Chapter One: Prologue: An Unexpected Invitation
A/N: HELLO EVERYONE! I told you I wouldn't leave you guys hanging. This is a sequel to Acceptance, so you should probably read that first (if you haven't already).
Disclaimer (let it apply to the whole fic): I don't own Harry Potter. It belongs to the almighty JK Rowling and the WB and whoever else owns it. I also got the idea for the title from LOTR: TT, the movie. Again, standard disclaimer.
It was the end of Harry's seventh year. N.E.W.T.s had been taken, and all there was left to do was wait for the short month to end. He still had no idea what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. At one point he'd wanted to be an auror, but now that Voldemort was dead, he didn't see the point.
The bell had rung for 'Transfiguration' to end. Not that it had been much of a transfiguration lesson, seeing as no one was in the mood to learn.
Harry was almost out the door, when he heard McGonagall say, "Harry, can you wait a minute?"
He turned around. "What's up, Professor?"
"Dumbledore would like to see you in his office after dinner, at around seven. Is that alright with you?"
"I'm not in trouble, am I?" he asked, trying hard not to sound fearful.
She laughed. "Heavens, no. There are just a few things he would like to discuss with you. The password is," she pursed her lips, "Skittles."
It was Harry's turn to laugh. "Alright. Thanks, Professor."
"Of course, Harry."
That night at dinner, Harry was only able to play with his food. He explained to his friends what was up, and they were all very understanding. When 7:00 rolled around, Harry found himself outside Dumbledore's office, feeling rather nervous. McGonagall had said that he wasn't in trouble, but what else is one supposed to feel when being sent to the headmaster's office for no apparent reason.
Harry knocked. A muffled "Come in," soon followed.
Harry opened the door, and, using his magic, found the room to be exactly the way it had been the last time he had been in here.
"Please, take a seat," Dumbledore said, and Harry did. Dumbledore held out a small dish. "Lemon drop?" he asked. Harry took one.
Once the sourness had passed, Harry asked, "Umm, why am I here, exactly?"
"Exactly?" Dumbledore repeated. Harry nodded. "You are here, because I wanted to offer you the position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher come the fall."
Harry stared at Dumbledore in shock for a good minute and a half.
"I'd be…honored. But what about Moony?" Harry asked.
"We discussed this when he took the job the second time. When you finished school, he wanted you to teach it. I couldn't have agreed more with him."
"But where would he work? He's told me before how hard it is for a werewolf to find work," Harry said.
"He'd be staying with Sirius, and would be quite well taken care of. I don't need an answer right now. Talk it over with Severus…"
"He knows? He knew about this?" Harry interrupted.
Dumbledore looked at Harry from over his half-moon glasses. "Yes, he knew." Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Dumbledore held up his hand to allow Harry to let him finish. "But, I asked him not to tell you. So, talk it over with Severus and you're friends…"
"They don't know either, do they?" Harry interrupted for the second time.
"No, Harry, they don't. Getting back to what I was saying, yet again, talk it over with Severus and your friends and let me know what you think by the end of the week. Alright?"
"Yes, Professor."
"Good. I'll see you then."
Harry left, walking straight to Sev's quarters.
The man was, quite predictably, reading. Harry immediately began to pace behind the couch where Sev was sitting. "Do you know what Dumbledore just asked me?"
Sev marked his place and set the book down. "Hello to you too," he responded.
"He asked me to be the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher! Why on EARTH would he ask me that!" Harry fumed.
"Hhmm, lets think about this one for more than a second. It couldn't be because of your success with the HA, now could it?" he asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, but that was a group of fifth years, and I had help! How am I supposed to teach the entire school Defense! Huh? How!" Harry nearly yelled.
"For starters, stop pacing, or you'll wear a grove in my carpet," Sev said with a smirk. Harry sent him a nasty glare and continued pacing. Sev sighed, and continued, "You underestimate what you did for them. That group of fifth years did an amazing job at the final battle. They nearly rivaled seasoned Aruors." Harry snorted and continued pacing. "Second, you did the lesson plans entirely by yourself, and the only reason you had help is because you were teaching FOUR DIFFERENT SUBJECTS! Or did that minor detail slip your mind?" Harry just continued to pace. "Don't you think teaching one subject would be a lot easier?"
"But Sev, this is the WHOLE SCHOOL we're talking about!"
"Yes, and Defense is your best subject."
"Right above Potions," Harry said, plopping himself down on a chair. "I don't even know where to begin," he said, burying his head in his hands.
"Start with first year. You would need to teach them the basics: simple shields and defense."
"It's not as though I had a good role model for first year though. Or second. Or fourth."
"Just build from their knowledge you will teach them first year. And remember, you always have me and," he made a sound in the back of his throat "Lupin."
"True enough." Harry leaned back, contemplating everything. He suddenly sat up straight. "What about Ginny and I? I don't want to break up with her!" He sprang up. "You can't make me!" he nearly yelled.
Sev scrutinized Harry before saying, "Calm yourself, child. I'm not going to make you do anything." Harry took a deep breath and sat down. "Albus and I discussed this, don't worry. You two may stay together, but there are …conditions."
"Conditions," Harry repeated flatly.
"Yes. If you break any of them, Lupin will replace you that day, and I would completely support that." Harry swallowed, but remained quiet. "First, you may not show any favoritism of any kind to her, whether in class or outside of it. You also can not show any public display of affection. You also can not…" Sev suddenly turned bright red when he realized he hadn't given 'the talk' to Harry. He was too old now, but the subject hadn't even been broached.
When Harry finally caught on, he tried desperately not to laugh. "We can not…what?"
Sev turned redder. "You can't…well…you know…"
Harry was using all of his will power he possessed not to laugh. And he possessed a lot. "I haven't the faintest clue. You should really tell me, so that I won't do what ever it is I'm not supposed to be doing."
Sev was starting to get angry. The boy was baiting him! "You know…it."
"What's it?" Harry tried to ask innocently.
"Sex," Sev whispered.
"Oh. What makes you think we haven't already?"
Now it was Sev's turn to spring up. "YOU WHAT! HOW DARE YOU…"
"Calm yourself, dad. We haven't done that."
Sev remained standing for a while, trying to get his once-infamous temper under control. When he did, he sat down.
"Are there any other conditions?" Harry asked.
"Nope."
Harry sighed. "I should let everyone else know. Would you go to Weasley Manor and tell Hermione and Ron to meet us in the Room of Requirement? But don't tell them why."
"Obviously." Sev got up and flooed to the Weasley Manor, while Harry went to get everyone else.
OO
Several minutes later, Harry was pacing in a comfy room of requirement. Plump couches and chairs were circled around a large coffee table. Ginny was sitting cross-legged in the middle of one of the couches, bouncing a leg. She hated it when Harry paced; it made her nervous as well. Draco was sitting in the corner of one of the couches, and Avery was lying down, her head in his lap. Draco was watching Harry with a raised eyebrow, while Avery remained completely oblivious, content to read her book.
A frazzled Hermione and Ron soon entered the room. They plopped down on another couch, Ron sitting in a corner and Hermione lying down, just like Draco and Avery. Ron began lightly playing with Hermione's hair.
Harry continued to pace, making Ginny even more nervous, and Draco more confused. Hermione was nearly asleep in Ron's lap, and was woken up rather abruptly when Ginny broke the tense silence. "Harry, quit pacing and tell us what's wrong. You're making me jittery!" she said with a grin. Avery put her book down, becoming more interested in the drama unfolding before her than the drama in her book.
"Dumbledore asked me to be Defense teacher this upcoming fall," Harry said while continuing to pace.
Hermione immediately sat up. "Harry, that's wonderful! That's the best thing that could have possibly happened!"
Harry stopped pacing and looked her in the eye. "Do you think?"
"Of course!" she said.
"Look at how well you did with the HA!" Ron said.
"You sound like Sev," Harry said, crossing the room to sit next to Ginny.
"What did he have to say?" Draco asked.
"He said it was a great idea. He wants me to take the job," Harry said.
"Of course he does! What about Lupin?" Avery asked.
"He's gonna stay with Sirius. Dumbledore made it sound like it was his idea." Harry turned to see a downcast Ginny. Putting an arm around her, he said, "What's wrong?"
"What about us? Will we have to break up?" she said, and tried to swallow the lump in her throat.
"Is that what you're worried about?" Harry asked. Ginny nodded.
"Sure she's worried. Teachers aren't allowed to date students, Harry," Hermione said.
When Ginny sobbed, he threw Hermione a look, and said, "As a matter of fact, we are allowed to date."
"Really?" Ginny asked, trying hard not to sound too hopeful, lest her hopes get crushed.
"Yes, but there are…conditions," Harry said with the same flat voice he'd used in Sev's room.
"Conditions?" Ginny sobbed, sounding for all the world that her hopes had indeed been crushed.
"I'm not allowed to show favoritism to you, nor show any public display of affection. Also, no sex." Ginny collapsed on to his lap, clutching her heart.
"That goes for me, as well. If I find out that you to have..done...it... you will be in serious trouble. Got that, Harry?" Ron said. This was not Harry's best friend talking. This was Ginny's older brother.
Harry took the threat quite seriously. "Of course."
"Good," Ron said with a nod of his head.
"Did Dumbledore or Sev tell you the conditions?" Avery asked.
"Sev."
"Oh, I'd bet he turned bright red when he reached the 'no sex' part," Draco said. Everyone burst out laughing.
When everyone had calmed down, Hermione asked, "So, Harry, are you going to teach next year?"
Harry looked down at Ginny, who grinned and nodded. "Yes, I am."
A/N: I would like to thank my bff, and my beta, HarryEstel. Muah!
A/N2: I realize this must be rather confusing for those of you who haven't read Acceptance. I recommend to those of you who haven't read it to read it, but I do realize it is a very long story. I'm sure by now you've figured out that Sev is a father figure to Harry, and that Draco is a good guy.
A/N3: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter of Acceptance. I'll be sending out emails as thank yous to those of you who leave signed reviews or leave your email address in your review.