Walking into the Great Hall on September First has always made Nissa Teller catch her breath every time. Being sorted into Slytherin as first year was somewhat difficult, especially her first night in the Dungeons. Her best friend, Teddy Lupin and his grandmother, Andromeda were always a quick walk away for whatever craziness and chaos happened at home. Too many nights, Nissa could remember being tucked into Teddy's top bunk by Andromeda, while in the neighboring town house you could hear screaming, glass shattering and the occasional death threats; too many times the muggle police had to be called to take her parents away for a few days. Sometimes even the Aurors were called thanks to Andromeda when the darker spells were used, unfortunately this was the case with many of the families that were married during the darker times of the War, due to them wanting to hold onto their love because they never knew when something terrible would happen. Nissa lived more at Teddy and Andromeda's home more than her own, she even had a toothbrush and many different outfits in Teddy's dresser than in her closet at her parents house. The Dungeons became her Home away from the Tonks-Lupin Residence. She couldn't imagine leaving them…
Keeping her eyes on Teddy at the Hufflepuff table as Professor McGonagall made the yearly announcements of Welcoming the First Years and Welcoming back the students from previous years along with new Professor introductions and new rules that "shouldn't" be broken, at this remark Teddy gave her a elusive smirk and conspiratorial wink; he obviously has a prank or three planned for this year. Finishing her last year of education, will not be a quiet year at all. It was the announcement of the fourth thru seventh years participating in a House-Unity Exchange Program that caught their attention. Names were drawn from the Sorting Hat while they were on the train to Hogwarts, how was Nissa supposed to get used to a different house when it took her so long to get used to the Dungeons.
After the First thru Third Years were taken to their Common Rooms and the Prefects were back in the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall started going over the rules and calling the names of the students who were switching to different Houses.
"Seventh-Year, Nissa Teller; Slytherin to Hufflepuff"
"Fourth-Year, Edward Lupin; Hufflepuff to Gryffindor"
Nissa looked at Teddy and he stared back at her in shock, which she was sure was present on her face. Tears started running down her face of their own accord as Teddy swept across the Great Hall, pulling her in a bone-crushing hug and whispering words of encouragement into her ear as Nissa tried to calm down her breathing from being on the verge on an anxiety attack.
"You still have the journals Uncle Harry and Grandma Meda gave us when you started Hogwarts, right?" Teddy asked her in the calmest voice Nissa knew he only used for babies like Lily Luna and when situations like this occured for Nissa.
"Of course I still have the journal, if I didn't have it I wouldn't have been able to stay at Hogwarts until you got here" Nissa replied after some deep breathing exersices Andromeda taught her when she started showing Anxiety at the tender age of 6.
"We will get through this together, just like we always do Nis." Teddy replied after seeing all the other exchange students' robes turning to a mixture of colors from their original house and their new house.
Teddy stood up and talked with his new Gryffindor Prefect about showing Nissa the way to the Hufflepuff Kitchen Common Room and promising to be at the portait guarding the Gryffindor Tower Common Room in half an hour.
As they made their way throught the corridors of the Castle, Nissa glanced at Teddy every know and then while he was explaining some of the more common Hufflepuff procedures that should would have to endure until Graduation. Nissa couldn't help but think of the way his hair changed from Tourquoise to Magnenta to Lime Green to Sunshine Yellow and back again while he was getting passionate about how things were done in his house, and the way that his Amber eyes sparkled and shined because he always seemed to have a trick up his sleeve. She could remember the first time she met his Uncle Harry when she was four years old and Teddy introduced her as "my Issa". She couldnt believe that this 120-pound, five foot-six fourteen year old was her best friend, little brother, protector and encourager when she was at her lowest.
As Teddy moved the Barrel to gain enterance to the Hufflepuff Common Room. He gave her another bone-crushing hug and gentle kiss on her cheek. Nissa couldn't help but think "maybe this Student Exchange Program won't be so bad after all…"