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AN: Prompt was AU Settings. So I put Elejah in Salem Institute. Enjoy.

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* History Professors *

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Elena is putting books on the shelves of her new classroom, her back to the door. She could of course use her wand to move them, but she wants to savor the moment

"My classroom." She feels a smile stretch across her face and doesn't even attempt to contain it. "Mine. I'm a teacher. Professor Elena Gilbert. Here to teach history of the mundane world to the bright witches and wizards of the Salem Institute. And to give out detentions. And to teach."

"Yes, I do believe that is why you were hired Miss Gilbert."

"Professor Mikaelson." Elena almost drops the book in her hands as she hastily turns around, a blush already growing on her cheeks. "I… I mean Mr. Mikaelson. I didn't hear you come in."

His eyes are alight with amusement, making his already very unfailingly attractive face even more so. She hasn't seen him in three years. Not since her graduation, but by her suddenly sweating palms and rushing heartbeat she concludes that her old crush on her ex professor is still alive and well.

And she'd been so sure that she'd moved past her secret infatuation. Damn… she owes Caroline a galleon, her friend is going to be so smug about being right.

"I apologize if I startled you Miss Gilbert but-"

"Elena."

"I'm sorry?"

"My name is Elena, and if we're going to be colleagues now you might as well start calling me by my name."

"Very well… Elena." Her name rolls over his tongue slowly and she feels something in her stomach melting. Screw the crush, this is starting to look a whole lot worse than that. "I thought we should go over our class list sometime this week and choose the best day for our combined class."

Elijah Mikaelson, professor for Magical History. She's suddenly not sure if she had thought this thing out as well as she maybe should have. Her eyes narrow on a point somewhere over the observing wizard's shoulder. Or maybe her friend's gleeful insistence to take the position once it was offered to her, while Elena had wavered on whether or not she could do it, makes a lot more sense now. Caroline did seem awfully set on this being the right choice. 'That conniving, manipulative, matchmaking little…'

"Elena?"

His voice startles her off from that trail of thought, but she mentally notes that she and a blonde witch would be having some words.

"Oh… yes, sure. Should we do that now or…"

"No. We can put it off till tomorrow. It's almost lunch now and I'm about to head for a meal. Do you wish to finish moving into your classroom, or would you like to join me?"

Her startled eyes connect with his and hold. Right up until this point Elena had thought her high attraction to him was completely one sided. Not once in all the time he had taught her and cultivated her love for history had he ever been anything but professional. And yet right now Elena could swear that he was showing interest.

Okay… so maybe there's a hug and flowers on top of that galleon instead of an argument in Caroline's future.