Updated 6/4/15

Hogwarts' Muggle

As she strode away from Severus, Brie couldn't help muttering under her breath. "I will never understand that man," she snorted, mostly to herself. She just couldn't pin Severus down. One minute he was passive and shy, the next he could be the snarkiest person she knew.

A few students give her funny looks as she passes by them, muttering darkly. She smiles and waves at them, and they smile and wave back. Even though she still sometimes feels out of place, she likes it here and is amazed by something new and magical everyday.

She still can't believe her luck at being able to be a professor at Hogwarts. Even if she isn't a professor of magic and her classes were completely elective, there were still tons of students who wanted to learn from her. Albus had made it very clear when she started that she had full carte-blanc over her class content.

"Teach them about Muggles, what Muggles learn," he had told her.

'What Muggles learn!' she had thought to herself, highly amused. 'Where do I start?'

Eventually she had figured it out and after the first few rocky weeks classes seemed to go well. She tended to come into class with a loose idea of what she wanted to get across and let things go from there. The students were always full of questions, no matter what subject they happened to be studying, and everything always just seemed to get covered. They might spend a few weeks on one subject and only a few days on another but the kids always left class richer in knowledge and with a better understanding of Muggles and Muggle culture.

Brie assumed that it must have been what Albus had wanted because he seemed very pleased by her students progress. She still couldn't help being glad that the regular Muggle Studies class was still offered and that her own class had no OWL or NEWT exams in the fifth and seventh years. She gave regular tests to her students to make sure they were all on track and absorbing information, and that was good enough for all concerned.

After her first few weeks, Brie thought she could understand why Albus had wanted the students to have a better understanding of Muggles. Even the official Muggle Studies professor had her information a little off the mark. A little wizardy, you might say. Brie also disliked how the official class studied Muggles like they were some interesting exhibit in a zoo.

Whatever his logic, Brie had learned that Albus never did anything for no reason or half assed, so she was always sure to use her whole ass when teaching his 'pet class' as some of the professors called it.

When she had first started, the students... were students. They weren't sure of her, but they had elected to be there and were excited to learn, so all was well at the start of her new venture. Most of the professors had been nice to her when she started, though some didn't like the idea of any Muggle at the school.

Severus had seemed to be one of those who disliked the idea of a Muggle professor, so for almost her entire first year, he and Brie had barely voluntarily spoken. The few times they did converse were short and to the point, almost terse. She'd sensed an animosity from Severus and had tried to keep to herself where he was concerned. It hadn't been hard to pick up on, with all the glares he'd sent her way.

oOoOoOo

Albus had watched the two vastly different professors contact from a distance and after awhile he decided that it was time to take matters into his own hands. Severus, understandably, had a very bad impression of Muggles, but it was time for him to realize that not all Muggles were horrible. He thought that Ms. Waters could teach the snarky Slytherin that, in fact, some Muggles were quite amazing.

Brie was always keen to learn about magic and the wizarding world, especially when she had first arrived, and Albus never failed to entertain her with stories about great wizards and magical creatures, and different kinds of spells or potions, and what they did. He had increasingly started to turn their talks to potions, at least once a conversation leaning out over the table to call for Severus's opinion

"Since he is Hogwarts' Potions Master," he would say with a twinkle in his eye.

Although he never looked happy about it, Severus would always give his opinion and sourly answer any questions Brie asked. Whenever Severus would try to catch Albus' eye during these short conversations, Albus made sure not to be looking his way.

Albus would chuckle to himself as he watched from the corner of his eye. He had what he liked to think of as his 'ace in the hole' or his closer, if you will, in the formation of a new friendship that he felt would do his Potions Master some good. Severus kept to himself too much, if you asked Albus. Having someone around on staff who didn't remember Severus' schoolboy days would be good for him.

Of course, he was going to need a little push, Severus being Severus. Albus was perfectly willing to give him that little push, or a big kick, whatever was needed. He had obviously researched Ms. Waters before contacting her about teaching at Hogwarts and he had found out some very interesting things about her.

So Albus had waited and watched as the contact between Brie and Severus became slightly less stiff over the course of her first year as professor. There were occasional mornings when they even greeted each other before sitting down. Brie always initiated the greetings, but Severus always responded. Albus considered this a good sign.

One Saturday morning, toward the end of the school year, he had leaned out over the table to talk to Severus.

"Severus, I don't believe I have mentioned this before. Are you aware that Professor Waters has an interest in reptiles? Don't you have a similar interest?"

He knew his eyes had twinkled as he said this, knowing full well that Severus did have some interest in the subject. Most Potions Masters did and this particular Potions Master was a Slytherin besides!

oOoOoOo

Both Severus and Brie had frozen, mid motion and stared at Albus in surprise, Severus reaching for his glass and Brie with a forkful of eggs halfway to her mouth. Severus had shot Albus a pithy look which Brie missed and Albus ignored and said, "It's more an interest in the skin, scales, fangs, and venom, Albus," hoping that it would end the conversation.

He felt a bit bad about saying it, because he did enjoy reptiles, snakes in particular, but he wasn't going to let Albus play his little games with the poor unsuspecting Muggle, and himself. He was well aware that Albus thought he could use a fresh perspective on Muggles and Muggle culture.

'An interest in reptiles,' he'd thought to himself, 'she probably has a pet snake or something like that.'

oOoOoOo

Brie was slightly shocked that Albus had basically announced her Muggle career. So far the other professors seemed to assume that she had previously been a professor somewhere else. In her classroom, if she wanted to use her real life experience as an example, Brie had been telling stories as if they had happened to a friend or someone else she knew. Only a few of the Muggle born students had recognized her from TV and Brie had quietly asked them to keep the information to themselves until people stopped looking at her like a sideshow act simply because she was a Muggle.

When she'd heard Severus' response to Albus, Brie had turned to him and said, "What a coincidence, I also have a special interest in venom. Different from your interests, I'm sure," then turned away and had finally gotten the forkful of egg into her mouth. Waiting as she chewed, she hadn't been surprised when Severus had been able to help himself and had asked what she meant.

"I assume your interest in snake venom is strictly its use in potions?" she'd asked. Severus had answered in the affirmative. "My interest is more in anti-venom. I extract venom from venomous snakes and it is used it to make anti-venom. I travel the world collecting and releasing various species for my facility and I make educational films while I'm at it."

She was used to telling people what she did for a living, and she always did it quickly and very matter of fact. Then she would wait for the questions. They always came after the first initial shocked expression. The most common ones were, "You're kidding right?" and "Have you ever been bitten?" The answers were no and no, and Severus had followed the script so perfectly that she couldn't help but smile.

Of course, he had used the phrase, "Surely you aren't serious," and she had answered, "Why would I lie? And the name is Gabrielle, not Shirley," and he had rolled his eyes, but it had been close enough. When he asked her why she was smiling and she told him, he had smiled. A rare smile, albeit a small one.

The difference even such a small smile made was impressive. He had no longer looked sullen and withdrawn, his lips curved and his eyes crinkled a bit and he'd looked almost happy for a moment. She had raised an eyebrow and the smile was suddenly gone. His sullen professor manner had come down like a shutter as he had hurriedly stood, making some excuse about checking a potion before sweeping out of the Great Hall with his robes billowing out behind him.

"Don't mind Severus," Albus had said to her "We don't let him out of the dungeon often. He really is a decent fellow once you get to know him." With a smile, he had risen from his seat to make an announcement, leaving Brie to wonder if he was right.

Brie shook herself out of her reverie when she heard Albus saying something about falling out of a tree. "Excuse me Albus?" she asked, already having a vague idea of what he was asking her.

"I said, I heard the Weasley twins telling the most animated story involving you, a tree, and gravity. I can't believe it to be true." He looked at her expectantly. He loved to hear stories of her 'Muggle adventures', as he and most of the rest of the school called them.

"Knowing the Weasley twins, I'm sure the facts have been... expanded on," she began with a smile and proceeded to tell him the rest of the story as she had told Severus, and yesterdays morning class. As she did, she made a mental note not to tell the Weasely twins anything she wouldn't want bellowed across the Great Hall.

As she was telling Albus the story, she noticed Severus pause at the door of the Great Hall for a moment, then walk away. She sighed inwardly, wondering what his problem was. They had become fairly good friends over the course of this year, her third as a Professor at Hogwarts. She just couldn't understand why he couldn't see that, fundamentally, Muggles weren't very much different than witches and wizards.

Quickly finishing up her story, she excused herself saying that she had some essays to mark. As she left and headed toward her rooms she realized that she really did have essays to mark, so she changed course and headed to her classroom instead. 'Better to get it done now,' she thought to herself, 'anyway, it will keep me from brooding.'

Not having as many students as the other professors, it never took her very long to mark papers. After she was done, she looked around the classroom for something else to keep her hands and mind busy. Unable to find anything, she decided to go back to her rooms and read for awhile.

Some time later she tossed aside her book having finished it with surprising speed. 'Shoot' she thought to herself annoyed at having finished so quickly because she didn't have any other new books. 'Now what am I going to do?'

She figured she might as well change and go for a run. Running always cleared her mind and there was still some daylight left.

As she walked through the entrance hall she wondered again why Severus would seek her out for company if he really disliked Muggles so much. Shaking her head and trying not to think about it anymore, she jogged down to the path around the lake where she liked to run. Trying not to think about something seemed to be the way to ensure that you endlessly did.