Nyx sat in her living room reading the letter that came to her by owl. The war had been won by the side of the light and allow as returning to normal. Or as close to normal as wizarding England could get. McGonagall had asked her to replace Slughorn as Potions Mistress. Slughorn had opted to leave Hogwarts and Severus Snape, her potions teacher, was currently incapacitated in the infirmary. She sat looking out the French doors of her home at the Aegean. After graduating from Hogwarts she took up an apprenticeship in Potions in Italy. It didn't take her too long to decide to finally go back to England. Nyx sent her response to Minerva then magically packed all her belongings.
Minerva McGonagall sat in the headmaster's office and rested. Repairing the school magically was taking its toll on her. If Severus were conscious he would help. It was now a month after the war ended. The Golden Trio had set out to fix things and cleared Severus' name. He had become a true hero in the eyes of the wizarding world and a traitor to the side of the dark. Minerva leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed before she heard a knock on the door.
"Enter!" the door swung open and in walked Nyx Azuma. She stood almost six feet tall with long black hair she wore in a French braid, dark chocolate skin, and bright peacock blue eyes. She was the child that never smiled or laughed and had been close to Severus. "Welcome Nyx, so glad you accepted." Nyx simply nodded. "Was the trip here arduous?"
"No, I flooed from where I was living to the Leaky Cauldron and just walked from there." Nyx and Minerva sat by the windows.
"I'm glad you came. I would ask Severus to do this but he is in the infirmary unconscious. We need help repairing the school but all of us professors are spent. It would be greatly appreciated if you helped us."
"Of course. But can I first unpack my things. I shrunk my things and they're in my bag here." She pointed to the brown leather backpack on the floor beside her.
"Oh of course. That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. You will be taking the potions office and quarters in the dungeons. Is that okay with you?"
"Yes headmistress."
"Please just call me Minerva. I will walk you down now."
"No that's okay. I remember the way down and I know Professor Snape's wards." Nyx stood and walked out of the office and made her way down. It had been five years since she was at Hogwarts. Five years since she'd even been in England. But she had the entirety of Hogwarts and its many secret passages emblazoned on her mind. It didn't take her too long to get to the office. She placed her wand on the door and detected the wards, which she easily nullified. She stepped through and was instantly hit by the smell of old and putrid potions. She walked through to the quarters and easily lowered those wards as well. It seems as if no one had changed the rooms since she last saw them. The rooms were dusty and had been closed up for far too long.
Nadia placed her bag on the floor and went through every room and performed a cleansing spell. The rooms were clean in a half hour but they were still dark and the window shutters were stuck closed. It took her a while to finally open them but when she did the rooms were bright and clean and warm. When she was finished she unpacked in the spare bedroom since the main bedroom, which belonged to Severus, was still occupied by his belongings. Nyx left the rooms and returned to the main doors of the school where the other faculty were present.
They watched as she walked up to them. All of them had taught her at one time or another. But they did not expect her to grow in to the woman she was. They didn't expect the dark and brooding curvaceous woman. Flitwick wondered if this was the case with all potions masters.
"Nyx, are you ready?" asked Minerva.
"Yes, can you hold this for me." Nyx removed her robes and her sweater and handed them to Minerva. She was left wearing jeans and a racer back top. Her wand was stuffed in to a slit in her boots. She stood facing the great hall and closed her eyes as she brought her hands together. They stayed together then began to separate. As they separated blue particles came from thin air and formed in to a blue orb between her hands. It stopped till it was about the size of two quaffles. For a moment Nyx stood silent as the others watched in amazement. There was no wand waving to be had. Finally she opened her eyes and looked at Minerva.
"Curabitur ac revertar!" whispered Nyx. Suddenly there was a pulse of blue that left the orb and reverberated off the building. The school was now healing itself. It was followed by many more until the orb had fully dissipated. This took all of ten minutes and after the ten minutes. The school was back to its old self and looked as if nothing had happened. Nyx finally finished with her work dropped her hands and hunched a bit.
"Nyx, that was amazing. Thank you." Said Minerva as she looked around. Then she saw Nyx. "Oh my, this has taken a lot from you. You have to get to Poppy." Nyx didn't complain. She did not like having to go to Poppy when she was a student. The woman she found was a bit too protective and smothered her patients. Nyx walked through the doors and was met by the spry nurse. She was laid on the cot next to Severus' unmoving body. Poppy gave her an energy replenishing elixir and made her rest. When Poppy had left and the room was empty she reached over and took Severus' hand. It was cool to the touch but she could feel his strong pulse. She closed her eyes to find what was wrong with him but his body was fully healed.
"It must be a matter of the mind that he does not wake." She whispered to herself. She let go of his hand and curled in to a ball under the sheets and fell asleep.
A familiar voice but one she had not heard in a while, then two other voices, awakened Nyx. "The Trio" she thought. She lay there a little while longer hoping they would leave but her body was cramping from lying in one spot so she gave up and sat up. She startled the three and they sat and stared at her. Mainly Hermione. The other two looked at each other and walked out of the infirmary.
"Granger." Said Nyx. She didn't like the girl that much. Trying to prove that you are smarter than everyone, when in fact you're not, did not sit well with Nyx. Especially since the Granger girl couldn't even beat Nyx' scores on both the OWLs and NEWTS. Hermione sneered at her like she was garbage.
"What are you doing here Azuma?" Nyx stood to her full height. It had its desired affect on Hermione; she seemed to deflate in her seat.
"I am the new Potions teacher until his mind heals completely."
"What?" Hermione was confused.
"His body is fully healed it's a matter if the mind." She said impatiently. Nyx looked at Severus face and placed her hand gently on his. And said a silent prayer to him. Hermione took Severus hand and put it on his chest away from Nyx. Nyx stood up and turned. "Prat." She said as she walked away. She could hear Hermione huff behind her but she didn't care. She walked through the door and found the boys standing there. "Potter, Weasley. Good to see you're both still in one piece." They looked at her quietly. "Potter."
"Yes Nyx."
"Thank you."
"For?"
"Killing that son of a bitch." At that she nodded at them and walked away.
Nyx was a Gryffindor when she was a student. Though she was not really treated like one. She was originally supposed to be in Slytherin. In fact the hat wanted her to be in Slytherin but she refused the house and was placed in Gryffindor. Her housemates treated her like an outsider. They weren't to keen on the fact that she was quiet, rarely used a wand, and that in her last two years at Hogwarts she was with Professor Snape. They were convinced she was a spy for Slytherin. The trio had taken this false rumor to heart and taunted her. Hermione, Ron and Harry had only been at the school two years when she graduated. She knew more about war and death and abuse then they ever did in the whole seven years they were students fighting against Voldemort.
It was a whole two weeks before Severus had woken. His mind had cleared and he woke to Hermione holding his hand. He immediately recoiled. He tried to get away from Hogwarts. He stumbled through the halls and let off waves of his power that knocked many of the faculty off their feet. Hermione tried to stop him herself but was thrown to a tapestried wall. Nyx, who felt the power, came running and found Severus. The other Faculty had gotten off the ground and was running after him when she stood in front of him.
"And what do you think you are doing?" asked Nyx authoritatively. Severus stood there aghast. He had not seen this woman in such a long time.
"Move!" he ordered but she stepped closer to him. Severus let off another wave of power but it did nothing to Nyx but knocked over the faculty members and Hermione again. Nyx reached him and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"You are not fully healed, you must return to the infirmary." Severus tried to get loose of her grip but failed. Nyx moved closer to Severus. "You have to go back to the infirmary Severus." She said, his name cascading softly off her tongue. She moved even closer till her hands were on his shoulders. his bursts of magic had no effect on her. "Severus?" she moved closer and leaned in and kissed him on the lips. "Please calm yourself, all is well. That bastard is dead and Harry is safe. You did well now its time for you to rest." Severus finally calmed at that as she softly continued to kiss him. While her hands were on him she transfigured the hospital gown around him to a par of long black pants and a button up shirt that was rolled at the arms and the top few buttons undone. With one last kiss she placed her right hand over the tattoo. Severus could feel a change-taking place within him for the better. Nyx stepped away and blew black smoke into her hand that solidified, which then disintegrated in to nothingness. Nyx then took his left hand and kissed the spot where the tattoo once was. "Better?"
"Yes." Severus then walked back with her to the infirmary. The other Faculty and Hermione had watched as she did this without a wand and were once again amazed at her sheer power.
Hermione had pushed Nyx aside and professed her thanks to Severus and told him how Harry Potter had exonerated him. She went on for a while. The faculty had left. Nyx made to leave.
"Ms. Azuma I would like to speak to you." Said Severus interrupting Hermione. Nyx stood there quietly waiting. "Granger could you leave us. I would rather speak to more intelligent and humble beings then your self."
"What? How dare you. I saved you from death. I brought you here after you took the potions."
"GRANGER! How dare I? You did not save me. You merely transported me when I fell unconscious. You did not give me the potions I gave myself the potions. You did not brew them Nyx did. Now, get out of my site you insufferable know it all." Granger was ready to yell at him but the glare that both Severus and Nyx gave her told her otherwise and she stormed out of the infirmary slamming the door behind her.
"Back to your old self I see." Commented Nyx. Severus sighed and turned his head towards Nyx.
"Thank you." He said. It was Nyx who had brewed the antivenin in her sixth year at Hogwarts. From then on Severus kept the recipe and made as much as he needed.
"Your welcome Professor."
"So, you are the new Potions Professor until I am able."
"Yes."
"I'm happy Minerva picked a competent person for the job. But tell me. Where have you been?"
"I was in Italy to complete my apprenticeship and stayed there since."
"Your magic ability has increased so has your non use of your wand."
"Well, I still had to use it to lower your wards. Just to be safe."
"That was unnecessary. They still accept you. I never changed them."
"I noticed they were still the same. I didn't know they still accept me. You miss me that much Severus?" she said as she smiled at him. Severus was the only person she smiled at or laughed with. Nyx was also the only student since he had been teaching at Hogwarts to call him by his given name. He liked the sound of his name rolling off her tongue. Nyx sat on the bed next to Severus and held his hand. "I missed you." She whispered. Severus missed the feel of her soft hands on his rough ones. He couldn't hold back anymore and grabbed Nyx and enveloped her in his arms.
Hermione came in a few hours later and snuck up to the bed to find Severus asleep with Nyx in his arms. From then on she made it her business to make Severus hers and to get rid of Nyx.