One Day At A Time

The Beginning

That year, Harry's sixth, the Defense Against the Dark Arts spot had stayed open all summer. Rumor was the Ministry was saying they'd have to assign someone again, something they were hesitant to do considering what had happened the last time they did that. But they had resigned to doing that only at the latest possible moment, also know as the day before Hogwarts commenced.

I applied for the job two days before Hogwarts commenced.

I don't know why I didn't apply earlier. I suppose it was because although I knew the spot was open the idea of me—me—being a Hogwarts professor seemed laughable. Me, a professor. Impossible!

But, as I soon found out, it was reality. I hadn't actually planned on taking the position at first, it just kind of…happened. I wondered what it would be like to be a professor and soon a half-formed day dream started running around my head. When I finally gathered the courage to talk to Dumbledore he was so eager I felt like I couldn't say no. So I said yes.

Perhaps I should clarify what my job was before this incident. I had been a private tutor, teaching mostly wealthy Pure-Blooded children who had chosen not to go to a Preparatory school. In the summer, when these children wanted a break, I would help Hogwarts-aged students with spells they could not perform. Almost all of these were Half-Blooded students—not because of discrimination on my part but more because of those who came to me. Muggle-born witches and wizards didn't seem to be aware tutors existed and I certainly didn't make my presence known to them. Pure-Blooded children didn't seem to want tutors after they had entered Hogwarts and that left the Half-Bloods. The only Pure-Blood I have a memory of teaching in the summer was Neville Longbottom and, Merlin, was that boy clumsy! Almost took my eye out with his wand the summer before his 2nd year.

But, I digress. I believe it was because my past as a tutor that Dumbledore hired me so readily. Either that or because it was two days before the school year started. Your pick. Whatever his reason, the end result was that I had two days to read over all of the student portfolios and plan a week's worth of lessons; thankfully Dumbledore took care of the placement of sixth year students. The day Hogwarts started I was so tired from going through different lesson plans I forgot entirely about the Hogwarts' express. And that's how I was left, after Apparating three times, trudging across the impossibly wide grassy field of Hogwarts.

"Cursed Anti-Apparation field," I mumbled to myself. "I'm going to make a laughingstock of my self, I just know it. I wouldn't be surprised if I'm late to the Sorting, too." I continued making my way to the large stone castle that was Hogwarts. "Why did I take this job?" I quietly exclaimed to myself, doubt starting to gnaw away at me. "Didn't I consider the danger? The reward, yes, but at the same time…what about all those other teachers? All of my predecessors have had horrible fates and what makes me think I will be any different? Oh, I'll be dead in a week, I know it."

The castle, and with it the welcoming stone archways, were coming closer. I quickened my pace and grumbled at the dew wetting the bottom of my robes. I wanted to set a good first impression and having damp robes wasn't the way to go around doing it. All of the teachers were older than me and I was aware that by now the DADA position must not be taken very seriously, considering its unfortunate past.

I let out a sigh and shook the grass from my boots as I entered Hogwarts. Judging by all the noise the sorting was over and the feast had begun. I carefully entered the Great Hall and looked up towards the teacher's table, where I saw an empty setting. Walking briskly, I took my seat and tried very hard to not attract any attention to myself.

"Ah, you're finally here, Liseli!"

I couldn't help but cringe as Dumbledore spoke directly to me, causing all of the other professors to look at the new arrival.

"Yes," I said with slightly embarrassed smile, "my apologies for being late." I thought about adding an explanation but decided against it.

"I'm just glad you're here," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling. "Considering our track record with Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher I was afraid some horrible catastrophe might have occurred to you before you'd even set foot inside the school."

I gave him a smile, unsure of what I could say, and continued putting food on my plate, glancing around at the other professors all the meanwhile. Many of them had been my teachers when I attended Hogwarts and there was only a few I didn't recognize. One of these, the man sitting to my left, I seemed to have to ticked off in my mere five minutes of being here. And when I say ticked off I mean ticked off. He was glaring at me as if my mere presence insulted him. After about five minutes of this, I became rather annoyed and decided he was some snooty Pure-Blood who would have all of the teachers be male Pure-Bloods of high standing if he had any say. But you don't have any say, I thought to myself, becoming rather gleeful at his anger.

"What do you teach?" I said in a happy tone of voice, secretly hoping to annoy him more.

He looked rather surprised at being addressed before a sneer formed on his face. "I happen to be the Potions Master here."

"That's nice," I said giving him a big happy smile before I returned to my plate. I secretly gave myself a real smile, feeling as though I had succeeded in my personal mission of proving I wasn't going to be afraid of him, just because he already seemed to hate me so much.

After that he didn't look at me for the rest of the meal.

"Attention Students," Dumbledore started, standing up from his seat at the head of the table. Immediate silence followed. "I hope you have enjoyed the food and soon you will be off to bed, but before you do that, I want to say a few brief words. The first of these will be used to introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Liseli Colburn!" I felt like a deer in the headlights. Every student in the Great Hall was looking towards me.

"Stand up, dear!" I heard a voice in my right ear. I stood up, mindlessly following the command, and gave a nervous smile. The applause died down and I took my seat again, my heart hammering as though I had just run a mile. Dumbledore quickly finished his announcements and dismissed us, leaving me wondering where I should go now.

I looked towards the professor to my right, Professor Sprout, and asked her where my sleeping quarters were. I felt rather stupid having to ask her, but Dumbledore had already left and I hadn't visited Hogwarts in the days before session started.

"Ah, let's see, for you they'll be by the…you were in Slytherin during your school days, correct?"

I nodded. Normally the word "Slytherin" is said with great contempt and prejudice but when she said the word it held none of that.

"Then you'll have to ask the head of the Slytherin house to show you. Teacher's quarters are normally somewhat near to the common room of their house," she explained, while I nodded along and pretended I had already known this.

"Who is the head of Slytherin?" I tried to ask with all the casualness I could muster.

"Ah," she started, slightly distracted, "Snape is. Snape!" she called him.

I tried very hard to keep the shock off my face. I had only known Snape vaguely in my Hogwarts years but it was not exactly a positive image I associated him with. When I was a first year Snape was a third and already he had a reputation for cursing others when they got in his way. I always got the impression he wasn't very in control of his powers, or at least if he was, he wasn't very mature in using them. I recalled secretly thinking that someday he and his attitude would tick off someone far more powerful than himself and he'd end up dead in an alley somewhere. But, if sounds weren't deceiving, this wasn't true, and he had even managed to obtain enough self-control to become a professor.

The man who had been glaring at me during the meal swept over to Professor Sprout. "Yes?" he spoke rather icily.

That was Snape? Him? But his personality was so…so…un-Snapeish! Well, I thought, I suppose the glare is kind of Snapeish; he always seemed to think he was better than other people. But now, at least, he was more like a grown-up Snape (which actually made quite a bit of sense). He looked rather similar to his seventh year self also. Why hadn't I recognized him sooner? I thought and quickly realized it was because I hadn't been expecting to see him anytime soon, and especially not here, at Hogwarts.

"Fine, I'll show her the route," Snape told Professor Sprout, giving me a sideways glare. I frowned at him slightly in a way which, I hope, told him I wouldn't be intimidated.

The menacing black bat—sorry, Snape--swept off without a word and I followed wordlessly behind him, trying desperately to catch up with his long strides.

It was rather comforting to be back in Hogwarts, actually. A bit like returning home after a long day. Oddly enough, Hogwarts seemed much more like a home than the apartment I was currently renting. I wasn't quite sure if I'd still feel that way when I saw my new quarters, but I decided to savor the feeling while I possessed it.

"Your room's behind this painting," Snape quickly stated in a tone as cold as the dungeons we were in. "Set your own password, I have other business to attend to," he finished, turning around and stalking off down the narrow hallway. I glared at his retreating figure and resisted the rather childish, but strong, urge to stick my tongue out at him. Instead, with a final glare, I turned towards the portrait and set the password, telling the painting to use it for a month before allowing me to change it.

I looked around the room. It was rather nice, actually. Large with a green and silver sheeted bed in the middle. There were a few portraits on the wall but they were all landscapes, meaning no intruding heads trying to talk to me while I was trying to sleep. I glanced around a bit more and saw my clothes had been put away by house elves and that I had my own, attached, bathroom (also green and silver).

I let out a yawn and laid down on my bed. Hugging one of the various pillows I looked up at the ceiling and smiled. It was so comforting to be back at Hogwarts, and in this room, where the green and silver of Slytherin could wash over me like gentle waves, I finally felt like I was at home.

….

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or his world. I do, however, own Liseli Colburn.

A/N: The only way I can see my mistakes is if you lend me your eyes…leave me a review on your way out.