Rose of Thorns
Prologue.
"But, Albus, I don't want-"
"Severus, right now you have no say in what we do with you." Albus Dumbledore spoke gently, "You go and teach for the Muggle/wizard School freely…its only a year. Other wise, you sit in exile."
"But Headmaster!" Severus complained.
"Severus! You have gotten us deeper into this war! I would not complain! I would count my blessings, that I am not dead…when I say that, I mean you."
Severus sighed, "I don't even know anything about chemistry."
"Yes you do, Severus." Dumbledore nodded, "What do you think Potions is?"
"Are, not is."
"Maybe you should be the language teacher instead."
"At least I know a little about language. Chemistry! Pah! I know nothing about Muggle chemistry!"
"You will, Severus. The other professors will help you out. The students will understand. Many of their wizarding parents are involved in this war… It will be a comfort to have some one as involved in this battle as you around."
"Pah!" Severus sighed, "I don't think so!"
"Severus…Please? Just try. For me, for the other professors?" Dumbledore asked.
Severus crossed his arms. He did not want to teach fool muggles, who did not carry on wizarding genes from one or more parents, or step parents. Lauder Academy was a school for muggles, with wizarding ties…such as those who had mothers, or fathers who were wizards, or witches, who had married muggles, and not been wizards or witches themselves. Lauder taught these menaces their muggle course classes (i.e. Language art, chemistry/science, arithmetic), and a few wizarding classes, like history.
"I'll go…" Severus whispered, "But on one condition."
"What's that, Severus?"
"If after Christmas holidays, I don't like it, I can exile myself."
"Severus…don't exile yourself, just because-"
"Albus, I've caused this war to continue…I leaked information, because I let some fool hearted woman addle my brains. I deserve exile. We could have ended this long ago."
"Severus Snape…are you giving up?"
"No."
Dumbledore looked down at him, "Good. Because I have never seen you as someone who gives up easily…" He stood, and took a train ticket from his desk drawer, "Your train leaves tomorrow at noon."
__
Chapter One
Severus stepped out of the muggle car, uncomfortably clad in muggle jeans, and long sleeved sweatshirt. He carried his luggage with him.
"Have a nice stay at the academy, Professor!" Tito, his driver, and ex- student at the school called merrily after him.
Severus forced a smile, "Thank you."
"If you walk up to them 'old gates, someone will be rushing' out ta greet ya. I'm-ah park the car over-"
"I understand, Tito…I'll be fine." Severus nodded.
"Yes sir, Professor." He nodded.
Severus stared up at the looming school. It was located on the outskirts of London, with a lovely front yard, with a looming fountain. He supposed it must look fantastically scary at night.
"Professor Severus Snape, I presume?" an uptight looking lady, clad in a long grey skirt, and a starched white dress shirt appeared near the gate, pushing a button on the side wall to open it.
"Yes." Severus stepped inside the gate.
"Welcome to Lauder Academy…" She plucked one of the bags from his hands, while he pulled the strap of his duffle bag over his head, "I'm the Headmistress, Professor Thalia Benedict." She strode up a pair of stairs, "These five buildings are dorms. Two dorms are for the female students, two others are for our male population of students, and then we professors have our own. You, Severus, will have the room on the second floor, fifth room down. You will be next to Professor Alaric. He was our previous Chemistry teacher. He unfortunately will only be here long enough to train you as a substitute, before leaving…"
"Why is he leaving?" Severus asked, as she pulled a large key ring from her pocket, flipping through them to find his room key.
She paused to look at him, and then sighed, pulling his key from the ring, with out having to loop it through. Obviously she was a witch. All the professors were, "If you really must know, his younger brother is a werewolf. He's been having problems with his morphing. Their going to have him put down at the next change."
"Oh." Severus took the key from her.
"Severus…" Thalia tilted her head, "You need not be so uptight here…we're pretty…flexiable with the behaviour of our professors. The students will love you more, if you, perhaps, smile a bit. Show a sense of humor…"
"I have not smiled in sixteen years, Professor-"
"Call me Thalia. We're on a first name basis here."
"-Thalia. I lost my sense of humor before I could even develop it. You will find no humor in me. Nor any heartwarming smiles."
"Well, at least you still have sarcasm."
__
"Did you see the new professor?"
The whispers rang around Lauder's version of a "Great Hall", and Alzan Lee sighed, rolling her eyes. They couldn't find anything better to do, but worry about some new Professor? How- and then she saw him.
He sat, obviously uncomfortable, next to Thalia, who was explaining things to him. His sweatshirt was constrictive, and gave her a very good idea of what was underneath.
"Alzan…" Gita, her friend, leaned over, "Stop looking at him like that!"
"Oh shut up." Alzan sighed, looking down at her food. She was sick of muggles, especially the one sitting next to her. She was so…nosey! Gita had to know everything thing was going on… although…having a nosey friend could come in handy, "Gita…go over and ask him what his name is."
"Me? No way!"
"Gita, come on! I'll tell everyone you like Rick!"
"You wouldn't…" Gita glared.
"I would…"
"Okay! Okay! I'll go ask him."
Alzan smiled. It was so easy to get people do what she wanted. Then again, besides the Professors, she was the only other witch in the academy.
Gita got up from the table, looking back at her every so often as she approached the teacher's table. Alzan urged her on with her eyes, until she saw her ask.
"Hi…I was wondering-"
"Gita, please do not bother-" Thalia started.
"Thalia!"
"You allow them to call you by your first name?"
Alzan sighed. If she wanted anything done, she'd have to do it her self. She got up from the table. For some reason the hall suddenly became deathly quiet, except for a few first years, who were whispering.
"Alzan…" Thalia nodded at her, "Do you need something?"
"Of course not, Thalia. Just coming to collect the garbage." She rolled her eyes, taking hold of Gita's arm, "Sorry she was bothering you. I do try to keep her under wraps."
"No problem at all, Alzan." Thalia shook her head, "Please…go eat. Both of you."
Alzan turned to Severus, "You know my name, sir…May I ask yours?"
Severus cleared his throat, "Ah…Severus."
"Lovely." She smiled, "Come Gita." She pulled her friend along side of her.
Prologue.
"But, Albus, I don't want-"
"Severus, right now you have no say in what we do with you." Albus Dumbledore spoke gently, "You go and teach for the Muggle/wizard School freely…its only a year. Other wise, you sit in exile."
"But Headmaster!" Severus complained.
"Severus! You have gotten us deeper into this war! I would not complain! I would count my blessings, that I am not dead…when I say that, I mean you."
Severus sighed, "I don't even know anything about chemistry."
"Yes you do, Severus." Dumbledore nodded, "What do you think Potions is?"
"Are, not is."
"Maybe you should be the language teacher instead."
"At least I know a little about language. Chemistry! Pah! I know nothing about Muggle chemistry!"
"You will, Severus. The other professors will help you out. The students will understand. Many of their wizarding parents are involved in this war… It will be a comfort to have some one as involved in this battle as you around."
"Pah!" Severus sighed, "I don't think so!"
"Severus…Please? Just try. For me, for the other professors?" Dumbledore asked.
Severus crossed his arms. He did not want to teach fool muggles, who did not carry on wizarding genes from one or more parents, or step parents. Lauder Academy was a school for muggles, with wizarding ties…such as those who had mothers, or fathers who were wizards, or witches, who had married muggles, and not been wizards or witches themselves. Lauder taught these menaces their muggle course classes (i.e. Language art, chemistry/science, arithmetic), and a few wizarding classes, like history.
"I'll go…" Severus whispered, "But on one condition."
"What's that, Severus?"
"If after Christmas holidays, I don't like it, I can exile myself."
"Severus…don't exile yourself, just because-"
"Albus, I've caused this war to continue…I leaked information, because I let some fool hearted woman addle my brains. I deserve exile. We could have ended this long ago."
"Severus Snape…are you giving up?"
"No."
Dumbledore looked down at him, "Good. Because I have never seen you as someone who gives up easily…" He stood, and took a train ticket from his desk drawer, "Your train leaves tomorrow at noon."
__
Chapter One
Severus stepped out of the muggle car, uncomfortably clad in muggle jeans, and long sleeved sweatshirt. He carried his luggage with him.
"Have a nice stay at the academy, Professor!" Tito, his driver, and ex- student at the school called merrily after him.
Severus forced a smile, "Thank you."
"If you walk up to them 'old gates, someone will be rushing' out ta greet ya. I'm-ah park the car over-"
"I understand, Tito…I'll be fine." Severus nodded.
"Yes sir, Professor." He nodded.
Severus stared up at the looming school. It was located on the outskirts of London, with a lovely front yard, with a looming fountain. He supposed it must look fantastically scary at night.
"Professor Severus Snape, I presume?" an uptight looking lady, clad in a long grey skirt, and a starched white dress shirt appeared near the gate, pushing a button on the side wall to open it.
"Yes." Severus stepped inside the gate.
"Welcome to Lauder Academy…" She plucked one of the bags from his hands, while he pulled the strap of his duffle bag over his head, "I'm the Headmistress, Professor Thalia Benedict." She strode up a pair of stairs, "These five buildings are dorms. Two dorms are for the female students, two others are for our male population of students, and then we professors have our own. You, Severus, will have the room on the second floor, fifth room down. You will be next to Professor Alaric. He was our previous Chemistry teacher. He unfortunately will only be here long enough to train you as a substitute, before leaving…"
"Why is he leaving?" Severus asked, as she pulled a large key ring from her pocket, flipping through them to find his room key.
She paused to look at him, and then sighed, pulling his key from the ring, with out having to loop it through. Obviously she was a witch. All the professors were, "If you really must know, his younger brother is a werewolf. He's been having problems with his morphing. Their going to have him put down at the next change."
"Oh." Severus took the key from her.
"Severus…" Thalia tilted her head, "You need not be so uptight here…we're pretty…flexiable with the behaviour of our professors. The students will love you more, if you, perhaps, smile a bit. Show a sense of humor…"
"I have not smiled in sixteen years, Professor-"
"Call me Thalia. We're on a first name basis here."
"-Thalia. I lost my sense of humor before I could even develop it. You will find no humor in me. Nor any heartwarming smiles."
"Well, at least you still have sarcasm."
__
"Did you see the new professor?"
The whispers rang around Lauder's version of a "Great Hall", and Alzan Lee sighed, rolling her eyes. They couldn't find anything better to do, but worry about some new Professor? How- and then she saw him.
He sat, obviously uncomfortable, next to Thalia, who was explaining things to him. His sweatshirt was constrictive, and gave her a very good idea of what was underneath.
"Alzan…" Gita, her friend, leaned over, "Stop looking at him like that!"
"Oh shut up." Alzan sighed, looking down at her food. She was sick of muggles, especially the one sitting next to her. She was so…nosey! Gita had to know everything thing was going on… although…having a nosey friend could come in handy, "Gita…go over and ask him what his name is."
"Me? No way!"
"Gita, come on! I'll tell everyone you like Rick!"
"You wouldn't…" Gita glared.
"I would…"
"Okay! Okay! I'll go ask him."
Alzan smiled. It was so easy to get people do what she wanted. Then again, besides the Professors, she was the only other witch in the academy.
Gita got up from the table, looking back at her every so often as she approached the teacher's table. Alzan urged her on with her eyes, until she saw her ask.
"Hi…I was wondering-"
"Gita, please do not bother-" Thalia started.
"Thalia!"
"You allow them to call you by your first name?"
Alzan sighed. If she wanted anything done, she'd have to do it her self. She got up from the table. For some reason the hall suddenly became deathly quiet, except for a few first years, who were whispering.
"Alzan…" Thalia nodded at her, "Do you need something?"
"Of course not, Thalia. Just coming to collect the garbage." She rolled her eyes, taking hold of Gita's arm, "Sorry she was bothering you. I do try to keep her under wraps."
"No problem at all, Alzan." Thalia shook her head, "Please…go eat. Both of you."
Alzan turned to Severus, "You know my name, sir…May I ask yours?"
Severus cleared his throat, "Ah…Severus."
"Lovely." She smiled, "Come Gita." She pulled her friend along side of her.