By: PepperjackCandy
Rating: PG13 - I hesitate to make it anything less because some of Snape's memories might be a little grimmer than I'd feel comfortable making a PG rating
Disclaimer: You recognize it? It's J.K. Rowling's. Alex Farrell, however, is mine.
A/N: I'm sure that Alan Rickman will be excellent as Snape, but in my heart, Snape will always be Paul Darrow.
And, as I'm a perennial (Blake's 7) Avon/Cally 'shipper, Alex is probably played by Jan Chappell
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The students had left for the year, and as they always did at the end of the year, Snape went to visit Dumbledore to discuss the previous year. And to make his annual pitch for the Defense Against the Dark Arts job.
"Eventful year." Snape said by way of an opening.
"They always are." Dumbledore leaned back in his chair.
"I wasn't expecting Ravenclaw to take the House Cup this year."
"No-one was. But with two of their most colorful characters out of commission for half the year, Slytherin and Gryffindor really didn't have a chance." Dumbledore grinned. "Especially since *some* teachers insisted on taking points from both houses' seventh-year classes every meeting."
"Not every meeting," Snape said defensively. "Just most of them." He admitted wryly.
"Tell me. Did you see it coming? Harry and Draco falling in love?"
Snape gave a half-smile. "Not as such, no. But I've always thought there was more to their relationship than met the eye. Particularly on Malfoy's side of the conflict. He just spent far too much effort trying to get Potter's attention for me to believe that they were indifferent towards one another."
"Have they set a wedding date?"
Snape nodded. "Next June. At the end of the Quidditch season."
"So they have decided to play Quidditch professionally, then?
Snape nodded. "They're currently in negotiations with the Chudley Cannons."
"Good." Dumbledore nodded. "The Cannons have needed a championship for the past few years."
There was a long silence then. Well, I guess it's now or never. Snape thought.
"So, I was thinking," Snape began nonchalantly, "what about that Defense Against the Dark Arts job?"
He wasn't in the least surprised when Dumbledore sighed sadly and shook his head. "Severus, you know that I cannot give you that position."
As if this were the first time he'd ever been refused the job, tears stung Snape's eyes. "Why, Albus? It cannot possibly be for the same reason you've always given me - that I'd be too focused on Voldemort and would leave them unable to defend themselves against other threats. I'm certain that I'd be able to give a more balanced curriculum now that Voldemort's dead!"
To his surprise, he saw that Dumbledore was barely hanging onto his composure. "My reasons are purely selfish. I am beginning to believe that there is something to the notion that the Defense Against the Dark Arts job is cursed. And to give the position to you would mean that I'd lose my best friend."
Snape's breath came out in a whoosh, as if Dumbledore had actually hit him in the stomach. "I'm your best friend?" He asked, amazed.
"Who else?"
"I always figured Minerva, or possibly even Poppy. . . ."
Dumbledore shook his head. "No. They're very good friends, true, but I cannot be myself around them like I can around you."
"Really?"
"Really."
Snape was silent while he digested this new information. He knew that he'd always thought of Dumbledore as his best friend, but he'd never dreamed that the Headmaster thought the same about him.
"So," Snape said, trying to restart their conversation, "do you have any candidates for the Dark Arts job?"
Dumbledore nodded. "A couple of applications have come across my desk. There's one in particular I'm leaning towards, a muggle-born former police officer."
"Police officer? Things aren't as bad as all that around here, I hope." Snape grinned.
"No. They're not. But the way I look at it, if I'm doomed to have a different Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year, I might as well make the most of it. And Alexandra Farrell's past history as a Muggle police officer gives her a very distinctive point of view."
"It sounds to me like you've already made your decision."
One month later, Dumbledore sent Snape into Hogsmeade to pick Alexandra up and bring her to the school. "I'd go myself . . ." Dumbledore sighed as three more owls joined the two that were already on his desk.
"I'll handle it." Snape replied. "I didn't have anything else to do this afternoon anyway."
This wasn't strictly true. Snape had found a book with some new potions he was desperate to try out, but Dumbledore did look like he was in a bind, and a part of Snape wanted to see this new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher up close.
As he opened the door to step out, another owl landed on Dumbledore's desk, and as he began the descent from Dumbledore's office, Dumbledore yelled in the background, "Minerva!!!"
He took one of Hagrid's horseless carriages into Hogsmeade and stopped it outside the Three Broomsticks. He sat outside for a few minutes, wondering how he was going to recognize her. Was he supposed to stand on a chair and yell for her?
As he walked in, Rosemerta greeted him at the door. "Don't see much of you around here."
"I'm not here to socialize, I'm just here to pick up the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher." Snape said gruffly, grasping the side seam of his robe and fiddling with it nervously.
"You are Albus Dumbledore?" A woman's voice came from the dimly-lit recesses of the pub.
"I'm not." He turned to look at her. She was about his age, mid-30s or thereabouts, tall, thin, with hair that hung in ringlets that, if she brushed them out, would leave her with frizzy hair much like Hermione Granger's - or was her name Weasley by now? "Severus Snape. Potions Master." He gave her a half-smile and extended his right hand.
She took his hand, shaking it firmly. "Alex Farrell. I was expecting Headmaster Dumbledore to meet me here."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you. But Albus was unavoidably detained. There's quite a lot of administrative work involved in his position. You'd better get your things. You need any help?"
She shook her head. "I only have the one trunk. I can it by myself."
He showed her where the carriage was parked outside and told her that he'd wait there for her. She disappeared into the pub, where she had put her trunk for safekeeping.
I suppose I should have been more insistent that I help her with her trunk. It would be the polite thing to do, he thought as he stood by the carriage, but when Alex returned moments later guiding her trunk easily with one hand, he decided that she really *could* handle one trunk by herself.
Smiling at him, she guided the trunk into the carriage, then climbed up into the passenger's side of the carriage. Snape climbed up into the driver's side and they headed off towards Hogwarts.
They rode nearly the entire way back to Hogwarts in silence. However, when they made the last turn before entering the grounds, she leaned forward, her eyes wide. "Is that it? Hogwarts?"
Snape smiled at her. "Yes, it is. Pretty impressive?"
"Very."
Snape saw the castle as if for the first time as it sprawled across the countryside, pennons waving from its turrets.
"Somehow the castle seems larger than it did when I first saw it, over 20 years ago."
He had spoken to himself, so he startled a little when Alex responded. "Surely that's just your memory playing tricks on you."
He smiled at the castle proprietarily, feeling a bit like he thought that Dumbledore must. "Perhaps. But perhaps not. All sorts of unexplained and unexpected things happen at Hogwarts." Suddenly feeling like a child again, he widened his eyes dramatically, "It wouldn't surprise me at all if someone, be it ghost, house-elf, or something else, has continued working on the building all these years."
"You're joking, right?" Alex asked.
Snape didn't answer her. With a wicked half-grin, he merely directed the carriage through the gates and onto Hogwarts' property.
After leaving the carriage, Snape led the awed Alex into Hogwarts.
Her only response as they crossed the threshold of the main entrance was, "I never imagined. . . . I mean, we went to castles on school field trips and things, but I never imagined . . ., " her eyes wide.
Snape led Alex directly to the gargoyle at the base of Dumbledore's stairs. "Square candies that look round." He spoke, and the gargoyle promptly leaped aside.
He indicated for Alex to go first, and then stepped onto the moving staircase that led to Dumbledore's office door.
Once they were on Dumbledore's doorstep, Snape knocked smartly.
"Come on in, Severus." Dumbledore called out.
Snape opened the door, and Dumbledore rose to his feet. "Ah. You must be Miss Farrell. Professor Farrell, now." He smiled at Alex.
Snape turned to leave.
"Severus," Dumbledore called out.
Snape halted in his path to the door and turned to face Dumbledore. "Yes?"
"Will you be available later to give Professor Farrell a tour of the building and grounds?"
Snape sighed. "I had planned to use today to start coming up with new ways to torment the Gryffindors next year."
Dumbledore, who could tell that Snape was joking, pursed his lips in silent disapproval as an owl landed on his desk. "I really could use your help."
Snape sighed. "All right. But I'm starting to believe that those owls really aren't giving you any kind of urgent information. I think you're using them to make me co-operate with you."
"Would I do that?" Before Snape could respond, Dumbledore said, "After Professor Farrell and I are done here, I'll bring her down to the dungeons."
Snape nodded and left the room.
Alex looked startled. "Dungeons?"
Dumbledore gave her a benevolent smile. "That's where Severus has his office and apartments."
"Oh. And what's a 'Gryffindor'?"
Dumbledore's smile widened. "It's one of the four houses here at Hogwarts."
When Alex's expression became even more confused, he elaborated. "Hogwarts was founded by four wizards." He took out a sheet of the letterhead and pointed as he spoke. "These are their sigils. They were, clockwise from the top left, Godric Gryffindor, Salazar Slytherin, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff.
"Each of these four founders had different visions for the school, and in their memories, the school has always been divided into four houses along those lines. It breaks down roughly into Gryffindor stands for courage, Ravenclaw for knowledge, Hufflepuff for loyalty, and Slytherin . . . . Well, 'ambition' sounds so harsh. . . ."
"And which was Severus Snape?"
"Severus was in Slytherin. In fact, he's the Head of Slytherin House. That accounts for his comment about tormenting the Gryffindors. Gryffindor and Slytherin have always been rivals. Ever since the days of Godric and Salazar."
"An ambitious Potions Master." Alex said consideringly.
"Well, let's talk for a moment about your position here on the staff of Hogwarts." Dumbledore changed the subject. "You will meet the rest of the staff tonight at dinner."
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A/N II: Alexandra is the feminine form of Alexander, which means "protector." Farrell, from one of the sources I looked at, is Celtic for "courageous." Guess what kinds of traits she's gonna have?
And just in case you're wondering, this is the Mary-Sue-est part of Alex. She's based on the kind of women I idolized as a child. You know, Emma Peel, Charlie's Angels, Wonder Woman. . . .