Hi folks, here's Chapter Two, but first off, here's the boring necessary bit.
Disclaimer:
Everyone recognized is © of J. K. Rowling
Everyone else © of us
Chapter Two: Meetings With Colleagues and Pupils
Caroline sat brooding before her computer screen; long after Kelly had gone to bed and long after midnight had come to pass.
She had been contacting a few reliable friends of theirs to see if any of them would be willing enough to look after the penthouse whilst they were away at Hogwarts and one of Caroline's friends from school had offered to stay in it with her family whilst their house was extended to allow their expanding reptile business to develop further.
Caroline had been perfectly happy and Kelly had been delighted.
She wanted a few snakeskins from the different breeds that Caroline's friend owned so that she could sketch their designs and work it into her clothes designs somehow.
Caroline sighed, resting her head on her arms whilst staring blankly at the screen.
She knew why Dumbledore had treated them so coolly; he thought that the Obliviate he had placed upon her was still in effect. He had no idea how stubborn she could be, especially when she put her mind to it!
She glanced in Kelly's direction, sensing the deeply sealed magic within, as well as the blood connection.
Eventually, she rose to her feet.
"Time to hit the sack," she muttered to the air and headed for the stairs to the upper level of the penthouse, engaging both the alarm and the other 'security' measures before she went up to bed.
(Next morning)
Kelly was busy ploughing her way through her third large bowl of Cheerios whilst Caroline went and sorted out the bedrooms for their lodgers whilst they were away.
Their penthouse was a triplex, with kitchen, living room, gym and utilities on the first level, bedrooms on the second level and a swimming pool/roof garden. There were eight bedrooms in all.
There was a loud knocking on the front door.
Caroline stuck her head out of the 'Blue Room' and called down the stairs:
"Kelly, get the door please?"
"'KAY!" Kelly called back up.
Kelly slowed before she got to their front door, her face, which was usually carefree and smiling, turned serious and cautious.
Her hand slid to the handle of her .9mm, fingering the gun she knew as her second partner, Shadow; given to her by her late mentor… this gun had never failed her, not against any opponent.
She looked through the eyehole in the door.
Outside stood a tall thin man with a brooding demeanour and sneering face.
"Well you're not delivering pizzas eh?" She murmured to herself, slowly unlocking the door and standing back, finger ready at the trigger.
"About time you opened up." The man snapped icily.
Kelly had to subdue a snort at the sexual implication of the line and opted for an insolent smirk (as Severus eloquently worded it within his own mind) instead.
"Ah," Caroline's voice drew the pair out of their glaring stalemate.
She set the pre-enchanted mini trunks, which had been delivered by Fawkes yesterday, on the floor.
Caroline had received a major headache from that particular incident; whilst her partner could usually become over excited about simple things she usually maintained a level of subtlety, however, the sight of any animal made her throw away any and all thralls of sanity and caused her to shriek about how cute said animal was (whilst they tried to wrestle away from her vice like hug).
Fawkes, suffice it to say, had been less than happy upon his departure.
These trunks were small enough to fit in their rucksacks and would enlarge when set in their rooms at Hogwarts.
She cocked her eyebrow enquiringly at the wizard clad in black.
"You must be our escort… Big Bat was the codename correct?" The man's face turned stony as Kelly couldn't help but laugh at the choice of name.
"How… apt." She finally managed to choke through her fits of laughter.
"Yes well, let's get going shall we? I imagine you are ready?" He sneered. "Or do I have to wait for you to get properly attired?"
"Indeed." Caroline stated in reply to Severus' statement. She raised an amused eyebrow at his somewhat sulky attitude towards them.
If he doesn't get that stick outta his ass, Kell certainly will! She thought as she followed him and Kelly out, locking the door behind them; her friend Claire and her family would be here in a couple of hours and she had promised to leave the alarm off and leave the key with the security guard on the way out.
"Well, are you going to tell us your real name or are we going to keep calling you 'Big Bat'? 'Cause it's causing people to stare at us." Caroline piped up as they got on the train to London.
"Professor Snape." He gritted out as he continued mumbling about "Muggle transport" and "This is going to take forever".
"Professor, would be your title, Snape, so I expect you to be courteous and tell us your full name, as we have told you ours." The auburn haired woman pressed.
"Fine, my name is Severus Snape, but I expect you to be courteous and not use it as I have not extended the invitation." He glowered at the triumphant smile on the woman's face.
Since he had nothing to do except converse with them (something he wouldn't be caught dead doing) he decided to read and pulled out of (what appeared to be nowhere) an old tome with the words 'medicamentum abigo dirus abdera-orum compressu nox noctis.' Inscribed on the cover.
Caroline rolled her eyes at the title.
How predictable that this man was so into keeping people away that he would read such a book. She thought.
Kelly nudged Caroline.
"What's the title mean?" Unfortunately for her, languages were not her strong suit (though she new a few choice words in Japanese, which she often insulted people with.)
"'Potions to curses for embracing darkness.'"
Kelly snorted.
"This assignment is getting weirder and weirder by the minute. We are attending school with a maniac and a man with less fashion sense than well, you used to have."
"Beats getting blood on your hands." Caroline muttered.
"You think all of our colleagues are like him?"
"Meaning?"
"Weird."
Caroline smirked at Kelly's choice of word.
"Some people would say you're weird mate; the amount of food you eat and your unending hyper-ness, which reminds me, when you fall asleep on this journey…. don't look at me like that-you're about as active as a sloth on long journeys! Anyway, as I was saying…when you fall asleep, don't kick me! If you wanna kick someone then kick him." She jerked her head in Severus' direction. Severus, engrossed in his book, failed to notice…something he'd be seriously regretting at the end of the journey.
Severus led the girls onto Platform 9 and ¾ and promptly abandoned them; a sleeping Kelly had kicked him and he was sure his shins were black and blue.
They're as crazy, if not crazier, than Albus! He thought mutinously.
"Make sure you get off with the students," he sneered before he left. "Wouldn't do any good for the new teachers to be absent would it?"
Some students blinked and then stared.
"Don't worry Big Bat, we'll be there." Kelly commented.
With a snort, Severus vanished, firstly, needing some relief for his poor shins and secondly, to escape the giggles of his students, whom he would make sure to punish severely at the first opportunity.
Kelly stretched, the corset riding up exposing her midriff, causing some seventh year boys to walk into a pillar as they stared.
Caroline who was watching the students sniggered and then turned to look at Kelly, who was pouting.
"What's wrong?"
"Pity our laptops aren't going to work here."
"Actually, they will."
"How?"
"Dumbledore said, when he sent Fawkes, he was making it so it felt right at home."
"Yay!" Kelly span round, arms outstretched. Chuckling, Caroline pulled a HMV bag out of her jacket's inner pocket and handed it to Kelly.
Kelly opened it and squealed with delight.
"Escaflowne Collection 1 and 2! Naruto Boxset! Inuyasha Volume 1! Tsubasa Volume 1! Christina Aguilera's Back To Basics! Awesome!"
"The Back To Basics CD is yours-hence the red star sticker I've put on the cover; so you don't have to keep borrowing mine. The others are because I fancied it and since neither of us have them…I thought we'd share them."
Kelly hugged her friend. "You're the best!"
"Well, I thought we needed it." Caroline smirked. "Besides, we could torture the kids in detention with it."
"That's so mean…I love it!"
"Thought you would." Caroline chuckled. She glanced around, casually noting the curious looks they were getting.
She jiggled her shoulders; a sure sign she was nervous.
"C'mon," she muttered. "Lets find a compartment."
The rumour that the two young women that had been talking to Professor Snape (and getting under his skin by the looks of it as well) were new teachers spread through the train quickly.
Walking through the train, they noticed they were getting stared at. Caroline growled; a sign her temper was nearing breaking point.
"I swear if these kids don't stop staring at us, I'll throttle them all!" she complained moodily.
Kelly rolled her eyes.
Having been with Caroline for the last two years, she knew all too well how long it took for her to come out of a melancholy or grumpy mood; though, with Claire or Kelly it could take a lot less.
She slung her arm over her friend's shoulder and squeezed it.
"Oh come on Caz! They're just being curious. After all," Kelly smirked and dropped her voice to a dramatic whisper. "How often is it young and beautiful teachers catch the train with them?" She exaggerated this by jiggling her hips a motion that wasn't completely covered by her coat.
Caroline gave a little chuckle and her lips twitched faintly into a smile as she pulled over the compartment door and let Kelly enter before her.
She gave the boys a look before disappearing into the compartment and slamming the door shut, as well as pulling the curtains closed. Her lips twisted in a sadistic grin as she heard the disappointed groans and curses.
"Anyway," Kelly continued, putting her feet up on the other seat. "I'm just glad we found this empty compartment near the back of the train, aren't you?"
"Hmmm." Caroline agreed, though she guessed the reason people were staring the most was because of the armour the girls had put on in the toilets, best to be prepared in case the train was attacked, they'd decided.
(Ten compartments down)
Harry Potter was gazing blankly out of the window when Ron and Hermione re-entered the compartment; having just completed their prefect duties.
"Hey mate, have you heard there's a couple of new teachers on board?"
"Hmm," Harry answered noncommittally. "They're somewhere around this area apparently."
"Oh come on Harry," Hermione sat next to him, her face glowing. "Aren't you even a little curious?" she asked.
"Curiosity cost me Sirius." Harry pointed out.
Ron and Hermione exchanged looks; the death of his godfather in fifth year was still a sore point for the Boy-Who-Lived and whilst they couldn't blame him for being upset; it was getting a little exasperating.
Ron grabbed his friend's hand and yanked him out of the seat before shoving him to the door, eagerly assisted by Hermione.
"C'mon mate, lets go have a look."
After checking with Ernie McMillan, they peered cautiously into the compartment that Caroline and Kelly were occupying.
Kelly had pulled out her Nintendo DS and was playing on it shouting profanities as she was playing her favourite game 'Touch Detective' and was currently stuck-much to her annoyance; Caroline shook her head at her friend's actions and continued checking her emails, frowning occasionally and snickering a fair bit as well.
"They're you are mate. Not bad looking eh?" Ron nudged Harry and winked.
"They look so tough!" Hermione gushed.
"They look our age." Harry observed his interest peaking slightly; taking over his self induced depression for a moment.
They ducked out of sight as the two women looked up suddenly; Caroline was frowning slightly (she had just read that her ex-boyfriend wanted to talk to her) whilst Kelly looked cheerful; she had just cleared the part of the game she was stuck on and was no longer threatening to throw the hand-held out of the window.
"D'you reckon they saw us?" Ron asked fearfully, Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry smirked.
Obviously they had seen them and so, what was the point in hiding anymore?
He stood and, whilst ignoring Ron's babbling of "What're you doin'?" and "My God, they'll skin us!" he opened the compartment door and confidently strode in.
"Hello there." He greeted flashing a smile at the women.
Caroline scowled; the only thing keeping her from flailing the boy alive for his impudence was his sheer gall – it was impressive.
Normally, she wouldn't have minded his impudence but the mention of her ex, or 'Captain Louse' as Kelly liked to call him, had put her in a foul mood-on par with Snape.
Kelly however liked his confidence so she decided to answer him
"Hi; I'm Professor Yami and this temporary grump-butt is Professor Hikari, pleased to meet you Mr…" She trailed off waiting for the student to introduce himself.
"Oh, I'm Harry, Harry… Potter." Caroline noticed the hesitation in his voice… and understood perfectly, whilst Kelly was oblivious to who Harry was (yet another of Dumbledore's machinations) but Caroline knew all too well his history and fame that was forced upon him.
"Oh, well pleased to meet you Harry." Kelly grinned now averting her gaze to a sheepish Hermione and almost green Ron.
"I'm Hermione Granger, erm sorry about the spying - it was rather rude"
She tried to keep her voice steady but the idea of being caught was too embarrassing for her, Ron merely kept up his impression of a sick gold fish.
Caroline snorted at Hermione's words.
"You call that spying? Oh dear. Yami, you're going to have your work cut out for you; not only is she incredibly unfit looking but she can't even spy."
Hermione looked affronted where as Harry joined in with their laughter (gaining a pointed glare from the bushy haired young woman).
"I am not unfit!" She argued petulantly.
"Oh, I'm afraid you are." Kelly piped up this time. "Have you ever gone a day without any food and very little water? Have you ever spent a night in the wilderness without being able to sleep for fear that your enemies will slit your throat in the night? Have you ever been faced with an opponent you once saw as a friend, only to have to get their blood on your hands? No Ms. Granger you have not, neither have many your age… That is why I am here."
Caroline smiled sadly; it took a lot for Kelly to recall her past without completely losing her composure, but she managed it today, which meant she understood the seriousness of the situation they were getting themselves into.
"Oh…" was all Hermione could answer; she had never intended her words to provoke such a reaction from the seemingly carefree young Professor.
"Anyway…. Enough reminiscing from me, we are very nearly there we will see you in class." It was an obvious dismissal, which Hermione took gladly; she had not anticipated such an introduction to the new Professors.
Harry, meanwhile, smiled to himself, it seemed these professors would actually be able to listen to him without prejudice… and help him in the tasks he had to face in the future. Yes, it seemed the old coot of a headmaster had actually outdone himself this time.
But Harry wasn't aware of just how much Dumbledore had outdone himself this time round but he, and his fellow students, and the teachers and the Order of the Phoenix, as well as the Dark, would soon be finding out…
Right, that's it for now; hope you enjoyed it.
(17-04-08) And I hope the edit made it and Chapter One easier to read.