All's Fair; Chapter One

Summary:Arriving at Hogwarts as new charms teacher, Dannielle 'Danni' Prince soon finds that surly Potions Master, Severus Snape, is the least of her worries when ghosts of the past come back searching for vengeance. SS/OC

Disclaimer: I own nothing except the storyline and Danielle Prince.

Warning: This chapter rated T

Word Count: 3261

1: Charmed

I am, all things considered, your average witch. At 38 I'm even the average age for women in my country. I'm a couple of inches short of six foot, have boringly brown hair and hazel eyes and have lived in Wales for most of my life. Oh, and about three weeks ago I was offered the position of Charms Mistress at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Initially I turned the offer down; I had heard of Hogwarts, of course, but due to my recluse family and the perfectly adequate teaching facilities much closer to my home, I had never been there. I was slightly (absurdly) proud of that fact. One of my family members; a second cousin-in-law several times removed – Severus Snape – taught there, but I had never met the man and although he had been claimed a war-hero I had no inclination or wish to meet him. So far as I could tell the guy was a snarky git.

But other than that I had no want to teach. I had excelled at charms in my small school and had been recognised for my gift further afield, but still hadn't chosen what I wanted to do with my life. I was a moderate chaser for my local Quidditch team, and while we won most of our games, it was all strictly minor-league stuff. Mostly I worked in the family business of refurbishing and decorating other peoples' houses; the business was flourishing. This meant that as a partner and employee of the firm and living in a tiny, nondescript little cottage, my savings were slowly building up and I had more than enough to settle down – that is, if I could find the right guy to settle down with.

The thing that made my decision for me was that prat of a man I had foolishly enough called my boyfriend for the past three years. I always figured that one day he'd propose and I'd say yes and we'd live happily ever after, upgrading to a slightly larger cottage with enough room for a couple of kids if we ever decided to have them. And, like I said, we'd been together for three years, since my thirty-fifth birthday and I was ready to settle down. Judging by the barely-sixteen year-old little bitch I found him with when I decided to give him a surprise visit, I'm guessing he wasn't so ready. I have never felt so old than when I told that girl her one night stand (I hope only one night, anyway) was old enough to be her father. After sending the girl hastily on her way I promptly broke up with the man and wrote to the Headmistress of Hogwarts, a Ms Minerva McGonagall, to say I would be glad to come for an interview. I daresay the letter was less than polite.

Which is how I found myself, two weeks before the first of September and the start of another school year, Apparating into Hogsmeade for my interview with the Headmistress and her deputy (my aforementioned relative). After asking directions and affirming that I was not a Death Eater in disguise, I made my way up to the castle which had been the battleground where the infamous Lord Voldemort had met his demise over seven years previously. I was met just inside the imposing front doors by a grumpy caretaker who introduced himself as Argus Filch. I followed him through a maze of corridors to a stone gargoyle which, upon seeing us, stood aside. Mr Filch prodded me forward onto the moving staircase and I quickly thanked him before he disappeared from sight.

Once the staircase stopped, I stood before a large wooden door which I rapped gently on. A voice soon bid me enter so I opened the door tentatively and saw a fairly old woman who I recognised from various newspaper cuttings and portraits to be Headmistress McGonagall.

'Miss Prince,' McGonagall welcomed, offering her hand.

I shook it eagerly, then nodded to the rather sour-looking man who was standing agitatedly in the corner of the room. 'Please, call me Danni,' I offered, barely covering a smirk when I saw the sulky man raise a surprised eyebrow.

'Pleased to meet you. I am – as I'm sure you're aware – Minerva McGonagall, and this is the deputy head of the school, Severus Snape.'

When she introduced him I suddenly realised that the nagging feeling in my head had been that of an acquaintance one can't quite remember. He stepped forward and I grasped his hand, grinning familiarly. 'Thought I'd seen you somewhere,' I said cheerfully. 'Two Christmases ago when my cousin and her husband decided to hold that God-awful party and invited everyone who was remotely related… and then some,' I clarified at his questioning look.

'Indeed,' was all he said.

I blinked at the unprovoked resentment in his tone before gathering my wits together and turning back to the Headmistress. 'So, Professor McGonagall, I gather you called me here for an interview?'

'We are all adults here, Danni, Minerva is fine. And yes, that is correct. I have heard, of course, of your aptitude with Charms, and when the previous Professor retired last year, yours was the first name to spring to mind,' she started.

'I had not realised that so many knew of me,' I replied with, I'm ashamed to say, a blush. Talking about myself was not one of my fortes.

'Your work during the war did not go entirely unnoticed,' was what she next said, surprising me.

During the war I had built up an underground system of houses, meeting places and even, in some extreme cases, shops. These places – 'Mole Holes' as they had come to be known – had saved countless people wanted by the Dark Lord. However, as I never claimed the patent for this idea, very few people knew that it was I who had come up with, and carried out, the idea.

I scratched my nose in an attempt to ignore the compliment and McGonagall – sorry, Minerva – continued, 'So, despite your lack of teaching experience, we decided to give you the opportunity to teach here. I have to say, from what little I know about you, I'm rather surprised you even agreed to the interview.'

'Yeah, well, you have my perverted ex-boyfriend to thank for that,' I injected tersely.

Minerva spared me only a questioning glance, then carried on, ignoring my comment. 'So, if you'd like to tell me a little about yourself, as well as previous occupations, opinion of children and whatever else you deem relevant.'

I sat down in the chair offered to me and contemplated for a moment before I started. 'Well, I'm sure you know that my family owns a growing business of which I'm a junior partner and employee. That pretty much covers my entire career, other than my efforts during the war and a small part-time job whilst studying at school. I excelled in both Charms and Potions for my NEWTs and did moderately well in my other chosen subjects. As for my opinion of children – well, I suppose you want me to say I love them and can't wait to have my own, but obviously judging by my age and my less-than-enthusiastic response, you will be able to tell that isn't the case.

'Children are people just the same as adults. A little younger, a little less educated, but still people. When it comes to them in concern to myself, I treat them like any other human being. Thanks to fate and obvious faults of my own, having children of my own hasn't exactly been an option. Although I'm sure if the right guy came along and didn't sleep with some sixteen-year old behind my back I'd be more than happy.' I was rubbing my nose again by the end of my speech. I hadn't really meant to bring my ex-boyfriend into the speech and feared that by doing so I'd ended up ranting mindlessly at my (hopefully) future employers.

'One question, if you don't mind,' Minerva asked after a couple of minutes of studying me. I nodded my assent so she asked, 'Are you coming here merely to escape your-' she coughed '-perverted ex-boyfriend?'

I laughed lightly before answering. 'In a way. I never really wanted to be a designer – internal or external – though I do love playing with colour schemes and such. It wasn't exactly fulfilling, but it more than covered my living cost, which is why initially I wasn't going to try it out. But awkward break-ups often leave the need to move far away for awhile. So I thought that trying out a completely new career track in a completely new place might be just the thing. To help me in consideration to my career and my emotions, you understand.'

Minerva seemed pleased with my reply. 'Very well. Severus and myself will teach you the curriculum for each of the years and the basics of handling a classroom of students in the two weeks before the start of term. For the rest of today, however, feel free to make yourself better acquainted with your quarters and the rest of the school and its grounds.'

I beamed at them, shook Minerva's hand and left the way I had come in. Professor Prince, that's what they'd have to call me. I practically choked on my laughter, before retaining a straight face as a ghost appeared before me.

'Miss Danielle Prince, I presume?' he inquired.

'Yes, sir. And you are?'

'Sir Nicolas de Mimsy-Porpington – but just Nick or Sir Nick to you. I'm the Gryffindor house ghost.'

'Pleased to meet you, Sir Nick. You couldn't possibly show me to the Charms Professor's quarters, could you?'

'Ah, certainly,' he floated for a moment, frowning, before leading me through the multitude of corridors. 'You must excuse me,' he apologised, 'Charms was never really my strong point in life, so I tend to avoid it somewhat, even in death.'

'No problem,' I replied cheerfully and he was soon explaining particulars to me about the castle – disappearing doors and suchlike. I listened with fascination. Hogwarts was very famous, but a fairly small school when it came to the population of students. Nevertheless, it certainly seemed to have its secrets. When we arrived at the Charms classrooms Nick led me down a concealed back passage to a portrait of a rather grumpy looking Santa Claus look-a-like. I smiled politely and introduced myself.

'Yeah, yeah, whatever,' he snarled. 'What password do you want?'

I paused a moment, slightly thrown by the question, and clearly irritating the man in the picture. 'Um, 24th November 1991.'

'Do you want the 'um' in there or not?' he groused.

I rolled my eyes at him as he swung forward, muttering to himself about incompetent fools and random dates. I didn't bother informing him that the date I'd stated was the death day of my favourite musician. Muggle or not, Freddie Mercury was a legend. Alright, so maybe it was a bit morbid to use his death day, but it was the first thing that sprang to mind.

'Don't mind him,' Sir Nick said, making me jump in surprise – I had forgotten he was still there. 'It takes a long time for Habberdash to warm to anyone.'

'Oh, OK. Thanks for the directions; I guess I'll see you later?'

I couldn't help but notice the ghost's rather disappointed look as he left. I chewed the inside of my cheek for a moment before turning to my surroundings.

As a professional home designer I had experience with all sorts of different styles, but it was rare to come across such a beautifully furnished room. Opposite the entrance there was a large fireplace which was framed by two huge bookshelves. One was half-full of Charms books, but the other stood empty and I couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for it. On the floor was a magnificent deep blue rug and above the mantelpiece – which was sordidly bare – was a large picture showing the beautiful British countryside. The only other furnishings were a large, plush sofa and a huge armchair that I knew I would spend many a night relaxing in. There was also a small cabinet next to the portrait hole that, when I opened it, was full of various liquors and eight different glasses, of varying shapes and sizes. I grinned and shut it, before venturing to open one of the two doors leading out.

I opened it and was presented with a bedroom containing a wardrobe, four-poster bed and bedside table. Through another open door I could see a small bathroom. I drew my miniaturised bags out of my pocket and chucked them onto the bed, enlarging them to their usual size as I did. I giggled slightly at the creak the bed made as they landed with a bounce. One huge bag for clothing, one huge bag for books and then one smaller bag for other necessities – I wasn't someone who travelled light. I left the room, back into the lounge area and crossed into the room opposite.

The door swung open to reveal a study/kitchenette/dining room. Against one wall there were several worktops, including a sink, a cooker and, to my relief, a mini fridge. Beer just didn't taste right warm and I didn't want to have to go to Hogsmeade every time I wanted a decent bottle. Against the other wall there was a handsome desk which was already supplied with quills, parchment and ink. And then there was the space in the middle. The room was fairly large so the table (which was clearly only ever meant for no more than two, possibly three) stood to one side, but mostly there was empty space. Fantastic! The one thing my cottage had lacked. Practise space.

There was another door leading out of this room and, when I opened it, I saw it led to the classroom I would obviously be taking most of my classes in. However, I looked at the classroom in distaste. Whilst my new private rooms had been meticulously decorated the classroom had not. I drew out my wand and made my changes to the room through narrowed eyes. There, much better. I sniggered slightly at what I imagined the Headmistress and my forbidding second cousin-in-law several times removed would have to say about it. Probably nothing constructive. Smirk firmly attached to my face I went to spread my things about my new rooms and to fully claim them as my own.

Several hours later, once I had finished unpacking and was curled comfortably in that tempting armchair with a good book and a good beer, I was rudely interrupted by a shout of indignation coming from my new classroom. Sighing, I stood and made my way into the room.

'Miss Prince –'

'Danni,' I said to no effect to the storming Potions master, who continued right on with his tirade.

'What in Merlin's name have you done to this classroom? Whilst it is acceptable to redesign your own quarters, I doubt if the Headmistress would be pleased with your 'adaptations' to a perfectly acceptable classroom!'

I groaned and rolled my eyes. 'Oh, puh-lease, Severus – may I call you Severus? – that 'perfectly acceptable' classroom you describe was an eyesore that I doubt a bat could bear.'

'No, you may not call me Severus, and, for your information, bats are blind,' he replied through gritted teeth.

'Point,' I replied coolly, returning his gaze. 'Now was there anything you wanted, Severus?'

'Dinner is in two hours in the Great Hall. Minerva asked me to tell you and to give you this.' He handed me a stiff white envelope and stalked out of the room, his robes swirling storm-like around him. I grinned at his back and realised with childish glee that winding him up would soon become my favourite pastime.

I returned to my armchair and flicked through the envelope's contents and soon disregarded it. It addressed three different points; rules for both teachers and students; payment and my timetable for the upcoming year and; finally, a request that I inform Minerva immediately as to which books I wished my students to bring. I ignored the majority of it, only to glance briefly at who I would be teaching, before standing to look at the huge bookshelves before me. I had quickly put all my books into the cases and my fingers ran across their covers as I picked out the books I wished my students to bring.

Two hours of careful decision came and went, and I left my rooms in eager anticipation of the food that was to come. A high metabolism meant a large appetite and I had only eaten a meagre amount at lunch. I found that although the castle was very large and confusing at first glance, it had a very similar layout to one of the castle ruins my brothers and I had used as a playground when we were younger, so I soon found my way to the Great Hall.

'Danielle,' (Oh, how I hated it when people called me that!) 'I believe you made some adaptations to your classroom?' Minerva addressed me reprovingly, but from the twinkle in her eyes I gathered she did not mind too much.

'Yes, ma'am. I hope they can also be referred to as improvements, despite our colleague's blatant distaste,' I replied smoothly, indicating a positively seething Severus.

'I shall give the classroom a quick look-over sometime tomorrow, then,' the elderly lady said. 'But first, introductions. Danni, I would like you to meet the rest of the staff.' Minerva reeled off a list of names that I knew I'd never be able to remember, and I told her as much when she was done. She chuckled and addressed the rest of the staff. 'Ladies, gentlemen, I am pleased to introduce to you the newest addition to our staff, Danielle Prince. I'm sure you all remember your own first days and hope you will help her where possible. Danni?' She looked at me expectantly.

My eyes widened in shock. She wanted me to make a speech? Oh great, thank you so much for the warning. I sent a glare at a smug looking Severus, but soon smiled and addressed my new colleagues. First impressions mean everything.

'Right, well, first I guess I should tell you all that I will not be held responsible for whatever happens to anyone who actually calls me 'Danielle'. It's just plain 'Danni'.' That got a bit of a chuckle which made me feel a little better – maybe. 'I'm completely new to this teaching lark, so any advice would be appreciated. And of course, there's the added bonus of not having been a student here, so I'm going to get as lost as the first years, I'm afraid. As I just told Minerva, I'm rubbish with names so if any of you hear me calling 'oi, you', please don't be offended –'

'Hear, hear!' a fairly large, handsome-ish wizard a couple of years younger than me called, making some of the other teachers grin.

Gulping down my nervousness I raised my glass, 'Well, here's to a new school year.' A collective groan rose up from the teachers, but they clinked their glasses enthusiastically together anyway. I found myself settling easily into this community and conversation soon flowed easily.

And if the constant, unrelenting gaze of the dark Potions Master made me a little uneasy I tried my best not to show it.

Written: Unkown
Chances of continuation: nil

Feel free to use this piece of writing for whatever the hell you want, so long as you credit me (either this account or my main one - Calistabelle) and let me know what you do with it.

Much love,
Cal