crowd looking for the people Dumbledore was sending to escort her to the Headquarters of the Order. Arthur Weasley was supposed to be a middle-aged man with balding but bright red hair. And who according to Dumbledore had a distinct passion for all things Muggle, the things that non-magical people use. "I am certain he will be excited to hear about how the wizarding community in America actually mingles with the non-magical community. He no doubt will question you incessantly about it," Dumbledore had written.
She thought that at least someone will have more than two words for her. Excited though she was about coming to Britain and teaching here, Tessa was afraid that she would run up against some obstacles being an American. "Our ways are not their ways," her former boss at the Department of Magical Defense told her. "They are old fashioned and refuse to move with the times." Well, no matter, she was here now and would do her best to help her friend.
The other man coming with Weasley was Remus Lupin. She liked the name anyway. Dumbledore was very vague about the man except that he used to be the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher before he resigned. Dumbledore hadn't mentioned why he resigned though. He was a man about Tessa's age with light brown hair.
Even thought the descriptions were vague, she was sure she could pick them out. British wizards tend not to blend in with Muggles very well.
Tessa on the other hand, could pass for a Muggle easily. Her dark brown hair was medium length, wavy and cut in what a Muggle would consider to be very stylish. She shopped in Muggle stores and ate in Muggle restaurants. The wizarding community in the U.S. is rather smaller than in Britain so there isn't much choice but to mingle. Today, less than a week into August, she was wearing Jeans and a stretch T-shirt with the picture of the Mona Lisa's face on it. No self-respecting British wizard would wear such a thing.
As she sat there, she watched a little girl run though a flock of pigeons sending them soaring into the air. As they left the ground, two men looking slightly out of place strode into view. They stopped and looked around. The one facing her was obviously Arthur Weasley showing a shock of red hair beneath a cap. His green britches and a yellow plaid shirt with a paisley tie were a good indication that he was not a Muggle but it was the shoes that gave him away. Wizard shoes were unmistakable. When dressing as a Muggle, wizards never think to get different shoes. He looked at Tessa several times but didn't seem to notice her.
Tessa stood up, grabbed her knapsack and started towards the pair. She thought that from the back, Lupin looked like he could pass as an avant- garde Muggle with the dark pants and duster coat he wore, even though it was warm for such a thing.
As she approach them Weasley, who looked a little uncertain of her, nudged Lupin. He turned toward her and she stopped. Although not handsome in an obvious way, his striking features and tousled light brown hair struck her has extremely appealing. He had an air about him, she couldn't place it, mysterious and solitary. She started toward them again feeling a bit strange in the stomach. Nerves, she told herself although she knew that wasn't really the problem.
"Arthur Weasley?" she said looking at the red-haired man. "Yes, yes. You must be Miss Phalen," he said smiling. He extended his hand and she took it. "Tessa, please," she said.
"Tessa, this is Remus Lupin." Arthur indicated the man next to him and Tessa turned and looked into Remus Lupin's eyes for the first time.
She took his hand and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Lupin."
He looked at her a bit confused, "I'm not a professor any longer. Please call me Remus."
Later, she looked back on that first meeting and kicked herself. She must have seemed a doe-eyed dolt.
"Alright then," said Arthur, "Let's get you to the headquarters. My wife, Molly and my children are anxious to meet you. You will be teaching two of them at Hogwarts. Ron is going into his sixth year and Ginny, her fifth."
Tessa reached down to pick up her bag just as Lupin did the same. Their hands touched for a brief second and Tessa felt as though her insides were given an electric shock. She looked at him and then down at her feet. "Thanks." She said and hurried after Arthur who was still talking away.
