Welcome to a new Hogwarts/Austen story! I'm incredibly excited about it. The two stories primarily focussed on are that of Persuasion and Pride and Prejudice - but I promise you'll see bits and pieces of others around the place - they all have their part to play! Please review and let me know how I can make these chapters better! I'm still learning! :)

Anne pushed back the curtains of the classroom she knew so well and turned to see it all in its glory. She couldn't believe it was all hers. No, she reminded herself, it was only hers until her contract ran out. McGonagall was so good for even considering to take Anne on. Luckily, Professor Taylor – or Weston, as we now must remember to call her – had just gone and got herself married and pregnant (not necessarily in that order) and had decided to take a few years off to look after her new twins. Anne stood, lost for a moment in the thought of the new little Weston family living not so far from her old family home. She felt a little tug on her heart as she thought of the place where she had grown up. She had disapparated from the garden just this morning but it felt like years ago.

The last year had been spent taking all the odd jobs she could, just to try to help her father to keep the house but his Firewhiskey habits, as well as his Knockturn Alley jaunts, had cost them more than Anne could ever repair. A ministry worker had rapped on their door early last week to tell them that they had to leave. Her father and sister were fine, Elizabeth would go back to travelling under the tutelage of Charlie Weasley, capturing and caring for dragons – although most of her efforts seemed to be going towards trying to get the Weasley boy's attention. Her father had connections and would be able to work with the ministry, staying at the Leaky Cauldron when he didn't have accommodation on the job. They would both be right as rain, Anne told herself yet again, although not living to their usual standards perhaps.

It was only Anne who had had nowhere to go permanently. She had written a letter to McGonagall a day after they had received the news – applying for the position of Muggle Studies Professor, as she had seen in the Daily Prophet. Her owl, Seren, had come barrelling back through the window only a few hours later with the old Professor's approval and a contract to sign.

As though summoned by her thoughts, the faithful brown owl tapped on the window of her new classroom. Anne pulled herself out of her reverie and slid open the window, carefully plucking the letter from Seren's leg. She conjured a bowl of water and the owl drank and hooted happily while she read.

"Anne,

I'm so glad to hear that you have somewhere to stay and work, all sorted out with just one owl! I would have been all too happy to have you stay at my house of course, but you may have been sick of Mrs Goddard looking over your shoulder all the time. I know I would have been. She was such a great carer for us orphans when we were young, but so many of us have stayed on to help her with the new ones after the war, and she drives us insane when the older ones are off at Hogwarts. We've all been looking for temporary jobs, just to give us an excuse to get out of the grounds!

Some of us have had some luck – I am, of course, trying to tease you with suspense. I wrote to Mr Twycross last week – did you see his advert in the Prophet? He's getting on a bit the poor thing, and he's looking for people to teach those of age to disapparate. I think you'll remember I was excellent when we had to learn it, so I wrote to him and he remembered me! I met with him just this morning, along with his other new recruits and there are some other familiar faces. Caroline Bingley was there – not a welcome face but still, it is good to know people. So was James Morland! There were a few others who I recognise from being in years ahead but I'm afraid that my last revelation will not be so welcome to you. Fred Wentworth was there. I know you must have forgotten all about him by now but still, I know you liked him a lot back in the day, against your better judgement (and mine). I will do my very best to keep you both separated while we visit throughout the year – run ins with Slytherins are unwelcome, even all these years after we've finished school. I've enclosed our schedule but we'll be coming roughly every second Sunday until February when we stay for three weeks! I can't wait to see you!

Yours,

Lily Russell"

Anne felt as though she had been punched in the stomach. The elation of having her very own office and classroom had fizzled out after reading the lines written by her oldest friend. Fred was coming here. Every second week for the whole year. Not only that but he was obviously going to be around for a few years to come. She had managed to avoid him for the last five years. It was easy after school. He wandered around being an assistant in the Auror's office while she pottered around her house, doing housework and running errands. There had only been one close call two years ago. She had been buying a new copy of one of her father's favourite books when she had heard his voice rumbling from the front counter of Flourish and Blotts. She had looked around the bookshelves tentatively, just as he had turned around to gesture at the price of a book. He had stopped suddenly, looking straight into her eyes, just as shocked as she was. She had slid the book back onto the shelf, mumbled some sort of gibberish and rushed out of the store.

Since that day, she had only seen him in a couple of articles in the Daily Prophet. It seemed so silly. They were both adults, her at 22 and he at 23. They should be able to handle the whole situation like adults, but alas, they melted back to their childish ways as soon as they knew of the presence of the other. Anne put her head in her hands and breathed heavily for a few minutes before she heard a rap on her classroom door. The emerald green robes of Minerva McGonagall blew into the room before the Headmistress herself.

"Professor Elliot! Are you quite alright?" She exclaimed after catching a glimpse of Anne recovering from her moment of panic.

"Absolutely Headmistress!" Anne said, hurriedly. "I was just having one of those moments! It's been a busy week. Thank you again, for letting me teach here."

"Indeed, indeed – I was always fond of you and your work with Muggles in the past is admirable – no one better for the job!" Anne blushed as the Headmistress went on. "Now, the first years will be arriving in about half an hour, so if you are feeling up to it, I'd love if you would go down to help Professor Flitwick – he's just putting the finishing touches on the Great Hall but Peeves has thrown him a bit of mischief, he may need a hand or two."

"Of course, of course, I'll make my way down there in just a moment," Anne assured McGonagall.

"Excellent! A new year Professor, I do hope you have a good time here!"

Anne smiled as she watched the Headmistress leave the room, her mind already on other things. She grabbed the parchment off the desk and shoved it in the lowest draw. It felt wrong to get rid of a letter from her close friend but she did not want to be reminded of the face that she would have to see, only two weeks from now.