Disclaimer: I do not own or in any way take credit for the wonderful world
of Harry Potter. J.K. Rowling is much more creative than I ^_^. So before
you decide to have a heart attack about the names I use in this and suing
me for all I'm worth, I'll remember that I wrote a disclaimer to save my
ass, dammit.
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That morning Aislynn's loud alarm clock, which looked very similar to a huge mouth, woke her with it's incesent screaming. Her eyes flew open and her hand immediately slammed it shut with a groan. Slowly... pain-stakingly she rose from the fluffy bed, rubbing her eyes lightly to focus better.
"I'm really not cut out for this morning bit," she muttered to herself as she streched like a cat. With a glance out her window she could determine that the sun still hadn't risen. A fine blanket of mist still covered the school grounds. She hadn't set up a lesson yet, but she had a good idea of what she wanted to teach the students. From the corner of her room, she heard a soft clacking of a beak and turned to find that a pretty barn owl had fallen asleep on her chair, perched on the wooden arm. She smiled a little and walked over quietly, waving an owl pellet to coax it awake.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well? What have you got for me?" She fed him the pellet and took the small parchment scroll and read over it swiftly. It was her schedule that was supposed to have arrived earlier than that day, but.. unfortunately, the poor feathered creature had grown weary of waiting. She thanked him and let him stick around with some water and more pellets before he went up to the owlery. With a rude, loud yawn, Aislynn got dressed and pulled her hair into a loose bun then made her way down to her classroom to write the lesson on the chalkboard.
Professor Ais.
Welcome to Miscellaneous/Ettiquette Lessons, where you'll be learning off-the-wall information but perhaps it will be of use later.
"I'm in big trouble if all of my lessons start off with what sounds like apologies," she shook her head and put the peice of chalk down.
"Do you always talk to yourself, Professor Ais?" A familiar voice spoke clearly and with some bemusement in his voice.
"Remus? What are you doing here," she asked and stopped herself with a laugh and approached him to give a quick embrace. "I'm sorry. I mean, it's good to see you. Do you want a cup of tea?"
He lifted his hands but didn't embrace her back, he cleared his throat as she stepped back. "Er, no, thank you. As a matter of fact, I came to wish you good luck on your first lesson. I hope you don't mind, but I'll be by for one of your classes. It's the time when I have preperation."
"Not at all," she smiled brightly. "I think I'll enjoy your company, it's nice to have a friend around... Those robes look great on you, by the way! They turned out to be just your color too." She put a hand on her hip and took a good look at him. He didn't look quite so hungry either...
"Yes. Thank you again. I don't know how to repay you for your generosity and kindness. About all I've done is kept your home in good shape," he turned his eyes to the ground and placed his hands behind his back.
"Remus... anything for a dear friend. I don't want any sort of payment from you." She touched his arm and grabbed his attention by leaning down and locking eyes with him then stood up straight again. "All I need is you." She smiled and kissed his cheek softly.
He turned red in the cheeks, and for a moment he had his young boyish looks back. He cleared his throat again, trying to contain a huge grin, "I really should get back to my classroom. I'll see you for breakfast." He turned on his heel, eyes still toward the floor and left her room in a hurry. She watched as the hem of his robes whipped out of sight and stood dumbfounded for a moment with her head quirked to the side.
"Odd man..." She murmmered and got her desk ready for the day. After she was satisfied with the work, she headed down to the Great Hall for a hearty breakfast.
There was an atmosphere of great excitment and apprehension in the air with wiff of a mixture of french toast and syrup. Many students had all ready made their way to their benches and were eating merrily and striking up conversations with their friends animatedly. She too found her seat and helped herself to a few links of small sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs and a nice cold glass of orange juice. Snape was half way through his breakfast when she finally sat down. She could tell that he had maybe just lost his appetite because he had suddenly stopped eating.
"Not a morning person, are we, Stellar?" He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Just as much as you are a ray of sunshine bottled up, Snape," she grinned at him and took a sip of her orange juice. "Don't look at me as though I've just insulted your family honor. You started it. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop making snide remarks every time I see you because to be honest with you, it gets tiring keeping my guard up around you. So lighten up, once and a while." Aislynn spoke simply and softly.
He tossed his napkin to his plate and stood up nonchalantly then walked out of the Great Hall. She shook her head slightly. Lupin tapped her shoulder and smiled at her while walking by to take his seat. She smiled back and glanced down to waved down to a very tired Ron. A little while passed and the Great Hall became more and more empty when Aislynn had decided to get up and take her seat at her desk. The first bell had rung and her classroom was filled with some Gryffindors and Slytherins. She was very pleased to see that Harry and his four friends had made it to the class. They waited, sitting at attention with quills and parchment ready as she stood up.
"Well, good morning everyone and welcome to my classroom. I suppose I should introduce myself, I'm Aislynn Stellar but you can call me Professor Ais. This year I'll be teaching a few lessons about different cultures and their ways of magic and some Ettiquette. I might stray off from time to time so I promise that I won't give out too much homework." She smiled genuinely when Hermoine gave a sigh of disappointment and she began to talk to them about the importance of N.E.W.T.s. After all had been said, she passed out the books she had found about different and interesting cultures that she would be covering with them for that year.
"Are there any questions?" She smiled and placed her hands on the desk.
A ferret-faced student with platnium hair raised his hand.
"Yes, Mister--?"
"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," his voice was dull and droning. She stiffened at the last name but shook it off mentally and nodded so he could continue.
"What does this class have to do with our wizarding lives?" His voice had a slight sneer as he raised an eyebrow and his gorillia like friends snickered behind their hands.
"Well, Mister Malfoy... I should think with the money behind that sneer, you'd know all about enriching your life with knowledge of places where you might travel." She spoke clearly and watched him unblinking. "This class," she was now speaking to everyone, "is to ensure that you understand more about your world rather than just your personal bubble. If you were to become a Treasure Hunter or just travel for fun, you would know how to act properly infront of the people giving you their hospitality. In short, I'm teaching you how to have manners with understanding of why behind those manners."
"Which will we be starting on, Professor Ais?" Hermoine raised her hand and readied her quill.
"Japanese cultures. If you wish, you can read pages fourteen through twenty to get a good head start. When you come back next, we'll begin a feast and after we will talk of what different magic methods they use. I'll expect you to take notes, however. No essays for now.... That'll be the bell, you're free to leave for your next class. Thank you."
Her first students trickled out of her class, she winked at Harry and the rest before they left. She collapsed in her chair after everyone had left and exhaled noisily.
"Not bad for your first lesson. You handled Malfoy nicely as well. But if you give them too much slack then they'll walk all over your lessons in the future." Lupin grinned, clapping his hands and walked towards her desk.
"It's the first day and I had no idea that you were the new Divinations professor, O Wise Seer," she laughed and leaned back in her chair. "I'll be firmer soon... we're all stressed out so I'm trying to give a little slack for now." The clock struck the hour and she blinked, her heart stopped for a minute and she hopped up.
"AIYA! I'm late to meet the new exchange student! Sorry, Remus! I'll see you at lunch, all right?" She hugged him on her way out and rushed down to Dumbledore's Gargoyle where a pretty girl stood alone with a bag slung over her left shoulder. Aislynn panted a little and leaned against the gargoyle that became somewhat honory that he was now just a part of the wall to her.
"I am so sorry. Please forgive me for my tardiness," she laughed and stood up to shake her hand. "I'm Aislynn Stellar... Please call me Professor Ais."
"Hi. I'm Emily Smithinson." She smiled. Emily was about two inches shorter than Aislynn with long, cork-screw curly, strawberry-blond hair. Her eyes were a deep blue hue and hands were pale that were lithe and delicate. She reminded Aislynn of a procelin doll, especially with her pouty pink lips. She was careful not to speak to loudly for fear of breaking her to peices.
"I hear that you've come all the way from The U.S. just to join Hogwart's. I was actually born there. What part of America are you from?"
"Cleavland, Ohio. I actually have a few pictures of around home, it's very beautiful," Emily smiled her gorgeous smile and reached into her bag to pull out a few pictures of her house and it's surroundings. Aislynn took a look at them and smiled fondly, trying to remember what Maryland looked like around this time of the season. She handed the pictures back to their owner and placed a soft hand on her back to begin to lead her around the school.
"I won't be able to stay with you all the time, so I'll introduce you to a few very nice students in your same house. It's the same one that I was in, actually... I'm sure that you'll be most comfortable there. They'll teach you more about the ropes, like when meals are served, where your classes are and when they are, so on and so forth." She smiled and heard the bell ring for lunch then began to lead her to the Great Hall where Emily watched the ceiling, awestruck.
Luckily, Hermoine and Ron were all ready at the table. Aislynn introduced them to Emily who was very shy and fidgited with the sleeve of her black robes. Ron seemed very taken with her the moment she sat down betwixt the two.
"Will you please take Emily under your wings? She's very far from home and has most of your classes with you." She smiled and left the three to talk amongst themselves. There was a new buzz around the Great Hall about the pretty new girl that had arrived from America. Girls watched her with a slight jealous eye, and boys watched her like love-struck puppies. Aislynn took her seat next to Snape who still seemed very upset with her from her harsh words at breakfast.
"Hello, Severus. How is your first day going so far?" She smiled and rested her cheek on her hand, interested at what he'd have to say.
"Foul. Thank you for asking but not caring."
"Wow... your icy shoulder has grown into a glacier. Maybe later I could... warm you up?" She laughed and pat his arm softly. "I'll teach you how to flirt yet, Snapey-poo."
He almost had his pumpkin juice spew from his nose but had a nice save when he brought his napkin to his mouth. She smiled and grabbed a club sandwich from the silvery platter and munched happily, nudging Snape in the arm with hers every now and then. She was feeling very playful and felt like having a nice game of Quidditch but the smoldering glares from Snape prevented her from doing so. After she had eaten and caught the attention of Lupin they, after confusing and crude hand motions, decided to go for a short walk.
"So..." she strolled slowly, her hand slipped around his arm loosely. "How much longer until you change for the night? A week or so?"
"Next week on Tuesday."
"Be sure that you change into your older robes and that you go right back to my house as soon as your feeling up to it. I'll mix the potion tomorrow night for you, okay?" She smiled and looked up at him. His tired look had come back and she looked to the floor. "I'm sorry, Remus. About everything that's happened to you... I hear that.. that it wasn't painful. It's how he'd have wanted it. I remember how he was, the handsome devil. He wasn't the type to sit at home and have other people in all the action."
"I know, but... besides you, he was the closest friend I've had left. And I didn't even know you were still around up until four months ago. My sympathies go out to Harry, however. He's lost so much and he's still quite young." His baratone voice was quiet and his expression was vacant.
"Harry is a lot stronger than people think. I'm sure he's figured out that Sirius wouldn't have wanted him to mourn him in misery but remember what precious moments they had together. His friends are taking good care of him too." She slowed him to a stop and watched him carefully. "You know... Molly and yourself could take care of him. I hear that his muggle home isn't that fantastic. I've heard how he speaks of you, he looks up to you, Remus."
He blinked and looked at her thoughtfully as though he were seriously considering it.
"I don't think I could do that," he said finally. "I am, afterall, a werewolf. It would be difficult for him to run back and forth between the Burrow and my small shack. Molly has had children and knows what to do. She's taken him as her own and I really don't feel the urge to intrude on what little happiness he has with his good friends."
Her face became stern and angry looking, "you know, I bet you didn't for one second consider to ask Harry what he would like. Give him the option." She slipped her hand away from his arm, her temper and voice rising. "And who on earth said that you had to stay at your place? You're more than welcome at my home! Any of you, at any time! As far as I'm concerned, you don't think too much about what people want. You always have to take the safer approach to everything! MAYBE you should think a little harder and MAYBE you should ask him to see what he wants!" She stormed off, long strands of renagade hair falling behind her as she walked to her office.
He watched her as she turned the corner. He smiled softly and cocked his head to the left, chuckling in his throat... his boyish looks coming back to his face again.
"I made her mad again..." He headed down to his own office. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That concludes the second chapter to Ticking Clocks ^_^
That morning Aislynn's loud alarm clock, which looked very similar to a huge mouth, woke her with it's incesent screaming. Her eyes flew open and her hand immediately slammed it shut with a groan. Slowly... pain-stakingly she rose from the fluffy bed, rubbing her eyes lightly to focus better.
"I'm really not cut out for this morning bit," she muttered to herself as she streched like a cat. With a glance out her window she could determine that the sun still hadn't risen. A fine blanket of mist still covered the school grounds. She hadn't set up a lesson yet, but she had a good idea of what she wanted to teach the students. From the corner of her room, she heard a soft clacking of a beak and turned to find that a pretty barn owl had fallen asleep on her chair, perched on the wooden arm. She smiled a little and walked over quietly, waving an owl pellet to coax it awake.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well? What have you got for me?" She fed him the pellet and took the small parchment scroll and read over it swiftly. It was her schedule that was supposed to have arrived earlier than that day, but.. unfortunately, the poor feathered creature had grown weary of waiting. She thanked him and let him stick around with some water and more pellets before he went up to the owlery. With a rude, loud yawn, Aislynn got dressed and pulled her hair into a loose bun then made her way down to her classroom to write the lesson on the chalkboard.
Professor Ais.
Welcome to Miscellaneous/Ettiquette Lessons, where you'll be learning off-the-wall information but perhaps it will be of use later.
"I'm in big trouble if all of my lessons start off with what sounds like apologies," she shook her head and put the peice of chalk down.
"Do you always talk to yourself, Professor Ais?" A familiar voice spoke clearly and with some bemusement in his voice.
"Remus? What are you doing here," she asked and stopped herself with a laugh and approached him to give a quick embrace. "I'm sorry. I mean, it's good to see you. Do you want a cup of tea?"
He lifted his hands but didn't embrace her back, he cleared his throat as she stepped back. "Er, no, thank you. As a matter of fact, I came to wish you good luck on your first lesson. I hope you don't mind, but I'll be by for one of your classes. It's the time when I have preperation."
"Not at all," she smiled brightly. "I think I'll enjoy your company, it's nice to have a friend around... Those robes look great on you, by the way! They turned out to be just your color too." She put a hand on her hip and took a good look at him. He didn't look quite so hungry either...
"Yes. Thank you again. I don't know how to repay you for your generosity and kindness. About all I've done is kept your home in good shape," he turned his eyes to the ground and placed his hands behind his back.
"Remus... anything for a dear friend. I don't want any sort of payment from you." She touched his arm and grabbed his attention by leaning down and locking eyes with him then stood up straight again. "All I need is you." She smiled and kissed his cheek softly.
He turned red in the cheeks, and for a moment he had his young boyish looks back. He cleared his throat again, trying to contain a huge grin, "I really should get back to my classroom. I'll see you for breakfast." He turned on his heel, eyes still toward the floor and left her room in a hurry. She watched as the hem of his robes whipped out of sight and stood dumbfounded for a moment with her head quirked to the side.
"Odd man..." She murmmered and got her desk ready for the day. After she was satisfied with the work, she headed down to the Great Hall for a hearty breakfast.
There was an atmosphere of great excitment and apprehension in the air with wiff of a mixture of french toast and syrup. Many students had all ready made their way to their benches and were eating merrily and striking up conversations with their friends animatedly. She too found her seat and helped herself to a few links of small sausage, hash browns, scrambled eggs and a nice cold glass of orange juice. Snape was half way through his breakfast when she finally sat down. She could tell that he had maybe just lost his appetite because he had suddenly stopped eating.
"Not a morning person, are we, Stellar?" He narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Just as much as you are a ray of sunshine bottled up, Snape," she grinned at him and took a sip of her orange juice. "Don't look at me as though I've just insulted your family honor. You started it. And I'd appreciate it if you'd stop making snide remarks every time I see you because to be honest with you, it gets tiring keeping my guard up around you. So lighten up, once and a while." Aislynn spoke simply and softly.
He tossed his napkin to his plate and stood up nonchalantly then walked out of the Great Hall. She shook her head slightly. Lupin tapped her shoulder and smiled at her while walking by to take his seat. She smiled back and glanced down to waved down to a very tired Ron. A little while passed and the Great Hall became more and more empty when Aislynn had decided to get up and take her seat at her desk. The first bell had rung and her classroom was filled with some Gryffindors and Slytherins. She was very pleased to see that Harry and his four friends had made it to the class. They waited, sitting at attention with quills and parchment ready as she stood up.
"Well, good morning everyone and welcome to my classroom. I suppose I should introduce myself, I'm Aislynn Stellar but you can call me Professor Ais. This year I'll be teaching a few lessons about different cultures and their ways of magic and some Ettiquette. I might stray off from time to time so I promise that I won't give out too much homework." She smiled genuinely when Hermoine gave a sigh of disappointment and she began to talk to them about the importance of N.E.W.T.s. After all had been said, she passed out the books she had found about different and interesting cultures that she would be covering with them for that year.
"Are there any questions?" She smiled and placed her hands on the desk.
A ferret-faced student with platnium hair raised his hand.
"Yes, Mister--?"
"Malfoy. Draco Malfoy," his voice was dull and droning. She stiffened at the last name but shook it off mentally and nodded so he could continue.
"What does this class have to do with our wizarding lives?" His voice had a slight sneer as he raised an eyebrow and his gorillia like friends snickered behind their hands.
"Well, Mister Malfoy... I should think with the money behind that sneer, you'd know all about enriching your life with knowledge of places where you might travel." She spoke clearly and watched him unblinking. "This class," she was now speaking to everyone, "is to ensure that you understand more about your world rather than just your personal bubble. If you were to become a Treasure Hunter or just travel for fun, you would know how to act properly infront of the people giving you their hospitality. In short, I'm teaching you how to have manners with understanding of why behind those manners."
"Which will we be starting on, Professor Ais?" Hermoine raised her hand and readied her quill.
"Japanese cultures. If you wish, you can read pages fourteen through twenty to get a good head start. When you come back next, we'll begin a feast and after we will talk of what different magic methods they use. I'll expect you to take notes, however. No essays for now.... That'll be the bell, you're free to leave for your next class. Thank you."
Her first students trickled out of her class, she winked at Harry and the rest before they left. She collapsed in her chair after everyone had left and exhaled noisily.
"Not bad for your first lesson. You handled Malfoy nicely as well. But if you give them too much slack then they'll walk all over your lessons in the future." Lupin grinned, clapping his hands and walked towards her desk.
"It's the first day and I had no idea that you were the new Divinations professor, O Wise Seer," she laughed and leaned back in her chair. "I'll be firmer soon... we're all stressed out so I'm trying to give a little slack for now." The clock struck the hour and she blinked, her heart stopped for a minute and she hopped up.
"AIYA! I'm late to meet the new exchange student! Sorry, Remus! I'll see you at lunch, all right?" She hugged him on her way out and rushed down to Dumbledore's Gargoyle where a pretty girl stood alone with a bag slung over her left shoulder. Aislynn panted a little and leaned against the gargoyle that became somewhat honory that he was now just a part of the wall to her.
"I am so sorry. Please forgive me for my tardiness," she laughed and stood up to shake her hand. "I'm Aislynn Stellar... Please call me Professor Ais."
"Hi. I'm Emily Smithinson." She smiled. Emily was about two inches shorter than Aislynn with long, cork-screw curly, strawberry-blond hair. Her eyes were a deep blue hue and hands were pale that were lithe and delicate. She reminded Aislynn of a procelin doll, especially with her pouty pink lips. She was careful not to speak to loudly for fear of breaking her to peices.
"I hear that you've come all the way from The U.S. just to join Hogwart's. I was actually born there. What part of America are you from?"
"Cleavland, Ohio. I actually have a few pictures of around home, it's very beautiful," Emily smiled her gorgeous smile and reached into her bag to pull out a few pictures of her house and it's surroundings. Aislynn took a look at them and smiled fondly, trying to remember what Maryland looked like around this time of the season. She handed the pictures back to their owner and placed a soft hand on her back to begin to lead her around the school.
"I won't be able to stay with you all the time, so I'll introduce you to a few very nice students in your same house. It's the same one that I was in, actually... I'm sure that you'll be most comfortable there. They'll teach you more about the ropes, like when meals are served, where your classes are and when they are, so on and so forth." She smiled and heard the bell ring for lunch then began to lead her to the Great Hall where Emily watched the ceiling, awestruck.
Luckily, Hermoine and Ron were all ready at the table. Aislynn introduced them to Emily who was very shy and fidgited with the sleeve of her black robes. Ron seemed very taken with her the moment she sat down betwixt the two.
"Will you please take Emily under your wings? She's very far from home and has most of your classes with you." She smiled and left the three to talk amongst themselves. There was a new buzz around the Great Hall about the pretty new girl that had arrived from America. Girls watched her with a slight jealous eye, and boys watched her like love-struck puppies. Aislynn took her seat next to Snape who still seemed very upset with her from her harsh words at breakfast.
"Hello, Severus. How is your first day going so far?" She smiled and rested her cheek on her hand, interested at what he'd have to say.
"Foul. Thank you for asking but not caring."
"Wow... your icy shoulder has grown into a glacier. Maybe later I could... warm you up?" She laughed and pat his arm softly. "I'll teach you how to flirt yet, Snapey-poo."
He almost had his pumpkin juice spew from his nose but had a nice save when he brought his napkin to his mouth. She smiled and grabbed a club sandwich from the silvery platter and munched happily, nudging Snape in the arm with hers every now and then. She was feeling very playful and felt like having a nice game of Quidditch but the smoldering glares from Snape prevented her from doing so. After she had eaten and caught the attention of Lupin they, after confusing and crude hand motions, decided to go for a short walk.
"So..." she strolled slowly, her hand slipped around his arm loosely. "How much longer until you change for the night? A week or so?"
"Next week on Tuesday."
"Be sure that you change into your older robes and that you go right back to my house as soon as your feeling up to it. I'll mix the potion tomorrow night for you, okay?" She smiled and looked up at him. His tired look had come back and she looked to the floor. "I'm sorry, Remus. About everything that's happened to you... I hear that.. that it wasn't painful. It's how he'd have wanted it. I remember how he was, the handsome devil. He wasn't the type to sit at home and have other people in all the action."
"I know, but... besides you, he was the closest friend I've had left. And I didn't even know you were still around up until four months ago. My sympathies go out to Harry, however. He's lost so much and he's still quite young." His baratone voice was quiet and his expression was vacant.
"Harry is a lot stronger than people think. I'm sure he's figured out that Sirius wouldn't have wanted him to mourn him in misery but remember what precious moments they had together. His friends are taking good care of him too." She slowed him to a stop and watched him carefully. "You know... Molly and yourself could take care of him. I hear that his muggle home isn't that fantastic. I've heard how he speaks of you, he looks up to you, Remus."
He blinked and looked at her thoughtfully as though he were seriously considering it.
"I don't think I could do that," he said finally. "I am, afterall, a werewolf. It would be difficult for him to run back and forth between the Burrow and my small shack. Molly has had children and knows what to do. She's taken him as her own and I really don't feel the urge to intrude on what little happiness he has with his good friends."
Her face became stern and angry looking, "you know, I bet you didn't for one second consider to ask Harry what he would like. Give him the option." She slipped her hand away from his arm, her temper and voice rising. "And who on earth said that you had to stay at your place? You're more than welcome at my home! Any of you, at any time! As far as I'm concerned, you don't think too much about what people want. You always have to take the safer approach to everything! MAYBE you should think a little harder and MAYBE you should ask him to see what he wants!" She stormed off, long strands of renagade hair falling behind her as she walked to her office.
He watched her as she turned the corner. He smiled softly and cocked his head to the left, chuckling in his throat... his boyish looks coming back to his face again.
"I made her mad again..." He headed down to his own office. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That concludes the second chapter to Ticking Clocks ^_^